Hamilton: God calls believers to be ambassadors even in this dark moment
Abraham Hamilton III: Darkness is not an affirmative force. It simply reoccupies the space vacated by the light.
Ralf Augstroze: This is the, Hamilton Corner on American Family Radio.
Abraham Hamilton III: It should be uncomfortable for a believer to live as a hypocrite, delivering people.
Ralf Augstroze: Out of the bondage of mainstream media and the philosophies of this world.
Abraham Hamilton III: God has called you and me to be his ambassadors. Even in this dark moment. Let's not miss our moments.
Ralf Augstroze: And now the, Hamilton Corner.
Abraham Hamilton III: Good evening everyone.
Bobby Manning is speaking at the NCHE Thrive Conference this weekend
Welcome to the Hamilton Corner live from North Carolina at the NCHE Thrive Conference. today I had a workshop where, the title of my session was and we shall love the Lord with our minds. what an exciting time there. we had someone who mistaked one of our team for Mr. Rusa, but it was a, it was a great time. We have a full schedule tomorrow. and Saturday I'll be speaking as well. what a, what an amazing time. We're in Winston Salem, North Carolina and looking forward to being able to converse with you all. At the end of the day, the way it works out that as the conference is going on, I'm going to be able to wrap up the day on the program with you. We'll broadcast live again from here tomorrow evening. but thank you so much for tuning into the program. At this very moment. Many of you, if not most of you, are making your transition from your part time jobs where you generate an income, to your full time jobs where you cultivate an outcome. And as you do so, I want to remind you to do so with intentionality, understanding the primacy that God places on family, allowing his view to inform your view as you navigate the context where he's placed you and understanding that there are lots of things that we can do. But there's one thing we've been instructed to do and that is make disciples. I said this today with the group I was with, that there are a lot of, lot of circumstances. But if you're in a station of life, as I am with young children in the home, we don't get to redo certain ages. You know, we don't get to. There's no mulligans in real life. You might try that on the golf course, but there's no mulligans in real life. And so my hope and prayer for this audience is for those of us who are in this particular life stage that we take full advantage of it. For those of you are not in this life stage, I pray that you are edified and encouraged by what you hear from this program and you share it with those around you. And as you, many of you have heard me say numerous times, and if you've been following, following me for any length of time, you know, we need every member of the body to produce. The way the scripture says it is that we need every joint supply. If you're parents, we are first line, top line. If you are a grandparent, you have a specified role to play. I've been, praying for grandparents, particularly, in this area to one understand the significance of the role that they play in the body of Christ and in the kingdom of God and also for the body of Christ to recognize that we need our grandparents to be all hands on deck. There is no such thing as Christ following. That should be viewed as a spectator sport. Every person, every member of the Lord's bride is indispensable. And we need all hands on deck for the glory of our king. And so as you're making your transition, most of you from your part time jobs right now where you generate an income, to your full time jobs where you cultivate an outcome, I want to remind you to do so with intentionality. There's no such thing as accidental fruit bearing. There's no such thing as accidental disciple making, you know. And the other thing that I want to encourage is that is reciprocally beneficial, you know, when you involve yourself, when you commit yourself, in a discipleship relationship, it's not only beneficial for the person you're walking with, it's beneficial for us. And so we continuously are strengthened as we engage in this way. So again, as you're making your way to your full time jobs, man, do so with intentionality, you know, understand that we must work while it is day. We must work while it is day and take full advantage of the time that God has given us. To the word of God we go. We'll start in Joshua chapter four. And I of course have to mention we have the four corner contingent, participating. We have Mr. Bobby Rosa Manning the controls at home base. And right here, he's not on camera, but he's sitting right here helping us to bring the show to you from North Carolina, producer extraordinaire, often imitated, never duplicated. The real J. Mac, I'm grateful that you joined us today. Want to go back to the book of Joshua, Joshua, chapter four, verse seven. And I want to communicate something to you from there, or should I say reiterate something to us from there. And there are other portions of scripture, that do the same, but I want to Revisit this text, to begin today's show and I'm looking forward to the remainder of the show. You don't want to miss this because another resource is being made available, for us. Joshua, chapter four, verses one through seven. Joshua, chapter four, verses 1 through 7. And this is what the Lord's word says. Now, when all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, take for yourselves 12 men from the people, one man from each tribe, and command them saying, take up for yourselves 12 stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests feet are standing firm and carry them over with you and lay them down in the lodging place where you will lodge tonight. So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe. And Joshua said to them, cross again to the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. And each of you take up a stone on his shoulder according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel. Let this be a sign among you so that when your children ask later, saying, what do these stones mean to you? Then you shall say to them, because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever. Forever. I have pointed out before, and I want to point it out, point it out again here. Well, let me explain the circumstances, then I'll point out what I want to point out. Many of you recognize that this is recorded as the second generation wilderness Israelites are preparing to enter the promised land. Joshua is leading, leading them into the promised land. What I want to point out is whose idea was it for them to secure stones for the memorial? This is not a trick question. You don't have to guess. Verse one tells us very plainly now, when all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord spoke to Joshua saying, take for yourselves 12 men from the people, one man from each tribe, and command them to take up, for yourselves 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan. This was God's idea. This was not Joshua's idea. This was not the elders of Israel's idea. This was Yahweh's idea. God is the one who directed Joshua's attention to identify where he was in the moment and in that moment to set the course to provide for generational recognition of that moment. This is one of the instances where God is revealing one of the Things that is vitally important for his people to understand Is that he is a God of accurate historical preservation. It is not merely just the accumulation of facts For a generalized purpose of recording history accurately. It is because history is his story of interacting with mankind. Specifically, God's action as recorded here is meant to convey the reality that the proper and accurate recording of history will drive the student toward him. An accurate recording of history drives the student to. To the God of the history.
Large swaths of children being educated in government schools are not literate
All right. It's one of the things in the session I just, taught here at the North Carolina Home Educators Conference. I brought out statistics from the national association of Educational Progress. I'm sorry, the National Assessment of Educational Progress. That shows, among the things we know that unfortunately, because of government education, as the children aren't literate generally, in many instances, obviously not everybody. But we have large swaths of people that are being educated in government schools that are not literate. All right? In addition to that, we have large swaths of children being educated in the government schools who don't understand American history, who do not understand civics. How can we be a nation of the people, by the people, for the people. If the people don't understand our nation and how we've gotten there? And before you take a turn to say, oh, this is just about patriotism, first of all, Ain't nothing wrong with patriotism. I am, wholeheartedly, enthusiastically an American patriot. But an accurate understanding and recording and preservation of history comes from the mind of God. As I mentioned to you. Whose idea was it to create this memorial? It wasn't Joshua's idea. It was God's idea. God is the one that says, all right, Joshua. Now that all of the nation has crossed, you get 12 men, a man from each tribe. And gather stones from the midst of the Jordan where the Ark of the Covenant stood. Then he explained why. Verse 6. Let this be a sign among you. So that when your children ask, later, guys, it's not a surprise. When children are born, they're at their most inquisitive. God is illustrating for us here that he expects current generation, especially of adults, to anticipate the inquisitive nature of children. And in that anticipation, to navigate his story, the historical record in such a way where the children are pointed to the face of God, the scripture bears it out. Let this be a sign among you. So that when your children ask later, saying, what do these stones mean? Then you shall say to them, because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the Ark of the covenant of the Lord, when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.
Ralph Miracle: There has been a wrenching away from America's founding
One of the most amazing things in a negative way, that is not a positive amazement. It is a negative, astounding amazement is the violent, passionate disdain for our nation that many people have, including many people in the church. A, part of the reason for that is that there has been this wrenching away from our history, God's involvement in establishing this nation. There has been a wrenching away, a ripping at the seams and an effort to sever the American founding away from God's divine providence, away from God's divine direction, away from God's sovereignty. There's been an effort to try to paint America's founders in a twisted light. And I've told you this before, there's also some in a responsive reaction, in an effort to try to, you know, stave off that result. There are some who will try to ignore some of the negative components of our history. And this is what I often say, when you nip and tuck and edit history, you are either a revisionist or you could be an idol maker. But if you stand back and peer at what God has done in founding our nation, what you'll recognize is something I say often, that our God is a master at using crooked sticks to paint straight lines. When you have a proper understanding of our nation's history and our nation's founding, you know what it actually provokes? It provokes reverence for God. It provokes awe for him. It provokes a sober appreciation for being an inheritor of this experiment of individual liberty in this experiment in self governance, this nation that has the longest existing constitutional republic in the history of the world. Guys, that's just a fact. That's just a fact. There's no need to deify fallen men. There's no need to lie about our history. And we, we would be prudent to reject the revisionist efforts to present our nation as if it's something else, because those are, there are ditches on both sides. But when we have an accurate understanding of what we inherit, it provokes a reverence and an awe for God that causes us to say, man, look at what God has done. Then we'll rightly be able to find our place in that. Because by God's divine sovereignty, you could have been born in any nation of the world. I could very easily be a Nigerian or Sudanese or, or, or Chinese or Iranian. But God, by his divine providence, according to Acts 17, has saw fit for me to be an American. And for that I am exceedingly grateful. And the best expression of my gratitude is to surrender my life to him so that I'm not merely talking about worship, but I live the lifestyle of worship. And as we have a proper understanding of history, as Joshua 4 lays out, a proper recording, preservation and conveyance of history draws and drives the student to the face of the maker of his story.
Jeff Chamblee: One Million Moms has received complaints about an Arm and Hammer laundry commercial where Meghan Trainor deliberately insinuates profanity. Instead of a wholesome commercial, Arm and Hammer deliberately chose to produce something controversial. One Million Moms finds this highly inappropriate. Arm and Hammer should have the corporate responsibility not to offend families. Arm and Hammer needs to know that parents disapprove. Take action@1millionmoms.com. That's 1millionmoms.com.
Ralf Augstroze: I have shining light into the darkness. This is the Hamilton Corner on American Family Radio.
Abraham Hamilton III: Welcome back to the Hamilton Corner. And I am delighted to have on the program with me two guests who are returning to the corner. Many of you will remember both of these brothers who've been a blessing to me from a distance and up close, over the years. First, I will introduce is Tim Mahoney, who is the director of six feature films, the Patterns of Evidence films. I've recommended these to you before. I remember interviewing Tim at, nrb, about these. he's also executive producer for the Journey Home, the Seven Churches of Revelation, Times of Fire, and the Seven Churches of Revelation, Times of Deception. he is a founder, the founder of Heroic Pictures. Heroic Pictures, a, ah, feature film production company focusing on dramatic storytelling, where he also was executive producer and director of the American Miracle motion picture, which we are going to talk about extensively here right now. Also we have Ralph Ogstros, who is the chief commission communications officer and executive producer at Heroic Pictures, the motion picture studio producing inspiring, dramatic theatrical feature films. Ralph is also executive producer of the American Miracle, which I will tell you now, it will be in theaters June 9th through the 11th. Do I have that right, fellas? June 9th through the 11th. And you, I'm just gonna tell you plainly, you need to get your tickets now. You do not want to miss this film. I've had the privilege of seeing it twice now. Screeners. And I'm telling you, you do not want to miss it. Gentlemen, thank you for joining me here on the Hamilton Corner. It's a pleasure to have you both back here.
Ralf Augstroze: Thank you, Abe. Great to be with you. As always.
Abraham Hamilton III: Oh man, the pleasure is certainly, certainly mine.
Tim Ferriss: What moved you to make the American Miracle
I wanted to start off right off the bat with you Tim, after seeing your work and I know you've heard m me talk about patterns of evidence and the things that are going on. What moved you to make the American Miracle?
Jeff Chamblee: Well, I have been working, showing evidence of God acting in history for 25 years now, and searching for patterns of evidence. And Michael Medved contacted me and he had been in my first film on the Exodus, and he was very familiar with me and he asked me if I would help him tell the story of a book that he wrote called the American Miracle. And I had to think about it because it was a big undertaking, and it was telling the story of God's providence. And providence is a word that you could say, the presence of God in certain events. And so God's providence and his presence was being observed by a number of people throughout history because unusual things happen. And that is the story we're telling in the American Miracle. Our nation is no accident. it's the miraculous survival of George Washington is part of this. And there's many stories that we're going to be showing bringing into the theater, and also the story of the Continental army and the American Revolution, miraculous events that saved the army from destruction. And that's this wonderful story that we've got coming out June 9th, 10th and 11th.
Ralph, what moved you to want to make this film in particular
Abraham Hamilton III: Ralph, I want to ask you a similar question, but slightly different. I mean you were involved in the multi award winning documentary motion picture against the Tide that featured the renowned Oxford University professor, scientist and apologist, Dr. John Lennox, who famously in my view laid the smack down at his debate concerning the God delusion. what moved you to want to be, to make this film in particular and in addition to this particular film for you and both Tim to participate in founding the Heroic Pictures, company.
Ralf Augstroze: You know, actually I was introduced to Tim by Kevin and Sam Sorbo during the time that I was producing against the Tide. And Kevin and Sam had worked with Tim in the past and, and we became fast friends and really shared our journeys through the motion picture world and the circuitous journey that sometimes the Lord leads us on to bring us to the point that we're at. And we shared our hearts about wanting to do and make movies that make a difference. Movies with a strong message, especially movies about heroes. Perhaps not the heroes that today's culture would want us to think are heroes, but actual real heroes who were largely Motivated by their faith to accomplish things far larger than what they thought they could do themselves. And as we were talking about this, Tim shared with me that he had started, this motion picture studio, Heroic Pictures, and asked if I would be interested in coming along and helping to shape and develop that with the Lord's guidance. And I was thrilled to join Tim. And we also asked Doug Maddox to join us. And so the three of us have been working on the American Miracle because again, it's a, it's a heroic story of real heroes who accomplished real things, motivated by their faith and accomplished things so far beyond what they imagined they could do. That history to this day recalls these as miraculous, unlikely events that were doomed to disaster but turned out to be the huge success that we know today as the United States.
Abraham Hamilton III: M Now I'm going to ask a follow up now to you Ralph, and I'm going to come to you with another question, Tim, in a second.
American, the American Miracle is a Christian movie about America's founding
There have been numerous films, numerous efforts to really strip away divine providence from America's founding, to try to present our founders as something other than what they are. And in the opening segment I warned against revisionist history, in that direction, as well as efforts to deify men instead of being able to get an accurate picture of God's involvement in our founding. Where do you see the American Miracle? Especially when we're about what, a, year away from 250 years from the Declaration of Independence. Where do you see American, the American Miracle Filling in a gap to some who might think, well, another movie about America's founding. Where do you, where do you see American Miracle? what do you see the American Miracle doing in terms of avoiding those ditches on both sides, if you will.
Ralf Augstroze: Well, I think that as we approach that 250th anniversary, we know that there will be a lot of naysayers who will be professing that misconstrued and misguided, history, perhaps to advance their own personal agendas. You know, I get asked the question, you know, have you produced a Christian movie about the American founding? And my answer is, you know, this is not a Christian movie. This is a truthful movie. We tell the truthful history of exactly what happened during that period during the early days of the French and Indian War, all the way up to the 50th anniversary of the United States in 1826. The difference is we don't sweep the theistic and, or Christian story under the rug. Those elements that are there that attest to the founders belief in the divine hand of Providence in their, various activities and in the accomplishments of the United States during the revolution and leading up and through the, The Constitutional Convention. We don't hide those. We tell those accurately and truthfully, and we don't spin them in any way. We tell them exactly the way that they happened. And, that's what sets us apart from so many of those other movies.
Tim Ferriss: God created us for story, so we need more
Abraham Hamilton III: TIM M. I want to ask you the question because both of you guys, I should have said this as well, are passionate Christ followers. You are a filmmaker. You've made amazing films. I mean, I literally mean that. I don't mean that hyperbolically at all. what do you see as a necessary void in having, frankly, God, haters dominating the filmmaking industry?
Jeff Chamblee: Well, what's important to know for all of us is that God created us for story. that's why Jesus spoke in parables. And what we have in the Bible are testimonies. That's why they call it a testament. But they are testimonies. And these testimonies are very important. And what has happened is that there was a period of time in our culture where stories were based upon a moral center of good, because they were based on biblical understandings of the way the world is. And in the last 50 to 60 years, they've turned the moral center of the good upside down and started adding all sorts of, I would say, you know, elements that are not virtuous or good or evil. And the results of those stories are actually, and I'm going to say it this way, I think they're cancerous. They're cancerous to your mind, to your soul, to your vision of way the world should be. And people are sick in the way they see the world. And what ends up happening is that I think God wants us to tell, stories of truth and stories of virtue and heroic characters and. And because we will then model ourselves after those types of people. And we need more heroic characters and heroic stories that are of truth and virtue. And that's what this film is about. And I think that's the reason why we were called to make this is because people needed to remember who our heroes really are. And these founders have had their faith cut out or taken away or diminished. And there's been no voice to respond to it. But as I got involved with this, I could start to see that these men were men of great intelligence and great, skills, but they also had great faith. Now, they all had different comes from different. Some were Methodists, some were Quakers, some were different groups, but they were all believed in God. and, I mean, for the most part, I won't say all because I haven't studied every one of the founders, but I would say there was an understanding that's why they used the word providence, that Providence would be with us. They understood the presence of God, and that's why this film is going to show the presence of God in the founding of our nation at a time when we need to remember that.
Tim: You say you were called by God to make this film
Abraham Hamilton III: So, well said. You said something, Tim, that I want to follow up on. You said that you were called by God to make this film. Would you just share a little bit how you were able to discern God's calling you to make this film?
Jeff Chamblee: Well, I think that I pray and ask the Lord, do I have. I'll just say it this way, the permission and authority to work in a particular subject? Because I know if I do it on my own, in my own endeavor, that it's going to be just up to me. But I couldn't manage or tackle something so big. And so the. The Lord allowed me then to identify Ralph and Doug and all sorts of people. And there's a principle that I've learned. If it's of the Lord, people will join you in the calling, because they're not joining me. They sense the presence of God and they are joining that. And throughout the making of this film, we felt the providence and the presence of God. As we were going from location to location, we felt filmed in very, the exact. Many times. The exact location where the events happened 250 years earlier. and we had. Even in the Battle of Monongahala, that was our first day of filming the Native. The Native Americans that came to film were the descendants of the Native Americans in the battle. How's that for authenticity?
Abraham Hamilton III: Oh, man, that is profound, Brother Ralph.
American Miracle Movie is only available in theaters June 9th through 11th
How can people get tickets and, you know, in this era of streaming on demand, is the film only available in theaters June 9th through the 11th? And how can people get tickets to make sure they come out and see this profound film?
Ralf Augstroze: Well, I would encourage, everyone to first see this movie in the theater. You know, it's a big movie. It's a. We had, you know, a cast of almost 100 with, 300 extras and a very large crew and battle scenes and cannons and musket fire and ships and storms and the crossing of the Delaware. I mean, it's a really big, expansive movie, and it will take on a whole new meaning when an audience sees it on a movie screen in A movie theater on a big movie screen with surround sound. it will make a lasting impression and later on, in sort of its downstream life, there will be other availabilities of the film. Film on discs, on streaming, on video on demand. But in terms of the theatrical release June 9th, 10th and 11th, the way to get tickets and to find out which theater near your listeners, people will be able to watch it is to go to americanmiraclemovie.com americanmiraclemovie.com and it will have resources there. There are memes and other digital resources that people can post on their social network. M and also a link to go to the ticket site that will show people where the theater is closest to them after they put in their zip code, where they can see it. And if you don't see a theater that's very close to you, call your local theater and ask them to get the film playing in their theater.
Abraham Hamilton III: I want to underscore that the Americanmiraclemovie M.com you need to.
Ralf Augstroze: Yes, there's no. The. It's America.
Abraham Hamilton III: I'm sorry.
Ralf Augstroze: Thank you, America.
Abraham Hamilton III: American Miracle movie.com we're going to have a link to it in the show notes. Guys, there are all kinds of smut that fill our theaters. If we want to have positive films, great films, faith filled films, we need to support films like this. Please go to americanmiraclemovie.com to purchase your tickets to see this film in the theaters. And if you don't have a theater near you, call them to say you need to get this theater. Sorry, get this film in the theater because we want to buy tickets to come and see it right in our hometown. I'm telling you, you are going to be blown away by this. American Miracle Movie.com is where you need to go now. There are people in it. And we'll have a few minutes before the first break and then we're going to come back and talk about this some more on the other side of the break.
Tim Mahoney: Would you just speak a little bit about the cast
I want to ask you, Tim, because they're about some of the characters and the cast in the film. For example, Cameron Arnett, many of you saw the movie recently, the Forge and Cameron Arnett was in the Forge. Well, Cameron Arnett is in this film playing Peter Salem. Would you just speak a little bit about the cast and about the characters that are depicted. Some of them may not be as. Some of our audience here may not be as aware of some of them as they need to be. And they will be shown forthrightly in the film.
Jeff Chamblee: Correct? Yes. So Cameron did an amazing job, as he always does, playing Peter Salem. And Peter Salem was a hero early on. He was at the Battle of Bunker Hill. And a lot of people don't understand because there's so much revisionism going on here that a number of African American people were involved fighting for freedom. And I believe at the time he had become a free man and he was fighting to at at the Battle of Bunker Hill. And he, he actually shot an officer. And he was the officer, I think who was at Lexington and Concord. And that particular officer it turned, in other words, Peter was part of that, that pushing back and creating quite a cost for the British that they never wanted to go through again the Battle of Bunker Hill. And he was a hero. And Washington at that moment, moment then said we need to allow African American people to fight with us, alongside us. And Joe Ellis tells us that ah, there was a large number of African Americans fought for independence for America.
Abraham Hamilton III: Wow.
Jeff Chamblee: And Nicole, Nicole C. Mullins is another.
Abraham Hamilton III: Let me, let me break in because we'll get to her on the other side of the break. The site is americanmiraclemovie.com I have more questions for my guests. Ralph ogstros, Tim Mahoney. June 9th through the 11th only in theaters. Make sure you get your tickets. Get it in your theaters, in your neighborhood, in your hometowns. And let's blow this film up.
Jeff Chamblee: As Christians, how can we even begin to impact others when we live in a culture where truth is relative? It all starts with God's word. Join us for Activate Summit 2025 at Cadence Bank Conference center in Tupelo, Mississippi. 06-12-14, 2025. The theme is Biblical Bedrock, Building on the authority of scripture. And it's designed to help you acknowledge the Bible's authority and submit to the clear teaching of Scripture. Hear from Frank.
Abraham Hamilton III: Evolution describes what does behave, not what ought to behave.
Jeff Chamblee: Right. It doesn't give you oughts, it just gives you what does happen.
Jeff Chamblee: Todd Herman God always uses evil for good.
Jeff Chamblee: He is very intentional and he intends to intentionally chose you to live through.
Jeff Chamblee: Times such as these and more. The main sessions are for ages 13 and up, while Activate Kids is a separate track for ages 6 through 12. Register for Activate Summit 2025 by visiting activate.aca.net summit get your tickets as soon as possible. Registration closes May11.
Ralf Augstroze: The Hamilton Quarter podcast and 1 minute commentaries are available at afr.net Back to the Hamilton Choir on American Family Radio.
Tim Mahoney and Ralph Augstros are executive producers of the American Miracle film
Abraham Hamilton III: Welcome back to the Hamilton Corner, Abraham Hamilton III here my guests are Tim Mahoney and Ralph Augstros, executive producer and director for the the American Miracle film. The title of the film is the American Miracle. As you can see if you're watching the show, with the poster on, behind Tim Mahoney on his right, your left on the screen and also in Ralph's camera shot. The website however is simply americanmiraclemovie.com that's simply the URL, for, or the website address for the film where you can get all of your information concerning the film. And before we went to the break I was asking Tim a question about the cast and the characters in the film. He was describing Peter, Salem, who is played by Cameron Arnett, who is a pretty well known actor who's in the Forge most recently. Then he was about to, before the disrespectful music came on to talk about Nicole Mullins performance in the film. Nicole C. Mullen, the known gospel artist, is in the film as well and she plays a character that some may not be very familiar with history. And Tim, you were about to tell us about Nicole C Mullins character in the film.
Jeff Chamblee: Yes, it was an important storyline to talk about because Nicole plays the character of Mum Bet Mum M U m B E T I think it is, or B e t T and she hears about the reading of the Declaration of Independence that all men are created, you know, in the image of God. And tragically she is struck by her master Miss Ashley. And we tell that story in the film with a hot shovel and it injures her arm. And she ends up feeling as if she wants to be one of those free people. She hears multiple times that this Declaration of Independence and she says am I one of those people? And she hires an attorney and they go to court in Massachusetts. And what's amazing is that she wins her freedom. And this is during the American Revolution, right? This is during the time when all this is happening. There is a battle going on against slavery. A lot of people don't realize that there was this battle going on and many states did not want to have slavery. And so we unfold that whole story. If you're wondering about it. We are telling this forgotten story about the battle in the revolution and the battle against slavery during the revolution.
Abraham Hamilton III: And it directly contradicts the lies spewed by Nicole, Hannah Jones and the 1619 Project and all of that Tripe with accurate true history. And as Ralph said earlier, the purpose of this is to tell the truth. And in telling the truth it is inescapable that you convey the truth about God's providence and involvement in America's founding. And providing a clear, concise, accurate rendering of his story, is, is greatly, desperately needed to be rediscovered back in America.
Tim: You secured world-class scholars to evaluate historical accuracy of film
Now Ralph, I want to ask you this question, because I know you guys worked, worked feverishly, and diligently, to have a cast of scholars to evaluate the script, to evaluate the historical facts presented in the film because you wanted to make it unassailable by antagonists. And as you said earlier that this is not a skewed revisionist present presentation of anything. This is an accurate depiction conveyance of the truth. Would you speak a little bit about the, the depths you guys went to secure scholars to evaluate the quality and the historicity of the film?
Ralf Augstroze: Well, first of all, just to add to what Tim was saying, the movie also stars Pat Boone, and Kevin Sorbo. They play the young and old Thomas Jefferson.
Abraham Hamilton III: Yes.
Ralf Augstroze: which is very interesting. And they actually pull it off very skillfully. And you know, some people won't know or remember who Pat Moon was. But I think the three of us probably have a pretty good idea, as far as the scholars are concerned. You know, originally this was going to be a purely dramatic motion picture. This was going to be a narrative film. And in discussing this with Michael Medved, we all agreed that when folks, especially again those naysayers would see this film, they would come back and say, well you know what, you know, you created, you turned all these dead old white guys, the founders of America into evangelical Christians. And that was the farthest from our intention. As a matter of fact. Michael Medved is an orthodox Jew. So he really didn't want to turn anybody into necessarily an evangelical, ah, Christian. So the idea was that we would bring in world class scholars, Pulitzer Prize winners in history, National Book Award winners, people who the United States and the world recognized as authorities on American history. People like Joseph Ellis, who is a two time Pulitzer Prize winner, two time National Book Award winner in history, people like Mary Thompson, who was the research historian at the George Washington Presidential Library. people like Akhil Rita Marr, the Sterling professor of law at Yale University, the most cited constitutional scholar by the United States Supreme Court in their decisions. This type of scholar, Yana Novak, who with her father Michael wrote that wonderful book about George Washington's religion, we Decided that we would add just enough of their testimony in the movie to lend credence to the events that we recreated on screen so that the historicity and accuracy of the film would be unassailable. And to add to that, we shot at original locations. We shot at Mount Vernon. We were the very first theatrical feature film to shoot inside the mansion in, at Mount Vernon, in George Washington's study, which no feature film has ever shot inside George Washington's study at Mount Vernon. We shot Daniel Webster's eulogy of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams in 1826 in Faneuil hall pretty much on the spot that Daniel Webster stood on and delivered that eulogy 200 years earlier. So we had a historian on set every day so that we would make sure that we were telling an accurate story. And on occasion we would have to stop shooting in order for the historian to say, well, wait a second guys, I'm not sure that we quite got that right. Let me check some sources. And we'd put everything on hold while Jim Gallagher, our historian, would go and call certain people and check on certain sources to make sure that we were telling an accurate story. So that, that gives you an idea.
Tim: What do you think the true impact could be in our nation
Abraham Hamilton III: Tim, when people see this film, and I mentioned earlier that we needed to blow this film up, I mean this, this is one that, that really needs to be seen far and wide. What do you think the true impact could be in our nation if people see this film? The quantity that they shoot. What I mean by quantity? I mean quantity of people who go, go to see the movie in theaters. frankly, what do you think the impact could be in our nation?
Jeff Chamblee: I think that the film points to the fact that God has been a part of our nation. And I believe that people, when they see this film, they are going to understand that throughout our history, especially in the first part of it, that that's what they're going to see in this movie is that the founders knew that our nation was a nation under God. And I believe that George Whitefield, before in the Great Awakening, had a prayer, one nation under God. And we have, I think at times been intimidated by the rest of the culture to try to withdraw from being civic and from having involvement. I believe, and for myself it meant I needed to be a citizen of this nation. And this nation can really only operate well if it understands that God is where our freedoms originally come from.
Jeff Chamblee: And the founders, you'll see this. Robert George from Princeton will tell you that the founders look back to the book of Genesis and they were able to see that men, they were made in the image of God. There was a divinity, but there is also their fallen in nature. There was a depravity. And I think, John Adams and others said that this nation was only going to survive if it had an understanding of God and of the morality that they had to live by. And so that's what this is a reminder of. You know, Abe, I've made films about the Exodus and the Exodus is about, they said Moses warned, do not forget what God did by bringing you up out of Egypt.
Jeff Chamblee: And I could say the same thing to this nation. I think after working on this. Do not forget what God did by bringing you together as a nation. You know, and I think that's what this film is about. And some people might not like it, but the founders understood it. And there was a common understanding that the presence of God was what brought this nation together. And if God allows us to make the rest of the films, you're going to see more of the presence of God that has held this nation together. And I think that that's what we're faced with right now. Is, is this, is I believe, meant to be at this time. We need to remember, just like the Israelites, do not forget what God did. You know, for the Israelites it was by bringing them out of Egypt. But for us, it's do not forget what God did by bringing us to become this great nation.
Ralf Augstroze: Ralph, I want to ask you and Abe.
Abraham Hamilton III: Go ahead.
Ralf Augstroze: Just to add to what Tim was saying. If you notice our tagline, our nation is no accident. If our nation is no accident, then that implies that there is purpose and agency behind the way that our nation developed.
Ralf Augstroze: And if there's purpose and agency there, that places a responsibility on each of us as American citizens to perpetuate and advance that plan and that agency. So that's sort of the feeling that we would like people to come away from. M having seen this film.
Abraham Hamilton III: Yeah, I was going to invite you. Yeah, go ahead, go ahead, go ahead, go ahead.
Robert George says the nation has failed many times
Jeff Chamblee: I was just going to say one thing, is that Robert George has a great service in this. He says, you know, there are times when the nation has failed. Many times it hasn't lived up to the principles of the Constitution and the Declaration. But that doesn't mean that those principles are wrong. It means that the people, weren't doing the right things. And so we've sinned, as he would say. And I think this film gives you a very important foundation to Understand how the nation came together and how, and what it's founded on. And I think it's meant to inspire and for each one of us to be heroic in our life, how we live out, you know, being a citizen of this country.
The tagline our nation is no accident. Would you just speak to that agency
Abraham Hamilton III: I was going to follow up with you Ralph, because you said the tagline our nation is no accident. If that is in fact true, and I know you're not asking it, it's an open ended question. It's meant to be presented as a pondered, affirmative notion. Would you just speak to a moment as to what that agency would require of us? Because we all as citizens of this great nation, stand as inheritors and benefactors of divine providence acting in the formation of our nation and I would argue the sustaining of our nation. Would you just speak a bit to that agency? that would be inevitably downstream from the recognition of the non accidental founding of our country.
Ralf Augstroze: You know, I think that the primary purpose, at least from my perspective is that every viewer of the movie, every citizen of this country should, as Michael M. Medved says towards the end of the film, to listen for God's footsteps in American history and to recognize that those footsteps were there and that that divine hand of Providence, as George Washington said, was involved in setting these wheels in motion and in guiding the trajectory and history of this nation. Look at the immense amount of good that we have done in the world. Look at the wars, the World War I and World War II in which we had such impact. Look at the places like Ellis island and you know, being a refuge for people who are persecuted in different parts of the world. the, the catalyst for good that America has been on a worldwide scale. This is something that every citizen should recognize and that the stories we tell, the historic stories in this movie should remind us of, to realize that, to perpetuate that, to spread the knowledge of that and to be vigilant of that as we continue, continue each on our God given journey. And maybe there are heroes among us who will be the next George Washington or Benjamin Franklin or maybe on a smaller scale. But simply being aware of God's footsteps and hearing them should motivate us to pay attention to that and to be catalysts of the continuing position that our country plays in the world.
The American Miracle is about telling the truth about America's founding
Abraham Hamilton III: Tim M. You mentioned earlier about the film that you've done on the Exodus, the work you've done with Moses. I've told you personally how your film's depiction of Joseph's burial and, and how that has been just so impactful. For my, My personal family. And you also mentioned the sense that you felt following, the creation of this movie. Did you come away from this film with a sense similar to what you came away with from the work you've done on the Exodus and on Joseph and the other films that you did, concerning his historical affirmations of God's involvement in mankind's history unfolding?
Jeff Chamblee: Well, I'm so fortunate, to be able to, tell these stories. And Abe, there's a time when I have a project like this and I realize there's almost a holy activity involved with it. Because you're going to want to get it right, like Ralph has talked about, historically correct. You're wanting to tell the truth. And when people hear the truth, what does it say? You shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free. And this film is about telling the truth. Again, those other films in the biblical film series that I made were also about telling the truth. I would show a pattern of evidence and allow the audience to see, well, this is how it could have happened. I'm not going to tell you it happened this way, but here are some possibilities. The same thing is true here, because we've heard a lot of alternative, information about our founding, but this film is true. It's historically accurate. That's why we have these other scholars here saying, yes, this is what happened. And when you see what happened, it's different than what people thought. And that's why whether, whatever race you are or whatever economic you have, people are saying this film is important. And I never knew any of this. This is the forgotten story. Story of America's founding. The forgotten story. And you have to see it.
Abraham Hamilton III: The American Miracle, June 9th through 11th americanmiraclemovie.com get your tickets now and tell your friends and family.
