Truth

TNG Radio, where today's culture and timeless truths come together. It's reasoned relevant content apologetics, worldview, and answers to the questions that you need to know. From Alex McFarland Ministries, this is Truth for a New Generation Radio. And now the man who preached in 50 states in 50 days, speaker, writer, and advocate for Christian apologetics, Dr. Alex McFarland. Though it can only be regretted, still it must always be remembered.

Hi, Alex McFarland here. Welcome to Truth for a New Generation. That's a quote by G.K. Chesterton.

Think about this. Though it can only be regretted, still it must always be remembered. Let me comment on that a little bit as we welcome you to this edition of Truth for a New Generation.

And, you know, the summer of 2020 has been an amazing time, a tragic time in many ways, but we've watched the COVID situation, the quarantines, the economic impact of all that, political events, people like Theodore Roosevelt, one of our greatest presidents hands down, one of America's greatest presidents. And in New York City, his statue being taken down, Abraham Lincoln, that one would think minorities everywhere would revere the name and the visage of Lincoln, and yet statues of Lincoln vandalized in Washington and around the nation. And of course, Christopher Columbus has to come down because he is a European, Caucasian, male Christian. Those are four strikes right there. European, Caucasian, male, and then Christian.

And, fifthly, he discovered the North American continent some years after his predecessor, Leif Erikson, also a devout Christian. But we're in what is called cancel culture. Cancel culture basically says, look, if somebody ever did anything wrong, or said anything wrong, or stood for any cause that we now, at this moment, right now, find objectionable, we must expunge from public consciousness everything ever known about or associated with that person. Any film they did, any good they did, even their name itself, it must never be uttered again or spoken again. Cancel culture is a type of censorship, a type of viewpoint discrimination.

And really, a type of thought control. But it's interesting how selective it is. The actor Dean Cain, just this week, said that cancel culture is a cancer in Hollywood. For instance, somebody like Mickey Rooney, who in Breakfast at Tiffany's, was given, even at the time, recognized to be rather garish makeup, and he portrayed an Asian in Breakfast at Tiffany's. And none of the beloved work Mickey Rooney ever did can ever be known about by future generations.

That's what will cancel him out. You know, I think about Indians. You know, if people were ever in a film like a John Wayne film, and were, you know, cowboys and Indians, those that were dressed as an Indian can never be famous anymore or their work appreciated anymore.

It's very selective, by the way, because, you know, I think about stars and actresses and actors that have, you know, taken costumes and roles that were an ethnicity different than the ethnicity of their birth. But if you've got liberal politics, and if you've got the right worldview, or if you affirm an approved politically correct narrative, you won't be canceled. President Bill Clinton, if ever there was a known sexual predator, it's Bill Clinton, an abuser of power.

Oh my goodness, just an absolute person drunk on if there is such a thing as white privilege, white privilege. But yet Bill Clinton is a beloved, beloved figure of the liberal progressives. And when somebody even on CNN, a caller said, look, in an age of cancel culture, where somebody like a Brett Kavanaugh with no concrete evidence can be castigated, his appointment to the Supreme Court almost derailed with no eyewitnesses, no clear evidence, nothing substantive that would have really held up in a courtroom. But Brett Kavanaugh is the sacrificial lamb to be, you know, killed and castigated by the cancel culture left. Somebody said, well, what about Bill Clinton? Why does he get a pass, given his known history of sexual abuse, and sexual harassment, and really abusive power? I mean, the whole Monica Lewinsky, Bill Clinton narrative was an egregious abuse of power by a man against a female young enough to be his daughter. And the CNN host said, well, we believe in redemption.

The person has the right politics. But let's go back to the cancel culture when it comes to pulling down statues, and really the revision and I would say suppression of American history. Now, Chesterton was a Brit, and a Christian, and an apologist, and a very astute student of history. And he understood that in any nation, even within the Christian Church of 2000 years, there were good guys and bad guys, good chapters, bad chapters, do things right, do things wrong. But he said this, though it can only be regretted, still, it must always be remembered. Because one of the ways that we can aspire to things better, and improve ourselves is to know history and learn from history.

Look, there's only one perfect that ever came down the pike. And that's the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, had no sin, the perfect, lamb without blemish, the Son of God. But human beings, and human history, and human culture, and the word culture comes from the word cult, not in the sense of a religious cult, but the group customs, the group behaviors, culture, in this fallen world, there's going to be things morally praiseworthy, there are going to be things reprehensible, but we have to know history in order to learn from it. Now, when we come back, we're going to talk about Deuteronomy 8 for just a little bit. And we're going to talk about standing for truth in a culture of error. Stay tuned, we'll talk more about truth, how to know it, how to live it, how to follow it, how to proclaim it, how to be an advocate for truth, when this show returns in just a moment.

Stay tuned. As we take a break, let me tell you about three 10s, three books that'll answer questions that come your way from others, or even yourself, about the Christian faith. Book number one, 10 answers for skeptics. Today's skeptics are looking for authenticity, integrity, and straightforward faith. And in this book, you'll learn how to answer intimidating questions, identify the root issue behind those questions, and dismantle the spiritual bombshells dropped by nine.

Those usually end up just being a puff of smoke. Number two, 10 answers for atheists, where Alex looks at the philosophical assumptions at the root of atheism and agnosticism, exposing logical, historical, and conceptual fallacies. Alex shares clear explanations of beliefs and biblical answers to those questions that often leave you stumped, but no more. And number three, the 10 most common objections to Christianity and how to answer them. You know, many Christians hear these objections and have a crisis of faith. But Alex visited many places and talked with many people through the years and can offer straight answers that'll give you confidence and understanding about your beliefs. So the three 10s once again, 10 answers for skeptics, 10 answers for atheists, and the 10 most common objections to Christianity and how to answer them. Find them wherever Christian books are sold or at alexmcfarland.com.

Welcome back to the program. If you've got your Bible, turn to the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, chapter 8, and we'll begin there in just a moment. I want to say I'm so excited that as we record this show, I just got word from the publisher that my book, Assault on America, what we must do to defend our country before it's too late. Even as we're recording this show, the book is on the printing press right now. Literally right now the book is being printed.

And folks, I want to say this and I give God all the glory. It's been my joy to write 17 previous books. This will be my 18th book. And I was just at the American Family Studios in Tupelo to record the audiobook version of this.

Some 14 hours, it'll be edited down to probably about eight or nine hours of content. But I've never, never, never been prouder of a piece of writing. And I say that, I mean, I give God the praise and glory.

I hope I don't mean a fleshly carnal pride, but I guess gratified. Because in the book, and this is really the summation of 20 years plus of the study of American history and Western history, Assault on America, I talk about the founding principles of our country, things I am virtually certain some facts about our history you have not heard yet. And then I talk about how we got where we are really politically and educationally, culturally, how we got where we are, and if indeed our Constitution is to be saved, if indeed our representative republic is to be kept on track, our freedom, prosperity, security, restored, the principles that are the pathway back, I would beg of you. And listen, I'm not making one penny from this. And I did this book with no compensation whatsoever. But I would beg of you to read this book. It's published by Harrison House Publishers in Pennsylvania.

Very wonderful people. The book is on Amazon right now. If you go to Amazon and Google my name, you'll find this book, Assault on America, What We Must Do to Save Our Country While We Have Time.

There's an ebook, there's a hardcover version, there's an audiobook that you can get from the American Family Radio Network. Please read this book. There are things in this book that you simply must know before this next election.

Because as our vice president said a year ago, that really this election, the November 2020 election, is not so much a choice between two candidates, it's really a choice between two vastly different futures. So two of the words kicked around so much and we really ought to talk about what they mean. One is tolerance, one is pluralism. Now the larger context of this particular broadcast that you're listening to right now is about truth. And I want to talk about truth and the outcomes of our deviation from it.

But I want to read a little bit from Deuteronomy chapter 8 right now, the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy. Remember God was bringing Israel into the Promised Land and God had sustained them, delivered them from Egypt, sustained them in the wilderness, and had given them a land flowing with milk and honey. And as if that were not enough to be God's chosen people, to have a chosen place, there was going to come a chosen Savior, Jesus Christ.

What an honor. Maybe if you find church burdensome and it's hard to be a Christian, just remember to know the living God and to be able to point others to the Savior. I mean that's a high calling, sometimes a hard calling, but it's a great calling. Israel has that calling, the church has that calling. And so God gives some little warnings about if you deviate from truth and if you decide to cut yourself loose and emancipate yourself from the living God and his call, there's a price to pay. Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, says God, that you may live and multiply and go in and possess the land which the Lord God swore to your fathers. Now verse 2, and you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these 40 years in the wilderness to humble you and test you to know what was in your heart whether you would keep his commandments or not. So verse 3 of Deuteronomy 8, so he humbled you and allowed you to hunger and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know that he might make you know.

Now to know what? Well to know, as Jesus would later say, that man would not live by bread alone, but man would live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. This is a beautiful thing. Think about it, that the true and living God would want relationship with his creatures. We're not just a plant that gets rain or we're not just an animal that chases prey, we're a human being that can know our Creator. And there comes a time when you realize that you're different and there's a God and there's a conscience and it's the Spirit speaking to you. And we can know that we are something different than brute beasts. We can know God.

Not just devour a meal set before us like a ravenous animal, but before we dig in and eat we can bow our head and thank the one who provided the manna for the day. Now, verse 4 of Deuteronomy 8, beautiful. Your garments did not wear out, nor did your foot swell these forty years. I think about while they were in the wilderness. As the kids grew up, the clothes continued to fit, the clothes grew with them.

Your shoes didn't wear out, your feet didn't swell. You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you. Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God to walk in his ways and to fear him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, fountains and springs that flow out of valleys and hills. A land of wheat and barley, vines, fig trees, pomegranates, a land of olives and honey. A land in which you will eat, listen, eat bread without scarcity, you will lack nothing.

A land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper. See, God is going to give them food, God is going to give them a place to live, God is going to allow them to pursue industry and creativity. God says look, I'm going to give you this land and even the mineral rights, iron and copper. Verse 10, when you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which he has given you. It's interesting, I guess they would say the blessing after the meal.

When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which he has given you. Now verse 11 transitions, and we'll have to come back to this to unpack it completely. And I do want to read Deuteronomy 8, 11 through 20 because there's a warning. Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God, his judgments, statutes which I command you this day.

Do you know what? Not just statutes and commandments, we are to remember the God who gave them. In fact, God himself. Stay tuned, Truth for a New Generation is coming back and we're going to talk about truth in an age when truth is pretty scarce if not disregarded altogether. Stay tuned, we're back after this. Crime is exploding. The Constitution is being abolished. The Assault on America, How to Defend Our Nation Before It's Too Late by Alex McFarland has one single purpose.

To get you prepared. Learn the real source of America's current problems that no one else is talking about. And what you can do now to face tomorrow, regardless of what tomorrow brings. The Assault on America, How to Defend Our Nation Before It's Too Late, available September 15th.

Book pre-orders available now at Amazon.com. If you're a Christian parent, you of course want to instill a biblical view of life in the hearts of your children. If you're a pastor, you want to offer ministry that draws young families to your church. This is Alex McFarland encouraging you to check out my new book and video curriculum, The 21 Toughest Questions Your Kids Will Ask About Christianity. Why do bad things happen? I interviewed hundreds of children, ages 5 to 12, and we address actual questions from actual children, the spiritual issues that are on the minds of your kids.

Did Jesus ever sin? The book and video lessons are great for groups of any size and was produced with the goal of equipping kids to stand strong for Christ in any situation. The 21 Toughest Questions Your Kids Will Ask, the book, study guide, and video series. You'll find it at AFASTORE.net.

That's AFASTORE.net. In the midst of a culture obsessed with relativism, Alex McFarland is a voice you can trust to speak the timeless truths of Christianity in a timely way. You're listening to Truth for a New Generation Radio. Welcome back to the program.

Alex McFarland here. We're talking about the importance of standing for truth, the dangers of the loss of truth. And God has commanded Israel as they're going into the Promised Land, look, you're going to be prosperous, you're going to gain things, and beware. God talks about provision, prosperity, security. These really are the attributes of a godly nation. Provision, prosperity, security. But he goes on and he says in verse 12 of Deuteronomy 8, this is really a warning to the wary.

In other words, if you're wise, you'll think about these things. Lest when you have eaten and are full and have built beautiful houses and dwelt in them, and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied. That's prosperity.

And America certainly has enjoyed prosperity like that, too, because I do believe we are a covenant nation. Our founders built this prayerfully, courageously with God's principles in mind. But lest when you've gotten all these good things, verse 14 of Deuteronomy 8, when your heart is lifted up and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the house of bondage, brought out of the land of Egypt, who led you through this great and terrible wilderness in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and a thirsty land in which there was no water, who brought you water out of the rock, and who fed you in the wilderness with manna which your fathers did not know that he might humble you and he might test you and do good to you in the end.

Isn't that something? See, God has a reason why he lays down the parameters he lays down. God has a plan for your life. That's Jeremiah 29, 11 through 13. That's Proverbs 3, 5 and 6. That in all our ways acknowledge him and he will direct our paths. That's Philippians 1, verse 6 that God says, look, be confident that he has a plan for your life and we are tested and we are corrected and God sometimes in love reprimands us redemptively because look, he has an end, a telios, a plan for our life. Verse 17 of Deuteronomy 8, then you say in your heart, my power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth. My, my and me.

It's all about me. You know, in Isaiah 14 that was Lucifer's sin that it was all about him. I this, I that, I want, I will. And he was kicked out of heaven. Okay, verse 18, you shall remember the Lord your God. You know, not only is it an occurrence, a natural outcome when we backslide and we sin and we fall away and the circumstances we create for ourselves cause us to humble before God.

And we, we really, you know, we find ourselves the old saying, a tempest in a teapot and we're the ones who put that pot on the stove. Look, we are to remember the Lord our God. Verse 18 of Deuteronomy 8. For it is he who gives the power to get wealth that he may establish his covenant in which he swore to the fathers as it is to this day. Then it shall be if you by any means forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you will surely perish.

As the nations which the Lord destroys before you, so shall you perish because you would not be obedient to the voice of the Lord your God. The law of sowing and reaping. The laws of repercussions for your behaviors and decisions. And the laws of accountability for your words and actions. That's just like gravity.

Look, if you jump off the roof of the house, you're going to slam into the ground. Not because you're a Christian or not a Christian, not because you're a good person or a bad person, the physical laws of the universe are operative and incumbent on the lives of all people. And if you live for truth, that will bear fruit and you'll find more truth. If you honor God and live morally and are ethical and upright and forthright in your actions, that will tend toward prosperity and increase.

If you're dishonest and duplicitous, if you ignore God as our nation is doing and ignore the sacredness of human life and moral boundaries, you will digress into lawlessness wherein is poverty and ultimately bondage. You know, several years ago Christianity Today published a series of books called What Every Christian Must Know. And there were editors like David Neff and Joe Lewis and Gordon Palmer, great books. And they talk about America and there's a quote I've shared many times about how they warned, and this was 20 years ago, but they warned, you know, all that ever was of America is about to become a faint and mocking memory. It's a powerful quote.

But here's a quote in these books from James Hitchcock, professor of history at St. Louis University. What's at stake today is not merely the survival of a particular denominational group or of once privileged dogmas. What is at stake is the survival of all values of any kind or belief. What is at stake is the survival of humanity, end of quote. And do you understand tolerance that says all beliefs are equally true and valid or equally wholesome? This thing called pluralism, that there is no one truth, all things are equally true. That's just not livable. We cannot have an America where we tolerate and affirm all behaviors and all beliefs as if they're all equally true, equally valid and equally wholesome. My book, I beg of you to read it, Assault on America, what we must do to defend our nation before it's too late.

You can find it online. Friend, I beg of you to read this book carefully, prayerfully. Let me hear from you. What does this book mean to you?

My email is alex at alexmcfarland.com. We've got to be able to stand for truth. We don't cancel culture.

We don't revise history. We need to have just a spiritual awakening or our nation will no longer exist in order for it even to be awakened. For the possibility to exist that America be awakened, America has to survive and exist. I hope you know truth. I hope you're standing for truth. By the way, we are online streaming on Facebook Monday, Wednesday, Friday 11 a.m. Eastern Time.

Rev Alex McFarland. Please like us on Facebook. Please subscribe to our YouTube channel, Truth for a New Generation. Watch us. We're on the NRB television network, DirecTV nationwide, really throughout North America.

Roku. Please pray, promote, let others know what we're doing. Stand for truth and please intercede for our nation and God will bless our stands for truth.

We'll see you next time. TNG radio is made possible by the friends of Alex McFarland Ministries, P.O. Box 10231, Greensboro, North Carolina 27404.

That's P.O. Box 10231, Greensboro, North Carolina 27404. Call us at 877-YES-GOD-1. That's 877-YES-GOD and the number 1 or give online at AlexMcFarland.com. While you're there, listen to program archives, read Alex's blog, invite Alex to speak at your event or contact Alex with a question or comment. AlexMcFarland.com. Thanks for listening today and join us again next time as we bring you more truth for a new generation on TNG radio.