HOLY WEEK - CONSUMED BY HOLY FIRE

This is “Holy Week” on the Christian calendar--the time between Palm Sunday when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, and Easter Sunday when He arose from the dead after being crucified. That first Holy Week was a very tumultuous time when passions burned white hot in both Jesus and His opponents. 

We see in Jesus the Biblical truth that God experiences the full range of emotions that humans feel. He feels love and sadness, frustration and anger. The difference is that Jesus is never controlled by His feelings. The emotions we see in Jesus express the seriousness of His mission and the serious consequences for those who reject Him and His mission. 

Jesus Weeps in Holy Love at the Plight of Jerusalem

For example, as Jesus neared the city of Jerusalem and and it came into view from the Mount of Olives, He began to weep and lament with great sadness. His sadness was rooted in His love for this beloved city of David, the center of Judaism, where so many prophets had prophesied. He knew the city was going to reject Him and suffer dire consequences. As the tears flow, He laments, saying,

If you had known, even you, especially in this your day the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies build and an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you and your children within you to the ground . . . because you did not know the time of your visitation (Luke 19:41-44)

Later in this same week, He laments again, crying out, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather you children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings but you were not willing. See! Your house is left to you desolate."

This passage shows the power of human choice. Jesus says, "How often I wanted . . . but you were not willing." Their "not willing" cancelled His "how often I wanted." My friend, choose Jesus today. He is the best friend you will ever know.

What Jesus prophesied took place around 40 years later when the Roman general, Titus, led an army to the city to put down a revolt that had arisen against Roman rule. The Romans built an embankment, as Jesus predicted, laid siege to the city and eventually broke through the walls. They razed and destroyed both the city and the temple. Tens of thousands were killed, enslaved, and executed.

No wonder Jesus wept! His sadness, however, was soon turned to anger as He entered the city and observed how the temple worship had been turned into a money-making racket.

Temple Worship Turned into a Money-Making Racket

The temple of Jesus’ day had become a center of unethical business practices and underhanded dealings. Because Jewish pilgrims who came to worship at the temple needed animals for sacrifices, local businessmen with $$$ in their eyes had set up shop selling the required lambs, goats, doves, etc. that the Law required. However, they were charging exorbitant prices for these sacrificial animals and getting rich off their sales.

Also, since purchases and offerings at the temple could not be made with foreign coins with pagan images, other entrepreneurs with similar monetary motives had set up shop and were ripping off foreign worshippers of the Diaspora by charging exorbitant exchange rates for the Hebrew shekel.

The religious leaders, who oversaw the temple worship, were getting their cut of this flow of tainted money. It was a repulsive and nauseating situation.

This made Jesus Angry

Jesus’ anger burned white hot as He observed this monetary racket, and He began to take action. The unreal picture of a “nice” Jesus who would never oppose or condemn anyone dissolves before our eyes in this stunning Gospel account.

With a whip in His hand and eyes blazing, Jesus entered the temple area and began turning over the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold sacrificial offerings. He drove them all out of the temple and shouted, It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer,” but you have made it a den of thieves (Matthew 21:13).

I am here reminded of a startling statement made by Rios Mont, former president of Guatemala, that should concern every Christian in America. Looking on as an outside observer, he warned,

The Romans made a good religion out of Christianity. The Germans made a good theology out of Christianity. Americans have made a good business out of Christianity.

Consumed by Holy Fire Brings Holy Awakenings

As the disciples observed this display of holy anger in Jesus, they were reminded of Psalm 69:9, which reads, Passion for your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.

Sharon Daugherty, co-founder of Victory Christian Center in Tulsa, OK, wrote a powerful song about such holy passion and fire. The chorus says,

Consumed by the cry of Your Spirit,

Consumed by Your calling on me.

May my life forever be,

Consumed by Your fire in me.

After Jesus cleansed the temple of its unholy practices, something marvelous happened. Matthew 21:14 says, Then the blind and lame came to Him in the temple and He healed them. As healings and miracles began to occur, shouts of praise began breaking forth. Even small children were overcome with what they were seeing and began crying out, “Hosanna to the Son of David.”

I pray that during this Holy Week there will a remnant of God’s people who will be consumed anew with a burning, holy passion for His house, His Message, His plan and His purpose. Something marvelous will happen. We too will see miracles like we have never seen and spontaneous shouts of praise breaking forth from people everywhere.

This article was derived in part from Dr. Eddie Hyatt’s books, Discovering the Real Jesus and Why I Believe in God, available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com. He is the founder of the “1726 Project” whose purpose is to educate the American populace about the role of the First Great Awakening in the founding of America.

THE BIBLICAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL ANSWER TO UNGODLY PURSUITS OF POLITICAL POWER

Federal District Judge, James Boasberg, ordered the Trump administration to turn around an airplane in mid-air and return it to the United States. The plane was carrying deported criminal aliens to El Salvador and one MS 13 gang member apparently didn't fit the criteria by which this group was being deported. The Trump administration said it was too late as the plane had already landed in El Salvador.

Judge Boasberg is now threatening to hold members of the Trump administration in contempt for defying his order. The Trump administration is arguing that a district judge has no authority to tell the executive branch how to conduct foreign policy and immigration issues, but Boasberg obviously thinks differently. Some Republicans are now calling for Boasberg to be impeached.

It is important to remember that district judges are not in the constitution; they were created by Congress. Nonetheless, to better understand what is at stake here, we must understand how the framers set up our Constitutional Republic, and why they set it up this way.

The Biblical Basis of the American Republic
"Fallen Humanity Cannot be Trusted with Power"

America's Founders would all agree with C. S. Lewis who said, “Mankind is so fallen that no man can be trusted with unchecked power over his fellows." Because they believed human nature to be flawed because of original sin, they formed a government that would keep power out of the hands of any one person or group of persons. 

Whereas modern liberalism claims that human nature is essentially good and that people only need a change of environment and circumstances to improve their behavior, the Founders held no such utopian view of the human condition. "Take mankind in general," said Alexander Hamilton, "they are vicious." James Madison added, "If men were angels, no government would be necessary."

The historian, Benjamin Hart, wrote, "A central assumption of America's Founders was original sin, meaning the corruption of man's character." (Hyatt, America's Revival Heritage, Second Edition, 95). They, therefore, divided the powers of government into three branches: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial.

As another check on power, the Founders, in Section 1, Article 9 of the Constitution, forbade the government from issuing honorific titles of nobility and they forbade any government employee from receiving such a title from a foreign state apart from an act of Congress. In Section 10, they forbade the states from issuing honorific titles of nobility. 

In other words, they outlawed aristocracy in America. The Founders would all agree with Sir John Dalberg-Acton who said, “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” 

Power Resides with the People

The Founders envisioned a government wherein power resides with the people, not a king, an aristocracy, or unelected judges. This is why the U.S. Constitution begins with the words, “We the people . . ..” Abraham Lincoln described America’s government as being “of the people, by the people and for the people.”

Since power is to reside with the people, laws are to be passed by the representatives of the people in Congress—the legislative branch. The president—the executive branch—is to execute and enforce those laws passed by the representatives of the people. Judges—the judiciary branch—are to interpret and apply those same laws to individual cases that come before them.

Judges were never meant to make rulings that apply across the board to the entire country. However, that is exactly what is happening as unelected judges legislate from the bench and overturn the will of “we the people.” 

We must, therefore, remind these unelected judges and every government official that they are flawed individuals, and while they must do their duty, they must reject the temptation to grab more power than has been allotted to them by both Scripture and the Constitution.

The Church's Responsibility

This political power struggle going on in America actually reflects the erosion of the Christian principles and values on which America was founded. Jesus clearly taught that leadership is to be characterized by humble service, not pompous power, and America's Founders agreed (Hyatt, Apostolic Leadership, 9). 

This is why John Adams, while serving as the nation's second president, said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious [Christian] people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 168).

Adams knew that without the Christian teachings on humility and service, political leaders would resort to unorthodox pursuits of power and control over their fellow citizens. This is why the late, Dr. Michael Novak, wrote,

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, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 171).

This is a critical moment in time when we, as the church, must be about our primary calling of being “salt” and “light” to this generation, calling the nation back to God, rebuking the ungodly pursuits of power, and directing the people to pray and expect another Great Awakening to revive and renew the church and the nation.

This article was derived from the books 1726: The Year that Defined America, America's Revival Heritage (Second Edition) and Apostolic Leadership by Eddie L. Hyatt and available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com

WHY THE CHURCH MUST DISMANTLE THE FALSE BELIEF SYSTEMS OF THIS GENERATION

I recently sat with a small group in a circle that included Rafael Cruz, the father of TX Senator Ted Cruz, and his niece, Bibi Loyola, who is Ted’s cousin and grassroots coordinator. We were having an informal interactive Bible study and the conversation turned to the role of politics in changing American culture.

I suggested that it will take more than politics and an election to change America. Everyone heartily agreed and Rafael pointed out that the church in America needs to understand spiritual warfare, and he quoted II Corinthians 10:4-5, which reads,

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God . . ..

A New Belief System is a Must

I then shared a powerful truth I discovered while studying this passage about eight years ago. I told them how the word “imaginations” is a poor translation of the Greek word logismous, which actually refers to a way of thinking or a belief system. This is why the NKJV and NIV translate the word as “arguments” and Marshall’s Greek-English Interlinear translates it as “reasonings.

The Greek word for “casting down” is kathairesin and is a very intense word. It means “to take down” or “demolish” or “dismantle.”

Paul is here saying that we are to dismantle those false belief systems by which Satan holds people, cities, churches, and nations in bondage. We have a model of how this can happen in Luke’s account of Paul’s ministry in the pagan, idolatrous city of Ephesus

Paul’s Modus Operandi in Ephesus

Ephesus was a very idolatrous and occultic city. It was home of the massive and ornate temple of the famous mother goddess, called Diana by the Romans and Artemis by the Greeks. Luke says that Paul, while in Ephesus, spent two years “reasoning daily” in a public lecture hall known as the school of Tyrannus (Acts 19:9-10).

The word “reasoning” in this passage is from the Greek word dialegomenos and it means to “dialogue” or “reason.” This indicates that Paul gave time and space for people to comment, challenge and ask questions about his message. He did this because he knew that if there was to be ultimate change in their lives, he would have to dismantle their present belief system or way of thinking.

This is why Paul would dialogue with these pagans for several hours per day, every day. It was not enough for them to come forward, repeat a prayer and fill out a card. They must be given a whole new way of thinking. By dismantling their false belief systems, Satan would no longer be able to hold them in bondage.

Interestingly, Luke makes no mention of Paul utilizing any of the modern, popular methods of spiritual warfare. There is no mention of Paul screaming at principalities and powers over Ephesus or casting down a Diana spirit over the city.

Paul was aware that Satan has no real power for he suffered absolute and total defeat through the cross, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Satan’s only power is in lies and deceptions. That is why Revelation 12:9 refers to him as, that serpent of old, the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world.

Satan is the author of false belief systems by which he holds people, cities, and nations in bondage. Paul knew that the stronghold by which the Ephesians were held in bondage was a false belief system. Only a new way of thinking—a Biblical way of thinking—would free them from Satan’s grasp.

His method worked and before too long people began bringing their books of sorcery and magic, piled them up and burned them publicly. Luke says the books were valued at 50,000 pieces of silver, and I have seen modern estimates of anywhere from five-hundred thousand to two million dollars. In addition, the economy, which was based on the tourism related to the temple of Diana, began to collapse. This happened because Paul spent two years dismantling their false belief systems.

Today’s Church Must Dismantle the False Belief Systems of this Generation

Ever since that experience in the Bible study, it has been resonating and reverberating in my heart that the modern church must be about the business of dismantling the false belief systems of this world by which Satan holds the masses in bondage.

This is no time for a consumer-friendly approach. This is no time to be overly concerned about offending people and being “liked” by contemporary culture. We must take seriously the words of Jesus in John 8:31-32, If you continue in My word, you are My disciples indeed; and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.

It's time for Christians in America, and the world, to rise up, take the truth of God’s word, and dismantle the false belief systems of this generation.

To read about America's founding within a Christian belief system, which made it possible for the nation to abolish slavery, survive a civil war, defeat Jim Crow, and become a nation that attracts millions from all over the world, read Dr. Eddie Hyatt's book, 1726: The Year that Defined America, available from amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com. 

WHY ROGUE DISTRICT JUDGES ARE IN VIOLATION OF BOTH SCRIPTURE AND THE CONSTITUTION

The current constitutional crisis, in which district judges are grabbing power not allotted to them in the  Constitution, is an outright attack on the Founders' division of governmental powers. The Founders created this division because they held the Christian view of the flawed nature of humanity because of original sin.

The Moral Basis of the American Republic

They believed that because of fallen human nature, no person or group of persons can be trusted with absolute power. The Founders would all agree with Sir John Dalberg-Acton who said, “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” They, therefore, divided the powers of government into three branches: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial.

As another check on power, the Founders, in Section 1, Article 9 of the Constitution, forbade the government from issuing honorific titles of nobility and they forbade any government employee from receiving such a title from a foreign state apart from an act of Congress. In Section 10, they forbade the states from issuing honorific titles of nobility. In other words, they outlawed aristocracy in America.

The Founders envisioned a government wherein power resides with the people, not a king, monarch or unelected judges. This is why the U.S. Constitution begins with the words, “We the people . . ..” Abraham Lincoln described America’s government as being “of the people, by the people and for the people.”

Since power is to reside with the people, laws are to be passed by the representatives of the people in Congress—the legislative branch. The president—the executive branch—is to execute and enforce those laws passed by the representatives of the people. Judges—the judiciary branch—are to interpret and apply those same laws to individual cases that come before them.

Judges were never meant to make rulings that apply across the board to the entire country. However, that is exactly what is happening as unelected judges legislate from the bench and overturn the will of “we the people.” 

C. S. Lewis expressed the view of America's Founders when he said, “Mankind is so fallen that no man can be trusted with unchecked power over his fellows." We must, therefore, remind these unelected judges and every government official that they are flawed individuals, and while they must do their duty, they must reject the temptation to grab more power than has been allotted to them by both Scripture and the Constitution.

The Church’s Role in this Crisis

The church in America played a primary role in electing Donald Trump and we must pray daily for him. He too is flawed and needs God’s wisdom and protection as he decides how to respond to this onslaught of lawsuits against the will of the people, and a host of other issues he faces daily.

We must also educate this generation concerning the nature of our Constitutional Republic and the fact that it emerged out of the First Great Awakening, whose proponents rejected the abuse of power in both the church and state (Hyatt Apostolic Leadership: Recovering the Spirit-Empowered Servant Leadership of Jesus and the New Testament, 79-81). 

This Awakening was rooted in the theology of the Dissenting Protestants who rejected the use of force in matters of faith, which had been a part of Christianity in Europe since the time of Constantine. This led to the founding generation abhorring tyranny and guaranteed that America would be founded on Biblical values of individual and religious liberty.

It was for this reason that the Founders saw a direct link between Christian morality and political freedom. George Washington made this clear in his Farewell Address in which he exhorted the young nation to cling to "religion [Christianity] and morality," which he called “indispensable supports” for political prosperity. Notice he did not say religion and morality should be “tolerated;” but that they are “indispensable” for a stable and prosperous society.

Because of his firm belief that Christian values are necessarily linked to political freedom and human happiness, Washington was not hesitant to share this belief with anyone. For example, in a meeting with Delaware Indian chiefs, Washington said to them, “You do well to wish to learn our arts and our ways of life and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater and happier people than you are” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 172).

John Adams, who succeeded Washington as our second president, agreed and declared, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious [Christian] people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 168).

It was because of the plethora of statements such as these by America’s Founders that the late, Dr. Michael Novak, wrote,

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, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 171).

Concluding Word

This political power struggle going on in America actually reflects the erosion of the Christian principles and values on which America was founded. This is serious for all the Founders believed that a loss of Christian morality would lead to a loss of societal peace and political freedom. 

This is why we, as the church, must be about our primary calling of being “salt” and “light” to this generation, calling the nation back to God, rebuking the ungodly pursuits of power, and directing the people to pray and expect another Great Awakening to revive and renew the nation.

This article is derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt's books 1726: The Year that Defined America and Apostolic Leadership: Recovering the Spirit-Empowered Servant Leadership of Jesus and the New Testament. He is the founder of the "1726 Project" whose purpose is to educate America, beginning with the church, of America's overt Christian birth out of the First Great Awakening.

ARE YOU PREPARED FOR YOUR APOSTOLIC ASSIGNMENT?

In Acts 9:10-16, a “disciple” named Ananias is instructed by God in a vision to go and lay his hands on Saul of Tarsus that he might receive his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. He is given the exact address where Saul is residing and is told that Saul is praying.

Ananias obeys and when he enters the house, he makes clear to Saul that this is no social call or friendly visit. He does this by his use of the word apostello, which is the verb form of apostolos. He said to Saul, The Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road as you came has sent (apostello) me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17).

Apostello is distinguished from pempo, the more general term for “send,” in that, like apostolos, it emphasizes the authorization of the sent one by the sender. By using apostello, Ananias made clear to Saul that he was there on an apostolic assignment from the risen Lord who had just appeared to Saul.

Ananias’s obedience to that one apostolic assignment changed world history. It also reveals the very fluid and functional nature of apostolic ministry, for there is no evidence that Ananias functioned in apostolic ministry apart from this one situation.

Apostolic Ministry is an Assignment from the Risen Lord

There is also no evidence that Ananias occupied a church office. He is only described as a “disciple.” All apostles are disciples. It is disciples—committed learners and followers—who receive apostolic assignments.

For example, the twelve disciples of Matthew 10:1 become the twelve apostles of Matthew 10:2 by virtue of the apostolic assignment they they are given by Jesus. They are given exousia by the Lord to preach, to cast out demons and to heal the sick in His name. They are then sent forth by Jesus as His authorized representatives to speak and act in His name. These twelve disciples are now also apostles by virtue of the commission they have received from the Lord.

The Twelve did not cease to be disciples after they became apostles. Interestingly, after 10:2 Matthew drops the word “apostle” and uses the word “disciple” for the Twelve throughout the remainder of his gospel. This would indicate that apostolos was not seen as a permanent office or position into which one was placed, but a specific work to which one was called or a particular assignment that one was given.

This also indicates that genuine discipleship is a prerequisite for authentic apostolic ministry.

The Hebrew Background for the Greek Apostolos

It is best to see the apostolic in terms of “Divine assignment” rather than church office, for it seems clear that apostles in the New Testament do not derive their authority from an office but from the Lord Himself. Commenting on this, the monumental Theological Dictionary of the New Testament says,

We are thus prevented by the sayings of Jesus Himself from trying to deduce from His authorization for word and action an official congregational office fulfilled in terms of law. To be precise, we should not use the word “office” at all in this context; we should speak of commission in the sense of authorization which is limited in time and space, and which is conditioned materially rather than personally, as in the Jewish concept of saliah. (Hyatt, Apostolic Leadership, 28).

The Hebrew word saliah, mentioned above, is most likely the word used by Jesus and those first apostles. They would not have used apostolos for they were not Greek-speaking Jews. Being natives of Israel, they would have spoken both Aramaic and Hebrew, for the Hebrew Scriptures were read in the synagogues every Sabbath. They would have been very familiar with this term, saliah, which was later transformed into apostolos for a Greek-speaking audience.

In first century Judaism, the saliah was a legal, commissioned representative of another, acting in a sort of “power of attorney.” A saliah could even represent a bridegroom in a marriage ceremony and the one who had sent the saliah would, thereby, become legally married. To receive or shame the saliah was to receive or shame the one who had sent him. The rabbis summed up the basis of the saliah in the oft-quoted statement, “The one sent by a man is as the man himself.” (Hyatt, Apostolic Leadership, 25).

Like the saliah, the one distinguishing characteristic of the New Testament apostle is the authorization of the “sent one” by the sender. When Jesus sent out the Twelve in Matthew 10:1, He assured them that, He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent me (Matt. 10:40). The commissioning of the Twelve in this passage has obvious parallels with that of the saliah

The saliah was often a trusted slave who had no personal agenda of his own. His only purpose in life was to please the master who had sent him and to carry out his will. The institution of the saliah was well in place by the first century and most certainly provided the background for the apostolos of the Greek New Testament.

An Apostle is a Disciple on Assignment

So, even though an apostle will exercise authority and influence, it is a mistake to relegate apostles to being CEO type leaders of churches and denominations. An apostle is a disciple who has received an assignment from the risen Christ. It may be an assignment to go and minister the word of God to one individual, as in the case of Ananias; or it may be to bring a neglected truth to the attention of the entire body of Christ, as in the case of Martin Luther; or to establish and raise up new outreaches and congregations, as in the case of Paul.

Whatever the assignment may be, the focus will be on the One doing the sending and His assignment, not on the one who has received the assignment. John G. Lake, whom many consider to have been an apostle to South Africa, got it right when he said,

The modern conception of an apostle is usually that he is a big church boss, but that is not the conception Jesus left. An apostle was not to be a big boss, he was to be like his Lord—a servant of all (Hyatt, Apostolic Leadership, 22.

This article is derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt's latest book, Apostolic Leadership, which the late Dr. Vinson Synan called, "A great macro history."

 

COME DOWN OFF YOUR THRONES

God's Word to the American Church 

“You need to come down off your thrones” was the word I heard as I sat on the platform with other staff and faculty members of the Institute where I taught courses in Bible and Theology. It was a Day of Prayer and as I quietly prayed, I was drawn to observe the height of the platform on which we sat and how high we were above those seated in the auditorium. I sensed it was the Holy Spirit highlighting this contrast and then I heard those words in my heart, “You need to come down off your thrones.”

Unbeknownst to me there were, at that very moment, individuals on that platform who were secretly plotting to oust the leadership that had founded that ministry and led it, at great sacrifice, for more than fifty years. It was an attempted “power grab” by Christians who believed they were better equipped than the present leaders to guide and govern that ministry.

The ouster failed but caused much hurt and painful separation. I now realize that “Come down off your thrones” was a timely word, not only for that situation, but for the church worldwide where divisive power struggles are all too common.

Love and Power Do Not Mix

The well-known sociologist, Willard Waller, discovered that there seems to be an inverse relationship between love and power. He noted that in interpersonal relationships as love increases, power decreases; and as power decreases, love increases. He coined the term “principle of least interest” to describe the phenomenon, revealed by his studies, that power lies in the hands of the person who cares the least about the relationship (Hyatt, Apostolic Leadership, 8).

For example, a husband and wife go to a counselor to try and save their crumbling marriage. The counselor can immediately tell which one loves the least. It is the one in the power seat and making the demands. The one willing to make any sacrifice to save the marriage is the one that truly loves. Love and power, it seems, cannot coexist, at least in this world.

To Show His Love, God Let Go of Power

It is, therefore, not surprising that in the Incarnation, Jesus let go of the power He had eternally known with the Father (Philippians 2:7). Instead of being born in a place of power–a castle or palace--He was born in a lowly stable to a poor family who offered up two doves or two pigeons in the temple, an alternative offering allowed by Scripture for poor families who could not afford a lamb (Lev. 12:8; Luke 2:22-24).

He grew up in Nazareth, an insignificant and despised village, well away from the power centers of Jerusalem and Rome. And when He began His ministry at the age of 30, He did not seek either power or approval from the civil and religious institutions of His day.

We, therefore, should not be surprised that Jesus directed his disciples away from visions of “power” to thoughts of “service” regarding His kingdom. When, for example, James and John requested the two most prominent seats in His kingdom, Jesus rebuked them for their preoccupation with “power” and told them they were thinking like Gentiles, i.e., like people who did not know God.

He then presented to them a new and radical model of leadership that would be characterized, He said, not by power, but by humble service (Mark 10:35-45). They must have been shocked when He told these original apostles they were to function as diakonoi, a Greek word meaning “servant,” with no connotations of status, importance, or power. 

Jesus made clear that the “apostolic” was to be characterized by “love” and “service” to others rather than “power “over others. John G. Lake, whom many consider to have been an apostle to South Africa, understood this and wrote,

The modern conception of an apostle is usually that he is a big church boss, but that was not the conception Jesus left. An apostle was not to be a big boss; he was to be like his Lord-a servant of all (Hyatt, Apostolic Leadership, 22).

We Must Let Go of Power

I believe in present day apostles, but my issue with so much of the modern “apostolic” is that it is wrapped in visions of power and control rather than humility and service. In an article entitled, “The Marks of a Genuine Apostle,” J. Lee Grady wrote, “No matter what continent I visit these days, a genuine apostolic movement is being challenged by foolish wannabe apostles who are drunk on power and position.”

This preoccupation with power is a sharp departure from what Jesus taught about the apostolic. It is also a departure from what Paul taught. Diakonos is one of Paul’s favorite words and he often uses it in referring to himself and his own ministry. For example, to the Corinthian believers who were idolizing different apostles and forming factions around them, Paul rhetorically asks, Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but servants (diakonia) through whom you believed.

Paul obviously saw his apostolic ministry in terms of service rather than authority and power. Indeed, the entire New Testament carefully avoids using words that carry connotations of power, authority and office. Words such as archon (ruler), despot (master, boss) and timē (honor, value), are used of secular rulers, but never of leaders of the churches. This is why the Catholic reformer and theologian, Dr. Hans Kung, wrote,

In the New Testament, not only is the word ‘hierarchy’ consistently and deliberately avoided, but so too are all secular words for ‘office’ in connection with church functions, as they express a relationship of power. Instead of this, an all-encompassing term, diakonia, service (really ‘serving at table’), is used, which can nowhere evoke associations with any authority, control or position of dignity and power (Hyatt, Apostolic Leadership, 131).

We Must Come Down Off Our Thrones

If we are to see genuine heaven-sent revival in the churches of America, we must come down off our thrones. There must be a return to the diakonos (servant) model of apostolic leadership taught and modeled by both Jesus and Paul. This is the call and promise of God in II Chronicles 7:14, when he exhorted,

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 was derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt's latest book, Apostolic Leadership, available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com.

TRUMP AND THE CHURCH: RECOGNIZING A HIDDEN DANGER

I applaud Donald Trump for his pro-Christian policies. His first cabinet meeting (above) was opened with prayer in the name of Jesus. He has banned biological men from participating in women’s sports and using women’s restrooms and locker rooms. He has instituted the Office of Faith at the White House “to assist faith-based entities and houses of worship in their efforts to strengthen American families and protect religious liberty.”

This is a great relief after the anti-Christian policies of the Biden administration. However, amid all this there is a hidden danger for the Church of which we must be on guard. In essence, the danger is that we as Christians become dependent on politics, politicians, and government legislation, rather than the power of the Gospel, to change society.

The government can change laws, but only God, through the preaching of the Gospel, can change hearts. If hearts are not changed, then society and culture are not changed. If culture is not changed, then a new and hostile government will soon come along, and we will be worse off than we were before.

A Lesson from the Past

Winston Churchill said, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” A lesson of which America’s Founders were very aware, was what happened when the Roman emperor, Constantine, embraced Christianity and began providing pastors and bishops with comfortable salaries, building beautiful cathedrals for them, and granting all sorts of social perks.

Christian leaders became compromised in their newfound political acceptance. Maintaining acceptance and favor with the emperor was now more important than being a bold prophetic voice to the emperor and empire. 

With this new political favor, the power of the state, rather than prayer and the preaching of the Gospel, became the accepted means to advance the Church's cause. As a result, both the Church and the empire became spiritually dead and morally corrupt. The famous church father, John Chrysostom (347-407), wrote,

If anyone is trying or intending to corrupt a woman, there is no place that seems more suitable, I suppose, than the Church. And if anything is to be sold or bought, the Church appears more convenient than the market. Or if any wish to hear or say any scandal, you will find this to be had here more than the forum without (Hyatt, 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity, 34-35).

All this happened after Christianity became the official religion of the empire. It is from the time of Constantine, and his merger of the Church with the state, that we find both the fruit and miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit disappearing from the Church. A.J. Gordon, the Baptist pastor and founder of Gordon College in Boston, was correct when he wrote,

It is not altogether strange that when the Church forgot her citizenship in heaven and began to establish herself in splendor and luxury on earth, she should cease to exhibit the supernatural gifts of heaven (Hyatt, 2000 Years ofCharismatic Christianity, 36).

America's Founders Understood the Danger

America’s Founders wanted Christian influence in every area of the nation they were founding. They did not, however, want a Constantinian type Church that is a ward of the state and lacking in spiritual and moral strength.

This is why the early Puritans in America would not allow their pastors to hold political office. It was not to keep them out of politics; it was to keep politics out of them. They were historically aware of what happened to the Church when it became dependent on the state for its existence and welfare. This is why James Madison, the chief architect of the U.S. Constitution, wrote,

We are teaching the world a great truth, that governments do better without kings and nobles than with them. The merit will be doubled by the other lesson: that Religion flourishes in greater purity without, than with the aid of government (Hyatt, 1726:The Year that Defined America, 146).

The First Amendment was not written to keep Christian influence out of politics; it was written to keep political influence out of Christianity. The Founders wanted a Church that is free to be a prophetic voice, able to bring both encouragement and correction to the state and society in general.

I Saw this Danger Manifest on a Local Scale

One of the greatest revivals I ever saw and experienced was with a church that did not have a pastor. Sadly, the revival ended after they installed their first pastor. Their story is a stark example of the danger I am warning about in this article.

It was the first year of our marriage and Sue and I travelled from Texas to her home province of New Brunswick, Canada. The church she had attended before moving to Texas to attend Bible school had split and about 150 people had left and were having services in a vacated Anglican Church building.

We visited both churches and it was obvious that God was powerfully at work among the “rebels” who had left. None of them felt adequate to preach or pastor and so there was much desperate prayer throughout the week. The men would have a prayer gathering at the church on Saturday night and I remember joining them in walking the floors, calling out to God, and even anointing the seats with oil.

The women were also having prayer meetings through the week and when they would all meet on Sunday and Wednesday night, there would be great outpourings of the Holy Spirit. There were genuine manifestations of the Holy Spirit I had not seen before and have not seen since. It was wonderful!

The revival came to an end, however, when they found a pastor. It was not the pastor’s fault for he was a good and godly man. The problem was the attitude change that occurred in the people--from one of desperation toward God to an unhealthy dependence on the pastor. Their attitude seemed to be, “We now have a pastor who will do the praying and preaching, so we can relax and return to a ‘normal’ life”

They stopped having those prayer meetings that were born of desperation, and those wonderful outpourings of the Spirit soon ceased. Before long, they were another typical Pentecostal church going through the external programs and rituals. Not long thereafter, a squabble broke out and they had a church split. Eventually, they shut down and closed their doors.

The hidden danger, which they did not recognize, destroyed them. The hidden danger was that they ceased their desperate seeking after God and placed all the responsibility and an unhealthy reliance on the new pastor to make everything happen.

I thank God for Donald Trump, but we must guard against an unhealthy reliance on him and his administration to make America what it ought to be. We must not repeat that mistake.

We Must Seize the Moment

The next four years represent a window of golden opportunity for the American Church that we must not squander. We must not forget that this window could close four years from now. As Jesus once said, I must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work (John 9:4). In other words, “I must seize this moment!”

We too must seize this moment. Now that we have celebrated our victory at the polls, there must be a new consecration and commitment to make the most of these next four years by preaching and teaching the unadulterated Gospel of Jesus Christ everywhere and at every opportunity.

If we truly see another Great Awakening, then American society and culture will be changed and that will chart America’s future for another generation no matter which political party comes to power.

Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt is a historian, Bible teacher, and revivalist. This article is derived from his books, 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity (published by Charisma House) and 1726: The Year that Defined America, both available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com.