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REVIVAL PLOWING a by Mark W “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). VOLUME 6, NUMBER 1 u Winter 2014 “Floods Upon the Dry Ground” REVIVAL PLOWING A BY MARK W. EVANS STRAIGHT FURROW Scottish Presbyterian described revival with these words: “It is the life-giving, light-imparting, quickening, regenerating, and sanctifying energy of the Holy Spirit, converting the hardened sinner, and re- IN 2014 claiming the backsliding or dormant Christian. No one who deserves BY JACK HeNDRICKS Athe name of a Christian will deny that these are the operations peculiarly as- cribed in the Scriptures to the agency of the Holy Spirit, and that it is the duty t the beginning of a new year, the of all to pray for, and the privilege of all to expect tendency for many of us is to think them in answer to earnest believing prayer — nay, back over the past. Both “good” that there cannot be Christianity without them….”1 Athings, as well as those not so good, The gracious work of God’s Spirit that brings tend to linger in our minds. The former true revival is missing in our land today. This sad may make us wish for such events and feel- fact is cause for concern and prayer. There were ings to recur, while the latter can cause us revivals in both the Old and New Testaments. Fol- to be fearful of moving forward in 2014. lowing His death, burial, resurrection, and ascen- Either way, we do ourselves injustice. sion, our sovereign Christ poured out the Holy “The best way to destroy today is Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Timid disciples to regret yesterday and worry about to- that had fled at Christ’s arrest, boldly stood up to morrow.”1 That old familiar tool of the preach the Gospel to their adversaries, and some devil, worry, drags us down and keeps us 3,000 repented and believed in the Lord Jesus from being effective for our Lord. “Sor- Christ. The revival spread throughout Jerusalem, row looks back; worry looks around; but Judea, Samaria, “and unto the uttermost part of faith looks up.”2 By God’s grace, “As thy the earth.” days, so shall thy strength be” (Deuter- Within a few centuries following the Apostles, onomy 33:25). a growing apostasy corrupted Christ’s doctrine, Let us examine three helpful guide- worship, government, and discipline. The Apostle lines from God’s Holy Word. John warned, “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many anti- Scripture warns us against christs; whereby we know that it is the last time” (1 John 2:18). looking back. The Apostle Paul wrote of a “falling away” [Greek, apostasia] and the revealing of “that man of sin … the son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Jesus admonishes His hearers in Luke He warned of the danger of mixing error with truth: “A little leaven leaveneth 9:62: “No man, having put his hand to the whole lump” (Galatians 5:9). Continued on page 3 Continued on page 4 — A QUEST FOR HISTORICAL ACCURACY — The Division of 1937 Between the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and the Bible Presbyterian Church by Brad K. Gsell (Page 7) became a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Speaking from his great erudition, he wrote, ”There is not a single instance in history in which civil liberty was lost, and re- ligious liberty preserved entire.”3 It is no accident that the first clause of the First Amendment speaks to the issue of religious liberty. But the colonists’ resistance to re- ligious tyranny extended beyond mere externals. Central to their understand- The Founding Fathers ing of man’s natural rights was that of private conscience. We can trace this historically back into the history and the Church of Christian thought to Augustine of Hippo, Thomas Aquinas, John Cal- BY DAVID WOehR vin, and others who all taught that the only true religion is heart-felt, coming ilitant atheists are on by the British, wrote in his History from one’s inmost being. Forced belief the march these days. of the American Revolution, pub- is not belief at all. This concept was They go to court to lished in 1789, that there was “a broadly developed and plainly stated stop public displays dread that the Church of England by Roger Williams, the founder of the of religion. They through the power of the mother Rhode Island colony. He wrote, “The launch billboard campaigns to pro- country, would be made to triumph civil state is bound before God to take M 1 mote their views. Their spokesmen over all other denominations.” Ezra off that bond and yoke of soul-oppres- — writers like Richard Dawkins and Stiles, Congregationalist pastor and sion and to proclaim free and impar- Sam Harris — put out provocative president of Yale College, claimed tial liberty to all the people of the … books that contend religion is not that the biggest reason he and others nations, to choose and maintain what only a delusion, but dangerous. They opposed the Stamp Act was that its worship and ministry their minds and are, ironically, evangelistic about funds would be used to support An- consciences are persuaded of.”4 James their beliefs and disbeliefs. glican bishops. The future president Madison, a student of Witherspoon We need to be reminded that John Adams vociferated, “If Parlia- and author of the first draft of the Bill Christianity was a major element in ment could tax us, they could estab- of Rights, was heavily indebted to the the founding of our country. As our lish the Church of England with all work of Roger Williams. schools have become more and more its creeds, articles, tests, ceremonies, This line of thought was com- secularized, the textbooks have left and tithes; and prohibit all churches mon to all the founding fathers. Even out some significant facts about our as conventicles and schism shops.”2 Thomas Jefferson, a moderate Deist nation’s Founding Fathers. Many Clearly, economic causes were in- who doubted the accuracy of the were Christians, and those that were extricably linked with religious ones. Bible, supported the influence of the not were heavily influenced by Chris- Many colonists held their religious churches in the realm of public mo- tian ideas. beliefs very dearly and were willing rality. George Washington, a very re- Ask most people what caused to defend them. John Witherspoon served man who rarely spoke clearly the American Revolution, and they came over to the colonies from Scot- about his personal religious experi- will bring up some sort of economic land, where he had been an impor- ence, thought the church essential to motive. The slogan “No taxation tant church leader, because he was the nation. In his Second Inaugural without representation” sticks in our invited in 1768 to become president Address he said, “Of all the disposi- minds. Of course, money matters of the College of New Jersey (name tions and habits which lead to politi- had a significant role, as the Stamp later changed to Princeton Uni- cal prosperity, religion and morality Act Protest and the Boston Tea Party versity) after the untimely death of are indispensable supports. In vain demonstrate. But, there was much Jonathan Edwards. There he trained would that man claim the tribute more to it than this. dozens of leaders for the new nation of patriotism, who should labor to David Ramsay, a doctor from and energetically threw himself into subvert these great pillars of hu- South Carolina who was imprisoned public affairs. Indeed, this minister man happiness, these firmest props 2 Redeeming the Time | Winter 2014 www.rttpublications.org of the duties of men and citizens.… earth. Under the pope came a hierar- fire, and a new epoch of religious And let us with caution indulge the chy of cardinals, archbishops, bish- and civil liberty dawned upon the supposition that morality can be ops, priests, and other potentates world. maintained without religion. What- unwarranted by the Word of God. Revivals continued in the 1600s ever may be conceded to the influ- Salvation by grace alone, through and 1700s, before our country was ence of refined education on minds faith alone, in Christ alone was founded. Many heirs of the Refor- of peculiar structure, reason and changed into salvation by works. mation fled to the American colonies experience both forbid us to expect Good works, according to Rome, to escape persecution. Before the that national morality can prevail must be added to Christ’s merit. War for Independence, the colonies in exclusion of religious principle.” Even then, the faithful must suffer in were blessed with a great revival, The Founding Fathers established a a place not found in Scripture, called called The Great Awakening. Republic whose purpose was “to se- Purgatory, till enough merit has been cure the blessings of liberty to [them- acquired for entrance into heaven. “The gracious work of selves] and [their] posterity,” as the Among Rome’s good works are wor- God’s Spirit that brings preamble to the Constitution says, shipping of relics, worshipping of true revival is missing but they knew that it could not fulfill Mary, praying to Mary, praying to that purpose unless their posterity dead saints, counting rosary beads, in our land today. This remained moral and religious. The and confessing sins to a sinful priest sad fact is cause for decay of American society and gov- — none of which are warranted in concern and prayer.” ernment that we see in our day only the Bible.
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