Communicating with God’s World of Spirit – its laws and its purpose | Pastor Johannes Greber

- 175 - would without doubt have called forth the most energetic action against Blumhardt on the part of the leaders of the Protestant Church. Even God’s spirit world adapts its activities to the circumstances presented by the conditions of the times. If Blumhardt had seen and personally experienced harrowing examples of the outpourings of the spirits of darkness upon mankind, he was also to witness in a far more wonderful manner the outpourings of the spirits of God upon him and his congregation, in a way that recalls the outpourings of the Divine spirits during the early days of Christianity. The spirits of repentance and change of heart were the first gift granted to Blumhardt from ABOVE for his whole parish and its surroundings after his faithfully fought battle against the Powers of Evil. One by one all of the inhabitants came to him, impelled by some irresistible inner force, and confessed the sins of their lifetime. Blumhardt was inwardly told by a spirit of God to whom he could say that their sins would be forgiven. So, this was not a case of ordinary confession and absolution as practiced in the Catholic Church, but a cleansing from sin in consequence of a revelation brought by a spirit of God. Hence from that time on Blumhardt’s motto was: “Let us pray and hope for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit.” The spirit of healing also came upon Blumhardt. The most severe illnesses were cured by the laying on of his hands, his prayers and his presence. • In this connection it became evident that most chronic diseases are the work of evil spirit powers, as the Bible also teaches us. Once these powers departed from the patient, healing followed immediately. These miraculous events can be found described in Zuendel’s book. I shall close my presentation of the influence of the good and the evil spirit world on Blumhardt’s life with the following words, taken from one of his letters: “If anybody should wish to find out whether everything that the Lord is doing for me is personal, or whether others can imitate me, I must admit that as a result of my battles I have acquired a personal something that not everyone can obtain out of hand. At the same time, I am convinced that it must become more common, and that it is quite permissible to pray for a complete revival of the original powers. In my case I have for the present received proof only of the fact that such a prayer may be offered. But unless the heavens are opened, so to speak, to receive the prayer, it will not be answered, and it is a mistake to think that a mere renewal of faith will restore everything that man had in the apostolic days. No, those powers have indeed been revoked, and they can be recovered only gradually. • Lack of faith and the defection of Christianity for more than a thousand years had brought upon us the Lord’s disfavour and an overabundance of the powers of Satan. Therefore, we cannot make a new beginning just like that; if we attempt it, we very soon meet with obstacles. You can see from this how widely I differ from the Irvingites, who, ignoring the present state of the Christian world, want everything restored to them. • The first thing that is needed is a new conversion of Christianity, and in a much more encompassing manner than what we witness on a small scale.

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