Roger Marsh: Hello, and welcome to Family Talk, a division of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. I'm Roger Marsh, thanking you so much for making us a part of your day. If you're like me, the presidential election and claims of election fraud have left you feeling weary. Then you add to that the violence at the Capitol on January 6th during the certification of the electoral college votes, and then to top it off, pro-abortion, anti-traditional-family Democrats have not only assumed the white house, but gained a slight majority in both chambers of Congress. It appears they will be able to legislate their agenda without obstruction. Mentally speaking, it's almost more than we can bear. However, as Christians, we can find hope in Psalm 118:8, which says, "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man."
Despite all that has transpired politically over the past several months, we should find comfort that God is still on his throne. Psalm 47:8 declares, "That God reigns over the nations. God sits on his Holy throne." Christian radio talk show host Janet Parshall is with us. She is the host of Moody Radio's nationally syndicated program called, In the Market, which is carried on 700 stations. In 2008, as well as 2011, Janet was awarded the National Religious Broadcasters On-Air Personality of the Year. She has served on the board of Concerned Women for America, has been a spokeswoman for the Family Research Council, and has appeared on network television as an advocate for the biblical worldview. Plus, she has written several books, including The Light in the City: Why Christians Must Advance and Not Retreat, as well as Buyer Beware: Finding Truth in the Marketplace of Ideas. Janet and her husband, Craig live in Virginia and have four children and six grandchildren. Here now as Janet Parshall on today's edition of Family Talk.
Dr. Clinton: Janet, welcome back to Family Talk. It's always great to have you.
Janet Parshall: It's wonderful to be with you, Tim. Thanks for inviting me.
Dr. Clinton: As we get started, this country has been through some dark days. You go all the way back to what, 1860s, slavery and the Civil War, bring it all the way up through 9/11. And Janet I think we've seen some real moments of despair, like we witnessed at the Capitol on January 6th when everything seems to be coming apart at the seams. When people resorted to violence there, that wasn't America. In almost 250 years of this grand experiment, Janet, even the worst of times have never defined us. Is that a pretty fair assessment as we get started?
Janet Parshall: It's an excellent assessment, but you started out with a history lesson. And so let me go back to that, because I think that's so astute on your part. So, in the 1700s we had to decide whether or not we'd turn our back on a king and start a revolution and begin our own country. In the end it would cost them their lives, their lands, their sacred honor, as the saying goes. So that was pretty rough. Fast forward as you alluded to the 1800s and sin is about to split this country's stem to stern, it was tough. But you know, I remember the line of that wonderful hymn that we know and love so well, "Tis grace that's brought us safe thus far, and grace will lead us home." What we saw at the Capitol on that fateful day was horrific, and it was horrific because what we did is, we abandoned a core American principle, which is the idea of lawfulness, not lawlessness. And if I might boldly point out, before somebody thinks that's a political statement, it's a biblical statement. God is a great lover of the law.
He gave it to us. He wrote it with a fire pen, put it on a tablet, had a man come down and said, "Here's the law." And it was so precious by the way that when Ezra read the law, the people wept out loud and the law was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. But the law is the recognition that we are sinful people by nature. And the law helps us, by the way, to have a system of internal checks and balances. You know, people say, "You can't legislate morality." We legislate morality every single day, "Thou shalt not kill." If you take another person's life, that's murder, you'll go to jail. There's an intersection with God's law, and what we do is American jurisprudence here as well. So yes, that was an absolutely horrible day. Now, not every single person who was in attendance acted in that unconscionable behavior. So let's make sure we don't point with a broad brush and say, "Every person who was there."
In fact, there were people who didn't have a clue. They were on buses, they were on trains. They were headed home and on their cell phones they were starting to read about what was happening on the Capitol. But what we saw is not how we handle grievances in this country. We have a right of redress. We don't defeat with bullets, we defeat with better ideas.
Dr. Clinton: Janet, our friend, Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council wrote recently, "We are not a bitter, desolate, violent people, we are a hurting people, a frustrated and divided people, but we're not a people broken beyond repair." I agree with you, Janet, that this is a very difficult time, and we are a very broken people.
Janet Parshall: We are a very broken people and we are reminded especially of the events of recent history that we're desperately in need of Jesus. You know, you can do what's right in your own eyes and then you see what happens. The Bible tells us, God is not the author of confusion. What we saw was chaos. And situational ethics means you will do anything as long as you desire to get to your desired end. So, what we saw was a lot of self-centeredness, greed, a lust for power: sin. And the antidote for sin is the cross and the followers of Jesus Christ have that message. But Tim, herein lies the conundrum for us as believers. In fact, if I can, let me go to that wonderful passage in John 17. Tim, it's one of my favorites because God didn't have to include it.
Jesus is talking to his daddy, his Abba father. And Jesus says, "My prayer isn't that you take them out of the world." Listen to that, "Not take them out of the world, but that you sanctify them with my word. My word is truth." Now nowhere in scripture from Genesis to Revelation does it say, "Like your ATM, boom, you're going to get instant results." Suit up, gird up, get up, and get out. This is going to take time and it's going to take muscle, and mature Christians are going to be required now more than ever before. Off the milk on the meat, let's go.
Dr. Clinton: Hmm, no doubt there are folks listening right now who not only voted, but they became actively engaged in the political arena. Maybe they campaigned for pro-life, pro-family candidates. They're disappointed. They're frustrated, perhaps even inclined right now to withdraw from the public square for good. Janet, keep pressing in here, because this is really important to all of us. What's your counsel to them?
Janet Parshall: Well, first of all, I'm going to take the minority spy report, Tim. I think there are a lot of people out there who think they're giants in the land. You just ticked off several giants and it would be so easy to say, "I'm scared to death. This is it, night's coming. The sun will never shine again. I'm afraid and I'm going to retreat." I'm going to take the minority spy report. I'm going to listen to those two fellows who came back and said, "Listen, God's with us. Nothing's impossible." Now, let me give you some pragmatics on the lay of the land. I've been in Washington for not years but decades, by the way. And I have to tell you that the pendulum will swing one way and then the pendulum has a way of swinging back the other way. And that will happen again.
In two years, believe it or not, as we're still sitting here bruised and battered from this election, we're going to do it all over again. Now this time, it's what they call a midterm election. So all the razzmatazz associated with the presidential race won't take place, but you'll be voting for members of Congress again, The House and the Senate. That's hugely important. So my counsel to my dear brothers and sisters who are on this Pilgrim's progress with me as well is, do your homework. Start doing your homework now. Study the issues, and don't study the issues all by themselves. Study the issues in one hand and open the word of God in the other. Billy Graham gave us this admonition years ago, "You go through life with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other." How can you know how to plan or purpose a standard of righteousness if you don't know first what the standard is? And that is found in the word of God.
So yes, there's discouragement, I get it. But I'll tell you what, if you look at that fruit of the spirit, Tim, I don't see anything there about instantaneous results. I see exactly the opposite, patience, forbearance, long suffering. These are the words in the lexicon of the believer. This doesn't happen overnight. We persevere, we press on, and all the while knowing and trusting that God is and always will remain on the throne. How can that not give us anything but hope and comfort? The glass from a believer's perspective is always half full. More to the point as a believer. Thank you, Lord, for the glass.
Dr. Clinton: Janet, let me stay with that fear report coming out of the land of giants. "But Janet, you don't understand. Have you seen the reports on censorship by big tech? What they're doing? It's not only alarming. There are no checks and balances. They're running rogue, Christian ministries are going to be next. And the goal is to silent, shame, stigmatize them, control them." What do you say there?
Janet Parshall: You know, this is where I take umbrage with people who say, "Oh, you can't be political. We're called just to evangelize." To which I would say in response, "Okay. How do you evangelize without engaging the culture?" How did Paul in Greece where he spent a year and a half, before he went up on the Areopagus and engaged the thinkers of the day, the Epicureans and the Stoics. How did he do that without engaging the culture? How do I share the gospel of Jesus Christ by hiding in my holy hovel? I have to go out into the world, exactly where Jesus told us to go in John 17. So I want to know, I want to know what that tribe believes. I want to know what they think. I want to know why they think marriage could be defined as, two people who love each other, who cares what that looks like?
I want to hear why people believe that abortion is defensible. I want to hear why people believe that the government should supply all your needs according to their riches in Washington, as opposed to trusting in a God who supplies our needs. I want to hear that, because then I want to be prepared to give a reason for the hope that resides within me. And I cannot do that without A, being totally, absolutely deeply immersed in the Word of God and B, boldly petitioning my Father for the opportunity to go out and tell somebody, "We have the answer." And yet we are fearful, reticent and tired. How dare we, the men and women, the sons and daughters of the most high King, take this moment in American history and retreat. When our presence is commanded now more than ever before in the history of this nation.
Dr. Clinton: You know, the scripture says, Janet, that the Lord loves righteousness. We hold onto that and God wants us to stand. Paul in Ephesians 6:10 said. "Be strong in the Lord and the power of his might and put on the whole armor of God that you're able to stand against the wiles of the evil one." And because we are in a battle, this is spiritual. This is about light and darkness. Janet, I wanted to also mention here. I know with Dr. Dobson, there's real concern, especially for our children and our children's children, our grandchildren and more. There's a lot of fear that they're not going to grow up in the America that we grew up in, that we loved, that we experienced, Janet. Especially if the leftist curricula for example, is going to take over all the public schools to another level. And I think that's going to be a huge focus of theirs.
This is where we still need to step in and be salt and light in culture. This is where we show up at the PTA meetings and more and say, "Wait a second. We don't want you shoving that down the throats of our kids," and more, and battling for school choice, et cetera, staying the course. Janet, Dr. Dobson tells the story of what is known as staying in the field. Literally about growing up on a farm and kids coming to want to experience the farm life. And the farmer gives them a dose and experience of what farm life is all about. And he takes them out there and they have fun for an hour or two, and then they want to go back home.
They want to get out of that heat and that sun and the hard work and that sweat and more. But no, no, no. If you're going to come experience it, you need to stay out here. And staying in the field taught them a huge lesson. And when they got back, they talked about what it really meant to them to stay in that field out there. And Janet, this is a time where we're called to stay in the field.
Janet Parshall: I love that story, by the way. And it's absolutely true. That's why I think words like perseverance and patience and long suffering are all words that have to be very much a part of the believer's vocabulary. If you look at all of the apostles, except for our brother John, they all paid with their life for following Jesus Christ. If we think it's tough in America, raise your eyes, look around the globe and ask yourself, "What's it like to be a believer in Saudi Arabia? Or what's it like to be a believer in communist, China, or Vietnam or Iran?" You think it's tough now? Rather than looking at a half empty glass I think what we need to do is we need to start thanking God for the rights that we do have. So it's time for us as believers to stand up, man up, woman up, and be the men and women of God that God has called us to be in these troubled times. Nowhere do I read a passage that says, "God has promised you absolutely calm nature in the world in which you live."
In fact, if anything it's the warranty, which is better than the one I got with my washer and dryer, says, "In this life you will have trials and tribulation and fiery times that are going to be difficult, and we are called to stay in the field."
Dr. Clinton: Janet, Pastor Jack Hibbs out of Calvary Chapel in Chino Hills, California tells a story, "I saw a man walking down the street this afternoon, well into his 70s, carrying an American flag by himself, and he was crying. And I don't know what the man was thinking," Jack wrote, but he said it gripped his heart. And, "what I wanted to say is, there's hope. There's always hope because Jesus Christ is on the throne." Pastor Hibbs went on to encourage Christians not to shrink away from engagement. He said, "We need to go to our knees in prayer. We need to seek the Lord, honestly, like we've never done before, because we've got kids and we've got grandkids and we've got a nation that we need to defend." Janet, prayer in this hour, everybody says, "I'm praying, I'm praying, I'm praying." But what does that mean to you? And what should it mean to us?
Janet Parshall: Well, I have so many stories I could share on this, being in Washington, Tim, it's unbelievable. But let me go to Paul when he's writing to the church at Philippi, it's Philippians 4:6-8, and we are often reminded to pray for those in authority. But I got to tell you, the more time I spend in the Word, the deeper and more uncomfortable that passage makes me, I'll be fully transparent. It says that, we're not just supposed to pray for those in authority. We're supposed to offer "petitions, intercessions, and thanksgiving." Wait a minute, drop that culturally into what's just happened in America. That sad American holding that flag, weeping for our nation. Wait, wait, wait; thanksgiving. You know why we can be thankful? Because God's in charge. Because God didn't look the other way in the American elections. He never looks away. He never turns aside. He never turns his back.
But here's the part that really pierces my heart. I think of this verse all the time - how can I not being in Washington, D.C. But it says, "This is good and pleasing in the sight of God." This is an opt-out/opt-in clause. By the way, I got all kinds of translations of the scripture on every floor of my house, practically in every room in my house. And trust me when I tell you I've combed every version. I'm looking for that footnote from Rory or MacArthur or Moody or any place else that says, "Only if you voted for them." And I can't find it. That's because God doesn't care who you voted for with this passage. He's saying, "Regardless of the outcome, if you want to please me as an obedient child, then you will pray. You will offer petitions. You will do intercession, and you will be thankful for those who are in authority."
Dr. Clinton: Janet, I love that, I do. And Janet, I'm sitting here, just my mind's running in so many different directions. But I know there are people out there too who would say, "Tim, Janet, why? Why did we have to go here?" I think of Psalm 2:1-6 that ask and answers that very question. Here it is, "Why do the nations rage and the people plot in vain? The Kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, 'Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us. He who sits in the heavens though, the Lord, laughs and he holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath and terrify them in his fury saying, 'As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.'" Janet, what are your thoughts?
Janet Parshall: Wow, what a reminder. I love the Word. Isn't it comforting? And I'm reminded when you were talking that he tells us that he sets up kings and he pulls down princes, and that he will use absolute reprobates if it advances his good and perfect will. But this is when I step back with such a profound sense of humility, Tim, and I bow my head. This is a King, and His ways are not my ways. He is God, I am not. He told me that I haven't been taken captive, bondaged, again, by a spirit of fear, but a spirit of adoption that cries out, 'Abba Father.' So, I know that God is in charge. Now you ask, "Why?" I don't know. Honestly, from a mere mortal's perspective, and that's all I can offer. I remember Billy Graham saying years ago that, "If America doesn't repent, God owes an apology to Sodom."
I could say that when we've done what's right in our own eyes, radically redefined marriage, absolutely said that abortion on demand goes right through to the moment of birth. When we've decided that we were going to think that government is our new God, we have a whole lot of repenting to do. And here, Tim, is where I'll take a pivot. Yes, the world is sin-sick, fallen, upside-down, exactly as a world without Jesus looks like. Where's the church? What are we doing? I read in the book of Jude. I read in what's happening. Spiritual warfare as we move closer to Christ's eminent return. I realized that derision, deception, deceit is going to take preeminence in the culture. What are we doing to make sure that the whole counsel of God in our churches is being preached line upon line, precept upon precept? What's going to happen?
And Tim, I'm going to extrapolate one thing out you said before. Well, let's say for example that a particular piece of legislation gets passed: The Equality Act. It's already passed in the House; it hasn't passed in the Senate yet. President Biden said that he would sign this into law. There are certain nuances in this that potentially say that a Christian College or a Christian University could be stripped of their accreditation if they "practice discrimination." How is discrimination defined? Well, the high court just did that for us. They took the '64 Civil Rights Act and they said, "Way back then in 1964 and they said sex, they didn't mean men and women. No, no, no, no, that's not what they meant. They meant was sexual orientation gender identity."
Here's a word Christians need to remember: SOGI, Sexual Orientation Gender Identity. So then they superimposed on language from 1964 that says, "Sex means anything you want it to be." And if you as a Christian college, a Christian university say, "In our campus we adhere to what the Bible says about relations between men and women." A, marriage is only defined as a man and a woman. B, any sexual expression of any kind outside of that is sin. Not because Tim said it or I said it, but because God said it. And He said it because He loves us, and when we step outside of that protective corral, we fall down and we get hurt and we can be eaten by wolves.
But if a Christian university says, "That's the case," and this law gets passed, and you lose your accreditation, who will stand? Who will be the Confessing Church of 2021? There was a Confessing Church under Hitler's regime. Will there be a Confessing Church in 2021? The problem's not the world. The world is doing exactly what the world does without Jesus. My challenge is to the church. Will we be found faithful, recognizable and absolutely wholly adherent to his Word?
Dr. Clinton: Janet, I have an image in my mind, and it's the image of a woman on her knees. I've seen a lot of broken relationships, a lot of broken marriages. And I've seen the power of prayer. For example, when a spouse say, a woman or a man, decide that they're going to take this to the throne of grace, where they find their voice again. And when they pray earnestly and when they seek to live out the ways of the Lord. In that moment, it's the kind of thing that puts chills up your spine. Where I grew up, Janet, that's the kind of thing that puts the dogs up under the bed, if you know what I mean?
Janet Parshall: Yes, I do.
Dr. Clinton: And Janet, can you imagine if individuals, if couples, if families, if churches, if communities, if the people would decide, "We're not shrinking away. We're pressing in, we're pressing into you, God. We're going to seek you like we've never sought you. God, we're going to live in such a way that others see you in us. And God, we will stand and we will be bold and we will be strong. And the best way to do that is together."
Janet Parshall: Yes. Amen. You know, Tim, scripture tells us to "strengthen the things that remain." That's also that same paradigm about the gospel. First in Jerusalem, then Judea, then Samaria, then the outermost parts of the world. Are we, as scripture commends us, "looking well to the ways of our household?" Is our marriage bedrock solid, Christ-centered? Is it exemplary to a watching world where over half of all marriages end in divorce, what makes Christian marriage distinctive? Are we witnessing to the truth of Christ's word just by our marriages? By the way we're raising our kids by we're hanging the teachings of God around their neck, just like it says in the Book of Deuteronomy. Are we living our lives so that they can see that we love our neighbor?
And going back to Washington, because this is so germane to our conversation. I want to give a shout-out to Shirley Dobson who years and years ago came up with a marvelous idea to "adopt a leader." And they actually came out with cards. I still have some to this day, where you could write a letter to an elected official, whether you voted for them or not, whether you support their position or not. And merely said, "I just want you to know, Senator so-and-so, Representative so-and-so, that I am praying for you." If you start showing the love of Christ to a legislator, an elected official, maybe they'll be more interested in what our standard of righteousness is.
I remember Chuck Swindoll, "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." So pick up a letter. If it's going to be rough for the next couple of years, I want to challenge each and every one of us as ambassadors for the most high King. Washington is filled with ambassadors. We have a whole section of our town called Ambassador Row. They live in beautiful houses who's single job it is to transmit the values of their nation to the government in Washington. That's what we are. We are called to be ambassadors for Christ. We are called to transmit the values of our kingdom to the people who live in this country. And a really easy way to do it would be to say, "I'm adopting you as a leader. I'm praying for you and your household." And let them see and recognize and know the love of Christ. They don't care how much we know, until they know how much we care.
Dr. Clinton: I'd like to close this way. I want to read just a few lines from Dr. Dobson's most recent newsletter:
"Stay in the field, 'Bring comfort to us, Lord, strengthen our faith. We pray for our nation and ask that a spiritual awakening would sweep our land.'" And he closed this way, Janet, "America, we love you. God shed his grace on you. He crowns your good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea."
Janet, always a delight to have you. Thank you for your voice and for staying in the field.
Janet Parshall: Thank you, Tim. God bless you, brother. Thank you.
Roger Marsh: You've been listening to Christian Radio talk show host, Janet Parshall today on Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk. Now, to learn more about our guests today, Janet Parshall, please visit our broadcast page at drjamesdobson.org, where you can also replay the entire program. That's drjamesdobson.org/broadcast. Now some exciting news. Throughout this romantic month of February, we are offering a copy of Dr. Dobson's book entitled, Night Light: A Devotional for Couples. Whether you're just married or celebrating your golden anniversary, regular quiet moments with your mate are essential. This daily devotional offers the personal, practical, and biblical insights that have sustained the Dobson's marriage for well over 60 years. Let Night Light: A Devotional for Couples, enrich your marriage as well. To receive your copy as our way of thanking you for a suggested donation of $20 in support of our ministry, go to drjamesdobson.org/couples. That's drjamesdobson.org/couples. Or you can call us at (877) 732 6825. (877) 732 6825. 24 hours a day a member of our customer service team will be standing by ready to serve you.
Well, that's all the time we have for today. Join us again next time for another edition of Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk. I'm Roger Marsh. Thanks for listening.
This has been a presentation of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute.