America and Isaiah 19

Have you ever heard the old saying that the church is in the world, but we'd best not have the world in the church? With that thought, I welcome you to today's edition of Truth for a New Generation Radio. My name is Alex McFarland.

With me, Dylan Burrows. Good morning, my brother. Hey, hello. Great to be with you today.

Great to be with you. Okay, folks, here's a little assignment. If you've got a Bible where you can turn to a copy of God's Word, please turn to the Old Testament book of Isaiah. And we're going to read a little bit from the book of Isaiah, and we're going to talk about the downward slide of a godless culture. Now, it's not going to be completely pessimistic.

There is some good news here in the end. But I want to look at ancient Egypt, and Isaiah talks about the burden of Egypt. In other words, when the Old Testament prophets would talk about the burden of the Lord, very often they were talking about judgment for the state of a culture.

And I want to get there, but first of all, Dylan, let me ask you this. As you and I record this program, much of our nation, really much of the world, is talking about the recent State of the Union address by the president. Did you happen to watch that, and if so, what were some of your thoughts about it? Well, it's interesting to see at the very start of the State of the Union address that President Trump talked about the change in American society since he has become president. And he stated that every day since, we have gone forward with a clear vision and a righteous mission to make America great again for all Americans. Think about what that's saying when our president talks about a righteous mission for our nation and to make America great for all Americans.

That is a shift in policy. That is a biblical theme that we can talk about where we're seeing our top national leader shift toward this idea of a righteous America. Isn't that significant?

Well, it's very, very significant. And you know, I've got to tell you, when I briefly met the president in the fall of 2015 and then again in the spring of 2016, and he was emerging as the candidate, Dylan, I'm going to tell you, a lot of my friends berated me. I'm telling you Christian friends that I've worked with for two decades said, Alex, what in the world are you thinking? This guy is not going to be the nominee, and even if he were, he's not a Christian man. But let me say this, and by the way, this program is about Isaiah 19, but we've got to realize that very often God achieves his will through people that we don't expect necessarily.

And God very often does things that perhaps we didn't see coming. And I've got to say, as much as I love the evangelical world, and Dylan, you and I both know some of the great leaders, in a way it reminded me the advent of candidate Trump and now President Trump, who talks about life. He talks about God, and I have it on good authority from four long-time colleagues who have personally talked with the president about his relationship with Christ, and they say that he has prayed and asked Christ to be his Savior. Let me just say this, the way that the Trump candidacy took most of America's evangelical world by surprise, and I will tell you, there were some huge, huge names that railed against the idea of candidate Trump. I'm talking Christian leaders. Dylan, it really reminded me of when the wise men came to Jerusalem and asked a lot of the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin, where is he that is born King of the Jews?

And neither the religious leaders nor Pharaoh, it says when Jesus was born in Judea, Pharaoh was troubled and all of Israel with him. And the arrival of God's anointed took them by surprise. The arrival of a very unlikely candidate Trump took so many Christian evangelical leaders by surprise, really, didn't it? It certainly did, and even today there are many who are adjusting to this idea of a president they may not agree with, they may not have voted for, but in many areas stands for Christian values. If we were to mention a couple of those, we look at this president who stands strong with the nation of Israel, who has officially stated that Jerusalem is the capital of the nation and has plans to move the American embassy to Jerusalem. This is a major shift in policy that very much is one that many Christians support. And of course if we were to look at religious liberties, there have been many more religious liberties that have been emphasized during this presidency that almost any Christian would say they appreciate.

Well exactly. Genesis 12 verse 3, and we're going to get to this, but God told Abraham that he would sojourn in Egypt. But there's something that many leaders, one of my mentors, the late Jerry Falwell would often quote this, and I believe it, but Genesis 12 verse 3 where God says of Israel, I will bless them that bless thee and curse them that curse thee. Let me just say, the favor of God is with President Trump and will remain so as long as he is a friend of the nation of Israel. And I remember when I was at a meeting where he spoke as a candidate, and then candidate Trump would talk about quote, the precious Jewish people, end of quote.

Most people know for 22 years it was a law that our embassy would be in the capital of Israel, Jerusalem, but no president, Clinton, Bush, or Obama really had the courage to act on what was already de facto a law that our embassy would be in Jerusalem. And everybody said, well if they do that, we'll have World War III, the terrorists will react. One of the things, notice this about the president, I was very impressed, like a Churchill or like a Reagan, he did not ameliorate and not do the right thing out of fear of what a terrorist might or might not do. And that's a principle in life, Dylan, that we do the right thing because it's the right thing to do. You don't crunch the numbers on what's a right thing to do.

Well, I better not do the right thing because somebody's going to be mad or the schoolyard bully might retaliate. Now I'm not saying in life, a little leadership philosophy here, you don't kick a hornet's nest that you don't have to, but he's putting the embassy in Jerusalem because it's the right thing to do besides the fact it's been a law for 22 years that we were supposed to do that. I thought it was interesting, Dylan, in the State of the Union where the president talked about the fact that a number of nations made a UN resolution condemning this move and our friendship with Israel and the president in the State of the Union said, well, you know, we give X number of billions of dollars every year aid to these nations.

And he said, hey, if you're going to take our billions of dollars of financial aid, how about not making a UN resolution to condemn us for doing what politically and morally is the right thing to do? A lot to talk about. This is TNG Radio, Truth For A New Generation Radio with Dylan Burroughs, Alex McFarland.

We're going to come back and continue this. Attention all Christians who believe that America needs a spiritual revival, an awakening, a message of the gospel for our times. This is Alex McFarland encouraging you to attend the 2018 edition of Truth For A New Generation, the Conference on Apologetics, Worldview and Evidence for the Christian Faith, Greensboro, North Carolina, March 23 and 24.

Hear an amazing lineup that includes Josh McDowell, apologists J. Warner Wallace, Lauren Green and Todd Starnes, both from Fox News, attorney Abe Hamilton III of the American Family Association, music by the bands and orchestra from North Greenville University and much, much more. Sessions for all ages equipping you to share your faith confidently in any situation. Visit TruthForAnewGeneration.com.

That's TruthForAnewGeneration.com, TNG 2018, to save a nation. March 23 and 24, brought to you by North Greenville University, where Christ makes the difference. 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. The voice of truth tells me a different story. The voice of truth says, Do not be afraid. The voice of truth says, This is for my glory.

Out of all the voices calling out to me, I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth. This is Dylan Burrows here with Dr. Alex McFarland on Truth For a New Generation. And if you would like to see Dr. Alex McFarland more, I encourage you to go to thecove.org, where Dr. Alex McFarland will be speaking this July on the prophet of Amos. This is a little-known book in the Old Testament that is often neglected, but has many life principles that can change your life today and are especially significant at this time in our nation's history.

So I encourage you again to go to thecove.org and find out more about that to be with Dr. Alex McFarland in July this year. And we're talking today about Isaiah 19 and its significance in our times today, just following the State of the Union address with President Trump. We've talked about the address itself, but introduce us to this idea of Isaiah 19 and some of the parallels you see here today, Alex.

Well, thank you, Dylan. I was reading this really in my own devotions yesterday, and it begins, it says, The burden of Egypt, behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud and will come into Egypt. The idols of Egypt will be moved at his presence, or in other words, shaken, disrupted, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it. It goes on in verses 2, it talks about disunity, I will set Egyptian against Egyptian, city against city, kingdom against kingdom. Verse 3, The spirit of Egypt will fail, and their counsel will fail. People will seek to the idols, the charmers, to those that have familiar spirits, and to wizards.

And it talks about the bondage that will come, but here's why I wanted to talk about this in relation to America. Surely the princes of Zoan are fools. The counsel of the wise are brutish.

In other words, just ignorant brutes. How can you say to the pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings? Where are the wise men?

You know, Dylan, let me say this. There's a phrase that's kind of come into the vernacular in recent years. How's that working for you? Basically Isaiah goes on and says, look, the Lord says if the seers and the wizards and the princes of Zoan, if you're Egyptian sorcerers, if they've ever given you one bit of good counsel or truth, let me know. You've gone after the false gods. You've gone after immoral, godless teachers.

How's that working for you? In America, there's been, in the last decade, really a battle over morality, marriage. And so often, just the fire and the fury comes from Hollywood.

They berate patriotism, the flag, prayer. And we are in a culture where it's almost like our seers and our pop culture pundits are like the sorcerers of Egypt almost. And just as God told Egypt, hey, did you get any good direction? Has your life improved from following the counsel of the godless sorcerers? I think God from His word is asking our culture, you know, this thing of no rules, no boundaries, no morals, live for the moment, you call the shots, godlessness.

How's that working for you? And just as God was calling the people of old to turn to Him, the Lord of life, I think more than ever, our nation in the 21st century, we need to turn back to the God of life, don't we? We certainly do. And I enjoy verse three that says, the Egyptians will lose heart and I will bring their plans to nothing. That's a very negative verse. But in the time this was written, during the time of Isaiah, approximately 2,700 years ago, there were many prophecies made by Isaiah against Israel, but also against the nations surrounding Israel.

And one of those was Egypt. And they weren't known for being atheists, they were known for their spirituality that worshiped any and every god and goddess under the sun, including the sun. And so when we look at their spiritual attitude that we have the strength to do what we want, and we'll talk to whichever god that we want, and we will live however we want, there was a time when God said there will be consequences for that type of lifestyle.

And we see similar themes in our world today. There was a new Barna research study released recently that we talked about in our last episode. It did a major survey regarding Generation Z, those who are today's teenagers. And what they quoted that many people have been concerned about is that there is double the chance that your teenager will be an atheist versus the past generation. Now that's concerning, but what was more concerning to me was the fact that only four out of 100 American teenagers have a biblical worldview.

And that means people who stand on the core teachings of Christianity as defined in the survey. So when we look at one end of the spectrum, there's an increasing number of atheists, but at the other end of the spectrum, there are fewer and fewer teenagers and young people in our nation who know what they believe and why they believe it. Now, Alex, that's why events like Truth for a New Generation that we have coming up in March are so important, because it gives an opportunity for students, parents, and those who lead today's generation to be equipped to better communicate the truth to today's society.

Absolutely, absolutely. In 20 years of doing these events, but here's the thing, I have found kids love to know truth. Mom and dad, youth pastor, you don't think your teenagers want to know how to think like a Christian?

They really do. I mean, we started out going after high schoolers, and college kids came, middle schoolers, and you know, Dylan, honestly, it's such a blessing when we do one of these Truth for a New Generation. By the end of the day, on Saturday, the end of the conference, all these kids are asking, hey, when is next year?

When are you going to do this again? Because they are hungry for truth. And I really think we sell our kids short, and this is my 11 years as a full-time youth pastor speaking, look, Dylan, we stretch our kids athletically, academically, you know, make the team, play soccer, do the National Honor Society. I really don't think we stretch our kids enough spiritually. That teenager that you think is just kind of like, you know, vegging out in front of the computer, they have the makings of being a spiritual champion if we'll position them to do that. I believe kids are way more hungry for God's truth than often we give them credit for. What do you think?

Well, it's certainly true, and that's why we want to communicate when we come right back. There's the negative side of the story that we see in Isaiah 19, as well as in today's society, of course, but what is the solution? What is the answer?

What is the response? And we'll talk about that when we turn here on Truth For A New Generation radio. Stick with us. 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. Attention all Christians who would like to become more effective in presenting and defending their beliefs. This is Alex McFarland, and I urge you to attend the 2018 edition of Truth For A New Generation, the conference on apologetics, worldview, and evidence for the Christian faith.

TNG is coming to Greensboro, North Carolina, March 23 and 24. Hear an amazing lineup including Josh McDowell, apologist J. Warner Wallace, Lauren Green, and Todd Starnes, both from Fox News, and much, much more. This is Abraham Hamilton III of the American Family Association. We're in a battle for the future of our nation, and I want to see you at Truth For A New Generation as we pray and get equipped to defend the faith, asking God to save our nation.

Don't miss Truth For A New Generation, March 23 and 24, Greensboro, North Carolina. You may register at truthforanewgeneration.com. That's truth, F-O-R, truthforanewgeneration.com. We are believers, all are hope in the risen one. And we are soldiers, we're fighting with faith and love. And we are pilgrim on a journey to reach our home.

Oh, standing together, we are the children of God. Welcome back to Truth For A New Generation Radio, Alex McFarland. You know, we alluded to Truth For A New Generation.

I do want to give that website truthforanewgeneration.com. And folks, yes, in addition to the big event, March 23-24, Greensboro, North Carolina, Josh McDowell, apologist J. Warner Wallace, Todd Starnes from Fox News, Kamal Saleem, former Islamic terrorist, Abe Hamilton III, who is an attorney, former DA of New Orleans, and now he serves as legal counsel for the American Family Association. But on March 22, there is an event before the event. We're going to have a dinner. This is Friends of Truth For A New Generation and Alex McFarland Ministries. It's going to be in Greensboro, North Carolina. We call it a national briefing on the spiritual state of the country. If you want to come, it's kind of a time to pray. And if you are interested in that, you can go to truthforanewgeneration.com, the Friends of the Ministry dinner, and then the event proper, March 23-24.

We hope you'll be a part of both of those. Well, Dylan, let's kind of tie a bow on this and give some good news. Okay, four things. There was superstition and fear. There was disunity.

There was aimlessness. God says your idols are going to be moved, your heart is going to melt, you're going to be fearful. And there's a lot of fear when people don't know the true God. Then there's disunity. There's the fragmentation of the culture. And here in our own nation, we've experienced a lot of fragmentation, disunity, and I would submit one of the things for which we need to pray is that God would unify the country, but unify us as the pledge says, one nation under God, indivisible. We are very much divided right now because we are not following God uniformly, but under the banner of the cross and God and His truth.

That's where the unity is. Egypt in Isaiah 19 was directionless. It says the spirit of Egypt would fail, their council would be destroyed, their sources of wisdom, that was. And so there was no vision. You know, the Word of God says where there is no vision, the people perish or wander. And in life, in family, as a nation, we need vision, as our president said in the State of the Union, the righteous mission of freedom in America. But then the results.

Egypt experienced, at least for this time in Isaiah 19, a drought, bondage, famine, and really moral, social, intellectual, and spiritual bankruptcy. But Dylan, you alluded to it. There is good news. And I want to say, for our country, there's hope. For your family, for your church, for your community. But listener, for you personally, yes, you, there is hope because God loves you and God cares about you. And so Dylan, talk about the altar in Egypt, which really is that point of hope on the horizon.

Yes. In the Old Testament, when you came before the Lord, you would present your offering at an altar. And in verse 19 of chapter 19 in Isaiah, there's a transition that takes place where it says, In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the Lord at its border. So there is a future time when people who have stood against God, who have opposed God, who have been disunited and aimless, as you've mentioned, Alex, will turn to the Lord. And when we do, there will be a response from God that is positive.

And that's what I want to communicate. We can look at all the problems in our society and talk about how negative it is, but God uses these negatives to draw us near to Him. We need to turn to Him personally. We need to be the ones who reach out to our children or to our parents, even if it's in that situation where you're the believer and your parents are not. We need to be the ones who look in our schools and our workplaces for opportunities to share the gospel through our actions and through our words. The change that we are looking for comes through God, but that God is working through you and through your life. So I want to encourage you today, take that opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those around you. And as you do, and as we do, and as millions of Christians around this country and around the world join together in living out their faith, we will see that change, where we come and worship the Lord and see Him respond favorably to our prayers. I think that's something we can all unite around, isn't it, Alex?

Well, it is. Verse 21 says the Lord will be known to Egypt. Now, this is so beautiful. Look at verse 25. The Lord of hosts shall bless Egypt, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance. So, friend, there's no person too far from God that they can't be saved, restored, blessed if they'll turn to Christ. And we just want to say that the Lord Jesus is as close by as a prayer, and nations are changed one life at a time, and we hope your life is linked to the Lord Jesus Christ who loves you so and who gave His life for yours. Alex, these are powerful words, and I know that people listening are looking for ways to respond to God in a positive way, to make a difference where they are, and to be part of the good things that God wants to do in our nation today. Again, we've talked about the opportunity to attend the Truth for a New Generation Conference, and we hope you'll join us there March 23 and 24 in Greensboro, North Carolina. But we also want to encourage you through Scripture today, and I think Alex has a concluding word for us from Proverbs we're going to use to end our time together today to encourage you as you follow the Lord.

That's right. Proverbs 14, 34 says that righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. Righteousness lifts up, and righteousness is what God gives to the one who puts their faith in Jesus Christ.

But sin is a devaluing, a bringing down, a debasement of any people. You know, if you want to know more about the Gospel, Dylan, we just launched an app that people can find on the App Store, regardless of what type of mobile device you have. There's a TNG, Truth for a New Generation, app, and there's a tab on there with a clear explanation of the Gospel, how you can know Christ. And just as a nation can come to Christ, that begins with an individual.

And today, we hope that individual is you. Well, thanks, Alex, for sharing God's truth in a compelling and compassionate way today. We do encourage you to join us at TruthForANewGeneration.com, where you can download this program and share it with others. You can also find out more about our other ministry events, including the Truth for a New Generation conference we mentioned today. Thank you so much for joining us.

Stick with us for more information. 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-YES-GOD-1. That's 877-YES-GOD and the number 1. TNG radio is made possible by the friends of Alex McFarland Evangelistic Ministries, P.O. Box 485, Pleasant Garden, North Carolina, 27313. That's P.O. Box 485, Pleasant Garden, North Carolina, 27313. 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.