According to the Family Research Council (FRC) President Tony Perkins, “a Watchman stands on the walls” and “declares what he sees, regardless of the personal consequences may be.”

The Stream founder James Robison is one of those guardians — indeed “a Watchman of the Watchmen,” said Perkins moments before giving FRC’s annual “Watchmen on the Wall” award to Robison.

A Life Spent Ministering to the Least Among Us

Robison, who has been in ministry and evangelism for over 50 years, expanded his Christian mission work from evangelization to also providing clean water and food to poor African and other Third World children and families through Life Outreach International in the 1980s. According to Perkins, Robison could have avoided controversy inside the United States by continuing to focus only on that work and staying out of  divisive public policy debates. James saw the very future of freedom seriously threatened.

As do many of you, I’ve had the opportunity to pastor. When you’re ministering to families, and you’re ministering to communities, and you’re taking care of needs, people applaud that.

But when you stand up and you start talking about choices we make leading to consequences that are destructive, both in our personal lives and corporately as a nation, people don’t respond so positively to that.

So it’s easy to gravitate away from that. But a watchman stands on the walls. The spiritual walls of community, of a nation, and declares what he sees, regardless of the personal consequences may be.

Become Salt and Light

Instead of choosing personal comfort and safety, Robison chose to again lead Christians to become faithful witnesses, salt and light, in our troubled culture. He co-authored the best-selling Indivisible with The Stream Executive Editor Jay Richards, a professor at Catholic University of America. Robison founded The Stream and published a book under the same name. He has provided Christian counsel to Donald Trump since early 2016.

Robison “provided leadership to leaders,” said Perkins. “James doesn’t pastor a church, but I believe James is a watchman of the watchmen.”

Bind Up Broken Hearts

Speaking to the dinner audience of hundreds of Christian leaders, Robison said that he was, as a fatherless child, given a Father through faith in Jesus Christ. He also observed:

For years, I preached forcefully on setting captives free, but it was only when we buried our 40-year old miracle baby Robin, the mother of three teenagers, that I came to better understand the phrase that precedes the ‘freedom’ reference — that Jesus came to “bind up the broken hearts.”

According to Robison, many Americans are “broken” and “living in some other-world mentality. They are in a pit. They either fell in, were thrown in, or dug it by their own actions. Let’s join Jesus, let’s raise them up. …”

Wisdom, Offered from Love

Robison talked about his efforts to counsel Trump. He shared with the audience what he sent the presidential team via text this week:

If you come home with the same demeanor and the same team effort we’ve watched around the world, we’ll be on our way to a new day in America.

Additionally, Robison asked the assembled leaders to pray for Trump. He said that he has “never seen [Trump] push wisdom back.” He also offered prayer for the entire administration, which includes “some of the strongest people that have ever been put into a Cabinet.”

Speaking to The Stream after his speech, Robison said that his approach to President Trump differs from that of many in the press. “I approach the president and his team as an advocate. … I have not seen all the seed I have sown come to full fruition. But God says ‘His word will not return void.’  How fast the seed grows depends on how much water and light it receives. God’s Word is water. His Presence is wisdom and light.”

Speak Redemptively

“The concerns can be shared in a provocative, adversarial way and this is sure to fail,” continued Robison. “Most of the President’s critics do not come with a desire to repair or correct. They come to divide and destroy. That’s been the motive of the two sides — whether liberal or conservative. They want to destroy the opposition rather than make a positive impact or impression upon them.”

As Christians, we are an advocate for truth, and everything we write has to be written not destructive, but redemptive. If you want to discern the Spirit that prevails, is it a Spirit of redemption or a spirit of destruction?

Robison gave this advice to The Stream: “When you see something in the life of a leader that concerns you, take it to God and address it with the person himself. Act as though you were representing him before a jury. Whenever you see something that needs to be corrected, let it begin in prayer.” He advises faith leaders:

When communicating with anyone, speak redemptively. Even when offering correction. This has been my approach for over a year with President Trump. And he has graciously received what I shared, expressing sincere gratitude. He has been, in my opinion, as fertile a field and as receptive as any person I’ve ever shared truth and concerns with. He has confirmed even since winning the election that he wants to be surrounded by wisdom, love, and prayer. Please join together praying for hearing and heeding wisdom on the part of our leaders. Let that become an ever-present reality.