The sweeping marvels of all forms of life clearly display a Creator. But I was not raised in a circle of family or friends that did more than sigh at the beauty. Ignoring God is a learned silent rebellion of sinful ignorance. It continues by choosing to drift away from acknowledging God’s creation generation after generation.
Like many I grew up an ignorantly blind sinner not searching for God. Living in the clear cloud of blindness, I was spiritual dead. I only wondered from time to time about a Creator God. My ageing lack of interest opted to remain casual, under my meager worldly vision-less canopy without God.
My spiritually dead mind, soul and heart knew almost nothing of God except His creation. The wonder of it all kept a small itch of curiosity in me that I would scratch once and awhile. Then Jesus opened my blindness allowing me to see His spiritual truth and God gave me spiritual life. I was re-born.
Long before my own absence in the search for God, there were decades and decades of dwindling godly predispositions leading up to American 17th century life. Then in the plans of God, He caused an arousal of genuine godly revival in the 18th century.
He could have allowed more man-centered godlessness and sinful self-destruction but He didn’t. America could have went either way or any other way God chooses to carry out His plans. God the Holy Spirit is Almighty and He chose to invigorate Bible teacher and preachers to stir the hearts of men and women.
Looking back at history is a bittersweet taste of what may lay ahead in 2016 if God tarries. Biblical history teaches how God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah’s sinfulness. Genesis 19:24. God could crush any nation at any time for grossly ignoring Him, or He could cause a revival in the 21st century.
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Before The First Great Awakening we see America’s past disregard for the things of God in the 1700’s. Waning disinterest grew before God allowed the initial revival with stimulating preaching from Johnathan Edwards in the 1730’s. The real thrust of God’s life changing public events came in The First Great Awakening’s auditory skills of George Whitfield and others.
Whitfield’s preaching in the 1740’s stirred souls in the American colonies. With God’s convicting word igniting godly sorrow for sin, weeping hearts turned toward salvation in Christ. An appetite for the things of God brought real repentance from sin and a general unrest grew toward the status quo of government.
Only the unchanging truths of our loving God can change stone cold hearts into vessels for His use. God’s will, lives in biblical truth and spiritual clarity as seen in Christ’s teaching of the Beatitudes, Matthew 5:6. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.”
God Almighty reawakened His gospel message truth and freedom from the blindness of sin through men like George Whitfield. God’s grace converted hearts and souls transforming lives to honor His glorious Son. The direction of renewed love brought true happiness for God’s righteousness found only through Jesus.
A change for a better life, a Christian life, was the force which kept heading for the American Revolution. The oppressive tyranny of England was met with revolt in 1776 and America fought to be free and won. God wanted America free from oppression, free to live and worship Him and He made it happen.
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America is many decades older since God moved powerfully in the souls of men and women in The First Great Awakening. The current pattern of 2016 disobedience and rejection of God has gotten much worse. Open rebellion against God is not the same as waning disinterest.
God is Holy, Righteous and Just, He will not tolerate sin. Some of God’s disciplines, corrections and judgments have fallen on all of America. Still these growing hard times and mismanagement’s of our leaders are not enough pain to cause people to call out to God for help.
Romans 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
Much of America sleeps in comfort with their sin. Most of America turns a blind eye to what is naturally wrong. Some of America prays and we all need to pray more, for God longs for our prayers seeking Him.
1 Timothy 2:1-5 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,… 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,
He is a loving and faithful God calling all people to repentance from there sin’s. Turning to Jesus for forgiveness, healing and peace is God’s desire. Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
On our shrinking planet with less godliness and more crime, war and disease, strife will increase.
John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Meeting our Lord Jesus Christ in heaven, only begins now, here on earth.