Guest host Dr. Alex McFarland is joined by Pastor Paul Blair, Founder of the Liberty Pastors Network

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. 0:02It simply reoccupies the space vacated by the light.
3. 0:06This is the Hamilton Corner on American Family Radio.
4. 0:10It should be uncomfortable for a believer to live as a hypocrite.
5. 0:15Delivering 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. 0:33In Matthew 28, 1819 and 20, the New Testament contains one of the key passages that we often
12. 0:40call the Great Commission.
13. 0:42Now in Matthew 28, 1819 Jesus says as he's ascending back to heaven, the risen Jesus is
14. 0:51giving this commission, this assignment to the church.
15. 0:54And he says, go into all nations, make disciples, and it's very interesting, verse 20, teaching
16. 1:01them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.
17. 1:06Hi, Alex McFarland here.
18. 1:07It's great honor to be sitting in today for Abe Hamilton.
19. 1:10The third attorney pastor, journalist Abe Hamilton is traveling.
20. 1:14And we've got a great show, and we're going to visit with just a pastor, an author, and
21. 1:20leader, a public figure for whom I have so much respect, Reverend Paul Blair of Oklahoma.
22. 1:27But as we bring Paul up, I want to hone in momentarily about Christ's assignment that the
23. 1:34church go and yes, we are to make disciples and win souls, evangelize people.
24. 1:40But then it goes on and Jesus says in Matthew 28, 20, teach them to observe all things whatsoever
25. 1:49I have commanded you.
26. 1:50Now that being our assignment, here is the question that I posed to you.
27. 1:55What is the role of the pastor?
28. 1:58What is the role of the church?
29. 2:00Yes, we talk about the love of Jesus.
30. 2:04Call on Jesus and be saved.
31. 2:07But what about the other topics that we find within the pages of God's holy word?
32. 2:12What about marriage, morality, gender, human sexuality, human government?
33. 2:18constitutes just and righteous government what would be oppressive, unrighteous government.
34. 2:27What about even things like self-defense or should a Christian be in law enforcement?
35. 2:34I believe, and we'll get the wisdom of Paul Blair in just a second, but maybe in this
36. 2:41admonition to teach all things that God has addressed in his book, the Bible. There are
37. 2:48some topics that maybe the church has been silent on and it's time, maybe it's even past
38. 2:55time, that we as pastors, Christians, leaders, we rise up and we tell our culture what these
39. 3:03all things God has commanded, what some of those things might be. Well somebody who is
40. 3:09doing that and is doing it well is Pastor Paul Blair. He and I have been friends for a decade
41. 3:15or more and really when it comes to being a shepherd, a pastor, a scholar, a role model,
42. 3:22I mean this man fits the bill and then some. He's in Oklahoma, they also have a church in Florida.
43. 3:29We're going to learn all things that he and his family and their church are doing and I think
44. 3:34think it's going to inspire and inform no matter where you are in America, if like myself,
45. 3:41you love God and country and you believe that our nation needs a biblical worldview once
46. 3:47again. Paul Blair is a great voice to listen to. He's our guest right now on AFR. Pastor
47. 3:54Paul Blair, welcome to the program. Thanks for being with us. But even more importantly,
48. 3:58you for all that you do for our nation.
49. 4:02Well, thank you, Alex, and it's always a joy to be honored with you, and thank you for the
50. 4:07opportunity to share the next hour with you.
51. 4:09I'm looking forward to it.
52. 4:10Well indeed, indeed.
53. 4:12I want to talk about a biblical worldview and the role, the call of a minister, but I want
54. 4:18to hear about your journey.
55. 4:20How did, and I mean that no flattery, no embellishment.
56. 4:24I have such respect for you because you, in my opinion,
57. 4:28are the personification of what a New Testament pastor is.
58. 4:32How did God raise up Paul Blair?
59. 4:37Well, you know, there are certainly regrets I have
60. 4:41in my life, I've spoken to my lovely wife
61. 4:44of almost 36 years yesterday,
62. 4:47but God has used all that to put together the package
63. 4:51that sits before you today.
64. 4:53So it is a Romans 828.
65. 4:55And I grew up in a strong Christian home.
66. 4:58My father was a Bible-cation of Baptist minister.
67. 5:01I made a profession of faith and I was six years old.
68. 5:04I had a mother that taught me the Bible from as early
69. 5:08as I can remember.
70. 5:09In fact, she read me the Bible when I was still
71. 5:12before I had been born.
72. 5:13So I've said, you know, I accepted Christ and I was six.
73. 5:17I've been in Baptist since nine months before I was born.
74. 5:20So that's how I walk as better.
75. 5:24That journey has been.
76. 5:25But, you know, I was the youngest child,
77. 5:27and I was kind of a late bloomer, actually,
78. 5:29there's 10 years between me and my older brothers,
79. 5:32so I finally got my parents to admit that I was an accident,
80. 5:36or as they call it, a blessing, I was surprised.
81. 5:39But they had me a little later in life,
82. 5:41so I was probably a little bit spoiled,
83. 5:43they were a little bit better off in their career,
84. 5:45you know, in their early 40s,
85. 5:47than they were in their 20s with my brothers.
86. 5:50And I was also a late bloomer of an athlete.
87. 5:53I really was not exactly the best player on the football team, and I was a sophomore in high school.
88. 5:59But I was a big kid and got some attention and got some looks.
89. 6:03As a matter of fact, Jimmy Johnson, D. Jimmy Johnson of the Dallas Cowboy fame,
90. 6:07started his head coaching career at Oklahoma State University,
91. 6:11which is where I desired to go because my father wasn't alum from there.
92. 6:15I received an athletic scholarship by football at Oklahoma State and had a star studded college career.
93. 6:22wound up being drafted by the Chicago Bears and playing five years in the National Football League,
94. 6:27although my body was shot. I actually failed my pre-draft physical and
95. 6:33unfortunate to have gotten drafted at all. They, at the combine camp, they told me I had the knees
96. 6:39of a 65-year-old man and that's when I was 21. So now that I am almost 65, they feel really bad.
97. 6:46But you know, I had been very sheltered and when I got to college, all of a sudden, I discovered
98. 6:52girls and bars and other things that I didn't even know existed. And quite frankly, I never
99. 6:58had a crisis of what I believed. I always believed in God, believed in Jesus as my Lord
100. 7:04and Savior, and knew that the Bible was God's words. I never questioned that. However, the
101. 7:10Bible says that sin is fun for a season. And for about eight years, I was a typical collegiate
102. 7:16and professional athlete.
103. 7:17And then my wife to be, we were dating at the time,
104. 7:23but there was good and bad because my life wasn't right.
105. 7:27And she was praying for me and trying to get me focused.
106. 7:30And I was at home on a Sunday evening
107. 7:34in my father's church.
108. 7:38All the reason I was there because of my respect for my dad
109. 7:40didn't really wanna be there.
110. 7:42But on a Sunday evening, during the service,
111. 7:44I just had this epiphanies and you know,
112. 7:47the thought came to me,
113. 7:48if Jesus is the Lord of your life,
114. 7:51there's no evidence of it.
115. 7:53And that just hit me right between the eyes.
116. 7:56And I was here, I was a big, you know, massive,
117. 7:59in shape NFL football player in a small church,
118. 8:02probably had 40 people in attendance at Sunday night
119. 8:05and I walked the aisle and I made dead set certain
120. 8:08and I was actually saved.
121. 8:10wound up being baptized again a week later
122. 8:13and Cindy and I wound up getting married
123. 8:15within the next six months,
124. 8:16and we've had two great kids,
125. 8:17and now almost 36 years together.
126. 8:20At the age of 37, God called me into ministry.
127. 8:25And as I said, I was a pastor's kid.
128. 8:27Love pastors have great respect for the job.
129. 8:30But having seen how dirty church politics can be,
130. 8:35and just how hateful Christians can be
131. 8:37when it comes to church,
132. 8:39A job I did not want was to be pastor, but I was 37.
133. 8:45I did not need a job.
134. 8:47I owned my own business or a retired professional football player and was serving the Lord, actually
135. 8:53volunteering and serving in our youth ministry.
136. 8:57But it was very clear that God was calling me into ministry.
137. 9:02And Cindy said the safest place to be is right in the middle of God's will.
138. 9:06So against my career choice, we said yes.
139. 9:12And I've now been senior pastor of Fairview Baptist Church.
140. 9:17Now we go by Liberty Church because we do so much work under that moniker across the country.
141. 9:23But I've been the senior pastor there for 25 years.
142. 9:25And of course now we have a satellite in Orlando as well as in Oklahoma.
143. 9:30And just as long as God gets me breath and the opportunity, we're going to do our best
144. 9:36to see a great awakening.
145. 9:37I mean, I mean that seriously.
146. 9:39I'm not just talking.
147. 9:40Oh, we need our country needs to hit its face.
148. 9:44And it's gotta be the church that means that we play church
149. 9:47extremely well.
150. 9:49We look really pretty on Sunday mornings,
151. 9:52but the discipleship, the reality of the lordship of Jesus,
152. 9:5624 seven is not evident in America.
153. 10:00And that's what, you know, you're working on,
154. 10:03I'm working on passionately to try to see that kind of a spiritual awakening come to our country.
155. 10:10Brother Paul, I believe the wheels are turning for this revival, this awakening, this move
156. 10:17of the Holy Spirit that you're talking about whereby people are saved, whereby people, because
157. 10:23listen, all of the authentic revivals in history, whether it be the Reformation 500 years ago,
158. 10:29or whether it be in colonial America during the revolutionary period that was a great awakening.
159. 10:34Whenever there's an authentic move of God, yes, people get saved, people get born again,
160. 10:40and Christians repent of sin. But one of the great realities of an awakening is a return
161. 10:48to the authority of God's Word, scripture. And I believe we're seeing that. I just was on Fox News
162. 10:55about two weeks ago and they were showing b-roll of empty shelves in the major bookstores, the
163. 11:02retailers, where one bookstore owner, major national chain, he said, people are purchasing
164. 11:09Bibles as fast as we can get them in.
165. 11:12And that's exciting.
166. 11:13I want to talk about that.
167. 11:14But before the first break, I want you to give your website.
168. 11:18Folks, if you're thinking, how do I jumpstart a plateaued or declining church?
169. 11:25How do we really live up to the challenges of the Great Commission?
170. 11:29I would urge you to take a look at Liberty Church, Oklahoma, Florida, Paul Blair, what
171. 11:34they're doing for everything I can see.
172. 11:38I've been around the block a little bit.
173. 11:41They seem to be at the absolute forefront of what it means to evangelize in the 21st century.
174. 11:46Paul, give your website or websites please.
175. 11:50Well, you can go to one, a landing page is called
176. 11:53LibertyNetwork.Live.
177. 11:56LibertyNetwork.Live.
178. 11:58From there, you can go to both churches.
179. 12:00You can go to our Liberty Pastors website
180. 12:03from that landing page as well.
181. 12:05And as you focused on it, we'll talk later,
182. 12:07Alex, discipleship.
183. 12:09It's not just hitting people to pray the center's prayer,
184. 12:12which we have always been so good at.
185. 12:15That's not the end, that's the starting pistol.
186. 12:18If people are truly coming to faith in Jesus,
187. 12:21then we much actually teach them to observe all things.
188. 12:26Mm, indeed, indeed.
189. 12:28And you know what, folks, that sinner's prayer,
190. 12:32I prayed that prayer at age 21, it's wonderful.
191. 12:35You know, Romans 10, 13, and the book of Joel, by the way,
192. 12:39say, whoever calls them the name of the Lord shall be saved.
193. 12:43but it's not just to be a convert, it's to be a disciple.
194. 12:49Paul, what is a disciple?
195. 12:51If somebody said, give me the definition of that word,
196. 12:54in terms of the Christian New Testament gospel,
197. 12:57what is a disciple?
198. 12:59They follower of one,
199. 13:01and we are followers of Christ in the Greek.
200. 13:05You know, the Messiah, Yeshua, Hamashiah, the Hebrew,
201. 13:08the Christos in the Greek,
202. 13:10And of course, in Greek, the disciples
203. 13:13were first called Christians in Antioch.
204. 13:16So as Christian, we are supposed to be following Christ.
205. 13:20And we should be following Christ 24-7.
206. 13:23Every facet of our life should bear testimony
207. 13:28that Jesus is the Lord.
208. 13:31So Alex, not just going to church on Sunday morning,
209. 13:34but our work ethic, our business ethics,
210. 13:39sexual proclivities, our integrity, whether we can control our tongue about gossip and slander
211. 13:47and evil speaking, and how we vote. You're not following problems. If you are a party to
212. 13:55a group that promotes Marxism, which is anti-biblical, or abortion, or transmulation, or homosexuality,
213. 14:05or even sexual freedom, even if it's between male and female.
214. 14:12If it's outside, if God has designed and gifted, then that's sin.
215. 14:17And as Christians, every facet of our life is to bring glory to God.
216. 14:22Amen.
217. 14:23Amen.
218. 14:24Folks, you're listening to Paul Blair.
219. 14:25He is my guest tonight, Alex McFarland here.
220. 14:28My website, AlexMcFarland.com.
221. 14:31This is the Hamilton Corner on the American Family Radio Network.
222. 14:34You can listen to this show again on AFR.net.
223. 14:38There's a station map.
224. 14:39You can find the American Family Radio affiliate in your area.
225. 14:42And of course, you can listen online and on your mobile device.
226. 14:46Stay tuned more with Paul Blair, Biblical World View, in the church, in the public square,
227. 14:52and how you can make a difference to help save our nation.
228. 14:56Don't go away.
229. 14:57We're back after this break.
230. 15:01What is DEI and why is it antithetical to truth?
231. 15:05DEI teaches people to view themselves and others,
232. 15:08primarily through the lens of race, gender, or social status.
233. 15:12As Christians, our call is not diversity for diversity's sake,
234. 15:16but to proclaim Christ, calling people into unity
235. 15:19through the power of the gospel.
236. 15:21I'm Jenna Ellis, and you can read my article,
237. 15:23Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,
238. 15:25a truthful definition on thestand.net.
239. 15:34Shining light into the darkness,
240. 15:37this is the Hamilton Corner, an American family radio.
241. 15:41Welcome back to the program. Alex McFarland here is so honored that you're listening. Do you know
242. 15:471 Corinthians 1558 says your labor in the Lord is not in vain. We're talking about the Great Commission
243. 15:54and just the words that are I believe the Lord is impressing on my heart recently.
244. 16:00Where in Matthew 2820 Jesus said and look this is the assignment to the church in every generation.
245. 16:08is the assignment to we Christians, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have
246. 16:14commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world, amen. Well,
247. 16:20so many things that maybe, maybe we think they're controversial, but let me say, folks, if it
248. 16:26is in the Bible, it is truth, T-R-U-T-H. And we are to tell truth to a world that needs
249. 16:33to hear it. And somebody who's given his life to do that is Pastor Paul Blair of Liberty
250. 16:38Church in Oklahoma and in Florida.
251. 16:41And we're going to resume.
252. 16:43And Paul, before the break, we were talking about this thing of the Great Awakening.
253. 16:50I want to, before we go too far, I want you, if you would, to talk about your NFL football
254. 16:56career.
255. 16:57I want to tell you briefly about how I, the privilege, one of the first big events that
256. 17:02our ministry ever put on in the 90s, we brought coach Tom Landry to Greensboro, North Carolina.
257. 17:11And what a blessing it was. Did you ever meet or know Coach Landry?
258. 17:15I went down there on a pre-draft visit, got a chance to meet Coach Landry. And actually my
259. 17:26welcome to the NFL moment was really, we played in the very first what was called all the
260. 17:33American Bowl. We played Dallas at Wembley Stadium in a preseason game back in 1986. Now
261. 17:41that happens, they'll play two or three games internationally every year. But the very first one
262. 17:46we played in and of course Coach Landry and the Dallas Cowboys were there but and I was with
263. 17:52Mike Dittkin, the Chicago Bears but that was one of the first times I got my first check like that
264. 17:59week because we were going over there and I looked up at the top of the check and of course
265. 18:03I'd grown up in Dallas Cowboys fan living in Oklahoma City that's all we had on television
266. 18:07around here were the Cowboys so Don Meredith and Rogers Tom Ock and that era you know loved them
267. 18:13but on my check it said the Chicago Bears football club incorporated and I realized that I worked
268. 18:20for this business and the Dallas Cowboys were were not something that struck stars in my eyes
269. 18:27they were simply a competitive business to the company that I worked for.
270. 18:31And it became very business-like at that moment.
271. 18:34So it kind of lost its magic other than the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.
272. 18:39Now, I have to admit, they were everything that I thought they would be.
273. 18:42So that was, but Winley said to him that was, I'm sorry to take this down to bad.
274. 18:49Hey, the Lord is good to us.
275. 18:51and listen to this, we brought Coach Landry to Greensboro.
276. 18:58I guess it was about 97 or 98.
277. 19:02And by the way, we had 400 teenagers come to the altar and accept Christ the night.
278. 19:08He shared his testimony.
279. 19:09But I want to tell you something Coach Landry said.
280. 19:12I'd love your comment on it.
281. 19:14So I was just, you know, starstruck because my father loved to watch the Dallas Cowboys on TV.
282. 19:20I grew up, you know, and anyway, so what a prince of a person he was, godly man.
283. 19:28So we're having dinner myself and some of the people that helped put this on and we
284. 19:32were all just kind of starstruck.
285. 19:35And finally, one of the men that owned a local funeral home who had donated money, he's in
286. 19:41heaven now, but he said, Coach Landry, you know, we're just trying to, how to break the
287. 19:45ice and talk to this iconic figure.
288. 19:49this gentleman, he said, Coach Landry, I guess you've seen a lot of men become great athletes
289. 19:55out there on that football field. And I'll never forget, and I want your opinion. Coach
290. 20:02Landry, he said, well, if a man is a great athlete, it's not out in the game. Great athletes
291. 20:09are made by the preparation before the game. Now, comment if you would on that as it comes
292. 20:17to Christianity because you know we're all going to get tempted to sin. We're all going
293. 20:23to be maybe intimidated to be silent when we should speak up. The Bible says the fear
294. 20:29of man brings us snare. Would you apply Coach Landry's wisdom the preparation before the
295. 20:36contest, the necessary preparation before the crucible of testing? For 25 years I suppose
296. 20:46I've thought about those words.
297. 20:48If somewhat greatness is determined by the preparation before the testing, would you agree,
298. 20:55Paul?
299. 20:57Oh, absolutely, Alex.
300. 20:58In fact, one very simple way to illustrate what you're just describing is the fact that
301. 21:05now we go through pre-marriage counseling, biblical pre-marriage counseling.
302. 21:11When I got married, we had no counseling.
303. 21:13is this, you know, the Baptist Church don't get divorced.
304. 21:17And good luck, congratulations.
305. 21:19But nobody really equips you to be married.
306. 21:22And, you know, when I go through marriage counseling,
307. 21:25the first thing I do before I start meeting with a couple
308. 21:27is I have a Marine Dave Ramsey's book,
309. 21:30A Total Money Makeover and Bring Me A Budget,
310. 21:32because you can't live on love.
311. 21:33And that's a real part, but budgeting is something
312. 21:36that the Bible talks about.
313. 21:37And it's something that they better deal with
314. 21:39because infidelity and money problems
315. 21:42of the two biggest positive divorce.
316. 21:44So as you said, I think that's an illustration
317. 21:47of how we are to be taught chapter and verse,
318. 21:51how now shall we live.
319. 21:53But that's part of what we're supposed to be doing in church.
320. 21:56You know, and I love great men with good intentions,
321. 22:01but I don't need to preach John 3 16 52 weeks in a row.
322. 22:05Most all of my people, if not all of them are already saved.
323. 22:09So I always have something evangelistic
324. 22:12And we do throw evangelistic messages in there.
325. 22:15I've written books, booklets, we've got tracks,
326. 22:17we have evangelism, explosion.
327. 22:20Obviously that is a part of our church.
328. 22:22But for the flock that's been entrusted to me,
329. 22:26I need to be discipling them in every area of their life.
330. 22:30And that's what we need to do.
331. 22:31That's that game plan preparation.
332. 22:34And one thing to Alex, I tell you,
333. 22:36one of my mentors who's now in heaven,
334. 22:38But he was an old independent Baptist.
335. 22:42And you know, independent Baptist can border on legalists
336. 22:45if you're not careful.
337. 22:47But this man was good.
338. 22:49Yeah.
339. 22:50He was a Nuthetic Bible counselor,
340. 22:52taught me a vast amount of information.
341. 22:56But one of the things he taught me,
342. 22:58and now understand the context of this,
343. 23:00and it'll stun you at first,
344. 23:02but he said in child raising, and also in your people,
345. 23:07He said, pastor, you, of course, I was his student of time,
346. 23:10but you have to teach them how to sin.
347. 23:13And I was like, what?
348. 23:15And I didn't have to teach them how to sin.
349. 23:18And here's the point, even though we have given our hearts
350. 23:22and lives to Christ, we still have that endemic nature.
351. 23:26Even though John tells us, don't do it,
352. 23:30there are still times that we do.
353. 23:32So how do you handle that?
354. 23:34Do you just ignore it and pretend it didn't happen?
355. 23:37Or do you recognize oops?
356. 23:39I messed up on that one.
357. 23:41And how do you deal with it?
358. 23:43I did that with my children in raising them.
359. 23:47I'm competitive as an athlete.
360. 23:49I'd gotten mad watching a sporting event one time
361. 23:52and had misbehaved.
362. 23:54And I went back with my sons every
363. 23:57young time, probably eight and 10.
364. 24:00But five minutes after I lost my temper,
365. 24:04I had I said, oh my goodness, Lord forgive me.
366. 24:08And I sincerely asked God to forgive me.
367. 24:10Then I went to the children's mother.
368. 24:13I went to sin, they said, baby, I absolutely misbehave
369. 24:16all ago, would you forgive me?
370. 24:18And then I went to my sons and I said, boys, your dad
371. 24:24misbehave all ago.
372. 24:25That wasn't right.
373. 24:26You know, I want to honor God and everything that I do,
374. 24:28but you know, I'm a human sometimes you blow it.
375. 24:30And I want you to know, I blew it all ago.
376. 24:33I've asked God to forgive me.
377. 24:35I've asked your mom to forgive me.
378. 24:37And now I'm asking you boys to forgive me.
379. 24:41Well, that's incredible pressure off of those boys, because they recognize that even a man of God doesn't live 100%.
380. 24:49Every now and then he blows it.
381. 24:51So how do you deal with it?
382. 24:52Do you pretend it didn't happen?
383. 24:53Do you act like a hypocrite and ignore it?
384. 24:56Or do you address it and talk them when it happens?
385. 25:01Here's how you deal with it.
386. 25:02No, it's not okay.
387. 25:03But when you do below it, when you do stand,
388. 25:06when you do stumble, you address it,
389. 25:08you confess it, you repent of it,
390. 25:10and then again, you ask forgiveness for those
391. 25:13that happen to bear witness,
392. 25:14and then you get back up on your bike and start riding.
393. 25:17So as you said, Alex, it is game planning.
394. 25:20It is preparation.
395. 25:21It is training them, not just teaching them,
396. 25:23but training the flock how to live for Jesus
397. 25:27in every area of life.
398. 25:29So that game planning that the preparation before the game is Tom Landry alluded to is
399. 25:36what we're supposed to be doing in our discipleship training.
400. 25:40Amen.
401. 25:41And I think that really we are not fulfilled until we, number one, no Christ, be saved.
402. 25:51But then to be growing in the Lord.
403. 25:53And I just want to, I want you to speak to the person listening and there might be someone
404. 25:58listening and they think, well, you know, I've waited too long. Maybe I'll go to heaven, but
405. 26:05this thing of really thriving as a Christian, bearing fruit as a disciple, it's too late
406. 26:11for me. I've procrastinated. I've run from God. See, listen to this, folks. Some people
407. 26:16need to come to Christ. Some people need to come back to Christ. But I believe, you know,
408. 26:22Joel 225 says God restores the years the locust has eaten.
409. 26:28Pastor Paul, would you speak to the person who they can't seem to give themselves permission
410. 26:35to trust that Jesus still has things to do in their life?
411. 26:40Well, first thing, Alex, someone needs to enter in that situation.
412. 26:44They need to recognize.
413. 26:46Jesus has forgiven not only our sins, but for the sins of all mankind that hit their knees and come to come to him.
414. 26:57So if Jesus says that he's going to forget our sins, and then I don't want to remember my sins,
415. 27:05who do these people think is that keeps bringing them up again, that wants them to not get past it?
416. 27:12Well, obviously it's Satan.
417. 27:14So recognize where that comes from.
418. 27:17And if Jesus is willing to forgive you,
419. 27:19if his blood atones for every sin that you've committed,
420. 27:23he's willing to say, okay, it's covered,
421. 27:26it's been washed in the blood,
422. 27:28then who are you to keep bringing it up to yourself?
423. 27:32Learn from it and move on.
424. 27:34And as far as the being too late,
425. 27:39couple of good examples, the thief on the cross.
426. 27:42You know, in the hours of the day that Jesus was hanging on the cross, you know, it began
427. 27:47between two thieves.
428. 27:49They both began mocking him.
429. 27:51But over the course of the events of that day, the sun going, you know, being going dark
430. 27:58at noon day.
431. 27:59And of course, the other signs in Jesus, while they were cursing the crown, Jesus was saying,
432. 28:05Father, forgive them.
433. 28:06They don't know what they're doing.
434. 28:08This one thief recognized that this was the Messiah.
435. 28:13Perhaps his training growing up as a young Jewish boy in synagogue or from his father.
436. 28:19He recognized, this is the Messiah.
437. 28:20He looked at him and said, Lord, remember me when you enter into your kingdom.
438. 28:25And Jesus responded, today you will be with me in paradise.
439. 28:29Well, that guy hadn't done anything that was worthwhile.
440. 28:33All he had done was just before he died, looked to Jesus in faith, and Jesus said, today you
441. 28:40will be with me in paradise.
442. 28:42Another example for someone that's run away or gotten discouraged, I said, I just give
443. 28:46up, I can't do it, I failed, I'm a failure.
444. 28:49Consider Peter.
445. 28:51Peter was so grieved after he had denied the Lord three times that even after the ascension,
446. 28:58Peter still was so disappointed in himself that the scripture says he went back to the
447. 29:03Sea of Galilee and went back into the fishing business.
448. 29:06Just didn't think he was worthy.
449. 29:08Of course that's when Jesus showed up and they had breakfast on the seashore and said,
450. 29:13Peter, if you love me, do you love me?
451. 29:14Feed my sheep.
452. 29:16Well, if Peter could be salvaged and used by God to do all that God used Peter to do.
453. 29:27He had rejected Jesus, after walking with Him for three years, and then rejecting Him
454. 29:33three times on the night of Jesus' arrest, then there's nothing you've done that's too
455. 29:39great that God won't say, welcome home.
456. 29:43Let's get back after.
457. 29:45And you know what, this is a great word because folks, no matter who you are, no matter what
458. 29:50your age and no matter if you feel like you've held God at arm's length and it's too late
459. 29:58for you. It isn't. Please believe that Jesus will say, he can save you and he will save
460. 30:04you if you put your trust in him. But then as a born again believer God has things to
461. 30:11do in you and through you. Paul, I've loved, you know, in the case of Peter, you know,
462. 30:16had denied the Lord and he was so embarrassed. I believe he probably was
463. 30:21embarrassed. Little did he know that weeks later he would preach the inaugural sermon
464. 30:28to initiate the church age. But in Mark, this is precious folks. We're talking
465. 30:35with Paul Blair, but I love this in Mark 16, 6, and 7. The women go to the
466. 30:41empty tomb. Christ has risen. Jesus is risen proving that He is the Messiah and the angel
467. 30:49says to the women at the tomb. Don't be afraid. Jesus is risen. Now the first evidential apologetic,
468. 30:58the empty tomb. See the place where He lay past tense verb. He's not laying there now.
469. 31:04risen. Then go your way, tell the disciples and Peter. Isn't that so sweet, Paul? The angels,
470. 31:13hey, we know he's probably a way weeping tears of remorse, but go get the disciples,
471. 31:20let everybody know Christ is alive and p.s. Don't forget Peter because he's special to Jesus too.
472. 31:27Make sure Peter gets the message to that.
473. 31:29We serve the God of the second chance.
474. 31:34We serve the God of the 50th chance.
475. 31:36Hey, we got a brief break.
476. 31:37Hey, Paul, can you stay with us one more segment?
477. 31:40Happy to.
478. 31:41And what's your website?
479. 31:44Liberty Network.Live.
480. 31:46Liberty Network.Live.
481. 31:50Alex McFarlane here, Pastor, popular.
482. 31:51When we come back, we're going to talk about how to bring politics into the pulpit.
483. 31:57You think that's not appropriate?
484. 31:59know it is appropriate, we'll tell you why, and we'll give you some pointers on how. If
485. 32:04you're a pastor and you're itching to lay the cards on the table and really speak truth to
486. 32:10your parishioners, Paul's going to tell you how to do it biblically, fruitfully, appropriately.
487. 32:16We'll come back the biblical worldview for our nation and for each of our lives. Stay
488. 32:22tuned, we're back after this brief break.
489. 32:31Gossip. It isn't easy to kick. Who doesn't want the insider info? Who wouldn't want to be the
490. 32:36bearer of this week's most exclusive whisper? How then do we bless the name of the Lord when we were
491. 32:42just cursing his child? How do we bear his name while we so flippantly defame his very likeness?
492. 32:49So put on the full armor of God and let one of us who is without sin throw the first stone.
493. 32:54I'm Lauren Bragg and you can read Gossip and the Gospel on thestand.net.
494. 32:59a Hamilton Quarter podcast and one-minute commentaries are available at aFR.net back
495. 33:10to the Hamilton Quarter on American Family Radio.
496. 33:16Welcome back to the program.
497. 33:17Alex MacFron here always a joy to visit with my friend, Pastor Paul Blair, and I just appreciate
498. 33:24him so much.
499. 33:25And others too.
500. 33:26I know they're pastors listening, and I want you to know, Pastor, you matter.
501. 33:33And thank God for the men that are in the pulpits, they're loving their flock.
502. 33:39Hey, Paul, I've pastored two churches spoken in 2000.
503. 33:44It's not just the pulpit, it's the hospital room.
504. 33:48It's the ER at three in the morning and we've all been there a week ago.
505. 33:53I did a funeral for a man.
506. 33:55He was a believer.
507. 33:57But at the graveside, somebody whispered in my ear and they said, there's this one, this
508. 34:03when this one that are atheist and things like that.
509. 34:07I personally believe that the most rewarding work, if God has called you to it.
510. 34:13Now it's not always easy, but it is the greatest calling in the world is to be a pastor.
511. 34:21Pastor Paul, would you speak to how one hears the call?
512. 34:26Part of the reason I interviewed George Barna recently and they're like 20% of American churches
513. 34:33don't have a senior pastor.
514. 34:35Like one out of five churches do not have a pastor and don't have a viable resume on the
515. 34:41table to look at.
516. 34:43I've got to believe there are a lot of people out there that do have a call in their life.
517. 34:47Now you don't rush into this if God hasn't called you.
518. 34:50You don't call yourself into the pastorate or the ministry.
519. 34:55But Paul, speak to the man out there that might be wondering, could I be a pastor?
520. 35:03Is God calling me?
521. 35:05Because you know the Bible says, pray there for the Lord of the harvest that he'll sin
522. 35:09forth labors.
523. 35:11Speak about the joy of that calling to pastor a church.
524. 35:18Well, you know, Alex, you talked about some of the difficult parts of it and, you know,
525. 35:25counseling, crisis counseling.
526. 35:28One of the true joys that my wife and I have is we have got so many young families that
527. 35:36are a part of our congregation that are just hungry, that want to be discipled, that crave
528. 35:44to know how they're supposed to live for the Lord.
529. 35:48And of course, you mentioned that you all have been married
530. 35:5235 years, sitting at 35 right now,
531. 35:55will be at 36 here in June.
532. 35:57And I love her today and we act just like newlyweds.
533. 36:02And one of the little tidbits that I share
534. 36:06with our congregation, that's a secret of marriage
535. 36:11is always earn the next date.
536. 36:14You know, in the dating process, whenever we are going to call our beloved or go pick them up,
537. 36:21we always look our best, we're always on our best behavior, we're always kind. Why?
538. 36:26Because we want to be, we control our behavior, we want them to be drawn to us.
539. 36:32So we try to be attractive in every way. And then when we get married, we think we can stop trying.
540. 36:41Well, that's insane. And that's a lie of Satan. And I am I want to be just as kind and compassionate.
541. 36:49I want those warm fuzzy feelings from my wife. I want to be just as courteous to her and not crude
542. 36:56or rude around her just as if we'd gone out on our first date and for some. He does the same thing.
543. 37:04You know, if both players are serving the Lord and operating into the same playbook.
544. 37:09And I am a goppying or sacrificially serving and loving my wife as much as I can every
545. 37:18day, then her needs are all being taken care of.
546. 37:21And she doesn't need to look anywhere else because she's perfectly contented.
547. 37:25And I'm her knight in signing armor and I'm meeting her needles.
548. 37:30And then at the same time, I don't have to worry about my needs because she gets up every
549. 37:34today and she's a dopping or sacrificially serving and meeting my needs,
550. 37:39emotionally as a partner, as a maid, a lover, a mother, whatever it happens to be.
551. 37:47Then I also and complete this satisfied.
552. 37:51Don't have to look anywhere else.
553. 37:52She's everything to me.
554. 37:54And then that also brings about those warm fuzzy,
555. 37:58that fileto type of love where we have that responsive love.
556. 38:02And of course, when you're serving one another
557. 38:05and you've got that responsive warm fuzzy feelings
558. 38:08and the arrows becomes a part of it and everything else.
559. 38:11And that's how God designed it to be.
560. 38:13So the true joy of pastoring is making disciples.
561. 38:18And I gotta tell you, Alex, when you're a young preacher,
562. 38:22you've got other preachers that you've admired
563. 38:25and your first year or two, when you're behind the pulpit,
564. 38:28you're copying other styles and you're trying to be.
565. 38:31Adrian Rogers.
566. 38:32Yeah, exactly.
567. 38:34And then you finally realized that you're not.
568. 38:36You're who you are.
569. 38:38You're the best, you're Alex McFarland.
570. 38:41So be the best Alex McFarland can be.
571. 38:44And my style is, I am not nearly as dynamic
572. 38:47or as boisterous as I once was.
573. 38:50I really want to teach the Bible.
574. 38:53I wanna teach people.
575. 38:54And that's what disciple is.
576. 38:56And I do, I mean, we all use voice inflections.
577. 38:59I want to be entertaining and I want to capture their attention.
578. 39:03But the reality is if a gifted speaker can get up and stir a person's emotions and they
579. 39:10make an emotional response heading due north, and then another gifted speaker comes in and
580. 39:17stirs their emotions and gets them an emotional presentation that means them do south, then
581. 39:25they're conflicted, they're going all over the place because we just can't trust emotional
582. 39:30response. I want to treat chapter and verse. I want my people to know the truth. And once
583. 39:38they know the truth, they can't be shaken. And the reality is there is there's there's
584. 39:43only truth. There's just one truth. There's not white truth, black truth, male truth, female
585. 39:48truth, trans truth. There is just the truth. And when you equip her people with the truth,
586. 39:54and you've done what God has called you to do,
587. 39:57and you've made that disciple.
588. 39:59And then it's their responsibility to hand it off
589. 40:02to the next generation, and then the next generation,
590. 40:05and so on.
591. 40:06This is a wonderful calling.
592. 40:09It's like, it's a shepherd.
593. 40:10You're shepherding a flock.
594. 40:12So if God is calling you,
595. 40:14then obviously the only answer is yes.
596. 40:17And I can't say how each person is called.
597. 40:20Mine was unique.
598. 40:21I mean, I'm not boring with the details,
599. 40:24but it was crystal clear that God was saying,
600. 40:26this is a job that you're supposed to have,
601. 40:29and I knew it and Cindy knew it,
602. 40:31and we were just forced to submit our resume,
603. 40:35and then it was up to them.
604. 40:38So, but anyway, it is hard work.
605. 40:43I do not believe that pastoring is a career choice.
606. 40:46I do believe it is a calling.
607. 40:48I think we've got too many career pastors
608. 40:50that are afraid of getting fired.
609. 40:52Therefore, they don't take bold stands, but you can't get fired from your calling.
610. 40:59So if you are called into ministry and you respond to that calling, then it's all about
611. 41:05serving the Lord and glorifying the Lord.
612. 41:09Amen, brother.
613. 41:10Amen.
614. 41:11You know, in 2 Timothy 4, 2, where Paul told Timothy, preach the Word.
615. 41:16If you preach the Bible in its entirety, isn't it true?
616. 41:21Inverably you'll get to the political topics. Oh absolutely
617. 41:26Well, there's nothing new under the Sun and the thing when we come out of and teach them basic biblical worldview
618. 41:33Alex and our Liberty pastors camps by the way if you're pastor or you
619. 41:38Attended church we're gonna have our next camp coming up sometimes September. We haven't booked it yet
620. 41:44But we're it looks like we're gonna be in Orlando and we invite pastors to come heavily
621. 41:49subsidize, we want them to bring their wives, have a second high moon, only cost a pastor $99
622. 41:55for three days at a luxury hotel, and then we ask that they attend all the training, but
623. 42:01it's a second honeymoon for them at virtually no cost. But the basic fundamental of biblical
624. 42:08worldview is recognizing that God has established four realms of government. It begins with
625. 42:14a self-government, then family government, then church government, and then civil government.
626. 42:20And biblical worldview is placing under each realm of authority each particular subject.
627. 42:27So for example, my salvation, well that's self-government.
628. 42:32It's up to me at some point in time to surrender and submit my part in life to Christ.
629. 42:38The mayor can't make that decision for me.
630. 42:41My parents can't make that decision for me.
631. 42:44But for example, another example, as far as education, training up your children, well
632. 42:51that falls under the realm of family government.
633. 42:54The Bible says, Mom and Dad, you are to train up your children in the nurture and admonition
634. 42:59of the Lord.
635. 43:00That's not the responsibility of the civil governing authority.
636. 43:05Biblically, the role of civil government is to punish evil and to protect the good that
637. 43:11we may live peaceably in all godliness.
638. 43:14And there can be no human law that contradicts God's law.
639. 43:20And our founding fathers knew that and quoted it frequently.
640. 43:24That's what the Declaration of Independence says,
641. 43:27when it says that the laws of nature and nature's God,
642. 43:31or what this country or our declaration was built on.
643. 43:35Natural law defined by Sir William Blackstone
644. 43:38as God's design, God's will, as described in nature
645. 43:43and in the Holy Scripture.
646. 43:45So no human law can contradict civil law.
647. 43:49So if God says marriage is one man and one woman,
648. 43:54then the legislature has no jurisdiction to redefine that.
649. 43:58But I read from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22,
650. 44:02and there's nowhere in there that tells me
651. 44:04what the speed limit on interstate 70
652. 44:07or in a state 35 on a beat.
653. 44:10So man is free to legislate and determine
654. 44:13what is a safe but effective speed.
655. 44:16So Biblical worldview is just understanding.
656. 44:20First of all, it's all under God's authority.
657. 44:22So what is truth?
658. 44:23What is the Bible saying?
659. 44:24And then delegating to each realm,
660. 44:27self, family, church, civil,
661. 44:29who's responsible for oversight in each area.
662. 44:33And then it's just chapter and verse
663. 44:35what God has to say about the details.
664. 44:37It's all there, and we show these pastors this,
665. 44:41and it's just as, we can't sit there, Alex, and say,
666. 44:45Jesus is Lord of all, and then turn around and say,
667. 44:49but I can't talk about that subject in church.
668. 44:52That's a contradiction.
669. 44:53Exactly.
670. 44:56How do you navigate, let's say you preach a sermon
671. 45:00about gender or sexuality,
672. 45:03and you preach against this end of homosexuality
673. 45:08or abortion, we have legal protection for the unborn
674. 45:11because life is sacred.
675. 45:13So if you preach on one of these volatile issues,
676. 45:18have you had any pushback ever from a congregant?
677. 45:22And if so, how do you deal with that?
678. 45:24I've not had pushback.
679. 45:26If somebody leaves, they leave.
680. 45:27People come, people go, I don't want to offend anybody,
681. 45:31but truth is offensive to error.
682. 45:33And I don't just pick on homosexuals.
683. 45:37I mean, as we said a while ago,
684. 45:39God created us as sexual beings.
685. 45:42God's design is to enjoy the gift of sexual intimacy
686. 45:46within the bonds of marriage.
687. 45:49Anything outside of that is a sin.
688. 45:51So if a man is a philanter and cheating on his wife,
689. 45:54well guess what?
690. 45:55I preach against that.
691. 45:56That's a sin.
692. 45:57If a man is going online and looking online pornography
693. 46:01and lusting after another woman.
694. 46:03Guess what?
695. 46:04That's a sin also.
696. 46:05And also the Bible's very clear on male on female,
697. 46:10female on female on transgender mutilation, all of that.
698. 46:14You know, all I am called to do is make disciples proclaim
699. 46:17God's word.
700. 46:19Don't get mad at me, get mad at the author,
701. 46:21because eventually you're gonna have to answer to him.
702. 46:25Wow, well said, well said.
703. 46:27You know, time fleets away, it is always such a blessing.
704. 46:30I want to thank you.
705. 46:31I always learn from you.
706. 46:34I want you to give us a homework assignment.
707. 46:37Do you have any books you especially recommend?
708. 46:40And by the way, the Liberty Pastors retreat.
709. 46:42I've been to this, folks, it is top drawer.
710. 46:47It is absolutely world class.
711. 46:49And for the ministers, Paul, give the website
712. 46:53about the pastors' retreats.
713. 46:56And not only will you be refreshed and energized, you'll be inspired, instructed.
714. 47:03You bring in world-class speakers, and I went to one in Florida.
715. 47:07It's fantastic.
716. 47:08Where's the website for info on those, Paul?
717. 47:12Liberty Network.live.
718. 47:13And at the top of that landing page, you'll see one says, there's a segment says Liberty
719. 47:19Pastors, Liberty Church Orlando, Liberty Church Edmund, Paul K. Blair, my personal stuff, athletic
720. 47:25So we go to Liberty Network.live and you can find information about everything and we will be
721. 47:32publicizing and promoting the next camp very soon. So we encourage pastors and everyone. In fact, this training,
722. 47:40our basic training is all on that Liberty pastors segment of the website.
723. 47:46So any person can go online and register and go through this training free of charge. There is no cost to it.
724. 47:53Amen. Well, we're almost out of time. Look, I look forward to being at Liberty Church in Oklahoma on March 30th.
725. 48:00And so if you happen to be in that area, come, it's online. What's the church's website, Paul?
726. 48:06Uh, Fairview, I'm sorry, Liberty, Liberty Network. Live, it's on there. Go to Liberty Network. Live, and then the church website for admins up at the top of the page.
727. 48:17Well, folks, we want to see you when we're in Oklahoma.
728. 48:20I'm looking forward to be there.
729. 48:21Pastor Paul Blair, thanks for being with us on the show today.
730. 48:24And more importantly, thank you for what you're doing for America and Christ Great Commission.
731. 48:29Amen.
732. 48:30God bless you, Alex.
733. 48:31Blessings you, folks.
734. 48:33Tell somebody about the American Family Radio Network, but most of all, tell everybody about
735. 48:37Jesus.
736. 48:40The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American
737. 48:45Family Association or American Family Radio.