Musing – America’s Harvest History and Restoration Needs

Hebraic Musing – America’s Harvest History and Restoration Needs

America came into existence at an interesting time. The world had just experienced a Great Awakening in the 16^th & 17^th centuries as the Renaissance resulted in  a transition from the Middle Ages to Modernity.  Renaissance was an intellectual version of humanism, derived from Roman and Greek philosophies making and became manifest in art, architecture, politics, science and literature.

Gutenberg’s development of the printing press, circa 1436, triggered dramatic social and cultural revolutions. The sudden widespread dissemination of printed works gave direct rise to the European Renaissance.
BUT it also provided Bibles for the Laymen; biblical truths were available to the Western culture!

Martin Luther forever changed Christianity when he nailed his “95 Theses” to a church door in 1517, sparking the Protestant Reformation; which lead to the Church’s recognition of “Faith Alone" as the key to salvation.

Before America was a nation, she had her first Awakening from Jonathan Edwards in 1741, best known for his challenging message “Sinners at the hand of and Angry God”.  This Pre-Revolution event encouraged American Patriots to fight for religious freedom based on allegiance to Almighty God, not to a person on a throne in a palace.

Then a second Awakening came in 1825-1835 from likes of Charles Finley preaching the need for and understanding of personal salvation (and abolition of slavery and equal education for women).  The nation and Church learned to recognize our sinfulness so we’d be ready to receive the word of God.

BUT in 1859 Charles Darwin published “Origin of Species”, best known for its contributions to the “science of evolution” which proposes that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors.  This began a movement denying even the existence of a Creator God; and has since become a widely accepted belief system!

And in 1933 John Dewey and the American Humanist Association published the first, of many Humanist Manifestos, which “talk of a new religion and refers to humanism as a religious movement meant to transcend and replace previous, deity-based systems.”(Wikipedia ).  This belief system has significantly influenced our courts and education systems in America to systemically remove God from both.  The Bible is no longer the authority!!!

WHAT”S HAPPENING in “Christian” churches?  and   WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN?
Today we have Pastors afraid to preach on certain topics (sins) because “I don’t want to lose the crowd”.
What can/should you and I be doing about this loss of Biblical significance in American churches? 

God gave us a solution in a known verse – 2 Chronicles 7:14*   If we truly want to “Heal Our Land” we need to follow the step-wise God-provided Action Plan:

·      if my people – Those who have truly Made Him Lord and…

·      who are called by my name – and who openly Declare themselves as Christians…

·      will humble themselves – we need to Recognize ourselves as sinners needing to submit ourselves…

·      and pray – to Call upon the Our Lord from deep within our searching hearts…

·      and seek my face – To Look at God in the face, like a mischievous child having to look at a parent’s face…

·      and turn from their wicked ways – to Repent of all ways contrary to God’s ways…

And when that is done, God who is always faithful and trustworthy makes promises…

·      then will I hear from heaven – God will Hear your heart, and your Prayers…

·      and will forgive their sin – God’s Forgiveness will be completed… and …

·      and will heal their land - And that is or should be our Objective for the love of family and neighbors!

Points to ponder   or   RSVP

Are Pastors trying to build a “crowd” or build God’s “Church”?

Old adage – “If you are not part of the solution, then you’re part of the problem.”

Does God want to do something really big and great in 2020?

“Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.” Psalm 80:7

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      February 11, 2020
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

Note – Inspired by Pastor Tom Hatley’s message – “The American Harvest”, January 12, 2020*   2 Chronicles 7:14   “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  NIV