Who's ready to take the Happy Resurrection Challenge?
True Commentary with Stu Epperson, author of the book, Last Words of Jesus. It's a great time of year to wish folks a happy resurrection. Now, I know you like to say Happy Easter, and I'm not saying don't stop saying that, but why not say Happy Resurrection this time of year?
What a great celebration. What a great time to point people out to what really happened when Jesus Christ conquered death, the serpent crusher emerged victorious from the grave and changed everything. So instead of saying Happy Easter, take the Happy Resurrection Challenge and say Happy Resurrection. You see, that tomb is empty, so your life doesn't have to be, thanks to the risen Lord. And if it happens to be after the Resurrection Day celebration, you can still say Happy Resurrection.
And wait for those questions to come, and be ready with an answer. Happy Resurrection. Death is defeated, Jesus is alive, and he's coming again. True Commentary with Stu Epperson, author of the book, Last Words of Jesus.
Available now in bookstores. Learn more at thelastwordsofjesus.com. Welcome to Truth Talk Live. All right, let's talk. The truth is, I can't hide it, I can't hold it in your heart. A daily program powered by the Truth Network. This is kind of a great thing, and I'll tell you why. Where pop culture, current events, and theology all come together.
Speak your mind. And now, here's today's Truth Talk Live host. Here's the question today on Truth Talk Live. What do you think? Can a Christian trust God as provider and still buy a lottery ticket?
Again, that question, can a Christian trust God as provider and still buy a lottery ticket? What do you think? 866-348-7884.
866-348-7884. What do you think? If they win, will their tithe be acceptable to God? Or, right, should they tithe it? You know, some say take the money out of Satan's hands, and others say don't feed the beast. How about this one? I like this one a lot. What Bible verses would you quote to a friend who asks you, you know, as a Christian, do you think I should gamble? What Bible verses or what would you turn to in the way of the Scriptures to help them out?
866-348-7884. You know, this is a huge challenge. I mean, I don't know if you're in North Carolina like I am. You have seen the commercial after commercial after commercial lately that just, you know, scare the willies out of me. I guess a good way to put it that I worked in the car business all those years around a whole bunch of people that got caught up in gambling. I saw it destroy lives. I saw it destroy families.
I saw men just, you know, that went doing crazy things because of gambling debt, and literally some lost their lives. You know, what about all that? 866-348-7884. Where does it start?
Where does it end? Oh, we're so lucky today. We have Steve Pettit with us. He's the president of the Palmetto Family Council, former president of Bob Jones University.
And the Palmetto Family Council is protecting South Carolina from this horrible idea of casinos and sports betting in their state. All right, so welcome to Truth Talk Live, Steve. Hey, can you hear me okay there? I can.
Welcome, Steve. Can you hear me? Yeah, I hear you great. Hey, wonderful.
Sorry if I'm in my car. I just left the State House of South Carolina, actually testifying in the subcommittee about a bill they're putting forth for a casino and sports betting in South Carolina. So, hey, this is perfect timing. Oh, I'll tell you what, you know, for such a time as this, God has, you know, because what an opportunity you guys have in South Carolina, wishing we had taken the one on the sports betting here in North Carolina. But you guys have an amazing set of resources for people there in South Carolina to get up with the representatives, et cetera, right?
Yes, we do. So we are, our organization is called Palmetto Family Council. We're the voice for biblical values in South Carolina and in the centers of influence. We also partner with other like-minded organizations in the state, like the South Carolina Baptist, and other organizations where we would be in alignment on these same issues.
And I'm so happy to say that the governor of South Carolina, Governor Henry McMaster's, is against gambling in South Carolina. I am, too. Well, we got Kenneth in South Carolina's got a view for us, which I'm glad you're calling from South Carolina. Kenneth, what say you, my friend? Kenneth?
Good today. Yeah. What do you think, Kenneth?
About you, huh? I was just asking what your thoughts were. I think as long as you don't, maybe I don't have small kids. If I bought a lottery ticket, I'm not expecting to win. And if I were to win, I would, I'd pay tithes on it.
I don't, you know, if you just buy one for the heck of it, you know, I don't think if it, personally, you know. I wouldn't take my last two dollars. It'd either be bread or that.
I would buy bread, of course. But what would you, I'm interested, Kenneth. What would you say to, you know, there's a young man and he's working there with you. And, you know, he sees this opportunity to bet online or whatever the situation may be. And he says, Kenneth, what do you think? Should I gamble? What would you tell him? I'd probably say, I'd tell him no.
There you go. I mean, if you're like me, I have too many friends. I watch, that can turn into something that, you know, it starts out simple enough, but man.
I think as long as you're not expecting anything back and you got the extra buck, I mean, I don't, you know, me personally. I understand, I understand. Steve, what say you on to Kenneth?
Well, Kenneth, thank you for your answer and I appreciate the sincerity of your answer because I think you really mean exactly what you say. I think when we talk about this, we're not talking about a little card game where a guy's playing poker or anything like that. We're talking about state sanctioned casinos and sports betting that involves millions and millions and millions of dollars that has dramatic impact on people. We're talking in South Carolina about building a billion dollar casino in one of the poorest sections of the state. And that's a, I think that's a really different, but I think that's a different ball game. Yeah.
I don't think it's apples to apples. I think you're exactly right. The fact that it has, and so for example, in South Carolina, they're wanting to put a casino, I say at the corner of I-95 and I-26, which is the interstate that runs north and south to Florida and east and west through the heart of South Carolina. That will become at the very heart of the state, or at least a part of the state.
And we look at it as how it will affect our culture and how it will change the dynamics of our state. Yeah. It can be like drinking.
You can get addicted to it if you're not careful. I agree with that. Yeah.
Especially the poor people that get desperate and you know, they think this is going to solve their problem the next thing you know. But Kenneth, thank you for your call. God bless you, man. I agree with Steve.
A sincere, honest answer. I love it. Thank you so much, Kenneth. God bless you. Have a great day. So how about you? What are your thoughts?
What Bible verse or what scripture would you turn to if somebody came to you with that question? What do you think, Robbie? Should I invest this money here or should I go down and buy a lottery ticket? 866-348-7884. And unfortunately, here in North Carolina, Steve, oh my goodness, when that comes to town, I'll bet you every third commercial on TV is for online bidding. You guys don't have it there. And it's probably not. No, we don't have online betting in the state, nor do we have casinos.
So we would be opposed to both of those. Yeah. I mean, and you think about, well, how are they paying for all these commercials? Well, you know, the same way those casinos get so big and all that, you know, it's and the people that get caught up in it. You're right.
They definitely feed on the families that can get caught up in that. It's a difficult thing. But, you know, it's really cool. I noticed at your website, right, you've got just opportunities for people literally to fill out stuff to their congressmen, to their representatives, right?
Yes, sir. On our website, we have a feature on palmettofamily.org where you can take action and actually send an e-mail to your representative and to your state senator. You can either write your own e-mail or we have one that we've written for you and send it in saying you're opposing sports betting and casinos. You know, a lot of people don't realize certain things. What seems to be innocent fun is not so innocent and turns out to not be so fun. So, for example, sports betting, the primary target for sports betting is young men. So you're talking about in your later teen years all the way up into your middle 20s.
And there is a thrill in betting. And, of course, you don't have to go anywhere but to your cell phone. You can do it at home. You can do it laying in bed. You can do it in the middle of the night.
So it's dangerous. Oh, it's unbelievable, the things. But we've got to go to a break. When we come back, what Bible verses would you use? What would you tell somebody that asks you that question?
866-348-7884. We'll be right back with a whole lot more. Can a Christian trust God and still buy a lottery ticket? You're listening to the Truth Network and TruthNetwork.com. Welcome back to Truth Talk Live! Today's question, right?
Let's talk about current events. Can a Christian trust God and trust Him as your provider and still buy a lottery ticket? What say you? 866-348-7884?
866-348-7884? Or if you had a friend that came to you and said, Do you think it's all right if I do this online gambling thing? You're a Christian. What does the Bible have to say about that? What would you tell them? What would you share with them? It's a fascinating question. We're so blessed to have with us Steve Pettit.
He is the president of the Palmetto Family Council there in South Carolina, protecting South Carolina from casinos and sports betting. And for such a time as this, Steve, you just left an event and you've got a whole lot more that's coming forward, right? Oh man, we've got all kinds of stuff going on, and we're just excited about being able to serve the Lord, but also to recognize Proverbs 14.34, Righteousness exalts a nation. And doing what is right according to the Scripture is actually the greatest thing you can do for your country. So we're just thrilled to be able to do it. Yeah, I came across this as I was thinking about this situation because I had to ask myself the same question.
Like, Robbie, if somebody came to you and said, Robbie, do you think it's all right if I try making some money in the lottery, or do you think it's all right if I go online and do something? Because again, it's prolific, unfortunately, here. And I found this in Isaiah 65 in the ESV version. It really speaks to me. I hope it speaks to you, and maybe you guys can write it down if you ever get to ask the question. It's Isaiah 65, 11, and 12. It says, But you who forsake the Lord, who forget my holy mountain, who set a table for fortune, and fill cups of mixed wine for destiny, I will destine you to the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter, because when I called you didn't answer, and when I spoke you did not listen, but you did what was evil in my eyes, and chose what I did not delight in. And that last part of that last verse, do you think God delights in you buying that lottery ticket?
Right? Or do you think God – Well, I think – Yeah. And so, you know, you just go, well, yeah. Well, what the Lord delights in is a clean heart and clean hands.
Right. And, you know, who shall dwell in his holy temple? He that walketh in the truth, and he that has a clean heart and clean hands. And so the Lord judges our heart motives. That's, you know, keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. And so the very motives and the desires that drive us is what God is most concerned about. And, you know, he even says it's not about the sacrifices you bring that pleases me.
It's about the condition of your heart. So you've got to consider that when you look at the gambling issue. Oh, yeah.
Yeah. And I guess, you know, again, Steve, I was a sales manager in a lot of dealerships. And I saw young men that made a lot of money quickly selling cars, honestly. And then they had this opportunity to get involved in gambling. And oh my good – I mean, it not only destroyed families, but I know of one young man, he literally killed himself over it. You know, when you lose, you know, $100,000 or whatever and you're a young family man and you got two kids at home and you don't know what you're going to do because you just pretty much gave up your life savings plus everything in the world, then you make worse choices. And see, it's like you said, they put this out there all over the place and then the gullible walk into those traps and like, oh my goodness, it's a horrible thing.
And when you're looking at the widow and talking to her and all that, I can remember it all too clearly. This is very, very, very dangerous. It's scary stuff. Yeah.
It's definitely a drug addiction in the sense of the thrill that comes out of it in winning. There's a verse in Hebrews, you know, you asked the question earlier about a Christian's involvement. In Hebrews 13, 5 and 6, it's very important. It says, let your lifestyle be without the love of money and be content with such things you have. He says, I will never leave you nor forsake you and that we may be able to say with boldness that the Lord is my helper. I shall not fear what man shall do unto me. And that's a really important verse because we should be living our lives in such a way that we are not coveting things, but we can testify that God is our helper because he's not going to forsake us.
He's not going to leave us, but he's going to take care of his own. Yeah, absolutely. And again, all our lives are testimonies, right? People are, if they know, if they know, oh, he goes to church every Sunday, that man over there, he does that. Your life is a testimony, but more than that, how fun is it, from my standpoint, I thought about that verse, you chose what I did not delight in. How fun is it when you choose things you know he did delight in? How fun is it when you know that you're doing something and spending time something and actually using your mental bandwidth for good things and the things that you know he delights in, it's just simply a choice, right, Steve?
You are absolutely right. That's a great statement because, think about it, blessed are they that hunger and seek and thirst after righteousness and they shall be filled. This is a moral strength and energy that comes from obeying God and it comes with a good conscience. I mean, it's like powerful.
And when you think of a young man who makes right choices, there comes a moral virtue, a moral energy with a good and clear conscience. Man, that's a powerful influence. Oh, it's a beautiful thing. And again, for such a time as this, as we see these things coming over our culture, and believe me, I'm so grateful that God has protected South Carolina thus far and man, now you guys are in a position to pray, right? Prayer is, like if it's going to happen, God's going to do it, right? But it requires our part in that prayer, right?
Absolutely. I want to call the people of South Carolina to pray that we will do what is right. There's plenty of money in South Carolina. There's no lack for money.
Last year we had a surplus of 1.8 billion dollars, so there's money in South Carolina. It's a matter of, are we going to trust God and have moral courage to do what is right? So pray for that, encourage our people to stand up for that. Right, and pray for those senators and congressmen, because believe me, believe me, these lobbies for the casinos and the lobbies for the online betting, they are going all out against these people, and the temptations that they are facing themselves are absolutely huge. And if you can go to that website, the Palmetto Family Council, and see these men, even if you're in North Carolina or you're in Virginia, you happen to be in Ohio today, get some of these people's names and be praying for them, because oh my goodness, I hate to even think of the pressure that some of these people are under based on what these lobbies are going to bring, right Steve? Well there is no question that if it came down to money, we lost.
It's a done deal. There's no way we can fight the money. But one thing we can do is God has promised that one can put a thousand to flight, and the only way that can happen is through prayer. And if we will pray and seek God, God is going to work in this, and we're going to see the power of God at work and put to flight the things that are corrupt and evil. Yeah, it's absolutely beautiful. And Steve, this is a project God's really put on your heart. I'm curious how you became aware of it, and how now you're obviously using a great deal of your mental bandwidth and resources and all to get behind this. Well we've got to go to a break, so I'm going to have to put you on pause.
I asked that and then we didn't look at the clock. No problem. We'll be right back with more, but we would really love your view. We would love your call. 866-348-7884. Maybe you've got a favorite verse or a friend that we can be praying for. You call us.
866-348-7884. We'll be right back. Truth Talk Live!
You're listening to the Truth Network and truthnetwork.com Welcome back to Truth Talk Live! Today we're talking about, oh my goodness, these casinos and online sports gambling, and what's a Christian's role in all that? What is your view? What Bible verses do you think about that help you navigate that? We would love your thoughts.
We would love your input. The number to call in and share. 866-348-7884. 866-348-7884.
Right before the break I was talking with Steve Pettit. He is the president of the Palmetto Family Council, and the former president of Bob Jones University there in South Carolina. And they're protecting people in South Carolina from these casinos and sports betting.
I can't believe the amount of money that they're using against that, but Steve, you were going to tell us about how God got your attention on this issue. Well, I became the president of Palmetto just a little over a year ago. My life has been spent in ministry and preaching and education and so forth, but I grew up in South Carolina. This is my home state. This is who I am.
This is my culture. And every good thing in my life more or less came from God, but it came through the state of South Carolina. And so when I got the opportunity to become the president of Palmetto Family, I wanted to give back to the state that gave me so much. And so we have core biblical values on which our organization is built, and we seek to influence South Carolina with those values. We are part of the Family Policy Alliance that is 44 states that have family policy councils like ours, and so we are making influence in the statehouse for those traditional values.
And, of course, one of those is going to be human flourishing, and a part of prosperity is learning how to work hard and learning how to save and learning how to give. And, of course, gambling is antithetical to all of that. So we realize that this is a corrupting agent, or corrupting element, I should say, within our state, and we believe that it is going to be detrimental for the people of our state. And so that's why we oppose it.
And I will say this, that the evangelical church in the state of South Carolina by and large is going to be in opposition to gambling. Again, when you think how God thinks, you can grab all the scriptures and go, OK, here is truth. We can just hang on to this as absolute truth, right? And Proverbs 13.11 is pretty clear. It says, Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but he who gathers little by little will increase in it. So when you talk about that, if you're just talking about the money aspect of it, and there's so much more to it than that, I mean, it's the root of all kinds of evils, according to Timothy, right?
And so here's some God's truth we can hang on to, that if the idea really is good stewardship, and thinking how God thinks, and delighting in what God delights in, you know he delights in hard work, and he delights in people who gather little by little, and those kind of things. And so, you know, if we live those kind of lives, and we do our best again to protect the weak and the innocent from, you know, because, you know, I'd even think that, you know, the online deal, you know, some 13-year-old kid can probably figure out how to really get himself into a mess, and it wouldn't take terribly long, I wouldn't think. No, I think anybody that's going to try to get around whatever blocks there are is going to do it, and absolutely, before you know it, what you're doing is you're creating an appetite at a very young age. So, I mean, it's not the exact same thing, but it's definitely in the arena is pornography. So in South Carolina, we just came up with a law this past year that restricts access to online pornography for anyone under the age of 21 years old. And when you think about it, the online addiction issue is just absolutely massive, and we all know that online pornography is absolutely destructive in the lives of young people, and gambling is in the same form because it's feeding the covetous nature of man, which is obviously a sinful action. So you said it's a big deal.
Yeah, because, you know, what it becomes, unfortunately, because like you said, the high that you get from it, especially when they win, is then all of a sudden here comes this addiction, and, you know, they can't stop, and there's all sorts of gamblers anonymous, and all those kind of things are out there because if you're not familiar with it and you haven't been around it, it is like alcoholism or pornography or so many other addictions that can happen as people turn their sights on other things is meeting their needs rather than God. You know, here it comes, and unfortunately it destroys so many lives and whatever, so I certainly am excited that South Carolina is taking this stand. And who knows, maybe even if you guys can get the job done, we can go back and rethink what we've done here in North Carolina on, because it's just, I'm really praying that you guys can get it done.
And again, what are some of the other things that you're hoping people will do for Palmetto to join with you? Well, we've got a number of key issues that we are, you know, we call it playing offense and playing defense. Human life protection, which is a big issue for us. School choice because we believe that it's the parents' responsibility to educate their children, and so that's school choice options in South Carolina.
We have a number of issues that really are addressed through the problem of critical social theory, which would be DEI, things as simple as defining by law what is a man and a woman. Parental rights in both medicine and education, those are big issues that we face in the state. We also are playing defense against gambling and marijuana. So in South Carolina, we have not allowed medical marijuana, which is generally the doorstep to recreational marijuana. And so we're trying to keep pot out of South Carolina along with gambling. So those are some of the big things that we're concerned about. And then there are other issues that we're going to face in South Carolina we want to be strong about.
So those are some key issues. Yeah, absolutely beautiful that God is raising up right people to help protect His people. And so I know you've got some Bible verses out there, some things you've thought about, or maybe you've got a testimony of a friend that you saw struggle with this, or maybe it's your own testimony. We would love to hear from you.
We really would. 866, the number to call in and share, 866-348-7884, 866-348-7884. Again, it's amazing how many of us, you really don't realize the effect you have on your workplace, the effect that you have on the people in your family, et cetera, et cetera, because I didn't realize it. I've had people call after I left a certain workplace and say, Robbie, everybody's language changed after. They never used curse words when you were around here, but after you left, all of a sudden all they could do is cuss. And I never said, hey guys, stop cussing.
They just didn't do it. And so interestingly, when you're in there and you're in your workplace and you love God and you hang out, you have an effect that's absolutely beautiful. And when people see what's right, they flock to that and they like it, because I loved what Steve said that God loves it when you've got clean hands and a clean heart and you're trying to figure out what's the right thing to do and how you please God and how you can get him to delight in what you're doing. It's a beautiful opportunity.
And so I'm sure when you're the president of Bob Jones University, when you're sitting down with a bunch of colleagues, pretty much everybody figures out what's right, right? Yeah. Salt and light. When light shows up, darkness goes out and salt is used to preserve from corruption. And you know, the nature of evil is in the human heart. Evil is not in a tree, it's not in the ground, it's not in an animal. Evil is in the human heart. And so we should live our lives in opposition to that evil, but that doesn't bring about salvation. Salvation is through the sacrifice and suffering of Christ and through his resurrection. And then when we believe in him, then God gives us a new heart and puts within us a new desire to love him and serve him and obey him. And obedience to the law is not a burden, but it's a blessing because of the nature of the new heart. And so that's really, yeah, you're living it out. You know, if you don't curse, you don't do those kind of things, people around you, they sense who you are.
And it's very powerful. Yeah, and at some point in time, just, you know, they ask the question, and it's interesting how, you know, when you're living that life out there that people come because they want to know the reason that you have the hope that you do, the reason why you're smiling all the time, or the reason that you look like, you know, you're having a good time when they're not, I mean, they're not content with their situation and that kind of stuff. And honestly, a lot of times they came to me when they faced big, huge problems, like they were diagnosed with cancer and all those types of things. And then all of a sudden they come to you, and you've got to be ready, because believe me, they're in, is the real opportunity to share life. Like, man, you get to share Jesus with somebody, and you get to take part in whatever God's doing in their life to bring them to salvation? Like, man, you know, what an opportunity. But it starts with these kind of choices. You know, they see.
You know, is Robbie following the sports pages because he's got a bunch of money laid out there or whatever the situation is? You know, all that stuff becomes pretty obvious in your own life. But then, you know, all those things, again, individually, I guess, really, Steve, people just have to go to God so that they can get the sense from Him and go to His Word to see what can they find in His Word that they can go, okay, here's some truth I can hang on to.
Yeah, 100%. You know, the thing is, you've been talking, and I read this a number of years ago by the great preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon, and Spurgeon preached a sermon about Christians and worldliness. And he asked the question, well, what's worldly? And worldly is what the world is.
Worldly is what the world lives for. And it involves two things. Number one, it involves their sinful behavior. And number two, it involves the things that God's going to bring judgment on. And the very things that the world is doing for their satisfaction, their sinful behavior, we're going to be separate from that. And God's going to bring judgment on it, so we should stay away. Yeah, that's beautiful. Well, what would say you?
We would love your views or your experience. 866-348-7884. 866-34-TRUTH. Just got one more segment we need to hear from you. Please call. We'll be right back. Welcome back to Truth Talk Live. Today's question started out with, can a Christian trust God as a provider and still buy a lottery ticket?
Maybe you've been listening to the whole show and you have a different view, or you still have the view that you should. 866, we would love it. You know, we'd love just to talk about what you really think and how you think about it. 866-348-7884. 866-34-TRUTH.
That's the whole idea behind Truth Talk Live has always been, right? To just talk about key issues, just frankly and honestly, how you really feel. We're good. And we'd love to hear it.
866-348-7884. How about you guys in Ohio? You know, do you have sports betting up there, casinos?
What are your thoughts? Are things coming down in Virginia on you or those who are in North Carolina? Somebody give us a call.
866-348-7884. And so you guys actually have a bill that's before the Congress right now in South Carolina, don't you? Yeah, well, it's before the one is in the Senate and the other is in the House. So one is about sports betting, the other is about a casino.
Wow. And so you've got it on two different fronts, right? Well, actually, it's actually on three fronts because there's another one about pyramid mutual betting for horse racing. So it kind of came in like a flood all at once.
Yeah, maybe thinking they could divide and conquer or something. I don't know. That's absolutely crazy. And so there at your website, right, you actually have links to those different bills or what, obviously, to talk to your congressman about those individual situations. How soon are those coming up? Well, they are right now in subcommittee, and so it goes to the subcommittee, and the subcommittee has to decide if it goes to the committee. So we can really die in subcommittee. Where it's going to go in our session, we only have a few weeks left in this year's session that ends the first week of May.
But in South Carolina, it's a two-year session because that's how long a representative is in office before he has to run again. So we're looking at it not just about today, but we're looking at it, how is it going to come out tomorrow? Yeah, yeah. So it's going to keep coming, so we want to keep standing against it. Right, and it's unfortunate so many other states have fallen already where the momentum just seems to get harder and harder. But it's interesting how God will still allow people to have the freedom to not have stuff like that in their state. We're seeing the same thing with abortion and so many different laws in so many states with that as well, and that's another place the Palmetto Family Council is hard at work, right?
One hundred percent, yes. We are definitely pro-life completely. Life begins at conception, and so we're going to stand for that all the way through.
And by the way, that's where we are as believers, and I don't know believers that believe in abortion as far as what the Scripture says. So we've got to be strong, and we represent the Church. We believe the power of influence at the State House is through the Church House. And it's when God's people stand together and stand for the right things that it impacts the state.
Oh, yeah, absolutely, absolutely. Wow, how long were you president at Bob Jones? I was there for nine years.
Prior to that, I traveled as an evangelist for almost 30 years, and then I served as a president for nine years, and then now I'm at the stage of my life where I'm here in South Carolina working with Palmetto. Yeah, that's really cool that God has had you in those different positions and clearly raised you up for such a time in this particular one as the battle is afoot. And, you know, I was thinking about and reading in Ephesians actually this week how, you know, Elijah originally had that belt of skin, and so when it says to put on the belt of truth, it's fascinating the implications of the belt that Elijah wore and how we can—because when you put on that belt, you're actually girding yourself up for war. And the war is upon us whether we would risk it or not. In other words, this is no some small battle, because there's a mom somewhere, unfortunately, that her husband can get all caught up in this.
In other words, there's a lot of things that you're really protecting as you're strapping on the belt of truth to take on this particular battle. Well, it's very interesting. A number of years ago, I was down in Nassau, Bahamas area, and we were actually down there doing missions work.
We had done revival meetings at local churches. We ran a teen camp, and one day we went to eat over at Paradise Island, which is kind of the vacation area, and on Paradise Island they had casinos there. So I asked some of the workers there who were Bahamians about the casino, and they said in Bahamas it was a wall that the Bahamians could not gamble.
The only people that could gamble were the foreigners. And the reason why is the women voted against it because they knew it would destroy their homes. Isn't that beautiful? And I thought, wow. That is powerful. So practically they kept gambling out of their culture. That is fascinating.
It was wonderful. Yeah, they didn't want to ruin their country. And it's the moms, right? It's kind of neat that they're the ones who headed that up because they could see it, that managed to make the impact. And so what a cool challenge that is to moms in South Carolina, moms in North Carolina, Virginia, or Ohio, wherever you're listening today, to say, hey, this battle, it's real. And I know the casino thing came up in North Carolina and fortunately got turned down, but it'll rear its ugly head soon enough again. And I'm sure the horse racing thing and all that, it's coming. But it's something we've got to keep our ears to the ground and stay in the fight and realize the battle is on for not just us, but for our kids, then our grandkids, and then our great grandkids, as you said.
This is not just for today, it's for tomorrow and the next generation and the next generation and the next generation. And so how would you recommend that people in these other states keep their ears to the ground so they can hear what's coming out? How can they get more familiar with their state? Well, I think they need to support the organizations in the state that are making a difference. For example, North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, all those states have a family policy council. So just like Palmetto Family, there's North Carolina Family. And we are all aligned on these issues. And so these organizations are standing for these things in the states, and it really takes the people of God. The power of influence in the state house is the church house, and that's really important that God's people rise up together and support these organizations.
Yeah, absolutely, there's North Carolina Family Council. I'm very familiar with them. I had them on many times, as well as Virginia. But I don't know about Ohio. I was hoping somebody from Ohio would call and give us a heads-up on that. But Ohio is a very strong state. Ohio is very strong. And they have the Center for Christian Virtues there, which is the same organization as Palmetto Family Council. Great organization.
Yeah, I know that actually, for whatever reason, we get a ton of calls out of Ohio usually, and they are a very strong state. I'm so grateful for the church there and what they're standing for, and I'm glad to hear that that's what they have as well. And again, it's well worth going to their website, because I know when you go to the Palmetto Family Council site, you're going to see all the things where you can take action now. Here's what you can do. Here's what we need prayer for.
Here's a way to get up your councilmen or your senator or whatever on these particular issues, and I'm sure that the same will be found at all these different websites so that you can take part in protecting your state, not just, again, from your kids but your grandkids and your great-grandkids, because this ain't going away anytime soon, I'm sure. That's right. God is going to advance his kingdom one prayer at a time, and that's what he has called for us to pray. So God's people have to believe in the power of prayer and recognize that the kingdom of God doesn't come all at once. It comes one prayer at a time. And be faithful in praying, and God's going to do it work. Yeah, it's kind of beautiful that that same proverb about, you know, whoever gathers little by little will increase.
It's whoever prays little by little. I love that idea of just soaking in prayer and continuing to just keep it on your heart that say, God, remember us in this battle, remember us in that battle, as you become aware of them in your state. And again, God raises up people like Steve Pettit at the Palmetto Family Council to make us aware of the things that are going on. And again, thank you to Stu Epperson, my boss, for making me aware of this opportunity today and for having you on, Steve.
It was amazing, and it's been a real education. Thank you. Thank you so much, Steve. Thank you so much.
It is my privilege and honor. God bless you. God bless you, and God bless you all listening. We will talk to you tomorrow. Thank you. Have a great week. Bye-bye.
