SWEARIN' JACK WALLER - HERO OF THE FAITH

SWEARIN' JACK WALLER - HERO OF THE FAITH

John Waller was one of the most powerful preachers in 18th Century Virginia.
He led one of the greatest revivals in the history of that state. However, before his
conversion, his capability in profanity earned him the title of "Swearin' Jack." He could out swear
and outfight any man in his day. He had a deep hatred for the Methodist
circuit riding his preachers and delighted in harassing them. After becoming a
Christian, his abilities, energy and talents focused into preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and
pointing out the errors of the dominant religious system of the time. This
attracted the attention of the religious and civil authorities. In colonial Virginia, only
those who were ordained by the state church (the Anglican Church) were permitted to preach.
All other preaching was prohibited by law and disobedience to this law was punishable by
imprisonment, beatings and stiff fines. God called John to preach His
Word. As a result, he spent a total of one hundred and thirteen days in four different
county jails for preaching. Waller also endured severe physical abuse.

John Waller gave the following account of one such attack that took place in Caroline County, Virginia, during a worship service in a home: While he was singing, the priest of the parish attacked him and would keep shoving  the end of his horse whip in John's mouth, laying his whip across the hymn book, etc. After he finished singing, Waller proceeded to pray. Suddenly, he was violently jerked off of the stage by the magistrate and the parish priest. Catching him by the back part of his neck, they violently beat his head against the ground. Afterwards, he was mercilessly beaten with twenty lashes with a horse whip.
The parish priest came up, cursed at him, and then warned him not to preach anymore.
When Brother Waller was released, he went back singing and praising God, and then
mounted the stage and preached with a great deal of liberty. Covered with  his own blood, he boldly proclaimed the Word of God.

Another time while he was preaching, a huge fellow pulled him down and dragged him about by his hair. A second, as stout as the first, ran to rescue Waller. One took hold of one hand and the other of the other hand so that between friend and foe, poor Waller was about to lose both arms. The hurt remained with him for many weeks. On November 8, 1793, he moved to the state of South Carolina. John Waller's daughter had married Elder Abraham Marshall, a Baptist evangelist and son of the well-known preacher and church planter, Daniel Marshall. Some speculate that she was Waller's favorite daughter and he desired to be near them. Also, good land could be purchased cheaply there, and he felt that his labors had come to an end in Virginia. Waller's work in his new home was blessed as he helped to establish two churches, but his ministry never had the impact of his ministry in Virginia. He preached thirty-five years, baptized more than two thousand persons, assisted in ordaining twenty-seven ministers and in constituting eighteen churches. The revivals that he led in Virginia had great  reforming impact on the very culture of that state. His last sermon, at
the funeral of a young man, was taken from Zechariah 2:4,
"Run, speak to this young man." He addressed the young in feeble, touching strains, saying that it was his last sermon. He spoke until his strength failed and then tottered to a bed from which he was carried to his house. He died July 4, 1802, in his sixty-second year. John Waller represents the men and women who paid a dear price for religious liberty. He carried the scars of his scourging to his grave, which is located in the Waller- Hackett family burial ground in Abbeville County, near Greenwood, South Carolina. My friend B.J. Isaacs and I found this abandoned cemetery in the woods. We walked over to the forgotten grave of this mighty soldier of the Cross and gave thanks to God for the life and ministry of a great hero of the faith.

GEORGE WHITEFIELD BLAZES ACROSS AMERICA - THE FIRST GREAT AWAKENING

          
GEORGE WHITEFIELD BLAZES ACROSS AMERICA 
THE FIRST GREAT AWAKENING
                                                extracts by Eddie Hyatt.

George Whitefield (1714–1770) was uniquely prepared for his role
as the firebrand of the Great Awakening that would bring all the
individual flames of revival together into one blazing inferno of Divine
Awakening... At Oxford he had come under the tutelage of John
and Charles Wesley and had experienced a dramatic conversion
that forever changed his life. His gifted preaching ability drew great
crowds and quickly launched him into leadership, along with the
Wesleys, of the Methodist revival in England. Having eyes that
were crossed, his critics poked fun at him calling him Dr. Squintum.

Sensing a Divine call to America, he departed England in August
of 1739 with a burden for the colonists and a prayer that they would
not live as thirteen scattered colonies, but as “one nation under
God.” As he travelled up and down the eastern seaboard, shop-
keepers closed their doors, farmers left their plows, and workers
threw down their tools to hurry to the place where he was to preach.
Crowds of 8-10 thousand were common. At a time when the
population of Boston was estimated at 25,000, Whitefield preached
to an estimated crowd of 30,000 on the Boston Common. Through
his incessant travels he became the best known and most
recognized figure in colonial America.

The Awakening Impacts all Segments of Society

Whitefield became a friend of Benjamin Franklin and stayed in his
home on at least one of his visits to America. Franklin’s testimony
of the power of the revival is particularly significant since he did
not profess to be a Christian. In his Autobiography, he tells of the
incredible change that came over his hometown of Philadelphia
when Whitefield came there on his first of seven visits to America.
He writes,

"In 1739 there arrived among us from Ireland the Reverend Mr.
Whitfield who made himself remarkable there as an itinerant
preacher. He was at first permitted to preach in some of our
churches, but the clergy, taking a dislike to him, soon refused
him their pulpits, and he was obliged to preach in the fields. The
multitudes of all sects and denominations that attended his sermons
were enormous, and it was a matter of speculation to me, who
was one of the number, to observe the extraordinary influence of
his oratory on his hearers. From being thoughtless or indifferent
about religion, it seemed as if all the world were growing religious
so that one could not walk through the town in an evening without
hearing psalms sung in different families of every street."

Franklin admits that he was skeptical of reports of Whitefield’s
preaching being heard by crowds of 25,000 and more. While
listening to Whitefield preach from the top of the Philadelphia
courthouse steps to a huge throng, Franklin, having an enquiring
and scientific mind, retired backward to see how far Whitefield’s
voice would reach. He then did some calculations and decided
that Whitefield’s voice, which he described as “loud and clear,”
could be heard by crowds of 30,000 and more.

The Awakening Touches All Sects & Denominations

Everywhere he went the Holy Spirit was poured out in great power.
On one occasion after preaching to a huge throng gathered outdoors,
Whitfield surveyed the crowd and noted the amazing response.
"Look where I would, most were drowned in tears. Some were
struck pale as death, others wringing their hands, others lying on
the ground, others sinking into the arms of their friends and most
lifting up their eyes to heaven and crying out to God." In Delaware
there was such an outpouring of God’s Spirit and grace that
Whitefield himself was overcome along with many of his audience.

Although a native of England, Whitefield became best known for
his ministry in America’s First Great Awakening. He loved America
and made seven visits to this land. A tireless worker, he travelled
incessantly from Georgia to Maine preaching primarily in the open
air and raising money for his beloved orphanage, Bethesda, which
he had founded in Georgia. He died during his final visit to America
at the age of 58, probably of congestive heart failure brought on
by fatigue.

The Significance of Whitfield’s Contribution

Whitfield’s contribution to the First Great Awakening was enormous.
More than any other person he, by his incessant travels, helped
make the Awakening a national event. It was the first time the
scattered colonists of various denominational and theological
persuasions had participated together in a single event.
Denominational walls were broken down and, for the first time,
they began to see themselves as a single people with one Divine
destiny—“one nation under God,” as Whitfield had prayed.

The preaching of Whitefield, Edwards, Frelinghuysen, the Tennents,
and others thus paved the way for nationhood. This is why Harvard
professor, William Perry, said, “The Declaration of Independence
of 1776 was a result of the evangelical preaching of the evangelists
of the Great Awakening.”

-From Chapter 5 of the book "GOD SHED HIS GRACE ON THEE"

-SOURCE - http://www.biblicalawakening.blogspot.com/

TRANSFORMING POWER OF REVIVAL AROUND THE WORLD

"TRANSFORMING POWER OF REVIVAL AROUND THE WORLD"

What is revival?
In revival, God moves in the district. Suddenly, the community becomes God-conscious. The Spirit of God grips men and women in such a way that even work is given up, as people give themselves to waiting upon God.
True spiritual revival is like a seething lava flow. It takes time to reach its destination. But when it does, its intense heat and formidable power alters everything in its path. It is the full measure of God's kingdom come to earth.
No spectacle is more glorious-or terrifying
It takes the supernatural to break the bonds of the natural. You can make a community mission-conscious. You can make a community crusade-conscious. But only God can make a community God-conscious. Just think about what would happen if God came to any community in power. I believe that day is coming. May God prepare us all for it.
This video takes you on a remarkable journey to the very edge of this transforming river. Visit the nation of Uganda, the villages of the Canadian Arctic, and take a look back at the transforming nature of the Hebrides revival.

"The Final Great Awakening....The End Time Revival"

"OLD WELLS, FALLEN MANTLES, NEW

FOUNTAINS"

 ( A VISION OF THE FINAL GREAT AWAKENING)

by Michael Edds

I moved to a major U.S city in June 2000 to assume the position as Head of School for an interdenominational Christian High School. The school was new but had numerous problems, the most severe totally unknown to me. Prior to my arrival, a teacher had been arrested for involving a student in pornography. The teacher had been convicted and sentenced. Upon my arrival, the incident had become front-page news in the community. To say the least, I was shocked and stunned.

One night I could not sleep. I was very angry with the Lord for putting me into this greatly stressful mess. “Surely, I thought, I deserve better than this.” Around 2 am, I got up to sit on the couch and pout. In spite of my upset state, anger and disgust, the Presence of the Lord settled in the living room. God did not even pay attention to or address my complaint. Instead, His presence was so strong that I physically trembled. He spoke these words, “Old Wells, Fallen Mantles, and New Fountains.” He instructed me to get my Bible. By that time, I too had set aside my complaint. His Presence was so great that I did not know if I could survive it.

I opened my Bible to Isaiah 35: 3-7: “The eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing, for IN THE WILDERNESS SHALL WATER BREAK OUT and streams in the desert. AND THE PARCHED GROUND SHALL BECOME A POOL and the thirsty land SPRINGS OF WATER.”

The Lord led me to Isaiah 41:17 -18, "The poor and needy seek water but there is none. Their tongues fail for thirst. I, the Lord, will hear them. I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open rivers in the desolate heights and fountains in the midst of valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land springs of waters."

Next came Isaiah 43:20, " I will give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert to give drink to my people, my chosen."

I was directed to verse 19 of [Isaiah 43]: “Behold I WILL DO A NEW THING. Now it shall SPRING [BURST] FORTH. Shall ye not know it?”

The Lord was moving so quickly through the scriptures that I could hardly keep up. His presence was incredibly strong. I felt like I was floating.

Leaving Isaiah, the Lord took me to Joel 2:23: “He will cause to come down for you the rain, THE FORMER RAIN AND THE LATTER RAIN IN THE FIRST MONTH.”

Then Joel 2:28 was given which states: “It shall come to pass afterwards that I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT ON ALL FLESH. Your sons and daughters shall PROPHESY, YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS and your YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS.”

Finally, Genesis 26:18 finished the scriptures that the Lord was rapidly giving me: “AND ISAAC DUG AGAIN the WELLS of water which they had DUG IN THE DAYS OF ABRAHAM HIS FATHER.”

The Lord revealed the meaning of this vision:

The Early Church experienced the fullness of God. They had the fullness, the gifts and revelation of the Holy Spirit. They were full of boldness, power and anointing. God turned the world upside down through them. The dead were raised, the blind received sight, the possessed were set free, the sick healed and the Gospel was preached to the poor. The anger of Hell was violently aroused. The more the devil persecuted and killed them, the more they multiplied and spread. So Satan changed his tactics. By 300 AD, Roman Emperor Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Empire. What Satan could not do through persecution, he accomplished through promotion, position, power, prestige, acceptance and prosperity. They SOLD OUT! The Church backslid and humanity later fell into the brutality of the Dark Ages.

The purpose of each Great Awakening or the bursting forth of a spiritual well was to restore an element of truth that the Early Church possessed back to the church. Luther restored "the just shall live by faith." Wesley, Whitefield, Edwards and the First Great Awakening restored repentance, inward holiness and “Christ in you.” The Second Great Awakening with Barton Stone at Cane Ridge in the West and Francis Asbury in the East brought restoration in society through evangelism, missions, and great social renewal such as abolition, child labor laws, and suffrage movement. The Third Great Awakening of 1857 restored the power of prayer. Azusa Street Outpouring of 1905 restored the in filling and gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Lord stated that He was going to reopen all of the “old wells” of revival in order to restore TOTAL truth to His church.

Fallen mantles of ministry and anointing that rested upon the great men and women of God of old would be picked up and placed on godly men and women today to finish what was started long ago. They are the “Isaacs” that will revisit the old wells of revival and reopen them. The mantles of ministry did not die nor were they buried with Asbury, Wesley, Stone, Amanda Berry Smith and others. They have only been “on hold” until a generation would be born that could relate to them and pick them up. Isaiah 58:12 refers to them: “And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places, thou shall raise up the foundations of many generations, and thou shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in.” The Lord said, “What once was shall be again.”

Malachi 4:5 prophecies that “I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And He shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” The Lord said this was not just a generational reconciliation between the old and the young. It is a restoration of His people to the Faith once delivered to the Saints, the Faith of our fathers. The Lord said He was tired of the apostasy, deadness, programs, personality cults, plans and politics that have nearly destroyed His church. He is going to restore HIS church by returning the “Faith of our Fathers to their children (descendants) and the children (descendants) to the Faith of our Fathers.”


The old wells will BURST forth and the fallen mantles will be picked up. This will be a “suddenly”. Isaiah speaks of it occurring in the desert places and on the barren heights. In other words, it will happen in the most unlikely of places.


The Lord continued His interpretation of the vision by explaining to me that “NEW FOUNTAINS” would gush or break forth also. Something that has never occurred in any Great Awakening or in any historic move of God will exploded upon the scene in our day. 


Joel 2:23 speaks of God sending the former rain (the Old Wells of revival) and the latter rain (The New Fountains) in the SAME MONTH!!! In other words, all of the moves of God and fallen mantles from Pentecost until now will be reopened and picked up and combined with a totally new thing from God. It will literally shake the church and the world. HE WILL RESTORE A CHURCH WITHOUT SPOT OR WRINKLE! He will not allow the church to go out defeated. HE WILL ARISE FOR HIS OWN NAME’S SAKE!

God has been preparing a "Joseph Generation" that has been enrolled in the "School of Dung.” In this schooling, they have endured the pain of rejection, slander and isolation. The ‘Word of the Lord’ has tried them severely. They cry out, “God why? All I wanted to do is serve you. All seems to have ‘gone to hell in a hand basket’. It seems just the opposite of what You promised. I am lonely, the organized church thinks I am crazy, a fanatic, out on a limb. They have rejected me and hated me because of my love for you. WHY, OH LORD?”

God has been preparing and perfecting these "Josephs" in the darkness and in the prison houses of loneliness and isolation for a day and hour that they will be unleashed as a secret weapon on the kingdom of darkness. He has allowed all of these things to happen to them for their good. He has prepared a people whom He can trust with His power, gifts, and anointing. In holiness, humility and boldness they will fulfill His plans in our day. They will give HIM the glory. They will give HIM total control of the coming Great Awakening. The door of their prison house of utter loneliness and rejection is about to open. Their “word” is about to come. That word is “the King has need of thee.” In a moment, they will be ushered from prison to position. In a moment, they will fully understand their long and severe sufferings. In a moment, they will be brought out into the light of God’s divine destiny for them. God will greatly use them to lead the Coming Great Awakening.

Along with this final Great Awakening is coming Divine Judgment. Isaiah 35:4 declares, “Your God shall come with vengeance, even God with a recompense.” God is going to overthrow the abuse and control of man in His church. He’s going to take back the "ship" that has been turned into a luxury liner and restore her back to her original state: a ship of war. HE IS GOING TO TAKE BACK CONTROL OF HIS CHURCH!!! The Church is HIS bride, not someone else.


This nation is going to be greatly shaken. The First Great Awakening preceded the American Revolution. Before the Second Great Awakening began at Cane Ridge, Kentucky, a massive epidemic of Cholera occurred. In its early days, the Third Great Awakening saw every bank in the nation collapse. This awakening was followed by the greatest disaster in American History when the nation was ripped apart and 600,000 Americans perished in the horrific War Between The States. A great earthquake hit California at the same time as the Azusa Street Outpouring. He is going to shake the Church and this nation. Only that which is of Him will be left standing.

A great hunger for repentance, seeking God, seeking holiness and seeking truth has exploded within the "Joseph Generation." They have studied, researched and sought out the Old Wells of revival. They intensely hunger for God to do it again! They cry out, “Just one more time, oh Lord!” Programs, politics, personalities, manipulation, and plans in the church sicken them. THEY MUST HAVE GOD! They MUST be in His presence! They are meeting in the homes, in the fields, in the woods, in their prayer closets and any place that they can totally seek His face. Their despair has turned into an all-consuming hunger that says, “Give me God or let me die.” GOD HAS HEARD! He is about to reopen the old wells of revival, He is picking up the fallen mantles and placing them on men and women, and He is about to do a new thing!

Every Awakening has incurred the wrath and persecution of man. When the Presence and holiness of God confronts mankind, they must make a decision for or against Him. When they choose to reject Him, they lash out and fight against His messengers. In the mid-1700s, the Baptist in Colonial Virginia were beaten, imprisoned, and killed for preaching the Gospel. The Methodist circuit riders were jailed, tarred and feathered, beaten, abused and martyred for the message of God. The reason there is little persecution against the Church in America today is that there is so little of the Presence and Message of God to confront mankind. The world has heard how to get rich, how to prosper, how to have self-esteem, and to feel good. They have not heard the message, “Repent or perish.” They have not heard the anointed Word of God that demands a decision. Be forewarned, The Final Great Awakening will usher in a wave of persecution against the true Church of God.


Old Wells of Revival are on the threshold of being reopened. Fallen Mantles of ministry are being picked up. New Fountains are rumbling beneath the surface and about to burst forth. Frank Bartleman (chronicler of the Azusa Awakening) once said, “To understand what God is going to do, we must understand what He once did.” The most incredible move of God will suddenly explode upon the scene.

Judgment and a great shaking are coming to the land and to the church. Persecution of the Isaacs and Josephs, the true saints of God will occur. However, they will be covered with such zeal and boldness, they will be like the Fathers of old: “And they loved not their lives even until death.” (Rev 12:11) God will harvest a holy remnant from this generation. He will have a church that is without spot or wrinkle, a pure bride for His Son. Be encouraged. Lift up your heads. Your God has come! “The King has need of thee!”

1 comments:

C said...

Greetings Mr. Edds Thank you so much for your article, "The Final Great Awakening -- An Endtime Revival". Truly in our day people are wandering from coast to coast looking for the true Word of God and all they are getting is fluff and empty promises. I want no part of it. Amos 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: 12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. I appreciate your writing about the Joseph Company. It will be wonderful to behold --- those who truly bring God's life with power and they will not take the glory. It can't be long now! Thank you. C. Johnson P.S. Check out the life of John Sung. He sounds like a forerunner of the Joseph Company. In the 30's he ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit in the South Pacific before the Japanese invaded. Link: http://www.hograce.org/eng/document/Schubert/index.htm A book, "John Sung: Flame of God in the Far East" by Leslie T. Lyall, 1964, influenced me greatly.

Revival In Haiti - A Call To Fasting And Prayer

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 "Revival In Haiti - A Call To Fasting And Prayer"

A nation reals and rocks from a devastating earthquake and tsunami.  The infrastructure is shattered.  People are homeless, hungry, and many have perished.  God's people rally and call the nation to pray.  Over 1 million gathered in the capital for days of national repentance and prayer.