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Recently I was revisited with a vision I had of our nation in 1996. Out of nowhere came a vision of the Liberty Bell. My attention was naturally drawn to the crack in the bell. I felt in my spirit so grieved to feel how it seemed to signify such a deep fatal crack in the true liberty and freedom of our nation. Could that breach ever be repaired?
Why wasn't at least the physical defect of the bell ever filled in with more metal? Would the bell's scar be prophetic, representing our nation's fatal epitaph—unchangeable like the Grand Canyon engraved into Arizona's landscape? If only the crack were not there. I felt mesmerized by it. For the longest time my eyes could not move, nor could my eyelids even blink.
Suddenly, Like a Dam Bursting
Then suddenly, as in a twinkling of an eye, the brightest light pierced through that crack like a dam bursting. My head immediately turned away from the brightness emanating out of that crack. Instantly I had a knowing that this was the very shekinah glory of God.
From the Intercessions of God's People
Looking away from its brightness, I saw a large rope that was attached to the bell. This rope was intertwined and braided. It seemed to be made out of the prayers and intercessions of God's people. The hand of the Lord began to reach down toward this rope to get a hold of it.
The Lord then spoke, "This Liberty Bell is going to ring again."
I then remembered the words inscribed on that Bell: "Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof." It was now a rhema word from God.
In the Spirit, I had a knowing that the Liberty Bell would be heard again spiritually throughout Philadelphia and across the nation. And with the sound of liberty, the shekinah glory of God would begin to rise up out of obscurity and be seen even in the gross dark places of our nation. Concerning this vision, the Lord spoke, "Have My people forgotten that all things are possible?"
Tradition holds that the Bell cracked while it was being rung during a funeral service in memory of a sheriff. Prophetically, it will ring again for the life and the glory of a King who still lives in our land.
Can you hear the bell ringing?
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Paul wrote, "If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away. Look, all things have become new" (2 Cor. 5:17). Hillsong Young & Free and Lecrae rejoice in that verse with this EDM-fueled worship song.
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Americans who grew up in the 1950s—or whose early lives were shaped by people from that era—tend to look back on that decade as not only a wonderful season of American prosperity but as a time of moral righteousness on a national level.
Many Americans remember it as a time when there were no disputes about right and wrong, good and evil. Everybody tended to agree on such things. Some individuals had a more liberal perspective, but no one was preaching rebellion against the overall moral code.
Respected journalist David Aikman articulated this very well in an op-ed published recently on charismanews.com. I've known Aikman, now retired, since the 1970s when he was a senior foreign correspondent for Time magazine. He says America had a civic religion in those days—a basic Christian morality reinforced by the preaching of evangelists like Billy Graham.
Donald Trump was a product of that era. He grew up a nominal Christian with traditional moral values. It was only later that he became more libertarian on matters such as homosexuality.
"After the campus upheavals and the anti-war movement of the 1960s," Aikman says, "the entire culture began to experience a shift that introduced new worldviews, in Hollywood, academia and the media." Constant pressure from the left as well as the explosion of hedonism and self-gratification in the 1970s and 1980s escalated the pace of moral change.
In 2017, Aikman said, "America has undergone seven decades during which the existence of God has been repeatedly mocked or utterly dismissed on college campuses and in public schools." While Donald Trump has never said anything about wanting to change American culture, his numerous attacks on political correctness endeared him to evangelical voters. After the election, many Christians began to think President Trump might be favorable to any grassroots movement seeking to make America morally great once again.
Part of Trump's appeal to Christians, of course, was simply that he wasn't Hillary. Mike Bickle, founder of the International House of Prayer, told me, "When it came down to Trump or Hillary, there was no question." Even though Trump was saying outrageous things that would have destroyed any other candidate, the people loved him.
Aikman says if Hillary had been elected, it would have been not only a continuation of America's lurch to the left but the doorway to a new era of corruption like nothing we have ever seen. It would have made the hope of renewal and restoration many Christians were praying for much harder to achieve.
Evangelist James Robison told me in a recent telephone interview, "A lot of Christians were praying that we wouldn't lose freedom, that we would not lose the opportunities this nation offers." Robison, who serves on the president's faith advisory board, has become Trump's friend and confidant and now believes his election was an answer to prayer.
Meanwhile, the secular pundits saw Trump's victory as only a battle between Democrat and Republican or left and right. But Robison saw it as a supernatural spiritual battle.
"What happened," Robison told me, "is that God overpowered the foolishness of political correctness and the liberal (not just deceived but possessed) left, which is far too often deadset against a biblical worldview. ... But they were being totally pushed back."
The secular left in this country, Robison said, are being manipulated by powers Jesus was talking about when He said of those who crucified Him, "They don't know what they're doing" (see Luke 23:34). The left knew what they were doing, but "they were deceived by the deceiver," Robison said.
Christians were praying, "God, we've got to let you be God. We've got to stop this nonsense." Robison added, "Christians were praying for this to be stopped, but they never dreamed it would be some person totally disconnected with politics, totally unable to even express himself like a politician and someone who was best known as a shrewd maneuverer."
Trump may not have handled things in the most diplomatic way, Robison said, but he spoke with conviction about what's wrong in this country.
"He was totally open about everything that was wrong. Most of us would agree that he didn't address those problems in the most diplomatic terms, but everything he was saying was right on track. He was saying that many things in this country are bad, and they needed to be dealt with—and he was 100 percent correct."
Steve Strangis the founder of Charisma Media and President of Christian Life Missions. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Click here to subscribe to the Strang Report podcast, and here to sign up for the Strang Report newsletter.
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President Trump delivered a powerful speech in Poland Thursday, confronting Russia's attacks on freedom and praising the courageous Polish people who stood up in history's "dark days" to declare "We want God!"
In a meeting with Delaware Indian chiefs in 1779, George Washington commended them for their request that their youth be trained in American schools. He assured the chiefs that America would look upon them "as their own children" and then said,
You do well to wish to learn our arts and our ways of life and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater and happier people than you are. Congress will do everything they can to assist you in this wise intention.
Washington's freedom in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with this Indian tribe was normal for the founding generation, for such freedom was rooted in the original American vision. This original vision was brought here by the Jamestown settlers of Virginia, the Pilgrims and Puritans of New England, the Baptists of Rhode Island, the Quakers of Pennsylvania and other Christian reform groups who were drawn to this land with a proactive vision burning in their hearts.
The Original American Vision
Indeed, the original American vision was for a land of individual liberty and a place from which the gospel would be spread to the ends of the earth. America's Founding Fathers were not shy in expressing this vision for they believed, that in this world, real freedom could only be realized in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This link between freedom and the gospel was expressed by America's second president, John Adams, just two weeks before the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. In a letter to his cousin, Zabdiel, a minister of the gospel, Adams wrote, "Statesmen, my dear sir, may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion [Christianity] and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles, upon which Freedom can securely stand."
Adams was not expressing anything new or novel for the idea of freedom rooted in the gospel of Christ was a common American belief brought here by the very first European immigrants to this land. Consider the following quotes.
"From these very shores the Gospel shall go forth, not only to this New World, but to all the world." —Rev. Robert Hunt, April 29, 1607, as he and the Jamestown settlers, who had just landed at Cape Henry, gathered in prayer around a large oak cross they had brought from England.
"Having undertaken for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith ... a voyage to plant the first colony in northern Virginia." —From the Mayflower Compact, the governing document of the Pilgrims who formulated it upon their arrival in the New World in November of 1620.
"Whereas we all came into these parts of America with one and the same end and aim, namely to advance the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ and enjoy the Liberties of the Gospel in purity and peace." —Opening statement of the Articles of Confederation for "The United Colonies of New England," dated May 29, 1643. This confederation of New England towns and colonies was formed for mutual security and to arbitrate land disputes among the growing population.
"Might it not greatly facilitate the introduction of pure religion among the heathen, if we could, by such a colony, show them a better sample of Christians than they commonly see." —Benjamin Franklin in a 1756 letter to George Whitefield, the most famous preacher of the Great Awakening, in which Franklin proposed that they partner together in founding a Christian colony on the Ohio frontier.
"Pray that the peaceful and glorious reign of our Divine Redeemer may be known throughout the whole family of mankind." —Samuel Adams, Founding Father and Governor of Massachusetts. This call to prayer was part of a proclamation for a Day of Prayer that he issued as governor of Massachusetts in 1795.
"Pray that all nations may bow to the scepter of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and that the whole earth may be filled with his glory." —John Hancock, Founding Father, President of the Continental Congress and Governor of Massachusetts. This statement was part of a call for prayer he issued while Governor.
"The policy of the bill is adverse to the diffusion of the light of Christianity. The first wish of those who enjoy this precious gift ought to be that it may be imparted to the whole race of mankind." —James Madison, chief architect of the Constitution and America's fourth president, voicing his opposition in 1785 to a bill that he perceived would have the unintended consequence of hindering the spread of the Gospel.
"The philosophy of Jesus is the most sublime and benevolent code of morals ever offered man. A more beautiful or precious morsel of ethics I have never seen." —Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and America's third president, who took money from the federal treasury to send missionaries to an American Indian tribe and to build them a chapel in which to worship.
"Bless, O Lord, the whole race of mankind, and let the world be filled with the knowledge of Thee and Thy Son, Jesus Christ." —from a public prayer prayed by George Washington, America's first president.
No Real Liberty Without the Gospel
It is obvious from the above quotes that America's founders believed freedom and Christianity to be inextricably linked. They believed so strongly in the gospel as the basis of human freedom that they unashamedly prayed and publicly expressed their desire to see it spread throughout the earth.
Recent presidents have sought to export American-style democracy to other nations apart from the gospel of Christ. Indeed, the entire Western world is seeking to secularize liberty and remove it from any association with faith.
America's founders would say that such efforts are futile since true liberty cannot be had apart from the gospel of Christ. Washington made this plain in his farewell address, where he warned the fledgling nation that two things must be guarded if they were to be a happy people—Christianity and morality, which he called "indispensable supports" for political prosperity.
Recovering the Truth About the First Amendment
The day after approving the First Amendment, which states, "Congress shall make no law concerning the establishment of religion or hindering the free exercise thereof," those same Founding Fathers issued a proclamation for a National Day of Prayer.
The First Amendment was merely their way of saying that America would never have an official, national church like the nations of Europe at that time. Instead of banning faith from the public square, as many moderns suppose, they created a free and open marketplace for religious ideas.
They were not concerned about false religion getting the upper hand in such an open setting, for they believed in the power of the gospel and were convinced that on an open and even playing field, truth would always prevail. They agreed with the Puritan, John Milton, who wrote,
Let truth and falsehood grapple; who ever knew truth put to the worse in free and open encounter? She needs no policies, nor strategems, nor licensings to make her victorious ... Give her but room.
By instituting the First Amendment, the Founders were rejecting the model begun by Constantine in which civil government sets forth and defends a certain church, religious expression or point of view. In their thinking, only those who do not have confidence in the message they proclaim would insist on such an alignment with the civil government.
The founders believed in the inherent power of Christian truth, which is why Jefferson wrote,
Truth can stand by itself ... If there be but one right religion and Christianity that one, we should wish to see the nine hundred and ninety-nine wandering sects gathered into the fold of truth. But against such a majority we cannot effect this by force. Reason and persuasion are the only practicable instruments. To make way for these, free inquiry must be indulged; and how can we wish others to indulge it while we refuse it ourselves.
It is Time to Recover the Vision
It is time for this generation to rise up and reject the lie of the left that the First Amendment bans expressions of faith in the marketplace. It is time to realize with the founders that true freedom and happiness can only be found in Jesus Christ. It is time to learn from the founders that faith and freedom go together like hand and glove, and the loss of one inevitably leads to the loss of the other. It is time for this generation to recover the original American vision.
This article is derived from Eddie Hyatt's book, Pilgrims and Patriots, available from Amazon and his website, www.eddiehyatt.com. At his website, you can also check out his vision for America and another Great Awakening.
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‘In America, we don’t worship government, we worship God,’ says Trump at Veterans Event
CBN News 07-02-2017
Donald Trump has once again shown he cares for two things important to millions of Americans: veterans and faith.On Saturday evening, he gave an address at the Celebrate Freedom concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.
The event was hosted by Pastor Robert Jeffress and the church where he's the Senior Pastor, First Baptist in Dallas. It was held in honor of men and women who have served in the armed forces.
The President spoke about religious freedom in America. “We love our country, we love our families, we love our freedom and we love our God,” he said.
He pointed back to the roots of religious freedom in the United States, and held that this freedom is only found in God.
“Since the signing of the Declaration of Independence 241 years ago, America always affirmed that Liberty comes from our Creator,” he said. “Our rights are given to us by God, and no earthly force can ever take those rights away.”
And he talked about how religious and civil liberties have come under attack.
“For too long, politicians have tried, oh have they tried, to centralize the authority among the hands of a small few. In our nation’s capital,” he said. “Bureaucrats think they can run over your lives, overrule your values, meddle in your faith, and tell you how to live, what to say, and where to pray.”
He then affirmed the idea that families and churches are the building blocks of a healthy culture. “But we know that parents, not bureaucrats, know best how to raise children and create a thriving society,” he said.
“And we know that families and churches, not government officials, know best how to create a strong and loving community.”
“And above all else we know this: In America, we don’t worship government, we worship God,” he added
The message resonates with evangelicals who voted for Trump in hopes that their freedom to practice their religious faith and traditional values would be safeguarded.
The President also honored America's veterans.
“For my very first Independence Day celebration as President, there is no place I’d rather be than with you,” he said. He said he's working to ensure they are cared for.
“Just the other day, we signed (the) Veterans Accountability (act). They’ve been trying to do it for 40 years,” said President Trump. Trump explained that the act streamlines the process of firing Veterans Affairs employees who are incompetent in their jobs or commit fraudulent acts against veterans.
“Now, you can say, ‘you’re fired,’” he added.
The President offered the veterans heartfelt thanks and asked them to stand.
“You’ve shed your blood, you’ve poured your love, and you’ve bared your soul in defense of our country, our people, and our great American flag,” he said.
“You raced through gunfire, stared down enemy forces and ran past the gates of hell to fight and to win for America, and you’ve won for America.
Throughout his address, the President's message was clear: he cares about faith, and about defending it.
“Not only has God bestowed on us the gift of freedom, he’s also given us the gift of heroes willing to give their lives to defend that freedom,” he said.
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Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It much be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same. -Ronald Reagan
The battle is being waged now and it’s very vital and it’s going to be touch-and-go for the next generation. -David Horowitz Scripture
John 8:32 MEV You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. Headlines
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