May God restore to us “pulpits aflame in righteousness.”

Transcribed with OpenAI Whisper (base.en). Timestamps are approximate. Lightly cleaned for readability; quotations from on-air callers may include filler words. Use the audio player above for the authoritative recording.

1. 0:00Darkness is not an affirmative force.
2. 0:03It simply reoccupies the space vacated by the light.
3. 0:06This is the Hamilton Corner on American Family Radio.
4. 0:11It should be uncomfortable for a believer to live as a hypocrite.
5. 0:15Delivery people out of the bondage of mainstream media.
6. 0:18And the philosophies of this world.
7. 0:20God has called you and me to be his ambassador.
8. 0:24Even in this dark moment.
9. 0:26Let's not miss our moment.
10. 0:28And now the Hamilton Corner.
11. 0:31Good evening, everybody.
12. 0:34Welcome to the Hamilton Corner, Abraham Hamilton.
13. 0:36The third here, I am delighted to be with you.
14. 0:40I'm going to make a little bit here.
15. 0:42Delighted to be with you.
16. 0:44Man, so much is going on in the world.
17. 0:46So much is going on in the country.
18. 0:49And you have so many outlets and avenues
19. 0:51where you could turn to for information and news and commentary.
20. 0:57But you've decided to tune in here.
21. 0:59and we are grateful for you doing so.
22. 1:02My name is Abraham Hamilton.
23. 1:03The third I am the host of the Hamilton Corner joined by
24. 1:06produce extraordinaire often imitated but never duplicated the real
25. 1:09J. Mac.
26. 1:11Ladies and gentlemen, we are ready to roll with today's edition
27. 1:14of the program at this very moment.
28. 1:17Many of you have not most of you are making your transition from
29. 1:19your part time jobs where you generate an income to your full
30. 1:24time jobs where you cultivate an outcome.
31. 1:26outcome cultivation is job number one for the Christ follower.
32. 1:31This is the place where we remind you daily that what goes on in your house, what goes on in your
33. 1:38house is far more important than what goes on in the White House. Lots of things are happening in
34. 1:45the White House. I'm grateful for what God is doing in our country and in particular what he is
35. 1:53is allowing President Trump to accomplish.
36. 1:57I will remind you, however,
37. 1:59executive orders is not a way to have enduring governance.
38. 2:03We must, we must, we must have Congress to accompany
39. 2:11what President Trump is doing to move the country
40. 2:12in the right direction.
41. 2:13I'm grateful for what is happening
42. 2:15with the United States Doge service.
43. 2:19However, federal governmental goings on
44. 2:25are not the primary nor enduring driver of national greatness.
45. 2:31What our nation becomes will be determined
46. 2:34by what happens with the families
47. 2:35that comprise our nations, comprise our nation.
48. 2:39What our nation becomes will be determined
49. 2:42by what happens with the people who comprise our nation.
50. 2:47Never forget what is articulated
51. 2:49in our Declaration of Independence.
52. 2:51The unalienable rights belong to the people.
53. 2:54government's highest function is to protect, to secure to the people, the
54. 3:02blessings of liberty. That's the highest function. But with that, with the blessings
55. 3:06of liberty, liberty, secure, the question becomes what will the people do with this
56. 3:12liberty? So as you are making your transition to your full time job, I want to
57. 3:15remind you to do so with intentionality. Understand the primacy that God places on
58. 3:20family understand that we have an opportunity to be a part of God's
59. 3:25plan being fulfilled and what goes on again in your home is far more important
60. 3:29than what's going on in Washington DC because it is.
61. 3:36We're going to turn to the word of God and I'm going to say a couple of things to
62. 3:39kind of set up what I want to share and this is something that really really has
63. 3:42been been burning in my heart.
64. 3:44I'm going to spend some time on this today throughout the program.
65. 3:47We're going to go today to the book of Jeremiah.
66. 3:49Jeremiah chapter 6. Jeremiah chapter 6, the text will be verses 13 through 15. Jeremiah chapter 6
67. 3:58verses 13 through 15. But I want to explain some contextual things and really refer to some of
68. 4:07Jeremiah's contemporaries just to give you a broader picture of really the way that God works and
69. 4:15what he was doing particularly at this point in history through the Prophet Jeremiah. So,
70. 4:20Jeremiah ministered to the southern kingdom of Judah as well as his capital city in Jerusalem
71. 4:25from about 627 to 586 BC. Now many of you may recall two dates perennial dates that should be
72. 4:32understand particularly when navigating the Hebrew scripture, the Old Testament, 722 BC is a date
73. 4:40that the conquest and exile of the northern kingdom of Israel when it was culminated.
74. 4:47Okay, remember the nation of Israel was a unified nation under first Saul, then David,
75. 4:54then Solomon. Okay, Solomon precipitated the division of the nation of Israel into two countries,
76. 5:01the northern kingdom of Israel, the southern kingdom of Judah that included the tribe of Benjamin.
77. 5:06Solomon's son, Rahaboham, became king when those nations were divided.
78. 5:12The first king of the divided northern kingdom of Israel was Jeroboam, who immediately during
79. 5:18his reign proceeded to establish idol worship as foundational and institutional to the northern
80. 5:24kingdom of Israel, setting up golden calves at Dan and Bethel, Dan being the northern most
81. 5:30point in the northern kingdom of Israel, Bethel being the southern most point in the northern
82. 5:34Kingdom of Israel. The second date is 586 BC when the conquest and exile of the southern
83. 5:42kingdom of Judah culminates. Now that conquest and exile of Judah did not occur all at once.
84. 5:50It was not a blitzkrieg type of warfare. It was siege warfare initially beginning in earnest
85. 5:56at about 605 BC there about 607, 606, 605 BC there about, which the scriptures tells us
86. 6:03that Daniel and his friends, Hennania Azerim,
87. 6:06and Sal were some of the first of those exile.
88. 6:09So you have that time period for Jeremiah's ministry,
89. 6:12627-586 BC.
90. 6:16Well, there were contemporaries who were prophets also,
91. 6:20whom Yahweh empowered by his grace to minister,
92. 6:26and particularly calling the Southern Kingdom of Judah
93. 6:28to repentance prior to Babylonian conquest in exile.
94. 6:31One of those is Zephaniah.
95. 6:33All right, Zephaniah ministers in Judah from about 640 to 621 BC, Zephaniah ministers in
96. 6:41Judah all the way up until the time of Josiah's reforms in the Southern Kingdom.
97. 6:45And I'm doing this so that you have a framework in your mind to see how all of these texts work
98. 6:52together.
99. 6:53You know, I've said before, Zephaniah is regarded by theologians as one of the minor prophets,
100. 6:57not because he's insignificant, but because his writings were shorter.
101. 7:00Another is Habakkuk. Habakkuk ministers in the southern kingdom about six at about 612 to 588 BC.
102. 7:08All right. And as I've already mentioned in this time period 627 to 586, 640 to 621. All right, 612 to 588.
103. 7:17Well, Daniel and his friends were amongst the first exiles from Judah to Babylon at the starting at about 605 BC.
104. 7:25Then you have Ezekiel, for example.
105. 7:27The Bible tells us Ezekiel actually was a priest
106. 7:30whom the Lord moved into prophetic ministry
107. 7:35after he was actually in Babylon.
108. 7:38The scripture tells us that Ezekiel arrives in Babylon
109. 7:40at about 597 BC, but he doesn't start
110. 7:43his prophetic ministry till about four years later.
111. 7:47You know, he was seated at the Chibar River among the exiles
112. 7:50and then the Lord moved on him.
113. 7:52All of these people, their lifetimes overlap.
114. 7:55And my point in illustrating this to you is, as I said already, to give you a framework or a grid to show that all of these texts work together, but also to show you the heart of God for his people.
115. 8:07That he sent profit after profit after profit to warn to call to repentance to say, guys, stop. This is what's happening. If you don't turn, this is what's coming.
116. 8:18Habakkah said his name is Nebuchadnezzar. Babylon is coming, but there were false prophets and false priests in Judah who the people unfortunately listened to more.
117. 8:36So with that as a background, look at what the prophet Jeremiah records in Jeremiah chapter 6, verses 13 through 15.
118. 8:44And Jeremiah is talking about priests and prophets,
119. 8:47looking at verse 13,
120. 8:49for from the least to the greatest of them,
121. 8:54everyone is greedy for unjust gain
122. 8:58and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely.
123. 9:05They have healed the wound of my people lightly,
124. 9:09saying, peace, peace, when there is no peace,
125. 9:14were they ashamed when they committed abominations?
126. 9:18No, no, they were not at all ashamed.
127. 9:23They did not know how to blush.
128. 9:28Therefore they shall fall among those who fall.
129. 9:31At the time that I punish them,
130. 9:32they shall be overthrown, says the Lord.
131. 9:34Now I want to take some time and walk through this.
132. 9:39Verse 13, Jeremiah is talking about the state
133. 9:43of the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
134. 9:45And he says, from the least to the greatest of them,
135. 9:49everyone is greedy for unjust gain.
136. 9:52Everyone what Jeremiah is commenting on is a broad
137. 9:59consumerist and
138. 10:01commercial consumption that has
139. 10:04Overrun you to the such a degree to where their concern for things and stuff possessions
140. 10:11Material wealth has has ascended to such a degree to where it has blunted their spiritual discernment
141. 10:19It has blunted the sensitivity to Yahweh.
142. 10:23It has blunted their heart for God.
143. 10:28And it's manifested in a corrupted culture.
144. 10:35That corrupted culture is typified by greed for unjust gain.
145. 10:41Everybody's looking for a come up.
146. 10:43Everybody's looking for a hustle.
147. 10:45Everybody's trying to find a way
148. 10:47in a materialistic overrun society.
149. 10:52And then the Prophet Jeremiah says,
150. 10:55from prophet to priest.
151. 10:58So Jeremiah presents that as a scale of Judah's society.
152. 11:04From prophet to priest, what Jeremiah is saying,
153. 11:06and everyone in between.
154. 11:09The priests were regarded as some of the upper echelons
155. 11:12of Judah's society.
156. 11:16But this corruption, this greed,
157. 11:20has infiltrated the entire society.
158. 11:23And I also want you to note the way that Jeremiah describes it.
159. 11:27from the least of the greatest of them,
160. 11:28everyone is greedy for unjust gain.
161. 11:31From prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely.
162. 11:34Notice the connection between greed and corruption.
163. 11:39Jeremiah is explaining that greed opened the door
164. 11:44towards all man of corruption.
165. 11:46It sounds very similar to what the Apostle Paul warned
166. 11:49in 1 Timothy chapter six, verse 10.
167. 11:52When he says,
168. 11:53love of money is the root of all manner of evil, which, which,
169. 12:02while some coveted after they have aired from the faith.
170. 12:07See, people quote the first half of that verse from 1st,
171. 12:1076, but they don't quote the last portion.
172. 12:13The love of money is the root of all manner of evil,
173. 12:16which while some coveted after they have aired from the faith
174. 12:21that greed, the love of money, results in people straying from authentic Yahweh worship, authentic
175. 12:31Christ following. Notice that connection, guys. And verse 6 continues, that they have
176. 12:38aired from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. We should not be surprised
177. 12:46that greed, materialistic covetousness,
178. 12:51often opens the door for all manner of wickedness,
179. 12:56that culminates in abandonment of the faith.
180. 12:59Back to Jeremiah's text, he says that the corruption is so thorough
181. 13:04that the prophets and priests become liars in the name of Yahweh.
182. 13:08Look at verse 14, they have healed the wound of my people lightly,
183. 13:12Saying, piece, piece, when there is no piece.
184. 13:17What Jeremiah is saying is that these prophets and priests
185. 13:20have offered a false balm, a false source of confidence,
186. 13:25a false source of hope.
187. 13:27They say things like, ah, man, we're the people of God.
188. 13:32Nothing's going to happen to us.
189. 13:34We don't need to be worried about what Habakkah
190. 13:36Nim is talking about.
191. 13:37Oh, don't worry about what Zephaniah is telling you.
192. 13:39Oh, you know all, Jeremiah, he never says anything good.
193. 13:42good. Look at our prosperity. Look at how well we are. Look at
194. 13:45how well our stock market is going. Look at our crops. Look
195. 13:48in our economy. Don't listen to them. And Jeremiah is saying
196. 13:52that these prophets and priests are liars. They're using their
197. 13:57positions in Judah society in which they're regarded as the
198. 14:01people of God and that position is allowing their lies to be
199. 14:04effective. Where Jeremiah says, where they even ashamed when
200. 14:10they committed this abomination? Nope. They were not ashamed
201. 14:14that all. They didn't even know how to blush. These people lied with impunity. No hesitation.
202. 14:25And if you take stock of our society today, which is the more prevalent experience?
203. 14:32Do we have shepherds after God's heart? Or do we have hilings that sound like
204. 14:40peace, peace when there is no peace? And the lack of peace was Jeremiah was warning them.
205. 14:48Guys, unless we repent, God will judge us.
206. 14:53But the lying prophets and priests were corrupted,
207. 14:56threw in through and contributed to corrupted society.
208. 15:01Psalm 2 is the hub of all messianic prophecies.
209. 15:04It even has God's perspective on those who oppose Him.
210. 15:07In verse 3, the God haters reinterpret his moral law
211. 15:11when he clashes with their desires.
212. 15:13But Psalm 2 12 is true.
213. 15:15Do homage to the Son that he not become angry
214. 15:18and you perish in the way.
215. 15:19for his wrath may soon be kindled.
216. 15:22Read the full article for some God's holiness
217. 15:24as fetters and cords by me, Dr. Ray Rooney,
218. 15:27on TheStand.net.
219. 15:35Shiting light into the darkness,
220. 15:37this is the Hamilton Corner, an American family radio.
221. 15:41Welcome back to the Hamilton Corner, Abraham Hamilton
222. 15:43the third here.
223. 15:45I began the show as I did because I was just been praying
224. 15:47and thinking about our nation and President Trump said,
225. 15:51I wave into the golden age of America.
226. 15:55And you've heard me say that governmental occurrences
227. 15:58are not going to be the thing that
228. 16:01contributes to the greatness of our nation.
229. 16:05The Lord told us in His word, righteousness,
230. 16:06because alternation, sin is repost to any people.
231. 16:12If we are going to be a great nation going forward,
232. 16:14one of the things that we will need,
233. 16:19so God to bless our nation with shepherds
234. 16:21after his own heart.
235. 16:23I am grateful and I know for a fact,
236. 16:25because I meet them all the time,
237. 16:28that the Lord has preserved a remnant in our nation.
238. 16:30There are a remnant there.
239. 16:32There are godly shepherds and pastors
240. 16:34that are serving him by and serving the people of God
241. 16:38and in smaller churches and in some larger churches,
242. 16:41all over the country doing so in anonymity,
243. 16:44going about their responsibility to be faithful
244. 16:46and serving the Lord.
245. 16:50But also as I travel,
246. 16:51one of the most consistent questions that I get,
247. 16:56Abe, can you help me find a good church?
248. 16:59Can you help me find a good church?
249. 17:01And it just once again shows, and in the text that I read,
250. 17:08the Lord highlighted these false prophets and false priests
251. 17:12as the means by which Judah was being corrupted.
252. 17:16Because corruption was abounding,
253. 17:19and the people that should have been calling the people of Judah
254. 17:26to the heart of God and repentance,
255. 17:29for prophesying falsely, saying,
256. 17:30peace, peace when there was no peace.
257. 17:35What we need desperately in our day is a surge, a swelling,
258. 17:40ground swell of godly shepherds.
259. 17:48Godly shepherds first who shepherd their homes
260. 17:51and their families.
261. 17:53And godly shepherds who were,
262. 17:56who was shepherd the household of God
263. 17:59to where they are courageous enough to trust God,
264. 18:07God to proclaim the full counsel of his word.
265. 18:16I'm not saying a pugnacious, in fact,
266. 18:22you look at 1st Timothy chapter three,
267. 18:24look at Titus chapter one,
268. 18:25the qualifications for eldership in the Lord's church
269. 18:28is that the prospective elder is not a brawler,
270. 18:31it's not pugnacious, I'm not talking about somebody
271. 18:33who just wants to fight, just to fight.
272. 18:35That's not a shepherd, but a shepherd is one
273. 18:39that if the fight comes his way,
274. 18:43he ain't going back away from it.
275. 18:45but he's not just going out to look for a fight.
276. 18:50But it'll be a shepherd who's willing to stand flat footed,
277. 18:54proclaim the truth of God's word,
278. 18:56and lead God's people in the way of disciple making.
279. 19:03I'm reminded of Alexis de Tocqueville.
280. 19:06Many of you may recall his name.
281. 19:09Alexis de Tocqueville is a French historian
282. 19:12and philosopher and political scientist
283. 19:16who in the 1830s,
284. 19:19you know you had the american revolution
285. 19:21the last week
286. 19:22through the late seventeen hundreds all the way up to you know the battle of the
287. 19:26world in eighteen twelve
288. 19:28and then following the american revolution the you have the french revolution the
289. 19:32godless
290. 19:33french revolution
291. 19:35and alexis tokville travel to america
292. 19:39spent nine months
293. 19:41observing
294. 19:42america in the early eighteen thirties
295. 19:45that time he spent here is altered in the multi-volume work democracy in america
296. 19:49about the tokeville. And in his writings, he in fact, prior to publishing democracy in
297. 20:01America, the tokeville actually also published a book, let me give you the title of it, I
298. 20:06have it right here. Yes, on the penitentiary system in the United States and its application
299. 20:12in France, he actually published that in 1833 before he produced his multivolume work on
300. 20:19democracy in America. The Tocqueville scoured the American nation, its function, its constitution,
301. 20:29trying to figure out why was America's revolution successful in contrasting it, comparing and
302. 20:38contrasting it to what they were experiencing in France. One of the observations from Tocqueville's
303. 20:45work, he said he searched for America's greatness and his goodness and our banking system didn't find
304. 20:52it there and it's various other systems in the finder there. He literally says it was not until
305. 21:00I entered America's churches with the pulpits aflame in righteousness that I recognized the source
306. 21:09of America's goodness. I mean America's greatness. He continued America is great because she is good
307. 21:17but then he warned the moment America ceases to be good she will cease to be great.
308. 21:26The talk was observation was that the pulpits of flame and righteousness is what set the stage
309. 21:34for the societal expectations that made the people sufficient for self-governance.
310. 21:45But he warned the moment America ceases to be good, she'll cease to be great.
311. 21:56What's the continuation of the entire thought?
312. 22:00entering America's churches, finding her
313. 22:03pulpit to flame in righteousness, is what
314. 22:05according to the Dotho, resulted in
315. 22:10America's goodness. America's goodness
316. 22:13according to the Dotho's would made her
317. 22:14great. It's almost like the Dotho's going to
318. 22:18be getting that out of the Bible. So what's
319. 22:22the continuation of the thought? If
320. 22:23America ceases to be good, what is the
321. 22:26implication there? America's cessation
322. 22:28concerning goodness, because her pulpit
323. 22:30are no longer aflame in righteousness. Because poor pits are no longer aflame in righteousness,
324. 22:37America ceases to be good. And because of America's cessation concerning goodness, America
325. 22:42ceases to be great. It's almost like the Tocqueville knows that the Lord said through the Apostle
326. 22:49Paul that he invests his church in various places and spaces and times in history to be the pillar
327. 22:55and ground of truth. The Tocqueville just echoes the same things that John Adams told us, that
328. 23:03George Washington told us. The first president of the United States under
329. 23:06Constitution, George Washington says religion and morality are indispensable
330. 23:10supports of this Constitution Republic. In vain would that man claim the virtue of
331. 23:14patriotism who would work to subvert either of them, either of them. Second
332. 23:18president of the United States, John Adams, writing to the militia men in
333. 23:20Massachusetts his home state. America's Constitution Republic and her
334. 23:30Constitution in particular is only effective in
335. 23:38and then covering a religious and moral people.
336. 23:42It is holy, W-H-O-L-L-Y,
337. 23:45holy and adequate for the governance of any other.
338. 23:47What I'm saying to you is that the word of God is true.
339. 23:52Would all of these men have observed?
340. 23:56Is that an indispensable component to our nations,
341. 24:01greatness, our poor pits of flame and righteousness.
342. 24:06Now contrast that with some of the revelations
343. 24:08we had here recently, seeing how USAID has been a force
344. 24:13to penetrate the halls of evangelical Christianity.
345. 24:22I mean, think about this.
346. 24:25Did you all hear the story from Wheaton College,
347. 24:28you know, the university that was founded
348. 24:32as a Christian university?
349. 24:34It's history there in the land of DL Moody
350. 24:41and the once revered institution.
351. 24:51An alumnus from Wheaton College was just confirmed to head
352. 24:55the Office of Management and Budget in the Trump Administration.
353. 24:57Russell, vote.
354. 25:00Talked about him before, and if you have that,
355. 25:02the screenshots of this story, Jeff,
356. 25:04you can throw him up on the screen now.
357. 25:06Russell, vote is a Christian.
358. 25:08Pro life has been for quite some time.
359. 25:11As an economist, but he's also a,
360. 25:15an alumnus of Wheaton College.
361. 25:20In Wheaton College, upon Russell, vote being confirmed
362. 25:22by the US Senate, posted a congratulatory message
363. 25:26on social media.
364. 25:28celebrating their alumnus that had this lifetime of professional accomplishment,
365. 25:36that you would think universities want their alumni to do well in society and even to look at,
366. 25:41to take advantage of saying, see these are the type of people we produce,
367. 25:45and should your child come to Wheaton College, our hope would be that they would be similarly
368. 25:49accomplished. So Wheaton College, you know, makes their post, you know, celebrating Russell
369. 25:56votes confirmation, nothing partisan about it at all.
370. 26:01And offering prayers for Russell
371. 26:05vote and encouraging others to pray for Russell vote
372. 26:07as he is serving in this particular capacity.
373. 26:11But then regressives affiliated with Wheaton College
374. 26:14got their Twitter fingers out and began to complain.
375. 26:19In particular, that was one self-described
376. 26:26pastrix with pronouns in her bio,
377. 26:33Complaining about the election and Donald Trump and on.
378. 26:36He ain't Donald Trump.
379. 26:38You know, I was mad and bad and all that kind of stuff.
380. 26:40And oh, what do you know?
381. 26:42We can college rescinds their congratulatory post to celebrate one of their own alumni.
382. 26:51They followed their congratulatory post with removing that congratulatory post.
383. 26:56And then a statement trying to explain their actions.
384. 26:58They said, quote, the recognition and prayer is something we would typically do for
385. 27:01any graduate who reached that level of government.
386. 27:03However, the political situation surrounding votes appointment led to a significant concern
387. 27:09expressed online.
388. 27:10It was not our intention to employ the college in a political discussion or dispute.
389. 27:17They went on to say that the college is a non-profit institution and they don't make
390. 27:23partisan political endorsements.
391. 27:25All this gobbley go, you know what I'm going to say?
392. 27:29Listen, your original post wasn't partisan at all.
393. 27:36And I started by saying shepherds, and I should have added shepherds and institutions
394. 27:41that our nation needs shepherds and institutions.
395. 27:44I simply have courage.
396. 27:45Like, what is wrong?
397. 27:47What could be wrong with a university, celebrate?
398. 27:51I guarantee you they wouldn't have apologized if they had a Wheaton College grad who had
399. 27:56been confirmed by the Senate and they were appointed to the position to run the office
400. 28:00of management and budget, had they been nominated by Barack Hussein Obama,
401. 28:03has been nominated by Joseph Biden.
402. 28:05I'm just saying, come on, man, this is ridiculous,
403. 28:08but you see this ridiculousness
404. 28:10because of a lack of courage.
405. 28:12Very simply put, a lack of courage.
406. 28:16What could be wrong with you celebrating
407. 28:18the accomplishments of one of your own alumni?
408. 28:22Nothing.
409. 28:24But, because of fear and fecklessness you have that,
410. 28:27and that is an example of what's happened in many pulpits.
411. 28:30How many times have you heard, and listen,
412. 28:33I'm not trying to throw shots,
413. 28:34this is really just a cry of my heart
414. 28:37for the Lord to restore to us in our nation,
415. 28:40pull pits of flame in righteousness,
416. 28:42where the full counsel of God's word is presented.
417. 28:47How many times have you heard pastors say,
418. 28:50oh, well, we don't get involved in politics?
419. 28:56You know, I had to tell a couple of pastors to say,
420. 28:58do you do realize that you as a church
421. 29:00don't have to apply for 501c3 taxes against status?
422. 29:06And I get it, most pastors are not lawyers,
423. 29:08so I understand it.
424. 29:10So many of them didn't know that,
425. 29:11I don't want to tell you very plainly.
426. 29:13Churches do not have to apply for tax exempt status
427. 29:17because as long as there has been an America,
428. 29:21the United States of America has embraced churches,
429. 29:25Christian churches to be societal goods.
430. 29:29And so you are by virtue of your existence exempt
431. 29:35from federal taxation.
432. 29:40You apply for your status at the state level,
433. 29:42you get your tax identification number
434. 29:44from the state level.
435. 29:46I'm sorry, you apply, you establish your, your, your, your
436. 29:49entities existence at the state level, you convey that
437. 29:52organizational status to the federal government, they send you a tax
438. 29:56identification number, churches do not have to apply to the federal government
439. 30:02for taxes and status by virtue of your existence.
440. 30:06You are tax exempt.
441. 30:07What happens when churches apply for taxes and status, they agree to comply
442. 30:13with 501c3 law.
443. 30:15So when churches say, oh, you know, we're taxes that we can't speak to these issues,
444. 30:20if they've applied for tax exam status, they have submitted themselves to that legal standards.
445. 30:25Standard. And all they have to do is simply rescind the 501c3 registration,
446. 30:30but you still remain tax-exempt.
447. 30:34So many pastors simply don't know, but there are some who do know, but because of cowardice,
448. 30:41they choose to hide behind the 501c3 designation as a justification for a for a
449. 30:49fecklessness and a cowardice on display to where you refuse to address the issues of the day.
450. 30:55Now, as I said, a few moments ago, God's people are not to be quarrelsome,
451. 30:58so you don't just go looking for fights. But I have long said that the Imago day is God's domain.
452. 31:06In fact, the earth is the Lord and the fullness thereof. God has wisdom affecting everything.
453. 31:13The image of God, image bearers in the most vulnerable and innocent stage as unborn human
454. 31:18beings all the way through their older stages when you have older, more seasoned image bearers.
455. 31:26God has wisdom for economic policy.
456. 31:29God has wisdom and guidance for how we are supposed to treat the immigrant.
457. 31:33In contrary to what the evangelical round table others might tell you, Israel had some of the
458. 31:39greatest immigration policy that existed in the ancient years.
459. 31:42Did you know what they required?
460. 31:43Anybody who comes in our nation,
461. 31:45you must submit to our laws.
462. 31:49That's not a foreign idea nor is it an anti-biblical idea.
463. 31:56The word I've got also has clarity concerning
464. 31:58who is supposed to do charity in our country.
465. 32:01We should never conflict the role of government
466. 32:04with the role of the church.
467. 32:05You have all these people trying to say,
468. 32:07you know, what are you doing with the sword journal?
469. 32:09What are you doing?
470. 32:09These are things that God has tasked the church to do,
471. 32:11not government.
472. 32:12The Lord never says, because you love me,
473. 32:14you export and outsource your responsibility
474. 32:17to be loving to your neighbor, through your taxation system,
475. 32:19and you let government replace what church is supposed to do,
476. 32:23all of those things are twisted and tortured,
477. 32:24but largely because our poor pitch
478. 32:26and our proclaiming the full council of God's word.
479. 32:30Today, Christians are facing challenges
480. 32:32in homeless ministry.
481. 32:34In 2023, homelessness reached its highest level
482. 32:37since reporting began in 2007,
483. 32:39even affecting families with children,
484. 32:41unaccompanied youth, and the elderly.
485. 32:43Homeless ministries require long-term commitment
486. 32:46and support, not quick fixives.
487. 32:48The Master Jim Yates advises taking manual steps when building a homeless ministry.
488. 32:53Read the full article, Compassion It's a Messy Business by Me, Jordan Shambly, on the Stand.net.
489. 32:59The Hamilton Quarter Podcast and One-Minute Common Terrets are available at eFR.net.
490. 33:10Back to the Hamilton Quarter on American Family Radio.
491. 33:14Welcome back to the Hamilton Corner.
492. 33:16Abraham Hamilton III here.
493. 33:18Man, this show is going by so fast.
494. 33:20A lot of people don't realize, do some research on the history of the Johnson Amendment.
495. 33:25What LBJ was trying to accomplish was to get churches to shut up by concocting a scheme
496. 33:31to invite churches to abandon their already preexisting status as being exempt from federal
497. 33:37taxation and submit to a scheme of registration via Section 501c of the IRS, the Internal Revenue
498. 33:46service code by which the churches would yield their ability to speak on issues that could affect
499. 33:56electoral outcomes in exchange for something they already had, which was insulation against
500. 34:04federal taxation. So by yielding to this system of registration through section 501c3 of the
501. 34:18the internal revenue service code, churches using basically contract principles by saying
502. 34:26in exchange for this, I agree to do this.
503. 34:29They have forfeited the wherewithal to speak on issues so they think that could affect electoral
504. 34:36outcomes.
505. 34:37You want to know how you know it's a lie?
506. 34:40How many times have Democrat politicians straight up entered pulpit in churches and pro in campaign
507. 34:51say vote for me, vote for the Democrat.
508. 34:54You know, that's why I always laughed
509. 34:55at the whole Christian nationalism conversation
510. 34:58because it's only Christian nationalism
511. 34:59when the effect seems like it could impact
512. 35:02the outcome of electoral engagement
513. 35:04in the Republican direction.
514. 35:06It's never Christian nationalism when
515. 35:08Kamala Harris showed up on one of the biggest churches
516. 35:10in Virginia when she was trying to be president
517. 35:16the original, you know, get to a new accent,
518. 35:19just like she was trying to be president of the remix.
519. 35:23Slick Willy shows up, Joe Biden shows up.
520. 35:26It's never Christian nationalism then.
521. 35:28You have full on campaigns happening.
522. 35:31Would you mall Bryant, you know that land another,
523. 35:34I mean, it's laughable, it's laughable.
524. 35:39So I'm saying this passes again, do your research.
525. 35:42You wanna seek legal counsel, seek legal counsel,
526. 35:44but check out what I'm saying to you.
527. 35:46501c3 status does not grant you exemption
528. 35:51from federal taxation.
529. 35:53Federal taxation exemption exists prior to subjecting yourself to a 501c3 scheme.
530. 35:59Look it up.
531. 36:00Look it up.
532. 36:04Consult, get legal counsel, but look it up.
533. 36:08But I'm right.
534. 36:12I'm right.
535. 36:13And they know I'm right.
536. 36:15The IRS knows I'm right.
537. 36:18You can do a quick search and go to IRS.gov.
538. 36:21And look it up.
539. 36:22Anyway, I'm saying all of this is that one of the greatest needs we have in our country,
540. 36:27and this again is something that government cannot produce for us.
541. 36:29No matter how many executive orders President Trump signs, he will not produce pulpits of
542. 36:35flame and righteousness proclaiming the full counsel of God's Word.
543. 36:42We have people that are in pulpits that they are more concerned with maintaining crowd sizes.
544. 36:47And hear me well, maintaining crowd sizes was not an equivalent consideration for the
545. 36:54quality of the discipleship of the crowd.
546. 36:58I want to tell you something, and this may seem controversial to some people, but it's
547. 37:04A church is not a growing church based on the quantities of the people that attended services.
548. 37:11A church is a growing church based on the quality with which the people in the church are conforming
549. 37:19to the image of Christ.
550. 37:21To say it differently and more succinctly, a church is a growing church dependent upon the
551. 37:27quality with which Christ-likeness is formed in the people.
552. 37:32If you have 10,000 unregenerate people, you do not have a 10,000-member church.
553. 37:41Regeneration is the foundational determination as to whether or not a person is a member of
554. 37:46God's body.
555. 37:49You can have large crowds that get very excited about all kinds of things.
556. 37:55Large crowds gather in the super dome to watch the New Orleans Saints play.
557. 37:58That doesn't make it a church.
558. 38:02And there are many people similar to what Jeremiah said.
559. 38:06They shout, piece, piece when there is no piece.
560. 38:09I mentioned Jamal Bryan, I'm gonna give you an example.
561. 38:12Jamal Bryan has started an initiative and he's calling it,
562. 38:18this is laughable.
563. 38:21He's calling it, that he's calling the local church,
564. 38:31I'll just say this, it's a local place where he's serving
565. 38:34as well as others around the country
566. 38:36to join them in fasting from target, fasting from target.
567. 38:44What does the fast consist of?
568. 38:47no longer shopping at Target.
569. 38:50Well, wait a minute, that's a boycott.
570. 38:52That ain't a fast, that's a boycott.
571. 38:57But this is really gonna get you.
572. 38:58Why is Jamal Bryant calling for a fast from Target?
573. 39:08You know, he, the day he announces this,
574. 39:10at New Birth in Georgia, he has the, you know,
575. 39:14what do you call the black chamber of commerce president
576. 39:18in the audience?
577. 39:20Why is he calling for this fast from target?
578. 39:24Because target has announces no longer
579. 39:26gonna employ DEI policies.
580. 39:29Now think about that, Jeff.
581. 39:30They fasten from target because target
582. 39:34is no longer wearing breezed DEI policies.
583. 39:37That's why they fasten from target.
584. 39:41So, huh.
585. 39:47You kinda late, bro.
586. 39:49And for the wrong reasons, bro.
587. 39:52So all this time when target announces,
588. 39:55they letting men and women's restaurants,
589. 39:57They ain't faster from Target.
590. 39:59When Target is bragging about, they have took underwear.
591. 40:03They got underwear, well little boys,
592. 40:05could hide their biological genitalia.
593. 40:09He don't have nothing to say about Target then.
594. 40:10Nothing to say, nothing to say.
595. 40:13But now that President Trump is in office
596. 40:15and Target is saying, you know what?
597. 40:16That DI policy thing we gonna embrace,
598. 40:18we gonna roll back on that.
599. 40:19Now, Jamal Bryant wants to,
600. 40:22fast from Target.
601. 40:24You see what I'm talking?
602. 40:25This, not to mention, and I'll say it plainly, according to scripture,
603. 40:33tomorrow, a bride is not qualified to be anybody's pastor.
604. 40:37Biblical qualifications say that an elder in the Lord's church must be the husband of one wife.
605. 40:45Mi aski nikos andra, a one-wife husband, which would show that a serial adulterer,
606. 40:54a serial adulterer is not qualified to shepherd the Lord's flock.
607. 40:59I'm not saying you can't be a member of the Lord's bride.
608. 41:01I'm not saying you can't have other involvement.
609. 41:04If you're repentant and a little church, but you certainly can't be a shepherd.
610. 41:08You cannot be an elder.
611. 41:10You cannot be an overseer.
612. 41:16Tomorrow, Brian has nothing to say about targets, investment in sexual
613. 41:21deviancy and abomination.
614. 41:23But now that they've announced that they're not going to pursue
615. 41:28DEI policies, which you could argue from scripture, the vidicists.
616. 41:32James says that we're not supposed to be partial to the poor nor to the wealthy.
617. 41:38Your concern is whether or not they're hiring people in the corporation based on skin color.
618. 41:46There are laws that prohibit employment discrimination based on ethnicity and skin color.
619. 41:52But Jamal Bright had nothing to say about the sexual rebellion, exacerbated, supported by target.
620. 42:03But DEI policy is going to lead him to say we go fast.
621. 42:09from there. That's a boy. God stop. Stop the madness. Stop the madness. You will not hear
622. 42:17Jamal Bryant preach a sermon. Not now. I don't know if he's done in the past, but you saw
623. 42:21you don't want him now preaching a sermon. Talking about sexual ethics from scripture.
624. 42:27You won't hear him preach a sermon condemning the slaughter of the unborn in the womb. You
625. 42:32won't hear. And again, I'm not saying you need to have these projects, but the full council
626. 42:38of the word of God is what is needed. And this is just an example. I can give you 50
627. 42:43examples of this kind of foolishness.
628. 42:48You know, I could show you a clip after clip of
629. 42:51Hirelings, they're having services like New Year's,
630. 42:55service I never get out of saw, Willie Murphy,
631. 42:57having a New Year's Eve service.
632. 42:59And they swag surfing, playing secular music
633. 43:02in the sanctuary, in the sanctuary.
634. 43:07And they swag surfing.
635. 43:11There's no fear of God in their eyes, man.
636. 43:17Pull pits of flame and righteousness.
637. 43:22in scripture, a dearth, and godly shepherds,
638. 43:27shepherds after God's own heart,
639. 43:28is evidence of a judgment from God.
640. 43:34And I'm appealing, I'm presenting this to you,
641. 43:35and I'm appealing to you in this way,
642. 43:39to ask you to join me in asking God to bless our nation
643. 43:43with pulpits of flame and righteousness,
644. 43:46where people can learn the full council of God's word.
645. 43:49And understand here's a major thing
646. 43:51that seems revolutionary to some.
647. 43:53But the purpose of the Lord's Church,
648. 43:55Ephesians 4, bears this out,
649. 43:57is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry.
650. 44:00It has become a radical concept to recognize you.
651. 44:04You do realize the majority of ministry that takes place
652. 44:07in our country shouldn't happen
653. 44:08when you have the corporate gathering of believers.
654. 44:11That's what the believers are supposed to be sharpened
655. 44:14and prepared and trained.
656. 44:17Which is also why, by the way,
657. 44:21the gathering of the believers is for the believer,
658. 44:23not for the unbeliever.
659. 44:26Doesn't mean an unbeliever can't attend
660. 44:29the corporate gathering of the believer,
661. 44:31but the presence of the unbeliever
662. 44:32shouldn't change the tone or tenor of the gathering,
663. 44:36but we have large gatherings of people
664. 44:41and the entire thrust of the gathering
665. 44:44is to accommodate and to tickle the flesh.
666. 44:48Smoke machines and light shows and you know,
667. 44:52you have all of these things trying to put on Broadway musicals
668. 44:55and all of these kind of things, and I love the arts,
669. 44:57I appreciate the arts, I think Christians should do the arts
670. 44:59better than anybody else.
671. 45:03I love for example, Sight and Sound Theater in Branson
672. 45:06and they have another theater on the East Coast.
673. 45:10But that's not what the corporate gathering
674. 45:12of the believer is supposed to be for primarily.
675. 45:14The corporate gathering of the believer
676. 45:16is where the believer is supposed to be equipped
677. 45:19to do the work of the ministry.
678. 45:25The corporate gathering has a vital and indispensable role,
679. 45:29but it is not the exclusive place for what we understand
680. 45:32or what should be understood as ministry.
681. 45:38But by and large, because in many places,
682. 45:40and again, I do not wanna paint with a broad brush
683. 45:42because this is not everywhere.
684. 45:44There is a remnant of authentic,
685. 45:46godly houses, local assemblies of God,
686. 45:50all across our nation,
687. 45:52but it's not enough of them in our nation.
688. 45:56Jeremiah pointed out what was the mechanism,
689. 45:58the doorway, the entry point for the corruption and Judah,
690. 46:03from the least of them to the greatest of them,
691. 46:06everyone is greedy for unjust gain.
692. 46:09Many people, if we're honest, their motivation is money.
693. 46:14They're doing what they're doing because they want money.
694. 46:17They put on a good show.
695. 46:19They know one of the most well-resourced entities
696. 46:24in America, or should I say industries of America
697. 46:27is entertainment.
698. 46:28So you have plate people that are majoring on entertainment,
699. 46:32but they're doing it under the guise of church.
700. 46:34And one of the major motivating factors
701. 46:36is because they want more money,
702. 46:37they want larger crowd sizes because the larger the crowd
703. 46:40the larger the results of the plate being passed.
704. 46:45They know that if you preach the full counsel of God's word,
705. 46:48the gospel can be an offense,
706. 46:50because Jesus said it is an offense.
707. 46:54The gospel of men and their sinfulness.
708. 47:00And the Lord explained to us in His word,
709. 47:01the Apostle Paul explained it,
710. 47:03that the word of God is an aroma of life
711. 47:07to those who are born again.
712. 47:09But it is an astinch, it's a stinch,
713. 47:12It is opposed by those who are perishing.
714. 47:18I know preaching the full counsel of God's word
715. 47:23may very well not result in Super Bowl viewing audience sizes
716. 47:29with 130 million people watching Super Bowl,
717. 47:35but what is foremost required of a servant
718. 47:37that he be found faithful.
719. 47:40Pulled pits of flame and righteousness.
720. 47:43Government has its role.
721. 47:46I want a strong economy,
722. 47:48but the most enduring need for our nation is repentance.
723. 47:52One of the most necessary factors to have a great nation,
724. 47:57to have shepherds after God's own heart,
725. 48:00who proclaim the full counsel of God's word.
726. 48:02Not looking for a fight, not trying to put up a fight,
727. 48:05but also not running from one.
728. 48:08It should not matter to the shepherds after God's heart,
729. 48:11how much society objects to God's word
730. 48:16because God's word is true.
731. 48:19I don't proclaim a truth to God's word
732. 48:20of human sexuality and identity and all of these things,
733. 48:22because I just want to be controversial,
734. 48:25But you have society screaming at me, you have the culture screaming at me, and you even have
735. 48:29previous administration trying to pass laws to tell me that God's way is wrong.
736. 48:34To that, I say, objection.
737. 48:40The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American
738. 48:44Family Association or American Family Radio.