Join Tony Perkins as he delves into a pivotal Supreme Court ruling that affirms the right of states like Tennessee to enact laws protecting minors from certain medical interventions. This landmark decision could ripple across 26 other states with similar laws and reshape how states interact with medical governance. With detailed insights from Tennessee Solicitor General Matt Rice, discover what this means for states’ rights and what implications it might hold for broader political landscapes.
SPEAKER 20 :
from the heart of our nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and soundbites into conversations with our nation’s leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Washington Watch with Tony Perkins starts now.
SPEAKER 17 :
If you look at the United Kingdom, if you look at Sweden, if you look at Norway, these are not countries that have the political composition that Tennessee has. But like Tennessee, they looked at the evidence, they considered the risks to kids and the evidence of benefits, and they decided that this was not appropriate treatment for kids. The Supreme Court recognized that Tennessee can constitutionally do the exact same thing.
SPEAKER 07 :
That was Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Scrimetti earlier today after the U.S. Supreme Court, by a 6-3 vote, upheld Tennessee’s right to protect children from dangerous gender transition procedures. Welcome to this June 18th edition of Washington Watch. I’m Tony Perkins, your host, and we’re glad you’ve tuned in. Well, today’s court ruling in U.S. v. Scrimeti is a major, a major decision that will have implications for the entire nation, allowing parents to protect their children and keeping children from the predatory agenda of the LGBTQ transgender ideology. We’ll get a readout on the case from Tennessee Solicitor General Matt Rice, who argued the case before the Supreme Court. And in international news, day six of the war between Iran and Israel. And Iran not only says it’s not going to surrender, Iran’s ambassador to the UN sent a message to the United States.
SPEAKER 01 :
We will follow the developments. We will follow the actions of the United States. And at any time, at any point, if we come to the conclusion that United States is directly involved in attacks against Iran, we will start responding to United States.
SPEAKER 07 :
That was Ali Bahraini, Iran’s ambassador to the U.N. earlier today. When asked what the U.S. was going to do just moments ago, President Trump said this.
SPEAKER 03 :
I have ideas as to what to do, but I haven’t made a final. I like to make the final decision one second before it’s due, you know, because things change. I mean, especially with war, things change with war. It can go from one extreme to the other.
SPEAKER 07 :
We’ll be joined later by New York Congresswoman Claudia Tinney, a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. And what are the possible outcomes in Iran if the regime’s nuclear facilities are destroyed? How probable is a regime change? We’ll talk with Greg Roman, executive director of the Middle East Forum. And what, if anything, does the Bible have to say about these events that are rapidly unfolding in the Middle East? My good friend, Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills will join me for that conversation. And folks, we just have 12 days left in our fiscal year. And what does that mean? Well, that means we have 12 days to make sure that we have the funds to keep Washington Watch broadcasting across the nation. As I’ve said before, we receive no government money. We’re not PBS. We’re not NPR. We receive support from folks like you, and many have already taken advantage of the doubling of your gift through the $1.5 million challenge match that generous supporters have made available. So you can still take advantage of that if you’ll consider partnering with us to defend faith, family, and freedom. Well, text the word FAMILY to 67742. Text FAMILY to 67742, and I’ll send you a link. As I mentioned earlier today, the nation’s highest court delivered a landmark 6-3 win for children, upholding Tennessee’s SB1, a prohibition on medical procedures performed on minors related to sexual identity. The known and permanent harms of such procedures can include sterilization, among a host of others. FRC led the way in pioneering these types of laws years ago, first with the SAFE Act in Arkansas, which then led to more than 20 other states, including Tennessee, adopting similar measures. So what impact will today’s court decision have on the fight to protect children? Well, here now to discuss this is one of those who argued the case before the United States Supreme Court, the Solicitor General of Tennessee, Matt Rice. Solicitor General Rice, welcome to Washington Watch. Congratulations on this significant win.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, thank you guys so much for having me today. Excited to be here. I understand that my boss was on with you guys earlier this week. It’s always hard to follow in his footsteps, but I’ll do my best.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, you did quite a good job before the Supreme Court arguing this case. Give us a readout on the court’s decision here. 63, pretty significant margin of victory.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, so this case fundamentally was about who makes the difficult, politically controversial decisions in our society. Tennessee, when faced with a difficult medical issue that was being debated throughout the country and throughout the world, looked at the scientific evidence and decided that there simply was no scientific evidence to support gender interventions in minors. It enacted that law, and today the Supreme Court upheld that law as constitutional. The court rejected the notion that the Equal Protection Clause somehow constitutionalizes one side’s view of an active medical debate, and instead reinforced a fundamental principle of our constitutional structure, which is that the power to resolve these types of political decisions rests with the democratic process.
SPEAKER 07 :
Now, the case dealt with Tennessee’s law, but 26 other states have very similar laws. What implications will this decision have for those states?
SPEAKER 14 :
I think that those states’ laws are greenlit after today’s decisions. The court essentially returned this issue to the legislature and to the elected representatives. Now, it did not somehow ban these treatments in states that allow them, like California and New York. But for states like Tennessee and Alabama and others that have enacted these measures, the court reaffirmed that The decision as to whether to adopt these measures rests with the elected leaders at the state level.
SPEAKER 07 :
So, General Rice, I think you could then take, generally speaking, and this recognition of the right of the states to make these determinations could be applied elsewhere.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, this is a. This is an important decision for states rights. You know the the Constitution has an important but a very limited role. The states were the traditional regulators of medicine and they exercise that role here. without running afoul of any equal protection or other constitutional provision, that power remains with the states. And we think that’s a good thing. We think that allowing states the ability to adopt policies that match their constituents’ views and viewpoints is good not only for the state of Tennessee, but for the country more generally.
SPEAKER 07 :
The majority opinion was actually written by the Chief Justice, Chief Justice Roberts. Were you surprised by that?
SPEAKER 14 :
No, I wasn’t too surprised. The Chief Justice, as the most senior member of the court being the Chief, has the ability to assign the decision if he is in the majority. And so not surprising to see him take authorship here. I thought it was a very well-written, well-reasoned opinion that is consistent with what we’ve seen from the Chief Justice over his tenure.
SPEAKER 07 :
Any surprising comments made in the dissents that were provided by the three dissenting justices?
SPEAKER 14 :
No, I think the divide between the majority and the dissent was pretty much the divide you saw between the parties as to how to think about this law and think about whether it actually includes a sex-based classification or transgender-based classification or not. Of course, our position throughout this litigation has been that our law does not discriminate against any person. It restricts the use of particular drugs and surgeries for particular medical uses. That doesn’t matter. That distinction does not turn on whether you’re a boy or a girl or transgender or not. And, ultimately, the court agreed with that view and recognized that Giving, for example, testosterone to a boy with constitutional delayed puberty is not the same thing as giving testosterone to a girl who wants to change her physical appearance to match her gender identity.
SPEAKER 07 :
So it’s really the application, the application for the use of these particular drugs.
SPEAKER 14 :
Exactly. It turns on the medical use. And one of the examples that I tried to use at the oral argument at the court back in December was morphine. It’s one thing to use morphine to manage pain. It’s another thing to use morphine to assist suicide. Those are not the same treatment. And that is exactly what’s happening here with these drugs. Using testosterone to assist with gender transition is not the same thing as using it to address a separate physical medical condition.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, Solicitor General Rice, I again want to commend you and congratulate you on a very significant win. It’s huge. Grateful for your leadership on this and the leadership of the state of Tennessee. And thanks so much for joining us today. Well, thank you guys so much.
SPEAKER 14 :
God bless.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right. Well, to break this down a little bit more for us, I’m going to bring in Kena Gonzalez, who is our senior director of government affairs here at the Family Research Council. Kena, welcome back to Washington Watch. You just heard the Solicitor General there. Unpack for us just the implications here. This is quite a significant victory.
SPEAKER 04 :
This is a monumental victory, and it’s a victory for kids. It’s a victory for parents, and it’s a victory that we at FRC have been looking for for a very long time. We’re really celebrating here.
SPEAKER 07 :
We go back, unpack that for our viewers and listeners that might be new to this, how FRC kind of pioneered a law very similar to this in Arkansas, one of the first states to pass a SAFE Act protecting children from these experimental drugs and surgeries.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, by God’s providence, Tony, we really were in on the ground floor in Arkansas, which was in fact the first state to pass a law like this comprehensively protecting kids from gender transition procedures. That was an effort that came out of FRC, but it really came out of prayer. and collaboration, both here on the team and with other allies. And it was, as I said, providential in the way that it came through. That law was actually vetoed by a Republican governor at the time, Governor Asa Hutchinson. And it turned out that the veto override passing that law was the first and only time that the legislature ever overrode him. So the hand of God was very, very clear on this from the very beginning.
SPEAKER 07 :
So let’s talk about I was asking the Solicitor General about the implications for other states. We’ve already seen that just in the I believe just in the hours that the court issued this opinion.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes, we did. Attorney General Labrador in Idaho announced that their case is being dismissed and their law is going into effect. Their law had been enjoined by a court. That case is now being dismissed and the law is going into effect. There’s been no announcement yet. out of Arkansas, but I fully expect that we will see a similar outcome there and in other states. Again, it’s hard to overstate for folks. We had been working in about six states before Arkansas passed their law and enacted it over the governor’s veto. Since then, 26 states have followed suit, including Tennessee. So really, Arkansas was a dam break in this. And it really led to the point, Tony, where we now have the President of the United States affirming that children are born perfect in their bodies just the way they are. There’s been a real switch in our understanding of this issue.
SPEAKER 07 :
It has provided a turning point. When many thought that this transgender train was barreling down the tracks and couldn’t be stopped, it has been stopped and it’s been turned. We just have about 45 seconds left, but what other issues might this type of court ruling have implications for where it says the states have the right to regulate these things?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, this is a big vote of confidence, as the Solicitor General Rice said, and the right of states to regulate medicine and other areas of law. We’re so used to looking to the federal government to do everything, but the states in the United States actually constitutionally carry great authority, Tony.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right, Kanda Gonzalez, thanks so much for joining us, and I appreciate all the work that our GA team did in getting this passed, not only in Arkansas, but helping in the other states as well. All right, folks, when we come back, we’re going to be joined by Congresswoman Claudia Tinney of New York. So don’t go away.
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We’re back after this. Hi, everyone. This is Pastor Jay Johnston, National Prayer Director with the Family Research Council. I want to invite you to join our 21-day Family Bible Challenge as we read through the book of Matthew. This is an opportunity for you and for your family to come together for 15 minutes a day to read God’s Word together. Deuteronomy 6 says, these commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Seek the Word of God. Obey the Word of God. Share the Word of God so that you and others might know the joy of walking with God now and for all eternity. As your family gathers to read the Bible, invite the Holy Spirit to work in your life to spiritually transform each one of you. Ask the Lord to show you creative ways for you to connect with your family to read God’s Word together. I pray that however God uses this challenge in your life and those that you join together with will be a blessing to you and strengthen you as you read the Gospel of Matthew together. Visit FRC.org slash Family Bible Challenge for more information.
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It’s very important for us to have organizations such as FRC. First of all, I think it keeps us grounded. In addition to which, the issues that you champion are issues that we should all be championing.
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SPEAKER 07 :
This is Washington Watch. I’m Tony Perkins, your host. Thanks so much for tuning in. Well, as President Trump considers what type of military action he will take or not take in the conflict between Israel and Iran, members of Congress are stepping forward. Since the launch of Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, a couple of resolutions have floated through are being floated through the chambers. One of them grants official support to Israel for its initial strikes and places the U.S. as a supportive ally in the fight. One calls for congressional action before the U.S. can take any military action. So there’s a divided Congress. We’re here to discuss this, Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, who serves on the House Select Committee on Intelligence. She’s a member of the Abraham Accords Caucus. She represents the 24th Congressional District of New York. Congresswoman Tenney, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 22 :
Thank you. Great to be on again.
SPEAKER 07 :
Now, you have introduced a resolution supporting Israel in their preemptive efforts to eliminate the threat of a nuclear Iran.
SPEAKER 22 :
Yes. Well, of course, I think this is really important that we set a marker as members of Congress that Israel has the right to defend itself. And Israel also has the right to defend itself, not just against nuclear weapons, but also the free world. Because we know that although imminently close to Israel, Iran is focused on Israel and enriching and developing a nuclear weapon, there is a larger enemy that they’re seeking to get beyond Israel, and that’s the United States. And so I want to show our support for Israel that they’re actually in many ways fighting our war for the preservation of freedom and Western civilization by maybe keeping this menace at bay, the largest state sponsor of terror, the disruptor in the Middle East, the one that prevents the Abraham Accords from linking just about every nation over there that we’re trying to push. It’s important that we set this marker, and we also make a clear line, Tony. I think this is what… There’s a lot of confusion in the Republican Party, and I’d like to just make that clear. I’m a constitutionalist. I believe in what our founders’ vision of self-reliance, of freedom, but also… the security of our nation, which was the main reason they created a federal government in the first place, was security, border security, national defense. And I want to make sure that people understand that this is not pure freedom, pure security. It’s a concept many call ordered liberty. where we have to balance freedom and liberty, which is why we created the Bill of Rights to make sure we protect ourselves from government tyranny. But remember, the Bill of Rights are very nuanced after much debate and argument for many, many months and years by our founders. So it is important that we understand that the security of our nation has to be protected. And in that, I think that there is some libertarian sort of isolationist wing of the Republican, or I should say the right side, by the way, ends up meeting the progressives on the other side, that believes that we should absolutely not support Israel and not get involved in making sure that we protect our interests in the Middle East with the sole democracy there, by the way.
SPEAKER 07 :
I agree with you 100 percent. I would add to that that as the leader of the free world— it comes with some responsibility. It has its perks. We benefit as having the reserve currency for the world. We’ve benefited from that because we sell our debt to other countries, and we have a standard of living that is unmatched. But it requires certain responsibilities, and not that we should fight everyone’s wars. I am not for that. But I think Israel holds a special place. But as you’ve pointed out, Iran poses a threat to Israel, to the United States, and to the free world.
SPEAKER 22 :
Yes, exactly. And they’ve been trying to develop a nuclear weapon for a long time, as we all know. And the United States pulled out of the JCPOA a number of years under President Trump’s first term. And we’ve been trying to track this. And obviously, we’ve had the IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency, they’ve been actually monitoring this. And they’ve shown that Iran continues to develop a nuclear weapon against what the JCPOA has actually outlined and continued to pose a threat to the Middle East, particularly Israel, stating on a daily basis that they were going to destroy Israel and the United States, by the way. And so this enrichment capacity reached almost 90 percent, which is weapons grade. And that’s why I stood up and said we need to do a resolution showing that Israel needs to be supported in this, because it posed an existential threat not only to Israel and the Middle East, but also to those people in the United States and all of our citizens and residents here.
SPEAKER 07 :
So let’s talk about American engagement militarily. There are those saying that the president has to come to Congress before he can engage in military activity. We’ve already seen warnings by Iran and, in fact, reports suggesting they’re preparing missiles to strike U.S. bases in the Middle East. What’s Congress’s role here?
SPEAKER 22 :
Yeah, well, first of all, of course, we’d like it be ideal if Congress would act. That’s one of the reasons I introduced the resolution, to unify Congress in a way that in the event that we do have to act, we can act in a way that would have the majority, if not nearly all of our members, talk about the need of the president and his unique powers in defending and protecting the United States. You know, you hear some of the isolationists talking about the War Powers Act. Well, that’s not the Constitution. That was an act. that was subsequent to the Constitution, whose constitutionality remains to be seen at this point. But certainly the president has the power to protect the nation in terms of imminent threat. And so he’s weighing that right now. This is a really kind of dynamic situation. We’re not really sure where everything is going. Israel has done an incredible job at neutralizing Iran and their ability to respond right now. And at any point, we feel and we see that Americans whether it’s our citizens or troops, are in harm’s way, then the president has the constitutional right to act to protect them. We’re waiting to see what the president’s going to do with this one nuclear site that we can’t get to, and if that site could potentially be enriched enough to create a nuclear weapon that could harm our citizens or our soldiers and people in service. That Fordow nuclear site, the Israelis are not able to get to. So the president’s weighing this. And we’ll see what happens in the end. But right now this is a critically important and very dynamic kind of breaking news situation. We’re not sure what’s going to happen. But so far Israel has done a masterful job in neutralizing Iran. I mean, there’s obviously issues. I have friends in Israel that are American citizens or dual citizens who are in safe rooms and in bomb shelters right now trying to see what’s going to happen next. But we would love to see a democratic Iran, and so would everyone. And that’s going to be up to the Iranian people. But the president’s mission is to protect Americans and American soldiers in harm’s way.
SPEAKER 07 :
Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, always great to see you. We’re going to have to leave it there. Thanks for joining us today.
SPEAKER 22 :
Thank you so much. Great to be on.
SPEAKER 07 :
And folks, we need to pray about this situation. As Claudia was saying, I actually spoke to one of the governors over there in the region. They’re in and out of bomb shelters. But each of each successive night here was on the day six. The number of missiles coming over has diminished. I think last night they said they had I don’t know if it was it was less than two dozen missiles. So it’s diminishing. The capabilities are being diminished, but there’s still more to be done. All right, don’t go away. We’re coming back with more after this.
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for Bible-believing Christians to know what God’s Word says on these issues and to learn how they can apply it to their lives. And we believe that the more Christians that we equip, that’s how we’ll change the nation.
SPEAKER 15 :
Hey, fam, listen, Pastor Sammy here at Lighthouse Church, and I cannot tell you how equipping, how empowering, how… incredibly educating this conference has been. And so I just want to encourage anybody that either has not been part of or is thinking about hosting this event, certainly to pastors, leaders, even CEOs for that matter. This conference is lights out. Stand behind it myself. I can’t commend it enough. We’re going to be talking about this for some time to come.
SPEAKER 19 :
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SPEAKER 14 :
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SPEAKER 07 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Be sure and text the word Israel to 67742. That’s Israel to 67742 and join us in praying for Israel. All right, eliminating Iran’s nuclear weapons capability is the stated goal of Israel’s preemptive strikes on Iran. But does long-term stability in the region require regime change? And if so, how likely is that in this present conflict? Here to discuss this, Greg Roman, the executive director of the Middle East Forum Think Tank. Greg, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 12 :
Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right, so let’s talk about that. The stated goal is to eliminate the nuclear capabilities, war for weapons, there in Iran. We’re not there yet. But for long-term stability in the region, does the regime have to go?
SPEAKER 12 :
you’re pairing here sixth century ideology along with the most modern destructive weaponry known to man. And so long as the regime has one of the other, whether it be nuclear weapons or whether it be the pernicious ideology, which seeks the destruction of the West, the elimination of Israel, seeking Jews and Christians be second-class citizens in the Middle East, if citizens at all, if not their full genocide, then yes, you must get rid of both for them both to no longer be a threat, both to U.S. national security interests, but also to the West writ large.
SPEAKER 07 :
Okay. So let’s start with the first one. What’s it going to take to eliminate the nuclear facilities? That, I would think, is going to require U.S. participation.
SPEAKER 12 :
I don’t know if it will require U.S. participation, to tell you the truth. I think that the Israeli-U.S. participation is a bonus, but not a requirement to eliminate Iran’s ability to manufacture and develop nuclear weapons. Let’s look at what they’ve done. They’ve eliminated all of the intellectual know-how. whether it be through targeted assassinations and decapitation strikes against the core of Iran’s nuclear scientist regime. They’ve also gone so far as to eliminate two of three enrichment facilities, with the third, that being the deep underground centrifuge facility at Fordow, having other ways to eliminate it rather than just bombing it to bits. You can take out the entrance facilities there. You can take out the electric supply. You can make sure that people who actually work there don’t have an incentive to show up to make sure that they’re participating in the Iranian nuclear project. And lastly, you’re able to eliminate the rest of the nuclear fuel cycle. They’ve gone after the heavy water reactor at Arak. They’ve gone after the centrifuge production facilities in Isfahan. They’ve been able to go so far as to look at nuts to bolts. along the entire way of the needs that Iran has to have a fully functioning nuclear enrichment program to go all the way, except for one key factor that they might have to make next week, which is going after Iran’s sole nuclear reactor at Bushehr. But everything else they’ve been able to do by themselves, and I think they’ll continue doing that.
SPEAKER 07 :
So let me ask you, Greg, does that set it back, or does that totally disrupt their ability to pursue nuclear weapons?
SPEAKER 12 :
or anything that’s built. and destroyed can be built again. We saw this with Pakistan obtaining technology from, or rather, the Pakistanis getting technology from Libya. We saw this in the acquisitions of P-1 centrifuges for the Iranian program, which eventually went into the Tans, which was just blown up a few days ago. We even saw that with the North Korean nuclear program. So if there’s a will, there’s a way, which is why the second part of the equation is equally important, and that’s eliminating the regime which has been pursuing nuclear weapons And again, it does not have to be something that the U.S. has to do, but for the Israelis, it would be a bonus if there was American participation.
SPEAKER 07 :
So let’s talk about the regime change. I mean, that’s going to require the participation of the Iranian people.
SPEAKER 12 :
It is. You can largely see small elements now of the Iranian people actually starting to feel disenfranchised by their government because of the government’s inability to provide basic services in the wake of Israeli strikes. Banks have been shut down. The Iranian government has shut down the internet in Iran. You had 100 percent operating rate yesterday. Today you only have 3 percent of the traffic that was going on in the country yesterday. Their broadcasting ability to mass message their propaganda to the people of Iran is down. And you also have now indications that some low-level firefights have broken out outside of IRGC bases. You see Kurdish militias getting ready to perhaps cross from Iraq into Iran. And you even have borders being shut down with some of Iran’s neighboring countries. The atmosphere right now is ripe for a counterrevolution against the Islamic Republic.
SPEAKER 07 :
What capacity is there within Iran to push back against the regime?
SPEAKER 12 :
Oh, they have the besieged volunteer militias, which have been engaged in wholesale slaughter of Iranian minorities. You have the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ regular units, not those involved in ballistic missiles or the nuclear production or their overseas proxy arms, which could fight back. And you also have the Revolutionary Guards, armored units, which might be able to seek control. But at the end of the day, there are other elements of Iranian state power which, just like they went against the Shah in 1979, could perhaps choose to go with the people. This might be the Iranian army. This might be local Iranian municipalities. This might be the traffic police. Even the dog catcher might decide to switch sides. But you can’t have a repeat of what happened in Iraq, where when the U.S. government went in with troops on the ground, and I’m not calling for American troops on the ground, but when they went in with troops on the ground to completely eliminate any semblance of governance in the country.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, just about a minute left. So does that lead to the door opening to democracy in Iran?
SPEAKER 12 :
I don’t think that’s for us to decide. I think it’s up for the Iranian people to decide. There’s a speech that was given by the crown prince, Reza Bahlavi, yesterday, in a speech which went to the Iranian people in Farsi, where he said that there’s a plan in place for the first 100 days for there to be a transitional government, which would eventually get to democratic elections to decide the future of the Iranian people. But right now, I’m more worried about a controlled implosion of the Iranian Islamic Republic, and then after that, focus on transition.
SPEAKER 07 :
This would completely reshuffle the political landscape of the Middle East. I mean, this would be, we haven’t seen anything like this in a long, long time. Greg, out of time. Thanks for joining us. Look forward to talking to you more about this in the days ahead.
SPEAKER 12 :
Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right, folks, when we come back, I’m going to be joined by my good friend, Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel, Chino Hills. What does the Bible have to say about that, about this?
SPEAKER 13 :
Family Research Council is committed to advancing faith, family, and freedom from the East Coast to the West. So FRC is going to Southern California for this year’s Pray, Vote, Stand Summit, October 17th and 18th at Calvary Chapel, Chino Hills. Join us for this powerful gathering of Christians desiring cultural renewal and spiritual revival. The Pray, Vote, Stand Summit brings together Christian leaders, issue experts, and government officials for a time of prayer, inspiration, and action. Together, we will seek God’s guidance for our nation and engage in meaningful discussions on the intersection of faith, government, and culture. If the spiritual foundations and the cultural walls of our nation are to be rebuilt, we all have a role to play. May we each find our place on the wall as we build for biblical truth. Register now at PrayVoteStand.org. That’s PrayVoteStand.org.
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Order today at embracethedesign.com.
SPEAKER 18 :
How should Christians think about the thorny issues shaping our culture? How should Christians address deceitful ideas like transgenderism, critical theory, or assisted suicide? How can Christians navigate raising children in a broken culture, the war on gender roles, or rebuilding our once great nation? Outstanding is a podcast from The Washington Stand dedicated to these critical conversations. Outstanding seeks to tear down what our corrupt culture lifts up with an aim to take every thought and every idea captive to the obedience of Christ. Whether policies or partisan politics, whether conflict in America or conflict abroad, join us and our guests as we examine the headlines through the lens of Scripture. and explore how Christians can faithfully exalt Christ in all of life. Follow Outstanding on your favorite podcast app and look for new episodes each week.
SPEAKER 07 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for tuning in. Let me encourage you once again to join us in praying for Israel. We’re going to communicate the fact that you’re praying. In fact, I was, as I mentioned, talking to a member of the government there earlier today, called me, just thanking us for praying and sharing with me what was going on in their community. It was the governor of the Judea region of the country. And our prayers matter, matter to God. It also encourages them. And so, in fact, what they said was it was miraculous what was happening. They were talking about the miracles that God had done. So let’s continue to pray for them. Text Israel to 67742. That’s Israel to 67742. And join us in praying for Israel, for their leaders, and for Iran. All right, our word for today comes from Matthew 12. Then one was brought to him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute, and he healed him, so that the blind and the mute man both spoke and saw. And all the multitudes were amazed and said, Could this be the son of David? You know, the Gospels contain numerous accounts of demonic activity. Biblical scholars note that there was an increase in such activity during Jesus’ earthly ministry because he was ushering in the kingdom of God. Wherever the kingdom advances, the enemy resists. Likewise, Scripture tells us that Jesus’ return to establish his kingdom in fullness will also be preceded by intensified demonic opposition. Paul, writing in 2 Thessalonians, warns of the coming of the lawless one, the Antichrist, whose rise will be marked by deception and spiritual lawlessness. Even now, we’re witnessing a growing manifestation of the demonic opposition. often disguised as entertainment or portrayed as harmless. Followers of Christ must remain discerning. We are not called to retreat but to stand firm, for the true battle is not physical, it’s spiritual. To find out more about our journey through the Bible, text Bible to 67742. All right, we’ve been examining the unfolding crisis in the Middle East from a range of perspectives since Israel launched Operation Rising Lion last week. But there’s one critical lens we haven’t yet looked through. in its totality, and that is, how does this align with Scripture? Now, obviously, this program comes to you from a biblical perspective, but I was having breakfast this morning with a pastor, and he asked me a very pointed question. Do you think we’re witnessing the events the Bible says will unfold in the end times? My short answer, yes. And based on a number of questions I’ve received recently, I thought it would be helpful to bring in my good friend and fellow battle buddy, Pastor Jack Hibbs, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in California, and the founder and president of Real Life Radio. Pastor Jack, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah. Thank you, Tony. It’s an honor.
SPEAKER 07 :
Now, Jack, I have to start with this. I’m seeing a bit of a pattern. Last April, you invited me to preach at Calvary Chapel, and that Saturday night, Iran launched more than 300 missiles at Israel right before I was to preach. You invited me again this past Sunday, and here we are. A war actually breaks out. So what’s going on with that?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, here’s what’s going on, and I love having you just set that up. Tony, we cannot listen to, look at, consider Israel or a Jew outside of the scriptures. In other words, what’s going on in the world right now, if God were to be able or to want to focus on one given part, now he’s God, he sees everything at once. There’s no doubt about it. He tells us that his name is upon Israel. His eye is upon Israel. The Bible says that if you mess with Israel, you’re actually messing with the apple of his eye, the very cornea of God’s eye. And so your pastor friend that you’re talking about there is nothing can go on regarding Israel or the Jewish people without God’s incredible focus. And so this is a very, very, I think, Kairos moment. I think you and I will be able to talk about that here in a moment. But what we want to do, Tony, as believers, is be careful that we don’t swing the pendulum too far to one side to where we become sensationalist, but at the same warning, the pendulum could swing so far to the other side that we ignore these things. We’ll always find the truth in the balance of God’s scripture. So what’s going on with Israel? It’s global. It’s end time events. But where does it fit in?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, and you thought it was such a significant development, the unfolding of these events, that you flew back and you actually preached this past Sunday at your church because you wanted to be able to speak to your congregation about this, which I fully support and understand. So when we look at this, and this is one of the things I brought up to this pastor this morning, was that we have this… almost American-centric, Eurocentric view of Scripture. We think the world revolves around the western part of the globe, when in fact, the center of events that we read in Scripture, and I think what we see unfolding today, remains right there, centered around Jerusalem, the belly button of the world.
SPEAKER 06 :
So well said. Thank you for saying that. And that’s true for the totality of scripture. We’re guilty of looking at it through a Western worldview lens rather than a biblical worldview lens. But Tony, having said that, you and I know this and your audience is very astute. Jesus said that as we increase or get deeper into the last days, you can expect wars and rumors of wars. So if somebody’s asking the question, where does this fit in prophetically? Well, it certainly falls into that category, as any war would. There will be wars, he said, and rumors of wars. We know that since May 14th, 1948, when Israel became a nation in one day, Tony, that was the fulfillment of Isaiah 66, where the scripture says, can a nation be born a second time in one day? Well, the answer to that is yes. And that started a prophetic clock ticking that requires all believers to know their Bible. And so everyone’s talking, Tony, about Ezekiel 38. Is this Ezekiel 38? You know, this battle of the coalition of nations that are around Israel with Rosh, Meshach, and Tubal in the north. Is this it? And, you know, again, you were speaking with this pastor. I believe that we are in the stage, Tony, of setting up. I think the players are being put into place. And assuming, Tony, that Israel’s going to be successful… And they’re going to, in some way, shape or form, with what help, I don’t know yet. But let’s say that Persia, Iran, is put in its place. What’s going to happen? There’s going to be a massive explosion of salvation and an awakening of those in Persia who have been flirting with the gospel for a long time. Many of them have become believers. The second thing is this. Tony, this is important. Ezekiel 38 says that before the Ezekiel 38 battle, Israel is dwelling in peace, they’re prosperous, and they have loosened the grip on the walls. It says that the walls have become unprotected. They’re peaceful. And I think we’re seeing the setup of Israel becoming… peaceful, which will bring in later on, we don’t know when, could it be six months or six years from now, where Iran retaliates, it’s all there in Ezekiel 38, by having this coalition of Islamic nations attack Israel.
SPEAKER 07 :
Let me give you the scenario, how I see this potentially unfolding. Here’s what you said. I think we’re on the same sheet of music here. I think the stage is being set. I believe you see Iran, the regime, folding. I see the Iranian people, as you said, the explosions of salvations which are already taking place. I see them actually taking the country back. You see, that allows for an expanding of the Abraham Accords, including Saudi Arabia. And so you see a realignment of the Middle East, but that leaves a country that doesn’t like what they’ll see happen, and that is Turkey. And Turkey becomes, because we already know that Erdogan wants to reestablish the Islamic caliphate. And then you see that alignment of the Islamic countries. But if you have Saudi Arabia and an expansion, the Abraham Accords, there’s peace. I even think setting the stage for building the temple.
SPEAKER 06 :
Tony, not only building the temple, but what might also, and by the way, I fully expect that, what also could happen is somewhat shape or form of the motion toward Revelation 17 and 18. I’m not saying Revelation 17 and 18, that’s tribulation period stuff, but I’m talking about this could also open up the door for the rebuilding of what the Bible tells us of the area or the ancient Babylon area. There’s gonna be Middle East prosperity when this Abraham Accords is in full effect, Tony. That’s gonna, again, cause Israel to be, no doubt, the regional superpower, as she probably is right now. But you’re talking about something, Tony, that is gonna be, think about this, so supernatural of peace that Israel’s gonna relax to the point where they’ve not relaxed since May 14th, 1948. This is going to be the very set up that this failed Islamic invasion led by what I believe is Russia, I mean, geography-wise and tribal name-wise, you can read it, everybody please, Ezekiel 38. Why will that happen? In fact, it even says that God will put hooks into the jaw of Rosh led by Gog, G-O-G, this political military leader, and pull him down into the Middle East and be a guard. Tony, the word in Hebrew for a guard to the nations spoken, Togomar, Turkey, Persia, Libya, Ethiopia, The word guard in Hebrew means a supplier. That’s all it means, is a supplier. And you could easily see this come together as there’ll be some form later on of resentment, some form of revenge. But I believe, Tony, that this is the time when Israel is going to be lulled into a peace that is going to set up the Ezekiel 38 movement.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right, let’s talk about a couple other things. We’ve got about five minutes left, Pastor Jack. So we see this. I know you see it because you’re having conversations as well with our friends in Israel. But there is a spiritual awakening taking place where they’re looking to, not yet to the Messiah, but they’re looking to God. They’re returning to their roots. They see God working on their behalf. And I think it was by God’s design that the United States, I know that… I have information that we knew what was going on, but we were not involved in the initial attacks on Iran. That was all Israel. And that sends fear into the hearts of those in that region, knowing that Israel now has the capacity to dominate militarily.
SPEAKER 06 :
Wow, like you, my lips are sealed in certain areas, but you hit the nail on the head when you said, we knew what was about to come. Israel was very faithful. to let us know. We knew. But the beautiful thing about all this is, Tony, right now, and, man, I got to control myself, because right now what you just said is so true, Tony, that here in the Los Angeles area, very prominent Jewish individuals have reached out to me And I have been going individually through scripture with them because they want to know about the last days. And it’s all come about since, tragically, October 7th, 2023. It has just been snowballing. And I’m telling you, look, I’m a Gentile, but I feel like starting some sort of a synagogue church because I’m spending so much time witnessing to Jews here in L.A.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, they see it. I mean, they see God moving on their back. They were attacked on October the 7th. But look what’s happened as a result of that total reshaping of the geopolitical landscape in the Middle East. All right. Before we run out of time, Pastor Jack, so I got to bring this in for a landing, at least for today. And then we’re going to talk about this some more. In fact, we probably needed a whole program on this. Folks, if you want to do a whole program on this, just email me, Tony at Tony Perkins dot com and tell me you want to hear more. But Where should the United States be at this moment, and how should we come alongside Israel, and what should be the posture of the church?
SPEAKER 06 :
I think the United States should be exactly where she is right now. I really believe it. Tony, I believe the Lord is answering our prayers. He’s using Trump. He’s using Hegseth. He’s using the influence of the United States. Look, if it wasn’t for Donald J. Trump right now, you know Europe would have bailed out on Israel. People, freedom-loving nations would have capitulated and surrendered to the threats of the Ayatollahs. America, once again, thank God, glory to God, America is the tip of the spear for leading support and assistance to Israel. And yet Trump is wise enough to let them be fighting their own battle as, so to speak, Big Brother watches over and basically is saying, you know, call us if you need us, but you’re doing pretty good. And I think that’s a great, great place for us to be.
SPEAKER 07 :
And I communicated as much to the president on that, that I think his posture is perfect on this. But let’s talk about the church, the church, because there’s some you know, there’s a split in the church. There are some who who don’t see modern day Israel as connected to the word. But we know, as you were talking about prophecy, we know. like we said, there will be wars, rumors of wars. So we know that’s biblical, but we also know what God’s ultimate plan is for Israel. And so I would think as a church, we want to be praying toward that point and joining in with what God is doing, no matter where we are on the timeline of the fulfillment.
SPEAKER 06 :
Tony, so right. Look, here’s the bottom line. Do you believe the Bible or not? Jesus Christ is returning to Israel. His throne is going to be in Jerusalem on the throne of David. These are prophetic scriptures. So for people to say, well, you know what? We don’t recognize modern day Israel. Why not? The Bible says in Ezekiel and in Isaiah that the Lord will bring them back into their own land in unbelief. They are unbelievers at this point, by and large, as Yeshua HaMashiach, that is Jesus being the Messiah. They don’t get that yet, but they’re waking up. They are waking up to it. And all of that is the fulfillment of scripture. They’ve come back home. to a home that many of them had never been to before, but they came back home, made Aliyah. And even that is in scripture. Ezekiel 38 again says that when God intervenes and destroys those invading armies, then Israel will believe that he is the God of the heavens.
SPEAKER 07 :
And the word says that God would use the other nations and kings to bring it about. And we want to pray for the fulfillment of that. And we are grateful for the Jewish people and the fact that we’ve been grafted in as Gentiles. Pastor Jack, always great to see you. Thanks so much for joining me today. Great to see you, Tony. All right, brother. Well, folks, I want to thank you for joining us as well, and I do want to encourage you to join us in praying for Israel. Pray for them. Text the word Israel to 67742. That’s 67742, the word Israel, and join us in praying. All right, that’s all we have time for today, but let me leave you with these words of the Apostle Paul, found in Ephesians 6, where he says, when you’ve done everything you can do, when you’ve prayed, when you’ve prepared, and when you’ve taken your stand, by all means, keep standing.
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Washington Watch with Tony Perkins is brought to you by Family Research Council and is entirely listener supported. Portions of the show discussing candidates are brought to you by Family Research Council Action. For more information on anything you heard today or to find out how you can partner with us in our ongoing efforts to promote faith, family, and freedom, visit TonyPerkins.com.
