Stepping Back Won’t Save Us with Andrew Mclennan

There's a growing idea in our culture that America should shrink back and

mind your own business and disengage from the world stage.

As if what happens beyond our borders has no bearing on what happens within

them. It sounds simple and it sounds humble and it sounds America first, but

it's not wise. It's not true. This is the Heidi St. John podcast.

I'm going to tackle America's role in the world today and I'm going to be

joined a little bit later by my friend Andrew McLenon.

He's a radio host on Australia's only nationwide Christian station.

He's got a lot to say about the role of America in the world.

And I think you're going to really be blessed by what he has to say.

And in fact, when I finished this interview with Andrew, I told him, I said,

man, I think you are actually here today for such a time as this, if you're

discouraged, what you see going on in the United States right now and the

division that clearly the enemy is orchestrating this podcast is for you.

This is the Heidi St. John podcast stick around.

I think you're going to be encouraged.

All right, there's a lot of people right now out in the blogosphere on the

pod past bill and all over the United States talking about our role in

Israel and whether or not we should have gone to Iran.

Obviously you guys know my view on that.

I'll talk about that more in just a minute, but I want to start today by

talking about our role in the world because the reality is the United

States has always had a role to play in the world.

You're going to find out more about that in just a few minutes from Andrew as

he joins us from Australia.

And our role in the world has been played out not because we are better

than other nations, but because we have been uniquely positioned blessed with

resources, with influence and with the foundation that is rooted in the

understanding that our rights come from God, not from the government.

This isn't true in Australia as you're going to find out in a few minutes.

I think a lot of us assume that some of these more westernized countries have

the same freedoms that we enjoy here in the United States, but the United

States is unique and the rights we have are precious and we are on the

precipice of losing them.

The idea of our rights alone that our rights come from God and not from the

government have had ripple effects across the globe.

You see, from our beginning, America has stood at her best as a stabilizing

force, a nation that defends freedom around the world, responds to crises

both here at home and around the world and pushes back against tyranny.

And when we've done all that, well, the world has been safer for it.

Not perfect, but safer.

The uncomfortable truth is this, when America retreats, a vacuum is created.

We saw this vacuum under the horrific leadership of Barack Hussein Obama.

We saw it under Joe Biden, this weakness that America was displaying

around the world and what happened.

We emboldened our enemies.

We emboldened tyrants from around the world to subjugate their own people to

threaten the United States.

And the latest example of that, of course, is the Ayatollahs in Iran.

And what history shows us is that vacuums are rarely filled by peace

loving nations.

They are filled by regimes that don't value life, liberty or truth.

And you don't have to look far to see it.

When strong leadership disappears, oppression rises.

When moral clarity fades, confusion takes its place.

And the world doesn't stay neutral because people don't stay neutral.

There's always a battle raging for ideas, for values and for world views.

And if the United States were to step back entirely, we are not choosing peace.

We're just choosing absence.

And in absence, we will face consequences.

I have been shocked and amazed and disheartened and discouraged.

By the rise of anti-Jew rhetoric on social media right now,

particularly from those on the horse shoe, right?

These people that say that they are conservatives, but they're not.

And it has been appalling to me to watch what's happened in the wake of a

Jo Kent's resignation as the director of the Department of Counterterrorism

under President Trump, shocking to me.

And I told you guys a long time ago when I was running against Jo Kent,

that I did not believe he was a conservative.

I continue to believe that he did not have any record of voting for conservative values.

He's not a Republican.

He voted for radical Democrats in his past voting history.

But Washingtonians decided that didn't matter to them.

And they went ahead and let the wolf into the Republican handhouse.

President Trump gave Jo Kent his unwavering support and elevated him to a position

that he did not earn and does not deserve.

And that is the Department of Counterterrorism.

And it's shocking what has happened in the wake of that.

And people are like, well, he has the right to change his mind really

because that's not what I heard when I was running for Congress.

It's amazing what we'll say when it when we feel like it suits us.

But let's go deeper than politics for just a minute because this is ultimately

a worldview issue.

Nations like individuals are accountable for what they've been given.

Scripture reminds us that to whom much is given much is required.

And we as a nation have been given much influence is not an accident.

It's a responsibility.

And so to all of you who've been telling me that influence influencers don't

need to bring receipts.

They don't need to provide evidence.

And here say is enough and gossip is enough and clicks are enough.

This isn't true.

Influence requires accountability.

It requires responsibility.

And that doesn't mean that we have endless wars or reckless intervention.

That is not what is happening in Iran right now.

It means that we steward the freedom that we have and our role in the world with wisdom.

It means discernment.

It means understanding that leadership on the world stage is not about domination.

It's simply about stewardship.

And you're going to hear from Andrew in just a moment that America's leadership

and stewardship around the world has largely been a blessing worldwide.

It is largely been a blessing.

And we need to ask ourselves the questions.

How do we use what we've been given to promote what is good?

How do we use what we've been given to restrain what is evil and stand for truth

when it matters the most?

The fact that we are in Iran right now bombing the Isletola's literally to hell,

which is I believe where they are.

Whoops, no, 72 virgins for you.

I bet that was a shocker when the Isletola met his maker, right?

We have been restraining evil around the globe for 250 years.

And is it any surprise to any of you that on the eve of the 250th anniversary

of the greatest nation on the face of the earth?

We would be threatened from within because that's what's happening.

America has a responsibility for stand to stand for truth when it matters most

because truth is the truth is ideas don't stay contained within borders.

And what rises in one part of the world like radical Islam eventually reaches another.

And so for those of you who are saying, well, we're just, we're just poking the bear.

And if we just leave the Ayatollah's alone, they'll leave us alone.

Wrong.

Watch what's happening in Dearborn, Michigan.

Look what's happening in Texas right now.

Look what's happening in New York City.

Look what's happening in Chicago.

If you think for one second that radical Islam wants to live peacefully with you,

you don't understand the ideology.

And so whether it's a radical ideology, human rights abuses, threats to global stability,

these things don't stay isolated and pretending that they will isn't going to make it so.

There's also a humanitarian reality.

America has long been one of the most generous nations on the earth.

And Andrew's going to talk about this with us in just a minute.

We respond to disasters.

We feed the hungry.

We support medical missions.

We protect the vulnerable and it matters.

It reflects something deeper about who we are meant to be.

We are meant to be a nation that doesn't turn its back when others are suffering.

And yes, we've made mistakes, serious ones.

There are chapters in our history that should be that should be embarrassing to us.

They should humble us, but failure doesn't mean abdication.

It means that we learn, we grow and we pursue a better path forward.

The answer to imperfect leadership is not no leadership.

It's better leadership.

And here's the bottom line.

The question about whether or not America will have an impact on the world is what we are debating right now.

And I'm here to tell you, I think we will.

The question is what kind of impact is it going to be?

Are we going to use our influence to uphold freedom to defend the oppressed and stand for truth?

Are we going to step back and allow others who want America to become an isolationist nation?

Those who do not share our values, are we going to allow them to shape the future for the United States?

Because one thing is certain, the world is being shaped right now every day.

And silence is not neutrality.

It's simply permission.

So this matters not just for policymakers or politicians.

It matters for every single one of us because a nation's direction is shaped by its people.

That's why I'm so alarmed at what I see playing out on X right now and playing out on my social media.

Because by what we value, we will live by by what we're willing to stand for America's role in the world is not about pride.

It's about purpose.

And if we forget that we don't just lose influence, we lose an opportunity to be a force for good in the world that desperately needs it.

I want to shift for just a moment to another topic before I bring Andrew on because I want to be clear about something else.

For a nation or for believers to turn its back on Israel is not just a geopolitical discussion.

It's a spiritual one from the very beginning God established a covenant with Israel that has never been revoked.

It's never been revoked.

I don't care what anybody else says you guys read your Bibles, read your Bibles in Genesis 12.3.

The Lord said to Abraham, I will bless those who bless you and I will curse him who curses you.

Guys, this was an contemporary promise that was tied to one moment in history.

It's part of God's ongoing, redemptive plan.

Israel's not just another nation.

It's the nation through God through which God revealed himself to the world.

It's the nation through which we were given the scriptures and ultimately brought forth Jesus into the world.

And to dismiss Israel is to ignore the very root of our faith.

The Apostle Paul made this clear in Romans 11.

Gentile believers have been grafted in not to replace Israel, but to be joined to what God is still doing through here.

And here's where it gets uncomfortable.

God's not finished with Israel.

I know some of you guys are like replacement theology, the church is Israel.

You guys, when have you ever seen God say I made an everlasting covenant with you?

It wasn't actually everlasting.

When God says something you can take into the bank, scripture is clear.

Is covenant still stands?

Yes, even when Israel is faithless, because God is not faithless.

God remained faithful.

Second Timothy 2, 13 reminds us of this.

So to turn our backs on Israel is in essence to question the faithfulness of God himself.

And it doesn't mean that Israel's beyond critique.

Someone said to me, you know, Israel's approach, choice, nation.

Yes, I know that.

So is the United States.

I don't like either one of those policies.

So it doesn't mean that to support Israel, we can't criticize her or critique or that every

political decision should be blindly supported, but there is a vast difference between thoughtful

discernment and outright abandonment.

And that is what I am seeing, play out on social media right now.

One is wisdom.

The other is rebellion against what God has clearly established.

As believers, we are called to align our hearts with God's heart and God's heart for Israel

has never wavered.

The question is will ours joining me right now is Andrew McLean.

And he is a radio host on Australia's only nationwide Christian station.

They speak into every state across the country.

I had the extreme privilege of being on his show when I was in Australia recently.

And I'm very, very excited to have him here today.

Hey, everybody, this is Heidi Saint John.

If you are feeling battle worn and weary today, I just want to offer you some encouragement.

I have spent the last 20 years of my life trying to give you resources that will equip you

for the battles that lie ahead.

The Apostle Paul tells us that we are on a spiritual battlefield and that we are fighting

quote spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places.

And here's a thing warriors can't afford to be lazy.

This is the reason why I wrote a book called Prayers for the battlefield.

God gave me the idea for this book when I was in the hospital with my nephew, Bobby,

after he sustained a broken neck in a devastating car accident.

And the Lord showed me so many things in that season of my life.

And they are written down in this book called Prayers for the battlefield,

staying mom strong in the fight for your faith and your family.

You're struggling with a child who's a prodigal.

Maybe you're having some issues in your marriage.

You're struggling financially.

You are going to find hope and help in the pages of this book.

I hope you guys will check it out.

Prayers for the battlefield.

How to stay mom strong in the fight for your family and your faith.

So Andrew, my goodness, it's great to see you.

Welcome to the show.

Well, it's good to see you again, Heidi, St. John.

And look, I know you haven't been saying this.

So I'm going to say when you came to Australia, you were a huge blessing.

Our radio audience just loved you.

You're everything we're not, Heidi, you're articulate, intelligent and attractive.

And here and here down under we dream about being those three things and we can't be.

So we're just so glad to have someone who actually is.

That's really funny because that was the opposite of my experience over in Australia.

But I do appreciate it.

I appreciate the sentiment.

I love that was my first visit to Australia.

And I was actually so blessed by the people that I met.

You have an incredible country and a God's at work in Australia.

And so I'm, I was just blessed to be there.

We hope to come back.

We're already talking about it.

So hopefully we'll make it back.

It did take me.

I will say a week and a half to get over that jet lag.

That is, that's, that's a thing you were walking around upside down.

Let's be honest, you're on the other side of the world.

We are upside down here.

But you were a massive blessing.

You're on Vision Radio, which is where I work, which is Australia's only nationwide

Christian radio station.

We touch every state, every capital city.

And our audience loved you and our interviews with you and those face-to-face meetings.

As conferences in four different parts of Australia,

you were one of the keynote speakers.

And honestly, Heidi, you resonated.

Your message resonated with Australians.

And we do hope and pray you come back.

You were a huge blessing.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

It was a blessing for me.

I, I want to kind of continue a conversation with you that I've been having with

many Aussies while I was there.

And that is the role that America plays in the world more broadly.

There's a lot of talk right now in the United States about how America shouldn't

pay any, shouldn't play any role anywhere else in the world.

A lot of people just saying, hey, we're going to close the shutters and close down

the country to every aspect of our involvement around the world from where

you are sitting in Australia right now.

What are you seeing in America that that concerns you?

And why do you think it's important that the United States plays a role around

the world?

Yeah.

Well, obviously what concerns me about America is your current political state,

the tension in your politics, what we call in the culture wars, because the people

involved in this culture war who are anti conservative and anti Christian and anti

Israel have not got a clue.

Heidi, what's going on in the world or what's happened in the world in the last 100

years? Let me give you a recent example of the greatness of America and how much of a

blessing your nation is to the rest of the world.

We interviewed a Nigerian pastor on our radio program about two weeks ago.

He said, since Trump ordered the bombing of that terrorist training camp in Northern

Nigeria, the Christians in Nigeria have been emboldened.

He's witnessed more street evangelism, more street preaching.

The churches have risen up because they suddenly feel like they've got an ally and a

friend who's helping them.

The Nigerian government has not helped them.

I lived in Nigeria for a year, Heidi has a missionary.

I worked in the north of Nigeria where Boko Haram were kidnapping, killing, torturing

anyone who was non-Islamic.

They'd run around and if you couldn't quote the Koran, that was it.

You were done and I lived amongst that.

I've seen it firsthand.

It's been going on a long time and not a single Western government has done anything

about it of any substance until Trump launched that attack this year, which really rattled

the the terrorists in the north of Nigeria and it emboldened the Christian church in Nigeria.

So that's just one little example without America.

Where would the Christians in Nigeria be right now?

Man, there's no one's talking about that.

No one's talking about that over here.

We're talking instead about the war in Iran, you know, the offensive that Trump engaged

in with the nation of Israel to take out the Ayatollah is the most horrific terrorist

regime to be in the world in the last 50 years.

And the anti-American anti-Israel sentiment here in the United States is growing rapidly.

Is that something that you guys are talking about in Australia?

Yeah.

Unfortunately, our media, our patrol media.

We have some really lazy journalism in Australia.

And so the American media, which we both know is 80 to 90% left leaning.

Pro-democrat, you know, our media is much the same.

So our media has always been anti-Trump since, well, they were, they were pro-Trump until

2015 when he said he was going to run for president and like in your mainstream media,

suddenly it flipped from this cool, funny businessman who had a TV show called The Apprentice,

used to fire people.

There was popular with Oprah Winfrey and everyone else in Hollywood suddenly became the

enemy of the world.

And look, I want to say this about the conflict in Iran, Heidi, it's unfinished.

We don't know what the outcome is going to be.

For all we know, I think back to the invasion of Iraq, you know, I think there was a guy

called the propaganda minister for the Iraqi government and he was always sort of sprouting

off all this propaganda about how they're going to win and take down the Americans.

And of course that regime crumbled as well.

We don't know what's going to happen.

So we can't really comment on that.

But I can comment as an Australian, Heidi, and not too long ago in our history, the

Japanese had conquered most of China, most of Asia.

They'd rampaged through the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and everywhere

they went, they brought misery, they brought torture.

Women were sexually assaulted on a scale that's almost unfathomable.

One city in China, which is now called Beijing, 600,000 women were sexually assaulted by

Japanese soldiers.

The Chinese were unable to get rid of them.

All those nations I just mentioned were unable to resist and Australia was under threat.

So who came to the rescue, Heidi?

Was it a South American country?

Was it a European country?

Was it the essence?

Was it the French?

Oh, no.

Not the French.

Not the French.

It was the Americans.

And in my nation, one million American service personnel cycled through Australia and

started to push the Japanese back who were effectively a fascist regime and it was American

blood shed on the islands of the Pacific, mainly the US Marines landing on islands in the

face of just horrific fire and sacrificial fighting by the Japanese.

It was the Americans at rescue to Asia and effectively saved my nation from invasion.

And our nation should be eternally grateful for that, but there's a few of us left landing

here as well, like the French who aren't grateful, but America literally saved the world

in World War II.

And most of the world's forgotten about it, Heidi.

Yeah, well, we have a very short memory.

We've forgotten about 9.11.

It wasn't that long ago when the United States was attacked by terrorists flying into our

world trade centers, thousands and thousands of people died in that horrific terrorist attack.

And what do we see now?

The mayor of New York City, Mandani, is holding all kinds of Muslim prayer meetings in the

capital city of New York, where these attacks took place.

We have a very short memory in the United States.

And we don't, frankly, appreciate the freedoms that we have.

You have seen a lot of the freedoms in Australia, something I was shocked by when I was in Australia

was the number of cameras that are in Australia.

Honestly, I've never seen anything like it in my life.

I was like, whoa, it just feels very much like a nanny state.

And you have watched a lot of freedoms slowly eroding in Australia.

You absolutely saw a pretty heavy hand during COVID.

But did that look like in real time?

And how do you think this has happened?

This loss of your freedom happened so quietly.

Well, again, as an American, how do you take the granted the freedoms that you have?

Australia has never had freedoms like you've had by constitution.

We don't have a bill of rights.

We don't have any real rights to a freedom of speech.

We've assumed that we've had freedom of speech as a right because it's been granted to

us as a privilege.

But constitutionally, Australians don't have a freedom of speech like you guys haven't.

This is what I want to highlight.

Americans take the granted what you have in 1776, your declaration of independence.

It guaranteed liberty, human liberty and human freedom.

And that is the key or the foundation that is made America the Great Nation that it

is today.

And that's why you won World War II, Heidi, because your industry was run by individuals,

not by government controlled industry and factories and businesses, but it was a nation

back in the 1940s where individuals like Henry Ford pursued their dreams unfettered by

government control, regulation and taxation, which that guy in New York, if he had his

way, he would be taxing everyone and controlling everyone and regulating every business so that

it all would be state control.

And it all sounds very good, but it doesn't work because in World War II, which nations

state outproduced every other nation in the world with tanks and planes and guns and

jeeps and trucks, it was America.

You know, you guys at the beginning of World War II had about a thousand ships, about

20 was sunk in Pearl Harbor.

By the end of World War II, just four years later, you had five thousand ships sailing

the seas, Japan and the Nazis in Germany could not compete with you because your industry

was run by individuals that weren't overtaxed, that weren't over-regulated.

That were free, underlined that word, free, Heidi, that were free to pursue their dreams.

And their dreams ran from business to warn manufacturing.

I don't know if you know.

You guys had a plane manufacturing plan.

I think it was run by the Ford Motor Company.

It was a mile long indoor mass of conveyor belt where planes were being built.

And I think towards the end there, about a plane an hour was being built there, a bomber.

The Germans couldn't compete with that.

The Japanese couldn't compete with that.

And that all goes back to 1776, where your declaration of independence and eventually

constitution guaranteed the right to personal freedom.

Australia's never had that, Heidi.

So yeah, during COVID, our government just did what they can do, legally and constitutionally,

which is control us all.

We have three levels of government here, which is hold us back to no degree.

We've got state government, federal government and local government, we're over-taxed, over-regulated.

So people like me look to America and go, oh, wow.

Wouldn't it be good to have a constitution like yours and a bill of rights like yours

would actually, which actually guarantees personal and individual freedom.

We don't have it, Heidi, and we've never had it.

I don't think most people realize that.

I didn't realize that.

In fact, I was having a lot of interesting conversations with Somazis about your freedom of religion.

And I was told you actually don't have freedom of religion, your freedom of association.

And it was shocking to me, I think most Americans don't understand that.

And they don't understand how close we are to losing a lot of our freedoms here in the United States.

Are you watching that from your position upside down as it were to see what's going on here in the United States?

Is it alarming to you?

Well, it's not alarming to me because I'm a Christian.

You see, I think, I'm paralleling your history.

I mean, I'm talking about your declaration of independence and your constitution

and all the wonderful things you've done for world history through war and your war manufacturing.

But parallel to that, Heidi, I see God's hand on your nation.

It was the first great awakening and a Jonathan Edwards

that really gave this revelation or this realization that the individual had value before God.

And because of that, your constitution eventually expressed at the dignity of the individual,

the value and the power of the individual.

This was revolutionary because this is in a time when real families across Europe

controlled the world, the finances, the culture, the society.

And so it was the hand of God on your nation, which gave you,

I believe, the ideas of your revolution, the ideas of your independence and your constitution.

And as God continued to move in US history,

I believe God has allowed your nation to be what it is today.

So powerful and so preeminent, the 20th century,

80 to 90% of world missions was funded by the American church.

Now, think about that 80 to 90% of world missions funded by the American church.

About 67% of all Protestant missionaries in the 20th century

came from guess which nation, Heidi, I'm going to give you one guess.

I don't know. Could it be America?

It is America. Ding, ding, ding.

And look, I've been all over the Pacific.

I've been all over Africa.

I've worked as a missionary in Papua New Guinea for a year.

Everywhere I go, I meet an American missionary.

And that's the same all over the world.

And so if I'm God and my end times agenda is that the gospel

will be preached in every nation.

If there's a nation like America sending missionaries,

funding missions all over the world, if I'm God,

you know who I'm going to allow to basically run the world, America.

And so the 20th century was your century.

The 19th century was the British century.

In the 19th century, it was the British missionaries that went all over the world.

David Livingstone, men like William O'Anne, Catherine Booth,

who founded the Salvation Army, Charles Spurgeon preaching,

William Wilberforce abolishing slavery.

That was the century of Great Britain.

That's when Great Britain was great.

Because again, their missionaries, their church paralleled

the success of that nation's state to take the gospel to the world.

So the secret to your success, Heidi, I believe,

has been your church, your Christians praying and evangelizing the world.

So when I look at what's going on America right now,

am I concerned? No, because there's hope for you.

There's hope for your nation.

If the church rises up again in prayer,

cries out to God for another great awakening,

another great revival.

Because as the hearts of people change in America, Heidi,

your culture can change again and come back to center,

come back to your roots, which is basically individuals being free

to express, free to believe, free to do what's in their hearts

without the government controlling or hindering them.

So from my perspective, all you need is another great awakening,

another great move of the Holy Spirit in your nation.

Man, that's what I'm praying for.

I think as I'm listening to you talk also,

that it is reminding me that the spiritual battle that is being waged

for the hearts and minds of Americans is raging.

I have never seen such a hatred for Israel

and a rise of anti-Semitism here in the West,

like I'm seeing right now.

And it stands to reason.

I wrote this on my social media pages the other day

that the enemy says he comes to kill

and steal and destroy right.

That's right out of the book of John chapter 10.

We know who he is, the fingerprints of the enemy of our soul

all over many of the things that are happening here

in the United States right now, particularly though

the divide that's happening among Christians.

I wonder if you can speak to that for just a moment

because it seems to me that if the devil wanted to thwart

an awakening, a thwart, a move of God,

keep God's people from praying.

The best way to do it will be to divide us

using conspiracy theories, you know, every kind of rabbit hole

you can possibly imagine.

I think we had a killing here in the United States

in the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

And in the wake of that, we had the killing now.

We see the enemy move in to steal and destroy,

to steal what Charlie did and destroy the movement.

Yeah, well, I mean, like Roman says,

we're sin abounds, grace abounds much more.

You know, we just done a big musical

on our radio station about the story of Esther.

I mean, look at Esther.

I mean, talk about Israel being under threat.

The whole Jewish population was threatened with extinction

and one woman rises up and God uses it

at the literally save her people.

And again, if I'm God, Heidi and Israel is my nation,

which it is, and I want Israel to be safe.

And there's a nation called America who, let's be honest,

here's the closest ally to Israel militarily,

has been since 1948,

as long as America is helping Israel and assisting Israel,

which you're doing right now in this attack

on the Iranian regime.

Now, let's just remember the regime's under attack,

not the Iranian people.

My understanding of my experience with the Iranians,

I know both in Australia and in Iran,

is that they're rejoicing that you guys are bombing

their heck out of that regime,

because they are an evil bunch of people,

who, frankly, have used up their expiry date

as far as adding value to this world.

But America is the closest friend of Israel.

And that's another reason why God has blessed America so much,

because you guys have stood with Israel.

And that, I mean, it's a miracle that there's

seven million people living in Israel.

A nation of seven million is literally surrounded

by nations in the hundreds of millions

who all want to destroy them.

I mean, Iran has 19 million people,

has been chanting death to America and death to Israel

since 1979.

And yet, this little nation state of Israel,

seven million people still stands,

still prosperous to this day.

Thanks to the help of America.

So what I would say to the Christians

listening to this right now,

is don't be moved by the noise in the mainstream media.

We know the mainstream media is 80 to 90% left leaning,

and they're not pro-Christian, they're not pro-Isra.

What does the word of God say?

What does the Bible say?

Well, the Bible says where Sinabans grace a pound much more.

The Bible says that teachers have said Jesus was born

at time under Roman oppression.

The government was not good.

The narrative wasn't good,

but it didn't stop God doing what he was doing

through Jesus and through the apostles.

And yes, Charlie Kirk was a martyr for his faith.

He died for Jesus, I believe.

But look at the book of Acts,

all of the apostles, including the Great Sympole,

lost their lives for their faith, Heidi.

It's nothing new.

There's nothing new under the sun, as Ecclesiastes says.

So I want to say to all of your listeners

right now to this podcast,

or those viewing it through a video.

Take heart, take courage, keep praying for your nation.

You've been here before.

Before Jonathan Edwards,

the 13 colonies of the United States,

which were British colonies, were a mess.

Alcoholism and violence was just rampant.

There was no sense of destiny.

There was no sense of purpose.

There was a lot of depression.

There's a lot of really messed up people.

And yet that move of God came through Jonathan Edwards

and brought revival to the 13 colonies.

Christianity suddenly became the most important narrative

in those colonies and newspapers covered it.

People flocked to churches.

They found purpose.

They found identity in Jesus.

And out of that came the ideas of the revolution

and the greatest nation.

I believe the world has ever seen since Israel

under David and Solomon.

That's what the US has been for the last 250 years.

Heidi, can God do it again?

He certainly can.

Boy, I'll tell you what,

you need to come over here and just go on tour.

A lot of people could use that kind of encouragement.

Andrew McLean and thank you so much

for being part of the Heidi St. John podcast today.

I'm looking forward to seeing you again down under.

And if you come this side, let me know.

Well, I do want to come again.

I've been to Texas many times.

I'm actually an honorary citizen of Texas,

but I do have two podcast Heidi.

If you love the accent,

have a listen to faith boost podcasts.

It's a short five minute Bible message,

but also let's go deep.

It's about a 90 minute deep diving to people's stories.

That's a great podcast.

So if you like the accent today,

go to let's go deep podcast on Spotify, Apple or faith boost,

which is also on Spotify, Apple.

You can check it out there.

Heidi, you're a blessing.

I love you.

I love what you're doing.

I love your nation.

I'm praying for America with many around the world.

We're believing God for another great move

of the Holy Spirit in the nation of the United States.

My goodness.

Thank you so much, Andrew.

I appreciate you coming on today.

I hope Andrew has been an encouragement to you.

I know it's been a tremendous blessing to me.

I loved hearing Andrew say why America is still

blessing to the world.

Remind us of our roots,

where we came from the good that America has done

all around the world.

And what happens when a nation begins to lose sight

of the freedoms others once looked to with hope?

I'd love to hear from you guys.

Please reach out to me.

Heidi St. John dot com,

board sash fan mail Friday,

Heidi St John dot com,

board sash fan mail Friday.

You can also email me info at Heidi St. John dot com info

at Heidi St John dot com.

You guys, stay in the word.

Greed God's word for yourself.

Maybe stop listening to podcasters who claim to know God's

word and actually just get into the word of God

and see for yourself.

God is still speaking through the pages of the Bible.

Thanks for listening today.

I'll see you back here again at the intersection

of faith and culture.

You