Christopher Columbus Part 2 - The New World

John Marrant became a Christian after an encounter with George Whitefield and became an evangelist himself, mostly preaching to the Native Americans. Meanwhile, George Whitefield continued to travel throughout the colonies making friends (such as with Benjamin Franklin) and opponents (such as the querists) wherever he went. Through his faithful ministry, hundreds of thousands of people came to know Christ.

Through Whitefield's preaching, particularly through his "Father Abraham" sermon, God united the thirteen colonies. Despite division caused by geography and denominationalism, when the colonists were affected by revival, their divisions became inconsequential and they became aware that they were all equal before God and that they were a nation chosen by God for a specific purpose.

Learn how God worked through Jonathan Edwards, who was a world-class theologist involved from the early days of revival; through William Tennent, who founded a college for ministers; through Gilbert Tennent, who preached that ministers needed to be saved (really, he did!); through Samuel Davies, who influenced Patrick Henry, made the colonists aware of God's hand on George Washington, and evangelized to the Cherokees and slaves; and David Brainerd, who evangelized to the Native Americans.

The American colonies had fallen into spiritual apathy, and they desperately needed to be stirred up again. God answered this need with the First Great Awakening. George Whitefield was a university student who came to know God in a powerful way and then set out to help others know Him too. After helping bring revival to England, Whitefield felt God calling him to preach in the colonies. There, he found the fields ready for harvest because God had already been working through other church leaders. The first such church leader was Theodorus Frelinghuysen.

Although the first generation of colonists burned with intensity in their relationship with God, the second and third generations let that fire die. They were so blessed by God that they grew complacent. They needed something to happen to rouse them from their slumbers.

Celebrate Thanksgiving by hearing Massachusetts Governor Curtis Guild Jr.'s Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1907. Guild encourages us individually to spend time with our loved ones and corporately to be grateful for our blessings and to use them to help others. He reminds us of the example of the Pilgrims, who kept their eyes on God, trusting Him to bring good out of their difficult trials. Let us, too, remember to keep our eyes on Him and to be thankful to the Lord our Provider.

Some believe that since God is not clearly named in the Constitution, that it is a humanistic document. However, God's fingerprints are all over it.

Our Founders, who created the God-affirming Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, meant for them to work together. 1) The two documents helped unite the fledgling nation. 2) The Declaration outlines why the United States was created, and the Constitution then outlines how the United States government would be created. 3) The Declaration describes fundamental God-given liberties, but the Constitution (particularly in the Bill of Rights) creates the legal framework to protect these liberties.

Christian and Faithful continue on their path to the Celestial City. They meet Talkative, who seems to be a fellow believer, but upon closer inspection he is found to be wanting in his beliefs and actions. After Talkative leaves them, they meet Evangelist. Evangelist tells them he is proud of them for persevering on their journey, but for one of them, the journey is about to end.

Christian catches up with the owner of the encouraging voice, Faithful, and they decide to continue their journeys together.  They discuss life in the City of Destruction after Christian left. Then Faithful relates his journey thus far, which includes resisting temptation, being beaten unconscious, and addressing those trying to make him feel discontented and ashamed of his actions and choices.

No donuts were harmed in the making of this podcast! : )

Christian has defeated the mighty Apollyon, but his trials are not over. Now he must face the deadly and terrifying Valley of the Shadow of Death. Despite being warned not to enter the valley, he does so, as he realizes he has no other choice. There, he faces fiends and Wicked Ones, deep ditches and quagmires, and Giants Pope and Pagan. He prays for help, and God answers his prayers in an unexpected way.