President Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claim link between vaccines and autism

>> Alex McFarland: And the government's strategic communications efforts. President Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Announced this week a link between autism, childhood vaccines and acetaminophen. Others say this goes against years of established research. Statistics show that autism affects 1 in 31American children. Some say the increase is due to better reporting of the condition. Virologist and immunologist Dr. Robert Malone joined Washington Watch and the data support him and the secretary that this is in fact a epidemic of disease in children which has all the characteristics of an environmental exposure. This is not genetics.

>> Alex McFarland: There may be a genetic component, but.

>> Alex McFarland: Genetics don't change this rapidly, he said. The narrative from the mainstream media is that there is no scientific support for the president's claims. That flies in the face of the fact that there have been data and those data are quite strong that have existed in the peer reviewed literature now for many, many years. We provided a review of some of those key studies in our posting today on Malone News, and you can read the papers yourself and make your own judgment about that. But I'll defer to the opinion of the head of the Harvard School of Public Health who unequivocally supports the thesis. He went on to say that the research supporting the link between acetaminophen and autism has been suppressed. Kera News reports at Dallas Area Teachers Union says a longtime educator was put on leave for post he shared his personal Facebook critical of Charlie Kirk. The Dallas Alliance AFT president said the teacher was exercising his First Amendment rights when he reposted the comments. It comes as the Texas Education Agency said it is reviewing more than 280 complaints against teachers and staff who have allegedly posted inappropriate comments online about Kirk's assassination. An annual faith festival is coming up at the Lone Star State. Here's AFN's Bronson Woodruff. The Texas Faith Fest is coming to Austin, Texas this weekend. AFN connected with Jonathan Covey, Policy director for Texas Values. Texas Values is the event's host. Covey said this will be the 8th annual faith fest. It's the largest event of its kind in Texas. Speakers delve into all kinds of policies issues on various topics and we feature over 30 different speakers over the course of two days. So we'll be having our lead keynote is Governor Greg Abbott. He'll be giving the lead keynote on Friday. We'll have a number of other folks. Wriley Gaines, the NCAA swimming champion Abby Johnson, pro life leader, former Planned Parenthood direct Chloe Cole, the D transitioner, Texas Land Commissioner Don Buckingham, Senator Mayes Middleton, Senator Angela Paxton so many people that we're going to have something else.

>> Alex McFarland: Covey mentioned that he's looking forward to.

>> Alex McFarland: In particular is a panel they're planning called Gen Z and the Charlie Kirk Effect, which is going to talk about, courage, for your faith and talk about the Gen Z and the.

>> Alex McFarland: Newer generation coming up and how they.

>> Alex McFarland: Can do that and how they can be effective in that space. He invites you to go online to texasfaithfest.com General admission is $40. Covey said security will be tighter this year with a national conversation following the killing of Charlie Kirk. In addition to the fact that many.

>> Alex McFarland: Elected officials are supposed to the Texas.

>> Alex McFarland: Faith Fest is scheduled for this coming Friday and Saturday, September 26th and 27th at Great Hills Baptist Church in northwest Austin, Texas. It's 10am to 4pm both days. See more [email protected] Life can be hard.

>> Alex McFarland: But we have to keep our eyes focused on Jesus.

>> Alex McFarland: I'm Kristi Graham, host of on the Ground with Samaritan's Purse, and I want to encourage you in your walk with God. Listen each week as we go behind the scenes of our work around the world. You'll be challenged and encouraged in your own faith as you hear how God is actively changing lives. Join us for on the Ground with Samaritan's purse, Sundays at 8:30am Central, right here on American Family Radio.

>> Alex McFarland: the Bible.

>> Alex McFarland: It's the word of God, sharper than any two edged sword. This sacred book is living and active and contains all that's needed for life and godliness. Stay with American Family Radio for the next hour as we study God's word.

>> Alex McFarland: And take your Bible questions.

Alex McFarland welcomes you to Exploring the Word

>> Alex McFarland: Welcome to Exploring the Word. Oh, that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, says 1st Peter 1:18. But verse 19, you were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. Well, with those beautiful words from First Peter Chapter one, we welcome you to today's edition of Exploring the word. Alex McFarland here. And again today, as we were yesterday. I'm in the office at First Baptist Church of Carthage, Mississippi, with my friend and fellow, laborer in the Leak County Evangelistic Crusade, Pastor Stephen Evans and, Brother Stephen. Thanks for being with us again today as you were yesterday.

>> Alex McFarland: It's a joy to be here, Alex. So excited.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, listen, we really do appreciate you being with us and, we're going to be in First Peter Chapter one If you want to turn there folks, and we will, continue.

Stephen: The crusade is going well and people are coming

Also, I want to give you some updates about the crusade. It's really going well and people are coming. We had a great night last night. And let me ask you, Stephen, as we give people time to get into First Peter, Chapter one, how long did you all work in preparation for this multi church area wide evangelistic crusade?

>> Alex McFarland: it's actually about a year. We actually started planning this right about this same time, last year, maybe a little later than this. And as we were talking about doing the crusade, we were praying about who the Lord would have us call, to come lead this crusade with us. they weren't available obviously. your name came up, and I said, well, I know Alex personally. I said I will give him a call. I don't know if you remember that day. I texted you immediately and we started this conversation and here you are.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, it's a blessing, it really is. We're deeply honored. And folks, please be in prayer. As we said, yesterday, if you're in the region of Carthage, Mississippi, now we're in a school auditorium down the street from First Baptist Church is an elementary school and it's a beautiful. I don't know what year that auditorium was built. Do you really?

>> Alex McFarland: I wish I knew, but I really don't. I'm sure some of the people here in Carthage could tell you, but I do not know that.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, the best thing about it is to see people coming, hearing the gospel. There was great music last night and if you're within driving distance of Carthage, Mississippi, we're going to start at 6:00 tonight. there's plenty of parking. it's a free event. All are invited and I have the great, great privilege of sharing the gospel. And we're seeing the Lord move and people respond. And later on in the show today we will have questions, so get ready for that.

Why is blood so important in the salvation story of the Bible

But now let's, let's continue on with first Peter and Stephen. I'm loving this, by the way. Bert Harper is traveling. Bert will be back tomorrow, but he's traveling and I want to thank you for filling in and riding shotgun with me a couple of days.

>> Alex McFarland: This is fun. I've enjoyed this.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, you're, you're a big help and we appreciate that. But do you know in Ecclesiastes 12:6 folks, there's a very interesting phrase about life and it says that we're to seek God, before the silver cord is broken and scholars, have pondered what that might mean. And somehow it's related to when we leave this world, then we step into eternity. You know, Hebrews, nine says, it is appointed unto man once to die, and after this, the judgment. Now, here in 1 Peter 1, 18, 19, it says that we were not redeemed with corruptible things, things that could wear out or rust away or even be stolen away, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, not silver and gold. It's interesting how silver and gold are compared to things of great value. But then the most valuable thing of all is our relationship with God. And verse 19, of course, Pastor Stephen, it says that we're redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without spot or blemish. why is blood significant in the salvation story of the Bible?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, the Bible tells us, and this even goes back to the Old Testament, that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. There's no forgiveness. So that's the reason blood was so important. You know, when I think about this, and I read this passage of scripture, and I think about the blood, I think about that, oh, hymn we sing, what can Wash Away My Sin? Nothing. Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. folks, don't ever be ashamed or reluctant to say, Jesus shed his blood for me, because he did.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen.

>> Alex McFarland: He did. And that's why so many of those great old gospel songs talk about, oh, the precious blood of Jesus. And, Stephen, I was a young believer, and I really didn't know much of anything, but I'd been saved a couple of months, 21 years old. And I was at church one day, and they sang an old hymn, said there is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins. And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen.

>> Alex McFarland: And I was, like, fighting back tears because I get it on that cross, Jesus was nailed. The guilt was put on Jesus. His blood was shed for me to be washed clean.

>> Alex McFarland: And the psalmist even talks about, wash me white as snow. and I think that's a reference to the blood of Christ cleansing us from our sin.

>> Alex McFarland: precious, precious, the blood of Jesus. Verse 20 of 1 Peter 1 says, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. Okay, before this world was created, it was designated that Jesus would be our redeemer. The fall of Genesis 3 didn't take God by surprise, did it?

>> Alex McFarland: Absolutely not. I mean, you know, like I said, he, God is a God of order. He's a God who has a plan. And he knew, before, like you said, the foundation of the world, what was going to happen, what was going to take place. So, it's amazing that we serve a God like that, that knows the beginning from the end.

>> Alex McFarland: You know, in Revelation, John says that he saw, there's a lion, the lion of the tribe of Judah. But then he looked again and he saw a lamb as it were slain. Before the foundation of the world, before this world was even created, God designated that his son Jesus would die for our sins. and now manifest in these last times, now the second half of 1 Peter 1:20, that Christ's incarnation, God left heaven, came to earth, took on a human body. That's the incarnation. Ah, carne is the Latin word for flesh. God enfleshed himself. Now, here's my thing. These words, these last days or last times, if, if Jesus's time on earth were part of the last days, certainly here in 2025, I mean, we're, we're deep into the last days.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. That is correct.

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah. Pastor Stephen, I know how I would answer this, but for the benefit of those listening, when it says Jesus is coming back, are we to take that as literally true, that Christ literally will come back one day?

>> Alex McFarland: I believe that with all my heart. I teach that to our people. And I always remember the words of Jesus. You know, there are people who said Jesus never really mentioned, his return. But we look at John, chapter 14, and Jesus says, in my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. And he says, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be as well. And then Paul talks about it in First Thessalonians, chapter four, First Corinthians, chapter 15. we see that. And honestly too, Alex, if you think about it, when you read the New Testament writers, a lot of them believed Jesus was going to come back. In their day, they believed it was imminent, that he was coming back.

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah. And folks, we're called to be ready. And, it says, you know, not the hour that your Lord cometh. And so we're to stay ready and stay faithful. Now, verse 21, it says, who by him do believe in God, who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory. Remember, in John 17, Jesus was on his way to the cross he said, father, glorify me with the glory we had before the world was. And so Jesus has been glorified. He's been resurrected. That your faith and hope might be in God, seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren. In other words, it's authentic. It's not masquerade or, counterfeit. Unfeigned love of the brethren. Hey, by the way, in John 13:38, I believe it is, says, by this will all men know that you're my disciples. If you. I'm gonna let you fill in the blank. Have great argumentation. No. If you have all this oratory, no. How will the world know that we.

>> Alex McFarland: Love Jesus if you love one another.

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah. That we're his disciples. You know, I truly believe the greatest motivator is love. The greatest, evidence of the reality of Jesus in our life is love.

Stephen Evans: Christians are called to love one another. How important is it

I mean, if you're a born again Christian, you just can't hold a grudge against somebody.

>> Alex McFarland: That's right. We, are called to love one another. And that means all of us, the good and the bad. And so we are to love one another.

>> Alex McFarland: Do you know, speaking of which, and by the way, folks, Alex McFarland here, our friend and colleague, Stephen Evans from First Baptist, Carthage. I thought it was one of the most powerful things. Sunday afternoon, Erica Kirk fighting back tears, clearly, I think being held up and strengthened by God's holy Spirit. She said to Charlie, Kirk's accused assassin, I forgive you.

>> Alex McFarland: I forgive you.

>> Alex McFarland: That was.

>> Alex McFarland: And of course, those words came from our Savior. that's where she got that from, that ability to do that. Jesus on the cross said, father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And I think it was the spirit of Christ giving her the power and ability to forgive this young man.

>> Alex McFarland: How important is it? And folks, we're in First Peter, chapter one, if you're just tuning in. But, this thing about love for the brethren. Love unfeigned. And I understand. Look, when you have humans, sometimes there's going to be friction, but we work it out. Stephen, you've been a very successful pastor, very faithful. I really mean this with all my heart. I mean, I've known you a decade plus. I look up to you, what God is doing through you and your wife and everybody at First Baptist, Great, one of America's great churches. but getting along. How important is that in the witness of a local church, that we are genuine and, yeah, we love the Lord, but we love and get along with each other.

>> Alex McFarland: That's right. you know, the world is looking at us. And you've heard this saying before, and sometimes I really think this is probably true. I've heard people say before that your life is the only Bible some people ever read. And so when, you know, when the church is not unified, when we're not together, when we're fussing and fighting and quarreling. I told you this afternoon that I've been teaching through James, and we've been talking about what causes fights and quarrels among you. A lot of that has to do with selfishness and pride. You know, I want my way. I want, I want my own way and worldliness and having a critical spirit. And when we, when we fight and fuss in front of the unbelievers, in front of the unsaved, it hurts our witness because Jesus was a God of love.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. And listen, we who have been forgiven should be quick to forgive. And look, I don't minimize. Look, stuff happens and people can, you know, be mean to us and things like that. the Bible says that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings. If you have to be the bigger person and forgive somebody, well, I guess that's an opportunity to be like Jesus.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen.

>> Alex McFarland: We've got a break. Stephen Evans. Alex McFarland will be back with more of One Peter, Chapter One, plus your calls and Bible questions on, this edition of Exploring the Word. Don't go away. We're back after this. I want you to picture this.

>> Alex McFarland: Her name is Kayla. She is 17, alone, terrified and pregnant.

>> Alex McFarland: Sitting in a clinic, tears blurring, thinking abortion is her only option until she.

>> Alex McFarland: Was offered a free ultrasound, paid for.

>> Alex McFarland: By a hero just like you. The moment Kayla heard her baby's heartbeat, the decision was made. And today, her little baby boy, Gabriel, is thriving because her preborn walked with Kayla every step of the way. Now multiply that by 38,000. That's how many babies preborn has helped save just this year. How many mothers preborn has come alongside with practical and spiritual resources to make motherhood possible. But here's the most important thing you will hear today. Their goal is to save 70,000 by.

>> Alex McFarland: The end of the year.

>> Alex McFarland: And they can't do it without us. Every $28 provides the ultrasound. The moment everything changes, will you be the reason the next Kayla chooses life? The reason Gabriel fulfills his destiny? To donate, dial £250 and say the key word baby. That's £250, baby. Or donate [email protected] afr that's preborn.com afr.

>> Alex McFarland: I know the only reason I can stand here unashamed.

>> Alex McFarland: It's not because I'm worth, worthy.

>> Alex McFarland: It's all because of mercy.

>> Alex McFarland: There's no way that I could earn it.

>> Alex McFarland: Praise God, my debt is paid.

>> Alex McFarland: It's not because I'm worthy.

>> Alex McFarland: It's all because of mercy.

Exploring the Word returns with Peter, chapter one

>> Alex McFarland: Welcome back to Exploring the Word. Did you hear those lyrics? It's not because I'm worthy, but because of God's mercy. You know, before the break, we were talking about, Erica Kirk at Charlie Kirk's memorial. I was so proud and just. I was praying for him. My longtime friend and colleague Frank Turek was sharing, because he was there when Charlie Kirk was shot. Frank and I have been friends 30 years. And, you really ought to go online and watch Frank Turek share the gospel so powerfully. And he said, when you stand before an infinitely just being you, as a fallen sinner, you do not want justice. You want grace and mercy. And fortunately, that's what we have in Jesus. And let me just say this. We'll resume first Peter, chapter one. But if you've never trusted Christ, if you. You say, I'm not sure if I were to die, that, that I'm ready to meet God, well, call out to Jesus today. And, there. There is a number that we give out. I want to make sure I get this correct. 800 need him. N E E D H I M M. And there'll be somebody that will pray with you, encourage you if you want to make sure that you are born again, forgiven, ready to face God one day, whenever that day might come. 1, 800 need him. And then, in a few moments, we're going to take calls and questions.

Stephen Christian: I love how you have put emphasis on the gospel this week

But let's resume one Peter, chapter one here for a second. So it's saying that we're redeemed, not with earthly things, but with the precious blood of Jesus. Jesus designated to be the redeemer before the foundation of the world. And then it goes on about, if we've purified our souls by obeying the truth, the gospel, then we're going to love the brethren, and love. I love the way verse 22 concludes, Love one another with a pure heart, fervently. See, there's not only authenticity, there's consistency. Now verse, 23, being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man, as the flower of grass, the grass withers, and the flower therein falls away. But the word of the Lord endures forever. Now, that's a quote from Isaiah chapter 5:40. I love that. The grass. I believe it's Isaiah 40:31. But the word of God endures forever. For all flesh is as grass. the word of the Lord endures forever. This is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you, Pastor. Stephen, those last three verses, 23 through 25, as we say down south, that'll preach.

>> Alex McFarland: That'll preach. And I love this part especially. so now this is the word which by the gospel, was preached to you. And the gospel, that's what it's all about. And I love this week how you have really put an emphasis on the gospel. each night you've been sharing the gospel. And, it's amazing, Alex, you and I, with our physical eyes, we've never physically seen Jesus. But if you look back in First Peter, earlier in the, first chapter, says, though now you do not see him yet, believing, you rejoice with joy, inexpressible and full of glory. We've never physically seen Jesus, but we believe.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen.

>> Alex McFarland: And it's amazing when you look, but, you know, it's a fascinating story. In John, chapter 20, the resurrection has happened. Jesus appears to his disciples, but, Thomas is not with them. And, disciples tell Thomas, they said, you know, we've seen the Lord. And Thomas doesn't believe him. Well, a little over a week later, maybe about eight days or so, Jesus appears again. This time, Thomas is with him. And Thomas had told him earlier, he said, unless I see the nail prints in his hands and touch his side, I will not believe. And think about this for a moment. This is very interesting. Jesus appears. And when he appears, Thomas looks at him and he says, my Lord and my God. And, then Jesus says, you know, you believe because you've seen me, but blessed are those who have not. Have not seen me, but they believe. And so, you know, you think about what Paul says in Romans 10. Paul says, in order for us to be saved, what do we have to do? We have to. He says in Romans 10. Nine, he says that if you will confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord. What did Thomas do when he saw the Lord? He said, my Lord. And then Jesus even tells him, right after that, he says, you believed because you Saw me. So he's saying, yes, you have believed in me. And Paul says that if you will confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart, God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. And so Thomas had seen the resurrected Lord. He confessed him as Lord. He believed that's the gospel. I mean, he believed that's salvation. That's what we've been talking about all week. And it's powerful.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, it is. And I would say this and every Christian listening, you'll know what I'm talking about. But for the believer, the most real thing in your life is Jesus. You know, A.W. tozer, he was a great Christian leader. I think he died in like 1963. And I had the privilege, a couple years ago, contributing a chapter. They did a biography of Tozer. And I researched and I was asked to write a chapter. And he said, you know, the Christian is an oddity in this world because he has supreme devotion for one he has never seen. And yet this one that you've never seen visibly yet is the most real thing in your life. And, indeed it is. And like I say, those of you that know Jesus, you know what we're talking about. By the way, I've got to point something out here. In the last three verses of chapter one, it says we are born again. Verse 23, born again by the incorruptible word of God, which liveth and abides forever. And then it goes on. verse 25, the word of the Lord endures forever. I believe in the eternal security of the believer and the eternal perpetuity of the scripture. Now, you're saved by putting your faith in Christ. we get this question periodically. Can you lose your salvation? I don't think so. Now, equally good, godly, well intentioned people disagree. There's some people that do believe you could backslide and lose your salvation. The eternal security of the believer is not something we would burn bridges over, although I, I do think a good scriptural case can be made for that. But, if I can see kind of bookends here in verse 23, I think there's a reference to the eternal security of the believer because it's an eternally secure means by which we are saved. The risen Jesus, the seed which is the gospel, the Spirit of the Lord that convicts us, converts us, indwells us, seals us. And if the word of God is forever, then so is that salvation that we embrace by hearing of the Son of God through this Word of God.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. I Think about what Paul said. If you don't mind me reading this for just a moment, Alex. Ephesians, chapter one. He says, in him also you trusted after you heard what the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom you have also believed. You were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance. The guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of his glory. So right there, Paul is saying, he said, you know, when we put our faith in the gospel, in Jesus, we are sealed.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen.

Every Christian needs the Bible, says Bert Wildman

>> Alex McFarland: and we're also, we have a guarantee that one day we're going to have this inheritance that Peter's talking about here in First Peter, chapter one. We've been born again to a, you know, living hope, an inheritance.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Praise God and how we, love him and we're grateful and we, we want to walk with the Lord and grow, out of appreciation, my goodness, for the great salvation we have. Now chapter two begins. For laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings. Okay, in other words, in light of all this, it says wherefore. In other words. Okay, what, what do we conclude in light of all this? Well, malice, that's anger, unforgiveness, ill will against each other. We're going to put it aside. Guile, that's, that's poison in the system. It's like acid in a container. you don't need that. Hypocrisy, you know, hypocrisy means something below the surface that we say one thing and we do another thing. And we're not to be hypocrites. Envy. We know what jealousy is. The green eyed monster. And we're not to be, envious. let's keep our eyes on Jesus and just look, for what he has for us. And evil speaking, you know, the Christians are not to feed the rumor mill or slander or spread falsehoods about each other. What are we to do? Stephen, would you read verses 2 and 3 of First Peter 2?

>> Alex McFarland: Absolutely. Says, as newborn babes desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. this is just one of these famous sayings, you know, there's so much in God's word that it just becomes a part of our vernacular and vocabulary. The milk of the word. isn't that a beautiful image, folks? If you've ever held a newborn baby, if you've ever bottle fed a newborn baby. I mean, that is really a thrill to do that, isn't it?

>> Alex McFarland: It is, it is.

>> Alex McFarland: And what a beautiful picture here. Like a newborn babe. All right, you trust Christ. The Bible says that's being born again. And a baby is to be nurtured and grow. let's talk for just a minute about evangelism and discipleship. Evangelism is like, a baby is delivered, but discipleship is like, pediatrics, the, the child is raised up to maturity, isn't it? That's right.

>> Alex McFarland: And, and I think about what ah, Paul says to Timothy. You know, he talks about, you know, m being a worker that needed not be ashamed. So study to show thyself approved unto God. A workman that needed not be ashamed. So, you know, just like we talked about yesterday, in order to have the mind of Christ, in order to, to be obedient, in order to live the life of Christ, we've got to, we've got to have the word of Christ. We've got to, you know, desire the pure milk of the Word.

>> Alex McFarland: Is this the formula? while we're on the analogy of a newborn infant, this is the formula that's going to grow us up and make us strong. The scripture, isn't it? That's right, isn't it? if you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. In other words, if you're believer, you need the word of God. And you may not be a pastor or something like that, but I believe every Christian needs the Bible. And we've said this many times, by the way, this is a time to remind you of this, folks. Bert and I, every year we throw out this challenge to read the Bible in a year. And you can do this. Three chapters a day, five on Sunday. Take about 15 minutes and you will read the Bible in its entirety. Now, the 1st of January this past year, for everybody that took our challenge, we gave a certificate, a very beautiful certificate, and I signed it and Bert signed it and Tim Wildmon, the president of afa, signed it and we threw out this challenge. I haven't mentioned it in a couple of months. So you still have time. You actually before this calendar year is up, folks, if you read the Bible completely in 2025 and you tell us it's honor system, we're going to take your word for it. Then in the month of January, Bert and I will mail you a certificate that you. And it really is beautiful. It looks kind of almost like a diploma, but that you are Part of the exploring the Word family. And you read the Bible cover to cover in calendar year 25. And so you've got time, even if you're a little behind. we always say this. Read three chapters a day and five on Sunday. You'll read the Bible in a year. But it says this. If you've tasted that the Lord is gracious. In other words, if you're a believer, well, you need the Scripture. And it's been said that, the word of God will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the word of God. And, Brother Stephen, you and I both are in ministry, but, that's beside the point. We're both born again believers. Wouldn't you agree that your walk and the health of your relationship with Jesus is directly contingent on the role that the Bible plays in your heart and life?

>> Alex McFarland: Absolutely. You know what I was saying a moment ago? If we're not reading God's word, we don't know what God says. And in order to know what God says, in order to know what God wants us to do and how he wants us to live, we have to have a steady diet of the word of God. And you know what the, scripture tells us? Says thy word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against thee. And so hiding God's word in our heart, daily putting it in our heart. And just like Paul said in Romans 12, in order for our lives to be transformed and transformed and conformed to the image of God, he says, don't be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. So if we are not constantly putting God's word in our minds and our hearts, then what's going to happen is we're going to be squeezed into the mold of this world. We'll be conformed to the world instead of being conformed to the image of our Savior Jesus.

Bert: How do you get into Bible study

>> Alex McFarland: I got to ask, do you have a favorite book, of the Bible or a favorite portion of scripture?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, there are so many, but I'm actually preaching through one of my favorite books right now, and that's James. I'm doing that on Sunday morning. And I love the book of James because it's so practical. He talks about all these things that we as Christians try. Trials, the tongue. Oh, my goodness, I need help with that every day. you know, he talks about, conflict in the church. He talks about, you know, faith and works, and that as a Christian, as a believer, you know, we put our Faith and trust in Christ. But there has, there has to be evidence of that in our life. And if, well, if we truly put our faith in Christ, there will be evidence of it. And there's just so many things in the book that I love.

>> Alex McFarland: what advice do you have? And by the way, the voice you're hearing is Pastor Steven Evans, who's with us. he was with us yesterday and today he and I together will be at the Leake County Crusade in Carthage tonight beginning at, 6:00pm by the way, I want to give the number because we're going to take phone calls. Your Bible questions call and you'll get in the queue. It's 888-589-8840. Triple 858-98840. If you have a Bible question of any sort. But for those that maybe are kind of new to Bible study, what advice do you give? We got the music so quickly. How do you get into the Bible?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, first of all, get you a Bible. there are a lot of good ones out there. And get you a good study Bible and have a time every day. Just set aside a time every day, to just spend a little time, whether it's 15 minutes, 20 minutes, reading God's word, it'll pay big dividends. Did you know there's a tool that allows you to make a gift to the American Family association and receive fixed income payments for life? That's right. It's called a charitable gift annuity. It's simply an agreement between you and AFA that allows you to make a gift of cash or property, perhaps appreciated stock, securities, and in exchange you receive a charitable donation, a partial income tax deduction, and you'll receive fixed income.

>> Alex McFarland: Payments for life for you or you.

>> Alex McFarland: And your spouse and a beneficiary. And then at your death, the American Family association keeps the gift. It's an incredible way for you to support the culture transforming work of the American Family association and ensure that continues for generations.

>> Alex McFarland: You want to learn more, just contact.

>> Alex McFarland: The [email protected] please give us a call.

>> Alex McFarland: 1-800-326-4543, extension 345. Or you can visit us at afafoundation.net we look forward to hearing from you soon. Peter, Chapter one Tomorrow at, chapter two, verse five. Bert will be back and, and good Lord willing, we'll pick it up tomorrow. But right now what we want to do is go to calls and questions again, that number is triple a 589-8840. And, Brent, you'll help us queue up these calls, I'm sure. Where do we begin?

What would you tell listeners how they could obey the gospel

All right, Alex, let's go to, Ron in Mississippi. Ron, you're on. Say, I appreciate you guys. And, my question was really what Yalls opinion is about the, verse that's in the second book of Thessalonians, chapter one, verse eight, where Paul is reminding them and us that, you know, we don't know God and have not obeyed the gospel. There's a fiery, furnace waiting. So, m. What would you tell your listeners how they could obey the gospel? Because I hear you guys say, you know, having faith. And, so I just was going to get Yalls opinion on that. Well, thank you very much. That's a great question. let me start a little bit, and then I'm going to throw it to Stephen Evans. To obey the gospel, I think implies several things. for one thing, that we need to admit that we're a sinner and really agree with God. that we are sinful and fallen and we have disobeyed God. And as such, as the old catechism says, we are worthy of his justice, displeasure. In other words, we really, we need grace, but we don't deserve it. We deserve wrath. I think also obeying the gospel would include, obeying what God says about Christ Jesus. That Jesus is God incarnate, the Son of God. When he died on the cross, he, paid for our sins, rose from the dead, and we are trusting Jesus, Jesus alone, for our salvation. We don't add works to it, but we. And there is. It's called the sinner's prayer. And there are a number of ways to verbalize this, but we're basically saying, dear God, I admit that I'm a sinner and I know I deserve judgment, but Lord have mercy on me. And I believe Christ is the Son of God. He paid for my sin debt. Lord, I repent. I'm trusting you. Dear Jesus. Please save my soul and save me and help me to follow you. Steven, I believe obeying the gospel would include those things.

>> Alex McFarland: I agree. And, like you said, in order to be saved, a man has to realize he needs to be saved. He must understand, like you said, that for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. But he also has to understand that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. And that if we will put our faith and trust in him, if we will believe that is the gospel, the Death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. That Jesus did what he said, if we repent, put our faith in him, he, will save us. and he goes on to say here, this verse he was referencing in First Thessalonians, chapter one, in verse nine, he says, these shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, from the glory of his power. those who do not obey the gospel. If a person does not trust Jesus, and this is unfortunate, and this is terrible, this is a terrible fate. But a person who does not trust Jesus as their Lord and Savior, that's their faith fate to, stand before God. Bible talks in Revelation, chapter 20 that the dead, the great and small, no matter how important you are, no matter how, seemingly unimportant a person is, whether it be a politician or a movie star, just a regular person like me, will all stand. Those who don't know the Lord will stand before him at the Great White Throne. and the Bible says the books will be opened, and those whose names are not found written in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire. So, yes, I think that's what that's talking about. If you don't obey the gospel, you will spend eternity separated from God.

>> Alex McFarland: One of my favorite verses, that I think very succinctly summarizes it, but John 6, verse 40, Jesus said, whoever sees the Son and believes in him will have everlasting life. And I will raise you up at the last day. John 6:40. And so again, folks, if you've never done that, call out to Jesus today. Put your faith in Him. He will save you.

Brent Austin: When were angels created? Were they in heaven

Well, Brother Brent Austin, where should we go next? Let's go to the Joanne in Iowa.

>> Alex McFarland: Joanne, thank you for calling.

>> Alex McFarland: Hi. I appreciate you guys on the radio. I love listening to you and I learned so much. but my question was, when were angels created? Were they in heaven before the creation of the earth? Because, if not, then how did the whole fallen angels being sent to earth and Adam and Eve, and how did that whole scenario work? Well, thank you very much. I believe that the angels were created really before the earth. I'll tell you why in just a moment. And Stephen and I, we have not conversed beforehand, so feel free to agree or disagree. But in Luke 10:18, Jesus said, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. now, it doesn't tell us exactly when Isaiah 14 in the old Testament really speaks of Lucifer who wanted to put his throne above God. I mean, you get the implication that, Lucifer, there was Gabriel, Michael and Lucifer, but Lucifer, one third of the archangels, he tried to have a coup attempt and overthrow heaven and somehow conned one third of the angels into joining him in this failed overthrow of heaven. And they were cast out. Lucifer, upon being ejected from heaven, became Satan. And the angels that for some unspeakably evil reason tried to join Lucifer in killing off God and overtaking Heaven, they were ejected. They are now demons. How many demons are there? I don't think we actually know. But I believe, and I'm going to throw it to Stephen Evans, when God created Adam and Eve in the garden, the Bible says in Genesis 1:26, that we were made in God's image. And I think all of the pain, the fall, the temptation, the wickedness, the violence, the murder, the violence on violence, from human to human. Satan could not kill God, so he's tried to harm, dehumanize, devalue the ones made in God's image. And that's, What say you, Stephen?

>> Alex McFarland: I agree with you 100%. And as a matter of fact, that was a very good explanation, by the way. I don't know that I could say that any better, but I, I really do. I believe that this, this, they were in heaven and God created them, before the creation of the Earth. And, and I believe, like you, that, when they, when they rebelled against God, Satan went with Satan. now we have, in our society today and in our world today, we have a lot of demonic activity going on. We don't know, like you said, we don't know how many demons, there are, but we can see the evidence of it in our society today.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, and by the way, folks, share, a thon is coming up in, the first part of October, and Bert and I have a book coming out. It actually is not available till October 7, but it's 100 Bible questions on Prophecy and the end times. And we deal with this because in Revelation 20 it talks about, death and hell were cast into the lake of fire, and Satan will be cast into the lake of fire. And so all of the fallen angels, I mean, their doom and destruction is a certainty. But thank you for that call. Brent Austin. Where to next, sir? Next up is Robert in Alabama. Oh, thank you. Hey, I listen to your show daily, every day. I'm in my truck a lot, so I, I listen to it, but.

I have a question about the Bible. And this has bothered me on and off

But I have a question. And this has bothered me on and off and, and, I was raised Catholic. I'M still Catholic, but, the talking about the Bible, and the Bible being God breathed and, written by human hands, but brief from God. But at what point can you say that? Well, we have to put that aside because we want to take out certain books of the Bible. And just to kind of challenge myself, I read the whole Bible from beginning to end last year. which isn't the first time, but reading, I was trying to pick out the books because my Bible still has all the books in it. And, the ones that seem like it wouldn't be the word of God. Anyway, I'm more just coming to y'. All. I love your so. And I love your opinions and the knowledge you put into it. Hey, thank you very much. And I'm humbled and deeply grateful that you would listen.

Brent Austin: The question is about canonicity of the Bible

And, I think kind of the gist of the question is about canonicity. And so whenever we use the term the canon of Scripture, C A N, O N. The word canon is actually a Latin word. It means measuring stick. So the canon, we believe that Genesis through Malachi is the Old Testament. Matthew through Revelation is the New Testament. Now, let me say this, and I say it very respectfully, because I know we have a lot of Catholic listeners. And, you know, like First John 5:1 says, whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. And on that, on, so much, there's. There's no discussion. I mean, Protestants and Catholics, we believe Jesus is deity, the Son of God, the Trinity, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, the blood, atonement. I will say this, and I say it with gentleness and respect. During the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther was debating a cardinal. And I really don't know how to accurately pronounce his name. It looks like C, A, T, E, G, J, E, N, like Cardinal Catain. Do you remember that from Seminaria? I don't know if it's catagin or catain. I don't know how to pronounce. But basically, the. What are called the apocryphal books or the. The intertesta mental books, there were. Okay. Malachi was completed about 400 B.C. and, in that time period, there were some, what are called deuterocanonical books or second canon. Now, really, those books were never referenced by the early church as Scripture. In fact, even the Roman Catholic Church did not acknowledge them, as being on par with the rest. And it was only during. There was in the time of the Protestant Reformation. This is in the mid to late 1500s. There was what was called the Counter Reformation. and without going into a lot of church history, and a great book that talks about this, there was a book called Vicars of Christ by Peter de la Rosa, and he's a Catholic, and he writes fairly critically of some of the goings on of the Catholic Church over the centuries. And I would also a couple of other books that are pretty good. there was a guy in the 50s, Neil Lightfoot, who wrote a book on how we got our Bible. Now, let me summarize the Bible you have. Genesis through Revelation was recognized as the scripture within 30 to 40 years after John was on the Isle of Patmos. John was on Patmos writing Revelation around 95 AD. Within 30 to 50 years, the Canon that we accept as scripture was known and circulated. So it's not like there were books that were suppressed or left out. Honestly, that middle portion, that's like in the Douay Rheims Bible or many Catholic Bibles. The apocryphal books were kind of brought to the table during the Counter Reformation because, they found it useful in debating against Luther. And I'm not saying that disparagingly or anything like that, but, even among Catholic scholars, the apocryphal books, I think they can be interesting. They're definitely kind of a historical, footnote, but they're not, as I've ever studied, on par with the scripture God breathed. the Bible is God's word. You can depend on it. And while the apocryphal books might be interesting to read, I said they're not Scripture, as Matthew through Revelation is, nor Genesis through Malachi. Do you have anything you want to add to that, Stephen?

>> Alex McFarland: not really. you did a great job explaining that, other than to just say we have to be careful, of adding to and even taking away from the word of God. I believe the scriptures, we have it today is the word of God, and I, think it's sufficient.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Brent Austin, where do we go from here?

Some say your environment and your upbringing determines your Christian faith

>> Alex McFarland: Next up is William in Ohio.

>> Alex McFarland: my question is, how would you answer a skeptic who might say that, people who are born in Muslim countries are Muslim become Muslim. People who are born in Christian countries, so called Christian parents, become Christian. So, you know, they just say it's your environment and your upbringing determines your, Your faith. How might you answer someone asking that? Thank you for asking that question. so in a way, this is a fallacy called reductionism to say, well, you're a Christian simply because you grew up in Christian America. If you had been born in North Africa, you'd be a Muslim, or if you had been born in Tibet, you'd be a Buddhist. and the reductionism is, look for the implication of the word nothing but in other words, your Christianity is nothing but you as a product of your environment. a couple of things I would say is for one thing, there are many counter examples. There are plenty of people that grew up in Muslim countries that become born again Christians. There are a lot of people in Muslim countries that become atheists. They really do. In fact, atheism, the two predominant worldviews that bring people out of Islam, Christianity, praise God, or sadly, atheism. And then there are people that grow up in overtly Christian countries that do not become Christians. So clearly there's something beyond the environment that results in a person's eventual belief. But the other thing is it's based on the resurrection. Even if nobody became a Christian, still the truth of Christianity hangs not on the way people respond, but on the fact that Christ rose and the tomb is empty.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen, Brother.

>> Alex McFarland: Stephen Evans. Thank you. Brent Austin. Thank you, listeners. Thank you. We're just about out of time, so we'll be back tomorrow. In the meantime, please tell people about exploring the Word, but most of all, tell everybody about Jesus. Blessings. The views and opinions expressed in this.

>> Alex McFarland: Broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of.

>> Alex McFarland: The American Family association or American Family Radio.

Exploring The Word with Dr. Alex McFarland and Pastor Stephen Evans