Archives: Episodes

Episode 248-Part 1: Are Republicans Really the Party of the Rich? Part 2: A Pastor Faces Charges for Helping the Homeless--Is That Fair?  While it is believed that the Republican Party is the party of the Rich, and the Democrats are the party of the "poor, downtrodden, and disadvantaged, etc." a new survey from Ballotpedia suggests otherwise. In Part 2, a Pastor in Bryan, Ohio faces criminal charges for leaving his church open 24/7 to help minister to homeless people in his community.  Fines are up to $1,000 per day.  First Liberty was able to get the charges dismissed, but the City has trumped up a whole new set of charges.  But is it possible the pastor actually is in the wrong - based on any kind of technicality?

He, the man who finds a good wife finds a good thing, so says the scripture.
Any such man is blessed of the Lord when he finds the RIGHT woman and, in love, takes her as his wife. The life of any man is made complete, richer and fuller, when he shares life with the right wife.
Solomon, the King, knew the value, the blessing of a good wife. The crowning joy of a woman-wife was to be MOTHER, and the husband-father rejoiced in the son or daughter who began the family. But both before and during mothering, that woman-mother remained individual, unique, special in and of herself. This right mother-wife, daughter of the living God, was a woman-wife of noble character. She was moral, faithful, trustworthy, a woman of her word. That kind of woman was worth far more than rubies, far, far more.
Her husband, blessed and fortunate, had full confidence and trust in her. He was proud of her, rejoiced in her strengths and her family influence and all with whom she came in contact. She was a valuable human being.
She brought good, love to her husband and her family, and to all with whom she came in contact. She was a woman of love and charity and so easily loved in return.
Solomon then says that this wife of noble character worked eagerly with her hands. She was productive, not idle, contributing to the good of her family. She provided food for that family of hers and made certain as wife and mother that her family was properly clothed, fed, and protected. She was a woman who could earn, and as a merchant, frugal and sensitive to the value of money, she could like a merchant engage in trading for the profitability of herself, her efforts, her husband, and her family. Her trading, her doing business said Solomon, was PROFITABLE.
She cared for the poor. She always extended help, love, comfort, and succor to the needy. In olden times, she with her husband were always welcomed and respected at the CITY GATE, the place where business and legal matters were conducted.
This very special woman was a person of strength, enduring whatever came, and always with grace and dignity. She had no worry for the future, she thought little or nothing about tomorrow’s problems, and with a happy spirit she could laugh at the days to come. She was positive in all things.
This good woman, constantly learning, was filled with wisdom and she spoke with wise words. She taught her family, her children, and FAITHFUL INSTRUCTION WAS ALWAYS ON HER TONGUE! She was responsible for and carefully carried on the business and the affairs of her household. She was never idle. Always busy in the work of a woman and a wife and joyfully so. She made the household a happy place in which to live, and her husband and her children were so very grateful for this God-given woman. So much so that all called her blessed, knew how special she was, followed after her spirituality, and praised her, blessed her among themselves and to all others. To her husband and children, her household, she was the best of all women, one of a kind, beautiful in the eye and the heart of the beholder. They knew, this household did, that there were many other noble women who did noble things, but for them, their mother, his wife, was the best, the very best of the best.
Her beauty came from within, from a character adorned by the Holy Spirit, radiating joy, happiness, and positivity. Her life spread blessings. No matter what she looked like, she was beautiful to all who knew her.
She was a woman and a wife who believed deeply in God. This woman of today had found that deep and rich personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and his love in her was spread to all others. Scripture tells children to honor their father and mother, and to obey their father and mother, and a mother like this was both easy to honor and obey. She was a lifetime asset for her family, and especially her children.
So, Solomon concludes:
HONOR HER FOR ALL THAT SHE HAS DONE.
HONOR HER! Praise her, at home and everywhere and to everyone. Any woman like this, or even close to all of this, is more precious, more valuable, of more blessing than all the rubies and all the precious gems in the entire world.
Any man who finds a woman like this and marries and takes her as wife, finds a lifetime asset more precious than gold, so says Solomon, so says the scripture, so says the great God Jehovah, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the creator of all men and all women.
HE THAT FINDETH A GOOD WIFE FINDETH THE BEST THING IN LIFE!

Please enjoy this replay of a National Crawford Roundtable podcast episode: REPLAY-Part 1: Is Trump Doing Enough to Win Independents/Undecideds?  If so, what is his strategy?  Are abortion and IVF a no-win situation for him?  Can Trump find a way to promote legal immigration while clearly opposing illegal immigration?   Do Americans really believe their lives are better under Biden?

Part 2: Are Social Media and Smartphones Causing a Mental Health Crisis in American Teens?  Is there time to rein in the digital excess that is destroying our children?  How do we fix this?  Can parents do it alone or must the government get involved?

Episode 246-All Things Gaza: In this week's episode of the National Crawford Roundtable we look at how the events in Gaza affect the United States and the upcoming Presidential election.  What is the impact of Palestinian Occupiers/Protestors on college campuses?  Are Ivy League schools finally reaping what they've sown over the past 60 years?  What impact will Biden's Israel Policy toward Israel have on the November election, especially on young voters?  How big is this issue compared to something like the Southern Border?  Is Biden governing right now or traveling for votes?  How is coordinated anti-semitism happening in real-time in an era that supposedly is hostile to "hate speech"?  Is there any role the Church can play, or do we just hope all of this goes away?

It is here now, this spiritual fight and the preliminary stages of the battle rage.
The fight is with an enemy stealthy, sly, and determined. The enemy is an evil force, hateful, and determined to win this battle. It plots day and night to do just that.
We, God’s people, are in this fight, and it must be with all our might. This enemy, the army of Satan, has every weapon possible available in its arsenal. It is an enemy determined to wage war with conservative America and Christian America in the political arena. It will use every governmental power possible in the fight.
It will pervert everything religious, especially true Christianity, to spread doubt and fear.
It will control culture and seek to change customs, beliefs, priorities, and terminology.
In this era of post-truth (no truth), the LIE prevails, and the enemy will use that viciously. Mankind will find it extremely difficult to know the truth which makes us free as Christians and conservative Americans.
The enemy will use hate, viciously hateful themselves, but accuse people of faith of being hateful.
This vicious anti-Christian enemy has and uses every weapon possible. But, my fellow Christians, they the enemy do not have the greatest weapon of all.
WE DO. WE, THE CHRISTIANS, DO!
And that weapon, which can never be defeated, is none other than the greatest force, the greatest power in this world, no less than:
LOVE! LOVE!
We, the believers, fight the fight of faith with love. With God. For we are told from childhood that:
GOD IS LOVE.
God loved us so much that He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die for us. Mythological even comical to the enemy, but the ultimate reality for us who believe.
So that, in this vicious spiritual battle against the enemy, Satan himself and his legions, we the Christian opposition:
SHALL NOT BE MOVED.
We have on, in the battle, the BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. We fight evil with what is right. We have from head to toe the armor of LOVE. No Weapon of the enemy can pierce that armor.
We carry with us at all times the SWORD OF THE LORD. It bristles, it gleams with righteousness, and with love, and with truth. Even with this armor and carrying the sword of righteousness, we can run the race and win that race against the enemy. The power of love is just simply unbelievable, a weapon which can never, ever be defeated.
We have no fear of our enemy, none at all. We look evil in the face and we say:
I SHALL NOT BE MOVED!
We know, with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength that the love of God in Christ:
CONQUERS ALL!
So that, even if any of us would lay down our life in the service of our Lord, and in the fight for our faith, we know that our Lord, our captain, our Savior, and His remaining army, will ultimately win the battle. We will never be afraid of, nor will we lose to, this Evil Enemy. The love of God in the fight of faith can never be beaten, NEVER!
We his people look forward to the time when:
THE POWER OF LOVE WILL REPLACE THE LOVE OF POWER!
Then this world and this evil enemy will know defeat even as the LOVE of Christ will win this war of faith and peace like never before and will reign like never before.
That really is the only way this enemy, Lucifer’s Legions, can ever be defeated. LOVE, the ultimate weapon, is the only force which can defeat the Anti-Christ and everything thrown against the Christ and his people, and it will, it definitely will, not only defeat the enemy but win the battle and ultimately:
TRANSFORM THIS WORLD.
The Love of God in Christ is so powerful.
The Love of God in Christ is eternal. It is the only thing we can carry with us when we die. Love makes the end so easy. Even on the battlefield of faith, if we die, love lives on, love lives long and eternal and it alone abides eternally along with faith and with hope.
But the greatest of these, the greatest of all powers in this world, the weapon which will ultimately destroy the enemy is none other than:
LOVE.
So, we love our enemies when they persecute us, so says the scripture. We bless them, and we do good for them, our enemies, when they do the opposite to us. For we know that:
GOD HAS NOT GIVEN US A SPIRIT OF FEAR BUT OF POWER,
AND LOVE, AND A SOUND MIND. WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED.
So, when the enemy comes after us with every weapon possible, we fight back with the only weapon we need:

Episode 245-Part 1: Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Part 2: Rising Anti-Semitism in America

Episode 244-Part 1: The Trump Trial, Part 2: Iran Attacking Israel

This world of ours has little joy, real joy. Perhaps there exists some sort of superficial happiness, but transient and really unfulfilling, but little more.
It seems that so much of our world is sad, hopeless in feeling, even hateful. Our world is angry, antagonistic, so very jealous and greedy, negative in so many ways.
I wonder, are you afraid, feeling uncertain and insecure, perhaps even from time to time hateful and angry, untrusting, are you? I wonder sometimes, how much of the joy of Christianity, rejoicing in the relationship with Jesus Christ, in possession of a thankful heart, the promises of the Son of God have been lost as the wiles of the devil seem to permeate this world.
The carpenter of Nazareth, the Son of the Living God, told us quite plainly that He came not only to forgive but to bring us who believe His JOY that our lives may be full, full of that joy. How tragic it would be if once we have met him, and believed in Him, that the joy of our relationship with Him should be tarnished, even eliminated by the ever-growing hateful things in this world.
And more. REJOICE, said He, and even more:
BE EXCEEDINGLY GLAD.
Let gladness permeate your heart, your mind, your emotions, your attitude, your entire life. Be happy, no matter what. For not only are you forgiven but you are born again into a brand-new life of joy, happiness, and rejoicing! I wonder if you take time every day, EVERY DAY, to rejoice, rejoice in Him and for the life you should have now, and you will definitely have hereafter. Do you?
The Apostle Paul tells us to give thanks, GIVE THANKS IN EVERYTHING, the good, the bad, the average, the day-to-day, IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS, thanks to God for His unspeakable gift. Do you? The strongest possession any Christian can have is a thankful heart.
And our Lord says that we should love our enemies. Is there anything harder to do in this world than that? When someone identifies as an enemy, comes at you, does you wrong, hurts you or ones you love, is there anything harder than to love that person? But, the love we have for Jesus Christ never fails, transcends everything, is stronger than anything and it is always there, always. Our God is love and we his people should love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves, even if that neighbor is our enemy so says the scripture. That essential principle, that basic tenet of Christianity, that emotional command, is the hardest thing for any Christian to do, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, IT IS THE MOST REWARDING! We should never accept the wrong, but we should always love the wrongdoer, thus saith the Lord. To carry a grudge, to return hate with hate, to get even, to make a wrongdoer pay, works havoc on the believer, even more so than the evildoer. Be glad, be happy says our Lord when you are persecuted for His name’s sake, when evil comes after good, and never forget, NEVER that ultimately:
GREAT IS YOUR REWARD IN HEAVEN!
Even, says HE, if you weep now, you will laugh sooner or later. YOU WILL LAUGH, you will be happy. Never forget that. You will laugh, you will be happy as David says in the Psalms, even as our Lord laughs at the wicked. Full belief in the love of God in Jesus Christ can do nothing but make one, the believer, be glad, rejoice, be happy and LAUGH!
The smile, the facial smile, the real smile is a rarity today. The heavy heart makes for a sad face. The happy heart, the loving heart produces a cheerful face as Solomon tells us in Proverbs. Our Lord confirms that when he tells us that we should:
BE OF GOOD CHEER!
Life is short, so very short, and any hour of any day spent glum, sad, angry, jealous, or hateful is simply the waste of a part of THE DAY WHICH THE LORD HAS MADE! The spirit of the loving God is at the ready to help, to remind you of this part of your life which you are wasting. Be glad, says the spirit of the living God, and rejoice, and always remember, says the Lord:
I AM COME THAT YOUR JOY MIGHT BE FULL!
I AM COME THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE LIFE AND LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY!
And more. James tells us that the happy heart breaks out in singing, singing songs of love, praise, and joy. David confirms in the Psalms when he tells us to be glad and sing for joy. Even if you can’t carry a tune, sing anyway. Sing songs of praise every day, let your heart sing, be cheerful, be glad, be happy, and never let any part of this sad world, this world hateful, angry, jealous, and itself without joy, bring you down. NEVER!
When the rich man met the Lord Jesus Christ, He sold everything he had, and he did so with JOY. Nothing mattered to him but the joy he found in Jesus Christ. Never forget, my fellow Christians, that a cheerful heart is good medicine. It heals like nothing else, and also remember the wise words of Solomon in Proverbs that:
A CRUSHED SPIRIT DRIES UP THE BONES!
Avoid at all costs the dry bones of Ezekiel. Every day, even all day, you can live with the joy, the happiness, the rejoicing that our Lord provides, which is only a taste of that JOY TO COME!
So, in everything give thanks. In the testings, the trials and tribulations, the sicknesses, the losses, the betrayals, the hateful, the persecution, give thanks, be grateful, for our Lord who never left the Apostle Paul when he suffered in the dungeon all alone, will never leave us. The key to claiming that promise, says the Apostle Paul, is to give thanks:
GIVE THANKS IN EVERYTHING.
And that is especially so when the trials, the tribulations, the persecutions, the hurt and the pain are the worst. When life is at its worst, our Lord is at HIS BEST.
Now abides safe in Him, hope in Him, and the love because of Him. Never let go of a cheerful heart any hour of any day. That is what the Lord of the abundant life wants for YOU!

Episode 243-Part 1: Is Trump Doing Enough to Win Independents/Undecideds?  If so, what is his strategy?  Is abortion and IVF a no-win situation for him?  Can Trump find a way to promote legal immigration while clearly opposing illegal?  Do Americans really believe their lives are better under Biden?

Part 2: Are Social Media and Smartphones Causing a Mental Health Crisis in American Teens?  Is there still time to rein in the digital excess that is destroying our children?  How do we fix this?  Can parents do it alone or must the government get involved?

Do you tell your spouse the truth? ALWAYS?
That would be the whole truth and nothing but the truth, do you?
When you communicate with spouse or children, or any family members or friends, or even in the workplace, or church, or social gatherings, do you tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth all the time? ALL THE TIME?
And, do you expect others to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth when they communicate with you, do you? To tell the truth always, all of it, to everyone under every circumstance, is an extremely difficult task, if not impossible. Our communication, our cultural exchanges, our personal expectations are difficult, partial at best, and seldom if ever contain the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. More often than not, we leave out or add in. We communicate Half-Truths. The definition of half-truth is that only about half of that is true, if that. So often, we communicate with the so-called WHITE LIE. Interesting, is it not, how we give colors (black-white-gray) to falsified communication? The truth, knowing and communicating the truth, is a difficult process.
Perhaps it is a journey to know, believe, and communicate the truth. No matter, it is the obligation, the duty, of a Christian to be truthful, to know and communicate the truth. THOU SHALT NOT LIE (bear false witness) say the commandments and affirmed by our Lord. When we communicate with others in word or deed, it must be with the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth to the very best of our human abilities. That is especially so in family circles. The lie sets an example, a very bad one, especially in family circles, with spouses and children. If a parent expects a child to tell the truth, then that parent better tell the truth as a matter of course, regularly and all the time, and without exception.
Pilate, the governor who passed judgment on Jesus, asked the age-old question, perhaps one of the most important questions (issues) ever asked:
WHAT IS TRUTH?
He had his answer from Jesus of Nazareth, who told him bluntly and point blank:
I AM THE TRUTH. I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE!
That message was for all of us. Jesus told the world of that time and all of us since, that he was ONE WITH THE FATHER, in other words, God himself. That was either the biggest lie of all time, or the most profound truth, one or the other. But, said He, that is the ultimate truth and to know exactly what Jesus was, who He was, was the ultimate spiritual and divine truth. Do you know that and do you believe that?
But what is the definition of truth? It is extremely difficult to define. Truth is based on fact, that which really happened. It is reality, truth is, unvarnished. It is what actually happened, what was accurately said, things not subject to interpretation or question. Truth is moral, good, and right. It is honest and reliable. Truth, real truth is not subject to question, doubt, or interpretation. It comes from the deeds and the words of an honest person. It creates no doubt.
The exact opposite is the LIE. Amazing, is it not, how the lie pervades our culture, our society, our government? Our political world, worldwide and especially in America, is corrupt, knows not the truth, cares nothing about the truth, and in fact boldly proclaims that we live in the day and age of:
POST TRUTH.
Our leaders, almost all know more than mere politicians, power, money, and fame- hungry individuals seem to care little or nothing about the truth. They lie to us with impunity. Many pastors do the very same thing by perverting the Word of God, watering down hard scriptural truth, and failing to set the truthful and moral example which this world of ours so desperately needs. The lie, the lack of truth, pervades business, even the medical world, education, and in fact almost every aspect of our society. The lie goes on in both word and deed. Hypocrisy, saying one thing and doing another, seems part of our everyday life. We exaggerate, and we compromise. We would rather be liked than tell the hard truth or stand up, tall and strong, for what we believe. We seem to have little regard for the conspiracy factor, that we may be equally guilty of not dealing with the lie, the false, the hypocritical, when it is our spiritual duty to do so. The journey to know, believe, and tell the truth is long and difficult indeed, is it not?
So often, to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, straight and without exaggeration is unpopular and such a person is often disliked. Recall how hated Jesus of Nazareth was when he confronted, challenged, and convicted so many with the message of the eternal gospel. But he boldly proclaimed himself to be the truth and he told all humankind that to know Him (Me) was to know the truth and that truth would make any believing person:
FREE.
Free from guilt, free from sin, free from inhibitions, weakness, and anger, FREE! And that freedom would give us courage, courage to stand for the truth so that we would not be ashamed or afraid, or anxious, or intimidated. Rather, we would be confident, actualized, energized, and filled with the Holy Spirit who would give us the words, structure the beliefs within us and make us the new creatures our Lord intended, his disciples who would joyfully pursue the journey of truth lifelong. That same Holy Spirit, the spirit of truth, would govern our conscience, structure our mind and our thinking, and live inside as a warning system. That same Holy Spirit would be our guide, our leader in:
KNOWING THE TRUTH.
That very same truth which would make us free.
So, the answer to Pilate’s question WHAT IS TRUTH? Is provided in a nutshell by our Lord. Jesus said:
I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE.
To know him, really know Him, is the only real way to really know THE TRUTH. As you grow in the knowledge, belief, and love of your Savior, you come to know the truth in the most ultimate and satisfying way, and HE is the end goal of our ultimate journey in the search for truth. The more He lives within your heart, the more you know the truth. There is nothing more wonderful in life than to live the life of truth. No matter this world, the lie of Satan which seems to pervade everything, and almost everyone, you can know the truth, and that truth, that ultimate truth, is contained in two words:
JESUS CHRIST.