INTO THE OPEN AIR – THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME

Luke 4:28 – “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me

To preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives…

George Whitefield’s life was radically transformed when he was born again at the age of twenty years old. He had been preparing for ministry already but this fresh touch of God on his life changed everything. It didn’t take long for the churches in England to close their doors to this young preacher as a clear anointing had come upon him that had not been heard of since the days of the apostles. Churches had been filled to capacity and overflowing until Whitefield was shut out; his response, out into the open air. His meetings were attended by entire class of people; there were the shop owners, the wealthy, and the coal miners. This had been unheard of but now people all over England were turning to Christ. Here are some comments from Arnold Dallimore’s biography in Whitefield’s own words.

“A strong necessity was laid upon me that… I must go to the utmost to exhort. I could not meet or travel with anybody … without speaking to them concerning their souls. I went during the festive season from house to house in our parish. . . .My food and my drink was praising God. A fire was kindled in my soul and I was clothed with power…. I could have spoken to the King were he within my reach. .. . I lifted up my voice with authority, and fear and terror would be seen on all faces. .. . I thundered greatly, denouncing the gentry, the carnal clergy and everybody.”

One of the classic scenes from Whitefield’s open air meetings was the response of the coalminers. They famously had gutters made by tears of repentance on their dirty faces. Here is Dallimore’s description of those meetings.

“Having no righteousness of their own to renounce, they were glad to hear of a Jesus who was a friend of publicans and sinners, and came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. The first discovery of their being affected was to see the white gutters made by the tears which plentifully fell down their black cheeks, as they came out of their coal pits. Hundreds and hundreds of them were soon brought under deep convictions, which, as the event proved, happily ended in a sound and thorough conversion.”

These are the days that we long for; Lord would you Awake this nation again.