Not a news cycle, but rather God executing his plan. That is a topic we'll discuss today on the Christian Worldview Radio program, where the mission is to sharpen the biblical worldview of Christians. And to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. I'm David Wheaton, the host. The Christian Worldview is a non-profit, listener-supported radio ministry.
Our website is thechristianworldview.org. And the rest of our contact information will be given throughout today's program. As always, thank you for your notes of encouragement. financial support. in lifting us up in prayer.
According to a public relations company, The news cycle is a quote continuous process of of news generation distribution and consumption That describes how media outlets create, report, and replace news stories throughout a given time period. Today in our twenty four seven media, and with everyone with a phoning camera posting on social media, The news cycle doesn't last long. A story is posted, shared, consumed. and then replaced with the next story in the blink of an eye. It's hard to keep up or absorb the significance of what is taking place all around us, because the next news story is there to grab our attention.
This weekend on the Christian Worldview, Todd Starnes, the Christian and conservative journalist and host at Newsmax, who has lived the news cycle during his long career, joins us to discuss several current events from the war in Iran, To once-trusted conservatives turning against President Trump and Israel. to the growth of Islam in Europe and the United States, to the President posting an image of himself that many thought represented Jesus. Scripture calls Christians to be alert and discerning. And that's what we aim to do as we examine some of the major events in the world today, knowing that it's not merely a news cycle. But God moving all things toward the return of His Son.
Let's get straight to the interview with journalist Todd Starnes. Todd, thank you for coming on the Christian Worldview Radio Program today. Let's start out before we get into some of the issues. Tell us about your background. How and why you became a Christian.
and what your life is like now.
Well, first of all, thank you so much for having me on the program, David. It's just a great honor. And yeah, I was one of these kids. You know, we joke around and I say I'm a womb-to-tomb Baptist. I was born at Baptist Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, and grew up in a Southern Baptist church and became a Christian at a very young age.
So, really had a pretty quintessential and traditional upbringing in a Southern Baptist church.
So, I was always surrounded by faith. We were one of these church families, Sunday morning, Sunday school, Sunday afternoon, church training union, Sunday night service. Then you had prayer meeting and church supper on Wednesday night.
So, whatever the doors of the church were open, our family was there. But it really wasn't until I was in college that I really understood and came to an understanding of what it meant to have a Christian worldview. And understanding the concepts of applying the teachings of the Bible to what I would end up doing, which was being a journalist, I always sort of thought, oh, that's the pastor's job, or that's the deacon's job.
So for me, it was really one of those moments. But again, it was really who I was and what I was brought up with growing up in the South. And tell us how you got into journalism from there.
So, my dad was an electrician, and he had a small company. And by small company, it was my dad. And so one summer, I must have been, I don't know, 12 or 13, I think I was 13. And my dad said, Todd, you gotta have a summer job.
So you're gonna come and work with me. My job at this particular job site, which was the Popeyes Fried Chicken. My job was to turn off the neon sign, turn off the breaker. And I accidentally turned it on instead. And I heard this loud yelling.
And I went out there, and my dad was on the ground, and the sign was broken. And I electrocuted my own dad, David.
So my dad fired me. Yeah. He knew that I loved to write.
So a few weeks later, I got my very first job, which was sweeping the floors at our weekly newspaper in our little town. Wow, what a story.
Well, God made sure you weren't an electrician and he got you into the field that best suited you.
Well, let me just say this. And to this day, I'm not even allowed to touch the electronic equipment in my own company. Oh, that's funny. That's funny.
Well, thank you, Todd, for sharing your salvation story and how God brought you to where you are today.
Now, we're going to get into a number of different issues. And as I was preparing for the interview, I realized that there's a lot of connection points between some of these issues that seem so distinct from one another. But before we get to some of those, I just want to ask you about a really turned into a major controversy earlier this week. Not about a political issue or a geopolitical event or war in Iran or anything like that. It was a meme, an image.
that Donald Trump posted on his truth social account.
Well, this is a radio program, so you're just going to have to picture this as I describe it. Trump was dressed in a white robe with a red sash around him. And his hands were glowing, and clearly a representation of Christ in some way with the American flag in the background. Anyway, if you just go online, you'll be able to see this image. And Trump had his glowing hand on a sick man in bed with his hand on this man's forehead as if Trump was this great healer.
So, someone named Nick Adams had created this meme back, I think, a month or so ago. Then Trump decided to post it. And as I mentioned, there was just a huge outcry about this. As you well know, Todd, Trump is making himself out to be Jesus. I mean, he was just blasphemous.
Maybe he didn't intend that, but it certainly just at first glance came across that way. And I liked what you said in your social media post. You wrote an article about it. You said that politics is all about tone, and tenor, and timing. And the President's true social post was ill-timed.
and tone deaf. All that to say You write, I'm suggesting an eleventh commandment, thou shalt not meme. Unquote. I thought that was really quite well said. But his explanation for it was that, well, he just thought he was representing being a doctor.
Derek. Mr. President, did you post that picture of yourself depicted as Jesus Christ?
Well, it wasn't depicted, it was me. I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do with the Red Cross as a Red Cross worker there, which we support. Only the fake news could come up with that one.
So I had I had uh I just heard about it. And I said, how did they come up with that? It's supposed to be me as a doctor making people better. And I do make people better. I make people a lot better.
Todd. Apart from a pretty lame explanation in my view, Trump is a doctor. What benefit would Trump possibly think he's getting in the middle of all that's going on in the world in Iran, back home, the midterms coming up? By posting this AI image of himself. Without any caption or context, that many people would just rightly conclude he thinks he's like Jesus or something, especially when his poll numbers.
Are down and some on the right are turning away from him, and we're in the middle of a war. How do you explain how he posted this image?
Well, I may be one of the few in the minority. I just don't think it was that big of a deal. And I don't know if that's because I know the president. I've spent a lot of time with the president. I have a pretty good idea of how his mind works.
Several years ago, I was working on a book project and he invited me down to Mar-a-Lago. And I was there for several hours, just him and me in the room together. And it was really amazing to watch this man's mind work. I mean, he takes multitasking to a whole other level. I'm not even sure there was much thought process in sharing the meme.
He saw it. There was also some wording attached to Nick's post, his meme, that talked about how Trump was healing the nation. And from that context, I do understand why people were upset. Was it blasphemous? No, I don't believe so.
I don't think the president meant for that to be blasphemous. And clearly, he took it down and he saw the response. And I think he realized he crossed the line. If you remember infamously, our president once told us that he's never apologized for anything.
So if people were waiting for an apology, I think that's as close as you're going to get to one. But again, for me, I think the bigger issue is what's happening with Christians around the world that are coming under assault. And I would certainly love to see the body of Christ in this country just as outraged at the Christians that are being killed, slaughtered in places like Nigeria and Iran. But again, this is the world we live in. And something that, quite frankly, at the end of the day, is this going to have an impact on the midterm elections?
I don't think so. I think by next week, people will have already forgotten about it. And I think some people probably already have. Todd Starnes is our guest today here on the Christian Royal View, an award-winning journalist. You can watch his program at Newsmax.
Okay, let's get into some of the issues here. We talked about the fact that. President Trump I can't pay attention to too many polls, of course, but a lot of polls, some even more reputable ones, are showing him at a fairly low approval rating right now. I think 40% or less. This is the lowest it's been in his second term, especially with the fact that the first year, there were lots of achievements that you think most Americans would be for, the closed borders and a reduction in crime and becoming energy independent and ending some of the wars before we got into the one in Iran.
But what do you think is causing the public perception of the way things are going in America to think they're not going well? I guess particularly from an economic standpoint?
Well, there are a couple of reasons. And one of those, I would have to say, would be the Congress. And you say, well, it's a Republican-controlled Congress, yes, but it's a Republican-controlled Congress that really does not support the president's agenda. And that's caused a lot of turmoil and I think a lot of gridlock up on Capitol Hill. I think most of the attention has been directed at the Save America Act, which would require ID at the ballot box.
And that is such an important thing that we get control of our elections and that we have integrity at the ballot box. But you've got a good number of establishment Republicans that do not want that to happen and are standing in the way of the president's agenda. The other part of it is, I think, to some extent the war. Originally, we were told it was going to be about a four to five week venture.
Well, it's beyond that now. And the question is: what is the goal? Why are we there? I think the messaging. on that has been all over the place.
I think that when you look at the America First Movement, most of them are very young Americans. They don't want to have to go and fight another war in another country on foreign soil. And I think they're looking at what's happening. They don't have the context, for example, of what happened in 1979 when the Iranian radicals overtook our embassy. They don't have the knowledge of what happened in 1983 in Beirut when the Marine barracks were blown up by Hezbollah that was funded by.
Iran.
So I think a lot of it, that is just ignorance of understanding that we technically have been at war with Iran for a very long time. And this is the only president who finally decided enough is enough. We're going to put a stop to this. But I think when you put all those things together, David, it's a difficult situation. I think there's a lot of unease right now within the movement.
But I believe one of the big issues facing the Republicans and the president is the party platform that was weakened when it comes to moral issues and issues regarding people of faith. And I believe that there's a price to pay for that. Very interesting.
Now Todd, you mentioned about four things in your answer that I want to follow up on each one of them. I have those all each as questions. And the first one was what you mentioned about the Save America Act. This is an act that's gone through the House. Passed in the House, installed in the Senate.
This is that would require proof of citizenship. To be registered to vote and then photo ID to be able to vote. This is a very common sense thing. Many countries use this all over the world. This is a top priority for the president.
There's Republican majority in the Senate. And you mentioned that some of the Republican senators Don't really want to pass this, and my question is: why wouldn't they want to pass this, knowing how much? Corruption there is in our voting process, and the fact that they have the majority as well. What gives here?
Well, they don't want to toy around with Senate tradition. And their argument is, well, if we blow up the filibuster, if we nuke the filibuster, then the Democrats will be able to advance their agenda when they get in control. And the reality is, they're going to do that anyway. The only reason they did not during the Biden years is because Christian Sinema, who was the Democrat from Arizona, Actually, sided with the Republicans on this issue and decided not otherwise, they would have already nuked the filibuster during the Biden administration.
So, again, I understand tradition and respect tradition, but it is not a hard, fast constitutional rule. And ultimately, if we are going to save the country, we have got to make sure we have fair elections and only American citizens are voting in those elections. You mentioned the war in Iran. This started on February 28th, so the last day of February. Trump said it would be four to five weeks, as you mentioned.
We're now at seven weeks. And of course, wars are unpredictable events as far as you can't make hard and fast plans. You never know what's going to happen. But I think the bigger question is, Todd, how does this war end successfully? For the United States, considering one of the big reasons we've been told is that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.
Well, they do have nuclear material hidden somewhere in trying to get that. It may be very complicated and very dangerous, so they don't just restart building again after we leave.
So, how do you see this war being successfully ended for the U.S.? And how do you think this is going to affect Trump going forward in his second term? Because as we know, things were going quite well for him in his first term before something unexpected, COVID came along and it really derailed him. I just get very concerned when we are engaged militarily in the Middle East. This country does not do well with regime change.
I mean, that's what caused the problem in Iran in the first place, going back to the Shah of Iran. I'm not sure what victory looks like here, mainly because we don't really know why we are over there. And like you said, if in fact it is about making sure they don't develop nuclear weapons, that may require boots on the ground. And I think you are going to see the president's number slide even more if we see boots on the ground. I think there is a lot of division within the party, even among evangelical Christians, about why we are over there and what we are doing.
There's a New York Times poll that came out just in the past few days, and they say fewer Americans. 24% think the war in Iran has been worth the cost of benefits. That's a concerning number. And if you're at the White House looking at those numbers, you understand this could bode very poorly for. Republicans in the midterm elections.
And now they're blockading the Strait of Hormuz in an effort to cripple Iran even more. That's a difficult situation there.
So there's a lot of tenuous things going on. You know, the attacks from the air have worked really well. But as you know, to get down to the nitty-gritty and bring a country to its knees, it's going to take some very, very difficult decisions and actions probably to do that. Todd Starnes, award winning journalist and host at Newsmax Television, is our guest today. He has a new book out titled The Golden Age, How Trump Saved America.
We have links to Todd and his book at our website, thechristianworldview dot org. We'll take a short break to tell you about some ministry resources.
Next segment, we'll discuss why once trusted conservatives like Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens are now opposing the president they once supported. I'm David Wheaton, and you are listening to the Christian Worldview Radio Program. We just released a special keepsake resource that contains all 12 issues of the Christian Worldview Journal from 2025, each issue neatly wrapped in clear plastic folders and held in a padded navy blue three-ring binder debossed with the journal logo on the cover. You'll have all the timeless, insightful articles on current events and issues of the faith in one place. If you're like me, magazines and newsletters get scattered all over the house.
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I'm David Wheaton. Be sure to visit thechristianworldview.org where you can sign up for our weekly email and the Christian Worldview Journal print publication, order resources for adults and children, and support the ministry. Our topic today is not a news cycle, but rather God executing his plan. And our guest is Todd Starnes, award-winning journalist and host at Newsmax Television. You mentioned that this war has been highly unpopular with many that supported Donald Trump because there is the perception that America went into this war, like you mentioned, Todd, that Iran had attacked us over the years and they've always been at war with us.
And that is absolutely the case. And I think there's justification for our doing that for our sake and our allies, even in Europe. But there's the perception, of course, that Iran is most dangerous to the Middle East and specifically Israel, who is our ally. People like Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens and Alex Jones and Megan Kelly and Nick Fuentes and Marjorie Taylor Greene, former congressperson, these were big Trump supporters at one point. And these are some big influencers, especially online.
As far as I know, all of them were big Trump supporters. But now all of them. Are against Trump and trying to persuade their audience. To not support him. And they're very much against Israel as well.
And this has been, I think, very much of a surprise for a lot of Christians and conservatives who look to some of these conservatives for content. What do you think is the world view driving this departure from those names I mentioned, Todd, and how much is this going to affect the Republican Party going forward? I think it's a demonic worldview, to be perfectly blunt about it. And I saw this unfolding during my time at Fox News Channel. I spent 15 years working at Fox News and know many of these individuals who are now these very popular podcasters.
What's troubling and concerning about their influence and power is that it's always been based on the almighty dollar. It's really a grift. Their opinions have radically changed on multiple issues. And that tells me that they never were authentic. To begin with, you cannot go from being pro-Israel to being pro-Islam in one fell swoop.
That's not how that works. I wrote in a book several years ago about how we as Christians have to do our homework when it comes to the voices that we listen to and the podcast we follow and the websites we read, because there are many out there. And I'm not accusing anybody of anything nefarious. I'm just saying that there are people that get paid to play a conservative and they're taking full advantage of that. And unfortunately, I think there are a lot of gullible people within the conservative movement and within the Christian movement.
And I will give you an example. The Christian world, especially, we just fall all over ourselves when say a Hollywood celebrity like a Kanye West becomes a Christian. And what do we do? We put that person up on a pedestal. And the next thing you know, people are treating Kanye like he's Billy Graham.
So that is the problem I see within the body. Body of Christ. And we've long had that problem. Look, I appreciate all these folks holding their worship services inside the White House and the Oval Office. Why aren't you out on the street sharing the gospel with as much gusto?
So that's sort of a be in my bonnet, if you will, about our fellow brothers and sisters. Todd Starnes is our guest today, an award-winning journalist at Newsmax. You can watch his television program there. We have links to him, along with his new book, The Golden Age: How Trump Saved America, at our website, thechristianworldview.org.
Now, just one more follow-up on this issue of these Quote unquote conservatives who have turned direction here now. The Tucker Carlson Network posted this just this week, the following. This is really hard to believe.
So, this is coming from Tucker Carlson. The people in charge don't want you to know this, but Muslims love Jesus. Islam reveres him, Jesus, as a major prophet and messenger of the Lord. believes he performed miracles and states that he will return to earth to defeat the Antichrist. That's why Donald Trump's painting, this image, you know, earlier in the week we talked about earlier, depicting himself as the son of God offended the president of Iran.
It was an attack on his religion, Islam. as well as Christianity. Todd, truly a bizarre, bizarrely wrong assertion there by Tucker Carlson that Muslims love Jesus. They're killing Christians all over the world. The Jesus they have in the Quran is not the Jesus of the Bible, it's a different Jesus, and therefore not Jesus.
What has happened specifically with Tucker Carlson, I'm sure you know him. You cross paths them likely when you both are at Fox News. What do you think has happened to him? It's a shocking statement, and I did respond to that, urging people to beware of false teachers and false teaching, because that is, in fact, false teaching. Christians worship the triune God.
Who has fully revealed himself in Jesus Christ? Islam rejects the deity of Jesus and therefore does not worship the same God. I mean, that's a very basic concept for Christians. We have Dr. Michael Youssef on my national radio show quite a bit, and we talk about those issues.
Again, this goes back to understanding that you've got to be careful and you need to understand the worldview of the people that you are following. I don't know if you remember this, David, but it was maybe a year ago that Tucker told a story about how. He woke up from a sleep and he was attacked by what he called demons that left him with scratches and physical injuries. And I think a lot of people were rather dismissive of that event, maybe questioned the authenticity of that event. But is it possible that maybe he was being very honest about that?
And maybe something from the demonic world is involved here. I don't know. But all I can tell you is that this is not the same man who was at Fox News. And other colleagues who are evangelical believers say the same thing.
So I think we really have to pray for Tucker. We have to pray for others, not because they have a differing political opinion or viewpoint about something, but to make sure that they're getting good and wise and godly counsel. Tucker and Candace and these others are really going the wrong direction.
So I agree with you and the need for prayer for them before they really, really go off the deep end. And I think some of them are already there.
Now, Todd, we talked about Islam and Tucker Carlson's quote there. And I know you've been watching about what's been taking place in Europe with regard to the, I guess you really can call it nothing other than a takeover of Islam through the allowance of immigration into these countries from Muslims from all over the world, into England, into France, Germany, Sweden, and so forth.
Well, one of your fellow hosts on Newsmax, and I can't remember his name, but you'll recognize his voice right away. He said this about what's taking place in Europe. 50 million Muslims now live in Europe at the turn of the century. That number was less than 500,000, and more are arriving every day. As the people who lead these countries try to do what Joe Biden tried to do here, and that is fundamentally change the racial and ethnic makeup of Europe.
a nation. and make white Christians a minority in their own country. In England alone, right now, 10 major cities, including London, now have Muslim mayors in a nation that was built around the Church of England. Muslims are now running major cities across the country for the first time in history, and the English want us to believe that this is all normal. You can't help but ask why anyone, a prime minister or a president or a king, would deliberately try to destroy.
their own country. Why would you do that? Why is this being done?
Okay, I'm going to stop it there. But we're not over there. things tend to get amplified on social media. You see all these videos of Muslims exerting themselves, praying in the streets, and the takeover, what he just mentioned, of cities by Muslim mayors. Interestingly, Todd, these countries have stayed out.
Of helping the US in this war against Iran, probably because of their large Muslim populations now. But I would just like to get your thoughts on what is taking place in Europe. I'm sure you probably even visited there, the UK, France, Germany, Sweden. Are these countries in Western Europe getting past the point of no return due to Muslim immigration and influence in their countries? And what is that going to mean for the future of Europe and even the United States?
I think they are beyond the point of return, and it's just really a matter of reproduction. And Muslim families are having lots of babies. The number one, the most popular baby name in the United Kingdom is Muhammad. I think that it is a sad situation when the King of England, who, by the way, is the head of the Church of England, when he is inviting the Imams to come and deliver prayers in Christian church houses. That is a disturbing thing.
And so I do believe, and I know it's a shocking thing to say, but I do believe that a good chunk of Western Europe is going to be lost. The problem is, what about here in America? Because I don't think there is anyone on Capitol Hill that's really wanting to have a serious conversation about how do we deal with the rise of Islam here in this country. What happens when Sharia is established in these towns and communities? There's one town, I believe it's Patterson, New Jersey, and they've declared themselves to be Little Palestine.
Of course, we see what's happening in places like Dearborn and other parts of Michigan, but I'm especially concerned about what's happening in a place like Texas, which is really the buckle of the Bible Belt. And you're watching mosques that are rising up all over the state. At some point, we will reach that same tipping point that Western Europe reached. And we're going to have to be asking ourselves some very tough questions and frank questions about what happens next. This is truly an existential threat to our constitutional way of life by allowing in a completely different political ideology as what Islam really is and to our country.
And I hope there is a heart and courage to do the right thing and to save the history and the tradition of our own country. In this vein of Islam, Todd. The Vatican, Pope Leo. He's created a prayer room in the Vatican in Rome for Muslims. And not only that, but he recently visited the country of Algeria, a Muslim-majority nation, to sign some sort of accord with Muslims saying communion between Christians and Muslims.
Take shape under the mantle of Our Lady of Africa, he writes. And then he goes on to say more. What do you make of This ecumenical unity between Catholicism In Islam, considering that Islam is going into Europe as well, I mean, what should Christians, biblical Christians, be thinking about that? It's interesting that the Catholic Church, the leadership of the church, is far more to the left than I think the average Catholic in the pew. And we have certainly seen a lot of studies over the past year or two about the numbers of young Americans, Generation Z, that are flooding back to the church.
And they're going back to the Catholic church, not necessarily the Protestant churches, the evangelical churches. And you know, that's a conversation for another day. But I think young Americans and young Christians are looking for spiritual heft. They're not looking for an American Idol cover band and a self-help sermon. I think those days are gone.
So they're looking for something that is much deeper and they're going to go where they think they can get that.
So, I think it's important for us to stay focused, to again get grounded in the word, understand why we believe what we believe, and also understand the Muslims are looking at this as a jihad. They are here to conquer. And when you hear the Imam speaking, that's the language they use. And I think that we should take them at their word. I do as well.
You've reported and written a lot about the chaos and decline that has happened in many major U.S. cities with illegal immigration. The fraud here in Minneapolis has just been off the charts. No one's been arrested who oversaw the fraud in Minneapolis into the billions and billions of dollars to this point at least. The amount of crime in the cities, the soft on punishment for those criminals who are caught.
The empty office buildings, the economic downturn, the Democrat Socialists of America in charge, both in New York City and here in Minneapolis and probably other places as well. They're even proposing here in Minneapolis to put adult bathhouses for people to come and have public sexual relations in this city. The country just seems so divided between the two sides, the left and the right. And my question for you, Todd, is. Do you think there can be a way to have a functioning cohesiveness?
ever again in this country, And if so, how? And in the meantime, what do you exhort Christians and the church to be doing to have stability and influence in our culture today? We are really at a crossroads for our country. And I write about this in the golden age. It's like, where do we go from here?
I think that President Trump helped get the train back on the tracks, but we still have a long way to go. We're not at our destination just yet. How do we become that shining city on a hill that Ronald Reagan talked about? And I think it really is going to require all of us to make hard decisions in our own personal lives. What are the things that matter?
And I hope that those things are faith and family. Those have to be the top two. I don't think they really are in a lot of even Christian households where people have stopped going to church. They're on the road with sports or doing other things on Sunday.
So I think there has to be a concerted effort to get back to the church and to get serious about our faith. I think we're really an unserious country in many aspects when it comes to faith. And I think if we could do that, if we can get back to the basic foundations, the faith and the values of our founding fathers. Then I think we are going to have a chance. The great reality here is that the United States, we are the last bastion of Christianity and freedom in this world.
We have a lot writing on the next five, 10, 20 years in this country. I think it's going to be important to raise up that next generation. There's a great song that I believe Steve Green used to sing many years ago: Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful. And that really should be the rally cry for all of us as people of faith. That's so well said and so true, Todd.
And we appreciate what you're doing to advocate for Christian and conservative values in media. And we thank you for coming on the Christian Ruleview Radio program today, and just wish all of God's best and grace to you. David, thank you so much. It's been a great honor. The United States is the last bastion of Christianity.
in the world. That's a compelling assertion made by Todd Starnes. And I think it's accurate. There are certain pockets of true believers all over the world who but nowhere else has the individual liberties for such open proclamation of the faith. Of course God doesn't need the US to build his church.
but we must be faithful stewards while we have these freedoms. Journalist and Newsmax host Todd Starnes has been our guest today. We have links to him, along with his new book, The Golden Age, How Trump Saved America, at our website, theChristian Worldview dot org. We discuss lots of different topics today. It's a news cycle, but one that God is moving inexorably toward His plan for the future.
And for this short break, we're going to dig in a little deeper to a few of the issues from the conversation.
So stay tuned for the final segment coming up. I'm David Wheaton, and you are listening to the Christian Worldview Radio Program. We are excited to announce that the Christian Worldview Journal is now available in digital format, meaning that it can be read on your computer, tablet, or smartphone. For the March-April issue, all Christian Worldview Partners will be sent both the print version of the journal by mail and a link to the digital version by email. For future issues, you can choose to receive only one format, print or digital, or continue to receive both.
The Christian Worldview Journal is a bimonthly publication with compelling articles on current events and issues of the faith. It is sent to all Christian Worldview partners as a thank you for their support of this radio ministry. To become a Christian Worldview partner and receive the journal or to update your print and or digital preferences, call us at 188-646-2233, email us at support at thechristianworldview.org, or return the resource insert form in the March-April issue. This is where the left has really discovered the one-two punch. If they can define empathy and compassion according to their definitions.
And then this next step is they can accuse you of not having it unless you go along. Then they've got you. You don't want to be called a hater. You don't want to be called callous and heartless because you think, I want to be known as a compassionate person, but you're not using the Bible's definition of compassion. You've now adopted this progressive, leftist, worldly definition, and you're being steered by it.
That was Pastor Joe Rigny explaining how the left manipulates Christians through twisting empathy. For a limited time, you can order his book, Leadership and the Sin of Empathy, for a donation of any amount to the Christian Worldview. The book is hardcover, 164 pages, and retails for $22. To order, go to thechristianworldview.org or call 188-646-2233 or write to box 401, Excelsior, Minnesota, 55331. Thanks for joining us on the Christian Worldview.
I'm David Wheaton. Today's program and past programs, along with transcripts and short takes, are available at thechristianworldview.org. While there, you can also sign up for our weekly email and the Christian Worldview Journal print publication, order resources, and support the ministry. Our topic today is not a news cycle, but rather God executing his plan. And our guest is Todd Starnes, award-winning journalist and host at Newsmax Television.
Well, Todd Starn's touched on a lot of different news events today. In this final segment, let's dig a little deeper on a few of them. First, the image Trump posted where he is dressed like Jesus in white robe and red sash. and with his hand, glowing hands, healing a man.
Now I agree with Todd that the news cycle has already moved on from this. There was a lot of outrage earlier in the week. Trump deleted the post after all the outrage, which is very rare for him. That's as close to admitting wrong as I've ever seen him. But what I've continued to wonder Is why Trump ever posted this photo, this AI image in the first place.
Does he have a Complete lack of awareness that it's never. Ever appropriate to even possibly confuse anyone that you're on the same level as the Son of God? Or Has his pride really gotten so large that he actually sees himself as some Christ-like figure? The original post by Nick Adams, who made the image. had a caption with it.
Quote, America has been sick for for a long time. President Trump is healing this nation.
Now, not that that caption would have made things any better had Trump included it. But Trump didn't post any caption.
So the image just sat out there for interpretation, and any reasonable person would see Trump dressed like Jesus, glowing hands and having his hands on the forehead of a man and trying to heal the person. If Trump thinks he's on the level of Jesus, That's just pure blasphemy. I will give him the benefit of the doubt that that wasn't his intent.
So his posting of this meme is just downright arrogant that he thinks he's the great Healer of our nation. He even said that in the sound clip we played earlier, that he's a doctor who makes people better.
Well, he may have better policies than the left. But while policies may make life better in our country for certain people who support those policies. They certainly don't save anyone's soul. half the electorate in this country despises him and considers him to be literally Hitler. They're not coming over to his side.
Trump is blunt force rather than Persuasive. And I appreciate much of what he's done reversing the radical policies of the left, But when the right loses power, There is just going to be a pendulum swing, hateful revenge. From the left. But back to the prideful part of this post. The Bible says in Proverbs 16:18, we've all heard this.
Proverb Pride goes before destruction. In a haughty spirit before stumbling. That's a Statement of cause and effect. Pride leads to destruction because when you're proud, you listen to yourself and not God. And that's the recipe for destruction.
To be fair, Trump isn't the only president with a pride problem. Both Joe Biden and especially Barack Obama are are extremely proud. Perhaps they just hide it better than Donald Trump. What you see in what he says is what you get with Trump. But here's what doesn't help Trump in his ego.
Paula White Kane, the head of his faith office. Not only is she way off doctrinally, But she's constantly building Trump up beyond where he should be. Here's a montage I found online from some of the things she will say. He feels Everything with his presence. How does he do that?
He does that through you. He does that through me. Wherever I go, God rules. When I walk on White House grounds, God walks on White House grounds. When I walked in the river, God walked in the river.
When I go into the dry cleaner, that dry cleaning place becomes holy. I had every right and authority to declare the White House as holy ground because I was standing there, and where I stand is holy. To say no to President Trump would be saying no to God. And therefore, and I won't say that. Mother Baka Saka Tarabaka Sakatara.
Wherever I stand is holy ground. To say no to Donald Trump is to say no to God. and then some speaking in tongues gibberish at the end. This is President Trump's leading spiritual adviser.
So maybe it's not such a shock that he posts an AI image of himself looking like Christ the Healer.
Now it's typical for leaders. To have yes men or yes women around them, like the kings of Israel and their false prophets in the Old Testament. But what the king, the president, really needs is truth tellers. Who reminds them who they really are, a fallible man in need of God's wisdom. I think Trump likes Paula White Kane because she flatters him.
She's stroking his ego all the time. She's always positive. like Norman Vincent Peel, one of the great influences on Donald Trump. She is part of this word-faith charismatic movement where you speak the words and they come true by faith. And she's popular and successful, so to speak.
She makes a lot of money through her quote unquote ministry. And frankly, I think Trump likes this kind of fancy dressed woman. But she's leading him the wrong way. contrast that with how Daniel in the Old Testament advise the king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, and he said He saw a large tree providing shade, but then in the dream, the tree was chopped down to just a stump, and it really troubled Nebuchadnezzar.
In Daniel 4, it says, I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace. I was doing well. I saw a dream and it made me fearful. and these phantasies as I lay in my bed, and the visions of my mind kept alarming me.
So I gave orders to bring into my presence all the wise men of Babylon, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. Then the magicians, the conjurers, the Chaldeans, and the diviners came in. This is his spiritual faith office in Babylon. and I related the dream to them, but they could not make its interpretation known to me. But finally Daniel came in before me, whose name is Beltashazzar, according to the name of my God, so Nebuchadnezzar is not even a believer.
and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. That's what he thinks of Daniel. and I related the dream to him, saying, O Beltashazzar, Chief of the magicians.
So he's the leader of the spiritual council of the Nebuchadnezzar. Since I know that a spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery baffles you, Tell me the visions of my dream which I have seen along with its interpretation. And skipping down to verse 24, where Daniel says, This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High God, which has come upon my Lord the King. That you be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place be with the beasts of the field. and you be given grass to eat like cattle.
And be drenched with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes. And in that, it was commanded to leave the stump with the roots of the tree. Your kingdom. Will be assured to you after you recognize that it is heaven that rules. Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you.
Here's his counsel. Break away now from your sins by doing righteously and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor in case there may be a prolonging of your presence. prosperity. This is what the White House faith advisor should be telling President Donald Trump. not just propping him up all the time.
speaking truth, biblical truth, to power. Skipping down to verse 29. What happens? Twelve months later. Nebuchadnezzar was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon.
The king reflected and said, Is this not Babylon the Great? Which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty? Verse thirty-one while the word was in the king's mouth. A voice came from heaven saying, King Nebuchadnezzar, the To you, it is declared, sovereignty has been removed from you. and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field, you will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whomever.
He wishes. And that's exactly what happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. He went out and lost his mind, and he was in the fields with dew on him, and eating the grass of the field like the beasts. Until he humbled himself and God put him back. into power.
Donald Trump was put in power by God. Romans 13. for the purpose of giving God glory.
Now if Trump takes the glory for himself. Watch out, Mr. President. Pride goes before destruction. In a haughty spirit, before stumbling.
There was a post online I thought was well said. It's by an anonymous poster named Oakie Rancher. He writes Concerns. Number one, Paula White Cain, the White House chosen chief religious adviser, explicitly compared Trump to Jesus, saying, quote, to say no to Trump is to say no to God. We heard that in the soundbite.
Rabbi Wise said, quote, I fully believe that Trump in the White House is part of God's greater plan to bring the Messiah, unquote. Mark Levin, the Fox News House, just introduced Trump as quote, our first Jewish president. Trump said in his Easter speech, On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem as crowds welcomed him with praise, honoring him as king. Then he said, They call me king now. Can you believe it?
The Post goes on to say this needs to stop. The whole scaffolding to set up Trump as either the Jewish Messiah or harbinger of Armageddon needs to stop. If enough people say it to him, he may just start. To believe it. Pray for him, pray for our country, pray for peace and victory.
Let's please stop supporting this contortion. of faith in Christ. The biggest thing about President Trump that concerns me is a swelling pride, where his whole existence is about his own glory. That's very dangerous for him. And for our country, so pray for those around him to advise him biblically that he would repent and believe in the good news of Christ and see himself.
as God does, as a sinner needing salvation in God's grace. For God opposes the proud, the Bible says, but gives grace to the humble. Let's not forget that God controls the news and the news cycle that we discussed today, and all the boasting about how great the President is and how much the US is dominating the war and the world. God can change all that in a moment. We are most like Satan when we are proud, for that is what caused him to to rebel against God.
I will be like the Most High, he said. I intended to get more into what's behind Tucker Carlson's trajectory, but we're out of time for today. If you missed any of the program, you can hear it again at our website, thechristianworldview.org, or just search for the Christian Worldview in the podcast app on your device. If you're not sure what the gospel is, go to our website, thechristianworldview.org, and click on the page, What Must I Do to Be Saved. Thank you for joining us today on the Christian Worldview and for your support of this non-profit radio ministry.
Until next time. Think biblically. Live accordingly and stand firm. The mission of the Christian worldview is to sharpen the biblical worldview of Christians and to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. We hope today's broadcast encouraged you toward that end.
To hear a replay of today's program, order a transcript, or find out what must I do to be saved, go to thechristianworldview.org or call toll-free 188-646-2233. The Christian Worldview is a listener-supported, non-profit radio ministry furnished by the Overcomer Foundation. to make a donation, order resources, become a Christian Worldview partner, sign up for our weekly email or the Christian Worldview Journal print publication, or to contact us, go to thechristianworldview.org, call 188-646-2233, or write to box 401, Excelsior, Minnesota, 55331. Thanks for listening to the Christian Worldview. Um Uh
