Speaker 1 0:07

Welcome to the Intersection of Faith and Culture. It's the Wall Builder Show, taking on the hot topics of the day from a biblical, historical and constitutional perspective, and it's Good News Friday. The good news is Donald Trump will be sworn in on Monday. End of show. Thank you for tuning in today, guys. Okay, there's a lot more good news than that, but that alone could take up a lot of good news Fridays. I'm Rick Green, here with Tim Barton and David Barton and guys, we're just what are we? 72 hours away Something like that, just a few days away, hours, minutes, seconds to to a huge transition from the Marxist control of our government to, hopefully, what will become a constitutional republic once again.

Speaker 2 0:47

What a novel idea. Yeah, yeah, and we're less than 24 hours away from boarding a flight to go to Washington DC, where we'll be up there Saturday, really through Wednesday, and so we'll be doing some shows from up in DC.

Speaker 1 0:54

Now, when you say we, when you say we, that's Tim and David. Rick will be sitting warmly in his studio while Tim and David are freezing in Washington DC.

Speaker 2 1:03

Yeah, I'm, fortunately, as a hunter, right. I have lots of warm outdoor gear and if people look online and don't see me, it's because I'm in my camo and it's working. Yeah, unfortunately right. Do you have white?

Speaker 1 1:15

camo. You need white camo. You're going to be in the snow. Well, I don't know if it's going to snow or not, but I froze in 2000 for W, and George Washington would not have been able to count on me at Valley Forge unless the propane was full in the heaters in the little cabins there. So you guys go be winter soldiers. I am the sunshine patriot. I guess I feel like such a wimp, but I genuinely decided not to go because I just remember freezing at W's in 2000.

Speaker 2 1:41

Yeah, the good news about this one is you, we, we don't have a lot of people to impress out in that crowd, uh, and, and the people that we're friends with, they're probably going to be dressed just like us, so so you're going to look like a kid in a Christmas story.

Speaker 1 1:53

Is that what you're saying?

Speaker 2 1:54

You're going to be the one with the big bundle your arms out. Yes, it's. It's only going to be a challenge if I have to visit the porta potty, but other than that, I'm going to be super comfortable, uh, and I'm very excited about it.

Speaker 1 2:06

No, that's great. So you guys are, you guys are headed that way and, uh, you know, I mean it's going to be a massive celebration, no doubt about it. Um, man, there's just, people are, people are pumped, they're excited. We've been I don't know how many good news Friday stories we've talked about with, with nominations and things already changing and victories, and I feel like you know, for the first hundred days of the Trump administration, we're going to need to have good news week, not good news Friday. So I don't know how you guys are picking, picking which ones to tell, but I don't know what you got today. But let's jump in, man David, you got the first piece of good news for today.

Speaker 3 2:35

Speaking of Valley Forge, I'm going back to George Washington. George Washington and his farewell address, and he just very bluntly reminded Americans that if you want your politics to prosper, you have to pursue religion and morality. And so we've already talked since the first year that, hey, folks need to be reading to the Bible once every year. There's lots of ways to do that, lots of things you can choose, that that will help you get through there. And we've talked about the fact.

Speaker 3 3:04

I just talked to a group of political folks last weekend and said look at all the things that are lined up now, look at how the judiciary is different from what it's ever been. And we're actually. We had a 9-0 decision we talked about a week and a half ago, two weeks ago on Good News Friday, where the court said, look, we're not going to overturn the executive on this, that's not our job. And to have a 9-0 where liberals and conservatives are saying, hey, we need to limit the judiciary, I mean all of this is really really good. It will lead to political prosperity, but only if we keep that foundation of religion and morality.

Speaker 3 3:38

So, with that framework, one of the things that Tim and I do, rick you do we listen to the Bible. We read the Bible, but listening to it is a very convenient way to do so when you're going down the road. I don't have to catch all the shows that are on, I can catch the Bible, and that's really good. And so I get two things done at once driving and catching Bible. It's good. But within that framework, one of the popular Bible apps out there has been YouVersion, and I saw a headline or a story that came by just a few days ago where that in one day YouVersion hit a record installation of 800,000 apps in one day. So 800,000 people signed up on YouVersion in one day, which is great. That day they were at 18.2 million, which is wonderful as well.

Speaker 2 4:23

And so you're talking about people that downloaded the app on that day and I was reading the same article, actually had it in my stack as well but it really is so impressive as we've seen the resurge of people returning to the Bible. And, guys, I honestly I'm curious about this. In some areas, maybe leading up to, but certainly after Donald Trump, we saw a massive growth of people returning to the Bible. Dad, I know one of the things we talk about every year. I think it's the American Bible Society that puts out their State of the Bible, and Bible reading has plummeted. Tens of millions of people have stopped reading the Bible during the Biden administration and certainly we wouldn't credit President Biden with having that level of influence over people reading the Bible or not. But it's been quite remarkable.

Speaker 2 5:14

We've seen more and more this year, especially from young people We've talked about it young people that are returning to the faith, that are looking for answers, looking for hope, and they're coming to faith to find that Also interesting, that a lot of people we see returning to faith are going to different denominations than we've seen in previous decades. For example, I think in the Catholic church, as an example, there's been a lot of growth from young people, and part of the reason that we think we've identified is they're looking for structure in a world that's so chaotic, in a world that's saying truth doesn't exist or truth is relative or subjective, to find a place that is very clear, delineated guidelines and boundaries. And nope, you do this. You don't do this. You say this. You don't say that it's given them a level of comfort and hope, that there is parameters, there is boundaries, but obviously the hope not being found inside a church or standards and parameters, but rather in God and Jesus. And we're seeing young people do that, and so seeing so many people return to reading the Bible really is incredible.

Speaker 2 6:17

But, dad, as you mentioned, around 800,000 people downloaded the YouVersion Bible app in one day, and if people don't have it, it's just free, go get it. So many great features. I've had it on my phones, I think, like basically since the second year after it came out, and I don't know what that is now If it's a decade plus, I don't know when it first came out, but it is a super helpful and handy app to have and it's a great way to be able to engage with and spend time in the Bible every day on your smart device.

Speaker 1 6:44

I have a deep theological philosophical question for David and you, tim. I need to know the answer to this because I too use YouVersion. I love it. That's actually, you know. While I'm driving or even when I'm out working in the yard, I get caught up on my Bible reading, often listening, and I want to know am I cheating God or myself if I listen in 1.5 speed or two times speed? Is that okay, or is there any? Am I violating any major principles here? Because I do it all the time and I actually feel guilty about it. I'm actually thinking like Lord am I not chewing on the cud here? Am I not chewing the cud, whatever that expression is? David, I heard you explain how we're supposed to ruminate on his word and I feel like I'm cheating a little bit.

Speaker 3 7:28

Hey, Rick, there's people who eat faster than others. Go to any restaurant and create, you know.

Speaker 1 7:32

That's true, that's good, I knew it.

Speaker 3 7:34

If you can chew the cut faster than somebody from Georgia chews the cut and I'm picking up Georgia because they have that slow draw, but they're not slow thinkers but nonetheless, as long as you get the cut chewed, man, you got to get the nutrition out of it. So if you can do it at 2.5, go for it. If it takes you 0.5, go for it. You're going to get more out of meditating and chewing on it than you're going to get out of listening and reading it, but it's important.

Speaker 1 7:59

I feel like I just got absolution. Thank you. Thank you, I won't. I won't feel as guilty now. I was actually.

Speaker 1 8:04

It's funny, last night I was doing I was actually putting a desk together for my wife. So, by the way, a lot of these desks that you order on Amazon, they look pretty in the picture, they're not put together, they're in a million pieces and it takes forever to put them together. But anyway, I was putting one of those together last night and I was listening and and I did. You know, we articles in our Patriot U daily posting so that I could. I did it for myself, but other people listened too.

Speaker 1 8:29

But it gave me a chance, because I want to do the same thing with the Founders Bible articles. I want to be able to listen while I'm driving or while I'm working, and so last night I was catching up on the first couple of weeks of January, listening to the articles in two-time speed. So I listened to myself in two-time speed, reading the articles and it was great. So I recorded them last year and I was able to reap the benefit of that last night in catching up on the articles. So, anyway, good stuff, guys, and I think obviously our take-home message here is however you do it, whatever your method, whatever your version, get into God's Word, saturate your mind and truth, so that you'll recognize the lies out there and know how to respond.

Speaker 3 9:05

And Rick. I want to add one thing to that. If you go through a college course, it's not how fast you read the book, it's how much you retain at the end when you have the test. And so going to the Bible super, super important. We're told in Romans that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God which is one of the cool things about the app is you can hear it, but you do have to stop and think about things occasionally. You can't just blow through it like you're listening to talk radio and don't really remember that much. You have to spend some time on it. So, whatever that is, whatever version that is, I am so thrilled that you version is out there, with 800,000 and 798,000 in one day that want to add on to it, because Tim said that the numbers have been declining on Bible reading in America. So hopefully this indicates a turnaround, which would also mean a turnaround in our political prosperity as well. So whatever it takes, just make sure you get some meditation time in on it.

Constitution, Values, and Political Prosperity

Speaker 2 9:58

And Dad not to cut that off too soon. But you said if more people spend time on the Word it impacts our political prosperity. So let's assume that people don't make the connection.

Speaker 3 10:06

I'm going to ask the question why would that impact our political prosperity? Because what happens is you end up with people who have a constitution but they don't apply the values that are under it and therefore they turn it into an abusive document. And we have evidence of that with both Andrew Jackson, James Monroe. By the way, if you want to get our second book, the American Story Building the Republic, we go through and show that those guys, when they eliminated those religious moral values, the Constitution actually became an oppressive document under their hands, and so you will not get the benefit of the Constitution. It was written with a mindset, it was written in a certain atmosphere, and if you don't apply it in that atmosphere, it's not going to work. And that's what Washington wanted to make sure everybody understood is keep the atmosphere, keep the spirit of the Constitution.

Speaker 2 10:52

Well, I think one thing to add to is Proverbs 14, 34, that righteousness exalts nations.

Speaker 2 10:57

The more people that spend time in God's Word, the more people that start following and doing God's word, the more it benefits the place where they are.

Speaker 2 11:03

And this is true not just for America, it's true around the world, which actually that article, which I also have on top of my stack, but that article that you referenced they talk about how that over in Ethiopia, there's 198% increase in activity in Ethiopia, there's a 94% increase in Egypt, a 74% increase in Turkey, 65% increase in Ghana, and they go on through the list that there is more people engaging, and now this is through their app.

Speaker 2 11:27

Right, it's not all the Bible in general, we don't have those numbers per se for the rest of the world, but they are identifying on their app. They're getting more engagement in some of these places, a faster rate of growth than they've ever seen, and so it really is encouraging that there are people that are turning to God's word, because the principles of God's word, the righteousness exalts a nation, for the Bible tells us, and that's true whether you live in Ghana or the United States of America. So the more people that follow God's word and do what it says, the more benefits the place where they live, wherever that happens to be.

Speaker 1 11:57

Yes, that's that Jeremiah scripture right About you know being a blessing in the nation where you are and how you're going to be that blessing if you're not saturating your mind in that truth. And I'll say one of the things, the chewing, the cud thing and actually ruminating and really meditating on his word. We take all the guys at Patriot Academy through Ted Roberts' Cocker series for sexual integrity and one of the things he teaches in there. And I've studied the Bible my whole life but I love the way he would do this. He'd take a Bible verse and he'd say on your nightly deal, you know, read it, okay, read it again.

Speaker 1 12:27

Okay, now, read it again, a lot slower than you just read it. Okay, now think about it. It was like when I made myself do that that kind of three or four steps, like going back over that verse or that chapter or whatever it was, it was amazing how much God illuminated meaning in that word by taking that time, like you're saying David, of actually thinking through it and really understand. So there's sort of the you know, get through the Bible in a year, make sure you're absorbing all this information. But then there's that taking the time to really study that particular verse God's put on your heart, or that particular area that you're studying, that really makes a big difference.

Speaker 3 13:02

Rick, I want to do a quick swerve here because you mentioned Roberts and that sexual integrity course. And that goes back to the Constitution working well, because I have been hearing for the last several years that the Constitution gives you an absolute right to kill any unborn child you don't want. It gives you an absolute right to choose any of the 81 genders out there that you want. It gives you an absolute right to engage in whatever behavior. When you get to that point, that's where the constitution means anything to anybody, because you've lost the heart, you've lost the values, you've lost the basis of it and it's just not going to work. It's like we're born here on earth. If somebody took us to the moon and dropped us off, we'd all die because we can't handle the atmosphere there. We're not made for that atmosphere.

State Legislation and Moral Values

Speaker 3 13:40

The Constitution was made for a biblical, religious, moral atmosphere. If you take it away from that atmosphere, it will die. It is not going to work the way it's supposed to. It still may be a document there in form, but it's not going to work and give you the political prosperity you want, and that's the other thing. For other nations to do this, that means we get less involved with other nations. There's less war, there's less attacks, everything about it. Everybody in the world benefits when people get into God's Word and use God's Word, but especially here in America, man, we need to.

Speaker 1 14:12

Yeah, In fact, the Supreme Court's going to be taking up a case on Texas law with regard to age requirements and pornography and all that and those questions, those things that you just said, I think will be raised in that particular case. What kind of atmosphere and environment will we have for this constitutional republic? All right, guys, we're going to take a quick break. Man Tim, we haven't even got to your first piece of good news yet. We'll be in the second half of the program. Here we go. Stay with us folks, We'll be right back on the Wall. Builder Show.

Speaker 2 14:43

Hey guys, it's Tim Barton and I want to tell you about our new book, the American Story Building the Republic. We start with George Washington as president and we've already become a nation. So really now it's how do we function as a nation? And if we look back in American history, the stability, the prosperity, success we enjoyed as Americans is because of the foundation that our early presidents laid, because the examples they set. How do we live in America under the Constitution? What is the role of federal government? And really what part did each one of these early presidents play? We go to the first seven presidents and a lot of people probably know the names Washington, adams, jefferson and Madison. Very few people know about Monroe or John Quincy Adams or Andrew Jackson. Now, we might know some of their names, we really don't know their stories. We want you to relearn, rediscover American history and see how it applies to today. Go to wallbuilderscom and get your copy of the American Story Building the Republic.

Speaker 1 15:42

Welcome back to the Wallblower Show. Thanks for staying with us on this Good News Friday, the Friday before inauguration. So a lot of good news coming next week as well. Tim Barton's first piece of good news up now.

Speaker 2 15:51

Well, guys, this is from Arkansas and I have a lot of friends in Arkansas, so I can cheer them on as well. With our pro-family legislative network, we work with a lot of great people in the Arkansas legislature. Well, Arkansas this is the headline. Arkansas hailed as most pro-life state in America, Of course, with Governor Sanders.

Speaker 1 16:14

Go, hogs go. Let's call the Hogs right now Go Razorbacks.

Speaker 2 16:18

You know that I felt like that was a little too much. However, there's no doubt what they are doing is so incredible that when people look back at the overturning of Roe versus Wade, there was obviously some celebrating. There was some weeping and gnashing of teeth from some of the liberal leftists as well. They didn't know how to navigate that. And what President Trump said, I think very incorrectly. He's repeated many times again, I think incorrectly. He said that abortion is a state's rights issue.

Speaker 2 16:47

Now, we've talked about this a lot and the reality is that none of our God-given rights should be a state's rights issue. That's not a consistent thought. And the founding father said the first of your inalienable rights is the right to life. That means your right to be born, your right to be alive. That is your first of the inalienable rights, and we would never say things like well, you know, your freedom of speech, that's a state's rights issue. Your right of self-defense and self-preservation, that's a state's rights issue. We would never say any of the other God-given rights are state's rights issues. And so the idea that we would imagine the right to life as a state rights issue is very intellectually inconsistent, at least, and probably dishonest to go even further. But, with that being said, there were states that were poisoning themselves to be ready when Roe v Wade overturned. Some of them already had these trigger laws in place that, once it was overturned, they had laws that now they instantly go into effect. But then there were states that recognized, even having trigger laws, there's more we can do, there's better ways we can protect the unborn and protect innocent life, and Arkansas is one of those states that has continued to work and they have looked to examine it. Are there areas we can be stronger, areas we can be better and they have applied those laws in those places? Can be stronger areas we can be better and they have applied those laws in those places, and so for.

Speaker 2 18:03

And this was put out by Americans United for Life, their list of for 2025 the number one was Arkansas, then second place was Louisiana, then Oklahoma, mississippi is fourth and Indiana is fifth. Now, some of those are a little surprising to me. I Indiana. I would not have guessed they're in the top five most pro-life states and it's nothing against Indiana. I just don't usually hear a lot of really strong pro-life news coming from Indiana, as opposed to maybe some of those other four of the five that are in there. It's equally interesting as you go down the list, at 50th place, the least pro-life state or the one that is the most hostile to the unborn Guys, what state do you think is the most hostile to the unborn? Now, y'all are both intelligent enough you actually might get this. This was not the first state I guessed, but which one would you imagine? By the way, the state that I guessed is not even in the bottom five. That was the most hostile toward life. I would say Hawaii.

Speaker 1 19:02

Hawaii is number 46 okay, oof, I was gonna say california, but after you said, yeah, that's probably the one you guessed too, isn't it?

Speaker 3 19:09

yeah, that was the one is vermont number 50.

Speaker 2 19:13

Vermont is number 50 yeah and dad, you're the one I thought you're probably gonna get this right. You're gonna know, vermont is the least for life.

Speaker 1 19:22

Uh, so you know what I'm gonna ask. Where is our beloved texas on this list?

Speaker 2 19:26

well, uh, in this art you have to click on the is our beloved texas on this list? Well, uh, in this art you have to click on the link, which I can't in just a second, but so in this article it outlines just the top uh, oh, it's just the top five and the bottom five, but I will click on that list and I will when my dad starts his. I'm gonna do a little background research, and I'll let you know um.

Speaker 2 19:42

but but number 50 is Vermont, new Jersey is 49. Oregon is 48. Washington is 47. Hawaii is 46. New York is 45. So I would imagine California is right below there.

Speaker 3 19:57

I want to take you backward to a story. I think it's probably been years since I've shared it. I'm going to do it again. But I was up speaking in Vermont decades ago and a legislator came to me and he said I want you to see something. And he showed me an article out of Playboy of all things. And Playboy magazine had an article where it said look, Vermont is the least populous state in the United States. If we can get 50,000 people to move to Vermont that have the view that Playboy, like that, they said said we can change the entire legislature and we can change the nation, because one state can drive all the others. And remember, they're the ones that started the marriage movement, the movement against marriage, it was the civil union thing that they did. So they did get the 50,000 there.

Speaker 3 20:37

He said since that point in time, they still claim to be Republican, but they are so actively libertarian that you really they're aggressively Democrat. But even the Republicans up there are all secular or not all, I can't say all but overwhelmingly seculars. And so that went back to that move decades ago. And look at Vermont now, how that they do drive so many things as as one of the least populous States in the nation, and this goes back to religion and morality is where you get political prosperity. Look how Vermont has turned in that period of time, from the period of time that they started rejecting those traditional religious values. The Constitution no longer works for them the way it used to work for years and years and years, and they have an early Constitution that goes back to 1777, and they rejected that. And now look where they are. So that's a great example of Washington's farewell address. Religion and morality is what brings political prosperity.

Speaker 2 21:27

Rick, I did look it up. California is right below New York, so they were 44. Texas is number 15 on that list.

Speaker 1 21:35

Ouch.

Speaker 2 21:36

Florida, Kansas, North Dakota, Idaho, Missouri, Kentucky, Arizona, South Dakota, Tennessee, Indiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, all above Texas.

Speaker 1 21:45

That just hurts my Texas pride today. Man, that's just not right. We got to fix that.

Speaker 2 21:50

We do need to fix it.

Speaker 1 21:52

Yes, absolutely. All right, David. Where are we headed next bro?

Speaker 3 21:55

Okay, rick, mine, this is an article that comes from the Joe Rogan program. I think Joe Rogan has shifted the whole thinking and viewpoint and approach of America toward media. You know, he's the guy that started the long format and instead of a 28-minute program, now you're getting two, three, four hours and he would go conversations and he would pick up people that the media was trying to box out and he would give them all sorts of opportunity to talk frankly and then instead of just getting soundbites, you had the whole context and I think he shifted things and I remember back at the beginning he was really hostile toward religion. I don't know what happened. I think he was even on that atheist bandwagon, but now he's really moved toward an agnostic position. He's moved more and more and he's had great interviews with people of faith that really made him think and I think it's been cool that he's listened to those who he interviews.

Speaker 2 22:47

And dad, I think just to clarify, because I know you don't listen to Joe Rogan as much probably, rick, and I listened to him some, probably far more than you, but I think what you're referencing he was very anti-Christian. So it's not necessarily he was anti-God because he was like I don't know, there could be a God, we don't know, we don't look like aliens, we don't know what did this, but he was very anti-Christian and I think the transition that you're referencing like even recently he had Wesley Huff on and it was it was incredible having this apologist on who was just going through the data that would relate to, maybe, the accuracy of scripture, the reliability of some of the message of the gospel and Jesus, and I mean it really was. Wesley did a great job going through that and the fact that Joe was open to it and engaged in asking questions. I'm curious, truly curious. Yes, it was a huge shift from where he has been four or five years ago even to where he was during that conversation just a matter of a couple of weeks ago.

Speaker 3 23:48

Yeah, and this, this is right on that line because he had Mel Gibson on as well, and one of the things he got into with Mel Gibson was faith. And they went back to the passion of the Christ and and Mel was talking about look, I was raised as Catholic, but I believe this with all my heart, I believe it's true. And so Joe started asking him yeah, but proof. And you know, mel went this is all verifiable, this is historically verifiable, it's archaeologically, and he just went into a lot of what we might even call the apologetics of it. And so I was really impressed again that Joe is asking questions seriously about faith. Mel is delivering very well on this and it's just another indication of that message getting out to the nation.

Speaker 2 24:27

Well, as you're saying, mel is delivering very well. I'm grateful that Mel Gibson wants to be a defender of Christianity to some extent and of the Christian faith. I would rather have Wesley defending it than Mel Gibson, right? If I'm going to be honest, if you had to pick an advocate to defend Christianity, mel Gibson is not the guy I would choose. I'm right.

Speaker 2 24:46

I'm not trying to be overly critical of Mel Gibson, but right, if you had to pick a hero, defender of your faith from the apologetic argument standpoint, uh, he he's somebody I would like. I I'm glad he's on our team, but maybe not the most articulate, well-thought individual. But to add to your point, it is part of the shift we are seeing, and even we're seeing more and more people come out of Hollywood who are are finding their courage and boldness. Mel Gibson, right, I mean, he's had issues, he's been ostracized because of faith and different things, so he's had to navigate that. But but now there's other people that are stepping up, the Zachary Levi's, I mean. You go down the list of some of these noted people that are stepping up and speaking out about faith. It really is cool to see.

Speaker 1 25:27

Yeah, and I will say, tim, I listened to that whole Rogan Gibson interview and what surprised me was how well Gibson did at some of the you know, archaeological stuff and that sort of thing. And then when it came to some of the stuff that you know just is impossible to prove for either side, he didn't take the bait on the questions. He actually handled it pretty well in terms of saying you know what, joe, I don't know on that part, but hey, this is what I believe and I just know in my gut this part has to be right. It was really entertaining to listen to it. Of course, both of those guys you know had some crazy stories during that long interview, but yeah, very, very interesting and, like you said, to have guys like Zachary Levi, mel Gibson and all these people out there now speaking boldly, it's really cool to watch.

Speaker 2 26:09

And just I know we're out of time just to clarify, we're not endorsing everyone to go listen to the Rogan podcast and there's some language that we don't use.

Speaker 1 26:17

Put your filters on. Yeah, right.

Speaker 2 26:18

I mean, he uses words that we don't use, but the fact that he is as prominent as he is, the leader that he is, and faith is becoming much more part of the conversation, even on his podcasts, it's really encouraging.

Speaker 1 26:31

Yeah, yeah, good stuff for where the culture's going, coming back and being able to have those kinds of conversations. All right, folks, more good news for you next week. Lots of good news after the inauguration next Monday, we think. Thanks for tuning in. Have a great weekend. You've been listening to the Wall Builder Show.