MODERN ISRAEL'S TITLE DEED FROM GOD TO THE LAND IN WHICH THEY NOW DWELL

During the past several days I experienced a stirring in my spirit to write an article showing the Biblical basis for Israel's right to the land, wherein they now dwell. With the upheaval in the Middle East and the rise of antisemitism in America, this article is both strategic and timely. I pray that it will have its intended purpose.

The Call of Abraham

Four thousand years ago God spoke to a lone individual named Abram in the land of Haran, which was present day Iraq. God called Abram to go into a land that He would show him and promised,

I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those you bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you (Genesis 12:3).

The Promise with an Oath

After arriving in what was known as Canaan, God said to Abram, To your descendants I will give this land (Genesis 12:7). God would reaffirm this promise to Abram on several occasions, such as Genessis 13:14 where He said to Abram, Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.

Being childless, advanced in years, and with many tribal groups in the land, Abram asked God for confirmation, saying, Sovereign Lord, how shall I know that I will gain possession of it? God responded by putting Himself under oath and making a covenant with Abram concerning the land. After describing the oath ritual, Genesis 15:18-21 says,

On that say the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates—the land Kenites, Kenezzites,  Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.

Why would God put Himself under oath since it was impossible for Him to lie? He did this for Abraham and succeeding generations to make clear the surety of the promise. God put Himself under oath and made a covenant with Abram to give the land to him and his descendants.

The Promise Affirmed Again

When Abram was 99, God changed his name from Abram, meaning “exalted father,” to Abraham, meaning “father of a multitude.” God then reaffirmed his covenant promise concerning the land, saying,

And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also, I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger; all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God – Genesis 17:7-8

During this same visitation, God told Abraham that his descendants would be strangers in a land not their own for 400 years and afterward would return to this land with great possessions. This was fulfilled when Abraham’s great grandson, Joseph, became the prime minister of Egypt during a great famine and Abraham’s offspring moved to Egypt where they were sustained by Joseph.

However, after Joseph died, the Egyptians enslaved the Hebrews, as they were called. However, when the time of their deliverance came through Moses, there was no question as to where they would go. They would return to the land that had been promised them by God to their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They would return to the Land of Promise.

Led by Moses and then Joshua, the descendants of Abraham possessed the land that had been promised to them. Later, under the reigns of David and Solomon Israel flourished and became the dominant force in the Middle East. However, succeeding generations turned away from God and worshipped false gods, which brought on them the consequences that God had warned would happen.

The Scattering of Israel

Shortly after departing Egypt, God spoke through Moses of the blessings that would be theirs if they loved and obeyed Him, and the curses that would come if they turned away from Him and worshipped other gods. He warned that if they turned to other gods, Then the LORD will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other (Deuteronomy 28:64).

This warning has been literally fulfilled at least twice. The first time was when the Assyrians and Babylonians conquered Israel, destroyed the temple in Jersualem, slaughtered many of her citizens, and carried many away as captives.

God restored them to their land through Nehemiah and Ezra, and the temple was finally rebuilt through Herod the Great. At the time of the Gospels, Israel was flourishing, although under the thumb of the Romans who allowed them much autonomy and freedom.

The leaders of Israel, however, rejected Jesus as the Messiah and turned Him over to the Romans for crucifixion. Then, in a.d. 70, the Jews rebelled against Rome. The Roman General Titus then came with a large Roman army and besieged Jerusalem. They broke through the walls, razed the city, destroyed the temple, and enslaved thousands.

The Romans left a remnant of Jews in the area and 70 years later, in a.d. 135, another rebellion, led Simon bar Kokhba, erupted. This time, the Romans were even more brutal in their response.

They completely destroyed the villages that remained and pursued the people who tried to escape and slaughtered them wherever they were found. Thousands were enslaved. Although a smattering of Jews survived and remained in the land, Israel as a nation was no more.

The Origin of the Name “Palestine”

The nation was gone and to add insult to injury, the Romans called the land that had once been Israel, “Palestine.” This name was derived from Israel’s ancient enemy, the Philistines. The Philistines had disappeared centuries before, but the Romans concocted the name as an insult and slur to surviving Jews.

So, Palestine was originally neither a nation or a people. After this final revolt, the people who lived on this land were Arabs and a smattering of Jews. The use of “Palestinian” to refer to a people group did not emerge until the 20th century, and especially after the establishment of the modern state of Israel.

The Regathering of Israel

Along with the warnings of being scattered to the ends of the earth if they broke covenant with Him, were the many promises of God that He would gather them from the places where they had been scattered, I have no doubt that the establishment of the modern state of Israel is a fulfillment of those promises from God. The following are mere samples of the many promises concerning the regathering of Israel.

After warning the people through Moses that He would scatter them among the nations if they turned from Him to idolatry, God also promised,

The LORD your God will bring you back from captivity and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD you God has scattered you (Deuteronomy 30:3).

Isaiah also spoke of God regathering Israel from throughout the earth. In Isaiah 11:11-12 he proclaimed, saying,

In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth.

More than once, Jeremiah prophesied of the regathering of Israel from the nations where they had been scattered. In Jeremiah 16:15b, God says plainly, For I will restore them to the land I gave their ancestors. Then in Jeremiah 31:8-9, God speaks again, declaring,

 Behold I will bring them from the north country and gather them from the ends of the earth . . . Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, “He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep him as a shepherd does his flock.”

Ezekiel also prophesied of Israel’s regathering. In Ezekiel 37:24, God says, For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.

There is no question in my mind that the Zionist movement that began in the late 19th century in which Jews all over the world began to desire to return to the land of their ancestors, was an act of God. Then, the restoration of Israel as a nation in 1948 fulfilled, at least in part, the many promises from God that he would regather the descendants of Abraham back to their land.

Modern Israelis Are the Descendants of Abraham

Some try to claim that the people occupying the modern state of Israel are not true Jews, but there is no reason for thinking this. God gave Abraham and later Moses certain distinctive rituals and traditions that were to be passed along from generation to generation. These include keeping the Sabbath, circumcision, keeping certain feasts such as Passover, Yom Kippur, and the Feast of Tabernacles.

These traditions have been kept by Jews down through the centuries making them easy to identify. Those who have persecuted the Jews through the centuries have had no problem identifying them. These include the Crusaders of the Middle Ages who murdered thousands of Jews, the Catholics in Spain who massacred thousands of Jews in 1391, Spain’s rulers who expelled all Jews in 1492, massacres in Russia in the 19th century, and Hitler and the Nazis in the 20th century.

These evil people have had no problem identifying who were the real Jews, and there is no reason to believe that those in the modern state of Israel, speaking Hebrew as their national language, are not the true descendants of Abraham.

I have heard some seek to apply the words of Jesus in Revelation 2:9b to the modern state of Israel. Jesus said to His followers in the city Smyrna, I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

To apply this to modern Israel requires a flight from logic and an ignoring of sound principles of interpretation. This statement was made by Jesus 2000 years ago to a particular congregation in the ancient city of Smyrna in present day Turkey. To arbitrarily apply it to Israel today, cannot be justified.

The World Needs Jesus

Israel has never been perfect, which is why in the OT God continually raised up prophets to confront her about her sins and idolatry. She can be criticized for misguided policies but one cannot oppose Israel’s right to the land wherein they now dwell and be on the right side of God and history.

Yes, we care about the sufferings of the people in Gaza and pray for their salvation. We cannot forget, however, that they chose a terrorist organization, Hamas, to be their governing authority. May this be a time when their hearts are softened and they truly desire peace with their Jewish neighbors.

The bottom line is that both Jew and Palestinian needs Jesus. I heard a Jewish rabbi, who had embraced Jesus as the Messiah, say that what would do Gaza more good than anything would be some Billy Graham type crusades calling the masses to Jesus.

Paul would agree. Speaking of the great gulf between Jew and Gentile, Paul said of Jesus, He Himself is our Peace who has made both one . . . that He might reconcile them both to God (Ephesians 2:14-18).

Let us pray for a great Jesus awakening throughout the Middle East, for that is the only hope for true peace in that region and in all the world.

Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt is a Bible teacher, revivalist, historian and ordained minister. His numerous books on America's Christian heritage and other Biblical and theological topics are available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com.

 

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? REFLECTIONS ON THE ASSASSINATION OF CHARLIE KIRK

    

Charlie Kirk is with Jesus whom he boldly and consistently confessed as his Lord. I am sure that as he entered that heavenly realm, he heard those words of Jesus, "Well done good and faithful servant . . . enter into the joy of your Lord" (Matthew 25:21).

Like many of you, I have experienced both sadness and anger at this atrocity. I blame his death, not only on the gunman, but on every leftwing, socialist activist and politician who has worked to drive the Bible, prayer, and positive moral values from the public schools and the public arena.

I also blame every compromising church whose refusal to stand for truth and common sense has allowed this to happen. When we are not the salt and light that Jesus called us to be in Matthew 5:14, then moral corruption and spiritual darkness prevails in our culture.

This must be a wake-up call for America. We as Christians must be bold in our faith. In an interview on Newsmax about Charlie's assassination, Dana Loesch declared, "America needs Jesus!" She is so right! Just a few hours before Charlie's assassination, an old hymn came to mind that I remembered singing as a child. The chorus says,

Stand up, stand up for Jesus;
Ye soldiers of the Cross.
Lift high the royal banner;
It must not suffer loss.

We must also remind this nation of its overt Christian origins. This is an assignment God has entrusted to me, which is why I have written numerous books on the topic. I could here share numerous quotes from the Founding Fathers concerning their high esteem for Jesus and the Bible, but I will quote the renowned senator from MA, Daniel Webster (1782–1852), who was born when the nation was still in her infancy. Speaking in 1820 at the 200-year anniversary celebration of the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, Webster said,

Finally, let us not forget the religious character of our origin. Our fathers were brought hither by their high veneration for the Christian religion. They journeyed by its light and labored in its hope. They sought to incorporate its principles with the elements of their society, and to diffuse its influence through all their institutions, civil, political, or literary. Let us cherish these sentiments and extend this influence still more widely; in the full conviction, that that is the happiest society which partakes in the highest degree of the mild peaceful spirit of Christianity (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 43).

Webster made it plain where the principles and ideals for the founding of America originated. They did not come Marxism, secularism, or Islamism.  It was Bible-believing Christians who founded America and made her into the freest and most prosperous nation in history. 

People of many faiths and nationalities have come to take shelter under the wings of the American Eagle, but we must never forget the Source of our blessings and freedom. Let us prayerfully reflect on this reality, be bold in our faith, and pray for another Great Awakening that will return the nation to her roots of Faith and Freedom.

Eddie Hyatt's many books, including 1726:The Year that Defined America and The Book that Made America Great, are available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com.

Remembering 911, Charlie Kirk and Our National Christian Origins

As we today remember the tragic events of 911 and mourn yesterday's assassination of Charlie Kirk, let us also remember where we came from as a nation. This is vital for as the noted historian Carl Sandburg said, "When a nation goes down or a society perishes, one condition may always be found; they forgot where they came from."

No one is better qualified to remind us of where we came from than the famous senator from Massachusetts, Daniel Webster (1782–1852), who was born when the nation was still in her infancy. Speaking in 1820 at the 200-year anniversary celebration of the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, Webster said,

Finally, let us not forget the religious character of our origin. Our fathers were brought hither by their high veneration for the Christian religion. They journeyed by its light and labored in its hope. They sought to incorporate its principles with the elements of their society, and to diffuse its influence through all their institutions, civil, political, or literary. Let us cherish these sentiments and extend this influence still more widely; in the full conviction, that that is the happiest society which partakes in the highest degree of the mild peaceful spirit of Christianity (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 43).

Webster made it plain where the principles and ideals for the founding of America originated. They did not come Marxism, secularism, or Islamism.  It was Bible-believing Christians who founded America and made her into the freest and most prosperous nation in history. May we prayerfully reflect on this reality and pray for another Great Awakening that will return the nation to her roots of Faith and Freedom.

During an interview on Newsmax about the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Dana Loesch said, "America needs Jesus!" She is so right! He is our only hope. Yesterday, just before I heard the news of his assassination, an old hymn came to mind that I remembered singing as a child. The chorus says,

Stand up, stand up for Jesus;
Ye soldiers of the Cross.
Lift high the royal banner;
It must not suffer loss.

Eddie Hyatt's many books, including 1726:The Year that Defined America and The Book that Made America Great, are available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com.

THE PROFOUND IMPACT OF THE BIBLE ON THE FOUNDING OF AMERICA

IS THE BIBLE AMERICA'S REAL FOUNDING DOCUMENT?

“The Bible contains the most profound philosophy, the most perfect morality, and the most refined policy that was ever conceived on earth.” – John Adams

"The right to freedom being the gift of Almighty God, may be best understood by reading and carefully studying the institutions of the Great Lawgiver and Head of the Christian Church, which are to be found clearly written in the New Testament." - Samuel Adams

"Had the doctrines of Jesus been preached always as pure as they came from his lips, the whole civilized world would now have been Christian." – Thomas Jefferson

"The Bible is the first and almost the only Book deserving of universal attention and a source of the most perfect morality.” – John Quincy Adams

“That Book, sir, is the Rock on which our Republic rests.” – Andrew Jackson

 “To the free and universal reading of the Bible in that age, men were much indebted for right views of civil liberty.” – Daniel Webster

"The American pioneers penetrated the wilds of the New World with the Bible, an axe, and some newspapers." - Alexis de Tocqueville

“No other book of any kind ever written in English has ever so affected the whole life of a people.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Every session of the Continental Congress opened with a time of Bible reading and prayer. 

The first English Bible printed in the United States was in 1782  "for the use in schools," and included a statement from the U.S. Congress recommending it "to all the inhabitants of the United States."

It was no afterthought that George Washington took the first presidential oath of office with his hand on a Bible and swore to uphold and defend the U.S. Constitution. It was an intentional act that expressed his commitment to the Bible as the ultimate source of truth and guidance for his administration. It also showed that he considered the presidential oath of office to be a sacred and solemn act before God.

"For centuries, the Bible has exerted an unrivaled influence on American culture, politics, and social life. Now historians are discovering that the Bible, perhaps even more than the Constitution, is our founding document." - Newsweek, 27 Dec. 1982.

The above is a mere sampling from my latest book entitled, The Book that Made America Great. This book is both strategic and timely, for a battle is raging for the heart and soul of America.  Secularists, Marxists, and liberal Christians want to remove every vestige of the Bible from the public life of the nation.

This book destroys the arguments of these Leftists who insist that America was founded as a secularist nation. It documents the profound and pervasive influence of the Bible on every aspect of life in the founding generation. The book is available from Amazon and my website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com.

God bless you!

Eddie Hyatt

THE VITAL ROLE OF THE CHURH IN ENDING THE VIOLENCE PERVADING AMERICA''S CULTURE

 T

By now you have heard of the tragic school shooting in Minneapolis, MN. In a most evil act of demonic hate and irrationality, Robin Westman fired dozens of rounds from a rifle through the windows of the Annunciation Catholic Church where students from the church's school had gathered for a worship service. Two children were killed and 14 injured. Three adults were also injured.

The shooter was a transgender who was born Robert Westman and recently had his name changed to Robin Westman. His murder of these children has troubling similarities to the murder of six children in 2023 at a Christian school in Tennessee by a young man who also identified as a woman.

I confess that I feel angry at the shooter and his contemptuous disregard for the lives of innocent children. I am also angered at the secularist activists and politicians whose anti-Christian policies have created a cultural environment that is conducive to such evil. I also feel angry at myself and a feckless church that has allowed the anti-Christian, secularization of this nation. 

The Secularization of American Culture

School shootings and cultural violence have become all too common in America, and it is time to identify the cause and assign blame where it belongs. Ultimate blame, of course, lies with the shooter, for it is clear from Scripture that each of us are accountable to God for our words and actions (Matt. 12:36; II Cor. 5:10). His closest associates, such as parents and friends, also bear responsibility for how they responded to the warning signs they must have observed.

But in this essay, I also want to place blame squarely on the shoulders of every secularist activist and politician who has pushed for the removal of Bibles, prayers, crosses, Ten Commandments, and all Christian symbols from the public schools. I will show how these symbols exert a positive moral influence on everyone within their visual range, and that they are more effective than metal detectors and security guards for restraining evil.

Tragically, the moral values of the Bible have been replaced with post-modern ideology that says, since there is no God and no absolute morality or truth, we are all free to create our own. If you don’t like your parents’ moral values, you can create your own. If you don’t like being a boy, you can create your own reality and identify as a girl.

According to these “progressive” educators, the Bible is an antiquated book that should have no place in the classroom. In the early 20th century, John Dewey, was at the forefront of the fight to secularize America’s education system and his atheistic ideals have been implemented by modern educators, including those of the NEA (National Education Association). Dewey hated Christianity, and wrote,

The battle for humankind’s future must be waged and won in the public-school classroom . . . between the rotting corpse of Christianity and the new faith of humanism (Hyatt, The Book that Made America Great, 149).

The secularizing of the American classroom with the removal of all biblical expressions and symbols, has had devastating consequences. This was made clear in an interview I heard years ago wherein Charlie Rose interviewed a social scientist who had just led, and completed, a study on the power of religious symbols.

This social scientist laid out their amazing discoveries on the power of religious symbols. One thing he said, I will never forget. He said they discovered that a person, sitting in a room with a Bible in view, is less likely to tell a lie than if there is no Bible in view. They found that the very presence of a Bible exudes a positive moral influence on those present.

The Tragic Consequences of Rejecting the Bible

This means that the removal of the Bible, prayers, and Christian symbols from the public schools is a major contributing factor to the violence and hate that has erupted in our society. Without those positive moral constraints, the worst in human nature is free to roam.

It was not always this way. As a teenager in high school in the 1960s, we had never heard of a school shooting. It never crossed our minds that such a thing might happen. We were not angels, but there were not the rampant hatred and violence that is all too common in today’s schools and society in general

Could it, perhaps, be partly because there was no problem with a teacher reading a verse from the Bible or having prayer before class? I remember how that at the beginning of every Friday night football game in Temple, Oklahoma, where I attended junior high school, a local pastor or minister would pray. The many hundreds—and maybe thousands—in the stands would all stand and I can still see the hundreds of men removing their hats and caps as the person began to pray.

It all began to change when I was 15 years old and in two Supreme Court rulings, Engel vs Vitale (1962) and Abington School vs Schempp (1963) the nation’s highest court banned school-sponsored prayer and Bible reading in the public schools of America. This ruling was based on a contorted and novel interpretation of that part of the First Amendment that reads, “Congress shall make no law concerning the establishment of religion or hindering the free exercise thereof.”

These rulings opened the floodgates of anti-Christian activism. Since that time, lawsuits filed by atheist and secularist organizations have resulted in the removal of crosses, Ten Commandment displays, and other Christian expressions from public property. Schoolchildren have been told they cannot sing Joy to the World or Hark the Herald Angels Sing at Christmas because that would be a violation of the First Amendment.

As part of this crusade to de-Christianize America, the secularists insist on calling a Christmas Tree a Holiday Tree and referring to the Christmas Holiday as The Winter Holiday. Veteran groups and military chaplains have been told they cannot pray in the Name of Jesus. A high school band in Mississippi was ordered by a judge to remove How Great Thou Art from the repertoire of music that they play at football games and other school events.

On April 6, 2009, President Barak Obama announced to a Turkish audience, “America is not a Christian nation.” His audacious statement showed the extent to which the crusade to de-Christianize America and remove her from her biblical moorings had come.

We Must Do More than "Sing Louder"

We as Christians must also bear blame for this secularization of the public school system and society in general, for this has all happened on our watch. We have not been the “salt” and “light” that Jesus called us to be in Matthew 5:13-14. In that culture, before refrigeration, salt was used as a preservative to restrain spoilage and corruption in fish, meats, and other foods. “Light” is used to dispel darkness, which is the absence of light.

When the church is truly "salt" and "light," the evils of this present world will be restrained and held at bay. But if the salt loses its “saltiness,” as Jesus warned, it is no longer good for anything but is thrown out and trodden underfoot by men.

I read a German Christian's remorseful testimony of how the German church responded to the Holocaust and Hitler, and it was obvious they had lost their "saltiness." He told how the church he attended was next to a railroad and there were times, during their services, that a train would pass and they would hear the cries and screams of those being taken to the death camps. What was their their response? He said, "We sang louder."

We as American Christians must do more than "sing louder." To be salt and light we must make our voices heard on our social media platforms, in school board meetings, and in whatever venue the Lord may open for your voice. We must die to self and to the fear of man. We must also support public officials who support positive biblical values in the public schools and in society.

We must also continue to pray for another Great Awakening to roll like a tsunami wave across the land. There are hopeful indicators that we are the verge of such an Awakening, but we must press in and lay hold of it in faith and prayer. The future of America is in our hands for II Chronicles 7:14, which gives the wonderful promise of national healing, begins with the condition, If My people . . ..

This article is derived in part from the books, 1726: The Year that Defined America and The Book that Made America Great by Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt and available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com. 

THE FUTILITY OF OPPOSSING GOD: HE TURNS ARROGANT PROPHETS INTO FOOLS

I Am the LORD the maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by Myself, who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense. - Isaiah 44:25

For 2000 years the Bible has been under constant attack. Emperors, popes, kings, priests, and theologians have all tried to destroy the Bible or minimize its influence. Even today, in many countries, you will be detained or arrested for bringing a Bible across their border. Islamic and Marxist regimes fear the Bible because of the inherent power of its message of freedom and eternal salvation.

Even in America there is an ongoing battle to keep the Bible out of the public square. In my home state of Texas, a legal battle is raging over whether Ten Commandments displays can be posted in public schools. Leftists seem to know there is an inherent power in the Bible’s message; so instead of formulating arguments against it and allowing the people to decide, they attempt to outlaw it through the courts.

But despite all the opposition, the Bible continues to be the perennial bestseller year after year. Translations continue to proliferate with the Bible now available in over 3000 languages. One writer has said, “Infidels, with all their assaults, make about as much impression on this book as a man with a tack hammer would on the Pyramids of Egypt” (Hyatt, The Book that Made America Great, 113).

The futility of opposing the Bible is dramatically illustrated in the life and death of the famous French agnostic, Voltaire (1694-1778). Voltaire arrogantly declared that one-hundred years after his death the Bible would be a forgotten book. Fifty years after his death, however, the Geneva Bible Society purchased his home and printing press and began printing and distributing Bibles throughout Europe.

One-hundred years after Voltaire's death, instead of being a forgotten book, this Bible society was printing and distributing thousands of Bible on his printing press and from his home. I think heaven must have been smiling.

Yes, it is futile to oppose God and His Word. We should remember the words of Isaiah 44:25 where God says of Himself,

I Am the LORD the maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by Myself, who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense. 

This article is derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt's latest book, The Book that Made America Great, available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com.

THE STORY BEHIND THE VISION

Shortly after our marriage in May of 1976, Sue shared with me a Scripture she said the Holy Spirit had highlighted to her about her life. It was Psalm 67:2, which, in the Living Bible. says, Send us around the world with the news of Your saving power and Your eternal plan for all mankind. I excitedly shared with her that the Holy Spirit had impressed the very same passage on my heart. It seemed fantastic at the time, but we knew God was speaking.

Well, that was 50 years ago and since that time we have personally ministered in countries of Asia and Africa and throughout Europe and North America. We have written and published books that have been spread around the world and translated into various languages including Chinese, Swahili, Portuguese, Romanian, Latvian, and others. Just a few days ago, I answered a facetime call from a pastor in one China’s largest cities and for over an hour discussed and answered questions about Sue’s book, In the We’re Equal, which he was reading.

During the past 50 years, we also earned doctorates in Bible and theology and taught in some of the premier evangelical colleges in America, including Oral Roberts University, Christ for the Nations Institute, and Zion Bible Institute (now known as Northpoint Bible College). We have guest lectured at Oxford University in England, Doulos Bible College in India, Tyrannus Theological Seminary in Malaysia, and other educational venues. During this time, we have also ministered as church planters, pastors, and revivalists.

 It has truly been an incredible journey! Yes, there have been the highs and the lows. There have been incredible challenges but also wonderful breakthroughs and victories. We have known sorrow but also incredible joy. Through it all, God has been wonderfully faithful.

Now, 50 years later, and realizing that the final chapter of our lives is being written, we are bringing together the knowledge and wisdom we have gained during all these years and focusing it all on the Hyatt Institute. Through this online Bible training center, God’s promise of 50 years ago will be consummated in ways we could never have imagined at the time, for there were no internet or cell phones when God spoke those words to us.

Through the online Hyatt Institute, His promise to send us around the world will continue to be fulfilled as students from all over the world enroll and are discipled and equipped to be devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Thank you for your prayers and support as we diligently lay hold of this God-given vision. The launch date is set for October 2.

For more information on the Hyatt Institute email the Director, Rhonda Klug, at hyattinstitute.director@outlook.com or Eddie Hyatt, Founder and President, at dreddiehyatt@gmail.com.  The Hyatts' websites are http://www.eddiehyatt.com and http://www.godswordtowomen.org. Contact information and helpful resources will be found at each of these sites.

ARE WE LOSING THE WAR ON AMERICA'S CHRISTIAN HERITAGE?

A federal judge has blocked a new Arkansas law requiring Ten Commandments displays in public school classrooms, citing concerns about  the separation of church and state, which is not in the Constitution. Similar laws in Louisiana and Texas are also facing legal challenges. The photo above is of a Ten Commandments monument being removed from the Oklahoma State Capital Grounds after a federal judge declared it unconstitutional and ordered it removed.

This government animosity towards the Bible is ironic considering that the first English Bible printed in America in 1782 was created for "use in schools” and carried a recommendation from Congress. It shows how far America has wandered from her Christian past.

Robert Aitken, the producer of this Bible, had written a letter to Congress in which he asked for that government body’s sanction of his work. In his letter he described this Bible as “a neat Edition of the Scriptures for the use in schools” Congress enthusiastically responded to his request and offered a recommendation, which stated that they;

Highly approve of the pious and laudable undertaking of Mr. Aitken , , , and being satisfied from the above report of his care and accuracy in the execution of the work, they recommend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States and hereby authorize him to publish this recommendation in the manner he shall think proper (Hyatt, TheBook that Made America Great, 16)

What a difference we see in those secularists today who oppose any reference to the Bible or prayer in our schools! They base their opposition on a distorted history that they themselves have created. They are doing this because they know that only by obliterating America's Christian past do they have any chance of transforming America into a socialist/atheistic society.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who spent eight years in a Soviet labor camp, saw this happen in his home country of Russia. Solzhenitsyn observed how the communist overlords sought to erase Russia’s Christian heritage, and later wrote, “To destroy a people you must first sever their roots.”

The goal of the socialist/secularist is to rewrite America’s history and thereby sever her from her Christian roots. When that happens, the statement of Karl Marx comes into play, who said, “People without a heritage are easily persuaded.” 

We are already seeing this happen with an outright and open communist leading in the race for New York City's next mayor. With a generation having been taught that America's founding was evil and racist, they are ready to accept anything new that seems to dazzle and glitter. We have reached the point that the Pulitzer Prize winning historian, Carl Sandburg, warned about. He wrote,

When a nation goes down or a society perishes, one condition may always be found; they forgot where they came from; they lost sight of what had brought them along (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 11.

It is time, therefore, for Christians in America to know our history and take a stand for righteousness and truth. America's future is in our hands, even as the wonderful promise of national healing in II Corinthians 7:14 makes clear, beginning with the condition, If My people . . ..

This article is derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt’s latest book, The Book that Made America Great, and is available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com. Eddie is also the founder of the "1726 Project" whose purpose is to educate the American public, beginning with the church, about America's overt Christian birth out of the First Great Awakening.

TRACING THE ROOTS OF AMERICAN TOLERANCE

I caught a portion of the Muslim funeral procession for the fallen NYPD officer, Didarul Islam, who was viciously murdered on Monday. Along with feeling sad for his wife and two small children, I was reminded of how this procession was an expression of American tolerance, which is rooted in our nation's Christian roots. For example, try having a public Christian funeral procession with crosses and prayers in the name of Jesus in Iran or Saudi Arabia or any number of Islamic or Marxist nations. It will not be tolerated or will be narrowly confined.

Indeed, no one with knowledge and integrity can deny that America has been a very open and tolerant nation, opening its arms to people of many different races, cultures, and religious beliefs? The Statue of Liberty and the freedom it represents is why people of all races and religions risk their lives and the lives of their family members to come to this country.

But make no mistake! This tolerance is rooted in the radical Christianity of America’s founders who looked to Jesus as their example and the New Testament as their guide. It was Jesus, after all, who taught,

 Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you (Matthew 5:44).

The people who founded this nation were “dissenting Protestants.” They opposed the Constantinian form of Christianity that developed after the 4th century, which relied on political force rather than the power of truth for its success. State churches, supported by the government, persecuted those who did not adhere to the official lines of doctrine and practice put forward by the state church.

However, groups such as the Separatist Puritans, Baptists, Quakers, and Presbyterians, who sought a return to the faith of the New Testament, opposed this intolerant approach to faith that was characteristic of the Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans. They insisted that there should be no compulsion in matters of conscience, and no coercion when it comes to one’s sincerely held religious beliefs (For a thorough discussion, see Hyatt, The Book that Made America Great, 52-50.)

These “dissenting Protestants” brought these ideals of faith and freedom to America where they were further developed on American soil. These ideals were reinforced by the Great Awakening and burned into the consciousness of the American populace.

Because the teachings of Jesus were central to their faith, an amazing tolerance and friendliness toward other religions was manifest. For example, Benjamin Rush, a devout Christian and signer of the Declaration of Independence, in describing a parade in Philadelphia, said,

The rabbi of the Jews locked in the arms of two ministers of the Gospel was a most delightful sight. There could not have been a more happy emblem (Hyatt, America’s Revival Heritage, Second Edition, 96).

During George Whitfield’s ministry in Philadelphia, city leaders decided to erect a large building to accommodate the massive crowds. According to Benjamin Franklin, the building was available for the use of “any preacher of any religious persuasion who might desire to say something to the people of Philadelphia.” Franklin went on to say,

Even if the Mufti of Constantinople (Istanbul) were to send a missionary to preach Mohammedanism to us, he would find a pulpit at his service (Hyatt, America’s Revival Heritage, Second Edition, 97).

The founders’ tolerance toward people of other faiths was based, not only on the words of Jesus and the spirit of the New Testament, but on their belief in the inherent power of the Christian Message. They believed that on a level playing field, the truth of Christianity would always prevail.

Thomas Jefferson, for example, held the teachings of Jesus in very high esteem and once said, "The philosophy of Jesus is the most sublime and benevolent code of morals ever offered to man. A more beautiful or precious morsel of ethics I have never seen." He believed in the inherent power of the Christian Message, and wrote,

Truth can stand by itself. If there be but one right religion and Christianity that one, we should wish to see the nine hundred and ninety-nine wandering sects gathered into the fold of truth. But against such a majority we cannot effect this by force. Reason and persuasion are the only practicable instruments. To make way for these, free inquiry must be indulged; and how can we wish others to indulge it while we refuse it ourselves (Hyatt, America’s Revival Heritage, Second Edition, 98).

The First Amendment created a free and open marketplace of religious ideas, because the founders did not fear open debate. Compare this attitude to Marxist and Islamic nations where opposing views are violently suppressed. The same is true of the new Leftwing groups in modern America who seek to cancel anyone who disagrees with them. They fear free and open debate. 

In this critical moment in time, we must stand boldly for Biblical truth and we must pray for another Great Awakening that will turn the hearts of the American populace back to Jesus and the New Testament. This would do more than anything to restore peace and tolerance in modern America for, after all, it was Jesus who said,

But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who despitefully use you. And just as you want men [people] to do to you, you also do to them likewise. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful (Luke 6:27-36).

This article was derived in part from Dr. Eddie Hyatt's books, America’s Revival Heritage, Second Edition and 1726: The Year that Defined America, both available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com.

Check out Eddie's latest book entitled The Book that Made America Great

https://amzn.to/4feGWcu

THE AMERICAN CHURCH AND DONALD TRUMP

Daniel 2:21 says that God “removes kings and raises up kings.” Psalm 75:7 says, “God is the Judge: He puts down one and exalts another.” In Isaiah 45:13, God said of King Cyrus of Persia, “I have raised him up.” Donald J. Trump was raised up as President of the United States for a specific purpose, which the American church needs to understand.

Trump was raised up, not to save America, but to give the American church a window of opportunity to awaken from its spiritual doldrums and be the instrument of God for cultural change. Unlike his predecessors, who targeted Bible-believing Christians for harassment and persecution, Trump has boldly voiced his respect for the Bible and his support for Christians of all denominations.

We must remember, however, that politicians can change policies and laws but only God can change hearts. If hearts are not changed, then culture will not be changed. If culture is not changed, then we could immediately be thrust back into an even worse anti-Christian political climate at the next election.

The church must, therefore, awaken and seize this opportune moment that is presented to us by the Trump administration. It was a sleeping church that allowed our nation to be taken by radical extremists. Only an awakened church can save America now and I believe this is her moment to arise.

In John 9:4, Jesus said, I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day. The night is coming when no man can work. Jesus recognized that culturally and politically it was an opportune moment that He must maximize. He realized that changes were coming that would make it difficult or impossible to accomplish what must be done now.

I believe this is the situation for the American church with the Trump administration. A window of opportunity has been given to us, and we must make the most of it. We must seize the moment. We cannot go on with church as usual.

We can no longer be preoccupied with being “liked” by contemporary culture. A church that seeks to be “liked” by the culture can never be the “salt” and “light” that Jesus called us to be in Matthew 5:14. Only an awakened church can bring about the cultural change that will guarantee a free and stable country for the next generation.

I am reminded of the 19^th century visitor to America who sought for her greatness in her great commercial centers, her educational institutions, and her halls of government. Then he visited the churches of America. It was during the Second Great Awakening and everything fell into place for him, and he wrote,  

Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good; and if America ever ceases to be good America will cease to be great (Hyatt, Pilgrims and Patriots – Second Edition, 177).

The American church must awaken and seize this opportune moment that has been given to her. Only an Awakened church, ushering in another Great Awakening, will save America from the malevolent spiritual forces that are seeking to destroy her. 

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is an author, Bible teacher and revivalist historian with a passion to see authentic spiritual awakening in the 21st century church. His books, including his just released, The Book that Made America Great, are available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com.