Dear People Who Keep Company With God,

We had the honor of Arthur Burt ministering at our church recently. Arthur is 100 years old and is the last man alive who carries the fires of the revivals that occurred in Great Britain in the early part of the 1900’s.  He was a contemporary of Smith Wigglesworth and has ministered to the body of Christ all over the world.  

I have had the privilege of being taught by Arthur in the ways of the Spirit dating back to my beginnings as a believer in the 1970’s. I count him as a spiritual father and spiritual grandfather to our church.

Arthur emphasized the same basic theme he has always preached, preparing a people for the Glory of God.  But this time something different happened. As Arthur spoke it felt like everything was in slow motion; it seemed almost surreal to me. It was a kairos moment (Mark 1.15).

From the first time I heard Arthur speak in the 1970’s, although I knew very little of what he spoke of, I knew he carried something I was destined to have. That evening at our church Arthur gave us a tremendous blessing. He gave us what he has carried.  It was a capstone message.

Just as God blessed Abraham who in turn blessed Isaac, who blessed Jacob, who blessed his sons, we received the blessing that God gave Arthur. In short Arthur, told us our best was in front of us, “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:13). “

I don’t know if Arthur will ever speak again in our church. I hope so, but his impact on me will last a lifetime. I have heard a lot of Arthur’s stories and illustrations over the years, but there is one in particular that I love most. He called it, “The fella in the cellar and the fanatic in the attic”.

“Each of us is like a house.  We each have a spirit that is made alive by the Holy Spirit of God.  We call that spirit the “fanatic in the attic”. This fanatic can see from the heights and around corners with unlimited vision from its bird’s eye view.

Each of us also has a mind, which may be brilliant in the natural realm.  We call it the “fella in the cellar” because it cannot see above ground level; it cannot see in the Spirit.  The fella in the cellar knows nothing about the future and can only make decisions according to its sense knowledge.  It is a servant but would like to be the boss.

There also is the “guy in the middle”- the heart or soul.  The heart must decide which to follow- the fella in the cellar that shouts the loudest or the fanatic in the attic.  The fanatic in the attic sees in the Spirit and wants to follow God’s call, but the fella in the cellar with its limited sight fearfully struggles against the fanatic.

The heart will have to choose which to obey.  As we grow in the Lord and begin to delight in His will, our hearts will learn to follow after the Spirit.  Thus, the mind realm bows to third place but eventually becomes enlightened with the revelation.  The Spirit allows the light to enter, and the revelation reaches the mind with illumination.”

I am so thankful to have known the “fanatic in the attic”, Arthur Burt.

Many Blessings, BW 

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