TNG Spiritual Awakening for Our Nation

Best-selling author, speaker and advocate for Christian apologetics Dr. Alex McFarland, best-selling author and apologist Dylan Burroughs together bringing you truths for a new generation. This is TMG radio do we hear a lot about the state of the country with 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 on essentially everywhere I go people, casino country, it is something is 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 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 I 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 TMG radio and let's talk about changing our country for the better and with me is Dylan Burroughs and I Dylan you and I have the privilege of writing together in 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, but certainly good way to put it because I think we all understand this first point, the written about on this topic. This idea of admitting the problem we understand their problems in our nation that morally would 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 culture values regarding Christianity. We have to deal with the reality where we are today and as he can improve that, and it begins in a one-to-one level.

Certainly, we must see God revive our own heart first and then that spreads her own family members and friends or neighbors those around us and as collectively we come together as brothers and sisters in Christ, sharing the gospel message is we've historically been taught in the word of God. We will see change, and in fact there pockets of change happening all around our country if we are open our eyes. A look and get involved in being part of what God is doing today is great were Dylan Scripture that I want to begin with is first Corinthians 121 in first Corinthians 121 and by the way the church at Corinth on a personal study now in the book of first Corinthians, and suffice it to say the church at Corinth really had issues stemming 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 in the Christian life that we oftentimes need to be reminded off. But Paul wrote enforcement is 121, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe the world thinks that were foolish. The work much of the world thinks that you know 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 a myth or delusional.

Although we know it's not an 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, and if you get really serious about living for Jesus. There 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 it's a little much.

Sure, they're going to think that's foolish right in our culture today. Everyone can believe whatever they want were supposed to be accepting of all ideas, but if you get too serious about your faith and wait hold on, we can go there we 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 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 ourselves, and the important thing to remember here is our enemy is not necessarily the person who is the skeptic or an atheist or agnostic. Someone who is against us in terms of the gospel message. We have 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 were in a spiritual battle. Who are the enemies what is a spiritual war that were dealing with. Well, you know, it reminds me of an article that was on the newswire services just a few months ago in the headlines of this quote are cultures experiencing a hostile takeover. We must stop rejecting God. If we ever wanted 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 of the soldier that is in a battle situation moves and operates and makes his decisions based on the directives of the generals in 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 in the Bible and heaven. But Fauci 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 in 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 in more and more were sitting in out riots and things like that is because were several generations and to public school curriculum and pop media that categorically rejects the idea that there are moral boundaries and that's what's so important that we as Christians among other things we need to pray, we need the Holy Spirit to restrain evil and 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.

We also need to remember that these souls need conversion comes through Jesus Christ. Yes, Alex is so vitally talk about this idea that the enemy is spiritual that we are in a spiritual battle but what is that mean we have a responsibility to get involved in. We come right back here to talk more about this issue of getting involved in the spiritual battles our culture stick with this hatchery for 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 are religious freedoms are under attack. There's a 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 in the preservation of stand strong American is that you face help you become a champion champion for Christ in stand strong American Jason Jimenez and I lay out the facts about our nation. The current condition and how you yes you, your family, community can be involved in keeping this great Republic stand strong America is a guide for encouraging wherever Christian for centuries the Bible has inspired humanity and shape the very world we live in. But how do we know this book is the word of God, not merely the words of man, what we believe about the Bible is based on what we believe about the source, the God who speaks explores the evidence of the Bible's inspiration and authority to some of the world's most respected biblical scholars have essentially a geolocation sorts.

True to say that Paul wrote Romans is equally true to say that God wrote Romans says we saw this and that sets the Bible apart from most 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 with the God who speaks.all way to say welcome back to the new generation radio billing.

Alex McFarland decided to share with you an upcoming event called the Venetian Greenwell Springs Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana October 26 and 27 coming up very soon. We want to make plans to attend. Alex tell her listeners a little bit about what to expect when they come to Baton Rouge next month. All this is great folks were of your I urge you to go to the website truth for a new generation.com trees for new generation.com is Baton Rouge Louisiana is coming up. We've been there before. It's a phenomenal church. Phenomenal place to minister and cylinder. There can be incredible speakers like Dr. Michael Brown from the line of fire and Tina Marie Griffin known as the counterculture mama former Hollywood actress. Talking about media and the way shapes our lives for good or for bad. One speaker that some blisters may have heard of Ryan Bamberger, 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 will be talk about creation versus evolution were going to be talking about winning Muslims to Christ. We are to be talking about the threat to our government, our abandonment of morals and values, and so folks, here's what you get at TMG to give you some of the takeaways and then a minute cut to the bottom line. There's going to be solid answers for the toughest questions the skeptics have about the fate this can be traced to build your life on how the Scriptures speak to today's issues.

But here's the bottom line.

Save your children from hell, may hate to be so blunt, but I've got to laid out their 80% of youth are walking away from the faith. After high school, churches are declining barn on 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 10 years.

Now you say will wait a minute. We are churches, grand we've had in a transfers of letter and there've been some salvation's yeah that's true, and there are also people that die and there's some people that walk away. So, according to the stats that are our country has not had a net increase in conversion growth, new believers, and so the save the 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 we can show ever spanned 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 their equipped to help make him known. Go to website truth for a new generation.com do a lot of other things a concert by Christian hip-hop artist Tadashi much more. We look forward to seeing you October 20 627 in Baton Rouge Louisiana for the next truth for new generation conference. Just recently, the Emmy awards were area and this is made some strong headlines, especially among Christians were very offended it one of the statements by any host Michael Schantz reported he said the only white people who think Jesus is quoting Mike O'Shea the only white people you think Jesus at award show the Republicans and ex-crackheads now think about that Jesus is being openly mocked on Emmy awards show on prime time television.

As if it's no big deal.

This is what our cultures become.

This is what is become a defining aspect of what we see day and night 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 are in a spiritual battle.

You don't run away.

He join the fight he do something about it.

You work toward making it better to Alex talk little bit about what it means to get involved in the spiritual battles of our culture well enough 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 of World War III that would've erupted if Michael Shea at the award show had denigrated Muslims or homosexuals or any other group or Scientologist.

I mean there would be a decade of litigation and outrage that would've 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 it'll get you a good laugh and probably his social media rankings went up but but let me just say this folks in recognizing that we are in a war spiritual work.

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 in contempt for Christian believers made the condescension Dylan when I was on 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, flyover country and basically middle America heartland America, the then 90% 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, hard-working Americans with contempt flyover country means there's New York and LA and everything in between is pretty much irrelevant, except that I were 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.

Then you understand what you need and so we've got to understand that were in a war. My point in this is that these people are blind in their loss than the they need Jesus they don't have a biblical worldview. They have a hedonistic view of life and Dylan to say this on a 30 year I've heard people say to me especially like when all in a dialogue at a university or something so we know heaven and hell are here on earth, though say the best this world has to offer is is like heaven. And he is pain and suffering.

Hell is here on earth.

It's very sad for the the Hollywood liberals and the social progressives and for the Michael Shays of the world. This world is all the heaven deliver not 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 were doing this because the gospel is true in Christ is the Savior has some powerful words. Alex and I love this idea and even talking about the will timeout more after the break that sometimes it's a sin to be politically correct and what do we do to change situational talk about this we come back a treat for new generation first Peter 315 tells us to be ready always to give an answer for the hope we have were instructed to be prepared to defend our faith.

This is Alex McFarlane 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 speaking 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 864977 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. 864-977-2000 eight 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, your pastor, you want to offer ministry that draws young families to your church.

This is Alex McFarlane encouraging you to check out my new book and video curriculum.

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The 21 toughest questions your kids will ask the book study guide and video series. You'll find it@afastore.net that AFA store.net how true it is that Ephesians 6 verse 12 says we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers the rules of the darkness we wrestle against spiritual wickedness in high places. Welcome back to the program. TMG radio Dylan Burroughs along with yours truly Alex McFarlane and were talking about steps to saving the country and we talked about, you know, admitting that that were in a war admitting that we have a problem Dylan, let me just say this a dying church does not glorify God does it home again as the other.

It's a good way to put it. If things are going downhill spiritually in your church is your job to get involved. As we talked about to do something about it. We 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 failed 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 sense else. What that means and why that's a problem you know Dylan, I reference the fact that one year ago I was on a call with the Barna research group and and it was my privilege to be on a call with them.

Oh David Barton was on the call and Jim Carlo from California on a number of of leaders were on the call and George Barna and again there there 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 you know we've got you 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 Outlook I don't touch politics from the pulpit, there are couple of reasons, but one of which is fear and what if I make somebody mad, but pastors you've got to understand three force of your adult membership is looking to you for what, thus saith the Lord about this or that so that's what were 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 is so well said. Here we 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 that case a lot of times it was speaking against what the Jewish leaders had said about Jesus and even if they told him don't preach any longer in this man's name.

They said were going to do it anyway.

Were 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 second Timothy that talks about everyone he 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 if the narrow path.

Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life.

When India fired up about our faith. Live it out and do what it takes to be an influence for good in our culture we we do well said Dylan. So, so our challenge to ourselves and and let me say I know I know Dylan holds himself to these things and and certainly Angie and I try to his will to live. All of life in terms of stewardship that that really you know Dylan, we are not our own.

Our time belongs to the Lord in our influence in our abilities and and that's what don't settle for adequate in terms of your Christian walk and witness for God's glory strive for excellence in we often say allow God to take you from the nominal to the anointed and were 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 in a Dylan were 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 this is so important because of things like the makeup of the US 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 everyone 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 that the things that people define as a healthy nation. The greatest thing about our nation needs Christ and God can use each one of our lives to help people find him. Amen so well said there's a saying in our culture why LOL oh 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're to take a moment to pause and say God in my living for the right things today. Am I making the most of every moment as Scripture talks about what is the God's calling you to change what is God calling you to be part of their last minute or so together, Alex. When we take a moment and pray for our listeners because I think there's really the sense in which we need to come together.

Ask God what is my part and living out the faith in a way that changes our culture 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 a closer time together today on truth for new generation radio. 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 will restrain evil and Lord please revive the church and redeem the lost and Lord Jesus we pray for everyone 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, amen. If you prayed with us Arif you have a special prayer need.

I would encourage you to go to truth for new generation.com right now truth for new generation.com tap on the contact link and send us a message. You can also reach us there at the veil on any app store and would love to hear from you and respond back regarding your prayer needs your thoughts or suggestions. Think serving with us on truth for new generation radio. God bless and be with you next time truth for a new generation in association with Alex McFarland evangelistic ministries exists to equip Christians with the biblical worldview through conferences and camps for information about upcoming events visit for a new generation.com or give us a call at 877 yes God one that's 877 yes, God, and the number one TMG radio is made possible by the friends of Alex McFarland evangelistic ministries PO Box 10231 rural NC 27404. That's PO Box 10231 rural NC 27404. Give online@alexmcfarland.com or truth for a new generation.com. Thanks for listening and join us again next time. As we bring you more true for a new generation on TMG radio