The following is a pre-recorded program. How do you even hold things together, brother? Well, it's interesting. I heard somebody, a missionary that has served in the Muslim context, he said, Islam is designed to work best when it is in the majority. Christianity is designed to work best when it is in the persecuted minority. So, look, if you look at the book of Acts, what's happening now is nothing new. In fact, what's new is we've had years and years of, I guess, protection by the government. Those things are coming to an end, and I don't want to sound like a sadist, but there's part of me that's excited about what I see happening, these forces coming against the church, because I think it's going to be the doorway to a great move of God in America, but we always function the best when we are in a persecuted minority.
It's interesting with the political climate. Now, we've got another pastor walking up who you've never met before. You're going to meet him on the radio. Okay, Pastor, what's your name, Pastor?
Grant Castleberry. And Pastor, good to meet you, man. Nice to meet you.
Guys, you're both pastors in Raleigh. Now, come in real quick. These young guys, who are these young men with you? Young leaders with me.
I'll let them introduce themselves. Castleberry. Who's this young man?
What's your name? Patrick. Patrick. And how old are you, Patrick? Five. Five? And how old are you, Charles?
Nine, sir. Hey, so, you two pastors, I've noticed one thing you have in common. You might be in a little bit different denomination, and you might have a different, you know, bench press or whatever, but you both love Jesus, and you both aren't afraid to speak into the culture, even when it involves policy, like even when it involves pro-life. And a lot of times, a lot of churches are kind of backing away from that. Like, we don't want to, oh, that's a political issue.
We want to talk about marriage and gender. Pastor Chad, what's your word on that? And then we'll get your word. Well, I want to hear from this guy because I was reading the other day, 2 Timothy chapter 2, Paul says, fight the good fight is a good soldier of Jesus Christ. And I think J. Adams said this years ago, when you begin to look at the Christian life in the context of warfare, everything starts to come together, man. We're soldiers in Jesus Christ. We're fighting against a common enemy.
I don't care what denomination we're in. We are part of the same army. I think this guy's former military man, so he could speak to that military thing better than I can.
Aren't you military? Absolutely. Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, Jesus says that he came to teach the truth, and the truth regarding the ethic of Christianity is in terms of life, marriage, and all these things used to not even be political, but now they are political. So we have a responsibility as pastors to preach the whole Council of God and to address these issues and speak into the culture. Wow, and it may get tougher for the Christian, even during COVID, you got a lot of flack, because both of you guys said, hey, we're going to have church, and the government said, no, you're not going to gather together. Now, the strip clubs, they can meet and the gamma casinos. I mean, that's a vital essential service, but not church. What about that?
And what if it gets even worse? What do they say if you don't marry, you know, two men, if you don't marry a man and his mom or a woman and her horse, then you're going to get outlawed. We're going to shut your church down.
Yeah. Yeah, you know, somebody asked me the other day, so man, your church has had some pretty good growth growth. What is your church growth strategy? My strategy is keep your church open when everybody else shuts their church down and it'll grow.
But I think, I think the COVID thing that you brought up, that was a test run for tyranny. I think the forces that be wanted to see how would the church respond with this edict. And unfortunately from my perspective, I don't know that the church has responded overly well and we told our people all along.
If you're nervous, stay at home, man, if you don't feel like coming, don't, don't come. But we just took a stance and I have brothers in Christ who had a different take on this and that's fine. But we took the stance of no, we can't forsake the assembling of ourselves together. The government has given us an edict that contradicts scripture.
So we have to go with with what scripture says. That's Pastor Chad Harvey cross assembly right here in the Raleigh area. This is Pastor Grant Castleberry Capitol Church all about your church. Yeah, Capitol Community Church in Raleigh and you both love God's word. You're both on the truth Network. I love hearing you guys on the radio. In fact, I'm torn because I'm thinking I mean, do I talk to you here or do I go and turn on my truth app and listen?
I mean, I'm struggling guys. But what about that Pastor? I mean, what if they say, hey, you got to quit, quit the hate speech. Quit speaking out against, you know, against, you know, the the murder of our children, the murder of our young, which is happening wholesale. In fact, one party wants that even be more prominent, you know, the the new VP candidate, he's like, you know, up, you know, in Wisconsin, he's wants to or Minnesota.
He wants babies even like partial birth. He's for that in the in the the marriage issue and all that. I mean, do you do you just run away from those topics, you know, at Capitol or do you speak out against it?
I mean, I completely agree with what Pastor Chad said just a second ago. But the question is, is do we fear man or do we fear God? And if we fear man, we're going to be afraid of the government. We're going to be afraid of edicts. We're going to be afraid of the press.
We're going to be afraid of the media. But if we fear God, then we will speak the truth. And you know, Paul says in Galatians one, am I a servant of Christ or am I a servant of man? If I'm a servant of man, then I'm no longer a servant of Christ. And so we're servants of Christ and we're ambassadors for Christ.
So we speak his message regardless of the circumstances. And and that's also why Paul says that we have to be prepared to suffer as a good soldier of Christ, Christ Jesus, you know, we got to be prepared for the demonic pushback. There will be demonic pushback, our battles not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. So there will be the demonic pushback. And that's what we have to expect as churches.
And I think right now we're in this kind of lull where we've been given time to kind of regather and we need to prepare for what the next assault from the enemy will be something. Now you got your two sons here. I mean, a lot is riding for the next generation.
This is the you guys are the future. You guys realize that so you read the Bible to your dad every night before bed. He might be tired.
He might have a lot going on, but you read the Bible to him every night before bed. And Pastor Chad can't go anywhere in public. One of his one of his awesome guys is here. Look at that right here. It's a cupbearer.
This is my cupbearer. And when I'm preaching hard and I sweat, he actually comes up and wipes the sweat off my back. Vic Ronchio on staff here at the church is a great guy, man.
God bless you, man. And Pastor Chad Harvey, I mean, you know, and this is the other challenge is you have people saying, well, you know, political you got, you know, is your church a political rally to elect Donald Trump? I mean, how is this take us past that?
Like, what do you say about voting and endorsing candidates and all that? I mean, that gets all controversial. I mean, all I have to do, even in a group of Christians, if I say the name Donald J. Trump, everyone gets mad. You know, it's like, wait a second, you know, you know, tell me what your thoughts are on that.
Oh, yeah, look. Yeah, but vote biblically do all that. Yeah, all that stuff is important. But in the end, our hope is not in the government is not in Donald Trump. I was just reading and studying Daniel to this morning at the very end with all these kingdoms, a big rock, not hewn by hands comes rolling down the hill and destroys the statue and takes over the world. And so I think we got to keep that perspective.
Yeah, it's important. Let's vote biblically, but in the end Christ Kingdom is going to take over the world. Yeah, man, we read the back of the book and he wins but Pastor Grant Casselberry, how are we to be ever vigilant even in voting even in voting our faith even as speaking out against the evil in our culture? Well, I think we got to be evangelistic. We have to realize that the battle is going to be won through the word of God the advance of the Word of God politics is downstream from culture cultures downstream from religion. So religion is most important the advance of the gospel is most important because we need to change people's hearts.
The only way to change people's hearts is through the gospel of Jesus Christ, but we also need to be cognizant about the politics. We need to vote our values. We need to vote for the truth. I personally think you know, it's not that we're endorsing a candidate in terms of Donald J. Trump, but we're also trying to uphold conservative Christian values.
Yeah, none of these candidates are perfect. They all got challenges, but it's about who is going to at least uphold freedom of Christians Liberty and protect the young the unborn the weakest among absolutely absolutely. Yeah, and these are critical times. We're now we're now in dangerous waters. Our votes are being cast either for the castration of our children or against it.
They're being voted for the slaughter our children or against it. I mean it the the lines have never been more clearly drawn right now. Wow guys, we're wrapping up Capital Community Church pastor Grant Castleberry wonderful program on the Truth Network. Pastor Chad Harvey Cross Assembly faithful to the word of God your word other pastors real quick. Give a quick just a just a popcorn quick challenge to every pastor out there about speaking the word continue to faithfully proclaim the gospel from the pole.
But even when it gets politically crazy and even when maybe the government tries to shut you down. I would just say what Paul says 2nd Timothy 4 5 be sober-minded endure suffering do the work of an evangelist be faithful fulfill your ministry. So just keep just keep on keep on be faithful. Put push past the issues in your own church push past the issues in the culture and just be faithful.
What about you pass? I would say Luke 12 3 pastors. Don't be afraid of the ones who can kill the body and after that they can't do anything else fear the one that after the killing of the body can cast into hell. Jesus said that not to pagans. He said that to his disciples. There's only one person to fear Grant said this a second ago. We fear God we don't fear man.
Thank you guys. Hey now now young men. Do you guys have a Bible verse to quote you have any Bible verses that come to mind? You want to quote you want to quote a verse?
I mean, you can't see the 200 million people that are listening. So don't be nervous. What do you think you got something for me?
You can't just know you. Yeah. Hey, but hey be but next time. Next time I pop into your pops here at this coffee shop jubilee coffee shop here in North Hills and Raleigh be thinking about a verse and I'll interview you guys.
Okay, and we'll get you on there because we got to get the rate you get the young people on you get the ratings listen. These guys are radio down your truth app and thank you pastors for standing up for truth in a dark world and for being faithful to God's Word. Yeah. I mean, I would say that all pastors need prayer. We need we need you know, we are just under Shepherds of Christ and we need his strength his power. So pray for your pastors.
Pray for his preaching pray for for their faithfulness and their strength in the ministry because it really is a work of God in us Christ in us, which is the hope of glory raise the Lord. Yeah. I think you concur with that.
Wouldn't you press your travel? Yeah. I've never seen pastors under attack more than I'm seeing it now every week. There's a new scandal guys. Let's just pray that we'll walk close and clean to the power of the Holy Spirit. Listen these guys on the truth Network and we're going to go get some yummy coffee and lattes and maybe hot chocolate for one of these guys here in Raleigh, North Carolina. Stu Epperson truth talk download the the podcast download the free app the truth app, but listen to the pockets these guys and please share this with someone, you know, and you love and get involved and be a full orb Christian. Jesus Christ is if he's he's either Lord of all or he's Lord or not Lord at all. And so bless you guys. Thank you for your faithful ministry.
