Introduction: The Dark Winter in Scripture

Weaver introduces Matthew 24:20, where Jesus instructs disciples to pray that their flight not be in winter or on the Sabbath, referring to the coming destruction of Jerusalem. He notes the harshness of winter and the travel restrictions on the Sabbath.

Alright, let's open our Bibles today to the book of Matthew chapter 24 and verse 20. Let me just say I am not going to be expounding this verse per se. I'm going to be telling you a lot about the verse, but you will understand the connection to the message as I get into the message. The message is simply titled, "The Dark Winter." So look, if you would, in Matthew 24 and verse 20. The Scripture says, our Lord is speaking. He says,

nor on the Sabbath day." For most folks, it's a foreboding time. Winter is a time of darkness, lack of sunlight, cold, ice, snow. It's also strange as to how winter becomes for some a time of apathy, lethargy, and depression.

I suppose that one reason for the depression is usually you're shut indoors and you don't get outside and get the vitamin D that you need, I would suspect. Probably one of the main reasons for the depression is about the only entertainment available then would be watching TV. And honestly, I think that's enough to depress about anyone. Personally, I think TV is a waste of time, but it's not entertainment. It is conditioning. And the news is not news. It's propaganda. And the sitcoms have nothing to offer but canned laughter and that which is absolutely not funny at all. Winter is usually the favorite time of year only for those that enjoy sledding, skiing, ice skating, and ice fishing. Most people prefer warmer climates. That's why we have so many snowbirds. That's why folks from New York and Pennsylvania come down here, isn't it? Of course. It's much warmer and nicer down here. It's much easier to endure the winter outside when all you need is a short-sleeved shirt or long-sleeved shirt or occasionally a light jacket, that is for sure. And it's more enjoyable, winter is, when you're able not only to work outside but garden. And many northern folks and folks in other countries do not know that we in the Deep South can have gardens 12 months out of the year. And so clearly, I like the time down south without snow and without ice, because that means I don't have to cut firewood all year long, that is for sure.

Now, the winter that our Lord refers to in Matthew 24, verse 20, the dark winter, actually refers to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. War was coming. Judgment was coming. It was unavoidable. And what our Lord is saying in verse 20 is that these people may pray for mitigation, that is, their flight should not be in the winter or on the Sabbath day, but judgment was coming and there was nothing they could do about it. They just need to make sure to pray that that flight did not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath. Now when you think about the winter just for a moment, you have to think about the hardness and the harshness of the season, the badness of the roads.

And if you've ever lived up north, when you look at the roads, I'm talking about even the turnpikes, the interstates, since all of that pavement contracts and expands, you have bumps, you have holes, you have crevices, you have cracks, and they are constantly and consistently working on the roads. But even in Bible times, in dirt roads, you have all the rain, you have all the mud, you have all the holes there. And when you stop and think about the shortness of the days and the length of night, the badness of the roads and all the snow, sleet, ice and cold, you have to consider if you're trying to flee or escape danger with a family and especially with little children or lots of children or older and elderly people, it's going to slow you down to a large degree. And so our Lord says we need to pray that if we have to flee, especially here around the destruction of Jerusalem, He said that the flight be not in the winter. Then He says nor on the Sabbath day. Why did He mention the Sabbath day? Well, if you look in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 1 and verse 12, Acts chapter 1 verse 12, notice if you would what is said in this particular passage. Acts 1 verse 12, the Bible says, "Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath day's journey." Notice, if you would, there was a limitation as to how far you could travel on the Sabbath day. Now, when you look at the law of God in Exodus chapter 16 and verse 29, God is giving direction concerning the gathering of manna on the sixth day. He says this, "For that the Lord hath given you the Sabbath, and therefore he giveth you on the sixth day bread for two days.

Abide ye every man in his place. Let no man go out of his place on the seventh day." So even while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they were confined basically to their tents on the seventh day. When you get to the book of Nehemiah chapter 13, especially 19 through 22, there were pagans coming to the walls of Jerusalem, and they were doing business. They were selling and buying and bartering and trading. Of course, Nehemiah said, no, this is not going to happen. This is a violation of the Sabbath. And so he said, I'm going to shut the gate. And when they shut the gate for a couple of times, those pagans still came up and lodged by the wall, trying to sell. Nehemiah said, if you come again, I'm going to lay hands on you. I'm going to whip you. I'm going to have you beaten up. And of course, they quit coming.

And then he told the Levites to sanctify themselves and to guard the gates. The point I'm trying to make is this: clearly journeys were limited on the Sabbath. Now, God's law did not specify the distances that people could travel on the Sabbath day. However, it was the rabbis who limited travel to seven furlongs, which is nearly a mile. So this is why our Lord is saying you better pray that your flight be not in the winter or on the Sabbath, because if you can't flee more than a mile, then it's impossible to get out of the realm of danger on the Sabbath day. Here's a quote from Albert Barnes. He said this: "The distance of a lawful journey on the Sabbath was not determined by the law of Moses, but by the Jewish teachers, and they had fixed it at 2,000 paces. This measure was determined on because it was a tradition that the camp in the Israelites, when coming from Egypt, no part of the camp was more than 2,000 paces from the tabernacle.

Modern Usage of 'Dark Winter'

The phrase 'Dark Winter' has been used by politicians and media, including a 2001 bioterrorism simulation and recent White House warnings about a winter of severe illness and death for the unvaccinated. Weaver disputes the narrative, claiming vaccinated individuals are suffering more.

Now, we're talking about a dark winter, so speaking of dark winter, I suppose that each of us probably have heard politicians use that phrase, also the news media. Operation Dark Winter was the code name for a senior level bioterrorist attack simulation that occurred on June the 22nd and 23rd in 2001. It was designed to carry out a mock version of a covert and widespread smallpox attack on the United States. I suppose that the code name Dark Winter could apply basically to any conduct or any attack that they planned during the winter. Recently, even the White House has issued a warning about this winter. I want you to listen to the words. These words come from the White House COVID response coordinator. When the coordinator tells unvaccinated Americans that they are to be prepared to die, quote, "you're looking at a winter of severe illness and death." Hmm. "For the unvaccinated, you're looking at a winter of severe illness and death for yourselves, your families and the hospitals you may soon overwhelm. So our message to every American is clear.

There's an action that you can take to protect yourself and your family. Wear a mask in public indoor settings. Get vaccinated, get your kids vaccinated and get a booster shot when you're eligible." Now, that came right straight from the White House. And they're saying that the unvaccinated people are facing then a winter of disease and death.

Now, what the truth is, if you're doing any reading, it's not the unvaccinated that are dying. It is the vaccinated. They are coming down with blood clots, strokes, heart disease, all kind of heart problems. And of course, they are the ones that are overwhelming the hospitals. In fact, they're coming down with various medical ailments. In fact, there was one article and I saved the article. It showed pictures and gave illustrations and personal testimonies of individuals who've had their limbs amputated because of this gene therapy shot. In fact, it is indeed a winter of disease and death, but not for the unvaccinated, but for the vaccinated. An interesting thing is, I began reading a good while back about those who were hospitalized. In one instance, it was 75% of those who were vaccinated that were in the hospital.

Then it went up to 83%. And just this week, I read where 93% of those who were in the hospital with serious illnesses, COVID, and whatever, were those who had at least two shots. So, yes, there is a very dark winter of illness and death, but it's not for the unvaccinated, it's for the vaccinated. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., in his book, "The Real Anthony Fauci," said this, listen carefully, "Dark Winter, Atlantic Storm, and Global Mercury were only three of over a dozen of germ games staged by military, medical, and intelligent planners leading up to COVID-19." Each of these exercises, which he, there's a German word and I can't pronounce it. The word means nightmarish or complex or bizarre or illogical. He says each of these exercises became an uncanny predictor of a dystopian age that pandemic planners dubbed the new normal. The consistent feature is an affinity among their simulator designers for militarizing medicine and introducing centralized autocratic governance.

The Dark Winter at Valley Forge

Weaver recounts the historical dark winter of 1777-1778 at Valley Forge, where Washington's Continental Army endured extreme cold, hunger, disease, and death. He describes the conditions, the leadership of Washington, and the role of women and foreign officers.

Now, since the term dark winter is being bantered around not only by politicians but by the news media, I wanted to tell you about a dark winter of disease and death. And I want you to think with me because there are many applications that you and I can make from this truth. The dark winter of disease and death actually happened in the winter of 1777 and 1778. It was the winter that the Continental Army endured at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. General George Washington and his army lost the Battle of Brandywine on September the 11th, 1777, and they were forced to retreat toward Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Now, before I get into the history of Valley Forge and show you how applicable it is for us today, I want to tell you something about George Washington and about his character. George Washington often said that he'd rather be at his home in Mount Vernon, despite what he really wanted. When he took over the commandership of the Continental Army in 1775, until the war ended in 1783, he only went home one time.

So one time in six years. So Washington was with his army under every trying condition. He endured all the hardships. He endured everything that they endured. Now there was another general that took after Washington. His name was Stonewall Jackson. He followed in Washington's footstep and in his character as well. During the War of Northern Aggression, 1861 to 1865, Stonewall Jackson never took a furlough. He never took a day off.

He loved his wife, he loved his daughter, but he was constrained to stay with his men. Here's what he wrote, listen. He wrote, "I can't be absent, as my attention is necessary in preparing my troops for hard fighting, should it be required. And as my officers and soldiers are not permitted to visit their wives and families, I ought not to see mine. It might make the troops feel that they are badly treated, and that I consult my own comfort regardless of theirs. Every officer and soldier who is able to do duty ought to be busily engaged in military preparations by hard drilling, in order that, through the blessing of God, we may be victorious in the battles which in His all-wise providence may await us. If the war is carried on with vigor, I think under the blessing of God, it will not last long." So it is true that his wife, Mary Anna and Julia, did visit him some, but he never left. He never went home.

Mrs. Washington, of course, and others visited George, but they came to where the encampment was and not at their home. So the Revolutionary Forces, that is the Continental Army under George Washington, had secured a great victory at the Battle of Saratoga in September and October. However, Washington's army suffered defeats at Germantown, Paoli, and Brandywine, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, the capital, also fell into British hands. By the time George Washington's Continental Army entered Valley Forge on December the 19th, they were already suffering from cold, from hunger, from fatigue, and the morale was exceedingly low. George Washington wrote and described Valley Forge as a dreary kind of place and uncomfortably provided. Now, you're going to ask, if Valley Forge was a dreary kind of place and uncomfortably provided, why did he choose Valley Forge?

And by the way, he led 11,000 men into this encampment, and there were 500 to 600 women plus children who followed them. Why did he choose Valley Forge? Well, there are three reasons. Number one was because the valley was a natural fortress in the sense that there were hills, there were plateaus where the men could camp. There was also a huge valley there where they could drill and where they could practice. They were living in tents and in huts. And by the way, Alice and I have been there. And if you could see some of the huts, I don't think it would keep out any cold whatsoever. But that's where they lived. The parade ground was in the middle and that's where they drilled. And secondly, Valley Forge was far enough away from the rich farmland in Pennsylvania that it was not going to disturb the crops. And thirdly, Valley Forge was only 25 miles from Philadelphia. That means then that he was able to keep an eye on the English who had captured Philadelphia at that particular time, and make sure that he could secure that area and prevent widespread depredation and confiscation by the British as well.

So the dark winter of 1777 and 1778 was very, very dark. It was darker than any of us could possibly imagine. Now before I get into this, I want to ask you a question. In fact, I want to ask you several questions. The first one is this: How much does freedom mean to you? Another question is, what would you be willing to endure to preserve your freedom, the freedom of your children and grandchildren? And I'm going to be absolutely honest with you. Once you hear what I'm going to tell you today, I really doubt that any patriot, any believer, any Christian man today has the character, the backbone, and the determination to endure what these men endured to preserve freedom. I'm serious. I do not think that any of us really understand what these men went through.

If there had not been some professional rivalry between the British generals, there would have never been a dark winter experience for Washington and the Continental Army. Why? Because Washington and the army would have been destroyed, that is why. You see, British General Johnny Burgoyne, who was known as Gentleman Johnny, I don't think he was a real gentleman, but General Johnny Burgoyne had a plan. He was going to come down from Canada, bring his troops, and come into New York while General William Howe, who was already in New York, was to come up and they were going to catch General Washington and his Continental Army in a pincer movement and destroy them. Well, General Howe decided that maybe he would rather capture Philadelphia, Pennsylvania than help Johnny Burgoyne. And so he then set sail on the river to go to the port of Philadelphia so that he could capture the capital at that particular time. And consequently now, that means Burgoyne is coming down, Washington meets him, this is the Battle of Saratoga, and Washington and the Continental Army win it, and they capture 6,000 English soldiers, which was indeed a morale booster for Washington and his army as well.

So, you're going to ask this question, why then did General Howe forsake the plan of General Johnny Burgoyne and leave him holding the bag and go to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania? And here's the answer. Because in European warfare, when the capital was captured, the war was over. In other words, there was just an automatic surrender. But what General Howe did not count on: the Continental Congress disbanded and evacuated and took the Liberty Bell with them so that the English would not melt it down and use it for musket balls. And before they left, they gave this order, listen to this, they effectively laid everything on the shoulders of George Washington. They said, "Congress shall otherwise order. General Washington shall be possessed of full power to order and direct all things relative to the operations of the war." So he captured Philadelphia, but he did not capture the Continental Congress.

Now Washington attempted to fight the British at the Battle of the Clouds, but torrential downpours dampened the powder on both sides. And so there was no fighting there particularly. And so after this it was Washington who led his 11,000 men into Valley Forge on December the 19th, 1777, and remember Valley Forge is only 25 miles from Philadelphia. Now what a lot of people do not understand is this: meanwhile while these 11,000 were at Valley Forge, another 11,000 at the same time are perishing and dying on British starving ships. So the British then took their captured patriots, continental soldiers, and put them on British ships and allowed them to starve. Such ships were the Scorpion, the Hope, the Falmouth, the Stromboli, the Hunter, and the Jersey.

Now, Ezra Stiles, who was also a pastor, a theologian, and you know, it just hit me, if I remember correctly, no, no, that's not, it wasn't Ezra Stiles, it was Timothy Dwight. Timothy Dwight was the son-in-law to Jonathan Edwards. But Ezra Stiles was president of Yale University. And so, Stiles wrote in 1783, just as the war ended, he said, wrote, "Oh, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep for the thousands of our brethren that have perished in prison ships, in one of which the Jersey, then lying at New York, perished above 11,000 the last three years, while others have been barbarously exiled to the East Indies for life." So Ezra Stiles says in just three years, 11,000 perished on one ship and all these others were named as well. Interestingly, when you look at the soldiers in Washington's army, they varied in age from 12 to 60. There were other notable men in Washington's army. I'm going to name some of them. One of them is Marquis de Lafayette. Not de La Vallette, de Lafayette. De La Vallette had another battle. This is Lafayette.

And there was Mad Anthony Wayne, Colonel Mad Anthony Wayne. And then, of course, there was future justice, Chief Justice John Marshall was there, and also Lutheran pastor turned Major General, that would be John Peter Muhlenberg. Here's the interesting thing, although there were some wonderful men there, they could not head off everything that was happening. Listen to this. Remember now, Washington went into this encampment with 11,000 troops. Lacking food and supplies, the soldiers died at a rate of 12 per day. Hang on. Over 2,500 froze to death in bitter cold or perished from hunger, typhoid, jaundice, dysentery, and pneumonia. Not counting hundreds of horses also perished in the freezing weather as well. Here was a committee from Congress that reported on the soldiers and the committee wrote, "feet and legs froze till they became black.

It was often necessary to amputate them." Wives and children that followed the army did chores such as mending clothes, doing laundry, scavenging for food, caring for the sick. And an estimated 500 women also died at Valley Forge. These women were referred to as camp followers. They were not floozies by any stretch of the imagination. These women were organized by Martha Washington, George's wife, Lucy Knox, who was the wife of Colonel Henry Knox, and Katie Green, who was the wife of General Nathaniel Greene. One of these ladies, Mrs. Westlake, described Martha Washington, and she said this, "I never in my life knew a woman so busy from early morning until late at night as was Lady Washington, providing comforts for the sick soldiers." It was President Calvin Coolidge who told the Daughters of the American Revolution on April the 9th, 1926, he says, "we have been told of the unselfish devotion of the women who gave their own warm garments to fashion clothing for the suffering Continental Army during that bitter winter at Valley Forge.

The burdens of the war were not all borne by the men." And here's another one. A surgeon from Connecticut, Dr. Alva Jentz Waldo, wrote in his diary on December the 25th, which is Christmas Day, he says, "Christmas, we're still in tents. We ought to be in huts. The poor sick suffer much in tents in this cold weather. But we now treat them differently from what they used to be at home. Under the inspection of old women, and Dr. Bolus Linctus." Now, Dr. Bolus Linctus was not a man. Bolus is a big pill, and so it's something they took. He says, "we now give them mutton and grog and a capital medicine once in a while to start the disease from its foundation at once.

We avoid piddling pills, powders, Bolus Linctus cordials, cough lozenges, and all such insignificant matters, whose powers are only rendered important by causing the patient to vomit up his money instead of his disease." In other words, he said, some of this is just waste of money and waste of time. Now, I want you to remember that over 2,500 of these 11,000 froze to death or died from disease. Two days before Christmas, George Washington wrote, "We have this day no less than 2,873 men in camp unfit for duty, because they are barefooted and otherwise naked." Washington added that "unless some great and capital change suddenly takes place, this army must inevitably starve, dissolve, or disperse in order to obtain subsistence in the best manner that they can." George Washington sent a desperate plea for help to Virginia Governor Patrick Henry. And he said this, "For several days past we've experienced little less than a famine in the camp, and have had much cause to dread a general mutiny and dispersion.

From every appearance there's been hinder for so astonishing an efficiency in providing that unless the most vigorous and effectual measures are at once everywhere adopted, we shall not be able to make another campaign." Outraged, Patrick Henry wrote the Continental Congress. He said, "I'm really shocked at the management of Congress." I wonder what his idea would be today. On April the 21st, 1778, George Washington wrote Lieutenant Colonel John Bannister and he says this, "no history can furnish an instance of an army suffering such uncommon hardships as ours has done and bearing them with the same patience and fortitude. To see men without clothes to cover their nakedness, without blankets to lay on, without shoes by which their marches might be traced by the blood of their feet, and almost as often without provisions, marching through frost and snow and at Christmas taking up their winter quarters within a day's march of the enemy, without a house or hut to cover them, and submitting to it without a murmur, is a mark of patience and obedience which, in my opinion, can scarce be paralleled." Years ago, and I'm going to mention him a little bit later, there was a Prussian baron, von Steuben, who came and stayed at Valley Forge and taught Washington's men how to be real soldiers.

But there was a cartoon that I saw, I suppose it was supposed to be funny, but it really wasn't funny. But it did demonstrate what was happening at Valley Forge. Because here were a number of men lined up, and they were very poorly clothed. They had rags wrapped around their feet. The rags were bloody. There was blood on the snow. And here's von Steuben, the Prussian officer, looking at them and saying, "and when I say tongue, let me hear those rags snap." Well, you know, he was wanting discipline, but look, when I say, when I say attention, let me hear those rags snap. How can you pop your feet together when they are freezing and bleeding and have cracks in them? No, no, you cannot.

All I'm trying to show you is this. Valley Forge was indeed a dark winter. Continental Army Private Joseph Plum Martin wrote, and he said this, that their winter quarters left them in a truly forlorn condition, no clothing, no provisions, and as disheartened as need be. Years ago, I read when Martha Washington, General Washington's wife, came to review the troops, they had to rearrange the men to cover their nakedness because some of them just did not have sufficient clothing. Their clothing had worn out and torn and was just absolutely rotten. And they just had to simply arrange them so that when she walked by, she would not be embarrassed at all. It was Hessian Major Carl Leopold Burmeister. Now, a Hessian was one who fought for the English, not for the Continental Army. But Burmeister said this, that the only thing that kept the American Army together was the spirit of liberty.

Now, let me ask you a question. Why was the Continental Army put in such desperate and dire straits? How could such neglect and mismanagement take place in such an important cause? I want you to think. If Washington and the Continental Army was defeated, so was freedom. If Washington and the Continental Army went down, so did independence. And that means that the colonies would be back under George III. It was George III who had sent the armies to subdue the colonists. And after all the expense that the war cost George III, do you think he would be very forgiving?

And the answer would be no. He would put all kind of pressure upon the colonies. Why did this happen? Now listen carefully. The answer to the problems that existed in 1777 and 1778 is the same answer to the problems of 2021-2022. So what was the cause of all this suffering? Are you listening?

Corruption and politics. Corruption and politics. It was discovered that there was mismanagement by the Continental Army's quartermaster, General Thomas Mifflin. There was also a controversy that arose as to whether or not this mismanagement came about from incompetence or, as some suggested, that Mifflin was waylaying supplies bound for Valley Forge to his own warehouses where he might sell them to the highest bidder. At any rate, when Mifflin was confronted, he resigned. Now why would Mifflin do that? Was he that covetous? Was he that greedy?

Did he want money that much? Well, the truth of the matter is he was also caught up in what was known as the Conway Cabal. The Continental Congress at one point had talked of replacing George Washington with General Horatio Gates of the Battle of Saratoga fame. It was called the Conway Cabal because it was orchestrated by Thomas Conway, are you listening? Who Washington had passed over for promotion. And so now Thomas Conway is trying to get everyone together to get rid of George Washington and give the leadership of the army to Horatio Gates. They made a huge mistake. They sent a letter to Patrick Henry, Governor Patrick Henry, to try to include him in this little secret deal, and he immediately sent the letter to George Washington and warned him of what was about to take place. Thankfully, the quartermaster was replaced, a new quartermaster installed, it happened to be General Nathaniel Greene, and within days, Valley Forge had clothing, food, and other supplies.

So that ought to tell you what was happening there. Overcoming the freezing conditions, the soldiers then prepared to fight, beginning in February 1778. And there arrived at camp this Prussian baron, Frederick von Steuben. Von Steuben had been a member of the elite general staff of Frederick the Great, who was king of Prussia. Baron von Steuben was also recommended by Ben Franklin, and he was indeed a soldier. And he was the one that helped discipline Washington's troops and get them into fighting condition. Also at the same time, the Marquis de Lafayette, a French officer, provided another addition to Washington's camp. He also endured all the sufferings at Valley Forge as well. And of course, he endeared himself to the men because he suffered with them. He went through all of their hardships, and he also helped teach and drill and discipline the men as well. Everybody loved Lafayette. And the reason they loved him so much is because he was not only a friend to George Washington, he was not only brave, he was not only willing to suffer, but he was also a friend of the American cause. Let me read you something about Washington.

This is from Lutheran pastor Henry Muhlenberg. His sons, Peter and Frederick, served in the first United States Congress, and he wrote in the Notebook of a Colonial Clergyman this paragraph: "I heard a fine example today, namely that His Excellency, General Washington rode around among his army yesterday and admonished each to fear God, to put away wickedness, and to practice Christian virtues." Muhlenberg continued, "from all appearances General Washington does not belong to the so-called world of society, for he respects God's Word, believes in the atonement through Jesus Christ, and bears himself in humility and gentleness.

Washington's Faith and Prayer

Weaver emphasizes George Washington's Christian character, citing his orders for fasting, prayer, and divine services. He shares the story of Washington praying in the snow at Valley Forge, as recounted by Isaac Potts, which led to Potts' conversion to the American cause.

And he was the one that helped discipline Washington's troops and get them into fighting condition. Also at the same time, the Marquis de Lafayette, a French officer, provided another addition to Washington's camp. He also endured all the sufferings at Valley Forge as well. And of course, he endeared himself to the men because he suffered with them. He went through all of their hardships, and he also helped teach and drill and discipline the men as well. Everybody loved Lafayette. And the reason they loved him so much is because he was not only a friend to George Washington, he was not only brave, he was not only willing to suffer, but he was also a friend of the American cause. Let me read you something about Washington.

This is from Lutheran pastor Henry Muhlenberg. His sons, Peter and Frederick, served in the first United States Congress, and he wrote in the Notebook of a Colonial Clergyman this paragraph: "I heard a fine example today, namely that His Excellency, General Washington rode around among his army yesterday and admonished each to fear God, to put away wickedness, and to practice Christian virtues." Muhlenberg continued, "from all appearances General Washington does not belong to the so-called world of society, for he respects God's Word, believes in the atonement through Jesus Christ, and bears himself in humility and gentleness. Therefore the Lord has also singularly, yea, marvelously preserved him from harm in the midst of countless perils, ambushes, fatigues, and has hitherto graciously held him in his hand as a chosen vessel." To show you the Christianity of Washington, Washington not only successfully kept the army intact through the devastating winter of Valley Forge, on April the 12th, 1778, he wrote this: "The Honorable Congress, having thought proper to recommend to the United States of America to set apart Wednesday the 22nd to be observed as a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer, that at one time and with one voice the righteous dispensations of providence may be acknowledged and His goodness and mercy toward our arms supplicated and implored. The general directs that the day shall be most religiously observed in the army, that no work shall be done therein, and that the several chaplains do prepare discourses." Then on May the 2nd, 1778, Washington ordered: "The commander-in-chief directs that divine services be performed every Sunday. While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion.

To the distinguished character of patriot, it should be our highest glory to laud the more distinguished character of Christianity." Now, everyone has seen the picture of George Washington praying in the snow at Valley Forge. That is not just a painting. "The Prayer at Valley Forge" is a painting by Arnold Friberg. It's one of the best known paintings of the American Revolution. In this painting, George Washington is kneeling in the snow by his horse, Nelson, and prayed during this encampment at Valley Forge. The story originated with originally a Quaker, Tory, named Isaac Potts. Now Tory was someone who supported the British, and Quakers were usually Tories. They supported the British. But Isaac Potts then told this story to the Reverend Nathaniel Randolph Snowden, who wrote this in his diary and remembrances. So I want to read to you what Reverend Snowden wrote. Listen carefully. He said, "I knew personally the celebrated Quaker Potts, who saw General Washington alone in the woods at prayer.

I got it from him myself. Weems mentioned it in his History of Washington, but I got it from the man myself." That is, he talked to him personally. He said, "I was riding with him, Mr. Potts, in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, near the Valley Forge where the Army lay during the war of revolution. Mr. Potts was a senator in our state and a Whig. I told him I was agreeably surprised to find him a friend of his country, as most Quakers were mostly Tories.

He said it was so, and I was truly once a rank Tory, for I never believed that America could proceed against Great Britain, whose fleets and armies covered the land and ocean. But something very extraordinary converted me to the good faith. 'What was that?' I inquired. 'Do you see the woods and that plain?' It was about a quarter of a mile off from the place where we were riding as it happened. "'There,' said he, 'laid the army of Washington. It was the most distressing time of the war, and all were for giving up the ship but that great and good man. In that woods,' pointing to a close in view, 'I heard a plaintive sound as of a man at prayer. I tied my horse to a sapling and went quietly into the woods, and to my astonishment, I saw the great George Washington on his knees alone, with his sword on one side and his cocked hat on the other. He was at prayer to the God of the armies, beseeching him to interpose with his divine aid, as it was the crisis and the cause of the country, of humanity in the world. Such a prayer I never heard from the lips of a man. I left him alone praying. I went home and told my wife. I saw a sight and heard today what I never saw or heard before, and just related to her what I had seen and heard and observed. We never thought a man could be a soldier and a Christian, but if there is one in the world, it is Washington.'

She was also astonished. We thought it was the cause of God and America could prevail. He then put out his right hand and said, 'I turned right around and became a Whig.'" In other words, he came to the side of the Americans. And the truth is, God answered the prayer of George Washington, because America then became free from the tyranny of George III.

Corruption and Politics as the Root Cause

The suffering at Valley Forge was largely due to corruption and political intrigue, specifically the mismanagement by Quartermaster General Thomas Mifflin and the Conway Cabal's attempt to replace Washington. Weaver parallels this to modern political corruption.

Corruption and politics. Corruption and politics. It was discovered that there was mismanagement by the Continental Army's quartermaster, General Thomas Mifflin. There was also a controversy that arose as to whether or not this mismanagement came about from incompetence or, as some suggested, that Mifflin was waylaying supplies bound for Valley Forge to his own warehouses where he might sell them to the highest bidder. At any rate, when Mifflin was confronted, he resigned. Now why would Mifflin do that? Was he that covetous? Was he that greedy?

Did he want money that much? Well, the truth of the matter is he was also caught up in what was known as the Conway Cabal. The Continental Congress at one point had talked of replacing George Washington with General Horatio Gates of the Battle of Saratoga fame. It was called the Conway Cabal because it was orchestrated by Thomas Conway, are you listening? Who Washington had passed over for promotion. And so now Thomas Conway is trying to get everyone together to get rid of George Washington and give the leadership of the army to Horatio Gates. They made a huge mistake. They sent a letter to Patrick Henry, Governor Patrick Henry, to try to include him in this little secret deal, and he immediately sent the letter to George Washington and warned him of what was about to take place. Thankfully, the quartermaster was replaced, a new quartermaster installed, it happened to be General Nathaniel Greene, and within days, Valley Forge had clothing, food, and other supplies.

So that ought to tell you what was happening there. Overcoming the freezing conditions, the soldiers then prepared to fight, beginning in February 1778. And there arrived at camp this Prussian baron, Frederick von Steuben. Von Steuben had been a member of the elite general staff of Frederick the Great, who was king of Prussia. Baron von Steuben was also recommended by Ben Franklin, and he was indeed a soldier.

Contemporary Tyranny and the Need for Vigilance

Weaver warns that tyranny is not a thing of the past; it can arise from any branch of government. He cites founders like Jefferson and Samuel Adams on the need for eternal vigilance and the danger of vain men in high office.

Now while we're thinking along these lines, let me tell you about a problem that I perceive. I believe that one of our problems that exists not only in the minds of Americans, but in the minds of Christians as well, and that is, we tend to think that tyranny is a thing of the past, and that it does not affect us now. We tend to think that there are no more tyrants. Or, we tend to think in personalities. In other words, we tend to think of a tyrant as just simply being one man. We think of Joseph Stalin. We think of Mao Zedong. We think of Pol Pot. We think of Idi Amin. We think of men like that and yes, they were tyrants indeed but tyranny can also arise from an aristocracy, a democracy, a monarchy. Tyranny can also arise from parties. It can arise from Congress. It can arise from presidents. It can arise from the judicial system. Tyranny can come from any source. And what we're witnessing today is the absolute and total corruption and tyrannical influences of both of our political parties.

We are witnessing firsthand the unbiblical, unconstitutional, and undeniable effort by a global elite not only to enslave America, but the world. Let me tell you something, folks. We are almost at our own Valley Forge in 2022. Thomas Jefferson said this: "Our legislators are not sufficiently apprised of the rightful limits of their power; that their true office is to declare and enforce only our natural rights and duties and to take none of them from us." He said, they don't understand the limits of their power. We need to keep the pressure on them and apprise them of the limitation of their power. It was Senator Everett Dirksen, who is now dead. He said, "When I feel the heat, then I see the light." And I got news for you, unless our representatives feel the heat, they will never ever see the light. And they need to feel the heat on a constant, consistent and regular basis. John Taylor, who was a great patriot and basically one of the founding fathers as well.

He lived from 1753 to 1803. I want you to listen to his definition of tyranny and see if this might fit our position today. He said, "Tyranny is something which takes away our money, transfers our property and comforts to those who did not earn them, and eats the food belonging to others." Well, brother, if that's tyranny, we've got it up to our eyeballs. Now, what in the world are we to learn from this? Let me make some applications. It should not be counted strange to understand that corruption, cabals and political intrigues actually took place even before this country was formed. The Mifflins, the Conways, and others are still with us. They're just with us under different names. But they're still here. The root cause, of course, is total depravity. And men today are just as depraved as they were in the 17th and 18th century.

I don't know if you know what the middle verse of the Bible is, but I will tell you. The middle verse of the Bible is Psalm 118 and verse 8. It says this,

And the next verse is very clear, too.

So anytime we begin to put confidence, you know, we tend to think, well, our government wouldn't do anything to hurt us. Oh, yes, they would. They have done it and they're still doing it. Our confidence in man is displaced. Samuel Adams said this: "If ever a time should come when vain and aspiring men shall possess the high seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." And we have those vain and aspiring men in the high seats of government today. John Philpot Curran, who died in 1870, said this in 1790.

"It is the common fate of the indolent to see our rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance, which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt." Thomas Jefferson said, "God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? They're not to be violated but with His wrath. Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever." Did you know that that quote is engraved on the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.? He said, "I tremble for my country when I think that God is just." It was George Washington who said it's impossible to rightly govern the world without God and without the Bible. And Washington was just reiterating what David said in 2 Samuel, chapter 23, verses 1 through 3. Let me just read it. Here he said this, "Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, The man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel said, The spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The Lord God of Israel said, The rock of Israel spake to me. He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God."

Biblical Diagnosis of National Sin

Reading Isaiah 59:12-15, Weaver diagnoses America's condition: transgressions multiplied, truth fallen, justice turned back. He asserts that any nation rejecting God's law is destroying itself.

I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to Isaiah 59. I want you to see this. If you can think of any other passage that would explain more clearly where we are today in time and history, I would really like you to share it with me. But I want you to look in Isaiah 59, and let's begin reading there with verse 12. Isaiah 59 and verse 12. Watch carefully. Isaiah 59 verse 12.

"For our transgressions are multiplied before thee." The words, God knows them. "And our sins testify against us." We can't hide them. "For our transgressions are with us. As for our iniquities, we know them." In other words, we know, even in this country, we know where we're wrong. Our politicians know where we're wrong. The people know where we're wrong. Verse 13, "In transgressing and lying against the Lord," that's what we're doing, "and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood."

Look what happens when verses 12 and 13 become a reality. Here's what happens in verse 14, "And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off. For truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth. And he that departed from evil," that is, from the politically correct stance, "he that departed from evil maketh himself a prey. And the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment." May I point out a simple truth? Any society, any community, any state, any nation that seeks to circumvent, deny, and destroy God and His law are inevitably destroying themselves. And that's where we are. Truth is falling in the street. There is no justice. There is no judgment. So the question is, what can we do? You know, Sam Adams made a tremendous statement. He said that the revolution was already in the hearts and minds of the people before the war ever began.

Call to Action and Trust in God

Weaver calls for spreading God's Word, praying for repentance, and trusting in the Lord rather than man. He challenges listeners to consider what they are willing to sacrifice for freedom and urges reliance on God's intervention.

What did he mean by that? They were already thinking biblically. They were already thinking liberty. They were already thinking freedom. They were already thinking independence. You didn't have to convince them of what was right. They knew what was right. You have to remember, back in those days, it was the pastors who preached in the election sermons. They're the ones who told the rulers what God demanded of them. They're the ones that told the people what God demanded of them. It is true.

In the founding of our country, no one could take an office of authority without having the Word of God declared to him and his responsibilities in light of the Word of God. That's why the people knew what was right. That's why they were willing to fight. No one is going to fight today because they don't know what is right. And when I mean fight, I don't necessarily even mean take up arms. That may be included, but the point I'm trying to make is you're not going to fight mentally, you're not going to fight emotionally, you're not going to fight financially, you're not going to fight anyway if you do not know the truth. We have to make sure that the Word of God and the principles of the Word of God are spread forth freely.

We need to pray that God will open eyes and open the minds of the people, that God would be pleased to grant us repentance, that God would be pleased to turn us, as David said, and we shall be turned, to quicken us, and we shall call upon His name. So the question comes back, how much do you love freedom? And what are you willing to sacrifice for your freedom and the freedom of your children and the freedom of your grandchildren and the freedom of your great-grandchildren? If God does not sovereignly intervene, we'll be facing one of the darkest winters that we've ever faced because we are not only going to be suffering at the hands of man, we'll be suffering at the hands of God as well, because God is just. And as Jefferson said, "I tremble for my country when I think of the justice of God." What can we learn? We can learn that we can't trust in man.

We must trust in the Lord, fulfill our responsibilities, fulfill our duties, do so in faith, do for God's honor and God's glory, and do everything that we can to perpetuate His Word and His truth. For our Lord Himself said, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this day. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You, Father, for the lessons of history. We thank You, Lord, that You did hear the prayer of George Washington.