James and Sharon Ward
23:59 Share

First Person is produced in cooperation with the Far East Broadcasting Company, who rejoice in the stories of changed lives through the power of Jesus Christ. Learn more at febc.org. I think it's easy to stand back and to complain about politics, how corrupt it is. Get involved. Get engaged to make it better. We have to go back that Jesus is our Savior, and that's who we need to, you know, ask to save our nation.

They are praying earnestly for our nation in this election season, and they are inviting others to a national prayer altar. You'll meet James and Sharon Ward on this edition of First Person. Welcome, I'm Wayne Shepherd. James and Sharon have become good friends with us in ministry. Not only do they lead a church, but they also lead an organization called Total Living Media with TV production and much more. We'll learn about their call to prayer for our nation in a moment.

As you listen to First Person, I hope you'll gain inspiration as you see how God equips and calls people to serve His kingdom, both now and in the ages to come. If you ever miss one of these interviews on radio, please subscribe to our podcast, which you can easily find on your podcast app of choice, or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and other sources, or go to FirstPersonInterview.com to stream the program. FirstPersonInterview.com.

There's an important prayer event coming up this month, and that's what James and Sharon Ward have come to the studio today to invite our participation. Wayne, we're so grateful. We're always excited to be with you, and we're so thankful for your hospitality. Yes, we are. Sharon, I remember several years ago now, James sitting there and telling me the story of Zero Victim, his book that has become such an important book for our time.

And I think of all that's happened in the life of both of you since that first interview. By the way, that interview is in the archive. So listeners can go back and hear your life story, James, and the message of Zero Victim. But so much has happened, Sharon. I mean, you've got to stand back and say, thank you, Lord. So much has happened, and God has just proven himself faithful over the years. Amen. That what he really gave James and I a vision for when we first got married, it's starting to happen. Yeah.

So you were planning or dreaming or praying for these kinds of opportunities since you were married? Two and three, dreaming and praying. And it's God's grace. I think that's just a reminder that it's not by our effort and our training and our skill, but...

It's God's grace, and we've been humbled by that. But we're really amazed at what the Lord is doing through our lives and our children. We're seeing it multi-generationally now that our children are two of our best leaders, and they're passionate about it. I've watched them grow up online, and it's fun to watch and see them involved in your ministry now as well. So let's give everyone a thumbnail sketch of all you're doing. We won't have time to talk about everything, obviously. I mentioned the book, Zero Victim. Yep.

that's available and we'll have a link to that in our program notes. But what else is going on in your life? Yeah. So we, we use for our staff, our executive consultants, everybody we work with, we use this model of what we call the ward umbrella program.

And we have a visual of an umbrella. And underneath that umbrella is three organizations, Insight Church, James Ward Ministries, and now TLN Media, which is a historical broadcast network here in Chicago. And so those are the three vehicles that we kind of flesh out the vision. The local church,

teaching itinerant ministry for publishing and things. And now we have this media platform. TLN Media, of course, for many years was led by Jerry Rose. I mentioned that just for point of context for listeners who may know about that, but that's, you're now a chairman and CEO. Correct. And Sharon, you're involved as well. Yes. And you're growing that ministry. It's not static at all, is it? No, it's not, you know, and we're grateful for historical institutions. There's one thing that we really treasure and value is,

is honoring the work that God has been doing over the years, the pioneers. And it shouldn't fade away. It shouldn't dissolve. Someone has to pick up that mantle. So we're honored to be in that place that we can carry the baton from the Jerry Rose, the Carlton and Sheila Arthurs, the Wayne Shepherds, that there's a handoff that's taking place. And we want to be faithful in our generation.

the same way that you guys have been faithful in yours. Right. I don't know if everybody knows, but my father was really good friends with Jerry Rose. They started, he was one of the first churches that was on total living network at that time, TV 38. And so just that friendship, uh,

that they had we're now and we have inherited so you grew up with tln in a sense didn't you absolutely looking up to jerry rose and you know what's amazing i first saw sharon's father on tv 38 which was at that time you know eventually became tln and so now to serve as on sunday mornings at 11 a.m so now to serve in this capacity you really see the faithfulness of god yeah

That's a theme on this program whenever we talk to people is the fact that as you look back, you can see those signposts of what God was doing. You don't see them at the time necessarily. But as you look back, you see how he was orchestrating things to happen just like this. That's right. And it's great because we now encourage people that wherever they're at in life, it's like God has a plan and purpose. And sometimes you don't see what he's doing for 20, 25 years. Even the painful stuff can be used for good. Even the painful stuff, yes. Amazing. Absolutely.

Well, there's something new afoot. Maybe it's not so new to you. It's called the prayer altar because you've been doing this for a while now in conjunction with the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. So let's talk about that whole thing. First of all, what is the Museum of the Bible as you have become connected with it in a way? Yeah. So Steve and Jackie Green, Steve's chairman of Museum of the Bible. He's also president of Hobby Lobby and God has used the Green family here.

in amazing ways as champions for biblical values and so we're so grateful for them uh steve is chairman of museum of the bible this is

Plus 400,000 square foot facility in D.C. right off the Capitol building. Drove by it last month. Dedicated to the Word of God. And it's an amazing facility. I would say the most important building in Washington, D.C. We say that. We really do. It's highly visible, isn't it? It is. You know, and just short story. We had this vision that eventually got through Steve, through some friends that we felt the Lord was speaking to us to go to D.C. to pray for the nation. It was during COVID. So the music was on.

The museum was closed. Steve found out and opened the museum for us to go in and start prayer. This will be our seventh national prayer altar coming up on October 24th. And so we've been at it for four years now and it continues to grow and expand and it's something that's needed. Okay. So it's less than a month away, which is why we're going to talk about it today here on first person to give people some, a headstart on the prayer altar. So we'll talk about all those details later.

But the museum itself is quite a story, and I know you don't necessarily represent the museum, but as you've visited the museum and seen it, for those who haven't been there, what's the experience like, Sharon? At the Museum of the Bible, it's just...

Well, it's a six-story building that really, in different ways, just explains the Bible. It explains what the Bible has meant to people over the years, the different nations that the Bible has touched.

explaining the Bible, explaining stories, you know, animation for kids. So the Bible comes alive for kids. It's all of that. Yeah. Imagine Disney World technology today.

concerning the scriptures and the history of the word of God. And so it's technologically amazing. You know, I think some of the producers for some of the major production companies that even VeggieTales and things, a lot of those folks have been involved in. So it's amazing. We call ourselves ambassadors of Museum of the Bible. There you go. Okay. All right. Okay. All right.

Well, prayer in Washington, D.C. I've been the radio host for some prayer events in Washington. The most recent one was a few years ago in Statuary Hall.

They're in the Capitol building. And I know that there's intoxicating power in Washington, D.C. that we have to guard against. But at the same time, there is special meaning about praying for our nation in our nation, isn't there? Yeah, it is. And, you know, there's passages in the scripture. For example, Psalms 122. We know that's the passage that tells us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. But earlier in that same passage in Psalm 122, it talks about

the people going up to Jerusalem to where the gates were. They would physically make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, to the Capitol, to pray and to seek God. And I think, Wayne, that for believers across America, I think we've given up the responsibility of knowing that our state Capitol is

The most important, you could argue the most influential city in the world is Washington, D.C. And it's our prayer that D.C. wouldn't be known as the political capital, but as a spiritual capital. And so the Lord put this assignment in our hearts to go and stand at the gates and pray and to rebuild the altar of the Lord. And it's an encouragement to pastors and leaders worldwide.

that are there contending for it. There are great politicians who have a heart for the Lord, they're on fire for the Lord, but they need our help. They need our prayers. They need our intercession. So whatever we can do to help galvanize the church across America to Stanford for Washington, D.C., we want to do that. So Sharon, what's the format of the prayer altar? Well, the format of the prayer altar is we have different people that we have assigned from all

all different walks of life. It's not a Republican prayer. It's not a Democratic prayer. It's a kingdom prayer. So you can pray for this nation. And really, it's just a gathering of believers. We have some lead out, but others are in agreement in the audience that

that we believe that prayer changes things. And we have to stir prayer up in the body of Christ again, that maybe people think that, hey, the way the nation's going, there's nothing we can do about it. There is something we can do about it. And we want to encourage, we have a big idea that if we could get all Christians praying at the same time,

especially before the election, that God is going to move. Yeah, we haven't mentioned that, but the prayer altar this time will happen just a few days before the national election. And everyone has their opinion about this election. There's a lot of discord about this election. We need to pray about it, don't we? We do, yeah. And it's one of – we don't do diversity for the sake of diversity, but it's probably –

arguably the most diverse prayer meeting in Washington, D.C. And I mean that not in terms of just ethnicity, but I mean streams of prayer because sometimes you have prayer meetings, but it's everybody from one camp, from one denomination, from one circle. But we see folks across theological spectrums. We have a strong Catholic team that's been involved with us that are believers, and it's a great time to come together. And we call it the streams coming together to form a river. And

And we believe that's God's model to really wash over our nation. It's going to require unity from God's people. We'll continue talking with James and Sharon Ward on this edition of First Person about this month's prayer altar in Washington, D.C.

Here's Ed Cannon on the Vision for FEBC's weekly podcast. The primary purpose of Until All Have Heard, of course, is to share the experience that FEBC has because we have staff on the ground in so many oppressive places. But in addition to that, we're trying to speak to you in a way that only the kind of testimonies you'll hear from around the globe can do. Discover how the gospel is making a difference around the world.

Search for Until All Have Heard on your favorite podcast platform or hear it online at febc.org.

My guests are James and Sharon Ward, who will be leading the prayer altar in Washington, D.C. The actual event date is October 24th, 6 o'clock p.m. Eastern Time. And will we be able to watch this and participate around the country? We don't have to be there, do we? Correct. Yeah, you can come and be with us, of course, but then we're going to stream nationalprayeralter.com. All the information will be right there at nationalprayeralter.com.

All right. And how do you encourage participation, Sharon, for people who are not in D.C.? Just to watch and pray? To watch and also get people excited about praying that this is a time before the election that we all need to be praying together. Prayer changes things. And if we want things changed, we can't look for any...

person that we're electing to be our Savior. We have to go back that Jesus is our Savior, and that's who we need to ask to save our nation. Keeping the most important thing the most important thing. Yes. Exactly, yeah. How has this affected each of you personally? I know you've been leading this, but I'm sure there's a personal impact as well. Sure. You want to go first, and then I'll... Sure. It has impacted me that I could... Sometimes the Lord gives you...

And it seems way too big. It's impossible. Overwhelming, huh?

but just to see that God is faithful and what he's given us a vision that the whole nation praying together, Christians all walks of life at the same time praying together. And we're starting to see that happen. We're starting to see different streams come together, different politicians saying, hey, we can join you at church.

this time. We know that there's a lot of prayers in Washington, D.C., but we want all Christians praying together. So you can join. We have multiple ways that you can join us. Find the stream. Join us online. Join us on YouTube. Yeah. And we'll put the links again in our program notes at firstpersoninterview.com. So anyone listening will not miss this opportunity on October 24th. Wonderful.

How has it impacted you, James? Yeah, it's impacted me in terms of kind of breaking a small paradigm. I sometimes say it's so easy being in ministry. We have a phenomenal local church, and there's plenty to keep us busy

and we could stay home and stay in the shallows and enjoy ourselves and do what we're doing. It's important to do that, too. And it is important, and we have a great team that supports to make sure that things are going well at home when we go into this space. But I sometimes say, Wayne, that we can often win the local church battle and lose the national war.

And I think that's what's happening in America right now. And so it's been stretching us to call us out of just Jerusalem into Judea, Samaria, to the uttermost parts of the world. And so it pulls us back into the great commission, knowing that God is a God of nations, disciple nations, and make disciples in the nations. And it's a need there for us to stand. And so it's drawn us into the bigger purposes of

I've been so encouraged to follow you and hear what you say about addressing our divisions politically. And as believers, we shouldn't be partisan at all. We should be free agents and not beholden to any political party. Speak to the division, though, that you sense in our country. Yeah, I think political idolatry has become an issue that we find ourselves in.

uh, having abdicated our responsibility that now we're, we're following something that we should be leaving, leading in terms of vision and communicating God's heart. And I use a quick reference from Joshua chapter five, verse 13, when, you know, Joshua has this encounter with the angel of the Lord and Joshua's God's top general leading Israel. And he's in covenant relationship with God. And he asked the angel, are you for us or for them? And the angel says, neither. Hmm.

So the angel didn't say, hey, I'm on your side because you're on God's side. The angel of the Lord says, neither. I'm here as a representative of the Lord, the Lord of heaven's armies. And so I think we forget that God is not on anybody's side.

All of us should be on his side following his will. And the moment we insert the political construct, I think it really compromises the gospel and the effect and the potency of the gospel in our nation. At the same time, as believers, we're encouraged to be involved in this world, not of it. We need to be involved in this political process and be light in the process, don't we? We do. You know, I hear it all the time.

you know, Christians shouldn't be in politics, you know, keep God out of government. And, you know, the whole Bible is about

a challenge between the will of God and the will of man, and you see government involved. It's going to end with the Battle of Armageddon, with the nations gathering against the Lord and against His Christ. And so we need to be in that space to influence those spaces toward righteousness. Somebody said, I've read the last chapter, we win. I always think I've read the first chapter and we win. That's right. You also talk about, James, that

In the Bible, it's a Bible full of politics, but it always focuses on the men and women of God. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So we teach our congregation. There's no book in the Bible called Nebuchadnezzar. There's a book called Daniel. There's no book called Ahasuerus. There's a book called Esther. There's no book called Artaxerxes. There's a book called Nehemiah.

The Bible is a collection of God moving in nations and his purpose is moving through his people and covenant relationship with him, not in the political circles or the halls of government. I think we got to rediscover that model in the church today that God works through his people who are in covenant relationship with him. I love that. Yeah, and that's why the National Prayer Altar is so important because God wants to work through us individually.

as Christians. He's not going to save the nation through Donald Trump or Kamala Harris. Whatever changes we need to see in the nation, he's going to do it through his people. That's scripture. Without naming names, are you encouraged by those who are in government and politics as a light for the gospel? They're there, aren't they? They are. We meet them all the time.

We are encouraged and it just brings to mind the word of God that tells us to pray for all in authority so that we can live a quiet and a peaceable life. I think that's first Timothy chapter two. And we're encouraged by it. And we were encouraged to come alongside. I think it's easy to stand back and to complain about politics, how corrupt, how dirty it is.

Get involved, get engaged to make it better. Proverbs 29, 2, when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Bible is full of this admonition for God's people to engage and to make it what it should be.

And even to bring your family. You know, a lot of families are coming to National Prayer Altar. We're encouraging people to bring their children. So many children have not been to Washington, D.C. And teaching our kids, our Christian kids, as we're raising them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, that part of your responsibility is to get in and be a leader. Yeah.

So even going back to teaching our middle school and our youth group that, hey, you can make a change in politics. You can run for something. Walk the streets of Washington, D.C. This is a real place that you can get involved in. Hey, I've been in those museums in the heat of summertime and seen all the school groups and the church groups come through those museums. And what a good thing to maybe expose them to some of the spiritual heritage. Yeah.

that we have in this country as well. I like that idea. It is. I think a part of the unrest we see on college campuses and even with an emerging generation is

They haven't been taught about the value of the United States, the price that was paid in God's purposes. And so even as you see more and more ideologies like cultural Marxism, these things are seeping into our nation. And in many, in many instances, the end result is to dismantle the United States of America. That ideology says that America is inherently corrupt and

It's unredeemable, so it needs to be dismantled. And so sometimes you see kids lining up to support these ideologies. It's the very thing that's antithetical to their future and them living in God's blessing here in America. So we need to teach those things and educate them. For those who do want to come to Washington, D.C. on October 24th, they are welcome at the museum, right? Absolutely.

Everyone is welcome. Okay. We love it. Do they need tickets ahead of time? Do they just show up? What's the deal? There's registration at nationalprayeralter.com. The registration is free. Okay. Entrance into the museum is free. All right. We just ask for registration for security reasons and a head count. Okay.

And if they can't come in person, there's also the live stream that will be there on the website. And believe me, fall is a great time to go to Washington. It is. All the tourists are gone, right? That's right. It's a wonderful time. I have a family who live there, and they live for the fact that the tourists leave town in the fall. They get their town back. They get their city back, yeah.

Well, in the last few minutes we have, I want each of you to pray, if you would, for our nation and for this event. Sharon, we'll start with you, if you wouldn't mind. Awesome. Yes. Dear Holy Father, Lord, we just love you. We magnify you. We worship your name. We thank you, Lord, that you're King of all kings and you're Lord of all lords.

We thank you, Lord, that you are Lord over America, God. I thank you, Lord, that as we pray, God, we are praying for revival and a turnaround in this nation, Lord. I just thank you, Lord, that just like you have done it in the past, God, that as your people,

Humble themselves and pray, God. We are praying, expecting God. We're expecting you to move. We're expecting you to move individual families, God, that you are bringing families back, spouses back, children back to you in Jesus' name. Thank you, Lord. Father, we just thank you for the church of Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus, you said...

upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail, Lord God. We thank you for breathing upon believers, Lord, that hope would rise, Lord, your body would be encouraged, and that you would take glory to yourself. We declare that Jesus is Lord over these United States of America. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Amen. You'll find links to all you need to know about this month's prayer altar at the Museum of the Bible at our website, firstpersoninterview.com. The

The date is Thursday evening, October 24th. Again, for more, go to FirstPersonInterview.com. Our guests have been James and Sharon Ward, and this program can be heard again online at FirstPersonInterview.com or by subscribing to our podcast with any one of many podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the audio on YouTube. Just search for First Person with Wayne Shepard.

As always, I'm grateful for the support of the Far East Broadcasting Company for making this program possible. To learn more about FEBC and all that God is doing through its many programs, please visit febc.org. There you'll find story after exciting story of how God is working around the world. And listen for the podcast called Until All Have Heard with Ed Cannon. Now, with thanks to my friend and producer Joe Carlson, I'm Wayne Shepherd. Thank you for listening to First Person. ♪