New Zealands Greatest Revival
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New Zealand’s Greatest Revival Pastor Harold V. Roberts General Superintendent The Pentecostal Church of New Zealand (Incorporated) Wellington, New Zealand Courtesy www.webjournals.org PREFACE The notes of the events recorded in this book have been lying about for many years, and it is only since the recent death of the beloved Evangelist that the writer has decided to put them in order and pass them on to all those who are interested in revival and in the wonderful work that God wrought in Poneke, (Maori for Wellington) the Capital City of New Zealand—a city noted for its rugged beauty, and its health-giving muratai (sea breeze). On reading, one cannot help but admit that the balmy breezes of Heaven’s highlands came blowing down in gale force and brought spiritual health to the thousands who attended the meetings. Wellington is known to Medical Science as the healthiest city in the world, and its saints longed for a “double honour”—spiritual, as well as physical. Again, many Christians have urged me to delay no longer in sending forth the great news of this wonderful visitation of God. For years the Pentecostal movement has been decried and derided by many of the Churches, but it still goes steadily forward the world over. The New Zealand work came into existence out of the Revival, and its foundation and formation will be found to rest on a real and wonderful outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Judge the work for yourself, but judge it on Scriptural grounds, keeping in mind the fact that God has not shut Himself up to but one method of reviving His people. Exception may be taken by some to the use of the word “greatest” in the title, but the sound reason given in the pages of the book, will, I believe, dispel any doubts as to the validity of the use of this word. There is one thing very certain about a Holy Ghost revival, that after experiencing its precious results, one is not likely to be side-tracked by present-day methods of working up a revival which are but a substitute for the real thing. This was certainly the real thing, for here was an ignorant man as far as education goes, moving a whole city for God. There can be no substitute for the power of the Kei Wairua Tapu (Holy Spirit) “... not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts. (Zech. 4:6). HARRY V. ROBERTS. 55 Maskell Street, St. Heliers, Auckland. 12 June 1951. CONTENTS Preface Ch. 1. How the Revival Came. Ch. 2. How the Revival Began. Ch. 3. Gathering Momentum. Ch. 4. Wonderful Scenes. Ch. 5. New Zealand’s Greatest Day. Ch. 6. Tides of Salvation. Ch. 7. A Miraculous Manifestation. Gifts of the Spirit. Power With God. His Three Visions. Power in Prayer. Ch. 8. Doctrines. Ch. 9. The Greatest Revival. THREE ADDRESSES Ch. 10. Rising into the Heavenlies. Ch. 11. Possession of the Rest. Ch. 12. Gifts of the Spirit. ONE OF THE FAVOURITES HYMN 10.— “Will You Be Baptised?” Do you seek a land where there comes no night Blessed Beulah land where the sun shines bright; Where we walk by faith, and not by sight, Baptised with the Holy Ghost? Chorus: Will you be baptised in this faith? Baptised with the Holy Ghost? To be free indeed, ‘tis the pow’r you need, Baptised with the Holy Ghost? Will you take Him now as your all in all, Let the self be slain, that the pow’r may fall? Will you now in faith for the blessing call, Baptised with the Holy Ghost? ‘Tis the Canaan-land for our weary feet, With our wand’rings o’er, and our rest complete; Where we dwell with Christ in communion sweet, Baptised with the Holy Ghost. Yes, we gladly come, blessed Lord, to Thee, From the carnal mind that we may be free, And we look in faith, for we long to be Baptised with the Holy Ghost. Chorus: Yes, I’ll be baptised in this faith, Baptised with the Holy Ghost; To be free indeed, ‘tis the pow’r I need, Baptised with the Holy Ghost. CHAPTER 1. HOW THE REVIVAL CAME Truth is indeed stranger than fiction. Romance is not a privilege only to the worldly. What had China to do with a revival in Ao-tea-roa (New Zealand)—the Land of the Long-White-Cloud? Extract from ‘With Signs Following’ p. 220: “Mr J. Fullerton, a missionary of the China Inland Mission, was baptised with the Holy Spirit in a Pentecostal revival in Yunan, China. He was forced to sever connection with the mission he loved, and came out to trust the Lord entirely for his support. The Lord directed him to the province of Honan, where he built a chapel; but at the end of the first year he saw absolutely nothing for his labour. The second year was the same. He had toiled night and day and had taken nothing. One night there were just four Chinese seated in the chapel. None were converted: they were just a little interested. He went to the vestry and wept bitterly. He said “My Lord; two year’s labour and not a single soul!” On going back to the chapel he found another man had come in, who belonged to the “Tribes” people. The moment he saw this man Bro. Fullerton somehow felt God had influenced him to come. After the meeting the man came forward and said: “This is wonderful! I have never heard anything like this before.” The following Sunday he was back bringing ten others with him. They all sat and listened most attentively. After service he invited the eleven to a meal, and over the table he explained more simply the Gospel. The next Sunday forty came, and in a remarkably short space of time he had the supreme joy of seeing NINE THOUSAND of this same tribe gathered to the Lord. Cartloads of idols were solemnly burned. One night during prayer he was greatly impressed to pray for New Zealand, and it was revealed to him by the Spirit that God was about to pour out a Pentecostal effusion there. During his furlough to his own country, Denmark, he met Evangelist Smith-Wigglesworth who was returning from triumphant campaigns in other parts of the world. He then told him what God had revealed about New Zealand, and asked him if he had any leadings to visit New Zealand and Australia, and would he pray about it The Evangelist did make it a matter of serious prayer, and found that God desired him to visit these countries. Later he wrote Bro. Fullerton and said he had an appointment in California to keep, and he would connect from there with a boat for New Zealand. Working on the dates given, Bro. Fullerton and his wife decided they would be in New Zealand in time to meet the Evangelist, and they arrived in April 1922. His planning unfortunately proved futile, as the Evangelist missed the steamer and came on by the following one, three weeks later. Bro. Fullerton was unable to remain away from his field any longer, and was reluctantly compelled to return to China ere the Evangelist arrived. Before leaving he made contact with Pastor H. Roberts (the Author’s father) who had been a regular contributor to Bro. Fullerton’s mission; and finding that the Pastor was a firm believer in Divine Healing as well as standing for fundamental Christianity, he asked him to make the necessary arrangements for introducing Smith Wiggles-worth to the New Zealand public. Pastor Roberts agreed to do this. He had long held and practised Divine Healing, and many remarkable cures under his ministry were known to us. Converted under the English Evangelist Henry Varley, in 1889, he had been engaged for 33 years in aggressive Christian work— more especially in the open air—and prior to any knowledge of an Evangelist coming, Pastor Roberts had been greatly burdened for New Zealand. Knowing that revival could only come through prayer, he had started Prayer Circles in the different suburbs of Wellington; nine of these being in full swing right up to this time. A regular attender of these meetings remarked that they had had very powerful seasons of blessing, and Pastor Roberts firmly believed the coming of the Evangelist was a direct answer to importunity in prayer. Evangelist Smith Wigglesworth was unknown to New Zealand. He came on his own charges, not knowing if anyone would meet him—a stranger in a strange land. There were no Churches to stand behind him. No organisation to finance his campaign; BUT he was leaning on an Almighty Arm, FOR GOD WAS WITH HIM. He arrived at the end of May 1922. CHAPTER 2. HOW THE REVIVAL BEGAN “And He gave some . evangelists . for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”— (Ephesians 4: 11-12.) With two Christian friends, Pastor Roberts engaged the large Town Hall — a real act of faith — and paid down part of a night’s rental £8 10s. What an undertaking! Smith Wigglesworth! Who was he, anyway? As much a nonentity evidently as the ones who were making the arrangements for him. The minister of the Vivian Street Baptist Church, an eye-witness of the Welsh revival, very kindly gave the use of the Sunday School Hall for morning meetings, and the Evangelist began his campaign with a series of addresses on The Enduement of Power and The Gifts of the Spirit.