God, Grace, and Freedom: How Answered Prayers Changed History

By Jerry Hensley

Haven't Answered Prayers Changed Your Life? 

God has laid out His plan for mankind to follow. When we are obedient, God is faithful. This has been proven time and time again throughout history.

Answered prayers, one believer at a time, have changed history.

Learn important points of history from the last six centu

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Jul 26, 2021
• ISBN: 9781637691717

Jerry Hensley

Jerry Hensley has wanted nothing more than to be a writer. He has been blessed to be a published writer for over twenty years. He has a thirst for knowledge and serving others. Jerry has been involved with his church's worship team for many years. He lives with his wife and their animals and is currently working on a new project.

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God, Grace, and Freedom

When Answered Prayers

CHanged History

Jerry Hensley

Trilogy Christian Publishers

TUSTIN, CA

Trilogy Christian Publishers

A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Trinity Broadcasting Network

2442 Michelle Drive

Tustin, CA 92780

Copyright © 2021 by Jerry Hensley

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Public domain.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NTE are from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without written permission from the author.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

For information, address Trilogy Christian Publishing

Rights Department, 2442 Michelle Drive, Tustin, Ca 92780.

Trilogy Christian Publishing/ TBN and colophon are trademarks of Trinity Broadcasting Network.

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Trilogy Christian Publishing.

Manufactured in the United States of America

Trilogy Disclaimer: The views and content expressed in this book are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views and doctrine of Trilogy Christian Publishing or the Trinity Broadcasting Network.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN 978-1-63769-170-0

ISBN 978-1-63769-171-7 (ebook)

Contents

Dedication v

Foreword vi

Introduction vii

Chapter 1. The Saints 1

Chapter 2. Scientific Revolution 6

Chapter 3. Holland 11

Chapter 4. The Mayflower 14

Chapter 5. The World of the 16th Century 17

Chapter 6. Treaties 20

Chapter 7. Europe—16th Century 24

Chapter 8. The World of the 17th Century 32

Chapter 9. The Great Awakening 36

Chapter 10. The World of the 18th Century 43

Chapter 11. Renaissance and Enlightenment 49

Chapter 12. America and the Founding Fathers 59

Chapter 13. The Second Great Awakening 64

Chapter 14. England 76

Chapter 15. Slavery—1700s 85

Chapter 16. Europe—17th Century 94

Chapter 17. Slavery—1800s 99

Chapter 18. The World of the 19th Century 107

Chapter 19. God vs. ‘Isms’ 114

Chapter 20. Asia 124

Chapter 21. The World of the 20th Century 132

Chapter 22. The Church vs. the church 147

Chapter 23. Africa 154

Chapter 24. The World of the 21st Century 159

Endnotes 164

We never know why God puts certain people in our path. This book is dedicated to a few of the people God has blessed me with.

To Roger Petree, my oldest friend. I love you, man.

To Jack Wood, you went from a coworker to a brother.

To my son Zac, I’m proud of you and I love you.

To my wife Nancy, you are my greatest earthly blessing.

To my Heavenly Father, thank You for your forgiveness and guidance.

Foreword

Many Believers have a verse or two that speaks to them more than others. Mine has always been Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand (Isaiah 64:8, NIV). I’ve tried going my own way, and it’s only because many of God’s people prayed for me several billion times that I am where I am.

I have been a writer for most of my life but have never attempted anything like this before. The beginning of this book came to me in a dream. And when I awoke, I heard the words, you need to write this.

I have tried to show how prayer works and how He is always faithful. My prayer for this is that even in the seemingly darkest of times, believers and nonbelievers alike can see God’s hands working and hopefully remain optimistic.

Anything good that comes from this is because of God.

Thanks for reading, God bless.

Introduction

America, as well as much of Western civilization, has survived and thrived despite efforts to the contrary. The blood of freedom flows through American’s veins. The breath of life that God breathed into the Adam’s lungs in the book of Genesis was also breathed into the lungs of every believer.

Over the last one hundred years, it has become trendy to attack the nations who predominately worship God. Some of the countries elect their leaders, some have monarchs. Some, like the United States, have a separate money system. Others, like Europe, have a money system, the Euro, that is the same for the entire continent. However, the one thing they all have in common is that most of their citizens worship the same God. Many see this as a weakness; however, this is the strength that has allowed them to succeed. It is this foundation that ensures their continued survival.

The nations that are talked about in here, the United States, the United Kingdom, Africa, Europe, and Asia will be explored in different times in their existence, from the founding of America to the progressive policies that are trying to undo everything.

The following story will start with the Pilgrims and how their simple objective was to obey God. They would end up having ties not only to the United States, but their simple governing document would have widespread effects.

America has been called exceptional many times, and it would be difficult to argue that it is not. At no other time in history has a collection of thirteen unaffiliated colonies, within a short dozen years, gone from being an assortment of citizens to a united nation. However, the American founders chose, even at the beginning, to follow God.

The Bible tells us if we pray faithfully and keep His commandments, He will intercede on our behalf because He is far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come (Ephesians 1:21, KJV). This is not just the story of God and freedom. This is a story about God’s grace and how, because of that grace, we have freedom that exceeds the borders of a country. This is the story of a people willing to obey and of God’s intercession.

CHAPTER 1

The Saints

The story of America began in the Bible in the book of Matthew. Commonly referred to as The Great Commission, the last words Jesus said before His ascension were All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matthew 28:18-20, NIV). It is because of this commandment that a group of believers left their home and all they knew to be faithful to this edict.

They originally, while Elizabeth I was still the reigning monarch, were able to meet openly. Queen Elizabeth I had a more tolerant view of religion and let the worshippers dictate their own dogma as long as the tithing was continued. It was because of her that the initial strength of the church was able to grow undisturbed.

King James became King of Scotland, as King James IV, in 1567, at the age of one, after the death of his father Lord Darnley. He was the only son of Mary, Queen of Scots, who abdicated the throne shortly thereafter. Just as the Roman Emperors believed their rule was absolute, King James grew up to believe the same. In 1603, his rule grew to include the entire United Kingdom. By 1584, he appointed himself head of the church, with the power to appoint puppet leaders.

He spent the next two decades maneuvering to succeed Elizabeth I. A signed alliance meant that with the death of the childless Queen in 1603, James became ruler of not only England, but Ireland. It was after this event that he began to shape the rest of the British Isles as he had done with Scotland. During his English Reign, the King was hailed as the nutritious (nursing father) of the Church.¹ King James not only controlled the church leaders, but the doxology to such an extent that it warranted his own version of the Bible, the King James Version.

It was because of King James that these believers now left the Church of England and founded what was called the Separatist Church. Unlike Queen Elizabeth, King James believed in absolute control. Because of this, meetings had to be held secretly.

The Separatists believed that the Holy Spirit led the Church, whereas the Church of England believes it is either the state or the Monarch, which are one and the same. Both the King and the Separatists refused to compromise what they believed. The result was the Separatists left the Church and began a church of their own. They met in secret, with threats of fines and prison. It was in the town of Scrooby in the northern England city of Nottinghamshire. Scrooby Separatists Church was home to some of the greatest names of that era.

William Bradford was born in the small farming community of Austerfield, Yorkshire. He was sickly and was unable to play outside very often. His time instead was spent reading. By the age of 12, he had taken to reading the Bible and, as he began to come of age, he became acquainted with the ministries of Richard Clyfton and John Smith. These two would serve as mentors to young Bradford. It was Clyfton and Smith who would eventually form the Separatist churches of the region around 1606.

Richard Clyfton was the parson of the Babworth Church in England from 1586 to 1605. In that role, he was the leader of the community. But just as John Smith would do, Clyfton left the church as he became more concerned about the Monarchy usurping more and more control. Clyfton is credited with what would eventually become known as the Pilgrim Movement. Clyfton believed that the Church of England, and thus the very religion he was ordained into, was becoming too closely associated with the Catholic Church.

The Church of England, also known as the Anglican Church, traces its roots back to the Roman Empire and St. Augustine. This meant that the Church of England was governed, at least in part, by the Pope. This was, to a large extent, the reason that Clyfton and the others began to move away from the Church.

It is the Catholic Church that believed