THE LATEST FROM TIM SPYKSTRA:
To The Place Where I Belong
A 31-Day Devotional on John 13-17
THE LATEST FROM TIM SPYKSTRA:
To The Place Where I Belong
A 31-Day Devotional on John 13-17
The Awakening
A Great Awakening. This powerful movie portrays the real-life friendship of Founding Father Benjamin Franklin and the pioneering evangelist from England George Whitefield. Based on Whitefield’s personal journals, this movie depicts the spiritual revival of the 1730’s and brings to light how this revival impacted the founding of the United States.
One profound moment of this story goes back to a transformative time in Whitefield’s life while a student at Oxford. George Whitefield desperate to discern God’s voice and favor entered into a season of fasting. Truth be told without the intervention of his friend, John Wesley, Whitefield would have died in his religious fervor.
Wesley pleaded with Whitefield to stop the fast and used the story of Jesus’ Baptism as a catalyst. The Biblical words of truth clearly proclaim to Jesus that He is “the beloved of the Father” before he did any sort of ministry or good work.
“Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are My beloved Son; with You I am well pleased.” (Lk. 3:21-22)
The Holy Spirit used this exhortation to awaken Whitefield to the love of Abba Father. It is God’s GRACE, not religious duty, obligation, or a list of accomplishments that brings each of us to Him. The same love of the Father which fueled Jesus ministry, became a Holy Fire in Whitefield’s heart, and the central theme of his preaching and ministry.
As a young pastor I was given the 2 volumes of Whitefield’s journals and spent many nights pouring over his reflections. His ministry was an overflow of the Father’s love and in God’s perfect timing Whitefield unleashed that message through the power of the Holy Spirit to throngs of people desperate for a message of the Father’s love.
Both in the UK and in the 13 colonies a Great Awakening was taking place as the Father’s love was experienced through the Gospel being preached with burning Fire. I won’t give any more scenes of movie away, as I hope some of you will watch on viewing platforms. I already watched it twice and each time could feel my heart being moved by the Spirit.
How each and every one of us needs to know and embrace this true and lasting love preached 280 years ago on American soil. Religious rituals seeking to earn God’s favor won’t do it, or money, fame, power, sex, not even the latest self-help program will fill the empty void. Ask the Father to open your heart to hear these precious words, “You are my beloved son/daughter whom I loved before time begin and will love you for all eternity through the gift of Jesus My Son.”
This Sunday the church will celebrate Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit. On that day weak and broken disciples, who were filled with the knowledge of the Father’s love by means of the Spirit. Because of this amazing gift these disciples of Jesus preached with great boldness about with the fire of the Father’s love and the world has never been the same!
Jesus, the disciples, and Whitefield, all lived and ministered out of the Father’s love. Each of them made talking and listening to the Father’s voice in prayer their # 1 priority. Prayer keeps us close to the heart of a loving Father and allows His Spirit to remind us that we are the “Beloved of the Father.”
May our prayer be for the Spirit to awaken our hearts again to the burning love of our Father!
