TNG Spiritual Awakening for Our Nation

You know, we hear a lot about the state of the country.

We read a lot about spiritual awakening, and if you're a Christian, no doubt you've heard pastors preach about great movements of God in times past. But people are asking today, what can we do for our country? I hear this as I travel. Essentially everywhere I go, people come up and say, you know, something's wrong with the country. We just don't understand it.

What can we do? And frequently people talk about how can we, quote, take the country back. And let me say that I know what people mean when they make that remark. We need to, quote, take the country back. I think they mean the recovery of some values and virtues and cultural norms that have been, to a large degree, lost. But especially in messaging to young people, young people don't want to go in reverse anywhere. You don't message to young people and say, hey, join with me as we go backwards. But I do think what we can talk about is moving forward to a great future and some better days ahead by really seriously taking a look at what God says about life and about truth. And with that in mind, I want to welcome you to TNG Radio, and let's talk about changing our country for the better.

And with me is Dylan Burrows. And Dylan, you and I have the privilege of writing together and broadcasting together, collaborating, speaking. Would you agree that in conveying a message, especially the message of the cross, that it's best to talk about what God has in store for the present and future, and maybe not camp out too long on lamenting the past? Well, that's certainly a good way to put it, because I think we all understand this first point that you've written about on this topic, this idea of admitting the problem. We understand there are problems in our nation that morally we'd like to see things be different, but there's no going back to the 1950s or some other time in the past to archive, basically, our cultural values regarding Christianity. We have to deal with the reality where we are today and to see how to improve that.

And it begins on a one-to-one level. Certainly, we must see God revive our own heart first, and then that spreads to our own family members and friends, our neighbors, those around us. And as collectively we come together as brothers and sisters in Christ, sharing the gospel message as we've historically been taught in the Word of God, we will see change. And in fact, there are pockets of change happening all around our country if we open our eyes and look and get involved in being part of what God's doing today.

Great word, Dylan. A scripture that I want to begin with is 1 Corinthians 1.21. In 1 Corinthians 1.21 – and by the way, the church at Corinth, I'm doing a personal study now in the book of 1 Corinthians, and suffice it to say the church at Corinth really had issues. I mean, everything from sin and immorality to Christians suing each other and gossiping, and Paul had to really call the church at Corinth back to some of the key things about the Great Commission and the Christian life that we oftentimes need to be re-reminded of. But Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1.21, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe.

The world thinks that we're foolish. Much of the world thinks that to give your life to Jesus Christ and to believe in the miracles of the Bible and that Christ rose from the dead, much of the world thinks that's a myth or delusional, although we know it's not. And even within the church, a lot of what some might call radical Christianity, which really ought to be just ordinary discipleship and surrendering of one's life to the Lord. I mean, if you get really serious about living for Jesus, there are even some in the church that are going to think that you're a fanatic or something like that. So whether it's salvation or whether it's completely surrendering your life to the Lordship of Jesus, Dylan, isn't it true there are some that are going to think that's a little much, or they're going to think that's foolish?

Right. In our culture today, everyone can believe whatever they want. We're supposed to be accepting of all ideas. But if you get too serious about your faith, then wait, hold on.

We can't go there. We want you to keep your faith to yourself. Don't tell me how to live my life.

Let me live the way I want to live. That's a cultural concept that we've gravitated toward in recent years, but it's not the biblical worldview that we are commanded in the New Testament very much so Jesus takes a different direction. He talks about commanding us to make disciples of all nations, and that starts with our neighbors loving our neighbor as ourself. And the important thing to remember here is our enemy is not necessarily the person who is a skeptic or an atheist or agnostic, someone who is against us in terms of the gospel message. We are true spiritual enemies, and we are in a true spiritual battle.

And you talk about this, Alex. I want you to take a moment to explain what we talk about when we say we're in a spiritual battle. Who are the enemies? What is this spiritual war that we're dealing with?

Well, you know, it reminds me of an article that was on one of the Newswire services just a few months ago, and the headline said this, quote, Our culture is experiencing a hostile takeover. We must stop rejecting God if we ever want it to end, end of quote. We are in a spiritual war. And the Church, you know, if we view ourselves as soldiers of the cross and we are, you know, the New Testament talks about a person who goes to war does not live as a civilian.

The soldier that is in a battle situation moves and operates and makes his decisions based on the directives of the generals and the commander in chief. And I know a lot of churches don't sing onward Christian soldiers anymore, but we've got to admit that we are in a spiritual battle, not the least of which is what you and I are writing about, Dylan, the rejection of morality. I mean, there's Jesus and salvation and the Bible and heaven, but folks, you've got to understand that masses of influential voices in our culture, from celebrities to educators to elected officials, are radically fighting the idea that there are any objective moral boundaries.

And we've said this, and I'm not meaning to be doom and gloom here, but we do need to be realistic, that part of the reason that we are sort of teetering on the brink, always, of chaos and violence, and more and more we're seeing, you know, riots and things like that, is because we're several generations into public school curriculum and pop media that categorically rejects the idea that there are moral boundaries. And that's why it's so important that we as Christians, among other things, we need to pray. We need the Holy Spirit to restrain evil and to pray for God to instill in the hearts and minds of people that there is right, there is wrong, there's true, there's false.

There are morals, and conversely, there are things that are immoral. And we also need to remember that these souls need conversion that comes through Jesus Christ. Yes, Alex, and it's so vital. You talk about this idea that the enemy is spiritual, that we are in a spiritual battle, but what does that mean? We have a responsibility to get involved, and when we come right back, we're going to talk more about this issue of getting involved in the spiritual battles in our culture.

Stick with us at Truth For A New Generation radio. Our country is falling apart. Political unrest, social upheaval, the breakdown of the family, the rise of atheism, the rise of Islam. Our religious freedoms are under attack. There's gender fluidity.

Gender identity is making a mess of freedom of expression. So we need to put some skin in the game and love this nation. As Christians, we are to stand strong. There has to be some personal investment in the living out and the preservation of America. Stand Strong America will help you take the fear that you face and the bleakness that you face, but help you become a champion, a bold champion for Christ.

In Stand Strong America, Jason Jimenez and I lay out the facts about our nation, the current condition, and how you, yes you, your family, your church, your community, can be involved in keeping this great republic. Stand Strong America is a guide to bring courage and hope for you, the Christian, wherever Christian books are sold. For centuries, the Bible has inspired humanity and shaped the very world we live in. But how do we know this book is the Word of God and not merely the words of men? What we believe about the Bible is based on what we believe about its source. The God Who Speaks explores the evidence of the Bible's inspiration and authority through some of the world's most respected biblical scholars. We have essentially a dual authorship. So it's true to say that Paul wrote Romans. It's equally true to say that God wrote Romans. He says, We saw this.

And that sets the Bible apart from almost everything else in the ancient world and its religious pantheon of gods and goddesses. The God Who Speaks is a feature-length documentary from the American Family Association. Available now at thegodwhospeeks.org. I want to be your hands and feet. I want to be your voice every time I speak. I want to run to the ones in need. In the name of Jesus. I want to give my life away all for your kingdom's sake. Shine a light in the darkest place. In the name of Jesus. Welcome back to Truth For A New Generation Radio.

Dylan Burrows here with Alex McFarland. We are excited to share with you an upcoming event called Save A Nation, Greenwell Springs Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, October 26th and 27th, coming up very soon. You want to make plans to attend. Alex, tell our listeners a little bit about what to expect when they come to Baton Rouge next month.

Oh, this is great, folks. Wherever you are, I urge you to go to the website truthforanewgeneration.com. Because Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is coming up.

We've been there before. It's a phenomenal church, phenomenal place to minister. And Dylan, there are going to be incredible speakers like Dr. Michael Brown from The Line of Fire and Tina Marie Griffin, known as the Counterculture Mom, a former Hollywood actress, talking about media and the way it shapes our lives for good or for bad. One speaker that some listeners may have heard of, Ryan Baumberger, who is of the Radiance Foundation.

Friends, I kid you not, one of the most powerful speakers you will ever hear speaking on the subject of life. We're going to be talking about creation versus evolution. We're going to be talking about winning Muslims to Christ.

We're going to be talking about the threat to our government, our abandonment of morals and values. And so, folks, here's what you get at TNG. I'm going to give you some of the takeaways, and then I'm going to cut to the bottom line. There's going to be solid answers for the toughest questions that skeptics have about the faith. There's going to be truth to build your life on, how the Scriptures speak to today's issues. But here's the bottom line. Save your children from hell.

I mean, I hate to be so blunt, but I've got to lay it out there. Eighty percent of youth are walking away from the faith after high school. Churches are declining. Barna, the Barna Research Group. Think about this, folks.

Brace yourself. The Barna Research Group says there is not a county in America that has had a net increase in conversion growth in ten years. Now, you say, well, wait a minute. Our church has grown. We've had transfers of letters, and there have been some salvations.

Yeah, that's true. And there are also people that die, and there are some people that walk away. So, according to the stats, that our country has not had a net increase in conversion growth, new believers. And so the Save a Nation tour is just about that.

But it begins one heart, one life at a time. So I urge you, in fact, I beg you, pray, promote, and plan to attend. Come to Greenwell Springs Baptist Baton Rouge for one of the most exciting weekends you'll ever spend as we ramp up and learn how to defend the faith and make sure that our kids don't grow up in a godless America. But they know Christ, and they're equipped to help make Him known. Go to the website truthforanewgeneration.com.

There are a lot of other things. A concert by Christian hip-hop artist Tadashi. Much more. We look forward to seeing you October 26, 27, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for the next Truth for a New Generation conference. Just recently, the Emmy Awards were airing, and this has made some strong headlines, especially among Christians who were very offended at one of the statements by Emmy host Michael Shay. It's reported that he said, the only white people who thank Jesus – this is quoting Michael Shay – the only white people who thank Jesus at award shows are Republicans and ex-crackheads.

Now think about that. Jesus is being openly mocked on an Emmy Awards show on primetime television as if it's no big deal. This is what our culture has become. This is what has become a defining aspect of what we see day and night in mainstream media, and it is our turn to come back and to do something about it.

And that's what we've been talking about. Own your responsibility to be involved. If you were in a spiritual battle, you don't run away. You join the fight. You do something about it.

You work toward making it better. So Alex, talk a little bit about what it means to get involved in the spiritual battles of our culture. Well, you know, for one thing – and this is not hard for people to get their mind around – but just imagine the one-way street that is tolerance here in America. Could you imagine, folks, imagine the firestorm of World War III that would have erupted if Michael Shay at the awards show had denigrated Muslims or homosexuals or any other group or Scientologists. I mean, there would be a decade of litigation and outrage that would have followed. But when you throw Christians under the bus, when you mock the God of Christianity and you mock believers in Christ, that's okay. In fact, it'll get you a good laugh.

And probably his social media rankings went up. But let me just say this, folks. In recognizing that we are in a war, a spiritual war, you've got to understand that the reins of cultural dialogue are in the hands, to a large degree, of those that have unbelief for God and contempt for Christian believers. I mean, the condescension – Dylan, when I was first really getting into national media about 15 years ago, and I would go to the West Coast, I learned a term that is used in media circles called flyover country. And basically, middle America, heartland America, the 90 percent of Americans that work hard pay their taxes and really foot the bill for all of this. You have to understand the cultural elites look at mom and pop, family values, hardworking Americans with contempt.

Flyover country means there's New York and LA, and everything in between is pretty much irrelevant, except that we're hoping you will blindly pay money to see the movies we crank out, your kids will listen to the music that we create, and your life will be shaped by we West Coast, New York marketing groups that better understand what you need than you understand what you need. And so we've got to understand that we're in a war. My point in this is that these people are blind, and they're lost, and they need Jesus. They don't have a biblical worldview. They have a hedonistic view of life.

And Dylan, I want to say this, and I want to throw it to you. I've heard people say to me, especially when I'll dialogue at a university or something, they'll say heaven and hell are here on earth. And they'll say the best this world has to offer is like heaven and pain and suffering. Hell is here on earth. It's very sad for the Hollywood liberals and the social progressives and for the Michael Shays of the world. This world is all the heaven they'll ever know unless they get saved.

And let me say they've got no clue what hell is, but they're going to find out if they leave this world without Christ. And that's why, folks, we're doing this, because the gospel is true and Christ is the Savior. Those are some powerful words, Alex, and I love this idea that you've been talking about that we'll talk about more after the break that sometimes it's a sin to be politically correct.

And what do we do to change the situation? We'll talk about this when we come back at Truth For A New Generation Radio. First Peter 3.15 tells us to be ready always to give an answer for the hope we have. We're instructed to be prepared to defend our faith. This is Alex McFarland for the Life Answers Teams, students we train at North Greenville University, a leading Christian college in South Carolina. The Life Answers Teams are made up of students who will inspire and equip your congregation. These apologetics teams we train speak in churches to youth groups and train Christians of all ages to address key issues of our times from a biblical perspective. Like is there a God?

Is the Bible true? What about gender and moral issues? Call me at 864-977-2008 and we will arrange for the Life Answers Team to come to your church and give a presentation that will benefit your people for years to come.

864-977-2008 and always be ready. 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 5-12 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. How true it is that Ephesians 6 verse 12 says we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness. We wrestle against spiritual wickedness in high places. Welcome back to the program TNG Radio.

Dylan Burrows along with yours truly, Alex McFarland. And we're talking about some steps to saving the country. And we've talked about admitting that we're in a war, admitting that we have a problem. Dylan, let me just say this, a dying church does not glorify God, does it?

Oh my goodness, yeah, that's a good way to put it. If things are going downhill spiritually in your church, it's your job to get involved as we've talked about, to do something about it. We've talked a little bit about this idea of political correctness, but it is something that's plaguing our culture and even our churches in many cases. Our pastors fail to speak out. Our churches will fail to address the important moral topics of our day simply because it's too controversial. But sometimes politically correct speech can be a sin. Tell us what that means and why that's a problem.

Well, Dylan, I've referenced the fact that one year ago I was on a call with the Barna Research Group, and it was my privilege to be on a call with – oh, David Barton was on the call, and Jim Garlow from California, and a number of leaders were on the call, and George Barna. And again, their research is very respected, but 74% of church members want their pastor to preach on moral, cultural, and social issues. And how does the Word of God speak to current issues?

And we've got immigration and morality, the redefinition of marriage, abortion, racism, so many things, you know, even things like climate change, international affairs, and our relationship with the nation of Israel. Okay, 74% of parishioners wish that their clergy would speak about the Bible in light of politics and culture, but only 12% of pastors do. Now I've been a pastor, and I know the fine line of diplomacy that pastors often feel like they have to walk, but most pastors that would say, you know, look, I don't touch politics from the pulpit.

There are a couple of reasons, but one of which is fear. You know, what if I make somebody mad? But pastors, you've got to understand, three-fourths of your adult membership is looking to you for what thus saith the Lord about this or that. So that's why we're saying that we need to repent of the sin of political correctness and commit ourselves to biblical correctness. And frankly, I think we need to hold ourselves accountable to speak the truth in love and to show fidelity to the Word of God.

That's so well said. You know, we really cannot expect our church members to live truth in their community if our church leaders do not preach truth in the church. And this is something that we see in the book of Acts. If you were to look at the very first Christians and say, what did they do that was so powerful that turned their world upside down, they were willing to speak out on the issues of their day.

And in that case, a lot of times it was speaking against what the Jewish leaders had said about Jesus. And even if they told them don't preach any longer in this man's name, they said, we're going to do it anyway. We're going to speak the truth of Christ no matter what you do, even if you persecute us, even to the point of death. And I think that's a lesson that American Christians are often unprepared for. We need to be willing to face persecution. I think of 2 Timothy that talks about everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

We should expect persecution at times and be ready for it. This is not a Christianity light. It's not an easy path.

It's a narrow path. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. We need to get fired up about our faith, live it out and do what it takes to be an influence for good in our culture. Chris We do. Well said, Dylan. So our challenge to ourselves, and let me say, I know Dylan holds himself to these things, and certainly Angie and I try to as well, to live all of life in terms of stewardship. That really, you know, Dylan, we are not our own. Our time belongs to the Lord and our influence and our abilities.

And that's why don't settle for adequate. In terms of your Christian walk and witness, for God's glory strive for excellence. You know, we often say allow God to take you from the nominal to the anointed.

And we're talking about knowing God's word and being filled with his Spirit and being led by his Holy Spirit and really living each day in terms of eternity. You know, Dylan, we're just a few weeks away from a very important election and I want to challenge everyone listening to be registered to vote, to be informed, to pray, and then to go vote. And this is so important because of things like the makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court, that their decisions really do influence our religious liberties and the ability to live the gospel and proclaim the gospel.

So there's a lot at stake. And friend, we would just encourage every one of you to understand that our country needs Jesus more than anything, more than a bull run on the stock market, more than an improved economy, more than all the things that people define as a healthy nation. The greatest thing of all, our nation needs Christ and God can use each one of our lives to help people find him.

Jared Amen. So well said. There's a saying in our culture, Y-O-L-O, you only live once. And while that is true, you only live once, you also live for eternity.

And too often we forget about that. We are called to live in light of eternity beginning now. And if you were to take a moment to pause and say, God, am I living for the right things today?

Am I making the most of every moment? As scripture talks about, what is it that God's calling you to change? What is God calling you to be part of? In our last minute or so together, Alex, why don't we take a moment and pray for our listeners because I think there's really this sense in which we need to come together, ask God, what is my part in living out the faith in a way that changes our culture? And if we all do that, if we all do our part, we will see change in our lives, our families, our communities, and across our nation. So Alex, if you would, pray for us for a moment as we close our time together today on Truth For A New Generation radio. Alex Let's pray. Lord Jesus, we know that the Word of God says that sin is a reproach to any people, but righteousness will lift up a nation.

Proverbs 1434. And so, dear Lord Jesus, we pray that your Holy Spirit would fall on this nation. Lord, restrain evil. And Lord, please revive the church and redeem the lost. And Lord Jesus, we pray for every one of our lives that we would do. That thing will be glad we did on the day that we stand before you, that we will give our lives to Jesus and our lives would be used so the world would know of the Savior. And it's in His name and for His glory and the soon coming of His kingdom that we pray. Amen.

Alex Amen. And if you prayed with us or if you have a special prayer need, I would encourage you to go to TruthForANewGeneration.com right now. TruthForANewGeneration.com. Tap on the contact link and send us a message.

You can also reach us through our app available on any app store. And we'd love to hear from you and respond back regarding your prayer needs, your thoughts, your suggestions. Thanks for being with us on Truth For A New Generation radio. God bless.

We'll be with you next time. Truth For A New Generation, in association with Alex McFarland Evangelistic Ministries, exists to equip Christians with a biblical worldview through conferences and camps. For information about upcoming events, visit TruthForAnewGeneration.com or give us a call at 877-YesGod1. That's 877-YesGod and the number one. TNG radio is made possible by the friends of Alex McFarland Evangelistic Ministries, P.O. Box 10231, Greensboro, North Carolina 27404. That's P.O. Box 10231, Greensboro, North Carolina 27404. Or give online at AlexMcFarland.com or TruthForAnewGeneration.com. Thanks for listening and join us again next time as we bring you more truth for a new generation on TNG radio.