The major problem today is man’s failure to read, study, and obey the Word of God. Close on the heels of that problem is man’s ignorance of church history. The only perspective most people, especially young people, have today is what they see around them. They have no idea of how things ought to be, nor how things used to be.
They might have heard of the “First Great Awakening in America “, but they have never studied it. And they have no idea as to the cancerous heresies eating away at our spiritual heritage. They don’t have a clue as to the horrible changes that are taking place.
It is in light of these facts that I am sending you this article by David Cloud which describes one of the example of what I’m talking about. Read it and weep!- HDS
JONATHAN EDWARDS’ CHURCH THEN AND NOW (Friday Church News Notes, October 18, 2024,
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) was a key figure in the First Great Awakening in America. The revival in the northeastern part of the United States started in his church in Northampton, Massachusetts, in 1734. He preached the new birth and held to the infallible inspiration of Scripture. He believed in a God who is both holy and compassionate, a Judge and a Saviour. He preached salvation through faith in the vicarious atonement of Jesus Christ. Edwards’ famous sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God warned people to flee God’s wrath. Following is an excerpt: “The wrath of God is like great waters that are dammed for the present; they increase more and more, and rise higher and higher, till an outlet is given; and the longer the stream is stopped, the more rapid and mighty is its course, when once it is let loose. It is true, that judgment against your evil works has not been executed hitherto; the floods of God’s vengeance have been withheld; but your guilt in the mean time is constantly increasing, and you are every day treasuring up more wrath; the waters are constantly rising, and waxing more and more mighty; and there is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, that holds the waters back, that are unwilling to be stopped, and press hard to go forward. If God should only withdraw his hand from the flood-gate, it would immediately fly open, and the fiery floods of the fierceness and wrath of God, would rush forth with inconceivable fury, and would come upon you with omnipotent power; and if your strength were ten thousand times greater than it is, yea, ten thousand times greater than the strength of the stoutest, sturdiest devil in hell, it would be nothing to withstand or endure it.” Edwards’ church, First Church of Northampton, was founded by English Puritans in 1654. Its third meetinghouse was built in 1737 during Edwards ministry and the Great Awakening. The current building was constructed in 1878 after the previous one was destroyed by fire. It is considered “one of the finest examples of High Victorian Neo-Gothic architecture in America.” It features stained glass windows, an organ built by Ernest Skinner, and a clock weighing 1,600 pounds. In 1988, First Church of Christ of Northampton and First Baptist Church of Northampton combined to form one church known as “The First Churches.” It is a member of World Council of Churches. Though the building is beautiful and historic, the church itself is apostate. It has a form of godliness but denies the power thereof, with no supernatural new birth gospel and no belief in the divinely inspired, inerrant Scripture. First Church “has been a forerunner in welcoming LGBTQ+ people into the life of the church.” In 1996, the church officially became an “Open and Affirming congregation,” meaning it “invites all to worship with us, without regard to differences such as race, gender identity, ability, sexual orientation … or any other difference that may be misunderstood as a barrier to Christian fellowship.” A rainbow homosexual rights flag is featured on the church sign and the church’s web site, with photos of same-sex couples. The church’s pastor, Sarah Buteux, is shown holding a sign that has God proclaiming, “Be You!” The church promotes contemplative mysticism, including centering prayer, which is a mindless practice that attempts to obtain revelation directly from God.
