Resurrection LIfe and Power for You

The Resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate expression of God's power and has ongoing ramifications for every person who puts their faith in Him. Jesus made this clear in his interaction with Mary and Martha at the tomb of their brother, Lazarus.

When they chided Jesus for not coming four days earlier and healing their brother, Jesus replied, You brother will rise again (John 11:23). Martha replied, I know he will rise again in the last day at the resurrection. Jesus then said, I Am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live (John 11:25).

With these words, Jesus made clear that the resurrection is more than a past or future event. Resurrection life and power has been personified in Him. He is the resurrection and the life. Paul understood this and in Ephesians 1:15-23 he makes clear that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead has been directed toward the one who believes in Him. 

I Learn this Truth in Dramatic Fashion

Sue and I will be married forty-seven years in May of this year, and about two years into our life and ministry together, we lost everything. We lost our place to live. We lost the place where we were having meetings for the congregation we were planting in eastern Canada. Everything was gone. The God-given vision and mandate died.

In the midst of this devastation, we sat on a park bench with two friends lifting our hearts to God in prayer. I remember their 5-year-old daughter, Cara, sitting with us and praying in tongues.

Suddenly, out of my innermost being, those rivers of living water that Jesus spoke about in John 7:37-39 began to flow, and I began praying in tongues. I realize that we charismatics have learned to pray in tongues on cue—at the drop of a hat. Such prayers, however, are usually from the neck up and powerless.

This was prayer that I could feel flowing out of my spirit. And all the time I was praying, I could hear the words, “Don’t be afraid of death because I Am the Resurrection.” I immediately recognized these as the words that Jesus spoke to Martha just before he raised her brother from the dead (John 11:25).

I knew that the Lord was telling me not to fear the death of the vision and mandate He had given. I knew He was telling me that it would be brought back to life, not by my scheming and planning, but by His resurrection life and power.

A resurrection did occur in our lives and ministry. A yielding to God, a determination not to quit, a step of obedience, and resurrection power flowed forth. The ministry that came forth was not the same as before; for it came forth in His resurrection power and in ways we could never have planned or strategized.

There are many kinds of death that we may experience: the death of a relationship, the death of a career, the death of a vision or dream. If you have experienced death in any area of life, I encourage you to put your life in the hands of Him who declared, “I Am the resurrection!” Victory will come forth out of defeat. Life will emerge out of death. Success will arise out of failure. His words still ring true, “Don’t be afraid of death for I Am the Resurrection.”

Will America Have a Resurrection?

Many believe that America’s best days are over and that no national revival is in her future, but only continued moral, spiritual, and political decline. That was my belief until twelve years ago when I experienced a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with the Lord that upended my thinking in this regard.

It occurred one hot, July Saturday afternoon as I began a two-hour drive from Tulsa to Kingfisher, Oklahoma to speak for friends in the church they pastored in that town. As I pulled onto the highway, and without any expectation of any such thing happening, I suddenly was enveloped in God’s presence.

At the same time, my heart and mind began to be flooded with thoughts of hope and faith that America “could” experience another Great Awakening that would revive and renew the churches of America, impact our culture, and stem the tide of secularism, immorality, and false religion that is flooding our land.

I had studied revivals in history including American revivals such as the First and Second Great Awakenings. I had, however, given up hope of America ever seeing another such Awakening. But now, my heart was being filled with fresh faith and hope for another Great Awakening. This experience continued for at least seven hours.

Out of that Divine encounter, I also saw for the first time that the Great Awakening had a direct bearing on the founding of this nation. Without the First Great Awakening (1726-1770), there would have been no United States of America as we have known it.

Over the next few months, as I prayerfully wrote and did further reading and research, I began to see something I had not seen before. Not only was this nation birthed out of Spiritual Awakening, but God had preserved her through national spiritual awakenings coming at crucial times in our history.

As a result of this Divine encounter, I continue today praying in hope and faith for God’s resurrection life and power to be manifest once again across this land in another Great Awakening. I hope you will catch the vision and join me and thousands of others who are praying this same prayer.

 Out of the Divine encounter described above, have come books by Dr. Eddie Hyatt such as America’s Revival Heritage, 1726: The Year that Defined America, and Abolitionist Founding Fathers. These are available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com.

WHY AMERICAN CHRISTIANS HAVE A MORAL OBLIGATION TO VOTE IN THIS ELECTION

In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus called His followers the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.” These are metaphoric expressions of the influence He expects His followers to have on the world in which they live.

Light expels darkness, which is a type of ignorance and falsehood. The value of salt in Jesus’ day was as a preservative, slowing down the spoilage of meats. We are to be salt and light, resisting the moral corruption that is in the world and dispelling ignorance and falsehood.

We fulfill the words of Jesus through our words, deeds, and prayer. We also do it by voting for government leaders whose lives and policies are most conducive to our Christian mission and message.  

Our goal is not to create an “official” Christian nation, but to make disciples of Christ in every nation, as He commanded in Matthew 28:18-20. When the people of this nation, or any nation, live by the teachings of Jesus and the New Testament, they will be a more peaceful and happy people. As Psalm 33:12 says, Blessed is the nation, whose God is the LORD.

To carry out this Great Commission, we need political leaders whose worldview and policies are favorable to the Christian mission. Our Christian mission will either be opposed or accommodated by those who are voted into power.

In I Timothy 2:1-3, Paul instructed Timothy to pray for kings and all that are in authority with two clear goals in mind: (1) that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life and (2) that people may be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

Paul wants government leaders whose policies will accommodate the Christian cause. He wants Christians to be able to live free of persecution--able lead quiet and peaceable lives. He also wants there to be freedom for the preaching of the Gospel for he mentions how God wants all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

Neither Timothy nor Paul had the option of voting for government leaders, but Paul’s guideline for praying for such leaders can also be used at the voting booth. Although there are no perfect candidates, we can both pray and vote with Paul’s vision in mind.

John Jay (1745-1829), whom George Washington appointed as the first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, understood this. Jay was a New York Lawer, governor of New York, and a Founding Father. In 1812, he exhorted American citizens that it was their “duty” to wisely choose their leaders. He said,

Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers. National prosperity can neither be obtained nor preserved without the favor of Providence (Hyatt, America’s Revival Heritage 2nd Edition, 93).

It is both foolish and immoral for Christians to leave it to the secularists and agnostics to choose those who will govern this nation. Such leaders would most surely oppose our Christian values and mission. Yes, American Christians have a moral obligation to vote in this election.

This article is derived in part from Dr. Eddie Hyatt's book, America’s Revival Heritage 2nd Edition, available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com. Eddie is the founder of the "1726 Project" whose purpose is to educate America about the impact of the Great Awakening (beginning in 1726) on the founding of America and the ending of slavery on this continent. 

The First Continental Congress Was Launched with Bible Reading and Prayer on this Day in 1774

Deciding to put down the upstart colonists with force, George had sent 6 regiments of British soldiers who had locked down the city of Boston and closed its port. Concern had spread throughout the colonies and in Virginia Thomas Jefferson called for a day of fasting and prayer for June 1 asking that all the people would, "Invoke the Divine interposition to give the American people one heart and one mind to oppose all transgressions against American rights" (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 107). 

Because of the spiritual impact of the Great Awakening, the delegates agreed that they should open with Bible reading and prayer. Samuel Adams, a Puritan from New England, suggested they invite Rev. Jacob Duche, an Anglican minister of Philadelphia who was known as a man of deep piety and faith, to come and lead them in payer.

As the elderly, grey-haired Duche stood before the Congress, he began by reading the entire 35th Psalm, which powerfully impacted everyone present. It is a prayer of David for deliverance and begins with the words, Plead my cause O LORD with those who strive against me; fight against those who fight against me. The Psalm ends with praise for God’s deliverance.

After reading the Psalm, Duche began praying for the delegates and for the oppressed American states. His prayer was not politically correct for he prayed according Scripture and in the name of Jesus Christ, something many current public officials refuse to allow.

As Duche began praying, the Anglicans, such as George Washington and Patrick Henry, knelt according to their custom. The Puritans, according to their custom, sat with bowed heads and prayed. The Quakers, Presbyterians, and others prayed according to their own, unique customs.

But although their outward manners differed, there was a singleness of heart and purpose as they all united in prayer for God’s assistance and intervention for America. Duche lifted his voice in prayer, saying,

O Lord, our high and mighty Father, heavenly king of kings, and Lord of Lords, who dost from Thy throne behold all the dwellers of the earth, and reignest with power supreme over all kingdoms, empires, and governments. Look down in mercy we beseech thee on these our American states who have fled to Thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on Thee. To Thee they have appealed for the righteousness of their cause; to Thee do they now look up for that countenance and support which Thou alone can give . . . Shower down upon them and the millions they represent, such temporal blessings as Thou seest expedient for them in this world and crown them with everlasting joy in the world to come. 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, 108).

This was America's founding prayer and it was recorded in the official proceedings of this First Continental Congress. John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, of the impact of the Bible reading and prayer on the delegates, saying,

Who can realize the emotions with which they turned imploringly to heaven for divine interposition and aid. It was enough to melt a heart of stone. 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).

Rev. Duche was then invited to be the chaplain for the Congress and begin each session with Bible reading and prayer. He agreed and this first Congress became a place where God's word and prayer in the name of Jesus were valued and given priority. 

Sadly, these historical facts have been censored from the secularized modern versions of America’s history. It is, therefore, vital that we restore them to the American public mind for as Carl Sandburg said, "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."

This is a reminder of where we came from and what brought us along.

This article is derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt's book, 1726: The Year that Defined America, available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com.

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

SHOULD CHRISTIANS CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS?

Why I will Celebrate Christmas Even Though Some of My Heroes Did Not

Monday, the 25^th day, we went on shore, some to fell timber, some to saw, some to rive, some to carry, so no man rested all that day. But towards night we came on board again. That night we had a sore storm of wind and rain.

This is from the journal of one of the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower who recorded their activities for December 25, 1620, their first Christmas Day in America. There is no mention of Christmas because the Pilgrims, you see, did not celebrate Christmas. They considered it a pagan holiday instituted by the Roman Catholic Church and carried on by the Church of England from which they had separated.

Convictions Matters

I do not agree with the Pilgrims rejection of Christmas, but I do respect and admire their conviction. You and I would not be enjoying the blessings of freedom and prosperity we have known if it had not been for people like them—people of conviction—who were willing to suffer loss in order to stand for their convictions.

It has been said that, “Those who don’t stand for something, will fall for anything.” In other words, unless we have a core set of convictions for which we are willing to suffer, we are susceptible to being led astray by whatever is popular and convenient at a given time.

I admire the Pilgrims, not because I agree with them on every point, but because they were people of principle, integrity and conviction. They were willing to be ostracized, harassed and imprisoned in England because of their conviction that Jesus (not the king or the pope) is the Head of the Church and that the Bible (not church tradition) is our primary guide. These convictions eventually led them to leave home, family and friends and begin a new life in a New World. They were people of conviction and we have been incredibly blessed because of their faith and because they were true to their convictions.

Similar Goals - Different Approaches

Although my convictions lead me in the opposite direction of theirs concerning Christmas, our motives and goals are similar. They were reformers seeking to purify themselves of all non-biblical religious traditions and to pattern their lives and churches after the New Testament. But whereas they were resisting a religious tyranny that sought to impose a state-run religion on everyone, today we face an anti-Christian state and culture that seeks to impose a secularized Christmas on the U.S. populace.

Just a few days ago, for example, another school, this time in Maryland, announced that there would be no mention of Christmas this year. Instead, it will be the “Winter Holiday.” During this new “Winter Holiday,” school children will not hear “Silent Night” and “Joy to the World,” for such “Christian” carols are not welcome in a secularized setting. Indeed, as Franklin Graham has noted, “Stores, schools and communities across America continue to find new and intolerant reasons to remove any religious references to Christmas.” Even the Whitehouse website is playing down “Christmas,” choosing to call it “Holiday 2014,” with the President and First Lady giving, not a Christmas greeting, but a “holiday” greeting with no mention of the real reason for the season.

In spite of the culture trend, Christmas offers for Christians of conviction a wonderful opportunity to proclaim the Gospel in both overt and subtle ways, with nativity scenes, Christmas hymns, and other expressions of our faith. It is a time when we can remind the world that, at Christmas, we celebrate the coming of God into our midst in the person of Jesus Christ.

People of Conviction Will Change the World

It doesn’t really matter that December 25 is not the actual day of Christ’s birth or that Constantine “Christianized” a pagan holiday; just like it doesn’t really matter that the former owner of my Gibson Dove guitar may have used it to play ungodly music in ungodly places. The guitar is now sanctified and holy because I now use it for the glory of God. In a similar way, Christmas this year will be what you and I choose to make of it.

I am convinced that we as Christians should seize the opportunity and shout it from the housetops that Christmas is a reminder that God came to the world in the person of Jesus Christ, not only to reveal His love but to also confront the world about its wayward rebellion from Him. Paul expressed this to the intellectual elite of Athens when he recounted to them their various misconceptions of God and then declared;

Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.

Just as it took people of conviction to open the New World and lay the foundations for a great new nation, the current national crises requires people of a similar conviction. Such people of conviction will carry the church (and the nation) forward into our God-given future. And is why I am celebrating Christmas this year!

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is an author, historian, Bible teacher and founder of "The Revive America Project." His books are available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com/bookstore.html.

Day 20 - I Timothy 4:1-2

A Daily Devotional Study of I Timothy

Don't be Deceived

1 Timothy 4:1-2

¹Now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, ²Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.

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cripture clearly teaches that the last days will be a time of great deception. When asked by His disciples about the sign of His coming and the end of the age, Jesus replied, Take heed that no one deceives you (Matt. 24:3-4). Paul makes the same point in this passage. It should be noted, however, that the last days began with the coming of the Messiah and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. For example, when asked the meaning of the speaking in tongues on the Day of Pentecost, Peter replied that it was a fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy: It shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh (Acts 2:17). Paul, no doubt, considers the false teaching he is confronting in Ephesus to be a fulfillment of what the Spirit has said about the latter times. Since we are probably living at the latter end of the latter times, these passages are even more relevant today.

Departing From the Faith

The word “depart” is from the Greek word apostesontai, which means “to withdraw or abandon.” It is the word from which we get “apostasy.” What is being abandoned is not just their faith or trust in God, but “faith” with the definite article, i.e., the Faith. When used with the definite article, the Faith refers to the body of teaching that is essential to the gospel. What is at stake with the false teaching in Ephesus is the very gospel itself.

Deceiving Spirits & Doctrines of Demons

Paul says that those who depart from the Faith do so by giving heed (paying attention) to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons. Remember that Satan does not come in a red suit with horns and a pitchfork; rather, he comes as an angel of light to deceive (2 Cor. 11:14). Deceiving spirits love to play on human ego and pride and the fleshly desire for something new, novel, and sensational. We must be alert! Everything that glitters is not gold! Only as we arm ourselves with a love for the truth can we avoid Satan’s snares.

Speaking Lies in Hypocrisy

The words “hypocrisy” and “hypocrite” come from hupocrates, which referred to the actors in Greek theater. These actors often played their roles behind large masks that extended from head to foot. Jesus used this word for the religious leaders of His day, reproaching them for not being real and for playing pompous roles behind religious masks. In this passage, Paul uses the word to describe those who are propagating the false teaching. He is saying that they are acting or pretending to be something they are not. Because they have lived in violation of what they know to be right and wrong, their consciences have become seared or deadened, i.e., they no longer feel any shame or compunction for their evil words and deeds.

Avoiding the Great Deception

We can avoid the deception predicted in Scripture by making it our goal to know truth and to walk in it. May God give us all a burning love for truth. Speaking of the last days in 2 Thess. 2:10, Paul says that people will be deceived because, they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. On the other hand, Jesus promised in John 8:31-32, that if we would continue in His word, we would be His disciples indeed, And you will know the truth and the truth will make you free.

Reflection & Prayer

O Lord, in these days of great confusion and deception, create in us a love for the truth. And grant us the courage to walk and speak the truth all the days of our lives. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen!

Day 19 - I Timothy 3:16

A Daily Devotional Study of I Timothy

A Great Message of Hope & Salvation

1 Timothy 3:16

¹⁶And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.

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aul now makes a sweeping declaration of the essence of the Christian faith, referring to it as the mystery of godliness. The Biblical word “mystery” does not refer to a riddle or puzzling question, but to something that has been hidden and is now being brought into the open. Paul uses it here to express the transcendent majesty of the gospel message that once was hidden in God but is now revealed and being proclaimed to the nations. Because of the rhythmic patterns in this passage, most New Testament scholars believe this was a hymn sung and repeated by some of the earliest believers in Jesus.

God Was Manifested in the Flesh

The word “manifested” is from the Greek word phaneroo, which refers to something that is invisible being brought out into the open where it can be seen. It is the verb form of the noun that is used in 1 Cor. 12:7 of the gifts of the Spirit. It is used here to make the point that God, Who is pure Spirit, became Incarnate in the person of Jesus Christ. This is the essence of the Christmas story: God the Creator took on human flesh and has become one of us in the Person of Jesus Christ.

Justified in the Spirit

The NIV may have captured the sense more clearly with its translation of this passage as vindicated by the Spirit. In other words, the profound claims of Jesus that, as the Son of God, He would die and then rise from the dead, were all vindicated when it actually happened by the power of the Holy Spirit. In Rom. 1:4, Paul says that Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power . . . by the resurrection from the dead. His resurrection also validated everything else He taught, such as a future judgment, a future resurrection, and His return to earth.

Seen by Angels, Preached among the Gentiles

Seen by Angels probably refers to the activity of angels in the life of Jesus; for example, at his birth, during His temptation in the wilderness, in the Garden of Gethsemene, and at His resurrection. Preached among the Gentiles refers to the fact that this Jewish Messiah is being proclaimed to all races and peoples. What we proclaim is not a creed, religion, or philosophy, but a Person.

Believed on in the World

This preaching of Christ produces faith, enabling people everywhere to believe and be saved. Believed on in the world emphasizes the universality of the gospel. This is not a local or regional religion. It is for the whole world.

Received up in Glory

“Received up” in this verse is the same Greek word, analambano, that is used in Acts 1:2 of Jesus being “taken up” into heaven. “In glory” is the heavenly realm where He now sits at the Right Hand of God, making intercession for you and me, and from whence He will come again to receive us unto Himself.

What an incredible story! What an awesome message we have to give the world!

Reflection & Prayer

Gracious God, to whom all praise is due, we stand in awe of You! O Lord, we stand in awe of You, and of Your wonderful salvation. Thank You for saving us and allowing us the privilege of proclaiming Your salvation to the whole world. In Jesus’ Name. Amen!