Satan’s Spiritual Strategy?
Something hit me recently about New England. It is no secret that New England is a very difficult place to minister the gospel, if not the most difficult in the nation. Five out of the six New England states have been designated as “least religious in the nation” (Rhode Island is close to the bottom of the list as well). But why?
I can’t say I had a “vision” or heard an audible voice from heaven; however, I have a sense that Satan strategically positioned some of his strongest principalities, powers, rulers, over this region, potentially, because New England is a spiritual jewel in the heavenlies. In other words, if New England and the Northeast as a whole, becomes awakened by the Spirit of God through the gospel, the nation will likely follow. In short, New England, in my view, is the spiritual gateway to rest of the nation.
Most historians agree that the first great awakening originated in Northampton, Ma in 1733, which lasted about 25 years. Jonathan Edwards, a preacher and theologian, was a key figure in that revival. He preached a sermon that shook his church and the region, “Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God”. In my view, this revival had a massive influence on the men that would later declare their independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776. In addition, the second great awakening which occurred between 1790-1840, largely impacted New England. Through these “awakenings” Christian denominations formed and many of the laws of our land, stemmed from Christian thought that came forth from these great moves of God.
With that being said, if you were a military general and knew that this particular area has caused problems in the past that lasted decades, what would you do? Would you not strategize to subdue that area so that it would be ineffective or at the very least, an insignificant threat? This, indeed, is what I believe Satan and his forces have done. Over the past two centuries, there has been a gradual building of occultism throughout New England. Indeed, the culmination of this occult influence manifested in 2013 with the Satanic Temple being headquartered in Salem, Ma. Perhaps, this is a significant contribution to the spiritual lethargy in this region of the country.
Hope for the Gospel in New England
My heart is richly filled with the eternal hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ to fill the land of New England. As the Lord spoke to Isaiah,
“Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isa. 6:8)
Although I have not had such a visual experience as Isaiah, the Lord has placed a supernatural stirring in my heart through the Holy Spirit to preach the glorious gospel throughout this land. However, my desire is just not preach the gospel and set captives free from demonic bondage, it is also to disciple and train men for ministry and to send them out throughout the region. As Paul wrote to the Ephesian church,
“He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work for ministry, for building up the body of Christ…” (Eph. 4:11-12)
My hope is that over the weeks, months, and years that the Lord will use Awaken New England to have a revivalistic influence that will last until the Lord returns. Within this influence, my hope is that the Lord will grant servant-leaders that fill the above offices. Some may have an apostolic calling to plant churches, those who may have a prophetic calling may partner with apostolic men planting churches and help strengthen churches, others may become local shepherds, evangelists may blaze a trail throughout New England preaching the gospel, while others may be gifted with a unique teaching ability to inspire and encourage the Body to grow in Christ.
As exciting as it will be to see God use these men in these capacities influencing people for Christ, what is far more important than gifting is the display of godly character. My hope and prayer is that these men will model godly character and will never experience any moral compromise.
In addition to the above ministry endeavors, I have a hope and stirring to start Christian schools on all levels, that is K-12, university Bible Schools, and Seminaries. Imagine seeing New England emerging as the new “Bible Belt”. How amazing would that be! However, lets just not imagine, but believe God will put New England on the “old paths” as the prophet Jeremiah stated,
“Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Jer. 6:16)
Evidence of the old godly paths, educationally, in New England, Yale (Connecticut), Brown (Rhode Island), Dartmouth (New Hampshire), and Harvard (Massachusetts). All of the schools, started out as Christian charters. Yale’s purpose stated by its trustees in 1701,
“To plant, and under ye Divine blessing to propagate in the wilderness, the blessed Reform, Protestant Religion, in ye purity of its Order, and worship.”
Harvard’s founders stated the following,
“After God has carried us safely to New England, and we had built our houses, provided necessaries for our livelihood, reared convenient places for God’s worship, and settled the civil government; one of the next things we longed for, and looked after was to advance learning, and perpetuate it to posterity; dreading to leave an illiterate ministry to the churches, when our present ministers shall lie in the dust.”
If, indeed, the mission of these most prominent educational institutions was to further the advancement of the gospel in this land, I believe the prayers and passions of those men God still remembers. Will Yale, Harvard, Brown, or Dartmouth ever return back to the old paths? Only God knows. However, I believe if we seek the Lord and ask for educational institutions to be started throughout New England that honors God and His Word, it will be done. As Jesus said,
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit–fruit that will last–and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” (John 15:16)
And as Paul states,
“If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
So you can see Awaken New England’s mission, is precisely the essence of it’s name. The only way one can be “awakened” is through the preaching of the gospel and being born-again by the Spirit of God. When the Spirit of God comes into a person, He transforms the individual from being dead in sin to alive in God. This new life in God brings forth godly desires and passions, conformity to the commandments of God, yearning to see others birthed with the eternal life of God.
We, as men, can’t make any of these things happen because they are supernaturally done by God’s Spirit. However, our responsibility is to be obedient to Jesus by fulfilling The Great Commission.
Lets believe God together that He will bless this great land!
