Recently I read an article on the JHOP website that clearly makes a case for renewal efforts to reach the northeast. This is what it said...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The academic institutions of the Northeast, including Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and several others, are "linchpins" in the American university system. Philosophies which are born and bred in the classrooms of these schools are later transferred to every other university in America - and often the world.
A brief survey of American history will show that the colleges and universities in the northeastern corridor of the United States have always been used of God to unlock the heart of the nation.
The spiritual darkness that presently characterizes the northeastern colleges and universities of our nation reflects the spiritual condition of the rest of our society. This should come as no surprise to those who are aware of America's Christian history. For good or for evil, for the past 370 years, the Northeast has been the spiritual focal point of America.
The politics and ethics of the United States were birthed in the Northeastern cities of Boston and Philadelphia. The spiritual climate of the United States has also been deeply affected by this area. The most significant event of 1700s, barring the revolution, was the Great Awakening - which began among young people in Northampton, Massachusetts. The World Missions Movement was begun at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts as the result of a prayer meeting held by three students.
In the early 1800s, the Northeast was a center for sporadic spiritual revivals on many of the college campuses. The spiritual, moral, social and political foundations of the United States had their beginnings in the Northeast.
Since the beginning of the 1800s, however, the Northeast has become a breeding ground for anti-Christian ideas. Humanism, in the form of Transcendentalism and Universalism, had its roots in Massachusetts. Social philosophers, such as Emerson and Thoreau, contributed to the destruction of the Christian foundations of America. These ideas found a haven in the colleges of the Northeast. In the 20th century, Marxism, humanism, existentialism, socialism, radical feminism, New Age philosophy and immorality of all types have also found refuge in the many colleges and universities of the Northeast.
Despite this growing tide of wickedness, a gleaming ray of hope appears. God has a destiny for the college campuses!
Harvard University - Reverend John Harvard gave half his property and his entire library to start this world renowned institution. Harvard's original motto was: "For Christ and the Church." The goal of a Harvard education was to establish Christian principles in the minds of students according to the Word of God. In addition to ministers, Harvard also produced some of the greatest statesmen of the 1700s, such as, John Hancock, John Adams, and Samuel Adams.
The schools of the Northeast are the hub on which the entire academic system of the nation turns. God himself is concerned with these schools; He had a hand in bringing them into being. He always honors His covenants with men and virtually every college in this area was founded with the purpose of bringing greater glory to God.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
While walking the Boston Commons, two of our pastors encountered young people from South Carolina. This youth group, on their spring break, was touring the northeast, visiting and praying over the great educational institutions of the area. Two hundred and fifty thousand students flock to Boston when school time rolls around to attend one of the sixty colleges and universities in this city.
Could it be that God is preparing another Great Awakening? As a district, are we prepared to pay the price to participate in the plans and purposes of God? Are there others who are reading this who feel challenged to join the team to multiply life-changing churches?
To read more from the JHOP website, follow the link www.jhopboston.com. I especially recommend Why Boston, Harvard Roots, and The Mandate.
