William Federer & Allen Jackson: Remembering Their Sacrifice | Takeaways With Kirk Cameron

May 23, 2025 | 53:25

Kirk Cameron is joined by speaker and author, William Federer and pastor Allen Jackson to discuss the miracles and prayers that shaped our nation and remembering our veterans who gave their lives for our freedoms.

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Takeaways with Kirk Cameron | William Federer & Allen Jackson: Remembering Their Sacrifice | Takeaways With Kirk Cameron | May 23, 2025

Kirk cameron: today is memorial day.
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As a result, you might have had the day off from work to go to
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The lake, do some shopping, take a trip with your family, or just
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Enjoy a three-day weekend at home.
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It's a blessing to have the freedoms that we have in this
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Country, and today represents why we have them.
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We're gonna talk with nationally known speaker and best selling
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Author william federer about the importance of this holiday.
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And then pastor alan jackson is gonna share ways that we can
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Remember and support our veterans.
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Let's talk about it right now on "takeaways."
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William j. federer: i feel like this is a critical time for our
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Country, for us to remember the price that was paid and realize
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That we have a window to get involved.
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Pastor allen jackson: freedom is not just a spiritual concept.
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Our spiritual freedom is expressed in the ability to
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Worship god.
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That's what drove the founding of this nation.
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♪♪♪
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Kirk: my first guest is my friend and bestselling author
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And nationally known speaker, william federer.
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His daily american minute radio and popular "faith in history"
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Television program are broadcast nationally, and he's here with
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Us today on "takeaways" to share his insights on this
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Memorial day.
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Bill, thanks so much for joining us.
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Bill: kirk, great to be with you.
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Kirk: i'm so excited about all the books that you write, and
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Your wife.
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"miracles in american history" is particularly interesting for
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Us as we're thinking about memorial day.
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So bill, as a historian, tell us, with the high cost of
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Purchasing freedom as we know it in america, what is it that
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Means the most to you about memorial day?
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Bill: well, i think you hit it on the head when you said, "to
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You," because every other belief system in world history is your
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Worth depends on you being part of a group.
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So in europe, you had to be part of the royalty elite class.
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If not, you didn't have.
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In china, you had to have the 100 family names.
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And if you were not part of that, you were inconsequential.
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India has a caste system.
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If you're a brahmin in the highest caste, you're
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Worth more.
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If you're in the untouchable at the bottom, right?
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In islam they have an ummah, a community.
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If you're praised your worth goes up and if you're
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Dishonored, it goes down.
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Well, the bible is the inspiration for america's
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Founders and in the declarations it says all men are endowed by
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Their creator.
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In other words, you have a worth irregardless of what group you
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Belong to.
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You have a worth simply because you're made in the image of god.
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And this god is not a respecter person, so we're all equal.
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Those are biblical ideas that basically it means that you as
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An individual have a relationship with god, but you
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Also have freedoms as an individual.
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So that sort of sums it up.
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When our founders fought, they fought to give us this
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Individual freedom.
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Kirk: wow, and that freedom comes to us not from our
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Government, it comes to us from god.
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What i'm taking away from what you're saying is that this is
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What the scriptures teach, that we were created by god, and then
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The declaration of independence and other freedom documents
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Reinforced that idea, that we were created and endowed from
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Our creator as individuals with freedom under god, not given to
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Us by a group or a government.
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Bill: right, it's sort of the pre-king saul versus the
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Post-king saul.
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So the kings of europe, they looked to the king saul and on
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The part of the bible, divine right of kings, i'm the royal
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King leader, right, saul.
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But the puritans that founded new england looked to the
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Pre-king saul period.
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This hebrew republic, millions of people, there's no king,
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Everybody's taught the law and everybody's accountable to god
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To follow it.
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And it worked for four centuries until they demanded a king.
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But king saul, in a sense is the divider between england
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And america.
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They both go to the bible, but the puritans that founded new
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England to the pre-king saul period where it's a covenant.
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It's a covenant of individuals.
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Kirk: wow, covenant of individuals and families.
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And, oh, i just love it.
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I get so excited about the christian heritage of our
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Country and there was sacrifice and death so much that went into
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Us being able to have the freedoms that we have today.
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What does memorial day signify in our country?
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Bill: well, you have the norm for world history is kings.
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Nimrod, pharaoh, caesar, kaiser, sultans are, and as the
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Centuries go on, the kingdoms get bigger because with the
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Latest military advancements, the kings can kill more people
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And with the latest technological advancements they
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Can track more people.
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And if you're friends with the king, you're more equal, if
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You're not friends with the king, you're less equal,
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If you're an enemy of the king, you're dead or you're a slave.
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And they keep getting bigger and bigger.
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Well, the king of england had the biggest on the planet.
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The sun never set on the british empire.
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He was a globalist, a one world government guy.
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America's founders broke away and flipped it and made the
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People the king.
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So the word citizen is greek, it means co-king.
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And so memorial day is where we remember the price of those that
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Gave their lives to give us this freedom.
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And we need to realize it's entrusted to us to pass to
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Our kids.
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Kirk: i love the memorial day celebrations near our home
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In california.
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And we would go every year, and my grandfather would come, and i
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Just was so proud of him when they called the marines and sang
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The song, and he stood up because he was fighting together
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With all the marines, actually as a navy corpsman, a medic on
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The island of iwo jima in world war ii.
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And they'd had the flyby of the jets, and the army, and the
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Navy, and the air force, the marines.
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And i think of, you know, the lost soldier, those that died,
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Those that paid the ultimate price.
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And well, i just get choked up, and i think, what can i do to
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Not just remember them, but to carry on the mission of
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Protecting freedom.
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And that's why i'm so glad that you've written these books
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Because we can learn from history and the prayers of those
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Who have come before us, how god works even with our military to
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Help to defend the principles that he loves.
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Isn't that right?
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Bill: yeah, douglas macarthur said the soldier above all
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Others has been trained with the highest of religious purpose
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Sacrifice through their sacrificing.
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But memorial day started at the civil war.
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You had half million die and southern women would scatter
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Flowers on the graves of both the north and the south and
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Different states like pennsylvania, georgia, new york,
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Virginia would have individually organized events.
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But it was in 1868 when a union general logan had a veterans
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Group called the grand army of the republic, and he set aside
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May 30th as decoration day, to decorate the graves of those who
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Fell during the civil war.
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1881, james garfield, the 20th president, his only executive
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Order was to let federal employees off on may 30th so
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They could decorate the graves of the civil war
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Fallen soldiers.
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But in 1921 is when you had warren g. harding have a soldier
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From world war i transport, and they went through, you know, the
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Room full of all the coffins, and they didn't know the
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Identities of the soldiers, and one soldier went in there and
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Put a rose on the one coffin, and they picked that one, and
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They transported, and they buried it in the tomb of the
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Unknown soldier.
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And so it's guarded 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a
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Year, the sentry takes 21 steps, faces the tomb for 21 seconds,
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Turns for 21 seconds, and then retraces the step, and he does
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That nonstop for an hour, then he's replaced, the changing of
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The garden.
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The other part of it is after world war ii, 1958, you have
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Eisenhower put the soldier in the tomb from world war ii.
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And then, it was 1968 that lbj came up with a 3-day holiday
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Bill, so they moved memorial day from the 30th to wherever the
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Closest monday is.
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And then 1971, nixon signed making memorial day an official
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National holiday.
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It was 1971.
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And then reagan put a soldier in there from the vietnam war,
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Right, the korean war, and then the vietnam war, were were put
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In there.
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But a family suspected that it might have been their son, and
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Dna testing had just come about.
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And so after a decade of lobbying the government, they
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Opened it up, did the dna test, sure enough it was their son
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Michael blassey.
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He died flying over southern vietnam and lo and behold he
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Went to my high school.
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And so he was 10 years older--
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Kirk: the guy in the tomb?
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Bill: yeah, so st. louis university high school,
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St. louis, missouri.
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I graduated '76, he graduated '66.
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And so they moved his remains to the jefferson memorial cemetery
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In st. louis.
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But we remember, so veterans day is to honor those that are still
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Alive, but memorial day is where we honor those that have died.
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Kirk: bill, in your opinion, what do you think are some
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Important lessons that our nation needs to learn with
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Regard to war and conflict?
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Bill: america is holding back global gangs.
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So if america was gone, what would the world look like?
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Well, you'd have chinese dictators, russian dictators,
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North korean dictators, iranian ayatollah dictators.
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It's gonna be a gang war on a global scale, and human rights
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Will be crushed.
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And so we're not just preserving these freedoms for ourselves and
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Our kids, america is in a sense holding back a gang war on a
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Global scale, and of course those that study, you know,
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Scriptures, holding back a lot of the end time stuff.
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And people say, well, god knows the future, and i thought, well,
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In a sense, he knows all the possible futures, right?
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And he tells you what they are, deuteronomy 28.
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"if you hearken to the voice of the lord, this will
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Be your future.
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If you don't hearken to the voice of the lord, the
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Diseases of egypt will come upon you," and so forth.
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And then he tells us how to choose, "please choose life."
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And then he's smart enough to know how we're gonna choose.
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And so the idea is that if we repent, god can give us our
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Country a time of blessing.
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But if we don't, he's a just god, a judgment could be coming.
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So it's up to us and all liberty is individual, and all
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Repentance is individual.
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And so i feel like this is a critical time for our country,
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For us to remember the price that was paid and realize that
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We have a window to get involved, to try to be the salt
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Of the earth.
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And that if we sit back, it's like, you know, what do you have
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To do to get weeds in your yard?
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Um, nothing.
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They'll come automatically.
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Kirk: they just come by themselves.
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Bill: you have to continually work on what do you have
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To do to have evil in your community?
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Nothing, it'll just come.
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The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.
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Kirk: yeah, that's right.
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Bill, i wonder what is it about military service members that
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You admire the most and are thankful for?
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Bill: it's selflessness.
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It's where they realize that they are doing this for others,
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That they're putting their life on the line to protect their
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Personal families, but all the families and all the people
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In america.
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And to defend the flag, that the flag basically represents
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A republic where in a republic the citizens are the king.
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But it's that discipline and that sacrifice that is so
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Needed, and that's what we appreciate when we go to the
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Graves and we realize that they gave up their life.
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Kirk: i'm so grateful for cemeteries.
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I'm so grateful, particularly for military cemeteries where i
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Can go and think about my grandfather and what he did, who
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He was, the man that he was, thinking about him in heaven now
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As, i believe, part of that great cloud of witnesses.
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But i also, i like going to the graves of other heroes like our
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Friend, dr. marshall foster, where i went and i think of all
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He did for our country.
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And he fought in the spiritual realms with his prayers and
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His teachings.
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And it's similar to the kinds of things that you're doing.
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And so you're a great hero to me too, bill, and memorial day is a
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Time where we remember those who--
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Bill: the passover is a memorial, communion is
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A memorial, kirk: easter is a memorial.
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Bill: god is into memorials.
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God's into us remembering.
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Kirk: remembering, remember, remember, remember.
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He tells us all the time.
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When we come back, we're gonna talk more about the prayers and
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Miracles that have shaped our nation in the past.
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And then later on in the program, we'll hear about how we
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Can honor and remember those who have sacrificed for our freedoms
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From pastor alan jackson, so don't go away.
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Pastor allen: you know, i was, taught that there's no success
00:13:26.395 --> 00:13:29.431
Without sacrifice.
00:13:29.431 --> 00:13:30.833
That if you succeed without sacrifice, somebody sacrificed
00:13:30.833 --> 00:13:34.436
So that you could succeed.
00:13:34.436 --> 00:13:41.010
So that you could succeed.
00:13:41.010 --> 00:13:41.355
♪♪♪
00:13:41.455 --> 00:13:47.929
Kirk: i'm so excited we're back with william federer who's gonna
00:13:48.029 --> 00:13:49.130
Share with us more stories on america's history.
00:13:50.431 --> 00:13:54.568
I love that god made you with this memory system that allows
00:13:54.568 --> 00:13:57.872
You to recall stories with all of this detail that are
00:13:57.872 --> 00:14:02.510
So inspiring.
00:14:02.510 --> 00:14:03.878
So bill, when you think of particular stories in our
00:14:03.878 --> 00:14:07.615
Nation's history that really inspire and resonate with you
00:14:07.615 --> 00:14:12.386
With regard to praying for our nation and the miraculous
00:14:12.386 --> 00:14:17.191
Results that can come from that, what do you think of?
00:14:17.191 --> 00:14:20.094
Bill: well, one that my wife likes, my wife has heard me
00:14:20.094 --> 00:14:23.864
Speak for 30 years, and i get into all kinds of stuff.
00:14:23.864 --> 00:14:26.434
She goes, get to the good part where things turn around.
00:14:26.434 --> 00:14:28.602
So she's actually the one that came up with the idea, susie,
00:14:28.602 --> 00:14:32.373
For the book "miracles in american history."
00:14:32.373 --> 00:14:34.108
Kirk: yeah, here it is, and there's susie's name right there
00:14:34.108 --> 00:14:36.577
At the bottom.
00:14:36.577 --> 00:14:37.945
And you were her editor, right?
00:14:37.945 --> 00:14:39.280
Bill: right, right, but the war of 1812.
00:14:39.280 --> 00:14:42.817
So the british, again, they have the largest military force on
00:14:42.817 --> 00:14:46.654
Planet earth, and they have 4,500 troops marching toward our
00:14:46.654 --> 00:14:51.192
Capital, washington dc and with this point in time, our soldiers
00:14:51.192 --> 00:14:56.797
Run away.
00:14:56.797 --> 00:14:58.165
And so the british just walk into our capital unopposed, and
00:14:58.165 --> 00:15:01.168
They're like going through the streets and they're setting
00:15:01.168 --> 00:15:03.537
Things on fire.
00:15:03.537 --> 00:15:04.905
And the story is that dolly madison was about to have
00:15:04.905 --> 00:15:10.244
Dinner, james madison was out directing troops and the dinner
00:15:10.244 --> 00:15:14.448
Was set and so everybody's running out of the city.
00:15:14.448 --> 00:15:17.518
And so she has him take the painting of george washington
00:15:17.518 --> 00:15:19.954
Down off the mantles, the only painting that he personally
00:15:19.954 --> 00:15:23.090
Stood there while they painted.
00:15:23.090 --> 00:15:24.525
And they roll it up, she's riding out of town on a
00:15:24.525 --> 00:15:26.527
Carriage, the british ride into town, and the general, admiral
00:15:26.527 --> 00:15:30.898
George cockburn, walks up the steps, goes into the white
00:15:30.898 --> 00:15:33.434
House, sees the table set for dinner, sits down, eats the
00:15:33.434 --> 00:15:35.970
Dinner, and then torches the place, tortures the white house.
00:15:35.970 --> 00:15:38.839
Kirk: but he ate the dinner first.
00:15:38.839 --> 00:15:40.174
Bill: yeah, and then he goes to the capitol and he has his men
00:15:40.174 --> 00:15:42.209
Sit in the chairs of our congressmen.
00:15:42.209 --> 00:15:43.677
They all ran away and he goes to the podium and he says, who
00:15:43.677 --> 00:15:46.347
Votes to burn the american capital?
00:15:46.347 --> 00:15:47.815
And they say, aye, and they burn our american capital.
00:15:47.815 --> 00:15:51.152
And then they burn the different buildings in washington dc and
00:15:51.152 --> 00:15:54.388
They attacked the treasury and the library of congress and the
00:15:54.388 --> 00:15:57.825
Navy yard and the fires begin to turn into like a
00:15:57.825 --> 00:16:02.563
Hurricane tornado.
00:16:02.563 --> 00:16:04.799
And the tornado knocks off roofs.
00:16:04.799 --> 00:16:07.601
And so the pre-story is that madison had a day of prayer
00:16:07.601 --> 00:16:12.673
Before this.
00:16:12.673 --> 00:16:14.041
Well, in the middle of this, this tornado starts knocking off
00:16:14.041 --> 00:16:19.780
Roofs and chimneys on the british soldiers.
00:16:19.780 --> 00:16:21.982
And then the storm comes and lightning began striking at the
00:16:21.982 --> 00:16:24.819
British soldiers.
00:16:24.819 --> 00:16:26.153
And then even picks up british cannons and throws them
00:16:26.153 --> 00:16:28.222
Yards away.
00:16:28.222 --> 00:16:29.557
And horse and rider are slapped to the ground, so the british
00:16:29.557 --> 00:16:32.593
Cavalry is riding and the british admiral george cockburn
00:16:32.593 --> 00:16:36.864
Exclaims to a lady, "great god, madame, is this the kind of
00:16:36.864 --> 00:16:40.000
Storm to which you are accustomed to in this
00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:41.969
Infernal country?"
00:16:41.969 --> 00:16:43.304
To which the lady replies, "no sir, this is a special
00:16:43.304 --> 00:16:45.739
Interposition of providence to drive our enemies from
00:16:45.739 --> 00:16:48.242
The city."
00:16:48.242 --> 00:16:49.610
So the british flee and the rains come and extinguish
00:16:49.610 --> 00:16:53.314
The fires.
00:16:53.314 --> 00:16:54.682
And the british go back to their ships, and two of their ships
00:16:54.682 --> 00:16:56.717
Were blown ashore, the rest had damaged riggings.
00:16:56.717 --> 00:16:59.553
And this was a miracle.
00:16:59.553 --> 00:17:00.955
And one british historian said more british soldiers were
00:17:00.955 --> 00:17:03.524
Killed by this stroke of nature than by all the firearms the
00:17:03.524 --> 00:17:07.495
American troops had mustered in the feeble defense of
00:17:07.495 --> 00:17:09.597
Their city.
00:17:09.597 --> 00:17:10.965
And so this was a miracle.
00:17:10.965 --> 00:17:12.566
Now the british then get back in their boats and they bomb
00:17:12.566 --> 00:17:16.170
Fort mchenry.
00:17:16.170 --> 00:17:18.205
You know, 1,800 cannonballs, nonstop for 25 hours, they're
00:17:18.205 --> 00:17:22.243
Bombing it.
00:17:22.243 --> 00:17:23.577
That storm moves over fort mchenry.
00:17:23.577 --> 00:17:24.945
It's an earthen fort, and so it softens up the mud, so a lot of
00:17:24.945 --> 00:17:27.648
The cannonballs sink in the mud.
00:17:27.648 --> 00:17:29.483
And on september 14th, francis scott key, who was doing a
00:17:29.483 --> 00:17:33.187
Prisoner exchange and was on the british boat, he saw the flag
00:17:33.187 --> 00:17:36.423
Still waving.
00:17:36.423 --> 00:17:37.791
And that's when he writes "the star spangled banner."
00:17:37.791 --> 00:17:39.994
And i love the fourth verse where it says, "and conquer we
00:17:39.994 --> 00:17:42.563
Must, if our cause is just, and this be our motto, in god is our
00:17:42.563 --> 00:17:46.167
Trust, and the star spangled banner triumphs away, for the
00:17:46.167 --> 00:17:48.869
Land of the free and the home of the brave."
00:17:48.869 --> 00:17:50.304
But in god is our trust.
00:17:50.304 --> 00:17:52.373
Kirk: that's right.
00:17:52.373 --> 00:17:53.741
Bill: they ought to sing that verse at the ballgames.
00:17:53.741 --> 00:17:55.075
Kirk: wow, and all of that you're saying happened a day
00:17:55.075 --> 00:17:58.045
After madison prayed, he fasted and prayed.
00:17:58.045 --> 00:18:03.417
Bill: right, so madison had a day of prayer, and then right
00:18:03.417 --> 00:18:06.754
After that, madison had a day of fasting and prayer.
00:18:06.754 --> 00:18:09.590
Kirk: of fasting and prayer.
00:18:09.590 --> 00:18:10.925
Bill: like okay, we're getting serious, this is, you know.
00:18:10.925 --> 00:18:12.293
Kirk: and then the storms came and trounced the enemies.
00:18:12.293 --> 00:18:15.062
Bill: yeah, it's amazing that god answers prayer.
00:18:15.062 --> 00:18:20.034
And that's just one of the many stories that are in the book.
00:18:20.034 --> 00:18:22.436
Kirk: you've got many in the book about fasting and prayer.
00:18:22.436 --> 00:18:25.506
For example, the continental congress declared days of prayer
00:18:25.506 --> 00:18:28.676
And fasting and providentially a fog allowed washington's army to
00:18:28.676 --> 00:18:33.480
Escape brooklyn heights.
00:18:33.480 --> 00:18:35.716
Tell us that story.
00:18:35.716 --> 00:18:37.084
Bill: right, so the british are chased out of boston with the
00:18:37.084 --> 00:18:42.890
Cannons on the hill and so forth they leave.
00:18:42.890 --> 00:18:44.758
And the continental congress then decides to have a day of
00:18:44.758 --> 00:18:47.094
Fasting and prayer.
00:18:47.094 --> 00:18:48.596
So this is right before the declaration.
00:18:48.596 --> 00:18:51.599
And then they issued the declaration and they run a copy
00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:53.701
It out to george washington.
00:18:53.701 --> 00:18:55.135
He's in new york, and then the harbor fills up with 400 british
00:18:55.135 --> 00:18:59.473
Ships, 32,000 british troops.
00:18:59.473 --> 00:19:01.175
It's the largest invasion force in the world.
00:19:01.175 --> 00:19:03.711
Kirk: wow.
00:19:03.711 --> 00:19:05.045
Bill: and they said that the port looked like a forest of
00:19:05.045 --> 00:19:08.148
Trees because they owned the masts, wooden masts of
00:19:08.148 --> 00:19:10.351
The ships.
00:19:10.351 --> 00:19:11.685
And now it's looking really serious, and the british found a
00:19:11.685 --> 00:19:15.322
Loyalist, that's somebody who lives in america, but they're
00:19:15.322 --> 00:19:17.458
Loyal to the enemy.
00:19:17.458 --> 00:19:19.126
The loyalists showed the british were to land where washington
00:19:19.126 --> 00:19:21.862
Couldn't see 'em.
00:19:21.862 --> 00:19:23.197
And they marched the troops all night long through jamaica pass,
00:19:23.197 --> 00:19:26.367
And they attacked washington from behind on the morning of
00:19:26.367 --> 00:19:29.336
August 27, 1776.
00:19:29.336 --> 00:19:32.539
Three thousand americans died.
00:19:32.539 --> 00:19:34.174
It's the largest battle of the entire revolutionary war, only
00:19:34.174 --> 00:19:36.844
300 british died.
00:19:36.844 --> 00:19:38.512
And now washington is pinned up against the water and it looks
00:19:38.512 --> 00:19:42.016
Like the next day he's gonna be killed and america will be
00:19:42.016 --> 00:19:45.786
Another british colony like india or, you know, australia,
00:19:45.786 --> 00:19:49.123
Or south africa, or something.
00:19:49.123 --> 00:19:50.491
But instead, washington gets every boat he can find, and
00:19:50.491 --> 00:19:53.927
They're ferrying the troops across the east river to
00:19:53.927 --> 00:19:56.297
Manhattan island.
00:19:56.297 --> 00:19:57.665
And they're doing it all night long, quiet in the dark, and
00:19:57.665 --> 00:20:01.068
Then the sun starts to come up, and they only moved half
00:20:01.068 --> 00:20:03.170
The troops.
00:20:03.170 --> 00:20:04.538
And now he's a really sitting duck.
00:20:04.538 --> 00:20:05.873
He doesn't have enough left to fight.
00:20:05.873 --> 00:20:07.308
And so his chief of intelligence, major ben
00:20:07.308 --> 00:20:10.844
Tallmadge, said, "as the dawn appears, those of us who
00:20:10.844 --> 00:20:14.548
Remained in the trenches became very anxious for our
00:20:14.548 --> 00:20:17.184
Own safety."
00:20:17.184 --> 00:20:18.519
And the dawn appeared, there were several regiments still
00:20:18.519 --> 00:20:20.554
On duty.
00:20:20.554 --> 00:20:21.922
At this time, a very dense fog began to rise off the river and
00:20:21.922 --> 00:20:25.159
Began to settle in a peculiar manner over both encampments.
00:20:25.159 --> 00:20:29.129
"i recollect this providential occurrence perfectly well.
00:20:29.129 --> 00:20:31.465
And so very dense was the atmosphere i could scarcely
00:20:31.465 --> 00:20:34.234
Discern a man at six yards distance."
00:20:34.234 --> 00:20:38.505
Basically they stayed there until noon and they're ferrying
00:20:38.505 --> 00:20:42.076
Everything across and washington is on the last boat that leaves
00:20:42.076 --> 00:20:44.945
And the fog lifts.
00:20:44.945 --> 00:20:46.313
The british charge, nobody's there.
00:20:46.313 --> 00:20:47.815
It was the last chance the british had to capture the
00:20:47.815 --> 00:20:50.317
Entire american army all at once.
00:20:50.317 --> 00:20:52.152
It was a miracle, right?
00:20:52.152 --> 00:20:53.687
And it just so happened that the continental congress had had a
00:20:53.687 --> 00:20:56.290
Day of fasting and prayer right before it.
00:20:56.290 --> 00:20:58.726
Kirk: wow.
00:20:58.726 --> 00:21:00.060
Here's another one.
00:21:00.060 --> 00:21:01.428
In 1746, 1746, a french fleet was sailing to burn the colonies
00:21:01.428 --> 00:21:06.667
In america, but after a day of fasting, a hurricane scattered
00:21:06.667 --> 00:21:10.304
The fleet.
00:21:10.304 --> 00:21:11.638
Tell us about that one.
00:21:11.638 --> 00:21:13.006
Bill: yeah, so this is like during the beginnings of the
00:21:13.006 --> 00:21:14.575
French and indian war, and the french send the largest fleet of
00:21:14.575 --> 00:21:19.646
The day.
00:21:19.646 --> 00:21:21.014
Of 80 big ships or 70 big ships, and these are like 3 stories
00:21:21.014 --> 00:21:26.053
Tall, they're packed with tens of thousands of troops.
00:21:26.053 --> 00:21:29.256
And the governor of massachusetts is william
00:21:29.256 --> 00:21:33.560
Shirley, and he has a day of fasting.
00:21:33.560 --> 00:21:37.030
And they're ringing, they're in the church, and at the end of
00:21:37.030 --> 00:21:41.468
The prayer, the wind picks up and the church bells ring a wild
00:21:41.468 --> 00:21:47.007
And uneven sound, though no man was in the steeple.
00:21:47.007 --> 00:21:50.310
And it turns into this hurricane, and the hurricane
00:21:50.310 --> 00:21:52.780
Smashes into the french fleet and scatters them from canada to
00:21:52.780 --> 00:21:56.417
The caribbean.
00:21:56.417 --> 00:21:57.785
But they prayed, they had a day of fasting, and this hurricane
00:21:57.785 --> 00:21:59.853
Comes up.
00:21:59.853 --> 00:22:01.221
Kirk: so bill, do you believe that today our prayers can
00:22:01.221 --> 00:22:04.391
Change the course of history?
00:22:04.391 --> 00:22:06.693
Bill: yeah, i think the reason god made us is for what?
00:22:06.693 --> 00:22:09.797
For fellowship?
00:22:09.797 --> 00:22:11.165
He made everything, he made the universe, and we're the only
00:22:11.165 --> 00:22:13.767
Thing that can love him back.
00:22:13.767 --> 00:22:15.102
So we're made for fellowship.
00:22:15.102 --> 00:22:17.237
But he's not gonna force us because if you force it's no
00:22:17.237 --> 00:22:20.207
Longer love.
00:22:20.207 --> 00:22:21.542
And so he does have plan a and plan b.
00:22:21.542 --> 00:22:23.410
Plan a is he blesses us, we turn to him out of gratefulness.
00:22:23.410 --> 00:22:25.746
If that doesn't work, there's plan b.
00:22:25.746 --> 00:22:27.548
The bible says he hides his face,
00:22:27.548 --> 00:22:29.049
Gives us over to our own devices, and when things go
00:22:29.049 --> 00:22:32.319
Bad, we turn to him out of desperation.
00:22:32.319 --> 00:22:34.354
So the purpose is to have us turn to him.
00:22:34.354 --> 00:22:37.357
And most people, most of us, we tend to turn to the lord when
00:22:37.357 --> 00:22:40.093
Things are not going too good.
00:22:40.093 --> 00:22:41.662
And so the motivation is to turn to the lord now rather than wait
00:22:41.662 --> 00:22:45.699
For things to go bad.
00:22:45.699 --> 00:22:47.100
But even in the crisis, the purpose of it is to have us turn
00:22:47.100 --> 00:22:51.138
Toward him, and then he steps in and delivers us.
00:22:51.138 --> 00:22:55.242
Kirk: yeah, i personally believe that we could be at the
00:22:55.242 --> 00:23:03.484
Precipice of a great awakening in our country.
00:23:03.484 --> 00:23:06.320
Many people think that we've just come so far, we've crossed
00:23:06.320 --> 00:23:08.922
The line, we're on the way down, we're gonna fall off the cliff
00:23:08.922 --> 00:23:12.326
Of god's prophetic timetable, the blessing is behind us.
00:23:12.326 --> 00:23:16.063
But when i study the bible, and i study history, and i'm
00:23:16.063 --> 00:23:18.665
Listening to you right now, boy, there have been times where
00:23:18.665 --> 00:23:21.735
Things have been far, far worse in society than what we're
00:23:21.735 --> 00:23:25.205
Experiencing today.
00:23:25.205 --> 00:23:26.540
I mean, look at you and i are sitting here right now doing a
00:23:26.540 --> 00:23:28.542
Television show, talking about the miracles of god publicly,
00:23:28.542 --> 00:23:30.611
Nobody shooting at us.
00:23:30.611 --> 00:23:31.945
You know, kings aren't coming to burn us down.
00:23:31.945 --> 00:23:33.947
And our cultural setback could be a divine setup for
00:23:33.947 --> 00:23:38.252
A spiritual comeback in america today.
00:23:38.252 --> 00:23:41.522
This kind of revival and great awakening has happened so many
00:23:41.522 --> 00:23:44.691
Times throughout history, why couldn't it happen today?
00:23:44.691 --> 00:23:47.728
Bill: you know, manasseh was a wicked king of judah.
00:23:47.728 --> 00:23:50.397
The prophets come to him and said, you've filled the streets
00:23:50.397 --> 00:23:52.766
Of the blood of innocent children, it's over.
00:23:52.766 --> 00:23:55.569
But then his grandson, josiah is 8-years-old, he becomes king,
00:23:55.569 --> 00:23:59.006
Teenager starts to seek the lord.
00:23:59.006 --> 00:24:01.108
Early 20s, he tells him to clean out the temple, at his granddad
00:24:01.108 --> 00:24:04.211
Manasseh's trash they find the law.
00:24:04.211 --> 00:24:06.446
They read it to this young king, he rips his garments
00:24:06.446 --> 00:24:09.016
And repents.
00:24:09.016 --> 00:24:10.384
He sends to a prophetess in town named huldah, the wife of the
00:24:10.384 --> 00:24:13.420
King's tailor.
00:24:13.420 --> 00:24:14.755
She says, judgment's coming, but not during your life because
00:24:14.755 --> 00:24:18.058
You repented.
00:24:18.058 --> 00:24:19.426
And so for the rest of the 31-year reign of josiah,
00:24:19.426 --> 00:24:21.461
There's revival.
00:24:21.461 --> 00:24:22.829
He has this huge passover, he tears down all the, you know,
00:24:22.829 --> 00:24:26.066
The pagan temples, he, sends the levites out to teach the law.
00:24:26.066 --> 00:24:29.903
And so here, you go, the prophet said judgment's coming, but he
00:24:29.903 --> 00:24:34.107
Repented and then the country repented.
00:24:34.107 --> 00:24:37.077
So there's hope for us if we-- kirk: yes.
00:24:37.077 --> 00:24:40.280
Bill: repent, then god can say, okay, i'm gonna change up the
00:24:40.280 --> 00:24:43.383
Timetable a little bit.
00:24:43.383 --> 00:24:44.751
Kirk: that's right, and he hears our prayers, and he answers
00:24:44.751 --> 00:24:47.454
Prayers, and he delights to bless and to protect his
00:24:47.454 --> 00:24:51.825
Children just like we do our own children.
00:24:51.825 --> 00:24:55.829
Bill: amen.
00:24:55.829 --> 00:24:57.197
Kirk: and i'm so glad that history is full of
00:24:57.197 --> 00:24:58.632
Those kinds of stories.
00:24:58.632 --> 00:24:59.967
Bill, thanks so much for coming on "takeaways."
00:24:59.967 --> 00:25:01.301
Bill: thank you, kirk.
00:25:01.301 --> 00:25:02.636
Kirk: as we continue to remember our veterans on this memorial
00:25:02.636 --> 00:25:05.372
Day, we're gonna be joined by pastor allen jackson right after
00:25:05.372 --> 00:25:08.909
The break, so stay with us.
00:25:08.909 --> 00:25:16.015
The break, so stay with us.
00:25:16.015 --> 00:25:17.751
♪♪♪
00:25:17.851 --> 00:25:22.589
Kirk: it is so great to welcome back my friend allen jackson,
00:25:23.690 --> 00:25:24.758
Who has served as senior pastor of world outreach church in
00:25:27.127 --> 00:25:30.731
Murfreesboro, tennessee for over 35 years.
00:25:30.731 --> 00:25:33.634
His weekly television program, "allen jackson now" can be seen
00:25:33.634 --> 00:25:37.270
At 7 p.m. eastern on tbn.
00:25:37.270 --> 00:25:40.440
Today he's with us sharing his thoughts and observations on
00:25:40.440 --> 00:25:44.177
This memorial day.
00:25:44.177 --> 00:25:45.679
Allen, thanks so much for joining us again.
00:25:45.679 --> 00:25:47.681
Pastor allen: it's always good to be here, kirk.
00:25:47.681 --> 00:25:49.416
Kirk: well, i always love talking with you about the blend
00:25:49.416 --> 00:25:53.420
Of faith and patriotism here in our country.
00:25:53.420 --> 00:25:56.923
Which i think is so important, but it's a prickly topic for
00:25:56.923 --> 00:26:00.060
Many people because they're worried about the separation of
00:26:00.060 --> 00:26:04.297
Church and state, and we're hearing these scary terms like
00:26:04.297 --> 00:26:08.001
Christian nationalism, and we need a little help figuring out
00:26:08.001 --> 00:26:12.773
How we can be both patriotic and christian.
00:26:12.773 --> 00:26:18.412
So with memorial day upon us, do you believe that memorial day is
00:26:18.412 --> 00:26:24.484
An important day, and if so, why?
00:26:24.484 --> 00:26:27.220
Pastor allen: oh, absolutely.
00:26:27.220 --> 00:26:28.622
I mean, it's when we remember the people who've given their
00:26:28.622 --> 00:26:30.857
Lives on behalf of our nation.
00:26:30.857 --> 00:26:34.628
And i mean it's the cliché is freedom is not free, but it's
00:26:34.628 --> 00:26:37.731
More than a cliché.
00:26:37.731 --> 00:26:40.033
There's a sacrifice involved with liberties and freedoms.
00:26:40.033 --> 00:26:43.036
It's true in our faith without our lord's sacrifice we have no
00:26:43.036 --> 00:26:46.540
Freedom and liberty and that's modeled wherever you find
00:26:46.540 --> 00:26:50.077
Freedom there's a sacrifice attached to it.
00:26:50.077 --> 00:26:52.713
So i think it's not only an important holiday, i think it's
00:26:52.713 --> 00:26:55.182
Essential that we teach our children the principles that are
00:26:55.182 --> 00:26:57.851
Imbued in that holiday so that we can pull that forward from
00:26:57.851 --> 00:27:01.455
Generation to generation.
00:27:01.455 --> 00:27:03.256
Kirk: i think that in my generation, and in my children's
00:27:03.256 --> 00:27:07.160
Generation, we've experienced so much freedom that we often don't
00:27:07.160 --> 00:27:11.498
Recognize the cost in order to have it.
00:27:11.498 --> 00:27:14.901
What can we be doing to not only honor them, but to carry on the
00:27:14.901 --> 00:27:18.538
Mission that they started it and have been continuing?
00:27:18.538 --> 00:27:22.342
Pastor allen: so i think we've got to put it into perspective.
00:27:22.342 --> 00:27:23.977
I'm a pastor, you've already ratted me out on that.
00:27:23.977 --> 00:27:26.913
Kirk: that's right, sorry about that.
00:27:26.913 --> 00:27:28.281
Pastor allen: and well, i think memorial day is important.
00:27:28.281 --> 00:27:30.550
I think war, physical combat, is the last stage expression.
00:27:30.550 --> 00:27:35.455
You know, i was told one time that a good lifeguard never has
00:27:35.455 --> 00:27:38.091
To go in the pool to save somebody.
00:27:38.091 --> 00:27:41.428
That the best lifeguards manage the pool in such a way that you
00:27:41.428 --> 00:27:44.965
Don't get to those crisis points where there has to be
00:27:44.965 --> 00:27:47.067
An intervention.
00:27:47.067 --> 00:27:48.535
And i think when we get to the point that there's actually a
00:27:48.535 --> 00:27:50.604
War, and i'm not anti-war, i think there's a just war
00:27:50.604 --> 00:27:55.208
Discussion to be had.
00:27:55.208 --> 00:27:56.977
But i think if the church is the church and we bring to bear the
00:27:56.977 --> 00:28:01.281
Values and the principles that we represent in the earth as
00:28:01.281 --> 00:28:03.817
Salt and light, it greatly diminishes those conflicts and
00:28:03.817 --> 00:28:08.155
What i think the church capitulates, and we yield to
00:28:08.155 --> 00:28:11.124
A secular culture.
00:28:11.124 --> 00:28:13.493
Then divisiveness, if you believe in good and evil, if you
00:28:13.493 --> 00:28:16.596
Believe in god and the devil, and god's a good god, and the
00:28:16.596 --> 00:28:18.899
Devil's a bad devil, maybe it's a simplification, but it's true.
00:28:18.899 --> 00:28:25.238
Then wherever we abandon the arena and we let evil have the
00:28:25.238 --> 00:28:29.476
Authority, that evil will lead to the destruction of human
00:28:29.476 --> 00:28:33.713
Beings every time.
00:28:33.713 --> 00:28:35.982
And so when jesus describes the end of the age, there'll be
00:28:35.982 --> 00:28:39.586
Wars, and rumors of wars, and conflict is gonna escalate,
00:28:39.586 --> 00:28:42.889
We're gonna reach a point where the antichrist is in control
00:28:42.889 --> 00:28:45.525
And the only resolution is the king coming back.
00:28:45.525 --> 00:28:48.962
So memorial day is important, but what i wanna say to the
00:28:48.962 --> 00:28:51.565
Church is be the church.
00:28:51.565 --> 00:28:53.667
We spent too much time, i think, in recent decades making friends
00:28:53.667 --> 00:28:56.670
With evil, being kind.
00:28:56.670 --> 00:28:58.772
And we've got to be advocates for the truth and if we'll do
00:28:58.772 --> 00:29:01.374
That, we can celebrate those who've made that sacrifice but
00:29:01.374 --> 00:29:06.513
Try to reduce the necessity of more people making
00:29:06.513 --> 00:29:08.882
Those sacrifices.
00:29:08.882 --> 00:29:10.217
Kirk: being good lifeguards here as salt and light in the
00:29:10.217 --> 00:29:13.353
Culture, christians.
00:29:13.353 --> 00:29:15.655
Allen, what do you think that we can do to honor those who have
00:29:15.655 --> 00:29:22.362
Paid the full measure of sacrifice to preserve our
00:29:22.362 --> 00:29:26.566
Freedoms, not only on memorial day, but every day?
00:29:26.566 --> 00:29:29.803
Pastor allen: well, i think for one we tell their stories, we
00:29:29.803 --> 00:29:32.205
Keep them alive, we don't allow them to disappear.
00:29:32.205 --> 00:29:35.375
You know, one of the things i've lived in israel, i studied at
00:29:35.375 --> 00:29:38.311
Hebrew university, one of the things i have respect about the
00:29:38.311 --> 00:29:40.614
Jewish people is when they read the bible, it's not some
00:29:40.614 --> 00:29:43.617
Theological tome, it's like uncle jeremiah.
00:29:43.617 --> 00:29:46.753
It's their story and they have that connection.
00:29:46.753 --> 00:29:50.257
Whether they're living under the authority of it all or not the
00:29:50.257 --> 00:29:52.993
Bible is their family story.
00:29:52.993 --> 00:29:55.495
And i think we could do a better job.
00:29:55.495 --> 00:29:56.897
It's been fashionable for too long to tear down our history,
00:29:56.897 --> 00:30:00.300
To look for the weaknesses and the failures of the people who
00:30:00.300 --> 00:30:02.802
Preceded us and try to to push them aside to tear down statues
00:30:02.802 --> 00:30:06.239
And to rewrite the story.
00:30:06.239 --> 00:30:07.941
And i think it's far more beneficial to understand the
00:30:07.941 --> 00:30:09.843
Sacrifices that have been made to get her to this point where
00:30:09.843 --> 00:30:13.914
We're the nation that millions of people are trying to
00:30:13.914 --> 00:30:15.949
Sneak into.
00:30:15.949 --> 00:30:17.784
And if we'll tell their stories, that's first of all.
00:30:17.784 --> 00:30:20.520
And then i think secondly, we have to remember that every
00:30:20.520 --> 00:30:23.023
Generation has to make a sacrifice for freedom.
00:30:23.023 --> 00:30:26.326
You know, i was taught that there's no success without
00:30:26.326 --> 00:30:29.496
Sacrifice, that if you succeed without sacrifice, somebody
00:30:29.496 --> 00:30:33.633
Sacrificed so that you could succeed.
00:30:33.633 --> 00:30:36.069
And i think that same principle is true around freedom
00:30:36.069 --> 00:30:38.171
And liberty.
00:30:38.171 --> 00:30:39.506
There's a sacrifice for that in every generation and if you
00:30:39.506 --> 00:30:41.608
Enjoy liberty and freedom and you're not making a sacrifice,
00:30:41.608 --> 00:30:44.811
You're robbing the next generation.
00:30:44.811 --> 00:30:46.246
Somebody paid it forward for us, but we've got to understand what
00:30:46.246 --> 00:30:49.916
That means.
00:30:49.916 --> 00:30:51.251
So we can't just go consume or chase my dream, my pleasure, my
00:30:51.251 --> 00:30:55.021
Personal fulfillment.
00:30:55.021 --> 00:30:56.556
I've got to be willing to make an investment, a sacrifice in
00:30:56.556 --> 00:30:59.225
Extending freedom and liberty to those who come beyond me.
00:30:59.225 --> 00:31:02.796
So memorial day gives us a shot to me at that whole discussion.
00:31:02.796 --> 00:31:07.600
Kirk: sometimes i find it challenging to wrestle through
00:31:07.600 --> 00:31:12.072
Some of the nuances of being a christian, and being
00:31:12.072 --> 00:31:17.978
An american.
00:31:17.978 --> 00:31:19.346
Because i have some friends who will say things like, you know,
00:31:19.346 --> 00:31:22.415
We're not israel anymore, living under a theocracy with certain
00:31:22.415 --> 00:31:25.418
Rules and all of this stuff, and ultimately, we've been given all
00:31:25.418 --> 00:31:29.656
The freedom that we're ever gonna get, and we've got it in
00:31:29.656 --> 00:31:32.926
Christ, and this idea of war and fighting, even the revolutionary
00:31:32.926 --> 00:31:36.997
War against king george, that maybe that was all in
00:31:36.997 --> 00:31:40.300
Disobedience to romans 13 and submitting to the authorities.
00:31:40.300 --> 00:31:43.603
And others are like, no, it's actually the bible and the great
00:31:43.603 --> 00:31:47.774
Awakening that you know, brought these principles to life in the
00:31:47.774 --> 00:31:51.711
Hearts of the people so that they could win the war for
00:31:51.711 --> 00:31:53.680
Independence and freedom.
00:31:53.680 --> 00:31:55.582
And so should we live with attention about the existence of
00:31:55.582 --> 00:32:02.155
War in a nation that's built on christian principles, or is
00:32:02.155 --> 00:32:05.925
There a clear cut understanding of when just war is appropriate?
00:32:05.925 --> 00:32:11.965
Pastor allen: well, i heard two questions.
00:32:11.965 --> 00:32:13.566
One about just war.
00:32:13.566 --> 00:32:14.934
Kirk: you see how confused i am about this.
00:32:14.934 --> 00:32:16.269
Pastor allen: no, they're linked.
00:32:16.269 --> 00:32:17.637
They're linked.
00:32:17.637 --> 00:32:19.005
It's a slippery slope, but i think you began with this voice
00:32:19.005 --> 00:32:22.075
That we hear or these voices that we hear that say our
00:32:22.075 --> 00:32:25.512
Freedom is in christ, and the message we have is centered in
00:32:25.512 --> 00:32:28.515
The redemptive work of jesus, and that we shouldn't look
00:32:28.515 --> 00:32:34.187
Beyond the boundaries of that.
00:32:34.187 --> 00:32:36.556
That's our central message and it's not dally in the the
00:32:36.556 --> 00:32:40.026
Secular aspects of our culture.
00:32:40.026 --> 00:32:42.762
And i'll start with that and then i'll come back to just war
00:32:42.762 --> 00:32:45.432
Because they're both relevant questions for us right now.
00:32:45.432 --> 00:32:47.634
I think that attitude that christians have a theological
00:32:47.634 --> 00:32:50.737
Message and that should be where we stay.
00:32:50.737 --> 00:32:53.740
The plain language, don't be political.
00:32:53.740 --> 00:32:57.143
Kirk: yep.
00:32:57.143 --> 00:32:58.511
Pastor allen: you know, don't be a christian nationalist, don't
00:32:58.511 --> 00:32:59.846
Talk about culture, don't talk about politics.
00:32:59.846 --> 00:33:01.681
Kirk: because the end of the political road is war,
00:33:01.681 --> 00:33:05.518
In conflict.
00:33:05.518 --> 00:33:06.853
Pastor allen: it can be.
00:33:06.853 --> 00:33:08.221
Kirk: yeah, and they would say, well, so we should be pacifists
00:33:08.221 --> 00:33:10.557
And just hand them the "4 spiritual laws" and don't get
00:33:10.557 --> 00:33:13.860
Involved in that kind of bet.
00:33:13.860 --> 00:33:15.228
Pastor allen: well there's a greek word that describes my
00:33:15.228 --> 00:33:16.563
Opinion about that.
00:33:16.563 --> 00:33:17.931
It's baloney.
00:33:17.931 --> 00:33:19.265
Kirk: okay, good.
00:33:19.265 --> 00:33:21.901
Pastor allen: i grew up in the south.
00:33:21.901 --> 00:33:23.670
You know, to hold that position, you have to take our bible and
00:33:23.670 --> 00:33:27.107
Set it aside.
00:33:27.107 --> 00:33:29.342
You know, if we start with the hebrew bible, i mean the
00:33:29.342 --> 00:33:31.845
Prophets that back half of the hebrew bible is god sending
00:33:31.845 --> 00:33:36.883
Messengers to speak to culture, to speak to political culture.
00:33:36.883 --> 00:33:40.487
Isaiah was a prophet of the court.
00:33:40.487 --> 00:33:43.022
He's far more comfortable in the halls of power.
00:33:43.022 --> 00:33:45.191
He was a purple prophet.
00:33:45.191 --> 00:33:47.660
I mean, all of those messages are to authority when god calls
00:33:47.660 --> 00:33:52.999
Other nations to discipline his covenant people, and he uses
00:33:52.999 --> 00:33:57.470
Warfare to do it.
00:33:57.470 --> 00:33:58.838
I mean that is the narrative of scripture.
00:33:58.838 --> 00:34:02.142
And when we pull that forward into the new testament, jesus
00:34:02.142 --> 00:34:06.146
Very much challenged culture.
00:34:06.146 --> 00:34:07.747
We just finished, you know, this spring, when we did easter and
00:34:07.747 --> 00:34:11.684
Holy week, and that whole celebration, i took several
00:34:11.684 --> 00:34:14.587
Sessions and walked with jesus through those days between the
00:34:14.587 --> 00:34:18.057
Triumphal entry and his arrest in gethsemane.
00:34:18.057 --> 00:34:21.227
And every day in the temple courts he pushed the religious
00:34:21.227 --> 00:34:24.864
Leaders, he overturns the the tables in the, and he said you
00:34:24.864 --> 00:34:29.469
Are profiteering on the backs of my people.
00:34:29.469 --> 00:34:32.672
You know, he said you are blind guides.
00:34:32.672 --> 00:34:35.842
I mean, he wasn't kind, he wasn't building bridges, he
00:34:35.842 --> 00:34:40.380
Was challenging.
00:34:40.380 --> 00:34:41.748
In that last week he met with the roman governor, he met with
00:34:41.748 --> 00:34:43.816
The jewish governor, he met with the governor of galilee.
00:34:43.816 --> 00:34:47.187
I mean, it's a story.
00:34:47.187 --> 00:34:48.555
Read through the book of acts, they're constantly engaging
00:34:48.555 --> 00:34:51.224
Civil authorities.
00:34:51.224 --> 00:34:53.293
We're not just salt and light to decide whether the king james is
00:34:53.293 --> 00:34:56.196
Better than the niv.
00:34:56.196 --> 00:34:57.530
We're salt and light to protect the children, marriage is
00:34:57.530 --> 00:35:00.833
A biblical idea, not a political idea.
00:35:00.833 --> 00:35:03.503
Family is a biblical idea, not a political idea.
00:35:03.503 --> 00:35:07.874
The idea of sexual morality and immorality, that's a biblical
00:35:07.874 --> 00:35:11.277
Idea, that's not a political idea.
00:35:11.277 --> 00:35:13.913
And the cowardice of the church has abandoned that arena to be
00:35:13.913 --> 00:35:17.550
Defined by politicians.
00:35:17.550 --> 00:35:20.253
And so now our churches are so polarized, so divided, we don't
00:35:20.253 --> 00:35:23.523
Know what moral and immoral is.
00:35:23.523 --> 00:35:25.825
So we don't wanna talk about it because somebody said, well
00:35:25.825 --> 00:35:27.860
You're being political.
00:35:27.860 --> 00:35:29.195
No, i'm really not.
00:35:29.195 --> 00:35:31.064
There are some things you can't practice and participate in the
00:35:31.064 --> 00:35:34.234
Kingdom of god.
00:35:34.234 --> 00:35:36.002
And we've all come from those practices, we have to
00:35:36.002 --> 00:35:39.172
Be repentant.
00:35:39.172 --> 00:35:40.673
We can't embrace those practices, those are not
00:35:40.673 --> 00:35:43.676
Political discussions, those are very biblical discussions.
00:35:43.676 --> 00:35:46.913
And we needed the redemptive power of the cross to break the
00:35:46.913 --> 00:35:50.116
Bondage of sin over our lives.
00:35:50.116 --> 00:35:52.752
And that is what changes communities, and families, and
00:35:52.752 --> 00:35:55.822
Cities, and ultimately nations.
00:35:55.822 --> 00:35:57.991
Kirk: yeah, wow.
00:35:57.991 --> 00:35:59.459
I love this.
00:35:59.459 --> 00:36:01.227
With regard to the just war situation, are there times where
00:36:01.227 --> 00:36:10.470
Even though war ends with people being dead, is it appropriate to
00:36:10.470 --> 00:36:15.942
Celebrate our war heroes that are fighting for our freedoms?
00:36:15.942 --> 00:36:20.113
Pastor allen: well, the bible is always a good place to start.
00:36:20.113 --> 00:36:22.882
Like david, man after god's own heart.
00:36:22.882 --> 00:36:26.252
I mean, he's celebrated both old testament and new testament, and
00:36:26.252 --> 00:36:30.623
We meet david as a warrior.
00:36:30.623 --> 00:36:32.859
I mean, more than he's a poet, more than he's a king, he's
00:36:32.859 --> 00:36:37.964
A warrior.
00:36:37.964 --> 00:36:39.332
I mean goliath is what pushed him to prominence with
00:36:39.332 --> 00:36:43.036
God's help.
00:36:43.036 --> 00:36:44.404
Kirk: yeah.
00:36:44.404 --> 00:36:45.738
Pastor allen: so i think that principle goes all the way
00:36:45.738 --> 00:36:48.041
Through scripture.
00:36:48.041 --> 00:36:49.375
Now it obviously can be abused and it has been.
00:36:49.375 --> 00:36:51.244
You can find some dark chapters, crusades, and i mean, there's
00:36:51.244 --> 00:36:55.348
A lot of chapters in there that are clearly a--
00:36:55.348 --> 00:36:58.251
But people abuse food, but i'm not gonna stop eating.
00:36:58.251 --> 00:37:01.821
The principle still exists.
00:37:01.821 --> 00:37:04.023
Jesus is coming back in the book of revelation as a conquering
00:37:04.023 --> 00:37:06.959
King, a warrior, riding a white horse and the blood, i mean,
00:37:06.959 --> 00:37:12.098
It's a pretty graphic story.
00:37:12.098 --> 00:37:15.201
So i don't think there's any question that that's a part of
00:37:15.201 --> 00:37:17.470
The narrative we've been handed.
00:37:17.470 --> 00:37:19.505
I think we've got to approach it cautiously with a great deal of
00:37:19.505 --> 00:37:22.442
Prayer and wisdom.
00:37:22.442 --> 00:37:24.310
It's not something, but there's no question.
00:37:24.310 --> 00:37:27.246
Kirk: yeah, and you know, what's really helped me is just reading
00:37:27.246 --> 00:37:29.382
Through the declaration of independence itself.
00:37:29.382 --> 00:37:32.085
And when you look at all of those reasons why they decided
00:37:32.085 --> 00:37:35.922
To go and have this conflict with the king, these are all
00:37:35.922 --> 00:37:41.327
Biblical ideas that are for the protection of people, of life,
00:37:41.327 --> 00:37:45.765
Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
00:37:45.765 --> 00:37:47.767
And i think if we're gonna love our neighbor, we have to be
00:37:47.767 --> 00:37:51.604
Willing to go all the way and defend them against the forces
00:37:51.604 --> 00:37:55.141
Of evil, with humility, and with caution.
00:37:55.141 --> 00:37:59.579
Because this has got to be done in a way that's honoring to
00:37:59.579 --> 00:38:01.981
The lord.
00:38:01.981 --> 00:38:03.316
Pastor allen: but i think we can start closer to home.
00:38:03.316 --> 00:38:05.118
You know, i like to think globally, but i have to
00:38:05.118 --> 00:38:07.253
Act locally.
00:38:07.253 --> 00:38:08.955
And, you know, we have surrendered so much of our
00:38:08.955 --> 00:38:12.358
Liberty and freedom to bureaucracies.
00:38:12.358 --> 00:38:16.562
And freedom is not just a spiritual concept, our spiritual
00:38:16.562 --> 00:38:20.133
Freedom is expressed in the ability to worship god.
00:38:20.133 --> 00:38:23.436
That's what drove the founding of this nation which you've
00:38:23.436 --> 00:38:25.938
Spoken about so beautifully.
00:38:25.938 --> 00:38:28.207
And we've got some memorials that you described so
00:38:28.207 --> 00:38:30.877
Beautifully on how those ideas of justice, and liberty, and
00:38:30.877 --> 00:38:34.747
Freedom, their biblical concept that shaped the ideas of how
00:38:34.747 --> 00:38:38.418
Human beings could live together.
00:38:38.418 --> 00:38:40.720
And we have been handing those things back.
00:38:40.720 --> 00:38:43.656
And then people say to us, don't bring your faith into the public
00:38:43.656 --> 00:38:46.492
Square, they should be separate.
00:38:46.492 --> 00:38:48.227
That is a godless, secular idea, kirk: that's right.
00:38:48.227 --> 00:38:51.564
Pastor allen: our faith better live in the public square.
00:38:51.564 --> 00:38:54.600
And it's going to be the revitalization of the church,
00:38:54.600 --> 00:38:57.637
The church finding our voice that's gonna bring freedom and
00:38:57.637 --> 00:39:00.573
Liberty to our children and grandchildren.
00:39:00.573 --> 00:39:03.810
Kirk: i couldn't agree more and i can't wait to talk more.
00:39:03.810 --> 00:39:07.079
We're gonna talk with pastor allen right after the break
00:39:07.079 --> 00:39:10.116
About how we can keep our nation strong and ways to be faithful
00:39:10.116 --> 00:39:13.586
Serving god and country, so don't go away.
00:39:13.586 --> 00:39:22.016
Serving god and country, so don't go away.
00:39:22.016 --> 00:39:25.833
Kirk: we're back with pastor allen jackson.
00:39:29.770 --> 00:39:32.739
Pastor, can you help clarify for us, what is the role of the
00:39:32.739 --> 00:39:37.744
Church in a nation like america?
00:39:37.744 --> 00:39:42.082
Pastor allen: well, first of all, the observations have been
00:39:42.082 --> 00:39:44.184
Made about christians.
00:39:44.184 --> 00:39:45.986
That christians are unique in that in whatever place we are,
00:39:45.986 --> 00:39:51.558
We aren't americans first and then christians or we're not
00:39:51.558 --> 00:39:54.428
British first, or french first, or south african first.
00:39:54.428 --> 00:39:58.632
That we bring a set of values into that culture, that's not my
00:39:58.632 --> 00:40:01.502
Observation, that's been made by smarter people than me.
00:40:01.502 --> 00:40:04.605
In this nation it's a bit unique, it's a unique experiment
00:40:04.605 --> 00:40:08.342
In both self government and the values that shaped us.
00:40:08.342 --> 00:40:11.445
Because the founders, they weren't all perfect and it
00:40:11.445 --> 00:40:14.781
Wasn't a completely homogeneous group, but that group made a
00:40:14.781 --> 00:40:17.584
Commitment that our nation was birthed out of a
00:40:17.584 --> 00:40:19.887
Judeo-christian worldview.
00:40:19.887 --> 00:40:21.855
Our founding documents, our legal system, our educational
00:40:21.855 --> 00:40:24.858
System, that's just an unmistakable part of
00:40:24.858 --> 00:40:27.127
Our heritage.
00:40:27.127 --> 00:40:28.495
Now we've never been an entirely christian nation because those
00:40:28.495 --> 00:40:30.664
Values allowed us to have diversity.
00:40:30.664 --> 00:40:32.966
You didn't have to be christian, but the values that shaped us.
00:40:32.966 --> 00:40:35.903
If you go to saudi arabia today, it's a muslim nation.
00:40:35.903 --> 00:40:39.506
And they have some pretty clear attitudes on what you can and
00:40:39.506 --> 00:40:43.243
Can't say because of that worldview.
00:40:43.243 --> 00:40:45.979
Well, our nation was birthed with that judeo-christian
00:40:45.979 --> 00:40:48.348
Worldview and it brought diversity which flourishes
00:40:48.348 --> 00:40:50.951
Until today.
00:40:50.951 --> 00:40:52.286
So i think the church in this nation has a responsibility to
00:40:52.286 --> 00:40:54.955
Recognize the sacrifices of those people who came here, the
00:40:54.955 --> 00:40:58.191
Separatists, you know, as much if not more about that than
00:40:58.191 --> 00:41:00.961
I do.
00:41:00.961 --> 00:41:02.296
Tremendous sacrifices made for the people that came here.
00:41:02.296 --> 00:41:05.699
Not that they were perfect, they got everything right, but they
00:41:05.699 --> 00:41:08.468
Had a faith they were pursuing.
00:41:08.468 --> 00:41:10.504
We're the 21st century edition of that.
00:41:10.504 --> 00:41:13.273
And so we're still, i believe, have the assignment, they've
00:41:13.273 --> 00:41:15.976
Handed us the baton.
00:41:15.976 --> 00:41:17.911
So are we still standing for those values?
00:41:17.911 --> 00:41:19.980
Are we willing to make a sacrifice for them?
00:41:19.980 --> 00:41:22.215
The american dream isn't a bigger house than your parents
00:41:22.215 --> 00:41:25.085
Had and a faster car than they drove.
00:41:25.085 --> 00:41:27.788
The american dream is the privilege of pursuing the
00:41:27.788 --> 00:41:31.158
Worship of jesus of nazareth in every succeeding generation.
00:41:31.158 --> 00:41:35.729
Everybody won't do that, but this was a unique experiment to
00:41:35.729 --> 00:41:39.333
Give people that opportunity.
00:41:39.333 --> 00:41:41.335
And the reality is we drift from that.
00:41:41.335 --> 00:41:43.403
Harvard was founded as a christian school to
00:41:43.403 --> 00:41:45.939
Train ministers.
00:41:45.939 --> 00:41:47.441
They're struggling with that assignment today.
00:41:47.441 --> 00:41:50.043
Kirk: you think?
00:41:50.043 --> 00:41:51.411
Pastor allen: but that dream still lives here.
00:41:51.411 --> 00:41:54.615
That's not a condemnation of harvard, that is really a
00:41:54.615 --> 00:41:58.051
Reflection on the church and the job we have done of bringing our
00:41:58.051 --> 00:42:02.589
Values to bear in culture.
00:42:02.589 --> 00:42:05.125
And so to me, that's a 21st century the assignment.
00:42:05.125 --> 00:42:08.295
The book of acts doesn't have a conclusion because we're the
00:42:08.295 --> 00:42:11.565
21st century edition.
00:42:11.565 --> 00:42:13.900
And so in the same way i feel like i'm living out what peter
00:42:13.900 --> 00:42:16.770
And the crew started in those first chapters of acts, you and
00:42:16.770 --> 00:42:19.673
I are living out what those founders started, or even the
00:42:19.673 --> 00:42:23.210
Generation that preceded them when they landed on our shores.
00:42:23.210 --> 00:42:26.146
Kirk: you had mentioned about bringing values to bear in our
00:42:26.146 --> 00:42:28.749
Country today as the 21st century edition.
00:42:28.749 --> 00:42:31.685
How do we stand for distinctively christian values
00:42:31.685 --> 00:42:35.822
Without also being necessarily divisive with everybody else
00:42:35.822 --> 00:42:39.793
Who's not a christian?
00:42:39.793 --> 00:42:42.329
Pastor allen: well that's a very important question and i'll
00:42:42.329 --> 00:42:44.965
Answer it in two levels.
00:42:44.965 --> 00:42:46.933
Because i think we tend to feel like we're powerless, you know,
00:42:46.933 --> 00:42:49.870
Nobody in washington cares about my opinion so what does
00:42:49.870 --> 00:42:52.272
It matter?
00:42:52.272 --> 00:42:53.640
Kirk: they're a bunch of atheists, they don't care about
00:42:53.640 --> 00:42:54.975
My faith.
00:42:54.975 --> 00:42:56.343
Pastor allen: exactly, or the corporate, whomever, you know.
00:42:56.343 --> 00:42:57.911
But the reality is the change starts at my kitchen table.
00:42:57.911 --> 00:43:03.617
Am i willing to live my truth with that?
00:43:03.617 --> 00:43:05.886
That's the hardest place in the world to be a christ follower.
00:43:05.886 --> 00:43:09.322
You know, from the pulpit, not so hard, as a missionary in
00:43:09.322 --> 00:43:12.025
Another country, not so hard, but at the kitchen table with
00:43:12.025 --> 00:43:14.394
The people you do life with, will you bring that biblical
00:43:14.394 --> 00:43:17.264
Worldview and teach it to your children, and then discipline
00:43:17.264 --> 00:43:21.501
Them to live that out.
00:43:21.501 --> 00:43:23.937
Or will you make excuses so that it doesn't disrupt your holiday?
00:43:23.937 --> 00:43:28.608
And then i think the next step out of that is where you bring
00:43:28.608 --> 00:43:31.611
That same faith to bear at your holiday table with your
00:43:31.611 --> 00:43:34.047
Extended family.
00:43:34.047 --> 00:43:35.415
Do we really live as christ followers?
00:43:35.415 --> 00:43:37.884
If we do that we change the nation, we change washington dc.
00:43:37.884 --> 00:43:41.955
If we don't do that, it doesn't matter what the president
00:43:41.955 --> 00:43:44.224
Decides because we're not gonna obey it in the walls of
00:43:44.224 --> 00:43:47.594
Our house.
00:43:47.594 --> 00:43:48.929
And you see there's a higher authority than governments and
00:43:48.929 --> 00:43:51.431
It's god and god's ultimately the judge of all of us.
00:43:51.431 --> 00:43:54.935
So you're not powerless, start with that group of people
00:43:54.935 --> 00:43:57.270
You love.
00:43:57.270 --> 00:43:58.605
And to be candid, i'm a pastor, we struggle with that, but i
00:43:58.605 --> 00:44:02.109
Think that's where it starts.
00:44:02.109 --> 00:44:03.443
And then the other premise you asked about was without
00:44:03.443 --> 00:44:07.147
Being divisive.
00:44:07.147 --> 00:44:09.082
And i think that's a false narrative.
00:44:09.082 --> 00:44:12.619
Jesus said he came to bring division.
00:44:12.619 --> 00:44:16.256
He said i came to bring division in families.
00:44:16.256 --> 00:44:19.059
He said you'll be hated by all nations because of me.
00:44:19.059 --> 00:44:22.329
But he said rejoice when you're accused falsely because of
00:44:22.329 --> 00:44:26.266
My name.
00:44:26.266 --> 00:44:28.769
If we follow him through the gospels, jesus was not the
00:44:28.769 --> 00:44:31.471
Great uniter.
00:44:31.471 --> 00:44:33.306
They killed our boss, and then they killed all of his closest
00:44:33.306 --> 00:44:36.643
Friends or put them in prison.
00:44:36.643 --> 00:44:39.012
And so i mean, i know in john 17, he prayed for unity, but it
00:44:39.012 --> 00:44:41.948
Was amongst the disciples.
00:44:41.948 --> 00:44:44.117
Jesus wasn't trying to unify with the jewish leaders, the
00:44:44.117 --> 00:44:48.588
Religious leaders, the scriptural experts.
00:44:48.588 --> 00:44:51.358
He called them all sorts of awful names in public.
00:44:51.358 --> 00:44:54.828
And i don't understand our assignment to be the
00:44:54.828 --> 00:44:57.330
Great unifiers.
00:44:57.330 --> 00:44:58.999
I think we have to illuminate very clearly the line between
00:44:58.999 --> 00:45:01.968
Godliness and ungodliness, holiness and unholiness, and
00:45:01.968 --> 00:45:04.371
Righteousness and unrighteousness.
00:45:04.371 --> 00:45:06.273
And then make very clear ways that you can participate.
00:45:06.273 --> 00:45:09.075
It's not about, you know, our accent, or iq, or our
00:45:09.075 --> 00:45:12.212
Bank account.
00:45:12.212 --> 00:45:13.747
Everybody's welcome at the foot of the cross, but the cross
00:45:13.747 --> 00:45:15.782
Makes a difference.
00:45:15.782 --> 00:45:17.117
We have cheapened the cross to the point that we have so much
00:45:17.117 --> 00:45:19.619
Sloppy grace we don't really need the cross.
00:45:19.619 --> 00:45:23.156
Kirk: yeah.
00:45:23.156 --> 00:45:24.524
Pastor allen: and it's a false gospel.
00:45:24.524 --> 00:45:25.992
Kirk: allen, what kinds of things are important for us to
00:45:25.992 --> 00:45:30.497
Teach our children about why america is worth fighting for.
00:45:30.497 --> 00:45:37.704
Pastor allen: that's really good.
00:45:37.704 --> 00:45:39.039
You start with the simple things, i think, that we have
00:45:39.039 --> 00:45:40.674
The privilege to worship god.
00:45:40.674 --> 00:45:42.809
Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the
00:45:42.809 --> 00:45:44.711
World today.
00:45:44.711 --> 00:45:46.046
Kirk: how do you communicate that to kids who that's worth
00:45:46.046 --> 00:45:51.284
About 5 cents to them because--.
00:45:51.284 --> 00:45:54.621
Pastor allen: you show it to them.
00:45:54.621 --> 00:45:55.989
I think you immerse them in a set of behaviors that make that
00:45:55.989 --> 00:45:58.158
So normative, they can't imagine it any other way.
00:45:58.158 --> 00:46:01.294
Like you love your wife and you let your kids see you express
00:46:01.294 --> 00:46:04.631
That love for your wife.
00:46:04.631 --> 00:46:05.966
You don't sit down and give them a lecture on how important it is
00:46:05.966 --> 00:46:08.034
To love your wife.
00:46:08.034 --> 00:46:09.369
You let them live in the midst of that, and i think you let
00:46:09.369 --> 00:46:12.205
Them live in the midst.
00:46:12.205 --> 00:46:13.573
It's normal for you to read your bible with your kids or for them
00:46:13.573 --> 00:46:16.209
To see you read your bible.
00:46:16.209 --> 00:46:18.044
It's normal for them to see you attach value to being with
00:46:18.044 --> 00:46:21.882
People who share a christian worldview and they hear you talk
00:46:21.882 --> 00:46:25.252
About that.
00:46:25.252 --> 00:46:26.586
They see your enthusiasm around those things and it's greater
00:46:26.586 --> 00:46:29.556
Than your enthusiasm for your favorite hobby.
00:46:29.556 --> 00:46:33.159
And i don't mind hobbies and sports and all the stuff, but
00:46:33.159 --> 00:46:36.596
Your faith isn't something that you compartmentalize to a few
00:46:36.596 --> 00:46:39.766
Minutes once in a while when you gather in that special building.
00:46:39.766 --> 00:46:43.436
It's who you are.
00:46:43.436 --> 00:46:45.171
And i think if you let them see that and feel that then they
00:46:45.171 --> 00:46:48.375
Will understand family, marriage, citizenship,
00:46:48.375 --> 00:46:54.180
Integrity, honor, dignity, duty.
00:46:54.180 --> 00:46:59.152
A set of values that honestly have kind of slipped past us
00:46:59.152 --> 00:47:03.323
Because we've pursued happiness and we want our little self
00:47:03.323 --> 00:47:07.694
Images to be fully intact.
00:47:07.694 --> 00:47:10.664
And i'm not saying that they're necessarily competing with one
00:47:10.664 --> 00:47:13.700
Another, but i think we've drawn the wrong targets.
00:47:13.700 --> 00:47:16.169
Kirk: where do you see god working in our nation right now?
00:47:16.169 --> 00:47:19.439
Pastor allen: all around us.
00:47:19.439 --> 00:47:20.874
The truth is being told in the public square today in a way i
00:47:20.874 --> 00:47:24.110
Have never seen it in my lifetime.
00:47:24.110 --> 00:47:26.579
I started praying when we first heard about a virus coming
00:47:26.579 --> 00:47:28.915
From wuhan.
00:47:28.915 --> 00:47:30.417
I started gathering the people that i had any influence with
00:47:30.417 --> 00:47:32.786
And say let's pray that the truth will be told so we'll know
00:47:32.786 --> 00:47:35.021
How to protect ourselves.
00:47:35.021 --> 00:47:36.723
Because it wasn't clear, we didn't know anything about the
00:47:36.723 --> 00:47:38.258
Virus, it was brand new.
00:47:38.258 --> 00:47:40.226
And i wanted this to happen the next day.
00:47:40.226 --> 00:47:42.462
I mean i wanted like god to bring an angelic messenger with
00:47:42.462 --> 00:47:44.864
A little neon tablet.
00:47:44.864 --> 00:47:47.467
And we didn't get that but from that day until this day we've
00:47:47.467 --> 00:47:50.203
Learned a whole lot about covid.
00:47:50.203 --> 00:47:52.472
But there is truth being told in the public square about things
00:47:52.472 --> 00:47:55.408
That have been hidden in the shadows my whole lifetime.
00:47:55.408 --> 00:47:58.078
The jfk assassination, dr. king's assassination, how our
00:47:58.078 --> 00:48:02.449
Money is being spent.
00:48:02.449 --> 00:48:04.684
I mean, crazy things.
00:48:04.684 --> 00:48:06.186
I mean it's so shocking when you hear it.
00:48:06.186 --> 00:48:09.923
It's like uncomfortable, you wanna look away.
00:48:09.923 --> 00:48:11.925
Only god could have done that.
00:48:11.925 --> 00:48:14.094
Truth is a disinfectant and that has nothing to do with politics.
00:48:14.094 --> 00:48:19.032
We've learned a lot about the health care community.
00:48:19.032 --> 00:48:21.001
I trusted the cdc implicitly until i realized they weren't
00:48:21.001 --> 00:48:25.305
Trustworthy anymore.
00:48:25.305 --> 00:48:27.474
And i thought, wow, i would look at that place differently.
00:48:27.474 --> 00:48:30.477
I trusted churches.
00:48:30.477 --> 00:48:33.013
The little community where i live, major churches stepping
00:48:33.013 --> 00:48:35.548
Away from the authority of scripture.
00:48:35.548 --> 00:48:38.218
Well, it's god that brings that into the open.
00:48:38.218 --> 00:48:41.788
Because when it's in the open now we can make choices, and we
00:48:41.788 --> 00:48:45.025
Can know how to behave, and we're not living in the haze
00:48:45.025 --> 00:48:47.594
Of deception.
00:48:47.594 --> 00:48:48.928
So i mean i can point to, you know, people being baptized and
00:48:48.928 --> 00:48:52.298
Good things happening, but i believe that's connected to the
00:48:52.298 --> 00:48:54.834
Truth breaking into the public square.
00:48:54.834 --> 00:48:56.603
Kirk: i'm so excited that you said that because what you're
00:48:56.603 --> 00:48:59.839
Pointing out is that we see certain things like churches
00:48:59.839 --> 00:49:03.076
Breaking away from the authority of scripture as a very
00:49:03.076 --> 00:49:05.478
Bad thing.
00:49:05.478 --> 00:49:06.846
And we can say, no, no, no, that's actually a good thing.
00:49:06.846 --> 00:49:08.448
How could that be a good thing?
00:49:08.448 --> 00:49:09.783
Well, it's a good thing because god is now, he's exposing the
00:49:09.783 --> 00:49:15.889
Bacteria, he's showing you what's going on to use your
00:49:15.889 --> 00:49:19.059
Metaphor of a disinfectant.
00:49:19.059 --> 00:49:20.994
I think covid shined a light on the deception, and all of the
00:49:20.994 --> 00:49:27.167
Fraud, and other things that have been going on, and taught
00:49:27.167 --> 00:49:30.103
Us that we can't let other trusted bureaucrats and
00:49:30.103 --> 00:49:34.074
Institutions think for us.
00:49:34.074 --> 00:49:35.542
We've got to be critical thinkers ourselves, and we've
00:49:35.542 --> 00:49:38.244
Got to fight for freedom of speech, or we're all gonna be
00:49:38.244 --> 00:49:40.880
Duped and be dead if we don't put this back into our own hands
00:49:40.880 --> 00:49:46.886
And take care of one another as the family of faith and as
00:49:46.886 --> 00:49:51.591
A family of citizens.
00:49:51.591 --> 00:49:53.693
Pastor allen: no, it's god's moving in the earth.
00:49:53.693 --> 00:49:55.361
It's an exciting time.
00:49:55.361 --> 00:49:56.696
Kirk: well, happy memorial day.
00:49:56.696 --> 00:49:58.998
Thank you so much for helping us understand what it's about and
00:49:58.998 --> 00:50:02.235
Its history and its significance.
00:50:02.235 --> 00:50:03.703
I always enjoy talking with you.
00:50:03.703 --> 00:50:05.105
Pastor allen: it's always good to be with you, kirk.
00:50:05.105 --> 00:50:06.473
Kirk: thank you.
00:50:06.473 --> 00:50:07.841
When we come back, we'll review today's "takeaways."
00:50:07.841 --> 00:50:16.011
♪♪♪
00:50:17.050 --> 00:50:22.422
Kirk: today was a memorial day well spent with william federer
00:50:23.523 --> 00:50:24.591
And pastor allen jackson.
00:50:26.759 --> 00:50:28.294
Let's review a few of our takeaways.
00:50:28.294 --> 00:50:30.997
A time to remember and get involved.
00:50:30.997 --> 00:50:33.933
It's holidays like memorial day that helps us to remember the
00:50:33.933 --> 00:50:37.270
Many sacrifices that have been made to make and keep
00:50:37.270 --> 00:50:40.640
America free.
00:50:40.640 --> 00:50:42.308
As allen said, where you find freedom, there's sacrifice
00:50:42.308 --> 00:50:45.612
Attached to it.
00:50:45.612 --> 00:50:47.046
Both of our guests also reminded us that now is not only the time
00:50:47.046 --> 00:50:50.517
To remember, but also to do our part to get involved in our
00:50:50.517 --> 00:50:54.654
Local communities as the family of faith to champion biblical
00:50:54.654 --> 00:50:58.925
Values in the culture.
00:50:58.925 --> 00:51:01.161
Jesus called this being salt and light.
00:51:01.161 --> 00:51:03.963
Allen likened it to being good lifeguards, preventing the need
00:51:03.963 --> 00:51:08.234
For emergency intervention.
00:51:08.234 --> 00:51:11.371
Change starts at our kitchen tables.
00:51:11.371 --> 00:51:14.407
I love this reminder from allen.
00:51:14.407 --> 00:51:16.643
Initiating change in our country starts at our kitchen tables.
00:51:16.643 --> 00:51:21.114
It's there that we show our kids things like what it looks like
00:51:21.114 --> 00:51:25.285
To love your spouse, that it's normal to regularly read your
00:51:25.285 --> 00:51:29.022
Bible, and the importance of spending time with people who
00:51:29.022 --> 00:51:33.126
Have a like-minded christian worldview.
00:51:33.126 --> 00:51:36.162
Then we move to our holiday tables, showcasing how we live
00:51:36.162 --> 00:51:39.933
Out a genuine faith in christ and engage in discussions with
00:51:39.933 --> 00:51:44.370
The topics that matter in our world, not steering away
00:51:44.370 --> 00:51:47.473
From them.
00:51:47.473 --> 00:51:49.275
Trust god.
00:51:49.275 --> 00:51:51.144
Didn't you love all the stories that william federer had to
00:51:51.144 --> 00:51:53.713
Share with us?
00:51:53.713 --> 00:51:55.081
I so appreciate him calling out that historic thread of trust in
00:51:55.081 --> 00:51:59.452
God, that guided our forefathers, and the
00:51:59.452 --> 00:52:02.355
Significance that prayer and fasting played in the historic
00:52:02.355 --> 00:52:05.558
Miracles in america.
00:52:05.558 --> 00:52:08.261
So whatever you're going through right now, i pray that you
00:52:08.261 --> 00:52:11.397
Remember that god answers prayer.
00:52:11.397 --> 00:52:14.334
May that challenge all of us to be people of prayer for the
00:52:14.334 --> 00:52:17.870
Revival and restoration of our families, communities, nation
00:52:17.870 --> 00:52:22.575
And world.
00:52:22.575 --> 00:52:24.043
Even though things might at times feel discouraging in
00:52:24.043 --> 00:52:27.413
Today's culture for the family of faith, remember that as allen
00:52:27.413 --> 00:52:31.184
Said, we are not powerless, we are advocates for god's truth as
00:52:31.184 --> 00:52:35.888
We carry on the american dream, the privilege to pursue freedom
00:52:35.888 --> 00:52:41.527
And freely worship jesus christ of nazareth in every generation.
00:52:41.527 --> 00:52:47.834
Well, that's all for this episode of "takeaways."
00:52:47.834 --> 00:52:50.069
Thanks for joining us.
00:52:50.069 --> 00:52:51.471
And if you've enjoyed the show, don't forget to set your dvr so
00:52:51.471 --> 00:52:54.574
You never miss an episode.
00:52:54.574 --> 00:52:56.142
And of course you can always catch up on past episodes by
00:52:56.142 --> 00:52:59.178
Searching for "takeaways" on tbn+ or visit the "kirk cameron
00:52:59.178 --> 00:53:03.983
On tbn" youtube channel.
00:53:03.983 --> 00:53:05.852
We'll see you here next time for more great conversations.
00:53:05.852 --> 00:53:09.589
♪♪♪
00:53:10.356 --> 00:53:10.356

William Federer & Allen Jackson: Remembering Their Sacrifice | Takeaways With Kirk Cameron

May 23, 2025 | 53:25

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