Save America Ministries

Guest (Male): This is Viewpoint with attorney and author Chuck Crismier. Viewpoint is a one-hour talk show confronting the issues of America's heart and home. And now with today's edition of Viewpoint, here is Chuck Crismier.

Chuck Crismier: How do we deal with the coming year? How do we deal with the ups and downs, the fractious attitudes, the frightful ideas and occurrences, and live by faith? How do we deal with the future without faith? And what is faith, anyway? Today on Viewpoint, we want to talk about this matter of faith and the future. What does God require of us? What should you and I expect as a minimum to set our course for 2026?

Setting the course from God's viewpoint, not from a Republican viewpoint, not from a Democrat viewpoint, not from a democratic viewpoint, not from any other viewpoint other than God's viewpoint. You say, "Well, how do we know what God's viewpoint is?" We know because He's told us, very explicitly in His word. And so while we hear all kinds of threatenings and slaughterings and wooings and warnings and all kinds of things proliferating across the world, we need to have our roots firmly fixed in our trust in the Lord, and that's what faith is all about.

Faith is not some esoteric idea just floating in space where we say, "I'm a person of faith." No, faith is not an abstract thing. Faith at its root is acting on the Word of God, acting on the Word of God and acting in a way that reveals that we really believe what God has said. And when we do that, we have greater hope. And when we have greater hope, the horror that seems to be lurking around becomes less significant in the motivation of our minds and hearts, and fear begins to wane.

We cannot allow ourselves this year to be driven by fear. There's only one fear that should drive us, and that's the fear of the Lord. Without the fear of the Lord, we cannot truly live by faith. It's impossible. God said so. He said that faith is really the only way to please Him. Without faith, it is impossible to please the Lord, and He also said that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of the wisdom. So in order to have the wisdom to understand what it means to live by faith, it begins with the fear of the Lord.

So that having been an opening statement here on the program today, I welcome you aboard. I'm Chuck Crismier. It's conversation as always with ever-increasing conviction, talk that transforms. And let's set the stage by taking a look at several headlines here that kind of give us an opening concept of what we're facing here in our world and both the good, bad, and the ugly. Now it seems to be that the majority of it is not good. It's the bad and the ugly. But we're going to see that that's not all true. That's only part of the truth.

Part of the truth is, yes, indeed, there's bad and there's ugly, and Jesus told us there would be. The Apostle Paul told us there would be. James, the brother of Jesus, told us there would be. John the beloved disciple told us there would be. Peter, the disciple, told us there would be terrifying times. There would be fear that would come upon the earth. Jesus Himself said that men's hearts would fail them for fear for the things that were coming upon the earth. But you and I, as followers of Jesus Christ, should not be among those whose hearts are failing them for fear.

And if, indeed, our hearts are failing us for fear, it's a test. It's a litmus paper test to really determine whether or not we really are Christians, whether we really are followers of Jesus Christ. And so, while we receive calls from all over the world concerning the things going on in our economy, I just received one as the broadcast started. I'm going to have to cut him off in a moment here, but he will understand, and I'll call him back in a moment. But the reality is that we're looking at things that are tremendously painful and horror-filled.

We're also looking at things that are tremendously promising and purposeful and set our lives on a trajectory for that which is good and that which is honorable and that which is holy and that which is fulfilled. So here we go. Zoran Mondami revokes anti-Semitism executive orders as his very first act as the governor of the largest population city in the country, New York. Eight million people. The first Muslim mayor under fire for immediately revoking all late-term executive orders issued by Eric Adams, his predecessor, including protections for the city's Jewish community.

That should tell us something. In fact, it should scream to the Jewish people. The largest grouping of Jewish people outside Israel in one city is New York. The largest grouping of Jewish people outside of Israel in a nation is America, approximately five million. And so what we're looking at here is the beginning, not just anti-Semitism in our colleges and universities, but anti-Semitism that has actually been voted into office into the largest city in our country that people say is the heart of the American economy, New York.

Some people have referred to it as Babylon. So Zoran Mondami has set a stage. He's put up a sign, a flag. And not only that, but he has also put on the steps there red flags, indicating his commitment also to democratic socialism. That's the fancy name for communism. Democratic socialism is, in effect, moving in the threshold of communism. So we have the first Muslim mayor, the first openly communistic mayor of the largest city in America. What does that say to us as a people? What does it say about New York? What does it say about the future?

Then we have outside this country a church, a historic 150-year-old Dutch church. It's gorgeous. I'm looking at it right now, the picture, that is, before it burned. It went up in flames in Amsterdam after midnight on New Year's Day. In other words, it was to launch the new year. Burned to the ground. Well, sort of. The church's 164-foot neo-Gothic spire collapsed and only the walls remained intact. I want you to remember those words: only the walls remained intact.

The inferno came as Dutch police faced unprecedented levels of New Year's Eve violence. The chair of the Dutch police union said that she and her colleagues were being pelted with explosives. Unprecedented amount of violence against police, lots of explosives, fireworks aimed at the colleagues, the police, first responders, and so on. Well, what does this tell us? First of all, it tells us that violence is covering the earth and going to cover it even the more so as we launch into the new year.

It's in Amsterdam now against law enforcement, against law, against stability in culture, and also against the church. Is this a symbol? A church burning to the ground except for only the walls remaining intact. Is that a symbol of a movement now that perhaps will be taking place starting this year? Viewpoint to the home, we'll be back.

Once upon a time, children could pray and read their Bibles in school. Divorces were practically unknown, as was child abuse. In our once-great America, virginity and chastity were popular virtues, and homosexuality was an abomination. So what happened in just one generation? Hi, I'm Chuck Crismier and I urge you to join me daily on Viewpoint where we discuss the most challenging issues touching our hearts and homes. Could America's moral slide relate to the Fourth Commandment? Listen to Viewpoint on this radio station or anytime at saveus.org.

Again, I welcome you back to Viewpoint. We're taking a look at faith and the future here today on Viewpoint. Another of these colorful expressions showing us the direction of things comes with this headline from the Russian Times: "Self-styled prophet arrested in Ghana after doomsday flood scare." Now we talked about this the other day. Ebo Noah predicted a Christmas Day apocalypse. A self-proclaimed prophet in Ghana who spent months spreading fears of an imminent doomsday flood has been arrested.

His name is Evans Ashun, popularly known as Ebo Noah. He was detained on December 31, the last day of the year, after repeatedly warning that a global flood would begin on Christmas Day. The 30-year-old claimed the disaster would last three years and urged followers to donate money to help him build modern-day arks for survival. Last August, Ashun claimed God had ordered him to build 10 wooden vessels to save humanity. For months, he posted videos showing himself overseeing boat construction. Reports alleged that donations meant for the project were instead used to buy Mercedes-Benz, prompting widespread outrage online.

When no flood occurred on December 25, Ashun insisted that his prayers and a three-week fast had persuaded God to delay the catastrophe. He said, "God reveals to redeem. I have prayed, I have fasted, I have donated, I have built. Through my prayers, I received another vision." He said after the intercession, God has given us more time to build additional arks. Well, the episode has sparked renewed public debate in Ghana regarding doomsday prophecies, the influence of self-styled religious figures, and the use of donations solicited in the name of faith.

Now, you say, "Wow." Yeah, I say wow, but the interesting thing is this isn't all that strange. Now, it may be strange in that this fellow was promising to build an ark or a series of arks at the instruction of the Lord to save humanity from a flood. Well, for one thing, it was totally non-biblical, totally against the specific statements of the Bible. God said, "I will never again destroy the world with a flood." But here's a guy, a self-styled prophet, who says that's exactly what he heard from God and, "Would you help me build these arks so that you can be saved from this imminent flood?"

Here's our problem. It's not just Ghanaians, not just people in Africa that are listening to this kind of thing. It's people all over America who are listening to things like this, not to build an ark but to build other kinds of things, to do other kinds of things, all under dire prophecies that this is that and this is going to happen and you better. No, friends, there is a kind of warning that is biblical. Then there is a kind of warning that is hyperbolic. Hyperbole has become the name of the game in this digital world. It just has.

And I don't want to mention names in the public realm right now. I'm not talking about just in the Christian community. I'm talking all over the world. The major news media in this country is predicated and based upon hyperbole. Telling you, making statements that are not necessarily true. They contain a bit of truth, but they're designed to capture your attention falsely for false purposes so as to get more clicks in the digital world, which mean more profits, more selling points.

Pastors are prone to do exactly the same thing. I'm telling you, it's just the way it is. It's human nature. It's what happened when starting in the 1970s with the church growth movement, we moved from worshipping the Master to bowing to the market. So the market superseded the Master, and the Master then had to bow to the market. So it's the market that dictates everything now. The church growth movement first, then the seeker-sensitive movement, and now even the prophetic movement. Even prophecy has been perverted.

How? By focusing on everything that's bad or horrific, making statements that everything is going to collapse and everything is going to do this and everything is going to do that and if you don't buy this and you don't get that, your life is going to collapse. No, that's not how we as Christians are to live. We live by faith, not by sight, not by feelings, not by fear. Right? Be careful about the word "prophet". A prophet tells the truth, not with hyperbole but with specificity in line with what God has said, and not for self-gain, not for self-motivation, not for self-aggrandizement, but to somehow capture the mind and heart of the people to prepare the way of the Lord in their life for the coming of the Just One, Jesus Christ, as Messiah. That's the purpose. That's the ultimate purpose.

Now, here's something good. Here's the good news, or some good news. The headline: "Stunner poll shows young attending church more than seniors." Changes are happening across America, and they are not all because of the radical America-first agenda being pursued by politics. For example, young people now are leading growing Christian church congregations on Sundays. 2025 was the first time since George Barna and his survey and research started tracking such activities that younger adults are attending church more often than seniors.

Millennials and Generation Z Christians are attending church more frequently than before and much more often than our older generations. This is fascinating. The typical Gen Z churchgoer now attends 1.9 weekends per month. In other words, about every other week. While millennial church averages just under that. But among the boomer generation and those older, they're only attending 1.6 weekends per month. Well, there's a reason for that, too, if we're really honest, and that is they're older and more infirm and not necessarily as likely to get out.

So yes, indeed, the good part of it is that young are seeming to be going to church. But going to church doesn't make them a Christian even though walking into a garage doesn't make you a car. So it is good to know that they're going to church. The question is what are they getting when they go to church? Is the church supposed to be the place where you come into a relationship with Jesus Christ, or is it to be the place where you are disciplined into obeying Christ and His ways so that you can go out into the highways and byways and bring people to Christ?

You see, the unfortunate thing is that this kind of a statistic tells pastors, "Well, let's diminish the message even more so as we have in the past so as to lure even more Generation Zers and millennials into our congregations." Friends, that actually defies the very purpose of the church gathered. The church gathered is not for the purpose of converting the unbelieving. It's for the purpose of preparing, discipling, instructing, correcting the saints for the work of the ministry.

So we need to make sure we get the information correct. The information alone standing alone by itself does not have the ultimate implication encapsulated in it. That's one of the things we do on this program is provide the implications of the information. Not for purposes of lifting up this ministry. We don't need to do that. Our purpose is not to lift up this ministry but to lift up the God who created all of us and gave us a hope of redemption and His Son, Jesus Christ.

So these are some of the, shall we say, symptoms, illustrations of what we can expect in 2026. So the question then is, well, okay, that being the case, what does it mean to live by faith amid these kind of circumstances? When in Iran the people are rebelling against the Iranian regime. When the economy in Iran is collapsing and a major portion of the people live below even the global minimum for living financially. It's created a circumstance that is so tenuous there in Iran. They're calling for the downfall of Khamenei and his radical Sharia law administration.

The Islamic Revolution may be in the process of falling. But what would that mean? Would that mean that Turkey then would take over with Erdogan who is intended to do exactly the same thing in Turkey to become the leader of the Islamic Revolution for the world? You see, it's not just what happens with Iran. It's what happens as a result of what happens with Iran. And you and I cannot tell exactly what's going to happen. So let's not try to say what would happen or what will happen.

We can talk as if, well, we know what Mr. Erdogan intends to do in Turkey and with Turkey, and we know that he hates Iran. Iran and Turkey are at loggerheads with one another. It's not a mystery. So we can look at that and say, "Okay, that might be significant." We can't say this is going to happen, but we can say this is likely to be significant and why. But to base our faith on that is futile. We're basing our faith more in terms of feelings that we get from information that oftentimes is not true or is only partially true. And so fear tends to prevail over faith in our lives, doesn't it? Is that speaking anything into your life right now? Does it ring true in your life in some way?

How many people tell me that they're scared, they don't want to listen to anything, they don't want to hear anything, don't bother me with information, don't bother me with that. In other words, they want to live in a Pollyanna world. But faith does not live in a Pollyanna world. Faith has to prevail in a real world. A world in which fear is its continuing opposition. A world in which trust in other things—the power of government, the power of money, the power of this, the power of that—that's the kind of world, you see, that we don't want to live in without faith. So faith, you see, is the substance of that which we hope for, the evidence of the things that are not yet seen. Faith and the future.

So that having been said, where do we go from here? How do we develop that kind of faith? How do we become secured in that kind of faith for this coming year? The one thing we don't want to do is be seduced by deception. We don't want to be seduced by hyperbole. Some of the most prominent voices in the media today are more and more going to extreme ends to try to get attention and get more clicks so they can get more money so they can become bigger names and have more focus on their programs.

Some of them have gone to such extent they have actually been willing to compromise their beliefs, completely distort reality in order to gain that kind of recognition in the name of Christ. It's amazing. I watch it happen. Then others try to diminish what's happening in our world and pretend, "Well, it's not that much of a problem. We're saved, we're this, we're that. So let's just all be happy and sing Kumbaya until Jesus comes." No, that's not faith, either. That is not faith. So we want to live by faith, not by presumption, not by pretense, but in the real way. How do we do that? That's what we want to talk about in the balance of the program here today on Viewpoint. I hope you'll stay tuned.

Guest (Male): There is so much more about Chuck Crismier and Save America Ministries on our website, saveus.org. For example, under the marriage section, God has marriage on His mind. Chuck has some great resources to strengthen your marriage: first off, a factsheet on the state of the marital union, a factsheet on the state of ministry marriage and morals. Saveus.org, marriage, divorce and remarriage: what does the Bible really teach about this? Find all of this at saveus.org. Also, a letter to pastors: the Hosea project. Saveus.org and many more resources to strengthen your marriage. It's all on Chuck's website, saveus.org. Again, you can listen to Chuck's Viewpoint broadcasts live and archived. Save America Ministries website at saveus.org.

Chuck Crismier: Again, I welcome you back to Viewpoint. There are three words that I'd like to have you remember, having listened to this program today. Three words. And we're going to talk about those three words in the balance of the program here today on Viewpoint. Our viewpoint determines destiny. Our viewpoint concerning faith and the future is determining destiny even as you listen today. Your viewpoint concerning these three words that we're going to talk about is going to determine destiny. It's going to set the course of destiny for you, for your family, for your congregation. And if we get the balance of these three words off-kilter, it's going to destroy so much of what God would want to do in and through your life.

The first of those words is the word that the Bible repeats over and over again as the theme of Jesus coming into the world. Now, what theme would that be? Well, we find out when John the Baptizer was ordained by God to prepare the way of the Lord. And he came preaching for six months to prepare the way of the Lord. What did he preach? "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." That's what he preached. That was his message.

So then the question arises, "Okay, well what does that mean? What does it mean to repent?" And people ask that. "Well, okay, what does that mean? What do you want us to do, John?" And so he talked about that in general terms. But we're not going to talk about that just in general terms here today. We're going to get a little bit more specific because the problem in our churches today and in much of the radio and television ministry is generalized teaching that allows you to kind of try to fill in the gaps and not get very specific because if they get very specific, then they're afraid they're going to step on toes and they don't want to do that because it's going to cut off the finances to keep the ministry going. So they won't talk about the specifics, they only talk in generalities.

So let's get specific. What does it mean to repent? Well, first of all, it's a positive word. In fact, the Bible says that it's the goodness or kindness of the Lord that leads us to repentance. So it's not a bad thing. It's a necessary thing from God's viewpoint. It's a holy thing. It's something that actually brings us into the place of legitimate faith because without repentance, we have no standing to live by faith. Did you know that? It's just true and that's why so many professing Christians don't get answers to their prayers. They're not walking in a spirit of repentance.

We should walk in a spirit of repentance. In other words, we should have sensitive ears and eyes and minds toward God and His Holy Spirit. That's really what it means. The Holy Spirit is given to lead us into all truth and to be a comforter, to come alongside us. He's the alongside one called the Paraclete. And so He's there to lead us, to guide us, and to convict us. That's the part that isn't taught. The Holy Spirit is given not just to guide, not just to reveal the word, but also to convict us. That is a good and wonderful thing.

I am so thrilled and glad over the years that God has given His spirit to convict, because if we don't get convicted, we're going to end up in condemnation. Satan gets the right to condemn us and bring accusation against us when we do not respond positively to the Holy Spirit's call through conviction to repent. So what does repentance mean? Well, it means to turn, to have a change of mind and heart, to turn from the way that we've been going to God's way.

Well, that's a general term. But how about in specific areas? See, repentance is not just a change of mind, it's not just a change of heart. It's a change of mind and heart with regard to certain things. In fact, all certain things that God has anything to do with. Whether it has to do with our relationship between our spouses, whether it has to do with our relationship with our kids, whether it has to do with our relationship with our neighbors, whether it has to do with our relationship in business, how we conduct our business, whether it's done honestly and with integrity. It has to do with every single aspect of our lives. There is no area of our lives that doesn't get touched with the requirement of repentance.

So we want to have very keen, tuned-in minds and hearts to God's voice through His Spirit concerning our lives. Have we acted in a way that is displeasing to God? Have we said things that we ought not to have said? Have we yielded to certain temptations that we know are in, or do we have certain habits that are out of line with God's word, will, and ways that are deleterious to the temple of the Holy Spirit which is our bodies? These are just aspects of application. God will by His Spirit, having mentioned those things, you see, God even now by His Spirit is speaking into some people's hearts that there are areas in which repentance is needed.

That's not a bad thing. That's the good thing. It's the kindness and goodness of God that leads us to repentance. Why is that? Because if we don't repent, there's nothing good ahead. The future is not good if we don't repent. Not good at all. Because we can't live by faith and not repent. Next, these are the three R-words. And by the way, let's track this repentance just a little bit further. John the Baptist came preaching, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Then he handed the baton to Jesus. He said, "He must increase and I must decrease." Remember that? So he hands the baton to Jesus to carry on the ministry that John the Baptist had been preparing for.

And what was Jesus's ministry? How did Jesus begin His ministry? "Repent and believe the gospel. Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." The very same words that John the Baptist used. Now people don't, pastors don't like to talk about that. For instance, I heard a pastor give a wonderful message on forgiveness recently. But he missed the most important part of it, and that was you're not going to be forgiven unless you confess your sin and then repent. Forgiveness is conditioned upon your admitting that you have sinned in specific ways, repenting of it—that means changing your ways, your course—and agreeing with God's viewpoint.

When you do that, forgiveness is available. Why would a judge offer leniency to a convict who refuses to admit that he committed the crime? There's no place for mercy there. There's no place for forgiveness. You get the point. So we're told to confess our sin. That is, own up to it. Don't pussyfoot around with it. Don't do a little dance around it. Don't say, "Yes, but, but, but, but, but," and all these other things, "But don't you know what they did? Don't you know the environment I grew up in?" No, that's not how you repent. You confess and then you turn. You don't skip around because then you give nothing for God to forgive. And He wants to forgive. Right?

Okay, you may not like what has just been said, but that's the missing link in much of the teaching concerning forgiveness. God wants to forgive. He's promised to forgive. There were two thieves on the cross next to Jesus. One repented, confessed, repented. The other did not. One was promised to be with Jesus in paradise. The other went to his eternal damnation. Why? Because he didn't confess, didn't own up to his sin, and didn't repent in his heart.

The next word is rejoice. Now, that has a real positive sound to it, doesn't it? Rejoice. The Apostle Paul talked about this even amid all of the suffering that he went through. And suffering is going to be a part of 2026 and the years that follow until Jesus returns. How do we know that? Jesus said so. Peter said so. Paul said so. James said so. John said so. What is it we don't understand? Jesus said, "If they persecuted Me, they're going to persecute you. Why do you think you should be different than your Lord?"

But it's in the very midst of the persecution, in the very midst of the suffering, in the very midst of all that's going on in the world around us, Paul says, "Rejoice, and again I say rejoice." The whole book of Philippians is about rejoicing. See, our problem is we're prone to listen with the wrong ears. Our ears are tuned and our minds are tuned to the wrong implications of that which is being said in the news or elsewhere. It's not a matter of ignoring the news. It's not a pretending in a Pollyanna way, "Well, I don't need to know what's going on in our world, God's got it all in hand." No, you do need to know. You don't need to live on it, but you do need to know.

Otherwise you're just living like a two-year-old putting your hands over your face and saying, "Look, Ma, you can't see me." You're playing a life of pretend. The life of faith is not a life of pretend, pretending that bad things aren't going on or that you're not going to face bad things. Faith is that which empowers us. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith, you see. This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. Faith is taking God at His word in every circumstance, in every situation, taking God and agreeing with Him come what may. That's the anchor for our soul in 2026. So stay tuned, friends. We've got another R-word yet to go. It's a good one. It'll direct our attention.

Guest (Male): Have you ever considered what the early church was like? Many people are developing a hard longing for a greater fulfillment in our practices as Christians. A recent study showed 53,000 people a week are leaving the back door of America's churches in frustration. What is going on? Why has there not been even a one percent gain among followers of Christ in the last 25 years? Could it be that God is seeking to restore first-century Christianity for the 21st century? Jesus said, "I'll build My church." Is Christ by His Spirit stirring to prepare the church for the 21st century?

The early church prayed together and broke bread from house to house. They were family, and it was said by all who observed, "Behold, how they love one another." Incredible. But the same can be found right now. Go to saveus.org and click "Cell Church". We can revive first-century Christianity for the 21st century. It's about people, not programs. It's about a body, not a building. That's saveus.org, click "Cell Church".

Again, I welcome you back to Viewpoint. When you hear the word "cell church" in that little promotion there, you should really re-translate that as "house church". The church in the home. Because that's exactly how the early church began. There were no basilicas, there were no big church buildings, nothing like that. All the churches were in homes. The Bible says so: the church that is in the home of so-and-so, the church that is in the home of so-and-so, and so on. So these were not mega-churches as you think of it. If you're thinking in terms of hundreds, that's a whole different ballgame. But that's not how the church was.

So the church was in the home because home is where the heart is. The heart is not in a building somewhere. The heart is in the home. Hospitality really comes from the home, first from the heart, then from the hand, and then in the home, not in a church building somewhere. You can try to imitate it, but it just doesn't come across in its full reality in some building somewhere. It just doesn't happen. You can try.

I think, perhaps, we were able to accomplish that more than anything else when we were in California, ministering in a large congregation. We had a small group—I say small group of about 150 people. They called it a Sunday School class, but it was really far more than that. It was like a house church. And the spirit of that body was so incredible that people are still talking about it to this very day, over 30 years since we left. It was so amazing.

One of the things that was amazing about it was the power of hospitality. Now, you want to know something that you can do this year that perhaps you haven't done? You want to be a doer of the word and not just a hearer? The very heart of the gospel is rooted in hospitality. It really is. Hospitality is to reach to strangers, and in our world virtually everybody's a stranger from everybody else, even in our homes, even in marriages, even parents from kids. We've actually created strangerhood through cell phones and television and other kinds of things like that. So we're not even together anymore. We're together and yet separate. The hearts are not knit.

Also reaching to others, hospitality is the way, God's ordained way in these end times, to reach to people that otherwise are not reachable. Did you know that the Apostle Peter said the end of all things is at hand, therefore use hospitality? It's the only place in the Bible that I'm aware of where we're told to use something. Use hospitality. So if you want to have some direction of hope that will change your life, get a copy of our book *The Power of Hospitality*. An open heart, open hand, and open home will change your world. It certainly changed ours, continues to change ours, and was written actually by mandate almost from the people that heard us teach about it and it so revolutionized their lives that they say, "You've got to put this in writing." *The Power of Hospitality*. $15 will put the book in your hands. It's on our website saveus.org. Saveus.org. You can write to us, call us at Save America Ministries, PO Box 70879, Richmond, Virginia 23255. Adding a check, add $6 for postage and handling. *The Power of Hospitality*.

Now, in Romans Chapter 12, it begins with these words: that we should not be conformed to this world but be transformed. It doesn't say informed, it says transformed. Transformed by the renewing of our minds that we might prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. So the third word is renewed. Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed or renewed in the spirit of your mind. Now, what does that mean? How do you renew the spirit of your mind? How does it become transformed?

Well, one way is to listen to this program. How do I know that? Because listeners have said from the very beginning when we launched this program 30 years ago, you can't listen to Viewpoint long and not be changed. In other words, your mind is going to be renewed. You're either going to conform and be transformed or you're going to resist and be stubborn. One way or the other, you have to make a decision. So if we're going to have our minds and our lives renewed, we have to make a decision that that's what we want. And what we want is what God has to say. Not what we think, not just what we want, not lining up at a cafeteria list of things that we kind of pick and choose from what we think are blessings from God. No, we want the whole package, don't we? Renewed in the spirit of our minds. Not with information, but with information that has application specifically in our lives that will bring change. That's transformation.

So we want to repent, get our minds and hearts in order. We want to rejoice because we've been redeemed and the Lord is coming. That's the great hope of the church, right? And then we want to walk in the renewal of our minds, not being conformed to this world but being transformed that we might prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Notice it says, "what is that good and acceptable will of God." It's good, but it has to be acceptable to God. How will we know if it's acceptable to God? If He said so.

Is it acceptable of God for you to divorce your spouse? No. Why? Because He said so. He hates divorce. Is it acceptable for you to remarry if your spouse is still living after you divorced? No. How do we know? Because God said so. Jesus said so. Paul said so. You see how simple this is? If we really want to be renewed in the spirit of our minds, if we really want to walk in repentance so that we can walk in rejoicing. Because here's what happens: if we don't agree with what God has said about the various issues in our lives—and He is going to bring conviction one way or the other, whether it's in small thoughts or whatever—what we do with it is going to depend on whether we truly repent and whether we can really rejoice.

And if we haven't repented and we still hold a position that's contrary to what God has said, then it's going to frustrate our ability to truly rejoice. And we'll know deep in our spirit. How many people have I talked to over the years from coast to coast who knew they should not divorce their spouse but did so anyway because they wanted to? They just felt good about it. Or they said, "I prayed and God gave me peace." No, He didn't give you peace. He's not going to give you peace to do that which He says He hates. I'm sorry, He just isn't going to do that.

Now, there are certain situations where a person might legitimately become divorced, but the Apostle Paul made it very clear: if you do that, you either stay unmarried or be reconciled to your spouse. It's very clear. First Corinthians 7. So you see, what God has said gives us the pattern very simply. How faith lived out defines the future. Repent, rejoice, and be renewed. And isn't it interesting that in Romans Chapter 12 where it tells us not to be conformed to be transformed, but be renewed in the spirit of our minds, he then goes ahead and lists a whole bunch of things that are supposed to be implicit in the life of a Christian, operative. One of those is given to hospitality. Isn't that interesting? Given to hospitality.

That's something you can give yourself to, my friend. It's not gifted in, it's given to. The same thing Paul repeated to Timothy and to Titus. So that's something you can do. If you're a father, one of the most important things you can do is to be a true, not just loving father, but spiritual father to your kids. You don't know how to do that? Well, guess what. Here's the book, *Hearts of the Fathers: Leaving a Legacy that Lasts*, written just for you. Very positive. Comes from very many different perspectives to speak to every single man, young or old.

This is the message that God has for fathers. Malachi Chapter 4 says so. The next to last message that God brings to the earth in His mercy and His grace, to call the spirit of Elijah the prophet to speak to the hearts of the fathers. Get a copy of the book. It's a hardbound book. I think it's $18 on our website saveus.org. Get it. Do something. Live by faith. Stop twiddling your spiritual thumbs. Be a doer of the word, not just a hearer, deceiving your own self.

And then also with regard to marriages, very practical. *Lasting Love: Enduring Secrets for Marital Success*. Wow. It's a beautiful little book. Beautiful book. Contains seven points that will completely transform your marriage into a godly marriage and a goodly marriage, a rejoicing marriage, if you'll truly rejoice over what you read. It's simple, only a hundred and some pages. $10 will put it in your hands. It's on our website saveus.org. Saveus.org. Write to us, add $6 for postage and handling. By the way, if you get all three of these books, it'll be $6 for the first book and $2 for each successive book in postage and handling. I urge you to get all three of them. These are books that will change your life. Faith for the future in 2026. Repent, rejoice, and renew.

And if you want to have something that'll really set yourself straight spiritually and give you an understanding of the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation in ways perhaps you never thought possible, get a copy of the book *Out of Egypt*. *Out of Egypt*. It's the greatest theme, overarching theme in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, believe it or not. Over 400 times the words "out of Egypt" or similar words can be found in the Bible. Moses had to come out of Egypt before God could even use him. Abraham the father of the faith had to come out of Egypt. Jesus, the author of our faith, had to come out of Egypt, for as it is written, "Out of Egypt have I called My son." And the scripture says that in the last days, God will again call His son out of Egypt, that the scepter of Egypt will once and for ever depart out of our minds and hearts. Get a copy of the book. I'm telling you, get a copy of the book, *Out of Egypt*. $15 on our website saveus.org.

These are four books, friends, that will transform your life. They really will if you want your life transformed, if you really want to live by faith. Faith is not just a matter of believing that God is; even the devil believes that. Faith is not just believing that Jesus Christ was the Son of God; the devil believes that, so do his demons. Faith is acting on the Word of God. And that's what Satan didn't do. And many Christians refuse to to this day. Faith in the future: repent, rejoice, and renew.

Thanks for joining us here on Viewpoint as we launch into the new year. Please become a partner with us. We really appreciate it, those of you who've been so faithful over the years and this past year. We're so grateful to you. Many of you opted to get that special offer, and we're grateful to you. Use those books wisely; they're an investment in the future, both for you and for those in your sphere of influence. God bless, be a blessing, and may this year be a great blessing because of you and the Spirit of Christ that lives in you.

Guest (Male): You've been listening to Viewpoint with Chuck Crismier. Viewpoint is supported by the faithful gifts of our listeners. Let me urge you to become a part with Chuck as a voice to the church, declaring vision for the nation. Join us again next time on Viewpoint as we confront the issues of America's heart and home.