The wave of change!

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

The third great awakening took place during the late 1850s into the beginning of the 1900s. It was during this era that the wave of revivals sweeping America began spreading throughout the world. The era saw the abolition of slavery, women’s right to vote, and the end of child labor in factories.

George Mueller began a movement of orphanages and Christian schools, and amazingly, was accused of raising the poor out of their ‘station in life’ as he educated over 120,000 children.

Elsewhere in Great Britian, William Booth’s Salvation Army outreach was birthed out of the third great awakening. His concern for rampant alcoholism led to the prohibition movement of the 1930s. Riding on a wagon through the streets, Booth called on alcoholics to stop drinking and come to faith in Jesus. His success led former drunks to coin the phrase, “I’m on the wagon”.

Meanwhile, in China, Hudson Taylor led an evangelical movement in the Far East, another arm of the “awakening”. And D.L. Moody, Charles Spurgeon, and R.A. Torrey were leading revivals throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

D.L. Moody rarely spoke of His Baptism in the Spirit which took place in New York just after his church was burned down in the great Chicago fire of 1871. It radically changed his ministry, earning him the moniker, “Crazy Moody.” Yet, his preaching brought thousands to faith, and Moody Bible Institute in Chicago has educated thousands more for ministry since its birth.

The third great awakening saw God radically empowering believers by His Spirit to usher in a harvest in their generation which continues to impact society today.

Will you allow the Spirit of God to radically transform your life? This day and hour, when it seems so dark — is our time to shine; to be the beacon of light to this world that so needs the transforming power of the Gospel of Jesus.

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The testing of Abraham’s faith was repeated by YHVH throughout the patriarch’s entire life. The tests grew greater as his life advanced, and through every one, whether Abraham passed or not, YHVH proved Himself to be his friend over and over again. Every test or “trial” involved a serious challenge or threat in which Abraham had to trust that the LORD knew what He was doing, asking, or requiring, and that His goodness and faithfulness were unquestionably reliable.

Having spent over 20 years living in Israel’s Negev Desert, I’ve come to appreciate the importance of salt in maintaining proper hydration. “What in the world does salt have to do with grace and truth?”, you ask. Well, I’ll tell you.

During the first great awakening, revivalist George Whitfield was preaching to coal miners in England. He asked one man, “What do you believe?” “Well, I believe the same as the church.” “And what does the church believe?” “Well, they believe the same as me.” Seeing he was getting nowhere, Whitfield said, “And what is it that you both believe?” “Well, I suppose the same thing.”

The Great Wall of China is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It stretches over 4,000 miles (6,400 KM) and was built to protect China from the barbaric hordes to the north. The designers of the wall made it so high that it could not be scaled, so thick that it could not be penetrated, and so long that no one could go around it.

In today’s news, Bloomberg reported that according to a recent study, Americans can add as many as two years to the nation’s life expectancy if they stand up more often and watch fewer hours of television. What a concept — move around and you’ll live longer!

The word verily, in this verse, is the Hebrew word “emunah” (em-oo-nah). It also means faith or faithfully. When we trust in the Lord, He declares that He will faithfully feed us. How will we be fed?

A young couple was visiting a renown jewelry store in New York City. They browsed through cases of magnificent diamonds with their gleaming yellow light along with many other splendid precious stones. Among those beautiful stones, one in particular caught his wife’s eye.