The 1726 Project

3 CHRISTIAN LEADERS WHO DISCOVERED THEY HAD NEVER BEEN CONVERTED TO CHRIST

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:08:45 +0000

A “nominal” Christian is a Christian in name only. They may be very "religious" but their faith is centered, not in Christ, but in the church to which they belong. Their faith is in the external programs and duties of church, rather than in Christ Himself.

The following are three examples of Christian leaders who came to the stunning conclusion that they had never been truly converted to Christ. Their discovery not only transformed their lives but resulted in them becoming instruments for igniting revival and reform movements that changed the course of history.

The Conversion of John Wesley

“I who went to America to convert the Indians had never been converted myself,” wrote the Rev. John Wesley, a baptized, confirmed and ordained clergyman in the Church of England. He came to this stunning conclusion after a failed mission to George to convert the American Indians. His ineffectiveness and the spiritual emptiness in his soul caused hm to question his own faith.

He came to the shocking conclusion that he had never been truly converted to Christ. He realized that he had put his trust in the externals of Christianity but had never been truly born again through faith in Jesus alone.

It all came to a climax as he sat in a meeting in London where Martin Luther’s "Preface to the Book of Romans" was being read. Luther, of course, emphasized salvation through faith alone in Christ alone. As Wesley listened to how Luther described the change that takes place in a person’s heart when they put their faith in Christ alone, something marvelous happened. He later wrote,

I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt 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 the time of his conversion and he was never the same. He began to preach Christ with a new sense of power and urgency. When the Anglican churches closed their doors to him because of his message that church membership will not save you, he took his Christ-centered message to the streets and the open fields.

Everywhere he went, thousands gathered to hear him, and great revival swept across the land. This Methodist revival transformed the UK. It jumped the Atlantic and had a powerful impact in the American colonies and on the founding of America. The church and the world would never be the same after John Wesley’s “warmed heart.”

Martin Luther’s Conversion

Like Wesley, Martin Luther was a baptized, confirmed and ordained priest, but in the Roman Catholic Church. But despite all his religious connections, he had no peace in his heart toward God nor any assurance that he was accepted by God. He wrestled with this in prayer and finally come to the conclusion that he had never been truly converted.

The answer for Luther came while teaching the NT books of Romans and Galatians at the University of Wittenberg where he was a professor of Bible and theology. These letters of Paul clearly delineate that it is only through faith in Jesus Christ, and Him alone, that our sins are forgiven and we are reconciled to God.

When this truth of faith in Christ dawned on Luther’s soul, he wrote, “I felt that the gates of heaven were opened and that I had been born again.” This truth was so real to him that he began to boldly proclaim it and even challenged the pope to begin preaching faith in Jesus Christ alone as the way to heaven. He wrote,

Therefore, no one is obliged to obey the ordinances of the pope, or required to listen to him, except when he teaches the gospel and Christ. And the pope should teach nothing but faith without any restrictions (Hyatt, Apostolic Leadership, 18).

His message that we are saved by faith in Christ alone did not sit well with the Roman Church hierarchy and he was eventually excommunicated. But his discovery that the externals of “church” will not save and that only faith in Christ reconciles us to God, ignited the Protestant Reformation and its sound is still reverberating throughout the church and world today.

The Conversion of Pandita Ramabai

Although of a different time and culture, Pandita Ramabai’s story of conversion is very similar to that of Wesley and Luther. Pandita (1858-1920) was born into a devout Hindu home in India and was taught Sanskrit by her father who was a preacher of Hinduism.

While studying in England, Pandita decided to become a Christian. She joined the Church of England, was baptized and confirmed and began to diligently study her new religion. She also returned to India and founded a home for widows and orphan girls, which she called Mukti Mission.

She continued to diligently read and study her Bible and after eight years came to the realization that she had merely “changed religions.” In her words, she had accepted the Christian religion, “but not Christ Himself.”

She bowed before the Lord, gave her life completely to Him and put her faith in Christ alone for her salvation. Everything changed. Christianity was no longer a religion, but a relationship with the Almighty through faith in Jesus Christ. She now experienced a passion and power in her Christian walk that she had not previously known.

She began a prayer meeting at Mukti Mission and announced that the purpose of the prayer meeting was to pray for the conversion, not of the Hindus and Muslims, but of the Christians of India. She realized that so many were "nominal" Christians as she had been, having the Christian religion but not Christ Himself.

Out of this prayer meeting came a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Regular school classes for the young girls were interrupted by extended times of prayer, weeping, and joyous praises to God.

Many of the young girls were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues like the early Christians in the Book of Acts. The American missionary, Albert Norris, visited the revival and was astounded to hear a young illiterate Indian woman praising God in English, “idiomatically, distinctly and fluently” (Hyatt, 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity, 154).

Many of the young girls were so overwhelmed with the love and power of God that they began going out into the surrounding villages and preaching the Gospel to the villagers.

This revival had ripples of effect throughout India and in other parts of the world. Pandita became known as the “Mother of the Pentecostal Movement in India” and because of her social work lifting the status of women and girls, the Indian government issued a postage stamp in her honor in 1980, containing her name and photo.

The Conclusion of the Matter

The Church is the community of faith--the gathering of those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ. It is never the object of faith. Too many churches have been turned into stained-glass idols. This happens when the church itself becomes the object of faith. People are made to think that they are OK with God and their ticket to heaven is punched simply because they have become a member of that church.

That was the mistake of Wesley, Luther, and Ramabai, and is the mistake of millions today. Those three still valued church but now saw church in its proper role. They came to realize that church is not the end and goal. The church is an instrument for calling the masses to Jesus Christ who is the ultimate end and goal of everything. 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 doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time (Hyatt, Apostolic Leadership, 141).

May we see another great Jesus Awakening sweep across America, Canada, Ireland, Mexico and around the world.

Dr, Eddie Hyatt has been in the ministry, along with his wife, Dr. Susan Hyatt, for over 50 years, Their books are available on Amazon and their website bookstore at https://eddiehyatt.com.

HOW DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM IS AT ODDS WITH GOD AND HUMAN NATURE

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 14:01:32 +0000

Human beings, made in the image and likeness of our Creator, have a spirt of creativity and innovation; and when free and encouraged, such innovation leads to successful ventures and a better life for everyone.

On the other hand, socialism, which has become a euphemism for Marxism, destroys human creativity and innovation, and this leads to poverty and despair. This has happened everywhere it has been tried. This happens because of oppressive government control that quenches the creative, entrepreneurial spirit that God put in the human soul.

I will never forget visiting eastern Europe shortly after the fall of the Soviet Empire. I was struck by the grey, drab environment. Even the buildings seemed so plain, flat and lackluster. It was obvious that the Marxist system had robbed the people of the life, energy and creativity that God has placed in the human soul.

That God has put an innovative, entrepreneurial spirit in the human species is seen throughout Scripture, but especially in Deuteronomy 8:18, which says, But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

This is not the prosperity doctrine in which you can get rich by responding to the pitch of the TV preacher and sending him an offering. Notice that it says that God is the one who “gives you the ability to produce wealth.” This means you are not stuck where you are. You have the God-given ability to lift yourself and your family into a place of blessing and happiness.

God has put inside of you that innovative, entrepreneurial spirit that has been the key to American prosperity. It is individual ingenuity and innovation that has created thousands of small businesses that have become the backbone of the American economy and prosperity.

For example, small businesses make up 99.9% of all U.S. companies, employ over 62 million workers (45.9% of private-sector employees), and generate roughly 44% of the nation's economic activity. They serve as the primary engine for net job creation and local community wealth.

This has happened because America’s founders believed in the power of the individual, made in the image and likeness of God, to achieve great things. They valued the individual and had a deep mistrust of big government. As Thomas Paine put it, “Government at its best is a necessary evil, and at its worst, an intolerable one.”

America’s founders believed in the value of the individual. They believed that a free people, guided by the teachings of Jesus, would create a happy and prosperous society. History has proven them to be right.

Socialism, on the hand, downplays the individual and emphasizes the “collective.” In socialism, the government takes on the role of God as the caretaker and provider of the entire society. The state has ultimate value and individuals are like pawns on a chessboard, to be moved wherever and whenever the government chooses.

Here is a secret I will share with you. The socialists are not out to help you; they are out to control you. Ronald Reagan was right when he said, "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help."

If the Democratic Socialists gain power in the upcoming mid-term elections, they will destroy the America I grew up in. They will do this with big-government programs that quench the entrepreneurial spirit God has put in each one of us, which gives us the ability to lift ourselves, our families and our communities.

The lessons from history about socialism/communism are clear. If we desire the best for the greatest number of people, then we must reject this current naïve fascination with socialism and contend for the free entrepreneurial system that has given America the most powerful economy in the history of the world.

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is the author of over 30 books, of which his latest is America's Reawakening, which documents America's overt Christian origins and offers hope that she is seeing the beginnings of a reawakening to her roots in Faith and Freedom. His books are available from Amazon and his website at https://eddiehyatt.com.

AN AMAZING MIRACLE THAT STUNNED US

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 16:18:24 +0000

Remembering 50 Years of God's Faithfulness, Part 10

In the early days of our marriage, I was invited to speak on a Sunday night at Crossroads Cathedral in Rothesay, New Brunswick. Sue knew many of the people from before she had gone away to Bible school in Dallas and met me. But, having arrived only recently from Texas, they were all new to me.

My message was entitled “Household Salvation” and I encouraged the people to stand on God’s promises for the salvation of their entire household.

At the end of my message, I invited people who desired prayer to come forward and I would lay hands on them and pray and agree with them for the salvation of their family. About 15 people came forward, many of them women who came for prayer for their children to come to Christ.

There was much weeping as I went along and prayed for each one. The one exception was a woman who, instead of standing, sat while I prayed for her. She sat very stoic with no show of emotion as I prayed that all her family would come to Christ. I then moved on and prayed for others who had come forward.

When I had finished praying for everyone, I went back to this woman and prayed with her a second time. She still sat stoically without any show of emotion, and I assumed she had not received anything from the Lord. I then turned the service to the emcee who dismissed the congregation with a prayer.

We returned to this church the following Sunday morning and this same woman, Freda Steeves, stood and asked to give a testimony. Her words stunned me and astounded everyone present. She said,

You all know that I have been bedridden with a cracked spine and in constant pain. The pain has been so severe that I have not been able to feed myself and Stan (her husband) has had to help me turn in the bed. Last Sunday evening I determined that I was coming to church; and I did but experienced excruciating pain throughout the service.

She then turned toward me and said, “But when you prayed for me the second time, all the pain left my body and I have not had any pain since.” She was obviously elated at this miracle that had left her pain-free for the first time in months.

We all praised God for this amazing miracle that could not be denied by sceptics. There were just too many family and friends who were intimately aware of the dramatic change that had suddenly occurred in her body. The only explanation was a God-ordained miracle.

I was stunned by the miracle for I had not prayed for healing, not knowing she was ill and in pain. I had asked God to bless her family and save her children. It shows how that when we trust God and do what we know to do, He will go beyond all we ask or think as promised in Ephesians 3:20.

It was also a great reminder that emotion and feeling cannot be the criterion for judging whether a person is receiving from God. And why God healed her the second time I prayed, and not the first time, only He knows.

A PRAYER FOR HEALING: Almighty God, I ask you to unleash Your healing power on behalf of the one reading this who is suffering in body, mind or emotions. I ask you to heal them now in the name of Your Son and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

This story is an excerpt from the upcoming new book by Eddie and Sue Hyatt, entitled, Remembering 50 Years of God's Faithfulness. Yes, praying for the sick has been an important part of our life and ministry together. God is still healing today as in ages past. For a small but powerful book on healing by Eddie, check out 3 Keys to Answered Prayer, available from Amazon and the Hyatt's website at https://eddiehyatt.com.

JOIN THE REVIVAL COHORT

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 22:22:58 +0000

In conjunction with the Hyatt Institute and the 30-year anniversary of the publication of 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity, I (Eddie Hyatt) will be meeting via zoom with those students who purchase the course, “2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity, Part 1” between now and September 10. The course is pre-recorded and the zoom meetings will be a time of discussing the contents of the lessons and praying for one another and for worldwide revival. This is likely a one-time opportunity. If you would like to be a part of this “Revival Cohort,” do the following three things:

1) Send an email to dreddiehyatt@gmail.com and say, “sign me up for the Revival Cohort.”

2) Between now and September 10, purchase the course “2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity, Part 1.” You can do this at https://hyattinstitute.com.

3) Purchase the required texts for the course (pictured below) at a reduced price at https://eddiehyatt.com.

THEY WOULD SEVER US FROM OUR CHRISTIAN ROOTS

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 21:50:41 +0000

All of Western Civilization is under attack from anti-Christian forces who want to sever us from our Christian origins. Whether Canada, Ireland or America there is a common strategy for severing us from our national and cultural roots in Christianity. They do this by rewriting history and demonizing the former generations. This was the approach of the Bolshevik communists when they assumed control of the Russian government in 1917. Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who spent 8 years in a Soviet labor camp, was referring to this when he wrote, "To destroy a people you must first sever their roots." This is right in line with the words of Karl Marx, "People without a heritage are easily persuaded." So, my friends in Ireland, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Bulgaria, the UK, etc. do not allow the Left to destroy your Christian heritage. In America, there has been an all-out attempt to sever us from our roots by demonizing America's Founding Fathers. I, therefore, was not really surprised at the answer I received when I sought God's direction after being invited to present America's 250-Year Celebration message on July 5th at Rock Church International in Virginia Beach, VA. I clearly sensed the Holy Spirit instructing me to present a PowerPoint presentation entitled, "Exonerating America's Founding Fathers." Click this link to hear this message. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbvU6yrh2J8

This presentation is based on the books, America's Revival Heritage, 1726: The Year that Defined America and America's Reawakening, available from Amazon and the Hyatt's website bookstore at https://eddiehyatt.com.

HERE'S WHY THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS WANT TO CREATE A NEW U.S. CONSTITUTION

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 22:25:37 +0000

"Those who will not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it."
Winston Churchill

The Democratic Socialists strike me as being full of themselves, arrogant and naïve. The fact that they consider themselves wiser than America’s founding generation, which created, perhaps, the freest and most prosperous society in the history of mankind, speaks volumes of their inflated egos.

They would abolish the Senate, abolish the presidency, restructure the Supreme Court and give us a completely new Constitution, leading to a new form of government. Why? Because they need power to implement their socialist-communist agenda; and what is standing in the way of their grab for power more than anything else is the U.S. Constitution.

In the Constitution, America’s Founders implemented checks on power because they did not trust unlimited power in the hands of any one or any few. They would agree with Sir John Acton who said, “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

They put Constitutional restraints on power because they believed in the Biblical concept of original sin—that the human condition is flawed and cannot be trusted with power. Politicians often complain about how difficult it is to get anything done in Washington, D.C. That is how the Founders planned it and it has served the nation well for 250 years.

Not only do the founding documents have restraints on power, they have provided the proactive legal and inspirational means for the nation to overcome slavery, Jim Crow, the Soviet Empire and other ills.

If anyone could have had an argument against America’s founding it would have been the former slave and abolitionist, Frederick Douglass. Douglass, however, came to see the genius of America’s founding documents and in an 1852 July 4^th speech, he called the U.S. Constitution “a glorious liberty document” and lauded the Declaration of Independence, telling his audience,

The principles contained in that instrument are saving principles. Stand by those principles, be true to them on all occasions, in all places, against all foes, and at whatever cost.

Douglass had come to see the actions of the Founding Fathers in light of the worldwide existence of slavery throughout all of recorded history. He came to realize that they did not invent slavery but had taken giant steps to see it eliminated, including the manner in which they formulated the founding documents. In the same speech, he declared,

Fellow Citizens, I am not wanting in respect for the fathers of this republic. The signers of the Declaration of Independence were brave men. They were great men too—great enough to give fame to a great age. It does not often happen to a nation to raise, at one time, such a number of truly great men.

Unlike Douglass, the modern Democratic Socialists have no respect for America’s founding generation. They identify more with Mao and Marx than with Washington and Madison.

For the Democratic Socialists it is all about power. They want to destroy the present Constitution because it stands as a roadblock to their quest for power and control. They want a new Constitution and form of government that will give them the power to implement their socialist-communist agenda--an agenda that has miserably failed wherever and whenever it has been tried.

What shall we do? First of all, we must pray for the enlightenment of the American populace and we must show the dangers of the DSA platform and the blessing of capitalism that is rooted in Christian values. We must speak the truth in love. We must proclaim the power that is in the name of Jesus. We must be proactive and focus on shining the light rather than cursing the darkness. Remember the promise of Isaiah 61:1-3;

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

This article was derived from 1726: The Year that Defined America and America's Reawakening by Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt and available from Amazon and his website at https://eddiehyatt.com.

THE MUSTARD SEED PROPHECY

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 22:06:22 +0000

How a Simple Word from God Launched Our Writing and Publishing Ministry

It was 1993 and for some time I had been struggling to organize the mountain of research I had collected for my first book. I just could not seem to fit the multitude of pieces together into a readable format and had decided to give up and set the project aside. Maybe I would write a book that would be easier to manage.

Sue, who had been out shopping, came in about this time. She handed me a tie pin that she had picked up at a Christian bookstore. In the middle of the tiny globe on the pin was an actual mustard seed. She handed it to me and said, “Your book is going to be like this mustard seed.”

The words were hardly out of her mouth when she spontaneously broke forth with an utterance in tongues. The interpretation immediately came to me from Mark 4:30-32 where Jesus compared the kingdom of God to a mustard seed, saying,

It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.

I immediately knew that God wanted me to complete this book and that it would put out large branches of influence and open doors that would be a blessing to me and many others. I went back to work and completed 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity in 1996 while teaching at Zion Bible Institute in Barrington, RI.

The Mustard Seed Sprouts

Sue mailed copies of the book to various pastors and ministries. She mailed a copy to the “Toronto Blessing” where people were coming from all over the world to experience a unique outpouring of the Holy Spirit. They began promoting the book and it quickly spread all over the world.

True to the “mustard seed prophecy,” it began putting out many branches. I began hearing from people from throughout the U.S., Canada and other countries who had read the book and testified that their desire for real Revival had been reignited.

I began receiving invitations from churches and various educational institutions to preach and teach from the book. I was invited to give a 90-minute lecture based on the book at Oxford University and be part of a panel discussion on the Holy Spirit. Colleges and seminaries began using it as a textbook including an Episcopal seminary.

Because of the book, I received invitations to serve on the faculties at Oral Roberts University, Christ for the Nations Institute, Zion Bible Institute, Christian Life School of Theology and others. It has been translated into numerous languages including Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, Romanian, Latvian and others.

Because of the book I was invited to be part of the ministry team for the Azusa Centennial in Los Angles in 2006 with 50,000 in attendance. Because of the book I was invited to be part of the ministry team for Azusa-Asia held in Jakarta, Indonesia with over 70,000 in attendance.

The stories go on and on. Just a few months ago I was contacted by the Tyrannus Theological Seminary in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and asked to present a lecture to their faculty and students based on the book. I presented two powerful lectures from the book to this evangelical seminary that is training Christian leaders from all over Asia.

This is the 30-year anniversary of the book’s publication in 1996. We did two initial printings of the book through our own ministry with a green cover with gold lettering. In 2002 we allowed Charisma House to take responsibility for publishing and distributing the book and they created the attractive cover on the right.

The mustard seed prophecy continues to be fulfilled. Although we have published more than 40 books since that time, it is still our most popular, best-selling book.

A Revival Cohort

At age 79 and knowing my days on earth are numbered, I have decided to do a one-time event with the book to coincide with its 30-year anniversary and the launch of The Hyatt Institute.

Beginning September 10, 2026, I am going to meet via zoom each week with those who take the course, “2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity, Part 1” with the Hyatt Institute. I am calling this group a “Revival Cohort” and we will discuss the video lectures and the corresponding material in the book. We will pray together and make application to our personal lives and to the church today.

The Hyatt Institute is an online, self-serve Bible Institute wherein the student purchases the course and works at his/her own pace and within their own timeframe. Everyone who purchases the course between now and September 10 is welcome to be a part of this Revival Cohort.

I have arranged for the textbook and Study Guide to be made available at a greatly reduced cost by going to my website, http://eddiehyatt.com, and purchasing from the display on the homepage.

WAS AMERICA FOUNDED AS A CHRISTIAN NATION?

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 19:38:59 +0000

America was not founded on secularist, Marxist or Islamic values and ideology. America was founded on Christian values and ideals, which led to America becoming the most free and prosperous nation in the history of mankind.

Now, there is a growing movement in America, called the Democratic Socialists, who reject the values on which this country was founded and insist on replacing our Constitution with one of their own making. They emit more heat than light and it would it would be disastrous if such people were to ever gain political power in America.

Those on the Left react with an emphatic "no" at the idea of America being founded as a Christian nation. But this is because in their embrace of Marxist ideology they think only in terms of “power,” never about "service."

When they hear the term “Christian nation” they think of a Christian counterpart to their own ideology wherein the power of the state is used to impose its ideology on the masses. This is government tyranny and is characteristic of both Islamic and Marxist regimes. It is also the ideology of the new Democratic Socialists.

It is not, however, characteristic of the Christianity of America's Founders. The Founders had rejected a Constantinian form of Christianity in which the government uses the power of the state to sanction, uphold and defend a particular church. This ungodly merger of church and state had begun with Constantine in the fourth century and was a clear departure from the teachings of Jesus and the New Testament.

The Founders were influenced by those elements of the Reformation that rejected Constantinian Christianity and insisted on a return to Jesus and to the central role of faith and freedom inherent in the Gospel Message. In their thinking, there was no place for governmental force in matters of conscience and faith.

But although the Founders refused to sanction a particular sect or denomination, they all agreed that only Christianity provided the spiritual and moral underpinnings for a free and happy society. This is obvious from their speeches, letters and other writings.

Consider the following random quotes.

“Look down in mercy we beseech thee on these our American states who have fled to Thee from the rod of the oppressor, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on Thee. All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ Thy Son and our Savior. Amen. – From the opening prayer at the First Continental Congress

“You do well to wish to learn our arts and our ways of life and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ.” – George Washington to a group Delaware Chiefs

“That with true contrition of heart we may confess our sins, resolve to forsake them, and implore the Divine forgiveness through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior.” – John Hancock in a Prayer Proclamation issued while serving as governor of Massachusetts

“Of all the systems of morality that have come under my observations, none appear to me so pure as that of Jesus.” – Thomas Jefferson

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious [Christian] people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” – John Adams

“Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.” – John Jay, America’s first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

“The right to freedom being the gift of God Almighty, the rights of the Colonists as Christians may be best understood by reading and carefully studying the institutions of the Great Lawgiver and the Head of the Christian Church, which are to be found clearly written and promulgated in the New Testament.” – Samuel Adams

“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.” – Benjamin Franklin describing the impact of the 1739 Awakening on his hometown of Philadelphia

“If you ask an American who is his master, he will tell you he has none, nor any governor but Jesus Christ.” – A letter from a British-appointed governor in America to his superiors back in England and recorded in the British Parliamentary Records on April 22, 1774

“The highest glory of the American Revolution is this; it connected, in one indissoluble bond, the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.”
– John Quincy Adams

“These, and many other matters which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a Christian nation.”
– U.S. Supreme Court, 1892

America was founded as a Christian nation, not by government legislation or judicial decree, but through the influence of the Great Awakening wherein entire communities were transformed as the masses were awakened to faith in Jesus Christ. All segments of society were impacted.

This meant that the Christianity of the founding generation was not an outward, formal, or legal Christianity. Theirs was a Christianity of the heart, centered on faith in Jesus and what He had accomplished for the human race. Such Christianity cannot be legally imposed; it must be experienced by faith.

The late Catholic scholar, Dr. Michael Novak, understood this and stated that when political and cultural decay have gripped American society, “only periodic awakenings have been known to offer a cure.” He went 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, 215).

This means that if America is to maintain its unique rights and freedoms from one generation to the next, she must see periodic Awakenings that reignite the fires of a living faith in the hearts of her citizens. When this happens, Christians become salt and light impacting every segment of society and preserving our Christian heritage and freedoms for the next generation.

To summarize, we must reject the secularist values and vision of the Democrat Party, which seems to have been taken over by leftwing extremists. We must also fervently pray for another National Awakening to sweep across America!!

This article is derived from books by Dr. Eddie Hyatt, particularly America's Revival Heritage (Second Edition) and America's Reawakening. His books and those by his wife, Dr. Susan Hyatt, are available from Amazon and their website at http://eddiehyatt.com.

REMEMBERING 50 YEARS OF GOD'S FAITHFULNESS, PART 9

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 15:48:25 +0000

An Incredible Story that Illustrates Why We Must Develop
A Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and Obey His Promptings

It was probably 1977 and we were in the second year of our marriage. We had decided to plant a new congregation and were having meetings on Sunday night in the local YMCA in Sue’s hometown of Saint John, New Brunswick. At this time only Sue and her mom were following the Lord. Her father, George, and her two brothers, Peter and John, had not yet yielded their lives to Him.

One day, Sue’s mom, Chris, informed us that John (aka Johnny) had agreed to attend the next Sunday evening service. Johnny had not been to any of our services and was living a decadent lifestyle, frequenting bars and nightclubs. We had all been praying for him and were encouraged that he had decided to come.

On Sunday afternoon as I was praying over the meeting that evening, I sensed the Holy Spirit instructing me to ask Johnny to lead the time of praise and worship that evening. My head had an argument with my heart. “But God,” I said, “he is not a Christian, and there will be people present who know him!”

However, the deep sense in my spirit that I was to ask him to lead the “singing” that night would not leave me and I yielded. Sue and I picked up her mom and John to ride with us to the service and I said to John, "How about leading the singing tonight.” I was hoping he would decline but instead he enthusiastically replied, “Yes, I will do that.”

As we drove to the service, Sue was sitting in the front next to me and John and Chris were sitting in the back. As I drove, I noticed Johnny making a list of songs that he would lead us in singing.

I opened the service that evening with prayer and then announced that John Stubbs would lead the praise and worship. I am sure that some people there almost swallowed their chewing gum and some no doubt wondered, “Why is Eddie allowing this character to lead praise and worship?”

Johnny walked to the front, laid his list of songs on the podium in front of him and led us is in singing a familiar hymn. He then moved on to the second song on his list. But after leading us in singing the second song, everything came to a standstill. We all wondered what was happening as he stood still, quietly staring down at his list.

Suddenly, he lifted his head, walked out in front of the podium and said to the congregation, “Before we go any further, I have to do something.” He paused for a moment and then said, “I have to turn my life over to Jesus right now.”

Our fledgling congregation erupted in praises to God and many tears flowed as we led Johnny in a prayer committing his life to Jesus. Johnny then returned to the podium and led us in singing that third song on his list that had frozen him in his tracks. You could feel the life and power as he led us in singing, “I’m So Glad I’m A Part of the Family of God.”

Johnny was a dedicated follower of Jesus for the rest of his life. Just before he passed away unexpectedly about 30 years later, I had a very somber talk with him over the phone. Unexpected tragedy had struck his life. Without any sense that there was a problem, his wife of 25 years, to whom he was devoted, had just left him for another man.

His trust had been shaken to the core, and he was wondering whom he could trust. He said to me, “I just made a list of my friends, and I put Jesus at the top of the list.”

A few days later he died unexpectedly of a broken heart—a literal heart attack that no doubt was instigated by the emotional pain and stress. I preached his funeral and I titled my message, “John’s Best Friend.”

I told the audience, which included his estranged wife, about Johnny telling me that he had made a list of his friends. I told them that he did not tell me who was on the list so I did not know if any of them or myself were on the list. “But here's what I do know,” I said, “He put Jesus at the top of the list.” Jesus was John’s best friend!

I am so glad I obeyed the prompting of the Holy Spirit that afternoon to do something very unorthodox and ask a nonbeliever to lead praise and worship. It led to Jesus becoming John's best friend and carrying him through the most difficult moment of his life and into His presence.

This story is another chapter in their soon-to-be released book, Remembering 50 Years of God's Faithfulness. Drs. Eddie and Susan Hyatt have been in the ministry together for over 50 years and have authored over 40 books and study guides, available on Amazon and their websites at http://eddiehyatt.com and http://godswordtowomen.org. They have recently launched The Hyatt Institute, an online, self-serve Bible and ministry training center that brings together everything they have learned in 50 years of following the Lord. Check it out at this link. http://hyattinstitute.com.

FOUR HARD LESSONS THE PILGRIMS LEARNED ABOUT THE DESTRUCTIVE NATURE OF SOCIALISM

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 20:59:38 +0000

Winston Churchill said, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” With the rising popularity of socialist/communist ideology, Americans would do well to learn from history and not have to learn the hard way, by experience, the destructive fruit of socialism.

Wherever socialism has been tried, it has miserably failed, including right here on American soil. The Pilgrims, who established the first English settlement in New England in 1620, at first attempted a socialist/communist style of living in which everyone was equal. They disbanded it, however, when starvation overtook them and it became obvious that their community could not survive with such a system.

I have delineated below four hard lessons the Pilgrims learned from their experience with socialism.

They Learned the Hard Way that Socialism Doesn’t Work

In the New World, members of the Pilgrim community owned no private property. They worked and farmed land owned by the community. Everything earned from farming, fishing and hunting went into a common fund from which each family received an allotment for their sustenance. They were all equal.

They were a socialist commune, and any excess funds were used to pay off the debt they had incurred for the rental of the Mayflower and supplies for the journey.

William Bradford, who served as governor of Plymouth for many years, told of the challenges of this socialist system and how it almost destroyed their community Drawn from Bradford’s own account, here are four important lessons that the contemporary Democratic Socialists would do well to learn.

Lesson #1

Socialism Destroys Initiative

Under this socialist system, everyone received the same compensation for their work. This meant that no matter how hard or how little they worked, all received the same income. With no reward tied to their labor, initiative was destroyed, and everyone put forth their least effort. This socialist system destroyed initiative, innovation, and entrepreneurship, and almost destroyed the Pilgrim community.

Lesson #2

Socialism Fosters Irresponsibility

Young men, Bradford said, resented getting paid the same as older men when they did so much more of the work. As a result, they tended to slouch and be slack since they knew they would receive the same no matter how hard they worked.

For the same reason, the women often refused go to the fields to work, complaining of sickness and headaches. With no individual reward tied to their labor, everyone gave their least effort. Irresponsibility became obvious throughout the community.

Lesson #3

Socialism Extinguishes Hope and Generates Strife

With everyone locked into a closed economic system, there was nothing individuals or families could do to improve their personal lot. Feeling caught in a trap, bickering and strife began to emerge.

The older men, Bradford said, felt they deserved more honor and recompense because of their age and resented getting paid the same as the youngsters in their midst. The young men, on the other hand, resented getting paid the same as the older men when they often did more of the work.

This sense of hopelessness and the ensuing strife drained energy and discouraged innovative thinking, which led to very serious complications and lack throughout the community.

Lesson #4

Socialism is Incompatible with Human Nature

Bradford believed that socialism did not work because it runs counter to human nature as created by God. In Scripture, God rewards individuals for their labor and good works. Capitalism works because it is compatible with the reality of human nature and the world in which we live.

I will never forget visiting Eastern Europe shortly after the fall of the Soviet Empire. I was struck by the grey, drab environment. Even the buildings seemed so plain, flat and lackluster. Communism/socialism had obviously extinguished the fires of creativity and innovation.

They Experience the Blessing of Free Enterprise

When it became obvious their community could not survive, Bradford and the leaders of the colony decided to dispense with their communistic system, and in its place they implemented a free entrepreneurial system that included private ownership of property. They divided the land giving each family their own plot to work and farm (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 23-26).

Bradford said there was an immediate change. Everyone now began giving it their best because they now knew they would personally benefit according to their own labors. Even the women were now seen going into the fields to work, taking the children with them, because they knew they and their family would personally benefit.

Each family now grew more food than they needed, and they began to trade with one another for furnishings, clothes and other goods. They also had enough excess to trade with the Natives for furs and other items. And they were able to quickly pay their creditors.

In short, the colony began to prosper when they got rid of their socialist form of government and implemented a free, entrepreneurial system. Of their experience with socialism, Bradford wrote,

This community [socialism] was found to breed much confusion and discontent and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 23-26).

The Lessons are Clear

This article was derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt’s books, 1726: The Year that Defined America and The Pilgrims, both available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com. His latest book, just released, is entitled America’s Reawakening.

AMERICA'S ABOLITIONIST FOUNDING FATHER

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 14:45:56 +0000

One of America’s Founding Fathers, Benjamin Rush, was a passionate and vocal abolitionist. At at time when slavery was accepted and practiced in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and much of the world, Rush turned many of his generation against the horrible practice.

Rush was a Philadelphia physician, a delegate to the Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He helped form the first Abolition society in America in his hometown of Philadelphia. He called slavery a “hydra sin” and called on the pastors and minsters of America to take a public stand against it. He wrote,

But chiefly—ye ministers of the gospel, whose dominion over the principles and actions of men is so universally acknowledged and felt, - Ye who estimate the worth of your fellow creatures by their immortality, and therefore must look upon all mankind as equal; - let your zeal keep pace with your opportunities to put a stop to slavery. 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, Abolitionist Founding Fathers, 37-38).

Rush served as the surgeon general in the Revolutionary Army and influenced General George Washington to receive free Blacks into the American army. As a result, one in every eight soldiers were of African descent. Blacks and Whites fought together for freedom from Great Britain.

Rush was very influential in turning many of his generation against slavery. It was through his influence that his fellow Philadelphian, Benjamin Franklin, freed his two slaves and became a member of the Abolition society in that city. He also played a primary role in turning Washington and others against slavery, which is why the esteemed Black scholar, Dr. Thomas Sowell, would write,

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, Abolitionist Founding Fathers, 9).

Rush became friends with the former slave and Methodist evangelist, Richard Allen, who settled in Philadelphia after a time of successful evangelistic ministry to both Black and White audiences. In fact, his ministry was so successful in bridging racial and cultural divides that Paul Strand, former Washington D.C. correspondent for CBN, called Allen “America’s Black Founding Father.”

Being a Methodist preacher, Allen became a member of the Methodist Church in Philadelphia. However, as the Great Awakening, which had ignited the interracial currents in Colonial America, waned, the elders of the Methodist Church in Philadelphia decided to segregate their seating based on race. At this point, Allen and other Blacks walked out.

Rush, a Presbyterian, came to their aid with both moral and financial support. He assisted them in obtaining property and erecting their own building in which to worship. They established Bethel Methodist Church out of which came the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) denomination. Allen later wrote,

We had waited on Dr. Rush and Mr. Robert Ralston, and told them of our distressing situation. We considered it a blessing that the Lord had put it into our hearts to wait upon those gentlemen. They pitied our situation, and subscribed largely towards the church, and were very friendly towards us and advised us how to go on . . . 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, America’s Reawakening, 116).

Think about it! One of America’s Founding Fathers helped launch one of the largest and most respected Black denominations in America. Dr. Benjamin Rush was America’s Abolitionist Founding Father!

This article was derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt’s books America’s Reawakening and Abolitionist Founding Fathers, available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com.

THE CHRISTIAN AWAKENING THAT ENDED SLAVERY IN AMERICA

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 16:00:00 +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, a Presbyterian, came to their aid and assisted them in obtaining property and 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 the famous abolitionist, Frederick Douglass, called the U.S. Constitution "a glorious liberty document," and said of the Declaration of Independence,

"The principles contained in that instrument are saving principles. Stand by those principles, be true to them on all occasions, in all places, against all foes, and at whatever cost."

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.

THE PROUD AND ARROGANT ARE COMING DOWN

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

Today, I am reminded of an experience I had several years ago while preaching on a certain Sunday morning. As I was elaborating on the conversion of Saul of Tarsus to Paul the Apostle, something unusual happened.

As I began commenting on Acts 9:6, and how Saul was suddenly brought down into the dust of the Damascus Road, something stirred deep within my heart. I suddenly stopped in the middle of my message and found myself praying, “O God, bring down the proud and arrogant leaders in our nation, both political and religious.”

Acts 9:6, where this experience occurred, reads, So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” Saul, who was on his way to Damascus to arrest followers of Jesus, had just been just been struck down by a bright light from heaven. Lying in the dust, he heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Astonished and trembling, he inquired as to the identity of the voice and heard, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting (Acts 9:5).

As I elaborated on the intensity of this encounter for Saul, I suddenly realized that the proud and arrogant Saul, who was bent on destroying this new Jesus Movement, had been brought down and humbled in the dust of the Damascus Road. It was at that moment that I spontaneously lifted up the prayer to God that He would bring down the proud and arrogant leaders in our nation, both political and religious.

God Hates Pride

God hates pride and both James 4:6 and I Peter 5:5 quote Proverbs 3:34 that warns, God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Paul warned against putting a novice (one new to the faith) into a place of leadership, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil (I Timothy 3:6).

Pride is deadly because it asserts the “self” or ego against God. The middle letter of pride is “I.” Pride is the root of all sin for the end of all sin is self-gratification. It was pride that brought down the beautiful archangel, Lucifer. It was pride that caused our first parents to declare their independence from God and think they could be gods and make it on their own. Their prideful action plunged the world and the human race into what is theologically known as the fall, which opened the door to sin, evil and death. No wonder that Proverbs 16:18 warns, Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Pride Destroys Revival

Some years ago I was in a “revival” church and scheduled to speak that Sunday morning. It was a very festive atmosphere. But as people shouted, danced and ran, I heard the words in my mind and heart, “The stronghold of deception is pride,” and I knew I was to speak on that topic

When the service was turned to me I announced my theme and then shared with the congregation why that especially during times of revival we must guard against pride. I explained, and gave examples, how many men who were mightily used of God were brought down by pride, because they got an inflated idea of their own importance because of God’s blessing on their lives. I told a sobering story of one of the most powerful healing evangelists of the 1940s-50s and how he began to think he was Elijah, ushering in the second coming of Christ. I also told of his tragic end.

At the end of the service a somberness and quietness seemed to pervade the atmosphere. The people who were running and shouting earlier seemed almost afraid to move. After the benediction the people departed very quietly, almost speaking in whispers.

I later said to the pastor, “I hope I did not squelch the enthusiasm of your congregation. “O no,” he replied, “In fact you were so on target that I may be accused of bringing you in to preach that message.” He then shared examples of how pride had crept into their “revival” and was creating havoc in their congregation.

Charles Finney, who has been called the Prince of Revivalists, commented on how in the midst of a revival Christians often “sin against their own mercies, because they get lifted up with their success, and take the credit to themselves and do not give glory to God.” He further elaborated, saying;

Perhaps it has been published in the papers what a great revival there has been in that church, so that they begin to think how high they will stand in the estimation of other churches all over the land, because they have had such a great revival. And they get puffed up and vain and they can no longer enjoy the presence of God. The Spirit of God withdraws from them, and the revival ceases.

We Must Deal with the Pride

A number of years ago I was sitting in a “Revival Now” conference when I suddenly had an overwhelming urge to bow down before the Lord. I considered how to respond for it was during a time when people were being called to come forward to receive prayer for a fresh touch of God in their lives. The urge to bow before the Lord would not go away and I finally turned and bowed at my seat.

As soon as my knees touched the floor I heard the voice of the Lord as clear as I have ever heard it. I heard Him say, “I am going to be doing some incredible things in the days ahead; and when you see My power and My glory, this is to always be your posture. You are to bow down and acknowledge that I am the Sovereign Lord of this universe.”

I believe God is about to deal with the pride in America and in the American church. The proud and arrogant are coming down. Isaiah 33:11 says, The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

We can, however, avoid His discipline by humbling ourselves. I know someone will say, “But we are living under grace.” That is true and Paul, the preacher of grace, said in I Corinthians 11:31-32, For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened [disciplined] by the Lord that we might not be condemned with the world.

The Power of Humility & Prayer

For several generations, the first immigrants to America would set aside days of what they called “prayer and humiliation.” It was not a time of groveling or self-flagellation, but a time of confessing the sin of pride and the sin of trusting in themselves and their own strength instead of totally relying on the Lord. Out of their days of “prayer and humiliation” emerged the most powerful nation on earth.

We should not be surprised for God promises that those who will humble themselves, He will exalt. I Peter 5:6 says, Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time. And Isaiah 66:3 says, These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word (NIV).

It is time that we as American Christians humbled ourselves before God, confessed that in our pride we have relied on our own strength, and confess how much we need Him. This could lead to a Third Great Awakening that will change the very course of this nation. If we do not humble ourselves, we can expect to be humbled. The proud and arrogant are coming down.

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is an author, revivalist and Bible teacher. He is the author of numerous books including his more recent one, America's Reawakening. These books are available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com.

LIFE-CHANGING LESSONS I LEARNED FROM MY FATHER

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 22:04:44 +0000

When I was 11 years old God miraculously “thrust” out my father from a job working as a farm hand for .50 cent an hour to pastoring an Assemblies of God church in Tipton, Oklahoma. In the process, he taught me by example truths that forever impacted my life.

The farm on which my dad worked was seven miles from town. Nonetheless, my parents took me and my three older brothers to the Assemblies of God church every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night. We never missed a church service.

Becoming dissatisfied with his situation on the farm, Dad began making plans to move to Dallas, Texas where his sister had informed him that he could obtain work as a bricklayer. He, therefore, quit the job on the farm, moved our family into town, and made plans for the move to Dallas.

But as he made plans to move, he heard the Holy Spirit speak in his heart, “What about pastoring this church?”

This seemed like an impossibility for two huge reasons: Firstly, the church had a pastor and he had given no hint that he planned to leave. Secondly, Dad knew that the people did not see him as a pastor. He was a farmhand with a fourth-grade education, had never pastored and was on the lower end of the socio-economic scale in this “nice” church.

Twelve years before this he had experienced a supernatural call from God. He was, therefore, willing to consider that this could be the voice of God even though it seemed so far fetched.

He decided to ask for confirmation, and said, “Lord, if this is you speaking to me, let this pastor resign before the first of the month.” There was only one more Sunday before the first of the month and he was shocked when the following Sunday the pastor got up and announced his resignation.

Knowing that God had spoken, Dad went to the church secretary after the service and said, “I would like to submit my name to be the pastor of this church.”

The church had a process in place for finding a new pastor and it consisted of allowing anyone who was interested to preach in a service and then afterwards the members of the church would vote. If the preacher got more than 50% of the votes, he would become the pastor. The secretary replied, “You are the first one to inquire so your name is at the top of the list.”

About three days later, an older gentleman known as “Brother Cook,” who was the chairman of the board of deacons/elders, visited my dad and informed him that he had talked to all the members of the church. “We are all in agreement,” he said, “That you are not qualified to be our pastor.” He then asked Dad to withdraw his name for consideration because, he said, “No one will vote for you.”

Well, what do you do now? God had clearly spoken for him to pastor this congregation, but now they are all in agreement that they do not want him as their pastor. He was between the proverbial “rock and a hard place.”

Not being a politician with a plan to sway votes, Dad went to prayer. He prayed all night but heard nothing. What now? Do you throw in the towel and move on? Something inside would not let him quit, so he prayed all night the second night, but there was no voice, no guidance and no direction.

Virtually everyone advised him to withdraw his name and forget about pastoring that church. One of his relatives poked fun, saying, “The Lord told Clarence to go plow, and he thought He said to go preach.” The one voice of support came from my oldest brother, Harvey, who said to him, "Daddy, if God told you to do this, you better do it!"

That internal determination to hear from God would not leave him so he prayed all night for the third night in a row. Something incredible then happened as the sun peeked over the horizon after a third night of prayer.

I heard him tell this story many times. He said that he looked out a window and as the first rays of the morning sun shone in his face, “I felt that I was turned into another man!” Suddenly he had no concern about what anyone thought of him. People’s opinions no longer mattered. The only thing that mattered was being obedient to the call of God.

He went out and found the secretary of the church and the chairman of the board of deacons/elders. He said to them, “Brethren, whatever you do is between you and God, but I have to go through with this.” They reluctantly said “OK,” and arranged for him to preach the following Sunday night.

I still remember the message that Sunday night, and there seemed to be a special anointing from the Holy Spirit as he preached from Haggai 1:5, “Consider Your Ways.” After finishing his sermon, he said the congregation, “I have done what God asked me to do. The Hyatt family is going home, and it is now between you and God.”

He then led our family out of the church to our home, now about one-half block away, where we waited to hear the results of the election. About one-half hour later, someone came from the church and told us he had been voted in as pastor with 100% of the vote. WOW!!

Others then came and proceeded to explain that, after we left, Brother Cook, the chairman of the board of deacons who was emceeing the election, had gotten up before the congregation weeping and said, “Folks, I have been wrong about this man; he is supposed to be our pastor.”

Everything suddenly changed. The Holy Spirit seemed to feel the atmosphere. Hearts melted across the congregation. Tears flowed from many eyes. And whereas everyone there had come prepared to vote against him every single member voted for him. The picture below was taken shortly after this miracle event.

From that time forth, except for brief intervals between pastorates, my dad was in full time pastoral ministry for the rest of his life. The last church he pastored was the Assembly of God in Chicota, Texas, which he pastored for 27 years. One young man, Tony Boykin, who grew up under his ministry, wrote the following after his passing.

He had a profound impact on my life that changed me forever. My children and I can always say that our Christian life was helped to be framed by one of America's greatest pastors. I will forever believe that he will stand beside Moses, King David, Elijah, and Father Abraham. If any man has ever lived by Gods highest standards, it was the legendary C.H. Hyatt. I miss one of the best friends I have ever had.

So, I have always believed in the power of prayer, not because of any particular book I have ever read, but because I saw my father persevere in prayer and achieve great victory. I have also always believed that uncompromising obedience brings blessing because I saw him press through the opposition into a great victory.

I also learned from that situation that a church and its leaders can all be in unity and all be wrong. Unity that is not based in truth is not real unity, but a fragile agreement based on convenience that can be easily dissolved. We must be willing, therefore, to stand against the tide of human opinion in our pursuit of Truth.

I will be forever grateful for these life-changing lessons I learned from my father.

Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt is the author of over 25 book available on Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com. He is the co founder, along with his wife, Dr. Susan Hyatt, of the Hyatt Institute an online, self-serve Bible and ministry training site offering world-class Bible training at affordable prices. Check it out at http://hyattinstitute.com.

THE BIBLE AND THE FOUNDING OF AMERICA

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 19:15:41 +0000

At a time when there was no Internet, no TV, no phones, no radio and no movies, the people of colonial America spent most of their leisure time reading, and they read the Bible more than any other book.

Indeed, in early America, the Bible was cherished and quoted far more than any other book. America’s founding generation found in the pages of the Bible its moral compass, its guide for ethics, and the lens through which it viewed and interpreted all of life.

From the beginning, the Bible was incorporated into all the learning of the schools in colonial America. For example, The New England Primer coupled Bible verses and Christian doctrine with the learning of the ABCs. The letter “A” was associated with “Adam” and the statement, “In Adam’s fall, we sinned all.” The letter “B” was associated with “Bible” and the phrase, “Thy life to mend, the Bible tend.” The letter “C” was associated with “Christ” and the phrase, “Christ crucified, for sinners died.”

The New England Primer became the most popular educational textbook in 17th century America, and the foundation of most primary education in the 18th century. Most of America’s Founding Fathers learned their ABCs from the New England Primer. And this commitment to a biblical orientation was true, not only of elementary education, but also of the first colleges founded in America.

Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and all the so-called Ivy League schools, were founded on biblical principles with a Christian worldview. For example, Harvard was founded in 1636 to train pastors and ministers. Its founding document references John 17:3 and declares that the purpose of the college is, “to lay Christ in the bottom as the only foundation of all knowledge and learning.”

A ten-year study to determine where America’s founders derived their ideas for America’s founding documents, found that they quoted the Bible far more than any other source (Hyatt, America's Reawakening, 67). It is, therefore, not surprising that when the first English Bible was printed in America in 1782, it carried a recommendation from Congress.

The publisher of this Bible, Robert Aitken, had written a letter to Congress in which he asked for that government body’s sanction of his work. In the letter, Aitken called this Bible, “a neat Edition of the Scriptures for the use in schools.”

Congress enthusiastically responded to his request by commending his work and declaring that they, “recommend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States and hereby authorize him to publish this recommendation in the manner he shall think proper” (Hyatt, America's Reawakening, 64).

John Adams was a lawyer from Massachusetts, the nation’s 2^nd president and one of the most prominent Founding Fathers. In his Diary, he mused about what the results would be if a nation took the Bible as their only law book. He wrote,

In this Commonwealth, no man would steal or lie or any way defraud his neighbor but would live in peace and good will with all men—no man would blaspheme his Maker or profane his worship, but a sincere and unaffected piety and devotion, would reign in all hearts. What a utopia, what a paradise would this region be (Hyatt, America's Reawakening, 63).

America’s Founders considered the Bible to be the basis for the Constitutional Republic they brought into existence. Adams expressed this in a letter to Benjamin Rush, another Founding Father and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Adams wrote,

The Bible contains the most profound philosophy, the most perfect morality, and the most refined policy that was ever conceived on earth. It is the most republican book in the world (Hyatt, America's Reawakening, 168).

With this sort of pervasive esteem for the Bible, no one was surprised when George Washington took the first presidential oath of office with his hand on a Bible. It was the American thing to do. This act showed his great respect for the Bible, for when someone swears an oath, they swear by something greater than themselves. For Washington and virtually every American, the Bible was the highest tangible authority by which he could swear to uphold and defend the Constitution.

Andrew Jackson, America’s seventh president, understood this prominent role of the Bible in the founding of America. In a conversation with a colleague, he gestured toward a Bible and declared, “That book, sir, is the rock on which our Republic rests.”

Ronald Reagan declared 1983 to be the “Year of the Bible” and to coincide with his proclamation, Newsweek, a secular magazine, carried an article entitled, “How the Bible Made America.” In this article, the authors correctly stated,

For centuries, the Bible has exerted an unrivaled influence on American culture, politics, and social life. Now historians are discovering that the Bible, perhaps even more than the Constitution, is our founding document (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 7).

Yes, it was Biblical values and principles that made America great and if America is ever going to be truly great again, we must have a “Back to the Bible” Awakening, beginning with the churches of America.

This article was derived from 1726: The Year that Defined America and America's Reawakening by Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt, and available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com.

ARE MANY AMERICAN POLITICAL LEADERS LIVING IN A FANTASY WORLD?

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 21:29:10 +0000

“To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any moral virtue is a chimerical idea,” said James Madison, America' fourth president and chief architect of the U.S. Constitution. A “chimerical idea” is a “pipedream” or “fantasy” with little or no chance of ever occurring.

Madison is saying that people who think they can have a a stable and prosperous society without "character" and "moral virtue" are living in a fantasy world. Based on how many political leaders, especially in the Democrat Party, have embraced candidates with little or no moral character, it is obvious that many Americans are living in this fantasy world.

America’s founders emphasized “virtue” as a necessary characteristic of a free people. Virtue may be defined as “moral excellence” and America’s founders agreed that only a virtuous people could maintain political and civil freedom. People without virtue will turn liberty into licentiousness and freedom into anarchy, and we are seeing this happen before our very eyes.

With widespread fraud in the billions of dollars being daily exposed, it is coming to light how amoral people are taking insidious advantage of America's freedoms and misusing those freedoms for personal, illegal gain. Every day it is becoming more and more clear why the founders insisted that only a virtuous people could enjoy the freedoms they were enshrining.

For example, 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.” Two weeks before signing the Declaration of Independence, John Adams made the same point in a letter to his cousin, Zabdiel Adams. 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.

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 (Hyatt, America’s Reawakening, 183).

As Americans who believe in God as the Source of true moral virtue, we should see this lack of character and morality in our culture as an opportunity. When society becomes the darkest is when the light of Christ in us will shine the brightest. And there are promising signs that light is arising in the midst of the darkness.

President Donald Trump recently said, “Religion is coming back to America and I am glad.” Indeed, in recent months Bible sales have surged, and church attendance has increased, especially among the youth and younger adults. According to the pollster and sociologist, George Barna,

Millennials and Gen Z are driving a resurgence in church attendance. As reports emerge of spiritual interest, rising faith, signs of revival—including [our] analysis of the recent rise in commitments to Jesus—churchgoing frequency is another improving trend among Millennials and Gen Z in the U.S.

On the nation's 250th birthday, these reports of spiritual awakening offer hope of a national return to the moral principles on which our nation was founded. Such spiritual and moral awakenings are necessary if our Constitutional freedoms are to be preserved for the next generation. President John Adams made this clear in a 1798 speech in which he said,

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other (Hyatt, America’s Reawakening, 49).

Yes, there is hope. I encourage you to read my latest book, America’s Reawakening, and join me and thousands of others in praying for another Great Awakening to sweep across the land. Such an Awakening will restore "virtue" to our culture and lift many of our citizens out of the world of fantasy in which they are living. This, in turn, will guarantee our unique freedoms for another generation.

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

THE GREAT OPPORTUNITY BEFORE CHRISTIANS IN AMERICA

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 03:03:03 +0000

“To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any moral virtue is a chimerical [illusionary] idea,” said James Madison, America' fourth president and chief architect of the U.S. Constitution. A “chimerical idea” is a “pipedream” or “fantasy” with little or no chance of ever occurring.

Madison is saying that people who reject the importance of "character" and "moral virtue" in the political arena are living in an illusionary world. And based on the current election results throughout the nation, it is obvious that many Americans are living in such a fantasy world.

Take, for example, the election of Graham Platner to be the Democrat candidate for senator from Maine. Platner has cone under fire for wearing a Nazi tattoo and has been accused by various women of sexual and physical abuse. He has described himself as a communist and a socialist. His language is crude and abusive and a former girlfriend said he talked of raping women to dominate them.

Despite the absence of character and moral virtue, Democrat voters in Maine chose Platner to represent them in the fall election. There has been a similar pattern in other Blue cities and states that lean to the Left.

This, perhaps, should not be surprising for in 2019 the DNC (Democrat National Committee) unanimously adopted a resolution affirming atheism and declaring that neither Christianity nor any religion is necessary for morality and patriotism. Interestingly it is these Democrat-run cities where homelessness runs rampant, the streets are unsafe, massive fraud is being uncovered and their budgets are soaring.

America’s founders must be turning in their graves for they believed “virtue” to be a necessary characteristic of a free people. Virtue may be defined as “moral excellence” and America’s founders agreed that only a virtuous people could maintain political and civil freedom. People without virtue will turn liberty into licentiousness and freedom into anarchy, and this is happening in America.

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.” Two weeks before signing the Declaration of Independence, John Adams made the same point in a letter to his cousin, Zabdiel Adams. Adams exhorted him,

As Americans who believe in God as the Source of true moral virtue, we should see this flight from morality and commonsense as an opportunity. When society becomes the darkest is when the light of Christ in us will shine the brightest. And there are promising signs that light is arising in the midst of the darkness.

These reports of spiritual awakening are encouraging and on the nation's 250th birthday offer hope of a national return to the moral principles on which our nation was founded. Such spiritual and moral awakenings are necessary if our Constitutional freedoms are to be preserved for the next generation. President John Adams made this clear in a 1798 speech in which he said,

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other (Hyatt, America’s Reawakening, 49).

Someone has said, "We are daily surrounded by a host of wonderful opportunities that have been cleverly disguised as impossible situations." So, I believe the Holy Spirit would speak today to every true follower of Jesus Christ the word that God sent to Israel through Isaiah the prophet during a time of great darkness, He exhorted the people,

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you, and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Isaiah 60:1-3

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

UNDERSTANDING GOD'S "PROVIDENCE" WILL SUPERCHARGE YOUR FAITH LIFE

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Fri, 29 May 2026 19:01:39 +0000

In the left American soldiers suffer deprivation at Valley Forge 1775 and on the right the NYC skyline and Statue of Liberty

In researching America's founding generation, I noted “Providence” to be a word often used as a synonym for God, particularly as the One who is overseeing the flow of history. “Providence” expresses faith in God as the One who is superintending the course of events and overruling, even the actions of evil men, to bring about His plan and purpose.

A vivid Old Testament example of Providence is the story of Joseph whose brothers turned on him and sold him into slavery, which resulted in him being carried away to Egypt. Yet, God worked through all these events, even the tragic ones, to bring about His will for Joseph and fulfill the dreams He had given him as a young man.

This sort of faith in God’s providential activity is why Roger Williams, after being banished from Massachusetts by the Puritans in 1636, and making his way in the winter to Rhode Island, founded a city there, which he named “Providence.” This expressed his faith that God would overrule the wrong that had been done to him and cause it to work toward the fulfillment of His plan for his life.

Yes, the word “Providence” was commonly used in the 18^th century as a synonym for God. It was used by the Founders and by preachers such as George Whitefield who routinely used the term to describe God’s active, guiding, and protecting hand in the daily lives of believers, the fortunes of nations, and the spread of the Gospel.

John Witherspoon, a member of the Continental Congress and a Presbyterian minister, preached a sermon entitled “The Dominion of Providence over the Passions of Men” less than two months before signing the Declaration of Independence along with the others.

In this sermon on "Providence," Witherspoon emphasized the necessity of believing that God would bring good out of the evil situation of the day—that the ambition of mistaken princes and the cruelty of oppressive rulers would finally promote the glory of God. In other words, he encouraged the oppressed people of colonial America to believe in what the Founders called “Divine Providence.”

The final paragraph of the Declaration shows that the Founders had put their trust in God for His providential protection and support in their momentous act. They knew that King George would see the Declaration as an act of treason on their part. He already had six regiments of British soldiers occupying the city of Boston and they knew this act would put them in George’s crosshairs.

In the Declaration they recognized God as “Creator” and source of all blessings, privileges and rights. They also appealed to God as the “Supreme Judge” for their righteous cause. In the final paragraph they used the word “Providence” to show their trust in the infinite wisdom and limitless power of Almighty God to cause even the attacks of their enemies to work for their good and the good of the new nation they were forming. They wrote,

And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

Look what came forth when a group of individuals decided to trust in God’s providential power and might! What about you? Do you believe in “Divine Providence.” Do you believe that God in his infinite wisdom and omnipotent power is able to cause even the most disappointing events of your life to work toward your good?

Romans 8:28 is an expression of Providence. It reads, And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. I encourage you to say “yes” to God and put your unreserved trust in Him today.

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

REMEMBERING 50 YEARS OF GOD'S FAITHFULNESS, PART 8

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:20:00 +0000

Our Encounter With the New York Mafia

It was the year 2000 and we had just moved into our new home in Euless, Texas when we came face to face with our next door neighbor, a tough looking woman in her mid-50s. We shook her hand and told her our names. With a cigarette dangling from her mouth she shook our hands and replied, “My name’s Adele. I’m a backslidden pastor from Brooklyn, New York.”

We had no contact with Adele for the next three weeks except to wave if we saw her in her yard. It was obvious to us that she had been through some deep and painful experiences with church. A superficial Christian cliché or a chic tract would do nothing for her, except probably make her angry.

The Holy Spirit Knows How

The Holy Spirit, however, knows how to reach the most difficult cases and He moved powerfully one day as Sue and I were about to back out of our driveway. Sue, who was driving, suddenly began experiencing a deep compassion flowing out toward Adele who was working in her yard.

We sat for a moment not sure how to respond to what Sue was experiencing. Finally, Sue rolled down her window and called out, “Adele!” Adle came walking over with the cigarette dangling from her mouth. When she reached the window, Sue suddenly began speaking to her in tongues.

I was sitting in the passenger seat and had the interpretation, which was a prophetic word for Adele. I knew that I should look her in the face and so I leaned across Sue in the driver’s seat, looked Adele in the face, and said, “Adele, God is saying to you, ‘My daughter, you are precious in my sight."

Adele burst into tears and then broke out praying in tongues and we had revival there in our driveway. God bonded our hearts together. She later came to our home and shared how she had grown up in an Italian, Catholic mafia family in Brooklyn, NY, and as an adult had herself joined the mafia.

However, one of her uncles and his wife had come to Christ and had invited her to church. She went and had a glorious encounter with the Lord. She was on fire for the Lord and opened a storefront church in Brooklyn where she was reaching many of the homeless, drug addicts, and what someone described as “the hard cases.”

However, opposition from Christians to her pastoring as a woman and an ill-advised marriage to a Jewish husband who turned on her, brought her to despair. She gave up on church, but she did give up on Jesus. That day in our driveway a tremendous healing took place in her soul and her faith and hope were renewed.

About two months after this encounter, Adele and her husband (since deceased) moved to Florida. We stayed in touch and several months later I received an email from Adele saying,

I am putting a check in the mail. I want you and Sue to come to Florida for about three days, and you can stay with us. I will have about forty people over. Most of them are not Christians. Do whatever God tells you to do.

The Holy Spirit Falls

We arrived at Adele’s home in Port St. Lucie, FL. Howie, her Jewish husband who professed to be an atheist, asked how long the meeting that night would last. I replied, “Howie, it will probably be safe for you to come home around 10 PM.” He then departed for an area casino.

Later that evening the people Adele had invited began to arrive. As starting time approached, the living room and kitchen were filled with people and it seemed that everyone was smoking. Clouds of smoke hung heavy in the atmosphere.

Many of the people were members of the mafia or former members. One little Italian woman’s husband was a mafia boss who had recently been sent to prison. She had come to Florida to work for her brother who owned a pizza chain. Some of the people had been members of Adele’s church in Brooklyn, and when she “backslid” they all backslid with her.

One woman sitting across the kitchen table from Sue and me had been a part of Adele’s congregation in Brooklyn. She and her family had recently moved to Florida and opened a restaurant. As smoke billowed around us, she said to me, “We’re all backslid.” I thought, “Well, at least, they are not trying to impress us with how spiritual they are.”

Starting time arrived and I picked up my guitar intending to lead them in some praise and worship songs. It soon became obvious, however, that I was the only one singing. Everyone seemed to just stare at me as they puffed on their cigarettes.

Realizing this was going nowhere, I put my guitar aside and picked up my Bible. God had given me a message about His unconditional love, and as I shared this message, I sensed a change in the atmosphere.

At some point, I noticed that everyone had put out their cigarettes and the smoke had dissipated. As I completed my message, a sense of solemnness and the fear of the Lord seemed to fill the atmosphere.

I then invited anyone who wanted prayer to come forward to receive prayer from Sue and me. Everyone sat quietly as if afraid to move. Adele then stepped forward and in an emphatic tone, said, “I know that everyone here needs prayer; so come on up and let Eddie and Sue pray for you.”

The first person to come up was Isabelle who was from Brooklyn and part of a mafia family. She was in deep depression for her husband and two sons had been murdered by a rival mafia family and her daughter was a drug addict, living on the street.

As we laid our hands on Isabelle and prayed, she began to sob and then fell to floor. We had no catchers, but no one was concerned, as their minds were taken up with God. Another person then came up for prayer, and she too fell to the floor.

At this point, the Holy Spirit “fell” on the people just like in the Book of Acts. Suddenly, everyone was on their knees or lying in the floor, weeping and calling out to God at the top of their voices.

The Joy of the Lord flowed

It was a surreal moment when God came down and did a mighty work beyond anything we could have ever imagined or planned. Later that evening there was a release of joy such as I have never seen and our hearts were further bonded with Adele. Howie arrived home in the midst of this joy and was obviously astounded as everyone loved on him and greeted him.

We returned numerous times for meetings with Adele and those we call our mafia friends. On one of those visits Howie was obviously touched by the Holy Spirit and opened his heart to us and the Lord. But that is another story for another time.

Eddie - Sue - Adele

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."

WHO ARE THE SUCCESSORS OF THE APOSTLES?

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000

One of the major doctrinal divides between Catholic and Protestant is the Catholic concept of apostolic succession. According to this Catholic doctrine, the authority of the original apostles has been passed down to the Catholic bishops through a mechanical, religious rite called “Apostolic Succession.”

Since Peter, they argue, was the chief of the apostles whom Christ gave the keys, and since he founded the church in Rome, his authority over all the church has been passed along to the bishop of Rome (the pope) through this rite of apostolic succession. Beginning in the latter part of the second century lists began to be made of this succession.

According to the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (formerly known as the Inquisition), since Protestant “communities” do not hold to this Roman Catholic doctrine and practice of “Apostolic Succession,” or maintain a “sacramental priesthood,” they cannot be called churches.

Being able to trace a mechanical, institutional succession back to the apostles is, according to Catholic doctrine, what makes Roman Catholicism the true church and is what disqualifies Protestant “communities” from being called churches.

No Biblical Evidence of Such a Succession

There is, of course, no evidence that either Jesus or the first apostles established permanent church offices that were to be occupied by a succession of church leaders/bishops. Judas was replaced out of necessity because he had been one of the Twelve and by his apostasy he had reduced the number to eleven.

When James, who is also one of the Twelve, is put to death by Herod in Acts 12, there is no attempt to replace him. He held no continuing office that another must fill, nor does any Christian leader in the New Testament. Instead of establishing permanent offices, Paul and the Twelve understood that the continuing presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church guaranteed that He would raise up leaders when and where they were needed.

The Idea of an Apostolic Succession Began in the 2^nd Century

The idea of permanent church offices occupied by a succession of bishops did not surface until the latter part of the 2^nd century with the church father, Irenaeus, who used it as a tool to combat heresy. Irenaeus pointed the heretics to the apostolic churches of his day—the churches of Antioch, Ephesus, Philippi, Rome and others that supposedly had been founded by Paul or one of the Twelve. According to Irenaeus, if the heretics were not in communion with one of these churches (or a church in communion with those churches), then they had no claim of Christian legitimacy.

The Roman Catholic Church claims that Peter founded the church in Rome and passed his authority along through a succession of bishops down to the present pope. The Eastern Orthodox Church, on the other hand, claims that the true apostolic succession has continued in their churches, through their bishops. They assert that, with the division between the eastern and western sectors of the Church in 1054, the true succession continued with them, while the western Church (Roman Catholic) veered from the true faith into heresy.

The Lutheran Church also traces a succession, although their succession of bishops changes at the time of the Reformation. Lutheran historian, Lars Qualben, says, “The Lutherans did not form a new Church after the schism with Rome. They merely formed a continuation of the early Christian Church, as we know it from the New Testament and from the early Christian Fathers.”

The Anglican Church’s claim of apostolic succession would be similar to those above. In fact, all the older churches that claim an ecclesial, organizational succession have continued the model begun by Irenaeus with modifications to fit their own unique historical situation.

No Institutionalized Apostolic Succession

There is, of course, no Biblical basis for an institutionalized, apostolic succession. The New Testament writers, in fact, show very little concern for church offices and organizational structure. This is why the New Testament scholar, Dr. Gordon Fee, says that the New Testament is full of surprises, “but none is so surprising as its generally relaxed attitude toward church structures and leadership.” He and others point out that, excepting Phil. 1:1, Paul never addresses himself to a leader or group of leaders in any of his letters to the churches.

Lists of succeeding bishops, such as that begun by Irenaeus, tend to be based on dogma and expediency rather than factual history. Dr. Hans Kung, who is the most widely read Roman Catholic theologian in the world today, says, “An uninterrupted sequence of ‘laying on of hands’ from the apostles to the bishops of today, an unbroken chain of succession (of the kind cited in later lists of succession) cannot be demonstrated historically.”

John Wesley, who as an Anglican minister, initially held to an apostolic succession through the Anglican bishops, found his views refined in the fires of the 18th century Methodist revival, which he spearheaded. Through his diligent study of the New Testament and after observing the Holy Spirit raise up powerful ministries from the ranks of the common people outside the Anglican Church, he declared that ”neither Christ nor his apostles prescribed any form of church government.”

In his classic work, The Primitive Church, Professor Burnett Streeter agrees with Wesley and says;

"Whatever else is disputable, there is, I submit one result from which there is no escape. In the primitive church there was no single system of church order laid down by the apostles. During the first hundred years of Christianity, the Church was an organism alive and growing—changing its organization to meet changing needs. Uniformity was a later development."

True Apostolic Succession is a Thing of Faith and of the Spirit

The idea that there can be no church without this Catholic rite of Apostolic Succession, diminishes both faith and Christ. It makes a doctrine—and a tenuous one at that—to be predominant and central. It makes both church and the apostolic appear mechanical and doctrinaire.

Jesus, on the other hand, said that where two or three are gathered together in His name, that he would sanction that gathering with His presence (Matthew 18:20). Is His presence not adequate? Paul echoes this in Colossians 2:9-10 where he says that all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ and that you are complete in Him.

For many Protestants, the Catholic approach to Apostolic Succession, wherein the authority of the apostles is passed along by a programmed religious rite, does not make sense or pass the test of Scripture.

I would ask my Catholic friends to consider the following questions. Should not Apostolic Succession be a thing of substance—of faith and of the Spirit? Should it not be a succession in apostolic faith, apostolic commitment to Christ, and an apostolic experience of the Spirit? Are we not all responsible for adhering to the faith and vision of those first apostles?

Apostolic succession as a thing of the Spirit cannot be restricted to a religious ritual that is mechanically repeated generation after generation--as though the Holy Spirit could be confined to a particular ecclesiastical order. The wind blows where it wishes, Jesus said (Jn.3:8). This is why Henry P. Van Dusen, former president of Union Theological Seminary, declared, “The Holy Spirit has always been troublesome to Church officialdom, because He does seem to be unruly, unpredictable and radical.”

The Whole Church Is Apostolic

The apostles recognized all gatherings of believers as true churches. Although neither Paul, Peter, nor any apostle had been to Colosse, Paul recognized the believers there as forming a true ekklesia—a church. Even though the church in Antioch was not under Peter’s authority, as evidenced by the fact that Paul publicly rebuked him when he came there and waffled on the issue of the Gentiles equal acceptance in Christ, there was no question of Antioch being a true church.

Apostolic succession is the responsibility of the whole church—of every Christian. A church is not apostolic because it has a leader who calls himself an apostle, bishop, or pope. Every believer must seek to walk in the same selfless devotion to Christ as those first apostles. Every believer must live in the same selfless love toward others that characterized the early apostolic Church. And every believer must live in a radical dependence on the Holy Spirit as did those first followers of Christ. Only then can the Church today make any claim to being apostolic.

Apostolic succession is neither mechanical nor automatic. Apostolic succession is a succession in apostolic commitment to Christ and apostolic life in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is an author, historian and Biblical scholar. This article was derived from his book, Apostolic Leadership, available from Amazon in both paperback and Kindle. To read about his vision for another Great Awakening, visit his website at www.eddiehyatt.com.

REMEMBERING 50 YEARS OF GOD'S FAITHFULNESS, PART 7

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 15:40:00 +0000

Holy Spirit Orchestrated Encounters in England

Sue and I will celebrate 50 years of marriage on May 17 and I recently was stirred in my heart to share some of the stories of God's faithfulness to us through the years. Here is Part 7 in the series.

We had just picked up some food items at an Albertson’s supermarket and were driving across the parking lot on our way home. Suddenly and unexpectedly, Sue broke forth with an utterance in tongues. I immediately had the interpretation and said aloud, “The time is approaching when you will be going to England.”

We found this prophecy interesting for we had never ministered in England and had no contacts in England. Knowing, however, that if this was of God, He would open the doors, we put it in His hands went about our business.

A few months later, I received a totally unexpected invitation to present a 90-minute lecture at Oxford University on my book, 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity. I was also invited to participate in a panel discussion on the Holy Spirit the night before the lecture. It was obvious to us both that this was the fulfillment of the prophetic word we had received in the Albertson’s parking lot.

We spent two days at Oxford, and it was a wonderful experience. The panel discussion and my lecture took place in the very same hall where John and Charles Wesley formed the Holy Club, which gave birth to the great Methodist Revival. In my lecture, I explained how God has visited His people again and again throughout history with Holy Spirit revival.

The lecture must have stirred faith in people’s hearts, for at the end a number of students asked Sue and me to lay hands on them and pray that they would be filled with the Holy Spirit. Many seemed genuinely impacted by the Spirit’s presence and I heard some speaking in other tongues.

I felt both humbled and grateful, for here I was, a country boy who had grown up in the cotton fields of East Texas, lecturing at Oxford University. Our God is truly an awesome God!

Our friends, Jim and Judy Hamilton, of Apple Valley, CA, joined up with us at Oxford along with their teenage son, Josh. Jim’s mother was an English war bride and Jim had lived in England as a child and attended grades 5-7 while his father was stationed there with the U.S. Air force. This was an opportunity for him to revisit the land of his mother and his childhood.

From Oxford we went to London where God had opened another door to preach in a Sunday morning service. From London we traveled 40 miles by train to Midhurst, a small quaint town that reminded us of something out of the Middle Ages.

Interestingly, Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas had an English affiliate in Midhurst. Since I was a part of the CFNI faculty in Dallas, the affiliate in Midhurst gave us rooms in their dorms and a Malaysian-made Proton to drive. We had a great time touring the southern part of England, visiting Stonehenge, and enjoying the various restaurants.

It was in The Tea Shoppe, a small restaurant in Midhurst, that we had an encounter that was obviously orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. The five of us sat at a table where we laughed and discussed our experiences in England and talked about the good things of God. The restaurant was crowded with waiters and waitresses bustling about.

A young couple was seated at a table next to us and when the young man got up and left, his female companion turned her chair facing us. She was an attractive young woman with long blonde hair and was wearing shades. It was so obvious that she was watching and listening to our conversation.

Finally, she arose and walked to our table and said to me, “Are you a pastor?” I replied, “yes,” and asked, “Are you a believer in Jesus.” She replied, “I got hit by the love of God at Holy Brompton [Anglican Church] but I have gone really bad.”

I invited her to join us and she sat down between Jim and Judy. We asked about her situation and she told us about going to a revival meeting at Holy Brompton Anglican Church in London. I had heard of this church for its leaders had put out the welcome mat to the Holy Spirit and genuine revival had erupted. This revival had been reported in various Christian publications in England, Europe and in the U.S.

She described her experience at Brompton as being “hit by the love of God.” She went on to reiterate, “But I have gone really bad.” We assured her of God’s love and willingness to forgive and led her in a prayer in which she recommitted her life to the Lord.

At this point, Jim talked to her about being filled with the Holy Spirit and told her that we would like to pray for her to have this experience. She agreed. Jim and Judy, sitting on each side of her, laid their hands on her shoulders and we all asked God to fill her will the Holy Spirit.

Suddenly, the Holy Spirit fell on her as in the Book of Acts. She began weeping and with her face turned upward and tears streaming down her cheeks, she began praising and magnifying God in other tongues.

This was all happening with people sitting at tables all around us and waitresses scurrying back and forth. It was a surreal moment. When the power of the moment subsided, she said to us through tears, “I just saw Jesus hanging on the cross.”

We all basked in the glory of that moment and all too quickly the time came that we had to depart. We gave her the address of the Bible school and Christian ministry where we were staying, committed her to God and went on our way. We have to believe that God ordered her steps and that her life was never the same.

Our first stop on returning to the U.S. was New York City where I preached to a congregation of poor and homeless street people that a ministry had gathered and fed on a public sidewalk in the middle of Manhattan. It was quite a contrast to Oxford, but that is another story for another time.

REMEMBERING 50 YEARS OF GOD'S FAITHFULNESS, PART 6

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Hyatt) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:53:00 +0000

1983 - Miraculous Provision and a Prophetic Introduction

In 1983, shortly after God gave us the promise to “open the windows of heaven,” I (Eddie) received an invitation 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.

I went to a local travel agency and they put together a travel itinerary and told me what the cost would be. They said I could pay when I picked up the ticket. This was a relief since we had no money in reserve and no credit cards.

To cover the cost, we sent out a letter to family and friends inviting them to donate to this mission to India. People responded and enough money came in to cover my ticket; but at this point the inflow seemed to stop.

When the day of my departure arrived, I had only $30.00 above the cost of my ticket. This posed a problem since I had an overnight stay in London and two nights in Kolkata (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 have found that there are times when God will put a supernatural determination down in your soul about a situation and this is what I experienced. There was never a question in my mind whether I would go. I was determined to go even if I had to sleep on the sidewalks in London and Kolkata.

My flight departed around 4 pm and the plan was for Sue to chauffeur me to the airport and stop on the way and pick up my ticket. We waited at home as long as we could thinking someone might come knocking on our door and say, “God told me to bring you this offering.”

This never happened, so we loaded my luggage and headed for the travel agency and airport. On the way, we stopped at the post office thinking there could be a monetary gift in the mail. I opened our box, and it was empty

I still remember getting in the car and saying to Sue, “God has ways to meet our need besides the post office.” However, at this point I could not imagine what it would be. It seemed that the post office was His final opportunity to come through.

We stopped next at the travel agency and the clerk who was handling my itinerary seemed all in a tizzy. She said, “I have been trying to call you since last night.” I asked, “What is the problem.” She replied that she had to completely change my itinerary because of political unrest in a certain part of India.

I asked, “When do I get to Guwahati?” She replied, “You still arrive there at the same time, but I had to change your routing.” I informed her that everything was OK so long as I arrived in Guwahati at the scheduled time.

As she was typing the new itinerary, a question came to mind and I asked, “What is the difference in the cost of this new itinerary?” She finished typing my itinerary and it turned out to be $300.00 less than the one before.

So, I walked out of the travel agency with my ticket and over $300.00 in cash. God had opened the windows of heaven. He had provided in a way I could never have dreamed or imagined. Sue drove me to the airport, and I flew out for my first overseas mission.

After stops in London and Kolkata, I arrived in Guwahati, Assam at the appointed time. From there, I took a two-hour bus ride through the Khasi Hills to the city of Shillong in the state of Meghalaya. I was scheduled to minister for 10 days among the Khasi people in their churches and in their yearly conference. I stayed in the home of my host, Dr. R. Joseph Skinner, who was the pastor and overseer of about 50 churches and Doulos Bible College.

On Saturday night, before my first meeting on Sunday morning, God gave me a word of prophecy to speak forth in that service. Interestingly, I knew that the message I had been given was an interpretation to a tongue. I Corinthians 14:5 tells us that tongues with interpretation is equal to prophecy, and I knew that I was to wait for a message in tongues before speaking the prophetic message I had been given.

This raised the question in my own mind as to how I would know when somebody gave a message in tongues, since I knew nothing of the Khasi language. In addition, I did not know for sure if they practiced messages in tongues and interpretations in their services.

I went to the church service the next morning in faith and with a determination to be spiritually alert and see how things would unfold. The small building was packed with every seat filled and people standing shoulder to shoulder, filling every nook and cranny.

I stood alongside several Indian pastors and leaders on the platform and someone began leading the congregation in singing worship songs in the Khasi tongue. The worship was very passionate and fervent, and I recognized some of the songs by their melody.

At the close of the singing there was an extended time of fervent, corporate prayer. The crescendo of prayer eventually subsided until everything became still and quiet. It was an ominous sort of stillness and no one moved or spoke, including the leaders on the platform.

Suddenly, out in the congregation, the silence was broken by someone speaking in a beautiful, melodious tone. I was alert and thought to myself, “That sounds like a message in tongues.”

I then stepped to the microphone and gave the interpretation I had been given the night before, which was a word of encouragement to that congregation. I finished speaking and one of the Khasi pastors stepped forward and interpreted to the people in their language what I had said. Shortly thereafter, I was introduced and peached my first sermon in India.

After the service, I wanted to know for sure that I had interpreted a message in tongues. I, therefore, asked my host, Dr. Skinner, about it. He replied, “Yes, that person spoke in an unknown tongue. She was not speaking Khasi.” Wow! God had worked the prophetic gift through two people of different languages and cultures who had never met! And it flowed so seamlessly.

God used this manifestation of prophecy to introduce me to the Khasi people. It brought an immediate acceptance and respect that I could not have earned on my own. We then had a wonderful 10 days of teaching, preaching, and powerful ministry of the Holy Spirit.

It was also the beginning of a life-long friendship with the late Dr. R. Joseph Skinner, his brother, Kitbok Ryntathiang, and the Khasi people of northeast India.

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!

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.