THE ATTACKS ON SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON ARE ATTACKS ON AMERICA'S FOUNDING PRINCIPLES

"I am a Bible-believing Christian."

If he had identified himself as a transgender, bisexual, socialist Democrat, the mainstream media would have showered him with accolades and commendations. But when the new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, described himself as a "Bible-believing Christian," the Left had a total meltdown,  

MSNBC host Jen Psaki called Johnson a "religious fundamentalist" and mocked his faith. The Daily Beast compared Johnson to the "Taliban and the mullahs in Iran." Hakeem Jeffries, the Minority leader in the House, ripped into Johnson, calling him an “extreme, right-wing idealogue.” Others referred to him as "dangerous" and a "threat to democracy."

These attacks, however, merely reveal just how clueless the Left is about America's history, Johnson’s Bible-based faith and Christian worldview are eerily similar to that of Washington, Adams, Madison, and the entire founding generation. These attacks on Johnson are, therefore, attacks on the very principles that made America the most free and prosperous nation in human history, Consider the following.

The Bible in the Lives of the Founders

The Bible was, in fact, the most read book in America at the time of its founding. America’s founding generation found in the pages of the Bible its moral compass, its guide for ethics, and its Christian worldview.

This was confirmed by a 10-year study to determine where America’s Founders got their ideas for her founding documents. This study, which included the examination of thousands of historical documents, concluded that the Founders quoted the Bible far more than any other source (Hyatt, 5 Pillars of the American Republic, 13).

It is, therefore, not surprising that when the First Continental Congress opened on September 5, 1774, it opened with an extended time of Bible reading and prayer. Rev. Jacob Duche read the entire 35th Psalm and it had a powerful impact on  everyone present, John Adams, who became America’s second president, wrote to his wife, Abigail,

I never saw a greater effect upon an audience. It seems as if heaven had ordained that Psalm to be read that day. I saw tears gush into the eyes of the old, grave pacific Quakers of Philadelphia. I must beg you to read that Psalm (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 108).

Every succeeding session of the Congress was then opened with Bible reading and prayer. 

The Founders’ respect for the Bible was also highlighted by their endorsement of the first English Bible printed in America in 1782. The producer of the Bible, Robert Aitken, called this Bible, “a neat Edition of the Scriptures for the use in schools.” Congress enthusiastically recommended the Bible, saying,

Resolved: That the United States in Congress assembled, highly approve 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, 5 Pillars of the American Republic, 15).

George Washington daily prayed and read his Bible. Robert Lewis, Washington’s nephew, lived with him and served as his secretary while Washington was president. Lewis said he accidentally witnessed Washington’s devotions morning and evening and that he was kneeling before an open Bible. Lewis believed that praying with an open Bible in front of him was a daily practice for Washington.

It, therefore, was neither strange or unexpected when Washington insisted on taking the first presidential oath of office with his hand on a Bible. A person swears by that which is greater than himself, and for Washington, the Bible was the greatest tangible authority by which he could swear to uphold and defend the Constitution.

James Madison, America’s 4^th president and chief architect of the U.S Constitution, respected the Bible as a revelation from God. He studied at the College of New Jersey under the president, Rev. John Knox Witherspoon, who once said, “Cursed is all education that is contrary to Christ.” After graduation Madison remained at the college where he worked on a project translating the Old Testament from Hebrew into English and the New Testament from Greek into English. The late Dr. D. James Kennedy said, “Madison’s political worldview was one shaped by the Bible more than any other source” (Hyatt, 1726: The Yearthat Defined America, 143).

Andrew Jackson, America’s 7th president, once gestured toward a Bible and said to the person with whom he was conversing, “That book, sir, is the rock on which our Republic rests.”

In a December 1982 article in Newsweek entitled “How the Bible Made America,” the authors declared,

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 (Hyatt, 1726:The Year that Defined America, 7).

Summary Statement

It is the modern Democrat Party and their accomplices in the media, not Speaker Johnson, who have departed from the faith and vision of America’s founding generation. Their attacks on Speaker Johnson are attacks on America's founding principles. Speaker Johnson's simple, yet profound, faith in God and biblical principles are refreshing and offer hope for America's future.

This article was derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt’s groundbreaking book, 1726: The Year that Defined America, which documents the direct bearing of the First Great Awakening on both the founding of America and the ending of slavery on the American continent.

WHY ISRAEL HAS A BIBLICAL AND MORAL OBLIGATION TO DESTROY HAMAS

We live in a fallen, sinful world where evil abounds. We just saw a startling demonstration of this evil with the violent attack of Hamas on innocent Jewish citizens. According to reports from those on the scene, women and children were raped, beheaded and their bodies burned.

One woman who observed the grisly aftermath of the attack told how she is the daughter of Holocaust survivors and heard their stories of the Nazi concentration camps. “This,” she said, “Is even worse!” Perhaps we should not be surprised, for the Hamas Charter calls for the killing of individual Jews and destruction of the Israeli state.

What would be a Biblical response to this massacre? Does the Sermon on the Mount apply to this situation? Is Israel supposed to “turn the other cheek?”

When it comes to individual, personal relationships, we are not to retaliate and seek revenge. We are to treat others the way we want to be treated. This is what the Sermon on the Mount is all about. It is the civil government to which God has given the right and responsibility to use force in dealing with evil.

This is made clear in Romans 13:1-4 where Paul lays out the role of civil government in using force to protect those who are good from those who are evil. He wrote,

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities . . . For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.

This passage makes clear that civil government exists for the people--to protect its citizens from evil. When a government thinks the people exists for it, and uses and abuses its citizenry for its own ends, it has become an illegitimate government.

This is the situation with Hamas and Gaza. The people of Gaza elected Hamas to be their governing authority, but Hamas does not care for the people they govern. They are obsessed with destroying Israel, and they are willing to use and abuse the Palestinian people to achieve their goal.

America’s Founders understood the reason for civil government as delineated by Paul in Romans 13:4. In their 1776 Declaration of Independence, they clearly stated that human governments exist to secure for the people their God-given rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. They wrote,

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government . . .. 

Israeli citizens have a God-given right to live securely in peace. The Israeli government exists to secure this right for its citizens. Since Hamas is committed to destroying the people of Israel, the Israeli government has a Biblical right and obligation to protect its citizens from those evil intentions. They must, as Paul said in Romans 13:4, execute wrath on him who practices evil (Romans 13:4).

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is an author, historian, and Bible teacher. His books are available on Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com. His book 1726: The Year that Defined America, documents America's Christian origins out of the First Great Awakening and offers hope for her future.

DEBUNKIING THE CESSATION THEORY

I read with interest James Lasher’s excellent review of the Cessationist movie. I also noted that earlier this month, Pastor John MacArthur hosted a Cessationist Conference at his Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, CA. I was reminded of an interesting encounter I had years ago that highlighted how flimsy is their argument for the cessation of the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit.

I Challenge A Seminary Professor with Historical Facts

I had just published the first edition of my book 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity (now published by Charisma House) and was attending the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society. ETS is an academic society whose members are, for the most part, cessationists.

I attended a workshop attended by about 200 pastors and college professors in which a white-haired seminary professor presented an argument for the cessation of the miraculous gifts of the Spirit. His argument centered around I Corinthians 13:9-10 where Paul said, For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

He argued that the “perfect” to which Paul refers is the New Testament canon. Therefore, when the New Testament canon was completed in the final decade of the first century, the miraculous Spiritual gifts were no longer necessary and were withdrawn from the Church.

When it came time for questions, I raised my hand. Based on the documented evidence in my book, I asked, "How does your cessation theory deal with the fact that church fathers, including Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Augustine, all speak of miraculous gifts in their midst, including speaking in tongues?"

Being a well-known theologian, I expected him to have some sort of answer. I was, therefore, surprised when he said, "I can't answer that," and quickly moved on to the next question.

No Historical Evidence for the Cessation of Miracles

Indeed, the cessation argument from the Bible is very flimsy. That which is “perfect,” on which the professor based his argument, is not referring to the New Testament canon, but to the Lord Jesus Himself when He comes the second time in power and glory.

In addition, there is absolutely no historical evidence for a cessation of the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit. Those who succeeded the Twelve Apostles as leaders in the Church express no knowledge of a cessation theory and they report healings and miracles of which they are personally aware.

For example, Augustine (354-430), considered one of the greatest of church fathers by both Catholics and Protestants, describes various miracles of which he is aware. These include healings of blindness, gout, hemorrhoids, and even one person raised from the dead. He then says, “I am so pressed by the promise of finishing this work that I cannot record all the miracles I know” (Hyatt, 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity, 44-45).

The Contextual Reason for a Cessation Theory

A Cessation theory did eventually emerge in the Church after the time of Constantine to explain the absence of miracles in most of the Church. With Constantine’s conversion and the church becoming the “official” religion of the empire, she became obsessed with her newly found wealth and political power. This, in turn, had a devastating effect on her spiritual condition.

For example, John Chrysostom (347–407), patriarch of Constantinople, complained that the character of the church of his day was no different from that of the marketplace or theater. He wrote,

If anyone is trying or intending to corrupt a woman, there is no place, I suppose, that seems to him more suitable 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 say or to hear any scandal, you will find that this to be had here more than the forum without (Hyatt, 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity, 34-35).

It is, therefore, not surprising that when he came to I Corinthians 12 in his commentary, Chrysostom admitted to having no knowledge of these miraculous gifts. He says, “The obscurity is produced by our ignorance of the facts referred to and their cessation.”

This correlation between the moral corruption of the Church and the absence of miracles was pointed out in a humorous manner by the famous theologian, Thomas Aquinas (1225-74), when visiting Rome and being shown the church’s wealth by Pope Innocent IV. Innocent said to Aquinas, “You see that the Church is no longer in an age in which she can say, ‘Silver and gold have I none.’” Aquinas replied, “It is true, nor can she say to the lame man, ‘Rise up and walk.'"

John Wesley made this same point after reading a book published in 1713 by John Lacy who presented a powerful Biblical and historical argument for the continuation of the miraculous gifts in Church. Lacy also defended the Montanists, a 2nd century prophetic movement, that was declared heretical by the Council of Constantinople. After reading the book, Wesley wrote,

I was fully convinced of what I had once suspected: (1) That the Montanists, in the second and third centuries, were real Scriptural Christians; and (2) That the grand reason why the miraculous gifts were so soon withdrawn, was not only that faith and holiness were well nigh lost, but that dry, formal, orthodox men began even then to ridicule whatever gifts they had not themselves, and to decry them all as either madness or imposture (Hyatt, 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity, 29).

This was the also the of argument of the noted Baptist pastor, A.J. Gordon (1836-95), founder of Gordon College in Wenham, MA. In his book, The Ministry of Healing, he wrote,

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

The Conclusion of the Matter

The modern cessationists are wrong, without a leg to stand on, either Biblically or historically. They seem to try and make their case by cherry picking the most bizarre examples they can find of charismatics supposedly expressing gifts of the Holy Spirit. Sadly, they have a lot to choose from.

However, examples of charismatics acting in a fleshly and eccentric manner does not invalidate the real gifts of the Holy Spirit. The presence of the false does not call for a rejection of all Spiritual gifts, but a call to be more diligent in testing the spirits as we are admonished throughout Scripture, including I John 4:1.

Indeed, miracles have been a part of the life of the Church throughout history. Their presence has waned at times in history, not because of some fiat from God, but because of the backslidden condition of the Church. When times of revival have been fanned into flame, and the lost passion for the Lord renewed, miracles and answers to prayer once again have become a part of the life of the Church.

Dr. Eddie Hyatt has created a course on the continuance of Spiritual gifts throughout Church history. It consists of the textbook, 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity, and the 20-Lesson Study Guide entitled Revival History. Both are available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com. To access a video discussion of this issue, click this link.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChHxRXr3vaE

HERE'S WHY REAL CHRISTIANS LOVE ISRAEL

Imagine a world with no Bible, no Ten Commandments, and no Psalms. Imagine a world with no Abraham, no Moses, no Mt. Sanai, no King David, and no Elijah. Imagine a world with no Isaiah, no Jeremiah, or other prophets who prophesied such wondrous and glorious things to come.

Imagine a world with no New Testament, no Gospel, no Sermon on the Mount, and no “love your neighbor as yourself.” Imagine a world with no Jesus, no Cross, no Resurrection, and no hope of eternal life.

Remember, Jesus was a Jew according to His natural lineage that is traced through David all the way back to Abraham (Matthew 1:1-16). All Twelve apostles were Jews and of the 27 books of the New Testament, 25 were written by Jews. Luke, who wrote the Gospel bearing his name and Acts, was likely a convert to Judaism who then accepted Jesus as the Messiah.

Imagine a world with no Christianity, no Paul the apostle, and no missionaries who sacrificed their lives to tell the wonderful story of Jesus throughout the earth. Imagine a world with no churches, no revivals, no evangelistic crusades, and no Great Awakenings. Imagine a world with no Augustine, no John Wesley, no Charles Finney, and no Billy Graham.

If you can imagine such a world, it is indeed a dark and hopeless world. But this is the world if there had never been a Jew. I am not here talking about individual Jews for there are wicked Jews just as their wicked Gentiles. I am speaking of the Jews as a people and Israel as a nation.

God’s Call to Abram and His Descendants

It was indeed a dark world when, 4000 years ago, God spoke to a nomadic Bedouin named Abram and called him to leave his home and his biological kin (who were idolaters) and come to a land that He would show him. God promised that in this new land Abram would be greatly blessed and that through him and his descendants, all the families of the earth will be blessed (Genesis 12:3).

Abram came to the land of Canaan long before there were Palestinians or Muslims. God made a covenant with him and promised to give this land to him and his descendants. Genesis 15:18 says, On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates.”

God’s call of Abram, later called Abraham, was the beginning of His plan to reconcile fallen and rebellious humanity back to Himself. He would make a covenant with Abram and his descendants, give them a Law, a system of worship, and seek to teach them His ways. One of Abraham’s descendants (according to natural lineage) would be the Messiah and Savior of the world.

This is the key to understanding God’s words to Abram in Genesis 12:3, I will bless those who bless you and I will curse him who curses you. This doesn’t mean that God plays favorites and that Jews are His little favorites. It means that God’s eternal purposes are bound up in Abram and his descendants, so to fight against them is to fight against God.

This does not mean Israel cannot be criticized. God raised up prophets in the Old Testament to rebuke Israel and call her to repentance when she strayed into sin and idolatry. Israel can be justly criticized, but those who seek to injure or destroy her inevitably find themselves fighting against God.

It is this recognition of Israel as the vehicle God has used to bring such blessings to the world that makes loving Israel a natural response for real Christians. I have found that in all parts of the world, where you find true Christians who love Jesus, those same people have a love for Israel.

Two Covenant People in the Earth

Only two people in the earth have a covenant with God: the natural descendants of Abraham--the Jew--and the spiritual descendants of Abraham--the real Christian. Paul spoke of the spiritual descendants of Abraham in his letter to the Gentile Christians in Galatia. He said to them, And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.

It is so interesting that the people of the world who hate Israel, also hate true followers of Jesus. For example, a senior Hamas official, Mahmoud al-Zahar, in a recently resurfaced clip, declared that after their successful takeover of the globe, the world would finally be rid of “Zionism” and “treacherous Christianity.”

The opposite, however, is also true. Wherever you find true followers of Jesus, you will find that they also love Israel. I have personally found this to be true in all parts of the world.

God’s Eternal Purposes at Work in Jews and Christians

This is so because God’s eternal purposes are at work in both people, whom Paul says are being reconciled to God in one body. Speaking of the division between Jew and Gentile, Paul says of Jesus, For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation . . . that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. (Ephesians 2:14-16).

Yes, God has worked through the Jewish people to bring so many blessings to humanity, including the Messiah and Savior of the world. Since the Bible, the Messiah, and Christianity itself would not exist without the Jewish race, real Christians will love and support Israel and pray for her salvation.

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is an author, revivalist, and ordained minister. His book, 1726: The Year that Defined America, documents how the early immigrants to America, fleeing religious persecution, saw themselves as a new Israel and sought to pattern their lives in their new home after God's dealings with Israel.

AMERICA'S ANTI-SLAVERY FOUNDING DOCUMENTS

Left-wing activists love to demonize America's founding documents as "racist." However, a careful look at the documents in their historical context reveal a very different story. An honest examination of the documents and their early history reveal that they were written as anti-slavery documents. Such stalwarts as Frederick Douglass and Dr. Martin Luther king, Jr. understood this, as documented below.

Their Anti-Slavery Character

America’s founding documents contain no classifications based on race, ethnicity, or skin color. The words “slave” and “slavery” are nowhere to be found. Instead, the framers of the Constitution use the words “persons,” “citizens,” and “other persons.” James Madison said the language was a purposeful statement against slavery (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 123).

The Declaration of Independence declares that “all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights . . ..” This was considered an anti-slavery statement by America’s founding generation and abolitionists used it in their fight against slavery.

For example, a 1784 gathering of Methodist leaders in Baltimore published a statement denouncing slavery and based their condemnation on both the Bible and the Declaration of Independence. They denounced slavery as, “contrary to the golden rule of God . . . as well as every principle of the [American] Revolution” (Hyatt, Abolitionist Founding Fathers, 29).

Samuel Hopkins, a pastor in Newport, RI and a passionate abolitionist, also used the Declaration of Independence in his arguments against slavery. He was incensed at some who said that slavery was God’s way of exposing Africans to the gospel. He thundered,

What sort of “gospel” message is being conveyed when people are enslaved because of the color of their skin? The Declaration of Independence says all men are created equal with certain unalienable rights. Oh, the shocking, the intolerable inconsistencies (Hyatt, Abolitionist Founding Fathers, 29).

America’s Founders Turn Against Slavery

These colorblind founding documents were the fruit of a powerful abolition movement that emerged out of the First Great Awakening (1726-70). So influential was this movement that virtually every founder, even those who owned slaves, took a public stand against it.

For example, in a letter to Robert Morris, dated April 12, 1786, George Washington said, “There is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do, to see a plan adopted for the abolition of slavery.” Virtually every founder came to agree with John Adams who wrote,

Every measure of prudence ought to be assumed for the eventual total extirpation of slavery from the United States . . . I have throughout my whole life held the practice of slavery in abhorrence (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 101).

This movement against slavery occurred at a time when slavery was accepted and practiced throughout most of the world. Dr. Thomas Sowell has written of this saying,

Among those who turned against slavery in the 18th century were George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and other America leaders. You could research all of 18th century Africa, or Asia, or the Middle East without finding any comparable rejection of slavery there (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 90).

Frederick Douglass and Dr. King

In his early years, the famous abolitionist and former slave, Frederick Douglass, felt he had no part in America because of slavery. But after studying America’s founding and realizing that America’s founders were on the cutting edge of the fight against slavery, he came to a completely different view. In a July 4th speech delivered in 1852, Douglass called the U.S, Constitution “a glorious liberty document” and extoled America’s founders, saying,

Fellow Citizens, I am not wanting in respect for the fathers of this republic. The signers of the Declaration of Independence were brave men. They were great men too—great enough to give fame to a great age. It does not often happen to a nation to raise, at one time, such a number of truly great men.

Obviously convinced of the anti-slavery character of the founding documents, Douglass also said, “Any one of these provisions in the hands of abolition statesmen, and backed by a right moral sentiment, would put an end to slavery in America.” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 121).

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. utilized America’s founding documents in his fight for racial equality. He saw the problem to be, not with the founding documents, but with succeeding generations not living up to the truths in those documents. In his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, he declared,

When the architects of our Republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, Black men as well as White men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Then alluding to the Declaration of Independence, he proclaimed, “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

The Way Forward from Here

We must proclaim this truth in the face of the anti-American forces that are demonizing the founders and our founding documents. Douglass would agree, for in the same speech noted above, he referred to the Declaration of Independence and then exhorted his audience,

The principles contained in that instrument are saving principles. Stand by those principles, be true to them on all occasions, in all places, against all foes, and at whatever cost.

This article is derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt’s books, 1726: TheYear that Defined America and Abolitionist Founding Fathers available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com.

THIS PSALM REVEALS THE MASTER KEY FOR MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN

Psalm 33:12 reads, Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD. A careful study of this passage, compared with a study of America’s origins, reveals the key for how a collection of colonists founded the most powerful and prosperous nation in the history of mankind. It also reveals the reason for the current rapid demise of America.

The Personal Name of God

In this passage the word “LORD” is in all caps, which lets us know that it is translated from the Hebrew word Yahweh. The old KJV translates Yahweh as “Jehovah.” In the Old Testament, Yahweh was the personal name of the God of Israel, and it distinguished Him from the false gods of the pagan nations.

Therefore, the promise of Psalm 33:12 is not to the nation that merely believers there is a god or a higher power. The promise is to the nation who believes in a specific God who has a specific personal name.

Yahweh is from the Hebrew verb “to be,” such as the English, “I am.” It was originally signified by the Hebrew letters for YHWH, but vowels were later added to spell Yahweh. This explains Exodus 3:14 where Moses inquired concerning the name of the One speaking to him from the burning bush. The voice replied, I AM WHO I AM . . . thus you shall say to the children of Israel, “I AM has sent me to you.” (Exodus 3:14).

Yahweh was the name in which Israel prayed, worshipped, faced her enemies, and spoke blessings. When David went out to face Goliath, he announced to the giant that he was coming against him in the name of Yahweh (I Samuel 17:45).

The Name of Yahweh Found its Fulfillment in the Name of Jesus

When Jesus appeared on the scene, He clearly identified Himself with Yahweh. To cite just one example, in a conversation between Jesus and certain Jewish leaders, Jesus said to them, Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day and he saw it and was glad (John 8:56). They responded, You are not yet fifty years old and have you seen Abraham? Jesus replied, Before Abraham was, I AM (John 8:58).

At this point, the Jews picked up stones to stone Him for, in their minds, He had clearly blasphemed by identifying Himself with the great I AM that had spoken to Moses from the burning bush.

That the Old Testament name of Yahweh found fulfillment in the name of Jesus is also borne out by the fact that the first followers of Jesus prayed in the name of Jesus, cast out demons in His name, baptized in His name, and attributed miracles to the power of that name. What Old Testament saints would have attributed to the name of Yahweh, the New Testament believers attributed to the name of Jesus. (For a thorough discussion of this , see chapter 9 of my book, Discovering the Real Jesus), 

This is significant because all of the first disciples of Jesus were practicing Jews. They attended synagogue and kept the Jewish feasts and festivals. Although they probably spoke Aramaic, the language of the synagogue in Israel was Hebrew, and the Scriptures that were read every Sabbath were in the Hebrew tongue. They were, therefore, very aware of the significance of the name of Yahweh. But instead of the name Yahweh, it was the name of Jesus to which they attributed miracles and salvation.

For example, when the authorities in Jerusalem arrested Peter and John and demanded to know by what authority or name they had healed a crippled man, Peter boldly declared: Let it be known to you all, and to all the house of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands before you whole (Acts 4:7-12). Peter then said: Nor is there salvation in any other for there is no other Name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:7-12).

The name of Jesus was obviously first and foremost in the testimonies of those earliest disciples. They were not interfaith, religious pluralists. They were convinced that God had visited this planet in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth 

Jesus Was Central in the Thinking of Early Americans

Jesus was also first and foremost in the thinking of those who founded America. Although far from perfect, Psalm 33:12 was fulfilled in their actions and thinking. This is borne out by looking at just a few selected examples.

In 1646 the United Colonies of New England was formed for the purpose of settling land disputes and facilitating a common defense for the thousands of new immigrants. The opening of their constitution honors Jesus Christ as the central reason for their being in the New World. They wrote,

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

The Great Awakening (1726-70), that transformed Colonial America, was characterized by the exaltation of Jesus Christ. So pervasive was the influence of this Awakening that a British-appointed official wrote to his superiors in England, “If you ask an American who is his master, He will tell you he has none, nor any governor but Jesus Christ” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 81).

The First Continental Congress, attended by George Washington, John Adams, Patrick Henry and 53 other delegates, was opened with an extended time of Bible reading and prayer in the name of Jesus. Jacob Duche, an Anglican minister who led the group in prayer, ended his prayer with the following words, “All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ Thy Son and our Savior. Amen” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 113).

In 1891 a prayer journal was discovered that George Washington kept in his twenties. It is filled with prayers that are offered in the name of Jesus. One prayer reads, “Bless, O Lord, the whole race of mankind, and let the world be filled with the knowledge of Thee and Thy Son, Jesus Christ.” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 132).

In a meeting with chiefs from the Delaware tribe, Washington encouraged them to learn “above all the religion of Jesus Christ.” The chiefs had brought some of their youth to be educated in American schools. Washington addressed them as “brothers” and said,

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. Congress will do everything they can to assist you in this wise intention (Hyatt, 1726:The Year that Defined America, 172).

John Hancock was president of the Second Continental Congress, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and governor of Massachusetts. While serving as governor he proclaimed a day of fasting and prayer and asked the people to,

Implore the Divine forgiveness through the merits and mediation of JESUS CHRIST our Savior . . . and to the spreading of the true religion of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, in its purity and power, among all the people of the earth (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 173).

Thomas Jefferson wrote, “The philosophy of Jesus is the most sublime and benevolent code of morals ever offered man.” This is why, as president, he took money from the federal treasury to pay for a Christian missionary to the Kaskaskia Native American tribe and to build them a church building in which to worship. Like the other founders, he believed that only by following the moral teachings of Jesus could a nation experience peace, stability, and prosperity.

The God of early America was obviously the LORD of Psalm 33:12. Their God was Jesus Christ, who is Yahweh revealed in human form. Sadly, that is no longer the case and is the reason for America's current demise.

Is There Hope for America?

Anyone who is in the least observant can see that America is coming unraveled. Her major cities are descending into lawless chaos and her schools and colleges have become centers of moral decadence and anti-Christian indoctrination. The reason is obvious, The god of modern America is no longer the LORD but her own twisted and demented way of thinking and living. She has become her own god.

We now know that the “LORD” of Psalm 33:12 has been revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. Early America’s commitment to Jesus and His teachings explains the basic underlying reason and philosophy for her greatness. The rejection of Jesus and His teachings in modern America explains the reason for her current rapid demise.

Is there hope? Yes! Throughout America’s history, God has intervened with national Awakenings that have directed the attention of the populace back to God through Jesus Christ. Let us, therefore, continue calling this nation back to God and continue asking Him to visit America once again with another Great Jesus Awakening.

This article was derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt's books entitled, 1726: The Year that Defined America and Discovering the Real Jesus, both available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com.

UNDERSTANDING THIS ONE WORD UNDERMINES THE SBC'S ARGUMENT AGAINST WOMEN PASTORS

The Southern Baptist Convention focuses on one passage of Scripture as the basis for banning women from carrying the title of pastor, which is I Timothy 2:12. However, they completely misconstrue the key word in this passage, which is the Greek word that is translated as “authority.”

In a document called “Southern Baptists and Women Pastors,” the executive staff of the SBC quote Paul’s words in Timothy 2:12 that, I do not permit a woman to teach or to have “authority” over a man, and then say of Paul,

He concludes women cannot have a pastoral position, or perform the pastoral function, for that puts them in authority over men in the life of the church.

The problem with their interpretation of this passage is that the Greek word translated “authority” is authentein and is not the normal word for “authority.” It is found only here in the entire New Testament, indicating that Paul is not addressing the normal exercise of authority in the Church.

The normal Greek word for "authority" is exousia, and it is found 102 times in the Greek New Testament, and numerous other times in its verb and other cognate forms. It refers to the right or authority to speak or act. Not once in the entire New Testament is a woman told she cannot exercise exousia.

If Paul were addressing the normal exercise of “authority” in the Church, we would expect him to use this word that he and every other New Testament writer uses. By using authentien, a word that neither he nor any New Testament writer ever uses, it seems obvious that he is addressing a unique and different situation.

Remember that I Timothy is a not a letter to a church. It is a personal letter to Paul’s young protégé, Timothy, who is in Ephesus confronting false teaching (see verse three of chapter one). By using this strange Greek word, it is obvious that Paul is addressing the unique situation of Timothy in Ephesus, and he never meant for it to be applied to all women everywhere.

It is also worth noting that the word "pastor" is nowhere to be found in this passage or anywhere in the letter.

For a thorough discussion of the passage in question and the Greek word authentein, see Dr. Eddie Hyatt’s latest book, Who Says Women Can’t Pastor? available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com.