Join us for a special Thanksgiving edition of Washington Watch as Jody Heiss explores the profound moments that shaped America from its 250-year journey. With guest Congressman Barry Loudermilk, delve into stories of prayers that transformed crucial moments in American history. Together, we’ll reflect on the unsung heroes, the patriot pastors, who fueled the spirit of independence and freedom through faith.
SPEAKER 12 :
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. Sitting in for Tony is today’s host, Jody Heiss.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, good afternoon and welcome to this Thanksgiving Day edition of Washington Watch. Hope you and your family have had a wonderful day. I’m your host, Jody Heiss, sitting in for Tony. We’re so honored to have you joining us as well. So today, Thanksgiving. We’re not going to be talking about domestic news or international affairs or pressing issues, although there are many. What we just want to focus on today is what we all have to be grateful for. And something all Americans should be grateful for is this nation in which we live, which next year is going to be celebrating its 250th anniversary. So on today’s program, I’ll be joined by Georgia Congressman Barry Loudermilk, who will be releasing a special edition, America’s 250th anniversary edition of his book, And Then They Prayed, a powerful book. It tells true stories of incredible, incredible events in Americans’ histories that were altered or influenced through the awesome power of prayer. He’ll be joining me in just a moment. Also on the program, we’re going to share with you excerpts from a panel discussion that we had at our recent PrayVoteStand Summit that was held in California. This particular one will be a panel entitled America at 250, an experiment worth celebrating. It featured Tim Barton from Wall Builders, Dr. Kenan Curriton from Family Research Council, and Dr. Mark David Hall from Regent University. And the panel was moderated by former Congresswoman Michelle Bachman. So you sure don’t want to miss that. So we’ve got a lot coming your way today. If you by chance miss any portion of it, you can always go back to TonyPerkins.com and catch it. Lots of information and resources there available, so we want to encourage you to bookmark that webpage, TonyPerkins.com. All right, before we jump into this first segment, I want to take just a quick moment and encourage you, if you’ve not already done so, to sign up for our 2026-2027 cycle of our Bible reading plan. It’s been six years since we rolled out FRC’s Stand on the Word. It’s a Bible reading plan to encourage people to read through the scriptures. And so many, so many have joined us all across the country on this life-changing journey. And certainly we here at FRC believe that in everything that we do, whether at work or with our family, in communication, leisure activities, whatever it may be, It all starts with the firm foundation of Scripture. So on January 1st, we’re going to be starting all over. A brand new two years. It’s an exciting time, and we want to encourage you to sign up. Simply visit frc.org slash Bible or text the word Bible to 67742. And we look forward to joining with you beginning January. All right, despite what the legacy media may want you to believe from their scaremongering, this year, as with every year, we have much to give thanks for here in America. As our nation looks forward to its 250th anniversary of its founding next year, we also can look back over the past 249 years and we can plainly see that God has blessed this country, and we have a lot to be grateful for. So what are some of the most awe-inspiring examples of God’s grace and blessings on our country? Well, here now to share more about those miraculous moments is my friend and former colleague, Congressman Barry Loudermilk. He represents the 11th Congressional District of my home state of Georgia. He’s also the author of the book, And Then They Prayed, Moments… in American history impacted by prayer. It’s soon going to have its 250th edition, and you want to be sure to get it. Congressman Loudermilk, welcome back to Washington Watch. Great to see you, my friend.
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Jody, it’s so good to see you. Really do miss you here in the House, but I know you’re doing what God’s called you to do, and so we’re really proud of you.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, thank you. And I know you’re doing what God called you to do as well. And so our prayers are with you and all those who are serving our country in these difficult days. But, Barry, I just want to say thank you. This is such a powerful book that you have written. My wife and I have so thoroughly enjoyed it. Extremely well written, powerful stories. And as we come to celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you and your family have had a wonderful day. But let’s let’s start today. with some of the stories that have stood out to you the most in our nation’s past?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, you know, one thing I’d like to start with is people ask me, why write this book? And if it’s important that we understand our past so we know where to go in the future, you know, the Book of Ecclesiastes tells us that there is nothing new under the sun. It says what will happen has already happened. And if we’re going to take this country that no one ever expected to survive 250 years, if we’re going to take it another 250, 10 or 15 or even two years, we have to look back to see what sustained us for the first 250. And that has been divine providence forever. delivered through prayer. And so I felt it was just so important that these stories that I heard about growing up from a dad who was a World War II veteran, you know, he came from that greatest generation. These stories were well known and I was never taught them in school. So We spent 10 years, my family and I, researching these stories. They’re very well documented and they’re absolutely true. And they just show God’s divine intervention and how he does personally engage with us. And he does want our nation to continue and our freedoms to still be acknowledged. And there’s stories from 1746 all the way up into the 20th century. And probably two of them that stand out to me, they’re all favorites of mine, but there’s one I was just sharing with a couple of people earlier this week, and they were shocked they’d never heard this. And it’s a 20th century story from the Apollo space mission. And this is more of a story of how prayer was such a strong influence in our country, even into the 1960s and 70s. It was around that time that we started departing from this faith that grounded us as a nation. And this was the Apollo 8 space mission, which was the first time that a human has ever left the gravitational field of the moon. This was the predecessor. It was the first test flight. I’m sorry, left the gravitational field of the Earth. We were going to the moon. And it was the first time that we were going to go and orbit the moon. It was a test run for what everybody remembers, the Apollo 11 landing. One of the things, though, is they had accelerated the mission. It was going several months earlier than what they had planned because the Soviets had started making some advancements and, you know, we needed to be there first. And they realized they were going to be orbiting the moon on Christmas Day. And so the crew was given a responsibility that weighed very heavy on them, which is what are they going to say at that historic moment? Because that was going to be the most televised and listened to event in world history. The entire world would be watching and listening for what these astronauts said as they came around the backside of the moon. And so Frank Borman, the commander, he struggled about that more than he did even the mission itself, because it was such an important statement to make. And the people all across the world were listening for this, and when they came around the backside of the moon, what they did was read the first three verses from Genesis. And that shocked the world that God created the heavens and the earth. It was literally earth shattering when the voice came across Mission Control. In fact, Gene Kranz, most people remember him as he was the flight director during the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission. A movie was made about him. He was a stone cold leader who was, he coined the phrase, failure is not an option. He said after hearing that, there was not a dry eye in Mission Control, and he said you could feel the Spirit of God in the room there in Houston. And this is such a fabulous story just illustrates that how faith played such a regular part in everyday life. And I’d say one of the others is from our own civil war. And it happened in our home state of Georgia at Andersonville Prison Camp. And what’s so neat about this story? is you can still go there and witness this divine act of God. If you’ve seen the movie, you know the conditions. The prison was overcrowded. Prisoners were dying at the rate of 100 per day, and most of it was because of thirst. There was no clean source of water. The only water, which was Stockade Creek, was a cesspool. uh it was known among the prisoners the union prisoners there that if you wanted to get out of this prison all you had to do is take one sip out of stockade creek and you’d be carried to the dead house that’s how filthy it was so uh private tannahill from illinois decided he needed to do something about this so he organized a prayer service one afternoon at an area they called the tabernacle which was where a tree had fallen down in the storm in a storm and where the roots were made a little hole in the ground and they had started having some church services there so he called everyone together to pray that for one thing that god would deliver them from their thirst and they prayed and they decided they were going to pray until something happened and it had been about an hour of praying when all of a sudden out of nowhere one of those South Georgia thunderstorms just rolls in. You know what I’m talking about. They seem to just pop up from nowhere. Well, they thought, hey, this is good. We’ll get a little bit of rain. If we can capture it, that will be some water. But they weren’t praying just for temporary relief. They were praying for permanent relief. What happened next was documented by hundreds. It was witnessed by thousands. While they were praying, a bolt of lightning struck inside the stockade wall, inside the cap, hit the ground, and where the lightning struck erupted a fountain of pure water. clean water wow god delivered in a miraculous way and if you go to the andersonville and uh prison camp state park or national park right now there is a monument there that was built in the early 1900s um honoring god’s divine province they call it providence spring and jody that spring’s still flowing today you can go and see that spring you know on thanksgiving day in 2025 if you want
SPEAKER 08 :
Absolutely amazing. Barry, I want to, again, thank you for writing this book. Just today, my wife mentioned how much that book has meant to her. I want to thank you, and I want to encourage everyone to get a copy. And then they prayed. Barry, real quickly, tell us where people can get a copy of it, and then tell us, we’ve got less than a minute to go, what your prayer is for our country going into this new year.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, my prayer is that God will continue to lead us in what I think is we’re experiencing the onset of a new revival in this country, a return to those basic core principles. It’s hard for people to see because the attack that Christians are under, that we’re under, but it reminds me of something that my dad told me as a World War II veteran. He said the enemy fought the hardest when we were taking their ground. So I feel like we have started this new revival and a return to those basic principles, and I just pray that that continues. The book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, and it’s actually starting to be stocked in some bookstores. We reached national bestseller status just a few weeks ago. God is really blessed. And my objective is to get this into many hands as we can of people throughout this nation so they can understand that God is still alive and well and working in our country.
SPEAKER 08 :
He is. Absolutely. Congressman Barry Loudermilk, happy Thanksgiving to you and your dear family. Love to all of them. Thank you for joining us today on Washington Watch. All right, friends, don’t go anywhere. We’ve got more of this special edition Thanksgiving Day edition coming your way on the other side of the break. Stay with us. We’ll be right back.
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Explore the faith-filled origins of Thanksgiving with a beautifully designed digital resource from Family Research Council. Learn how the pilgrims, scripture, and God’s provision shaped the first Thanksgiving and helped define this uniquely American holiday. As the psalmist says, oh, give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. To receive this free resource, text Thanksgiving to 67742. That’s Thanksgiving to 67742.
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In times like these, we need something solid to stand on. That’s why I’m inviting you to join me on January the 1st for Stand on the Word, a daily journey through the entire Bible. Each day, we’ll read God’s Word together, discuss how to apply His truths to our lives, 15 minutes that can transform your year. Join me and thousands of others as we stand strong by standing on the Word of God. Text BIBLE to 67742. That’s BIBLE to 67742.
SPEAKER 09 :
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.
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What is God’s role in government? What does the separation of church and state really mean? And how does morality shape a nation? President John Adams said our Constitution was made only for moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. Join Family Research Council for God and Government, a powerful series that explores the connection between biblical principles and the American government, equipping you with truth to engage in today’s most pressing debates. We’ll uncover the foundations of our nation’s history and why it’s relevant for today. Join us to defend God’s plan for government because faith and freedom were never meant to be separate. You can view the course at PrayVoteStand.org slash God and Government or on the Stand Firm app.
SPEAKER 08 :
good afternoon welcome back to washington watch i’m your host jody heist sitting in today for tony hope you and your family had a fantastic thanksgiving and thank you now for tuning in with us all right for the rest of the program today we want to bring you some very special content from our most recent pray vote stand summit that was held in chino california and again for those of you may not be aware the pray vote stand summit is our annual event it draws christian voters literally from all across america for a time of prayer tremendous inspiration as well as action and so many different issues are addressed at this conference like religious liberty calling the church to engage the culture, the need to stand with Israel, the crisis and the issue over parental rights and education, chemical abortion, trying to communicate effectively in a hostile world, and God’s design for sexuality. All these and many other topics were covered. Truly an encouraging event. Well, one of the sessions at this year’s summit was a very special panel that discussed next year’s 250th anniversary of America’s independence. It was titled America at 250, The Experiment Worth Celebrating. It featured Tim Barton from Wall Builders, Dr. Kenan Curitan from the Family Research Council, and Dr. Mark David Hall from Regent University. The panel was also moderated by a very, very special person, Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann. And so we’re not going to be able to have time to share the entire panel today, but it was indeed a powerful one. We do want to share excerpts from it, but for those of you who would like to catch the whole thing, you certainly can do so. The best way to catch it is by downloading our Stand Firm app. You can get it by going to the App Store, Google Play, whatever. Or probably the most easy way to get it is simply text the word APP to 67742. We encourage you to do that. But here’s the panel on America at 250. And right here is how it all got started.
SPEAKER 04 :
Many of you in this audience may understand the greatness of America and our heritage. This current generation almost feels like generations. They don’t understand that we’re a great nation. They don’t understand why. They don’t have the history. And so these three understand it. And so Tim, could you start us out this morning and share something about America’s heritage that you want everyone here and online to know
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, I think there’s so many things that we could spend time talking about. But looking at America and maybe why it should be celebrated, I think it’s ironic that today there’s a no kings rally. And if we’re talking about the foundation of America, it’s kind of similar to some of the foundation. The difference was, it wasn’t that we believed there was no king. One of the mottos and rallies in the revolution was no king but King Jesus. And the The idea of America was the idea that our rights don’t come from government, they come from our divine creator, right? And government’s main job is to protect those rights and because that was the foundation of America, we’ve enjoyed over the last 250 years more freedom, more prosperity, more stability than any other nation anywhere in the world and that should be celebrated.
SPEAKER 04 :
Thank you. Dr. Mark David Hall, I would ask you the same question. What would you like this audience to know about the greatness of America and our foundation?
SPEAKER 02 :
So religious liberty has been called the first freedom or the sacred right of conscience. And yet for 1600 years, it basically did not exist in the Western world. Even religious toleration didn’t. Now, if you read the literature on this, you’ll see two main stories. One is there’s religious oppression And then people get tired of killing each other over religion. And so they say, okay, let’s love and let live. The second story is there’s religious oppression. And then the enlightenment comes along and saves us. And we become rational creatures. One of the things I’ve argued and become convinced of is both of these narratives are not the whole story and actually not much of the story. Really what we see is godly, pious men making biblical and theological arguments. People like Roger Williams, William Penn, Elisha Williams, John Leland, Isaac Backus, are making Christian arguments for the importance of religious first toleration and then religious liberty. And by the time we get to the founding era, everyone is convinced that this is an important right Not a right to worship, but a right to the free exercise of religion. And not only that, but it’s right for everyone. So one of my favorite letters is George Washington’s letter to the Hebrew congregation in Newport, Rhode Island. There were only about 1,500 Jews in America at the time, but George Washington makes it clear. You all have the same right to the free exercise of religion as any of us Christians. It’s a beautiful thing, and it’s a right we need to continue to support and protect today.
SPEAKER 04 :
Amen. Thank you, Mark. Kenan, you’re an extremely important part of Family Research Council for obvious reasons. So please tell our audience what you want them to not forget about America’s founding.
SPEAKER 07 :
I’m just going to go off of what Dr. Hall said and refer to that letter. One verse that George Washington quotes in that letter is Micah 4.4. Go look it up. You know, he’s talking about every man living in security under his vine and fig tree. You know, he quoted that verse 50 times, 50 times in his letters. So I would point you to the fact that America is founded on the word of God. Amen. I mean, when you look at the biblical principles that they used to build and construct the government that we have, And you look at the scripture-soaked culture that they lived in. And, you know, they’re quoting the scripture. Now we don’t even know it anymore to even know they’re quoting it. But that’s what I would tell you is that it’s all founded on the Word of God. Tony began this morning with stand on the Word. We need to get back in the Word of God because that is the foundation that made America great.
SPEAKER 08 :
That was a panel on America’s 250th anniversary. It took place at our most recent 2025 PrayVote Stand Summit. What an amazing event. And you can tell just by that one panel discussion how incredible it was. We’re so honored to have you joining us today for this special Thanksgiving Day edition of Washington Watch. Again, let me just tell you again, for those of you who would like to see not only this entire panel, but others that took place at the PrayVote Stand Summit, you can still do so. We had multiple sessions covering so many various topics, extremely important topics, and you can watch it by downloading our Stand Firm app. If you don’t have the app, again, let me encourage you to get it, first of all, and you’ve got several options, several ways to get it. Simply go to your app store or Google Play, wherever it is where you get your apps, you can get StandFirm, or probably the easiest way to do it is simply text the word app. app text app to 67742 and you will be immediately taken right to the place where you can download it immediately encourage you to do that all right after the break we’ve still got much more to bring your way but specifically we want to share more from this particular panel and highlight the patriot pastors who laid the foundation for the Founding Fathers. An incredible discussion is coming your way, so stay tuned. We’ll be back in a moment.
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At Family Research Council, we believe religious freedom is a fundamental human right that all governments must protect. For years, Islamist militants in Nigeria have targeted Christians and other religious minority groups with brutal violence. Since 2009, 52,000 Christians have been slaughtered. A staggering 89% of Christian martyrs in the world today are from Nigeria. The first Trump administration declared Nigeria a country of particular concern, a designation reserved for countries whose governments engage in or tolerate religious freedom violations. However, this designation of Nigeria was quickly reversed by the Biden administration. Following consistent calls from FRC President Tony Perkins and other religious leaders across the U.S., President Donald Trump has responded.
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Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands and thousands of Christians are being killed. I am hereby making Nigeria a country of particular concern.
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This is a huge step forward for the protection of Christians in Nigeria, as well as religious freedom across the world. While this opens the door for the U.S. government to pressure Nigerian leaders to protect vulnerable Christians, it is only the beginning. We must continue to pray diligently, work strategically, and stand firm for the protection of religious liberty across the globe.
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Looking for a trusted source of news that shares your Christian values? Turn to The Washington Stand, your ultimate destination for informed, faith-centered reporting. Our dedicated team goes beyond the headlines, delivering stories that matter most to believers. From breaking events to cultural insights, we provide clear, compassionate coverage through a biblical lens. Discover news you can trust at The Washington Stand, where faith and facts meet every day.
SPEAKER 08 :
Good afternoon and welcome back to Washington Watch in this very special Thanksgiving Day edition. I’m your host Jody Heiss filling in for Tony. So glad to have you on board with us. Hope you and your family had a fantastic Thanksgiving Day. Today we’re broadcasting content from our most recent 2025 Pray Vote Stand Summit. And in the last segment, we shared the panel discussion on America’s 250th anniversary. It was moderated by Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann. It featured Tim Barton from Wall Builders, Dr. Kenan Curitan from the Family Research Council, and Dr. Mark David Hall of Regent University. Now, in this next part, we’ll continue that discussion, starting with Dr. Curitan’s response to this question. Who is an individual from any time in America’s founding who inspires you from that era? I remember listening to this question from the front row, and I could not wait to hear how he responded to this. So I want you to hear it yourself. So here now is Dr. Kenan Curitan with his response to one of the great founders in our history.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, I want to talk about the guys that were behind the founding fathers that laid the foundation for the founding fathers. And that was the Patriot pastors. The Patriot pastors, they were preaching, man, 10 years before the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord. They were laying down the principles of good and godly government and railing against British tyranny. all the way back to the Stamp Act in 1765, all the way forward to the time that British Governor Gage locked up the town of Boston, basically put it under martial law. And that’s when these patriot pastors went into overdrive in their preaching, and man, You go back and you look at some of the things that were said about these guys. John Adams wrote his wife Abigail, the clergy of every denomination thunder and lighten every Sabbath against the impression that was going on. And the British, they were in agreement. These guys were rabble-rousers. British Brigadier General Hugh Earl Percy said this, no body of men are so extremely injurious to peace and tranquility as the clergy. They preach sedition openly from their pulpits. Wow. And then there was another British sympathizer. You know this guy, Peter Oliver. He’s the guy that coined the phrase black regiment. You know, Jack just told me backstage, he’s got a black robe back there. He’s one of the black robe regiment, right? But these guys were feared by the British and hated. And, you know, a couple of the guys specifically… I can’t talk about one without talking about the other, because Lexington Concord, anybody know the shot heard around the world? We just celebrated the 250th anniversary of Lexington Concord, April 19, 1775. You got Pastor Jonas Clark, who was in Lexington, and he preached sermons like this, the importance of military skill, measures for defense, and a martial spirit in a time of peace. They trained a militia and housed the gunpowder and the ammo in the church, okay? And in the town resolves, he said, we should be ready to sacrifice our estates and everything in life and life itself in support of the common cause. Of the eight men who died on April 19 on Lexington Green, seven of those guys were members of the church. That’s the guy, Jonas Clark, where John Hancock and Sam Adams were hiding out on the night of Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride to come warn him that the British are coming, right? So Jonas Clark is somebody we don’t even know about anymore, right? And yet the first to sacrifice their lives on the altar of liberty were members of his church. The second guy is Reverend William Emerson. He was in Concord. We know his more famous grandson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, the poet. But he was preaching sermons like this. Behold, God is with us for a captain from 2 Chronicles 13. And in that sermon, he said, put on the whole armor of God. It’s an additional honor to the best man and the brightest Christian, especially in this our day, that he is a good soldier. And so they trained militia, and he talks about it in his diary. Great day for warlike preparations, he put in there. And when the alarm bell rang that the British were coming on April 19, he was the first man to muster with his musket in hand. And when the attack of the British came at the Old North Bridge in Concord, he was right there with those guys. And when the battle commenced, he said this, let us stand our ground. If we die, let us die here. So to me, you can’t tell the story of America without talking about these patriot pastors. I mean, they may not have literally fired the shots heard around the world, but their sermons loaded the guns.
SPEAKER 08 :
amen amen they filled the heads and the hearts of those who fought amen and stood up against the british with biblical faith amen that was family research council’s dr kenan curitan he was speaking at the 2025 pray vote stand summit that took place last month and you are tuned into this special edition of washington watch What an incredible summit that was. And I remember that answer so vividly. And it went on from there. Some of the others had some amazing answers, too. And we’re going to continue a little bit further. By the way, for those of you, again, who missed the summit or you’d like to get more information on not only this particular panel but other sessions that were covered as well, you can do it. Get the Stand Firm app, and it will be right at your fingertips. If you don’t have the app, again, go to your favorite app store go to google play wherever it is that you particularly get your apps or simply do it the easy way text the word app app to six seven seven four two that’s app to six seven seven four two Okay, after the break, we’re going to share the rest of the panel discussion on America’s 250th anniversary. Fantastic information is coming your way on the other side of the break, so stick around.
SPEAKER 03 :
Are you looking for a meaningful gift to share this Christmas? Family Research Council has you covered. Check out the Stand on the Word official store for gear and gifts that are thoughtfully designed to help you wear, share, and stand boldly on scripture. Check out our Christmas bundle for a $25 discount. Visit frc.org slash Bible store or text store to 67742. That’s store to 67742.
SPEAKER 06 :
For over 4,000 years, the Jewish people have had legal, historical, and biblical ties to the land of Israel, especially the heartland of Israel, Judea and Samaria, which much of the world still calls the West Bank. To Israelis, Judea and Samaria is far more than a name. It’s the center of their ancestral homeland where nearly 80% of the Bible’s events took place. Abraham purchased property in Hebron, Jacob in Shechem, Joshua made an altar on Mount Ebal and led the Israelites into a covenant before God. On Mount Gerizim, overlooking Shechem, Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman at the well about worshiping neither on Mount Gerizim nor in Jerusalem, but in spirit and in truth. Judea and Samaria is nearly a quarter of Israel’s current land mass, not a small strip of land on the Jordan River, but a vital and strategic part of the nation’s identity. The October 7th massacre, launched from Gaza, shattered the illusion that giving away territory brings peace. Gaza, which was once seen as the cornerstone of a two-state solution, became a launch pad for terror. Today, only 21% of Israelis support a Palestinian state. Trust in a two-state solution has all but collapsed. The Middle East is changing. Iran’s grip is weakening. New alliances are forming. But Western countries and some U.S. officials still chase the mirage of a two-state solution. History speaks clearly. The 2005 Gaza withdrawal, backed by the U.S., led not to peace, but to a terrorist regime. Judea and Samaria are 24 times larger than Gaza, deeply woven into Israel’s geographic and spiritual fabric. To surrender them would not bring peace. It would invite conflict and existential danger. Family Research Council stands with Israel’s rightful claim to sovereignty. It’s time for America to do the same for history, for justice, and for lasting security in the Middle East.
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Download the new Stand Firm app for Apple and Android phones today. You can join a wonderful community of fellow believers. We’ve created a special place for you to access news from a biblical perspective. Read and listen to daily devotionals, pray for current events, and more. Share the Stand Firm app with your friends, family, and church members. And of course, Stand Firm wherever you go.
SPEAKER 08 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Again, I’m Jody Heiss filling in for Tony, and thank you so much for tuning in today. Certainly hope that you and your family are having a joy-filled Thanksgiving and genuinely giving thanks for all things. Today we’ve been playing some highlights from our 2025 PrayVote Stand Summit. Certainly hope you’ve been enjoying this. And to close out today’s special edition, we’re going to finish up with the panel discussion on America’s 250th anniversary. And now we’re going to listen to our panelists and moderator highlight some of the miracles that occurred in America’s history. Fascinating information. We’re going to start with what Tim Barton from Wall Builders had to say.
SPEAKER 11 :
There are so many examples. There’s an example I want to point to and then a letter I want to reference. So first of all, it’s super easy and there’s like really low hanging fruit, but there’s so many writings that highlight this. So you have, for example, the Battle of Long Island happens the end of August 1776. So it’s a month and a half plus after the declaration. And at the Battle of Long Island, the British have shown up with 30,000 troops. Washington is there with 9,000 troops. They are pinned on the edge of the island. The river’s behind them. At this point, the British are holding for a little bit, partly because they learned from the Battle of Bunker Hill that once the Americans have time to entrench themselves, they’re a little harder to oust without maybe causing loss of life. And so there’s speculation why they’re holding and not just overwhelming them with force. But one of the reasons is because the Navy, later that day comes, and they’ve been there now a day and a half, two days, whatever it was, the Navy comes up the river behind them and they’re gonna fully encircle and enclose them. And once that happens, Washington and his troops, there’s no escape, right? They’re all gonna be captured. Washington’s gonna be executed for treason against the king. It’s over for these guys. And the records identified, it was a clear day. And as the naval vessels start coming in, clouds are forming and a storm breaks out. And it turns into this raging storm. And the wind is not blowing from the water on the land. The wind is blowing down the river back into the larger Bay Ocean area. And it actually starts blowing the British ships back down the river enough so that the British… Navy is concerned they don’t want their ships to run aground, so they call for a retreat to get their boats out of there. Now, that seems great in the moment. Washington’s still stuck there. So they have to find a way to get off this island. What are they gonna do? Washington sends word to find anything that floats, and they’re gonna try to evacuate that night. So under cover of darkness, they begin the evacuation. They find canoes, these flat-bottomed boats. Well, there’s 9,000 men. And there’s only so many people, you can get on a canoe at a time. It’s a mile across and a mile back. So all night long, they’re working this evacuation. As the dawn, like the gray of the next morning is coming, there’s more than a thousand troops left, and George Washington is still there, because George Washington made the commitment that he’s gonna be the last one off the island, he’s gonna get his men to safety, and then he’ll go. And so now it’s going to be 30,000 against 1,000. As soon as light appears, the British are going to realize what they’re doing. They’re going to advance. They’re going to capture all the troops. Washington at this point for sure is going to be executed. And the records of the men who were there identified that before the gray, before the light of the first dawn or the dawn appeared, a fog lifted off the river. Not surprising, but the fog blew and it stopped between both camps. And the fog stayed there as they continued the evacuation. And as they loaded the last three boats, the last three boats got to the middle of the river and the fog lifts. And the British look and realize the camp is empty. They charge the British identified when they got to the edge of the river, they saw three boats arrive on the other side and they saw men unload from those last three boats, which also keep in mind, Washington was going to be the last guy off the island. So likely they’re seeing Washington get out of a boat on the other side of the river. And they identified the Americans had escaped to fight another day. And when people looked at this, you can imagine, right? There might be some going, we’re the luckiest team in the world. But some are like, okay, so what do you think the odds are? right, clear sunny day, Navy coming in, a storm comes in, the storm’s blowing against like normal tradition where the storm would have been blowing off the water. I’m like, no, it’s blowing the opposite direction. That seems unusual. And then like, they’re processing all of this, right? A fog comes in and it occurred to them, you know, I think God’s helping us. It was so clear. They talked about… the hand of divine providence in what had happened, and to make this illustration even stronger, George Washington in 1778 wrote to General Thomas Nelson, Jr., a signer of the Declaration from Virginia who then joined and became a major general in the army throughout the Revolution, but he was talking about some of these battles and these moments and these unlikely things that kept happening in the midst of the battle, and he said, if anyone looks at this, and they can’t see the hand of providence, they must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith and more than wicked that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge their obligations. So Washington says, right, if anybody looks at these battles, if they can’t see the hand of God, it’s because either they’re not a Christian or they’re just wicked. to not acknowledge, because this is how clear it was to the guys who were there. Just open your eyes and look. There’s no way this happens unless God was part of it, and the Battle of Long Island is an easy example for that.
SPEAKER 04 :
Amen. Thank you for sharing that miracle story. Do you have — so Tim is with wallbuilders.com, as I said. He’s the president of it, and you have a lot of different products, so I’m going to do a commercial for you. Do you have any products that tell the miracle stories?
SPEAKER 11 :
A lot of them are in the American story, The Beginnings, where we do tell several of those stories.
SPEAKER 04 :
Is that a book? Is that a video?
SPEAKER 11 :
It is a book. It’s available all over the place. Walblers.com. It’s digital, but it’s primarily a book. But we do tell lots of stories. So they can also go to any of our social media or YouTube channel and hear us telling some of those stories.
SPEAKER 04 :
Check out their materials. I bought a lot of their materials when our children were young, when we were homeschooling. It’s the most inspiring materials, and thank you for producing them. Mark, do you have a miracle you could share?
SPEAKER 02 :
So I have what I think is a nice follow-up to that. So there’s a cottage industry of people debating whether the war for American independence was a just war or not. Most people come down on the side that it was not. Eric Patterson, the former dean of the Robertson School of Government, and I come down on the affirmative that it was just. In one encounter, I was debating a colonel from the U.S. Air Force Academy, and he was arguing it was not a just war. Now, in order for a war to be just, there has to be a just cause, it has to be declared by the legitimate authority, and there has to be a reasonable chance of success. And this colonel from the U.S. Air Force Academy said there was no reasonable chance of success. Now it may seem obvious that there was since the Patriot side won, but his point was if you look back at it, the patriots are, you know, these scattered Americans, almost none of them have serious military training coming up against the greatest empire the world had seen to date with the ability to hire mercenaries from Germany. And of course, the British army was far better trained than a Navy was far superior in almost every respect. And yet, The American side won. The Patriots won. It’s hard for me to explain how that could happen other than God’s miraculous intervention.
SPEAKER 04 :
Absolutely. Do you want to talk about a David and Goliath encounter between an army that had no money at one time at Valley Forge? You remember the stories how they were barefoot and they were trying to tie their feet up with rags because they were bloody. They had absolutely nothing and yet they won. and they persevered. To me, the miracle is that they persevered. Despite losing battle after battle, they persevered and then God pulled it out. One thing, in our time that is left, I think it’s important also to talk about the precursor to the revolutionary period, and that really is the pilgrims. That’s the pilgrims and the Puritans when they came over. And again, that was suffering. It was religious persecution that drove the pilgrims to leave England. They were severely persecuted to the point of death and they left and they went to what was called the Lowlands, the Netherlands. They sojourned there for a while and they believed that the Holy Spirit spoke to them and their church group, very small group, and that they were to go to this new land called the United States. The very first settlement, as you know, the first English and permanent settlement was at Jamestown. So Mark and I are at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia. That’s where the first settlement landed, at Virginia Beach, Virginia, in Cape Henry. And the first thing they did is they had three days of prayer and fasting on the ship. because the Anglican priest that was with them saw the men, they were breaking out in fisticuffs, they were drinking, they were looking forward to getting onto the land, and he said, hold it, we are not going to go on this land, America, as barbarians. We’re going to fast and pray, we’re going to confess our sins, and they had a cross on board the ship, and they came out, and we know the exact prayer that Robert Hunt prayed that day from the Anglican They put the cross into the sand at Cape Henry. We have a replica of that cross on the campus at Regent University. And then they prayed the prayer. And the prayer was so unusual. This is a miracle. And the prayer from the Anglican prayer book is that we are dedicating this land today to God, to Almighty God, to his service, and that the gospel of Jesus Christ would go across that whole land. They had no idea the length and breadth of the land that they were landing on, but also that it would go to the whole world. Now imagine, here you have a bunch of drunken sailors on a boat, and Robert Hunt is praying that the gospel will go forth, a faith-inspired prayer to the whole land, but from that land to the whole earth. Now here’s the miracle that I would share with you. One of the priest Anglican Anglican priest Robert Hunt’s linear descendants years later was a man named Pat Robertson. He had the 700 Club and he started the Christian Broadcasting Network exactly there. But he wasn’t living there. He was up in New York City. He was a very well-to-do lawyer on Wall Street. drinking a lot, and then he met Jesus Christ. And he gave it all up. And he said, Lord, what do you want me to do? And the Lord told him, buy a broken down TV station in Portsmouth, Virginia. And he started the first Christian broadcasting station in America. And then from there, the Christian Broadcasting Network. But here’s what’s unbelievable. That prayer that Robert Hunt gave was on April 29th, 1607. On April 29th, 1979, the very first satellite was launched into space and it broadcast the gospel from Jerusalem. Pat Robertson was in Jerusalem, and the gospel went around the world for the first time, April 29th, 1979, and it’s been broadcast uninterrupted since then in answer to the prayer given by faith that was said on that piece of land at Cape Henry. That’s not coincidence. That’s the Holy Spirit of God. And so throughout our heritage, these are the stories our young people need to know. That America is not an accident. America is not evil. America is God’s design and destiny. We should thank him. We should praise him for this. And we should exalt his holy name for what he has given to us to steward for the next 250 years. So… Kenan, I won’t be able to ask for your miracle, but we have about a little over a minute, and what I would like to do is ask for a resource that everyone here online could go and purchase or avail themselves of or check out of the library so that you can celebrate this 250th year. Let me give you mine first. Mine is Governor Bradford from when the pilgrims landed, he has an absolute treasure of a book. It’s called Of Plymouth Plantation. And I urge all of you to get a new copy of that book and read it or listen to it on Audible. As I was flying out here, I listened to this book all the time because it shows that the people were steeped in the word of God everything they did was by faith trying to be obedient to God willing to give their lives if need be to found this country so William Bradford of Plymouth Plantation either the book or on video or on audio so go ahead Kenan any of the books these guys have written I would say markdavidhall.com go to his website you’ll find his books amazing wallbuilders.com
SPEAKER 07 :
Tim and David have tag team on two that you really need to get. And that’s the American story. And then also I would just say, look at what the White House is trying to produce with the videos that they’re putting out there in collaboration with Hillsdale and with Prager. And they’re doing a lot of stuff on the founding era and the founding fathers in particular. And so if you want to do some activities, maybe take one founder a week, maybe take, you know, one of the signers of the decoration a week. And look at the biographies by Sanderson or Goodrich or Lossing. I think you guys published Lossing. Anyway, look at those once a week with your family and just thank God for what he did through those founding fathers to lay that biblical foundation on which God has built the greatest nation on the face of the earth.
SPEAKER 04 :
Amen. Colonel John Idesmo has written a book on each of the founders that you could get as well. And Mark David Hall has done one of the videos for the White House on the 250th anniversary. So Mark, suggest one of your own books. Tell them which one to buy.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, that’s very kind of you.
SPEAKER 04 :
He’s humble. He’s an Anglican. Go ahead.
SPEAKER 02 :
I wasn’t going to do that in an effort to appear humble, but I do have a book that… Did America Have a Christian Founding, which was my first book written for the general reading public. Everything else I did before that was dry and academic. Hopefully it has some value, but this really should be a very accessible book.
SPEAKER 04 :
Repeat the name of that title.
SPEAKER 02 :
Did America Have a Christian Founding with a question mark? And I’ll give you a hint. The answer is yes, it did.
SPEAKER 04 :
And what about you?
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, I would encourage, all of us are gonna be doing things during the 250th, and we will all have releases coming out, so I would say check all the websites. So Family Research Council, I know Kenan and Tony are working on things, Mark David Hall is, we are at WallBuilder, so I would say just stay tuned to this because we are gonna try to amplify what has been left out in culture, and that is the biblical foundation of America. We’re doing collab things together as well, So just follow along because there will be lots of really good books and resources coming out in the near future.
SPEAKER 04 :
This is about revival fires. And we want to revive in the hearts of our young people the love for our country because it’s our biblical heritage. Give yourselves some applause and for those of our wonderful panelists. Thank you. Thank you.
SPEAKER 08 :
I’m Jody Heiss. Thank you so much for tuning into this special Thanksgiving edition of Washington Watch. What you’ve just heard was a panel discussion on America’s 250th anniversary. It was all part of our 2025 PrayVote Stand Summit. Hope you’ve enjoyed these excerpts that we’ve been able to share. Unfortunately, that’s all the time we have. Again, happy Thanksgiving, and we’ll see you next time right here on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 12 :
Washington Watch with Tony Perkins is brought to you by Family Research Council. To support our efforts to advance faith, family, and freedom, please text GIVE to 67742. That’s GIVE to 67742. Portions of the show discussing candidates are brought to you by Family Research Council Action. For more information, please visit TonyPerkins.com.
