If we lose this cultural war, we're going to have a hedonistic society

>> Tim Wildmon: If we lose this cultural war, we're going to have a hedonistic, humanistic society.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Discover the story of the culture warrior Don Wildmon and how he went head to head with Hollywood playboy, the homosexual agenda and the Disney empire. The movement Don started paved the way for Christians to boldly stand for truth and righteousness in a hostile culture. Watch Culture Warrior today for free. Visit culturewarrior movie.

Welcome to Today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network

>> Tim Wildmon: Welcome to Today's Issues, offering a Christian response to the issues of the day. here's your host, Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association. Hey, good morning, everybody, and welcome to today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network. Thanks for listening to AFR. Today's Tuesday, July 8, 2025. And, joining me in studio is Wesley Wildmon. Good morning, Wesley.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Good, glad to be here. Looking forward to it.

>> Tim Wildmon: Amen. And Fred Jackson.

>> Fred Jackson: Howdy, Tim.

>> Tim Wildmon: And Ray Pritchard, raised in Kansas City. Good morning, Ray.

>> Tim Wildmon: Good morning, Tim. I got to tell you, it's a beautiful sunshine, deep blue sky, you know, in the upper 70s.

>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: I got a tee time for you. 1:45. Come on.

>> Tim Wildmon: That sounds perfect to me. In the 70s, huh? in Kansas City today. Wow. well, we, we here in the, in the Deep south are still in full summer mode. not 93.

>> Fred Jackson: Sauna, sauna, weather, sauna mode.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah, I walked, I walked out of the house Saturday morning around 9:00 o', clock, give or take. Walked back in the house, I was doing something, taking garbage out or whatever. Walked Back inside about 9 o' clock Saturday morning, a few minutes later and told my wife Chelsea, my family, well, summer is officially here and it's not going back. We did delay it as long as we could with a little bit, with a lot of rain. We had, we had a, we actually had a decent spring this, this year as opposed to others, but when it gets here, there's no going back. And it's that 9 o' clock. And yes, it's 75, 80 degrees at 9 o', clock, but you can feel the thickness right in the morning. And you know that here in Mississippi.

>> Tim Wildmon: Absolutely. And, we hope that you are having a good summer.

Death toll from Texas flooding now stands at 108; rescue efforts ongoing

Of, course, our, all our hearts have been broken by what happened in Texas over the July 4th weekend. And we're still following that story. And there's just, you know, you read stories that make you cry and then you meet stories that make you smile. I, mean, Fred, because of the heroism of so many people in the rescue efforts. But, Go ahead, Ray. Ah, we haven't talked to you since, since this happened, what are your thoughts on what happened there?

>> Tim Wildmon: First of all, it's, There aren't many moments when you don't know what to say, right?

>> Tim Wildmon: That's true.

>> Tim Wildmon: But you look at the devastation, the carnage, some of these pictures look like something from a war zone in another part of the country. What used to be a Christian camp, which for a century had ministered the good news of Jesus washed away a debris field. And you look up and down the banks of that, of the Guadalupe river, devastation everywhere. And, I told somebody yesterday, in moments like these, first of all, we don't know. We can't explain. I was just. I mean, moments ago, Tim, I was thinking about what Psalm 46 says. Be still and know that I am God. And there are moments in which no human words can, can suffice to explain what has happened. But the good news is this, that Jesus is still the Lord. And the Bible says he draws near to the brokenhearted and the crushed in spirit he will save. And we say to anybody whose heart is broken, turn to the Lord. Don't let what has happened turn your heart away from the Lord. Turn to the Lord. Trust in him. Believe in him. And, he will come to your aid. And you'll never know until you come. You will never know until you come. And so, also we are praying for those families. There's still some, I believe still some little girls that have not been found, rescued or recovered yet. we thank God and we're praying for the police and the EMT and the search and rescue and the doctors and the nurses and the thousands of people down there who are working, working, on this rescue and recovery effort. And we pray God to bless them. And we ask God to draw near to the families who have lost so much and pour out his grace and mercy to them.

>> Tim Wildmon: Brad, what do we know? It's tough.

>> Fred Jackson: The death toll has now climbed to 108 people as of, the latest report just a few moments ago. You know, to Ray's point, it is hard to explain. We don't have all the answers. But also we're getting stories about what happened to those who were trapped and. And thank the Lord, were able to get out. And one of those stories was told yesterday by Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick. And again, this has to do with Camp mystic, this Christian camp where so many kids lost their lives and counselors, but some were saved. Listen to what he had to say about some of these kids who survived and the story that is being told. This is cut number three.

>> Alex McFarland: They were on the second floor, and the water rose to the second floor, Laura.

>> Wesley Wildmon: The second floor.

>> Alex McFarland: And a couple of hundred girls watched it. And they sang Christian songs and that water stopped and those children were saved.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah, that's, And we're going to get more stories like that from the people who are saved. But I just wanted to take note also. I've been watching this, obviously since the story began last weekend. And now it's more. The rescue efforts are continuing, but, a whole lot of recovery efforts right now, what they call recovery efforts. And we need to be praying for those people. And there are people from all over the country that are there, trying to go through the horrendous amount of debris. it's amazing to watch these huge trees that were just bent over by the force of this water. And I was watching a video yesterday of a car that had been picked up and it would pull downstream and it got full of mud. But these two guys with shovels had to shovel out the mud because they're looking for perhaps the body of an individual inside.

>> Wesley Wildmon: That could have been in the vehicle.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah, that could have been in the vehicle. These folks deserve a lot of credit. Many of them are volunteers. They're there to carry out the duty of trying to find everybody that may be out there. And maybe there is still those who could survive. There's still, not quite. Quite a dozen from this camp mystic that most of them are kids.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah. You're still in the window of somebody potentially still being alive.

>> Fred Jackson: It's possible hanging onto a tree somewhere or whatever the case may be. But they started to show the pictures of some of these kids that are missing still.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Well, I wanted to add this. I know, there are a number of you that are listening that want to know what you can do beyond praying for them. And we covered on our news network earlier this morning that, eight Days of Hope, Steve Tiber said they have full intentions on making this a priority and they're going to be a part of whatever God allows through working with locals there. However, they can't just rush in while the recovery, while the recoveries and the potential, looking for others. so they're having to wait for that to settle down. And once that's done, then, you can look forward to possibly for those that have the time or the vacation hours or maybe the Lord leads you to help out through working with eight Days of Hope.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, right.

>> Tim Wildmon: Well, you know, at a moment like this you thank God for the Samaritan's purse, people. Southern Baptists have this rapid rescue. The Cajun, the Cajun Navy. I'm trying to think of the name of that group. They're on the scene there. you know, Wesley, you've got rescue finding the survivors, you've got recovery, in the case of those who do not survive. But then you've got the rebuilding, which is where eight days of hope is going to come in. So important this, this rebuilding down there is rescue, recovery. But the rebuilding is not going to happen in days. It's going to take weeks and months and maybe even years. so there are many ways for us to help and we all ought to be praying.

Guadalupe river in southwestern Mexico flooded causing dozens of deaths

>> Tim Wildmon: You know, I was just looking at. I've never been there. any of you guys been to this. How do you pronounce it?

>> Fred Jackson: Guadalupe.

>> Tim Wildmon: Guadalupe river, area. It's very beautiful. you know, hill country.

>> Tim Wildmon: Hill country, yeah. Vacation territory.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. A lot of canoeing and rafting and You're right. fishing and, and camping. A lot of. I remember reading about an RV park or probably multiple RV parks that were flooded. But what struck me was the the. The width of the river is some places only like 40 or 50ft M. Okay. And I can't imagine it being very deep either. So thus the. They call it flash flood city basically because this happens regularly. Not what happened the other day, but it does have flash flooding. So people are used to that with this particular river. But you're talking about 5 to. I read 5 up to from 5 to 11 inches of rain falling on one area and without stopping. And then that caused, you know that of course that would flood anywhere. But that's what caused the wall of water. It was a, sorry for the bad pun here, a perfect storm because they had the remnants of the of tropical storm that come off the west. Came off the west, coast up through Mexico and then in this storm system, just. System is what you call it just sat on top of these poor folks and that's what. Anyway, it was a once in a lifetime happening once in a hundred year probably happening that that occurred and.

>> Tim Wildmon: It happened and it, it happened. The terrible flooding happened at night. Okay. It happens in 10 o' clock in the morning. You have a different outcome. Right. People are aware. But what do you do when it's 12:31 one. One o'. Clock? It's two o' clock in the morning.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right?

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah. And that's. It was the time once, once I heard that for the first time, that made the most sense to me on why the number of dead reached what it did.

>> Tim Wildmon: Everybody was asleep.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: And you get no warnings. I mean, you get some warnings, but, it's hard to communicate that. You got children involved. You're trying to get them away from the, you know, what's going on. I remember one hearing one young lady say, I didn't know anything was going on till I saw the military helicopter above the camp ground.

>> Fred Jackson: So, yeah.

Left blames Trump for weather service cuts, but White House says no cuts

>> Tim Wildmon: Anyway, you said, what's a confirmed death count?

>> Fred Jackson: It's, it's 108 at the moment. By the way, just want to quickly mention it didn't take long for the left to try to blame Trump for this. Trump cuts.

>> Tim Wildmon: How do you blame Trump for this?

>> Wesley Wildmon: Well, he's pretty creative.

>> Fred Jackson: It's pretty creative. They say due to cutbacks in the weather service meteorologists, doge. But they were quick to clarify the White House yesterday, there have been no cuts, and even the weather service confirmed there were no cuts in personnel that would have contributed to the warning. The one thing I heard yesterday, again, going to, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patterson. Patrick. He is moving to ensure, he says the state is going to ensure that all these communities down along the Guadalupe have the early siren warnings. Apparently, a lot of, like, if, if you live in a lot of places in this country where tornadoes are, you know, frequent in the spring, that kind of thing. And we live here in Tupelo, Mississippi, we hear tornadoes, warnings going off, sirens. He was saying that a lot of these communities may have benefited from sirens going off to wake people up before that water got to them. And he's saying the state is going to ensure in the next year that all of those communities get these sirens so that if it's the middle of the night like this, the sirens go off. We know what that's like. You wake up and you become very alert to something going on.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Mm.

>> Tim Wildmon: And the weather, you know, there are apps, you know, the Weather Channel apps I know are helpful, too, as well. So.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has nominated President Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize

All right. You're listening to Today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network. Next story. Fred?

>> Fred Jackson: Well, there was a white, House dinner last night. the president, obviously there, President Trump, some of his cabinet, Minister Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a few others. And sitting across the table from them were prime, Minister Netanyahu of Israel and others. Also attending, was our U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, and both Netanyahu Mike Huckabee and others were in full praise of what President Trump has done to change the political environment in, the Middle East. And, Mike Huckabee kind of summed it up this way. Cut number five.

>> Speaker G: When the President made his trip to the Middle east, and then he really reached out to the new Syrian government, knowing they needed a partner and knowing that they could pick the wrong partner. And what the President did, which took us all off guard, but the strategic move in that has set up something that is absolutely historic. And Mr. President, I don't even think you fully comprehend the impact that you're having on the region in a way that is so remarkable. And it was your leadership, your foresight. You did that when the B2s went in. the celebration, the sense of partnership that you gave with the Israeli people was so dramatic. But the message was bigger than to Israel. It was a message to the world. America's friends can trust us, but America's foes had better fear us. And that is a message that the President sent to everyone on the planet. And it is a message that will resonate toward a matter of peace, the likes of which I don't think we've ever seen.

>> Fred Jackson: So there you have it. I mean, Syria was a terrorist nation up to just several months ago. New guy came in. Now, President, ah, Trump describes him as coming from a rough background, probably putting it mildly. But he has reached out to this guy. They have raised some of the sanctions, that were against Syria. Of course, they talked about the bombing there in Iran, and, the Iranians, according to President Trump, now want to come to a negotiating table. so things have changed dramatically just basically in the last five months since President Trump started his.

>> Tim Wildmon: Sounds like somebody ought to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

>> Fred Jackson: To that point. To that point. Listen to this. Last night, Prime Minister Netanyahu took out of his briefcase or whatever he had, and he had, and presented to President Trump. President Trump, you're going to hear, didn't know this was coming, but Prime Minister Netanyahu has nominated President Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize. Cut 4.

>> Tim Wildmon: The President has already realized great opportunities. He forged the IM courts. He's forging peace as we speak, in one country, in one region after the other. So I want to present to you, Mr. President, the letter I sent to the Nobel Prize Committee. It's nominating you for the Peace Prize, which is well deserved.

>> Tim Wildmon: You should get it.

>> Tim Wildmon: Thank you very much. This, I didn't know. Well, thank you very much coming from you in particular, this is very meaningful. Thank you very much. Thank you for everything you do.

>> Fred Jackson: Thank you.

President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talked last night at White House

>> Tim Wildmon: That's President Trump and, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from Israel, talking last night at a dinner, at the White House. And you also heard remarks by Governor Mike Huckabee, who's now the. The ambassador to Israel and was on our show. Been. He's been on our network many times, but, and he promised to come back on, Brent, have you checked with him again?

>> Wesley Wildmon: He's follow up with that.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, have him back on. He said he'd come back on and not get the big head, you know what I'm saying? So if he's got the big head, let me know. I have people. I'm just kidding. he. Mike is never going to get the big head. He's very humble guy, but, he, he, before he got confirmed, he said, hey, after I get confirmed, get over there. In Israel, who would be back on our program to discuss what's happening with his job and with, what's happening, in Israel? You're listening to Today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network. Yes, go ahead.

>> Wesley Wildmon: So I got to watch most of that dinner and some of the conversations and the exchanges and just pointing out. I don't know if y' all know, you've noticed or Fred's noticed, but over the last, Well, since Trump's been inaugurated, in some of his interviews or some of his, press, conferences or moments like this, there's usually, usually one person in the background that just. Just can't help it. They get the. They get a little bit of a chuckle out of what he's saying. well, I don't know if we know the name of the gentleman beside, my Huckabee there. However, he got the giggles because when.

>> Tim Wildmon: Who was talking when Trump.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Trump said something that we all was like, well, I don't know if that's presidential, but that's kind of funny, right?

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Wesley Wildmon: And he got the chuckles, and the only way he was not able. And he couldn't stop it and stop it. And then Mike. Mike Huckabee got to get the chuckles, too. He started giggling, but then he was asked a question that we just played to make some comments.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Wesley Wildmon: And so that was the only way that he, was saved from. From the giggles.

>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, you got my curiosity up now. You got to tell. Where can I watch this? Oh, yeah, we know what was said.

>> Wesley Wildmon: I can't remember. I'll have to go back and Listen to it. But did you hear what was said.

>> Tim Wildmon: That he started laughing?

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah, yeah. I just don't remember. I don't. I don't want to miss. I don't. You have to listen. Okay.

>> Tim Wildmon: I would watch it, but about this. You're grinning.

>> Fred Jackson: No, I just saw the laugh. I didn't hear what was said.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah, I don't. I can't.

>> Tim Wildmon: But who was a fella. Who was that? Do you know who the fellow.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Look it up.

>> Fred Jackson: I think it was one of the, intelligence, people.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah, well, it was. It was one of those moments where I was laughing at the same time he started laughing, but then I was looking at it going, you're on live tv. How could you? Probably.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right. Yeah. Do you think they were laughing at something Trump said?

>> Wesley Wildmon: Oh, yeah, it was. Oh, yeah, it was. It was instantaneous. And everybody in the room chuckled. But the thing is, this guy couldn't stop. That's what was so funny about it. He couldn't stop himself. It was quite funny.

President Trump praised Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as perfect ambassador to Israel

>> Tim Wildmon: Do you know Mike Huckabee? Right.

>> Tim Wildmon: You guys both, just, you know, we've. I've been on with you, and we've interviewed him once or twice. That's it. But love him. He's the perfect for this moment in history. He's the perfect ambassador to Israel.

>> Tim Wildmon: He was the, He was a Southern Baptist minister in Arkansas. Then he became. Was he a statewide official before he came, a governor? Was he like, lieutenant governor or something like that? I can't remember. I'm trying to look and see. I do know it was about that time, either in the, he was governor of Arkansas from 96 to 2007. And it was during that. Well, it was prior to that time, probably in the early 90s, that my dad, Don Wildmon, who's, you know, passed away, but dad got to know then Mike Huckabee, Pastor Mike Huckabee, they got to be good friends over those years. And then, Mike became governor of Arkansas. And then, of course, he ran for president a couple times. Mike did. On the Republican side. Obviously, he didn't win, but he ran a. He, ran a good race and then got to be good friends with, then candidate Trump and then President Trump and earned the trust of Trump, enough to be appointed ambassador to Israel. And I've got to think this is Mike's dream job.

>> Fred Jackson: It is. And President Trump last night just praised Mike Huckabee and said how much the Israeli people love him, because Mike Huckabee is unapologetic in his support for the Israeli people at an incredible time, as he was pointing out. Mike Huckabee was just in the clip we just heard there because some of the, one of the questions from reporters last night before this dinner was, you know, where they stand on the two state solution. Prime Minister Netanyahu was very clear. He says Israel is going to maintain control of the whole area. That's. That's it.

>> Wesley Wildmon: And everything that relates to our security.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes, yes. Mike Huckabee, in his interview with us, Tim, back there a few months ago, he made it pretty clear too, that there can't be a two state solution when you have one side that hates the other and wants to wipe the other side off the face of the earth. So, but right now is a climate where they seem to believe these people around that table last night, they actually seem to believe there is a possibility of at least a period of peace in the Middle East. That's encouraging.

>> Tim Wildmon: The rumor is that President, Trump's gonna, you know, he's going to point to Gaza as far as an ambassador. Have you guys heard this?

>> Wesley Wildmon: No joke, huh? you serious?

>> Tim Wildmon: Yo. Yo. Yeah. Who would.

>> Tim Wildmon: Who? No, Elon Musk is.

>> Fred Jackson: that, that's.

>> Tim Wildmon: I'm just saying that's rumor. I can't confirm that certainly, but he.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Started right here on afr.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, don't quote me on that. I'm just saying that's out there.

>> Tim Wildmon: We're not. We're just saying. We don't really.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, just saying, just. Elon Musk has been rumored to be the new ambassador to Gaza, appointed, by President. Whether he would take that job, I don't know. But, anyway, we're just kidding, folks.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes.

>> Tim Wildmon: All right, we're going to take a short time out right here. Dr. Alex McFarland will be with us also coming up after the break, you are listening to the radio program Today's Issues on American Family Radio. Tim, Wesley, Fred and Ray. Wesley and Fred are donning the same colors today.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: Is that a teal? What is that an emerald? What is that?

>> Fred Jackson: It was a memo that came out.

>> Tim Wildmon: I missed that memo.

>> Tim Wildmon: I didn't get those.

>> Wesley Wildmon: We did an email text.

>> Tim Wildmon: You didn't ask me. What color is that?

>> Wesley Wildmon: It's gonna be like a turquoise.

>> Tim Wildmon: It's a turquoise mint.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Is it more like a mint Mint?

>> Tim Wildmon: Mint is good.

>> Tim Wildmon: I like that.

>> Tim Wildmon: Mint.

>> Tim Wildmon: You guys are getting deep into your colors right here. Going mint. We'll be back. We'll be back in a mint end.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Mint. End.

Today marks three years since Roe vs. Wade was overturned

>> Ed Vitagliano: This June 24th marks three years since Roe vs. Wade was overturned. But here's what you may not know. Abortion numbers have surged to a 10 year high. The battleground has shifted from the courtroom to our homes. Today, over 60% of abortions happen through the abortion pill. Taken in silence, often alone. PreBorn Network clinics are standing in the gap, meeting women in their most desperate hour. And here's what they're Young mothers, terrified and misled, are delivering their babies, tiny, perfectly formed, onto bathroom floors. These precious babies, once called just tissue, now lie lifeless. 11% of these women who take the abortion pill will suffer seriously health complications. Countless others carry emotional scars for a lifetime. When you give to preborn, you're not just saving a baby, you're saving a mother too. You're giving her hope, financial support and the truth. PreBorn has already rescued over 350,000 babies. But there are so many more who need our help. Your tax deductible gift makes this mission possible. To donate now, dial pound 250 and say the keyword baby. That's pound 250 baby. Or go to preborn.com afr that's preborn.com afr.

>> Tim Wildmon: This is today's issues. Email your comments to commentsfr.net Past broadcasts.

>> Alex McFarland: Of today's Issues are available for listening.

>> Tim Wildmon: And viewing in the [email protected] now back to more of, Today's Issues.

Tim Ferriss: Today's Issues is hosted by Wesley and Fred

Hey, welcome back everybody to Today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network. Thanks for listening to this show again called Today's Issues. We're here every Monday through Friday. On Fridays we have the trivia fun show Learning University. So we will do that in what, three days from now. Thanks for listening Tim with Wesley and Fred. They're both. Wesley and Fred are both wearing mint, mint colored shirts today. Wesley proudly, he broke that down for us, the color scheme going on there. Ray Pritchard's in Kansas City. Ks, rated. They ever stopped doing that, what do you call it, that racing downtown where they burn tires around circles.

>> Tim Wildmon: Still do it. Still do it.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, you know what I'm talking about.

>> Tim Wildmon: That's a little bit, yeah, a little.

>> Tim Wildmon: Somewhere down in Kansas City about every two weeks protest. No, this, no this is like.

>> Tim Wildmon: Close it up and race the cars.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, yeah, this was, I was reading about every two, three weeks they'll say hey, in Kansas City again or in Chicago, there you got these people that young people, I think those young people, they get their cars and they go and they find a circle somewhere and they just spin and spin and spin.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Like a donut. Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: It's not a, it's not a political protest. Right.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Okay, I gotcha.

>> Tim Wildmon: No, they're just they're doing, having dangerous fun.

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, but they're breaking the law because they are, they are impeding traffic and things like that. It's the police, you know, go to break it up. I'm just saying that that's been in the news in Kansas City and Chicago and maybe some other places too.

Alex McFarland hosts American Family Radio's Exploring the Word

All right, well we welcome now Dr. Alex McFarland to the program Alex is co host of, Exploring the Word, heard weekdays at 3 o' clock Central time here on American Family Radio with brother Bert Harper. Good morning, Alex.

>> Alex McFarland: Good morning everybody.

>> Tim Wildmon: Is your, are your summer Worldview camps over?

>> Alex McFarland: Oh, no, not yet. Next one is in South Carolina.

>> Tim Wildmon: Is that full?

>> Alex McFarland: Oh yeah, yeah. All of them by God's grace, had a waiting list. And we give God the glory and that's because we get to mention it on the American Family Radio Network.

>> Tim Wildmon: So how many? So how many you got? So all your camps are full the rest of summer. How many you got left?

>> Alex McFarland: Let's see, we got South Carolina, we've got New Jersey. Hewitt, New Jersey, which is about three hours north of Newark, New Jersey. I fly to Newark.

>> Tim Wildmon: No, you can't get Newark. You can't be in New Jersey. Three hours north. Newark.

>> Tim Wildmon: you're in New York.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: You need to look at your map again there. Okay. You may know the Bible, but I know the maps.

>> Wesley Wildmon: There you go.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, it's somewhere in the Hudson River Valley. Camp New York.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Okay.

>> Alex McFarland: Is it.

>> Tim Wildmon: Anyway, it's not important, but you can. Well no, it is important too. So where are you talking about? Tell me the name of the place.

>> Alex McFarland: Camp Shiloh or Shiloh Christian Camp. And it's you fly into Newark and drive at least a couple of hours. Last year was the first year. So we've got South Carolina, we've got Iowa, Cedar Falls, which is near Cedar Rapids, coincidentally. And then we've got Hewitt, New Jersey which is August 17 through 20. And that wraps up the camps. This summer we had, we had 36 kids in Montana that got saved. And then a couple of weeks ago we were in Georgia and we had ah, great. I'm not going to name the name. Listen to this. In Temple, Georgia, three years ago we had, ah, a mother called us and she said that her son is transgender and transitioning and could he come? And we weren't sure if it was, you know, somebody sort of trying to make trouble. We prayed about it. We talked, with the camp in Georgia. Anyway, we said, look, he may come, but you guys are going to have to stay in a hotel. We're not, going to let him stay in the boys cabins, and we're certainly not going to let him stay in the girl. Anyway, long story short, this young person, I led this young man to Christ three years ago, and he's come and just two weeks ago in Georgia, all American guy, he said to me, tim, and I give God the glory. He said, you saved my life. And I said, no, the Lord did it, but he's going to college. He's, born a guy, living as a guy, a Christian guy for Jesus. But, you know, very often it's great when three dozen people at once walk the aisle. But much of the Great Commission happens, just one soul at a time does.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, absolutely. By the way, there's a shallow Christian family campground.

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: In Eaton, New York.

>> Alex McFarland: So it is over in New York then, isn't it?

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. You might want to get that straight for you.

>> Fred Jackson: There.

>> Alex McFarland: Last year, and so I know I flew into New Jersey. Okay.

>> Tim Wildmon: Into Newark, I think I did.

>> Alex McFarland: And the funny thing, last year, when I was coming home after that camp, I'm back in the Newark Airport. It's like six in the morning. I had an early flight. A lady comes up to me and she goes, hey, aren't you on afr? We live in Dallas and we listen to you and Burt. And I remember, and I get this a lot. But, so for some reason, I flew into Newark, even though that camp, I realize is. And by the way, it's such a beautiful part of the country. When you think of New Jersey and New York, I think people think of Manhattan or whatever. I'm telling you, in upstate New Jersey, in upstate, the Hudson River Valley, there is some beautiful country.

>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, absolutely. The Hudson Valley. Hudson River Valley. You're right. You get outside of concrete jungle, as it were, and get in, out into the countryside. It's beautiful part of the country. All right, you're listening to today's issues. Tim Wesley, Fred, Ray and Alex. All right, I'm gonna get, I know when I say these people go, yeah, right. I'm gonna get serious now for a minute. Okay.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Because I'll hold you to that.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, you hold me to that.

Alex Bird: When tragedies like Texas flash floods, people often question God

I do want to talk about something serious, which has been a. It's. It's kind of the, the. The question that people ask, both, I think, people who don't know the Lord and people who do know the Lord. And we asked the same question, maybe coming at it from a different, attitude or perspective. But Alex, I have to ask you, when tragedies like what happened in Texas strike and you see so many innocent people, particularly these children, die, just, you know, by drowning in a flash flood.

>> Fred Jackson: River. River that.

>> Tim Wildmon: Flash floods at a Christian camp, and you go, where is God? Why didn't God protect these poor children? so when that question is asked, and that's, I think people who are veteran Christians, who are seasoned believers who studied the Word, who've heard sermons and so forth, we have a lot, I'm not bragging, I'm just saying, but we have a lot of perspective, historical and looking back at our own lives and so forth and so on to understand, not that we have the answer, all the answers, but to understand the context of that question that I ask and what the Bible says about it, even if it's. Sometimes we don't fully even grasp that. But what do you say, Alex, when somebody, a non believer, for example, ask a question like that, are a believer, what do you say in response to that?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, ah, and Tim, I'm so glad that you're willing to, go there and talk about this because, you know, obviously now the death toll in Texas is 100 or more. And certainly everyone's heart hurts to think of the teenage girls and the children at the Mystic Christian camp yesterday on exploring the Word Bird and I had, an AFR listener, a, dear brother named Lee Puckett who lives near there. And he was, on exploring the Word yesterday, kind of giving, on the ground report and asking people to please pray. And invariably the human response is, you know, why. Why would this happen? And, you know, I think it's only right to say we don't completely know. I mean, we know it's a fallen world. We know, in this world there are extreme weather conditions. And that's really due, to the flood and the way the planet is in the aftermath of the flood, there's these extreme weather conditions.

>> Tim Wildmon: What flood?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, the flood of Noah.

>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, the flood of Noah. Okay.

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah. because the Earth is on a 23 degree tilt and there's different weather patterns and there's rainfall and sometimes flood. But there are two words. First of all, I think it's important to say that really only Christianity has the promise that proximate tragedy can one day Yield ultimate good. And I realize when a human heart is broken, it's hard to even think this way. But I mean, here's our options. atheism says there is no God and just stuff happens, deal with it. And then, Eastern religion and Hinduism would say, oh, reality is an illusion. But that's not a great, comfort. Christianity says, yeah, bad stuff happens. It's a fallen world. But we have a savior who laid down his life for us. And even though we're in pain and heartbreak sometimes through life, if we are willing to entrust our present and our future to God, we have the promise of God, who cannot lie, that ultimately he brings good. I think in the Old Testament, there's Genesis 50 where Joseph told his brothers, you meant it for evil. God ultimately turned it to good. Romans 8:28. Ultimately, now Christianity is not the promise of a pain free life, but it is the promise not only of a home in heaven one day, but even in this life. If we, with the help of the Holy Spirit, if we allow God, he will heal our heart, wipe our tears away, and God will bring good out of tragedy. I don't completely know, but why didn't.

>> Tim Wildmon: God stop the tragedy in the first place? I think that's what people want to know the answer to. Because, if we're praying that God do something now subsequent to the disaster, and we're saying he has the power to do that, then you have to ask, well, why didn't he have the power to stop this disaster from happening in the first place? Ray, is that an unanswerable question? or is that just how do you answer something like that?

>> Tim Wildmon: I think Alex has already, covered this. There are questions like that that are hidden in the heart and mind of God. You know, there's an old, old gospel song, and I'm not saying this is the kind of answer I would give to somebody, but it's an old gospel song that says we'll understand it better by and by. That's not just, that's not just sweet words in a song. That's a promise that we are coming into a time, a different world, where God will show us things. I was thinking to myself about the question of, why doesn't God explain himself? What answer could God give right now to a grieving parent? And there are many grieving parents who have lost children. I don't think we could understand in this life. Even if I don't think we have the capacity in this life to understand that we will have in the next life. And so we point people back to God and we tell them, we tell them the truth. If you turn away from God in the moment of heartbreak, how will that make things better? It will not make anything better. Things can only get worse if you turn away from God. But if you turn to him, you will find peace and hope and a ground for understanding things that you can't find anywhere else.

>> Tim Wildmon: Wesley, did you want to say something?

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah, one, in your mint shirt. A couple things. I thought we were supposed to be serious.

>> Tim Wildmon: We are. You seriously have on a man shirt.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Oh, okay. But you made me laugh, so then I just assumed that.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, don't blame me laughing on me. We're all responsible for our own actions.

>> Fred Jackson: Okay, go ahead.

Bishop E.W. jackson covered this question on Jenna Ellis this morning

>> Wesley Wildmon: All right, a couple of things. So this morning, Bishop E.W. jackson covered this question on Jenna Ellis's program. He did a wonderful job. Just to add to a couple things that we've discussed already, is that, in order, if we expect anybody, a Christian or non Christian, for God to get involved in that, to stop and prevent everything all the time, then at some point in that, thinking logically, then God becomes the dictator of all things, and there is no free will. And ultimately you lose out on the ability for a person to make a choice. Become robots or become robots isn't ultimately what you got. on the other hand.

>> Tim Wildmon: So that. That's a good point to make. Now, that doesn't answer the question about the weather. That's right, necessarily. But God does allow for humans to make choices.

What is the biblical response to tragedy? I mean, what are beliefs

And, I mentioned this yesterday, folks, were we're talking about, you know, the elephant in the room, I guess you could say, is especially for Christians understanding, what is the biblical response to tragedy? I mean, what are we supposed to believe and how are we supposed to handle this? And of course, as Ray mentioned earlier, it's personal sometimes with people, especially these families that are suffering because they lost loved ones in this flood situation. But I mentioned that in kind of in what you're talking about, Wesley, God does allow, us, we're free will, we're free agents to do what we want to do here on planet Earth, believers and believers and non believers. And I would just give you this example of how one thing, everybody listening to me has got an example. Like, I'm going to listen if somewhere in their life, and you go, why? But I, had a first cousin. Still have a first cousin who's alive. and, this is 30 years ago or so. And his. He and his wife, they were a young couple. They were Coming back from, some. They were driving in west Tennessee somewhere. They came into a little town and So my cousin's wife took, her seatbelt off for a minute to tend to the baby in the back seat. Well, when she did that, and they pulled out, a drunk driver slammed into them and it threw her out of the car and it killed her, the mom. Okay. So, that left my first cousin, you know, a widower at raising the. And she turned out wonderful. She's a nurse in the Memphis area and everything like that. But what I'm saying is that And they're believers. They were believers. But the choice of that man to drink and drive impacted.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Right.

>> Tim Wildmon: Other people's lives forever.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Sure.

>> Tim Wildmon: See what I'm saying to your point, Wesley, about we have free will and that goes on day after day all over the world. I'm just saying that and God doesn't stop the natural consequences from that happening often. Now, sometimes he does. And I've mentioned before, Alex, when God does intervene supernaturally to stop something that otherwise would have happened, and who knows how many times that happened that we don't know. But, but I mean that's called a miracle. But miracles are rare because if they were every day, all day, they wouldn't be miracles. It wouldn't be miracles. As I said, and I were talking about this yesterday, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

>> Tim Wildmon: But guess what? Lazarus died again. you know what I'm saying? So I'm saying that our choices are and other people's choices, throughout everyday life, have consequences that are often negative, sadly and tragic. Sometimes that that can be explained that. So you can explain things happening in that way. That's a long winded answer to that.

>> Wesley Wildmon: You know, there's a couple other. Well, there's more than a couple Bible verses. There's a lot of Bible verses on this topic. You've got the one where it says that reigns on the just and the unjust alike. you know, also too, when it comes to situations.

>> Tim Wildmon: Ah.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Like this. M. The best theological answer is also not probably the most appropriate answer to give someone who is in the middle of that season at that very moment being a good listener and showing other attributes of God. because as you pointed out, you have to be a seasoned. You don't have to be, but most people need to be a seasoned Christian to understand the bigger perspective here. Like the Romans 8:28 given Romans 8:28 is probably not the best thing to do. Moments after someone's, life, what does that say? It says that we know that in all things, God will work together for the good of those who love him and been called according to his purpose. So we know, as a Christian, seasoned Christian especially, it's much more understanding the further you are away from something to understand. Hey, we know that God's going to work out everything for his good, for those that love Him. but. So I think there's a couple of different things we're trying to answer here all at once. How do we minister to people that are going through tragedy? How do we understand it theologically, how tragedy do. Does happen, and then the difference. And then understanding at the end of this that this. What I'm about to say is not. Is not the most satisfying answer, but it's a reality and that we live in a fallen world. It's broken.

People often question why God didn't prevent Texas flooding

And, I want to ask, Alex, with the time we've got left, a rhetorical question, but for our audience as a whole, what will heaven look like in comparison to what happened in Texas, there with the flood?

>> Alex McFarland: Wow, that's a great question. Well, yes, heaven is very real. The curse will be removed. the fall and the effects of sin will be gone, and we'll all be in a glorified body. And the Bible says, so shall we ever be with the Lord. And, you know, Tim said people ask, you know, if God could have prevented this, why didn't he?

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, that's the number one question I think, that people have.

>> Alex McFarland: And we just don't know. I mean, we really don't know. I will say this, though. I am utterly convinced for every tragedy and we, through our tears, we say, why didn't God do something? There are probably 10 million times God intervened and prevented pain and tragedy and death that we just don't know about. And I know as humans, we're kind of quick to maybe fault God for not doing things as we would have expected. But I think we also need to praise God for the times that we get through the day safely. you know, I, know a friend that was in a very terrible car wreck, but in the er, they did an MRI and they found that this lady had cancer she didn't even know about. And the doctors said, look, it's such a blessing that you came into the ER from this minor car wreck, because had it been even a month or two longer, this cancer that we have gotten out of you now would have been terminal. And I guess that's just one example. But here's the thing. Life in this world, this is not heaven yet. the purpose of this life is to come to Christ and to grow in Christ. One last thing I got to say, and I'll be very brief, but 2 Corinthians says this. 2nd Corinthians, chapter 1, verses 3 and 4, that the God of all comfort comforts us, that we may be able to comfort them who are in any trouble with the same comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. Now, what that means is very often the pains that we go through prepare us for some ministry whereby we can come alongside somebody and we can legitimately say, I understand, you know, parents that have lost a child or a spouse that's lost their mate or whatever. Now, we might say, hey, I didn't sign up for this assignment. And that is true. But our life belongs to our Creator and Savior. And, I don't mean. I'm not trying to make light of any of this. This is very real and very painful. But, if we throw ourselves into the arms of Jesus and wait on him, he will bring good out of tragedy. He is a good God. He really is.

>> Tim Wildmon: Well, and I heard a saying when I was a younger man that has always stuck with me. I don't have a particular Bible verse to cite for this, although I think this is straight out of the Bible. Multiple places. when all is said and all is done, God is still God. So good, bad, tragedy, joy, happiness, sadness, these are all the emotions and experiences we all have. Fred through life if you live long enough. but at the end of the day, God is still God and God is sovereign. Go ahead.

>> Fred Jackson: Something that, I think it was Alex. Just saying, I often think of Joni Eareckson. Tada.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen.

>> Fred Jackson: The question of, why God, did.

>> Tim Wildmon: You allow her, to become a paraplegic?

>> Fred Jackson: Paraplegic. look how God has used her. Look how God has used her to encourage others. Look how God has used her. she's a powerful evangelist, because she doesn't blame God. She praises God for allowing her to be in a situation that she can present the gospel. She can encourage people going through difficult times that God can still use you.

Alex: Ray, you have a book called Anchor for the Soul

>> Tim Wildmon: Ray, give your, you have a book called Anchor for the Soul. Tell us about that and how people.

>> Tim Wildmon: Can get that, love to make these available to our friends. This is a book that. It's a gospel book. It's to do exactly the kind of thing that we've all been talking about in this half hour. To point people to Jesus as the only hope, as the only hope in life, in death, and in the life to come. Friends, we all need Jesus. go to www.keepbelieving.com keep believing.com, click on links and Anchor for the Soul, and you can find out how you can get a copy. One for yourself and maybe get 2, 1 to share with a friend.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay. I love the way you said W there. Give us that again. The three W's. Www.keep believing.com.

>> Tim Wildmon: That'S it.

>> Tim Wildmon: So seriously, folks, go to www.keep believing.com and buy Ray. How much is it? Like 10 bucks or something like that?

>> Tim Wildmon: Something like that, yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: Keep believing.com keep believing.com. that's Ray's website. And the book is called Anchor for the Soul. Yeah, it's a best seller. It's the most popular book you've ever written, right?

>> Tim Wildmon: There are over a million copies in print.

>> Tim Wildmon: That's what I'm talking about. Keep believing dot com. Thank you, Alex. And, remember, when you get to the Newark Airport, go north. Okay?

>> Alex McFarland: Point taken.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay. You end up in Atlantic City, and you don't need that reputation if you go south. God bless you.

>> Alex McFarland: The views and opinions expressed in this.

>> Tim Wildmon: Broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.

Tim, Wesley and Ray talk with Fred on top news headlines of the day including a discussion on how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nominated President Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.