© 2022 Don Pinson | [Download]
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Ever hear of Hadrian’s Wall?  It was a wall built across England in the 2nd century.  It was named after the Roman Emperor Hadrian because his Roman armies, while occupying England, could never defeat the people of Scotland in those days.  Though the strongest, best-equipped army on earth, the Romans simply could not overcome these ‘freedom-loving’ mountain people called Picts.  The Roman Commander, in trying to explain to the Emperor why Rome was not occupying Scotland, stated that these “red-headed Picts” would die in a ‘heartbeat’ rather than live in subjection to someone else.  They loved freedom so much they would rather die free than live enslaved.  So the Romans built this giant wall all the way across England for the purpose of keeping out of southern England these freedom-loving Picts; lest they invade the south and stir up the English to rebel against the Romans.

But that’s not the end of the story.  After the Romans left England, several centuries later it became the goal of English kings to conquer the Scots.  King Edward of England marched his armies against the Scots in the early 1300s.  And though he succeeded in executing their popular leader, William Wallace, better known to our generation as Braveheart, Edward’s forces were no match for Scotland’s fierce warriors of freedom.  Not long afterward Robert the Bruce conquered the English army and preserved Scotland’s precious liberty.

But America has a modern-day link with the Scots.  Due to English oppression, as well as economic woes caused Continue reading →

© 2022 Don Pinson | [Download]
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The winter of 1623 had been especially hard for the Pilgrims.  At one point they had been reduced to five kernels of corn per person, per day.  That’s right; only five kernels of corn each day to live on!  Somehow, they had survived.  Spring finally came and they anxiously planted their crops.  They now had great hopes of having a good harvest and storing it up to avoid hardship this coming winter.

But then, the rain stopped.  Twelve weeks would go by with hardly any rain at all.  They finally realized God was trying to get their attention.  They called for a day of fasting and prayer to seek God’s face to find out the cause of the drought.  They worshiped and prayed earnestly for God to show them their sin.  As He did, they began to confess their wrongs toward Him and toward one another.  As they honestly opened their hearts and revealed selfish attitudes toward a neighbor and ask them to forgive them, the joy began to flow.  They knew they were meeting with God and He was pleased with their confessions to Him—and to one another.  It was then they simply asked Him to let the rain return.

When they left the meeting house that afternoon about 5 p.m., the clouds had already gathered on the horizon and by the next morning, were Continue reading →

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It had been extremely hot and dry. There had hardly been any rain for twelve weeks. The corn and other crops had wilted and looked to be beyond reviving. This would mean starvation come winter. There was no hope in their own ability to fix this situation. But this group had learned to trust God, their Creator, as God, their Sustainer. Thus, they called for a day of fasting and prayer to seek God’s face as to why He had withheld the rain. After genuine repentance and worship that day in 1623, the rain began to fall that very night and to their astonishment, their corn revived and produced wonderfully that summer. The Pilgrims proved, once again, that prayer to God Almighty, the Father of Jesus Christ, is the way to move things in this world!

In the midst of our current crisis, we must remember that it is not up to us, but the Lord Himself, to change our hearts and forms of government. While our part is to work with Him in what He’s doing, our praying will be what ultimately wins this battle. God stirs us to prayer, reminding us,

“…you have not because you ask not. You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it on your own desires.” (James 4:2-3)

Others, beside the Pilgrims, have Continue reading →