Join us in this riveting episode of Washington Watch as we delve into highlights from the Pray, Vote, Stand Summit. Host Jody Heiss brings you stirring excerpts from the Profiles in Courage panel that came alive with powerful personal stories of standing firm in the face of opposition. Discover how Pastor Luke Ashe, State Representative Laurel Libby, and Jason McGuire navigated their unique challenges, each maintaining their unwavering commitment to Biblical truth.
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from the heart of our nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and soundbites into conversations with our nation’s leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Sitting in for Tony is today’s host, Jody Heiss.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, good afternoon. Welcome to this special edition of Washington Watch. I’m Jody Heiss, a senior fellow here at the Family Research Council. Hope you and your family had a fantastic and memorable Thanksgiving. And thank you so much for tuning in today. Today we want to bring you some special content from our most recent Pray, Vote, Stand Summit that was held in Chino, California. And for those of you who may not be aware, the Pray, Vote, Stand Summit is our annual event that draws Christian voters from literally all across America for a time of prayer and inspiration and action. The summit addressed an enormous amount of issues like religious freedom, the church’s call to engage the culture, the need to stand for Israel, the crisis over parental rights in education, the dangers of chemical abortion, communication in this hostile world in which we’re living, and God’s design for sexuality. Those are just some of the topics we covered. It was literally just a fantastic event. And today we want to share with you some excerpts from a couple of the sessions that were featured at the summit. One is our Profiles in Courage panel. The other is an address by Pastor Amado Huizar of the South Bay Pentecostal Church in California. Together, they really, really inspired those who are in attendance to stand for and to proclaim truth whenever and probably especially when they face opposition. So we’ve got a great show lined up for you today. If you happen to miss any part of it, of course, the website is TonyPerkins.com. where you can find not only this edition of Washington Watch, but past editions as well, and tons of resources. So be sure to bookmark that web page, TonyPerkins.com. Before we jump into this first segment, I want to encourage you, if you’ve not already done so, to sign up for the 2026 and 2027 edition. cycle of our Bible reading plan. This is our two-year plan that’s going to begin in January. We’ve been doing this now for six years. When we first rolled out the Stand on the Word plan, it’s all about encouraging people to read through the scriptures. And so many have joined us through this life-changing journey. And certainly we here at FRC believe that everything we do, whether it be at our work, with our family, in communication, or just simply having leisure time, all of it, all of it starts with a firm foundation in Scripture. So as I said, January 1st, we’ll start the next two-year program, the 2026-27 cycle of our two-year Bible reading plan. I encourage you to sign up and join us. Visit frc.org slash Bible.org. or simply text the word Bible to 67742. All right, as I mentioned, this past October, we had our annual Pray, Vote, Stand Summit. It drew Christian voters from all across the country to Calvary Chapel, Chino Hills in Chino, California. incredibly encouraging and inspiring time and among those at the summit uh the couple that we want to share with you today is our profiles encouraged panel that featured three individuals who have stood firm for biblical truth in the midst of opposition they include pastor luke asch of stevendale baptist church in louisiana State Representative Laurel Libby of the Maine House of Representatives, and Jason McGuire, Executive Director of New York Families Action. Tony moderated the panel, which we want to share with you right now, and here’s how he got it started.
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First off, thank you for being here at the PrayVote Stand Summit. Thank you for your courage, because I have seen and am convinced and have watched and testified that courage breeds courage. So thank you for your courageous stand for biblical truth. Pastor Luke, I want to start with you. You were fired from the library for refusing to use incorrect pronouns. Now, in fact, just this week, Liberty Council, which is representing you, sent a demand letter to, and this happens to be my hometown, so I’m a little bit involved in this and know a little bit about it. The library, they sent a demand letter that you be reinstated and that they change their DEI policies regarding gender. Talk briefly about how all this came about. I mean, you were just, you’re a bivocational pastor. You were just kind of making a living for your family. And you were put into a position, you were forced to use these incorrect pronouns. You said no.
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Yeah, so as a bivocational pastor, I needed to find another job that was going to support my family and hopefully have some insurance and things like that. And so I looked to the library and I was working there for a few months and I was in a conversation with a colleague about somebody that she was training. And in the course of that conversation, I used biologically accurate pronouns and my coworker corrected me and said that they prefer he. And I said, I don’t do that. And she said, you don’t use preferred pronouns? And I said, I don’t do that. And she said, that’s very respectful. And I said, yes, that’s very respectful. Thinking about the image of God, how the Lord has created each one of us in His image. And so, to tarnish that would be to vandalize the good creation that God has made each and every one of us with the sex that He has given to us. So, the next day, I was brought into the office, shown the inclusivity policy. I was given the option to change course, and I said, I’m not going to do it. I’m not going to lie. And two days later, I was fired from the library.
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And it sounds like Martin Luther that you were told to recant truth or else you were going to face the consequences.
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Yeah, it kind of reminds me of the story from the Bible that we all grew up knowing as little kids, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were given the option. Nebuchadnezzar said, are you going to change course? Basically, I’m going to give you another opportunity. And I love their response. And it says that they said, the response that they gave was that God is able to deliver us, and He will deliver us, but even if He doesn’t, let it be known to you, O King. And I just imagine these Hebrew boys looking this tyrant in the eye saying, let it be known to you, O King. We’re not going to worship false gods, and we’re not going to bow down to the idol that you’ve set up.
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I’m going to come back to this in a moment because I think part of once they realized that you were a Bible believing Christian, you were kind of behind the veil and you saw other things going on in the library, which I think was probably a big part of this as well. And again, Baton Rouge is a fairly conservative city. After all, I live there. But the hostility within these libraries, it’s almost universal. So I’m gonna come back to that in a minute, but I wanna go to Representative Laurel Libby. I saw her, and one of the things, I’m drawn to people who have courage, that show courage. And here is a young woman who ran for the state legislature, was elected in the state of Maine, which is a beautiful state, liberal, but beautiful. And all of these men, would not stand up. And you have a young woman who stood up and say, we should not have boys in girls’ sports. And yes, applaud. And so the Democratic-controlled state legislature, the House, censured her, telling her she could not speak on the floor of the House and took away her ability to vote for her constituents. Did she surrender? No, she went all the way to the Supreme Court and won.
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Why?
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You know, I have kids, I have five kids, not that young, and I looked at what happened, right? President Trump had issued this executive order upholding biological reality, Title IX, and in our state, a young man won the girls pole vault state championship just after he issued that executive order. And I just looked at these young women standing in second and third place next to a biological male. And it struck me, you know, I have girls the same age and it was just so incredibly unfair. And this has been going on in Maine for several years. And I just couldn’t stay silent. And so I posted side-by-side photos of the young man last year in fifth place in the boys category.
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Public photos.
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Public photos. And then a photo of him this year standing atop the podium.
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Public photos.
SPEAKER 01 :
Public photos. Of course they’re public photos, it’s a state championship. And it was for that that I was censured.
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And I say public because that was why they came after you, saying that you exposed this young man or woman, whatever, this person, you exposed them by showing their picture.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yes, the Speaker of the House called me the next day and said, you’ve put this young man in danger, or this person, didn’t say young man, I don’t think, you’ve put this individual in danger, take down your post. And I refused to do so, it went viral. And the following week, I was called into his office, told they were going to censure me. I said he would go down in history as the man who silenced a woman for speaking up for girls. And… And then we went into the House chamber. I tried to speak and defend myself and explain why I was standing. And the other side just objected one after another, and they wouldn’t let me speak. So they held the vote. It went down party lines, and I was censured. And in Congress, that’s just like a slap on the wrist. But in Maine, that means until and if you apologize, you can’t speak or vote on behalf of your constituents.
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And how long did that last?
SPEAKER 01 :
That was February 25th, and historically, folks have always apologized for the few times that they’ve been censured. I told them I wouldn’t. Two weeks later, we filed suit against the speaker and the clerk, and on May 20th, the Supreme Court ruled that they had to count my vote.
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So what’s the status now?
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Well, once the Supreme Court rules, it kind of shows which way the wind is blowing. The full case was still pending in the first district court. And so as that was pending, on the last day of session in June, in the last half hour of our session, suddenly there was a House resolution put forward by the Democrats to give me back full voting and speaking rights. They caved and I’ll be able to talk and vote in January.
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That was Maine State Representative Laurel Libby and Pastor Luke Ashe during the Profiles in Courage panel that recently took place at our PrayVoteStand Summit. You’re tuned in to Washington Watch, and today we’re broadcasting some very special content that took place at that summit that was held in California. Absolutely an incredible time it was. And by the way, if you missed the summit or if you’d like to revisit any portion of it, you can do so. It’s not too late. You can download the StandFirm app if you don’t already have that, which, of course, we encourage you all the time to get the StandFirm app. If you don’t have it, you can get it at the App Store, Google Play, wherever it is that you get your apps. You can also simply text the word APP, A-P-P, text APP, to 67742. And as I said, you’ll be able to get all the details that took place at the summit. All right. Don’t go anywhere. We’ve got more after the break. We’re going to continue with the panel. This time when we come back, we’re going to hear what happened to our third panelist, who was a victim of lawfare at the hands of New York’s attorney general. So you don’t want to miss it. Stick around. We’ll be back in a moment.
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In times like these, we need something solid to stand on. That’s why I’m inviting you to join me on January the 1st for Stand on the Word, a daily journey through the entire Bible. Each day, we’ll read God’s Word together, discuss how to apply His truths to our lives, 15 minutes that can transform your year. Join me and thousands of others as we stand strong by standing on the Word of God. Text BIBLE to 67742. That’s BIBLE to 67742.
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How should Christians think about the thorny issues shaping our culture? How should Christians address deceitful ideas like transgenderism, critical theory, or assisted suicide? How can Christians navigate raising children in a broken culture, the war on gender roles, or rebuilding our once great nation? Outstanding is a podcast from The Washington Stand dedicated to these critical conversations. Outstanding seeks to tear down what our corrupt culture lifts up with an aim to take every thought and every idea captive to the obedience of Christ. Whether policies or partisan politics, whether conflict in America or conflict abroad, join us and our guests as we examine the headlines through the lens of Scripture and explore how Christians can faithfully exalt Christ in all of life. Follow Outstanding on your favorite podcast app and look for new episodes each week.
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SPEAKER 03 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. I’m Jody Heiss sitting in for Tony. The website, of course, TonyPerkins.com. And today we’re broadcasting some special content that took place at our 2025 PrayVote Stand Summit. It was held at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in Chino, California. And before the break, we shared an excerpt from our Profiles in Courage panel that took place there. It featured three different individuals who have stood firm for biblical truth in the face of opposition. We heard the stories of Pastor Luke Ash of Stephen Dale Baptist Church in Louisiana and State Representative Laurel Libby of the Maine House of Representatives who joined the panel that Tony moderated. And we ended with some good news from Representative Libby, who shared how those efforts to silence her have failed. It’s an amazing end to her story. Well, in this next part, we want to turn to the third panelist, Jason McGuire. He’s the executive director of the New York Families Action. And here’s how Tony transitioned into Jason’s story.
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It’s such an encouraging story when it doesn’t always turn out this way and you’ve got to be willing to suffer the consequences, even when we pray and we see God work in such miraculous ways. Although the journey from that point where you were censured to seeing the court restore it, I mean, those were difficult times. And that really kind of sets what I want to ask you, Jason, Jason, you and I talked a little bit about this yesterday. So Jason runs a family policy council in New York. You’ve heard of the name Letitia James. So she was practicing on him before she went after Donald Trump. So I want you just to share, I want you to share the story because Jason ended up spending time in jail for a clerical error. Talk about lawfare and how they are seeking to go after conservatives in a blue state like New York. Jason is the poster child of this.
SPEAKER 02 :
So I appreciate that, Tony. It really started in 2018. I was serving as a campaign operative, working on a campaign for a candidate who did not share our pro-life values, or opposing a candidate who did not share our pro-life values. And there was a bogus political letter that was put in, and it went nowhere because it was bogus. But that letter was what Attorney General Letitia James three years later used to kick open an investigation in the organizations that I direct and in my personal life. And so we went through three and a half years of eight different subpoenas, producing 7,000 pages of documents, looking at millions of dollars of transactions and tens of thousands of digital transactions that have gone through all of my bank records, personal and professional. At the end of that process, including subpoenaing the Christian school where I served as chairman of the board, including subpoenaing donors in my organization, they subpoenaed my mechanic for repair records in my car. At the end of that process, the only thing they found was they found three different missing transactions from two campaign finance filings, totaling $1,283.76. not missing money, but transactions that were not properly recorded on the paperwork. That happens all the time in New York State. There were 4,000 violations in 2022, not one was prosecuted. But in my case, at the end of this process, they said, we’re going to charge you with two misdemeanors. Now you can go ahead and go to trial, and they set it up so they have two trials in two different counties in New York State, and that will cost you about $250,000, or you can have a public defender represent you. Well, I didn’t want a public defender going up against the state of New York, that much I knew. And we had already spent $100,000 in legal fees. We had lost $250,000 in revenue as they came after my donors, attendees at events, they wanted copies of my sermons. That was having a chilling effect on our donor base. And personally, we had already now gone through bankruptcy. We sold our home to be able to make some of these expenses. And so we’ve been through a lot. And so we said at that point, this is a technical violation of the law. We’ll accept the two misdemeanors, and hopefully this will all go away. That was our plan. I walked into the courtroom. and no sooner had I signed the paperwork taking the two misdemeanors than they hit send on a press release out of the Attorney General’s office that accused me of a litany of things that simply were not true. And I believe that the Attorney General knew they could not get us in court, and so they would get us through the politics of personal destruction. I remember President Donald Trump once saying, they’re not coming after me, they’re coming after you. I’m just in the way. And that became very apparent in that day that they were coming after us and the values that I represent. As a result of that press release going out, the judge heard that, he read that. At the sentencing, he assigned me to 53 days of intermittent incarceration. weekend jail. And so July through September, every weekend, I was heading off to jail on Friday night through Monday. And I served time for the first time, by the way, I was incarcerated. My daughter was just married three weeks ago. So we’ve lost planning time. I missed her wedding shower. I was out in time for the wedding. But there’s things you’ll never be able to get back. And so I just sense the fact that, you know what, God was moving in a way. Yes, he was with me in that place. But there’s a cost to pay for taking the stand that we do. And I want to publicly acknowledge Tony Perkins for standing with me in an amazing way. He’s been so supportive to this. And Tony, let me just publicly say thank you for your support. Thank you.
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Well, Jason, as you and I shared, my first assignment in law enforcement was to work in the parish prison. So I know what it’s like inside of a jail. And to see what happened to you because of your stand for biblical truth. is appalling and should outrage every American to see this happen. And we need to ensure that A, it doesn’t happen, but B, when it does happen, we stand with our brothers and sisters who are going through these difficult times.
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Well, that was Tony moderating the Profiles in Courage panel during our most recent PrayVote Stand Summit. Powerful, powerful stories there. Thank you for tuning in today to Washington Watch. And as I said, we’re broadcasting some of the highlights of our 2025 summit that was held in California. And again, if you missed that summit or if you’d like to just revisit those of you who were there, you can do so by downloading our StandFirm app. Again, you can get it by going to the App Store or Google Play, whichever you prefer. Or an easy way of doing it, just simply text the word APP to 67742. Okay, after the break, we’ve still got more coming your way. We’re going to share from the panel and hear what advice each of them would have for those who today are confronted with the choice of standing for Christ or shrinking back into the shadows. It’s a powerful message that they want to send our ways because in reality, all of us are going to be faced with that decision at one point or another. You don’t want to miss it. Stay tuned. We’ll be back.
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At Family Research Council, we believe religious freedom is a fundamental human right that all governments must protect. For years, Islamist militants in Nigeria have targeted Christians and other religious minority groups with brutal violence. Since 2009, 52,000 Christians have been slaughtered. A staggering 89% of Christian martyrs in the world today are from Nigeria. The first Trump administration declared Nigeria a country of particular concern, a designation reserved for countries whose governments engage in or tolerate religious freedom violations. However, this designation of Nigeria was quickly reversed by the Biden administration. Following consistent calls from FRC President Tony Perkins and other religious leaders across the U.S., President Donald Trump has responded.
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Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands and thousands of Christians are being killed. I am hereby making Nigeria a country of particular concern.
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This is a huge step forward for the protection of Christians in Nigeria as well as religious freedom across the world. While this opens the door for the U.S. government to pressure Nigerian leaders to protect vulnerable Christians, it is only the beginning. We must continue to pray diligently, work strategically, and stand firm for the protection of religious liberty across the globe.
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Looking for a trusted source of news that shares your Christian values? Turn to The Washington Stand, your ultimate destination for informed, faith-centered reporting. Our dedicated team goes beyond the headlines, delivering stories that matter most to believers. From breaking events to cultural insights, we provide clear, compassionate coverage through a biblical lens. Discover news you can trust at The Washington Stand, where faith and facts meet every day.
SPEAKER 03 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. I’m Jody Heist sitting in today for Tony and so glad to have you joining us. Of course, the website, as always, is TonyPerkins.com. A lot of info there for you, so be sure to check it out. Today, we’re broadcasting some content from our 2025 PrayVoteStand Summit. In this next segment, we’re going to share the last part of the Profiles in Courage panel that we had there at the summit. The panel was moderated by Tony. It featured Pastor Luke Ash of the Stephen Dale Baptist Church in Louisiana, State Representative Laurel Libby from the Maine House of Representatives, and Jason McGuire, who’s the Executive Director of New York Families Action. We’re going to skip now to the end when Tony asked each of these panelists to offer their advice on what to do when confronted with the choice of standing for Christ or shrinking back into the shadows. Here’s how Tony got the ball rolling.
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Unfortunately, our time is coming to an end, but I want to do a lightning round question here as we wrap up. And you know, it could be something else that someone else is going to face. But if we are a follower of Christ, there is going to come a point where you are confronted with making a decision to either stand for Christ or shrink back into the shadows. And I want to ask each of you To give your advice as you’re at that point of decision, what would you share with those that are listening, that are here and those watching online? And Jason, I’ll start with you and we’ll come down the line.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, I would just say there are going to be people you’re going to meet who have gone through greater difficulties than you have. Look to them and let them encourage you that it is worth the cost. Because I’m also looking to people who have gone through stuff harder than I, and I was encouraged that it was worth the cost. And now it’s my turn to stand and say to you who may not have yet faced that, but someday will, it is worth the cost.
SPEAKER 01 :
Tony, I think it’s such an important distinction that it is a choice. Now, when I made that post, I was a little frustrated and mad, and I had no idea it would go viral and that this whole spiral of events would occur. But once it did, that’s when I made my choice to stand. And I think what I’ve learned through this, you know, God provides when he calls. I don’t think I was prepared prior, but we have to make that choice. And particularly when it costs us, I think. My daughter is 16, and I was in D.C. when Charlie Kirk was killed. And I called to tell her what had happened. And she knew I had just booked a speaking engagement coming up next month, the previous week. And she asked me, so are you gonna stop speaking up? And I said, no, we have to speak up when it costs, when the stakes are so high. Because that’s when we stand to either lose or gain the most. Yes, that’s so good.
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Yeah, so one of my heroes of the faith is Corrie Ten Boom, and she talked about how whenever she was a little girl, she heard about missionaries and those who died for their faith, and she was asking her dad, you know, Daddy, I don’t think that I’ll be able to have that kind of courage to stand on that day, and her dad said, you know, when we go to the train station, when do we get the ticket? Do we go a month before and get the ticket? Or do we go and we get the ticket and then get right on the train? And she said, we get the ticket right before we get on the train. And he said, that’s the way that the grace of God will come to you. And you don’t have to be the smartest person to be able to stand up. George Orwell said, the heresy of all heresies to the party, to the totalitarians who want to keep you quiet. The heresy of all heresies is common sense. And a lot of us have that gospel sanctified common sense. And you know what’s the difference between right and wrong. Take the stand. You can do it. Amen.
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By the way, I don’t know if we have a link, but we are going to be delivering about 25,000 petitions on behalf of Pastor Luke to the East Baton Rouge Parish Library. Do we have a link to put up on the screen? Maybe not. But if you want to sign the petition, let us know, and we’ll get your name on that petition. As we wrap up our panel here, I have something. I gave this to Lila earlier. But this is, again, it’s not a challenge coin. It’s a coin of appreciation. Ephesians chapter six, verse 13, therefore take up the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground and having done everything to stand. I want to thank the three of you for standing firm for biblical truth. Thank our panel.
SPEAKER 03 :
That was Tony moderating the Profiles in Courage panel that took place during our most recent Pray, Vote, Stand Summit. You’re tuned in to Washington Watch. So glad you’re tuning in. I’ll tell you what we just heard is some elements of truth that every one of us, so much these days, perhaps now more than ever, need to consider very closely. We’re living in a culture that increasingly is becoming hostile So we need to make a decision now to stand for Christ. If you missed the summit or if you would like to go back and revisit any portion of it, you still have the chance to do so. And the best way is by getting our Stand Firm app. Just go to the App Store or Google Play, wherever it is that you prefer to get your apps. And of course, as always, we say it over and over, but you can also get it simply by texting APP, A-P-P, text APP to 67742. Okay, after the break, we’re going to highlight one more session from the 2025 PrayVote Stand Summit. We’re going to hear from Pastor Amado Huizar. He’s from the South Bay Pentecostal Church in California, and this is a powerful message he brings. So stick around. We’ll be back. We’ll be back.
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For over 4,000 years, the Jewish people have had legal, historical, and biblical ties to the land of Israel, especially the heartland of Israel, Judea and Samaria, which much of the world still calls the West Bank. To Israelis, Judea and Samaria is far more than a name. It’s the center of their ancestral homeland where nearly 80% of the Bible’s events took place. Abraham purchased property in Hebron, Jacob in Shechem, Joshua made an altar on Mount Ebal and led the Israelites into a covenant before God. On Mount Gerizim, overlooking Shechem, Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman at the well about worshiping neither on Mount Gerizim nor in Jerusalem, but in spirit and in truth. Judea and Samaria is nearly a quarter of Israel’s current land mass, not a small strip of land on the Jordan River, but a vital and strategic part of the nation’s identity. The October 7th massacre, launched from Gaza, shattered the illusion that giving away territory brings peace. Gaza, which was once seen as the cornerstone of a two-state solution, became a launch pad for terror. Today, only 21% of Israelis support a Palestinian state. Trust in a two-state solution has all but collapsed. The Middle East is changing. Iran’s grip is weakening. New alliances are forming. But Western countries and some U.S. officials still chase the mirage of a two-state solution. History speaks clearly. The 2005 Gaza withdrawal, backed by the U.S., led not to peace, but to a terrorist regime. Judea and Samaria are 24 times larger than Gaza, deeply woven into Israel’s geographic and spiritual fabric. To surrender them would not bring peace. It would invite conflict and existential danger. Family Research Council stands with Israel’s rightful claim to sovereignty. It’s time for America to do the same for history, for justice, and for lasting security in the Middle East.
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Download the new Stand Firm app for Apple and Android phones today. You can join a wonderful community of fellow believers. We’ve created a special place for you to access news from a biblical perspective. Read and listen to daily devotionals, pray for current events, and more. Share the Stand Firm app with your friends, family, and church members. And of course, Stand Firm wherever you go.
SPEAKER 03 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. I’m Jody Heiss, an honor to be sitting in for Tony. And thank you so much for tuning in to today’s special program. We’ve been sharing some of the highlights from the 2025 PrayVote Stand Summit that was held in California and hope you’ve been enjoying them. All right, to close out today’s special edition, we want to share an excerpt from the address that was delivered by Pastor Amado Huizar of the South Bay Pentecostal Church in California. We want to start with his take on the truth crisis that we face today, which he compares to what we see in the book of Isaiah. Here’s what Pastor Amado had to say.
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There are symptoms in this truth crisis. And so we’ll look at these symptoms together. And so first and foremost, no one pleads for truth as Isaiah 59 verse four tells us. We need people to plead for the truth. The Bible says, none calleth for justice nor pleadeth for truth. they trust in vanity and speak lies they conceive mischief bring forth iniquity the hebrew word for pleaded means to contend to argue a case to stand an advocate and with truth falls no one defends it anymore and so we look around at some certain professions where we have godless lawyers who manipulate truth rather than seek it. We have godless politicians who spin truth rather than speak it. We have godless media who shape truth rather than report it. And tragically, even some godless pulpits who avoid truth rather than proclaim it. And so we need to be an example here tonight. Can someone say amen? Amen. And so voices that dare to plead for truth are silenced, and they’re canceled, and they’re destroyed, why? Because in a society where truth has fallen, those who try to pick it up become enemies of the state, and the church must become truth’s fiercest advocate, and we must plead for truth in our schools, in our city councils, in our state legislators, and we can’t be silent anymore. And so that’s one symptom. The next symptom is the way of peace that’s unknown. Isaiah 59 verse 8 says, the way of peace they know not. There is no judgment in their goings. They have made them crooked paths, and whosoever go in therein shall not know peace. And there’s this divine principle. that no truth, no peace, and peace is built on the foundation of truth. And if we look at our nation today, cities are burning while leaders call it peaceful protest. Families are being destroyed and each other over social media lies and churches are splitting over cultural narratives instead of biblical truths and mental health crisis. as people can’t find solid ground in the days that we’re living in. And they have made themselves crooked paths instead of the narrow paths. And when you abandon the straight and narrow, every crooked path becomes one that people follow. And the culture of evangelism must offer more than just fire insurance for us in the afterlife, amen. We must offer the peace that comes through truth and peace in families, peace in communities, peace that transforms our cities, our homes, our lives. That’s the symptoms that we’re facing. The next symptoms is salvation that seems far off in Isaiah 59 verse 11. It says, we war like bears and mourn like soar, soar like doves. We look for judgment, but there is none, for salvation is far off from us. When truth falls, people oscillate between rage and despair, roaring like bears, angry and dangerous and destructive. They’re searching. They’re hungry. They want it. They’re searching. They’re mourning like doves, depressed and hopeless. And today, people are looking for this salvation. They’re looking for things, but they’re looking in the wrong places. They’re looking in government programs and social movements and technology and self-help philosophies and everything except the truth that can actually save. The Bible says that he is the way, the truth, and the life, no one cometh but by him, hallelujah. And so as we engage civically, we must never forget our ultimate message, that political engagement is important, but it’s not our salvation. We’re pointing people to Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, the one who was and is and is to come, the healer, the deliverer, the Messiah, the one who can give me hope when there is no hope, the light in the middle of darkness, amen. He’s my healer. He’s the living water. The next symptom are sins that testify against us. Isaiah 59 verse 12. For our transgressions are multiplied before thee and our sins testify against us. For our transgressions are with us and our iniquities we know them. This is America today. We know killing babies is wrong, but we call it healthcare. We know marriage is between a man and a woman, but we begin to redefine it We know children need protection, but we still sexualize them. We know lies destroy, but we embrace them anyway. That’s the America we know today. And our sins are testifying against us. But we’ve silenced the truth so long that we can’t hear the testimony of truth anymore. And the prophetic voice of the church is needed now more than ever. We need men We need men. We need men. We need men to stand.
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We need men. Do I need to say it again? We need men.
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We need men to stand and proclaim the truth. We need men to be men. We need men to be men to teach young men to be men.
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And we can’t let others teach our boys how to be men.
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We can’t let Facebook and X and Instagram and TikTok and all these other things teach them. We can’t let the women do that job. We need the men to be men.
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And we need the women to eat women.
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You thought I let you off the hook. Can someone say amen? Because our sins are testifying against us. We got young men wanting to play girls sports. We’ve got sins testifying against us. Truth has fallen in the streets, Isaiah 59, 14, and judgment is turned away backwards and justice is standing far off and truth has fallen in the street and equity cannot enter. This is the climactic statement. Truth hasn’t just been questioned or doubted. It’s fallen in the street and the image is powerful and truth lies wounded in the public square and people are stepping over it. They’re ignoring it. They’re kicking it. They’re pretending like they don’t see it. They’re acting like it’s not even there. It’s there, but I don’t even see it. I’m not even looking at it. No one wants to help bring it up. And when truth falls in the street, Judgment is reversed. Justice can’t get close. Equity is locked out. And this is the cancel culture we live in. Truth hasn’t just fallen, it’s being trampled on by those who benefit from its absence. And someone has to stop stepping over truth. Someone has to pick it up today. Someone has to dust it off and hold it high. Someone has to say, I’m gonna pick up the truth. Will it be your church? Will it be your youth group? Will it be your men’s ministry? Will it be your women’s ministry? Will it be this movement? Who will pick up the truth tonight? Thank you. Who will pick up the truth? Are you gonna trample over it? Are you gonna say it’s someone else? No. It’s too late. It’s a call to civic evangelism. And so now it’s time to get practical. I can get preachy, but I can also get practical. We can talk about the culture of evangelism beyond over the church walls into the culture at large. I learned this lesson personally for years. I was content to preach just on Sundays to do hospital visits during the week and to stay in my lane, but God began to put a burden in my heart to go answer to the drag queens.
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And say, not in my city. Not in my house. Not in my library.
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And then get involved in the South Bay Clergy Association. I know we don’t all have the same pulpit, the same church, the same look, the same Bible. but we can all sit in the same room and have the same cause and march amen with the same message that we can evangelize our city for Jesus. Can someone believe that with me? For community issues, and I was appointed by my mayor as a city commissioner, as the only pastor Thank you, Jesus. So I wasn’t just preaching about policy, but now I’m helping to make it. in the city of Chula Vista. And you know what I discovered? The table was set, but the righteous people weren’t sitting in it. Decisions are being made about our schools, our streets, our families, and followers of Jesus are absent from the conversation. You gotta get involved. Let me break it down to you. You gotta get involved. You need personal engagement. You gotta live the truth where you are. Every one of you have influence. I know some of you don’t think you do, because you only have a few friends on Facebook. But if you want, I can be your friend. You have influence at your workplace, your neighborhood. Everyone has a neighborhood watch program, because I see you. Every one of my neighbors sees me. They’re all part of the neighborhood watch. At your school, your social circles, you don’t need a title to be salt and light. You are salt and light. You don’t need a pulpit, a platform. You are salt and light. You just need courage. And when conversations happen around the water cooler or in the break room, When issues come up at the HOA or the PTA, don’t be silent, but speak the truth in love as it was mentioned. The Bible says in Proverbs 23, 23, buy the truth and sell it not. In a market where lies are free and truth costs everything, buy the truth anyway. It might cost you popularity. It might cost you comfort, but buy it anyway. Mobilize your congregation. Pastors, I encourage you to mobilize your congregation. We need to move beyond don’t mix church and state. That phrase isn’t even in the Constitution. What the First Amendment guarantees is that the state won’t establish a religion. It says nothing about keeping religion out of the state. So what we should be doing is helping people get involved in the community. And so we need to love our neighbors tangibly And when we love our neighbors tangibly, they will listen to our message credibly. And so when we have our seat at the table, we can have a message in the school boards, the city councils, the county commissions, the planning boards, and be part of every level of government. And so it’s not, just our civic duty it’s not just patriotism it’s kingdom assignment and romans 13 tells us that the governing authorities are established by god and matthew 5 tells us that we’re salt and light and second chronicles 7 14 tells us if my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then i will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land. Notice he says my people, not the government, not the unbelievers, not the culture, but my people must take action and the land will be healed. And we need repentance to take over. But the answer is found and it’s promised to us, and it’s found in Acts chapter one, verse eight, that he will send a comforter, and you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost comes upon you. And the answer’s given to us in Acts chapter two when he says, repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. He gives us that comfort, and he gives us that power. What is that power? To get up and do something. And that’s the response. So what is my challenge for you today is to pick up the truth, to stop being silent, to stop hiding in the church. Y’all are hiding right now. And to buy the truth and sell it not. also wisdom and instruction and understanding. I want to thank you, FRC. You’ve been buying the truth for decades. You’ve paid the price when others wouldn’t. Keep buying, keep holding, keep proclaiming. And to everyone here, the culture of evangelism must extend beyond the walls of the church halls into the city halls. be on the altar calls, into the town halls. And when truth has fallen in the street, it’s time for the church to pick it up.
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What you just heard was Pastor Amado Huizar. He was speaking at the 2025 PrayVote Stand Summit. I’m Jody Heiss, and again, thank you so much for tuning in to this special edition of Washington Watch. Once again, if you’d like to have access to more content from our PrayVote Stand Summit, you can do so by downloading the Stand Firm app. And again, the easiest way to do that is simply text the word APP to 67742. All right. Unfortunately, that’s all the time we have for today. Hope you’ve been able to get a lot out of the experts that inspired and encouraged us to continue pursuing our relationship with Christ and to stand firm. We look forward to having you join us again next time right here on Washington Watch.
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Washington Watch with Tony Perkins is brought to you by Family Research Council. To support our efforts to advance faith, family, and freedom, please text GIVE to 67742. That’s GIVE to 67742. Portions of the show discussing candidates are brought to you by Family Research Council Action. For more information, please visit TonyPerkins.com.
