From the March 13, 2023, edition of Trinity Broadcasting Network's Takeaways with Kirk Cameron

KIRK CAMERON (HOST):  I'm really excited about our time this evening because we're going to be talking about one of my very favorite subjects, revival. And I'm going to be talking with one of my very favorite people, Dr. Marshall Foster. You may know that Marshall and I have been friends for a while. In fact, he's the one who began teaching me about the Christian heritage of the United States of America, and he retooled my entire understanding of the character and the faith of the men and the women who built this country. In fact, he took me to Plymouth Massachusetts where I saw the real version of this replica, the national monument to the forefathers which gave me a totally different perspective on our constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and what made America the freest most prosperous nation in the world. We're going to get to that conversation and talk all about revival and the hope that we have in America and around the world for turning things around and seeing the heavenizing of our land once again. Before we get there, I want to share with you some things that I've been learning.

Marshall and I have been partnering together on something called the American campfire revival wherein I've been teaching through a book he wrote called The American Covenant: The Untold Story, and it's all about our founding fathers and mothers and the covenant relationship that they said was absolutely essential for the success of this American experiment. And it was that sacred promised relationship with god and the promised relationship that we have with one another. And one of the questions he brings up in his book which I want to share with you right now is the question, who is the ruler of this world? Now that may sound like an easy answer. Well, god. Well, wait a minute. We also know that the bible speaks of the God of this world referring to the devil or Satan, the prince of the power of the air. Well, let's take a little look at historically the way people have answered this question because the way you answer the question will inform the way that you view all of life.

Now, if you don't believe in god, you're going to say well, since god doesn't exist, the ruler of this world is the strongest, the fittest. Man is the ruler of this world. And more specifically government, corporate man rules the world. That's where you have governments of nations or the people who rule the United Nations and the entire world. This is the view that dominates our schools, our universities, politics, and science where man is God. How did that view work its way into a country like ours that was actually built on the bible? Well, I've learned by studying history that this idea came in into our churches that somehow Jesus when he ascended into heaven took on the role of something like an absentee king, that he has authority to rule on Earth but that he's busy in heaven preparing a place for his people, primarily interested in maintaining and building his church only and as temporarily subjugated to the world to the power of the devil until he returns.

So who do you see as the ruler of this world? Who is the God of this world? Well, I want to help you think through and uh see the fallout of your worldview by referring to something right here in Dr. Marshall Foster's book, if you see Satan ruling the Earth, it follows then that your commission, your job, your mission on Earth is just to concentrate on saving souls from this evil world. Before it gets worse. And when we can exit this world. However, if you see God ruling the Earth, then your commission is to subdue the Earth and build godly nations through evangelizing and discipleship. It's not to just forget about this world but it's to heavenize this world and build Godly nations by discipleship and evangelism. If you see Satan as the ruler of the Earth, it follows that you see Christian culture as a counterculture, as a subculture, an isolated persecuted minority in this evil world.

But if you see God is the ruler of the Earth, then you view Christian culture as working its way through all areas of life, replenishing and nourishing the Earth, and blessing all mankind. If you see Satan ruling the world, then you see church activity as primary and spiritual while worldly pursuits are secular and to be dealt with only as a necessity. You know, the preaching of the word and prayers and spiritual warfare is what's most important, and stuff like work and politics and science and entertainment and what we watch, all that stuff is necessary but it's secondary, and one day we'll all pass away. We only deal with it when we have to. But if you see God as ruling the Earth, then you see all of God's world as his and every activity in life is a spiritual activity, is a heavenly and religious activity. Like doing this TV show, like whatever it is you do for work, providing for your family, every single thing has a purpose in God's plan and is to be seen as a spiritual work of God. No matter how everyday and mundane it may seem. And then finally, if you hold the view that Satan rules the Earth, then it follows that reformation is impossible since things must get worse because Satan is ultimately in control. But if you see God ruling the Earth, reformation is expected if a nation is obedient to God's word.

Well, which is the right view? I want to share with you now the view that our founding fathers and mothers held. I'm talking about our pilgrim forefathers and foremothers who were biblicists. They had such a rich Godly worldview, and that was the secret to America's success and prosperity. And they left it for us in the form of the largest granite monument in America. It's called the National Monument to the Forefathers, and I have made a replica of it.