The 1726 Project

REMEMBERING 50 YEARS OF GOD'S FAITHFULNESS, PART 5

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 22:12:00 +0000

When God Orchestrated an Amazing Mission to Indonesia

Because of my book 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity, I was invited to be a part of the ministry team at the 2006 100-year anniversary celebration of the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles. I was also asked to compile and edit the official book for this event, which was published under the title, Fire on the Earth. At this gathering of 50,000, I spoke at a workshop and did a book signing at the Charisma House exhibit, the publishers of both the above books.

After this, I received an invitation to be a part of the ministry team for the Azsua-Asia celebration in Jakarta, Indonesia. It was announced as a time for Spirit-filled believers throughout Asia to come together and celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the world-wide Pentecostal revival and the 80-year anniversary of the Pentecostal revival in Indonesia. I was responsible for covering my own travel expenses.

In Jakarta, the capital of the largest Muslim nation in the world, I had the privilege of speaking in three different church services and in a dynamic workshop packed with Spirit-filled believers from throughout Asia. I also had the privilege of speaking to the 70,000 Spirit-filled believers from throughout Asia who filled the soccer stadium. It was almost surreal to hear them rejoicing and praising God in their native tongues and in the language of the Spirit.

But what I want to emphasize in this essay, is how God orchestrated Sue’s involvement in such a remarkable manner. Although I was the only one invited, Sue and I decided that she would go as well. I then emailed my hosts in Jakarta that my wife would be accompanying me, but they never responded. Just before departing, I emailed them again that my wife would be coming with me, but there was still no response.

In the meantime, Sue heard the Holy Spirit instruct her to have three messages ready for the time in Jakarta. She, therefore, prepared three messages and had them ready when we departed Tulsa, where we lived at the time.

From Tulsa we stopped in Los Angeles and then Hong Kong before finally arriving in Jakarta. We were met at the airport by two pastors, a man and a woman. They handed Sue a bouquet of flowers and were very kind and hospitable. Knowing we lived in Tulsa, the man informed us that he had been to Tulsa many times when he worked for Parker Oil Company, which was based in Tulsa. Small world!!

They handed us our schedules, and we were both pleasantly surprised to see that Sue had been scheduled to speak three times: twice in a large church pastored by a woman and once in Bethel Seminary, which was connected to the Church of God, Cleveland, TN. She was prepared because she had obeyed the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Sue ministered twice in this church where the husband and senior pastor had just recently died. His wife, however, was such a strong person and leader that the congregation asked her to continue in that role as senior pastor. There was a powerful work of the Holy Spirt as you can see from the pictures. Sue gave the pastor a copy of her book, In the Spirit We’re Equal, and she immediately asked Sue to come back and teach it to her congregation. Sue replied, “No, you study it and you teach it.”

Sue next spoke at Bethel Seminary to about 400 students. After delivering the final message she had been instructed to prepare, she invited the students to stand and began lifting their hearts to God in prayer and praise. As the students were responding, Sue walked off the platform to a young man on the front row who stood with his eyes closed and his hands in the air worshipping God.

As she took his hand, he swooned and then fell to the floor. At that moment, it seemed that the Holy Spirit fell as in the Book of Acts. All over the building students fell to their knees calling out to God with all their might. Some fell to the floor, slain in the Spirit. It was an incredible moment. Afterwards, we met with the leaders of this seminary and gave them copies of our books, for which they expressed great appreciation.

On our final night there, the pastor of the large church where I had ministered (around 2000 in attendance) took us and others to a restaurant. There must have been about 10 of us sitting around a large round table, everyone Asian except us.

Sue was sitting next to a woman that she discovered was the sister of the Indonesian pastor who had brought us to the restaurant. She shared with Sue that she was married to a Chinese pastor and they had come from China to Jakarta for this conference. Sue happened to have another copy of In the Spirit We’re Equal with her. She pulled it out and handed it to this woman who expressed great appreciation for it.

At this very time, I had a new book just about ready for publication but lacking the funds for printing. As we sat around this table enjoying this time with our Asian brothers and sisters, a Christian businessman passed a large 18-carat gold ring around the table to me and said he wanted to give it to me as a gift. It provided the funds needed to publish the new book, America’s Revival Heritage, which has blessed so many people. In addition, before we departed we were surprised with a $2000.00 love gift to help cover our expenses.

What an awesome God we serve! I am reminded of Proverbs 3:5-7, Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not to your won understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Yes, as we approach our 50th wedding anniversary on May 17, I am writing this series of articles remembering and reminiscing about God’s faithfulness through the years. And as I said before, if there is one testimony we would leave behind when we depart this world, it is this: He has been faithful!

Drs. Eddie and Sue Hyatt are still active in ministry and their numerous books are available on Amazon and their websites at http://eddiehyatt.com and http://godswordtowomen.org. Of particular significance at this moment in history is Eddie's book, America's Reawakening, and Sue's book, In the Spirit We're Equal, which contains a message that "has the power to begin a mass movement from Islam to Christianity, beginning with the women."

A GREAT AWAKENING ERUPTED WHEN THEY REALIZED THE MODERN CHURCH IS A MISSION FIELD

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 22:21:00 +0000

"I who went to America to convert the Indians had never been converted myself," wrote John Wesley, a baptized, confirmed, and ordained Anglican clergyman. He stated this after coming to the realization that his faith had been in the outward, institutional forms of Christianity rather than in Christ Himself. He had accepted the Christian religion but not Christ Himself, and in that state he had no internal peace or assurance of being accepted by God.

Wesley's Heart-Warming Encounter with Christ

The change for Wesley came while attending a Moravian revival meeting and hearing someone read Martin Luther’s explanation of the change of heart that comes when a person puts their faith in Christ and Him alone. Wesley afterwards wrote,

I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt that I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for my salvation and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sin, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.

Wesley always considered this to be the time that he became a true Christian, and he was never the same. After this conversion experience, he spearheaded the great Methodist Revival that transformed the British Isles and impacted the Church around the world. He insisted on a real heart conversion to Christ and in his Journal dated June 10, 1741, he wrote,

I preached in the morning on the inward kingdom of God. And many, I trust, found they were Heathens in heart, and Christians in name only.

This new understanding that it is faith in Christ alone that makes one a real Christian, had a two-fold impact on Wesley and his preaching: (1) Although he did not dispense with the outward forms of the Anglican Church, he now emphasized that those forms were “dead works” apart from faith in Christ and (2) he realized that many who were not Anglicans—Baptists, Quakers, Nonconformists—were real Christians even though they did not identify with the order and liturgy of the Anglican Church.

George Whitefield and the Great Awakening

Wesley’s colleague and protégé, George Whitfield, brought this same message of personal faith to colonial America where he spread the Great Awakening up and down the eastern seaboard. He too was a baptized, confirmed, and ordained Anglican minister and, like Wesley, had experienced a personal conversion or “new birth” as he liked to call it.

Whitefield emphasized that many professing Christians had built their faith on faulty foundations, such as church membership, good deeds, family pedigree, social status, and cultural refinement. He emphasized that these old foundations must be overturned and faith in Jesus Christ alone must be laid as the only foundation for acceptance with God.

As a result, thousands in colonial America realized that they had never truly been converted to Christ. They realized that they had adopted the religion of their parents and grandparents but had never put their faith in Christ and him alone. Whitefield brought this vividly to the minds of the populace with his message on the parable of the ten virgins found in Matthew 25:1-13.

Although his words may sound harsh to modern ears, they needed to be said. He pointed out that all ten were virgins and all had lamps, which he said symbolized their outward profession. However, only the five wise virgins had oil in their lamps, which Whitfield said symbolized a new heart brought about by a living faith in Christ alone. He told of the five foolish virgins, who had no oil, knocking at the door of the wedding but being turned away by the Lord.

“Lord, Lord,” say they, as though they were intimately acquainted with the holy Jesus. Like numbers among us who, because they go to church, repeat their creeds, and receive the blessed sacrament, think they have a right to call Jesus their Savior and dare call God their Father, when they put up the Lord’s Prayer. But Jesus is not your Savior. The devil, not God, is your father, unless your hearts are purified by faith and you are born again from above (Hyatt, George Whitefield, 54-55).

Both Wesley and Whitefield came to realize that the church to which they adhered, the Anglican Church, was a mission field with many members who had never been converted to Christ. Many were merely following in the footsteps of their parents and grandparents.

Their message of personal faith in a personal Savior bore much fruit. Entire cities were transformed. Benjamin Franklin told of the change that came over his hometown of Philadelphia after Whitefield spent several days there preaching to thousands from the steps of the courthouse. Franklin wrote,

From being thoughtless or indifferent about religion, it seemed as if all the world were growing religious so that one could not walk through the town in an evening without hearing psalms sung in different families of every street (Hyatt, America’s Reawakening, 101).

So, the great Methodist Revival in England and the Great Awakening in America were not with people who had never heard the Gospel. Their impact was with religious people and church members being awakened to the fact that “religion” alone would not save them apart from a living faith in the living Christ

This Same Message is Needed Today

A new spiritual hunger is obviously sweeping across the land. Bible sales are surging and many of the younger generation are returning to church. Revival meetings on college campuses are being attended by thousands of students who are seeking something more than contemporary culture has to offer.

We as Christians and Christian leaders must be ready to offer them more than the Christian religion. We must point them to Christ Himself. We must let them know that they can encounter Christ for themselves and have that New Birth of which Jesus spoke in John 3:3. Everything in their lives must flow from that central point of faith in Christ. C. S. Lewis nailed it when he wrote,

The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men to Christ, to make them little christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time.

This article is derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt's latest book, America's Reawakening, available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com.

RISEN INDEED! A WORLD-FAMOUS LAWYER IS CONVINCED BY THE EVIDENCE

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 15:15:00 +0000

Sir Lionel Luckhoo was called “the most successful lawyer in history” by the Guiness Book of World Records. He was given this designation because he won 245 consecutive murder trials as a defense attorney. A native of British Guyana, he was named to the Queen’s Counsel in 1954. The Queen’s Counsel is a senior lawyer appointed by the monarch (in this case Queen Elizabeth) to act as their representative. He was also twice knighted by Queen Elizabeth.

For a person to have this kind of success they must possess a very sharp mind and tremendous analytical skill. They would have to know how to sort the evidence and be able to decide what can be trusted and what must be discarded. Sir Lionel possessed these characteristics as many prosecuting attorneys discovered while facing him in the courtroom.

Sir Lionel also had a political career. He served as the Mayor of Georgetown, the capital of Guyana, in 1955, 1956, 1960, and 1961. He was also involved in negotiations for the independence of both Guyana and Barbados. He was appointed High Commissioner for Guyana and Barbados in Britain (1966-1970) and was also Ambassador for both countries. From 1967–1970 he served as a joint ambassador for Guyana and Barbados in France, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Sir Lionel confessed that later in life he developed a sense of hopelessness and meaningless about life. He was challenged to examine the biblical claims of Jesus and the Resurrection and decided to accept the challenge.

He approached the task as a lawyer in the a court of law examining and cross examining the witnesses. After months of sifting through the testimonies of Mathew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, and Paul, he became convinced that the biblical record was true.

He became a devout follower of Christ and became an itinerant Christian speaker and authored a number of pamphlets including, What is Your Verdict. He considered the biblical evidence for Jesus and His Resurrection to be overwhelming. He declared,

I say unequivocally that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt.

Because of his reputation, Sir Lionel had the opportunity to address audiences worldwide, including presidents, kings, parliaments, bar associations, and the United Nations. He was not shy about declaring his faith and more than once was heard to declare,

The bones of Muhammad are in Medina, the bones of Confucius are in Shantung, the cremated bones of Buddha are in Nepal. Thousands pay pilgrimages to worship at their tombs which contain their bones. But in Jerusalem there is a cave cut into the rock. This is the tomb of Jesus. IT IS EMPTY! YES, EMPTY! BECAUSE HE IS RISEN! He died, physically and historically. He arose from the dead and now sits at the right hand of God (Hyatt, The Book that Made America Great, 128).

The above was derived from The Book that Made America Great by Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt, which is available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com.

REMEMBERING 50 YEARS OF GOD'S FAITHFULNESS, PART 4

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 19:55:00 +0000

When Life Sprang Forth Out of Death

Sue and I will be married 50 years in May of this year, and about two years into our life and ministry together, we lost everything. We lost our place to live. We lost the place where we were having meetings for the congregation we were planting in eastern Canada.

In the mist of the devastation, I received word that my brother in Oklahoma had been killed in an accident. I flew out to Oklahoma for the funeral and everything stopped on the home front. My mother-in-law later said, “That was when it all died.”

My sister-in-law, who is still a friend and partner in our ministry, asked me to preach the funeral message. I think it was the first time I had preached at a funeral.

The little church in Kiowa, Oklahoma was packed as I shared a message about my brother Harvey and the hope we have because of the Resurrection of Jesus. The presence of the Holy Spirit was manifested in a very tangible way, and I still remember how there was more than a sense of comfort; there was an absolute sense of triumph as I shared about the glory and hope of the Resurrection.

I then returned home to face a different kind of death—the death of a dream and vision. But I discovered, in a dramatic fashion, that the Resurrection is more than a past event and a future hope. It is a present reality in the life of the believer.

After my return, Sue and I met with a couple and their two small children to talk and pray. Ric and Kerry had remined faithful friends through the death and now we sat at a park bench with them and their two small children, David and Cara.

After a time of talking and fellowship, we began lifting our hearts to God in prayer. I will never forget what happened next. Their 5-year-old daughter, Cara, who had shown an unusual love for Jesus and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, began praying in other tongues as in the Book of Acts.

Suddenly, out of my innermost being, those rivers of living water that Jesus spoke about in John 7:37-39 began to flow, and I began praying in other tongues. This was prayer that I could feel flowing out of my spirit. And all the time I was praying in this manner, I could hear the words, “Don’t be afraid of death because I Am the Resurrection.”

I immediately recognized these as the words that Jesus spoke to Martha just before he raised her brother, Lazarus, from the dead (John 11:25). I knew that the Lord was telling me not to fear the death of the vision and mandate He had given. I knew He was telling me that it would be brought back to life, not by my scheming and planning, but by His resurrection life and power.

A resurrection did occur in our lives and ministry. A yielding to God, a determination not to quit, a step of obedience, and resurrection power flowed forth. God brought a born -again, Spirit-filled Catholic man into our lives who was managing properties for a national organization. He opened a building for us and filled the barrels with heating oil in the midst of winter.

We opened our first service with about four people. But in a few weeks the building was filled and people were standing along the back wall because of no place to sit. Over the next six years, before moving back to Texas, we saw many come to Christ including Sue’s father and two brothers.

Life burst forth out of death and victory out of defeat. The ministry that came forth was not the same as before; for it came forth in His resurrection power and in ways we could never have planned or strategized. And those words I heard will forever be emblazoned in my mind and heart, “Don’t be afraid of death because I Am the Resurrection.”

10 LITTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT THE FOUNDING OF AMERICA

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 20:58:00 +0000

Derived from America’s Reawakening by Eddie L. Hyatt

1. The most recognized figure in colonial America was not George Washington or Thomas Jefferson, but a Methodist preacher from Great Britain who preached to massive outdoor crowds from Georgia to Massachusetts until his death in 1770.

2. The First Great Awakening saw entire towns and cities repent and turn to God as Benjamin Franklin testified of his hometown of Philadelphia.

3. The First Great Awakening breached the deep theological, cultural and racial divisions in colonial America and made possible the founding of a new nation.

4. The Continental Congress began every session with Bible reading and prayer and at least 15 times during the Revolutionary War issued a call for a Day of Prayer, Repentance, and Fasting throughout the colonies.

5. George Washington banned drunkenness and profanity in the Revolutionary Army and ordered that every day was to begin with prayer.

6. The First Great Awakening ignited an abolition movement that resulted in virtually every American founder taking a public stand against slavery at a time it was accepted and practiced in most of the world.

7. America’s founding documents were used by abolitionists in their fight against slavery because they contain no classifications based on race or skin color but state that ALL men are created equal and are endowed with by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.

8. The founders believed that only a moral and religious [Christian] people could maintain the freedoms they had implemented in the U.S. Constitution.

9. The founding generation had a missionary vision for America, believing that the Gospel would go out from here to the ends of the earth.

10. George Washington is the only president to receive every electoral vote, not once but twice.

In his new 216-page book, America’s Reawakening, Dr. Eddie Hyatt discusses in-depth the above facts and so much more. It is available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com.

REMEMBERING 50 YEARS OF GOD'S FAITHFULNESS, PART 3

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 19:23:00 +0000

When God Miraculously Delivered Us
from Death and Our Vehicle from Ruin

It was probably the first year of our marriage and we were in a home prayer meeting in Sue’s hometown of Saint John, New Brunswick when something remarkable and supernatural happened. People were kneeling at chairs and the sofa all around the room when a woman on the opposite of the room from Sue and me began praying in the Spirit—in other tongues.

Such a phenomenon occurs when the Holy Spirit moves on someone to pray about things they know nothing about in their minds (Romans 8:26-27). This is why it is called "prayer in the Spirit" and Paul discusses it in I Corinthians 14.

As she prayed, it seemed as though her prayer was coming across the room in an arc and lighting on me. It powerfully affected me and I began to weep. My heart was melted and I knew on the inside that the prayer was somehow related to me.

Later, as we were having refreshments and fellowship, I said to this woman, “I felt you were praying for me tonight when you prayed in the Spirit.” She replied, “Yes, I felt that I was praying for you and Sue.”

We left the prayer meeting and stopped for a visit with Sue’s parents before proceeding to our apartment around midnight. I was driving our little VW Bug and as we crossed a 4-lane thoroughfare that ran through the city, I heard Sue exclaiming, “Look out! Look out!”

As I looked to my right, I saw the nose of an 18-wheeler filling the passenger side window of our little Bug, and then the crash. Thankfully, he hit us in the right rear, instead of broadside, knocking us into another vehicle. Sue had some bruises on her leg and hip, but no one was hospitalized.

The rear right side of the little VW was crumpled all around the engine, and the insurance company eventually wrote it off as a total loss. If we had been moving just slightly slower, the truck would have hit us broadside and left us seriously injured or dead.

There is no question in my mind that “prayer in the Spirit” that night preserved our lives. The devil wanted to end our lives before we could get started, but someone was sensitive to the Holy Spirit and bold enough to let the river of Spirit-empowered prayer flow out of their heart (see Romans 8:26-27).

But that is not the end of this story. After the police and everyone left, I tried to start our little Bug, but to no avail. Finally, I discovered that if I continually pumped the gas pedal it would run, but if I ever stopped pumping the gas pedal it would die.

So, we made it to our apartment with the little Bug sputtering and jerking as I frantically pumped the gas pedal. That was our only means of transportation, so it was an everyday experience – until one day God intervened through another woman’s prayer.

Sue and I had stopped in one evening at a Christian coffee shop and upon leaving we gave a ride home to a little old white-haired lady known as “Sister Manetta.” She sat in the front with me as we went along sputtering and jerking as I frantically pumped the gas pedal. Sister Manetta exclaimed, “What is wrong with your car!”

I said, “O, Sister Manetta, this car needs prayer." She immediately laid her hand on the dash and began praying for the vehicle and pleading the blood of Jesus over it. God and Sue are my witnesses. The engine stopped sputtering and jerking. From that time, I no longer had to pump the gas pedal, and it ran as clean and smoothly as ever.

Shortly thereafter, we drove the car to Texas with the rear end crumpled around the engine. I still remember how straight and smooth it ran down the interstate highways. In Texas, my brother, who was a mechanic took that engine, because it ran so well, and put it in another VW with a good body.

What an awesome God we serve! I can never thank Him enough for His goodness and faithfulness to us through the years.

WHY SPIRITUAL AWAKENING CAN BE TROUBLESOME FOR CHURCH TRADITIONALISTS

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 19:00:00 +0000

Some years ago I was invited to speak at a "Dreams & Visions Conference." In my first session I shared a message I sensed the Lord had given me while in prayer for the conference. There was tremendous response with three-quarters of the congregation answering the invitation and coming forward to receive a fresh touch from the Holy Spirit. Many were obviously powerfully impacted.

The next day the pastor rebuked me and reminded me that this was a "Dreams & Visions Conference" and not a "Revival Meeting." He informed me that he planned to have a revival meeting at a later time, but this conference was not about revival. I have to admit I was stunned by his response for I had not preached about revival. I had simply followed the leading of the Holy Spirit in my heart and revival broke forth.

If we are to have true, authentic revival, we must make way for the spontaneous and dynamic workings of the Holy Spirt as Jesus admonished in John 3:8, where he said, The wind blows where it wishes, and you can hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.

Jesus is here comparing the work of the Holy Spirit with the wind. In the same way that we cannot control the direction and intensity of the wind, neither can we control and confine the Holy Spirit to our liturgies and religious programs. The wind of the Holy Spirit blows where it wishes, both inside and outside the parameters of our church programs and institutions.

This is why an Awakening can be troublesome to church traditionalists, because the Holy Spirit will not confine Himself to our well-prepared programs and liturgies. This truth was profoundly expressed by the well-known Christian leader from South Africa, the late David du Plessis. Addressing the 1948 World Pentecostal Conference in Zurich, Switzerland, du Plessis exhorted this international audience,

Nothing can take the place of the Holy Spirit in the church. So let us pray for a greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit than ever before. And remember, when the flood comes, it will not keep to our well-prepared channels but will overflow and most likely cause chaos in all our programs (Hyatt, America's Reawakening, 211).

Dr. Henry P. Van Dusen, president of the liberal Union Theological Seminary, addressed this same issue in a landmark 1958 article in Life magazine entitled “The Third Force.” Van Dusen castigated traditional churchmen for criticizing contemporary revival movements and referring to them as being “on the fringe.”

“On the fringe of what?” Van Dusen asked. “Perhaps on the fringe of traditional churches, but not necessarily on the fringe of Christendom.” Van Dusen then went on to suggest that Peter, Paul and Barnabas would probably feel more at home in one of these revival meetings than in the formalized worship of other churches, Catholic or Protestant.

The well-known Biblical scholar and theologian, R.A. Torrey, stated, "The history of revivals is the history of the church." He believed that the church of Jesus Christ owes its existence to these periodic renewals, noting that whenever the church faced decay or potential shipwreck, God sent revival to save it.

Torrey is right. There is no true church without those Spiritual Awakenings that have, from time to time, breathed new life into Christendom. Without question, the modern church is past due for such an Awakening.

The only question is, "Are we willing to let go and invite the Holy Spirit to have free reign and disrupt our cherished liturgies and programs? That is the cost of real revival and how many pastors and churches are willing to pay the price?

This article is derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt's latest book, America's Reawakening, in which he documents how America was birthed out of a "Great Awakening" and has been sustained through critical moments in his history by subsequent Awakenings. The book is available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com.

REMEMBERING 50 YEARS OF GOD'S FAITHFULNESS, PART 2

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 21:04:00 +0000

When God Used Sue and a Group of Women to Impact a Nation

Sue and I will celebrate 50 years of marriage on May 17 and during a recent time of prayer, I experienced a desire to share some personal stories of God’s faithfulness to us through the years. Today I want to share an incredible story of how God used Sue and a small group of women to impact an African nation.

It was the summer of 1984 and Sue had arranged to accompany Daisy Osborn and a small group of women on a trip to Nigeria and Ghana in West Africa. It was a very significant trip on different levels, especially in Ghana where a military coup had just taken over the government when they arrived.

Daisy and her husband, T. L. Osborn, had become very well known throughout Africa for their giant evangelistic crusades on that continent. Hundreds of thousands would attend these outdoor gospel crusades and thousands would dedicate their lives to Christ, and many would testify to having been miraculously healed.

Daisy was around 60 years old at the time and Sue was around 38. Sue considered it an honor and great opportunity to travel with this veteran minister and missionary. The scheduled itinerary had Sue flying from our home in New Brunswick, Canada to Houston where she would meet up with the group and they would all proceed from there to Nigeria and then Ghana.

But before I tell how God used them to impact nation of Ghana, I must tell the miracle of God's last-minute provision for the trip.

Sue had been advised to have at least $500.00 with her in addition to her round-trip ticket. The day arrived for her departure, and she only had 30 Canadian dollars. Nonetheless, she was at peace and held those promises in her heart that God had given us that, “You have no lack.”

Since she needed to exchange her Canadian dollars into U.S. dollars, we stopped at the bank on our way to the airport. As we stood in line, I told Sue I would go across the street to the post office and pick up our mail. I was blown away by what I found in our box.

In the mail was a totally unexpected envelope and in it a check for over $400.00. I hurried back to the bank, arriving just as Sue was stepping up to the cashier and handing her the $30.00 to be exchanged. I handed the check to the cashier and said, “Add this to the amount for exchange.”

Because the Canadian dollar was worth more than the American dollar at the time, Sue received back more than the $500.00 she was supposed to have with her. Hallelujah!

Interestingly, the check was from a Baptist church and pastor in another city. He explained that they had just completed a conference and they exceeded their financial budget for the conference, and he wanted to send the excess to us. It was the right amount that came just at the right time. Is that not a miracle!

After a time of ministry in Nigeria at a massive church founded and pastored by Benson Idahosa (now in heaven), they made plans to proceed to Ghana. It was at this point that Daisy advised the group that a military coup had just overthrown the government in Ghana, and since it was a tumultuous and unknown situation, anyone was welcome to return home if they desired.

Everyone agreed to continue to Ghana and when they arrived, it seemed there were soldiers everywhere. Sue said they could hear soldiers marching during the night outside their hotel rooms. The coup was led by a young army officer named Jerry Rawlings who was now the acting president.

Daisy had scheduled a conference in the Parliament building and the new government leaders allowed it to continue. Sue was one of the speakers at this conference where they were able to encourage the people and much joy and praise was expressed despite the political uncertainty of the time.

During the conference, the new leader, Jerry Rawlings, sent word that he would like to speak to Daisy “as a mother.” He was obviously aware of the Osborns reputation and love for the African people.

Daisy asked Sue and two other women to accompany her to “the Castle,” the headquarters for the new regime. At the Castle, they were served tea and treated as dignitaries while waiting for the new president to arrive. Rawlings eventually arrived and they had a cordial conversation in which Daisy talked to him and exhorted him about truly caring for the people of his country.

She then asked Rawlings if they could pray for him and he said, “yes.” Sue and Daisy and the others then laid their hands on him and prayed, asking God’s blessing and wisdom for him and peace for his country

After the prayer, he asked Sue, Daisy and one or two others to go on the state-run radio and address the nation. So, Sue shared the Good News of Jesus with the nation of Ghana, all orchestrated by that Almighty hand that guides the course of history and nations.

They did not realize it at the time, but something was obviously unleashed by their presence, words, and prayers. It may have been a year or so afterwards that we were elated to see an article in our Canadian newspaper about the unexplained change that had come over the troubled nation of Ghana. According to the article, peace had returned to the nation, the economy was booming, and the harvests had been unusually good.

Yes, if we are available, God will arrange our paths and use us to impact both individuals and nations for His name and honor.

It was also during this trip that Sue solidified a friendship with Valarie Owen who was also a part of the group. Valarie, a gifted Bible teacher and woman of faith, became a dear friend and ministry partner and served on the board of God’s Word to Women until her passing in 2023.

Yes, as we approach our 50^th wedding anniversary on May 17, I am writing this series of articles remembering and reminiscing about God’s faithfulness through the years. And as I said before, if there is one testimony we would leave behind when we depart this world, it is this: He has been faithful!

WHY ISLAM IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH AMERICA'S FOUNDING DOCUMENTS

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 21:37:00 +0000

There are between 4-5 million Muslims living in America. The mayor of our largest city is a devout Muslim who participates in public Islamic prayers. Numerous Muslims have been elected to statewide and local offices. In Dearborn Michigan, the Islamic call to prayer is blasted forth on loud speakers from the mosques. My home state of Texas has a large Muslim population and they have purchased a large swath of land on which they intend to build an Islamic city.

Islam, however, is incompatible with America’s founding documents and system of government. America is a Constitutional Republic with a constitution that guarantees certain rights to all citizens, including those who are a minority. She has a representative form of government in which laws are enacted by legislators who are elected by the people. Abraham Lincoln described it as a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

Islam, on the other hand, is a theocracy in which the state and the religion are merged, and religious clerics claim to rule with authority directly from God. Wherever Islam is in the majority, the rights of Christians and other minorities are either totally denied or greatly diminished, and Sharia Law is imposed upon the masses.

In sharp contrast, America was founded on Judeo-Christian principles and values, but not as a theocracy. Theocratic rulers claim a Divine right to rule over their subjects. America’s Founders held no such grandiose view of themselves or of any human being. They had rejected the theocratic claims of monarchs, popes and despots, but they had not rejected Christianity

In 18th century Europe, nations such as Italy, England, and Germany were theocracies in which the state and a cultural form of Christianity had been merged. In Italy and other European states, it was Roman Catholicism that was the state religion and imposed on the populace. In England, it was the Anglican Church, also called the Church of England. In Germany, it was Lutheran Church that was merged with the state.

America’s Founders, for the most part, identified with the mindset of those they called “dissenting Protestants.” Benjamin Franklin referred to his parents and grandparents, on both sides of the family, as “dissenting Protestants.” Virginia was founded as an Anglican colony but according to Thomas Jefferson, by the time of the American Revolution three-quarters of Virginia’s population were “dissenting Protestants" (Hyatt, America's Reawakening, 182).

The dissenting Protestant emphasized Jesus' rejection of “power” and His emphasis on the equality of all believers. (Matt. 20:25-28; 23:8-11). "But you," Jesus said, "Do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher and you are all brethren" (Matt. 23:6). It was the teachings of Jesus in these and like passages that led the Founders to include a ban on aristocracy and honorific titles in the U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 10.

The dissenting Protestant saw everyone on the same level with leaders deriving their right to govern, not from God, but from the people. The Declaration of Independence declares that Governments are instituted in the earth to secure for the people their God-given rights such as Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. And those governments derive the right to govern, "from the consent of the governed.”

America’s Founders insisted, therefore, that civil government should have no power or role in the church, nor in matters of individual faith and conscience. Freedom from government tyranny in matters of faith was an ideal that pervaded the thinking of America’s Founders. This is in sharp contrast to Islam.

The Founders realized that for there to be liberty without licentiousness and freedom without chaos, the populace would have to be governed from within by virtuous values. And they all agreed that only Christianity provided the moral values and intellectual underpinnings for a stable and prosperous nation. This is why President John Adams declared in 1798,

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious [Christian} people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other (Hyatt, America's Reawakening, 168).

Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans eventually came to see the genius of the American experiment in freedom. Pope John Paul II (1920-2005) understood this and emphasized that America must never lose sight of her origins. He wrote,

The continuing success of American democracy depends on the degree to which each new generation, native-born and immigrant, makes its own the moral truths on which the Founding Fathers staked the future of your Republic (Hyatt, America's Reawakening, 13).

As Christians, we should be friendly and kind to individual Muslims. We should pray for them that they will be converted to Christ and find the wonderful freedom that only comes through knowing Him. At the same time, we must never be fooled into thinking that the theocratic political system of Islam is in any way compatible with America’s Constitutional Republic.

Yes, America was founded as a Christian nation, but not by a legislative or judicial decree. America was founded as a Christian nation because the founding generation had been transformed by a great Spiritual Awakening. She has been preserved to this time by subsequent Awakenings at critical moments in her history.

America can expect to enjoy the freedoms that came with her founding only so long as there is an Awakened form of Christianity spreading its sweet aroma throughout the culture. This is why we must all, regardless of denomination or affiliation, embrace the current Spiritual Awakening that has begun to sweep across the land.

This article was derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt's latest book, America's Reawakening, available in paperback, kindle, and audio from Amazon. It is also available from his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com.

REMEMBERING 50 YEARS OF GOD'S FAITHFULNESS, PART 1

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 15:48:00 +0000

An Amazing Personal Story of How God Confirmed His Promise to Us

By Eddie L.. Hyatt

Sue and I will celebrate 50 years of marriage on May 17 and during prayer this morning I experienced a desire to share some personal stories of God’s faithfulness to us through the years. Today I want to share an incredible story of how God spoke to us, and confirmed, that we would have “No Lack” in our life together.

Shortly after our marriage, Sue told me that God had given her three promises from Scripture for our life together: Psalm 34:10, Psalm 84: 11 and Philippians 4:19. Each of these is a promise of “No Lack.”

For example, Psalm 34:10 says, The young lions lack and suffer hunger but those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing. Psalm 84:11 says, No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly before him. And Philippians 4:19 says, And My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory.

Those promises became an important part of our lives and we incorporated them into our prayers and confession of faith. About two years into our marriage, God confirmed and highlighted those promises to us in a very dramatic way.

It was probably 1978 and we decided to attend the Summer Seminar at Christ for the Nations in Dallas where we had met. This was a week-long event with services throughout the day and a great time to reconnect with former classmates and meet new friends.

At the time, we had begun a new ministry in Sue’s hometown of Saint John, New Brunswick. We did not have the money for the trip, but decided we needed the break and would go, trusting God to provide along the way. We told no one, except God, of the need.

We had no credit cards and only enough cash to make it to Dallas and register for the seminar, which included housing on campus and two meals per day in the campus cafeteria. We enjoyed eating out, especially at Wyatt’s Cafeteria, but by midweek we were down to $2.00 with a 2000-mile trip awaiting us.

I was preparing to go to an afternoon service when Sue said to me, “I am starting to feel discouraged; why isn’t God coming through?” Half serious and half-joking, I replied, “I am claiming a meal for us at Wyatt’s today.”

I went to the afternoon service where Dick Mills was the guest speaker. Mills had a unique prophetic gift. He had memorized over 7000 promises in the Bible and when he would pray with someone, the Holy Spirit would often flood his mind with promises that were particularly relevant to that person.

After his message, he asked Freda Lindsay, the president and co-founder of Christ for the Nations, to come up beside him and pick out people from the congregation to be prayed over. She came up and, lo and behold, picked me out of that audience of at least 500 people and asked me to stand.

I stood up and Dick Mills rattled off those same three Scriptures that Sue and I had made a part of our lives and daily spoke in prayer. He then added a fourth one: Luke 22:35 where Jesus asked His disciples, “When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?” So they said, “Nothing.”e th

Mills then said, “This is God’s word to you. You lack nothing.” He went on to say, “This will get you through World War III if it has to.” So, here I am standing there with $2.00 in my pocket and 2000 miles from home and God confirms the promises he had given Sue that, “You lack nothing.” God obviously wanted me more preoccupied with Him and His promise than my empty pocketbook.

I went out from that meeting and a missionary to Mexico came to me and said, “God has been speaking to me for three days to give you this.” He then reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out two traveler’s checks for $50.00 each and handed them to me. I went back to our apartment and said to Sue, “Get dressed we are going to Wyatt’s.”😃

The seminar ended and we headed for Canada with not nearly enough money to buy gasoline, much less food and hotels. We stopped in Kiowa, Oklahoma where my older brother had arranged for me to speak in the small Assembly of God church he and his family attended.

I had preached in this church before I met Sue, and they might have 20 people on a Sunday morning. They would receive a “love offering” for the guest speaker and if it was as much as $50.00 it was considered almost miraculous. Now, it seemed the crowd was even smaller with only about 8-10 people in the Sunday night service.

After the service, as the pastor’s wife was giving me the “love offering” they had received for us, she said. “You know, we take up a missionary offering every month, but we don’t have a missionary to send it to, and it has been accumulating in a separate account. Would it be OK if we gave it to you?” I replied, "yes."

I don’t recall the amount, but it was very significant for us at the time and resulted in us returning home with more money than when we left. But even more important was the fact that God had confirmed His promise to us: “You have no lack.” Hallelujah!!

Does this mean we have never had any financial challenges? No! We have had some incredible challenges during our 50 years, but God has always come through, usually in ways we could never have imagined. We have travelled around the world and found Him always faithful. If there is one testimony we would leave behind when we depart this world, it is this: He has been faithful!

Our numerous books are available on Amazon and our websites at at http://eddiehyatt.com and http://godswordtowomen.org. Contact info is also available at these sites. You are welcome to friend us on FB and follow us on X or Linkedin or Truth Social.

THE GREATEST THREAT TO YOUR CIVIL LIBERTIES, ACCORDING TO THE FOUNDERS

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 16:35:00 +0000

A new Pew Research Center poll found that 53% of U.S. adults rated American’s morals and ethics as “bad.” This is serious for mistrust of one's fellow citizens undermines everything in a society. Skepticism about the moral character of fellow citizens will undermine politics, business transactions, institutions and social cohesion, leading to societal chaos and the loss of freedom.

America's Founders emphasized the absolute necessity of "virtue" for a stable society, which may be defined as "moral excellence." They warned, again and again, that the loss of "virtue" was the greatest threat to the freedoms they had implemented in the nation's founding documents.

The loss of virtue in contemporary American culture was on full display at the recent State of the Union Address where Rashida Tlaib, Congresswoman from Michigan, wore a pin, caught on camera, that read, "F__ Ice." Another individual held up a sign with the same crude words. These and others jeered and shouted "murderer" at the president during his speech. Such crude public behavior by public officials was unheard of just a few years ago.

In addition, one only has to spend a little time on the internet to encounter hostility, crudeness, hatred and anger. It is now common to attack those with whom you disagree with personal smears rather than engaging in civil dialogue. The strategy seems to be: "Don’t bother discussing the message, demonize the messenger."

What is most disconcerting is the loss of virtue among professing Christians. In recent years numerous pastors and Christian leaders have been exposed for immoral sexual behavior or defrauding their parishoners in financial schemes. I just saw a headline that read, "Woman Murders Pastor After He Ended their Affair."

Yes, America’s Founders were unanimous in their belief that only a virtuous people could maintain the freedoms they had implemented. They also agreed that such virtue could only be maintained from one generation to the next by spiritual awakenings.

John Dickinson, Founding Father and chairman of the committee that produced the Articles of Confederation, warned that “when states lose their liberty, this calamity is generally owing to a decay of virtue” Hyatt, America’s Reawakening, 213). John Adams made the same point in a letter to his cousin, Zabdiel Adams, a minister of the Gospel. Adams exhorted him,

Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the principles upon which Freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure Virtue (Hyatt, America’s Reawakening, 213).

In his Farewell Address after serving two terms as the nation’s first president, George Washington exhorted Americans to cling to “religion and morality,” which he called “indispensable supports” for a stable and happy nation (Hyatt, America’s Reawakening, 183.

When the Founders speak of “religion” they are speaking of Christianity for this was the only religion they knew. Washington went on to warn against the supposition that morality or virtue could ever prevail apart from Christian principle.

James Madison was in complete agreement and wrote, “To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue is a chimerical idea.” A chimerical idea is a “pipedream” or “fantasy” with little or no chance of ever occurring.

In other words, those who think that a certain political party or ideology can bring happiness and stability to a society apart from Christian morality, are living in a fantasy world. Psalm 33:3 says, Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, and America’s Founders, without exception, believed those words.

Samuel Adams believed that virtue was unlikely to remain vigorous from one generation to another without spiritual awakenings. This is because over time churches tend to institutionalize and formalize. A personal, heart commitment to God is minimized and adherence to the outward forms of the institution is emphasized as what really matters.

In this condition, Christians tend to lose their passion and fire for truth and become comfortable in the outward forms. In such a state, spiritual atrophy sets in and the church is no longer the salt and light Jesus called her to be. Moral and spiritual decay begins to impact the society, from which Novak says, “Only periodic awakenings have been known to offer a cure.” He goes on to say,

Far from having a hostility toward religion, the Founders counted on religion [Christianity] for the underlying philosophy of the republic, its supporting ethic, and its reliable source of rejuvenation (Hyatt, America’s Reawakening, 214).

The loss of virtue in American culture is obvious. However, there are also many signs, documented in my latest book, that America is on the verge of another Great Awakening. This Awakening would be embraced by every Founding Father for they knew that a Christian awakening was the key to virtue in a society.

We only have to recall how Benjamin Franklin enthusiastically embraced that First Great Awakening, calling it “wonderful,” and helping to spread its influence by printing and distributing the the sermons and journals of George Whitefield (Hyatt, America’s Reawakening, 164-65).

Spiritual awakening is not an appendix or add-on. It is not a “take it or leave it” matter. It is a vital component of the American experience. The America of Washington, Whitefield, Franklin, and Lincoln cannot survive without it. This is why this present Awakening that we see breaking forth should be embraced by every American patriot who wants to see our Constitutional freedoms passed along to the next generation. Yes, this is America’s Reawakening, and we must seize the moment.

This article was derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt's latest book, America's Reawakening, available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com.

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THE "PREFACE" TO "AMERICA'S REAWAKENING"

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 21:28:00 +0000

This is the Preface to Dr. Eddie Hyatt's latest book entitled America's Reawakening,
now available in paperback, kindle and audio at this link https://amzn.to/3OVSwAh

Preface

Anyone who watched the Charlie Kirk Memorial Service could not help but recognize that a spiritual awakening is occurring in America. The service, held in the 70,000-seat State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ, was packed and overflowing. In attendance were President Donald J. Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, cabinet members, senators, congressmen, and numerous celebrities, many of whom participated in the Christ-honoring service. It was broadcast by the major networks and streamed live by a multitude of outlets around the world. Some have estimated that as many as 150 million saw the service.

The service was characterized by passionate worship led by contemporary worship leaders such as Chris Tomlin and Kari Jobe. Classic hymns such as “Great is Thy Faithfulness” and “It is Well with My Soul” were played between speakers. Politicians sounded like preachers. Secretary of State Marco Rubio shared the gospel message in as clear and forceful manner as this writer has ever heard. Vice President J.D. Vance declared that he had talked more about Jesus Christ in the past two weeks, since Charlie’s death, than in all the rest of his political career put together.

At least twice, invitations were given for people to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. When President Trump, who was the final speaker, finally came to the podium, he declared, “This is like an old-time revival meeting.” Indeed, it was an appropriate service for a young man totally dedicated to seeing America reawakened and returning to her roots of Faith and Freedom.

But even before this momentous event, revivals had been erupting on college campuses with thousands making decisions to follow Christ (this is covered more thoroughly in the final chapter). At the same time, videos began appearing of college and professional athletes kneeling to pray before football games and boldly declaring their faith in Jesus. Something was obviously shifting in American culture.

For this author, this has been particularly significant, for 15 years before, in September of 2010, I had a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with the Lord in which he assured me that He was not finished with America and that she could see another great, national spiritual awakening that would renew the churches of America, impact the nation and transform the culture.

Out of this experience, which lasted for at least seven hours, came two important changes in my thinking: (1) my hope was renewed that America could see another great, national spiritual awakening and (2) I saw for the first time that the First Great Awakening had a direct bearing on the founding of this nation, i.e., that this nation was birthed in spiritual awakening.

Out of that experience came a series of books beginning with America’s Revival Heritage followed by Pilgrims and Patriots, 1726, Abolitionist Founding Fathers, and 5 Pillars of the American Republic. This book is, perhaps, the culmination of that experience and the subsequent research that followed.

This book is sent forth with the passionate desire that everyone who reads it will be deeply stirred in the depths of their being to make Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior. I pray also that God will use it to ignite a fresh fire of bold faith in hearts everywhere and once again awaken our nation to Him.

Eddie Hyatt
Grapevine (Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex), Texas
January 2026
http://www.eddiehyatt.com

https://amzn.to/3OVSwAh

WHAT WE SAW AT THE STATE OF THE UNION WAS A WAKE-UP CALL FOR EVERY FREEDOM-LOVING AMERICAN

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:59:00 +0000

I had been working on my latest book, America's Reawakening, when I decided to take a break from that project and join Sue in watching the State of the Union address. America's Reawakening is an amazing documentary of the people and values that brought America into existence. As I watched the State of the Union, I realized that I was seeing the very thing America's founders warned would destroy the nation.

America’s Founders were unanimous in the belief that only a virtuous people could maintain the freedoms they had implemented in the nation’s founding documents. Virtue is defined as "moral excellence" and John Dickinson, Founding Father and chairman of the committee that produced the Articles of Confederation, warned that, “When states lose their liberty, this calamity is generally owing to a decay of virtue.”

John Adams was in complete agreement with Dickinson and made the same point in a letter to his cousin, Zabdiel Adams, a minister of the gospel. Adams exhorted him,

Many cultural commentators agree that America is experiencing a decline in virtue, characterized by a loss of honesty, personal responsibility and civility in public life. Factors often cited include a culture of contempt, political polarization, writing off or "cancelling" those with whom you disagree and a shift from patriotism to a "Me-Centered" narcissism.

The loss of virtue in American culture was on full display at the State of the Union address where Rashida Tlaib, Congresswoman from Michigan, wore a pin, caught on camera, that read, "F__ Ice." Another individual held up a sign with the same crude words. These and others jeered and shouted "murderer" at the president during his speech. Such crude public behavior by public officials was unheard of just a few years ago.

One only has to spend a little time on the internet to encounter hostility, crudeness, hatred and anger. It is now common to attack those with whom you disagree with personal smears rather than engaging in civil dialogue. The strategy seems to be: "Don’t bother discussing the message, demonize the messenger."

An important Biblical virtue that is glaringly missing on both sides of the political isle and in the American church is "humility." Humility is the opposite of pride and egoism. Humility admits our human insufficiency and freely confesses how much we need God.

In his 1863 proclamation for a National Day of Prayer and Humility, President Abraham Lincoln excoriated the nation for having become "too proud to pray." The promise of a national healing in II Chronicles 7:14 begins with this condition; If My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray . . ..

Yes, America’s founders were convinced that virtue and freedom go hand in hand and that a nation cannot maintain freedom without virtue in its citizenry. Without national virtue, a society will self-destruct.

In his Farewell Address, George Washington admonished the fledgling nation to cling to "religion and morality" which he called "indispensable supports" for a stable and prosperous nation. James Madison was in complete agreement and wrote, “To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue is a chimerical idea.”

A chimerical idea is a “pipedream” or “fantasy” with little or no chance of ever occurring. In other words, those who think that a certain political party or ideology can bring happiness and stability to a society apart from Christian morality, are living in a fantasy world. Psalm 33:3 says, Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, and America’s Founders, without exception, believed those words.

Despite the crudeness and craziness of the hour, there is hope. Widespread reports of revival breaking forth on college campuses indicate that God is at work. We must, therefore, stand strong and help this generation reconnect with our severed Christian roots, which is an important key to restoring virtue to our culture.

Only a heaven-sent Christian awakening will save America and we have reason to hope for such an Awakening as is documented in my soon-to-be-released book.

This article is derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt's latest book, America's Reawakening, scheduled for release around March 15. His other books are available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com.

THE BULLETPROOF GEORGE WASHINGTON

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 20:48:00 +0000

Our rifles were leveled—rifles which, but for him, knew not how to miss. Twas all in vain; a power far mightier than we shielded him from harm. He cannot die in battle. The Great Spirit protects that man and guides his destinies. He will become chief of nations, and a people yet unborn will hail him the founder of a mighty nation.

These were the words of an old Indian chief concerning George Washington as they reminisced about a battle, 15 years before, when they had been on opposite sides and the chief and his warriors had tried their best to bring down Washington.

Washington and a friend, Dr. James Craik, who was also his personal physician, providentially met this chief in 1770 while exploring a region of the Ohio River Valley. Washington and the old chief had a cordial visit in the presence of Craik and a number of native people. They reminisced about the Battle of Duquesne, fifteen years earlier, when they had fought on opposite sides during the French and Indian wars.

Washington, who was in his twenties at that time, was serving as a guide for General Braddock who was leading a regiment of British troops to confront the French and their Indian allies. Braddock ignored Washington's advice for relating to the native people and led his troops into a deadly ambush where a furious battle ensued.

Having been trained to fight an enemy army on an open field, they were confused as bullets whizzed around them coming from natives behind trees and rocks. Not trained to fight in the American wilderness, the British soldiers began dropping on every side. When Braddock was wounded and the British troops began to panic, the young Washington took charge. He placed Braddock in a wagon and then mounted his horse and began riding about shouting orders and encouragement and was able to lead an orderly retreat out of danger.

During this time Washington had two horses shot out from under him and his clothes were shredded with bullets. The Indian chief, Red Hawk, claimed to have shot Washington eleven times, but could not bring him down. Washington emerged unscathed and gave glory to God, saying, “I was saved by the miraculous care of providence that saved me beyond all human probability or expectation.”

Now, fifteen years later, as they reminisced about this battle, the old chief suddenly pointed to Washington and spoke these amazing words. According to Dr. Craik, he said,

I am chief and ruler over all my tribes. My influence extends to the waters of the Great Lakes, and to the far blue mountains. I have traveled a long and weary path that I might see the young warrior of the great battle. It was on the day when the white man's blood mixed with the streams of our forest that I first beheld this chief. I called to my young men and said, 'Mark yon tall and daring warrior? He is not of the redcoat tribe—he hath an Indian's wisdom, and his warriors fight as we do—himself alone is exposed. Quick, let your aim be certain, and he dies.' Our rifles were leveled—rifles which, but for him, knew not how to miss. Twas all in vain; a power far mightier than we shielded him from harm. He cannot die in battle. The Great Spirit protects that man and guides his destinies. He will become chief of nations, and a people yet unborn will hail him the founder of a mighty nation.

Five years later, when war broke out with England, Washington was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Colonial army. He led his outnumbered, outgunned troops to an amazing victory over the British through numerous unusual incidents that he attributed to the providential intervention of God. He then presided over the Constitutional Convention (1787) and was later unanimously elected the first President of the United States of America. He is the only president to have received 100% of the electoral votes—not once, but twice.

I am inclined to think that Washington's encounter with this chief had a bearing on the wording of the Northwest Ordinance, formulated in 1787 while Washington was presiding as president of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. This document laid out a plan for settling the Northwest Territory, which included the very area where Washington met this native chief. Concerning the native people in this territory, the Founders wrote,

The utmost good faith shall always be observed towards the Indians; their lands and property shall never be taken from them without their consent; and, in their property, rights, and liberty, they shall never be invaded or disturbed, unless in just and lawful wars authorized by Congress; but laws founded in justice and humanity, shall from time to time be made for preventing wrongs being done to them, and for preserving peace and friendship with them.

This article is derived from Eddie Hyatt's latest book, America's Reawakening, scheduled for publication by March 15. It will be available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com. Also, the title for this article was borrowed from David Barton's excellent book, The Bulletproof George Washington.

THE CHRISTIAN AWAKENING THAT ENDED SLAVERY IN AMERICA

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 15:44:00 +0000

Historians have noted that slavery, although practiced for thousands of years by many peoples and civilizations, suddenly became anathema in 18th century America. The late historians Elizabeth Fox-Genovese and Eugene Genovese observed, “Perception of slavery as morally unacceptable — as sinful — did not become widespread until the second half of the eighteenth century.”

The late Dr. Walter Williams, Professor of Economics at George Mason University, has said that the unique characteristic of slavery in America was not only the brevity of its existence, but also the “moral outrage” against it. The brilliant scholar, Dr. Thomas Sowell, who happens to be black, has written,

Slavery was just not an issue, not even among intellectuals, much less among political leaders, until the 18th century–and then it was an issue only in Western civilization. Among those who turned against slavery in the 18th century were George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and other American leaders. You could research all of 18th century Africa or Asia or the Middle East without finding any comparable rejection of slavery there (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 90).

The Source of the Moral Outrage Against Slavery

There was a reason for this sudden moral opposition to slavery and that reason is to be found in what became known as The Great Awakening. In this Christian revival that ebbed and flowed from 1726 to 1770, it seemed that entire towns repented and turned to God. In his Autobiography, Benjamin Franklin described the amazing transformation of his hometown of Philadelphia in 1739. He wrote,

It was wonderful to see the change soon made in the manners of our inhabitants. From being thoughtless or indifferent about religion, it seemed as if all the world were growing religious so that one could not walk through the town in an evening without hearing psalms sung in different families of every street Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 79).

Out of this revival there emerged a deep concern for the those who did not know Christ. As a result, many evangelists began taking the message of salvation to the marginalized of society, including blacks, both slave and free. Their ministries breached racial and cultural barriers and they saw many come to Christ. Black preachers and churches emerged out of this Awakening, as well as the moral outrage against slavery, which the historians above have noted.

From Evangelism to Social Transformation

At the beginning of the Great Awakening in 1726, outreach to the black populace was evangelistic in nature and not characterized by opposition to slavery. Those early preachers, such as George Whitefield, Gilbert Tennant, and Jonathan Edwards, saw their primary purpose to be in getting people ready for the next world, not necessarily improving their lot in this one. In their thinking, a slave on his way to heaven was far better off than a king on his way to hell.

Nonetheless, their insistence on sharing the Gospel with all people and their willingness to share Christian fellowship with blacks, both slave and free, breached racial and cultural barriers in Colonial America. Also, the inclusive Gospel message they preached, and their compassionate treatment of blacks, created a climate conducive to the anti-slavery sentiments that would burst forth through those who would come after them.

Indeed, the revivalists who came after Edwards and Whitefield carried the message of their predecessors to its logical conclusion: if we are all creatures of the same Creator and if Christ died that all might be saved, then how can slavery ever be justified?

They, therefore, began a vicious attack on the institution of slavery. This is what historian, Benjamin Hart, was referring to when he wrote, “Among the most ardent opponents of slavery were ministers, particularly the Puritan and revivalist preachers (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 92).

These "ardent opponents of slavery" included the followers of Jonathan Edwards who expanded on his idea of the essential dignity of all created beings and applied it to the blacks of Colonial America. They included Levi Hart in Connecticut, Edwards’ son, Jonathan Jr., also in Connecticut, Jacob Green in New Jersey and Samuel Hopkins in Rhode Island.

Showing the Hypocrisy of Demanding Liberty and Tolerating Slavery

Samuel Hopkins (1721–1803), who had been personally tutored by Edwards, pastored for a time in Newport, Rhode Island, an important hub in the transatlantic slave trade. Like Paul, whose spirit was “provoked” observing the idols in Athens, Hopkins was outraged by what he observed in Newport. He, therefore, began to passionately speak out against this "violation of God’s will” and declared, “This whole country have their hands full of blood this day" (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 92).

After the First Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia in 1774, Hopkins sent a pamphlet to every member of the Congress, asking how they could complain about “enslavement” to Great Britain and overlook the “enslavement” of so many blacks in the colonies.

Indeed, as “liberty” became a watchword throughout the colonies, these second-generation Awakening preachers began applying it to the enslaved blacks in America. Like Hopkins, they pointed out the hypocrisy of demanding freedom from Great Britain while enslaving black Africans. One of the most vocal was the Baptist preacher, John Allen, who thundered,

Blush ye pretended votaries of freedom! ye trifling Patriots! who are making a vain parade of being advocates for the liberties of mankind, who are thus making a mockery of your profession by trampling on the sacred natural rights and privileges of Africans (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 156).

The opposition to slavery thus mounted as other ministers of the Awakening began to speak out. For example, in a sermon preached and published in 1770, Samuel Cooke declared that by tolerating the evil of slavery, “We, the patrons of liberty, have dishonored the Christian name, and degraded human nature nearly to a level with the beasts that perish” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 93).

God Speaks to Freeborn Garrettson

Freeborn Garrettson (1752-1827), a revivalist from Maryland, freed his slaves after hearing God speak to him supernaturally. According to Garrettson, he heard the Lord say, “It is not right for you to keep your fellow creatures in bondage; you must let the oppressed go free.” Garrettson immediately informed his slaves that they did not belong to him and that he did not desire their services without giving them proper compensation.

Garrettson began preaching against slavery and advocating for freedom, which provoked intense opposition, especially in the South. One enraged slave-owner came to the house where Garrettson was lodging and swore at him, threatened him and punched him in the face. Garrettson did not retaliate but sought to reason with the man who finally gave up and left.

Garrettson took his message to North Carolina where he preached to black audiences and sought to “inculcate the doctrine of freedom in them.” His opposition to slavery was firmly rooted in the Gospel and he described a typical meeting with slaves in which,

Many of their sable faces were bedewed with tears, their withered hands of faith were stretched out, and their precious souls made white in the blood of the Lamb (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 95).

Garrettson also preached to southern white audiences and sought to convince them of the evils of slavery and that God’s will was liberty for all His creatures. In Delaware, Garrettson visited the Stokeley Sturgis Plantation and preached to both the slaves and the Sturgis family. He was able to convince Sturgis that slavery is a sin and Sturgis began making arrangements for his slaves to obtain freedom.

The Methodists Go on the Attack

In 1744, John Wesley (1703–1791) spoke publicly against slavery, declaring that, in God’s sight, blacks and whites are equal and that Christ died for all. Many Methodists in America, in both the North and South, picked up on Wesley’s call and became some of the leading abolitionists in America.

James O’Kelly (1735-1826), for example, faced physical attacks because of his bold, excoriating preaching against slavery. He painted slaveholding as a debilitating and demonic kind of sin. It was, he said, “A work of the flesh, assisted by the devil; a mystery of iniquity, that works like witchcraft to darken your understanding, and harden your hearts against conviction."

Because of the bold preaching of evangelists such as Garrettson and O’Kelly, an anti-slavery movement gained momentum, even in the South. This movement faced intense opposition, as was the case in 1800 when Methodists in South Carolina circulated a petition calling for emancipation. A mob burned the handouts and dragged one of the Methodist preachers through the streets and almost drowned him in a well.

Despite the opposition, the movement for abolition continued to spread, impacting those from all stations and walks of life.

Richard Allen Founds the AME

One of the slaves who obtained his freedom from the Stokeley Sturgis Plantation was Richard Allen. Allen, who had been converted under the preaching of a Methodist preacher while still a slave, became a successful evangelist to both black and white audiences. In 1784, he preached for weeks in Radnor, Pennsylvania, to mostly white audiences and recalled hearing them say, “This man must be a man of God; I have never heard such preaching before” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 95-96).

Allen became close friends with Benjamin Rush, a Philadelphia physician and signer of the Declaration of Independence. As the Awakening waned, the Methodist Church in Philadelphia, of which Allen was a member, decided to segregate the congregation according to race. Allen and other blacks walked out. Rush came to their aid and assisted them in establishing their own congregation. They established Bethel Methodist Church out which came the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) denomination. Allen later wrote,

Dr. Rush did much for us in public by his influence. I hope the name of Dr. Benjamin Rush and Mr. Robert Ralston will never be forgotten among us. They were the two first gentlemen who espoused the cause of the oppressed and aided us in building the house of the Lord for the poor Africans to worship in. Here was the beginning and rise of the first African church in America (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 156).

Paul Strand, senior Washington D.C. correspondent for the Christian Broadcasting Network, now retired, called Allen, “America’s Black Founding Father.”

America’s Founders Are Impacted

The spiritual power of the Awakening and the moral arguments it produced against slavery were overwhelming. The pragmatic fruit emerging from the revival include the following:

1) George Washington accepted free blacks into the Revolutionary Army resulting in one out of every eight soldiers being of African descent. Blacks and whites fought together for freedom from Great Britain.

2) America’s founders purposely avoided using classifications of race or skin color in the nation’s founding documents. America’s founding documents are colorblind, even if her history has not been. This is why Dr. King, in his “I Have a Dream,” speech could say,

“When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

3) Founders from the North, who had never owned slaves, took new and strong public stands against the institution. John Adams, for example, declared,

“Every measure of prudence . . . ought to be assumed for the eventual total extirpation of slavery from the United States. I have throughout my whole life held the practice of slavery in abhorrence” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 101).

4) Confronted by the inconsistency of Christian faith with owning slaves, George Washington set in motion a compassionate program to completely disentangle Mount Vernon from slavery. Concerning abolition, he wrote,

“Not only do I pray for it on the score of human dignity, but I clearly foresee that nothing but the rooting out of slavery can perpetuate the existence of our union by consolidating it in a common bond of principle’ (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 103).

5) As a result of the Awakening, an abolition movement arose and one of America’s Founding Fathers, Benjamin Rush, helped found the nation’s first abolition society in Philadelphia. Rush, a Philadelphia physician and signer of the Declaration of Independence, also exhorted the ministers of America to attack slavery, saying,

“While you enforce the duties of ‘tithe and cumin,’ neglect not the weightier laws of justice and humanity. Slavery is a Hydra sin and includes in it every violation of the precepts of the Laws and the Gospels (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 100-101).

5) Even those founders who did not free their slaves, publicly admitted that it was wrong and sinful and would bring God’s judgement on the nation. It was in the context of slavery being allowed to continue in the South that Thomas Jefferson wrote,

“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 a gift from God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just and that His justice cannot sleep forever” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 125).

Although it would take a Second Great Awakening (ca. 1800- ca. 1830), a Great Prayer Awakening (1857-58), and a Civil War (1861-1865) to bring final closure, slavery’s end was sealed in that First Great Awakening that swept Colonial America. It was the Christian Awakening that ended slavery in America.

America is in desperate need of another Christian Awakening. We ought, therefore, to heed the words of Samuel Adams (1722–1803), a passionate abolitionist, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and known as The Father of the American Revolution. While serving as governor of Massachusetts, he proclaimed April 2, 1795 to be a Day of Fasting and Prayer for both Massachusetts and America.

The words of that Proclamation reveal the profound depth of faith in America’s founding generation and shows how they saw their civil liberty tied to their faith in God. It reads in part:

Calling upon the Ministers of the Gospel, of every Denomination, with their respective Congregations, to assemble on that Day, and devoutly implore the Divine forgiveness of our Sins, To pray that the Light of the Gospel, and the rights of Conscience, may be continued to the people of United America; and that his Holy Word may be improved by them, so that the name of God may be exalted, and their own Liberty and Happiness secured (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 104).

This article is derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt's latest book, 1726, available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com. Watch for his latest book, America's Reawakening, slated for release March 15. He is also the founder of the "1726 Project" whose goal is to spread the message of America's unique birth out of the First Great Awakening and call on believers everywhere to pray for another Great Awakening across the land.

2026: A YEAR TO SEE GOD OPEN THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:52:00 +0000

I have great expectations of seeing God do marvelous things for His people in 2026. I enter every new year with optimistic faith, but this year there is something more. It began a few days ago while leading an online Hour of Prayer and a promise God gave me 50 years ago in 1976 was reignited in my heart. The promise from God was that He would "open the windows of heaven" on me.

The Promise Was Clear

Shortly after Sue and I married in 1976, I was reading a small book entitled The Authority of the Believer. Within the book was a quotation of Malachi 3:10, which includes the promise from God that He will, open for you the windows of heaven.

The phrase open for you the windows of heaven burned in my soul. When I went to bed that night and it seemed as though I could actually “feel” that word in my soul in the same way food just eaten could be felt in the stomach. It was a very real experience.

I arose the next morning and prepared for my devotional time in which I was reading through the Bible. As I sat cross-legged on the floor with my Bible in front of me, that phrase, I will open for you the windows of heaven, began burning once again in my soul. I hesitated, wondering if I should continue with my planned devotions, or give attention to this promise burning in my soul.

As I pondered this question, I glanced down at my Bible which was lying open in front of me on the floor. It had randomly fallen open to 2 Kings Chapter 7 and the first words I saw were windows in heaven.

I was astounded for I did know there was another place in the Bible that spoke of the windows of heaven. This was incredible and I knew that God was speaking.

With God All Things Are Possible

I continued to read and found that this was the account of God’s supernatural deliverance of a city of Samaria that was besieged by the king of Syria and his powerful army. They had cut off all escape routes and blocked any food or other supplies going into the city. People were starving and some had resorted to cannibalism.

In the midst of this desperate and impossible situation, Elisha the prophet (who was inside the city) made an incredible prophecy. He predicted that the very next day food would be sold at ridiculously low prices because of the abundance.

An officer of the king of Israel (who resided in this city), heard Elisha’s prophecy and scoffed. Look, he said, If the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be (I Kings 7:2)? Elisha replied that he would see it but would not eat or partake of it.

That same night four leprous, homeless men who lived outside the city gates decided that it was time to take radical action. They said to one another, Why are we sitting here until we die? They reasoned that if they went into the city they would die with everyone else, but if we sit here, we will die also.

Why not go out to the enemy camp, they asked themselves. The worst thing that can happen to us is that we will die. Who knows but what they may keep us alive.

So, they arose and began walking toward the enemy camp. As they marched forth, God caused the Syrian army to hear a sound of a massive army marching toward them. They panicked thinking that the king of Israel had hired the Egyptian army, and they fled in terror, leaving everything behind

The Windows of Heaven are Opened

The four lepers reached the camp and found food, clothes, gold, and silver in abundance. They enjoyed a sumptuous meal and then they took gold and silver out and buried it. Then they went back to the city and informed the watchman on the wall of what they had discovered. The watchman informed the king and the king sent several men to check it out. It was as the leprous men had said. The Syrian army had fled leaving behind a massive storehouse of supplies.

As morning dawned and word spread that food was being sold at the gates of the city, there was a mad rush by a lot of famished people. The officer of the king who had scoffed at the prophecy of Elisha was put in charge of the gate where the food was being sold at ridiculously low prices because of the abundance.

As the crowd rushed forward, he was knocked down, trampled upon and died. The prophecy of Elisha was fulfilled in that he saw the widows of heaven opened but he did not eat or partake of the miracle.

God’s Sudden, Supernatural Abundant Provision

That morning, I sat in awe at what I was reading and experiencing in my soul. It was a beautiful time in God’s presence, and I knew He was speaking to me.

Out of this experience the opening of the windows of heaven came to mean for me “God’s sudden, supernatural, abundant provision.” It is God breaking through from above into our present situation. It is God bringing about effects for which there is no human cause or explanation.

In the natural world there is the scientific law of cause and effect which says that for every effect there is a cause. This is a human attempt to explain, on a horizontal plane, why things happen.

But when God opens the windows of heaven, He brings about effects for which there is no human cause or explanation. He breaks into our lives from above and produces effects that we have not caused. He provides in a way that is sudden, supernatural, and abundant.

God Confirms His Word

As I sat and pondered all of this that morning, I seemed to hear in my spirit, “I am going to open the windows of heaven on you and on everyone who supports you in what I have called you to do.”

Not long after this, Sue and I were sitting around our kitchen table with several other people, including a white-haired, eighty-year-old woman who was a renowned prayer warrior. As we lifted out hearts in prayer, this dear old saint arose from her chair, came around the table, laid her hands on my head and began to pray.

After our time of prayer had ended, she looked at me and said, “The Lord told me to lay my hands on you and pray, and when I did, I saw two doors open over your head.” I excitedly replied, “Praise the Lord! He told me he would open the windows of heaven on me.”

Not long after this, God confirmed this promise in a very practical manner. I was invited to speak at a conference in NE India and I accepted. This was my first overseas travel and I was responsible for all my expenses. When the day of my departure arrived, I had only $30.00 above the cost of my ticket.

The challenge was that I had an overnight stay in London and two nights in Calcutta where I had to apply for a special travel permit. I then had two overnight stays on my return flight home. So, I needed money to cover 5 nights in hotels and food for four days, and I only had $30.00.

I was determined to go even if I had to sleep on the sidewalks in London and Calcutta. God, however, had made a promise--to open the windows of heaven.

On the way to the airport to catch my flight, we stopped at the travel agency to pick up my ticket, for which I had already paid. The clerk was obviously stressed as she informed me that she had been trying to call me because she had to change my route. She said I arrived at my destination at the same time, but for some reason she had to change the route.

As she typed up the new itinerary, I asked, “What is the difference in the cost?” She finished typing, looked up the cost and, lo and behold, it was $300.00 less than before. She handed me my ticket and $300.00 and Sue drove me to the airport where I boarded my flight to India. God had opened the windows of heaven and I saw God pour out His Spirit and bless many lives during my time in India.

2026: A Time to See the Windows of Heaven Open

During our 50 years of marriage, Sue and I have seen God open the windows of heaven on our behalf too many times to mention here. I have a deep desire—I believe from the Holy Spirit—to see that promise manifest in 2026 in ways we have never seen or thought possible.

I am reminded that in ancient Israel, every 50th year was a Year of Jubilee, which was a time of great blessing, freedom and restoration. So, in this 50th year of our marriage and of receiving this promise from God, I have great hope and expectation of seeing the windows of heaven opened in marvelous ways, beyond anything we have hitherto seen.

I also desire to see this promise manifest in your life in 2026. So, let’s turn our eyes upon Jesus and acknowledge Him as our Source for all of life. Let’s walk through the coming months of 2026 expecting to see the windows of heaven open with blessings and open doors beyond anything we have asked or even thought.

Now to Him who is able to exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever, Amen. – Eph. 3:20

Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt is the co-founder of Hyatt Int'l Ministries and his numerous books on Revival and biblical themes are available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com. He is also the cofounder of The Hyatt Institute an online Bible Training Center whose purpose is to Make Disciples Who Will Change Their World. You can explore the Hyatt Institute at http://hyattinstitute.com.

HOW I DEALT WITH MY WIFE'S DEPORTATION

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 18:34:00 +0000

Turning Your Stumbling Blocks into Steppingstones
And Your Setbacks into Comebacks.

Shortly after marrying Susan, a Canadian whom I had met in Bible college, she applied for permanent residency in the U.S. We planned to live in the U.S. and I assumed that by marrying a U.S. citizen it would be a simple matter for Susan to obtain permanent resident status.

We were both shocked when the immigration official in Dallas informed her that she would have to return to Canada. Her student visa was no longer valid, and she would have to apply for permanent residency at a U.S. consulate in her home country. She was deported!

I did not protest and scream at the immigration official that she was breaking up our marriage by sending Sue back to Canada. Such a response never crossed my mind because I was not reared to think that “I” am the center of the universe. Neither was Sue.

We then made plans to go to Sue’s hometown in New Brunswick, Canada where I would work for the summer while Sue applied for permanent residency in the U.S. We would be back in Texas by the fall—so we thought.

We arrived in Canada and I was confronted with the fact that Canada also had immigration laws. I could not work unless I applied and was approved for permanent resident status in Canada.

So, in order to have income, I applied for permanent resident status in Canada. My application was approved but I was informed that because of custom regulations I could only keep my vehicle in Canada for three weeks.

So, I drove across the border and sold my Dodge R/T for much less than it was worth and asked my new mother-in-law to make the 300+ mile drive and pick me up.

My world had been turned upside down because of immigration laws. Here I am in a foreign country with no vehicle and living with my new in-laws. This was definitely not how I had planned it.

Neither Sue nor I ever thought of complaining about immigration laws. We took what life handed us and made the most of it. We turned our lemons into lemonade and our scars into stars.

When I see people spitting and screaming at law-enforcement officials and disrupting church services because of immigration laws, they strike me as spoiled, petulant children who were reared to think they are the center of the universe. Don’t be like them! Trust God with all your heart!!!

We lived in Canada for eight years and it turned out to be a wonderful time. We saw so many miracles and answers to prayer during that time and saw so many lives transformed. Sue’s entire family came to Christ during that time, and we made many life-long friends. I would not take for those eight unexpected years in Canada.

In hindsight, it is obvious that God providentially orchestrated our steps like He did for Joseph who was carried against his will to Egypt (Gen. 37-45). Now, 42 years later, and after 50 years of marriage, we are living in Texas where we began our life together. God is good and we could not be happier. We proved the truthfulness and reliability of Proverbs 3:5-7, which reads,

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

So, if you have experienced disappointment of some sort, let me encourage you to turn your eyes on Jesus and look to Him to guide you through every situation. You will find your stumbling blocks turned into stepping stones and your setbacks into comebacks. You will find the satisfaction that only comes from knowing Him and trusting Him with all your heart.

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is an author, revivalist and ordained minister with over 50 years of ministerial experience. He and his wife of 50 years, Dr. Susan Hyatt, reside in Grapevine, TX where they carry on a ministry of writing, teaching, preaching and publishing, Eddie has authored over 25 books, such as 1726: The Year that Defined America, which documents America's overt Christian birth out of the First Great Awakening, and Discovering the Real Jesus, which is a biblical and historical examination of who Jesus really is and His impact on world history.

SAVING AMERICA BY REMEMBERING 1726

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:38:00 +0000

Nations derive their sense of identity from their history, so if you want to transform a nation you must first transform its history. In his classic book, 1984, George Orwell tells how Big Brother set out to transform the nation, Oceania, into a totalitarian state. He wrote, "The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became truth."

For several decades this very thing has been happening in America as secularist revisionists have been hard at work rewriting our history, ignoring everything noble and good while highlighting everything base and ugly. They ignore the strong faith of America's founders and instead paint them as a collection of Deists, infidels and nominal church members influenced by the European Enlightenment. Nothing could be further from the truth!

This is why, as America approaches her 250^th birthday, it is very important that we reconnect with our true history. We are, therefore, highlighting the crucial role played by the Great Awakening, which began in 1726, in the founding of America. If we do not understand the significance of 1726, we will never understand America and 1776. This is what the secularists/Marxists are erasing from our history. We are pushing back with truth and calling it the "1726 Project."

This First Great Awakening, which began in 1726, made several critical contributions that led to America’s founding on July 4, 1776. They include the following:

1. The deep divisions between the Puritans of New England, the Baptists of Rhode Island, the Presbyterians of New Jersey, the Quakers of Pennsylvania, the Anglicans of Virginia, and the Catholics of Maryland were healed in the fire and light of this Christ-honoring, interdenominational revival.

2. It was the first time the different sects of different colonies had together experienced one single national event. For the first time they began to see themselves, not as 13 divided colonies, but as “one nation under God” as George Whitefield, the most renowned preacher of the Awakening, often prayed.

3. The American culture was democratized by the preaching of the evangelists of the Awakening who put everyone on the same level. They emphasized that neither race, wealth, or social status mattered in the sight of God. All were sinners separated from God with only one way to be reconciled, and that being faith in Jesus Christ.

These facts, and others, led the late Harvard professor, Perry Miller, to declare, “The Declaration of Independence of 1776 was a direct result of the evangelical preaching of the evangelists of the Great Awakening.”

America desperately needs this truth of her Christian origins if she is to be saved from the destructive lies of modern secularism, Marxism and postmodernism. What can you do? Firstly, pray! Secondly, promote the materials below that we are making available to the public. Over the next few months, leading up to July 4, I will be giving priority to the following:

1. Promoting the book, 1726: The Year that Defined America, which documents the role of the Great Awakening in the founding of America.

2. Promoting a new book, America’s Reawakening, scheduled for release by March 1. It has much information from the above book, but with new chapters, new research and new applications.

3. Presenting a 5-part PowerPoint presentation called “Saving America” in churches, schools, groups and wherever God opens a door. It can be presented in one session or in all five, depending on what the local group would like to emphasize. The titles of the presentations, each about 40 minutes in length, are as follows:

1. The Original American Vision

2. The Great Awakening and the Founding of America

3. The Great Awakening Impacts Slavery

4. A Nation is Born in Prayer

5. The Faith of America's Founding Fathers

To schedule or for more information, send an email to dreddiehyatt@gmail.com. America is worth saving!

Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt is a revivalist, Bible teacher, and ordained minister. He is the author of over 30 books, which can be found on Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com. He is also the founder of the "1726 Project" with the goal of educating this generation about America's godly heritage out of a great, spiritual awakening.

AMERICA'S CONSTITUTION HAS NO PLACE FOR ANARCHISTS

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 01:32:00 +0000

"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion . . . Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious [Christian] people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." – John Adams

Those words of John Adams, one of America's most prominent founding fathers, were spoken in 1798 just a few years after the implementation of the nation's founding documents.

Although America opened its arms to all kinds of people of different races and nationalities there was one kind of people that were not welcome in America--those "with human passions unbridled by morality and religion." This sort of person is known today as an anarchist, which is someone who rejects every law and form of government, whether of God or man.

I think I first became aware of the word “anarchist” about 25 years ago when I went with a street ministry to downtown Manhattan and preached to a sizeable crowd made up of the homeless, street people and a few regular folks. The leader of this ministry mentioned that one of the problems they faced with street ministry in downtown NYC was the presence of “anarchists” who would often seek to disrupt their meetings.

From their description, it was obvious that the “anarchists” were disruptive troublemakers who recognized no law but their own. Since that time, I have become more aware of the word as “anarchists,” such as Antifa, have been reported in the news as the cause of much societal chaos and the destruction of public property.

The word “anarchist” comes from the Greek word archon meaning “ruler” and the prefix a meaning “without” so “without a ruler.” It first appeared in the 1600s when it was used to describe societal chaos because of the absence of any government. Today, it is used of those who reject any form of spiritual, moral or civil government.

The anarchists seem to live out of their emotions and feelings expressed in anger and rage. You have probably seen them yelling and screaming obscenities in the face of police officers, and even spitting on them, who are expected to stand still and take it all in stride. I have yet to hear one of them present a rational argument for their cause.

Concerning the anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis and other parts of the country, I don’t doubt that there are some people who want to peacefully protest the deportation of illegals, and they have a Constitutional right to do so. They do not, however, have the right to throw bricks, rocks and other missiles at federal officers, set fires and seek to ram them with their vehicles.

It is obvious that any peaceful protests have been hijacked by the anarchists who want to kindle societal chaos and turmoil. Seizing on the unfortunate death of one of the protestors, Renee Good, they are seeking to use it as a rallying cry to stir up anger and rage that will lead to anarchy in the streets.

Jesus Himself spoke of anarchists and warned of their fate. Although he did not use the word “anarchist,” He did use a word, anomian, which carries the very same meaning. The word comes from the Greek word nomon meaning “law” and the prefix a meaning “without,” so “without law” or “lawlessness.” In Matthew 7:22-23 Jesus warned,

Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me you who practice lawlessness.”

There is a legitimate time and manner to protest against moral injustice and unbiblical laws, first of all by formulating a rational and moral argument for your case. There is, however, no basis in either the Bible or the U.S. Constitution for anarchy.

To learn more on this topic and understand the difference in anarchy and opposition to moral injustice, check out Dr. Eddie Hyatt's book, To Comply or Not Comply, which was written during the Covid shutdown when churches were being ordered to close while liquor stores were designated as "essential" and allowed to remain open. It is available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com.

A STUNNING VISION OF GOD'S PLAN FOR NEW YORK CITY

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 22:13:00 +0000

Zohran Mamdani was sworn in today as the first Muslim mayor of New York City. He is also a Marxist ideologue, and he has plans for the city. God, however, also has plans for the city, which I explain below.

This morning, as I was thinking about New York City and its future, I was reminded of an incredible vision that Joseph Skinner (1930-2013), from NE India, shared with me 25 years ago. I decided to check my files and was elated to find Joseph’s handwritten account of the vision God gave him for New York City.

The Incredible Vision

If this had come from just about anyone else, I would probably dismiss it as the work of an overactive imagination. However, I knew Joseph very well having ministered with him many times and having stayed in his home in India. He also ministered with us in Canada and America and stayed in our homes each time.

Joseph was a very humble man, a man of prayer, and used by God in a genuine prophetic gift. He preached the most powerful missionary message I ever heard to our congregation in New Brunswick, Canada. His theme was how Jesus was the first cross-cultural missionary in that He left the glories of heaven and came down to earth to live among, and redeem, sinful humanity.

He was the pastor and overseer of over 400 churches and at least two Christian colleges in NE India. He was also a world traveler, and he experienced this vision during a layover in NYC in 1980. The fact that he had no emotional attachment to NYC adds credibility to the vision. Here it is in his own words.

It was in the summer of 1980 in New York City while I was praying in a hotel room that the Lord gave me a vision of New York City with all its high-rise skyline. I saw the entire city and a bright shining cloud was hovering over the city. I saw lightening flash from the cloud and then the rain, a silvery rain as bright and shining as glittering silver started falling from the cloud. It became a very heavy rain, falling all over the city. That rain started soaking through those high-rise buildings and flowed down, down to the basements of the city and everything was soaked wet with that rain. And that rain kept on falling over the city.

When I asked the Lord the meaning of this vision, the Lord answered that He would pour out His Spirit on the entire city in such a mighty way just like the torrential rain I saw in the vision. The outpouring would be so great it would amaze the world. The work of the Holy Spirit would soak and affect every strata of the society from the top down to the lowest character of the society. God said He would sanctify the city, heal its characters, change the city and its people and show forth the power of His salvation. The world would be amazed at His acts of love and power upon the land.

I am here reminded of the word of the Lord to the Jews who had been led away captive to Babylon. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God said to them,

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

Here’s the Plan Going Forward

My exhortation to the Christians of NYC and America, is to avoid being pulled into a reactionary mode wherein you are continually attacking Mamdani and Islam. Instead, take a proactive approach wherein you focus on proclaiming Jesus in all His majesty and glory and telling the wonderful things He has done for the human race.

This was Paul’s approach in the idolatrous, occultic city of Ephesus where the massive temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, dominated its skyline. Paul ministered there for three years and had such an impact that people began leaving Artemis and publicly burning their books of sorcery and magic.

So many people began turning to Jesus that a riot broke out. It was instigated by the merchants who sold souvenir images of Artemis and her temple to the continual stream of visitors who came there to admire her temple and worship at her shrine. These merchants claimed that their livelihood was in danger because of Paul’s preaching. Yet, when the city clerk quieted the mob, he pointed out that neither Paul nor his followers had done any damage to the temple nor had they blasphemed their goddess (Acts 19:17).

Paul’s proactive message of Jesus in all His majesty and glory left no room for other gods and goddesses. Yes, there is a time to confront evil and speak the truth to every situation, but we must guard against falling into a reactionary mode. Remember Paul’s words to the believers in Corinth, another pagan city, where he reminded them,

And I brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified (I Corinthians 2:1-2).

Now that we know God’s plan for New York City, let us proclaim Jesus in all His fulness and pray for another Great Awakening to sweep through the City and all across the land.

Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt is an author, revivalist, and ordained minister. He is the founder of the "1726 Project" dedicated to showing the impact of the First Great Awakening on the founding of America. Check out his many book, including 1726: The Year that Defined America, on Amazon and at his website, http://eddiehyatt.com.

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S PROMISE TO JEWS IN AMERICA

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 00:25:00 +0000

The rise of antisemitism in America is completely out of character with America's origins. It is not only sinful, it is un-American. America's founders expressed great admiration for the Jewish people and George Washington made a specific promise to the Jewish people about their life in the new nation he and others had just formed.

The current antisemitism is not something new, for the Jewish people have had a long history of persecution, often at the hands of those who called themselves "Christian." For example, the Crusaders of the Middle Ages, on their way to liberate Palestine from the Muslims, murdered thousands of Jews along the way. Roman Catholic Spain brutally massacred thousands of Jews in 1391 and 100 years later, in 1492, Spain’s rulers expelled all Jews from their country. In the 16th century, Martin Luther advocated expelling all Jews from Germany.

America's Founders Rejected Antisemitism

America's Founders determined that Jews would be treated differently in America. Their thinking in this regard was shaped by the Bible, which they esteemed more than any other book. In fact, a ten-year study to determine where they got their ideas for America's founding, discovered that they quoted the Bible far more than any other source (Hyatt, The Book that Made America Geat, 18).

When they read the Bible, they saw that the Jews had a God-given role in bringing forth Jesus the Messiah into the world. They also saw that it was the Jews who had given the world the Bible, the book they esteemed above all others. This is why John Adams said,

The Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation. If I were an atheist, and believed blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations (Hyatt, The Book that Made America Geat, 91).

George Washington Visits a Jewish Synagogue

In 1790, just nine years after leading the ragtag American forces to victory over the mighty British war machine, George Washington visited the Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island where he was warmly received by this Hebrew congregation. Moses Seixas, in his official welcome, compared Washington’s military success to that of David and his wisdom to that of Daniel, saying,

With pleasure we reflect on those days when the God of Israel, who delivered David from the peril of the sword, shielded your head in the day of battle: and we rejoice to think, that the same Spirit who rested in the Bosom of the greatly beloved Daniel enabling him to preside over the Provinces of the Babylonish Empire. rests and ever will rest upon you, enabling you to discharge the arduous duties of Chief Magistrate in these States (Hyatt, The Book that Made America Great, 93).

Washington was obviously moved by these sentiments and responded that same day in a letter to this congregation whom he addressed as “children of the stock of Abraham.” He assured them that in America they would experience the fulfillment of the Messianic promise of Micah 4:4, which declared, Each one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig-tree and there shall be none to make him afraid. Washington went on to say,

For happily the Government of the United States gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support (Hyatt, The Book that Made America Great, 94).

Indeed, early America’s embrace of the Jewish people resulted in America becoming a haven for persecuted Jews from all over the world. This resulted in America becoming home for the largest Jewish population in the world. This remained true until 2003 when the Jewish population in Israel surpassed that in America.

The Cause of Antisemitism in Modern America

So, antisemitism was virtually unknown in America for the first 200 years of her existence. Why then is antisemitism on the rise in America today? I suggest that the rise of antisemitism in America has corresponded with two unfortunate developments: (1) the loss of a Christian-Biblical worldview in the culture--a worldview which values the role of the Jew in God's plan for the nations, and (2) Marxist ideology pervading our educational system.

With the secularization of our culture and mass migration from Islamic nations, the Bible is no longer esteemed in popular culture. As a result, we now have members of Congress, like Ilhan Omar, and state officials, like Illinois attorney general Keith Ellis and the new mayor of NYC, Zohran Mamdani, taking their oath of office with their hand on a Koran. This loss of a Biblical worldview is tragic for America and for Jews.

Also, Marxist ideology, which groups all people as either the oppressed or the oppressor, has pervaded the American educational system and identifies Jews as the oppressors and Palestinians as the oppressed. In this way of thinking, Jews are to be resisted and opposed, even with violence if necessary. This thinking drives violent antisemitism across America and in other parts of the world.

The Ultimate Answer

I recently read the words of a Jewish Rabbi who has embraced Jesus as the Messiah promised in the Old Testament Scriptures. He stated that the greatest thing that could happen in Gaza would be some Billy Graham type open air Gospel crusades that call the masses to Jesus. I unashamedly agree with him, as do more and more Americans, especially of the younger generation.

This means that America must have another Great Awakening that returns the her back to the God of the Bible who is also the God of America’s Founders. America’s Founders knew that the nation could not survive without a vibrant and lively Christian populace, which is why they issued so many calls for days of prayer and fasting. As the late historian and philosopher, Dr. Michael Novak, said,

This article was derived from books by Dr. Eddie Hyatt entitled The Book that Made America Great and 1726: The Year that Defined America, both available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com. In the coming months, Eddie will be emphasizing the “1726 Project” whose purpose is to educate America and call her back to her roots of Faith & Freedom.

WHY I SUPPORT THE MODERN STATE OF ISRAEL

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 16:33:00 +0000

My support for the modern state of Israel has nothing to do with contemporary partisan politics, but is based on the fact that I am convinced that her restoration as a nation after 2000 years in 1948 was a providential act of God. This restoration marked the beginning of the fulfillment of numerous clear and unequivocal promises in the Old Testament that I find beyond a reasonable doubt. Here is my case.

The Call of Abraham

Four thousand years ago God spoke to a lone individual named Abram in the land of Haran, which was present day Iraq. God called Abram to go into a land that He would show him and promised,

I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those you bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you (Genesis 12:3).

The Promise with an Oath

After arriving in what was known as Canaan, God said to Abram, To your descendants I will give this land (Genesis 12:7). God would reaffirm this promise to Abram on several occasions, such as Genessis 13:14 where He said to Abram, Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.

Being childless, advanced in years, and with many tribal groups in the land, Abram asked God for confirmation, saying, Sovereign Lord, how shall I know that I will gain possession of it? God responded by putting Himself under oath and making a covenant with Abram concerning the land. After describing the oath ritual, Genesis 15:18-21 says,

On that say the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates—the land Kenites, Kenezzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.

Why would God put Himself under oath since it was impossible for Him to lie? He did this for Abraham and succeeding generations to make clear the surety of the promise. God put Himself under oath and made a covenant with Abram to give the land to him and his descendants.

The Promise Affirmed Again

When Abram was 99, God changed his name from Abram, meaning “exalted father,” to Abraham, meaning “father of a multitude.” God then reaffirmed his covenant promise concerning the land, saying,

And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also, I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger; all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God – Genesis 17:7-8

During this same visitation, God told Abraham that his descendants would be strangers in a land not their own for 400 years and afterward would return to this land with great possessions. This was fulfilled when Abraham’s great grandson, Joseph, became the prime minister of Egypt during a great famine and Abraham’s offspring moved to Egypt where they were sustained by Joseph.

However, after Joseph died, the Egyptians enslaved the Hebrews, as they were called. However, when the time of their deliverance came through Moses, there was no question as to where they would go. They would return to the land that had been promised them by God. They would return to the Land of Promise.

Led by Moses and then Joshua, the descendants of Abraham possessed the land that had been promised to them. Later, under the reigns of David and Solomon Israel flourished and became the dominant force in the Middle East. However, succeeding generations turned away from God and worshipped false gods, which brought on them the consequences that God had warned would happen.

The Scattering of Israel

Shortly after departing Egypt, God spoke through Moses of the blessings that would be theirs if they loved and obeyed Him, and the curses that would come if they turned away from Him and worshipped other gods. He warned that if they turned to other gods, Then the LORD will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other (Deuteronomy 28:64).

This warning has been literally fulfilled at least twice. The first time was when the Assyrians and Babylonians conquered Israel, destroyed the temple in Jersualem, slaughtered many of her citizens, and carried many away as captives.

God restored them to their land through Nehemiah and Ezra, and the temple was finally rebuilt through Herod the Great. At the time of the Gospels, Israel was flourishing, although under the thumb of the Romans who allowed them much autonomy and freedom.

The leaders of Israel, however, rejected Jesus as the Messiah and turned Him over to the Romans for crucifixion. Then, in a.d. 70, the Jews rebelled against Rome. The Roman General Titus then came with a large Roman army and besieged Jerusalem. They broke through the walls, razed the city, destroyed the temple, and enslaved thousands.

The Romans left a remnant of Jews in the area and 70 years later, in a.d. 135, another rebellion, led Simon bar Kokhba, erupted. This time, the Romans were even more brutal in their response.

They completely destroyed the villages that remained and pursued the people who tried to escape and slaughtered them wherever they were found. Thousands were enslaved. Although a smattering of Jews survived and remained in the land, Israel as a nation was no more.

The Origin of the Name “Palestine”

The nation was gone and to add insult to injury, the Romans called the land that had once been Israel, “Palestine.” This name was derived from Israel’s ancient enemy, the Philistines. The Philistines had disappeared centuries before, but the Romans concocted the name as an insult and slur to surviving Jews.

So, Palestine was originally neither a nation or a people. It was a name that applied to the land itself. And after this final revolt, the people who lived on this land were Arabs and a smattering of Jews. The use of “Palestinian” to refer to a people group did not emerge until the 20th century, and especially after the establishment of the modern state of Israel.

The Regathering of Israel

Along with the warnings of being scattered to the ends of the earth if they broke covenant with Him, were the many promises of God that He would gather them from the places where they had been scattered, I have no doubt that the establishment of the modern state of Israel is a fulfillment of those promises from God. The following are mere samples of the many promises concerning the regathering of Israel.

After warning the people through Moses that He would scatter them among the nations if they turned from Him to idolatry, God also promised,

The LORD your God will bring you back from captivity and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you (Deuteronomy 30:3).

Isaiah also spoke of God regathering Israel from throughout the earth. In Isaiah 11:11-12 he proclaimed,

In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth.

More than once, Jeremiah prophesied of the regathering of Israel from the nations where they had been scattered. In Jeremiah 16:15b, God says plainly, For I will restore them to the land I gave their ancestors. Then in Jeremiah 31:8-9, God speaks again, declaring,

Behold I will bring them from the north country and gather them from the ends of the earth . . . Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, “He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep him as a shepherd does his flock.”

Ezekiel also prophesied of Israel’s regathering. In Ezekiel 37:24, God says, For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.

There is no question in my mind that the Zionist movement that began in the late 19th century in which Jews all over the world began to desire to return to the land of their ancestors, was a providential act of God. Then, the restoration of Israel as a nation in 1948 fulfilled, at least in part, the many promises from God that he would regather the descendants of Abraham back to their land.

Modern Israelis Are the Descendants of Abraham

Some try to claim that the people occupying the modern state of Israel are not true Jews, but there is no reason for thinking this. God gave Abraham and later Moses certain distinctive rituals and traditions that were to be passed along from generation to generation. These include keeping the Sabbath, circumcision, keeping certain feasts such as Passover, Yom Kippur, and the Feast of Tabernacles.

These traditions have been kept by Jews down through the centuries making them easy to identify. Those who have persecuted the Jews through the centuries have had no problem identifying them. These include the Crusaders of the Middle Ages who murdered thousands of Jews, the Catholics in Spain who massacred thousands of Jews in 1391, Spain’s rulers who expelled all Jews in 1492, massacres in Russia in the 19th century, and Hitler and the Nazis in the 20th century.

These evil people have had no problem identifying who were the real Jews, and there is no reason to believe that those in the modern state of Israel, speaking Hebrew as their national language, are not the true descendants of Abraham.

I have heard some seek to apply the words of Jesus in Revelation 2:9b to the modern state of Israel. Jesus said to His followers in the city Smyrna, I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

To apply this to modern Israel requires a flight from logic and an ignoring of sound principles of interpretation. This statement was made by Jesus 2000 years ago to a particular congregation in the ancient city of Smyrna in present day Turkey. To arbitrarily apply it to Israel today, cannot be justified.

The World Needs Jesus

Israel has never been perfect, which is why in the OT God continually raised up prophets to confront her about her sins and idolatry. She can be criticized for misguided policies but one cannot oppose Israel’s right to the land wherein they now dwell and be on the right side of God and history.

Yes, we care about the sufferings of the people in Gaza and pray for their salvation. We cannot forget, however, that they chose a terrorist organization, Hamas, to be their governing authority. May this be a time when their hearts are softened and they truly desire peace with their Jewish neighbors.

The bottom line is that both Jew and Palestinian needs Jesus. I heard a Jewish rabbi, who had embraced Jesus as the Messiah, say that what would do Gaza more good than anything would be some Billy Graham type crusades calling the masses to Jesus.

Paul would agree. Speaking of the great gulf between Jew and Gentile, Paul said of Jesus, He Himself is our Peace who has made both one . . . that He might reconcile them both to God (Ephesians 2:14-18).

Let us pray for a great Jesus awakening throughout the Middle East, for that is the only hope for true peace in that region and in all the world. And in the meantime, we must not forget that Israel has a title deed from God--in writing--to the land wherein they now dwell.

Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt is a Bible teacher, revivalist, historian and ordained minister. His numerous books on America's Christian heritage and other Biblical and theological topics are available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com. Of particular strategic importance for America at this time is his book, 1726: The Year that Defined America,

A STUNNING LESSON FROM THE CHRISTMAS STORY OF DIVINE EMPOWERMENT

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 21:09:00 +0000

A Divine principle taught in Scripture is: “God purposely chooses weak human vessels through which to display His power.” In the following essay, I will show how this principle is vividly illustrated in the Christmas Story itself, in Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel, in Paul’s experience, and in the experience of a modern, world-renowned pastor.

God Visited this Planet Without Human Fanfare

When our Creator chose to visit this world, He did not choose a red-carpet entrance. He did not choose the temple in Jerusalem with Levites blowing trumpets and robed priests announcing His arrival. Neither did He choose to make His entrance in Rome, introduced by Caesar with all the pomp of imperial Rome.

Instead, He chose to enter this world in the humblest of circumstances—a stable in a small, insignificant village far removed from the centers of religious and political power. He chose, not a queen, priestess, or starlet, but a poor Middle Eastern Jewish girl through whom to make His entrance.

We know that Mary and Joseph were poor, for when they took the infant Jesus to the temple to offer up the required offering, they offered the alternative offering of two pigeons or two doves, which was allowed for those too poor to afford a lamb (Luke 1:22-24; Leviticus 12:8).

The lesson is that we must not allow ourselves to be enamored by the pomp, grandeur, and ceremony of this modern world and the contemporary church. If we do, we will surely miss out on what God is doing, for He works according to a completely different principle, which we see displayed in the Christmas story. Paul spoke of this principle when he wrote,

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are mighty . . . that no flesh should glory in His presence (I Cor. 1:27-29).

Mary's Response Illustrates this Principle

When God needs someone to do a task, He does not choose the egocentric, self-confident person whose response is, “No problem God; I can handle that.” Instead, he chooses the person who recognizes their own human inadequacy and even wonders why God would choose them. His power works best through human weakness.

When, for example, the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would conceive and bear a child who would be called the “Son of the Highest,” Mary responded in awe and wonder, “How can this be since I do not know a man?” In other words, “What you are telling me is humanly impossible.” A vision from God will always cause the recipient to ask in wonder, "How can this be?"

Gabriel’s answer for her human impossibility was, The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you and the power of the Highest shall “overshadow” you (Luke 1:35). The word “overshadow” in this verse is from the Greek word episkenose and it means to “rest upon” or “abide upon” or “overshadow.”

It is the same word used of the cloud that came and “overshadowed” Jesus and His three disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration (Luke 9:34). It is also the word used by Paul in delineating how he learned the secret of God's power "overshadowing" His people.

The answer to Mary’s “how can this be” is also the answer for the impossible challenges you and I will face in 2025. The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you and the power of the Highest shall “overshadow” you .

Paul Learns this Principle

Paul tells of learning this principle in II Corinthians 12:9. This principle was revealed to him after he had prayed that a difficult, debilitating situation be removed from his life. God responded by saying, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.

The word “strength” in this passage is a translation of the Greek word dunamis, which in other places is translated as “power.” The word “perfect” is a translation of the Greek word teleos, which means “end,” “destination,” or “maximum.” A more literal translation of this verse would be, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is maximized in weakness.

After learning that God’s power will be maximized in his weakness, Paul says in II Corinthians 12:9b, Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities [weaknesses], that the power of Christ may “rest” upon me. It is important to note that the word “rest” in this passage is a cognate form of the very same Greek word that is used of Mary in Luke 1:35 where it is translated as “overshadow.”

Paul is not being negative and wallowing in his pain. He is saying that since learning this principle, he feels no need to boost and enhance his profile. He is free to acknowledge his own human inadequacy and admit how much he needs God. In doing so, he finds God’s power being maximized in his life.

A World-Renowned Pastor Learns this Principle

In 1988 I spent one week with the late David Yonggi Cho who was the founder and pastor of the largest church in world, which at that time, had over 700,000 members. In a pastor’s conference with over 600 Christian leaders from around the world, he told of a great crisis he went through in his early years in which he learned this principle of God’s power being maximized in our weakness.

He had already achieved remarkable success as a pastor but plunged his congregation and his family into financial turmoil after making some bad business decisions regarding the purchase of land and then setting out to build condominiums and a massive new cathedral. However, an unexpected recession hit the country and he was no longer able to pay the contractors, who stopped working and began filing lawsuits against him and the church.

With unfinished condominiums and a large hole in the ground where the church was supposed to be, people began leaving the church and the stress seemed to daily increase. In desperation, he sold his home and moved his family into one of the unfinished condominiums.

Then, one day, in an argument with his wife, he hit her and broke her nose. She packed her suitcase and left, saying, “I always wanted to marry a Pentecostal preacher, but I never thought it would be like this.” He hit rock bottom and climbed out on a ledge intending to jump and commit suicide. However, a thought crossed his mind, “If you have enough courage to commit suicide, why don’t you redirect that courage and persevere through this.”

The Great Cho Died

He told this audience of Christian leaders, “That was when the great Cho died.” He laid aside his ego and went to his mother-in-law’s home where his wife had gone. He humbled himself and admitted how wrong he had been and, on his knees, begged for her forgiveness. After much pleading, she forgave him and they were reconciled.

He then went to church on Sunday and humbled himself before the people, saying, “Please pray for me.” He went on to acknowledge that he had brought on the terrible situation they were in by bad decisions and not listening to others, including his wife. He asked for their forgiveness and prayers. Something marvelous then occurred.

The Power of God Overshadowed Him

The Spirit of God fell and the power of God seemed to “overshadow” the congregation. People began standing to their feet and saying, “We are going to put our home up for sale this week, move into one of those unfinished condominiums with your family, and give the proceeds to the church.” Young people began standing and saying they were going to get a second job and give the proceeds to the church. Women who were poor cut their hair, braided it into rugs, sold them on the street, and gave the proceeds to the church.

It was a defining moment. The money poured in and every need was abundantly supplied. From that moment, the Yoido Full Gospel Church exploded in unheard of growth. When I was there in 1988, the 25,000 seat colosseum was complete and with other campus auditoriums, connected by closed-circuit TV, they could accommodate 50,000 in a single service. Each Sunday they had seven services to accommodate the crowds. I heard Lester Sumrall say that it was not only the largest church in the world, but also the wealthiest church in the world.

Cho encouraged those hundreds of pastors to be honest with their congregations and let them know they need their prayers. He said, “My people love me and pray for me because I do not hide from them; they know I am a frail human being and need their prayers.” God’s power was being maximized in his weakness.

We Can See God’s Power Maximized in 2026

Do we want God’s power to rest upon us and be maximized in 2026? Then we must get rid of the religious facades and acknowledge that even with all our religious paraphernalia, great choirs, singers, preachers, and musicians, we are in desperate need of God. His power is still maximized in human weakness—in those who recognize and acknowledge how much they need Him.

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is a Bible teacher, revivalist and historian who has authored over 20 books on the overcoming Christian life and spiritual awakening. His book, 1726: The Year that Defined America, is a must read for those who hunger to see God move in another Great Awakening across this land. His books are available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com.

A WORLD-RENOWNED, AGNOSTIC ARCHAEOLOGST DISCOVERS THE CHRISTMAS STORY IS REAL

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:51:00 +0000

Sir William Ramsay, a renowned agnostic, archaeologist and Oxford professor, was convinced by his scientific investigations that the Bible is reliable and true. His archaeological discoveries led him to the conclusion that the Christmas story must be real and he was forever changed.

Ramsay was a product of the skeptical, German higher criticism of the 19th century, which was based, not on scientific investigation, but on philosophical musings. He taught his students that the New Testament is an unreliable religious treatise written in the 2nd century by writers far removed from the events described and, therefore, filled with myths and inaccuracies.

Ramsay decided he would demonstrate this thesis by retracing Luke’s account of Paul’s travels in Acts and doing archaeological excavations along the way. He was confident that he would discover many inaccuracies and falsehoods in the account and scientifically demonstrate the accuracy of his thesis.

His Scientific Discoveries Overturn His Liberal/Critical Theories

However, after decades of meticulous fieldwork and excavation in Asia Minor, he was astonished by the precision of Luke's descriptions of geographical, political, and cultural details. He discovered that in every place modern critics had said Luke was mistaken, Luke turned out to be right and the critics wrong,

For example, the critics said the writer of Acts was mistaken when, in Acts 17:6, 8, he referred to the city rulers of Thessalonica as “politarchs.” They pointed out that no writer of antiquity ever referred to rulers by such a word. However, in his excavations in the area of Thessalonica, Ramsay discovered that “politarch” was the precise word used in that region for their rulers.

To cite another example, in Acts 14:6, Luke groups Lystra and Derbe together as cities of Lycaonia but does not include Iconium, even though Iconium and Lystra were much closer geographically (Acts 14:1-6). Also, earlier Roman writers, such as Cicero (106-43 BC), said that Iconium was in Lycaonia. The critics said this was clear evidence that Luke was mistaken.

Ramsay discovered, however, that at the time of Luke’s writing Iconium was a part of Perga whose inhabitants spoke a different language (Phrygian) with a different culture than Derbe and Lystra, whose inhabitants spoke the Lycaonian language, shared a similar culture, and were part of Lycaonia. Again, Luke was right and the critics were wrong.

As Ramsay continued his scientific excavations along the route of Paul’s travels, he e He Hhe became convinced that Acts was written in the first century by the traditional author. He acquired a very high regard for Luke as a historian and wrote,

Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy, he is possessed of the true historic sense; in short, this author should be placed along with the greatest of historians (Hyatt, Christmas Is For Real, 10-11).

In 1896, Ramsay began publishing his discoveries in a book entitled St. Paul the Traveler and the Roman Citizen. The book caused a furor of dismay among the skeptics of the world, for its affirmation of the biblical record was totally unexpected. The evidence was, in fact, so overwhelming that many atheists gave up their atheism and embraced Christianity.

Over the next 20 years, Ramsay published other volumes showing how he discovered Luke to be accurate in the tiniest details of his account. In his book, The Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament, he wrote, “You may press the words of Luke in a degree beyond any other historian and they stand the keenest scrutiny and the hardest treatment” (Hyatt, Discovering the Real Jesus, 72).

He Found the Evidence Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

Being an honest seeker of the truth, Ramsay had to deal with the logical ramifications of his discoveries. If Luke was this careful to get his facts right about people, titles, cities, geography, and waterways, should he not be trusted in the more important things about which he wrote such as the Christmas story?

Indeed, of all the Gospels, Luke gives the most detailed account of the Nativity and mentions Mary 12 times. This is more than any other biblical writer. In addition to the birth of Jesus, he also gives special, detailed attention to the birth of John the Baptist. Many see his gynecological interests to be a result of his training as a physician.

At the beginning of his Gospel, Luke, whom Paul calls the beloved physician (Colossians 4:14), indicates that he has made a thorough investigation of the things about which he is writing, including the Virgin Birth. This investigation included evidence from eyewitness accounts of the events recorded. Luke spent extended periods of time with Paul in Jerusalem and Judea and would have had the opportunity to interview those who were closest to the event, including Mary herself.

For Ramsay, the evidence was overwhelming and to the dismay of atheists and agnostics everywhere, he embraced Christianity. He followed the evidence and it led Him to the manger in Bethlehem and angels announcing the birth of the newborn king. His scientific research also led him to conclude that all 13 of Paul’s epistles are authentic, which challenged the speculative theories of the higher critics of his day.

Archaeology has, indeed, affirmed the Biblical historical record. William F. Albright (1891-1971), the renowned archaeologist and late professor of Semitic languages at John Hopkins University, also began his career as a skeptic. But after years of archaeological investigations in the land of the Bible, he wrote,

The excessive skepticism shown toward the Bible by important historical schools of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, certain phases of which still appear periodically, has been progressively discredited. Discovery after discovery has established the accuracy of innumerable details and has brought recognition to the Bible as a source of history (Hyatt, Christmas Is For Real, 11-12).

Our Faith Has a Solid Historical Base

Such overwhelming evidence for the reliability of the Bible raises the question as to why there remains so much skepticism about the Christmas story and other miracles recorded in the New Testament. This question was answered by Millar Burrows (1889-1980), a renowned archaeologist, Professor of Archaeology at Yale Divinity School, and Director of the American School of Oriental Research in Jerusalem. Concerning so much remaining skepticism in academia, he wrote,

The excessive skepticism of many liberal theologians stems not from a careful evaluation of the available data, but from an enormous predisposition against the supernatural (Hyatt, Discovering the Real Jesus, 137).

In other words, the issue is not an intellectual issue. It is a heart issue. The issue is a pre-commitment to a materialistic worldview that has no room for miracles. For personal and emotional reasons, they will not let go of their unbelief, even in the face of contradictory evidence. If, however, they will follow the evidence where it leads, they too can sing:

Hark the herald angels sing,

Glory to the newborn king.

Peace on earth and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled.

Joyful all ye nation rise,

Join the triumph of the sky.

With angelic hosts proclaim,

Christ is born in Bethlehem.

Hark the herald angels sing,

Glory to the newborn king.

This article was derived from the books, Discovering the Real Jesus and Christmas is for Real by Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt who is the founder of the "1726 Project" whose goal is to educate American citizens about about their nation's Christian origins in the First Great Awakening.

AMERICA'S COVENANT WITH GOD

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 02:31:00 +0000

#Remembering1726

The earliest immigrants to this land believed that they, as a people, had entered into a sacred covenant with God. This was clearly expressed by John Winthrop who, in 1630, led a flotilla of eleven ships with 700 passengers to New England and founded the city of Boston and the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

During their journey across the Atlantic, Winthrop formulated a sermon entitled “A Model of Christian Charity.” In it he exhorted his fellow pilgrims that “the eyes of the world are upon us” and that God would have them, in their new home, to be that “city on a hill” of which Jesus spoke, a shining light exhibiting a model of Christian living for the rest of mankind to see.

He also spoke of the seriousness of the covenant with God into which they had entered. He exhorted,

We have entered into an explicit Covenant with God. We have drawn up indentures with the Almighty, wherefore if we succeed and do not let ourselves be diverted into making money, He will reward us. Whereas if we fail, if we fall to embrace this present world and prosecute our carnal intentions, the Lord will surely break out in wrath and make us know the price of the breach of such a Covenant (Hyatt, 1726: TheYear that Defined America, 28-29).

The late Harvard professor, Perry Miller, considered this to be, in a sense, America’s true founding. He saw Winthrop’s clearly articulated vision of being that "city on a hill"--a light for other nations--as that which came to define the nation. He went on to say,

A society that is both clear and articulate about its intentions is something of a rarity in modern history. Most of the nations of Europe and Asia grew up by chance and by accident either of geography or politics.

This was not the case with America. Those first immigrants to America came with a clearly articulated vision, which they recorded in written documents—documents which they considered to be covenants with God.

The Mayflower Compact Was a Covenant

Ten years before Winthrop and his company arrived, the Pilgrims had landed at Cape Cod. Before disembarking, they drew up a written document patterned after the church covenants that were common among Separatist churches in England. Being part of a Separatist congregation, they were very aware of such documents, which knit the signees together in a solemn, contractual agreement with God and one another.

In the Mayflower Compact, each signee promised “solemnly and mutually in the presence of God” to “covenant together” for the better ordering and preservation of their community. This covenant also stated that their purpose in coming to the New World was to glorify God and advance the Christian faith.

Perry Miller, said, “The Separatists aboard the Mayflower found a covenant the obvious answer to the first problem of political organization” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year thatDefined America, 21).

Some have called the Mayflower Compact America’s founding document. That is going too far, but there is no question that it set the stage for succeeding communities and colonies that would base their existence on written documents—covenants--that gave recognition to God and prioritized the Gospel of Jesus Christ as their reason for being.

New England Covenants with God

This idea of a social compact (covenant) with God was expressed, not only in the founding of Plymouth, Boston, and Massachusetts, but also in the 1639 founding document of Connecticut entitled “The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut.” This document states,

We, the inhabitants and residents of Windsor, Hartford, and Wethersfield, knowing where a people are gathered together the word of God requires that to maintain the peace and union of such a people there ought to be an orderly and decent government established according to God . . . we do for ourselves and our successors enter into combination and confederation together, to maintain and preserve the liberty and purity of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, which we now profess (Hyatt, 1726: TheYear that Defined America, 30-31).

With thousands of new immigrants arriving in New England and new towns springing up, there arose a felt need for some sort of centralized government to facilitate mutual defense and to arbitrate land disputes. To meet this need, the United Colonies of New England was formed, and a constitution was formulated, patterned on the idea of covenant. Dated May 19, 1643, the opening statement of the constitution expressly states why they had all come to the New World. It reads,

Whereas we all came into these parts of America with one and the same end and aim, namely to advance the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ and enjoy the Liberties of the Gospel in purity and peace (Hyatt, 1726:The Year that Defined America, 31).

The constitution provided that each colony would choose two representatives who would form a council of eight. This council of eight was invested with power to arbitrate boundary disputes, coordinate mutual defense, and facilitate mutual advice and support. It was clearly stated that this council was brought into existence for “preserving and propagating the truth and liberties of the Gospel” (Hyatt, 1726: TheYear that Defined America, 31).

There is no question that this constitutional system wherein each individual colony retained its autonomy, and the powers of government were limited by the constitution, was a forerunner of the federalist system that would be created at Philadelphia in 1776 and 1787. The United Colonies of New England clearly foreshadowed the United States of America in both its form of government and in its Christian character.

The Puritans clearly saw these written statements as covenants, not only between themselves, but also between their society and God. They believed that God dealt, not only with individuals, but also with social units, including families, churches, and nations. According to Perry Miller, “The central conception in their thought is the elaborated doctrine of covenant.”

The Blessing & Responsibility of Covenant

These early immigrants saw Israel in the OT as a pattern for their social covenant with God. Like Israel, they believed that if they, as a people, kept their part of the covenant, which was to walk uprightly and make His name known, they would be blessed. If, on the other hand, they lost their sense of purpose and began to live selfish and sinful lives, they would suffer God’s wrath because of their rejection of the covenant. During the voyage to New England, Winthrop warned,

Now if the Lord shall please to bear us, and bring us in peace to the place we desire, then hath He verified this Covenant and sealed our commission . . . but if we fail to perform the terms of the Covenant, we shall perish out the land we are crossing the sea to possess (Hyatt, 1726: The Year thatDefined America, 32).

This social sense of responsibility to God is the reason the Puritans tended to hold one another accountable. They believed that since communities and nations cannot be rewarded in the next world, they must necessarily be rewarded in this one, according to their deeds. The sin of one or a few could, therefore, bring down God’s judgment on the entire community. This is also the reason that laws were passed outlawing adultery, fornication, profanity, drunkenness, and Sabbath breaking.

Virginia Too

Although New England was where the writing of constitutions was profoundly developed, all the colonies were founded on similar social compacts with God. When the Jamestown settlers disembarked at Cape Henry, VA, their first act was to erect a seven-foot cross they had brought from England. They then gathered around the cross for a prayer service in which they dedicated the land of their new home to God. In his dedicatory prayer, their chaplain, Rev. Robert Hunt, declared, “From these very shores the Gospel shall go forth to not only this New World but to the entire world.”

This act was in line with the official Virginia Charter, which recognized “the Providence of Almighty God” and expressed the desire that the establishment of the colony would “tend to the glory of His Divine Majesty.” This document also expressly stated that the purpose of the colony was to propagate the “Christian religion to such people as yet live in darkness and miserable ignorance of the true knowledge and worship of God.”

There are amazing similarities between the Virginia Charter, the Mayflower Compact, and other founding documents of New England. This led Perry Miller to suggest that Virginia and New England were not that different. He pointed out that both communities were children of the Reformation, “and what we consider distinctively Puritan was really the spirit of the times.”

There is thus no question that these early social compacts, or covenants, were precursors to the founding documents of the United States of America. Gary Amos and Richard Gardiner are correct to say, “The early New England constitutions were covenants. These covenants clearly foreshadowed the United States Constitution” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 33).

God and America’s Founding Documents

The Declaration of Independence begins with an acknowledgement that human rights come from God. It ends with the signees expressing a reliance on Divine Providence, a common expression of that era for the God of the Bible. It was commonly used by revivalist ministers, such as George Whitefield, in their sermons and writings.

It is obvious that the Founders saw the U.S. Constitution as a sacred document, and they treated it as a covenant. That is why George Washington took the oath of office with his hand on a Bible and solemnly swore to uphold and defend the Constitution, “so help me God.”

This sacred view of the Constitution was obviously inherited from those earliest immigrants who considered their covenants to be sacred oaths between their communities and God. This covenantal attitude became a part of the psyche of colonial America and was clearly present in the attitude of the Founders toward America’s founding documents. Historian, Benjamin Hart, says,

The U.S. Constitution has worked because there has been a sacred aura surrounding the document; it has been something more than a legal contract; it was a covenant, an oath before God, very much related to the covenant the Pilgrims signed. Indeed, when the President takes his oath of office, he places his hand on a Bible and swears before Almighty God to uphold the Constitution of the United States. He makes a sacred promise; and the same holds true for Supreme Court justices who take an oath to follow the letter of the written Constitution. The moment America’s leaders begin treating the Constitution as though it were a mere sheet of paper is the moment the American Republic—or American Covenant—ends (Hyatt, 1726: TheYear that Defined America, 133).

Abraham Lincoln Understood America’s Covenant with God

Abraham Lincoln understood that America had a covenant with God. That is why, in the midst of the desolation of the Civil War, he proclaimed a national, day of prayer and repentance for April 30, 1863. In this proclamation, he acknowledged God’s hand on the nation and, in so many words, explained the present calamity to be the result of national sin, i.e., the breaking of the covenant. He said,

But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious Hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us (Hyatt, The Great Prayer Awakening of 1857-58, 37).

The populace, especially in the North, responded en masse to Lincoln’s call to prayer. On the appointed day, businesses and schools closed and people gathered in churches and homes throughout the land to pray and repent for personal and national sins, including the sin of slavery.

And whereas the South had been winning battle after battle and it looked as though the American union could well be dissolved, there was an almost immediate turn of the war in favor of the North after this day of prayer. God intervened and America was sustained after she renewed her covenant with God.

Where Are We Today?

America is at another critical juncture in her history. Powerful forces reject the notion of God having any role in the nation’s founding and they consider the Constitution to be a useless, outdated document—a mere sheet of paper--as Hart warned.

Taking the oath of office is now seen as a meaningless formality that may be carried out with the Koran, as well as the Bible, or with any religious book. America’s future has not been this uncertain since the Civil War.

The next presidential election holds great and grave consequences for America’s future. That being said, America’s ultimate future will not be determined at the White House, but at God’s House. Lincoln’s Prayer Proclamation was strategic but came after a Great Prayer Awakening that began in 1857 that was characterized by passionate prayer, day and night, in churches, halls, homes, and public auditoriums throughout the nation.

Yes, the decision is ours. What will we do? Will we renew the American covenant? It begins with God’s people taking seriously their role in the health of a nation as expressed in II Chronicles 7:14.

If My people who are called by My Name

Will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face,

And turn from their wicked ways,

Then I will hear from heaven,

And will forgive their sin and heal their land.

This article is derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt's latest book, 1726: The Year that Defined America, available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com. He is also the founder of the "1726 Project" whose purpose is to educate concerning the nation's birth out of a great, spiritual awakening and to call American Christians to pray for another such Awakening.