Hamilton: God has called us 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. This is the Hamilton Corner on American Family Radio. It should be uncomfortable for a believer to live as a hypocrite, delivering people out of the bondage of mainstream media.
>> Jeff Chamblee: 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 moment. And now the Hamilton Corner.
Abraham Hamilton: America's secularization has not been effective evangelism
Good evening everyone. Welcome to the Hamilton Corner here on American Family Radio. I'm your host, Abraham Hamilton iii, joined by the corner contingent right across from me. My man, 100 grand, Mr. Bobby. And in the screening we produce extraordinaire. Often imitated, never duplicated. The real J. Mac, ladies and gentlemen, and we are ready to rock and roll with today's edition of the program to get this work week kicked off. We are excited to be with you. We are planning a few remote broadcasts this week. I Voter Guide is having a conference on the Patriot Academy campus this week. Rick Greene, our colleague here is hosting I Voter Guide and planning a broadcast from there later this week. So it's going to be an exciting week of programming and excited to confer with you all, share information and most importantly to encourage you to continue to fight the good fight of faith. 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. I will continue to stress this because the story of America's secularization has not been the effective evangelistic circuit riding of the atheists. No, no, it has been unfortunately the phenomenon articulated in Colossians 2 in that the old deluder has been able to infiltrate the homes and ultimately the local assemblies and to cultivate a certain affinity for worldliness that rivaled the truth of Christ. And over the course of time, because discipleship is a constant, which simply means it's going to happen. The only question is who is going to be the discipler and in which direction will the discipleship occur? Jesus told us the student, when fully trained, he will be like his teacher. And much of what has transpired in our country, the spirit of the age has infiltrated at the family level in many instances and ultimately into the, the local assembly to kind of twist following the way of Christ into something that is foreign. And over time, as a proverb warned, a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest our Nation went from Mr. Gorbachev tear down that wall to New York City's Islamianist mayor, which increasingly large contingents of younger people who at least by name would say they prefer socialism. Which of course theological underpinnings of socialism is atheism. And as Marx posited, socialism is simply in a, step in route to full on communism. How does that happen? That's how it happens. But by God's grace, we have the wherewithal to recognize what has transpired and turn the tide. And thanks be to God that He is still in the business of using crooked sticks to paint straight lines. What began as a small movement in Israel grew to the place to where these people who've shaken up the entire world have now come here. And it's not over until God says it's over. But he has determined and articulated in His Word that He makes Himself known through his people. Hence my encouragement to you what goes on in your house is far more important than what goes on in the White House. We can, if we will. What do I mean by that? We can see the Lord's hand and turning the tide if we will obey what he's commanded. You and I individually, instead of looking over there and say what they're not doing, what somebody else is not doing, let's look at ourselves and see what has God required of me and am I being faithful in what God has required of me at this very moment? Many of you have not most of you. As I mentioned, you're making your transition from part time work to full time. Let's do it with intentionality. Let's be about our Father's business to the Word of God we go.
Second Peter chapter one. Peter says the expiration of his natural life is imminent
Second Peter chapter one. Again, I want to go back to second Peter chapter one. In this conversation here from the Lord's Word is going to frame and shape the remainder of the program. In second Peter chapter one, verses 12 through 15, Peter writes, and he's keenly aware that the time of his, the expiration of his natural life is at hand. And not just expiration, he ultimately is martyred under Nero. But he says this. Second Peter chapter 1, verse 12. Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them and have been established in the truth which is present with you. I consider it right as long as I am in this earthly dwelling to stir you up by way of reminder, knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent as also our, Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me, and I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind. I pointed out before from this text that Peter was keenly aware that the time of his demise was near. I mean, he said it plainly in verse 14, knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent. It's imminent is here. I'm about to be out, y'.
>> Lita Gede: All.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: That's what Peter is saying. The time of my earthly engagement as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ is coming to an end. Yet I'm going to use the remainder of my time that God has given me here. I'm going to diligently use that so that you will be able to thrive in what God has called you to the life of Christ following even after my departure. The point I want to convey to you now is that the principles that are articulated to the Christ follower, they exceed the span. They exceed one's temporal lifespan. They exceed one's temporal lifespan. The principles and the commands of Jesus to his offspring, they are anchored in eternity. I've gone through details before explaining how, the revelation concerning, this, this the inalienable right phenomenon is a revelation that flowed from the idea that mankind is made in the image of God. the things that. And this, this is where. And you've heard me say this before, we need to make a decision whether or not we're going to be partisans or we're going to be Christians. Because if part partisans are the affinity, that the partisans will inevitably stray away from biblical truth. Inevitably will stray away from biblical truth. But if it is Christ over everything, you don't have to worry about you straying anywhere because you're anchored in principles and truth that, that transcend your temporal lifespan. I've shared with you all my testimony in regards to, civic engagement and things of that nature. I had no clue what conservatism was or what it meant to be a party member. And all this, what I knew is that Jesus saved me. That's what I knew. And as I studied the Scripture, there were certain things that Jesus required in Scripture. For example, the sanctity of your human life was not a political, talking point that I arrived at. You know, the Lord gripped me by the truth of his word, by the power of his Spirit, concerning the fact that he is the author of life. That when you have passages like Malachi, I'm sorry, Psalm, 139 and Jeremiah, when the Lord talks about in Psalm 139 knowing all of your days before one came to fruition. Genesis 1, Genesis 2 mankind being made in the image of God. Seeing how, how God treats life and its value and how he responds to those who would take innocent life. That came from biblical conviction. I never saw a political debate on this. This is what the Lord gripped me by respecting people and being remained in violent in their property. It flowed from the reality that all good and perfect gifts flow from the Father of Lights. That when man has anything it's only been afforded to him as a steward placed in the, in their stewardship by God Almighty. And the reality of not only you shall not steal being a sin, but the Lord ups the anti say you shall not even covet. In the, in the legal context that is an inchoate crime, an inchoate sin. But that flows from the character and the person of God. That's not some, that I didn't arrive at that conclusion from some you know, white paper from some think tank, you know, understanding the right functioning of government, even recognizing that government is not merely the, the innovation of man's mind, that government comes from God which reveals the reality that there's a biblical anchor for legitimate government and there is an illegitimate anchorage government. That is the idea from which our declaration articulated that government exists to serve the ends, to protect to the, to the person made in God's image those rights that are inalienable. That government doesn't bequeath rights to people, they protect God given pre political rights that I didn't get that from any white paper. So my point in saying these things is that a part of the challenge in this moment where I don't know if you noticed yet but there's a bit of that, dare I say, an identity crisis going on, especially right now amongst those who profess to be, you know, participants in the gop. What does it really mean? This is one of the major reasons why I often describe my position as being more of a constitutionalist. Simply put because there have been people saying and doing things in the name of so called conservatism that ain't remotely close to being conservative. You know, I'm not going to go on a big old deal about this now, but the government shutdown boil came right down to the reality of Obamacare. Well why didn't Republicans when they had majorities repeal Obamacare? We wouldn't even had to have had this issue because Obamacare would be in the garbage dump. But if you recall there were Republicans that kept Obamacare from being repealed. Is that conservative? And the point of this is not to spend a whole lot of time highlighting the various iterations of partisanship, but to reorient us to the fact that, wait a minute. We should seek to anchor our positions for engagement on notions that are endure, that are durable, that are eternal. That is why I would argue that we've enjoyed the longest standing republic in the history of the world. Because that republic has been founded upon principles that are eternal. They're not subject to the temporal fickle nature of the ever changing winds of a perpetually, confused society. It's one of the major reasons why our founders established the constitutional Republic because it was in anticipation of man's fickle nature, say even when man gets blown to and fro, that there was a transcendent objective standard that aids us in on weight. Murder is murder because it is and always will be because God has established it as such. When Peter is explaining this, the time of my temporal dwelling, as he says in the verse 14, my earthly dwelling, the time of me laying aside my earthly dwelling is imminent. And he is more specific, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure, you will be able to call these things to mind. With all of the uncertainty of this moment, brothers and sisters, we have the opportunity to root our positions in the transcendent, unchanging truth of God's Word. And the principles from God's holy Word will drive our, outward facing, public facing engagement and enable us to advocate for mankind to embrace the only sound source for us to enjoy what the Scripture has revealed is available to us and that is through God's holy Word. This is one of the major reasons why I firmly object to and resist efforts to try to recast positions in view of the current cultural climate.
>> Jeff Chamblee: A Discipleship Minute with Joseph Parker Proverbs.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Chapter 15, verse 1. A soft word turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up, anger. Proverbs, chapter 16, verse 24. Gracious words are, ah, like a honeycomb sweetness to the soul and health to the body. Words are powerful. Our words can do things far beyond what we seem to realize. Words can make someone's day and words can ruin someone's day. Words can give people hope and words can help people feel hopeless, as the Scripture says in Proverbs chapter 18, verse 21. Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Those who love it will eat its fruits. We are wise to pray the prayer found in Psalm 141, verse 3, Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth. Keep watch over the door of my lips.
Right now is the perfect time to rethink how you pay for health care
>> Jeff Chamblee: So right now may be the perfect time for you to rethink how you pay for health care. And here's why. This time of year is decision time for a lot of people, but it's also when you can join Medashare and save even more than usual. For many families, joining Medashare means saving about 500 bucks a month, which is a game changer for a lot of people. But what's more, Medishare members like it. We know this from member surveys. They like it a lot. It's a proven thing. Now, Medishare has been around for over 30 years. It's a Christian community of hundreds of thousands of people now. And here's the thing too. If you join before November 30th and you mentioned the promo code share, they will waive your application fee. So you save 100 bucks right off the bat. I'll give you the number here in a second, but just call and you'll get a price within two minutes. Again, the deadline is November 30th, so call now, you'll save even more. Here's the number. Call 83344 Bible. That's 83344, Bible. 83344 Bible. Shining light into the darkness. This is the Hamilton Corner on American Family Radio.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Welcome back to the Hamilton Corner, Abraham Hamilton III here. I am delighted to have my next guest on the program because many of you may know, some of you may not be aware, Operation Christmas Child's national collection week is underway. it continues now all the way through to November 24th. And my guest is one of the representatives of Operation Christmas Child, none other than Ms. Lita Gede. Ms. Gede, thank you for joining me here with on the Hamilton Corner on American Family Radio.
>> Lita Gede: It's a pleasure to join you, tonight.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Oh, the pleasure is absolutely mine and I am confident it is our listeners and viewers as well. Would you just share a little bit of your background? I know, that you, ah, are from Cambodia originally. Would you share a little bit of your background and how you, encountered Operation Christmas Child ultimately in your own life?
>> Lita Gede: Sure. Thank you. so my name is Lida Gidd and I'm originally a shoebox recipient, come from Cambodia. And, I would like to share a little bit of my childhood, before I received the shoebox gift. when I was a kid, everyone in Cambodia was poor because there had been a war, the genocide and life was hard. It was hard to find food, it was hard to find a place to live. And not every child could go to school. And as a child I had no toy to play with. And my dad was hardly ever around and so my mom had to work so hard just for food. And there was no money for nice clothes or even buy toys. And in fact I never owned a pair of shoes and only a rubber flip flop. And when I was around, when I was around four years old, Usually my mother took me to work with her. But one day she took. She left me home alone. And that day I got kidnapped and I was sold to a brothel. Child trafficking was a big problem at that time and I was only four so I was so scared and terrified. but fortunately I got rescued from a Cambodian Christian couple. And they took me back to my mother on the same day. It was a miracle. And later on in life I hardly ever saw my father. And all I know about him is that he was a gambler and womanizer and he never took the responsibility over my mom and I and he even gambled away our house. And so both of us had no place to live. We were homeless, hopeless and loveless. And you know, would you tell me how would you respond and handle all this at a young age? And it was soon clear that my single mother could not protect and provide for me at the same time. So I was sent to live with my uncle family and where he become like a true father to me. And I'm grateful to him for taking me into his Christian family. And he's a kind hearted man. He took the responsibility for me. He provide for my basic needs, allowed me to go to school and took me to church every Sunday.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Wow.
>> Lita Gede: ah, with their family where soon it's become my favorite place to be at, ah to be at. And So my life at that time, if you can imagine, it's like a dark cloud and I was not a happy child. I thought that I was not so special. I don't feel Somebody, anyone care for me. And I felt like like I'm Not even exist. So I, I always wonder where is the true love and Why my life is like. There's no color in my life, only dark and, and gray color. And One one of the favorite hobby that I used to do when I was a child, when I went to church is doing coloring and but when you go to church and do the coloring. You have to leave the stuff there. You can never take it home. And that was it. And so I always love to draw and color, but I never get to own, an art supply.
>> Jenna Ellis: Ah.
>> Lita Gede: So one day when I, went to church, I was invited to church for kids events with my cousins. And when I entered the room, there was a lot of kids. And then I noticed that there was a lot of boxes coupled with, white cloth. But I can see the sparkly, color paper, wrapping around that boxes. It's just. So I was so curious what was inside it.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: How old, how old were you at this point?
>> Lita Gede: Ah, so that, that's when I was around 12 years old. Yeah. So, Yes. So, yeah. So I was around 12 when I joined this kids event. And at the end of the. After we hear the gospel presentation and all this stuff, they told us, we were going to receive a shoebuck gift.
Operation Christmas Child gave me my very first shoebox gift
And I could not, believe, with my own eye that I was going to receive my very first gift ever from Operation Christmas Child. It brought tears to my eye as they handed me my very own shoebag gift. I remember it was wrapped with colorful paper. It was heavy and. And the one thing, the first, thing that caught my attention, it was the smell of the shoe. But I did not know what you guys put in there. But even a toothbrush is also smells so good. And I remember I received, school supply, hygiene items and like, toy, a doll, jump rope. But one thing that stood out to me the most, it was a color, A very good quality color pencil. And you know, I told you that I always love to draw, but I never get to own one. And so having my very own art supply inside the shoebox, it made me felt careful and special. It was the moment that I realized that God is real and he cared for me. And I was wondering where the shoebox came from and who gave it to me. And, when I asked, I was told that it came from people who love God. And I was amazed that someone who did not know me, live across the world from me, would care enough to pack the shoebox just for me. I wanted school supply. I wanted a, colored pencil. And it was they were there inside my shoebox that made me feel that there's somebody out there who love God. And then I can receive God. Tangible love that I can touch, that I can feel, and I can smell the love I. I call a foreign smell. the aroma, the love that I can feel it. And so, this shoebox is really changed my life. It brought the color into my life later on. And I. It was the moment that I realized that God is real and he cared for me. So so the. This
>> Lita Gede: You know, even though life will fill with so much pains and many hardships, but I can clearly see God's hand protect for me over again and again. And The shoebox gift was one of those seeds that God planted in my heart to remind me that I am not forgotten. I struggle though to forgive those who hurt me. Especially the one who was supposed to care for me like my own parents. But then I later I Learned in Isaiah 49, 15 said can A, mother forget the baby at her breath and have no compassion to a child she has born, though she may forget, I will never forget you. And this scripture reminded me that I am not forgotten. God used many situations in my life to remind me that I am not forgotten.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Amen.
>> Lita Gede: And, and the shoebox gift had planted seed in my heart and to experience God's tangible love. And because of experiencing this love, God's love for me, I learned this important life lesson is to forgive those who hurt me. Just ask Christ forgiving my sin.
How did you come to place your faith in Christ Jesus for salvation
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Now let me ask you this because I know you eventually become a teacher at the Greatest journey. How did you come to place your faith in Christ Jesus for salvation?
>> Lita Gede: Yes. So after I received my shoebox a few years later, I decided to put my faith in Christ and I became so passionate about children ministry and I got involved with because of involving with the children ministry, I got the opportunity to reconnect with our praise in Christmas Child again. And then I had the opportunity to distribute shoeboxes to other children myself. And yeah, it was incredible being on the other side of the shoebox and witness the joys on the children's faces, just as I had felt when I received mine. And also yes, God told me to be more involved with Operation Christmas Child and by becoming the Greatest Journey teacher. and this, this is a, ah, 12, discipleship program, offered to children after they received the shoeback gift. We invite them back and have the discipleship program together with us. And I just want to tell you I witnessed the impact of the gospel in the life of children, not only as they heard the gospel before they received the shoebox, but as we went through the discipleship program together. And today many of them I taught are now the one teaching and serving other children themselves. So the shoebox gift is really an open door for evangelism discipleship, and multiplication.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: M. That is fantastic. And for those who may not be aware, as Ms. Gied shared, the Greatest Journey is a program that accompanies the Operation Christmas Child shoebox Gift. Because each child that receives the shoebox gift is invited to participate in the Greatest Journey.
Lita says she received a shoebox at an early age
And I want to ask you, Lita, and you described it a little bit. Can you just expound a little bit more of how it was for you after having received a shoebox? So such an early age, after having suffered. I mean, I know you, only you didn't even hit the tip of the iceberg of the things that you, you suffered. but to be on the other side, packing the shoeboxes and then teaching the Greatest journey, for children who receive gifts, shoebox gifts, just as you received.
>> Lita Gede: M. How would I feel?
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Yeah. How did it feel for you to be the one packing those shoeboxes?
>> Lita Gede: Oh, I mean, it was incredible. I could not, when I received my shoebox, I never imagined that one day I would be also giving shoeboxes other children. And now that I am America, I, myself and my family are packing shoebox. It was incredible being on the other side of the shoebox. And, you know, it just made me, feel that, and looking back, I can clearly see God's hand as he was guiding me through in a way that I could be here today and, to pack the shoebox for other children and then also, to witness the impact of the eternal impact in that simple shoebox. It can make, the transformation in the children's lives around the world. You never know that the shoebox that you pack can make the eternal impact in the life of the children around the world.
Samaritan's Purse is collecting shoeboxes for overseas missions
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Now, you mentioned that you went through the struggle of learning to, forgive those who would hurt you, including my parents. Yeah. how did the shoebox gift relate to the love of Christ being revealed to you? And then how did that impact your ability to grow to the point where you could forgive?
>> Lita Gede: Yeah. So I, I, like I mentioned, I struggle to forgive, those who hurt me. And I, I, mean, not just my own parent. There were so many other people who hurt me and wronged me and forgive, forgive someone who wrong had wronged us and embarrass us or hurt us. It's not easy, and sometimes it sounds impossible. But then, after receiving this shoebox gift, like I said, it's one of those seeds that God already planted in my heart to show me that I am not forgotten and that he cared for me. And I experienced his love and that I learned that God loved us so much that he sent his beloved son to die on the cross for me and that I am a sinful person and God can forgive me. So why I cannot forgive other people. And so it's with ah, this, it's really changed my life to help me to really ah, transform my life that I, God can forgive me. So I also can forgive. I mean forgiving someone is hard. And then God called us to forgive, not just one. In Matthew 18:22 Jesus said to forgive 70 times 7. Right? That means he asked us to forgive again and again up until today. My life hasn't always been easy. Back then my country failed me, my family failed me. I didn't have a choice where I was born into, I was born into a poor and broken family. But I can still choose Jesus because he has seen me, he has chosen me. And before, I mean I was born, I was in my mother's womb. He already know my name. and so, but when I, when it's hard to forgive, I ask ah, I look up to Christ and I ask him for the strength to do so for others. And that is how I can moving forward. And I practice this forgiveness again and again.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: That is so profound. I mean you're sharing something that really is unfathomable for many people listening and watching right now. because to be sold to a brothel at four years old, I mean this is amazing. But packing these shoeboxes, praying over them, that's something my family and I, we do as we pack, we pray. Even though we may not know the name of the child who's going to receive the gift, God knows. And, and we pray for impacts just like you experienced. But where can people go if they want to get more information and they want to be a part of packing a shoebox and make it available for National Collection Week, how can they do so?
>> Lita Gede: so you can go to samaritanpurseuh.org occ for more information, about a packing shoebox. And today is the beginning of the national collection weeks until November 24th. So you still have time grab a box and pack a shoebox and you, when you go to the website you can find your nearest drop off location, you can drop off there and then you never know. That shoebox gift is mean a lot to the children. It might seem small and simple, but it could mean the world to the child who never received a gift before.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Amen.
>> Lita Gede: And yes, amen folks.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: You you definitely want to be a part of this. This is one small way. Even if you never are able to participate in a foreign mission trip, you can be a part of ministering to someone in a foreign country by just packing a simple shoebox. Simply go to samaritanspurse.org occ occ that is samaritan's purse.org occ your small gift could very well be for a child. Exactly what Mrs. Lita Gede experienced. A, tangible deposit to show the love of Christ. Thank you Lita.
>> Lita Gede: Amen. Thank you so much.
The radical left will stop at nothing to end life in the womb
>> Abraham Hamilton III: The radical left will stop at nothing.
>> Jeff Chamblee: To find a way to end life in the womb. They're now using the mail to ship abortion pills straight into homes across America. Even in states where abortion is illegal.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: It'S not health care and it must be stopped. You can take action today when you support AFA action, you'll help us hold.
>> Jeff Chamblee: Big Pharma accountable and defend life. As our thanks, we'll send you the Christian Handbook for Civic engagement. Visit afaaction.net to give your urgent gift.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Today at Wesley Biblical Seminary we believe God is raising up a movement across our nation and around the world who hold fast to the inerrancy of Scripture and the hope of holiness. We do this through bachelor's, masters and doctoral degrees, certificate programs, and even training for lay people. So whatever your next step is in being equipped for ministry, we're here for you. And if you believe these are the kind of pastors we need leading churches in the future, we invite you to think about giving to Wesley Biblical Seminary. Learn more about us@wbs.edu.
UH Redeem Health Share Ministry offers faith-based healthcare
>> Jeff Chamblee: What if health care could be more than bills and bureaucracy? What if it could reflect faith, foster community and offer spiritual support? Support at Redeem Health Share Ministry the mission goes beyond medical bills. It's about honoring Christ and embracing healthcare that aligns with Christian values. Redeem members share medical expenses through monthly contributions, supporting one another in a Christ centered community. It's not insurance, it's believers helping believers through financial support and prayer. And Redeem Health Share Providers provides freedom for members to select the doctors, hospitals and treatments that are right for them. No networks, no restrictions, just faith driven care. From everyday checkups to unexpected medical emergencies, Redeem offers flexible programs and encouragement rooted in Scripture because your health care should reflect your faith, not compromise it. More@redeemhealthshare.org.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: The Hamilton Corner podcast and one minute.
>> Jeff Chamblee: Commentaries are available at afr.net back to.
The Hamilton Corner on American Family Radio welcomes back Jenna Ellis
>> Abraham Hamilton III: The Hamilton Corner on American Family Radio welcome back to the Hamilton Corner Abraham Hamilton III Here I am delighted to have on the show with me a woman who usually probably helps you in getting to work in the mornings and we help you get home from work usually in the evenings. For most of you, I'm speaking of none other than Jenna Ellis, host of Jenna Ellis in the Morning right here on American Family Radio, also host of On Demand with Jenna Ellis, the podcast made available through the American Family Radio Podcast Network. And I have her on because she just published a new article available at afn.net titled the Future of Conservatism now in question is not behind us. Jenna, thank you for joining me here this evening when you normally would be chilling. Thank you for joining me here on the Hamilton Corner.
>> Jenna Ellis: Well, thanks. It's fun to chill with you. I always love joining in the evening and listening to you in the evenings as well.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Oh, it is, it is a pleasure to have you on and I'm grateful that you were willing to even come on to talk about this because I know I asked you to come on very late, but you were gracious in being willing to come on.
M. M. Bennett: The future of conservatism isn't behind us
now also I listened to the piece that you sent me, the audio from your show. When you pen this article, what are you attempting to convey that is absolutely necessary for, I would argue, the entire body polity to understand, but also Christians, constitutionalists and conservatives?
>> Jenna Ellis: that's a big question that right now, when we are in the midst of possibly the fourth turning, we're seeing that the Trump era is coming to a close. We're on the brink of more modern technology dealing with AI. I mean, so many questions that are, what does the future hold? My attempt at this article was to answer the question of why conservatism, when defined and articulated correctly, is still relevant. And not only is it relevant, it is premised in a foundational eternal truth. Because what we are really conserving is what God ordained. And we have so much focus on the failures of institutions, and we hear this all the time, that young men especially have, lost trust in institutions. They're tired of the establishment gop. All of those things true. And we can and should criticize and critique men and their man made institutions. But what we should be preserving and conserving, what is true throughout all of human history, which is the person of God himself and his authority and his three ordained institutions, which are the church government, the family government and the civil government. So the future of conservatism, as I say in the piece, isn't behind us, it's above us.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: M. Oh, I love that. So Much. And even when talking to you about this, I said when you included that in the piece, the future of conservatism isn't behind us, it is above us. It's such a profound reality because there has been kind of commingled, if you will, with the intense and continued secularization, of America, generally speaking. There's been an effort even to kind of secularize the so called conservative movement. And so what we're witnessing really is a lot of people who have become exhausted by the failures of the efforts, but may not be aware of exactly what, why the efforts have failed. And what is it that we should be drawing toward in order to reestablish, ourselves in a much more sound footing instead of only being identified by what you oppose, what are the ideals, the principles, and frankly the truth that we should be ascribing toward that would further anchor our society. And then. And you referred to it just now, but how would you articulate that to kind of flesh it out a bit more for people to kind of floundering in the midst of the current milieu?
>> Jenna Ellis: Yeah, and you know, I think that what you've articulated is also true for how so many young people feel about church as well. When they say, you know, look, I look at all these different denominations, these factions. I look at the mega churches that aren't doing xyz, I look at the theological milieu. And so the response is to abandon church altogether. Well, what you're doing is actually abandoning an institution that God tells you to be a part of. The same thing with the family. We see the rise of divorce. We see relationships that don't work out. We see, tragedy, you know, with, with people who lose, their spouses, like Erica Kirk lost Charlie Kirk. We see, abuse. We see so many other ways that the family has broken down. And so then the future is, well, redefine it all together, Right? Well, no, that's not the response. It's that we need. And what I articulate in the piece is a revitalized church that preaches truth without fear, strong families capable of withstanding cultural collapse. And then for our current political milieu, as you put it, legitimate civil government that protects life, liberty and property, not that manages speech, faith or parental rights. But the term legitimate means understanding that the source of civil government authority is God himself. And therefore we cannot do anything separate and apart from what he has delegated to the civil government and also the church and the family. If we truly want to conserve the institutions that God has ordained and we want to Go into the next part of the American experiment that is ahead of us. We have to always look above instead of reducing the political question to either the future or what's in the past.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Man, it is so profound. You write in the piece on this point, you say this quote. When conservatives act like. When conservatives act like saving the GOP brand or restoring the Reagan coalition or defending norms is the goal, they missed the point. Reagan didn't succeed because he happened to Govern during the 1980s. He succeeded because his leadership aligned with timeless, transcendent principles that reflect the God ordained institutions that actually matter. End quote. I mean, that is such a true statement, because with the disintegration of the family, for example, and this is a point that I try to illustrate for people. It's one thing when you don't know what you don't know, right? It's one thing to be ignorant. It's another thing to be ignorant of that which you are ignorant of. You know, so when you have, people who say, well, we need to talk about family values, but the majority of people, younger people, Gen Z, millennials, and even younger, when you talk about family values, well, the majority of those people, many of whom are adults now, they come from families where divorce was the norm, not the exception, the norm. So when you say family values, to them, they hear something completely differently than what others in other generations might say. And to that point, you are explaining that we need to begin to once again proclaim what the truth is concerning family. Not merely reflecting on some nostalgic idea of days gone by, but to affirmatively present the good, the true and the beautiful concerning what family is as God has ordained it. Did I explain that right?
>> Jenna Ellis: Yeah, absolutely. Amen.
Jeffrey Goldberg: The American Dream is inextricably intertwined with God
And this goes to this rising question of how the Reagan generation is, quote, unquote, out of touch because the American Dream is not possible right now for Gen Zers. And so they're saying, well, yeah, well, maybe you got to buy a house and, you had a nuclear family, you lived in the era that you're dreaming about of, you know, the 80s and 90s and so forth, but that's just not reality anymore. If that's the goal that we are articulating to the next generation, that the American Dream is about a moment in time or is about equality of life, then we are totally missing the point. Because those are surface goals. Those are a reflection of the principles that transcend far longer than just the last greatest generation, that's currently surviving, can articulate the American Dream, the true American Dream. Actually has nothing to do with living specifically in America. It's that this country was the first country literally founded on a recognition that our rights are pre political. And every human being who has ever existed in any time, place or culture has the same rights that God gave them, the same inherent dignity and value and worth and the same mission. To have a family, to be part of a church, to come into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and have the freedom and liberty that is protected by their civil government, to pursue the things of God. The American dream is inextricably intertwined with the truth of God. And if we are conserving the American experiment, then what we absolutely are doing is preserving and protecting the biblical worldview that is timeless.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: You say this plainly. I'm not going to read the whole piece on the air because everybody needs to go to afn.net and get this piece. Read it, share it with your friends. Jeff, please put it in the show notes so that people can circulate this. I mean you say it plainly.
>> Lita Gede: Quote.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: The future of conservatism will not be secured by reliving 1776 or 1980. It will be secured by returning to the God ordained institutions that existed long before America and will outlast every political cycle. You go on to say in mentioning a revitalized church, preaching the truth without fear, strong families capable of withstanding cultural collapse, legitimate civil government that protects life, liberty and property, that these aren't old fashioned ideas. They're the only framework strong enough to rebuild a free society. Jenna, you were in the kitchen with your chef's hat on because you were.
>> Jenna Ellis: Cooking, you know, which is exactly where a woman should be, right? Because I'm m baking. I'm baking my Christmas cookies tonight in fact.
>> Lita Gede: So I love it.
>> Jenna Ellis: And we can say that because I love the God ordained traditional rules. Right? Like women. I want to be a wife and a mother someday. And so if you're listening and you have a recommendation, Abe is accepting applications for vetting for my future husband. So just putting that out there. But but, but this is so true that it's like we have this conception as patriotic Americans that somehow the, this notion of pre political rights and everything about America began in 1776 and these were new ideas. Well no, our founders understood these principles from the Bible. They understood them from generations passed and in the history and tradition of the law of understanding how civil governments rose and fell throughout history and what they had come from, from England, that didn't protect religious liberty. I mean all of these Things. This wasn't some brand new idea that spawned the greatest nation that has ever existed on the face of the earth. It was a recognition of the truth of God and his view of what a moral and upright society that is truly fashioned in liberty actually means and what it provides for the family and the church, which is protection ultimately to raise our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord and to worship God freely and do exactly what we're doing right now. Abe, ah, which is speaking together about truth in the things of God, which is exercising our first freedoms, freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom, free exercise of religion and also freedom of the press. Because hey, we're in a radio network.
You say the left builds institutions intended to replace God's authority
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Absolutely. I'll give you, I'll give you one more because these quotes are just so profound. You wrote quote, the left builds institutions intended to replace God's authority. Conservatives must stop trying to conserve those. Our mission is not to protect the status quo, but to protect the eternal order. End quote. That is, is spot on because as I read that I immediately thought the progressive movement, the progressive movement literally moved to enshrine institutions to rip our nation away from God's authority and to supplant God's authority with man m made and I would argue, an insufficient replacement for God's authority. I think you rightly diagnosed that in the piece.
>> Jenna Ellis: Yeah. And you know, and the right is just as guilty of holding up institutions as if they, they are the final authority. Like saying, you know, well as long as we have a Christian president, then you know, anything that he does, or a Republican president even, anything he does is without, being subject to criticism. And no, the presidency actually is a man made institution because the Bible does not require a president. The Bible does not require a constitutional form of government. And yet we preserve some of these institutions which I think are worth preserving, like the U.S. constitution. But it has to be for the reason that they are the best expression of God's authority. That ultimately those institutions were founded and established and man made because they're the best vehicle to ultimately protect the eternal order and limited delegated authority that comes from God himself. And the moment that those institutions run afoul of God's eternal order, like what our U.S. supreme Court is doing right now by not overturning the horrific same sex marriage decision that needs to be called out. We don't just say, well, because you are the U.S. supreme Court, you're infallible. It doesn't work like that. The only institutions that are worth preserving 100% are the institutions that God ordained.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: So well said. So well said. So, as you've already laid it out, the way forward is not hearkening to nostalgia. The way forward is transcendent. It's eternal. It's above us. If we're seeking for and grappling for, how do we, find our footing in this, you know, the torrential winds of modern society in our nation? What we need to do is grasp upward toward what God has already established. You mentioned them already. Revitalized church, strong families, legitimate civil government. How can we do exactly what you, prescribed for us to do in your article?
>> Jenna Ellis: By keeping God at the center instead of transforming our national religion into a worship of politics. Because the moment that we do that and we worship a movement, or we worship politics, or we're so focused on that and we lose sight of the eternal person of truth, then we get off track in so many different directions. We have to keep the main thing. The main thing which is God at the center.
Jenna Ellis: If you are not tuning in in the morning, what are
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Well said. Jenna Ellis. Ladies and gentlemen, if you are not tuning in in the morning, what are you doing? Get your life right and tune in to American family radio at 7:00am Central Time, 8:00am Eastern Time. You can hear Jenna in the morning, or you can hear her podcast on demand. And frankly, you can get all of her daily radio programs and her podcasts on demand. There's no excuse. You can get the American family radio app, whether you have an Apple device, Android device, and, you can carry the Hamilton corner in your pocket. You can carry Jenna Ellis in your pocket and tune in whenever you can. Jenna, thank you so much for taking the time to hop on with me this evening.
>> Jenna Ellis: Thank you, my friend. I'm gonna go back to the kitchen where I belong.
>> Jeff Chamblee: M the views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.
