The River of God – Always Flowing: God’s Working Through America’s History a Spiritual History for Our Day

By Mark R. Sankey

God has never stopped His river from flowing. And He has never gone to sleep. He is always looking for a hungry heart, a humble and open vessel for that river to flow into and through to soak the rest of the earth. He has done that here in America, and throughout the entire earth. The beautiful and varied streams of that river bring great joy among God’s people. That river is the flow of His life, His Spirit. Come and sit for an introduction to some of those people that the Lord had captured and given to America. We start with the Reformation in Europe, follow the migration here, pass through the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries and finish in the present day.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Nov 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9781664209688

Mark R. Sankey

Born of a woman who immigrated as a child from the Netherlands and a dad from Philadelphia, Mark Sankey grew up in northern New Jersey twenty minutes from New York City. He attended Christian school, learned Bible and church history and headed off to college after the summer of Woodstock. He didn’t catch that event but that culture caught him, brought him down, and caused him to cry out to God. The Lord arranged people and circumstances to bring him to the knowledge of Jesus Christ in May of 1974 as he sat in an office cubicle. Influenced by many streams among the Lord’s servants, he learned to listen to the Shepherd’s voice and follow. He has been writing for years including a blog at www.therichesofchrist.com. He has contributed to the Whirlwind of Hope website, and to the MorningStar Journal. He is also published in the field of environmental and energy issues, having worked in industrial air pollution control for over 40 years.

Book preview

Copyright © 2020 Mark R. Sankey.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

844-714-3454

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

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

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked TPT are from The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-0969-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-0968-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020921336

WestBow Press rev. date: 11/23/2020

Dedicated to all those followers of Christ Jesus

who have gone before us, that great cloud of witnesses.

CONTENTS

Introduction & Preface

Endorsements

1 Background in Europe

2 Exodus to America and Beginnings in This New Land

3 Background to the Awakening

4 The Awakening Comes

5 The Awakening Continues

6 The River Rises

7 A Tidal Wave

8 The Continuing Wave

9 The Present Hour

Closing Thoughts

Acknowledgements

Bibliography

INTRODUCTION

& PREFACE

W ithin the broad body of Christian believers in the U.S., I hear much said about the current spiritual state of the country and a desire to return to, or re-establish, principles followed by those who were instrumental in the founding of this nation. As a follower of Christ who has grown up through the second half of the 20 th century, it is easy for me to understand this. A certain amount of frustration is often expressed along with these sentiments. However, various thrusts and efforts into the political arena over the past few decades ought to make us stop and consider why frustration continues. What have we, as disciples, been trying to accomplish? Rather, what is the Lord Jesus Christ moving to accomplish? And what will He, the One who has been given all authority in heaven and earth, ultimately do? No purpose of His will be, or can be, thwarted.

I have been paying attention and been moved by the influencers within the church over the years since 1974. That was the year Christ was revealed to me personally. Without such experience, a person cannot align oneself to God and His purpose. The full expression of God as our Father is Christ alone and His testimony of God. His life alone is sufficient to lead each of us to know our Father for ourselves. This is the essence of the gospel that Jesus brought. Much frustration and fruitlessness results when we operate apart from Christ. Needless to say, to the measure we are aligned to God’s true purpose, we can, and will, still experience frustration. We cry for another great awakening. I would say it is already here, simply join with it. God has never been asleep. While following those thoughts might bring us more directly to greater fruitfulness, I have undertaken writing this book to better understand the history of God’s working here in this land. I write so that we may follow the Lord more closely, learn from missteps and come to true success, as it is in God’s sight.

If we focus on news reports, we see and hear a cultural polarization in this country, and around the world. But if we hear and recognize the story from heaven’s perspective it will help us cooperate with God’s agenda today. From before the creation, God determined a more promising current than the media and our own thoughts often reflect. That stream of hope is built upon the lives of men and women who made the spiritual history of previous generations. Of course, we know of the ancient men and women of faith who knew God and followed His lead. Abraham is often referred to as father. Before him, were Enoch, and Noah. After him came Isaac, Jacob, and the families of Israel. Jumping ahead, in the fulness of time, God sent His Son, Jesus, the Christ. His disciples continued the thrust into the whole world. We should pay attention that at Pentecost, seekers of God from the entire world had gathered in Jerusalem, and many were touched. God’s fathering spiritual seed was sown into the nations gathered there and sooner or later it spread to their lands.

In this volume we will touch on the lives of people and movements. Some names you may have never heard. Others may be familiar like John Wesley and Jonathan Edwards. But have you heard of George Whitefield, Nicolaus Zinzendorf, or Charles Finney? We will touch other veins as well. We will review scenes of the pilgrims, stories of the Great Awakening, the struggle to end slavery, Azusa Street, and other episodes of American history. We will not stop until we pass through the 20th century and reach our current day. In these more recent periods we will visit with Papa Seymour, David du Plessis, Leonard Ravenhill, David Wilkerson, and Keith Green. In addition to those who immigrated to the U.S. during the seminal 1700’s and later, other foreigners, who perhaps never stepped foot in this land, had significant influence here. This includes Dietrich Bonhoeffer, C. S. Lewis, Rees Howells, Watchman Nee, and many others. While they are all important, I do not address these in particular except for Nee.

Many other servants from around the world have influenced and helped to build the church of Jesus Christ. I am referring to those who have, by the Holy Spirit’s equipping and commissioning, been yoked with Christ to build His house. Others can add to what I share here for I do not know, and cannot mention, all of His fruitful servants. As the title states, my focus is on God’s working in this land we call America. This is what I know. I will not try to write about those of whom I am ignorant. And I will not attempt to cover all the details of every historical period. This book presents an overview. I want to whet your appetite to search out more yourself. Many other names have come to mind whom I have not mentioned. I mean no disrespect and have intentionally included what I understand to be fruitful ministries who represent various streams. Read Psalm 46. The Lord has one river, His Spirit, the streams of whom cause God’s city to rejoice.

One of my expected results is to dispel notions of Western, and American, spiritual superiority. True spiritual maturity expresses itself in humility, is open to correction, and values input from others. Earthly cultural upbringing and associated traditions can be a hindrance to true spiritual growth. True maturity in God’s eyes is the measure of Christ that is in a man, in a woman, and in a child. In Christ, neither earthly culture nor human gender exists. That is, in Christ. The deception of this hour is the same as it has been. Many anti-Christs are in the world. That word means in place of Christ, as much as it means opposed to Him. While what we believe is critical, who we believe, receive, and entertain is most important. That one person we need is Jesus Christ Himself. Pay attention to His teaching. He said one thing is necessary; to sit at His feet and listen to Him. That we have learned to do and continue in it. Many in the history of this land have done the same. It is something of that story that I wish to share.

ENDORSEMENTS

A s with any effort like this book, it has an inception and gestation before the birth. Over that time I was encouraged by many in different ways. Among those followers of the Lord, a few expressed a desire to endorse my work. Among them two found time to do so. I am grateful.

Mark Sankey has been a support to our ministry since the mid-eighties, when he first heard Wade Taylor speak at Joe Nieves’ church in Pennsylvania. We came to know him more personally in the mid-nineties. Through the years we have seen a man of integrity, with a passion for prayer and a deep desire to see God move today.

Mark refers to a scripture that not only sums up the message of his book, but gives us all hope:

There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High Psalm 46:4 (KJV).

The Passion Translation expresses it like this:

God has a constantly flowing river whose sparkling streams bring joy and delight to his people. His river flows right through the city of God Most High, into his holy dwelling places Psalm 46:4 (TPT)

As you read this book, may you see more clearly the continual flow of the river of God – past, present, and future – and may you be challenged to enter more fully into its stream.

There is great diversity among God’s people! Each one of us has a part in what God would do today. As you look at the faith of those who have gone before us, may your faith be stirred! May the Lord’s purposes be fulfilled, not only in your individual life, but in our land.

May the Lord meet with you through the reading of this book.

Prayerfully yours,

Nancy Taylor