7/3/2021 - A Conversation with Bert Harper

CNG radio for today's culture and timeless truths come together is reasoned, relevant content, apologetics, worldview and answers to the questions that you need to know need to know from Alex McFarlane ministries. This is true for a new generation radio and now the man who preached in 50 states and 50 days speaker, writer, and advocate for Christian apologetics Dr. Alex McFarlane open today's program verse from Psalm 133 verse one it says how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony hi Alex McFarlane here. This is true for new generation. We have a very very special show today because you meet a friend of mine and I would suspect many of you know this voice, and he is a brother and we do serve together and it is in harmony and with great joy. We do the show exploring the word which is a live program heard Monday through Friday on the American family radio network and then on the weekends.

Of course I do.

The prerecorded show tree for new generation, and we have a lot of guests with a lot of content but to my knowledge, I've never in all these years had this person on and he is just one of my favorite people in all the world a dear Christian brother Bert Harper. So in the spirit of Psalm hundred and 33, verse one. Welcome to the TNG radio show all it's good to be with you Alex and it is a privilege to be your guest here and I've heard you many times.

Interview others and always enjoy but it's good to be interviewed, you know every once in a while it's good to have somebody you know the right questions to ask because you know them so well exactly exactly what I appreciate you.

You are not for nigh on a decade have been doing exploring your mood, would you have ever believed that you would have a live show and therefore great significant part of your life you would be a radio speaker my life and Jan were talking about this Saturday. She said Bert sometimes I feel like all the other years that you were serving was preparing you for the last 10 years of your life.

And I said well Jesus spent 30 years preparing for three. I guess you know 40 preparing for 10 is not too bad. I had a man come up to me just recently and he affirmed that in May he said Bert he said I don't know what you planned. But where you are with what you're doing. Exploring the word exploring missions and in preaching like interim pastorates.

He said God has picked you to do this and I think you and his will and and it affirmed that in me and so it's it's a privilege to be on exploring the word each day, Monday through Friday will. It's a privilege to be on with you and I want to say this, I give God the glory. But I'm so impressed with you always there. There are a lot of smart people but Bert and and I know you would be very quick to give God all the price you are a wise person and I've listen to your answers on the show you and I've talked many many times off their planning. But the thing is we don't script people have asked me how do you prepare and and the fact is I know your preparing by reading God's word and and I'm preparing but when we get on the air is not rehearsed, it is not scripted, but III know you're always going to give good counsel and done you are. I commend you because you are truly wise and that's from God is is James talks about that if any man like wisdom, let him ask God that deals liberally and does not confuse you know he really does if there's any wisdom comes from God. I found this out. You know, you've heard a gift like a hill.

Give a specific word of knowledge for someone. I found out I don't necessarily have the gift of discernment. Quote the spiritual gift, but the more time I spend in the word of God, the more discernment I have Alex and in the him and you know that's that's so spending time in God's word is to miss the secret it really is it an inner I've had a number of Christian leaders that I've interviewed said that unit that the secret now hits a secret, but really the core of who they are and their impact was due to their relationship with the Bible. I in college. Jeni my wife we was part of what is called the Bible memory Association one where you would memorize Scripture.

So in my college years, you know, I pushed the four years and five you know how sometimes a minute. But during those five years I memorized Scripture I memorized 99 each year. And so when you got through.

You know you had 495 verses that you committed to memory. And guess what I didn't know that was better preparation for Mark for what I did in the years of spinning college. The honesty of the word of God does not return void not only when you preach it.

But guess what, when you memorize it. God uses it in you meditate on it and it comes back to help you. It really does know you and Jan spent many years in the pastorate West Jackson Baptist Church and to put but I want to hear your story how did you come to know the Lord well. I was raised in a godly home but not churchgoing home. My dad and mom moved from a church in a community where it was a church split just blessed and they moved to want and they didn't find a church home until I was 10 years old and yet a godly mother in a godly dad is let me know there's some godly people out there that's hurt in Canada dropped out of church level and bring them back. That's what my home church will or Baptist Church did they love their family and for two years. I heard the gospel and on a Tuesday night in a revival in August I asked Jesus Christ to come into the Lord of my life. He did he change my life. It's 12 years old I went home so fearful. I went home to see if it really worked in so I walked around in the dark to see fat really something to change in my life while it had God change my life.

It is Bill Stafford eventually said I hadn't gotten over it yet a minute so I was saved as a 12-year-old boy that church was a good church. They love me and I grew in the Lord and had good Sunday school teachers, good leaders and they invested their lives in me. You know it's funny you would say that down in pleasant garden and she and I knew a couple and they were involved in the Jehovah's Witnesses and only they were probably in their 60s and for years had been involved in that and this woman actually was a good painter and she could paint pictures that would look like some out of an art gallery, but she always thought about how she was terrified after the sun would go down and she didn't like to be in the dark and one, husband, hospital, and she was just mortified to be alone could not stand the dark.

We prayed and prayed and at Macedonia Baptist, where I got to save now as you test they eventually both came to the Lord and I gotta say she give testimony and she said that when they accepted Christ she knew. Life is different because she was no longer afraid of the dark were talking with Bert Harper my cohost on exploring work Bert and I have a book coming out a lot of things going on but stating truth for a new generation will be back right after this brief break know Alex is writing for many years, and one of his classic books is still great. Today is a basic introduction to the Christian faith. It's called Stan courtrooms must know for unshakable faith. This book will help you help your teens get off the roller coaster of doubt onto solid ground. You'll read about the six pillars of biblical Christianity. They are one inspiration of the Bible to the virgin birth. Three. The deity of Christ for atonement. Five. Christ's resurrection and six.

Christ's return know Alex mixes it up with humor and stories gleaned from decades of working with youth and encourages things to build a foundation of faith that will stabilize their lives and help them take a stand for Christ. Simple and straightforward stand courtrooms you must know for an unshakable faith available wherever Christian books are so Christians don't necessarily agree with one another when it comes to questions of religious pluralism, homosexuality, the role of government abortion and war. Too often, we manage these disagreements by ignoring them, yet were called to engage the world for the sake of Christ. How can we be effective if we avoid society's most pressing questions in 10 issues that divide Christians Alex McFarlane challenges us to drill down to the biblical core of 10 current issues such as social justice evil and suffering, photography, and environmentalism has. He echoes the biblical invitation, this reason together only by engaging the Scriptures deeply thinking clearly and speaking truthfully can we, in God's family address our differences and discover the peace that comes with unity of purpose. 10 issues that divide Christians find this book and many others@alexmcfarlane.com for apologetics, resources, books by Alex McFarlane and to find out where Alex is speaking. Visit Alex McFarlane.com welcome back to truth for new generation were having a great conversation with my brother, my colleague, Bert Harper and I'm a better way. I want to talk about letting God set us free and all those things that the spirit of the Lord in the word of God does not life but on you got a an incredible ministry even outside of exploring the word call fishbowl. What's the latest. What is fishbowl and what's the latest… This bill came about because of my wife, Jan, and she was a minister's wife and she said this stuff, you know, and so we decided we talked about the minister's life.

The pastor's life. We had been the conference on preaching different sermons how to do this, how to lead, but living your life in the fishbowl.

What we mean by the fishbowl.

Is everyone watching the how do you know when you go to Walmart and they watch to see what's in your cart. The second thing they do, they watch what car you get anything washed it recently. I've even some heard about a pastor they didn't like that she's a war I'm in your examined all the time when you're in this fishbowl. Your kids are when they for boys running down the hallway and the ones whose name is called out as the pastor's son because they know his name and so Janet and I knew we needed to do something about that and so we found a place, and we found what we could do we raise the money. The fray first time to so people those young ministers and wives could come free. Don Wildman gave the money the first time we ever did fishbowl so that we could present it to those pastors and wives as a gift and then what happened when I came on board today are far they asked me to bring Jan and me to break fishbowl with us and now we do. It is not just for net young ministers and wives. It's for ministration wise. We've had them come from all over the United States and we enjoy doing that.

It's three days into knots. Janet not invest our lives into a minister retreat, not a conference. By that I mean you have time for each couple to talk to get to know one another and they're not just listening there sharing together and this year it the tag man is going to be our guest and I will forward to that. It's going to be in October and I can go to repairing the foundations.net repairing the foundations.net and you can register and get online. Find out more about well. God bless you and and you know when you're in the ministry.

Many a time many time and I'm not complaining but like Angie and I would finally get a night good night got dinner and if we're in 50 miles of Greensboro. Somebody will come to the table and many a time that people pull up a chair and say oh my goodness, Alex, I am so thrilled to see you because I need to tell you about this problem and please help us and do you know what early and in the ministry. I had to learn about boundaries that my primary ministry mind walk with the Lord. But then my marriage and family. We got to all of us, but especially those initially was gotta keep things in order, don't we. Do you know we were talking earlier about a man cheating on his lap, but that we met a woman cheating on her husband and we use a means an affair, but honestly, pastors have to watch being cheating the family out of their time because of the other people can can ministry be a mistress. It can be, and it breaks my heart to say that and I I didn't do it right you know I let too many phone calls get in the way of conversations with much our three sons with my wife and if I had it to do over to said no a few more times I learn to say no, those boundaries but when you're the pastor you feel like a special of a smaller church after your pastor of a mega church and got you know she laughs. Now you have a go take care of it.

But those Charlie Nash reason fishbowl so effective for the small this is for pastors of a large church as well, but especially those who have smaller churches where they are. They are the staff yeah and I Jan and I just love to put into them and share with them because I just want to tell you you out there that are listening pastor and stuff you don't go to church to get away from the people that quote you work with and work for you. Are there and it's hard to get away, you know. And folks, by the way I want to encourage it.

Maybe you want to send your minister do fishbowl retreat your minister and his wife Gordon, Jan and I don't say this lightly, there very godly people but otherwise people Bert as you and I both knew HP London HB was just a dear man and he ministered to pastors but he's gone on to heaven and you're doing that you are pouring into the lives of people, myself included, from your experiences and your wisdom and I just want to say thank you and again give that website for the fishbowl ministries repairing the foundations.net now it's not foundation your fun out how to fix your foundation. If you don't, but the S7 and as usual, correcting work. I did not have contracting to do whatever I can to help the pastor and is what we joy that honestly that changed a lot of the focus of our lives is fishbowl and again Jan and I we knew it. She's the one that came up with the very idea God started putting it together to she and me talking and we praise God for now IFR and AFA. They are great friends and partners in fishbowl retreats. We gotta take a brief break can you hang can you stay one more segment. I will brothers all right this is true for a new generation with Alex McFarlane are very special guest Bert Harper Satan were to come back and again for to follow what were doing in our upcoming conferences. Alex McFarland.com. I want to remind everybody we have got an amazing conference.

Our first post coded TNG conference is going to be October 15-17 Myrtle Beach, South Carolina number or working.

There's great youth ministry down there called Ground Zero that got a theater they've made into a big youth then you and Sean McDowell and I did a big event down there like 10 years ago but focus is going to be amazing. Frank Turek.

Everybody loves Frank Turek seriously one of the greatest speakers will ever hear. Journalist and communicator, Sandy Rios, EW Jackson Harvard educated constitutional law. Your and minister the gospel. Bishop EW Jackson music by the bird songs the award-winning group from Nashville. I've worked with him many times can be October 15-17. Now we can talk about the origins of the work movement and what is the appropriate response to that and so many of the social and moral, and theological issues raging in our world today go to the website truth for a new generation.com or simply mine website Alex McFarland.com truth for a new generation will be back right after this brief break America today is like a patient struggling to live yet is being forcibly euthanized by her quote doctors. The life force within the patient fighting for survival is the honest citizens like yourself team of quote caregivers are the local and national leaders actually contributing to the demise of the patient economy is crashing crime is exploding.

The Constitution is being abolished the assault on America how to defend our nation before it's too late by Alex Farland has one single purpose to get you prepared the real source of America's current problems that no one else is talking about and what you can do now to face tomorrow. Regardless of what tomorrow brings. The assault on America how to defend our nation before it's too late. Available now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and local Christian bookstores are you tired of liberal agendas ruining our country but you don't know what to do about it. That's why truth and liberty coalition was founded. We want to equip you to take back our country and impact the world. Here's how we do it educate broadcasts conferences in our website resources that form equip and motivate unified by collaborating with like-minded organizations like the family research Council, the family policy and my feet mobilize by providing practical tools you can use to impact your local community as Christians we are called to make disciples of together we can change the course of our country for good joint truth and liberty to connect with believers in organizations not only want to see a change in our nation but a community that is actually doing something about it. Join us online for our broadcast describe the relevant updates on our website. Truth and liberty.net in the midst of a culture obsessed with relativism. Alex McFarland is a voice you can trust to speak the timeless truths of Christianity in a timely way. You're listening to the truth for a new generation radio talk back to truth for a new generation with our very special guest Bert Harper that you here with me live Monday through Friday and explain the word. I am of the belief that if we don't have a moral and spiritual revival in our country, we risk losing our Constitution hungry and when you lose that freedom that we've had. We talked about the liberty and freedom, we lose that.

I mean America has sent more missionaries out in it since its founding in any country ever, and I believe that's the reason they were still standing right now it's not necessarily because of morals that that was the case I think we been under long time ago but churches are still sending missionaries Alex with all my heart I believe that in God honors that you know what it was before the local movement. It was called enlightened now what that meant was I remember talking to having this conversation about 30 years ago with an individual whose friend had moved to Europe and they were talking about the different things the freedoms socialism you know, the idea of a Democratic Republican in a religious freedom and the guy that had gone… Oh, it's just because you have been enlightened. Yet, said the newspapers over here in the articles I've done. So what Europe has gone through in already come out on the wrong side America is going through, but it's exponential. It's faster and what this is really not need is just a new name for something that's been around many many years will pass on the news yesterday, a potential Olympian who is going to work for the Olympics this your Tokyo visit yesterday to Japan and this particular American athletes said that they wanted to win a medal so that on the podium they could burn an American flag is a love that's transgender persons well yeah it is a transgender person who is going to try to compete in the Olympics at night and what what is so concerning to me is that businesses and educators halved and even elected officials have gone right along with this, and my point being looked it's fine that we are a country where we have liberty but if you use the tools of liberty to destroy liberty then the future is a life with no liberty. Let me ask you this is going down the highway at 90 miles an hour when the speed limit is 70 with no seatbelts and no breaks is at liberty as foolishness. I was less well where in America we are going down this highway headed for the cliff. No breaks, you know, no seatbelt, no parakeet when we go off and they call that freedom did he really is and freedom is suicide. But you know with other managers who we have left out Amish or something. I love the national anthem Star-Spangled Banner. So a lot of times I go online and I've I've literally listen to hundreds of renditions of the Star-Spangled Banner and it's just beautiful.

All right now, just bear with me folks I I stumbled across something that the San Francisco group the Grateful Dead 90 member that rising all right. If ever there were an antiestablishment group in the unit I travel. They performed deadheads would, well, of all things.

They sang the national anthem at a San Francisco Giants baseball game like 25, 30 years ago and it was unbelievably beautiful because and I'm not a fan of the Grateful Dead, necessarily, but very good musician they could harmonize almost like my friends, the Beach boys all right. I watch this, the harmony was amazing. Nobody knelt down and I thought about this again.

If any group was countercultural and antiestablishment. It was the Grateful Dead.

And yet when asked to do so. They sang the national anthem with gusto and conviction and incredible harmonies and everybody given a standing ovation and they supply ball and here's my point. Nowadays were living in a point where I talked to dozens of young people everywhere I go, that they've been coached to hate America. They wouldn't salute the flag for love nor money and look why not have an America where whether you're Christian or not, whether you're conservative or not. For the Republican or Democrat. At least we can appreciate this nation and live together and not denigrate and burn the house down with you know segregation was taken place when I was born was evil, and now guess what it has raised its head back up in different ways. They're still trying to segment segregation Satan in our society to put us against one another, so we'll pull completely in different directions. As an American, and now it will destroy it will, it will be our only hope is honestly a revival and awakening yell revival scan can be used but we need an awakening of about God is as following him. I pray that we as Christians would lead the way you know I again we didn't rehearse her script this but we began with that for someone 33, verse one.

How beautiful it is when brethren dwell together in harmony that know is coming back to it and I regardless of your background, your your whoever you are, wherever you live.

Listen we need to be a unified Republic and I believe the Lord Jesus can give us that that we want to say I tune into exploring the word. You can find us on AFR.net elders archive shows you can follow searching for new generation.com but we want to say we love you, whoever you are, we we care about you, but more importantly MRI.

More importantly, God loves you a man. Hey, thanks for your time. This list is by will and in a way possible by the friends of Alex McFarland ministry, PO Box 10231 NC 27404. That's PO Box 10231, Greensboro, NC 27404 call us at 877 yes God one that's 877 yes, God in the number one or give online@alexmcfarland.com while you're there, listen the program archives.

Read Alex's blog invite Alex to speak at your event or contact Alex with a question or comment, Alex McFarland.com. Thanks for listening today and join us again next time is we bring you more true for a new generation fund TNG radio