WHY THE TRUMP INDICTMENTS HAVE CHANGED MY MIND ABOUT 2024

At the beginning of this year I had planned to support Ron DeSantis in his run for president in 2024. But with the multiple indictments leveled against Donald Trump, that has all changed. I am now all in for Trump and here is why. 

It is obvious that the Left-wing Democrat Party has its big guns all trained on Trump with the intention of destroying him. They don’t seem that concerned about the other Republican candidates. It is Trump with whom they are obsessed. The question is, “Why?”

The answer is that they see Trump as the one big obstacle that is blocking their path to “fundamentally transform” America into a godless, socialist, and globalist state. If they can eliminate Trump, they believe the rest will be easy pickings.

If they are successful, it will be a sad day for America. Freedom of conscience will be lost. Individual and religious liberties will be subordinated by the state to the woke agendas of the Left. American freedom will be a thing of the past.

Despite his personal flaws, Donald Trump has defended individual and religious liberty. He has defended life in the womb. He has not been ashamed to allow people to openly pray in the Oval Office. In fact, he has also been the most vocal witness for Christ I have ever seen in the White House. The secularist, Left-wing Democrat party finds all of this shocking and disgusting.

If the Democrat Party is successful in erasing Trump, they will feel emboldened to steamroll their Leftist agenda through every city, town, and hamlet. If they have their way, our God-given rights of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” will be a thing of the past. The America of Washington, Madison, Lincoln, and King will be replaced by the America of the Left-wing Marxists of the Democrat Party. 

An anonymous writer once said, “Where the battle rages there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all battle fronts besides this one, is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.” The battle for America's future is raging around Donald J. Trump and this is why I, and millions of Americans, are changing our minds and throwing our support behind him in 2024. 

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is the author of numerous books on America's Christian origins, including 1726: The Year that Defined America and America's Revival Heritage. His latest book is entitled Discovering the Real Jesus and is available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehytt.com.

HERE'S WHY SEAN FEUCHT WAS RIGHT TO CONFRONT MATTHEW BLAKE

I just read the report in Charisma News of Sean Feucht confronting Matthew Blake because of Blake's sexualizing of young children. Blake is a former worship leader who now performs as a Drag Queen but still claims to be a Christian. Blake responded by accusing Feucht of being a "hater." In other words, Feucht was not "nice" to him. But is it possible that Feucht's words were spoken in love?

In my just released book, Discovering the Real Jesus, I confront several modern distortions of Jesus including the New Age Jesus of Oprah Winfrey and the Nice Jesus of Popular Culture. Concerning the latter, I recall listening to a discussion on Fox News about LGBTQ issues. The person being interviewed brought Jesus into the conversation and insisted that He would never judge or condemn anyone. Her mantra that she repeated over and over was, “He was all about love.”

I immediately realized that she had not encountered the Jesus of the four Gospels, for the Jesus of Scripture can be very confrontational and offensive. The renowned NT scholar, the late Dr. F. F. Bruce said, "The Jesus we meet in the Gospels, far from being an inoffensive person, gave offence right and left. Even his loyal followers found him, at times, thoroughly disconcerting" (Hyatt, Discovering the Real Jesus, 36). 

Unlike the real Jesus of Scripture, the “nice” Jesus of popular culture is a milquetoast sort of person who affirms everyone and offends no one. This "nice" Jesus of popular culture is not the real Jesus. Just ask the temple money changers and merchants whom Jesus expelled from the temple. 

Jesus walked into their midst with a whip in his hand, a somber and fierce look on His face, and began turning over their tables and scattering their wares. He shouted that they had turned His Father’s house into a “den of thieves,” as He drove them from the temple area (Matthew 21:12-13).

Neither would the religious leaders in Israel describe Jesus as “nice,” for He was continually rebuking them for their pride and misuse of Scripture and people. His language sounded particularly harsh when he called them “hypocrites” and compared them to whitewashed tombs that appear beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead people’s bones. He rebuked them, calling them “snakes,” and saying, Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the damnation of hell? (Matthew 23:33).

Jesus showed great compassion toward the humble, the poor, and the distressed. We must not, however, confuse compassion with “niceness.” A "nice" person may speak sweet and kind words but never warn you of the attitudes and behaviors that are destroying you. The real Jesus loves us too much to leave us as we are. His compassion will, therefore, be accompanied by rebukes and directions for change.

For example, He had compassion on a crippled man at the pool of Bethesda and healed him of his long-standing infirmity. Afterwards, Jesus warned him, See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you (John 5:14). It was a similar situation with the woman whom He rescued from the Pharisees who wanted to stone her.

Jesus showed great compassion toward this woman whom the Pharisees claimed had been caught in the act of adultery (I wonder where the man was?). Jesus, with Divine wisdom, delivered her from their hands. He did not condemn her, but neither did He condone her sin. His final words were, Go, and sin no more. (John 8:11). What He did was give her a new beginning free from the guilt and pain of her past.

Jesus is full of mercy and He loves everyone in the sense that His intentions toward everyone are for good. He does not, however, fawn over everyone with sugary, sweet accolades and affirmations. Because He desires the best for us, He is willing to point out the attitudes and sins that would destroy us. This is clear in his message to the members of the lukewarm Church in Laodicea, to whom He said, As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent (Revelation 3:19).

Yes, Sean Feucht was right to confront Matthew Blake. And if we ask, WWJD, we must conclude that Sean was following His example. I, therefore, pray that God will raise up more Christian leaders with the boldness to speak the truth in love at this very critical moment in which we live (Acts 4:29; Ephesians 4:15).

This article was derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt's latest book, Discovering the Real Jesus, available from Amazon and from his website at http:www.eddiehyatt.com.

"DISCOVERING THE REAL JESUS"

An Important and Timely New Book by Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt

In Matthew 24:4-5, Jesus warned, For many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ, and will deceive many. In his latest book, Discovering the Real Jesus, Dr. Eddie Hyatt confronts the false Christs from the past and also those of today. In Chapter 3, which is entitled “5 Modern Deceptions About Jesus,” he addresses:

1.    The New Age Jesus of Oprah Winfrey
2.    The Fictitious Jesus of the DaVinci Code
3.    The Malleable Jesus of Liberal Theology
4.    The Nice Jesus of Popular Culture
5.    The Distorted Jesus of Religious Cults

In a subsequent chapter, Eddie demonstrates how modern archaeology has destroyed the claims of the liberal, higher critics and made obsolete the Jesus Seminar and their false dichotomy  between "the Jesus of History" and "the Christ of Faith."

In a chapter on the resurrection of Jesus, he shows compelling evidence for the resurrection and discusses the writings of a famous Harvard law professor who said that the resurrection of Jesus is the best documented event of ancient history. 

Drawing on Scripture, history, and modern archaeology, he shows why believing in Jesus as the promised Messiah and Son of God is not a blind leap of faith. It is, rather, a step of faith into the light of reason and historical evidence.

If you are a believer, Discovering the Real Jesus will both affirm your faith and equip you to defend the faith. If you are an unbeliever, you will be challenged by the compelling picture of the Real Jesus you will encounter in this book.

Discovering the Real Jesus can be purchased from Amazon and from the Hyatt online bookstore at http:www.eddiehyatt.com. For special pricing on bulk orders, send an email to dreddiehyatt@gmail.com.

AMERICA'S FOUNDERS WARNED THIS COULD HAPPEN

The Two Things They Said Are Key for America's Preservation

Are the Two Things this Generation Has Rejected

“Our Republic is in peril, our justice system is broken,” NY Congresswoman Elise Stefanik just warned. Many in the nation’s capital agree with her as do millions across the heartland. I too agree. I am 76 years old and this is not the America that I grew up in. The moral decadence into which we have sunk as a nation has no parallels in our history. It is a dangerous time.

Because they understood the flawed character of human nature, America’s founders knew this could happen. They held no romantic, utopian view about America. They knew that certain characteristics would have to remain in place if the free Republic they formed was to survive, and they issued very direct warnings in this regard.

They did not fear an outside enemy destroying America; they feared the enemy from within. They would all agree with Abraham Lincoln who said, “If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author.” They feared a generation that would discard "religion" and "morality" and live with no transcendent moral compass. Such a generation, they believed, would destroy the American Republic.

The Warnings

In the quotes below, remember that when the Founders use the word "religion," they are referring to Christianity. Christianity was their religion. Without exception, they believed that only a moral and religious people could maintain the free Republic that had formed. And notice that they consistently couple "morality" with "religion" for they believed that morality could not be had without religion.

This is why, two weeks before signing the Declaration of Independence, John Adams wrote to his cousin, Zabdiel Adams, a minister of the Gospel, and said,

Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 164).

Twenty-two years later in 1798, President Adams gave a speech to the officers of the Massachusetts Militia in which he clearly stated his belief that only a Christian morality could maintain the free Republic he had helped establish. He said,

We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion . . .. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 164),

We now have a generation that, in the words of Adams, is “unbridled by morality and religion.” The Church in America must accept responsibility for this situation for we obviously have not been salt (restraining corruption) and light (dispelling darkness) to this generation, as Jesus called us to be in Matthew 5:13-14.

 Because of this loss of morality, our nation is becoming more and more chaotic, and our liberties are rapidly slipping away, as many push for more government control. Benjamin Rush, a Philadelphia physician, member of the Continental Congress, and signer of the Declaration of Independence, warned of this, saying,

The only foundation for a republic is to be laid in Religion. Without this there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 163).

George Washington gave the same warning in his 1796 Farewell address after serving two terms as the nation’s first president. He urged the new nation to maintain "religion" and "morality," which he called "indispensable" supports for national prosperity. Interestingly, he did not say that religion should be "tolerated," but that it is "indispensable" for the life of the nation.

He also warned against the false supposition, entertained by so many today, that morality can be maintained apart from religion [Christianity]. He called religion and morality “the great pillars of human happiness” and then said,

And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion [Christianity]. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle (Hyatt, 1726:The Year that Defined America, 165).

Thomas Jefferson was so impressed with Washington’s speech that he made it required reading at the University of Virginia, which he had founded. This should not be surprising for Jefferson too was convinced that only by embracing the moral teachings of Jesus and the New Testament could a nation enjoy both stability and freedom. He once said, “Of all the systems of morality that have come under my observation, none appear so pure to me as that of Jesus.” 

John Dickinson, chairman of the committee that produced the Articles of Confederation, warned that “when states lose their liberty, this calamity is generally owing to a decay of virtue.” When Thomas Paine, after being negatively influenced by the atheistic French Revolution, sent Benjamin Franklin a manuscript that attacked traditional Christian doctrine and values, Franklin refused to print it. He suggested to Paine that he burn it and said, “If men are so wicked with Christianity, what would they be if without it?”

The Founders Believed in Spiritual Awakening

Virtually every Founder, to one degree or another, was positively impacted by the First Great Awakening (1726-70). This fact led the late Harvard historian, Perry Miller, to say, "The Declaration of Independence of 1776 was a direct result of the evangelical preaching of the evangelists of the Great Awakening" (Hyatt, America’s Revival Heritage 2nd Edition, 67). Most Founders would agree with Samuel Adams, another prominent Founding Father, who believed such Awakenings necessary for the maintenance of  national religion and morality. 

For example, the late Dr. Michael Novak says that Adams believed: (1) Liberty cannot be enjoyed apart from virtue [morality] and (2) Virtue is unlikely to remain vigorous from one generation to another without "religious awakenings.” Novak goes on to say,

Far from  having a hostility toward religion, the Founders counted on religion [Christianity] for the underlying philosophy of the republic, its supporting ethic, and its reliable source of rejuvenation (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 171).

If American freedom is to be preserved and enjoyed by another generation, we must heed the warnings of the Founders. It is not too late. Several years ago, I experienced an unusual 7-hour visitation of God in which He assured me that America "could" see another great, national spiritual awakening that would save her from ruin. 

As documented in my book, America’s Revival Heritage 2nd Edition, America has experienced at least four such Awakenings. Such Awakenings, however, never begin at the White House. They begin at  God’s House when His people throw off the curse of wanting to be "liked" by the world and popular culture and begin taking seriously their responsibility to be salt and light to their generation (Matthew 5:13-14; II Chronicles 7:14).

Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt is the author of 1726: The Year that Defined America from which the above article was derived. His books are available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com. 

ARE WE PEACHING THE "GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM" TO THIS GENERATION?

Jesus, in Matthew 24:14, declared, And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. These words of Jesus should raise the question in our minds, "What is the "gospel of the kingdom?" It should also cause us to ask, "Are we preaching the gospel of the kingdom?" These are questions that I seek to answer in this article. 

The Kingdom of God is His Authority

From both Acts and the Epistles, it is obvious, that the preaching of the Kingdom of God was a primary theme in the early Church. In his very moving dialogue with the elders of Ephesus, Paul reminded them how he had gone about in their midst, preaching the kingdom of God (Acts 20:25). In describing Paul’s ministry while under house arrest in Rome, Luke says that he, Received all who came to Him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things that concern the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 28:30-31).

The Greek word for “kingdom” is basileia and the Hebrew word is malkuth. Both terms refer to the right and authority of a king to reign, rather than to the territory or people over which he reigns. Jesus told a parable to illustrate this, saying, A nobleman went into a far country to receive a kingdom (basiliea) and then return (Luke 19:11-12). The realm over which he wanted to reign was the place he left. He needed the right and authority to reign over that territory and went into a far country to obtain that right and authority.

Interestingly, an event like this had happened in Israel not many years prior to Jesus’ telling this parable. In 40 b.c., political conditions in Israel were chaotic. The Romans had subdued the country in 63 b.c., but stability was slow in coming. An Edomite by the name of Herod, who later became Herod the Great, travelled to Rome and talked the Romans into declaring him king. He literally went into a far country and received a kingdom, which was the right and authority to reign over the Jews in Judea. 

The kingdom of God is His kingship. It is His sovereign rule and authority, Psalm 103:19 makes this clear: The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. When Jesus, in Matthew 6:33, exhorts us to seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, He does not mean for us to seek a certain territory, people, or structure, but to seek His rule and reign in our lives  

The Kingdom of God and Pentecost

In describing one of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances before His ascension, Luke says that He spoke to them, of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). This was necessary because they had to understand the significance of His life, death, and resurrection, as well as the events of Pentecost that were soon to follow.

Indeed, first century Jews believed that Joel’s prophecy of an outpouring of God’s Spirit on all flesh (Joel 2:28-29) was to be part of the messianic kingdom that would be ushered in by the coming of Messiah. Peter made this point when explaining to the crowds the meaning of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Peter explained that what was happening was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy, but he added the words, in the last days (Acts 2:17). Professor George Ladd says,

“The last days” in the prophets was the time of Messianic redemption when God’s rule will be perfectly realized among men, the Gentiles will be converted, and peace will reign in the earth. In other words, it is the kingdom of God.

Miraculous Gifts of the Spirit are Signs of His Kingdom

In explaining the meaning of events on the Day of Pentecost, Peter ties the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to Jesus’ resurrection and ascension to the Right Hand of God. He points out that Jesus’ resurrection was the fulfillment of the prophecy of David who said, For you will not leave My soul in hell, nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption (Acts 2:27-28). Peter goes on to say, 

This Jesus God has raised up of which we are all witnesses Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear . . . Therefore let all the house of Israel know that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:32-36).

According to Peter, the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit in their midst was the sign that the Messiah was on His throne and now reigning. An Old Testament example of this is when Joseph, who was reigning in Egypt, revealed himself to his brothers who had betrayed him many years before. Joseph sent them back to Canaan with wagons loaded with gifts and supplies.

Joseph’s father, Jacob, had grieved for him these many years, thinking he was dead. When his older sons returned from Egypt and told him Joseph was alive, and he is ruler of all Egypt, Jacob did not believe them (Genesis 45:26).  However, when He saw the wagons loaded with gifts and supplies, his spirit was revived, and he realized Joseph was really alive and reigning in Egypt.

For Peter and the early followers of Jesus, the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit in their midst were signs of the Messiah being seated on His throne. They, therefore, used every miracle and answer to prayer, not for self-promotion, but as an opportunity to point the people to Jesus as the promised Messiah. Messiah’s throne, however, was not an earthly, political throne, but one in the heavens at the right hand of God. As David said in Psalm 103:19, The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.

The Church and the Kingdom of God

A simple way to understand the difference between “Church” and “Kingdom” is to remember that Church is “people.” The Kingdom of God refers to His “authority,” that is, His rule and reign. So, as the earliest Christians proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom—that the Messiah had come and was seated on His Heavenly throne—the Church emerged, being made up of those who embraced the Messiah and His reign. The Church is the body through which the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is to be proclaimed in all the world (Matthew 24:14). 

As mentioned at the beginning, Jesus, in Matthew 24:14, said, And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. I am here suggesting that the Gospel of the Kingdom will consist of the following five components.

5 Components of the Gospel of the Kingdom

1.  The Messiah has come, fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies, and is now seated on His throne in the heavens at the right hand of God with all authority in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:19; Ephesians 1:19-22)..]

2.   By virtue of Messiah’s redemptive death on the cross, God is offering amnesty and forgiveness of sins to all who will turn to Him in repentance and faith (Acts 20:21).

3.  The gift of the Holy Spirt is given to all who believe, and His manifestations are the visible signs that the Messiah is reigning on His heavenly throne.

4.  The rulers and people of this world will oppose the message of the Kingdom of God, meaning that those who embrace the Kingdom must expect persecution.

5. The Kingdom of the Messiah, which is now here in incipient form, will be fully consummated when He returns in power and great glory. Present reality/future consummation is the tension within which the early Church lived and preached the kingdom of God.

This article was derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt’s latest book, Discovering the Real Jesus, scheduled for release August 1 and available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com.

5 HISTORCIAL FACTS THAT VINDICATE GOVERNOR SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS' REFUSAL TO REMOVE THE CROSS

"Americans United for the Separation of Church and State," a liberal group that opposes Christian symbols and speech on public property, wrote a letter to Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, telling her that the chalk cross her children drew on the driveway of the governor’s mansion was a “problem.” They claimed that the “religious display” violates the “Establishment Clause” of the U.S. Constitution and should be removed. 

Governor Sanders politely, but strongly, rejected their argument, saying,

Our founding documents are riddled with religious language—stating plainly that the very rights you claim to defend are “endowed by our Creator.” You are asking me to ignore that truth and hide a crucial part of my identity, and the identity of my kids. That, I will not do.

She was absolutely right to refuse their request and here are five historical facts that vindicate her decision. 

1)    The day after ratifying the First Amendment those same Founders proclaimed a Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving throughout the nation. They obviously did not see their words, “Congress shall make no law concerning the establishment of religion, or hindering the free exercise thereof,” to be restrictive of Christian expression.

2)    George Washington took the first presidential oath of office with his hand on a Bible. No one complained or accused him of violating the First Amendment for everyone understood the purpose of the First Amendment (articulated below in #5). By this act, he forever connected the presidential oath of office with the Bible and Christianity. 

3)    John Adams declared that the U.S. Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.  America’s second president made this statement in a 1798 speech to the officers of the Massachusetts Militia. He declared, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” When the Founders use the word “religion” they are referring to Christianity. Christianity was their religion. Adams obviously saw a profound harmony between the Constitution and Christianity.

4)    George Washington exhorted the new nation to cling to “religion and morality,” which he said are "indispensable" for political prosperity. He made this statement in his Farewell Address after serving two terms as America’s first president. He also called morality and religion “these great pillars of human happiness.” Note that Washington does not say religion should be “tolerated,” but that it is “indispensable” for the success of the nation.

5)    The so-called “Establishment Clause” of the First Amendment merely forbade Congress from establishing an official state church. Such state churches had been the norm in Europe since the time of Constantine. These churches, backed by the power of the state, used force to compel conformity to their doctrines and practice. The parents and grandparents of America’s founders had fled such oppressive state churches.

It is obvious that the Founders had no intention of restricting free speech, especially Christian speech, in the First Amendment. This was confirmed by Joseph Story (1779-1845) who served as a Supreme Court Justice for thirty-four years from 1811-1845. Commenting on the First Amendment, Story said,

We are not to attribute this prohibition of a national religious establishment to an indifference in religion, and especially to Christianity, which none could hold in more reverence than the framers of the Constitution (Hyatt, 1726:The Year that Defined America, 152).

“Americans United for the Separation of Church and State” clearly do not understand the U. S. Constitution and are out of sync with the vision of America’s founding generation. Governor Sanders is, therefore, right to stand her ground.

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is an author, historian, and Bible teacher with a vision to reconnect America with her roots of faith and freedom and her birth out of the First Great Awakening, This article was derived from his book, 1726: The Year that Defined America, available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com.

AN IMPORTANT LESSON FROM BILLY GRAHAM'S DEFINING MOMENT

A defining moment is when a decision is made, usually in a time of crisis, that is the determining factor in how the rest of your life plays out. It is a momentous moment that determines your destiny. The following is the true story of Billy Graham and his defining moment.

The Crisis

Billy Graham and Charles Templeton were leading young evangelists in the 1940s. They were friends and they traveled and preached together during the mid-1940s in the Youth for Christ movement. Both had defining moments that took them in opposite directions.

Templeton attended Princeton Theological Seminary where he was exposed to liberal theologians who questioned the authority of Scripture, the deity of Christ, and other orthodox doctrines of the Bible.

He told Graham their faith was flimsy and urged him to study at a top seminary. When Graham declined, Templeton accused him of “intellectual suicide.”

Although he outwardly rebuffed Templeton’s challenges to his faith, Billy was inwardly troubled and plagued with doubts. Also, his ministry was floundering, which added to his uncertainty and distress. 

His Defining Decision

He finally decided he had to get alone and have it out with God. He went to a Christian retreat center called Forest Home tucked away in southern California's San Bernardino Mountains. There, he wandered among the tall pines and prayed and wrestled with his misgivings.

He finally sat on a tree stump and opened his Bible on a big rock. He prayed and pondered. Then from the deepest depths of his being he made a defining decision. He decided he was going to believe the Bible come hell or highwater. He may not understand some parts and unable explain other parts, but from that day forth he would forever believe that the Bible is God’s word to mankind.

The Rest is History

Everything changed. He arose with a settled sense of peace and confidence in his heart. His very next meeting began September 25, 1949, under a tent in Los Angeles where he preached God’s word with a new sense of passion, urgency, and boldness.

The crowds, however, were small; but then the newspaper magnate, William Randolph Hearst, an ungodly man whom Graham never met, sent a telegram to his editors and reporters telling them to, “puff Graham.”

Suddenly his tent meeting was being covered by all the major newspapers in the area. The crowds came, multitudes came to Christ, and the ministry of Billy Graham as we know him was launched. In what was probably a shot at Templeton, Graham said in one of his sermons,

"When God gets ready to shake America, he may not take the Ph.D. and the D.D. -- God may choose a country boy. God may choose the man that no one knows, a little nobody, to shake America for Jesus Christ in this day, and I pray that he would!"

Graham went on to preach to millions and fill the largest stadiums in America and broadcast worldwide on TV and radio. He became a counselor to presidents and known as "America's pastor." And Charles Templeton? He moved to Canada and worked in the Canadian media and died an atheist. 

Each had their defining moments that determined their destinies. 
Have you had your defining moment with God?

I include this story on my latest book, Discovering the Real Jesus, that is available from Amazon and our website at http://eddiehyatt.com.