← Wretched Radio with Todd Friel
Wretched Radio with Todd Friel
Who Really Decides What Your Kids Are Taught?
00:54:59
Segment 1 • Many progressive politicians quote the Bible while promoting theology that contradicts it. • There is a growing divide between “nice” public Christianity and actual biblical faithfulness.
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Todd Friel
Wretched radio begins in 3, 2, 1.
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Jimmy Hicks
Some councils are auditing schools and urging a ban on the terms boy and girl. For those who are in an open or polyamorous relationship. Your relationships are holy. A gay black woman's victim status is less than that of a black trans woman who ranks below a black Muslim trans woman.
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Fortis News Host
We don't want to just win the argument about sexuality. We want to use this as a gospel opportunity.
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Todd Friel
It's time for Wretched Radio with Todd Friel.
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Jimmy Hicks
If Jimmy disappears, arrest me. This is Wretched Red. If you do that one more that the ba ba. B. Boo boo, Bobby Bobo, whatever that monkey.
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Fortis News Host
Bye, Bo.
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Jimmy Hicks
Stop. This is. Stop. This is Wretched Radio. Okay, so I had. I'm doing this. And Jimmy encouraged me to do the. Warm up your vocal cords.
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Fortis News Host
That's what I said.
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Jimmy Hicks
Have you warmed up? That's so nouveau. You know, real men don't ever warm up. You just hit the weights. You don't stretch. You just start playing the game and you don't warm up your vocal cords. So you suggested not Mamie, my mo.
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Fortis News Host
That's it. That's it. So you take all the vowels, A, E, I, O, U. Because everybody says those correctly when you say them. And you put a consonant in front of each one of them and you sound like you're talking like a baby.
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Jimmy Hicks
Because. No, it just. No, babies don't sound that dumb. Baby, bee, booby, boo, boo, boo. And you know what all it is is? You're talking. That's it. It's not like a magic formula.
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Fortis News Host
No. Let me tell you.
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Jimmy Hicks
You could be saying, I think that I shall never see. I think that I shall never see. Oh, something flubby has a. It was Joyce Kilmer. I think that a poem. Lovely as a tree. And I just warmed up.
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Fortis News Host
Let me give you. You want me to give you some proof that this works?
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Jimmy Hicks
Okey dokey.
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Fortis News Host
It's in your folder.
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Jimmy Hicks
What?
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Fortis News Host
In your folder. The very first break I ever did on the radio. Yeah, that's what I sounded like. But this is what I sound like today because of doing that.
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Jimmy Hicks
No. What?
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Fortis News Host
Yes. Yes.
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Jimmy Hicks
I don't even know what you just said. I know it was English, but. What are you talking about?
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Fortis News Host
Talking like a baby. The baby Bible. That is what caused me to not sound like Q 93.5. That was Bonnie Ray. It was something to talk about. And Rock said on before that with the Look. Hey, what's going on? West Tennessee. Handsome Jimmy back along with you. And I'm back to wrap up this
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Jimmy Hicks
nine o' clock okay, so what am I missing here?
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Fortis News Host
What do you mean? You think I still sound like that? That guy couldn't say his W.
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Jimmy Hicks
Great. Okay, Sorry. Taking you down memory lane. I remember they. There was a radio station I morning sidekick stuff with a tremendous talent. The guy was one of the best broadcasters ever. And they asked if I would try to become a disc jockey. So they throw me in a studio. There's the first problem. I don't know what button to put. It was overwhelming. I'm just. It's all red and green and, well, the what to push. And my technological skills are just atrocious. And the call letters were kd. Say it for me. Oh, W. See how you did that? Kdw. Katie W. Kd. Kdw. It was just a slurfest. So I guess I should be going. Baby boo, boo, boo, boo. Hold on. Breaking news. People said, please, anything but the baby boo, boo, boo, boo. And then you have to do the C2 C C. How do you do it?
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Fortis News Host
Say si, si. So su day deep di. You just do every constant in front of every vowel.
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Jimmy Hicks
You have more skills than I knew.
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Fortis News Host
Repeatedly. Repeatedly.
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Jimmy Hicks
All righty. David French, commenting on this, is a young man. You better watch out for him. The young Talarico from Texas. He's a Presbyterian seminarian of the liberal sort, and he is pro abortion. He's confused about genders, including God's gender. I think it is safe to say that he would be an individual that would ascribe to many CRT values of white oppression, white racism, or whatever it is that we are accused of. And he's running for national office, and he loves to sling his Bible to make his causes, and nobody tags him for being a Christian nationalist. Hmm. Isn't that funny how that double standard works? And now David French sends out this meme. If the primary American divide is between right and left, then Tellarico isn't that interesting. There's a long history of progressive religious activism in the US Just as there is a long history of conservative religious activism. Yet if the primary American divide is between decent and indecent, then the equation changes. Talarico shines. Oh, man. Cilla David French purports to be conservative. I don't know that he does anymore, because clearly he's not. And now he's basically this. This. I won't say the fellow's name, but it reminds me of a theologian who made the same sort of accusation about Donald Trump, that his personality is so atrocious that you can vote for the other guy, even Though his policies might be more. His behavior is so bad it supersedes his policies. That's what David French just did. I'm sure that fellow, he's what, 35, 36 years old? I'm sure he's perfectly pleasant company. But his Christian values are atrocious. They are abominable. He's a universalist. They're heretical. And yet David French seems to have fallen into the trap. But he's nice. So we gotta overlook all of that stuff because that's what makes for a good politician. Nice. Let's see. Was there anybody in the New Testament who was nice on the outside, but inside there were dead men. Bones. Dead man's bones. That was the. Apparently David French doesn't read those particular verses. He wrote this. To put it another way, Talarico is one of the few openly Christian politicians in the United States who acts like a Christian. Oh man. And by acting like a Christian, he reveals a profound contrast with so many members of the MAGA Christian movement that's dominated American political life for 10 years. So in other words, you can get away with really horrific anti biblical theology and policies as long as you play nice in the sandbox. Besides, I don't affirm that accusation. I don't know every Christian politician on the right, but I know, say for instance, Mike Johnson. Mike Johnson is like one of the nicest human beings you'll ever meet. Still, I, I, I remember this. Go, this goes, this goes back before. This was slightly after I tried out on KD W B. Didn't, didn't get that gig, by the way, was it was interviewing Mike. He was at the, not the Liberty Alliance Defending Freedom. He was a part of that. And every once in a while I would chat to him, chat with him about stuff that was going on in Washington D.C. total gentleman, super nice guy. And he gets slandered by a David French. Or maybe David. Your filter for determining who's a nice politician has more to do with being in alignment with your politics. In the meantime, what is going on in South Dakota? Why do I not expect this coming out of the Midwest? Okay, I know Minnesota, but Minnesota's just kind of gone bonkers. South Dakota, the House Republicans were a part of rejecting a parental rights bill. That sounded like nothing but common sense to me. What is going on in South Dakota? Why do I have a misperception that I would think South Dakota would have some sort of scruples about parental rights? This is, I have to confess, I was thinking about the people, if you will, that hold places of authority in our society. And I was trying to think which sect, if you will, is more agitating, egregious, overstepping its bounds. And I thought, well, that would be government. That would be one pharmaceuticals, medical industry. Not everybody in it, of course, but just that they are the experts on everything and we have to do everything we're told. But the third group was teachers that they believe that it is up to them to make sure children are raised the way they think is right. How did the train get off the track on this one where we let and please note, there's plenty of good public school teachers, but the majority of them that think that it is up to them to nurture children through sexual confusion and not tell the parents because they know better. The measure would have amended state law to clarify the government entities may not substantially burden the fundamental right of a parent to direct the upbringing, education, health care and mental health of the parent's minor child. What? In other words, they will decide what parents know, what they don't know, and what they should be teaching their kids. The measure would have protected parents right to direct the moral and religious training and education of their minor children. The bill would have also prohibited this is employees of the state political subdivisions from seeking to provide any type of surgical procedure, medical examination or mental health treatment to a child without receiving parental consent. Who do you all think you are? They are not your children. I love that you want to help raise up a child to learn reading, writing and arithmetic. I believe that's a noble profession. But the teacher and the educators and the education system that believes they should be making the decisions. Oh, baby, cover your mouth when you say this because you'll spit all over everybody. That is some chutzpah. This is wretched radio.
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Fortis News Host
Be honest. When's the last time you shared the gospel with a stranger? Not posted something online, not liked a Christian meme, but actually opened your mouth and told someone about Jesus. If your stomach tightened just a little bit, you're not alone. Most Christians would rather do almost anything than evangelize. It's terrifying. What if they get mad? What if I say something wrong? What if they ask me a question I can't answer? Our resource terrified too. It exists because Jesus gave us the Great Commission, not the great Suggestion, and he actually gave us the tools to obey it. And this resource will walk you through how to share the gospel with strangers, even family members, without needing to Pepto Bismol to get through it. You'll still be nervous. That's normal. But you'll also be equipped. And equipped beats terrified every single time. Terrified2 it is streaming right now for free on Fortis. Download the app right now on your smartphone, on your smart TV, or head to fortisplus.org
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Jimmy Hicks
perhaps you've been wondering, is there a Christian university that isn't woke or that hasn't compromised on important biblical doctrines like, you know, the Age of the Earth? There is. It's the Master's University in Southern California. Beautiful campus. All of the athletics and activities that you've come to expect from universities. But it's more than that. The academic programs are most excellent, preparing students for for the future. The Washington Post just said number six for preparing students for the real world. All that plus the Master's University isn't woke and it is thoroughly biblical. Would you like to learn more? I encourage you to visit the Master's University at Masters. Edu Wretched Masters. Edu Wretched.
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Fortis News Host
Your son asked to use your cell phone yesterday, and for just a split second your heart stopped. And it wasn't because of what you thought he might find. You're careful about that, but because of what you knew he wouldn't find. Evidence of a man actually living for Christ. See, our kids don't care about our Sunday morning Christianity. They watch us when we think no one's looking. They notice when dad disappears into his office and locks the door. What if your son could actually see a father who's genuinely free, a dad whose private life matches up with his public faith? That's not a fantasy. It's an actual reality, because men experience that transformation every day when they stop trying to manage their sin and let Christ kill it instead. Todd Frill's play the man shows you exactly how that works. There's no gimmicks. There's no quick fixes. It's just full of biblical truth about how God transforms. Play the man by Todd Friel. It's available right now as an audiobook and ebook and video series only@fortisplus.org hey, look. Some battles, they're just too important to lose.
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Todd Friel
Titles of Christ in the Bible, Jesus is given many titles that teach us about who he is and what he has done. Jesus is called the firstborn. Jesus was the firstborn from death, resurrected that we may have life. And he is the firstborn over all creation, the preeminent Son through whom we are adopted as sons and daughters of God the Father. This is Wretched Radio with Todd Friel.
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Jimmy Hicks
Karen Whitsett of Michigan Salute. This is Wretched Radio. Maybe you've Never heard of her. Because you're not from the hand. Okay, if you're from Michigan, you know exactly what I meant. Because if you ask anybody from Michigan, hey, what town do you live in? They hold up their hand with their thumb out because that looks like Michigan. And then they point to like their palm or their pinky finger, whatever. Because that's what you do in Michigan. You, you. In other words, you're just walking around with two maps of Michigan. She is a representative and she quit the political party known as. Formerly known as Democrats. They just aren't your. They aren't your daddy's Democratic Party. That's all I'm saying. Because of Jesus. She's walking away because of Jesus. For me, it is impossible to be a faithful follower of Jesus Christ while remaining a member of the Democratic Party as it exists today. I cannot reconcile that platform with scripture. Well done. I can't either. I am certain that there are perhaps some uninformed or some older Democrats who aren't aware of what the party has become. I don't know how they could have missed it at this point. Or they just don't think things through and they just keep voting Democrat. But for a Christian, who knows what these people stand for, what they wish to fund, how they want to undermine everything that is necessary for a stable society. So many things that are anti biblical. This woman can't stay in the party. I don't know how a Bible believing Christian can vote for anyone in that party. It's that wicked. I know David French would look at the MAGA and have his issues. I get it. We all have critiques. But that is a far cry from a party that wants to fund the intentional taking of innocent human life. By the way, I think it was Tony Perkins. I read some sort of op ed piece by him and he's right. The abortion issue, it's fallen off the radar. Do you know that abortions have gone up since the end of Roe v. Wade? There are more abortions due to pills being sent to people. And the studies indicate 11% of women who take that abortifacient medication can call it medication. It's designed to take a life. They experience like real bad side effects from it. 11%. And yet give it to them because we've got to have the right to intentionally take the life of our child. They want to fund that. And Tony Perkins is right. We got to start talking about the pills that are being sent all over the country. There's no doctor visits necessary. It's like you can Call up the Teladoc. Hey, I'd like to take the life of my child. Well, let me just write you this prescription. And they send it. And even if it's in a state that prohibits abortion, they can have one courtesy of a pill. And Tony Perkins is right in observing. Hello. Hello. We need to be talking about this. And I would say that to the Republican Party, just like I would denounce the demonic policies of the Democratic Party. We got to point them out in the Republican Party. We got to be the Light party. We've got to be the Defend Marriage party. We've got to be the Defend Children party. Hello, South Dakota. Are you listening? South Dakota. We've got to be willing to critique anything that is not in alignment with the Bible. And so it is. Karen Whitsett. I say salute to you, madam. She said, I've compromised my relationship with Jesus for far too long and I'm grateful. God did not give up on me. He gave me time to repent and be fully devoted to him. And she cited abortion, the normalization of homosexuality, and the push to redefine gender as being the issues that were problematic for her. I have God's unwavering word to stand on, and I can no longer compromise it to fit a party platform or to please people. Now, I looked up her church. Let's keep. Let's keep hoping that Karen keeps figuring stuff out. It's a church actually, in Georgia. And overall, here's the two pastors. You guessed it, they're married. They are the founders and lead pastors and they are personable and love to answer questions. So give them a call. Now, apparently they actually beam out to a lot of campuses. So they've got some sort of national platform that is going on. And again, I didn't see anything that was wrong about their statement of faith. But it would indicate there's issues if you've got the husband and wife serving as the pastors. But inside of their vision, it said something interesting. And this is something that has not been talked about a lot, our vision. They want to create a network of locations. Okay, fine. They just want to grow, develop and train different outreach ministers. Okay. Establish an accredited Bible school. I hope they start at, I don't know, Titus 1 or First Timothy 2 when they're teaching the seminarians at their Bible school. But this one caught my attention. Build a modern day orphanage to rescue youth and children off the streets. I still like that idea. There are good foster parents. There really are. There's some very good foster parents. The problem with the foster parent system, though, is. Kids bounce all over the place. It misses consistency. And very often it is another abused institution where people just do it for money. And the kids are not parented, they're not loved on. And frequently they're abused. Orphanages. Yeah, I know there can be abuses, but there can be so many positives from orphanages. Stability. They will receive an education. They are taken care of. We got to be sure that we're monitoring for the abuse. But getting these kids off of the streets, getting these kids some stability. Okay, you want to keep the foster system going. I think that needs to be investigated and cleaned up even more. But why not orphanages? I recall this goes back years ago. Sister, Sister, Sister. Twisted sister. No, that wasn't it. She was a Roman Catholic nun. What was her name? Very popular in the Twin Cities. And she wanted to build an orphanage and the government wouldn't let her, which I thought was just weird. They just. They just didn't want this woman to be. It was going to be a Catholic orphanage, of course, but they shut it down. Create and support a network of families who are willing to adopt children. That's a good thing. Create a music, arts and dance school. I don't see that being a good thing on the Church's list of visions. Let's hope that Karen Whitsett continues growing in their understanding of what it means to be a real Christian. And to her I say, salute. Let's go to Michigan, shall we? Did you hear about the Dearborn Mosque? They gathered. I'll just quote it. We're gathered here to commemorate the martyrdom of the great leader of our time, Said Ali Hussein Khomeini. Huh. Now, I did the research, so you don't have to. Dearborn is in Michigan. Here, let me just look at my hand. I'll show you. It's right there. Right. Right there. That's where it's located. That's. That's in America. And this is. It is a. I think it is now majority Muslim in Dearborn. You remember the mayor getting upset with the evangelical pastor because they were celebrating a guy that was tied to terrorism. And the mayor basically said, get out. You don't belong here. Crazy. So this was a Hassan Salameh, one of the speakers at the memorial at the Hadi Institute. This was right after Khomeini was executed and a bunch of others. He was a poet and a lawyer. He went on to recite poetry accusing the US of being built by devil worshipers on stolen land and being controlled by devil worshiping. Freemasons with references to the Masonic one eyed devil on the dollar bill. Well, I wouldn't argue with that point. But the point is he called the Statue of Liberty Lucifer. The video showed congregants invoking the here's the deal, Madi, who's considered the final imam who will appear to restore justice at the end of the world. And this poet historian also applauded the parents who brought their kids to train up their child in the way they should blow themselves up because that's what keeps this system going. Now, I think biblically we are always going to see the wild donkey kicking against his brothers, but until Islam has a massive top to bottom reformation, It seems to me what was done in Iran was, I think it qualifies for just war. If we're going to make sure that we analyze any sort of aggression on the part of America, I think just war theory is about as good a framework as you're going to find. In fact, Richard Land, he just wrote an essay. Is Operation Epic Fury a just cause? His conclusion is, yes, because of the danger of a nation that's threatening to, you know, kill the great Satan. That would be you and me. And so he says just war based on just war theory. Augustine, Augustine, Thomas, Aquinas. As long as I'm just butchering people's names, that it's a just war. And in that war, I'm afraid as noble and just as it might be, it is. I just don't biblically see putting an end to what is going on in the Middle east because they believe that they have to take over the globe in order to usher in the return of the Mahdi. You and I would know him as the Antichrist. That is why, ah. Until these people are all converted and saved, plan on the donkey continuing to kick. This is Wretched radio.
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Fortis News Host
And it's now time for your daily Fortis news break, a production of Fortis Institute. Starting in Indiana, a Superior Court judge named Christina Kleinman has just ruled that Indiana's abortion ban violates the state's Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The plaintiffs, they're a group called Hoosier Jews for Choice. And their argument is that their faith doesn't recognize life beginning at conception. So now Indiana's own religious freedom law is being used to gut one of the strongest pro life statutes in the country. And the ACLU couldn't be more thrilled. Of course they couldn't. The Trump Department of Justice recently threw its own curveball. The Justice Department moved to block a lawsuit from Missouri, Kansas and Idaho states that want to stop the FDA from the mailing abortion pills into pro life states. The Department of Justice says let the FDA finish its own safety review first and that courts aren't the right venue and pro lifers aren't buying it. The state of Ohio shows you why this matters after voters embedded sweeping abortion rights into the state constitution in 2023 abortions jumped 15% last year, over 25,000 total, and one in five came from out of state women crossing into Ohio specifically to get one. And the people who warned Ohio that it would become an abortion destination were right. Some good news coming out of Canada, of all places. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is standing firm on her province's ban on transgender surgeries and experimental drugs for minors. She pointed out that two major American medical associations now agree with her stance, saying that we may have been first on that. And she's not wrong because in America, states are fighting the battle one courtroom at a time. Now to Virginia, where Democrats there passed law law requiring teachers to tell students that January 6th was a violent attack on American democracy intended to overturn the 2020 election. Any other characterization is now illegal in the classroom, and teachers who see it differently are barred from saying so during instruction. One approved version of history sounds like communist propaganda to me. Over in Minnesota, the Democratic co chair of a House committee floated the idea of studying the benefits of the shoplifting. His reasoning? Some people might depend on it. He later said he was being sarcastic. The video? It didn't look sarcastic. His face didn't look sarcastic. And the fact that it happened during an official legislative hearing really didn't look sarcastic. These are the people writing our laws. Finally, the Atlanta Hawks are in the news. They wanted to throw a themed game night honoring what they called one of Atlanta's iconic cultural institutions. That institution, Magic City, a strip club. And the commissioner, Adam Silver, stepped in and killed it. And the Hawks said they were very disappointed. Disappointed, huh? Yeah, because daughters and wives and sisters are now not going to be disrespected and dishonored and devalued in a public display of shame. That wraps up today's Fortis News break. I'm Jimmy Hicks. If you want more, you can download Fortis or sign up to become a Fortis Insider for exclusive daily daily content. Both of those things can be done right now@fortisinstitute.org and don't forget, you can also subscribe to Fortis News on your favorite podcast app in order to get these updates daily. And until tomorrow, go serve your king.
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Todd Friel
Lexicon. There Are many words to help us understand the nature of the Bible. Words like plenary, verbal inspiration. God inspired every word of scripture, guiding the human authors as they wrote without violating each man's personality and writing style. In the Bible, we have the very word of God. This is Wretched Radio with Todd Friel.
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Fortis News Host
You be the judge.
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Jimmy Hicks
You want answers? I think I'm entitled. You want answers? I want the truth. You can't handle the truth.
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Fortis News Host
Order in the court.
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Jimmy Hicks
This is Wretched Radio, Jimmy. Are you ready to play federal head?
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Fortis News Host
Absolutely.
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Jimmy Hicks
You be the judge. You represent the tens and tens of people listening to this here wretched Radio program regarding just war, specifically the skirmish that we're currently in in the Middle East. Now, I don't know that you can call it a war. It seems like a war. It's just. I don't know that it's been formally waged. I think they're just calling it some military exercises. Even. So, want to make sure that we are able to criticize, rightly or wrongly, any government, including our own, if it is not bearing the sword rightly. We want to make sure that even if we like the people in power, that they are acting as biblically as possible, knowing that these situations, they're always complex. Nothing is tidy about this conversation. Nevertheless, I think the principle of just war, and it was, by the way, it wasn't just inside of the church, I think that Plato talked about this, or at least Aristotle talked about the concept of just war. Augustine definitely did. And probably the biggest contributor to the conversation, at least inside of the church, was Thomas Aquinas. And he came up with, depending on who you read about five or seven different criteria for what makes a war just and what makes it unjust. Jimmy, here we go. You're the judge. You decide. Here's criteria number one. Just cause. Got to be a just cause. It excludes wars of conquest for material gain or wars of revenge. A just cause does not include subjugating the citizens of other countries. All right, you got two parts there. In your opinion, is this cause just.
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Fortis News Host
Yes.
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Jimmy Hicks
Why?
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Fortis News Host
Potentially.
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Jimmy Hicks
Well, that didn't help.
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Fortis News Host
Well, I mean, you just got to
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Jimmy Hicks
make sure that it's getting all political.
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Fortis News Host
No, no, no, no, no, I'm not.
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Jimmy Hicks
Yeah.
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Fortis News Host
No, I'm not. But obviously there's been a lot of Iranian attacks on. On American citizens, so. Yeah, I mean, it falls under that.
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Jimmy Hicks
Well, they've been also killing their own citizens. Now, that makes it tricky, too, doesn't it? Because they're not our citizens. The number, I think, if I recall Is like the mula. This is. This is from Richard Land's article. The mullahs have probably murdered as many as 30,000 of their own people who are demonstrating against them in the last 45 days. All right, a question would be, is it up to a foreign nation like ours to inject ourselves because their citizens are being treated so poorly? Well, I would say that would be a just cause. It would be a just activity. I don't know that it answers the question. Is that our duty? And I don't even know that it answers the question. Is that our right to do that? But the cause must be just. It can't just be about taking their booty.
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Fortis News Host
Well, I'd also add that they pro. I think if. Is it eight or ten nuclear weapons they have?
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Jimmy Hicks
Well, there's that.
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Fortis News Host
Yeah.
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Jimmy Hicks
So, yeah, no, no, it's the threat. But that falls into category number two, must be defensive. So now, there is a caveat in must being defensive, and that is if it is, it appears to be. But using our best reason and judgment that it appears that an attack on our soil or against Americans is imminent, you can preempt that attack, you can get ahead of that one so that they aren't able to cause mass destruction. But the basic premise or principle of must be defensive. Point number two, that this does not mean nations have to wait to be attacked. If it is clear that other nations are actively preparing to attack you, you do not have to wait until they go for it. And it cites, by the way, the Six Day War in 1967. The surrounding nations, they were getting ready to attack Israel. Israel struck first. And it just. They won in the first two hours of the conflict. That was a good thing. Now, for instance, back in America, let's just say that our defense systems, our intelligence, had learned what Japan was up to with Pearl Harbor. Could we have struck first? Yes. Now, that's why this always gets a little bit tricky, because the question is about intelligence. Do we know? Do we really know? Are we really certain we know, or do we just really have an agenda underneath it? There can't be underlying agendas. It can't be about revenge. It can't be about we just want to get their stuff or even, oh, we want regime change. That's kind of another category unto itself. So, Jimmy, are we being defensive with Iran?
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Fortis News Host
I think so.
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Jimmy Hicks
You're not real confident on these?
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Fortis News Host
Well, I just want to make, you know, I'm all right.
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Jimmy Hicks
Number three, last resort. Every reasonable effort should be made to resolve conflict before violence is used. And that does not require endless delays. You have to be reasonable in your desire. You should be. Your trajectory is want peace. We don't want people dying. We don't want to have to blow stuff up. We want our boys to stay home. That must be a last resort. Do you think this was a last resort, Jimmy?
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Fortis News Host
I can't answer that. I don't know for sure. I don't know.
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Jimmy Hicks
It kind of seems like it that they did make efforts. They have tried other things. And by the way, Iran has been pretty salty for the last, what, since 1978? I think. So this isn't anything new, by the way. Number four, non combatant immunity. So civilians cannot be deliberately targeted. We know in war there are very, very unfortunate casualties that include civilians. Tragically, it's going to happen, but it can't be intentional. Jimmy. I don't think we're seeing that, are we?
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Fortis News Host
No, I don't think so either.
- [36:05]
Jimmy Hicks
Prudential judgment. Is it likely the good gained from armed conflict will outweigh the cost in human life and suffering? Oh, that gets so tricky, doesn't it? Oh, that's a bomb from World War II. That's the argument that millions more would have died if we didn't, versus if we did. Gotta tell you, I wouldn't have wanted to be the president making that decision. I wouldn't want to be the president, period. But I definitely wouldn't have wanted to make that call. But that is a part of just war theory. President Trump writes Richard Len repeatedly tried nonviolent initiatives, limited violent actions, just going after the nuclear facilities. Iranian mullahs remained openly defiant. Turning point appears to have been when Iranian negotiators bragged they still had significant amounts of enriched nuclear material, which would be enough to make 11 atomic bombs within, say, less than a month. And so Richard Land's conclusion is it does appear to be a just war. Jimmy, what do you say?
- [37:14]
Fortis News Host
Yeah, I mean, I absolutely agree. I think it is.
- [37:18]
Jimmy Hicks
All right. And you're willing to have even more people go over there to deal with it?
- [37:27]
Fortis News Host
I mean, I guess, yeah.
- [37:29]
Jimmy Hicks
See, those types of decisions, they kind of need to be weighed as time rolls on with these things.
- [37:36]
Fortis News Host
And it's so hard for you and I to make those decisions when there's so much we don't know.
- [37:43]
Jimmy Hicks
But there's a. Which is why you really want godly politicians in office. Because if you don't have them, well, then you're probably gonna be second guessing all the time. All right, Jimmy, then I've got just one final question for you okay? Which one is Gog and which one is Magog? Just curious. Let me now apologize for the segue that you're about to hear. Speaking of warfare at the Chosen Con. What is a Chosen Con? Well, it's the all the rage, the Chosen series. They did a conference, 45, 500 attendees, Dallas Jenkins and Jonathan Rumi reflect on spiritual warfare. That was a segue. See, Just war. Spiritual warfare.
- [38:27]
Fortis News Host
I see what you did and I
- [38:29]
Jimmy Hicks
still to this day I can't understand why. Kd, kd, wb. You almost swallowed that word. A consonant. Almost went down real hard.
- [38:40]
Fortis News Host
You caught me off guard.
- [38:41]
Jimmy Hicks
Can't believe I didn't get hired for segways like that. They were talking about spiritual warfare. Have you been getting all the emails, Jimmy? Jonathan Roumie, you know, he's the fellow who plays Jesus or a Jesus knockoff on the Chosen because they put words into his mouth. Have you been getting the Easter thing with him? He's a part of something where it's like praying the rosary and doing your Catholic mysticism stuff. It's a really heavy push. He's Roman Catholic and he has been given a massive platform. And I'm sorry, but I do believe it's going to contribute to unbiblical ecumenism between evangelicals and Roman Catholics. I'm sure he's a very likable fellow, super popular, obviously. And so I guess he's just Roman Catholic, so I guess that's like. Okay. And he. I'll tell you something, talk about a full court press. He is everywhere and he is overtly aligned with the Roman Catholic Church, by the way. Jimmy. Yes, Shepcon. Oh, yeah, yeah. No, Chosen Khan. I'm sorry, that's different.
- [39:48]
Fortis News Host
Completely different. Ends of the spectrum.
- [39:50]
Jimmy Hicks
Actually hoping. Phil Johnson. I can't remember the. It was a great title. It's like the Hellish Doctrine, something like that. I think he was preaching against annihilationism at shepscon. We're going to share a great deal of that here on Wretched Chosen Con. Jimmy, would you use your AI machine? 4,500 attendees. How much did it cost to go to that little chosen Condi here them talk about spiritual warfare next on Wretched Radio.
- [40:24]
Fortis News Host
Thanks for listening to Wretched Radio today. You know, there's no shortage of voices telling women how to handle anxiety, how to navigate relationships, how to find their identity. Honestly, most of it sounds pretty good until you realize it's just self help slapped with Bible verses. That's not the same thing as biblical wisdom. That's why we at Fortis Institute present to you the Better Way with Libby Glossin. Libby is an ACBC Certified Biblical Counselor and she's not just interested in giving you coping strategies. Libby's desire is to take you to Scripture and show you what God actually says about the things you're actually walking through. And this is the kind of content our gospel partners are making possible. If the content we're producing at Fortis Institute has been meaningful to you, I want to ask you to pray for consider becoming an ongoing monthly gospel partner. Just go to portisinstitute.org right now and find out what it would look like for you to be a part of getting content like the Better Way into the hands of women who need it. Wretched Amazing Grace Amazing Gospel. You ever been sitting in a sermon and your pastor drops a Greek word like he actually expects you to know what it means? Well, in the original Greek, the word metanoia and you're just nodding along like you totally followed that? What if you actually could follow it? Our resource It's Not Greek to Me is a basic Greek primer that teaches you to read your New Testament in the original language. It's not seminary level memorization. It's just enough to understand what your pastor is talking about, to get more out of commentaries and footnotes, and do your own word studies so you know exactly what God intended to communicate. There's 10 lessons. It's perfect for individuals and families in Sunday school classes and homeschoolers or just anyone preparing for a more serious study down the road. This is the language that God himself chose to write your New Testament and learning it, even the basics, will change the way you study scripture. It's not Greek to me. It's streaming for free right now on Fortis Plus. Download the app where you download apps on your smartphone, your smart TV, or just simply go to fortisplus.org OK, so if you admit it, but you're like the rest of us. You've got 47 streaming services and you're paying for at least six of them. But somehow every night you sit down on the couch and you say there's nothing to watch. Meanwhile, Fortis plus is sitting right there for free on your Roku, your Fire tv, Apple tv, Android, hundreds, maybe even thousands of hours of content on theology, marriage, parenting, manhood, cultural issues issues. Stuff that actually matters. And you know what? We keep adding more. Of course. You could scroll through Netflix for 45 minutes looking for something that won't rot your brain. Or you could pull up Fortis and Learn something that'll actually help you be a better husband, dad, or Christian by the time the credits roll. Download the Fortis app. Right now. It is absolutely free and it's on your tv. And unlike that trip True crime documentary that you've watched three times, at least it might actually do you some good.
- [43:28]
Todd Friel
Attributes of God what does God's patience look like? 2nd Peter 3. 9 says, the Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. God is not hurried, nor has he forgotten his promises. God will bring about the fulfillment of his eternal plan in due time. This is Wretched Radio with Todd Friel
- [44:02]
Jimmy Hicks
Ka Ching. This is Wretched Radio. Jimmy, I beat you on the AI machine.
- [44:07]
Fortis News Host
Yeah, mine's still thinking tickens.
- [44:09]
Jimmy Hicks
No, it's not.
- [44:10]
Fortis News Host
It is.
- [44:11]
Jimmy Hicks
Yours is busted, man. You got something wrong. Your AI has issues.
- [44:16]
Fortis News Host
I must need to subscribe.
- [44:17]
Jimmy Hicks
Tickets. That could be tickets for Chosen Con. Buried Chosen Con. If you didn't know, that's the Chosen the TV series, which is an international sensation. I think they're doing one more season. And all of God's people said tickets for Chosen Con vary depending on the package you bought for 20, 26. The event took place February 19 through 21. You ready for this? The experience package. Yeah. The full convention access.399 per person before taxes and fees. The impact package. That would be VIP style access with extra sessions and perks. $979 single day passes. 150 bucks for Friday or Saturday. Oh, well, look at this. This is good. Here's a deal. Kids 3 to 17 get a 20% discount on some packages. Resale tickets showed around 355 average and 486 minimum with fees depending on demand. In other words, take 4,500 people times, let's just even be fair for two days. So it'd be, well, 4,500 tickets. I don't know how it works out. Let's just say times 200 bucks average. Go ahead, Jimmy.
- [45:43]
Fortis News Host
Hold on.
- [45:45]
Jimmy Hicks
That can't be 900,000. Is it 4,500 times 200? Yes. This is why we don't have a real occupation that involves any math skills. Right here. What is it?
- [45:58]
Fortis News Host
I don't know.
- [45:59]
Jimmy Hicks
Well, you got a calculator right there. Didn't they teach how to use that when they taught you the ABCs and the 12 threes? Okay, what?
- [46:06]
Fortis News Host
45, 500 times you said 200.
- [46:08]
Jimmy Hicks
Yeah.
- [46:09]
Fortis News Host
900,000.
- [46:15]
Jimmy Hicks
You know I'm reticent, yes, I'm reticent to ponder this because I think that a man, if a man even in ministry, let's say, makes somehow for whatever sells a ton of books and makes a lot of money. I actually say good on him. Now what he does with that money I think is another question. And there's going to be some liberty in those areas. But shouldn't we at least be raising a bit of a Spock eyebrow to go how much is Chosen making off of stories about our Savior? I think that that's a reasonable question. If you are going to use our religion to make money because it's a for profit organization, shouldn't we, shouldn't we at least have the right to know that apparently at Chosen Con, Dallas Jenkins Jonathan Rumi reflect on spiritual warfare which happens to be providential because I was reading the Free Grace broadcaster the Spring 2026 edition on spiritual warfare quoting Ephesians 6:11 stand against the wiles of the devil. This is Thomas Brooks contribution to spiritual warfare. Satan being fallen from light to darkness, from felicity to misery, from heaven to hell, from an angel to a devil is so full of malice and envy he will leave no means unattempted by which he may make all others eternally miserable with himself. Does he think he's going to win this war? I actually think he does still, but I think he just hates Jesus so much. Can't get to him. He can get to us. And so he loves to wreak havoc. This is from again, Thomas Brooks. From the power, malice and skill of Satan proceeds all the soul, killing plots, devices and machinations that are in the world. So any bad idea, any bad ideology, any false system, you can thank Satan for it, who probably throws about a bazillion of those bad ideas against the wall and waits for them to stick. Brooks cites four main strategies. These are the big ones, says Brooks. 1. While he will restrain from tempting so that we may think ourselves secure and neglect our watch. So Satan's means of getting you to be apathetic is to not tempt you. I'm doing pretty good here. Look out for that. Another, this would be number two. While he will seem to flee so that he may make us proud of victory, he will fix men's eyes more on others sins than their own, so that he may puff them up. Another, he may fix their eyes more on others graces than their own so that he may overwhelm them. According to Brooks, those are like that's the. That's the big way he goes about it. Now in another contribution in the same booklet he talks about the wiles of the devil. And so the he's going to share. This is Thomas Brooks, dead Puritan. How does the Devil go about his business of trying to wreak havoc with you? Device number one. To present the bait and hide the hook. To present the golden cup, but hide the poison. To present the sweet, the pleasure and the profit that may flow in upon the soul by yielding to sin and by hiding from the soul the wrath and misery that will certainly follow the committing of sin. Who just said this? The promise of sin versus the sting of sin. It always promises sweetness. It only gives you source. It promises life. It only gives you death. It promises you joy. It always gives you despair. It promises you, ah, freedom. And it just puts you in shackles. That's what sin does. And so the devil likes to present stuff that you've earned. You deserve this. A lot of other people are doing it. Why shouldn't you have your share? Oh, don't worry, you won't get a disease. You won't destroy your marriage. Not you. You deserve this remedy. Keep at the greatest distance from sin and from playing with the golden bait that Satan holds forth to catch you. Be like Joseph. Run bro, run. Just stay away from it. Don't get near. Don't play around the fringes. You can't hold a hot coal to your chest and not get burned. Hate it as hell itself. Hate sin with horror. The best way to prevent from falling into the pit is to keep it at the greatest distance. So this would mean for many radical amputation. If it's the Internet that's causing you to stumble, get rid of it. Stay away from it. It's that place that causes you to stumble. Don't go to it. Run from sin. It is so sneaky. It will trip you up. Remedy number two from books, from Brooks. Consider that sin is but a bitter sweet. The seeming sweet in sin will quickly vanish and lasting shame, sorrow, horror and terror will come into the room. You know, it is another temptation. The devil uses money stuff. Get it? It'll make you happy. Lie again. Once again, I'm sorry, I can't cite who just said this or we just heard that we were watching some TV show or something. I think it was a. Wow, I'm quoting a TV show, one that I can't remember even it was that money makes an excellent servant, but a horrible master. That's a good truth from a TV show while we were watching. But it's true. And the Devil uses money. No, no, no, it's all good. Go for it. And then it becomes your master and you're going to be miserable. Here's another remedy from Brooks. Solemnly to consider that sin will usher in the greatest and saddest losses that can be upon our souls. Ask Philip Yancey right now, Ask him, Ask any of these guys who have fallen lately. And by the way, have you noticed just an absolute slew of pastors that had, that have been exposed for lifestyles of sin? I mean, it's all over the place. I just, it's like sweet Jimmy. It's funny, on Sunday at church, this was so sweet. This dear couple. I mentioned to them how this week I had seen so many of these stories. They're the pastor, the worship pastor, and then he commits suicide. There's people being accused of good, bad and other mostly bad churches, but even so that are falling. And I mentioned that to them and he said to me, and that's why we're committed to praying for you, Pastor Todd. Oh, oh man. Well that's like love in action right there. That was so sweet. Be praying for your pastor. They're falling like things that fall. Remedy number four. If you don't want to find yourself in misery and regret, seriously to consider that sin is of a very deceitful and bewitching nature. Don't believe anything it tells you because all it does is lie. And all it will do is cause such regrets, it'll compromise your testimony. It makes the devil titter, if not outright belly laugh. And it allows the world to just go, yeah, there it is. Uh huh, sure. And you don't you want the opposite of that. You want to be holy so that the world wants to know your Savior. Don't commit sin and give the world ample reason to reject the Savior. Although it's foolish to judge the object of faith based on some of the actions of some of its presumed followers, nevertheless, salt light, don't fall. Don't besmirch the Savior's name and ruin your testimony and your life in the process. Hate sin and run, Joseph, run. And until tomorrow, go serve your king.