Allen Jackson NOW

Allen Jackson: Good evening and welcome to Nashville. I’m Allen Jackson. The midterm campaign is entering its final stretch, and Republicans are doing something they’ve never done before in modern politics: holding a national midterm convention. President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Republican candidates from around the country are gathering in Dallas. It’s less than two months before voters determine control of Congress.

For many Americans, this election may ultimately come down to whether they feel like their financial lives are improving. The conflict with Iran has pushed energy prices higher and disrupted one of the world’s most important oil corridors. But Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the underlying economy remains strong and argues that once the conflict eases, oil could eventually fall into the $40 to $50 range.

The administration is trying to increase supply from several directions at once, including expanding domestic production, easing refinery restrictions, and encouraging additional investment in American energy infrastructure. It appears voters agree with the administration’s energy direction. A Tyson Group survey found 88% of likely voters said expanding American energy infrastructure to lower gasoline and electricity costs was important.

There’s another economic story developing. The latest jobs report showed employers added 162,000 jobs in August. That’s far above the expectations of only 56,000. Labor force participation moved higher and manufacturing employment continued to improve. There are positive economic numbers, but numbers in Washington and personal finances at home are not always the same thing. Will voters begin to feel these gains before November?

I like to say God is moving in the earth, and when I do, people come up to me and say, "How can you say that because I don’t see God moving?" I don’t blame them. Perhaps it’s because the media refuses to report on positive developments. Here are a few good news items that have taken place in the less than two years since the current administration took office.

First and foremost, our borders are secure. The previous administration merely said our border was secure, and the legacy media happily passed along that narrative, which they knew to be false. They looked the other way when during a four-year window, 400,000 children were trafficked across our border and through our nation. Think about that for a moment: 400,000 children trafficked.

The Trump administration says federal authorities have now located roughly 148,000 of those children with whom the government had completely lost contact. The job’s not done, but at least there is some progress. Billions of our tax dollars were being stolen. The good news is the fraud and the stealing is being exposed and being brought out into the light.

Elected officials recklessly spent billions of our tax dollars over the years, politicians from both parties. Unfortunately, we didn’t pay enough attention to all the foolish things that our taxpayer money was being allocated toward. We just assumed that those in leadership, regardless of political affiliation, would be good stewards of the people’s money and have our best interest at heart.

We were the proverbial frog in the kettle. While the church stayed silent, previous administrations were spending billions of dollars on an ideology that opposed our biblical worldview. They say separation of church and the state. Yet if you review the expenditure of dollars by the United States, you’d be quite convinced that we had a religion, and that religion wouldn't be Christianity.

Our government has been a very powerful, vocal advocate for a worldview. It’s been defined by the LGBTQ+ community, by DEI or CRT. Here are some of the projects our taxpayer dollars funded during the Biden administration: $2 million for sex changes in Guatemala, $32,000 for transgender comic books in Peru, and $1.5 million for DEI in Serbia.

I’m grateful that the current administration has exposed these expenditures and has taken steps to put a stop to it. DEI has been stopped as an official government function. Enormous regulations that were limiting small businesses have been peeled back. The mutilation of our children in pursuit of trans insanity has been slowed. President Trump has taken steps to stop this abuse.

I’ve been to DC many times. It’s a city that for years has been steeped in chaos and violence. The Trump administration took action last year and sent in National Guard reinforcements to combat the lawlessness of DC. Homicides have dropped dramatically, robberies have fallen sharply, and carjackings have collapsed. All because laws were being enforced. That’s how law and order is supposed to work.

But how did we get to this point? I regret to say that the greatly weakened condition of the church has really been the primary contributor to the weakening of our nation. We’ve not had the courage to stand up for biblical values, biblical morality, and biblical definitions of marriage and family and roles within our families. We as Christ-followers have not attached value to what we represent in the culture. The church has stepped back from the public square.

We’ve been told not to engage in certain conversations, and we rather demurely said, "Okay." I think we were wrong because now the public square, City Hall, and the corporate boardroom are not void of worldviews. They simply have a worldview that hasn't made place for the gospel of Jesus. There’s never been a nation quite like America. That doesn't mean we’re perfect or without fault, but it is a unique experiment in self-government. The only way it survives is if there is a healthy, vibrant church, and we’ve got to awaken to that reality.

In a moment, we’ll be joined by a member from the US House of Representatives, Congressman Buddy Carter from Georgia. I’ll be right back.

Guest (Female): Every day brings new reasons to worry: family, finances, health, the future. Sometimes it feels like the weight of tomorrow steals the peace we’re meant to enjoy today. But Jesus gives us a different invitation. In Matthew chapter 6, he tells us, "Do not worry." Not because life will always be easy, but because our Heavenly Father is faithful.

In the updated book, Freedom from Worry, Pastor Allen Jackson shares practical biblical encouragement to help you replace anxiety with confidence in God’s promises. Through scripture, discussion questions, memory verses, and daily reflections, you’ll discover practical ways to experience the peace Jesus offers every day. Request your copy of Freedom from Worry with your gift of $20 or more at AllenJackson.com or call 800-880-5102.

Allen Jackson: Tonight we’re joined by Congressman Buddy Carter from Georgia. Welcome to the show, Congressman.

Buddy Carter: Thank you for having me. Always a pleasure.

Allen Jackson: The House GOP recently announced that it’s cut two weeks from its September schedule. That gives you a pretty short runway for getting legislation through. What are your priorities with those remaining time you’ve got in the September schedule?

Buddy Carter: Obviously we’ve already done some heavy lifting when we got the continuing resolution done to get us through December the 11th so that the government doesn't shut down. That was our primary goal and we got that done. Now, there is still work to be done and still some things that we need to work on: the Russian sanctions, trying to do something about the data centers. All of those things are very important. We’ve still got quite a bit on our agenda. However, I would submit that we’ve got mostly what we need to get done done at this point.

Allen Jackson: That’s good news. Let’s discuss those data centers for a minute. They’ve been getting a lot of headlines, a lot of back and forth. It doesn't seem like there's quite a determined whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing for us. It’s a big political issue. What are your thoughts?

Buddy Carter: Keep in mind that I’m a former mayor, so I believe in local control and I believe that the locals are to be making these type of decisions. We know we need data centers. We know that we’re in a race with AI, with China, and we know that we’ve got to win that race. We know how important it is.

However, I would submit to you that the data centers have got to get it right. We need to make sure that the data centers, that the local governments, the state, that the federal government are all working together to answer the questions that the citizens have. It needs to be done before the fact, not after the fact. Are our power rates and charges going to go up? Are electricity charges going to go up? Are we going to have enough infrastructure? What impact is it going to have on water? What impact is it going to have on noise? Is there going to be noise pollution? All of those things need to be answered before the fact, not after the project has already been announced but before the project is announced.

Allen Jackson: There seems to be a growing body of evidence that there's a significant amount of left-wing money that’s been coming in in opposition to these data centers. Why would the left wing not want data centers?

Buddy Carter: I have no idea. That’s bizarre. They have to understand that we can ill afford to lose this AI race with China. We can’t let them win this race. AI is amazing what it can do. Yes, there are concerns and we should be addressing those concerns. But at the same time, we cannot afford to lose this race with AI. It should not be a partisan issue. All of us believe in local control, whether it be a Republican or a Democrat, and we need to make sure that that is the case.

Allen Jackson: The Save America Act doesn't look like it’s going to make it through the Senate in time to help with midterm elections. That’s an 80/20 issue in America. I know you’re not in the Senate, but it still puzzles me how our legislators can ignore public will so casually. What can we do about that?

Buddy Carter: It is baffling to me. An 80/20 issue is not getting passed. I just don't get it. The Senate needs to wake up and they need to understand the people want this. My daddy used to teach me, "Son, when you think you’re the only one who’s right and everybody else is wrong, you’ve got to stop for just a minute and think, 'You know, it might not be everybody else. It might be me.'" The Senate needs to stop and think: an 80/20 issue and we’re on the 20% side? We may not be right here.

Allen Jackson: It gives one pause. I’ve got a soundbite from Secretary Rubio talking about globalism and his opinion. Listen to it and then I’ve got a question.

Marco Rubio: I think we made a terrible mistake in this country not many years ago under people that were in charge at the time, especially at the end of the Cold War. That was the idea that the ability to make things no longer mattered. We are suddenly as a nation dangerously dependent, dangerously dependent on other nations for all sorts of things that we need, not simply for our economic vibrancy but in many cases for our national security and our very survival as a prosperous nation state. So now we are involved in this endeavor across the board to try to reverse those mistakes.

Allen Jackson: How did Americans ever become convinced that we were better off by diminishing ourselves and stepping into the global community? How can we reverse that?

Buddy Carter: I have no idea how that ever happened and it shouldn't have happened. We are blessed in America. We live in the greatest country in the world. You can tie this in with the immigration issue because immigration without assimilation is invasion. That’s what we need to understand. If somebody doesn't like America, they’re free to leave. I just don't understand how this has come about and has become such what appears to be a strong movement.

Allen Jackson: We have people running for Congress that want to dismantle America as we know it and they’re gaining momentum. It seems absurd to me. As you said, we have the greatest nation on earth. It seems like our elected officials should celebrate that, not try to dismantle it.

Buddy Carter: I couldn't agree with you more. It just only makes sense. What’s going on now with the Democratic Socialist party or Democratic Communist party, as I call them, they’re having a real impact on their conference. The reason why is because leadership and the entire caucus is moving further left, moving further toward them in order to appease that base. That’s not good for our country. The policies, if you listen to them, these policies that they’re proposing have never worked. Why we would try that at all is beyond me because capitalism, for all its shortcomings, still, as Winston Churchill said, the best government ever.

Allen Jackson: Absolutely. Congressman Carter, we need to take a short break. Can you standby for another segment?

Buddy Carter: Sure.

Allen Jackson: For those of you watching, take just a moment and log on to AJNow.com. Send us an email. We’d like to hear your thoughts on this topic. I’ll be right back.

Allen Jackson: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told us a handful of times, "Do not worry." Here’s what I know about Jesus: if he tells us not to do something, it’s possible for us to put it down. We’ve put together a six-week email series to help each of us lead lives free of worry. We live in a tumultuous world, lots of confusion, but I don't believe we have to be plagued by worry. You can go to AllenJackson.com/freedom, sign up for the email series. Let’s live worry-free.

Allen Jackson: You are more than a conqueror. And the truth and the reality is you can’t win without fighting. People in this community are looking for a gospel, they’re looking for a faith that actually transforms their community and cares about their kids. But their purpose of bringing men to Christ and then spurring them to good works is what allows for a flourishing democratic society.

There’s a real battle in the world between light and dark, between good and evil. And Jesus steps into our world to say, "I am the answer for an evil world." We should as Christians get beyond the four walls. The four walls is for us to come and congregate together and worship together. We need to permeate into society. Darkness doesn't overwhelm the light. The light is dimmed and the darkness grows more intense. So if we want to know the way out of this place, it’s to turn up the light.

Allen Jackson: We’re back now with Georgia Congressman Buddy Carter. For the first time, there is going to be a Republican midterm convention. President Trump’s planning to speak both nights, kind of the highlight of this rally. What are your thoughts on the convention and what do you think the points are that are necessary to be made to help bring victory this fall?

Buddy Carter: I’m excited and I think our base is excited. I’ve talked to a number of supporters who are on their way right now. Unfortunately I won’t be able to attend, I’ve got a long-standing family obligation. But I’m excited about what’s going to happen in Dallas, excited about the president and the message he’s going to be bringing.

Look, there are those out there who say that we don't have a message. We have a message and we should be running toward that message. We have achieved in the first year and a half of this president’s second administration what few Congresses, what few administrations have achieved. We’ve answered the mandate that voters gave to us two years ago to secure our borders, to make our country more prosperous, to make our city safer, to unleash American energy, to decrease regulations. We’ve done all that and that’s the message we should be getting out there.

Allen, there’s something that’s falling kind of under the radar that I think is very important and that has to do with healthcare costs. As you know, I’m a pharmacist by profession. Did you know that prescription drug prices have decreased 3.1% over the last year? The largest price decrease in 60 years in prescription drug prices. The reason for that is the policies of this administration and of this Congress. The most favored nations, Trump RX, what we did with the middlemen in Congress, the PBMs, to cause more transparency. All of that has led to decrease healthcare costs plus the money that we put into rural hospitals and the Working Families Tax Cut Act has increased accessibility to healthcare. That saves money in healthcare as well.

Allen Jackson: It seems to me the voters have clear choices. Do they want to continue for the border to be secure? Do they want to see those costs like prescription drugs coming down, our energy independence growing? There are a lot of positive things and we have a choice whether you want to see them continued or we want to see them reversed. I hope the people awaken. It’ll be historic if they do.

Buddy Carter: That’s exactly right. You’ve heard the old saying: how many politicians does it take to change a light bulb? Two: one to change it, one to change it back. We changed it in the Republican Party. We don't need to go back to the failed policies of the Democrats. That has proven to be a failed policy. We need to continue on with the policies that we’ve got right now that have resulted in positive impacts in our economy, positive impact in the quality of life, more money in people’s pockets as a result of Working Families Tax Cut Act, more increase in tax rebates. All of those things are good things that have helped our country.

Allen Jackson: You mentioned a moment ago the Democratic Socialist of America, and one of the characteristics of the DSA in this cycle is they’re very anti-Israel. Is it possible that we’re going to have Democratic candidates that are antisemitic, boldly and proudly being elected to offices in America? That seems unthinkable to me.

Buddy Carter: It’s unthinkable to me and God help us if we do. We’ve got to support Israel. The Bible tells us to support Israel and we have to do that. They’re our greatest ally in the Middle East. We have to keep that in mind. We all know what the Middle East is like. We can ill afford to lose that ally, Israel, and you know that Iran would wipe them off the face of the earth the first chance that they had.

Allen Jackson: For a long time Senator Bernie Sanders was kind of the face of the DSA and while we tolerated him, it didn't seem like it really threatened the Democratic Party or our way of understanding government. That’s not true right now. The DSA is gaining momentum across the nation. They’re eyeing a number of seats in Congress, maybe even the Senate. Do you think the Democratic Party has the will to turn them back or is that going to be the face of the Democratic Party?

Buddy Carter: I think that’s where they’re headed. They’ve been headed that way for quite a while. You make such an astute point. Bernie Sanders is the moderate now? You’ve got to be kidding me. For so long he carried the mantle, and now we’ve got others who are carrying the mantle and they’re carrying it even further to the left. That’s scary.

Allen Jackson: It is. The Senate race in your home state of Georgia is between the incumbent Jon Ossoff and Republican Mike Collins. It seems to be gaining a little attention, a little heat. What do you think’s going to happen and what would it take for Mike Collins to be victorious in November?

Buddy Carter: People need to recognize that Jon Ossoff does not represent the values of the state of Georgia. He does not represent my values, he does not represent any values here in the state of Georgia. He needs to go. We need a representative who’s going to represent us, not someone who’s going to be—even though he’s Jewish, he votes against Israel. He wants to have biological men in girls' locker rooms. I have six granddaughters. I don't want to have a biological male in their locker room. He does not represent our values and he needs to go.

Allen Jackson: I grew up in Nashville, so I’m used to the Southeastern Conference. When I hear people refer to Georgia as purple, that just seems wrong to me. Georgia’s a red state. Do you think that’s going to show up this November?

Buddy Carter: I do. I feel like we’ve got the statewide candidates. We’ve got a great gubernatorial candidate in Rick Jackson. His story is unbelievable. So all the way down the ticket, I hope that people will come out and support the Republicans because we’ve got great candidates and we’re right on policy. That’s what we need to remember. Elections have consequences because policies have consequences.

Allen Jackson: Congressman Carter, I thank you for your time today and for your leadership in our nation. We appreciate your insight.

Buddy Carter: Thank you.

Allen Jackson: I’ll be back in a moment with your emails.

Allen Jackson: I want to give you a personal invitation to join my podcast, Culture and Christianity. You don't compromise the truth, but you say it where the people know that you care about them. We’re trying to understand how to take our faith outside the walls of the church and live it out in the marketplace.

I just never understood the double standard because they punished me while my peers were allowed to talk about how devastated they were that Roe v. Wade was overturned. I brought in some friends, people that are trying to do this on a regular basis. They’re never going to stop me because the truth is the truth. I’d rather be on God’s side than to be a coward.

We’ve been living in a season of unprecedented deception, propaganda, manipulation. Our best option was to run. We were timing ourselves. I was trying to think how can I protect my kids. I want to be a part of seeing culture and Christianity intersect. I hope you’ll join the podcast soon.

Allen Jackson: Thank you for spending a few minutes of your day with us. Just a reminder, if you ever miss a live episode, you can always go to AJNow.com. You can log on. All the episodes are there. You can watch them at your leisure. They’re easy to share with a friend. If you like one, share it.

Thanks for your emails. Amy in North Dakota emailed: "I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to know that no matter when I hear you, I agree." Amy, I can’t tell you how refreshing that is to me. I hope it’s contagious and everybody starts agreeing. You’re steady and strong that so many of us are searching for. North Dakota is far from Tennessee, so watching on TV and phone are the ways to be close for now. Thank you. God bless you and your family. Thank you, Amy.

Julie in California: "This Democratic socialism stuff is terrifying me. I feel that there’s a definite possibility of a DSA candidate getting into the presidency in 2028, and I think things would deteriorate in our society rather quickly. I want to keep up on what’s happening in our country and world. How do I do this without such fear in my heart?"

Julie, I think your analysis of the DSA is accurate. There’s a long historical track record of what socialism and communism will do and they’ve done it around the earth. They’ll do it here given the chance. We’ve got to be more aware and more engaged than that. But I would remind you, God and His purposes have always had a challenge in the earth. It goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. And so far, God is triumphant. I think He’ll continue that track record. You don't have to be afraid.

Judy B. from California emailed: "I love when you have Gordon Chang on. He’s so sharp when it comes to China. The current administration would do well to listen to him. He’s one of my favorite among your guests. God bless." Judy, I agree. Gordon always brings such clarity to the China conversation. We can celebrate the Chinese people and their courage without having to embrace the Chinese government. It’s authoritarian, it’s autocratic, it’s oppressive. It shouldn't be celebrated. The Chinese people, that’s a different discussion. They deserve our prayers, our support, our compassion. But the government is an oppressor and we should never confuse the two.

David from Perry, Florida: "Pastor Allen, a few words to say how thankful I am for you and your ministry. God has used you powerfully to help me spiritually. Thank you for all you do." David, I’ll tell you what I tell the people here: on our best day, we can’t heal an ant’s wing. But we are servants of the Most High God and He changes lives. As long as we keep that perspective clear and we keep saying yes to the Lord, I believe He’ll bring good things to our lives.

God is moving in the earth. Our decision to be a part of that makes all the difference. I would encourage you to do so. Thank you for your time today. God bless and good night.