WHY SPIRITUAL AWAKENING CAN BE TROUBLESOME FOR CHURCH TRADITIONALISTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

REMEMBERING 50 YEARS OF GOD'S FAITHFULNESS, PART 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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."

WHY ISLAM IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH AMERICA'S FOUNDING DOCUMENTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

REMEMBERING 50 YEARS OF GOD'S FAITHFULNESS, PART 1

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

By Eddie L.. Hyatt

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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THE "PREFACE" TO "AMERICA'S REAWAKENING"

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

Preface

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Revival Heritage - Second Edition, 79).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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