Point of View December 2, 2024 – Hour 1 : The Jesus Book

[00:00:04] Across America, Live, this is Point of View, Kirby Anderson.

[00:00:20] Thank you for joining me, it is a Monday edition of Point of View, hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend,

[00:00:24] and as we have been advertising even last week, we have in studio with us today Dr. Jack Graham,

[00:00:30] we will be talking with him in the first hour about his book, The Jesus Book,

[00:00:34] as well as this Bible in a Year with Jack Graham, which is a podcast now up to 55 million downloads,

[00:00:43] maybe get some comments about Israel and some of the support they've given there,

[00:00:46] they have a prayer wall that I want to talk about, and also we also have been talking about some of these Trump nominations,

[00:00:53] and he knows one of those nominees very well, so we'll talk about that as well.

[00:00:57] But we are privileged to have in studio with us today Dr. Jack Graham, he's the pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church,

[00:01:02] one of the nation's largest and most dynamic congregations, an individual that's heard all over the world, literally,

[00:01:08] and an individual that in the past has served as the chairman of the National Day of Prayer,

[00:01:13] has been the president of the Southern Baptist Convention, and Jack Graham, it is just always great to sit across from you.

[00:01:19] Thank you.

[00:01:20] Well, that's right back at you, Kirby, and thank you.

[00:01:24] It's a privilege I get to be your pastor as well, and I thank God for you,

[00:01:29] and you teach this wonderful class, examiner class at Prestonwood, and you've done that at least 25 years, I would say, a long time.

[00:01:39] And I met you, I think, the first year I got here.

[00:01:42] I do remember that.

[00:01:43] We were on a retreat together.

[00:01:44] Yes.

[00:01:45] Up in the mountains, and I've admired your work all these years.

[00:01:48] Thank you for having me.

[00:01:49] Well, again, let me just mention that there are some links that we have provided to you on the website,

[00:01:54] so the social media for Jack Graham is there.

[00:01:58] JackGraham.org is there.

[00:02:00] Also, we'll talk in just a few minutes about the podcast,

[00:02:03] but I thought we'd get into the book, The Jesus Book,

[00:02:06] because as you and I were even talking off air, book sales are up somewhat,

[00:02:11] but Bible sales are up even more,

[00:02:14] and there seems to be a real renewed interest in the Bible,

[00:02:18] and so you couldn't have had a better book come out right now.

[00:02:21] Well, I do believe God is moving in ways that we haven't seen in a while,

[00:02:28] and one way we can tell is you see young people,

[00:02:34] whether it's college campuses, universities, or in churches,

[00:02:38] who have this appetite for not just spirituality but for the Christian faith and the Bible,

[00:02:46] and I don't know what the numbers may show regarding growth of that demographic,

[00:02:52] Generation Z, I guess it is now,

[00:02:56] but it is, I just see anecdotally,

[00:02:59] I see so many young people who want to know,

[00:03:04] is the Bible true?

[00:03:05] Is it trustworthy?

[00:03:06] Can we, and how do I know and read and understand the Bible?

[00:03:10] And so I'm very encouraged,

[00:03:12] and you see those numbers in the study you're referencing,

[00:03:15] I think the Bible sales are up 22%.

[00:03:18] Isn't that amazing?

[00:03:18] Now, if it's good to sell the Bible,

[00:03:20] we just want to get people reading the Bible,

[00:03:22] because it's been, for years and years,

[00:03:24] it's the world's bestseller, always,

[00:03:27] and yet the Bible can be intimidating to some people,

[00:03:32] and so I wrote this book for a veteran believer.

[00:03:36] I mean, you are an apologist and an ethicist,

[00:03:38] so there's some apologetics in here on why we can trust the Bible,

[00:03:42] but there's a lot of practicality in terms of,

[00:03:45] you know, how do you actually have a devotional life in quiet time

[00:03:48] and read your Bible,

[00:03:49] and how do you meditate on the Bible,

[00:03:52] and how is the Bible put together,

[00:03:54] and just some of the basics that many Christians,

[00:03:58] many believers don't know.

[00:03:59] So I hope in this book that I can span the gamut of,

[00:04:05] whether you're a new Christian or a veteran believer,

[00:04:08] that this book would inspire and motivate you to get into the Bible.

[00:04:12] Well, I just mentioned, too,

[00:04:13] that I did my commentary today on the Jesus book,

[00:04:16] and that not only goes out to many of the stations that carry this,

[00:04:19] but to all the stations for American Family Radio,

[00:04:22] all the stations for Bot Radio Network,

[00:04:25] and many of the stations for Moody,

[00:04:26] so about 600 other stations hearing about that today.

[00:04:30] But let's get into that first chapter,

[00:04:31] Can I Trust the Bible?

[00:04:33] And I thought one way to get into that is to also point out

[00:04:36] that one of the things you've done at Prestonwood Baptist Church

[00:04:38] is held, if not the largest,

[00:04:40] one of the largest apologetics conferences that have ever been held.

[00:04:44] Can you speak to that?

[00:04:45] Right.

[00:04:46] Dr. Jeremiah Johnston is the spiritual development leader

[00:04:50] at our school, Prestonwood Christian Academy,

[00:04:55] and then he has a dual role at the church as apologetics pastor.

[00:05:00] So we've had a worldview conference for a good while relative to the school,

[00:05:05] related to the school,

[00:05:06] but we wanted to take it up more effective in terms of outreach

[00:05:12] instead of just being for the school,

[00:05:15] but to invite other schools and Christians from everywhere to come.

[00:05:18] So Dr. Johnston Jeremiah, incredible guy, put this together,

[00:05:23] and he had some of the greatest speakers and leaders in the field of apologetics

[00:05:28] and biblical authority in the world.

[00:05:31] And so now it's kind of where we go from here because it was so successful the last time.

[00:05:36] Yeah, I think we're one of the few churches that actually has an apologetics pastor.

[00:05:42] And we're able to do that.

[00:05:44] And I do believe with, we were just talking about a younger generation,

[00:05:48] you must be willing to explain what you believe and why you believe it.

[00:05:52] And so we've been doing it at our school for a while,

[00:05:56] and now it's good to expand it through the church and beyond.

[00:05:58] One of the things we've made available is this little booklet on biblical reliability

[00:06:02] where we quote some of those people, including Lee Strobel, who you had at that conference.

[00:06:06] Lee was there, and Ali Beth Stuckey, and Alicia Chilvers.

[00:06:09] Yeah, who endorses your book, and all those people.

[00:06:11] A lot of really great people.

[00:06:12] But back to the issue.

[00:06:14] Everybody has a Bible.

[00:06:16] I remember a number of years ago I got a call from a reporter at the Wall Street Journal,

[00:06:20] and I thought, why are they calling me?

[00:06:22] It turns out that they wanted to know,

[00:06:24] they'd just seen a survey showing that most people have a Bible in their home

[00:06:28] or most people have a Bible in their phone,

[00:06:29] but most people don't read their Bible.

[00:06:31] And it does seem to me that in some respects you're trying to address this

[00:06:35] because either I don't trust the Bible or I don't think it's relevant

[00:06:39] or I think it's too difficult to understand.

[00:06:41] And that's in a sense why you wrote this book,

[00:06:43] because there are so many people that have access to the Bible,

[00:06:46] and yet they're not reading the Bible on a regular basis.

[00:06:49] And what a privilege that is for our generation.

[00:06:52] The Bible is literally at our fingertips now with cell phones

[00:06:56] and, of course, the Bible we hold in our hands.

[00:07:02] And so we have the potential of reaching more people with the message of the Bible

[00:07:07] than in any previous generation.

[00:07:09] And so that's thrilling.

[00:07:11] And I've been a Bible preacher my whole life,

[00:07:15] and I began this book in the lap of my grandfather.

[00:07:18] That's right.

[00:07:19] And who taught me the Bible as a boy.

[00:07:22] And I've never been apart from my Bible.

[00:07:24] Never.

[00:07:25] And that's a privilege because there are people who don't have access to the Bible.

[00:07:28] And previous generations did not have access to the Bible,

[00:07:33] even an English Bible at some point.

[00:07:35] And there's a section in the book where I talk about how blessed we are by the translators.

[00:07:39] It's something we often don't consider.

[00:07:41] But those who some martyred for translating the Bible

[00:07:45] and how we got the Bible, how the Bible was put together.

[00:07:48] So that may all sound academic, but it's really not.

[00:07:52] It's just a powerful story of how God inspired the Bible,

[00:07:57] how he illuminates the Bible by the Holy Spirit,

[00:08:00] how he's preserved the Bible, protected the Bible through the generations.

[00:08:05] And so on my grandfather's lap as a child, I learned to love the Bible.

[00:08:09] And as I grew to be a man, then I experienced the power of the Bible in my life.

[00:08:15] Let's take a break.

[00:08:16] And when we come back, I want you to understand how important it is to read the Bible daily.

[00:08:20] There's a whole chapter there that addresses that issue.

[00:08:23] And I think you'll be surprised.

[00:08:25] You might say, well, I read the Bible once or twice a week.

[00:08:28] But there is something dramatic that takes place if you read it every day,

[00:08:32] or at least more than four days a week.

[00:08:35] And so that's one of the things in this book and a lot of other great insights.

[00:08:40] We'll take a break and continue our conversation with Dr. Jack Graham.

[00:08:42] That coming up right after these important messages.

[00:08:58] This is Viewpoints with Kirby Anderson.

[00:09:04] Now that we're in the last month of the year, let me recommend what you may want to plan to do in 2025.

[00:09:09] I would recommend you read through the Bible in one year.

[00:09:12] Here are two resources from Pastor Jack Graham that will help you do that.

[00:09:16] First, he is the author of the new book, The Jesus Book.

[00:09:18] He provides 10 chapters that will help you read through the Bible.

[00:09:21] He begins by helping you understand that we can trust the Bible,

[00:09:25] then provides a big picture of the Bible.

[00:09:27] He provides chapters on how reading the Bible can provide hope and reassurance.

[00:09:32] It can also help you discern God's will for you.

[00:09:34] Pastor Graham gives you a guidance in how to read the Bible daily

[00:09:38] with a practical approach to Bible study.

[00:09:40] He quotes from an applications pyramid found in the Life Application Study Bible.

[00:09:45] As you study God's words, you will need to focus on the people, place, plot, point,

[00:09:51] principles, present, parallels, person, and plan.

[00:09:54] He also reminds us of the Bereans who are described in Acts 17

[00:09:58] as people who search the scriptures daily.

[00:10:01] We need consistency in reading God's word.

[00:10:04] A second resource comes from the podcast, The Bible in a Year with Jack Graham.

[00:10:08] It can be found on the official Bibleinayear.com podcast,

[00:10:12] which you can find with the Apple or Spotify podcast apps.

[00:10:16] In each episode, you will learn how to apply these biblical principles to your life.

[00:10:20] The audio provides you with reading from a key passage,

[00:10:23] along with some dramatic material and orchestral music.

[00:10:26] That is followed by a profound commentary from Pastor Graham.

[00:10:30] Reading the Bible through the year will be a rewarding experience for you.

[00:10:33] Of course, you don't have to wait until January 1st to get started.

[00:10:36] You can start right now.

[00:10:38] Let's get started.

[00:10:39] I'm Kirby Anderson, and that's my point of view.

[00:10:46] For a free booklet on a biblical view of anti-Semitism,

[00:10:50] go to viewpoints.info slash anti-Semitism.

[00:10:53] Viewpoints.info slash anti-Semitism.

[00:11:00] Point of view.

[00:11:01] Finding clarity in the chaos.

[00:11:04] Ministries like ours depend on ministries like this one.

[00:11:08] We can win cases, and we do, at all levels of courts, including the Supreme Court,

[00:11:15] every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

[00:11:17] But if people don't understand those rights and don't put them into practice,

[00:11:22] then our wins will not mean that much years from now.

[00:11:28] And this is a way to have a conversation about them,

[00:11:32] where people can learn more about them.

[00:11:34] And as I've said many times, you don't have to be a lawyer or a constitutional scholar,

[00:11:37] but you do need to know enough to know when your rights are being violated

[00:11:40] and when to come find us for help.

[00:11:42] And point of view is invaluable in helping get that message out.

[00:11:48] Finding clarity in the chaos.

[00:11:51] Point of view.

[00:11:52] Back once again, that was Lathan Watts,

[00:11:54] who is the vice president with Alliance Defending Freedom.

[00:11:56] Of course, every Friday we usually have somebody here from First Liberty Institute,

[00:12:00] and we will indeed have that.

[00:12:02] And again, just a reminder that tomorrow is Giving Tuesday.

[00:12:05] I would encourage you to think about giving to certainly some of the ministries

[00:12:10] that have ministered to you.

[00:12:12] It could certainly be, of course, PowerPoint, which is the ministry of Jack Graham.

[00:12:16] It could be, of course, First Liberty Institute.

[00:12:19] I hope you will support the radio station that carries this broadcast,

[00:12:23] the various radio stations.

[00:12:24] And if you would consider supporting point of view, we have a banner there that says Giving Tuesday,

[00:12:28] and we have a goal for tomorrow.

[00:12:30] And, of course, there is also the commentary, the Jesus book, which I did today

[00:12:35] because we have in studio with us Jack Graham.

[00:12:37] I mentioned just a minute ago, Pastor Graham, that when you read the Bible,

[00:12:41] you should read it daily.

[00:12:43] The Bereans, you've been to where the Bereans were in Greece,

[00:12:46] and they search the Scriptures, what, daily.

[00:12:50] They examine the Scriptures daily.

[00:12:52] Matter of fact, our class is called the Examine class daily.

[00:12:55] And it seems to me that we have a habit of saying,

[00:12:59] well, I'll look at the Bible once a week when the pastor preaches on that.

[00:13:02] But you actually document that if you spend time in God's Word every single day,

[00:13:08] it changes your behavior.

[00:13:09] We would expect that.

[00:13:11] Exactly.

[00:13:12] And there's power in God's Word.

[00:13:15] That's the claim that the Bible makes for itself and is what we claim.

[00:13:20] I've seen it in so many ways over the years.

[00:13:23] I mean, I am a preacher of the Bible,

[00:13:25] and I've just seen the impact and the influence in just hearing the Word of God proclaimed.

[00:13:32] But if you will take it steps further and actually get into the Bible yourself

[00:13:39] and spend time in the Word of God every day,

[00:13:43] then the Spirit of God moves in response to His Word in your life.

[00:13:47] And so it is transformative.

[00:13:50] And the studies show if you will be in the Bible,

[00:13:53] let's say you read it four times or more a week,

[00:13:57] I believe the study that we referenced talks about,

[00:13:59] then your ability to overcome addictions,

[00:14:04] your ability to say no to sin,

[00:14:07] whether it's pornography or other kinds of sin,

[00:14:09] but that one in particular was mentioned,

[00:14:12] the ability to change the mind the way you think.

[00:14:16] When we talk about how you develop your brain,

[00:14:21] your mind, and grow in your faith,

[00:14:23] it's all found in the Bible.

[00:14:25] But you can't get it just here and there.

[00:14:27] I mean, you need to make a commitment to actually,

[00:14:30] as the Scripture says,

[00:14:31] study to show yourself approved unto God,

[00:14:34] a workman who needs not to be ashamed.

[00:14:35] And you don't have to be a Bible scholar.

[00:14:37] I think, Kirby,

[00:14:39] one thing people get is such a big subject and a broad subject,

[00:14:43] the Bible,

[00:14:43] that people just kind of give up.

[00:14:45] But there's so many tools now available to you

[00:14:48] to help you read through the Bible,

[00:14:51] Bible reading plans,

[00:14:53] or the thing that we do,

[00:14:56] the Bible in a year.

[00:14:57] So we talk about hearing the Word,

[00:14:59] reading the Word,

[00:15:00] memorizing the Word,

[00:15:01] meditating upon the Word,

[00:15:02] and doing the Word.

[00:15:03] And that's kind of where you're going with this.

[00:15:06] And it's more than reading the Bible,

[00:15:08] it's understanding what the Bible is saying.

[00:15:10] And the reason I call this book,

[00:15:14] the Jesus book,

[00:15:15] which is about the Bible,

[00:15:16] so why the,

[00:15:17] we know the Bible's called the Word of God.

[00:15:19] And it is God's Word.

[00:15:22] And the Holy Bible.

[00:15:24] But why the Jesus book?

[00:15:26] Well,

[00:15:26] it's because the plot of the Bible is Jesus.

[00:15:29] And on the road to Emmaus after the resurrection,

[00:15:32] when he's walking with those two forlorn,

[00:15:35] defeated,

[00:15:36] despondent disciples,

[00:15:37] they thought it was over.

[00:15:38] Jesus was in a tomb.

[00:15:39] And they're on their way back to their lives in Emmaus,

[00:15:42] and so depressed.

[00:15:44] And Jesus joins them on the road

[00:15:47] in some mysterious way.

[00:15:49] They don't recognize him.

[00:15:50] At this point,

[00:15:52] but he's walking with them.

[00:15:54] And he questions them a bit

[00:15:56] about their despondency.

[00:15:58] And they tell Jesus how upset they are

[00:16:03] about the way things have turned out with Jesus.

[00:16:05] They thought he was the Messiah.

[00:16:07] And then it says that Jesus

[00:16:09] began showing them

[00:16:11] in all the scriptures

[00:16:14] the things concerning himself.

[00:16:17] It doesn't say he showed them

[00:16:19] all the things in the scripture

[00:16:20] concerning himself,

[00:16:21] or they'd still be out there

[00:16:22] on that road.

[00:16:23] Because the Bible,

[00:16:24] it's just all about Jesus.

[00:16:25] So there's so many ways.

[00:16:27] And even John said,

[00:16:28] if you described everything

[00:16:29] that Jesus did,

[00:16:30] all the books

[00:16:31] and the libraries

[00:16:31] in the world

[00:16:32] wouldn't contain it.

[00:16:33] But it says he showed them

[00:16:34] in all the scriptures.

[00:16:36] So what a Bible study

[00:16:37] that must have been.

[00:16:38] I imagine.

[00:16:39] To walk with the author

[00:16:40] of scripture.

[00:16:40] And what a conversation that was

[00:16:43] to hear Jesus

[00:16:44] explain the Old Testament.

[00:16:45] Because that's what he was doing

[00:16:46] in reference to him.

[00:16:48] And he must have taken them

[00:16:50] to the Garden of Eden

[00:16:51] where the first gospel was given

[00:16:52] after man and the woman sinned.

[00:16:56] And God said that

[00:16:58] the one that was born of the woman

[00:17:00] would crush the serpent's head.

[00:17:02] And that was the first message

[00:17:03] of hope for the world.

[00:17:05] And he no doubt

[00:17:06] took them in that walk

[00:17:08] to Mount Moriah

[00:17:09] and Abraham and Isaac

[00:17:11] and the ram caught in the thicket

[00:17:12] and into Egypt

[00:17:13] where the Passover took place

[00:17:15] and into the Levitical system

[00:17:17] and all the blood that's flowing

[00:17:18] and all the sacrifice

[00:17:19] and then into the prophecies.

[00:17:21] Just imagine this.

[00:17:23] And so it's important

[00:17:24] that you understand

[00:17:26] that the plot of the Bible,

[00:17:28] that's why so many people

[00:17:29] don't understand the Bible.

[00:17:30] They just think it's a lot

[00:17:31] of random religious writings.

[00:17:33] But there's a plot.

[00:17:35] And the plot of the Bible

[00:17:36] is redemption.

[00:17:37] The back story of the Bible

[00:17:39] is that there is a devil

[00:17:41] and there is darkness

[00:17:42] and there is evil.

[00:17:43] And God is at work

[00:17:46] defeating the powers of darkness.

[00:17:48] And the primary work

[00:17:49] that he does

[00:17:50] is that of redemption.

[00:17:51] And so you've heard it said,

[00:17:53] no doubt,

[00:17:53] I know you have, Kirby,

[00:17:54] that there's a scarlet thread

[00:17:56] of redemption

[00:17:56] that runs through the Bible.

[00:17:58] And somebody said,

[00:17:59] cut the Bible anywhere

[00:18:00] and it will bleed.

[00:18:01] It's a bloody book.

[00:18:02] Because it's about blood

[00:18:04] and without the shedding of blood,

[00:18:05] there's no remission of sin.

[00:18:07] There's no salvation.

[00:18:08] So the story of the Bible

[00:18:10] is the story of salvation.

[00:18:12] Whether you're talking

[00:18:12] about the books of history

[00:18:14] or the writings

[00:18:14] such as Psalms

[00:18:15] or the Gospels

[00:18:16] or the New Testament epistles,

[00:18:18] letters,

[00:18:19] all of it centers around

[00:18:21] the hero of the Bible,

[00:18:23] the centerpiece of the Bible

[00:18:25] who is Jesus.

[00:18:26] Thus, I call the Bible

[00:18:28] the Jesus book.

[00:18:29] The Jesus book.

[00:18:30] And again,

[00:18:31] I was going to bring up

[00:18:31] that scarlet thread

[00:18:32] that you talk about,

[00:18:33] but if anybody ever

[00:18:34] visits your church,

[00:18:36] you notice that there

[00:18:37] are going to be

[00:18:37] 66 stained glass windows

[00:18:41] up there.

[00:18:41] And if you pay attention

[00:18:43] to it,

[00:18:43] and I have,

[00:18:44] there's a scarlet thread

[00:18:45] that runs from Genesis

[00:18:46] to Revelation,

[00:18:47] doesn't it?

[00:18:47] Yeah,

[00:18:48] that was an epiphany

[00:18:49] of sorts.

[00:18:49] When we were building

[00:18:50] this magnificent building,

[00:18:53] we looked up

[00:18:54] and we were working

[00:18:55] with the architects

[00:18:56] and said,

[00:18:56] well,

[00:18:57] there's going to be

[00:18:57] 66 panes of glass

[00:18:59] right there.

[00:19:00] And so,

[00:19:01] my mind goes off

[00:19:02] and I say,

[00:19:02] 66?

[00:19:03] Did you say 66?

[00:19:04] And they said,

[00:19:05] yes,

[00:19:05] 66.

[00:19:06] I said,

[00:19:06] well,

[00:19:07] there's 66 books

[00:19:07] of the Bible.

[00:19:08] So,

[00:19:09] let's create stained glass

[00:19:10] for each one

[00:19:12] of the books

[00:19:12] of the Bible

[00:19:13] from Genesis

[00:19:14] all the way

[00:19:14] to Revelation

[00:19:15] and it is a beautiful

[00:19:19] piece of art

[00:19:20] that goes all across

[00:19:21] the atrium

[00:19:22] of our church

[00:19:23] and in that,

[00:19:25] as you said,

[00:19:25] we said,

[00:19:26] and let's put

[00:19:27] that scarlet thread

[00:19:28] from Genesis

[00:19:29] all the way through.

[00:19:30] So,

[00:19:30] you don't see it

[00:19:31] in every book,

[00:19:31] though it isn't

[00:19:32] in every book

[00:19:32] in the Bible,

[00:19:33] but it just works

[00:19:34] its way

[00:19:34] and weaves its way

[00:19:35] in the tapestry

[00:19:36] of the Bible.

[00:19:37] Yes.

[00:19:37] Well,

[00:19:38] and you even today

[00:19:39] or yesterday

[00:19:39] on your sermon

[00:19:40] talked about

[00:19:41] theophany

[00:19:42] or sometimes

[00:19:42] we call it

[00:19:43] Christophany

[00:19:43] because there are times

[00:19:45] when the pre-incarnate

[00:19:46] Jesus shows up

[00:19:48] in the Old Testament.

[00:19:49] So,

[00:19:49] for some believers

[00:19:50] out there

[00:19:51] that say,

[00:19:51] I'm just going to

[00:19:51] read the red letter

[00:19:53] version

[00:19:54] or I'm just going to

[00:19:54] read the New Testament,

[00:19:55] you are supposed

[00:19:57] to read

[00:19:57] all 66 books

[00:19:59] and we teach

[00:19:59] all 66 books

[00:20:01] in seminary

[00:20:01] because you can't

[00:20:03] understand one part

[00:20:04] without understanding

[00:20:04] another.

[00:20:05] Yeah,

[00:20:05] I was saying yesterday

[00:20:07] in the sermon

[00:20:07] that the Bible

[00:20:08] has been described

[00:20:09] as a drama,

[00:20:10] a drama of redemption

[00:20:11] in two acts.

[00:20:12] So,

[00:20:12] if you just came in

[00:20:13] in the intermission

[00:20:14] of a play

[00:20:16] and you're catching

[00:20:17] the second half

[00:20:18] of the second act,

[00:20:19] then you wouldn't

[00:20:20] know the characters,

[00:20:21] you wouldn't know

[00:20:22] the real plot,

[00:20:22] you wouldn't understand

[00:20:23] the second half

[00:20:25] if you didn't

[00:20:25] understand the first half.

[00:20:27] And so,

[00:20:27] God has given us

[00:20:28] Old Testament

[00:20:28] and New Testament

[00:20:30] and you don't,

[00:20:32] as one minister

[00:20:33] suggested,

[00:20:34] unhitch the Old Testament

[00:20:35] from the Bible.

[00:20:36] No,

[00:20:37] it's the essential truth

[00:20:38] and yes,

[00:20:39] Jesus is present

[00:20:40] somewhere

[00:20:41] in type,

[00:20:42] in illustration,

[00:20:43] in prophecy,

[00:20:46] in illustration,

[00:20:47] in symbol,

[00:20:49] all the way

[00:20:49] through the Bible,

[00:20:50] every book of the Bible

[00:20:51] and the Old Testament

[00:20:52] sets up the story

[00:20:54] of the Gospels

[00:20:55] and redemption

[00:20:56] and it's such a great book

[00:20:58] and there's adventure there.

[00:21:00] That's what I loved

[00:21:00] about the Bible

[00:21:01] as a little boy,

[00:21:02] just a great adventure.

[00:21:03] That's right.

[00:21:04] If you say the Bible's boring,

[00:21:05] I say,

[00:21:06] no,

[00:21:06] you're boring

[00:21:07] because you're boring,

[00:21:09] not the Bible.

[00:21:10] You just don't get it.

[00:21:12] We were talking

[00:21:12] about the Jesus book,

[00:21:14] 10 chapters,

[00:21:15] about 170 pages.

[00:21:16] We could preach a sermon

[00:21:17] on any one of the chapters

[00:21:18] but we're going to move on

[00:21:20] and also talk about

[00:21:20] a few other things.

[00:21:21] The Bible in a Year

[00:21:22] with Jack Graham.

[00:21:23] All sorts of things

[00:21:23] coming up right after

[00:21:24] these important messages.

[00:21:31] It has been a divisive year

[00:21:33] to say the least.

[00:21:35] Presidential election years

[00:21:36] usually are.

[00:21:37] But here is the good news.

[00:21:39] You have an opportunity

[00:21:41] to join a movement

[00:21:42] that brings people together.

[00:21:45] Tomorrow,

[00:21:46] you can participate

[00:21:47] in Giving Tuesday.

[00:21:49] This is an annual event

[00:21:51] when people around the world

[00:21:53] take a moment

[00:21:53] and focus on giving

[00:21:55] something back.

[00:21:56] That spirit of generosity

[00:21:58] is especially needed

[00:22:00] in our nation right now

[00:22:02] and so is biblical truth.

[00:22:05] And that is why

[00:22:06] we're inviting you

[00:22:08] to partner with

[00:22:09] Point of View

[00:22:10] on Giving Tuesday

[00:22:11] and help us reach

[00:22:12] our $15,000 fundraising goal.

[00:22:16] Together,

[00:22:17] we can respond

[00:22:18] to the chaos

[00:22:19] in the culture

[00:22:20] and the residual chaos

[00:22:22] of election season

[00:22:23] by providing

[00:22:24] biblical clarity

[00:22:26] to people

[00:22:27] all over the nation.

[00:22:28] Participate in

[00:22:29] Giving Tuesday

[00:22:30] with Point of View

[00:22:31] by giving

[00:22:32] at

[00:22:33] pointofview.net

[00:22:35] or give by calling

[00:22:37] 1-800-347-5151

[00:22:40] pointofview.net

[00:22:42] and

[00:22:42] 800-347-5151

[00:22:47] Point of View

[00:22:49] will continue

[00:22:50] after this.

[00:22:52] You are listening

[00:22:58] to Point of View.

[00:23:02] The opinions expressed

[00:23:04] on Point of View

[00:23:05] do not necessarily

[00:23:06] reflect the views

[00:23:07] of the management

[00:23:08] or staff

[00:23:08] of this station.

[00:23:10] And now,

[00:23:11] here again,

[00:23:12] is Kirby Anderson.

[00:23:13] Back once again

[00:23:14] in studio with us today,

[00:23:15] Dr. Jack Graham.

[00:23:16] And if you'd like

[00:23:16] to join the conversation,

[00:23:17] 1-800-351-1212.

[00:23:20] Although,

[00:23:20] we'll probably take

[00:23:21] more phone calls

[00:23:21] in the second hour

[00:23:23] because we'll be

[00:23:23] talking about

[00:23:24] the pardon

[00:23:25] of Hunter Biden

[00:23:26] and a variety

[00:23:27] of other issues

[00:23:28] in the news.

[00:23:29] But I thought

[00:23:29] I might just mention again,

[00:23:30] we have been talking

[00:23:32] about this book,

[00:23:33] The Jesus Book.

[00:23:34] And again,

[00:23:34] it is available

[00:23:35] in your local bookstore,

[00:23:36] but we have an opportunity

[00:23:37] for you to get it

[00:23:38] in hardback,

[00:23:39] paperback,

[00:23:39] or Kindle

[00:23:40] on the website.

[00:23:41] But I'm going to

[00:23:42] hold up something else,

[00:23:43] and this is just

[00:23:43] from my phone,

[00:23:44] and what you can see

[00:23:45] is I actually

[00:23:46] have the Bible

[00:23:48] in a year

[00:23:48] with Jack Graham.

[00:23:49] Up until yesterday,

[00:23:51] we're going through

[00:23:51] the book of Acts.

[00:23:52] Today starts

[00:23:53] the book of Revelation.

[00:23:54] And one of the things

[00:23:55] I mentioned

[00:23:56] just in passing

[00:23:57] is this has been

[00:23:59] just unbelievably successful.

[00:24:03] 55 million downloads.

[00:24:05] I think that surprised

[00:24:06] you too,

[00:24:07] didn't it?

[00:24:07] No question.

[00:24:08] When the good folks

[00:24:10] at Pray.com,

[00:24:10] which is a prayer app,

[00:24:13] I think it's maybe

[00:24:14] the largest prayer app

[00:24:16] in the world,

[00:24:17] one of certainly,

[00:24:19] and when they came to me

[00:24:21] and said,

[00:24:21] would you consider

[00:24:22] doing this,

[00:24:23] going right through

[00:24:23] the Bible,

[00:24:24] start with Genesis,

[00:24:25] read,

[00:24:26] we'll have a reader,

[00:24:27] we've got a nice

[00:24:27] British voice,

[00:24:28] I've never met the fellow,

[00:24:29] I'd like to meet the fellow

[00:24:30] who reads it.

[00:24:31] So you've got this

[00:24:32] great voice

[00:24:33] that reads the text,

[00:24:35] that reads the scripture,

[00:24:37] as is,

[00:24:38] and there are some

[00:24:39] symphonics there

[00:24:40] and some sound effects,

[00:24:43] like when David

[00:24:44] goes after the giant,

[00:24:45] there's cheering,

[00:24:46] and there's music,

[00:24:47] and there's music,

[00:24:47] so you've got some of that.

[00:24:48] The orchestral stuff,

[00:24:49] yeah.

[00:24:50] But it's primarily focused

[00:24:51] on the reading of scripture,

[00:24:52] and what they asked me to do,

[00:24:53] which I did,

[00:24:54] is to do an introduction.

[00:24:56] Okay, here's what

[00:24:57] this scripture is,

[00:24:57] it's what we're going

[00:24:58] to talk about today,

[00:24:59] it's what you're going

[00:25:00] to hear today,

[00:25:00] and then I come in

[00:25:01] at the end

[00:25:02] and give an application

[00:25:03] or something,

[00:25:04] and the whole thing

[00:25:05] is about 12 minutes

[00:25:06] each segment.

[00:25:07] So when they came to me,

[00:25:09] and I'm not eating

[00:25:10] humble pie here,

[00:25:11] I'm seriously not,

[00:25:12] but when they said,

[00:25:14] would you do this,

[00:25:14] I said yeah,

[00:25:15] and I'm thinking,

[00:25:16] okay,

[00:25:16] if we got a couple

[00:25:17] of hundred thousand

[00:25:18] people on this,

[00:25:19] this would really be good,

[00:25:20] and it would be

[00:25:21] worth my effort,

[00:25:22] because it was

[00:25:22] a lot of effort,

[00:25:23] it was in the studio

[00:25:24] every day,

[00:25:25] and writing the Bible,

[00:25:26] and doing this,

[00:25:27] but that would be worth it.

[00:25:29] Well,

[00:25:29] then,

[00:25:30] now you just gave

[00:25:31] the number,

[00:25:31] it just grows

[00:25:33] every day,

[00:25:34] basically,

[00:25:35] more and more people,

[00:25:36] and it's not because

[00:25:38] my name is Jack Graham,

[00:25:40] and it's about

[00:25:41] what Jack Graham says,

[00:25:42] it's all about the Bible.

[00:25:44] When people see on there

[00:25:46] the Bible in a year,

[00:25:47] how many people say in January

[00:25:50] or some other time

[00:25:51] in their calendar,

[00:25:53] I'm going to read

[00:25:54] through the Bible,

[00:25:55] and they start in Genesis,

[00:25:57] like people going to the gym,

[00:25:59] and I say,

[00:26:00] I'm going to get in shape,

[00:26:00] I'm going to go to the gym

[00:26:02] in January,

[00:26:03] and I'm going to lose weight,

[00:26:05] I'm going to read my Bible,

[00:26:06] and they get going,

[00:26:07] and they do pretty well

[00:26:08] for a while,

[00:26:09] and then they get

[00:26:09] a big case of Leviticus,

[00:26:11] they get to Leviticus,

[00:26:13] and say,

[00:26:13] what,

[00:26:14] what,

[00:26:14] what is this,

[00:26:15] and give up,

[00:26:16] or slow down,

[00:26:17] or even stop,

[00:26:19] and,

[00:26:20] but there's something

[00:26:20] about this,

[00:26:21] I think,

[00:26:22] when you hear the Bible,

[00:26:23] and that is one thing

[00:26:24] you read about

[00:26:25] in the Jesus book,

[00:26:26] people hear the word

[00:26:27] of the Lord,

[00:26:28] and because they didn't have it,

[00:26:30] you know,

[00:26:30] written copies of the Bible,

[00:26:32] so you would hear it,

[00:26:32] so there is powerful impact

[00:26:35] on hearing God's word,

[00:26:37] and so this is compact,

[00:26:38] it is transportable,

[00:26:40] you can,

[00:26:40] you know,

[00:26:41] view it,

[00:26:42] or listen to it

[00:26:43] on your device,

[00:26:44] or in your car,

[00:26:44] wherever you go,

[00:26:45] so I've just been amazed,

[00:26:47] and what it says,

[00:26:49] is what we were referring to later,

[00:26:50] this renewed interest

[00:26:51] in the Bible,

[00:26:52] that many people,

[00:26:54] who have,

[00:26:55] who want to know,

[00:26:56] what does the Bible say,

[00:26:57] what is the Bible talking about,

[00:26:59] that many people,

[00:26:59] who have that kind of interest,

[00:27:01] is encouraging to me,

[00:27:02] as a pastor.

[00:27:03] I just mentioned too,

[00:27:04] in the Jesus book,

[00:27:05] at the end,

[00:27:05] they say,

[00:27:07] was it 14 million,

[00:27:08] and that's when,

[00:27:09] or 16 million at the time,

[00:27:11] and of course,

[00:27:11] you can just see how it's exploded,

[00:27:13] even since they were

[00:27:13] bringing the book into print,

[00:27:16] and 55 million,

[00:27:17] and I think it's just growing,

[00:27:18] every time I look around,

[00:27:20] at the numbers,

[00:27:21] and I just think,

[00:27:22] it is a great opportunity,

[00:27:23] and that will exist,

[00:27:24] for some time,

[00:27:25] so again.

[00:27:25] And we're going to get it,

[00:27:26] and one more thing,

[00:27:27] we're going to get it in languages.

[00:27:28] Right,

[00:27:29] right,

[00:27:29] I was going to talk about that.

[00:27:30] Yeah.

[00:27:30] Go for it.

[00:27:31] So this amazing,

[00:27:32] I know there's a lot of AI,

[00:27:34] a lot of AI,

[00:27:37] anxiety,

[00:27:38] and rightfully so,

[00:27:40] but AI can actually,

[00:27:42] artificial intelligence,

[00:27:43] can take my voice,

[00:27:45] now this is not somebody else,

[00:27:46] reading my voice,

[00:27:47] or dubbing my voice,

[00:27:48] but can take my voice,

[00:27:50] my tone,

[00:27:51] my everything,

[00:27:52] and turn it into Spanish,

[00:27:54] or French,

[00:27:55] or you know,

[00:27:58] Chinese for sure,

[00:27:59] that's a tough one,

[00:28:00] yeah,

[00:28:00] Hungarian,

[00:28:00] those are the tough languages,

[00:28:01] all those,

[00:28:02] German,

[00:28:03] and can actually take,

[00:28:05] the Bible in a year,

[00:28:07] which is our next project,

[00:28:08] we're going to come out,

[00:28:09] with Spanish,

[00:28:09] and we think then,

[00:28:11] when it goes into Spanish,

[00:28:12] and again,

[00:28:13] it's uncanny,

[00:28:15] when I hear,

[00:28:16] I didn't,

[00:28:16] I hear myself speaking Spanish,

[00:28:18] I never learned it,

[00:28:19] I have very limited vocabulary,

[00:28:21] in Spanish,

[00:28:22] but now I'm fluently speaking Spanish,

[00:28:25] from the Bible,

[00:28:25] and my commentary on it,

[00:28:27] and it just thrills me,

[00:28:28] to no end,

[00:28:29] because we do want to take,

[00:28:30] the message of the Bible,

[00:28:31] to the world,

[00:28:32] and so we really believe,

[00:28:34] once that hits with the languages,

[00:28:35] that this could go to,

[00:28:37] 100 million people easy,

[00:28:39] so again,

[00:28:40] that is one other link,

[00:28:41] on the website,

[00:28:42] if you go to the website,

[00:28:43] pointofview.net,

[00:28:44] click on see more,

[00:28:45] you'll see the pastor,

[00:28:47] first of all,

[00:28:47] and that will take you,

[00:28:48] to jackgram.org,

[00:28:50] but then if you go,

[00:28:51] a little bit further,

[00:28:52] you will see the Jesus book,

[00:28:53] you can click on there,

[00:28:54] and a little bit further down,

[00:28:55] the Bible in a year podcast,

[00:28:57] with Jack Graham,

[00:28:57] so all of that,

[00:28:58] is available,

[00:28:59] at the website,

[00:29:00] I would encourage you,

[00:29:01] to subscribe,

[00:29:02] and I'm going to use,

[00:29:03] my electronic shoehorn,

[00:29:04] to see when we get,

[00:29:05] the rest of these in,

[00:29:05] before the end of the hour,

[00:29:08] the issue of Israel,

[00:29:09] you have been,

[00:29:11] and your church,

[00:29:11] has been very much involved,

[00:29:13] in providing aid,

[00:29:14] and comfort,

[00:29:15] and outreach,

[00:29:16] and all sorts of things,

[00:29:17] to Israel,

[00:29:18] I thought maybe,

[00:29:19] just for a minute,

[00:29:20] you'd talk about that,

[00:29:21] and then I come into the church,

[00:29:22] the other day,

[00:29:23] and I see a prayer wall,

[00:29:25] that looks like something,

[00:29:26] I've seen in Israel,

[00:29:27] talk about that,

[00:29:27] if you might.

[00:29:29] It all goes back,

[00:29:30] to the Bible,

[00:29:31] and I have a chapter,

[00:29:33] in the Jesus book,

[00:29:34] on biblical worldview,

[00:29:36] and which is,

[00:29:37] of course,

[00:29:37] how you see the world,

[00:29:39] through the lens of scripture,

[00:29:40] rather than,

[00:29:41] seeing scripture,

[00:29:42] through the lens of culture,

[00:29:43] or the world,

[00:29:44] so biblical worldview,

[00:29:45] what the Bible says,

[00:29:46] about Israel,

[00:29:47] is what prompts me,

[00:29:48] as a Christian,

[00:29:50] to love Israel,

[00:29:51] because when you read your Bible,

[00:29:53] we were discussing,

[00:29:54] the Old Testament earlier,

[00:29:56] and God's promises,

[00:29:57] to Israel,

[00:29:57] Israel,

[00:29:58] those promises,

[00:29:59] are ironclad,

[00:30:00] and God,

[00:30:01] has made a promise,

[00:30:02] to Israel,

[00:30:03] to preserve them,

[00:30:03] and keep them,

[00:30:04] and he said,

[00:30:06] if you bless Israel,

[00:30:07] I will bless you,

[00:30:08] if you curse Israel,

[00:30:09] I will curse you,

[00:30:10] they will judge you,

[00:30:12] and so from that perspective,

[00:30:14] what does the Bible say,

[00:30:15] about Israel,

[00:30:16] that Israel is God's,

[00:30:17] coveted people,

[00:30:19] and therefore,

[00:30:20] we as Christians,

[00:30:22] I don't believe,

[00:30:24] that there's,

[00:30:24] a spiritual Israel,

[00:30:25] in the sense,

[00:30:26] that the church,

[00:30:26] substitutes,

[00:30:27] for Israel,

[00:30:28] that God puts away,

[00:30:29] his promises to Israel,

[00:30:31] and therefore,

[00:30:32] it's all wrapped up,

[00:30:33] in the church,

[00:30:33] I believe there is,

[00:30:34] a spiritual Israel,

[00:30:35] but it's not,

[00:30:36] to the detriment,

[00:30:38] of Israel,

[00:30:39] itself,

[00:30:40] as a nation,

[00:30:41] and so as Christians,

[00:30:43] look,

[00:30:43] I mean,

[00:30:44] Jewish people,

[00:30:44] gave us our Bibles,

[00:30:46] Jewish people,

[00:30:46] gave us the Messiah,

[00:30:48] our Savior,

[00:30:49] and Jewish people,

[00:30:50] have impacted the world,

[00:30:52] at such a level,

[00:30:52] and God's hand,

[00:30:53] continues to be upon them,

[00:30:54] so when they were,

[00:30:55] unmercifully attacked,

[00:30:58] we as a church,

[00:30:59] responded in love,

[00:31:02] and to not only,

[00:31:03] people in Israel,

[00:31:04] but our Jewish neighbors,

[00:31:06] I often,

[00:31:07] I often say to our church,

[00:31:08] I mean,

[00:31:08] it's good to love Israel,

[00:31:09] over there,

[00:31:10] and we all,

[00:31:11] love going to see it,

[00:31:12] and seeing the holy sites,

[00:31:13] and being there,

[00:31:14] meeting friends there,

[00:31:15] but there are Jewish,

[00:31:17] neighbors around us,

[00:31:18] that we should love,

[00:31:19] because what does the Bible say,

[00:31:21] be not ashamed of the gospel,

[00:31:23] for it is the power of God,

[00:31:24] and to salvation,

[00:31:24] to the Jew first,

[00:31:25] and also to the Greek,

[00:31:26] so we have an obligation,

[00:31:28] and an opportunity,

[00:31:29] to be a positive witness,

[00:31:31] to our Jewish neighbors,

[00:31:32] and friends,

[00:31:33] and so when we support Israel,

[00:31:34] although not all Jewish people,

[00:31:36] support Israel necessarily,

[00:31:38] unfortunately,

[00:31:39] but national Israel,

[00:31:41] but when we stand for Israel,

[00:31:44] as many Christians have,

[00:31:46] as a result of the terrorist attack,

[00:31:50] Jewish friends,

[00:31:51] they now know that,

[00:31:54] hey,

[00:31:54] these Christians really do care about us,

[00:31:56] and it may give us an opportunity,

[00:31:58] an open door,

[00:31:59] to share Jesus with them,

[00:32:01] so there's a lot of reasons,

[00:32:03] we do this,

[00:32:04] and then it was really Deb,

[00:32:05] my wife,

[00:32:06] who had the idea,

[00:32:07] we were running videos,

[00:32:08] about Israel,

[00:32:09] and showing the western wall,

[00:32:11] which is also called,

[00:32:12] the wailing wall,

[00:32:13] and where people,

[00:32:16] from all nations come to pray,

[00:32:17] and of course,

[00:32:18] the Jewish people pray there,

[00:32:19] it's near the temple mount,

[00:32:21] and Deb said,

[00:32:22] why don't we create something here,

[00:32:24] just not only in support of Israel,

[00:32:26] but to pray for the nations,

[00:32:29] and so we actually,

[00:32:31] had a designer come,

[00:32:32] and it's a beautiful site,

[00:32:34] and we put up this wall,

[00:32:35] that looks like,

[00:32:37] it does,

[00:32:37] the western wall in Jerusalem,

[00:32:39] and there are even little slots there,

[00:32:41] when you go to the western wall,

[00:32:42] you can take paper,

[00:32:43] and roll it up,

[00:32:44] put a prayer request in there,

[00:32:46] and we invite people to do that,

[00:32:48] to pray for their family,

[00:32:49] or their friends,

[00:32:50] our country,

[00:32:51] our nation,

[00:32:51] but to pray,

[00:32:53] and so virtually,

[00:32:55] every time I pass that wall,

[00:32:57] when the church doors are open,

[00:32:59] there are people there praying,

[00:33:00] yes,

[00:33:00] it's just amazing,

[00:33:01] we're going to take a break,

[00:33:02] and when we come back,

[00:33:03] of course,

[00:33:04] while we're talking about Israel,

[00:33:05] you know the individual,

[00:33:07] that is being designated,

[00:33:08] as the ambassador to Israel,

[00:33:09] the first non-Jewish ambassador,

[00:33:12] that would be Mike Huckabee,

[00:33:13] but also I want to talk about,

[00:33:14] somebody you've known,

[00:33:15] since he was in high school,

[00:33:17] and that is the new,

[00:33:19] at least designated,

[00:33:20] Secretary of Housing,

[00:33:22] and Urban Development,

[00:33:23] Scott Turner,

[00:33:24] and of course you've known,

[00:33:26] Donald Trump,

[00:33:27] since the days,

[00:33:28] you were a pastor in Florida,

[00:33:29] so I think you can tell us,

[00:33:30] a few stories about that as well,

[00:33:32] so we're going to take a break,

[00:33:33] and we are privileged,

[00:33:34] to have with us,

[00:33:35] just a little bit longer,

[00:33:36] Dr. Jack Graham,

[00:33:37] again he is the pastor,

[00:33:38] of Prestonwood Baptist Church,

[00:33:39] and all the links you need,

[00:33:40] are available there,

[00:33:41] right on our website,

[00:33:43] at pointofview.net,

[00:33:44] be right back.

[00:33:57] Point of view,

[00:33:58] finding clarity,

[00:33:59] in the chaos.

[00:34:01] Hello,

[00:34:01] I'm O.S. Hawkins,

[00:34:02] and what a privilege it is,

[00:34:04] to say these,

[00:34:05] a few brief words,

[00:34:06] about how much I love,

[00:34:08] Kirby Anderson,

[00:34:09] and how much I respect,

[00:34:10] the ministry of Point of View,

[00:34:11] you know,

[00:34:12] in a world we're living in,

[00:34:14] when their culture is collapsing,

[00:34:16] and crumbling all around us,

[00:34:18] we see some folks rushing out,

[00:34:20] to condemn the culture,

[00:34:22] they just maybe beat their Bibles,

[00:34:24] a little harder,

[00:34:25] and yell a little louder,

[00:34:26] while others compromise the culture,

[00:34:29] and some even condone it,

[00:34:31] but what I love about Point of View,

[00:34:33] is it confronts our culture,

[00:34:35] every day,

[00:34:36] as Kirby speaks the truth,

[00:34:38] and speaks it,

[00:34:40] in love,

[00:34:41] so,

[00:34:41] I want to encourage you,

[00:34:43] to support,

[00:34:44] Point of View,

[00:34:46] finding clarity,

[00:34:47] in the chaos,

[00:34:48] Point of View,

[00:34:50] back once again,

[00:34:51] Dr. Jack Graham in studio,

[00:34:52] and might just mention,

[00:34:53] I don't think our engineer knows,

[00:34:55] that you and O.S. Hawkins,

[00:34:56] go all the way back,

[00:34:57] to your teen years,

[00:34:59] that's right,

[00:34:59] high school years,

[00:35:00] so that's a great pick,

[00:35:01] it's good to hear his voice,

[00:35:02] I've heard it,

[00:35:02] many times,

[00:35:03] Hawkins are the best of friends,

[00:35:05] and you've known him,

[00:35:06] and Susie,

[00:35:07] and everybody,

[00:35:07] anyway that goes back a long ways,

[00:35:09] but let's talk about,

[00:35:10] a few of these individuals,

[00:35:11] that have been picked,

[00:35:12] of course you've known,

[00:35:14] Mike Huckabee,

[00:35:14] you've had him speak,

[00:35:15] at your church many times,

[00:35:17] he's gone to Israel,

[00:35:18] about a hundred times,

[00:35:19] I would never have guessed that,

[00:35:21] but that's one of those ones,

[00:35:22] where once the pick was announced,

[00:35:24] I go,

[00:35:25] well that makes a great deal of sense,

[00:35:26] yes,

[00:35:27] it is,

[00:35:28] but it is stunning,

[00:35:29] isn't it,

[00:35:29] you've got a Baptist preacher,

[00:35:31] I mean Mike Huckabee,

[00:35:32] was a pastor,

[00:35:33] of Baptist churches in Arkansas,

[00:35:35] before he became,

[00:35:35] lieutenant governor,

[00:35:36] then governor of Arkansas,

[00:35:37] and then on,

[00:35:38] to be a presidential candidate,

[00:35:40] and then a television host,

[00:35:42] and all the things,

[00:35:43] that Mike has done,

[00:35:44] he's brilliant,

[00:35:44] he's bright,

[00:35:45] and he loves Israel,

[00:35:47] and he has loved,

[00:35:48] and supported President Trump,

[00:35:50] and of course his daughter,

[00:35:52] was President Trump's,

[00:35:54] press secretary,

[00:35:55] so,

[00:35:58] Mike,

[00:35:58] told me,

[00:35:59] look I didn't seek it,

[00:36:00] I didn't ask for it,

[00:36:01] so many people go after these jobs,

[00:36:03] that show up,

[00:36:03] and a lot of people,

[00:36:04] he didn't seek it,

[00:36:06] he didn't ask for it,

[00:36:07] but,

[00:36:07] in the plans and purposes of God,

[00:36:09] and for such a time as this,

[00:36:11] Mike gets it,

[00:36:12] he understands both sides,

[00:36:14] of the issues,

[00:36:16] all that,

[00:36:17] the Palestinian,

[00:36:18] the Israeli question,

[00:36:19] he's going to be,

[00:36:20] and he's able to negotiate,

[00:36:23] with people,

[00:36:24] he's going to be,

[00:36:26] outstanding in this role,

[00:36:27] I couldn't be happier,

[00:36:28] but what a big commitment that is,

[00:36:30] I mean he's actually,

[00:36:30] going to pick up his life,

[00:36:31] he and his wife,

[00:36:32] and move to Jerusalem,

[00:36:34] and be there.

[00:36:35] I've been to the embassy,

[00:36:36] I'm sure you have too,

[00:36:37] just to think of being him,

[00:36:39] living there,

[00:36:39] it's just amazing.

[00:36:40] Yeah,

[00:36:41] I want to talk about another one,

[00:36:42] and that is Scott Turner,

[00:36:43] we've had him on the program,

[00:36:44] but back then,

[00:36:45] it was when he was a representative,

[00:36:47] in the Texas legislature,

[00:36:48] and then,

[00:36:49] of course he has served,

[00:36:50] in the Trump administration before,

[00:36:52] and worked with Ben Carson,

[00:36:54] but you've known Scott Turner,

[00:36:56] since he was a high school football player,

[00:36:59] long before he went into the NFL,

[00:37:00] and business,

[00:37:01] and all the things he's done now,

[00:37:02] but here he's one of your associate pastors,

[00:37:05] who's going to be the secretary,

[00:37:07] most likely,

[00:37:08] of housing and urban development.

[00:37:10] He's a wonderful man,

[00:37:11] he's now not a young man,

[00:37:14] he's really a child of mine,

[00:37:17] in the ministry,

[00:37:18] and I did meet him,

[00:37:20] when he was a high schooler,

[00:37:21] my son played,

[00:37:22] they played football together,

[00:37:23] here in the Dallas area,

[00:37:24] and I've known him,

[00:37:25] he's just such a good person,

[00:37:28] and he loves the Lord,

[00:37:30] and he's followed his calling,

[00:37:33] all his days,

[00:37:34] and he made a big impact,

[00:37:36] in the first Trump administration,

[00:37:39] on what they called opportunity zones,

[00:37:41] he went to 80 different cities,

[00:37:43] impoverished,

[00:37:44] broken cities,

[00:37:45] as so many of these major cities,

[00:37:47] from Chicago,

[00:37:48] New York,

[00:37:49] Miami,

[00:37:50] all over the country,

[00:37:51] San Francisco,

[00:37:51] and would try to bring,

[00:37:54] corporate together,

[00:37:55] churches together,

[00:37:57] politicians together,

[00:37:59] to support those communities,

[00:38:01] and,

[00:38:01] and so that was,

[00:38:03] that was the front end of that,

[00:38:04] but now he's going to head,

[00:38:06] all of housing,

[00:38:06] and urban development,

[00:38:07] the job that Ben Carson,

[00:38:08] had last time,

[00:38:09] and he'll do a tremendous job,

[00:38:11] again,

[00:38:11] not something he sought,

[00:38:13] President Trump,

[00:38:14] remembered his work,

[00:38:14] but President Trump,

[00:38:16] always loved Scott Turner,

[00:38:16] because he's a stem winding speaker,

[00:38:18] and preacher,

[00:38:19] and yes,

[00:38:20] he's on our preaching team,

[00:38:22] at Prestonwood,

[00:38:23] but anytime he was around,

[00:38:25] President Trump would say,

[00:38:26] Scott,

[00:38:27] talk to him,

[00:38:28] and Scott would just,

[00:38:29] you wind him up,

[00:38:30] let him go,

[00:38:31] he's a great communicator,

[00:38:32] and a great leader,

[00:38:34] and so I'm very happy,

[00:38:35] we had a time of prayer,

[00:38:36] and dedication,

[00:38:37] yesterday,

[00:38:38] in our services for him,

[00:38:39] kind of like sending,

[00:38:40] sending him out,

[00:38:41] as a missionary,

[00:38:42] because he sees it that way,

[00:38:43] he sees HUD,

[00:38:44] is going to be the vehicle,

[00:38:46] his governance,

[00:38:47] and he'll be responsible,

[00:38:49] with this,

[00:38:49] but he also knows,

[00:38:51] that he's there,

[00:38:51] for the sake of advancing,

[00:38:52] the kingdom of God,

[00:38:53] and the only way,

[00:38:54] to change these cities,

[00:38:55] is change the hearts of people,

[00:38:56] by advancing the kingdom of God,

[00:38:58] yeah.

[00:38:59] Well you've known Donald Trump,

[00:39:01] since when you were a pastor,

[00:39:02] in Florida,

[00:39:03] you told some interesting stories,

[00:39:05] about him,

[00:39:05] so talk about that.

[00:39:07] Sure,

[00:39:07] well I was pastor,

[00:39:08] of First Baptist Church,

[00:39:09] of West Palm Beach,

[00:39:10] in the 80's,

[00:39:11] and Donald Trump,

[00:39:12] bought Mar-a-Lago,

[00:39:14] the now famed Mar-a-Lago,

[00:39:15] it used to be,

[00:39:16] the Meriwether Post estate,

[00:39:17] of Post Toasty's fame,

[00:39:19] and nobody wanted it,

[00:39:20] it was a mansion,

[00:39:21] that was just empty,

[00:39:22] and he had a vision for it,

[00:39:24] and created it as he does,

[00:39:27] a magnificent piece of property,

[00:39:29] but when he first bought it,

[00:39:31] in 1985,

[00:39:33] I was the young,

[00:39:33] 35 year old pastor,

[00:39:35] of the First Baptist Church,

[00:39:36] there in West Palm Beach,

[00:39:37] and he would attend our church,

[00:39:39] from time to time,

[00:39:40] and one story,

[00:39:41] I love to tell,

[00:39:42] he was sitting near the back,

[00:39:44] of the building,

[00:39:45] one service,

[00:39:46] and when the offering,

[00:39:47] was about to be taken,

[00:39:49] and the ushers,

[00:39:50] were taking their places,

[00:39:51] he reaches into his wallet,

[00:39:53] and he pulls out,

[00:39:53] a stack of $20 bills,

[00:39:55] and he starts,

[00:39:56] passing them out,

[00:39:57] to everybody on his row,

[00:39:58] everybody in front of him,

[00:39:59] so everybody would have something,

[00:40:01] to put in the offering plate,

[00:40:03] and yeah,

[00:40:04] I get a kick out of that story,

[00:40:05] just as you are,

[00:40:06] I mean it's so Trumpy,

[00:40:07] and I mean it's so like him,

[00:40:08] and one of the things,

[00:40:10] you know with all the bombast,

[00:40:11] of President Trump,

[00:40:12] and his personality,

[00:40:13] and all that,

[00:40:14] he is a very generous person,

[00:40:15] and there are amazing stories,

[00:40:17] of how he has,

[00:40:18] not just given out money,

[00:40:20] but helped people,

[00:40:21] along the way,

[00:40:23] who were flying them,

[00:40:24] to cancer treatments,

[00:40:27] and he does this,

[00:40:29] not openly to be seen,

[00:40:31] but he just helps a lot of people,

[00:40:32] he's a generous person,

[00:40:34] and so yeah,

[00:40:35] I've known him,

[00:40:36] and then to get reunited,

[00:40:37] several years ago,

[00:40:39] we both aged a little bit,

[00:40:41] since the 1980s,

[00:40:42] and we barely recognized each other,

[00:40:44] but it's been good,

[00:40:46] good to get to know him,

[00:40:48] and I have a deep affection for him,

[00:40:50] and I'm so grateful,

[00:40:52] in the plans and providences of God,

[00:40:54] that he is president elect,

[00:40:56] yes,

[00:40:56] well again,

[00:40:57] I want to encourage people,

[00:40:58] to pray for you,

[00:40:59] because you will also be praying for him,

[00:41:01] I've seen you do that,

[00:41:02] a number of times,

[00:41:03] but it does seem to me,

[00:41:04] that there's a kind of a new spirit,

[00:41:06] taking place,

[00:41:08] and even you and I,

[00:41:09] talk off air,

[00:41:10] a little bit of fear,

[00:41:11] because some of these individuals,

[00:41:13] are going to come in,

[00:41:13] and they're wanting to maybe clean house,

[00:41:15] or maybe reorganize things,

[00:41:17] and we've got the Department,

[00:41:20] of Governmental Efficiency,

[00:41:22] and a number of other things,

[00:41:24] so I think we should be praying for our nation,

[00:41:26] we do have an element here,

[00:41:27] where it says pray for America,

[00:41:29] and we send those out every week,

[00:41:30] to individuals to sign up,

[00:41:32] and so I just encourage people,

[00:41:34] to not only to get some of the materials,

[00:41:36] that we've talked about today,

[00:41:37] we have the book,

[00:41:38] we have of course the podcast,

[00:41:40] and of course tomorrow is Giving Tuesday,

[00:41:43] they might even be able to support,

[00:41:44] what you do through PowerPoint,

[00:41:46] right?

[00:41:46] Oh thank you,

[00:41:46] yes PowerPoint is our radio,

[00:41:48] and television,

[00:41:49] and internet ministry,

[00:41:52] related to the church,

[00:41:54] and yeah giving Tuesday,

[00:41:56] is always helpful,

[00:41:57] I would encourage people,

[00:41:58] to support Point of View for sure,

[00:42:00] and other ministries,

[00:42:02] that are proclaiming the gospel,

[00:42:04] the word of God,

[00:42:04] and the testimony of Jesus,

[00:42:06] and I can tell you,

[00:42:07] it's good to hear my friend OS,

[00:42:09] supporting Point of View,

[00:42:10] but,

[00:42:11] and you didn't ask me to do this Kirby,

[00:42:12] but your integrity,

[00:42:14] and your faithfulness,

[00:42:15] and all this,

[00:42:16] all these years,

[00:42:17] there's,

[00:42:18] it's just remarkable,

[00:42:20] and you are a man,

[00:42:21] who loves the Lord,

[00:42:22] you love the church,

[00:42:23] and you just forcefully,

[00:42:26] and faithfully serve God,

[00:42:28] and we appreciate that,

[00:42:29] so people should give,

[00:42:30] to this ministry.

[00:42:31] Well I do thank you for that,

[00:42:33] let's take a break though,

[00:42:33] because when we come back,

[00:42:35] there's just a lot of issues,

[00:42:36] in the news,

[00:42:37] that we have not talked about,

[00:42:38] including a pardon,

[00:42:39] some of the tax issues,

[00:42:41] and a variety of other issues,

[00:42:42] but again one more time,

[00:42:43] if you'd like to know more,

[00:42:44] about Jack Graham,

[00:42:45] go to the website,

[00:42:46] pointofview.net,

[00:42:47] if you'd like to listen to it again,

[00:42:48] click on that red button,

[00:42:50] that says watch or listen,

[00:42:51] and of course there is a donate button,

[00:42:53] there as well,

[00:42:54] so all sorts of resources,

[00:42:55] available to you,

[00:42:56] you can find them,

[00:42:57] at the website,

[00:42:58] pointofview.net,

[00:42:59] let's take a break,

[00:43:00] we have a lot more to cover,

[00:43:01] we'll do that in the second hour,

[00:43:02] right after this.

[00:43:10] It has been a divisive year,

[00:43:13] to say the least,

[00:43:15] presidential election years,

[00:43:16] usually are,

[00:43:17] but here is the good news,

[00:43:20] you have an opportunity,

[00:43:21] to join a movement,

[00:43:23] that brings people together,

[00:43:25] tomorrow,

[00:43:26] you can participate,

[00:43:28] in giving Tuesday,

[00:43:30] this is an annual event,

[00:43:31] when people around the world,

[00:43:33] take a moment,

[00:43:34] and focus on giving something back,

[00:43:36] that spirit of generosity,

[00:43:39] is especially needed,

[00:43:41] in our nation right now,

[00:43:43] and so,

[00:43:44] is biblical truth,

[00:43:45] and that is why,

[00:43:47] we're inviting you,

[00:43:48] to partner with point of view,

[00:43:50] on giving Tuesday,

[00:43:51] and help us reach,

[00:43:52] our $15,000 fundraising goal,

[00:43:56] together,

[00:43:57] we can respond,

[00:43:58] to the chaos in the culture,

[00:44:00] and the residual chaos,

[00:44:02] of election season,

[00:44:03] by providing biblical clarity,

[00:44:06] to people,

[00:44:07] all over the nation,

[00:44:08] participate,

[00:44:09] in giving Tuesday,

[00:44:10] with point of view,

[00:44:11] by giving,

[00:44:12] at pointofview.net,

[00:44:15] or give by calling,

[00:44:17] 1-800-347-5151,

[00:44:20] pointofview.net,

[00:44:22] and 800-347-5151,

[00:44:28] point of view,

[00:44:29] will continue,

[00:44:30] after this,

[00:44:31] because of the truth,

[00:44:31] Thank you.

[00:44:31] Thank you.

[00:44:32] Thank you.

[00:44:32] Thank you.

[00:44:32] Thank you.