The Deacon's Wife

My phone rang just as I neared the door to exit the doctor's office outside. Brenda walked out in front and suddenly we saw a commotion. I could not concentrate on the phone call because an older man slowly collapsed to the ground just as he reached the same door. I quickly got off the phone just in time for the man to sink all the way to the ground on his stomach. Thankful he did not fall and break anything or hit his head.

His wife panicked. She started using a stream of profanity best left unrepeated. If you can think of the vilest foulest language she said it. A steady stream of filth poured from her lips. The man wanted to get up. The wife wanted him down and I felt caught in the middle not knowing for sure what to do. Brenda offered to call 911 at which the wife balked. She kept repeating I am a nurse.

All the while, the man kept trying to get up. He did get up as far as resting on both his knees but his wife begged me to hold him down and not let him get up. The man said, "This is embarrassing. Just let me get up.  Especially right in front of the door. Let me stand up." She sta?ed another steady stream of profanity.

We finally got a plan for Brenda to get their car and pull it up to the front door. I helped the man to his feet and then into the passenger seat. The wife ran inside to cancel the doctor appointment. I went around to the driver's side and told the man I was a pastor. I prayed with him. Afterwards, he told me he was a Christian and a deacon. Then he told me they had driven from Witchita Falls to Fort Worth that morning for the doctor visit.

The wife scurried out the door and into the car shouting thank you as they drove away.

What went on in that lady's life to cause her to talk that way? What stress was she under besides the immediate issue of her husband falling? What had her so frazzled she cussed like I have not heard since in a football locker room.  It seemed apparent that was not the first episode the man had fallen. I don't know what it was. It was not a seizure. That lady appeared very stressed because it happened before. .

She made everything worse. Her husband was embarrassed because of her behavior and falling in the first place. He rebelled against her frustrated and fighting against her at her instructions. Brenda and I were caught in the middle.

Jesus is still our peace in the worst storms of life. He proved that to the disciples. Maybe it would be a good reminder for all of us today. I most likely will never see that lady again. I had no time to witness to her. All the focus was on her husband. How I pray she will find the peace and that comes from knowing and walking with Jesus.

Mark 4:35-41 (NASB)
³⁵
 On that day, when evening came, He *said to them, "Let us go over to the other side."
³⁶  Leaving the crowd, they *took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him.
³⁷  And there *arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up.
³⁸  Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they *woke Him and *said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"
³⁹  And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.
⁴⁰  And He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
⁴¹  They became very much afraid and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"

Falling From Revival

One of the saddest stories I have ever read from history about of God's choice vessels in revival, is the story of Evan Roberts. God used him powerfully. Yet after the Welsh Revival, Roberts was taken in by a lady and her husband with some extreme theological views. They had a profound influence of the young preacher. Roberts felt he should give himself exclusively to prayer and became a recluse. When he died many years later, he did so in a hospital alone without anyone even knowing who he was or what God used him to do in younger life.

He battled depression and a nervous breakdown. The revival took a great toll on him. I have written many times that revival is costly. Maybe that is why we have not seen more revivals. Few are willing to pay the price.

God brought a powerful, but short lived revival back in history. You have heard about it I am sure. It is a famous account. One fiery preacher stood his ground prayerfully and powerfully against wicked forces. God honored his courageous stand and manifested HIs presence in such dramatic fashion no one could doubt God showed up.  The impact was far reaching and immediate. That is not where the story ends.

God's vessel received criticism and threats, because the revival definitely upset the status quo and exposed wickedness across the land in high places. That man of God went from revival to suicidal depression quickly. How? How is it possible to go from experiencing revival to depression in just days?

Just like Evan Roberts the revivalists got tired. With the fatigue the enemy had room to cloud the mind with sinister thoughts. Depression settled in like the dew on the ground overnight. If the story ended there it would be as sad as the Evan Roberts story. Thankfully, God intervened.

The man of God made his way to an isolated spot to hide from people. He could not hide from God. God met him in his isolation and asked him a simple question. He asked what he was doing in isolation. In those quiet moments God met His servant and spoke to Him.

After that, he lived a long time and history records that he had a very fruitful ministry. He never seemed to battle that defeating depression again.

That man of God was Elijah and you read that story in I Kings 19.

In the summer of 2010 God graciously reached down to kiss the little west Texas town of Seminole and the Frist Baptist Church. I got a front row to see all of it. It didn't just start there. I carried the burden for that revival for months. I did not sleep well during that time. The burden never left. I felt it continually. I prayed and prayed. When it started God enabled me to preach 27 times in 23 days. When it ended I was exhausted. I took one day off. We ended the revival on a Monday night. I took Tuesday off and then we gathered again for our regular meeting the following Wednesday.

I did not realize the toll that revival took on me spiritually, physically and emotionally. From 2011-2017 I suffered the worst depression of my life. I felt alone. I tried to hide it unsuccessfully. I could not see any hope. I had little to no peace of mind at times.  Prayers went unanswered at least in the way I prayed for them. Nothing worked. I could barely preach in those years. I preached to myself. I had nothing to offer anyone. I preached often amazed during the sermon God used me.

It is not as uncommon as you might think for people to fall from revival. Pray for revival. Believe God for it. Know for certain revival is costly and often that cost is extremely high. Be warned.