WO JORLD UHISRNALTORY INSTITUTE - Amazon S3 … · eliminate illiteracy and promote a knowledge of...

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How many people know that 500 years ago this fall the greatest event and the greatest invention of the last millennium were united to create the modern world? For a thousand years, the primary liberating force in history, the Bible, was in Latin only. It was forbidden fruit to everyday people. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther, a German priest, nailed his 95 Theses to the door of his church in Wittenberg, Germany. On that day Luther stood alone challenging the dictates and traditions of prelates and kings. He declared the preeminence of God’s Word over “all” and the right of every individual to read the Bible for himself. The newly invented printing press made it possible for Luther’s German translation of the Bible to be printed in the common language of the people for the first time in human history. Within a few decades, other Europeans caught the vision and translated the Bible into their lan- guages. Never again would an elite be able to lock up the eternal source of truth. Luther’s translation of the Bible and its clear teaching of the “priesthood of all believers” spawned a cultural revolution in Germany. Calvin’s Geneva soon followed and became a learning juggernaut and the cradle of civil and re- ligious liberty for the world. John Knox enlight- ened and trained an entire generation of Scots, bringing them from tribal ritualism to a power- The Greatest Event in 1,000 Years! 4 continued on page 2 J OURNAL WORLD HISTORY INSTITUTE September/October 2017 • a biblical worldview to win the future WORLD HISTORY INSTITUTE teaches the liberating lessons of historically-proven biblical principles to benefit people of all nations. Resources, conferences and tours have been provided since 1976. WHI is a 501 (C)3 non-profit ministry. Your involvement and tax- deductible contributions are encouraged. World History Institute P.O. Box 4673 Thousand Oaks, CA 91359 (805) 523-0072 www.WorldHistoryInstitute.com Dear Friend, It has been said that with hope, we live; with- out hope, we die. As a friend of the World History Institute you are helping us to proclaim a biblically and historically proven message of hope. Almost every time I speak I see eyes light up, tears flow and hope fill the room. A father and attendee at one of my conferences wrote to me recently, “Thank you...Your mes- sage on God’s direction throughout history was incredible! ... Every man in America must hear this godly call to manhood.” He signed it, “Reading aloud to my children, rattling the gates of hell off their hinges.” This brother sees the vision of victory! The way to restoring our nation begins with one father and one mother at a time teaching their children. This strategy will produce the leaders of the next generation. This month I am speaking at the “Honoring the Vision” Conference near Sacramento, California. It will be a historic reunion of the leaders and lovers of America’s Christian his- tory. We will be giving tribute to Verna Hall and Rosalie Slater who rediscovered America’s Christian history 50 years ago. And we will be detailing the victorious strategy for restoring our nation. Hope you can join us. Go to HonoringtheVision.weebly.com for informa- tion and registration. Next month my friend and associate, Kirk Cameron, is hosting a national family meeting in theaters across America called ReviveUS 2. Last fall ReviveUS 1 was the largest live gathering in theaters in American history. We saw the need for believers to meet again this fall on October 24 to help bring faith and unity to our divided nation. Visit ReviveUS.com/ for tickets and a theater near you. On November 16-20 I will be leading The Impact of the Bible Tour to Washing- ton D.C. We have special tickets to the Grand Open- ing of the Museum of the Bible on November 17. We will be at the Museum along with our nation’s Christian and political leaders as they cut the ribbon and open the Museum for the first time. We will tour the 8-story Museum and themed attraction for 2 full days. Then we will take an exciting behind-the-scenes tour through our nation’s Capital and beyond. Space is very limited. Visit WorldHistoryInsti- tute.com. for info and to reserve your place. Please join us in prayer for a powerful Great Awakening. And as the Lord directs please remember the World History Institute in your giving. We are solely supported by friends like you that believe in the vital mission to restore our Christian heritage and help bring revival to our nation. The needs are great at this time, and we need your partnership more than ever. Yours for a revived America, Marshall Foster “Reading aloud to my children, rattling the gates of hell...”

Transcript of WO JORLD UHISRNALTORY INSTITUTE - Amazon S3 … · eliminate illiteracy and promote a knowledge of...

How many people know that 500 years ago thisfall the greatest event and the greatest inventionof the last millennium were united to create themodern world? For a thousand years, the primaryliberating force in history, the Bible, was in Latinonly. It was forbidden fruit to everyday people.

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther, a Germanpriest, nailed his 95 Theses to the door of hischurch in Wittenberg, Germany. On that dayLuther stood alone challenging the dictates andtraditions of prelates and kings. He declared thepreeminence of God’s Word over “all” and theright of every individual to read the Bible forhimself. The newly invented printing press madeit possible for Luther’s German translation of the

Bible to be printed in the common language ofthe people for the first time in human history.Within a few decades, other Europeans caughtthe vision and translated the Bible into their lan-guages. Never again would an elite be able tolock up the eternal source of truth.

Luther’s translation of the Bible and its clearteaching of the “priesthood of all believers”spawned a cultural revolution in Germany.Calvin’s Geneva soon followed and became alearning juggernaut and the cradle of civil and re-ligious liberty for the world. John Knox enlight-ened and trained an entire generation of Scots,bringing them from tribal ritualism to a power-

The Greatest Event in 1,000 Years!

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JOURNALW O R L D H I S T O R Y I N S T I T U T E

September/October 2017 • a biblical worldview to win the future

WORLD HISTORY INSTITUTE teaches the liberating lessons ofhistorically-proven biblical principles to benefit people of all nations.Resources, conferences and tours have been provided since 1976.WHI is a 501 (C)3 non-profit ministry. Your involvement and tax-deductible contributions are encouraged.

World History InstituteP.O. Box 4673Thousand Oaks, CA 91359(805) 523-0072www.WorldHistoryInstitute.com

Dear Friend,

It has been said that with hope, we live; with-out hope, we die.

As a friend of the World History Institute you are helping us to proclaim a biblically andhistorically proven message of hope. Almostevery time I speak I see eyes light up, tearsflow and hope fill the room.

A father and attendee at one of my conferenceswrote to me recently, “Thank you...Your mes-sage on God’s direction throughout history wasincredible! ... Every man in America must hearthis godly call to manhood.” He signed it,“Reading aloud to my children, rattling thegates of hell off their hinges.”

This brother sees the vision of victory! Theway to restoring our nation begins with onefather and one mother at a time teaching theirchildren. This strategy will produce the leadersof the next generation.

This month I am speaking at the “Honoringthe Vision” Conference near Sacramento, California. It will be a historic reunion of theleaders and lovers of America’s Christian his-tory. We will be giving tribute to Verna Halland Rosalie Slater who rediscovered America’sChristian history 50 years ago. And we will bedetailing the victorious strategy for restoringour nation. Hope you can join us. Go to HonoringtheVision.weebly.com for informa-tion and registration.

Next month my friend and associate, KirkCameron, is hosting a national family meetingin theaters across America called ReviveUS 2.Last fall ReviveUS 1 was the largest live

gathering in theaters in American history. Wesaw the need for believers to meet again thisfall on October 24 to help bring faith andunity to our divided nation.Visit ReviveUS.com/ fortickets and a theater nearyou.

On November 16-20 I willbe leading The Impact ofthe Bible Tour to Washing-ton D.C. We have specialtickets to the Grand Open-ing of the Museum of the Bible on November17. We will be at the Museum along with ournation’s Christian and political leaders as theycut the ribbon and open the Museum for thefirst time. We will tour the 8-story Museumand themed attraction for 2 full days. Then wewill take an exciting behind-the-scenes tourthrough our nation’s Capital and beyond.Space is very limited. Visit WorldHistoryInsti-tute.com. for info and to reserve your place.

Please join us in prayer for a powerful GreatAwakening. And as the Lord directs please remember the World History Institute in yourgiving. We are solely supported by friends likeyou that believe in the vital mission to restoreour Christian heritage and help bring revival toour nation. The needs are great at this time,and we need your partnership more than ever.

Yours for a revived America,

Marshall Foster

“Reading aloud to my children, rattling the gates of hell...”

All of our Founders recognized the importance of abiblically founded moral education. America’s firstpresident, George Washington, said: “It is impossi-ble to rightly govern the world without God and theBible.”

Our second president, John Adams, said: “OurConstitution was made only for a moral and reli-gious people. It is wholly inadequate to the govern-ment of any other.”

George Washington, George Mason, Patrick Henry,Thomas Jefferson and most of our founders ob-tained their basic education in the home, often sup-plemented by a tutor, (usually a pastor). Dr.Lawrence Cremin, a leading colonial scholar, writesthat Europe was amazed at the quality of educationin the American wilderness, most of it home educa-tion. He states:

“At the time of the Declaration of Independence thequality of education had enabled the colonies toachieve a degree of literacy from 70% to virtually100%. This was not education restricted to the few.Modern scholarship reports the prevalence ofschooling and its accessibility to all segments of thepopulation.”

Moses Coit Tyler, historian of American literature,indicates the colonists’ “familiarity with history…extensive legal training…lucid exposition of consti-tutional principles, showing, indeed, that somehow,out into the American wilderness had been carriedthe very accent of cosmopolitan thought andspeech.” When the American state papers arrived inEurope…they were found to contain “nearly everyquality indicative of personal and national great-ness.”

America’s legacy of freedom and education isfounded firmly on the principles of the great Refor-mation. Our first settlers were heirs of the Reform-ers. They were deeply committed to teaching theirchildren to read and think so they could understandthe Scriptures for themselves and learn of God’sworld. The first schools in America were created toeliminate illiteracy and promote a knowledge of

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ful, biblical view of life and liberty — all within atwenty-year span! These early pioneers of the Ref-ormation fought state tyranny, massive illiteracy andpoverty that rival any of our problems today. Thesemen spearheaded the drive for Christian educationfor all people including the women and poor. Theyleft us a great legacy to replicate.

Noah Webster, the Founding Father of AmericanEducation, knew that the success of our entire soci-ety — and even the preaching of the Gospel — wasdependent upon proper family education. He said:“The foundation of all free government and of allsocial order must be laid in families and in the dis-cipline of youth…The education of youth, is an em-ployment of more consequence than making lawsand preaching the gospel, because it lays the foun-dation on which both law and gospel rest for suc-cess…”

Scripture. They knew that illiteracy in Europe hadallowed many civil abuses and tyranny to occurunder the cover of a Christian banner.

The 1647 law setting up schools in Massachusettscertainly did not remove God from the curriculum.To the contrary, it was called the “Old DeluderSatan Law”: “It being one chief project of that olddeluder, Satan, to keep men from the knowledgeof Scripture, as in former times…it is therefore or-dered…(that) after the Lord hath increased [thesettlement] to the number of fifty householders,(they) shall then forthwith appoint one within theirtown, to teach all such children as shall resort tohim, to write and read…And…to instruct youths,so they may be fitted for the university.”

The first 108 universities founded in America werestarted primarily to train ministers in the Word ofGod—including Harvard, Yale, Princeton andWilliam and Mary. It was the Bible, not the Ren-aissance, that taught “You shall know the Truthand the Truth shall set you free.”

This October 31st Americans would greatly benefitby taking time away from the distractions of candyand costumes to remember and thank God forMartin Luther and his fellow Reformers who laidtheir lives on the line for God’s truth five centuriesago. May this fall be a time of not only remember-ing, but repenting, as we lament that Christians,for the most part, have turned over the teaching ofour youth since the late 19th century to secularprogressives. They are being led away like sheep forthe slaughter. They have forgotten the Reforma-tion: the unleashing of the Bible for the first timein a 1,000 years!

May the Lord awaken us as American believers toa new Reformation of our lives and culture to theliberating truths of God’s Word. The strategy ofreform and liberty always begins with God’s prior-ities as seen in the SHEMA of Moses in Deut. 6:4-10. It starts with sincere personal faith and movesto the training of our children and the loving ofour neighbor. God then blesses such faith by bring-

ing prosperity and freedom. That is what happenedin the first Reformation. Luther’s bold declarationschallenge us even now to rise up and stand no mat-ter the cost:

“I am much afraid that schools will prove to be thegates of hell unless they diligently labor in explain-ing the Holy Scriptures, engraving them in thehearts of youth. I advise no one to place their childwhere the Scriptures do not reign paramount.Every institution in which men are not increasinglyoccupied with the Word of God must be cor-rupt.”…. “The strength and glory of a land doesnot depend upon its wealth, its defenses, its greathouses, its powerful armaments, but on the num-ber of its gracious, serious, kind and wise citizens.”

Marshall Foster

Johannes Gutenberg, Inventor of the Millennium

Martin Luther, Catalyst for the Reformation