What Happened On August 13, 1956?

I want to tell you about the following:
- A United Nations Summit,
- 100 top global leaders,
- A unique trip to the Midwest, 
- Ministry in Brazil, 
- Ministry in Peru, 
- Washington, DC events, 
- A training session on how to combat antisemitism, 
- A time of prayer and repentance,
- A training for 100 top flight students,
- The Haym Salomon statue,
- Three books I am working on right now, two of which will be out very soon,
- A cruise with Jonathan Cahn in the Caribbean, 
- A second cruise, with Johanthan Cahn, to Alaska,
- Another trip to Israel.
- And a ministry trip to Dominican Republic.
 
I have a lot to share about this long list, but allow me to first put it in context, because today is August 13. Please keep reading until I share with you about all of the things in the list above.

AUGUST 13
  
Today is my “birthday.” Well, not really. It was not the day I was born, but it is the 70th anniversary of the day a special calling came upon my life. I have written about it number of times, but I will reference it once again, then we will take a look at why that date has meaning, I hope, to you as well. 
 
Please allow me to repeat some things I have said before. I repeat them because they are worth repeating.
 
Some of you are accused of being “political.” You are not. You are “biblical,” but people don’t recognize “biblical” anymore. You are “governmental.” In actuality, you are “biblically governmental.”
 
That being said, allow me to re-share some things that I have shared a couple times before. 
 
AUGUST 13, 1956 WAS A BIG DAY FOR ME
Can a person be “called” by God to a life pursuit at a very young age? The answer is yes. Jeremiah was called, that is, appointed by God to be a prophet while he was still in the womb: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5. (That alone is evidence that God views life as beginning at conception.)
 
I have heard of many persons who sensed a call of God on their lives at ages as early as four or five or six. At the same time, it is never too late to receive God’s special “tap on the shoulder.” For some, it comes much later in life.
 
As I have said many times, I was nine years of age – August 13, 1956 – when I watched the first day of the four-day Democratic National Convention in Chicago. I watched every second of it. I was intrigued and hooked.
 
REQUEST
Before I complete that story (which will continue below), I have an unusual request.We have some rather robust plans we are working on, to try to further the work of the Lord by bringing biblical principles of governance to government leaders…and to the people who elect them. 
 
All these years later, seven decades later, I am still trying to honor that call of the Lord. But I admit, I need your help. 
 
What are the projects we are undertaking at the moment? Let me explain. 
 
- I am organizing, hosting and funding a significant event for 100 top level faith leaders, governmental leaders and business leaders, from about 25 nations, at the United Nations in New York City, in an attempt to stop an “International Right to Abortion” that is being forced on many nations, to defend the definition of marriage (the good news is that 41 nations so far agree with these issues), to defend national sovereignty as opposed to globalism, and to stand against antisemitism.

My new book, UNiVERSED: Unexpected Bible Verses and Scriptural Values Found Within the United Nations, co-authored with Frank Kacer, will be released at that event at the United Nations.
 
- The gathering will include an INTERNATIONAL GATHERING FOR PRAYER AND REPENTANCE, and a “prayer walk” near the United Nations building, praying for the nations. 
 
- We are taking a group of people to some key sites in the Midwest, sort of a “spiritual pilgrimage,” tied to the stories of some of the persons mentioned below (so keep reading), including President Eisenhower, and visiting the location of the remarkable 1,000 artifacts that came from the place where Jesus was born in Bethlehem Ephrata, Israel. (We have talked about them many times on the World Prayer Network, thus I won’t describe them more here.)
 
- Rosemary and I are going to Brazil, to speak in one of the largest churches there, and to speak to an event with 1,000 high profile female faith leaders, and to help lead in a Day of Prayer and Repentance, along with private meetings with government leaders.
 
- We are also going to Peru, where we will meet with members of Congress and speak in one of the churches.
 
- The National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance will be held for the 5th time in Washington DC, on February 3, at 7:00am. 
 
- It will be followed by a specialized training on combatting antisemitism.

- My new book will have come out the week before, titled SUBVERSED: How the Antisemites Distorted Israel’s Story – and How to Refute Them.
 
- We continue to press hard to see a statue in Washington, DC honoring “the forgotten Founding Father,” Haym Salomon, the Jew who funded the American Revolution. See here
 
- We are doing a national search now, for the top 100 young adults, ages 18-29, who will be brought to Washington, DC, provided with specialized training on life, marriage, national sovereignty, free market, scripturally grounded patriotism, and combatting antisemitism, and a host of biblical principles of governance. See here
 
- We will be hosting a group to go on a cruise to the Caribbean with Jonathan Cahn, one the nation’s clearest voices for biblical truth in a woke world. (See website here)
 
- We will be hosting a group to go on another cruise with Jonathan Cahn, the time to Alaska, to gain from his scriptural teaching.
 
- We will be leading a tour in Israel again, Rosemary’s 81st and my 30th. The most recent trips have been the most invigorating of all we have done.

- Frank Kacer and I are co-authoring a new book called INVERSED: How the LGBTQ Sexual Anarchy Twisted Scripture.
 
I admit it, it is an aggressive agenda. But, God willing, these things will happen. Every one of them are well underway, with some of them happening in the next few weeks.
 
But this is where I need you help. It costs. There is no way around the fact that ministry costs. I preached by first sermon in 1966, and I have never looked back. But even back then, I understood that ministry costs.
 
So my question: Will you financially partner with us today? I hope this does not sound dumb or even gimmicky, but would you consider making a $70 financial contribution to Well Versed today, on this 70th anniversary of the governmental call on my life. It is too odd to ask for 70 for 70? If you can, may I say “thank you so much.” You can make that donation here
 
NOW BACK TO THE STORY OF THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY MY GOVERNMENTAL CALLING

I am certainly only one of many who has been called to government. The fact is, many of you are called to be involved governmentally, or in the political realm. But how do some respond to you? They call you a “Christian nationalist.” Why do they call you that? To cause you to back down, to get out of the political-governmental realm, to try to reduce your influence.
 
But don’t back down. Don’t back away. Stay in the fray. Do not grow weary in well doing.
 
Now let me take you back to another portion of my story, and why this day is an important “milestone” for me.
 
TV – A BIG DEAL
TV was still relatively new when I was nine years of age, especially in rural areas. Of course, it was black and white TV back then. We were the second family in our Kansas farm community to get a TV. How did you know who had a TV? To see anything on TV in rural areas, you had to have a very tall – about 30 feet – tower mounted either on top of your house or next to your house, which would be rotated different directions, so you could receive the three available channels (ABC, CBS and NBC). City folks had “rabbit ears” they adjusted. Farm people had antennas. In our case, we were only able to get two channels, KOLN, Lincoln, Nebraska and WIBW, Topeka, Kansas. We thought that was amazing.
 
I remember right where I was in the living room of our old two story, “box-y,” white frame farmhouse three miles west of Ames, KS (population approximately 75 or so at the time, I suppose) when my “calling” came, on August 13, 1956. 
 
The house was built in the 1890’s, with the huge window water cooler running (blasting), as I watched our Zenith TV with the antennae rotator on top. I remember talking to my Uncle Vernon and Aunt Evelyn about governmental things the next day or so, with great excitement.

THE 1956 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
The 1956 Democratic National Convention – held once every four years – opened on August 13. I was spellbound. Nominees included Stuart Symington, Averell Harriman, and Lyndon Baines Johnson. The winner was Adlai Stevenson. He had been the nominee in 1952 and had lost then against Eisenhower in the general election, just as he would do again later in November of 1956.
 
Estes Kefauver was selected (through popular ballot, not by the nominee!) to be the Vice-Presidential nominee. It was the first time, to my knowledge, that the name of John Fitzgerald Kennedy was seriously considered – perhaps even stated – at a Democratic National Convention.
 
I remember those days in August of 1956 as if it was 15 minutes ago. I suspect that no one cares or remembers it, except me. But it was profoundly impactful. It shaped the trajectory of my life.
 
THE OLD DEMOCRAT PARTY
But, the Democratic Party was very different then from what it has now become. It had a respectable platform. For example:
• No one suggested destroying pre-born babies.
• No one affirmed immorality.
• No one suggested destroying marriage.
• No one suggested affirming that for which God had destroyed Sodom.
• No one suggested that men should put dresses on and use girl’s restrooms.
• No one suggested that young women in the military would be forced to shower and live in barracks with fully intact males.
• No one suggested that little boys and little girls should be chemically castrated and surgically mutilated.
• No one suggested that looting and rioting would be viewed as reparations.
• No one suggested that we should run the national debt so high that there would be no hope of ever repaying it.
• No one suggested that we should become energy dependent on our enemies.
• No one suggested that we should force people to take jabs they did not want.
• No one suggested that the free market was evil, (although the platform itself was calling for a lot of socialism).
• No one affirmed Communism. In fact they stood against it.
• No one hated America.
• No one hated Israel.
 
Unfortunately, much has changed. Although my family and I were never Democrats, the gap between Republicans and Democrats was much narrower back then.
 
To be clear, the Republican Party is not our ultimate answer. The Word of God is. Ultimately, I am a citizen of the Kingdom of God, and His Truth is my platform. But here on earth, we do have to sort through the complexities of which platform contains policies that comes the closest to His Word.
Would you like to read the Democrat Party platform from 1956? You can,
here: 1956 Democratic Party Platform
You will notice that it included none of the things I have cited above.
 
THE DEMOCRAT PARTY NOW
The 2024 Democrat Party platform was approved in July of 2024.
You can read it here: DNC Releases 2024 Party Platform Draft
It includes the support of castration of children, or the slaughter of babies in the womb, and that is just the starting point.
 
BIBLICAL GOVERANCE: IMPACT ON A NATION
Christians seem to understand that the Bible speaks to the (1) personal issues. That is called self-governance.
 
Christians understand that the Bible speaks to the issues of (2) family life, which is called family-governance.
 
Most Christians understand that the Bible speaks to the issue of the (3) structure of church or congregational life. That is called church governance.
 
But unfortunately, very few Christians understand that the Bible speaks to the issue of (4) civil governance, how a city, state or nation is supposed to function. 
 
There seems to be very little awareness that God is so loving and cares so much that He gives us clear guidance on the governmental or political issues that we face.
 
The reality is: (1) God loves us. (2) He cares for us so much that he arranged for a book to be available to help us navigate how to govern. God did not finish “the book” and go, “Oh wow, I forgot about the whole government thing!” (3) God established government. (4) He establishes nations. (5) He cares about our communities. He desires us to have quiet and peaceful lives.
 
In fact, to the extent that a nation, long-term, follows the Biblical principles of governance, one will see that human pain, suffering and poverty will be reduced. To the extent that a nation, long-term, violates the Biblical principles of governance, then human pain, suffering and poverty will be increased. That is the reason the Scripture makes the bold claim: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” (Psalm 33:12).

BIBLICAL
For years I have tried to explain to others “who I am.” I am not talking about a psycho-babble type of “who am I” when I say this. Rather I am talking about the gifts God gives to each of us. All of us must find our own unique giftings and callings.
 
I have watched the news on governmentally related events virtually every day since age nine, and have participated in countless campaigns for righteousness and holiness to be lifted up in the marketplace of governmental ideas. As a result of the governmental interest, I have been (wrongly) labeled “political.” The truth is, I am biblical.

HOOKED ON POLITICS vs. A GOVERNMENTAL ANOINTING
Some might say that on the day, August 13 1956, 70 years ago, I became “hooked on politics.” That is not the case. 
 
It was – as my wife Rosemary would label it many decades later – a “governmental anointing.” It was holy. Those of you who love and reverence the Name of the Lord know what it is to hear His voice. 
 
My call was not a voice. In my case, God used an event to draw me to His calling for me. Repeating for emphasis: the calling was not to “politics.” It was to government. There is a difference. In fact, it was to biblical governance.
 
If you are consumed only with “politics,” you only care about winning elections every other year. In contrast, if you are called to “government,” or to “biblical governance,” you care deeply for your city, state, or nation, desiring it to have the blessing of God. You long for nations to have peace and tranquility. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12) is a living reality. Biblical governance most surely impacts politics, but it is so much more than that.
 
It was never about “political activism,” although political activism is a good thing, in fact, a very good thing. What my governmental anointing means to me is the practice of “biblical applicational-ism,” that is the application of the Scriptures to all of life, including the governmental. Simply stated, I want people – when they think about government – to think biblically. I want them to take Jesus into the voting booth.
 
WHY THIS PERSONAL EXPLANATION ON THIS DAY?
It was on that day – the opening day – of the Democratic Convention, in 1956, that God somehow “tugged on my heart” and drew me into the ministry I am now in.
 
Seventy years later, on August 13, 2026, today, I will once again “reconsecrate” myself to the work of the Lord. I am no longer a nine year old. I am a “seasoned, mature” man. But the passion has not left me. It has only intensified. I want to see the Bible’s principles applied to governance.
 
BIBLICAL APPLICATIONALISM
"Biblical applicationalism" is the attempt to help people understand that Scripture is the foundation of government itself – and by default – the candidates. Biblical applicationalism helps people see that for every challenging political and social problem we have today, THE BIBLE HAS THE ANSWERS THAT WORK IN SOCIETY. It is to help every follower of Jesus (and non-followers too) grasp how the Bible applies to every aspect of governmental life.
 
That is why I try to teach people how to respond biblically to the many critical social and “political” issues of our day! That is the reason we go to Congress or the various agencies in Washington, DC, or to the United Nations in New York City or Geneva or go to various countries to meet with Members of Parliament.
 
That is why we have crisscrossed the nation and have crossed the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Gulf of America so many times.

That is why I wrote Well Versed: Biblical Answers to Today’s Tough Issues, which covers the biblical foundations to 30 governmental issues.

That is why I wrote ReVERSED: From Culturally Woke to Biblically Awake, laying out biblical foundations to nearly 60 governmental topics.

That is why Frank Kacer and I earlier this year wrote The Executive Orders of President Donald J. Trump: A Biblical Perspective, in which we analyzed 200 executive orders through a scriptural lens.

That is why Frank Kacer and I just wrote UNiVERSED: Unexpected Bible Verses and Scriptural Values Found Within the United Nations which will be released next month.

That is why I am currently writing my 28th book SUBVERSED: How the Antisemites Distorted Israel’s Story – and How to Refute Them.

That is why Frank Kacer and I are writing INVERSED: How the LGBTQ Sexual Anarchy Twisted Scripture.
 
(By the way, writing does not come easy for me. It is painstakingly hard.)

Some Christians think this is about politics. Oh, how I wish they understood it is so much more! It is not ultimately “political.” It is biblical.
 
Some pastors, avoiding the governmental, say, “I just preach Jesus.” Well so do I. But I also preach what Jesus preached: The Kingdom. And if there is a Kingdom, there is a King. And Jesus is that King. And what is He King over? Answer: Everything. Including civil government. Some pastors' Bibles apparently read, “Go into all the world, EXCEPT THE POLITICAL.”
 
The “left” misunderstands this type of calling as advocating a “theocracy” or “dominionism,” or “culture religion,” or now the new one, “Christian nationalism,” or simply being “right wing.”
 
However, it is not “right vs. left.” It is “right vs. wrong.” And the Bible is right. And everything else is wrong. And to my “lefty friends,” I fully understand that we do not live in a theocracy but that we live in a constitutional republic that operates democratically.
 
I understand my calling. I enjoy walking it out. I have a “governmental anointing” for “biblical applicationalism.” Only with biblical applicationalism can our nation – or any nation – be preserved or experience its true potential and greatness.
 
I thank God for the callings and anointings he puts on all of us. You included! I praise Him this day for the calling he placed on a nine year old, 70 years ago this very day.
 
And so many of you have a similar anointing. Thank you for walking it out. Thank you for being faithful. Do not retreat. Advance. 

The Word of God will not be mocked. Not for long. His Word will stand. He watches over His Word, to perform it. My hope is in His Word.