the Proclaim & Defend Podcast

Interview 114: “No Kings”? A Christian Perspective on Government “Rulers”

Today I’m joined by my friend, pastor Mike Ascher, who serves as pastor of Good News Baptist Church in Chesapeake, Virginia. Mike is also an FBFI-endorsed police chaplain. His article appeared in the May/June edition of FrontLine and was called: “No Kings”? A Christian Perspective on Government “Rulers” This article appeared in the middle section of the magazine, the part we call the “Pastor’s Insert.” The articles in this section usually don’t touch on the main theme of the FrontLine edition that they appear in. Mike’s article is drawn from current events. He is addressing an issue that we see roiling the public these days as protesters are worked up about the government they have and seem to think protest is the right way to go about changing it. Some of these protests can turn violent, which concerns everyone. Mike’s burden is that Christians adopt a biblical view of our relation to authority and properly reflect God’s viewpoint rather than the “mob-induced” mentality we see in our streets and seemingly all over the internet these days. I hope you find our discussion helpful. Let me remind you that Mike’s article is available on our Substack right away for paying subscribers. We have previews for everyone else. I hope you will join with us and support the ministry of the FBFI by becoming a paying subscriber. The Contents & Editorial for the May/June FrontLine: FrontLine: The Future of Missions – Proclaim & Defend [https://www.proclaimanddefend.org/2026/05/12/frontline-the-future-of-missions/] The Article: “No Kings”? A Christian Perspective on Government “Rulers” [https://proclaimdefend.substack.com/p/no-kings-a-christian-perspective] Get full access to the Proclaim & Defend Podcast at proclaimdefend.substack.com/subscribe [https://proclaimdefend.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Unchristian Thinking about Christian Weddings

If you are truly Christians—both bride and groom—then you should plan a Christian wedding. And both bride and groom should be Christians, but that is another article. The idea that wedding magazines, Pinterest, and bridal websites set the standards and practices for Christian weddings is an abomination. Brides to be (and moms!), stop letting that stuff form your view of what a Christian wedding should be. Here are four commonly held ideas about weddings that run contrary to the teaching of the scripture. This article is intended to free young couples from the bondage of meeting worldly expectations and open them up to the true, beautiful joys of a Christian wedding. It’s the bride’s day. “How dare you tell her she can’t do that! It’s her day! She should be able to do whatever she wants to do.” said the mother of the bride. Really? Is a Christian wedding supposed to be all about the bride? For Christians every day is the Lord’s Day. Every decision is the Lord’s decision. Everything we do must glorify Him. The “It’s her day” thinking is either worldly brainwashing about what a wedding is supposed to be, or it is evidence of an overall unchristian worldview. … Read the whole post here or just listen to the podcast. Get full access to the Proclaim & Defend Podcast at proclaimdefend.substack.com/subscribe [https://proclaimdefend.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Interview 113: Is Missions Work ‘Kingdom Building’?

We are picking up again with an interview from the May/June edition of FrontLIne, which is on the theme, “The Future of Missions.” Our conversation today is with Keith Kobelia, one of the professors at Faith Baptist Bible College and Seminary in Ankeny, Iowa. His article is called “Is Missions Work ‘Kingdom Building’?” We’ll get into the details of that in the discussion. What Keith is doing is laying some groundwork for our Biblical philosophy of missions. It seems there is a lot of confusion among broader Christianity that includes all kinds of different relief efforts and addressing social needs as “mission” work. While sometimes those sorts of things have value in getting an audience for the gospel, they aren’t the same thing as fulfilling the Great Commission. Keith is calling for a Biblical understanding of the Kingdom in contrast to the Great Commission. Our mission is the Great Commission. The Kingdom as such comes later, and our efforts should be focused on making disciples and building up the Lord’s church. We’ll turn to our conversation next, but let me remind you that Keith’s article is available on our Substack right away for paying subscribers. We have previews for everyone else. I hope you will join with us and support the ministry of the FBFI by becoming a paying subscriber. The Contents & Editorial for the May/June FrontLine: FrontLine: The Future of Missions – Proclaim & Defend [https://www.proclaimanddefend.org/2026/05/12/frontline-the-future-of-missions/] The Article: Is Missions Work “Kingdom Building”? [https://proclaimdefend.substack.com/p/is-missions-work-kingdom-building] Get full access to the Proclaim & Defend Podcast at proclaimdefend.substack.com/subscribe [https://proclaimdefend.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

You Could Ruin Your Life with Sin Today—Are You Being Careful?

“In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful” (2 Samuel 11:1–2). What was David thinking? David did not wake up that morning thinking to himself, “This is the day that I am going to sin against my God, destroy the life of my faithful servant, defile my neighbor, bring shame upon myself, and wreak wickedness in my family.” He did not plan to sin. Destructive, life-changing sin can happen in a moment. One day—one decision—can change the trajectory of your life and your family for generations. Compare David and Joseph In similar circumstances, David fell while Joseph escaped. What was the difference? We can learn from both of these men before we make wrecks of our lives. … Read the rest of the post here [https://wp.me/p1VQSk-6gT], or just listen to the podcast. Get full access to the Proclaim & Defend Podcast at proclaimdefend.substack.com/subscribe [https://proclaimdefend.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

The Dangers of Doing Business with “Christians”

“Pastor, pastor—I just met my surgeon, and guess what? He is a CHRISTIAN!” I must bite my tongue in the moment, but I’m thinking to myself,“But is he a good surgeon?” I have heard similar comments about mechanics, real estate agents, dentists, financial managers, and more. Don’t get me wrong, there are advantages, in many instances, to consulting a professional who shares your values. But there is more to the decision than that. It is much better to have an excellent brain surgeon who is an unbeliever than a mediocre one who claims to be a believer. In scary or difficult situations, it is easy to seek comfort over competency. People who share our values make us feel comfortable. A few years ago, our son underwent a 12-hour brain tumor surgery. When we met the surgeon for the first time, he was somewhat socially awkward and gave no indication of being a believer. I suppose we could have asked everyone we knew to help us find a Christian brain surgeon. I’m sure there are some out there—and probably some very good ones. But this surgeon was one of the top doctors in the world for this procedure. We have one of the top neurological hospitals in the country here in Phoenix, and they all said he was the right person for the job. … Read the whole post here: The Dangers of Doing Business with “Christians” [https://www.proclaimanddefend.org/2026/05/17/the-dangers-of-doing-business-with-christians/] or just listen to the podcast. Get full access to the Proclaim & Defend Podcast at proclaimdefend.substack.com/subscribe [https://proclaimdefend.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]