A Christian Response to Terrorism; Election Thoughts; and the Word

So terrorist blast in the Philippines. How do Christians respond? It's time for the line of fire with your host, activist, author, international speaker, and theologian, Dr. Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Michael Brown is the director of the Coalition of Conscience and president of Fire School of Ministry.

Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34TRUTH. That's 866-34TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Welcome, welcome to the line of fire.

This is Michael Brown. As always, so many important things to talk about. We always want to bring you a kingdom perspective on what's happening in the world, a perspective from the attitude of faith, from the attitude of how we should see things as God's people, which is often very different than the world sees things. And case in point, today, how do Christians in the Philippines respond to a terrorist attack? This is Michael Brown.

You're listening to the line of fire. 866-34TRUTH to weigh in 866-348-7884. A few days ago, a terrorist attack, Islamic terrorist attack in the city of Davao, and that's very close to home for us here at fire. When I say us at fire, I mean our base here, out of which the line of fire broadcast also emanates, because we have our largest missions team in the world, Spiritual Sons and Daughters, based in the Philippines, in that very city.

So we have on the air with us now Eric Miller. He's been on the mission field for many years now with his wife Casey and their five kids serving in Davao. And I want you to hear from the perspective of believers in the midst of a very intense situation, how they are responding, how they are seeing this, how we can pray. Hey, Eric, thanks for being up in the middle of the night. Welcome to the line of fire.

Thanks, Dr. Brown. It's good to be with you. Hey, uh what what time is it in in um Philippines right now? It's about 2 a.m.

right now. 2 a.m. All right, so it's not even my bedtime over there yet.

So, all right, this works. Eric, when you went to the Philippines, what year was that? We moved to the Philippines in 2003. 2003. All right.

So 13 years on the field. How many kids did you have then? Uh when we moved here, we had two children. Two kids. All right, so you've got five kids now.

And when you moved over, how old was Sierra, your oldest? Uh, Sierra was about five years old. Five, all right, so she is a full-blown teenager approaching her 20s soon. That's pretty wild. Yeah, it's pretty amazing that she's eighteen now and has grown up here in the Philippines.

All right, and what has that meant to your kids? Where is their heart in terms of missions, having grown up on the mission field?

Well, my kids have really all they've known is the Philippines. They've grown up here. Uh they eat rice almost every day. Uh they they They're more Filipino than they are American, really. Mm.

Yeah, and has Sierra joined you on any missions trips that you've been on outside of the Philippines? Oh, yes. She's been to Japan several times with me and even outside of our city occasionally. She's been on trips to the mountains, to other church meetings, gatherings in the Philippines. Neat, neat.

And as far as your your team or where you live, I know the team's in many different locations and in some other islands as well. But your own family, how close were you to the the the blast in terms of where you live and where it happened? It was only about two point five miles away. Two and a half miles. Did you hear it?

No, we didn't. It was about 11:30 at night, so we didn't really hear it. But you did you hear the news that night, or did you wake up to it the next morning? Oh yeah, I heard it that night. Within minutes after the bomb took place, we heard about it.

Yeah, and the first thing, of course, when I saw the report, I said, that's our city. That's where all of you live and are so close to. All right, we come back. I want to talk to Eric about What has the reaction been? How are they responding?

Are missionaries leaving? Is this a heightened opportunity for evangelism? And And What precipitated this? What's going on with the Prime Minister of the Philippines and major crackdown? We'll cover all that when we come back.

It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown. Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34TRUT. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

Welcome back to the line of fire, 866-34TRUTH. Hey, I've got a bunch of things going on in Greater New York the next few days.

So I want to make sure that you know all the places where I'm going to be, all the places where you can join me. But if you have to run, if you're unable to hear the announcement, which I'll give in a few minutes, just go to my website, askdr Brown, A-S-K-D-R-Brown.org, askdrbrown.org, and you'll just see on the itinerary, pastors meetings that I'm doing, public talks, church meetings, listener rallies, all at the website, askdrbrown.org. Also, while you're there, just click on our digital library and look at my latest videos. Is America mentioned in the Bible? Yeah, we've got a new video on that.

We've got another one on how transgender activists are making parents into the enemies.

So when you're at the website, askdrbrown.org, just check on latest videos or click on the digital library for a comprehensive. a list of all of our recent videos. All right, let's get back to the Philippines with Eric Miller, one of our missionary leaders who's been serving there since 2003 with his wife Casey, and now there are five kids. Eric, what's the background to this terrorist attack? What's happened with the leadership of the nation, the crackdown, and how does that tie in with the city of Davao?

Well, our our present uh president mayor who was mayor Duterte of Davao City Uh He was here. when we moved to Daval, and he really cleaned up Duval City. Uh I I really believe the Lord has used this man Uh he he's not a believer as far as I know. But he He he God's really used him to clean up drugs. We don't have a drug problem in our city.

In fact, Davao was one of the top safest cities in the world for many years. And it's really an amazing place. We have our the crime rate is very low. And so he's become the president since June. And in June, he's really He even told people ahead of time that he was going to come very strong against corruption.

in the Philippines, which is a large problem, and the drug problem. And so while he's been going after the drug issues in the Philippines There's been about nineteen hundred, I'd say, they're saying extra judicial killings across the Philippines. And so there's a lot of different opinions that people have about that. If you look at the track record from Deval City that he's had the influence here. This city really is quite a unique place.

I don't know that I've ever been anywhere in the world where there's such a low. uh crime rate and very little drugs. Extraordinary.

So, what then provoked the bomb blast?

Well I believe it's The terrorists, we have a group called the Abu Saif who live. And on an island called Holo, which is off the western coast of Mindanao. And they've been Causing many problems over the years, lots of kidnappings. There were two Canadians and a Filipino. that was kidnapped.

The two Canadians were beheaded this past May or June, I believe it was. And they were They've constantly been causing trouble for many, many years.

So Uh The President has really gone after them. And you know, with the drug issue, he's he's Cracking down on corruption. I really believe that these terrorists and I believe they've taken ownership of it already. for the recent bombing this past Friday, are trying to sow terror in the city, especially that's where the President is from and where DeVal has grown in so many different ways and trying to really come against his leadership. God, so as he is going after terrorists as well, even though they're in another location, this is home city.

Roland referred to him as prime minister instead of president, of course.

So this is their way of hitting back.

Now, Eric, you're not leaving the area. Your family's not leaving. All of our missionaries in the Philippines aren't leaving. In fact, you're going on with life as normal, obviously with wisdom. But your hearts have always burned for evangelism.

What's happened now with this bomb blast? Where are you at? Where are the churches you're working with at in terms of a heart to win the lost in light of this?

Well the day after the bomb blast, that Saturday morning, we have a Saturday Fire School of Cultural Impact, where we have about one hundred people from different churches and ministries who come together for training. And the whole month of September was really a focus on evangelism, different styles of evangelism methods and ideas. We have some guests coming from Fire Church in Charlotte, Scott Neri, who'll be with us. at the end of September. But evangelism, as you said, has really been a thrust for our ministry here.

And so. It was so awesome. to me on that Saturday morning we we began to worship with the students. Where people just went after this in prayer saying, we have got to go win souls, we've got to see transformation in our city. We're praying for terrorists to get saved.

And this is from people.

Some of these people have been with the Lord for many years, but then there are many who haven't been with the Lord that long, and yet there's a burning passion on their heart for the lost. And uh It's just awesome to see them. you know, just so hungry to see God move. They want to see revival. They want to see an outpouring of the Spirit.

They want God to move and see many lives changed.

So in other words, they they see What darkness does, and they want to see light move even more. Yes, absolutely. And Eric, have you met with any of the families of the victims or those that were injured and survived the blast? Yeah, uh Sunday Uh during church service, we have one of our Um One of our church members, he's actually from India. His name was Jacob.

And he was there during the bomb blast. He was they go down to this area regularly to evangelize. He was eating with a friend of his and as he was they usually just get up and eat and they start evangelizing people. But instead of doing that, his the other friend asked him to just wait a few seconds before they go. And within that fifteen second window is when the bomb went off.

And if they had gone In the direction where the bomb went off, they would have been injured. But there was no injury. And God's really using this young man. He's so hungry to share with people how God saved him, protected him and what God could do in their lives. He's turning this situation around for the good.

We went to the hospital. uh on Sunday afternoon. You know, we met with one young lady who's In her 20s, and had her spinal cord severed. Met with another man who had some shrapnel injury. And then with his wife, his wife lost her sister.

You know, I was praying over a young man, 18 years old, who had some serious injuries, but uh looks like he'll recover, but you know, just began to pray for him and weep that God has so much more for this young man in his life that he wants to do, and we shared the gospel with him and his father and everyone. in the uh hospital room because usually there's several people to one room. And we just want to see God touch these people and restore them and give them hope that God's not finished with them. Yeah. Uh amazing to be right there.

So redemptively, Eric, you know, a lot of times in America or other parts of the world, you hear about terrorist attacks, and they do produce terror and fear, and it paralyzes people. But the gospel response, yes, use wisdom, but rather than be paralyzed, be mobilized. Because these are times when the church needs to reach out, when we have a message of life and hope, how much more is it needed at times like this? Yeah, there's no doubt. We've got to see God move now or never.

I think when persecution came against the early church in the book of Acts, That's when they finally went to Samaria in in Judea. You know, originally where Jesus was telling, you know, the early believers to go to after the Holy Ghost would come upon them, but there was such a Move of God in Jerusalem that it didn't seem like anybody really wanted to leave, but then when persecution came, That's when the church began to grow, and the people went out and spread the gospel, spread the message of the kingdom. Yeah, tremendous. And we are just so blessed that all of you folks are part of the family there.

So, listen, friends. This is not just some distant location, Philippines. Maybe you never heard of Davao. Maybe you're not familiar with the country of the Philippines. Here you have a direct connection.

Our fire missionaries serving on the front lines, grads from ministry school, spiritual sons and daughters, part of our extended family, shining the light in dark places.

So, pray for the missionaries there and pray for the people of the Philippines for a time of awakening. Eric, appreciate you, man. You can get some sleep now, but thank you so much for joining us and sharing this good report in the midst of the challenges there. Yeah, thanks, Dr. Brown.

I want to give a shout out for my buddy Scott Bolt. Scott, everybody's best friend. All right, love you, man. Love you, man. Bye.

Thanks. Change the world. Change the world. It's fire we want, for fire we please. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr.

Michael Brown. Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34 truth. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. I'm hoping that readers will come to understand.

that even though the Bible is written for us, It wasn't written to us. It was written in another language. to another culture. with all of the cultural assumptions that went along with that. Because when we take our Western, modern culture and impose it on the text, we're putting in meaning.

that wasn't there. and we're missing the meaning that the text has. All right, this is Michael Brown, and in my hand I am holding the NIV Cultural Background Study Bible. And last night, among other chapters read, I read through the book of Amos. By the way, if there's a passage you're wondering about and want cultural historical background to it, give me a call, 866-34THOTH, 866-348-7884.

But I am read through Amos last night. And didn't have the cultural background study Bible with me. It's here at the office at our studio, not in my home. But I was reaching for it. I was looking for it because I wanted to see what the comments were on this passage and that passage.

And really, there's no way to fully understand the book of Amos without really understanding the cultural background. It's just taken for granted in verse after verse after verse.

So I'm looking here at a map with a full-page article and map, Amos' judgments against foreign nations. When you look on the map, you understand the dynamic of what happens. It's almost as if the prophet draws a giant X over the nation of Israel. And then begins to focus on Israel itself. It's fascinating.

I'm just turning the page here. And place names, where you've got puns on place names. Or what about the constant issue of oppression of the poor? oppression of the poor. There is a all about a Page and a half article with a picture on economic changes and social classes in 8th century BC Israel.

There's a note about the prophets, the term sovereign Lord, the administration of justice. These are all with pictures and things like that, and a massive amount of notes for the text. Want to encourage you to take advantage of this offer. We've extended it from last week because the response was so terrific.

So go to the website, askdrbrown.org, ASKDRBrown.org. When you're there. When you're there, you'll see it right on the home page or a special resource offer. All right, I want to give my schedule for New York in a moment. I want to give that schedule in a moment, but Let me come back to a theme I've talked about a lot.

in recent weeks, that of multi-generational thinking. That of having an impact that lasts beyond your lifetime. My desire is to see Jesus return in my lifetime. Isn't that your desire? My desire is to see him come and establish his kingdom on this earth.

to put an end to human suffering. to put an end to human rebellion. To fully establish his kingdom on the earth and to rule and reign forever and ever. And above all, sir.

So we can be with him. That's the thing most of all: that we can be with him and be with our father forever. and ever and ever. That's my passionate desire. And And I still think In terms of running hard, fulfilling the commission he's given me, which will culminate in.

the salvation of Israel and the glory of God filling the nations and In the midst of darkness and satanic activity, God's kingdom triumphing.

So that's what I long to see. But obviously, everyone that's long to see that up until now. Beginning with that first generation, haven't seen it yet. They've all Died and gone to be with the Lord before he's returned. And so I often think about Okay, if I don't get to finish the task.

What can I do to help the next generation finish the task? Or the generation after that finished the task? Or how have I been helped by people of previous generations? What can I do to be a help to the coming generations? What legacy can I leave?

When you think like that, you don't get so discouraged about a given election or a negative court ruling. Or the latest bad news because you're thinking longer term. And we know ultimately that God's kingdom will triumph. Do we not? We know that ultimately.

regardless of if this world collapses, that ultimately Jesus will return and his kingdom will be established forever, and the ways of righteousness will continue forever and ever, billions and trillions and endless years. The kingdom of God will triumph and we will be part of that.

So we think more in those terms and embrace that mentality more when we think in a multi-generational way. Is that making sense to you?

Sometimes we have this moment-by-moment hit the panic button mentality as opposed to live with urgency. but live with long-term faith and expectation. Live as if today was your only day. Plan as if you had a hundred years to live. And you bring the two in.

together. Everybody listening to me in greater New York, boy, we have been planning this trip for some time. We've got some very gracious hosts.

So here's my schedule. Again, you find it all on my website, askdrbrown.org, A-S-K-D-R-Brown.org. Beginning Thursday, return this week, September 8th, beginning Thursday morning at 9. If you are a pastor or a leader, Kingdom Partners Network. This will be at Living Word Christian Fellowship in Ozone Park.

So if you're a pastor or leader, This is not just for the general public, but pastors and leaders only. Thursday morning, Kingdom Partners. network And then Thursday night, we have a special listeners rally. That'll be hosted by Chosen People Ministries Thursday night at the Feinberg Messianic Center in Brooklyn. I'll be talking on the Isaiah 53, the rabbis and the messiahs.

This is a special meet and greet for you, our listeners. We set it up for you. I already had a full schedule. I said we've got to do some listener rallies. One in Brooklyn, one in Manhattan.

So it's going to be a fascinating talk. And then we're going to let you know how you can stand with us on the line of fire. Then I'm going to take live QA and then sign your books if you like, shake your hand. Meet you face to face Friday night in the Bronx. Yeah.

I haven't been in the Bronx in several years. Harvest Fields Community Church. 7:30, that's on East Tremont Avenue in the Bronx, Harvest Field Community Church. Then Saturday morning. Yeah, full schedule, Congregation Shah Ray HaShemaiim, starting at eleven in the morning in Belmore.

For my dear friend Ron Corbett, will be speaking there. And then Saturday night, another listener rally, this one in Manhattan. It'll be at 2 West 64th Street in Manhattan, 2 West 64th Street, on Israel and the U.S. presidential election, comparing the positions of the candidates with the Bible. And then finally, Sunday morning, September 11th, speaking at Living Word Christian Fellowship.

That's in Crossbay Boulevard in the Ozone Park.

So that's what we have, the pastors meeting Thursday morning. Then we'll be back there to speak Sunday morning. And then Sunday afternoon, Pastors, Leaders, Others, Restoration Fellowship with Pastor Dave Harward, four in the afternoon in Glen Cove.

So join me as many meetings as you can. See if you can take the challenge and be at every one. I'll be at every one. Find out more at the website askdrbrown.org. You'll see it right on our itinerary.

Can't wait! Count the days. It's the line of fire with your host, activist, author, international speaker, and theologian Dr. Michael Brown. Your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution.

Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Welcome back to the line of fire, 866-348-7884. the number to call.

Uh I want to play a clip for you. And then I want to get into some social cultural issues. But I want to play a clip for you from my interview with Professor Craig Keener about the NIV Cultural Background Study Bible. In case you missed it, we're talking about the Gospel of Matthew.

So, Joey, grab clip number nine. This is some extended interaction that we had. And I want you to hear this as we talk about the Gospel of Matthew and cultural background to the Bible. Do you remember one of the first things where the light went on, where you got the cultural background, you had read a text a certain way, and it's like, oh, that's what it means. Yeah.

Um Yeah, one of those was in Matthew eighteen. Yeah. You know, I was always I would always be using that in prayer, you know, binding the devil and losing things and And uh and then When I read it in context and realized What it was really talking about. And then I got the background, and it reinforced: oh, this is what it's really talking about. I was kind of upset.

And I said, well, you know. It works when I pray that way, so I'm going to keep doing it. It didn't work anymore 'cause I knew better. But the Lord still answered prayers in Jesus' name. But anyway.

Yeah. But that passage was was one of the ones where the light really went on. And and if you can explain it in brief, uh what what did you understand it to mean? Sure. I mean, in the context of eighteen versus fifteen through twenty, It's talking about Church discipline or congregational discipline.

And the the language of binding and loosening was very familiar in Jewish circles. Uh for like the legislative authority of the rabbis. But also, of course, If you take it literally, binding and loosing is like tying somebody up, letting them go, imprisoning them or releasing them. And so it It has to do with the judicial authority of the assembly to say, okay, well, we followed these procedures. This person is not repentant, and therefore.

Yeah. Yeah, let me just jump in there. I'm not sure what happened with our audio clip. We'll need to check.

Something isn't. isn't playing much, but uh yeah, it was just cutting up badly. Uh Yeah, so so again. Again, When we go back to the word and put it in its cultural context, its historical context. We now better understand it so that we can now make application from the Bible to where we live today.

If you realize that a certain text was dealing with an aspect of Economic oppression in the ancient world, and you understand the background to it.

Now you can more readily apply that text to economic oppression today. If you see that there was a particular issue that Israel was facing in the ancient world that dealt with unique challenges, and those unique challenges are things we're facing today, it's much easier to then take that text and apply it. And that's my big thing. Knowledge for knowledge's sake is not the goal. Wow, I never knew that before.

Wow, that's amazing. Whoa, whoever heard of that? Fascinating, great. And if it gives you greater interest to study the word because you're more fascinated, great. But the goal is practicality.

The goal is practical application. Understanding what God's word was saying to a given audience enables us. enables us then to Make application to contemporary situations today. And sometimes, as the word has come alive for me in its cultural context, as I learned the background more, I said, ah, Ah, that's how I can apply it to situations today. In fact, I'm going to give you a fascinating example.

from the book of Zephaniah. And you'll be amazed how it speaks to preachers and leaders today. Shake the nation, change the world. Oh God of burning, cleansing flame, send the fire. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr.

Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. By the way, by the way. Uh Yesterday, the first hour, it was Labor Day, so we're live on Labor Day.

And I often do shows like that. On holiday days, if I don't need to take a day for myself, then I love doing live radio. And it gives many listeners an opportunity to call that wouldn't normally have the opportunity because they're working.

So we often hear from folks we don't normally hear from, but somehow. Almost all the calls in the first hour yesterday ended up being about black Hebrew-Israelite beliefs and theology. And that the original Israelites were black and are black today, etc.

So it was an interesting discussion. Much of it was very civil and respectful. Seem to not really have the ability to To interact fruitfully, but for the most part, and I'm not attributing that to that, happens with any number of callers, any groups. You're going to have people that are more respectful, those that are less respectful, those that are willing to listen, those that just want to talk.

So that's going to happen with anybody if you get enough calls. But for the most part, I found it to be very constructive interaction discussion. I know there are many different groups that are out there that are, quote, Hebrew Israelites. We're talking about black Americans that identify as being original Israelites and claim that Moses would have been black and that the Israelites were black and that Jesus was black, etc. There are some who hold to a more orthodox gospel of salvation and yet have these other peripheral beliefs.

There are others who say there is no salvation for the white man. There are others who have. Bizarre beliefs.

So, so it was the more that I speak with, the more. The more I understand where different groups are coming from, because there's so many that are out there. But that gets us back again to cultural backgrounds, doesn't it? That gets us back to, okay, what does the Bible say and what really matters? And can the larger theology be upheld by Scripture?

And where are the errors historically? Archaeologically, anthropologically, linguistically, where are the errors?

So, I wanted to give you this example, all right? It is from the book of Zephaniah. And there's somewhat and a somewhat obscure reference. That God is going to judge the priests who leap over the threshold. It's like what?

What does that mean?

Now early on. God says, for example, verse 4. Um I will stretch out my hand against Judah, against all who live in Jerusalem. I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place. The very names of the idolatrous priests, those who bow down on the roofs to worship the starry host, those who bow down and swear by the Lord, and who also swear by Molech, those who turn back from following the Lord, neither seek the Lord nor inquire of him.

So there it does mention. Overtly, the idolatrous priest. Then, verse 8, On the day of the Lord's sacrifice, I will punish the officials and the king's sons and all those clad in foreign clothes. On that day I will punish all who avoid stepping on the threshold. who fill the temple of their gods with violence And deceit.

So What does that mean? Those who avoid stepping on the threshold.

Well the footnote here. in the Cultural Background Study Bible says this. This judgment appears to be related to the Philistine custom in 1 Samuel 5:5 concerning priests of Dagon who did not, quote, step on the threshold, probably representing a belief unacceptable in Israel that evil spirits congregated near the doorway and stepping on the doorstill allowed them access. Many religious structures in Syria added a raised platform that elevated and thus protected the object of worship from its surroundings.

However, the Assyrians and others in this period more commonly buried holy objects, such as apatropaic figurines, under the threshold of houses, hopefully to prevent the entry of evil spirits. Moreover, one was not allowed to step on the threshold as it was considered sacrilegious and dangerous. Either of these possibilities is plausible.

So there is something in the culture. There was something in the background where pagans did not want to step on the threshold of the door leading into a temple or a house under which these idol statues were buried.

So if we go back to 1 Samuel 8, you say, what in the world has this got to do with contemporary preachers? I don't get that at all.

Okay, well, first Samuel. eight uh excuse me uh first samuel five There is judgment on the Philistine deity Dagon. Right, so you remember what happens, right? You remember that. The ark of the Lord is carried into Dagon's temple.

And when the people of Ashtog rose early the next day, there was Dagon falling on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord.

So they took him, put him back in his place. But the following morning, when they rose, there was Dagon falling on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord. His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold. Only his body remained. That is why to this day, neither did the priests of Dagon nor any others who entered Dagon's temple at Ashtog step on the threshold.

So, what's it saying? What happened?

Well, What happened was That the this deity, this false deity, this idol represented by this statue is is. Defeated by Yahweh, the God of Israel, showing he's just a statue, he's not a God at all. And they're part of his remains laying on the threshold of the temple, because of which. In an ancient religious superstition, the priests of Dagon would no longer step on the threshold. They would avoid it.

Have you ever seen? It's the old superstition in baseball that you never step on one of the lines on the field when you walk in. And you'll actually see it to this day. Managers, players, as they're walking, their normal stride would cause them to step on that, but they'll take like a smaller step or a larger step to step over it.

Okay, it's silly superstition.

Well, you had Judean priests. Are you getting this? You had Judean priests who were now practicing what the pagans did. either directly borrowing what the pagan priests did with Dagon, or for other reasons in the ancient Near East, some type of spiritual superstition that they wouldn't step on the threshold. That's what the pagans did.

But now the Israelites were We're copying it. The Israelites, the Judeans, they were doing the exact same thing as the pagan priests did. And if it does go back to the Dagon temple among the Philistines, that would mean that Yahweh's defeat of this false deity, Yahweh's exposing him as an idol, then led to a custom where they borrowed what the pagan priests did. All right, so you say I still don't get it. What's the point?

The point is. that we do that to this day in the church. We see what is trending in the world. We see what is happening in the world. We see the mindset, the mentality of the world.

And we think we have to borrow that. If we don't borrow that, then we won't get people to come in. And somehow, with this idea of this is how we're going to win the world, impact the world, we become like the world. That would be like thinking the way that we're going to help people get in shape is to get out of shape as they are. The way that we are going to help alcoholics is to become alcoholics ourselves.

The way that we are going to be most effective in reaching the lost is by becoming lost ourselves. It is absolute spiritual folly and ministry suicide in terms of having an effective impact. It is one thing to empathize with the lost. It is one thing to reach out to the lost. It is one thing to be with the lost.

It is one thing to have cultural sensitivity.

So if you live in a certain area and and The way you conduct yourself is completely offensive to the people and has nothing to do with the gospel.

Well, you avoid cultural offense where you can avoid it, but you don't become like the world, worldly sinful to win the world. And yet, Yet there are pastors who think unless they know what's happening on TV. unless they're conversant with the Game of Thrones. Unless they're conversant with the latest sexually explicit violent series, and unless they can quote from this trending movie with this profane, perverted plot, unless they can do that, that they won't quote be relevant and therefore won't be effective. That's nonsense.

That is complete spiritual garbage. First, you've got to defile yourself by taking in things that are unclean. Then you've got to tell your congregation, hey, I watch these things. You ought to also, or there's nothing wrong with doing it. And then you're somehow thinking that the power of your message is that you're conversant with the latest.

Sex scandal. Oh no, I don't mean knowing about what's happening in the news, but you're conversant with the latest perverted theme on some show or watching something where incest is celebrated, and now you can be effective. The only way you can be effective is preaching repentance. And when you're done preaching repentance, you won't be entertained by the trash any more. Oh, I don't mean that you can't know what's happening in the world, but you don't partake of the sin of the world to win the world.

That's what will destroy you in the process rather than help the world. You with me? We'll be right back. Shake the It's time to change the world. Change the world.

It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown. Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

Thanks so much for joining us on the broadcast 866. Three for truth, the number to call.

So I I did a poll on Twitter. I did a poll on Twitter. And When you're doing a poll there, you only have a certain amount of space to write. You're limited to 140 characters in your overall tweet. Then you are you are limited with uh How many choices you can give, four choices total, and then you're limited with how long the choices can be.

So you have to figure out how to phrase them correctly.

So I. When I do a Twitter poll, I fully understand that It is not a cross-section of America. It is simply those that respond on Twitter.

So for example, demographically, I have a lot more male followers on Twitter than female. Facebook gets a little higher female than male. Again, why that is, don't know. And I don't know what the demographics are on our YouTube channel or our Instagram account. But I do know on Twitter when I asked that it was overwhelmingly male.

As opposed to female, Whereas as I said on Facebook, it's a little higher female compared to male. And I would say demographically. In terms of percentages of African Americans following me on Twitter, that would work out pretty much to the national percentage of African Americans in our country.

So that seemed to be representative in that regard. But again, that would mean if I ask a question and I get 100 votes or I get 1,000 votes or excuse me, responses to my question, then say African Americans might make up about 13% of those responses. Or males as opposed to females would make up the majority of those responses. Or say people between 25 and 44 would be far more represented than those 18 to 24 or 44 to 64, just in terms of our demographics.

So this is not a scientific poll. It's asking a question and getting feedback from my Twitter family. And even though we only have about 22,500 Twitter followers, as opposed to about 415,000 Facebook followers, it's very easy to do a Twitter poll. Hence, we often... Do them.

So I asked, what is the single greatest threat to African Americans today?

Now, why did I ask that? I'll tell you why in a moment. I gave four choices. You could have given three choices. You could have given 30 choices.

It's completely... Subjective in terms of what you're going to come up with, but my limit was four.

So which four would we put in? This is not necessarily the best list, but I did it for a reason. which I'll explain.

So I gave four choices. What is the single greatest threat to African Americans today? Number one. the welfare system. Number two.

Police brutality. Number three. Breakdown of the family. Number four, systemic racism. What's the single greatest threat to African Americans today?

So, what do you think? How would you answer that? Don't need to call. How would you answer that? as African Americans, white American, Hispanic American, Native American.

Asian American How would you answer that? What is the greatest. Single greatest threat to African Americans today. The welfare system, police brutality, breakdown of the family, systemic racism. What do you think the answers would be?

Eighty per cent. responded and said breakdown of the family. Breakdown of the family. 10%. said the welfare system.

Eight percent. said systemic racism. Two percent. said police brutality.

Now my goal in asking the question was not so much to ascertain, okay, What is the single greatest threat to African Americans today? How can we determine that sociologically, anthropologically, spiritually? Culturally, how can we determine that? What surveys can we look at? What guiding principles can we look at?

It's just a Twitter poll where I'm asking people their opinion. But it does indicate what people perceive to be the issues. All right? And notice with constant talk about police brutality, With Colin Kaepernick's protest and with the president even weighing in and saying, hey, look, better that people talk about these issues than not talk about them. I agree.

But I believe that the greatest emphasis is being put on the wrong things. The greatest emphasis is being put on on the wrong issues. By all means, by all means, let's talk about racial injustice and other forms of injustice where they exist in America. by all means let us expose blind spots that we each have. By all means, as followers of Jesus, may we advocate for righteousness, whether it pertains to our own ethnicity or skin color.

Let us advocate for righteousness. Period. by all means. But let us put the emphasis in the right place. Look, if you were hospitalized with cancer.

and it was a treatable form of cancer. And also you had you had a a touch of tennis elbow. in your in your right elbow from playing tennis a lot, you would develop some tennis elbow. Would would the hospital have you primarily doing therapy to get your tennis elbow in good shape, or would they be treating the cancer? They'd be treating the cancer.

So, my concern remains the same. that the emphasis often gets put on the wrong issue. I think you could make a much larger case for disparate. uh sentences in court. disparate court sentences, black Americans versus white Americans or others.

And you could draw more attention to that than to police brutality. And again, where there is police brutality, it needs to be addressed, but it is not primarily a white on black thing. It does exist at times. Policemen do their best, but they're human beings and there's some bad apples and there's some that are good apples, but they react wrongly in a given situation. And yes, these things need to be dealt with fairly and righteously, but it is not primarily a white on black issue that is the big issue for African Americans today.

So what gives me the right to say it? The facts The facts and interacting with African Americans for years around America, both those who call in and leader friends, etc.

So where we can address issues, we need to, we must. But let's address the right issues. Let's put the emphasis in the right place. And again, based on this polling data, even African Americans, if they responded equally to others and maybe even responded a higher percentage, they are not saying that police brutality is the biggest thing. They would be agreeing by and large because otherwise if they were saying that it's the largest thing, then that number would be 8 or 10 or 12 or 13 percent or maybe even higher if they responded in larger numbers.

So let us together Constructively, redemptively address the largest problems that our African American brothers and sisters are facing. Let us have understanding. Let us have empathy where there is pain. And yes, a YouTube video is going to draw more attention than lots of day-by-day situations in the home. but let us major on the majors and work together.

To bring help and relief where it's needed and to find out what we can do to rebuild that which has been broken down because we know ultimately the one behind that is the devil himself. All right, friends, remember if you live in the greater New York area, be sure to join me. I'm going to be in Queens, I'm going to be in Brooklyn, going to be in the Bronx, going to be in Long Island, Manhattan. God willing, many different venues, many different settings. Join me as many as you can.

Can't wait to see you face to face. My bottom line today. As we sort out the problems that surround us, let us not be driven by the media, let us be driven by truth. You know, it's so easy to get caught up in partisan politics. We can actually lose the spirit of Christ in the process.

It's time for the line of fire with your host, activist, author, international speaker, and theologian, Dr. Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Michael Brown is the director of the Coalition of Conscience and president of Fire School of Ministry. Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34-TRUTH. That's 866-34-TRUTH.

Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Are you a conservative? first and foremost or Are you a follower of Jesus first and foremost? Are you a Republican or a Democrat first and foremost?

Or are you a follower of Jesus first and foremost? Are you an American patriot? First and foremost, or are you a follower of Jesus first and foremost?

Sometimes there is a conflict in our allegiances, and if devotion to Jesus isn't first, It's going to confuse a lot of the things we say and do. This is Michael Brown. Welcome to the line of fire. I want to get you thinking in a moment. All right.

I've written an article, chatted about these things a little bit over a week ago, but want to come back to them. But first, let me grab some excerpts of a terrific interview I had last week with Professor Craig Keener as we are talking about cultural backgrounds to the Bible. And here, the book of Romans, clip number seven, we'll start there. Um I just had a question about how I'm in I'm in south of Georgia, so Um bridging the cultural I guess, gap between Romans nine and eleven. Um to somebody who is in South Georgia where Obviously, 9 through 11 focused on Gentile and Israelite relationships.

How do we bring that to life in a context such as the South? Today. That I think that's an Excellent question. And it's actually one that You know, obviously I saw the Jewish, Gentile. question in Romans Um You know, it just it just presents itself.

It's right there on the surface. But when I actually was getting ordained in an African American church And that became you know, a burning issue in my life in terms of ethnic reconciliation. Beyond that, that was when I first began to see how the principles applied because Um uh you know beyond the Jewish Gentile And that if If God would surmount a barrier that he himself had established in history How much more Would he Invite us to surmount Every other barrier. It's been established by especially human sinfulness. And so just seeing Like in Romans, if you go through Romans And just seeing the theme Of the Jewish-Gentile issue all the way through.

I mean, Romans won. Gentiles are are lost. Romans chapter 2. Jewish people are lost too. Romans chapter 3.

Everybody's lost. But in Romans 4, Um talks about being children of Abraham. True. Through faith. And in in Romans 5.

In case anybody wants to say, Well, I'm descended from Abraham, Paul reminds us that we're all descended from Adam. And then like in Romans seven, Uh he talks about how the law can inform us of right and wrong. But it doesn't transform us by by itself. Yeah, and great insights from Craig Keener. That's just a little snippet of the fascinating two-hour interview that we had on cultural backgrounds to the Bible.

Remember, we're extending our special offer from last week. We've gotten such a great response. When you ordered the NIV Cultural Background Study Bible from us, not only will you be helping us with this radio broadcast, we'll be paying the postage on the Bible and then giving you free on a CD to listen to on your computer or your MP3 player a two-hour interview with Craig Keener digging into these very kinds of issues, always with the goal to practical application today. All right, we come back. I want to ask: are you a conservative Christian?

Capital conservative. Small Christian. Or are you a conservative Christian? Capital Christian small conservative. Where is your primary emphasis point of identification?

What shapes your mindset? What fuels your attitudes? You know, you might be challenged. When I discuss these issues and we come back, I want to get you thinking. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr.

Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Before I forget. Uh did you hear about the Americans the Maryland School District?

That that said, don't tell parents if transgender males bunk with the the daughters, don't don't tell the parents. If there's a guy 17 years old, identifies as a girl, maybe he's been identifying that way just starting the school year, and he's going to go on a camping outing with 17-year-old girls and they're going to bunk together. Don't tell the parents. If they have a question later, fine, but don't. tell the parents i have a video Addressing this social madness, as well as videos on questions like.

Is is America in the Bible. Where is Jerusalem? Babylon the Great, and then a number of other articles to challenge you and speak to you, including the one I want to talk to you about now, do conservative Christians Have the love of Christ for Obama and Hillary. To watch that video about Maryland school districts and the latest in transgender activism where parents become the enemies, to read the articles, go to my website, thelineoffire.org. Thelineoffire.org.

Go there. You can also find out about the special resource offer with the Cultural Study Bible. If you have a question for me or want to interact on any of these points, give me a call. 866-34TRUTH. That's 866-348-788.

Eight, four.

Okay. I have noticed something for many years now. and it has always disturbed me. And I've had it on my heart to address and finally last night was able to articulate it and write it in an article. And I didn't know if it would get as much attention as some of my other articles.

I didn't know how viral it would get. But I'm writing an article not so it will go viral, but to get a message out. I have a burden on my heart, I want to communicate. And to the extent others resonate with it, they'll share it and they'll help get the message out.

Sometimes it's less popular, and I wonder if it's because it's convicting.

So here's my question. Do we have a Christ-like attitude? towards political leaders and others whom we strongly differ with. You say, what do I mean by a Christ-like attitude?

Okay. Let's say Your son. was elected President of the United States. Your Uh sixty-five he's 43 and he's elected now a young president of the United States. But for 20 years now, you have passionately disagreed with his politics.

He is ultra-liberal. You are strongly conservative. He is a committed Democrat. You're a committed Republican. All right, just to give you that scenario.

So uh He's now elected. On the one hand, you're proud that's your son. I mean, how many parents get to have a child in the White House, right? That's exceptional. That's extraordinary.

That's one in the multiplied hundreds of millions where that's going to happen. But you grieve over his politics. You uh You grieve over the stances he takes. In that sense, you're ashamed of what he's doing, but you're also proud. Would you Tweet out abusive things mocking him.

Would you send out pictures where he looked bad? And say what a jerk we have in the White House. No, no, why? Because it's your son.

However, if the media interviewed, you'd say, yeah, we completely disagree with his policies. He's our son. We love him. We have meals together when we can, you know, special times he's free to see us. But yeah, we disagree.

We've disagreed passionately for many years now. Yeah, you'd say that, but you'd say it in a certain way. And would you be proud? praying for him. Of course, you'd be praying for his protection, but you'd also be praying for God to get hold of his life in a deeper way and for God to open his heart to righteousness and things like that.

Correct?

So what is our attitude when it comes to the President of the United States? When it comes to Hillary Clinton, the Democrat candidate for the President of the United States, is it one of sinful scorning? Is it one that takes delight in their problems? Is it one that mocks them as human beings? As opposed to one that says I wholeheartedly differ with many of their policies.

I believe they've hurt America. As I start my article, I say along with many other conservatives, I believe Barack Obama has been one of our worst presidents and dread the thought of a Hillary Clinton presidency. I believe both of them have damaged our country in significant ways, and I steadfastly oppose some of their most cherished policies. But. That does not give me permission.

to harbor a visceral hatred for them. God forbid There is a difference. There is a difference between an attitude that despises a candidate's stand on a certain issue. Let's say there was a pro-slavery candidate 170 years ago. We would absolutely despise their stand on slavery and human trafficking, selling people into lifetime servitude.

We would despise that, and we would stand against them, and we would oppose them as candidates, and we would do our best to expose whatever they're doing that is wrong, and harmful, and destructive. Absolutely. But would we scorn them as human beings? Would we just pray imprecatory prayers, God destroy them? Would we pray nothing redemptive?

Would we have no broken heart for their souls, wanting them to know the Lord and walk with the Lord? Listen, the spirit of Jesus goes against the spirit of the age. The spirit of Jesus goes against the the spirit of the world. The way that we differ is going to look and feel different.

Now I I have it in my article. That someone's going to say, yeah, well, Jesus called Herod a fox.

So, you know, I'm going to use the Rush Limbaugh Epithet, and I'm going to call Bill Clinton slick willy. Yeah. And I'm going to call Hillary Clinton this, and I'm going to call Harry Reid that. And I'm going to call Nancy Pelosi this. 'Cause Jesus called Herod a fox.

It's it's in my article. My response is that people who do this conveniently forget that they're far closer to the character of Bill Clinton than they are to the character of Jesus. Hmm. Yeah. Sorry to say that, but it's true.

when we so self-righteously attack others.

So here. Let me give you an example. Let me give you an example of something that's wrong and ugly. Remember when Reverend Jerry Falwell died? Christopher Hitchens went after him.

He aggressively spoke against him. The day he died, Christopher Hitchens on CNN, Blasting Jerry Folwell's Human Being, posting this article on salon.com, where he referenced Jerry Folwell's carcass. That's how he referred to his body when it was found. In his study, he referenced his carcass and he said, quote, like many fanatical preachers, Falwell was especially disgusting in exuding an almost sexless personality while railing from dawn to dusk about the sex lives of others. And he said the evil that he did will live after him.

And he ended his article by stating it's a shame that there is no hell for Falwell to go to. And then a few words after that. That's disgusting. It's one thing to passionately differ with Reverend Falwell's beliefs or actions. And to take issue with that.

And then, even after his death, to say, I still believe he did more harm than good, if that's what Hitchens felt. But to go after him the way he did, we hear that. We say, that's just wrong. But are we. much better than Christopher Hitchens.

in that respect.

So yesterday big news Phyllis Charles Lee. Conservative icon, 92 years old. She dies. She goes to be with the Lord yesterday.

So within hours, she's getting blasted by various hostile voices on Twitter. And Breitbart.com put a few of them together. Tweets like these. uh first from a fellow who's now with Rolling Stone. On the one hand, it's a shame for the Schlafly die.

But on the other hand it's always heartwarming when Satan calls one of his own home. This is within hours of her death. And from a gal named Julie with over 100,000 Twitter followers, God never takes a Gene Wilder without relieving us of a Phyllis Slaffley with reference to actor-comedian Gene Wilder, who also died recently. And then another gal, Katie. On the Katie Speak Show, host of the Katie Speak Show, we absolutely get to celebrate the passing of someone who worked for 70 years to reinforce oppressive violence systems in this country.

We celebrate. their death. You said, well, we're not doing that.

Well, hang on. Hang on. Wh when you see the latest video of Hillary Clinton coughing. Do you kind of get a kick out of that? Send that out to your friends.

Oh, check that out. I mean, look, maybe she wouldn't be able to talk at all. Ha ha ha. As opposed to, okay, I don't want her to do well in her campaign. I don't.

I stand against her, I oppose her in so many ways. I believe she's done many wrong things and stands for wicked causes. And there's a lot of corruption there. I believe all that and it should be exposed. But I'm not glorying in her coughing or pointing out: look at that pantsuit, look who put that on her.

That's pathetic. You know, hey, she deserves it, she's wicked. That's not the spirit of Christ. That's not. a righteous attitude.

Yes, expose what's wrong. Yes, stand against what's wrong. Absolutely. But then pray for the person's salvation with a real heart and desire to see them come to repentance. That's the price like added.

It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Thanks so much for joining us on the Line of Fire, 866-34-TRUTH.

Let me just take another moment to continue what I was talking about in terms of what our attitude should be in the midst of our differences with political leaders. There are columnists There are T V hosts. There are radio hosts. Who Have become especially famous. Because of Let's say they're rough edges.

what they're willing to say about others. the way they will mock others. the way they will You know, some depending on how far they can go or how they're broadcasting, the profane ways they can talk about others. And that's their selling point. I remember listening to a radio host in New York.

decades ago. I don't remember.

Well, he was on for a long time, many, many, many, many years. And I remember I used to listen. Specifically to listen for when he would lose his temper. Yeah, not the the nicest thing. But that's kind of what he was famous for.

Some caller would get him upset. and he would lose his temper and rail on that person. And it just like his if you picture his face getting red and he'd rip the person to shreds. And that's what you listen for. Ultimately, he had to tone down his approach.

But That that's not something that a godly person can do. Oh, I I will correct the error. And if something has to be rebuked, I've rebuked it. I've rebuked people on the air. You know, one pastor is saying that we should be rejoicing when gays are murdered.

And the government should just line them all up and slaughter them all. I'm going to rebuke him for saying that. While I stand against homosexual practice and stand against goals of gay activism, well, you're soft, that has nothing to do with soft.

Well, Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers. Yeah, correct. Yeah, so I speak out against merchandising things of the gospel. And that's ever with me. When we have resource offers through our ministry, we do our best to be blessings to everyone in what we do and be righteous in what we do and not merchandise the gospel to get rich off it or take advantage of it to hurt others.

Yeah, sure, we live by that principle. But are you telling me that because Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers, that where we see something wrong we should just deal with hey, the people getting drunk in bars, should we go in there and start kicking the drinks out of their hand? that people going into strip clubs should we tackle them on the way in and say that's immoral? Should we have have the ladies attacking the the strippers when they leave the place? Uh no, obviously not.

Obviously not. This has nothing to do with being strong, it has to do with being righteous, it has to do with being Christ-like.

So I know, I'm quite aware, That I could get more readers. And thankfully, we've got great readers. Our articles get great circulation on a good number of websites. They have been the most read because you're such faithful readers and forward my articles to others and things like that.

So I'm blessed with the readership we have, but I know. in certain conservative circles or on TV or radio. I could I could get the message out more if I was more outrageous in the way I presented it. If I was more nasty, if I was more condescending If I was just a little bit vulgar in tone, if I was just a little bit more off color. And hey, I'm not judging a worldly person who does that.

I'm not judging a non-believer who does that. They're doing what non-believers do. And that fine, whatever. That's just part of who they are. But I am saying when it comes to us as believers, when we are now intersecting with worldly issues, when we are now intersecting with cultural issues, we're not going to do it the way the world and culture does it.

We're not. And we're not going to grow and expand at other people's expense. Here, have you watched my video yet? on transgender activists make parents into enemies. Have you watched that?

Go there, go to thelineoffire.org, thelineofire.org, and you'll see it right there on the home page: latest videos. You'll see it as soon as you open that page, in fact. And if you haven't visited our new radio website, please go. It is wonderful. It is beautiful.

It is so helpful, so nicely laid out. It is a night and day improvement from our old radio website. You can't even compare them. It's bigger than night and day comparison. But listen to how I address this issue.

I don't mean I'm some perfect guy in doing it, I'm saying contrast that. With just something else that's going to bash these perverts, these moronis, as if others don't even deserve to live or. because they're they've got these problems or issues. Uh We must conduct ourselves. In a way that glorifies the Lord, in the midst of deep and profound differences.

So From the depths of my heart, I oppose. President Obama's abortion policies and Hillary Clinton's abortion policies. I deeply oppose their LGBT activism, not their desire to treat everyone fairly, not their desire that... Every American has equal rights under the law. I affirm those things.

I differ with LGBT activism. Passionately. Passionately. But Barack Obama's my president. Yeah, he is.

Well, I didn't vote for him I didn't vote for him either. But since when is it only the President when you vote for them?

Well, George Bush wasn't my president. Ronald Reagan wasn't my president.

Well, liberals say the same thing. That's just immature and silly. He is our president, and we pray for him as our president. And I will speak about him. Or to him, not that I've had a face-to-face, but if I've written a letter to him with respect as the president.

And with Hillary Clinton. I despise stances that she's taken. I despise the pressure she's put on other nations to conform to radical activism here in America. I despise that. I reject it.

To the core of my being, I believe she's doing many things that are wrong. And from what we can tell with Clinton Foundation money and with email server scandals, there's some real corruption there. And it should be exposed. Yes. Absolutely.

But if she gets elected for president, I certainly hope that doesn't happen, but if she gets elected for president, she's going to be my president. And I'll pray for her accordingly. And I I won't just take the liberty of all just oh, she's like the wicked witch of the West and all that's all yeah I'd like oh yeah, the wicked witch. I'm gonna use that t no, you don't do that for the President. You call on the person to repent?

If you were a prophet in ancient Israel, you might be sent with a particular word in a particular way. And you might pay for it with your life because you're confronting the king. But there is a posture that we're to take. Paul lays it out in 1 Timothy the second chapter. And you've got to remember, you're talking about people like Nero, madmen, like that.

And Paul still says this is the stance. He says this, 1 Timothy 2. First of all, then I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings. Like Nero, Caesar. And all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

This is good and is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved. and to come to the knowledge of the truth. And then he says in Titus 3 not to slander anyone. It's one thing to rebuke for unrighteousness, but not to slander anyone, remembering that we too were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, etc. It's the line of fire with your host, activist, author, international speaker, and theologian Dr.

Michael Brown. Your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

Welcome, welcome to the line of fire. This is Michael Brown, your joyful host. Blessed to be alive at this time in world history where we can be shining lights in dark places. America is messed up, which means this is the church's great opportunity to shine. In a few minutes, I'm going to bring on John Zmirak.

He is one of the regular contributors to the stream, and we've got some fascinating things to talk about. But I've got a brand new article up. Do conservative Christians have Christ's love for Obama and Hillary? You can. Read it by going to thelineoffire.org and it is the lead new article that's been posted.

Let me go straight to the phones in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Joshua, welcome to the line of fire. Ashalom, peace. Appreciate uh having. Can you hear me?

Okay. Um yeah, I I talked to her. I don't really have a specific topic. I wanted to go with the flow a little bit. You were talking about presidentials likes and dislikes as Christians and how we should be.

Yeah. Okay. I can't speak as a Gentile. I can only speak as an Israelite. Thing and um Being in America, which is a modern day Egypt, is basically like a slavery for my people.

So we're not really supposed to partake in voting and things like that on the political aspect for the Gentiles.

So, we're not supposed to involve ourselves in any aspect of their lives at all. Like when Christ was in. Walk on the earth in Jerusalem. You know, the Romans occupied that land. And they weren't voting for a Teraz people or Caesars and things like that.

They kept themselves separated.

So even in this aspect right now, when we look at America, about America's policies and things like that. As Christians, whether you're a converted Gentile, whether you're a natural born Israelite, This world isn't for us. We're waiting for Christ to come back for his government. And we shouldn't even concern ourselves with things of that nature. All right, so Joshua, let me just ask you a question.

Should we pray for our elected officials? Yeah, yeah, scripture says to pray for the kings and people that are in those positions so we can have peace upon earth. All right, right, correct. And we should pray for their salvation, right? Yeah, we should definitely pray for this salvation as far as Let them know the way, but so, Josh, let me just clarify this.

I absolutely agree that this is not our eternal home. and that we're citizens of another kingdom living here in this world. Let's say you pray for a president and the president gets saved. Based on what you're saying, should the President then resign from being President because now they're saved? If a president votes Hey, hallelujah.

If the President was ever saved as far as accepting Mashiach accepting Yahshua as her Lord and Savior. And walking in the Torah, walking in the laws. Um then they would probably they shouldn't resign. I say try to uh Running the light of Yah. Oh, exactly.

Oh, okay.

So then why shouldn't a Christian who's already a Christian, who or someone who genuinely knows the Lord and is following Jesus Yeshua, why shouldn't that person run for office? Why just pray for a lost person that's in office? Why shouldn't a saved person, a true believer, make a difference by running for office? Do you have James one verse twenty six? Yeah, how does that apply?

It says, pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this. I believe I'm paraphrasing. Help me out with this. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Yeah, that's that's. Yeah. Now, if you know that in Revelation 19, it talks about the beast. and the kings of the earth, which is uh Christ is gonna come to literally uh Put them down. You understand that this world is given to Satan and his angelic angels.

Yeah, yeah, as far as right, as far as people bow down to the God of this age, 2 Corinthians 4, 1 John 5, I understand that. But keeping oneself from being unstained by the world, Jacob James 1, 27, is actually talking about the sin of the world.

So we're in this world, we're not of it, let us shine the light everywhere we can. Hey, I got a break. Maybe we'll continue this conversation another day. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown.

Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Well, there are so many things, interesting, fascinating things happening in the world today. I love to interact with those who are Christian thinkers and who are looking at what's happening in the world and giving us Christian responses to those.

One of them is a colleague John Smirak. And John writes regularly for the stream, stream.org. And John, you're at a mission of mercy right now, aren't you? Where are you as we speak? I am at My dog's oncologist.

She is a 15-year-old beagle named Susie, and she has a mast cell tumor. And she just finished her radiation, and now she's starting her second round of chemotherapy. Seriously, they're a dog oncologists.

Well, that's. That's awesome, man. Hey, hey, that's compassion for an animal, right? You know, you love them when they're, you enjoy them when they're young. You have to take care of them when they're old.

It's good practice for humans. Yeah, yeah. And in fact, that's right now my mom is nearly 94. Oh, God bless her. Yeah, and she's been in and out of the hospital.

I'm just seeing her every day. And yeah, this is the time I constantly thank God for the opportunity to care for her when she's so needy now.

So, yeah, all the more if we can do it for a dog. Yeah, if we can do it for a dog, a thousand times more for our family. Hey, so if we hear like barking in the background, or something, we just keep talking, everything's okay. I'm outside. I'm outside.

All right.

Got it. Got it. John, I actually quote a conversation we had in a book I just finished that'll be out about a year from now where I talk about it's on the theme of saving a sick America and I talk about how negative things can look right now, how bad they can look but I refer to the conversation we had about communism how your Yale profs just thought communism is the way of the future, et cetera, and no one dreamed that it would come crashing down the way it did or the players that were used.

So I appreciate your insights on that. What's your mindset now? What's your mindset in terms of where things are at in the nation and the political campaigns? What frame of mind are you in?

Well, I'm I'm concerned that the churches are being swept wi by the wave of the culture. Um I think, you know, often Christians fear rightly being like the Pharisees in the New Testament. But there is something you can be that's worse than a Pharisee. You can be one of the Sadducees. The Sadducees work basically the theological liberals of their day.

They worked hand in glove with the Romans. They did not believe in an afterlife. They rejected large parts of divine revelation, the later books of the Torah. They were a lot like some of the mainline Protestant churches and some of the Catholic bishops in America who seem eager to go along in order to get along with the secular power that is in place. And the secular power in America and in Europe is increasingly an anti-Christian, anti-God.

Secular utilitarianism, which sees life has no purpose. Life has no point. There is no afterlife. We're just. Mistakes of evolution.

So the only ethical thing to do is to make people as happy as possible until you have to put them to sleep like animals. We call it utilitarian hedonism. And uh Basically for the the most The greatest number of happy moments For the greatest number of voters. That's what it boils down to.

So unborn can't vote. The dying can't vote. The mentally handicapped can't vote, so they don't care. They don't matter. They're they're not factored in.

So if it makes adult voters happy to have abortion and euthanasia available, That's what we'll do. And that is the kind of of anti-life anti-human. mindset that we're facing and the degree to which Our churches don't stand against it prophetically. They are acting just like. a stag you see east.

who are the ones who handed Jesus over to the Romans. Yeah, great insights. And they're also the ones that led the persecution against the early believers in the book of Acts. And of course, the high priesthood would have been controlled by Sadducees, and that was often corrupt in those days and really became a puppet of Rome. Wow.

Right.

Something to think about there for sure. Because we constantly talk about the Pharisees, but not the Sadducees. Right, so when I see like the religious coalition for abortion rights. or when I see bishops of various churches go Going along with same-sex marriage, going along with abortion and euthanasia, and abusive sex education. And Just nodding and smiling at the culture and talking about climate change instead of the salvation of souls.

All I can think of is anise and cryophytes. Mm. You know what's fascinating? I just glanced, I was looking at an article you had written. Which I want to talk to you about in a moment.

And next to it was my latest article on the stream, stream.org, which asks: Do conservative Christians have Christ's love for Obama and Hillary? And at the end of the article, just a couple of comments so far, but someone said this. No Christian can vote for Donald Trump unless you believe you and Don are special. I, as an ordinary Christian, will vote for a straight Democratic ticket. Democrats put the butter on ordinary people's bread.

Isn't that kind of the very thing you're talking about?

Well, that that reminds me of Jesus' temptations in the desert. Uh, this Christian sounds like he thinks Jesus made the wrong decision, that he should have turned those stones to bread, that he should have done popular miracles, he should have multiplied the loaves and the fishes every single day and bought the votes of the mob in Jerusalem. And maybe the Romans would have made him their puppet king instead of Pilate or Herod. Yeah, he would have been a much more powerful leader. Yeah, again, prophetically insightful, as always.

So, John, you've got an article on the stream: Did Obama just portray Syrian Christians to please the Turks? Seems so. Tell us about this. Oh, it's an appalling situation. There are only two factions.

In the increasingly splintered country of Syria, that offer any protection to the Christians. The Assad government, which has plenty of human rights violations, but for political reasons, it finds it advantageous to protect the Christians and also the Alawites who. Have been the dominant minority in Syria, but they will be subject to persecution. If any of these rebel groups including some the U. S.

has supported in the past, were to come to power. If ISIS or the Al-Qaeda affiliated Syrian rebels. who are funded by Saudi Arabia, if any of them come to power, Say goodbye to religious freedom for the Christians. Say goodbye to religious freedom for the Shiites and the Alawites.

So the Syrian government, for all its flaws, is protecting religious freedom for Christians there, and also the Kurds. The Kurds have made an alliance. What? with the much smaller factions of Assyrian Christians. Who are there, who've been there for thousands of years.

Some of the names we see in the New Testament are places in Syria. Uh And they have a democratic region with free elections. where women take part in Parliament, human rights are protected. And this Kurdish Christian alliance has had been getting support from the United States until that perhaps fake attempted coup in in Tur Turkey.

Now Erdogan is turning Turkey even more quickly into an Islamist dictatorship. Cracking down on Christians even more, and he wants to obliterate the Kurds. He does not want the Kurds to have any kind of autonomy in Syria because that will lead to the Kurds wanting independence in Turkey. The Kurds are a nation kind of like the Jews were in the tens and twenties, a nation without a land. that doesn't have a state that really is entitled to one.

Um So the Kurds have been fighting alongside the Christians. and beating ices. in part with some modest American help. All of a sudden Obama wants to patch things up with Turkey, wants to keep Turkey in NATO because Turkey has started cozying up to Russia.

So, in this incredibly cynical strategic calculation, they are throwing the Kurds and Christians to The wolves and letting Turkey take over these places that. Kurds and Christians paid for with their blood fighting against ISIS. And it's just tragic. Project.

So, this is more than just, say, appeals in Iraq that we should help arm the Kurds because they are effectively fighting against ISIS and they haven't backed down and they're much more courageous. And most of them would be Muslims. This is, in that sense, and that's a real issue there, why we haven't done more to help them as they are being attacked, as they are losing their lives, as they are fighting courageously. But this is almost giving people over to slaughter. And we're talking Christians.

And of course, when you look at the immigrants from Syria coming over to America, what do we have, like three Christians so far out of the? I mean, the whole thing is so bizarre. Why aren't we hearing more about this? I think the media is caught up in political correctness. And Middle Eastern Christians are one of those groups it's okay to forget about.

They're one of those groups. They don't really fit neatly in our categories. We see somebody from the Middle East, we think, okay, some kind of Muslim. Wait, they're not a Muslim.

Well, that's weird. That's just confusing.

Well why can't they just why can't they just get with the program? You know, you're from the Middle East, be a Muslim. It's your own fault if you're going to insist On stubbornly holding to an unpopular religion, you know, what do you expect? It's like the Jews of Iran. There are still several thousand Jews in Iran who are not treated well at all.

And people just basically Take it for granted.

Well, why don't they just go to Israel the way all the other Jews were driven out of the Arab world in 1948? Yeah. Hey, John. Thanks as always for your insights. Love reading your stuff and take care of your dog there.

Thank you. God bless. God bless. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown.

Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Sometimes people get frustrated because the Bible seems like a foreign book to them.

Well, often it seems foreign because of the figures of speech. and the images and the customs and so on. But when we explain those, Then the Bible becomes intriguing again. and people are able to get at what the Bible was really addressing. Yes, the words of Craig Keene are about backgrounds to the Bible.

It's a major reason I got into the studies I got into to understand the Bible in its original languages and in its cultural context.

So, to get your copy of the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. And with that, the two-hour exclusive interview with Craig Keeney, we pay the postage as well. Just go to my radio website, thelineoffire.org. You can order right there. I may get to play a fascinating clip with Craig about the Pharisees in a moment.

But first, we go to the phones in Bethesda, Maryland. Rob, welcome to the line of fire. Hey, Doctor Brown, I've appreciated your show and uh The the great way that you love your enemies. Uh I uh I heard what you said about uh Not uh attacking politicians uh in a satirical manner. And I'm wondering if there ever is an appropriate time for such, I think at the profit they got.

Mark King Ahab uh in front of Jehoshaphat Was that appropriate? Yeah, a very fair question, Rob. Number one. There are absolutely times to call to account, absolutely times to speak against. To denounce, to call for repentance in the strongest possible terms?

Absolutely. Um and There may be times For some type of satire or sarcasm. It's possible. Uh that that that that can be appropriate But what makes me uncomfortable is that it's one thing for a prophet to have a word from the Lord to do something. It's another thing when it's an extension of our own personality.

You know, by my New York Jewish nature, it's very easy to be sarcastic. I mean, we joke, literally, I have on my desk, I'm reaching over to get it. It's an old book of mads. Al Jaffe spews out snappy answers to stupid questions. And, you know, I grew up with this, and we joke about it as a family, you know, and there's a time when it is really, really fleshly, really carnal, you know, and it's hurtful.

There's no respect in it. There's no desire for redemption in it. And that's when I'm concerned, that many of us think we're being prophetic and we're just being self-righteous or hypocritical. And now we have the example of Jesus to overcome evil with good, to bless those who curse us, to pray for those who persecute us.

So It is possible that God could raise up someone with a prophetic word to speak in a sarcastic way of rebuke for a government leader, but I believe that the general spirit of the New Testament would still be one that would have yes, rebuke, yes, judgment, but with a spirit of respect for the leadership. With a spirit of honor for the leader that you are rebuking. Yes, I see that on the one hand, but I also see the sense in which our country, we are all equals and yet it seems as though some people are more equal than others. And politicians in particular lay themselves out with their poor conduct in life and lack of morals and whatnot. to be open to criticism.

And I also I got I gotta tell you this. I found it I chuckled when uh you mock the people who are mocking the politicians by uh doing a condescending voice uh about them. Um I found irony in that. Yeah, well you know here's the the other thing to Rob. Let's say Bill Clinton was guilty of what he was guilty of.

Th he's not slick willy to me though. He was still the president. And I grieved over his immorality and the influence it really had over people, even introducing a particular Sexual act as if that's now become normative, or that's not really sex, and things like that. You know, in the culture, it's thought of a certain way. There are real negative implications from that.

But we can rebuke him in such a way that we become these self-righteous hypocrites, failing to acknowledge our own moral weakness. And like I said, the people that say, well, Jesus called Herod a fox. Many people rebuking or mocking Bill Clinton, their character is closer to that of Bill Clinton than it is to that of Jesus. And that's where we need to be so careful. Hey, Rob, thanks for weighing in.

You know, I don't think I have time to play that whole clip.

Now it's going to be too long. The clip I was going to play from Craig Keener talking about the Pharisees. Hey, Joey, that second clip where he's talking about Romans, I played the first. If you can grab that second clip where he's talking about Romans and cultural application, yeah, clip number eight. Let's listen to that.

You know, that was an issue It was obviously a burning issue in Paul's day. It's it's still an issue today. But back then, the Gentiles were the minority within the church. Uh within the the Churches. And today, I guess it's the other way around.

but also the issue Many of the Jewish people Especially, at least, the believing in Messiah Jewish leaders had been expelled from Rome around the year. Paul is writing Romans probably around the year Uh Well, maybe 55 or somewhere. Just before that in 15 years. before the emperor had died Jewish people were allowed to return to Rome. And so what What you had was a congregations that were largely Gentile.

now have an influx again Of John. Jewish believers. And so it sets the stage for A clash between these cultures. But that also provides a model for us today of ethnic reconciliation because if God like in Romans fourteen, your food customs may be different. Even You know the days you started.

celebrate things may be different, but If God would do Yeah.

Something he himself established in history, that's a model for us. Or in Galatians, you know, Galatians 2, you have what might be Considered analogous to a segregated lunch counter or something like that.

So When when I was realizing these things actually I was an associate minister in an African American church in the South, So uh so th those really helpful. Yep.

So again, great comments from Craig Keener: understanding the Bible in its cultural context. enables us then to apply it to our context today. And what we see is that That many similar things arise in each generation, and the Bible is ready to address those challenges.

So be equipped with the NIV Cultural Background Study Bible. Again, when you order through our website, you're helping us with our radio ministry. We'll pay in the postage on it and giving you free the CD, the two-hour CD with rich wisdom with Craig Keener the whole way through, answering your questions, taking your calls. And that's to listen to on your computer or MP3 player.

So again, you can do that right at our radio website, thelineoffire.org. And everybody in the greater New York area, join me. We're going to be in Queens and Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan. We won't be in Staten Island, but we'll be in Nassau County on Long Island twice. We'll be in Queens three times, Brooklyn once, Manhattan once, Bronx once.

Find out by going to askdrbrown.org, click on itinerary. My bottom line today, let us stand strong, but let us stand righteously, emanating the very Spirit of Jesus in what we say and what we do. Can't the world