“Through Man’s Mistake, God Brings Enlightenment”

The Florida Revival was a significant experience. I was greatly humbled by God’s presence and the outpouring of His mercy following the many confessions and repentance. God had also unexpectedly answered a long requested prayer; He saved both of my children. One might assume that this was probably the highlight of the revival for me. However, what God most impressed upon my heart during this time was the realness of His Spirit, and how mightily He will move when His people fully seek Him. God promises to respond when His people come before His throne sincerely asking to be cleansed. God opened my eyes to an entirely new awareness of Him. What was God’s ultimate reason for my participation in the Florida Revival? I know it was to show me His presence in a way that I had never before experienced. As awesome as this experience was, I now know that a momentous mistake was made with the Florida revival. Regrettably the revival stopped before God was finished. The words delivered by the visitor still echo in my ears, “Bay Street Baptist Church, you must keep going and not miss God.” The first chapter in Psalm promised the church prosperity. The messages that were delivered encouraged the church to follow God and warned against doing nothing. God was moving. God was working. God was not finished when Bay Street Baptist Church stopped moving with Him. Neither Mark Douglas nor I had been in a revival situation like this before. We had never experienced such a mighty movement of God. We were walking on sacred, but very unfamiliar ground. I don’t know if we were truly ignorant as to how it should be handled; or if we were just completely awed and distracted by the greatness of God. We thought the movement of God and His presence would remain even if the church returned to the ordinary schedule of Sunday and Wednesday services. It is with much remorse that I humbly say, “We mishandled the revival ending after only 8 days.” Mark Douglas and I have discussed the premature ending of the revival. As I stated earlier, God had impressed upon my heart the directive of “seven days.” I now believe that this directive was for me personally. Bay Street Baptist Church was to continue the revival even when my time was finished. Mark Douglas and I have wondered how things would have been different if we had not stopped too early. We would have been futile and disobedient to continue dwelling on our mistake. It would have given Satan a foothold if we continued to ask, “What if?” Therefore, we meekly went before our Father and asked forgiveness for ending the revival before He was finished. We know that He was faithful to forgive us. We know that at that moment He once again washed us clean. We know that God will continue to use us if we look upward and persevere in those things He has ahead of us. We pressed forward. It was a year later that God impressed upon me to ask Mark Douglas to come to LaFollette and host revival services at our church, Indiana Avenue. At the same time as the revival, Mark Douglas was approaching the end of a four-month sabbatical. For four months he had not preached. He had isolated himself from the “world” and from his family so that he could commune with God in complete solitude. Days upon days were spent in prayer. He completely submerged himself in the Word of God, earnestly and desperately seeking clear direction for his life and his church. He was more than prepared spiritually to host our revival. And God was faithful to use him.