Series of Christian revivals in Britain and its Thirteen Colonies in the 1730s and 1740s
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How can generations partner together to prepare the way for God to move? In this message, Youth Pastor Anna Oaks shares insight to help us encourage each other and pursue the Lord together. Young people who were used by God. David, the shepherd and kingShariah, meshach, and AbednegoMary, the mother of JesusThe boy who brought his lunch to JesusWhat was the common thread? Called Young, Often Unqualified Faced Rejection, Resistance, and Trials Stayed Faithful in Obscurity Said "Yes" When It MatteredDavid was a teenage shepherd, forgotten by his own family— yet chosen to slay giants and become king.Joseph was a 17-year-old dreamer in a dysfunctional family, sent to save nations.Mary was likely in her early teens when she carried the Savior of the world.Jeremiah said, "I am only a youth"— but God said, "Don't say "I am only a youth." (Jeremiah 1:6-7)David worshiped in the fields.Daniel prayed in secret.Joseph honored God in prison.Mary pondered God's word in her heart.Willing to say "Yes":"Here I am, Lord," said Samuel"Be it unto me," said Mary"I cannot help but speak," said JeremiahYouth were significant leaders in the First Great Awakening (1730s - 1740s) and the Second Great Awakening (Early 1800s).The revival leader of the Welsh Revival was a young man. And the worship leaders were young people. Jesus Movement (Late 1960s-1970s)Where teenagers and college-aged started leading mass baptisms (80,000 attendees) and launched the modern Christian music movement. 2023 Asbury Revival: a 16 day revival that started when students spontaneously stayed beyond chapel for worship and prayer. Tens of thousands GenZ soon gathered.What was the common thread? A Deep Hunger for God's Presence Radical Surrender and Repentance Prayer and Unity1. Recognize That a Revival Doesn't ComeWrapped in Familiar Packaging.Be willing to let go of preference and brace God's presence, even when it comes in unexpected ways.2. Pray, Cover, and Intercede Like It's Your Calling (Because It IS)You might not lead the move —but your prayers, mentorship, and spiritual protection fuel it.3. Mentor and Model Without MicromanagingBe the spiritual scaffolding that helps youth rise— not the ceiling that holds them down.What is your part in what the Lord is doing in the youth today?
SummaryPastor Webb discusses the significance of spiritual heritage and identity in the context of Christian leadership. He emphasizes the importance of understanding one's roots and the impact of historical figures in shaping modern Christianity. The conversation explores the lineage of revival, the influence of key historical movements, and the call to carry forward the legacy of faith into future generations.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Leadership Monday06:19 The Importance of Heritage12:00 Spiritual Heritage and Identity16:45 Historical Roots of Revival25:48 The Moravian Influence on Modern Christianity31:25 The Impact of the First Great Awakening39:03 Conclusion: Carrying Our Heritage ForwardTakeawaysHeritage shapes our identity and purpose.Understanding our spiritual roots is crucial for personal growth.God's promises to our ancestors impact our lives today.Revival history is rich with lessons for modern believers.The Moravian movement played a pivotal role in Christian education.The First Great Awakening set the stage for significant change in America.Revival is often birthed from a deep understanding of scripture.Personal identity is tied to our spiritual heritage.We are called to carry the legacy of faith forward.God will surely visit us in our times of need.Show NotesALL PROCEEDS GO TO WORLD EVANGELISMLocate a CFM Church near you: https://cfmmap.orgWe need five-star reviews! Tell the world what you think about this podcast at:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3vy1s5bPodchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/taking-the-land-cfm-sermon-pod-43369
Summary of Sermon: The Everyday Evangelist Series: Talking Jesus – Week 1 | Pastor Torry Sheppard Introduction Pastor Torry Sheppard launches a new series at Gateway Church titled Talking Jesus, addressing the call for every believer to step into the role of an everyday evangelist. He begins by acknowledging the cultural uncertainty and spiritual fatigue of our time—pandemics, polarization, and digital overload. Yet, he proposes that this cultural low point may actually be the perfect moment for spiritual awakening. Drawing from historical revivals such as the First Great Awakening and the Jesus Movement of the 1960s, Pastor Torry emphasizes that God often breathes life into the Church during moments of apathy and unrest. His central question: If the Spirit is blowing, will we lift our sails? Evangelism as an Overflow of Identity Pastor Torry challenges the modern view of evangelism as something reserved for professionals, instead grounding it in the biblical identity of every believer. Referencing 1 Peter 2:9, he reminds the congregation that Christians are a “chosen people, a royal priesthood,” called to proclaim the praises of God. Evangelism, then, is not a task but a byproduct of who we are in Christ. The early Church modeled this identity-based ministry, where pastors and teachers equipped everyday believers to carry the message of the gospel in their ordinary lives. Evangelism in Modern Tension Acknowledging the discomfort many feel around evangelism, Pastor Torry addresses common fears—being rejected, saying the wrong thing, or being labeled. Many Christians, he says, avoid sharing their faith due to insecurity or cultural pressure. However, he warns against outsourcing evangelism to pastors or influencers, reminding the Church that spiritual impact belongs to every believer. He encourages the Gateway family to shift their mindset from fear and hesitation to identity and calling. Four Marks of an Everyday Evangelist Pastor Torry distills the message into four key qualities—postures of the heart that enable believers to carry the gospel naturally and powerfully in daily life. These are not about personality, skill, or charisma, but spiritual posture and openness to God. 1. Spirit-Led Evangelists must be attentive to the Holy Spirit's promptings. Pastor Torry highlights Romans 8 and the story of Philip in Acts 8. Philip leaves a fruitful revival to follow the Spirit's call to a desert road, ultimately leading to the conversion of an Ethiopian official. This obedience births an entire faith movement. The point: being Spirit-led requires spiritual sensitivity, even in inconvenient moments. Evangelism happens when we say yes to divine detours. 2. Personal Holiness Holiness, Pastor Torry explains, is not perfection or legalism but closeness to God. It's about living a life set apart, one that radiates the presence of Jesus. Drawing from 1 Peter 1:15–16 and Isaiah 43:19, he emphasizes that personal transformation is essential to effective evangelism. When our walk with Christ is fresh, our witness is compelling. He invites those feeling spiritually stale to re-engage with God's renewing work, pointing to the woman at the well in John 4 as a powerful example: she shared her encounter with Jesus—not a perfect life, but a transformed one. 3. Prayer Prayer prepares our hearts for evangelism and transforms how we see others. Using Colossians 4:2–4, Pastor Torry explains that prayer opens doors and softens hearts. He warns of the danger of losing compassion for the lost, noting that over time, some Christians grow more repelled by sin than concerned for sinners. Evangelists must see others through God's eyes. Prayer reshapes our posture—turning frustration into empathy and distance into intercession. 4. Urgency Evangelism must carry a sense of holy urgency. In Romans 10, Paul outlines the chain of faith: how will they believe if no one tells them? Pastor Torry shares a personal story of when his daughter Palmer went missing. In the panic, everything else faded—because when someone you love is lost, finding them becomes the only priority. He connects this moment to our calling: spiritually lost people matter to God, and they must matter to us. We don't need panic—but we do need passion. Two Invitations As the message concludes, Pastor Torry extends two invitations. First, to those who feel lost themselves—disconnected, broken, or spiritually adrift—he offers hope and a way home. Jesus is always ready to meet people right where they are. Second, to believers who have been spiritually passive or disengaged, he offers a call to action: step forward with a “Here I am, send me” spirit. Citing Isaiah 6:8, he reminds listeners that God isn't looking for perfect people, just willing ones. Closing Challenge The message ends with a call for Gateway Church to be a people who actually talk to others about Jesus. As the Spirit moves, the Church must move too. Evangelism isn't about forceful arguments or public platforms—it's about walking closely with Jesus and being ready to speak when the moment comes. Pastor Torry charges the church to carry the message of the cross with humility, clarity, and urgency—because the world is hungry for hope, and we've been entrusted with it.
On todays Show Jimmy, James, Chris and Glenn talk about the historical and spiritual significance of the Great Awakenings, particularly the Second Great Awakening and its impact on evangelism and the Methodist Protestant Church. Key points included the role of Jonathan Edwards in the First Great Awakening, the evolution of Methodism from a high church to a more evangelical movement, and the influence of the Pentecostal movement. The conversation emphasized the importance of personal holiness, the balance between emotionalism and spiritual maturity, and the need for pastors to be equipped for counseling and teaching. The speakers also highlighted the transformative power of prayer and the Holy Spirit in revival movements. The discussion centered on the importance of new teachings in the church to foster growth, the necessity of personal faith and prayer, and the role of the Holy Spirit. Glenn Cox highlighted the commonalities in Christian beliefs despite denominational differences, emphasizing the core tenets of faith in Jesus, the Holy Trinity, and the Holy Spirit. The conversation also touched on the historical context of church awakenings, the impact of denominational splits, and the need for unity in faith. The speakers agreed on the importance of intellectual study and the diverse roles within the church, advocating for mutual respect and understanding among believers. Don't miss it!
Just Gwen on X: "@MikeSington Her son walked into town and a passerby called the police. He was fine and it wasn't late at night but the state demanded she install an app on his phone to track him and sign a safety plan with the state because she didn't know he walked into town." Nearly 1 in 4 Young Adults 'Doom Spend' to Cope With Stress Rich Villodas on X: "10 pastoral lessons I've (re)learned since 2020. https://t.co/A3OKs4GTZ9" Dane on X: "Scholars say pedophilia is now a sexual orientation that must be accepted by society, as pedophiliacs have feelings too. What say you? https://t.co/69rPZmoh04" Greg Stier on X: "Church history is littered with bad marriages. John Wesley—founder of the Methodist movement and one of the three key preachers in the First Great Awakening (along with George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards)—had a notoriously bad marriage that was full of fights and fits. He"See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What if our current cultural challenges are actually setting the stage for America's next great spiritual awakening? Kirk explores what it takes to prepare yourself for revival by tracing God's mighty movements throughout our nation's history, from the First Great Awakening to the Jesus Movement of the 1970s. Through inspiring stories of ordinary people like Harriet Tubman and businessman Jeremiah Lanphier, Kirk reveals how God uses "nobodies from nowhere" to spark transformative change. Learn why our current cultural challenges might be more than a setback—they could be the divine setup for our generation's greatest spiritual comeback. To learn more, visit kirkcameron.com To learn more about the sponsor of today's show and what our family currently uses for our healthcare check out Christian Healthcare Ministries by visiting https://hubs.ly/Q02vWQGy0 Editing and production services provided by thepodcastupload.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Pastor and theologian Jonathan Edwards wrote "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and preached it to his congregation in Northampton, Massachusetts on July 8, 1741. Said to have been given in monotone, this stirring sermon profoundly affected the church and was the catalyst for the First Great Awakening. The main text was Deuteronomy 32:35. This is a reading of the sermon taken from SermonIndex.Learn more about the Bravehearted Voices Podcast and how you can be discipled and grow spiritually by visiting braveheartedvoices.com
Click here to send Ryan a text message!Episode #338Ryan shares how the First Great Awakening is what led to the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.HowToGrowYourFaith.com >> Learn the 5 Biggest Mistakes Christians Make In Their Walk With God (and how you can avoid them!)Sharable Episode Links (scroll down or search for this episode):Ryan's Website Buzzsprout Link MORE FROM RYAN:FREE DOWNLOAD: 21 Days to a Spirit-Led Life Subscribe on YouTubeTwitter | Instagram | LinkedInSubmit a question or topic for the podcast at ryanshoward.com/contactGet Ryan's eCourse & Coaching ProgramsSupport the Show.
413 First Great Awakening by A history podcast from professor Stu Tully
I recently read a book that I absolutely could not put down. I've literally told almost everyone I know to go buy it and read it for themselves. That book is called The Great Dechurching"The current Great Dechurching is larger than the First Great Awakening, Second Great Awakening, and all the Billy Graham Crusades combined, just going the opposite direction.”Today, I have the honor of talking with one of the co-authors of this book, Jim Davis.Jim is the teaching pastor at a church in Orlando, Florida where he had a hunch they were experiencing a large and fast religious shift for the worse but had no data to prove it. So, with the help of two sociologists, they commissioned the largest and most comprehensive study of dechurching (somebody who used to go to church at least monthly and now goes less than one time a year) in America. What they learned was fascinating.In this conversation, Jim and I talk about the different groups of people leaving the Church, why they are leaving and what we, as believers, can do about it. Grab a copy of Jim's incredible book The Great Dechurching here.Thanks to our amazing partners on this episode: Simple & Vern EideSimple provides an easy, secure way to make giving super user-friendly. If you are a church or lead a faith based nonprofit, you have to look into working with Simple. You won't regret it! For more info, check out their brand new website simpledonation.comVern Eide Motorcars is a growing employee-owned company that offers sales, service, and financing of automotive, motorcycle, and power sports lines, including Acura, Ford, Chevy, GMC, Honda, Hyundai and Mitsubishi brands. Whether you live locally or across the country, visit verneide.comSubscribe to The Conversation on YouTube: youtube.com/@adamaweber Sign up for The Crew: adamweber.com/thecrew
In the First Great Awakening, Jonathan Edwards preached extensively on religion that is true must be full of affection—not passion only—but that our minds would be possessed with an affection for God. Love primarily, but also a joy, gratitude and pervasive desire to share the love of God with others. Sharing from Jonathan Edwards's treatise, Religious Affections, Becky Tirabassi revives his list of 10 signs of religious affection! His list was a fire starter for an entire nation. Listen and be encouraged! If you'd like to receive Becky's ebook, How to Lead an Extraordinary Prayer Meeting, just email: Media@BeckyTirabassi.com If you would like Becky's 35th Anniversary Prayer and Bible Revival Bundle, CLICK HERE. For sermons by Pastor Becky Tirabassi, or to visit Viewpoint Church, just click here. For daily encouragement to read through the Bible in a year, follow her daily @BeckyTirabassi on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or Twitter.
Today, on the Christian History Almanac, we remember the First Great Awakening and a famous colonial sermon likened to “dry wind to a smoldering fire.” Show Notes: Support 1517 1517 Podcasts The 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 on Youtube What's New from 1517: Remembering Rod Rosenbladt New 1517 Academy Course: The Early Church: Christ, Controversies and Characters with Bruce Hillman Preorder: Encouragement for Motherhood Edited by Katie Koplin Preorder: Be Thou My Song by Kerri Tom Here We Still Stand 2023 Videos are Available on YouTube Last Chance: NWA Conference May 3rd-4th More from the hosts: Dan van Voorhis SHOW TRANSCRIPTS are available: https://www.1517.org/podcasts/the-christian-history-almanac CONTACT: CHA@1517.org SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Overcast Google Play FOLLOW US: Facebook Twitter Audio production by Christopher Gillespie (gillespie.media).
"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" was a sermon preached by Jonathan Edwards in 1741 during the First Great Awakening.Edwards is perhaps the greatest theological mind America has ever produced, and Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God is one of the most famous sermons of all time.Its vivid imagery depicting the precarious position our lives are in — and the judgment that awaits us if we do not find forgiveness for our sins through faith in Jesus Christ — had an impact that spread far wider than Edward's congregation.As important as this sermon is, few in our day have taken the time to read it in full, and fewer still have ever heard it preached as it would have been originally delivered.On this edition of the Reasonable Theology podcast, you can get a chance to listen to the complete, unabridged sermon delivered with the dynamic of live preaching.So here is Jonathan Edwards famous sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. It was recorded by the late Tod Magstadt.Get the newsletter at ReasonableTheology.org/Subscribe. The weekly email includes:the latest article or podcast episodea helpful theological definitiona painting depicting a scene from Scripture or church historya musical selection to enrich your daythe best book deal I've found that week to build your library.Support the showGET THE NEWSLETTEREach edition of the Reasonable Theology newsletter contains my latest article or podcast episode PLUS: A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and Clearly A Painting Depicting a Scene from Scripture or Church History Audio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to Enjoy A Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your Library SUBSCRIBE HERE
This Breakpoint was originally published on February 21, 2023. ___ Two weeks ago, what started as a routine (and, according to the preacher, “lackluster”) chapel service at Asbury University became something remarkable. Instead of heading off to classes, students stayed to pray and worship. Services have continued ever since, with people traveling from near and far to join in prayer, repentance, and song. What is being called a “revival” by some and an “awakening” by others has now spread to other Christian colleges. The past few days echo the revivals that were experienced in the recent past on other Christian college campuses, including one at Wheaton College in 1995, and those at Asbury in 1970 and 1950. In each case, there were seemingly spontaneous expressions from students of prayer, confession, and praise. The revivals of the past are an indelible part of Asbury's historical memory, and many who experienced the 1970 revival have prayed ever since for it to happen again. Revivals have been, in fact, a consistent, distinct feature of American religious life since before our nation's founding. The First Great Awakening, in the early 1700s, was part of a larger, trans-Atlantic spiritual renewal centered on personal conversion, an emphasis that had a transformative effect on the emerging American consciousness. The idea that a genuinely converted, common ploughboy was spiritually ahead of an unconverted bishop contributed to a growing anti-hierarchical attitude in the colonies. This, in time, contributed to a growing anti-monarchial mood, setting the stage for revolution. The Second Great Awakening, which swept the nation decades later, coupled a similar focus on conversion with postmillennial eschatology. Among the results was a drive for social reform. Abolitionism, temperance, and efforts against prostitution became calling cards of what came to be known as evangelicalism. Other revivals followed, and most included an added focus on foreign missions. The Prayer Meeting, or Businessmen's Revival, of the 1850s was followed by revivals in the camps of both armies during the Civil War, the urban efforts and revival preaching of D.L. Moody of the 1870s and 80s, and the theatrics of Billy Sunday's revivals at the turn of the century. Soon after came the Azusa Street Revival in California, which led to a massive growth of Pentecostalism and the charismatic movement worldwide, and then eventually led to the Jesus People of the 1970s. And those are only the “big” ones. Simply put, revivalism, with a focus on a personal faith with public implications, dramatically shaped American life and culture and is a major reason that America remained more religious than Europe for so long. At the same time, revivals and revivalism have always faced a good deal of criticism, including charges of excess, hyper-emotionalism, manufactured techniques, and anti-intellectualism. Jonathan Edwards, a major figure of the First Great Awakening, understood the dangers inherent to revivalist fervor, but he also believed in these unusual times when the Holy Spirit moved among a people. Perhaps America's greatest intellectual, Edwards prayed and worked toward revival, and he offered criteria for evaluating it. According to Edwards, a true work of the Holy Spirit elevates Christ, opposes sin and Satan, prizes the Bible, distinguishes truth from error, and manifests love. He also understood that in the midst of such a movement, there would be things to oppose as well. All of this is helpful as we try to grasp what has happened at Asbury, and now beyond, over these last two weeks. We'd do well to remember Jesus' warning that there will be tares among the wheat, and that the remarkable times in which the power of God and goodness of Christ are made manifest are ways in which God graciously prepares us for life off of the mountaintops. Though, like Peter and John, we may want to remain in such times and places, He will eventually have work for us to do elsewhere. Critics would do well to recall the history of God working through awakenings and revival, both in this nation and elsewhere, as well as the faithful who sincerely believe that God has answered their years of praying for revival to return to Asbury. What we can all be sure of (and thankful for!) is that God is constantly at work in His world, sometimes in extraordinary but most often in “ordinary” ways. God is constantly speaking through His world, through His Word, and ultimately, in His Son. May we have the ears to hear Him. And may He grant us the hearts to pray that an awareness of sin and a passion for God and His people would grow in the hearts of these students, long after the mountaintop high of the revival has faded in their memory. This Breakpoint was co-authored by Dr. Glenn Sunshine. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to colsoncenter.org.
Title: "From Heart Aflame to Hearts Adrift: Navigating Spiritual Transitions Across Generations" Description: Join pastors Wade Lentz and Harold Smith on a thought-provoking journey through the ebbs and flows of spiritual fervor across generations. In this episode of "The Patriot Pastor's Podcast," they delve into the fascinating contrast between the spiritual fervency of one generation and the spiritual drift of its successors. Drawing parallels from historical figures such as King Hezekiah and his son Manasseh, the conversation explores the poignant reality of how even the most fervently devoted hearts can give way to spiritual coldness in successive eras. From the unwavering faith of the Pilgrims to the disheartening narrative of their children's waning connection with God, the pastors unravel the intricate dynamics at play in the intergenerational transmission of faith. Central to their discussion is the impactful saga of the First Great Awakening and its profound reverberations across America. They unpack how this revivalist movement stirred the hearts of many, yet ponder the challenges in sustaining such fervor across generations. Tune in as Pastors Wade and Harold candidly dissect the complexities of spiritual inheritance, reflecting on historical junctures where hearts aflame transitioned to hearts adrift. Gain insights into the pivotal moments that shaped America's spiritual landscape and explore the enduring relevance of these lessons in navigating contemporary spiritual journeys. Join the conversation on "The Patriot Pastor's Podcast" as they delve deep into the historical tapestry of faith, illuminating the intricate interplay between spiritual passion and generational transitions.
A new MP3 sermon from Covenant Community OPC is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: 18th and 19th Century Church History: The First Great Awakening Subtitle: Sunday School: Church History Speaker: Jeremiah Mooney Broadcaster: Covenant Community OPC Event: Sunday School Date: 11/19/2023 Length: 27 min.
M ore people have left the church in the last twenty-five years than all the new people who became Christians from the First Great Awakening, Second Great Awakening, and Billy Graham crusades combined." This is a quote from a book called The Great Dechurching that Chris Dew shared today. As we wrap up our series through the book of James, Chris shares that we all know someone who has wandered away from the church. But instead of simply accepting that, we should instead be pursuing the person who has wandered away from the church just like Jesus pursues the lost sheep that wandered away from the flock.Join us for Sunday service at the historic Capitol Theatre at 10:30 am or online at 10:30 am. If you are a new believer, we would love to send you a few resources. Let us know by clicking here: https://www.vineyardwheeling.com/connectwithus.We would love to hear how God is touching your life through this ministry! Share your story with us by emailing vicki.smith@vineyardwheeling.com! If you would like to support The Vineyard financially, you can give through the Vineyard app, or online through our website by clicking here https://www.vineyardwheeling.com/give. If you need prayer, let us know http://bit.ly/vineyardprayerteam. For more information about The Vineyard Church, visit vineyardwheeling.com or follow us on our social media platforms below. Instagram: instagram.com/vineyardwheelingFacebook: facebook.com/vineyardwheeling
The pastor squinted over his sermon, holding the pages close to his face in order to make the words out. He was extremely near-sighted, and read each carefully chosen phrase with an unimposing monotone voice. But God’s Spirit moved through Jonathan Edwards’s preaching to fan the revival fires of the First Great Awakening and bring thousands to faith in Christ. God often uses unexpected things to accomplish His perfect purposes. Writing about God’s plan to draw wayward humanity near through Jesus’ loving death for us on a cross, Paul concludes, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27). The world expected divine wisdom to look like our own and to come with irresistible force. Instead, Jesus came humbly and gently to save us from our sins and so became for us “wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). The eternal and all-wise God became a human baby who would grow to adulthood and suffer and die and be raised to life in order to lovingly show us the way home to Him. He loves to use humble means and people to accomplish great things we could never achieve in our own strength. If we are willing, He may even use us.
Jesus was asked what he believed the greatest of Gods commandments was, and his answer was simple: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 22:3740). Jesus answer can be reduced to seven words: Love God and also love your neighbor. How you love God will affect the way you treat the people in your life, and the way you treat the people in your life can serve as a barometer for the spiritual climate of your heart and relationship with God. What does this have to do with Malachi 2:10-17? The way the people were treating one another and the way the men were treating their wives, was symptomatic of their relationship with God. Because the men did not think highly of the promise made to their wives, God did not regard or accept their worship. We will unpack verse 13 but consider the shocking tone of this verse to set the tone for the whole passage: You cover the Lords altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. I am reading a book titled, The Great Dechurching; what got my attention before I purchased the book is what it said in the back: We are currently experiencing the largest and fastest religious shift in US history. This shift is greater than the First and Second Great Awakenings combined (when America experienced the largest religious shift in the Church towards growth) but in the opposite direction. In the opening pages of the book, Jim Davis and Michael Graham glean from the largest and most comprehensive study of dechurching in America: About 40 million adults in America today used to go to church but no longer do, which accounts for around 16 percent of our adult population. For the first time in the eight decades that the Gallup has tracked American religious membership, more adults in the United States do not attend church than attend church. This is not a gradual shift; it is a jolting one.[1] What this means in the words of Davis and Graham: More people have left the church in the last twenty-five years than all the new people who became Christians from the First Great Awakening, Second Great Awakening, and Billy Graham crusades combined.[2] Here are some of the takeaways so far from my reading of The Great Dechurching: Dechurching is happening on every income level, regardless of educational status, and area of the country people live, which means that people all over the country are, deciding to forgo their in-person worship for other activities on Sunday morning.[3] And they are doing so for a variety of reasons.[4] The children of the dechurched will inevitably become unchurched, which in the words of the authors of their book will change, the nature of spirituality in America significantly.[5] One of the most alarming findings that I have read in The Great Dechurching so far is what the authors state at the beginning of their book: We learned in our research that 68 percent of dechurched evangelicals said their parents played a role in the decision to leave the Church.[6] There was something about the culture of the home these evangelical dechurched Christians experienced that turned them away from the church. I believe Malachi 2:10-17 speaks into the phenomena of the great dechurching. Know God as Your Father Tozer said it well when he wrote, What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and mans spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God.[7] I have used this quote so many times in sermons, Bible studies, and classes I have taught; it still has not lost its punch because it is so true! So, who is this God we identify as our Father? Or as Malachi states in the form of a question: Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? (v. 10). If you are a Christian, then our Father is the creator God who spoke the galaxies into existence with only the word of his mouth in only six days (Gen. 1:1; Exod. 20:11; Heb. 11:3). Our Father is El Elyon, which means, The Most High God. There is no God like him and there is not god above him (Gen. 14:18-20; Ps. 57:2; Isa. 46:8-10). Our Father is El Roi, which means, The God Who Sees. Nothing goes unnoticed by him. He sees our circumstances, he sees the secret places, he sees when no one else notices, he sees all things (Gen. 16:13-14; Prov. 24:12). Our Father is El Shaddai, which means, The All-Sufficient One. He lacks absolutely nothing, he cannot be outdone, and he is able to do what he says he will do. Our Father is Yahweh who is the covenant keeping God; He does not break his promises and He is faithful even when we are faithless (Exod. 3:13-14). Dear brothers and sisters, what comes to mind when you think of the God that you call, Father? As Yahweh, our Father provides (Yahweh-Jireh) for his children (Gen. 22:11-14). In Exodus 15:26, we discover that our Father heals his children (Yahweh-Rapha). In Exodus 17:15, our Father is a banner for his people in Whom we find our true identity and purpose (Yahweh-Nissi). In Exodus 31:13, we discover that our Father loves his children too much to leave them as they are, for He is the one who sanctifies His people (Yahweh-Mekoddishkem). In Judges 6:24, our Father is the only One who is able to bring peace (shalom) to His children (Yahweh-Shalom). In Psalm 46:7, our Father is a refuge and fortress for his children even when you find yourself standing on the ashes of what once was (Yahweh-Sabaoth). In Psalm 23, our Father is our Good Shepherd (Yahweh-Raah). But wait, there is one other name I want you to see that describes what our heavenly Father will do for His children in Jeremiah 23:5-6, Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: The Lord is our righteousness. Now skip down to Malachi 3:1; the Messenger Malachi prophesied would come to prepare the way for the Lord, is the One Jeremiah described as, The Lord is our righteousness. The messenger would be John the Baptist: Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 3:1 is a part of next weeks sermon, but before we look at the rest of Malachi 2, I want you to hear two things: The Righteous Branch from David is Jesus, the righteousness of all whose faith rests in Him, for in Jesus we discover a Father who is our righteousness who sent His Son to be our righteousness: For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Because of what Jesus accomplished for you, Christian, we read in five verses earlier in 2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come. Richard Gaffin wrote something that amplifies the significance of what it means to have God as your Father in the following statement: At the core of their being, in the deepest recesses of what they arein other words, in the inner selfbelievers will never be more resurrected than they already are. God has done a work in each believer, a work of nothing less than resurrection proportions that will not be undone. Such languageis not just a metaphor.[8] If you can truly call God, Father because you have reconciled to Him by faith through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, then you, will never be more resurrected at the core of your inner self than you already are. Before we can go any further, I want you to let that truth settle upon your heart for a moment. Recognize the Bond You Share with Gods People If you are a Christian, then God has done a work in your life that has changed the DNA of your inner self is such a way that what was once spiritually dead is now alive! That work will and can never be undone (if you doubt that, just read Ephesians 1:3-14 and Romans 8). So, if you are tempted to believe the lie that you cannot change, you need to preach to your own heart that the same resurrection power that raised Jesus from the grave, is the same power that has made you spiritually alive and empowers change in you. The power at work in your life is a power those addressed in Malachi 2 did not know. The evidence that a person can truly call God, Father is seen by that persons loving response to God and those who bear His image. So, for those in Malachis day who claimed to know God as Father, but were faithless to one another received the following rebuke: Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob any descendant of the man who does this, who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts! (Malachi 2:1012) What was the covenant of the fathers that was being profaned? It was the covenant that included certain prohibitions, and one such prohibition was not to marry individuals from certain people groups who did not love or worship Yahweh because they worshiped other gods. Specifically, God instructed His people: You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods (Deut. 7:34). Generations before Malachi, Solomon married women from other people groups who worshiped other gods and they turned his heart away from God and the consequences where catastrophic for the nation of Israel. Solomons disregard of Deuteronomy 7 was the soil that resulted in nation-wide idolatry and the eventual discipline of God that exiled the Hebrew people, yet the men of Malachis day ignored all of that and went and married women who worshiped other gods anyway. If God is a Father to you and you know Him to be all that He has identified Himself to be, then why on Gods green earth would you enter into the one covenantal relationship that was instituted by God with a person who does not love or worship that same God as you do? If God is God and He is a Father to you, then why would you risk entering into a relationship with someone who will at best make the worship of Him burdensome and at worst turn your heart against Him? If the God who instituted marriage where sex is to be enjoyed and the procreation of children to be shared for the purpose of raising them up to know the One True God, why would you willingly enter into a relationship where your child/children will inevitably be torn between whatever god is worshiped by one parent verses the true God worshiped by the other? Listen, Malachi 2:10-12 is not just for Malachis contemporaries, these verses are for the Church too! What is in Malachi 2:10-12 is not an Old Testament principle to be ignored by New Testament saints in the name of grace or missionary dating, for we are told in the New Testament: Do not be mismatched with unbelievers; for what do righteousness and lawlessness share together, or what does light have in common with darkness? Or what harmony does Christ have with Belial, or what does a believer share with an unbeliever (2 Cor. 6:1415, NASB20)? Listen carefully, the point being made in these verses is that the only reason you would want to marry someone who does not love or know the true God is because you love the unbelieving man or woman more than you love God. To profane the covenant of marriage in verse 11, is to treat the covenant of marriage as common and nothing more than simple romance that can be disregarded when the feelings fade, or the intimacy is gone. If what I just said seems harsh to you, then how else do you explain verse 13, which states: And this second thing you do. You cover the Lords altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. This is exactly what Esau did after he found out that by trading his birthright for a bowl of stew and after the blessing was given to his younger brother, he wept (see Gen. 28:30-38); Hebrews 12:17 describes Esaus response this way: For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears (Heb. 12:17). Sin is simply the trading your birthright in for a bowl of stew that will not satisfy your soul. Faithfully Nurture the Covenant You Have Entered The other thing the men in Malachis day were doing, was that they were divorcing their Hebrew wives to marry women who worshiped other gods. The way the men were treating their wives was evidence that they really had little regard for the covenant of marriage. There were some who desired marriage with foreign women who worshiped another god, and then there were men who married a Hebrew wife who did worship Yahweh but divorced them to marry women who worshiped other gods. To these men, Malachi addresses in verse 15, Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth (Mal. 2:15). We read in Genesis 1 something that Malachi and his contemporaries would have been familiar with: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Gen. 1:27). God then commanded the man and woman to create and fill the earth with people like themselves and to manage creation. Furthermore, we are told in Genesis 1:28 that God told Adam and his wife, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth (Genesis 1:28). This is the covenant of marriage, and in Genesis 2:24-25 we are told of the sacredness of marriage and the place that sex had within that covenantal relationship: Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed (Genesis 2:2425). By profaning the covenant of their fathers (Mal. 2:10), the people (mostly the men) treated everything about marriage as common. Their primary reason for doing so had more to do with sex than anything else. The way Malachis contemporaries were treating marriage and sex was not all that dissimilar to the way marriage and sex is treated by our own culture where marriage and sex is treated as common instead of sacred. Malachis day and our own treats marriage as something to be experimented with or to be experienced with few barriers, if any. As it is treated in our day, so it was in Malachis day: Marriage was not viewed as a sacred covenant by those who claimed to know God, nor as a covenant instituted by God. The reason why this was, is the same reason for our own day: They did not stand in awe of Gods name. Gods response and feelings toward the way the people treated the covenant of marriage in Malachis day is still the same for our own day, and we see that response in verse 16. There are two legitimate ways Malachi 2:16 can be translated; both ways are seen in the way the ESV and the NASB translates this verse: For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.(Mal. 2:16; ESV) For I hate divorce, says the Lord, the God of Israel, and him who covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of armies. So be careful about your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously. (Mal. 2:16; NASB20) What is the point? God hates divorce because of what it does to the institution He has called sacred. Why is it sacred, well besides the obvious, marriage is also a portrait of something much greater than the love two people have for one another. Here is what the apostle Paul said of marriage: Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband (Eph. 5:3133). Not only were the men and women of Malachis day faithless to those within their community of faith as worshipers of One true God, but they were faithless to God because they desired the women of foreign gods over the women who loved Yahweh. This was evil in the sight of God, but what was even more detestable was the way the Hebrew men treated their Hebrew wives by divorcing them because they desired to be with the women of a foreign god more than they wanted to be with their own wives because they did not really know, love, or stand in awe of the God they offered sacrifices too. Conclusion Remember Jesus answer to the question regarding the greatest of the commandments: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 22:3740). I will reiterate again that the way you love others is symptomatic of the kind of love you have for God. The apostle John picked up on this in his epistle by writing: Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes (1 John 2:911). Did you know that there are at least 59 one another verses in the New Testament? At least 12 of those 59 one another statements include: Love one another. Do you know why that is? Because if you are a genuine Christian, you are able to love God in such a way that it will affect the way you treat others. What is different about you is that you, will never be more resurrected at the core of your inner self than you already are because of what Jesus has done for you and in you. Now that you know God and are loved by Him, you are able to love others in a way unlike the rest of the world. I am going to say something that might shock you into wanting to leave frustrated or angry, but it really needs to be said. So here it is: the point being made in Malachi 2:10-16 is that the reason you treat people, sex, and the institution of marriage as common is because you love the act of sex and or the person you are with more than you love God. The good news is that this does not have to be the legacy of your life. In the words of Richard Gaffin, if you are a Christian, then At the core of your being, in the deepest recesses of what you arein other words, in your inner selfyou will never be more resurrected than you already are. God has done a work in you, and that work cannot be undone if you really are a Christian and not only religious. What this means is that it is not too late for you! I asked you last week: What threshold were you hesitant to cross to go all in to follow Jesus? What are you holding onto that Jesus is asking you to surrender to Him? What act of obedience have you not taken because you are more afraid of what others might think than you are of what God thinks? God wants life for you. He is not against your joy He is for your joy! The same appeal that was always before Israel is before you today: I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. (Deut. 30:19-20) That relationship you participated in that included sex outside of marriage does not need to define you. That marriage you entered into with your unbelieving spouse is worth investing in and your spouse is not beyond the reach of grace of God. That divorce you initiated or pursued and now you are in your second or third marriage your present marriage can thrive! If you are single, married, divorced, or remarried if you are a Christian, Gods will for your life cannot be any clearer that what is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:3, For this is the will of God, your sanctification. For the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is doing the impossible in your life too! In closing I leave you the hope of Romans 8:11 to combat the lie of the enemy that would convince you that your old self is who you are: If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. Amen. [1] Jim Davis, Michael Graham; The Great Dechurching (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan; 2023), p. 3. [2] Ibid; p. 5. [3] Ibid, p. 24. [4] Ibid. [5] Ibid, p. 33. [6] Ibid, p. 9. [7] A.W. Tozer. The Knowledge of the Holy (San Francisco, CO: HarperSanFrancisco; 1961), p. 1. [8] Paul Miller; A Praying Church (Wheaton, IL: Crossway; 2023), p. 73.
Jesus was asked what he believed the greatest of Gods commandments was, and his answer was simple: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 22:3740). Jesus answer can be reduced to seven words: Love God and also love your neighbor. How you love God will affect the way you treat the people in your life, and the way you treat the people in your life can serve as a barometer for the spiritual climate of your heart and relationship with God. What does this have to do with Malachi 2:10-17? The way the people were treating one another and the way the men were treating their wives, was symptomatic of their relationship with God. Because the men did not think highly of the promise made to their wives, God did not regard or accept their worship. We will unpack verse 13 but consider the shocking tone of this verse to set the tone for the whole passage: You cover the Lords altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. I am reading a book titled, The Great Dechurching; what got my attention before I purchased the book is what it said in the back: We are currently experiencing the largest and fastest religious shift in US history. This shift is greater than the First and Second Great Awakenings combined (when America experienced the largest religious shift in the Church towards growth) but in the opposite direction. In the opening pages of the book, Jim Davis and Michael Graham glean from the largest and most comprehensive study of dechurching in America: About 40 million adults in America today used to go to church but no longer do, which accounts for around 16 percent of our adult population. For the first time in the eight decades that the Gallup has tracked American religious membership, more adults in the United States do not attend church than attend church. This is not a gradual shift; it is a jolting one.[1] What this means in the words of Davis and Graham: More people have left the church in the last twenty-five years than all the new people who became Christians from the First Great Awakening, Second Great Awakening, and Billy Graham crusades combined.[2] Here are some of the takeaways so far from my reading of The Great Dechurching: Dechurching is happening on every income level, regardless of educational status, and area of the country people live, which means that people all over the country are, deciding to forgo their in-person worship for other activities on Sunday morning.[3] And they are doing so for a variety of reasons.[4] The children of the dechurched will inevitably become unchurched, which in the words of the authors of their book will change, the nature of spirituality in America significantly.[5] One of the most alarming findings that I have read in The Great Dechurching so far is what the authors state at the beginning of their book: We learned in our research that 68 percent of dechurched evangelicals said their parents played a role in the decision to leave the Church.[6] There was something about the culture of the home these evangelical dechurched Christians experienced that turned them away from the church. I believe Malachi 2:10-17 speaks into the phenomena of the great dechurching. Know God as Your Father Tozer said it well when he wrote, What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and mans spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God.[7] I have used this quote so many times in sermons, Bible studies, and classes I have taught; it still has not lost its punch because it is so true! So, who is this God we identify as our Father? Or as Malachi states in the form of a question: Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? (v. 10). If you are a Christian, then our Father is the creator God who spoke the galaxies into existence with only the word of his mouth in only six days (Gen. 1:1; Exod. 20:11; Heb. 11:3). Our Father is El Elyon, which means, The Most High God. There is no God like him and there is not god above him (Gen. 14:18-20; Ps. 57:2; Isa. 46:8-10). Our Father is El Roi, which means, The God Who Sees. Nothing goes unnoticed by him. He sees our circumstances, he sees the secret places, he sees when no one else notices, he sees all things (Gen. 16:13-14; Prov. 24:12). Our Father is El Shaddai, which means, The All-Sufficient One. He lacks absolutely nothing, he cannot be outdone, and he is able to do what he says he will do. Our Father is Yahweh who is the covenant keeping God; He does not break his promises and He is faithful even when we are faithless (Exod. 3:13-14). Dear brothers and sisters, what comes to mind when you think of the God that you call, Father? As Yahweh, our Father provides (Yahweh-Jireh) for his children (Gen. 22:11-14). In Exodus 15:26, we discover that our Father heals his children (Yahweh-Rapha). In Exodus 17:15, our Father is a banner for his people in Whom we find our true identity and purpose (Yahweh-Nissi). In Exodus 31:13, we discover that our Father loves his children too much to leave them as they are, for He is the one who sanctifies His people (Yahweh-Mekoddishkem). In Judges 6:24, our Father is the only One who is able to bring peace (shalom) to His children (Yahweh-Shalom). In Psalm 46:7, our Father is a refuge and fortress for his children even when you find yourself standing on the ashes of what once was (Yahweh-Sabaoth). In Psalm 23, our Father is our Good Shepherd (Yahweh-Raah). But wait, there is one other name I want you to see that describes what our heavenly Father will do for His children in Jeremiah 23:5-6, Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: The Lord is our righteousness. Now skip down to Malachi 3:1; the Messenger Malachi prophesied would come to prepare the way for the Lord, is the One Jeremiah described as, The Lord is our righteousness. The messenger would be John the Baptist: Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 3:1 is a part of next weeks sermon, but before we look at the rest of Malachi 2, I want you to hear two things: The Righteous Branch from David is Jesus, the righteousness of all whose faith rests in Him, for in Jesus we discover a Father who is our righteousness who sent His Son to be our righteousness: For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Because of what Jesus accomplished for you, Christian, we read in five verses earlier in 2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come. Richard Gaffin wrote something that amplifies the significance of what it means to have God as your Father in the following statement: At the core of their being, in the deepest recesses of what they arein other words, in the inner selfbelievers will never be more resurrected than they already are. God has done a work in each believer, a work of nothing less than resurrection proportions that will not be undone. Such languageis not just a metaphor.[8] If you can truly call God, Father because you have reconciled to Him by faith through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, then you, will never be more resurrected at the core of your inner self than you already are. Before we can go any further, I want you to let that truth settle upon your heart for a moment. Recognize the Bond You Share with Gods People If you are a Christian, then God has done a work in your life that has changed the DNA of your inner self is such a way that what was once spiritually dead is now alive! That work will and can never be undone (if you doubt that, just read Ephesians 1:3-14 and Romans 8). So, if you are tempted to believe the lie that you cannot change, you need to preach to your own heart that the same resurrection power that raised Jesus from the grave, is the same power that has made you spiritually alive and empowers change in you. The power at work in your life is a power those addressed in Malachi 2 did not know. The evidence that a person can truly call God, Father is seen by that persons loving response to God and those who bear His image. So, for those in Malachis day who claimed to know God as Father, but were faithless to one another received the following rebuke: Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob any descendant of the man who does this, who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts! (Malachi 2:1012) What was the covenant of the fathers that was being profaned? It was the covenant that included certain prohibitions, and one such prohibition was not to marry individuals from certain people groups who did not love or worship Yahweh because they worshiped other gods. Specifically, God instructed His people: You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods (Deut. 7:34). Generations before Malachi, Solomon married women from other people groups who worshiped other gods and they turned his heart away from God and the consequences where catastrophic for the nation of Israel. Solomons disregard of Deuteronomy 7 was the soil that resulted in nation-wide idolatry and the eventual discipline of God that exiled the Hebrew people, yet the men of Malachis day ignored all of that and went and married women who worshiped other gods anyway. If God is a Father to you and you know Him to be all that He has identified Himself to be, then why on Gods green earth would you enter into the one covenantal relationship that was instituted by God with a person who does not love or worship that same God as you do? If God is God and He is a Father to you, then why would you risk entering into a relationship with someone who will at best make the worship of Him burdensome and at worst turn your heart against Him? If the God who instituted marriage where sex is to be enjoyed and the procreation of children to be shared for the purpose of raising them up to know the One True God, why would you willingly enter into a relationship where your child/children will inevitably be torn between whatever god is worshiped by one parent verses the true God worshiped by the other? Listen, Malachi 2:10-12 is not just for Malachis contemporaries, these verses are for the Church too! What is in Malachi 2:10-12 is not an Old Testament principle to be ignored by New Testament saints in the name of grace or missionary dating, for we are told in the New Testament: Do not be mismatched with unbelievers; for what do righteousness and lawlessness share together, or what does light have in common with darkness? Or what harmony does Christ have with Belial, or what does a believer share with an unbeliever (2 Cor. 6:1415, NASB20)? Listen carefully, the point being made in these verses is that the only reason you would want to marry someone who does not love or know the true God is because you love the unbelieving man or woman more than you love God. To profane the covenant of marriage in verse 11, is to treat the covenant of marriage as common and nothing more than simple romance that can be disregarded when the feelings fade, or the intimacy is gone. If what I just said seems harsh to you, then how else do you explain verse 13, which states: And this second thing you do. You cover the Lords altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. This is exactly what Esau did after he found out that by trading his birthright for a bowl of stew and after the blessing was given to his younger brother, he wept (see Gen. 28:30-38); Hebrews 12:17 describes Esaus response this way: For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears (Heb. 12:17). Sin is simply the trading your birthright in for a bowl of stew that will not satisfy your soul. Faithfully Nurture the Covenant You Have Entered The other thing the men in Malachis day were doing, was that they were divorcing their Hebrew wives to marry women who worshiped other gods. The way the men were treating their wives was evidence that they really had little regard for the covenant of marriage. There were some who desired marriage with foreign women who worshiped another god, and then there were men who married a Hebrew wife who did worship Yahweh but divorced them to marry women who worshiped other gods. To these men, Malachi addresses in verse 15, Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth (Mal. 2:15). We read in Genesis 1 something that Malachi and his contemporaries would have been familiar with: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Gen. 1:27). God then commanded the man and woman to create and fill the earth with people like themselves and to manage creation. Furthermore, we are told in Genesis 1:28 that God told Adam and his wife, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth (Genesis 1:28). This is the covenant of marriage, and in Genesis 2:24-25 we are told of the sacredness of marriage and the place that sex had within that covenantal relationship: Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed (Genesis 2:2425). By profaning the covenant of their fathers (Mal. 2:10), the people (mostly the men) treated everything about marriage as common. Their primary reason for doing so had more to do with sex than anything else. The way Malachis contemporaries were treating marriage and sex was not all that dissimilar to the way marriage and sex is treated by our own culture where marriage and sex is treated as common instead of sacred. Malachis day and our own treats marriage as something to be experimented with or to be experienced with few barriers, if any. As it is treated in our day, so it was in Malachis day: Marriage was not viewed as a sacred covenant by those who claimed to know God, nor as a covenant instituted by God. The reason why this was, is the same reason for our own day: They did not stand in awe of Gods name. Gods response and feelings toward the way the people treated the covenant of marriage in Malachis day is still the same for our own day, and we see that response in verse 16. There are two legitimate ways Malachi 2:16 can be translated; both ways are seen in the way the ESV and the NASB translates this verse: For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.(Mal. 2:16; ESV) For I hate divorce, says the Lord, the God of Israel, and him who covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of armies. So be careful about your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously. (Mal. 2:16; NASB20) What is the point? God hates divorce because of what it does to the institution He has called sacred. Why is it sacred, well besides the obvious, marriage is also a portrait of something much greater than the love two people have for one another. Here is what the apostle Paul said of marriage: Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband (Eph. 5:3133). Not only were the men and women of Malachis day faithless to those within their community of faith as worshipers of One true God, but they were faithless to God because they desired the women of foreign gods over the women who loved Yahweh. This was evil in the sight of God, but what was even more detestable was the way the Hebrew men treated their Hebrew wives by divorcing them because they desired to be with the women of a foreign god more than they wanted to be with their own wives because they did not really know, love, or stand in awe of the God they offered sacrifices too. Conclusion Remember Jesus answer to the question regarding the greatest of the commandments: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 22:3740). I will reiterate again that the way you love others is symptomatic of the kind of love you have for God. The apostle John picked up on this in his epistle by writing: Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes (1 John 2:911). Did you know that there are at least 59 one another verses in the New Testament? At least 12 of those 59 one another statements include: Love one another. Do you know why that is? Because if you are a genuine Christian, you are able to love God in such a way that it will affect the way you treat others. What is different about you is that you, will never be more resurrected at the core of your inner self than you already are because of what Jesus has done for you and in you. Now that you know God and are loved by Him, you are able to love others in a way unlike the rest of the world. I am going to say something that might shock you into wanting to leave frustrated or angry, but it really needs to be said. So here it is: the point being made in Malachi 2:10-16 is that the reason you treat people, sex, and the institution of marriage as common is because you love the act of sex and or the person you are with more than you love God. The good news is that this does not have to be the legacy of your life. In the words of Richard Gaffin, if you are a Christian, then At the core of your being, in the deepest recesses of what you arein other words, in your inner selfyou will never be more resurrected than you already are. God has done a work in you, and that work cannot be undone if you really are a Christian and not only religious. What this means is that it is not too late for you! I asked you last week: What threshold were you hesitant to cross to go all in to follow Jesus? What are you holding onto that Jesus is asking you to surrender to Him? What act of obedience have you not taken because you are more afraid of what others might think than you are of what God thinks? God wants life for you. He is not against your joy He is for your joy! The same appeal that was always before Israel is before you today: I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. (Deut. 30:19-20) That relationship you participated in that included sex outside of marriage does not need to define you. That marriage you entered into with your unbelieving spouse is worth investing in and your spouse is not beyond the reach of grace of God. That divorce you initiated or pursued and now you are in your second or third marriage your present marriage can thrive! If you are single, married, divorced, or remarried if you are a Christian, Gods will for your life cannot be any clearer that what is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:3, For this is the will of God, your sanctification. For the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is doing the impossible in your life too! In closing I leave you the hope of Romans 8:11 to combat the lie of the enemy that would convince you that your old self is who you are: If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. Amen. [1] Jim Davis, Michael Graham; The Great Dechurching (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan; 2023), p. 3. [2] Ibid; p. 5. [3] Ibid, p. 24. [4] Ibid. [5] Ibid, p. 33. [6] Ibid, p. 9. [7] A.W. Tozer. The Knowledge of the Holy (San Francisco, CO: HarperSanFrancisco; 1961), p. 1. [8] Paul Miller; A Praying Church (Wheaton, IL: Crossway; 2023), p. 73.
Davis and Graham write in their book, “The Great Dechurching: Who's Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back?” that “more people have left the church in the last 25 years than all the new people who became Christians from the First Great Awakening, Second Great Awakening, and Billy Graham crusades combined.” What does the falling away look like? It looks like this, but even worse than you think it is. Let me explain. On this episode of the NTEB Prophecy News Podcast, the professing Christian Church entered into a period of falling away from preaching and teaching rightly divided Bible doctrine in the tail-end of the 19th century with the emergence of the modern version ‘bibles', the Revised Version was released in 1881, and the American Standard Version in 1901. With the launch of those two books, a ‘direct hit' was leveled against the Church and the King James Bible that resulted in an ever-widening apostasy. By the time you get to the end of the 20th century, there are over 250 ‘bible' versions, all of them bad. Here in 2023, the vast majority of people who identify as Christian could not tell you the gospel of the kingdom of God that Paul preached if their lives depended on it. As a result, people are fleeing in record numbers even the feel-good, love gospel churches because they have no connection of any kind to God and the Bible. There is indeed a ‘dechurching' underway, and on this episode we show you just how bad it really is, and what you can do about it. We will also cover the Joe Biden impeachment, the Hunter Biden indictment, and the collapse of America. TO THE FIGHT!!!
The Fifth Age of the Church TS Wright pt 2 Scott Wright is back with us today. Scott has been teaching us about the different ages of the Church and significant things the Bible and history has to say about them. Last time, we studied the Fourth Church Age. I'll let Scott give a summary of what we discussed last time… But Scott is helping us to understand each of the different ages of the Church and why they are so significant – especially as we look at the modern day church age with all the societal problems we are facing today. Scott does this by helping us understand the processed that God's Word readily gives us in order to draw closer to him. He has also published a journal called, “God Centered Concept Journal: Making God's Word My Ways.” Scott has a goal of launching this series on a large scale, reaching churches and organizations with this curriculum that will change their churches from simple institutions into a “movement.” Amen! He is also a podcaster and has a truly great podcast called, “The God Centered Concept,” as well. You really need to listen – and subscribe – to this podcast… it's amazing… But, more than that, he is also a HUGE student of end time scenarios dealing with the Book of the Revelation, the End of Days and the Seven Ages of the Church. I have asked him to come back on the program today as we continue our series of interviews discussing the Church Ages. Explain what “Humanistic Thinking” is for our audience. I believe we are witnessing a resurgence of this today, don't you think? We covered a little last time, in our discussion of the Fourth Church Age, that “tribalism and feudalism” laid the foundation for the slave trade, especially as it related to America. Can you cover this for us as it relates to the “Fifth Age of the Church?” So all of the major events of the Fifth Age of the Church actually laid the foundation of our society, as we know it, today? Can you give some examples of what social norms and social values we are witnessing today that had its roots in the Fifth Age of the Church? How does this reflect in our belief system, as Christians, that the “Soon return of Jesus” is about to happen? How does the “Fifth Age of the Church” end? – (The FIRST Great Awakening)! Scott, this has been so interesting, as usual. If someone has a question or would like more information, or possibly they want to reach out to you do an interview such as this, how do they do that? How can someone get in touch with you? I'll put links to all of this in the show notes below. Folks, there is no doubt that we are living in what Jesus and historical Christian scholars have called, “The End Times.” We are working our way through each of the Church Ages in order to give you a more thorough understanding of how all this fits into what we are witnessing, right now, all around us. We should not be in a state of fear and trepidation. NO! We need to be excited! We need to be thanking GOD for the day and time in which we live… Think about like this… So I want to leave with this thought… as you witness...
What united a loosely connected group of individual colonies into a single people with a common identity as Americans? The answer: George Whitefield and the First Great Awakening. After three decades of anointed, tireless preaching, a remarkable 80% of the population of the American colonies experienced Whitefield's ministry at least once. The impact was profound. His preaching served as a great social leveler because everyone, rich or poor, kings or commoners, must be born again. His message was also a great uniter of the people as they found their identity not in race or denominational affiliation, but in Christ. We are living in what some have called "the divided states of America." We need something or someone to restore our common vision and purpose. Only Jesus is big enough. We need a third Great Awakening. Find out more at https://ron-johnson-discipleship-podca.pinecast.co
In this episode, we discuss how the Bible was used in churches, by ministers, to inflame political fervor for a revolution! NOTES: Here are the two books that motivated this episode. Sacred Scripture, Sacred War by James P. Byrd A Holy Baptism of Fire and Blood by James P. Byrd RECAP/TAKEAWAYS: Both great wars followed after Great Awakenings. The genuine religious experiences are something to be thankful for, to be sure. Both awakenings centered on individual experience and resulted in privatizing Bible interpretation. Both were, to a degree, anti-institutional. The First Great Awakening bypassed the traditional churches and the second majored on camp meetings. Ministers during the Revolutionary era equated America with Israel and saw the conflict with Britain in Apocalyptic terms. What can you do? Read your Bible. Beware of your own context. What did this mean to the first readers? It can't mean something to you that it didn't mean to them. Can you draw a straight line from the meaning of the text to their application? GET IN TOUCH: We'd love to hear from you. Please send us an email or question at comment@cithonahillpodcast.com. MUSIC: Little Lily Swing, Tri-Tachyon, Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 International, https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Tri-Tachyon/the-kleptotonic-ep/little-lily-swing Sorry, Comfort Fit, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Germany (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 DE),
As more and more colonists journeyed to America from all across Europe, many of the new colonies were similarly founded upon explicitly religious grounds as Plymouth. Different beliefs led to conflicts similar to those witnessed in Europe. However, a consistent desire for personal liberty and genuine religion caused many of these conflicts to be stopped long before they were ended in Europe. Ultimately, a colonial revival known as the First Great Awakening led to a growing shared identity among the colonies. ⭕️Watch in-depth videos based on Truth & Tradition at Epoch TV
When we look back at the history of our country, we have so many reasons to celebrate! God has moved in amazing ways in the life of our nation to call the masses to radical repentance. The First Great Awakening, Second Great Awakening, the Jesus Revolution - and we believe He is preparing our country for another spiritual revival in the coming years. In the Book of Jonah in the Old Testament, we find one of the greatest spiritual awakenings of all time. As He did through Jonah, God can use our stories and the His power to save a dying world. Every person who has experienced the saving grace of the gospel is called to share their stories with those around them. God is willing to save, but are we willing to share?
Chelsea and I continue our series about the Christian revivals in American history.We begin the Second Great Awakening with an overview of the times, especially from 1830-1840. Following the War for Independence the colonies now had a federal compact. The expansion westward inspired more evangelism to native Americans. Methodism grew as circuit riders preached to crowds at outdoor "camp meetings."The two social causes propelling revival "fires" were abolition of slavery and temperance from alcohol. Women were more involved in revival activities and organized some women's groups around these two issues.Immigrants from Europe brought more rationalism from the Enlightenment. Wheras the majority of First Great Awakening revivalists held to a Reformed theology, most of the Second Great Awakening revivalists did not.Industry and social causes possibly led some preachers toward a works-based salvation.The fervor to prepare for the Second Coming of Christ led to the rise of cults such as the Latter Day Saints and the Millerite groups.As we study the movers and shakers involved in the Second Great Awakening, we will seek to give all credit where it is due but observe both the good and the bad.Scriptures Referenced:Psalm 51:9-13*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***We value your feedback!Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!
Chelsea and I continue our series about the Christian revivals in American history. We begin the Second Great Awakening with an overview of the times, especially from 1830-1840. Following the War for Independence the colonies now had a federal compact. The expansion westward inspired more evangelism to native Americans. Methodism grew as circuit riders preached to crowds at outdoor "camp meetings." The two social causes propelling revival "fires" were abolition of slavery and temperance from alcohol. Women were more involved in revival activities and organized some women's groups around these two issues. Immigrants from Europe brought more rationalism from the Enlightenment. Wheras the majority of First Great Awakening revivalists held to a Reformed theology, most of the Second Great Awakening revivalists did not. Industry and social causes possibly led some preachers toward a works-based salvation. The fervor to prepare for the Second Coming of Christ led to the rise of cults such as the Latter Day Saints and the Millerite groups. As we study the movers and shakers involved in the Second Great Awakening, we will seek to give all credit where it is due but observe both the good and the bad. Scriptures Referenced: Psalm 51:9-13 *** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. *** We value your feedback! Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!
Chelsea and I continue our series about the Christian revivals in American history.We begin the Second Great Awakening with an overview of the times, especially from 1830-1840. Following the War for Independence the colonies now had a federal compact. The expansion westward inspired more evangelism to native Americans. Methodism grew as circuit riders preached to crowds at outdoor "camp meetings."The two social causes propelling revival "fires" were abolition of slavery and temperance from alcohol. Women were more involved in revival activities and organized some women's groups around these two issues.Immigrants from Europe brought more rationalism from the Enlightenment. Wheras the majority of First Great Awakening revivalists held to a Reformed theology, most of the Second Great Awakening revivalists did not.Industry and social causes possibly led some preachers toward a works-based salvation.The fervor to prepare for the Second Coming of Christ led to the rise of cults such as the Latter Day Saints and the Millerite groups.As we study the movers and shakers involved in the Second Great Awakening, we will seek to give all credit where it is due but observe both the good and the bad.Scriptures Referenced:Psalm 51:9-13*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***We value your feedback!Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!
Joshed Raw (Josh) gives a crash course into influences in Christian thought and doctrine in the United States from Martin Luther in 1517 to the 21st century. He talks about the Church of England, separatists and non separatists, and the colonization of America. He discusses how the foundation for evangelicism was laid out during the First Great Awakening, how pluralistic ideologies influenced the creation of the Constitution, and how the Second Great Awakening led to fundamentalist and evangelical movements after the turn of the 20th century. He briefly speaks to the importance of interfaith dialogue and the changing religious landscape which gives insight into how religious and spiritual interpretations are adjusted to accommodate cultural norms and expectations. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/godsoftomorrow/support
The far reaching effects of the Radical Enlightenment, the First Great Awakening, and the Revolutions that overthrew Monarchies. More change, more directions, more branches. Join us for this overview of 18th church history!Each week we are live 6:30pm ET on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@churchhistoryandtheology
The far reaching effects of the Radical Enlightenment, the First Great Awakening, and the Revolutions that overthrew Monarchies. More change, more directions, more branches. Join us for this overview of 18th church history!Each week we are live 6:30pm ET on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@churchhistoryandtheology
In 1848, a group of religious perfectionists, led by John Humphrey Noyes, established a commune in Oneida, New York, where they lived and worked together. Women in the community had certain freedoms compared to the outside world, in both dress and occupation. What captured the attention of the outside world, though, were the sexual practices of the Oneidans, who believed in complex marriage where every man and every woman in the community were married to each other and where birth control was achieved via male continence. Joining me to discuss the Oneida community, and its most infamous resident, presidential assassin Charles Guiteau, is New York Times bestselling writer Susan Wels, author of An Assassin in Utopia: The True Story of a Nineteenth-Century Sex Cult and a President's Murder. Our theme song is Frogs Legs Rag, composed by James Scott and performed by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under Creative Commons. The mid-episode Music is “Walk Together (Acoustic Piano and Guitar Version)” by Olexy from Pixabay. The episode image is “Oneida Community,” photograph taken between 1860 and 1880; image is in the Public Domain and available via the Library of Congress. Additional sources: “The First Great Awakening.” by Christine Leigh Heyrman, Divining America, TeacherServe©, National Humanities Center. “Great Awakening,” History.com, Originally posted March 7, 2018, Updated September 20, 2019. “Religious Transformation and the Second Great Awakening,” USHistory.org. “Religion and the Founding of the American Republic: Religion and the New Republic,” Library of Congress. “The Second Great Awakening,” by Isaiah Dicker, Guided History: History Research Guides by Boston University Students. “‘My Heart Was So Full of Love That It Overflowed': Charles Grandison Finney Experiences Conversion,” History Matters: The U.S. Survey Course on the Web. “People & Ideas: Charles Finney,” God in America, PBS. “The Utopia of Sharing in Oneida, N.Y.”by Beth Quinn Barnard, The New York Times, August 3, 2007. “The Rich, Sexy History Of Oneida — Commune And Silverware Maker,” WBUR, May 20, 2016. “Oneida Community (1848-1880): A Utopian Community,” Social Welfare History Project (June 2017), Virginia Commonwealth University. “Oneida Community Collection,” Syracuse University. Oneida Mansion House. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chelsea and I continue our series about the Christian revivals in American history.John Wesley was an Anglican minister from Epworth, England. He and his brother Charles went to Oxford where John got bachelor's and master's degrees. While teaching at Oxford, John and Charles Wesley began the "Methodist" movement with George Whitefield.After spending two years evangelizing Native Americans in Savannah, Georgia, John Wesley returned to England wondering if he himself needed to be evangelized. After studying with a group of Moravians, Wesley finally understood justification by faith and peace with God.Wesley and Whitefield helped each other with their new preaching method involving traveling and outdoors. Wesley preached an estimated 40,000 sermons before he passed.Wesley seemed to be a pioneer in the Christian abolitionist movement to preach freedom for slaves. He also mentored William Wilberforce who would see success in ending the slave trade in England.Fact correction from audio: We mistakenly said that Susanna Wesley disliked King James II. She actually favored James II but despised William of Orange who replaced him. Sources Consulted:Anne Adams, "Susanna Wesley – Mother of Methodism," historyswomen.com, Accessed May 7, 2023."Who was John Wesley?" Got Questions, Updated January 4, 2022.Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "John Wesley." Encyclopedia Britannica, May 6, 2023."Who was John Wesley?" Compelling Truth, Accessed May 7, 2023.*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***We value your feedback!Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!
Chelsea and I continue our series about the Christian revivals in American history. John Wesley was an Anglican minister from Epworth, England. He and his brother Charles went to Oxford where John got bachelor's and master's degrees. While teaching at Oxford, John and Charles Wesley began the "Methodist" movement with George Whitefield. After spending two years evangelizing Native Americans in Savannah, Georgia, John Wesley returned to England wondering if he himself needed to be evangelized. After studying with a group of Moravians, Wesley finally understood justification by faith and peace with God. Wesley and Whitefield helped each other with their new preaching method involving traveling and outdoors. Wesley preached an estimated 40,000 sermons before he passed. Wesley seemed to be a pioneer in the Christian abolitionist movement to preach freedom for slaves. He also mentored William Wilberforce who would see success in ending the slave trade in England. Fact correction from audio: We mistakenly said that Susanna Wesley disliked King James II. She actually favored James II but despised William of Orange who replaced him. Sources Consulted: Anne Adams, "Susanna Wesley – Mother of Methodism," historyswomen.com, Accessed May 7, 2023. "Who was John Wesley?" Got Questions, Updated January 4, 2022. Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "John Wesley." Encyclopedia Britannica, May 6, 2023. "Who was John Wesley?" Compelling Truth, Accessed May 7, 2023. *** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. *** We value your feedback! Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!
Was America founded in 1619 with the importation of the first slaves? Is it a hopelessly racist country? This is what the creators of the New York Times 1619 project would have you believe. Certainly, slavery is a huge blight on America's past, but are they right, that 1619 was our true beginning not 1776? My guest in this podcast, Dr. Eddie Hyatt, would argue that neither date is actually the moment in which our national character was forged. A Church historian and revival scholar, Eddie says the actual year that would truly shape the American heart and destiny was 1726. It is the year of the beginning of the First Great Awakening in America. Out of this spiritual revival that swept through the 13 colonies, two things happened - 1) the vision for the nation and its founding documents was greatly touched and shaped by God, and 2) the founders knew they would have to abolish slavery in response to God. Dr. Hyatt has written a book, 1726: The Year that Defined America. This is an excellent, well-researched, highly acclaimed book about the founding of America, the vision many had for its missionary purpose, and about the faith of the founding fathers. It is uplifting and hopeful in a time when many are denigrating America. It is also a portrayal of American history that is increasingly being left out of our textbooks. Dr. Hyatt has launched the 1726 Project in an effort to spread the truth about America's history. To reach Dr. Hyatt to have him present three sessions based on his book in your church, school, business, or organization, contact him at DrEddieHyatt@gmail.com. Dr. Pam's website and social media can be found through her link tree page.
Likely the most amazing example of true revival in church history is the first great awakening. Various revivals impacted New England, England, and Europe in a period of about 40-50 years, starting in 1727. In this episode, we walk through the timeline of events beginning with the Moravian Pentocast at Herrhut, moving to the Wesleys and Whitefield in England and Georgia, and finally, ending with the events of Northampton, Massachusetts, with Jonathan Edwards. To learn more about our ministry or to donate, visit: afci.us
For today’s episode, Jon and Justin are joined by Ken Jones (pastor of Glendale Baptist Church and host of Saints and Sinners Unplugged). The guys talk about revivalism. There are two distinct traditions within American Protestantism: one is the confessional/ordinary means of grace tradition; the other pietistic and revivalistic. What are the differences between the two? What about the First Great Awakening? What is it that characterizes any genuine movement of God? Semper Reformanda is included in today’s episode for free! Semper Reformanda: Jon, Justin, and Ken answer the question, “What do we make of the Puritans?” And then, the guys go on do discuss the Marrow Controversy and how it is applicable to today. Ken’s Show - Saints and Sinners Unplugged YouTube Apple Podcasts Spotify
Today Michael Gleason joins Mike Woodruff on the Press On podcast to discuss the revival at Asbury College. Dr. Gleason, who earned both Masters of Divinity and Doctorate of Ministry degrees from Ashland Theological Seminary, and who has held a variety of ministry roles within the church and at various universities, is the author of both: When God Walked on Campus: A Brief History of Evangelical Awakenings at American Colleges and Universities and When God Walked Among Nations: The Leaders and Lessons of the First Great Awakening.
In Episode 150, we go way back to a sermon I did two years ago at Pathway Church where I talked about The Great Awakening and Revival. It was a response to society's secularization and the main churches' corporate and materialistic orientation.The Great Awakening halted the spread of Enlightenment rationality amongst a large number of colonists. Some members embraced the revival, while others rejected it, resulting in divisions among religious groupings.Tune in now, and let's go bigger, better, and deeper! If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to the God Stuff Podcast, so you're always the first to know when a new episode is released.Episode Timestamps: Intro – [00:00]Service Introduction – [03:32]What is Revival – [09:42]The First Great Awakening – [11:15]The Second Great Awakening – [20:20]The Third Awakening – [33:30]Final Thoughts – [37:40]Closing Prayer – [41:34]Outro – [42:36]Biblical References:2 Timothy 3:1-42 Chronicles 7:14John 1:29About Our Host: Bill Giovannetti is the Senior Pastor at Pathway Church, Redding, California — an experienced senior pastor with a demonstrated history of working in the religious institutions' industry. He also teaches ministry-related college classes at Simpson University and the A. W. Tozer Theological Seminary. Bill has always had a passion to bring the deep things of God's word to the everyday people of God. Resources: Veritas School Online Theological School https://www.veritasschool.life/ Connect with Bill Giovannetti: ● Visit the website: https://www.veritasschool.life/● Subscribe to the podcast: https://maxgrace.com/category/podcasts/● Follow Bill on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bill.giovannetti● Follow Bill on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillGiovannetti● Follow Bill on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billgiovannetti/ Thanks for tuning in! Please don't forget to like, share, and subscribe!
Chelsea and I continue our series about the Christian revivals in American history.George Whitefield was an Anglican deacon in Oxford, England. He met John and Charles Wesley in college and joined their Methodist movement. With his Bachelor of Arts degree, booming voice, and supreme acting ability, Whitefield would become a young traveling preacher who could command crowds of up to 20,000 people in one occasion.Whitefield would become America's first celebrity as he traveled to the colonies seven times and toured up from Georgia to Massachusetts preaching the gospel freely to all sorts of people. He is credited for starting two orphanages mostly for African-American children. In the face of violent opposition and mockery, Whitefield would see thousands of converts, including two unexpected instances.We address the fact that Whitefield wasn't an abolitionist like his friend John Wesley, but we try to understand his reasoning in light of the time he lived as well as how he was leaps and bounds better than the respectable opinion of his time. In fact, this Englishman was instrumental to preparing the colonies for independence and later for emancipation.Sources Consulted:"George Whitefield," Banner of Truth, Accessed March 5, 2023."Whitefield, George." Colonial America Reference Library. . Encyclopedia.com. (February 23, 2023).Mills, Frederick. "George Whitefield." New Georgia Encyclopedia, last modified Jun 6, 2017.George Whitefield, "Of Justification By Christ," ed., Bible Hub, Accessed March 5, 2023."George Whitefield Quotes," AZ Quotes, Access March 5, 2023."52 George Whitefield Quotes," ChristianQuotes.info, Updated July 24, 2015 by Pastor Jack Wellman.*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***We value your feedback!Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!
Chelsea and I continue our series about the Christian revivals in American history. George Whitefield was an Anglican deacon in Oxford, England. He met John and Charles Wesley in college and joined their Methodist movement. With his Bachelor of Arts degree, booming voice, and supreme acting ability, Whitefield would become a young traveling preacher who could command crowds of up to 20,000 people in one occasion. Whitefield would become America's first celebrity as he traveled to the colonies seven times and toured up from Georgia to Massachusetts preaching the gospel freely to all sorts of people. He is credited for starting two orphanages mostly for African-American children. In the face of violent opposition and mockery, Whitefield would see thousands of converts, including two unexpected instances. We address the fact that Whitefield wasn't an abolitionist like his friend John Wesley, but we try to understand his reasoning in light of the time he lived as well as how he was leaps and bounds better than the respectable opinion of his time. In fact, this Englishman was instrumental to preparing the colonies for independence and later for emancipation. Sources Consulted: "George Whitefield," Banner of Truth, Accessed March 5, 2023. "Whitefield, George." Colonial America Reference Library. . Encyclopedia.com. (February 23, 2023). Mills, Frederick. "George Whitefield." New Georgia Encyclopedia, last modified Jun 6, 2017. George Whitefield, "Of Justification By Christ," ed., Bible Hub, Accessed March 5, 2023. "George Whitefield Quotes," AZ Quotes, Access March 5, 2023. "52 George Whitefield Quotes," ChristianQuotes.info, Updated July 24, 2015 by Pastor Jack Wellman. *** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. *** We value your feedback! Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!
Before each great political transformation in American life, there was first a great religious transformation. Historian and Providence Forum president Jerry Newcombe joins Charlie to explain how the moral revolution of the First Great Awakening paved the way for the American Revolution and Constitution, and how the spiritual revolt against slavery then drove abolition in the 1800s. Dr. Newcombe then debunks the myths about George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and what they really believed about God, the church, and government.Support the show: http://www.charliekirk.com/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Chelsea and I continue our series about the Christian revivals in American history.Solomon Stoddard, a fiery preacher saw several revivals in his 60 years pastoring the church at Northampton, Massachusetts, but he embraced and expanded the Half-Way Covenant. Stoddard allowed open membership and open communion. The Northampton church grew to over 600 members, but over time the majority were likely unbelievers.Stoddard's grandson Jonathan Edwards would become the new pastor of the church. He would follow in the footsteps of revivalist preaching, with his famous sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." Edwards would also see that the Half-Way Covenant and Stoddard's church polity was enshrining the "dead religion" they were intended to solve.Scriptures Referenced:Revelation 3:161 Corinthians 11:30Sources Consulted:"Spiritual Awakenings in North America: Christian History Timeline," Christianity Today, Accessed February 26, 2023.Schafer, T. A.. "Jonathan Edwards." Encyclopedia Britannica, February 18, 2023.Jack Zavada, "Jonathan Edwards, Reformed Church Pioneer: Famous Revivalist Preacher of the Great Awakening," Learn Religions, August 9, 2019.Martin Kelly, "Jonathan Edwards: Colonial Clergyman of the Great Awakening," ThoughtCo, July 3, 2019.Jonathan Edwards, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***We value your feedback!Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!
Chelsea and I continue our series about the Christian revivals in American history. Solomon Stoddard, a fiery preacher saw several revivals in his 60 years pastoring the church at Northampton, Massachusetts, but he embraced and expanded the Half-Way Covenant. Stoddard allowed open membership and open communion. The Northampton church grew to over 600 members, but over time the majority were likely unbelievers. Stoddard's grandson Jonathan Edwards would become the new pastor of the church. He would follow in the footsteps of revivalist preaching, with his famous sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." Edwards would also see that the Half-Way Covenant and Stoddard's church polity was enshrining the "dead religion" they were intended to solve. Scriptures Referenced: Revelation 3:16 1 Corinthians 11:30 Sources Consulted: "Spiritual Awakenings in North America: Christian History Timeline," Christianity Today, Accessed February 26, 2023. Schafer, T. A.. "Jonathan Edwards." Encyclopedia Britannica, February 18, 2023. Jack Zavada, "Jonathan Edwards, Reformed Church Pioneer: Famous Revivalist Preacher of the Great Awakening," Learn Religions, August 9, 2019. Martin Kelly, "Jonathan Edwards: Colonial Clergyman of the Great Awakening," ThoughtCo, July 3, 2019. Jonathan Edwards, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." *** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. *** We value your feedback! Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!
What is Christian revival? What is revivalism? What was the First Great Awakening? What was the Second Great Awakening? Alisa Childers on the Asbury revival This episode on YouTube Transcript
Chelsea and I start a new series about the Christian revivals in American history.The controversy over the recent "Asbury revival" drove us to ask the question "What is a revival?"Using a dictionary, Scripture, and a Spurgeon quote, we come up with a working definition of a revival. Then, we dive deep into the setting of the American colonies in the 1600's and early 1700's.As church life was decaying since the first generation of pilgrims covenanted the first Congregational churches in the Massachusetts Bay colony, pastors begin to look for revival.Congregationalist churches practiced infant baptism but only granted church membership to attendees who could evidence regeneration. As the first generation's children became adults but didn't become fully covenanted members, could their children be baptized? Could they partake of the Lord's Supper? Boston pastor Richard Mather argued that the children were proper covenant members in some sense. The question remained whether to baptize children of "unregenerate" members into the third generation.In 1662, Mather collaborated on what became known as the Half-Way Covenant to revive the church with a structural and political solution. Would it work? Scriptures Referenced:Psalm 85:6-8Acts 2:16-18Matthew 7:15-16Titus 3:9,5Sources Consulted:"Revival," Websters Dictionary 1828, Accessed February 19, 2023.C. H. Spurgeon, "What Is a Revival?" Sword and Trowel, December 1866.Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Richard Mather." Encyclopedia Britannica, January 1, 2023."BIOGRAPHY: RICHARD MATHER (1596-1669)," The Mather Project, Accessed February 19, 2023.Richard Mather, "A DISPUTATION CONCERNING Church-Members AND THEIR CHILDREN IN ANSWER to 21 QUESTIONS," 1657.*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***We value your feedback!Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!
Chelsea and I start a new series about the Christian revivals in American history. The controversy over the recent "Asbury revival" drove us to ask the question "What is a revival?" Using a dictionary, Scripture, and a Spurgeon quote, we come up with a working definition of a revival. Then, we dive deep into the setting of the American colonies in the 1600's and early 1700's. As church life was decaying since the first generation of pilgrims covenanted the first Congregational churches in the Massachusetts Bay colony, pastors begin to look for revival. Congregationalist churches practiced infant baptism but only granted church membership to attendees who could evidence regeneration. As the first generation's children became adults but didn't become fully covenanted members, could their children be baptized? Could they partake of the Lord's Supper? Boston pastor Richard Mather argued that the children were proper covenant members in some sense. The question remained whether to baptize children of "unregenerate" members into the third generation. In 1662, Mather collaborated on what became known as the Half-Way Covenant to revive the church with a structural and political solution. Would it work? Scriptures Referenced: Psalm 85:6-8 Acts 2:16-18 Matthew 7:15-16 Titus 3:9,5 Sources Consulted: "Revival," Websters Dictionary 1828, Accessed February 19, 2023. C. H. Spurgeon, "What Is a Revival?" Sword and Trowel, December 1866. Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Richard Mather." Encyclopedia Britannica, January 1, 2023. "BIOGRAPHY: RICHARD MATHER (1596-1669)," The Mather Project, Accessed February 19, 2023. Richard Mather, "A DISPUTATION CONCERNING Church-Members AND THEIR CHILDREN IN ANSWER to 21 QUESTIONS," 1657. *** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. *** We value your feedback! Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!
In today's episode, the guys discuss the evangelist George Whitefield. Whitefield was born in Gloucester, England in 1714 and died in 1770. At age 21, he was converted while studying at the University of oxford. Along with John Wesley and Charles Wesley, he was part of the Holy Club. For 5 years, Whitefield sought after salvation and became nearly ascetic to obtain favor with God. It wasn't until Charles Wesley gave him a book by Henry Scougal that Whitefield was radically transformed into a brand new creature of Christ. He began preaching in London and Bristol before coming to the U.S. at 24 years old. Whitefield is credited as being the impetus behind the First Great Awakening. He traveled from town to town on horseback to preach the gospel around America during a wicked time. He preached 30,000 sermons in his lifetime and was known to study the gospel while on his knees. He was a person who was able to disengage himself from the fear of man and momentary comforts for what is more important. They key for him and for us is to realize all we have in Christ. The guys encourage all listeners to think about how differently we might move through life if we knew today was our last day on earth. From the preaching of Whitefield and his contemporaries, we can glean and be inspired to love the Lord in a fiery way. As Christians, we have the entire history of the family of God as our ancestors. The same Holy Spirit that was in George Whitefield is in you, too. Since the Apostles, there has not been anyone who has preached as prolifically and effectively as Whitefield. One thing we can not do with heroes of the faith is venerate them. While we can look at them as heroes, we have to remember that they were also flawed and sinful creatures just like us. To do this, we must remind ourselves that we too have blind spots. Even with his flaws, however, we can be sure that Whitefield was a man who lived for Christ. Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro
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