Watchman on the Wall

Southwest Radio Ministries: Welcome to Watchman on the Wall, a daily outreach of Southwest Radio Ministries and swrc.com. God is still on the throne, and prayer changes things. America is changing, and not just politically or culturally. Something deeper is happening to the values and beliefs that once shaped this nation. Today, Dr. Greg Patton joins us to discuss his book, The New America: A Flood of Evil, and the spiritual battle taking place for the heart and soul of our country.

Three days, three completely different themes, one can’t-miss conference. It is coming to the Delta Hotel at Exit 7 in Bristol, Virginia, October 22nd through the 24th. Thursday is Apologetics Day. Friday, it is Bible Prophecy. Then Saturday, things get really interesting with Mysteries of the Bible verse. Three days for only $50, or come for one day for just $25. Space is limited, and October is coming fast. Do not wait until it is too late. Register today at swrc.com or call 1-800-652-1144. October 22nd through the 24th in Bristol, Virginia. Swrc.com to register. Do it today.

When America abandoned the truth decades ago, it set this nation on a moral pathway for destruction. Today's America is vastly different as a result. Churches that once heralded the word are entertainment centers filled with fluff. A demonic influence has shadowed this city on a hill. What can be done to stem the tide of evil flooding this land? Two well-qualified men, Dr. Greg Patton and John Ruiz, discuss the problems and solutions on today's Watchman on the Wall.

John Ruiz: Welcome friends, we are so happy to have you here with us today as we talk to someone who is truly a familiar voice, Dr. Greg Patton. He is a spokesman for truth, a warrior for truth. He is a beloved figure, a well-known entity to Watchman on the Wall and through his radio program, Hello World, that so many people listen to on Christian radio. Dr. Patton has served nearly 40 years as pastor of The Cross Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is the author of several books, I think even a couple more on the way. Beacon Street Press, a division of Southwest Radio Church Ministry, is re-releasing Dr. Patton's wonderful book, The New America, subtitled The Rising Tide of Evil. With the midterm elections rapidly approaching, the tide seems to be rising even more, and the dangers faced by our republic and the church are becoming even greater and more pronounced. Welcome, Dr. Patton.

Dr. Greg Patton: John, fantastic introduction, brother. I am not sure I deserve all of that, but that is great. We love you and appreciate you having us on the program and giving us the opportunity to share some thoughts about the world today.

John Ruiz: You do indeed deserve the accolades because you have spent your life trying to defend the Lord's church and the truth, and it is getting more and more difficult to do. I draw your attention in your introduction, you write, "The Christian worldview is based on two foundational axioms. One, God exists, and two, God has spoken to us in the Bible. If these two presuppositions are not the starting point in a Christian worldview, then we are just like everyone else trying to find objectivity in a sea of subjectivity." Very good. Those are your words. No wonder I like them so much. So Dr. Patton goes through his book touching on some very important matters. I just flipped right through there on the table of contents. You talked about a nation on edge, turning our backs, a Christian nation in name only, the New America, the deep state. You and I were talking about when we started working on this a couple years back, and the amazing change that has taken place in that short period of time.

Dr. Greg Patton: It is unbelievable. I mean, I cannot keep up. There was a time when I would do Hello World that I was quite comfortable looking over the news and being able to make some assessment. Here is what is going on, here is what the Bible says about that particular situation. But I tell people constantly on my daily radio program, Hello World, I do not understand a lot of what is happening. There is a lot of confusion in the world today, and we know who the author of confusion is. You are absolutely correct. You and I talked about it. I was kind of surprised after you had mentioned it. Look what has happened since you first wrote this.

All the changes in America, and you and I had talked about what about New York City? And of course we just had 9/11, the 25th anniversary of that horrible event in the United States of America. But we were talking about, you and I, a little bit older here, knowing a little bit about America and thinking back to would there ever be a time that a Muslim could have any kind of position of authority in America? We go to the largest city in America, where this terrorist Muslim attack occurred, New York City and the Twin Towers, and their mayor is a Muslim. That is just, I would have never, if you would have talked to me two years ago when we were writing all of this down, never in my lifetime would we see that, John. How in the world did we get here is my question, that that would even be under consideration knowing what we know about the Muslim faith by and large, but those again who want to take another step into terrorism and the very destruction? 3,000 lives being lost in New York City alone, the greatest attack on America in our history.

I don’t know, I just have got to say, what is going on? But so much, we have accepted a lot of that. We have become, and I use this term a lot, desensitized. We really have, and isn't that sad? And yet you can talk to people, I have got this experience talking about Christianity. Are you a Christian? Everybody seems to be a Christian. Do you go to church? I remember calling one day with a pastor down in Vidalia, Georgia, and we went out calling and knocked on the door. This woman came to the door, and he was talking to her a little bit and said, "Do you go to church?" She said, "Oh yes." He said, "Where do you go?" She said, "I go to the First Baptist Church." He just looked at me and looked at her and said, "Well, it's nice to know you. I'm your pastor." She had never been to that church. So talking the story is one thing. Living it is another.

We have some real major problems in America in so many ways. We have lost our way. Living on the edge of a nation is an understatement. Some of the things that we are doing, and I think the thing that saddens me about all of this is how the church has got on board, and I am talking negatively now. What has happened to the church today? I do not recognize the church. I am sorry. I realize I am older. I grew up in a fundamental Baptist church and was taught the Word of God. It was good. You go to foreign lands, I have been to Puerto Rico. One church there we went to in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the Sunday service was five hours. It started with Sunday School, worship, they paused and had lunch together. This is every Sunday. They had lunch together and then two hours or three hours after that they went back to worshipping God.

There are people in some areas that walk two to three hours, maybe longer, in foreign lands to get to church and worship Him. Those kinds of thoughts come to my mind that America was once there. We were once there. What has happened to us today where church is totally different today? I talk to one of my children, sadly, the other day that has gone to a new church. She was surprised. She said, "Every Sunday, Dad, we get up and he has us open our Bibles and he reads a verse and we read the next one." I am thinking, really, that is a surprise to you? She went to another church, one of the megachurches in our area for four years and never took her Bible one time. She said, "We're actually being taught the Bible in this church." Oh, what are you going to church for? I call it an entertainment center. I know a little bit about it. I am not trying to put anyone down, but what was going on there?

We need to, and I think a lot of our young people in America are getting there. We are kind of surprised by this, but there seems to be some sort of a revolution going on among our young people wanting truth and wanting to get away from the fluff and stuff as I call it. They want real teaching from the Word of God. I pray that is so. I really do. My church, I am older and my congregation is older. But I think something like 400 churches in America are failing every month. Reference to tithing and giving, those that have been older are dying off in America, the younger generation is taking over, and guess what? Tithing in America, less than 5% of those who claim faith in Christ and go to church tithe. If the rest of the congregation tithed, we would have an extra $165 billion available to the church, which would handle every church in America nicely.

So there are a lot of questions. To me, these are givens. This is not even something to talk about here. These are things that you are supposed to be doing. You are supposed to be in church. Some people think that I am bragging when I tell my own church sometimes, I have been saved for 52 years and I can count on this hand how many times I have missed church. That doesn't count when I have been out doing meetings or preaching somewhere else. I am just talking about where something happened and generally that is because I was really sick. I mean, I have gone to church and even preached with a fever nearing 103, and people say, "What are you doing here infecting us? Get out of here." But some of these things, I will say again for you and me, having grown up in this great land and our age, we have just come to expect certain things. This is the way it should be. I have trouble with the way it is now as opposed to the way it should be. So that is part of this new America as far as I am concerned and a flood of evil. What is the church all about today? What are we doing in the church today? And is it indeed shallow? I think without question we are seeing a much more shallow church any time in America than right now. We are there.

John Ruiz: Education, transgender, that’s just a few of the more than 20 elements that you highlighted very, very attentively and in some depth in The Rising Tide of Evil. Is there a single one that you can think of that has reduced in its problem status or has bettered in some way, or in all of those are we in a worse situation than we were even two years ago?

Dr. Greg Patton: Absolutely, all of them. Our problem is, I have tried to diagnose this thing personally and say exactly what is going on. What we have done is we no longer have a reliance upon God. I do not know how we got here. I do not know why we think that we are something special and I can handle this. You cannot handle this. I do not care what it is. As a Christian, you cannot handle anything without God and putting Him first in your life. Somehow, we have got a pretty good attitude of ourselves and say, "I can do this. Go help John. He needs you, God, more than I do." Not so. More than ever, we really need God. I list those things and I just, every one that you mentioned there, I have got something to talk about. We could go for hours here.

One thing we are having in Indiana right now is a basketball team by the name of Indiana Fever. It's a women's basketball team. Maybe you've heard of them. And one of those stars on there is Sophie Cunningham. Some are fearful that she is not going to be back on the team next year and yet she is right up there with Caitlin Clark as the most popular player for the Fever. What is the problem? She just used common sense as she calls it. Men should not be playing women's sports. There are two things I have really hit on Hello World the last two or three years and that is abortion and praise God, after 66 million human beings destroyed, babies, we are getting somewhere with that one. But this thing again of how in the world would you allow a man to play women's sports? I mean, even as a non-Christian, I do not understand it. And yet there are those that are advocating for that. Danger sign as far as I am concerned.

So what is Cunningham's position? She says she wants to protect young girls, and I understand that. I would too. I do not want those boys in a girl's locker room for crying out loud. To me that is just common sense. Where are the Christians? We ought to be marching the streets and on her side, and she shouldn't be indicted. She should be applauded, I feel, for her position. Praise God there is some woman out there with enough intestinal fortitude to say, "Hey, we don't need that." That's one that is bothering me. Here is another one that is starting to bother me, and that has the position of Christians toward Israel. I have no idea what people are thinking about there, that we shouldn't support Israel. And there are many Christian organizations. In fact, I think there is one big event coming up in Lisbon in Portugal and this thing, people are backing out of it because whoever is heading it up is strong on Israel and our support of Israel, which I believe is biblical. But because of what they consider Israel's wrong position, if you will, and violence toward mankind, we are not going to participate in that.

And you say, "Where is all this thought process coming from?" All of it, and let me just be very clear here because you know I have written a book on this as well. I do not think that we can ignore Satan and his demons, which we are pretty good at. I am going to be speaking coming up at the conference here for Southwest Radio Church and I got into the division of Mysteries of the Bible verse and I have got a mystery that I am going to bring forth there, and that is the mystery of the Christian and how he has kind of ignored the demonic world and pastors who have ignored the demonic world. It is very real. Perhaps one of the most flagrant cases here recently was Jonathan Cahn trying to make a trip on an airplane and everything was going just wonderful until the passenger next to him, who I understand they were having a great conversation, found out that he was a Christian and his new book coming out and just absolutely lost his mind.

Now I understand that there is mental illness out there and I am not ignoring that, but so much of this is spirit-led. And how do we get there? We get there by getting away from God and that is what has happened in the very foundation of America where we started out okay and we were certainly not just letting God in, we were letting Him rule in this country. We have got to a point now that I do not need you, God. When I get in the emergency room or the funeral home I will call you, but until then, I am good. And I think that's a real problem by and large in America. There are a few people standing up from politics on down. There are those that are willing to stand for God. I pray for them all the time and that they will stay strong, brother, and I know you're with me on that one.

But we need to get back to God. That is my answer to all that. It may sound very simplistic. I have told people before about the Ten Commandments. I believe you could be unsaved, but if you live by the Ten Commandments, you will have a pretty good life. I believe that with all my heart. Certainly as a child of God, living by the Ten Commandments, you have got it made. You are going to be a star. And one of the things, it is easy to say you are a Christian. How easy it is to say, "Sure, I'm a Christian." What does that mean exactly, that you are a Christian? I am good. I treat people good. I give money to causes. Yeah, that is not it. You and I both know that. What is it? It is faith in Jesus Christ. You ask God to forgive you of your sins and you accept Jesus Christ as your savior. You are heaven-bound.

We need real Christians today, not just some other flavor. We need the real thing in America today. I do not know where we are. I have been one who, and people do not like to hear me say this, I have said it in many of the national conferences that I have attended, I think we are toast in America as far as a revival goes. Can God do revival? Absolutely. He can do anything. I have seen miracles, real miracles from God. But this thing, where we are going as a nation, what this country is doing is just scary. How is God going to work in this? How is it going to come about if He is going to do that? You will hear more and more people say that. So there are two things that are happening. We are getting away from any possibility of revival nationwide in America. Number one, and number two, we are not recognizing the influence of Satan and his demonic forces as a very real thing.

You see Jesus working. I do not know where all of this changed, but my goodness, how often was He working against Satan and directly against the spirit world? Somehow it is not happening today. Really, it is happening more than ever. We are doing, brother, I get sick doing Hello World sometimes. Some of these stories, how does a woman, and we are going to claim mental illness here and postpartum depression or whatever, in destroying three young lives, three to me babies? How in the world a woman who brought those things forward through the womb kills those very children? And not only that, now you have an army defending these murders. I just, tell me that is not confusion. And again, I am not going to disregard the mental aspect of it. I certainly know as a pastor of 38 years the times I have talked to women who this is a real thing, postpartum, there is nothing about that, but something else is entering in here.

And Satan will take a situation, and you and I have talked about this as well, Satan bothers me in two areas. Number one, and he has done this, he will tear down the front door. He will roar into your home and into your life like a flood and try to scare you to death if he can. I will tell you in my operation with a lot of pastors, they are scared to death of the devil. They do not want to talk about him, or they do not want to talk about demons or whatever, just leave that subject alone. They do not want that discussion. Well then, what about the congregation? Where are they? Are they not fearful then of this thing? But that's not the way he usually does it, and you and I know this. We are in agreement here. He slips through the back door and slithers in quietly and ruins one Christian home after another.

I am working on a book, you mentioned we have got some other books coming up, I am working on one called Hell's Gate that I think will be the best thing I have ever turned out, and it is simply going to have to do with how even the Christian home has invited Satan and his demons in through the media of television. Absolutely. Used to be when I grew up, we had three black and white TV, tells you how old I am, and we had three networks. Now you have a thousand different programs you can tune in and every week there is more added to that. And there is even a queer channel and there are people who go out into a woods naked, men and women. I am thinking, what is this stuff all about? We have lost our ever-loving minds in America. How is God going to work with that situation? And if you speak up, just like Sophie Cunningham speaking up, to me, nothing could be clearer than the nose on your face with her position, and they are trying to damn her as a result of her position.

How in the world did we get here? Where are normal men and women, not even Christian, just morally decent people out there? Where are you standing? And I have said it before and I guess maybe I can repeat that again, trouble ain't trouble until it hits me. All right? So I hear about John's problem or anyone else, and I will pray for you, brother, but I will tell you what, when it comes through my door, it's another world. And I think that we need to, as Christians, be a little bit more concerned about that. Jesus Christ came for others. He didn't come for himself. He has a rock for a pillow. That is no, Jesus Christ dedicated that whole walk on this earth toward others. And that's something you and I, even as Christians, somehow miss. I will take care of you, John, if I have got a little bit extra here. So I am going to be first. Unfortunately, I usually do not have enough left over for you. Anybody who wins knows that's a problem. You have got to get in there first, and if anything's left over, I will take that.

And those who have operated this way, they have a fantastic Christian life. They have a peace when they pillow their head at night that passeth all understanding that so many do not have. And I think probably one of the biggest problems then has to be in all of this as far as the Christian community goes is surrendering your life to Christ. What does that mean? And when I pray for people, I pray for my kids, I am not sure my kids have all claimed faith in Christ, but their lifestyle may be something else, so I wonder. Am I going to talk, question your Christianity and say, "I don't think you're saved, John"? I can't do that. And so those that I love and know from family members to friends, I pray that they are saved. I think we should all do that. Number two, I pray that your surrender, that your life is there saying, "God, what you want, I want to serve you however I can." And then number three, and I think this is again for the Christian listening to the program today, and that's the majority of this audience certainly, is to serve God somehow. Do something through the local church. I really hit strong on the local church, but get out there and give yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ. You will have a life that is so sweet. I am not saying you are going to have a bank full of money and that everything you wish for and want is right there. You have got the nicest home, the nicest vehicles. Not that at all, but I will say again, God has a way of putting something into your heart and your life that is really unspeakable. You really can't describe it any other way. I couldn't anyway. And sometimes I have trouble describing it to people. I am one happy Christian today. That is a very long answer to a very short question. I hope we had something to say there that somebody can grab a hold of and use, brother.

John Ruiz: Amen. You certainly do. And the answer is vitally important. Might I ask you, do you think—I am just a simple old man—but do you think that these problems are worsened by the fact that we are creatures of habit? And it is sort of connected to trouble ain't trouble until it comes through my door. I just ignore everything else, try and get through the day, tend to what I need to do, and we always think that it will clear itself without any of our help, money, or prayers. Do you think that that's a worsening situation in our country about anything you would bring up right now, brother John?

Dr. Greg Patton: Absolutely. I see as worsening. I am sorry. And I am not a negative person. Some people think that I am, especially if they listen to my program. This guy is terrible. I am not that way. I love to have fun. I am a very positive person. I try to instill that into people. You can't ignore all the negativity that is out there. Sadly, Proverbs 23:7 is one of my favorite verses and perhaps other than John 3:16 could be the greatest verse in the Bible, and that has to do with your thinking and your mind. Everything starts there. Every sin, everything that you have in your life starts with that brain you have. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. What you are thinking about all day long is what you become.

And so you have got to start with a good thought. I know people that are on the street. We had one come to our church today. That guy makes a ton of money and he's got a couple of health food stores in Fort Wayne, but he was living off the street and bathing in a gas station restroom and came to our church. But his mind was, there is something good out there and God has it for me. And do you know what? He never lost that. And sometimes I would look at him and say, "I'm not sure this guy's going to make it." Today, he would put me to shame. He wins so many people to Christ in his store. You can't get in there and buy a vitamin without hearing the gospel and other things that go on. And God's given him money beyond galore that he gives right back to God and he just gets all the—it’s an amazing thing to witness, and I love to bring situations and people up like that. Just surrender that to God and go. But in answer to your question in the broadest term, absolutely. Everything is exasperated and changed today in America in just the last two years. After you had mentioned that today before we went on the air, I got to thinking, boy, a lot has happened. We have had so many things going on in America. This trans thing has gotten out of control. One of the favorite people that I think that God has given America as of late, Charlie Kirk, is assassinated at a Utah university. How could that possibly happen? And he was just such a sweetheart of a guy and very kind and loving, and that's the answer to so many. I can't deal with you, I'm going to kill you. And there is something to that. That has happened to so many of our great leaders through the years, from Abraham Lincoln through Kennedy, through all of these people. They have been destroyed.

Something really to pray about for Christians, and it starts with you and me. I'm all for you, I'm praying for you, but I got to get Greg Patton going here. Search me, Oh God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. See if there be any wicked way in me. God, lead me in the way everlasting. I want to be your man more than just in the title of Christian or a good leader. I want to be somebody that I can stand before you someday to hear, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

John Ruiz: We thank you so much for joining us here for this session of Watchman on the Wall, and we do so hope that we extend encouragement to you and to give you driving force toward the Christian walk and a good life in that Christian walk, for that is our purpose in its entirety. We thank you again for being with us here on Watchman on the Wall.

Southwest Radio Ministries: Do you ever look at America today and wonder how did we get here? The values we once shared are disappearing. Truth has become negotiable, right and wrong are being redefined, and the biblical foundations that helped shape this nation are increasingly being pushed aside. In his powerful book, The New America: A Flood of Evil, Dr. Greg Patton confronts the spiritual and moral transformation taking place across our country. Have we turned away from God? Can a nation remain free while rejecting the truth that made freedom possible? And perhaps most importantly, what should Christians do about it? This isn't simply a book about what's wrong with America. It's a challenge to recognize what's happening, return to the authority of God's word, and have the courage to stand for truth when the culture demands compromise. If you've been thinking what happened to the America I knew, you need to read this book. Get The New America by Dr. Greg Patton today. Order at swrc.com or call 1-800-652-1144. America is changing. The question is, will Christians change with it or stand firm? The New America, 1-800-652-1144. We continue to discuss and discover the New America with Greg Patton on tomorrow's Watchman on the Wall. Be sure to tune in. Watchman on the Wall is a production of Southwest Radio Ministries. To learn more, visit swrc.com.