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The Smith sisters and their influence
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Peggy and Christine Smith were sisters, 84 and 82 years old. Unkind people might look at them as see them as useless and a drain on society, while even the most uplifting would normally see them as no longer able to make any significant contribution to others. But from God’s perspective, we know now that they were the key to changing thousands of lives in Scotland. They walked with God, and so their prayers were powerful and effective, as is the case for all such individuals. James 5.16 says, “The prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective.” Their prayers for revival of Christians and for salvation of the unconverted led to a massive move of God on the isle of Lewis from 1949-1950. They had been burdened about the drift away from Christianity they had witnessed in their community, and the spiritual deadness of their churches. Several from their congregation were persuaded to also pray a few nights a week, in a barn near the home of the Smith sisters. They thus drew near to God, for as the Bible says, “Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you.”
An evangelist was invited (Rev. Duncan Campbell) and he was able to build upon the Godly foundation laid by the sisters and their congregation, so that God came down in power, with Christians becoming more Christlike and many non-Christians converted. Could that happen here? No, it could not- unless Christians become more concerned about the glory of God than our own glory/comfort/status. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, the Bible states. So the change is not in God but in us, if he does not move among us in powerful and unmistakable ways. How else can one really be drawn to God? C.S. Lewis and other intellectuals are confronted by the evidence and logic of the resurrection, and by the historic nature of Christianity. But even he had to be drawn supernaturally, in order to pass from the power of darkness into the kingdom of light.
I know that Paul said in Phil 1.18 that he was thankful the gospel is preached even when it is done under false pretenses, because truth is presented. And even then a few will put their faith in the words and not be distracted by a messenger who does not walk with God.
But it is an infinitely more powerful presentation of the gospel when the person who proclaims it, also lives it. Billy Graham preached basically the same as any preacher who believes historic Christian truth. But he was not only called and gifted to evangelize, but he had personal holiness which made his words much more powerful. No one else is called or gifted to be Billy Graham, but no one else has our unique mixture of abilities and limitations either! We may be in the center of the will of God and still hit the wall in terms of seeing results of prayers answered for ourselves or our loved ones. But we are to walk by faith and not by sight. Some missionaries see tremendous results while others labor and may be just as Godly, and see no or very few results. I think of a Swedish missionary to Africa whose wife died there and whose little girl was given to friends to raise. He left a bitter man, remarried, and forbade his family to even mention God. But one little African boy who helped them there was converted, led most of the village to Christ, and the daughter who married and lived in Seattle saw a Swedish magazine with her mother’s tombstone. She got a professor to translate it, was reunited with her father in Sweden, who finally again began to trust and acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord.
I have not quite experienced what the Swedish missionary did, nor have you probably. But we all get discouraged when our prayers do not get answered or when we suffer great loss, as he did. No doubt the Smith sisters had their share of discouragement also, but they kept on praying for personal repentance and holiness until revival came.
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