March 11, 2026 · 50:49

Pastor Bert Harper, co-host of Exploring the Word on AFR steps into “The Corner.”

Bible & Theology

Show notes

0:00 - 15:00. Colossians 4:5-6. God has provided guidance and instruction for us concerning how Christ-followers are to engage unbelievers. 15:00 - 31:00. Pastor Bert Harper, co-host of Exploring the Word on AFR steps into “The Corner.” 31:00 - 48:00. Mankind’s hubris leads to self-destructive ideologies. | 1-800-326-4543 ext. 345 To donate call: 877-616-2396

References & links

Phone lines mentioned

1-800-326-4543 ext. 345
877-616-2396

Full transcript Auto-generated · 9,087 words

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.

0:01Darkness is not an affirmative force.
0:03It simply reoccupies the space vacated by the light.
0:07This is the Hamilton Corner on American Family Radio.
0:11It should be uncomfortable for a believer to live as a hypocrite.
0:16Delivery people out of the bondage of mainstream media.
0:19And the philosophies of this world.
0:21God has called you and me to be his ambassador.
0:24Even in this dark moment.
0:27Let's not miss our moment.
0:29And now the Hamilton Corner.
0:34Good evening everybody.
0:35Welcome to the Hamilton Corner.
0:36Abraham Hamilton the third is my name.
0:39I'm the host of the program here joined by the corner contingent
0:43right across from me once again as our friendly neighborhood.
0:46What a holic Mr. Marty Sparks.
0:48Perpetually in recovery, none the less.
0:51And we are joined also by producer extraordinaire, Mr. J. Mac,
0:56Mr. Jeff McIntosh in the screening room often imitated
0:58but never duplicated and we're ready to rock and roll
1:02with today's edition of the program.
1:04At this very moment, many of you, if not most of you,
1:07are making your transition from your part-time jobs
1:09where you generate an income to your full-time jobs
1:12where you cultivate an outcome.
1:14And as you do so, I want to remind you to do it
1:17with intentionality.
1:20Income generation is important,
1:22but our culture has applied the terminology
1:26of it being our full-time jobs.
1:28in many ways that has been conflated with identity.
1:33But the truth is for all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, because every single believer
1:37is called to ministry, called to participate in the fulfillment of our King's commission,
1:44the Great Commission.
1:46And for those of you who are listening, who are not yet believers, I just want to urge
1:51you, as you see all the things swirling around our, in the world, in our own nation, to embrace
1:57the Lord's grace through in salvation. Now, don't wait. Don't hesitate. You see all of
2:04these things happening. They just confirm that the Bible is true. The Scripture says that
2:10when the Lord returns, it will be as it was in the days of Noah. And you think about,
2:16you know, as it was in the days of Noah, and all everyone did what was right in their
2:20own eyes, you know, what could that look like? Could it look like? Grown people fighting
2:28for the right for children, no, let me say it this way. For the right to permanently mutilate
2:36the bodies of children, all in the name of transgenderism, could it look like, you know,
2:42rampant pornography, sex trafficking, fornication and adultery, and then to add insult to demonic
2:51injury in shining as a right, the right to slaughter the natural byproduct of physical
3:02intimacy between adults in the name of freedom.
3:06Think about that.
3:07For freedom's sake, let's kill these innocent unborn children.
3:11It could look like, and in this you want to talk about, in absurd, obtuse, insane, whatever
3:18description you want to put on it, you have people upset that the NBA canceled a
3:25basketball game night with a theme. You know, you go to basketball, the theme is,
3:30you know, Holly, beach themes and the, oh no, no, no, the theme for the Atlanta Hawks
3:36Monday Night Basketball game was Magic Monday. And most of you, you don't know
3:41what I'm talking about, praise God that you don't. Magic City is a popular strip
3:46club in Atlanta. Mm hmm. You see Marty's face. Mm hmm. In the Atlanta Hawks, they're
3:53gonna have a celebration of the strip club as the theme for their Monday night basketball
3:58game. And then get this. Because you had one basketball player Luke Cornette who spoke
4:04up about it saying guys that's that's a so we're gonna degrade women and girls and we're
4:09gonna do it and that's gonna be the theme of an NBA game. And you got other basketball
4:13I'm not a man at him, for saying something about it.
4:17As it was in the days of Noah.
4:19That's kind of what it looks like guys,
4:21and it just simply shows that the Bible is true.
4:24And so because the Bible is true,
4:25everything that the Bible teaches is true.
4:31So don't hearten your hearts when the Lord draws you
4:36for salvation, draws you to himself in salvation.
4:40Repent and believe, man, because eternity is a long time
4:45to be wrong.
4:47It's a long time to be wrong.
4:50For those of you who are believers,
4:52this also highlights why we must work while it is day.
4:56We must work while it is day,
4:59because when the nighttime comes,
5:01no one will be able to work.
5:03Then to the word of God we go,
5:05and this description we're gonna discuss today
5:07kinda aids us in navigating this.
5:10Colossians chapter four,
5:13verses five and six is where we're gonna focus
5:16to begin the program today.
5:17Colossians 4, verses 5 and 6.
5:26The Apostle Paul is right into the church at Colossa
5:28and he says this, and this is,
5:33I pray that you would ponder this
5:34and welcome the Lord to root this in your heart,
5:37just as I'm praying that the Lord would root this
5:39in my heart as well.
5:40The scripture says this,
5:41conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders,
5:46making the most of the opportunity.
5:50Let your speech always be with grace
5:53as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.
6:02Now, to be clear, when the text says, conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, the
6:06Apostle Paul is using terminology to describe those who are not yet believers.
6:11So he's instructing believers as to how we should conduct ourselves concerning those who
6:17are not yet believers.
6:18One of the first things that should be embraced and understood from this text is that the Lord
6:24requires us as believers to anticipate, to pray for, and to prepare ourselves to engage
6:31those who are unbelievers.
6:33This should not be something that we should approach with a casual disposition.
6:37It shouldn't be like, maybe one maybe should happen.
6:42This is something that we should anticipate, and I would even include, seek out, seek opportunities
6:50to be the hands and feet of Jesus to proclaim his gospel and to begin the process of a discipleship
6:57relationship. That should not be something that should sneak upon us like a burglar.
7:01And you know, and the strangest thing happened to me today, Marty, you won't believe this, Marty.
7:06It might sound like a bra, man, from the fifth floor.
7:09Hey, Ma. Man, you never believed what happened to me today, man.
7:14He ain't believing on.
7:16He had a apartment full of sandwiches.
7:21And they had this one cat in there, man, he believed.
7:24He ain't no the Lord, man.
7:25No, for the believer, we should ask God to give us opportunities to shine a light of
7:30Christ, to give us opportunities to pray and start to proclaim His gospel, that this isn't
7:36something that should sneak upon us.
7:37And then we should welcome the Lord to prepare us for the engagements.
7:44the Lord is guiding us by his spirit through the Apostle Paul's writings to conduct ourselves with wisdom toward outsiders.
7:52One of our prayers should be that Lord, would you give me wisdom today to engage those who do not yet know you?
7:59Lord, would you give me wisdom as to how I conduct myself and how I interact with those who do not yet know you?
8:06We say things very casually, but the truth is no man is promised tomorrow.
8:11So we should not allow opportunities to just kind of slip out of our hands, but we should seek to be effective.
8:19And as the scripture says here, making the most of the opportunity.
8:25I understand, man, I live in the same world you all live in.
8:30I understand, you know, going to the grocery store, going to run errands, doing different things that we might not want our agendas intruded upon.
8:40But I told her the other one time, even when you go on vacation, we don't own vacation from being the disciple of Jesus Christ.
8:48So you might be on the cruise ship, man.
8:51You might have somebody that you can share the gossip with
8:54sitting in the buffet line.
8:57You're in the buffet line.
8:59Look, I know it's buffet, guys, but I like to say buffet.
9:01You wait on the sandwiches.
9:07It might be a good time to take advantage of,
9:14conduct ourselves with wisdom.
9:17It should also bring to the forefront of our consideration
9:19that we need wisdom to engage.
9:23Don't just use this kind of,
9:25and I'm gonna get to that next part of the next verse,
9:28don't just get to the point where you kind of have a routine
9:31roped thing that you usually have a script
9:32almost like you're an actor, you know?
9:37Stage left when the next scene comes, then line.
9:39Like you have a ready to roll line.
9:43Now, don't misconstrue what I'm saying.
9:45It's good to be prepared, having thought do some things,
9:48maybe having considered what some objections might be,
9:50consider who the person that you may be encountering,
9:54what they are presenting with.
9:56But the scripture bears us out.
9:59And you'll see next that guys,
10:01every person is an individual.
10:03Not everybody's circumstances are identical.
10:05Which is why you get to the next verse, verse six.
10:08Let your speech always be with grace
10:12as though seasoned with salt
10:14so that you will know how to respond to each person.
10:20Guess what that highlights for us?
10:23That your response to one person
10:25will most likely not be identical to your response
10:27to another person.
10:29Each person requires the grace that is particular
10:33to that individual.
10:34Each person requires the wisdom that is particular
10:38to that individual.
10:39So we should get out of this mindset
10:41to where we kind of have this script,
10:44as I referred to earlier, that we just,
10:46we pull out for every circumstance,
10:48because each circumstance is gonna be the exact one.
10:54You know, one of the ways the Lord has helped
10:57and is helping to sharpen my wife and I in this area,
11:00is that each of our children are different.
11:01And each of them have different questions.
11:03Each of them have different ways that they express themselves
11:06and each of them have even different learning styles
11:08when they receive information.
11:09So we cannot have a kind of cookie cutter approach
11:13that we do the exact same thing with each one of them
11:15at each stage and expect the same result.
11:17Guys, they each are individuals.
11:20And the Lord helps us in interacting with our own children
11:23to prepare us to deal with people outside of our homes
11:25and say, hey, even if you think this person might look
11:28like somebody you talked to before,
11:29They may come from a background
11:31that is similar to the person before.
11:32They are not identical to the person
11:34you talked to previously.
11:37And so setting our course to seek the Lord earlier,
11:42verse two in this exact same chapter,
11:45the Apostle Paul says,
11:46devote yourself yourself to prayer.
11:48Devote yourselves to prayer.
11:50We think about devotions and yes,
11:52in our family we have family devotions,
11:54only daily basis,
11:55but there's a devotion to prayer that's required for us
11:59and required of us.
12:01And in devoting ourselves to prayer, we seek the wisdom of God and the sharpening of our Lord.
12:05And for the Lord to enable us to have a speech that is grace filled as seasoned with salt.
12:13Every time I think about the salt season and I think about my mom cooking back in New Orleans, you know?
12:18Because I'm telling you, unseasoned chicken is an uncivilized presentation, let me tell you.
12:25But I would look at how my mom took particular care to season the food she represents to us.
12:29And it was important to her because she wanted the food she prepared for us, her children,
12:35to be easily entreated, readily, entreated, readily received.
12:41So she would season it.
12:44We should seek to have seasoned words in the seasoning.
12:48You know, it may not be fillet for the gumbo.
12:52It, you know, it may not be the Trinity.
12:54I'm not talking about the Holy Trinity.
12:56I'm not talking about the Trinity for cooking.
12:58That's what they call in the norms, the Trinity.
13:02But the seasoning for our speech is the grace of our God that militates toward us in the presence
13:10of our God as we seek Him.
13:12And we approach each image bearer with an individual disposition.
13:17And I'm going to continue to lean in on the notion of hospitality as a means of ministry,
13:25that we utilize our homes as ground base, as ground zero, if you will, our foundational
13:33post, if you will, for reaching out to those most immediate, immediate to us, most closest to us.
13:45We have a people that God calls to foreign missions, and I am exceedingly grateful for them. That's one
13:51of the things that I think that has been a blessing to our nation, is that we've sent the most
13:56missionaries into the world and in the history of the world. But we need a lot of domestic missions,
14:01too, man. We need a lot of neighborhood missions, block mission, local and community mission.
14:08I pray that the Lord would cause this to be deposited in you in the manner that he desires
14:19it to be.
14:20But we got to get away from simply looking at all the things that are challenging and negative
14:25in the world and not seeing man, God has called his bride to be salt light in the place and
14:30in the time that he's planted us.
14:36And as we seek the wisdom of God and welcome him to season our speech with the grace seasoning,
14:43And we consider how we should respond to each and every individual person who may not yet
14:49know the Lord.
14:50And we make the most of those opportunities because eternity truly hangs in the balance.
15:01A discipleship minute with Joseph Parker.
15:04He who dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
15:09I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, and Him.
15:14I will trust Psalm 91 verses 1 and 2.
15:17in a perilous world, so many people are afraid.
15:21They're fearful in a world where inner cities
15:23and many other communities are.
15:25You're simply dangerous places to be.
15:28We see the drug trafficking, human trafficking,
15:31muggings, murders, physical and sexual abuse.
15:34There is a place of safety in this world
15:36and it's found in that secret place,
15:40that intimate relationship with God.
15:42No one can protect you like God can,
15:45but it's important for us to do our part
15:47to appropriate to place ourselves in that secret place.
15:51Praying Psalm 91 every day is a very wise thing
15:54for all believers to do.
15:56No one can protect you like God can.
16:05Shiting light into the darkness,
16:08this is the Hamilton Corner, an American family radio.
16:12Welcome back to the Hamilton Corner, Abraham Hamilton
16:14the third here and I'm delighted to have on the program
16:16a brother who when we get together,
16:18they always tell us you guys need to try to do a better job
16:20of keeping the energy up.
16:22you are a bit too calm and sounds a bit too much like you're narrating at a golf match.
16:28That is not what happens.
16:31Yeah, what they'll keep me off is learning to whisper in a sawmill.
16:36Well, you already hear his voice.
16:40My guest guys is one half of that dynamic duo that hosts exploring the word every day
16:46right here in American Family Radio.
16:48I'm speaking of none other than Pastor Bert Harper.
16:50Pastor Burke, thank you for joining me here
16:51on the Hamilton Corner this evening.
16:52Thank you, Abe, it is so good to be with you.
16:54I appreciate you, appreciate you and your show.
16:58I can't, both of them, man.
16:59Well, praise God for that.
17:01Well, I wanted to have you on the program
17:03for a couple of reasons, but I do want to invite you,
17:06for those who may not be aware,
17:07to share a little bit of what you do
17:10on exploring the word daily,
17:12and how that is a unique offering
17:14and our daily lineup on the radio program.
17:17One of the most interesting stories I heard
17:19was what our leader, Tim Wamman, said,
17:22by three o'clock in the afternoon,
17:23we're ready for just some Bible,
17:25not commentary from about what the Bible says
17:29about today's issues.
17:30So about 15 years ago, they started exploring the word,
17:35and Marvin Sanders and Alex McFarland were on there,
17:39and I came on board during that time,
17:41but during that time, again, Marvin began to have some illness
17:46and they asked me to come on in,
17:47And now we've been doing it 14 years,
17:50where we just usually it's a book of the Bible.
17:53Right now we're going through Ephesians.
17:55And I won't say we do it verse by verse,
17:58but we do it section by section of those verses.
18:01And we just enjoy it.
18:03And the purpose is salvation and discipleship.
18:07That's Alex and I look at it that way.
18:10It's opportunity, we've had people to be saved right there
18:13while we were doing the program as they called in
18:16and we have a lot of people.
18:17last week we got a message of someone that was saved listening to this program and
18:23they just wanted to say thank you so we I praise God for that opportunity oh that's
18:27man that that is hmm that's so amazing and is so profound and so needed because
18:33the most desperate and enduring need I say this on the show pretty much almost
18:37daily in our country the most desperate and enduring need is for the gospel to
18:41be proclaimed but for disciples to be made when I was now older than you guys
18:45but when I was in school, Marty making remember,
18:48but you know, we had Bible reading, we had prayer.
18:51Matter of fact, my little community, believe it or not,
18:54which is in Northeast Mississippi where I grew,
18:56we had summer school because we were farmers,
19:00and we got out in the spring and fall to plant the crops,
19:04and then together the crops,
19:05and we went to school during the summer.
19:07Usually during the summer, the two churches that we had
19:10in our little community of Wheeler, Mississippi,
19:12they would have a revival.
19:14And we got to turn out and go to the revival.
19:17We'd walk down the street.
19:19Now everybody went because that's opportunity
19:21not to have to study English.
19:22Yeah.
19:23And so even those people that didn't go to church
19:27in those days, they received the Word of God.
19:31And you know, what an opportunity that was.
19:34And we've come a long way from that,
19:36but it was a good time to be able to grow up
19:38and to hear that and see that and see how good of effect
19:43had on the people that listened.
19:45Yeah, I mean, we not only have come along from that, I would argue, and I don't think it could
19:51be successfully contradicted.
19:53I would argue that we've been intentionally manipulated only.
19:57I agree.
19:58Well, if you don't know the truth, you're easily manipulated.
20:01That's the whole idea.
20:03When truth, when you have truth, the Bible is a standard.
20:07In any Ephesians today we talked about that, after you get these things you're able to
20:13live wise.
20:16Knowing who Christ is and knowing what He's done for you and letting the Word of God speak,
20:21it makes you able to make decisions, able to discern what's going on with individuals
20:28in the world.
20:30You mentioned that you guys frequently get testimonies and hear back from people who surrender
20:35their lives to Jesus or maybe even re-dedicate their lives to the Lord as a result of the
20:42program that you do on a daily basis.
20:44Is that something that you've seen consistently now having done it for 14 years?
20:47Yes, it is.
20:49And it's amazing.
20:50Alex and I both have gotten to go to prison facilities, preach with them, and a lot of them
20:58have their Bible study around exploring the word town.
21:02able to do that and invite others. And we've seen so many people come to know Christ and
21:08we hear about it and we thank God for it. And people get back in church and we got this
21:13one call last week, someone that could not because of past crimes, paid the price, out,
21:22got saved, but yet he's restricted on where he can go. And so exploring the word is that
21:28part of his life, he wouldn't get to hear the preaching live, but he can turn on the radio
21:34and hear daily the Word of God being proclaimed. That's what Alex and I do. He is very academic.
21:42He's been a seminary president and all that. I'm Pastor Will, I'm Pastor for 40-something
21:49years plus, and yet studied the Word preached expositorly. We bring those two avenues together
21:57and it kind of makes it unique preaching, but having a discussion.
22:02And then as Alex says, it's like you're preaching a sermon at the end, we take Bible questions,
22:07somebody holds their hand up and asks, I've got a question, Pastor, about what you just
22:12said.
22:13And it makes it a unique program, I think.
22:16And that's a great combination to have because the Bible says we are to study to show ourselves
22:21approved the workmen worthy of higher and being able to articulate that and having the combination
22:29of the pastoral heart combined with the years and the pastures and the academic approach
22:35combined in an individual offering is something that is unique and I can see how it benefits
22:40the people who tune in.
22:41I learn a lot from Alex and he says he's learned from me now.
22:45We don't know.
22:47We go on there.
22:48We're learners herself.
22:50ever can quit being learners ourselves,
22:53we need to fold up or do something else.
22:57And we're still doing it.
22:59Go through a book, we've gone through every book
23:01of the Bible in these years
23:03and going back over some second and third time.
23:06And guess what, every time we see something.
23:09Oh man!
23:10It's fresh.
23:11It's fresh.
23:11That's the word of God.
23:12That's amazing.
23:14You know, just yesterday in our first segment,
23:16We refer to 2 Peter 1 verses 1 through 9 when the scripture talks about if these qualities
23:22are yours and they are increasing, they will fortify you from being an NASB 95, where is
23:28it useless and unfruitful in your knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
23:31And what you just said, if we're not continually learners, one of those qualities were knowledge
23:36that we are continually learning, the thing that was provocative and jolting that I kind
23:42and a zeroed in on quite a bit yesterday,
23:44was that the reality exists that we can be Christ followers,
23:48yet be useless and unfruitful
23:51in our knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
23:53And I believe that one of the things that's contributed,
23:56as I said earlier, that we haven't just become
23:59a less godly society, it's been an intentional manipulation
24:02of our society to provoke us to be less godless.
24:05One of the things I would argue that is contributed to that
24:09is a lack of understanding of the necessity
24:11being continually fruitful and that being evident in being voraciously hungering and thirsting
24:16for righteousness continually.
24:18I would agree fully because what you're doing, Abe, is I believe it's Satan's agenda.
24:25We know his agenda and he's always had his arsenal, principalities and powers and they
24:33influence and they try to find the places of greatest influence.
24:39And I use the big ease, entertainment, education and economy.
24:45Those three Satan has infiltrated so much that it's difficult.
24:52But God has his agents praise the Lord in those places.
24:56And I thank God for that.
24:59It's not, the ground is not level.
25:02God's bigger than.
25:03That's right.
25:04And sometimes we lose sight of that.
25:06God has that perspective and we need to, I think what your,
25:11what our perceived, after what you said,
25:14if we stay in the Word of God, stay fruitful,
25:16have, have, look at things from a biblical worldview,
25:20God's eyes, give me my Father's eyes,
25:22you know, we need to look at everything like that.
25:24I think we can have the perspective and not lose hope
25:28and not, you know, just go away, say, well, that's the way
25:32it is, no, we're to be active in trying to make things
25:36different of the world view and that's right a far that's
25:39region man years ago I got on board with a far because I could see
25:44hey we we want to make a difference in this world that God is given to us
25:48and you absolutely right when you eat you said the ground is is not level and
25:52this is something that people need to really embrace and understand when you
25:56think about well what's the corresponding opposite of God you know most people
26:01think well the devil what the truth is there is none you know
26:05is being thrown. God stands alone in the category unto himself. Satan is nothing beyond a fallen angel.
26:11The only corresponding opposite of that might be Michael, an angel, but God has no corresponding
26:17opposite. So God and his people are majority. I don't care what the count might be, and he's
26:21demonstrated that all throughout history, but he's chosen for his agents to be his people. And by and
26:27large, too many of his people have kind of taken the bait, if you will, to absent ourselves from
26:34being his agents and just being content with kind of being sideline commentators will assess
26:42how dark it is and how bad it is and complain about it. But our responses are often not reflective
26:47of our convictions that may be espoused verbally but not in action. Being a Monday quarterback.
26:57No, we need to get in the game. Too many of us are in the stands applauding or booing or whatever we do.
27:02We need to be active in what God's called us to do.
27:07And I believe in God's calling for every believer.
27:11They have their gifts.
27:14They should have, I call them, is said shape,
27:17your spiritual gift, your heart or your passion,
27:20your abilities, your personality and your experiences.
27:24God works those and that makes every believer unique.
27:28No one else liked them.
27:30because they're all, you know, we're all different in every way,
27:35but God uses us in those positions that He's given us
27:38and opportunities to let them see our good works and glorify our
27:42Father who's in heaven. And we need to be busy about that.
27:45Amen. His glory should be our top line.
27:47Amen.
27:48Investment.
27:48That's for glorification. The glory of our Father should be our
27:52animating principle. I'm pretty sure I don't know because I
27:57I don't host, exploring the word,
28:00but I'm pretty sure you've gotten some calls
28:03and asking, well, what is your take on what's happening
28:07with Operation Epic Fury and Iran
28:09and you know, that they're reporting to getting now
28:13that sleeper cells of terrorists in our own country
28:16are being activated, so to speak.
28:19As you get those calls, how have you been responding
28:22to those who have inquired of you?
28:23Well, our whole idea is that God is in control.
28:27That's the first thing that we need to understand
28:30and know God is in control.
28:31We can trust Him.
28:32We also, I would say that we,
28:34nothing should get between us and our faith
28:37and trust in the Lord.
28:39We know Satan does not just roll over and die.
28:44So he's gonna be active and he came to kill,
28:46steal and destroy.
28:48So guess what he'll do?
28:49He'll use anything.
28:50There's nothing that he will not use
28:52in order to try to bring fear into our lives.
28:56And I think the worst thing to do is always operating fear.
29:00Fear and faith do not come at the same time.
29:04Faith should override perfect love cast out fear.
29:08And perfect love is what based on Jesus Christ,
29:11that's faith in him.
29:13And so, yeah, what's taking place over there,
29:17justifying it, I remember what I said in the pulpit
29:21where I'm past preaching right now was there are just wars.
29:25And what gives me hope, yes, what we did, I'm hoping will work for good, but in the last
29:3210 or 15 years, Iran has been the place where more people have come to Christ than just
29:39that any other country I remember going to the NRB around 12 years ago.
29:44And I was going by one of the booths, and it was an Iran mission.
29:49I interviewed him for the other program.
29:50I do exploring missions and he said that because of the internet, we're able to infiltrate
29:57all behind and get in there and share the truth and they're responding.
30:02I remember then he said they're responding in thousands and it has not quit.
30:08We had Alex was able to be in a school two weeks ago and we he was able to talk about
30:16what was taking place there.
30:17And he had a girl that has lost from Iran,
30:21her family was still over there.
30:23She had gotten out and was in that school
30:25and she was talking about how many believers are in Iran.
30:28So I'm praying, here's my prayer,
30:30I'm praying that God would use these Iranians,
30:33those that love the Lord and those that want freedom,
30:37real freedom, they could have the opportunity to rise up.
30:42And hey, God doesn't fit into our box.
30:47And wouldn't it be something that Iran, of all places,
30:50would become a place of missions?
30:53Listen, let me show this way.
30:56You see what you think about it,
30:58I look at what took place in the United States
31:01and do this real quickly.
31:02And it was that we had the first great awakening
31:05before we had the revolution.
31:08The American Revolution, yeah.
31:09Exactly.
31:10And we had this basis to break away from England
31:14and we had the capacity to start a new nation.
31:17Why?
31:18Because of the biblical background that we had had
31:20at the first Great Awakening.
31:22Iran's had an awakening, spiritual awakening.
31:26I think this set up different than a lot of others
31:28that they had no idea what they would do.
31:31If they've received Christ and there's a large group of them,
31:36they've got some wisdom in order to see what they can do
31:39to overcome the enemy.
31:40I'm praying for that, brother.
31:42I'm paying you that right now.
31:43Man, I had Bill Federer on last night,
31:46or some might say Bill Federer had meal.
31:48I didn't know on you.
31:49I know Bill Federer.
31:51One question.
31:52Yeah, he was explaining the distinction between Shiite
31:56and Sunni and Sufi Islam and how Iran is a Shiite nation,
32:02but for people to come to faith in Christ in Iran,
32:06really it's a death sentence.
32:07So we're not talking about casual, you know,
32:10whoa, going through the drive through at Mickey D's
32:13and coming to faith in Christ.
32:14These are people who, as the scripture says,
32:16love not their own lives unto death in order
32:19to become Christ followers.
32:21And so, man, my heart is with you in praying
32:27that those who have been born again,
32:29that they might be animated to be salt and light
32:32and in the nation where they are planted.
32:35And who knows, because I am one,
32:36that I refuse to try to place limitations or to create a box, to put the King of Kings and
32:43the Lord of Lords, and nor will he have a cry to fit.
32:49You listen to the Hamilton Corner, my guest is Pastor Bert Harper, co-host of Exploring the
32:53Word, right here on American Family Radio.
33:00AFA Action takes attacks on the family seriously.
33:04The enemies of the family constantly employ new tactics to try to sneak past our radar.
33:09They know if we stand together, their evil plans will fail.
33:13Your gift to AFA Action allows us to stay vigilant against their onslaught.
33:17And if you give this month, you'll receive access to the Cultural Institute video when
33:22your faith is illegal by Frank Harbor on AFA Stream as our thanks.
33:26You can make your gift today at AFAAction.net.
33:29Hello, I'm Sam Roar, President of the American Pastors Network, a growing national network
33:35of pastors committed to the authority of scripture and preaching the whole Council of God.
33:39We believe biblical obedience is the foundation for revival and impacting our culture for
33:43Christ is our duty.
33:45For too long, the pulpits of America have been silent on the important issues, such as marriage
33:49and family and assault on learn liberty.
33:52Join us in the battle for truth on Stand in the Gap weekend Sunday evenings at 6 p.m.
33:56on American Family Radio and visit us
33:58at americanpastorsnetwork.org.
34:01War with Iran.
34:02This is David Wheaton, host of the Christian worldview.
34:06President Trump delivered a speech to the nation,
34:08outlining the justification for attacking Iran jointly
34:12with Israel, which centers around Iran's decades
34:15of attacks against us in Israel and their efforts
34:18to make nuclear weapons.
34:20This is ample justification, despite most all
34:23on the political left and some on the right opposing it.
34:26Prophetically, this is a war that involves Israel and Iran,
34:30historically Persia.
34:31The Bible says Iran will be part of a coalition
34:34that invades Israel before the return of Christ.
34:37We don't know when, but let's be ready
34:40because Jesus said your redemption is drawing near.
34:44Here are most recent program about the war with Iran
34:47at theChristianworldview.org
34:49and then tune in this weekend for another topic
34:51that will sharpen your worldview.
34:53Listen to the Christian worldview with David Wheaton,
34:56Saturday mornings at 8 Central on American Family Radio.
35:04The Hamilton Quarter Podcast
35:06and One-Minute Common Terrets are available at AFR.net,
35:10back to the Hamilton Corner on American Family Radio.
35:14Welcome back to the Hamilton Corner, Abraham Hamilton
35:17the third here with Pastor Bert Harper,
35:19co-host of Exploring the Word right here
35:21on American Family Radio.
35:22You can hear it daily at 3 p.m. Central time, 4 p.m. Eastern time.
35:27What an amazing program that they have.
35:29We're having a great conversation.
35:31We talked before about or mentioned the necessity of the body of Christ, not really being spectators,
35:38being fruitful and useful and actively engaged.
35:42And there is a summit coming up this summer to deal with that directly on the head, AFA's
35:49activate summit for which you will be one of the speakers would you share with the audience here
35:54What is the activate summit? Well, it is an equipping, but it's also
36:00The speakers, you know, there's gonna be some evangelism in it because not everybody's the church member is born again believer
36:07And so true, but it is for equipping the saints and the idea of it
36:12And it's one of the areas that activate goes into they have areas and it's the family
36:17And that's one of the reasons that I was invited.
36:21I love the theme, roots to fruit and growing down
36:25in having your roots and then spreading out for the fruit.
36:29And they've asked me and my wife, Jan,
36:31will be helping me, will be talking to about family.
36:34And for some reason, they wanted me to speak
36:36about grandparents.
36:37Can you figure?
36:38Gee, I wonder why grandparents, what is that all about?
36:44So I just tell folks, we're gonna go to Psalm
36:47127 and 128 because it is one of those passages that cover children, parents and grandparents.
36:58And you don't have a lot of information in the Bible about, quote, how to be a grandparent.
37:05But it is a place of influence.
37:07But listen, that's a great position to be in as a grandparent.
37:13So we're going to try to equip him, but you got others like Dr. Nurse Mama, Dr. Jessica
37:18Peck.
37:19She'll be there.
37:20Jess Sreeve, he'll be there with his wife, I know as well, he said.
37:24And Jess is a great preacher, a great teacher as well.
37:27We've had him at our fishbowl retreat and the more.
37:30And Jess does a great job of communicating and equipping.
37:34So it's going to be a good, good program.
37:36It seems you lie.
37:38And matter of fact, the dates are 16th through the 18th and people can register now.
37:43And so we're looking forward to it.
37:44We've already started preparing Jen and I, because we want to really be effective.
37:50It's an area.
37:52You know, we've done the Pastern Wife Fellowship.
37:55You've been there.
37:56We do that.
37:57We do marriage conferences where we've done that.
38:00So this is a first for us for us grandparents, although we refer to it because it's no trouble
38:07talking about your grandchildren.
38:08No, not at all.
38:09And I really think the life stage for grandparents can be one of the most fruitful life stages
38:15for ministerial engagement for many people, not everybody with different life circumstances,
38:20but for many people sometimes they're at a place where they have more resources than they
38:23add prior times in their lives to have more time sometimes than they've had previously.
38:29But we often say in our church, we don't retire, we refire that concept of retirement as it's
38:36commonly understood, you don't really find that in the scripture.
38:39I, pastor in as long as I have, I've seen people.
38:42They could not do what they're used to physically
38:45and even mentally.
38:47So they have to change.
38:49Yeah, make an adjustment.
38:50And the people come to my mind, just the people I've pastored
38:54in the adjustments, but never a place for the sidelines.
38:57Amen.
38:58And so we, you're to stay active.
39:00God's got a purpose for you.
39:02Yeah, and I think the church in our country will be served well
39:05by focusing some attention there.
39:08I call them the season saints.
39:10So that's at the season saints,
39:13we were in Colossians four earlier,
39:14let our speech be seasoned with grace as with salt,
39:18the season saints, they have more seasoning,
39:20hopefully than some others,
39:22and to be able to be more effective.
39:23So that is something that I think is a unique offering.
39:27How often do you have a conference
39:29that you have a particular portion dedicated
39:32to equipping grandparents?
39:33I mean, we're looking forward to,
39:34I'll tell you this story is it's on the other program
39:37to do exploring missions with our son Nathan.
39:40And we had this couple, they had pastored here,
39:44but their children were gone, they still,
39:46they had grandchildren, but this is the time
39:49they volunteered for missions.
39:51And they had to go through an agency
39:54that didn't have age restrictions.
39:56But they said we can go for half the price
39:59that it would take for someone to go with a family
40:02because we have our income coming in.
40:05And they said, and we know we can,
40:07unless God does something physically,
40:10we can put in 10 to 12 years on the mission field
40:14and it'd be a lot more fruitful.
40:16We know what, we know better now to do what then we did then.
40:19We don't have all the overhead that a lot of them would have.
40:24And what an opportunity.
40:25So grandparent, I would say the same thing you said,
40:28the timeframe, the availability of maybe finance
40:33of being able to share and to do some things
40:36to make a difference.
40:37So if I'm not worth coming,
40:40it's worth coming to hear my wife.
40:41I didn't tell you that.
40:43So I think it's gonna be an amazing time together
40:47to register, you simply go to activate.afa.net.
40:52You'll see there, you can register there,
40:53I believe there's some early bird registration until April.
40:56That's right.
40:56April 30th is the deadline for that, as I understand.
40:59It's gonna be, you know,
41:01and a great opportunity for you to be a part
41:03and the whole hope and the objective I know
41:08is for the cumulative effect of what transpires there
41:11is that people leave equipped to be active
41:15and to engage.
41:16That's good, activate.
41:18By the way, I did not know this until I heard it.
41:21Thursday night, they're gonna have something
41:23really, really special.
41:24They're going to have trivia Friday
41:27with Tam Ed and JJ.
41:30Okay, so laughter is good like a medicine.
41:34So make sure you come first and not
41:36and get your dose of medicine
41:38with those three individuals.
41:40You know, I'm looking forward to hearing that.
41:43I just, so it's your last sum, you'll be equipped,
41:46you'll be challenged, I think you'll be blessed.
41:49That's a good combination of all that happens.
41:52That is a great combination.
41:54Activate some of July 16th through the 18th.
41:57go to activate.afa.net to register.
42:00You'll be able to hear Pastor Burton and his wife, Jan,
42:03Pastor Jeff Shreve, you'll trim your Friday live,
42:07we'll be there on Thursday, several other people will be there.
42:11And you mentioning the family and grandparents,
42:13and I asked you about this.
42:16There was an article I came across,
42:17and first it was an article in this publication
42:20called The Cut.
42:21It's not a publication I recommend.
42:23And you had some others who were analyzing or responding
42:29to the article in the cut,
42:30but it's something that you see on the rise in our country,
42:33just as you're having more outspoken advocates for
42:37heterodox things like polyamory and all this kind
42:39of insanity, there was a candidate for Congress
42:43in the Nashville area in Tennessee named Afton Ben.
42:46And she talked about how her mom told her,
42:50you don't need to have babies, you need to seek power.
42:52That's what her mom trained in and I'm thinking,
42:54man, what a mind trip that your mom is telling you
42:57that babies are hindrance to your career prospects.
43:01You're talking to your own daughter.
43:02Can you imagine?
43:03Basically, a mom telling her,
43:04I wish I didn't have you.
43:05I could have been more powerful in my life.
43:07I mean, it's crazy, but the cut had an article on it,
43:12which, you know, it's horrifying
43:14because these things are being discussed more and more popularly,
43:19But the article was titled, I regret having children.
43:22I regret having children.
43:24And sadly, it was several young moms
43:26who were profiled in the article.
43:27And that's basically what they were talking about.
43:30Well, that contradicts what the scripture says,
43:32you're gonna refer to Psalm 127.
43:34Well, the Lord says children are a blessing from the Lord.
43:37Pastor Burke, what is happening in our society?
43:39We have people saying these things.
43:41You combine it with the sinful commitment
43:44to abortion in our country.
43:45And now you have women being discouraged
43:47away from motherhood. What's happening in our country?
43:50It is a spiritual battle. It really is. And I say this, we meet you know, Mondays in the
43:56same group of people.
43:58Meeting you and I. Yeah. You and I are meeting on Mondays together.
44:01And what happens? And the only way you can explain something, Satan has blinded the minds.
44:07Now think of not blinded the eyes, but blinded the minds where you don't see clearly. Now blindness
44:13has different of those that are totally blind and then those that have obscured to a place
44:19where they are considered blind.
44:21So what happens when Satan enters in to this false teaching, it's always going to be unbiblical.
44:31Now when it starts off a lie, they're going to try to get it as close to the truth as
44:36they can in order to try to obscure it and it not be so absolutely wrong that everybody
44:43says that's a lie.
44:45But what happens it gets further and further away the lie continues going and the lie continues
44:51to breed and grow and get further away from the standard that God has laid out.
44:57So this is what's happened in our country with family, you know, women say and okay
45:03We have a right to and they did they had the rights to do what they equal vote now that I don't want to go in
45:09But you know, but what happens?
45:12Satan then builds in something of an untruth into it and it gets to the point where it's so obscure like this that
45:18Children, you know, they're bad. They're not good. They'll hinder you. They'll harm you and
45:25So Satan has blinded the mind now. How do you how do you fight against that? You always do always with truth
45:31always the truth. You still, just because somebody deviates from the standard, you
45:37don't change the standard in order to accommodate them. So we stick with the
45:42truth of God's Word, which talks about children be a heritage to the Lord, happy
45:47as a man has his quiver full of them. They're like arrows in the hand of a
45:51warrior. Listen, what that woman is doing, she's giving up the real power that she
45:56And I can't help but think about John and Charles Wesley's mother.
46:03You know, she would have all those children, but she always had a time in what an influence
46:08that woman had on the world.
46:12And what was she?
46:13She was a, I'm just going to say it, she was a stay at home mom.
46:16And she influenced the world through them.
46:19I would say they believed a lie and they're really going in the opposite direction of where
46:24the power really is.
46:25who said that he that rocks the cradle, you know?
46:29Yeah.
46:30Yeah, and it ends the world.
46:32Or she who, you know, rocks the cradle.
46:34Yeah. That's given up power when you give up that opportunity.
46:39Yeah, you mentioned, and I often refer to Spurgeon's
46:42description of discernment where it's not merely
46:44distinguishing right from wrong,
46:45Spurgeon said, but discernment also includes distinguishing
46:48right from almost right.
46:50And like you said, the most effective lies,
46:53They're introduced being very, very, very close to the truth.
46:57So there's an element of truth that rings true,
47:00but the lie never stays pat as time continues.
47:03The lie continues to diverge from the truth.
47:07And you have things like this.
47:11I also, and again, I say this,
47:13I never intended for this to be a saying,
47:14but my original producer, Jeff Reid,
47:16made it kind of a tag for the show,
47:19but says darkness is not an affirmative force,
47:21but it reoccupies the space vacated by the light.
47:24And I think it's important when you have notions
47:26like this article from the Cut,
47:28that these things are confronted and combated with truth,
47:31because you have with the combination
47:33of the decimation of the family, the norm today,
47:37the majority of children who are born into the world today,
47:40they are born into fatherless homes.
47:42That's the statistical reality.
47:43So when you have that statistical reality,
47:47and you have this great chasm,
47:49where you have people who are in environments
47:52where the life circumstances seem to ring true
47:55with this article.
47:57In the absence of their life experiences,
48:00their life experiences in this lie
48:02being confronted with the truth of God's word,
48:04that truth can, I'm sorry, that lie can grow legs.
48:07And so you end up with a generation like Afton Ben,
48:09who believe that, oh, no, no, no, no, children
48:12are a burden to life.
48:14They're hindrance.
48:14I don't want children, I want power,
48:17and what they don't understand is that you never end up better off by rebelling against
48:22what God has designed.
48:25I heard this years and years ago and it really hit me.
48:29I want to preach the word, preach truth of the word and it is this, if you're not being
48:35fed right, you'll go to the garbage dump to get food.
48:41And this is important.
48:42That's why AFR, the Hamilton Corner, exploring the Word, all the others on our program, you
48:49know, saturated in truth.
48:52And people can feed upon the truth.
48:55And when you feed upon the truth, it brings a forth, the fruit that you were talking about
49:01and brings forth the willingness to do what God wants to do.
49:05But if you're not getting truth, that's why the pulpits of America need to reign in
49:08truth.
49:09And that comes.
49:10It is the Word of God, that Jesus said,
49:14I am the way, the truth and the life.
49:17And his Word is set apart in heaven, sanctified in heaven.
49:21Listen, so we stand on the Word,
49:24and regardless of what people might say about us,
49:27whatever they might say in 2026,
49:30we need a different focus.
49:32No, the Word of God is it, and it's in Christ Jesus.
49:35So well said, and so very true.
49:39And I would just add that there's no such thing as a benign lie.
49:44So just as you said that the pulpit must be saturated in truth,
49:47God's people must be saturated in truth
49:49and be willing to confront the lies that's presented
49:51in our everyday interactions.
49:54That when these lies are presented,
49:56for example, around the water cooler,
49:58or you have friends or family members that are saying,
50:01man, you know I read this article,
50:03and man, you know what, man, yeah, children are a burden
50:06that we in those instances consider Colossians 4,
50:10you know, seek the wisdom of God that our speech be seasoned
50:14with grace as with salt, and that we seek how we are
50:19to respond to each person, that's what Colossians 4 is 6 says,
50:22in those moments because in the absence of truth,
50:25when there's starvation, people will even go to the dump
50:29for food.
50:30We wanna be the hands and feet of Jesus
50:32and be a source of people to be nourished
50:34and avoid the dumps.
50:36Praise the Lord, Amen.
50:40The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American
50:45Family Association or American Family Radio.

Transcript indexed for search. Open the panel to read along.

Share this episode

Related Episodes

Jul 18, 2024

Politics & Policy
Bible & Theology

("Best-of" Edition from 3/5/24) Jesus commanded disciple-making for a reason.

0:00 - 15:00. 1 Corinthians 1:1-9. The Corinthians were Believers who required discipleship. 15:00 - 31:00. Jesus commanded disciple-making for a reason. 31:00 - 48:00. Kyrsten Sinema announces her de…

Listen

Oct 24, 2025

Bible & Theology

Paul Hastings, host of the “Compelled” podcast, returns to “The Corner” to discuss his new book.

0:00 - 15:00. Revelation 12:10-11 (NASB95). Testimony is a powerful tool in God’s Kingdom. 15:00 - 31:00. Paul Hastings, host of the “Compelled” podcast, returns to “The Corner” to discuss his new boo…

Listen

Dec 12, 2025

Bible & Theology

Heart transformation is the goal. Don’t settle for behavioral conformity.

0:00 - 15:00. 3 John 1-4 (NASB95). I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 15:00 - 31:00. Heart transformation is the goal. Don’t settle for behavioral conformity…

Listen

Subscribe and never miss an episode.

Pick Your Platform All Episodes

Call (888) 589-8840 Book Abe