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

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

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

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

His Scientific Discoveries Overturn His Liberal/Critical Theories

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He Found the Evidence Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our Faith Has a Solid Historical Base

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

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

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

Hark the herald angels sing,

Glory to the newborn king.

Peace on earth and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled.

Joyful all ye nation rise,

Join the triumph of the sky.

With angelic hosts proclaim,

Christ is born in Bethlehem.

Hark the herald angels sing,

Glory to the newborn king.

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

AMERICA'S COVENANT WITH GOD

#Remembering1726

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Mayflower Compact Was a Covenant

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

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

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

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

New England Covenants with God

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Blessing & Responsibility of Covenant

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

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

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

Virginia Too

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

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

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

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

God and America’s Founding Documents

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

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

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Understood America’s Covenant with God

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

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

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

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

Where Are We Today?

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

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

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

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

If My people who are called by My Name

Will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face,

And turn from their wicked ways,

Then I will hear from heaven,

And will forgive their sin and heal their land.

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

HOW PAUL DEALT WITH A FALSE PROPHETIC SPIRIT

Paul Encounters the Spirit of Python

During their time of ministry in the city of Philippi of Macedonia, Paul and Silas encountered a young woman who prophesied through what Luke calls a spirit of divination (Acts 16:16). However, the Greek word from which “divination” is translated is python, a word associated with prophecy amongst the ancient Greeks and Romans. Because it was so well known in the ancient Greco-Roman world, the original readers of Acts would have made an immediate association when they read the words “spirit of python.”

Prophecy in the Ancient Pagan World

Prophecy was common among the ancient Greeks and Romans. In fact, the noted historian, F.C. Grant, has said that the consultation of prophetic oracles was probably the most universal cult practice in the Greco-Roman world (Hyatt, Angels of Light, 15).

“Oracle” was a word used by the ancients for a message from the gods, i.e., a prophecy. It was also used of the location where the oracles were given. Many regions had their own divinely inspired prophets or prophetesses who gave their oracles (prophecies) to a constant stream of seekers.

Prophecy was also common in the ancient pagan and mystery religions. This is borne out by the Roman historian, Livy (59 b.c. – a.d. 17), who describes followers of the pagan deity, Bacchus, who “as if insane, with fanatical tossings of their bodies, would utter prophecies.” He also describes devotees of the goddess Cybele as “prophesying in their frenzied chants” (Hyatt, Angels of Light, 15).

So pronounced was the public’s fascination with the supernatural that Petronius, a first century Roman official and novelist, declared, “It is easier to meet a god than a man.”

That prophecy and the supernatural were so common in the ancient, pagan world is why there are so many admonitions in the New Testament to not be deceived; and is why Paul, every time he mentions prophecy, includes an admonition to judge, test and prove the genuineness of prophecy.

How the “Python Spirit” Got its Name

The most famous ancient, pagan oracle (prophetic center) was at the city of Delphi in Greece and was known as the “Oracle at Delphi.” According to legend, the Greek god, Apollo, had slain a large female serpent--a python--at that site and the spirit of the python had remained. According to the legend, it now possessed the prophets and prophetesses who functioned there, “taking possession of their organs of speech moving and compelling them to give prophetic utterances” (Hyatt, Angels of Light, 16).

This was commonly known as the “pythian spirit” or the “spirit of python.” At the height of its popularity, the oracle at Delphi maintained three prophetesses who offered advice and counsel through the pythian spirit to a continual stream of visitors including generals and government officials.

“Spirit of python” thus became a general designation for pagan prophecy in the ancient Greco-Roman world. This is the association the first readers of Acts would have made to Luke’s mention of a “spirit of python.”

The Spirit of Python is Different from Christian Prophecy

One characteristic of the Oracle at Delphi—and all pagan prophecy—is that it was self-induced. Preceding their prophetic functions, the priestesses would go through ritual baths, sprinklings and animal sacrifices leading to a hyped and frenzied prophetic state.

One ancient drawing pictured the prophetess in a disheveled, frenzied state as she gave forth her oracle. Other pagan religions used music, dance, contortions and sex orgies to work themselves into a prophetic frenzy. (Do we charismatics have our own rituals by which we work ourselves into a “prophetic” state?)

In contrast, New Testament prophecy is not self-induced, i.e., it does not come forth at the initiative of the person prophesying. We do not work ourselves into a prophetic frenzy like the pagans. Paul is very clear in I Cor. 12:11 that the gifts of the Spirit, including prophecy, are given as He [the Holy Spirit] wills. Although we can learn about how prophecy and Spiritual gifts function, it is dangerous to think that we can learn “how to” prophesy of our own initiative.

This is, perhaps, why Paul allowed this situation with the young woman to go on for “many days” before dealing with it and casting out the spirit. He did not have a “how to” list for dealing with such situations but was dependent on the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

I am convinced that when we begin to push ourselves into prophesying out of our own hearts, apart from the Holy Spirit, we open ourselves to false spirits such as the spirit of python that possessed this young woman in Philippi.

We Must Recognize the Counterfeit

Some today would have told this young woman that her fortunetelling ability was a gift from God and that she merely needed to submit it to Him. That was not Paul’s approach. He discerned that her gift was demonically inspired and he cast out the spirit that gave her that ability. When the demon went out, her fortunetelling powers were gone.

David Brainerd (1718-1747) ministered to Native Americans with great success. He tells of a medicine man among the Delaware who was feared and held in high esteem by the people because of his psychic and miracle working abilities. Brainerd said that when he preached about the miracles of Jesus being evidence of His divinity, the people were not impressed and proceeded to tell him about this man and his supernatural powers.

The medicine man eventually came to hear Brainerd preach and was powerfully convicted by the Holy Spirit and eventually accepted Christ as His Lord and Savior. Like the young woman in Philippi, he immediately lost all his supernatural powers. His testimony was, “When the word of God came into my heart, the power I had known went out.” His conversion and testimony had a powerful impact on the Delaware and other tribes in the region.

A person born into a family that practices palm reading, tarot card readings, ouija boards and other occultic practices may develop natural or soulish psychic abilities. They may also pick up demons, or what the Old Testament calls “familiar spirits.” It is a grave mistake to think that these are God-given gifts that will hopefully be submitted to God. They are demonic counterfeits of the true workings of the Holy Spirit and must be renounced and cast out.

Characteristics of a Spirit of Python

Luke uses “spirit of python” in regards to this slave girl probably because the spirit operating in her was like the one at Delphi. There is, of course, the possibility that she had actually been to Delphi and that is where she picked up this false spirit.

It is important to note that what she said was true. Satan and demons have some knowledge and will reveal their “secrets” in order to impress and draw people into their destructive web. Only our God, however, is omniscient, i.e., all knowing.

Here are some of the traits of a spirit of python that are obvious in this narrative.

·  It loves to flatter. The prophecy of this young woman was not given to encourage or affirm, but to flatter. We all need to give and receive affirmation and encouragement, but flattery is insincere and self-serving. So many today, including leaders, are so starved for affirmation and approval that they are vulnerable to the flatteries of a deceiving, python spirit. We must be so settled in God’s acceptance and approval that we are no longer susceptible to the flatteries of a false prophetic spirit. Beware of those who use prophecy to flatter and, thereby, gain advantage.

·     It demands attention. This is indicated by the fact that she followed Paul and the others for “many days” continually giving forth her prophecy. Beware of those who use prophecy to thrust themselves into the limelight.

·  It loves to be seen and heard. This is indicated by the fact that she kept putting herself at the center of attention. Note those who use prophecy to make themselves the center of attention.

·  It wants to be important. This is indicated by the fact that she directed her prophesying to the leaders of this new movement. Beware of those who use prophecy to gain status with pastors and leaders.

·  There is a monetary motive.  This young slave girl was raking in a lot of money for her masters. I am afraid this same motive is present in the charismatic/prophetic movement today. Some brashly offer a personal prophecy in return for a financial gift. Others are more subtle like a "prophet" I once saw who expressed his desire to pray for everyone who would bring a certain designated offering to the front for his ministry. As he prayed and then prophesied over each one that came with their money, I saw women looking in their purses for money so they could go forward and “get a word.” I believe this man was opening himself to a false spirit—a spirit of python—by his devious actions.

Taking A Stand for Truth

There is so little discernment today that many churches in the modern charismatic/prophetic movement would probably have put this young woman on their prophetic team, for what she prophesied was accurate and positive.

Discernment is lacking because, in this post-modern world, the lines between true and false are being blurred and even erased. Reason and common sense are being replaced by a me-centered philosophy that creates its own reality.

Some in the charismatic movement are tapping into New Age writings with the excuse that “all truth is God’s truth.” If this had been Paul’s approach he would never have confronted the python spirit and cast it out, for what was being said was true.

Taking a stand for truth is not always the most popular thing to do. Paul and Silas were arrested, beaten and thrown in jail because they distinguished between the true and the false and cast out the python spirit. Nonetheless, they refused to compromise truth and God sent an earthquake, physically and spiritually, and turned the situation completely around.

God is looking for people who will stand for truth in this hour. Truth is vital for it is our ultimate weapon against the “father of lies.” This is why Jesus said,

If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:31-32).

This article is derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt's books, Prophets and Prophecy and Angels of Light, available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com. 

REST FOR YOUR SOULS

Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. – Matthew 11:28-29

In the above passage, Jesus issues a call to sincere people who are burdened down with religious duty. He is speaking to people who are weary of trying to fulfill the multitude of miniscule religious rules and regulations that have been imposed on them.

You see, the rabbis had identified 613 commands in the Torah; 365 prohibitions and 248 positive commands. The Pharisees of Jesus day believed that if all Israel kept all 613 commandments for just one day, there would be a great shift and the Messiah would come and restore the kingdom to Israel.

The Pharisees, therefore, called upon the Israelites to take upon themselves “the yoke of the law.” This was a commitment to do their level best to keep all 613 commandments. The Pharisees were very zealous in their efforts to get people to make this commitment. Jesus referred to this in Matthew 23:14 when He said,

Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to make one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

Jesus’ response was to call the people away from man-made religious traditions into a personal, committed relationship with Himself. Come to Me, He invited the multitudes. Take My yoke upon you, He said, and learn from Me.

In being yoked together with Jesus in such a committed relationship, the promise is, you will find rest for your souls. The Greek literally reads, I will rest you. In other words, He will actively rest you, even as a mother rocks and actively “rests” her infant child.

There is rest for your soul today. Yoke up with Jesus. Do you hear Him calling?

Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt is an author, historian and Bible teacher with a vision to see America reconnect with its Christian heritage as a nation birthed in prayer and spiritual awakening.  Check out the numerous books he has written on this topic including America's Revival Heritage and 1726: The Year that Defined America.  He and his wife, Dr. Susan Hyatt, have been in ministry together for 50 years and you can check out their websites at http://eddiehyatt.com and http://godswordtowomen.org.

THE PILGRIMS TRIED SOCIALISM AND IT ALMOST DESTROYED THEM

Winston Churchill said, "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Modern America can avoid a lot of pain and suffering by listening to those voices from the past.

For example, before the Soviet Union, Cuba, Venezuela and Zohran Mamdani, socialism was tried right here on American soil and utterly failed. The Pilgrims, who established the first permanent English settlement in New England in the fall of 1620, at first attempted a socialist style of living. They disbanded it, however, when it became obvious that their community could not survive with such a system.

Socialism Forced on Them

The Pilgrim’s journey to America was funded by a group of English businessmen who provided the ship and supplies for their journey to the New World. In return, the Pilgrims agreed to live communally with everyone receiving the same recompense for their work, and with everything above their basic necessities going into a common fund to be used to pay their creditors.

In other words, there was no inequality. Income produced by farming, fishing, and fur trading would be spread around and evenly divided among members of the community. There would be only one economic class of people in this system. They were all equal,

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 (Hyatt, The Pilgrims, 52).

Four lessons the Pilgrims would teach modern America about socialism are: (1) Socialism destroys initiative an innovation; (2) Socialism fosters irresponsibility; (3) Socialism extinguishes hope and generates strife; and (4) Socialism is incompatible with human nature.

Lesson #1
Socialism Destroys Initiative and Innovation

Under this socialist system, everyone received the same recompense for their work. 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.

Why work and dream when you are trapped in a socialist system that mandates equality of outcome for everyone? This socialist system destroyed initiative and innovation 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 slack since they knew they would receive the same no matter how hard they worked.

Knowing they would receive the same no matter how hard or how little they worked, the women often refused go to the fields to work, complaining of sickness and headaches. To have compelled them to go, Bradford said, would have been considered tyranny and oppression.

With no individual reward tied to their innovation and labor, everyone gave their least effort. Irresponsibility became obvious throughout the community and many became gripped with a sense of hopelessness.

Lesson #3
Socialism Extinguishes Hope and Generates Strife

This socialist system led to a widespread sense of hopelessness. 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 and led to very serious complications for 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. It was obvious that the Marxist system had robbed the people of life, energy and creativity. 

To Survive, They Had to Change

When it became obvious that lack and perhaps starvation would be their lot, Bradford and the leaders of the colony decided to make a change. After much prayer and discussion, they dispensed with that part of the agreement with their creditors that required them to live communally until their debt was paid. In its place, they implemented a free entrepreneurial system that included private ownership of property (Hyatt, The Pilgrims, 52-53).

They Experience the Blessing of Free Enterprise

According to Bradford, they divided the land around them, allotting to each family a certain portion that would be theirs to work and use for their own needs. Bradford said there was an immediate change. The young men began to work much harder because they now knew they would eat the fruit of their own labors.

There were no more complaints from the older men for the same reason. And now the women were seen going into the fields to work, taking the children with them, because they knew they and their family would personally benefit.

Instead of lacking food, 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 Indians for furs and other items. 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 . . . and showed the vanity of that conceit of Plato’s, and applauded by some of later times, that the taking away of property and bringing in community into a commonwealth would make them happy and flourishing; as if they were wiser than God (Hyatt, The Pilgrims, 53-54).

Christianity & Capitalism

As Christians, our responsibility is to call people to Christ and help them live out their Christianity in the real world. Living out our Christianity means a life of responsibility, not looking for government hand-outs but working and prospering in a way that we can give a hand-up to those in need.

We desire the best for the greatest number of people which is why we must reject the contemporary vision of a government-mandated socialist system in America.

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.