The Shantung Revival

Mary K. Crawford

Why such good reports at the 1932 Mission Meeting as recorded in the preceding chapter? Let us look back to the Mission Meeting of 1930 in Chefoo. At that time three evangelists made discouraged reports of work among “dead” churches. There was a note of despair and hunger in the reports. Some Missionaries spent the summer in seeking new spiritual light and life. At the 1931 Mission Meeting there was a still more definite confession of need in spiritual power. One Missionary spent the summer searching the Scriptures for teaching on the work of the Holy Spirit, going through the Old and New Testaments, light from the Greek New Testament.

Early that fall a missionary began teaching the Acts of the Apostles to a High School Class, with special stress on the Person and Power of the Holy Spirit in Kingdom work of soul winning, — the chief result being that the teacher herself became acutely conscious of her own lack of power, and the need of the Holy Spirit in fullness in her own life. News went around the Mission that one of our most true and tried missionaries had received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. That made the rest of us sick of our wilderness wanderings and anxious to cross over Jordan.

To make a long story short, from September, 1931 to June 1932, at least twenty-four missionaries and many Chinese leaders had had a definite experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirits and were rejoicing all through the year as they saw new light and life coming into the churches. The summary in the three letters is but a meagre account of what happened during the year. But let us hear from some of the missionaries themselves, informally, just as letters were passed from friend to friend during the year.

Laichow, Shantung, January I, 1932.
DEAR BROTHER JOHN:

“Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, Bless His Holy Name.”

How we do praise the dear Lord for His many blessings poured out upon us during the past year; and, as we look forward to the New Year, we are full of thanksgiving for victories yet to be won by our blessed Redeemer. Praise His Holy Name!

God has most marvellously dealt with us during the past several weeks. On December 2nd we began a revival at Laiyang City, which lasted for nine days. From the very first, the spirit was good, and the spiritual fervour rose from day to day. Our people felt that there were spiritual blessings which they had as yet not received, and there was a deep spiritual hunger. I felt that I had lost much of my spiritual power during my twelve years in China. As you recall, I mentioned having had a deep spiritual experience twenty years ago. I felt, while at Laiyang, that it was absolutely necessary for me to get down before God in sackcloth and ashes; and it was also necessary to confess actual sins which I had winked at before.

On the evening of December 3rd we had a prayer service in the church. At first there was singing and praying in chorus. Then there was a lull, and a complete hush possessed the room. There were several of us kneeling in the front of the church. Mr. Li, our evangelist, had been suffering with hoarseness, and could hardly speak. After quite a period of stillness he began to sing a song. His voice had absolutely no huskiness in it. I realised that it was something extraordinary, and I suddenly cried out, “The Holy Spirit has come!” in Chinese. The next moment both he and I were hurled down on the floor and could not get up for about two hours. Oh! the rapture and the ecstasy of it! It seemed that I was so full that I would burst, and the fire of the Holy Spirit seemed to be burning away everything but the very purest and holiest of impulses. That night there were several who had not surrendered to Jesus, who fell down before Him and were gloriously saved. Praise His Holy Name!

Thus began one of the most glorious revivals I have ever been in, either in America or in China. Tens upon tens of people were convicted, and twenty-odd were really and truly converted, born again, in the truest sense of the word. At times I did not even get to preach, as we took up the whole preaching time dealing with souls who were crying out to God for mercy. Once I did not get to the end of my discourse before souls were crying out to God, and in agony for their sins. I wish you could have been there. It was marvellous to see how the Holy Spirit worked. Man’s feeble efforts were thrust aside, and we had the privilege of standing at the side and seeing the Spirit work. Praise His Holy Name.

After returning to Laichow I rested a day, and then began an eleven day revival here. It took longer for the spiritual temperature to rise, but as the days progressed the Holy Spirit was given more freedom, and there were a goodly number born again; and Mrs. Chang Ai Chen was baptised with the Spirit. A good many of our dear people are longing for a deeper walk with God. Thank the dear Lord! I am sure that He has shown us that the greatest need in all of our churches is a full surrender and consecration of both Missionaries and Chinese to the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Hwanghsien, Shantung, February 10th 1932.

DEAREST LOVED ONES:

Marvellous is the Lord and wonderful are His mighty works. Praise His Name, Who is “the same yesterday, today and forever.” We have had such a revival during the past week as I have never seen in my life. Such confession of sin! — till my ears and heart hurt as I thought of them. My own heart was deeply convicted and I was brought so low till I was in despair except for the blessed hope in Christ. He gave me a beautiful verse, fitting for the condition I was in Sunday morning, Isa. 54: 8, and now, thank His Holy Name, I’ve tasted His everlasting kindness. Then during the day there were other sweet experiences, as I knew He had been “tempted in all points like as we, yet without sin,” then that none of us could be “justified by the law,” and then finally I realised my own helplessness in such a way that I could not live without Him. Manifestations were given me, but I cried, “O, Lord, I don’t want manifestations, a I want Thee,” and in a few moments I was on my feet, giving testimony. I began: “Who can lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?” and burst out so in praise to God that I knew that the Power in me was from above, and my heart was filled with holy laughter and praise Ps. 126: 2. Many others have received this blessing, some not in full, some more fully; three of our girl nurses, many of the missionaries, some servants, some evangelists, — some old, some young, some men, some women. Mr. Kiang Feng Nan, who at the beginning of the meetings said if he began confessing his sins it would take the whole time of the meeting, is now filled with the Spirit of God, and Dr. Chu, his wife and mother, five or six of the missionaries, and I can’t begin to tell all the names. The Lord will soon be here. He is thrusting forth labourers into His harvest.” Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is comes upon you, and ye shall be my witnesses.”

Oh, beloved, turn your eyes quickly to the Lord. He has forgiven; full salvation is yours if you will rest in Him. Nothing can separate between us and God but our own sins. He is willing to remove this awful load and to hold us so tenderly that we may rest in His arms. What have we to fear if we’ve trusted all to Him! Oh what a miserable life is that of Romans 7, but what glorious freedom in Romans 8! Many times the meeting would last day and night, with intermission of only an hour more or less between. Every night some prayed all night. We were hungry, and God filled us. He said, “Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.” Eating and sleeping were quite secondary. Sometimes Mr. —— did not get a chance to give any message at all. He just prayed and praised God as he stood by and saw God working. Oh, read and believe God’s word. Every word is true. Praise His Name! He has the same blessing for every one of you. You can’t afford to live without it, and to die without it would be like the five virgins with no oil in their lamps. He is not limited to China. I pray that He give you hungry hearts that He may fill you.

A heart full of love to you all. The glory is all of Him. “Buried and hid with Christ in God.” Hallelujah! Oh, the blessedness of “leaning on the Everlasting Arms.” The same blessing is for you. Acts 2: 39.

A WITNESS TO THE ABOUNDING GRACE OF GOD.
I came to China in 1923, and for several years did my best to learn the language and witness the best I could for the Lord. I continually felt that I was powerless, and the millions of unsaved all around made me feel helpless. In 1927, while most of the Missionaries were refugeeing in Chefoo, I had a conference with Miss. . . . and she asked me if I had been filled with the Holy Spirit. Her question puzzled me, as I had never heard a question like that and put so straightforward. But that question set me to thinking, praying and searching the Scriptures. During that time I had to face and settle many sins in my life that had come in since I had become a Christian. Great conviction came upon me, and I had to write many letters and make restitution in many cases. I got great peace and joy, and my Bible became a new book. While in prayer alone at Laichow a few weeks later I asked the Lord to give me the Fullness of the Holy Spirit. After two or three hours of prayer and meditation He gave me a most blessed experience, and I am sure now that if I had gone on with Him in that close fellowship that He would have given me what I was in so much need of. For several mouths I was a different person and have been in a way since that time, in that I realised as never before that God wants to fill us and possess us fully in the person of His Holy Spirit, a thing that I have not realised in the same way before. However, at that time the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit,” the “Fullness of the Holy Spirit,” etc. was not discussed by many people, and I just let this most wonderful experience gradually fade out, a thing that is so easily done in the busy routine life on the Mission field.

In 1931 God began to work mightily in Shantung, and we were hearing of such definite workings of the Holy Spirit. I immediately remembered the blessed experience of a few years before, and a great hunger came into my soul for the renewal of that spirit and a deeper experience with the Lord. Soon I found that many, many, both Chinese and, Missionaries here in Hwanghsien and in other places were hungering for the same thing, and in many places that hunger was being fully satisfied.

The Holy Spirit was working mightily in Pingtu and other places, and we heard of most glorious work which greatly increased our hunger. At the winter vacation I made a visit to Pingtu and saw and heard things that opened my heart and soul to fully realise that the wonders, miracles, and power of New Testament days had not passed away. When I returned to Hwanghsien, Mr. —— came for a few days of witnessing. He had just been graciously blessed of the Lord, and a large group of Missionaries and Chinese workers met daily to hear the testimony. In prayer I had great freedom and full assurance that God was going to bless me and others. About the second day that freedom in prayer stopped and heaven seemed to be closed. I sat up until twelve o’clock that night trying to pray, read my Bible and think what was the matter. Suddenly great conviction of sin came upon me, and I realised that I must fully face myself and make things right. I called my wife and made some confessions to her, and we prayed together and I got great peace.

The next morning, before Church service, in reading my Bible, the Lord used Romans 2: 16 - 30 to show me how I had been living in trying to lead others when I had not really been taught myself. He also showed me that I should make a full confession to the group that morning, a thing that was very hard to do, but I had come to the place through the grace of God that I was willing to pay the price. When we went into the service Mr. —— called on me for prayer, and it seemed that the Lord was never so near to me as then. When I got through praying I asked permission to make my statement. When I was through the greatest peace that I have ever felt came over me. God used my testimony to break down others, and that meeting just turned into a mutual confession of sins meeting. For days and days to come I have never seen or heard of such conviction of sin. The Spirit was no respecter of persons; no Missionary escaped, no leader or worker among the Chinese escaped; old and young alike, rich and poor, were the same. For three days after I made my confession I just sat there in the meetings sometimes as long as eight and ten hours a day and praised the Lord for His mercies. My whole being seemed to be going through a great change. It seemed like a strong electric current was going through my body. The second day sitting in the meeting I saw the real meaning of Romans 8: 26 - 27. It seemed that the Spirit was praying within me with groanings that could not be uttered. Sometimes I felt like I would die for joy, at others I would be crushed under the burden of prayer. Several times in prayer in private with Mr. —— it seemed to me that both of us would lose ourselves in God, but I would in my desire not to let the flesh enter into anything, shrink back from a complete surrender to God.

Finally on the fifth night of the meeting after we had dismissed, a group of four or five of us men came to my study to pray. We were praying about twelve o’clock and the Spirit came in mighty power. I had hitherto been so afraid of the flesh and evil spirits that I was afraid to really surrender to the Lord. All of a sudden Luke 19: 19 – 13 came to me and I realised that I was God’s own child and there I was right in His presence and I definitely and unreservedly surrendered my whole being right into His hands. I was fully conscious of everything and it seemed that He literally took me into His arms. I was absolutely unafraid and conscious that it was God’s Holy Spirit’s work. He took right hold of me and shook me (physically) as I would shake a rag, then He opened my mouth so wide that my jaw bones seemed like they would break, and the room was filled with wind and it literally rushed into me until I felt that I would burst. This happened four or five times. Then a great burst of joyous laughter that was different from any laughter that I had ever experienced, came right from deep down inside me. This happened over and over.

Next I was brought face to face with several problems that I had been thinking of those days. It seemed that the Lord Himself was asking me one by one about these problems and I would answer back “I will surrender it all to you.” I answered them sometimes in English and sometimes in Chinese, all of which I was conscious of, and those in the room heard. Then it seemed that there were magnets all around me pulling everything in me out. I realised that the Lord was cleansing me, and I was saying “All gone.” After that for ten or fifteen minutes I was resting, it seemed to me in the very arms of Jesus. It came to me all of a sudden that I was praying for the Fullness of the Holy Spirit and I had gotten Jesus. I was literally lost in Him and He in me. As definitely as I have ever communed with any earthly friend I communed with my Lord. Suddenly a great feeling of unworthiness came over me “a poor wretched sinner in the arms of a loving Saviour.” I understood as never before, “abounding grace.” Then there came a great burden of prayer over me, and it seemed the whole world was upon my heart. After praying a while I committed it all to the Lord with the greatest assurance that He had heard my prayer. There came such peace and joy, and again we were all praying together. The Spirit continued to work until all three of us had been greatly blessed.

For those days my wife and I had been praying together and longing for the same blessing. She had become greatly discouraged and the old Adversary was accusing her terribly. For a half day such a burden for her came over me that it seemed at times my physical body could not stand it and I could not utter my prayer, but again the Spirit within me was praying. Finally the Lord took the burden and I through His faith just gave it to Him with the perfect knowledge He had heard my cry. That night my wife got a great blessing and I seemed to be right in heaven praising God and love for the whole world seemed to flood my soul.

The following weeks we were abundantly blessed and we saw hundreds brought under conviction for sin and filled with joy of sins forgiven. The 32nd Psalm had more meaning than I had ever seen before. Nineteen Thirty Two has been the greatest year of my life. I have not done what I should, being so greatly blessed, but I have seen more sinners stricken under the power of the Holy Spirit than I have seen in all my life together before. “Praise the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me praise His Holy Name.”

HOW CHRIST DEALT WITH ME.

Never did any Missionary go to a foreign land with a more shallow experience in Christ than mine. I had realised that I was not fit to come, yet did not seem to know how to become fit. People seemed to think if one was willing to go to a heathen land, then the depth of consecration and the heights of devotion had been reached. After being in China a little while I knew I was simply against a stone wall and no power in myself to scale it, nor did I know how to lay hold on Him for the power. I was happy with my surroundings and had great joy in my home and children, but the unrest and hunger in my soul deepened. But in 1927 a book fell into my hands that made me see that my need was the Fullness of the Holy Spirit. I started praying for it. I was greatly blessed that year in many ways. In fact my prayer life was so greatly changed and my Bible became so new to me and so much changed that I thought I had had the fullness.

When we returned to China in 1930 I realised that I still was not a vessel the Lord could use, and began praying very definitely. He heard this prayer and answered it far differently from anything I had expected. The great revival had started in our province and in one of our own stations. I knew the Christians were getting what I had longed for, so my prayer efforts were greatly increased. How I do thank God that He hears us when we do not know what to pray for.

In February Mr. —— came to us. He had been baptised with the Spirit and was on fire. He stayed in our home. He spent much time fasting and praying during the first days of the meetings I had been so hungry and so in earnest and felt so willing to follow the Lord. But suddenly the Lord asked me to travel a very hard, trying road. He showed me many things in my life from childhood up to that very week that I must put straight, and I was staggered, while I held back, unwilling and miserable. Then it seemed He said to me “Aren’t you willing to walk for a while this road that you so thoroughly deserve to when I walked it all the way to Calvary for you and bore your awful sins?” I took off the mask I had been wearing, but I realised I hadn’t fooled any one except myself. I confessed what He led me to; I wrote many letters of confession to America. All that He revealed to me to get right I did, both with Chinese, Missionaries and my own family. I just thank Him for giving me the strength to do this. I could not have done it in my own strength. Then a great peace and joy began to fill my soul.

But there was still a testing time to come before He came in to dwell in the fullness. I just seemed to sink into a darkness that completely engulfed me. My desire even to pray suddenly left me. I couldn’t pray. A spirit of rebellion entered my heart. I know it was Satan making a last great effort to keep his long-held territory. During this period of a few hours my husband had received the baptism, and although I had prayed and longed for him to have it, I could not rejoice with him. He was immediately burdened for me. I praise the Lord that He soon brought me back to where I could pray and look to Him. Then that night a small group met in our home to wait for His outpouring. I started praying and every question that could possibly be thought of bombarded my mind. But I just said, “Lord, I just want to surrender it all to you. You only can answer.” and Oh how graciously He did take such an unworthy piece of material. My heart was filled with a joy that I did not know could be felt in this world. It was joy because I was in His presence. It was then that the praise just started pouring from my heart and lips of its own accord. In fact it could not have been kept back. A spirit of intercession started in my heart and I was just lifted out of myself, praying for others. The joy just surged through me and went over me like one wave following another. The world was a new world to me, and never had God’s Word been so precious as it has since. I could never praise Him enough for His loving kindness to me. The first soul I dealt with after the experience, I was able to lead to Him. This experience was just an opening of many doors to me. It deepens and grows as I yield myself to Him, day by day. I have not always been yielded, and thereby lost a blessing, and failed to honour Him. He has shown me that He expects constant growth, yet I’ve often been unwilling to pay the price. But I can say from the depths of my heart, “He is the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.”

MISS. HOU OF PINGTU.

Miss. Hou is an evangelist and Bible teacher of power. She had been used in a large field in Manchuria as an evangelist and in Bible school work. The writer was associated with her in three months work in Shantung, and never have we seen a more devoted servant of the Lord. In rough country work, in cold, inconvenient quarters; up at daylight to get time for private Bible study and prayer, for the rest of the day must be given to meetings and to the village people, who crowd around all day and never give any privacy. Just being near such an earnest, cleansed vessel of the Lord, made the writer desire and work toward a higher plane spiritually.

During 1931 Miss. Hou came home to Pingtu, led in meetings, and then was sick unto death, the sickness due to the hardships she had gladly endured. One night it was thought that she would die, but prayer saved her. As she was convalescent in the hospital she heard that revival was in progress and that one of the Missionaries had received the fullness of the Spirit. She went to her Bible, with which she was already familiar above the average, and “searched the Scriptures,” reading The Acts, Col. and Eph. , especially, memorising Ephesians. She became convinced that there was a fullness of the Spirit which she had not experienced and began praying for it. The expressions, “singleness of heart,” “Stephen, full of faith and the Holy Spirit,” and “the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” made her hungry to have the fullness of the Spirit promised in the Acts of the Apostles. But this did not make her slack her efforts in soul winning, and one day as she was lying on the bed doing personal work with a hardhearted nurse, who, kneeling by her bed, was at last turning to the Cross, she, Miss. Hou, was filled with the Holy Spirit. That night she was so happy she could not sleep but lay on the bed singing praises to the “slain Lamb.” This testimony is given to show that this Bible teacher, Seminary graduate, had not been near a meeting, and certainly not near an “emotional” meeting but her conviction of need came while reading the Bible alone. Where she had had life in spiritual things before she now has “abundant life,” Where she was used before in soul winning, prayer, and Bible teaching, she is now used in a greater and more powerful way. Acts. I: 8.

A MODERN STEPHEN.

Pastor K. is one of the leading pastors of our Mission. A man of much ability he could have been successful in the political world where his friends at one time tried to draw him; educated and musical, he could have enjoyed himself in many walks of life, but early he put his all on the altar and became a faithful leader in Christian circles. During the summer of 1931 he became hungry for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. He had always been a deeply spiritual man and had taken every step he knew to take spiritually. At first he was afraid that he would run into “Pentecostalism” but going to the Word he became convinced that the promise in Acts 2: 38 was for him. The more he studied and prayed, the more hungry he became for the “living waters” to become his experimentally. Then he went through a period of doubting, but the promise in Gal. 3: 14 came to him, and he became so hungry that one night he prayed all night long. Then he became afraid of psychological influence and mesmerism, but continued to wait upon the Lord till one day while kneeling in church the Holy Spirit came into his spirit in such power that he knew the promise of “living waters” had been experimentally fulfilled. He had great joy and praised the Lord for days. Where he was a good pastor before he has now become a power in prayer and soul winning. He has the courage to go into the political circles and all walks of life for direct drives in soul winning. His church is seeing souls saved daily. He has become a modern Stephen “full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.”

For fear my reader should take doctrinal exception to the term “Back to Pentecost” let us notice that we are not going back to before Pentecost, but only waiting upon the Lord to prepare our hearts to RECEIVE what He has so graciously given. We believe that the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost but very few believers have experimentally received Him in His fullness. Acts 6: 3 - 5. We do not believe in “tarrying,” but in “receiving” — and some of the all-night prayer meetings mentioned were not in the sense of waiting for Pentecost, but in waiting upon God for His. preparation of hearts to receive what He had already given. The long prayer meetings were only an expression of the hunger of hearts for the fullness of the Spirit and not any dependence upon the length of prayers. The people were so hungry that time became as nothing to them.