Have you ever wondered about what Romans 9-11 has to say regarding the Jews? Not as a nation but as a people. In our own day, the Jews by and large, reject Jesus as Messiah. Yet according to Romans, the story does not end here. The Apostle Paul says: "I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew." In other words, the story is unfolding - to this very day. The Apostle says "have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles." So part of the story, is that a massive number of Gentiles will come to faith during this time between he incarnation and where we are and beyond. The Apostle warns us to watch our spirit too. Yes, the original branches were broken off - but it is temporary! "And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you." Something very big is playing out - and it is all of God. We are then given a clue of what will happen - in history - "For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?" Please don't fall into the trap saying, "oh but we don't know wbo the Jews are." Well, fact is, God does. God knows who He has predestined to eternal life. Paul assures us " For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own [f]opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved,"

We need to cast aside our preconceived notions and really believe God for a massive ingathering of the Gentiles, AND the conversion of the Jews. We look for this blessing in history: "For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?. That is, when the Jews come to Jesus Messiah, it will be like life from the dead to all of us. Make no mistake. The Puritan Hope is a tonic for pessimism. One description on the Banner of Truth Trust says this: "Today the Church�s hope in respect to her mission of discipling all nations is in eclipse. The world gives Christianity no future and evangelicals themselves doubt whether the cause of Christ can ever attain to a greater triumph before his Second Advent. Must the prospects for succeeding generations be darker than those of today? Can we even expect any period of history to intervene before the Advent of Christ? How can readiness for Christ�s coming be consistent with the belief that revivals are yet to be given to the Church? Such questions are brought to the fore in The Puritan Hope and the author, employing both exposition of Scripture and much historical and biographical material, sets out the case for believing that it is not �orthodox� to indulge in gloom over the prospect for Christianity in the world." You will be tempted to not accept this explanation perhaps due to the teaching of one of your favorite teachers. But why put this wonderful promise aside just because of a bias of emotion? Dive in to the promises of God, and be blessed. Participants: Pastor Bill Shishko, Dan Elmendorf

This program was also repeated over the air on 8/01/26. The author who we interview today, penned this: "I�m a pastor. Over more than 20 years in ministry, I�ve watched a theology take root in American evangelicalism that trains Christians to be silent in the face of all kinds of cultural tyranny. It�s a theology that says the church is at her best when she�s losing. It says we should not seek cultural influence because that would only corrupt us. Further, it says we should not seek political power because that�s beneath us. Our only public duty is to do evangelism, because eternal destinies are all that really matters. The culture war is just a distraction.

I call this loser theology, and it has done great damage to the modern church. Further, it harms society by causing Christians to disengage as the greatest conscience-shaping force in our culture."

Maybe your church has discouraged you from taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. If so, its time to wake up and realize that you have been influenced in an ungodly manner.

Participants: Pastor Michael Clary, Dan Elmendorf

We find ourselves once again, on our virtual front porch and its summertime. The weather is rather warm, and we have good fellowship with a close pastor friend. What should we talk about? We ask our friend and he wants to talk about the importance of having theological guiderails, or some might call it doctrine. Good teaching can help keep us on the right path. So, that is what we do today. Good doctrine. Teaching consistent with the Westminster Confession of Faith, but first and foremost, Teaching that flows from the pages of Scripture. The rule which God has given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy God is the Word of God. That is what's contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New testaments. That gives us the direction we need regarding how to glorify and enjoy Him. Participants: Dr. John Vance, Dan Elmendorf

Today we talk with the host of The Voice of the Martyrs Radio. He begins by mentioning that about two weeks ago on June 29, that it is significant in church history as the day that Paul was beheaded outside the city of Rome. It is now known as the day of the Christian Martyr. We also talk about China. Pastor Ezra Jin was RELEASED FROM PRISON last week and allowed to come to the US. His case was raised by President Trump when he was in Beijing in May, and his release was phrased in some quarters as a �gift� from China to celebrate the US 250th anniversary. We thank the Lord for his release, but there is also a lot of bad news about what Christians in China are facing. There are still eight leaders from Jin�s Zion Church that are in prison, facing charges of �fraud� and �Illegal business practices.� They are being held on financial charges rather than religious ones. It allows the Chinese government to deny persecution, and it is very difficult for the church leaders to defend themselves. This has become the go-to strategy for communist officials against church leaders in recent years. India has an update in their policies. It will change the way it enforces the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), which governs all money coming into the country to support non-profit organizations�including churches and Christian ministries. The government has now openly said that no money will be allowed to come in for �conversion� activities. Our guest shares the story of the widow of a pastor from Turkmenistan. Her husband was imprisoned there for his gospel work, and we listed him on www.PrisonerAlert.com. His widow shared that a custodian at the prison told her husband that he had many, many letters from around the world�and he was greatly encouraged even though he never actually got to see or read the letters. He also ended up being released more than two years before his sentence was up; the letters and the international attention may have played a role in that early release. Participants: Todd Nettleton, Dan Elmendorf

Today, we celebrate the 250th year anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of these United States. Far from perfect, we have lots of repenting to do and continued renewal and reformation. In this discussion we talk with the author of the article "The Head of Government: Jesus Christ." To orient us, he points out that "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities�all things were created through him and for him." Colossians 1:16

Our Declaration stood within the inheritance of positions that came before it, like the Mayflower Compact (In the Name of God), and the 1643 Solemn League and Covenant (before our eyes the glory of God, and the advancement of the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.� ).

The colonies appealed to �the Laws of Nature and of Nature�s God.� They declared that men are �endowed by their Creator [not by legislatures, bureaucracies, or a majority of the people] with certain unalienable Rights,� and that governments existed �to secure these rights.� Our author writes: The early state constitutions display the same inheritance. Pennsylvania declared that men have �a natural and unalienable right to worship Almighty God.� Delaware required officeholders to profess faith �in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ His only Son, and in the Holy Ghost.� Massachusetts acknowledged �the goodness of the Great Legislator of the Universe� and declared public worship of the �SUPREME BEING, the great creator and preserver of the universe� to be the right and duty of men in society. And even today, state constitutions like Texas� begin: �Humbly invoking the blessings of Almighty God, the people of the State of Texas, do ordain and establish this Constitution.� Join us today for a calm and interesting discussion. Participants: Bill Peacock, Dan Elmendorf

Join us today on our virtual front porch for a Summer Chat! This past Sunday the 21st was the first day of summer, and its a great time to have a sit down, relax and just have a good old fashioned chat. One of the concerns that Dan has concerns the invasion of Islam into our country. The mayor New York City is a disaster. He is not only an Islamic follower, but he loves radical socialism. People and businesses see the handwriting on the wall and are leaving what used to be one of the greatest cities in the world. Things are getting out of hand. Muslims in the public square, interrupting normal life with their "prayers." We talk about this a little bit. A follow-on discussion deals with Europe. Our guest feels that Europe will never be the same now that Islam has taken over. You get the feeling that there is no going back. King Charles III is pretty much a pawn to the Islamists. When Easter 2026 rolled around, he said nothing about the Lord Jesus Christ. And yet formally, he is supposed to be the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. We cover the issue of open borders. You cannot have open borders and a welfare state at the same time. Participants: Dr. John Vance, Dan Elmendorf

You've heard of the United States Declaration of Independence. But have you heard of the Virginia Declaration of Rights? On June 12, 1776, Virginia�s Fifth Revolutionary Convention unanimously passed the Virginia Declaration of Rights. Notice it precedes our National Declaration of Independence By a mere several weeks. "The Virginia Declaration was remarkably influential. In addition to directly informing bills of rights framed in numerous states (including Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina), it would go on to influence the creation and adoption of the national Bill of Rights. Perhaps most importantly, the Declaration�s opening lines��all men are by nature equally free and independent and have certain inherent rights �; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety��informed the key language of equality and unalienable rights in the second sentence of the Declaration of Independence. This would become a defining expression of an American political creed." Today we talk with the author of a paper that explores this important Virginian document. https://lawliberty.org/the-virginia-declaration-of-rights-at-250/

Participants: Dr. Daniel Dreisbach, Dan Elmendorf

The spiritual kingdom of Christ is exercised sovereignly in the hearts of his elect (where He alone is lord of the conscience), and the temporal kingdom of Christ made manifest in the outward life of God's people in the visible church and in the commonwealth. This is the normal Reformed "two kingdom" view. Whereas there is a more radical or modern extreme view that has come out of Westminster West Seminary in Escondido.

Participants: Pastor Bill Shishko, Dan Elmendorf

God created marriage - one man, one woman, and its for your lifetime. Our guest today starts off our discussion by advising "don't ever use the D word. Don't let that into your discussion." Couple struggle. It happens all the time. There may be times for a biblical divorce but it should be rare. With marriage often comes children and eventually grandchildren. As we air this today, it is Dan and Deb's wedding anniversary. Our granddaughter Katie has joined Dan in the studio. She just wanted to overserve and didn't participate, except to say hi! We cover the situation of homosexuality - our guest has done a lot of work in this area. In many cases he has discovered that the father was not really present. Our guest says that the father needs to be actively involved. If a young lady has the affection of her father, generally she will not go after other boys in a sexual way. We discuss the advantage of getting married early. The timing of marriage is important. If a couple of going to get married and they have attraction for each other, its better that they get married. The Apostle spoke to this when he mentioned that a "burning" takes place and its better to be married. Our guest got married early and even without much money. God richly blessed him and his wife. God protected over the long haul and provided their needs. Our guest talks about the seeds and roots of bitterness that come into a marriage. Participants: Pastor Al Baker, Dan Elmendorf

This week, Our friend Dr. Peter Hammond is in these United States on a ministry tour. He shares that he visited the Kennedy Space Center to witness the launch of a SpaceX rocket. The launch was perfect and the return of the booster rocket to the launchpad with pinpoint accuracy was quite interesting. Peter has some observations about the effectiveness and lower cost of private enterprise, as well as its overall success. Its also faster to deploy. Peter comments on the freedom that he sees in our state of Florida. Encouraging words. As we talked with Peter, he was at in Georgia, on a farm. He had limited access to the internet, but we got through! Participants: Dr. Peter Hammond, Dan Elmendorf