5 REASONS I HAVE CHANGED MY POSITION ON DONALD TRUMP

Donald Trump was not my first choice for president. He wasn’t even my second choice. In fact, when the presidential campaign began he was far down the list. Ted Cruz, Scott Walker, Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee and Carly Fiorina were all ahead of Trump on my list of candidates.

However, after almost two years in office, I am now totally convinced that Donald Trump was God’s choice. There is no question in my mind that he is in the White House because of prayer and Divine providence.

Here are five reasons I have changed my position on Donald Trump.

Reason #1

I Now See His Temperament as a Plus

Like many others I was concerned about Trump’s temperament. He seemed overly brash, bombastic and rude. I didn’t like how he labeled people, even his fellow Republicans, with derogatory names like “Little Marco,” Lying Ted,” “Low Energy Jeb,” etc.

With the advantage of hindsight, however, I now see that the temperament of a combative, New York businessman is just what was needed. With political perversion and corruption so deeply imbedded in Washington, D.C., a businessman from Queens, who had spent years battling corrupt NY politicians, the mafia and other competitive business people, is exactly what was needed at this time in history. A “nice” person would never do.

As a historian, I see a parallel in this regard with Martin Luther, who was relentless, crude and bombastic in his attacks on the pope and the Roman Catholic Church. Even some Protestants thought he went too far. At his funeral, his colleague and fellow-theologian, Philip Melanchthon, addressed this, saying,

Some have complained that Luther displayed too much severity. I will not deny this. But I answer in the language of Erasmus, “Because of the magnitude of the disorders, God gave this age a violent physician.” I do not deny that the more ardent characters sometimes make mistakes, for amid the weaknesses of human nature no one is without fault. But we may say of such a one, “rough indeed but worthy of all praise” (Hyatt, The Charismatic Luther, 52)!

When this era of American history is written by future generations, when hindsight is 20/20, it may well be acknowledged that because of the deep political and moral corruption of the times, Donald Trump was exactly the one needed to save the American Republic from utter ruin.

Reason #2

His Commitment to Individual and Religious Liberty.

In my book, Pilgrims and Patriots, I document how America was founded on the principles of freedom of conscience and religious liberty. The Founders and/or their parents and grandparents came to this land to escape government-empowered religious persecution in the Old World. They came here with a vision of being free to live out their faith according to the dictates of their own conscience.

Under the previous administration, those fundamental liberties were sacrificed for the modern LGBT agenda. Left wing politicians and activists used governmental force in their attempts to coerce Christians into conforming to their novel belief system. Small business owners, such as florists and bakers, were targeted and then sued when they politely declined to violate their consciences by participating in same-sex weddings with their artistic gifts.

The Trump administration has returned to those founding values of individual and religious liberty. They agree that no one should be forced to violate their conscience and sincerely held religious beliefs. They recognize that same-sex marriage is not a fundamental, constitutional right, as are individual and religious liberty, which are guaranteed in the First Amendment.

This is another reason I have changed my position on Donald Trump and now believe he was God’s choice for this time in American history.

Reason #3

His Fight for Persecuted Christians Around the World

In his campaign, Trump promised to help persecuted Christians in the Middle East and around the world. He has followed through on his promise. ISIS, that perpetrated such terrible atrocities on Christians in the Middle East, has been decimated and many Christians are now returning to their homes.

Trump appointed Sam Brownback, former governor of Kansas and a devout believer, as “Ambassador at Large for Religious Liberty.” Brownback and Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, who is also a devout believer, are putting pressure on oppressive nations and promoting the American ideal of religious liberty around the world.

To cite one example: On July 24-26 these two Christian statesmen, both appointed by Trump, will host the first ever ministerial on international religious liberty. Some of the most powerful dignitaries, activists and faith leaders from around the world are attending. Pompeo told Tony Perkins on “Today’s Washington Watch,”

The enthusiasm of other countries to this has been remarkable. As I was traveling this past week--I think I was in six or eight different places--I had foreign ministers say, “I'm going to be there.” They're excited to come and be around other people who think religious freedom is important. I was in Muslim countries, I was in places with religion very different to my own Christian faith, but every one of those leaders was excited about the opportunity to gather with like-minded individuals who share their desire--their quest--for every individual to practice their faith in their country in the way that they wish to do.

What Trump is doing for persecuted Christians is huge and I doubt that it would be happening with any other candidate. This is another reason I have changed my opinion of Donald Trump.

Reason #4

His Favorable Attitude Toward Christian Values

In my book, Pilgrims and Patriots, I also document that it was Christian values that made America great. Despite his sordid past, Donald Trump has turned out to be the boldest witness for Christ in the White House that I have seen in my lifetime.

For example, in a recent cabinet meeting that was broadcast live, Trump sent the mainstream media into a tizzy when he asked Ben Carson to open the meeting in prayer. Mike Pence has said that it is normal for Trump, at the beginning of a cabinet meeting, to turn to him or one of the cabinet members and ask them to open in prayer.

I know that many of you doubt the integrity of his actions in this regard. I once shared those same concerns. I now believe it is real. According to James Dobson, Trump was led to Christ in early 2016 by a Christian businessman. Dobson says that he prayed a prayer committing his life to Christ. Perhaps this is why he has formed a council of spiritual advisers made up mostly of evangelical Christian leaders. Perhaps this is why he has surrounded himself with devout Christian statesmen such as Mike Pence, Ben Carson, Mike Pompeo and others.

At a large Trump rally in Florida, his wife, Melania, opened by leading the crowd in reciting the Lord’s Prayer. There are many indicators that Trump has made a turn toward the Christian faith and is promoting Christian values.

This is another reason I have changed my position on Donald Trump and now believe he was God’s choice to lead America at this time in her history.

Reason #5

His Unequivocal Support for Israel

The “Jerusalem Embassy Act,” overwhelmingly passed by both the House and Senate in 1995, recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. It also stated that Jerusalem should remain an undivided city and authorized funds to be set aside for moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Despite this authorization, no president has been willing to face the criticism from the Arab world and its allies that such a move would provoke. Enter Donald Trump. During the campaign, he promised to move the Embassy to Jerusalem, and he followed through on his promise.

Israel is important to evangelical Christians because it is the land of the Bible that God promised to Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 13:15). We see the restoration of the modern state of Israel as a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. It is also the only functioning democracy in the Middle East and America’s only trusted ally in that region.

Donald Trump’s unequivocal support for Israel is another reason I have changed my position concerning his presidency.

Who is on the Lord’s Side?

During the Civil War, it was well known that both sides were fasting and praying for God’s assistance. In a conversation with President Lincoln, a northern minister expressed his hope that, “the Lord is on our side.” Mr. Lincoln replied, “I am not at all concerned about that, but it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord’s side.”

I am not a politician. I am not a Democrat or a Republican. I recognize that Trump has faults. However, I am a believer who aspires to always be on the Lord’s side in every situation. That is why I am praying for this president and supporting his presidency. I can do no other for I am now convinced that Donald Trump was God’s choice to be the president of these United States of America.

Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt is on a mission to reconnect America with her severed Christian roots and help ignite another national, spiritual awakening across the land. His books on the topic can be found on Amazon and on his website at www.eddiehyatt.com.

AMERICA'S FOUNDERS WOULD BE APPALLED AT THE ANTI-FAITH STANCE OF LIBERAL SENATE DEMOCRATS

Many liberals, particularly on the Democratic side of the aisle, are wringing their hands over the fact that some of the top picks to replace Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court are devout people of faith.

One of these picks, Amy Barrett, was grilled about her faith when she was chosen to sit on the seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Senator Diane Feinstein expressed dismay over the fact that when she reads Barrett’s speeches, “The conclusion one draws is that the dogma lives loudly in you.”

The insinuation of Feinstein and her Democrat colleagues was that Barrett's strong faith disqualified her from serving as a federal judge. Their anti-faith attack revealed a tragic departure from America’s founding generation where faith was protected and considered an asset to good government. 

The Faith of the First Chief Justice

If Feinstein was concerned about Barrett, she would be doubly concerned with John Jay the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Jay (1745-1829) was one of the authors of The Federalist Papers and served as President of the Continental Congress from 1778-79. In 1789 George Washington appointed him as the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, a post he held until 1795 when he resigned to serve as Governor of New York.

Jay was a devout Christian whose faith “lived loudly” in him, enough to disqualify him in the eyes of our modern, liberal senators. After all, he once publicly declared,

Unto Him who is the author and giver of all good, I render sincere and humble thanks for His manifold and unmerited blessings, and especially for our redemption and salvation by His beloved Son. Blessed be His holy name.

The Faith of the Second Chief Justice

John Marshall (1755-1835) who succeeded John Jay as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, would also be rejected by Feinstein and her cohorts. Nonetheless, many consider him to be the greatest Chief Justice the Court has known, even though, like Jay, his faith “lived loudly” in him.

In one of his writings, Marshall clearly states what every Founding Father assumed: The founding documents and institutions on which the nation was formed presuppose a faith commitment to Christian principles and values. He wrote,

No person, I believe, questions the importance of religion in the happiness of man even during his existence in this world. The American population is entirely Christian, and with us Christianity and religion are identified. It would be strange, indeed, if with such a people, our institutions did not presuppose Christianity, and did not refer to it, and exhibit relations with it.

That Marshall saw no problem with expressions of faith in government is demonstrated by the fact that he ordered the Supreme Court facilities be made available to a congregation for their Sunday gatherings. So, each Sunday, the singing of Christian hymns and the preaching of God’s Word could be heard ringing through the chambers of both the House of Representatives and the Supreme Court.

What Marshall considered “strange” has become the norm with the modern Democrat party. How far removed from the founding generation are Senator Diane Feinstein and those who share her ideology!

Faith in God Necessary for a Stable Court and Society

The Founders considered faith in God a great asset because it meant the person acknowledged a transcendent moral guide that is predictable, reasonable, fair and applicable across the board. An atheist or agnostic, on the other hand, is left to his own finite, subjective opinions, subject to the sway of whatever might be faddish or culturally popular at a given time. James Madison expressed the view of the founding generation when he said, “Before any man can be considered as a member of civil society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe.”

Indeed, although there was tolerance for those of various faiths, there was a hostility toward atheism in early America. This was born out when a judge in the court of Chester County in the state of New York, threw out the testimony of a witness when the witness admitted he did not believe in the existence of God.

The judge said that by denying the existence of God, the witness had “destroyed all the confidence of the court in what he was about to say.” He went on to say that it was the first time he had met someone who did not acknowledge the existence of God, and that he knew of no case in a Christian country where a witness had been permitted to testify without such belief.

This event was recorded by the French sociologist, Alexis de Tocqueville, and occurred during his visit to America in 1831. Tocqueville said the incident was merely noted in the newspaper without further comment.

The Founders Would be Appalled at Feinstein and Her Colleagues

Yes, belief in the all-knowing, all-powerful God of the Bible—the Moral Governor of the Universe--was considered an important asset for judicial appointees and all public officials by the founding generation. Washington, Jefferson, Franklin and Madison would all be astonished and appalled at the modern hostility towards people of faith that is so rampant in our nation today.

Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt is on a mission to reconnect America with her severed Christian roots and help ignite another national, spiritual awakening that will sweep across the land. His books on the topic can be found on Amazon and on his website at www.eddiehyatt.com.