Dr. Brown Is Live on Memorial Day

It's Memorial Day. We're live. Phone lines are open. You've got questions. We've got answers and a whole lot more.

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 866-34TRUTH.

Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

Well, our office building is very quiet, but our core team is here to do the broadcast. Welcome, welcome to our special Memorial Day show. This is Michael Brown. We are live. Maybe you're listening live and you normally have to listen by podcast or afterwards by archive on our website.

Because of your work schedule, you're unable to listen live at this time.

Well, maybe this is your opportunity to call in. 866-34TRUTH. That's 866-3487-884. Anything you want to talk to me about, anything you want to ask me, I'm going to be taking calls, answering email questions, weighing in with my thoughts on what's happening in our society today.

So give me a call. Let's talk, and we'll have a great broadcast today. Let me of course honor our veterans. And our families of veterans. Many of you right now are still in a recovery mode, having served recently, having lost a loved one, having had your own life radically altered.

Some have been in the recovery mode for many years because a hole was left in your family that can never be filled in this world. Our hats are off to you. We are indebted to you for For your service, for your sacrifice for our country. My dad served in the Korean War. My mom served in World War II.

She's 93 years old today. She served in a secretarial capacity, obviously, not in a combat capacity.

So my own parents served. I was of the Vietnam War generation, but the draft ended shortly, right around the time when I came to faith, so I was never called over to Vietnam. But many of you Vietnam vets still carry the scars. My son-in-law Ryan lost his dad to Agent Orange as a result of his dad's service in Vietnam. And what's striking to me Soldiers, those in all of our different aspects of the military, Air Force, Navy, Marines.

You are serving a country And you're paying an ultimate price, or potentially paying an ultimate price, and it's for something in this world, and it's worthy. and many times it's a necessary evil. In other words, nothing that we would just want. We don't just want to be at war. We don't want to be killing enemies.

But sometimes they're our enemies, sometimes they want to do destruction. And they want to hurt and harm. And there are just wars. And there are heroes and heroines who sacrifice themselves for the good of their country. And Paul writes to Timothy, And says in 2 Timothy 2, As a good soldier, I think.

Of Messiah Jesus. That we who are followers of Jesus are called to live. With the mentality of soldiers. No, that doesn't mean going out and killing enemies. It means being strong.

It means having moral resolve. It means standing firm. It means being unshakable and immovable. It means enduring hardship and difficulty with courage.

So, you who've served as earthly soldiers are reminders to everyone what it costs, what it means to be a soldier. We honor you this Memorial Day, and I speak to all followers of Jesus. Let us take Paul's words to Timothy to heart in our own lives. Let us endure hardship as good soldiers of the Messiah Jesus. Let us be toughened for battle, full of compassion, full of love, full of gentleness, full of kindness.

but full of courage, full of strength, men and women of backbone, men and women of conviction, men and women who are in this for the long haul, who will persevere in the midst of suffering. Whole lot to talk about today. 866-34TRUTH. Anything you want to ask me? Phone lines are open.

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 866-34TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

So I spoke at my home congregation yesterday morning. I'll probably take the substance of the message and put it out in article form in the next week or so on the end of cultural Christianity in America. And At the end of the service, I was chatting with some folks, maybe listening now, a dad and his daughter. and he turned her on to the line of fire broadcasts and she was saying that when she's leaving work that she's basically got a a ten minute commute. uh t until she gets home And that's the only time she gets to listen to the show.

And I'm very conscious that some of you listen to my podcast literally two hours a day. Or you listen live on your radio show as much time as you get, or online for two straight hours. But I know that many of you, just like this young woman, are in the same situation: that you're in the car for a few minutes, and this is the time that we get to chat. And I remember a New York driver that he's a driver and did delivery. He told me that he prayed for traffic.

When he was out, so he would get to listen to more of the show on WMCA in New York City. I don't know how much the others appreciated his prayers for traffic, but hey, if they were turned on to the broadcast too, then they could be blessed along with him.

Well, this young lady said she also prays for traffic, so she's in the car longer. And as I've heard from others, she'll sit in the driveway until we get to the break and then go inside. You know what that means to me? You know how much that blesses me, and how sweet that is to my ears. And how meaningful it is to know that we can play that role in your lives.

So thanks for letting us share together in this journey of life and in the sacred mission that we have here. sent by the Lord to be agents of change. In the time that we have. This week is going to be, I hope, one of the most special weeks in the history of the line of fire broadcast. Let me tell you what's happening.

Uh beginning tomorrow. I transition over to Italy. I will be bringing you live updates from Italy. And each day, beginning on Wednesday, sharing what's happening in Italy. We've got some very important meetings coming up in the city of Catania, which is in Sicily.

It'll be my 23rd trip to Italy, and we are really ministering to young people on the theme of revival. I've also been asked to address the key topics of hypergrace. And can you be gay and Christian? How to deal with these issues?

So, please do pray also have the joy of bringing our oldest granddaughter Eliana with us. She's 15 with her cousin Becca, who's 16. We've got a day of sightseeing at the end in Rome. But I'll be bringing you live updates from Italy. But all this week is our special Shareathon.

and also Monday and Tuesday of next week. You say, does that mean you're just gonna Just be appealing for money. Oh, no, no, no. What it means is that we're going to be sharing with you highlights from the line of fire. Special calls we received.

amazing testimonies we've received. words of encouragement we've received. I'm going to share with you some of what happens on the front lines, even behind the scenes, some of the attack. That we come under. And yes, we'll be inviting you to partner with us.

Yes, it's a very critical time for us right now. And every one of you who's blessed by this broadcast, every one of you who's been helped in any way, please pray with us and stand with us. Your one-time gift this week is going to be so appreciated. Literally, our team, we're on our knees, we're asking God for help. I am not some slick, suave fundraiser.

Many times I get to the end of the show and barely even mention our special resource offer just because I'm so consumed with what we're talking about on the air and trying to maximize every moment. We don't have at the moment a wealthy donor underwriting the work that we're doing. It is average men and women, hardworking folks, and of course, wealthy donors are also hardworking, but folks just pitching in together, helping out with one-time gifts, helping out with monthly support.

So, first, thank you. Every one of you who's given in the past, thank you. Every one of our torchbearers, our monthly supporters, the financial backbone of this ministry, thank you, thank you, and thank you for your prayer support. As well, every one of you who prays for me and my family and our team and this broadcast, thank you. Millions of people are being touched.

Millions of lives are being affected. In America and around the world, we're making a difference. We're making a difference among the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Some testimonies will play this week, I believe.

Some of the calls we'll play will move you to tears. Tears of joy, and some will get you praying with fervor and passion.

So, if we've been a blessing to you through the broadcast. through the articles, through our social media. through our T V show. Through books and videos and other resources. Please pray, and your one-time gift at a critical time this week will lift some heavy burdens off of us and enable us to expand and touch many, many more lives.

To participate in the special share-a-thon, go to askdrbrown, a-s-k-d-r-brown.org. Just click on donate and And I have a special gift I want to send every one of you for your gift of any size. You might say, I only have $10, I can send. That means a lot to you. That $10 means a lot.

It means a lot before the Lord. It's my joy to send you this special gift, your gift of any size. And that $10,000 to you may be like $10,000 to someone else, but altogether it's going to make a massive difference. A special gift, it's a mini-book, Seven Secrets of the Real Messiah. You will be thrilled with what you read there.

It distills literally several decades of research, study, interaction with the Jewish community into a wonderful little eye-opening mini-book. It's my gift to you for your gift of any size. You don't need to request it. As soon as you participate online, we will then send that gift out to you. 866-866666666666 34 Truth, the number to call.

Let's go to Westchester, New York. Chris, welcome to the line of fire. Thank you, Doctor. How are you? Doing very well, thank you.

All right.

Well, first I I want to uh I want to say first off that my thanks to all the people that have sacrificed their life for us. For this great country. And I feel even. Guilty even bringing up personal problems on such a hallowed day, and I am truly grateful to. Mm-hmm.

Yeah. to the soldiers, men and women who have given their lives for us. I I just call to say that I I am just Struggling, and I have been for quite some time now, and I'm praying to. To whatever I'm supposed to learn from these lessons, to be able to learn them, to remain in faith. And boy, I just have questions.

I received no answers and and I just I'm just puzzled, and I know that I'm blessed in so many ways. And I just I don't understand some of this. understand why it's feels so isolating. That I just can't seem to develop communion anymore with the Lord. I I just don't know what to do.

Yeah, Chris. These are very challenging situations. Let me first say that. That most every one of us, at one time or another, in the Lord, and sometimes several times in our journey, will go through seasons like this. They can last for months, sometimes.

It can last for some years. And in the midst of it, It seems like we're not encountering God the way we used to. Uh it seems that you you you pray for an hour. and and all you did was stop from drowning. I mean, you can barely even catch your breath and breathe freely.

And sometimes it seems you're you know you're running through knee uh mud up to the knees. Everything is an effort. And that when you think the breakthrough comes, it's not there. What I want to encourage you, Chris, is that as James Jacob writes to us. The the the trying of our faith.

produces something wonderful in us. Peter tells us the same thing. And that's why James even tells us to rejoice. In the midst of it. Paul tells us that the things that we suffer produce in us perseverance.

Which then produces character, which then produces hope.

So here's my counsel to you, Chris. If we know there's sin in our lives, if we're walking in disobedience to God, then obviously. The difficulties that we encounter, we understand, are a direct result of God pushing back against us and bringing us to. Repentance, obviously. But when that's not the case, when as far as we know, you know, basically our life is right before the Lord, and these things are going on, and you have questions, you say, Lord, what's going on?

And I don't understand. If you give me insight, then I could know what I'm supposed to do or how. We don't seem to get answers. This is the time that, in a spiritual sense, makes boys into men. Or this is a time when we really become soldiers, or this is a time when we really grow in faith.

What I want to encourage you to do, Chris, is the same thing that I've done at times like this, which is to go after God, all the more earnestly, And to know that seeking him is seeking the solution And the answer. That even when you don't get specific answers to questions, if you will continue to go after him, the longer the delay, the greater the blessing. The longer the test, the greater the fruit. The longer the sense of being out of his fellowship, the more glorious the breakthrough will be when it comes.

So, read. James the first chapter. Read. 1 Peter, the first chapter. and begin to rejoice even by faith even when you feel nothing.

And as surely as God is God, Chris, he'll bring you through. And in the end, you'll say, it was all for the good. 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.

Welcome, friends, to the line of fire on this Memorial Day as we honor our veterans, we honor those who served and their families who sacrificed together. Thank you. Thank you. for your sacrifice For our freedoms and for the good of other nations as well. As we're coming your way live, anything you want to talk to me about today.

Give me a call, 866-348-7884. Even if it's outside the normal parameters of the line of fire, as long as it's acceptable for Christian radio, the phone lines are Open 866-34Truth. We'll go back to Westchester County in New York. Roger, welcome to the line of fire. Oh, hello, Dr.

Brown. Hello. About ten days ago, I heard you say that you believe that we should walk away from the Lord. And uh I I want to know how is God glorified by that? Can I ask you a question just in terms of your general beliefs, Roger?

Do you believe that God is glorified in everything? What's your own view?

Well, I believe that love never fails. Right, but I didn't ask that. But do you believe that God is glorified in everything that happens or only in certain things that happen? And insert. Thanks.

Ah, oh, okay. Yeah, so wha I I don't follow your question then. God is grieved when people walk away from Him. God does not rejoice over that. God is grieved.

Uh over that. I mean, scriptures warn us about walking away. There are many, many passages that talk about Israel's apostasy that tell us don't make the same mistakes they made. That many passages in the New Testament urge us to persevere to the end and warn us of the danger of walking away from God, but that grieves God. God will do it.

Yeah, but it says that endurance is a gift. Everything is a good. Faith is a good. Belief is a gift. But but but but hang on, but we respond to the gift.

In other words, God holds us responsible. When He says believe, He doesn't make us believe. And that's why over and over in the New Testament, people are rebuked for unbelief. They're rebuked for refusing to believe. Their rebuke for hardening their hearts.

So God gives us a gift, but we can despise that gift. He doesn't make us believe. He doesn't make us from my own personal experience. uh a woman friend of mine from Times Square Church. walked away From A lawyer.

And she stopped by one n one night on a Sunday night service. and she was going to Caroline's comedy club across the street. And she just no longer stopped by. But she was like she had left, right? Then about a year later, I met her again.

And she He had come back to the church. You know, praise God. Right, right. She did. She chose to walk away.

And she chose to come back. And God was convicting her not to walk away, but she hardened her heart. And God was convicting her to come back, and she softened her heart. What do you think it means, Roger, when the Bible says. Today, if you hear his voice, don't Harden your heart.

Yeah, but it doesn't it say God is greater than our heart? But that's not what it's talking about there. It's completely mixing two different verses. When God says, Don't harden your heart. What does that mean?

Does that mean you have that you can harden your heart? Right, consider what you're doing, right.

Okay, when it says pay careful attention to this, lest you drift away. Does that mean you could drift away? All I know is. that in my early walk Uh I got into a a a legalistic ministry. Right.

And it drove me you and actually the guy, the the minister is a friend of yours. And I I got nearly drove insane. from trying to obey God and and and from the guilt and the fear. And then I discovered uh the the word of the uh books of Charles Spurgeon. And uh I it just turned my whole life around.

But But the thing is is that is the And God is glorified. Um By his grace and mercy and love. But he's also glorified, Roger. Yeah, let me just jump in. He's also glorified in bringing judgment on sin.

He tells that was said, but that was done Jesus. No, no, no, no, no. No, in the future, God will be glorified in judging sinners. When Jesus comes in flames. Roger, can I speak?

Can I speak? Yeah, you do a lot of speaking. All right.

It is my show, sir. And you ask me a question, I'm trying to help you.

Okay? If you call to. I don't need help. You need help. Ah, all right.

See, that's, you know, listen, friends, you give folks a shot, you do your best to help. But you can always tell in the attitude when people are calling with a question. and when people are calling with an attitude.

So Roger, I'm still going to try to help you if you're listening. All right.

You've gone from one extreme to the other is what's happened. If you've listened to my teaching on grace. You know I teach against legalism. I teach against performance Christianity. I encourage every believer to be so secure in the love of God that on your worst day you know He loves you just the same.

And yet you're not saved because you prayed two hours today. You're not saved because you didn't think a lustful thought about your neighbor today. No, you're saved because of what Jesus did. I say that day and night. And if you've read Hyper Grace or the greatest controversy.

or uh go and sin no more. One of my older books. If you've read any of those, you'll know that we say it's all grace. And we teach grace the way it's taught biblically: grace with responsibility, grace with accountability.

So God disciplines those that He loves? And he is glorified as the the judge of the wicked. And Spurgeon would teach that as well, sir. You've gone beyond what Spurgeon teaches, I can assure you. Because I too have been blessed by Spurgeon's writings, and in fact, he helped me be a Calvinist from 77 to 82.

I'm not a Calvinist anymore, haven't been since then, but I've got great respect for Charles Spurgeon and love his writings, and he preached holiness. And you better believe he preached soul-winning. And in fact he preached daily confession of sin and the importance of that. before the Lord. although he absolutely believed that if you were truly elect you would persevere in holiness to the end.

But he preached anything but a cheap gospel, as I'm sure you would agree.

So uh that being said God will be glorified. And any Calvinist would teach this, and Spurgeon would teach this. God is glorified by judging the wicked. In the future, when Jesus returns in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who don't know God. He will be glorified as the righteous judge when he does that.

And God has absolutely promised to keep us to the end. He is infallible in His saving power. He simply will not force you to stay in the house. And if you walk away, There are consequences. And this is all.

Because Of the weight and glory of God's grace. Roger, I pray you'll have ears. to hear. All right, friends. One more reminder: all this week, beginning tomorrow, special testimonies, special phone calls, words of encouragement as we share with you in this special share-a-thon week.

Trust me, you will be blessed and encouraged and stirred over the course of this week. And Your gift of any size to help us is you share with us. As you participate and partner with us, your gift of any size, so critical this week. Thank you in advance. Go to askdrbrown, a-s-k-d-r-brown.org, click on donate.

And I want to send you that special mini-book, Seven Secrets of the Real Messiah. 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 866-34TRU. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

Bravanus beautiful Far hero. was proof you Liberating strike. There is a steep price that has been paid for our liberties. It's up to us now as Americans to live out those liberties in a God-glorifying way, not in a fleshly destructive way. This is Michael Brown.

We're live on Memorial Day. Any question that you have of any kind that you want to ask me, anything you want to talk about, the phone lines are open, 866-348-7884. Uh I do want to comment on some news items as well. And then I want to get to some email questions. I read a fascinating article yesterday about the Arab Revolution, the Spring Revolution from a few years back.

As I and others pointed out, the spring revolution had become a Sharia fall that many of the nations that experienced upheaval, many of the Muslim nations that experienced upheaval, be it Egypt, be it Algeria, be it Libya, be it Yemen, that many of them saw A more radicalizing element rise up, and then, of course, push back and division, destruction. A lot of these nations marked by. Tribal factionalism.

So the tribal factionalism sometimes even deeper than the Sunni-Shiite divisions. Or let's just say that this contributes much more to the dynamic of the country and the difficulty of holding some of these countries together. Um In any case One of the points that was made in this article was that There is a mistake that countries make. in times of upheaval. where they they end up looking to Uh a political savior.

And it was a very articulate article, and I read it on National Review just grabbing it here. And hang on, let me get the right one here by MG Opria. And excuse me, I read it on the Federalist.

Okay, and the point she made was this, and this is what I want to drill home. It is dangerous to put your trust in one political leader. Or one person, be they a military leader, whoever they are, during times of social upheaval. And she says, but whenever a party or a people, Put their hopes in one man. the promises of democracy begin to fade into the background.

It's very, very true. Just think of this. Think of the excitement, hope, and change. This young senator, Barack Obama, had hailed as the one. and crowds thronging to hear him.

Now eight years later, there's pessimism. There's disgust.

So many of the changes that have come about have been negative and even destructive.

Now, many Americans are looking to another political savior, Donald Trump. He's the man. He's going to make America great again. I prayed and said many times that my prayer for Barack Obama is that he would be the greatest president in American history. Still happened in a few months.

It would have to be a pretty dramatic few months to turn things around, obviously. If Donald Trump was elected, or if Hillary Clinton was elected, or Bernie Sanders was elected. I would pray the same prayers for them. And all of the concerns that I have about each of them as candidates, I would hope that I would be wrong on each one, that they would govern in ways that would be very different. But what I can say with certainty is this.

We are on dangerous ground. When we put our trust and one person to turn things around. To repeat, whenever a party or a people put their hopes in one man, the promises of democracy begin to fade into the background. I say we need to take heed to that warning. Whoever you're voting for, vote with an educated Why is uh reason behind it.

but don't put your trust in a political savior. We'll be right back. Hey, this is Michael Brown. I want to invite you to join me for our second ever trip to Israel, February 25th through March 6th, 2017. This is a great opportunity I get to interact with you, our radio listening audience, and our ministry partners as we experience the land of Israel together and it will be a life-changer.

We've got a great price on the trip. And if you're one of our monthly supporters or torch bearers, you're eligible to receive a special discount for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Space is limited, and we're accepting applications on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information on the trip to secure your spot, go to askdrbrown.org, click on the Israel banner, or call our office at 704-782-3760. 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.

Fighting soul tears from the sky. Fearless men who jump and die Mamboo mean just what they say You're brave men. Of the green berets. The ballot of the green berets. Michael Brown, welcome back to this Memorial Day broadcast live.

On the line of fire, 866-34TRUTH. I want to get to some email questions. Angela. Hi, Dr. Brown.

This is my very first time contacting you. I'm a big fan of your ministry. Thank you. For all you do. Angela, you are quite welcome.

Thank you. I have three questions for you. The first and third questions are mine. The second question is my husband's. He is not a believer, but believes he is.

He asked me many questions about God and the Bible, but seems like he just likes to start an argument more than he wants to learn. He listens to your show. Almost every day. Husband Evangela. Thank you for listening.

And whatever reason it is that you listen, Whatever motivates you to listen, thank you for tuning in. That means a lot to me. All right.

So, number one, I have a pre uh Okay, Angela, I have a pre-trib view. I know you do not. Can you explain why you do not have a tree a pre-trib viewpoint? Yeah. In short, Angela, although the church in which I was saved taught that, so that's what I knew out of the spiritual womb, so to say, that was normal to me.

That was. the only right teaching to me initially. I realized that I didn't learn it. Through reading the Bible alone. I learned it through people telling me.

It's what the Bible taught. And you see, by the time I was saved oh, two years I read the Bible cover to cover about five times, and I had memorized about 4,000 verses. For a stretch of six months, I used to memorize 20 verses every single day.

So I was in the Word, in the Word, in the Word, in the Word, in the Word. And if you asked me about anything that I believed, I could give you scripture after scripture after scripture after scripture. But when I was asked about the rapture, And the second coming, I I well why I didn't have a lot of verses to give you. At a certain point I began to wonder about that and said, Hmm. That's interesting.

Uh I I can tell you everything else that I believe straight from Scripture, but this I can't. I I guess I I need to read more.

So I I started reading other books and the the books helped me and laid everything out. But then then I realized, wait, wait, I got this from books, not from the Bible. Whereas everything else I believe I got just reading the Bible over and over.

So that raised serious questions. And I dare say that if you left a hundred people alone with their Bibles they didn't they didn't have prior teaching on the second coming and they could read the Bible fluently in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, If you left 100 of them alone for 10 years each, in their rooms reading the Bible day and night. None of them would come up with this theory on their own. I I believe that. Is you you wouldn't get the idea.

that there were two different phases to the second coming, the rapture and the second coming. Separate it by a seven-year period. You might get ideas that there's future. Trouble coming, you might get ideas. There's a future trouble coming of seven years.

You might get ideas that there's some special protection or exemption for believers. But here's the problem. The the the The verses That speak about the Lord's return. Verses that are allegedly rapture verses, like First Thessalonians 4. Right, that when the Lord returns, we are here at the coming of the Lord.

That first the dead in Christ will rise, and then we will rise after them. That word is parose in Greek. That's the word that's used for the second coming. That's the word that's used to speak of the Lord's actual arrival. When does the plane arrive?

I I get on planes tomorrow uh to go to to to Italy. What time does the plane arrive? Not when does it. Get near the airport, but when does it arrive? This is a word speaking of an arrival.

The rapture, Jesus never arrives on earth. He He gets near Earth and then catches us up to meet him. You say, you're nitpicking. No, I'm not. Because the word is actually speaking of an arrival.

And here's the bigger thing. Elsewhere that same word parasea is used. And And Those who believe in a pre-trib rapture say, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's the second coming.

So the same word is used for the rapture of the second coming, which is completely confusing. But it's not just that. What are we waiting for? What are we longing for? 2 Timothy, the fourth chapter, there's a crown of righteousness for all those who long for his appearing.

2 Timothy 4.8. Right? Long for his appearing. Not a secret event. Not a hidden event.

And if Hebrews 9, he'll appear the second time for us, for the people of God. And all of these verses, verse after verse after verse, what we're looking forward to is a visible event, not a secret event.

So, other Greek words that are used are apocalypsis, his revealing, the revelation of Jesus. This is going to be public, open, seen. As the lightning shines from the east to the west, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. The whole world will see him at once somehow. And another word, epiphania.

This is a shining forth.

So the main Greek words that are used To speak of the second coming, his arrival, his revelation, his shining forth, they are all words speaking of him actually coming to earth and being seen visibly. And how about Second Thessalonians chapter 1? When does relief come to those who are suffering? When does it come? It comes when the Lord Jesus Is revealed in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who don't know God.

So that's when. We are delivered when he comes in flaming fire.

Now, he's given us promises to protect us in the midst of tribulation. Didn't he say, John the sixteenth chapter, didn't he say That in this world you will have tribulation, John 16, 33. But be of good cheer. I've overcome the world.

So in him we overcome. But he promised there'd be tribulation in this world.

So we've been in tribulation since Jesus died and rose, and until he returns, we're going to be in tribulation in this world. The Greek word is used many times in the New Testament. Acts 14, we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God. That's our lot here in this world, tribulation, even great tribulation. It's our lot here in this world, but God has promised to preserve us through it.

Or to protect us from his wrath when his wrath is poured out. 2 Thessalonians 2 says, That day. The day when we'll be caught up to meet him will not come until The rebellion happens first. The Greek word there does not speak of a catching away of the saints, it's the rebellion, and the man of sin is revealed.

So these things will happen, and we will be here to see them happen. Before the Lord returns, but will be protected from God's wrath in the midst of a period of the outpouring of His wrath on the earth. Those are just some of the reasons that I don't hold to a pretrib rapture. That being said, I don't divide over it. I don't get into fights with other believers about it.

And I work with people around the world that may hold to a pre-trib rapture. In fact, many, I don't even know what they hold to because it's never gotten in the way of our ministry or our partnering together for the gospel. Let me also say this. You say, well, he's coming with his saints.

Okay, number one. That could mean with angelic beings in certain cases. Number two, we will be caught up to meet him and will escort him back to Earth. Think of that for the whole world to see. will be caught up supernaturally and will return to earth with him.

More wonderful, more extraordinary, more unbelievable than any Hollywood movie, and yet that will happen.

So rather than him coming all the way here. Stopping before hitting the earth, catching us up to meet him, and then returning to heaven, and then we feast for seven years in heaven while the Jews are slaughtered on the earth. No, no. We're right here. In the second bit to the end.

Glorifying Jesus being witnesses. Preserved by his power in the midst of all hell, breaking loose on the earth, some of us paying with our lives for the gospel, as happens in every generation. And when he comes, the whole world sees him. We are glorified, instantly caught up to meet him, and we escort him the rest of the way back to Earth. All right.

From And she's husband. Where will there be an opportunity for people to be saved once the church is raptured and the world goes through the tribulation? Ah, uh, A wonderful question. The fact is, I don't believe that there's going to be a rapture where we're taken out. In any case, it's the same gospel, the same way of salvation.

It's going to be the same message Jesus saves, the same message to turn to God and be forgiven and be cleansed and be washed. If we'll turn from our sin, God will have mercy on us. And the biggest thing is we're alive now. How are we going to respond now? That's what we do know.

We're alive, we're gonna die. How will we respond in this time we have? The world give us strength to always do what's right. 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.

All right, so. I I think what was behind the husband's question was Let's say This whole rapture thing is true. And maybe you're not sure about it. You know, your wife believes it. You might believe it, you're not really sure.

And okay, then the rapture happens. Then you realize: okay, it is true. Will there be time to get saved then? I appreciate that question, and obviously, many will realize: oh no, made a mistake. I've mocked this message, I've missed this message, now it's true.

And if that were the case, if there was a pre-trib rapture, then I believe that multitudes would wake up to reality and would cry out to God for mercy and many would be saved. Uh however Others have said, you don't know the hell that's going to break loose on the earth or the level of deception that's going to be on the earth. And many, if you were deceived now, you'll be deceived then. 2 Thessalonians 2 says that God will give people over to a strong delusion because they refuse to believe the truth. In other words, rather than embracing the Christ, they'll embrace the Antichrist.

And who knows what type of rationalization can be given and other things like that? This is what the Bible does say: today, if you hear his voice, don't harden your heart. Today If you hear his voice, don't harden your heart. We don't know what tomorrow holds, and you're not responsible for someone else's life in terms of. Um forcing them to believe or stopping them from believing or Ultimately, it's an individual in God, each of us individual in God.

The day we stand before God, it's not going to be anybody else there holding our hands. and we can't hire uh a high-powered attorney. And there's no U-turn. And okay, let me go back and do this again, or in golf terms. Can I get a mulligan here?

Can I get another shot at it? No, none of that.

So this is what we do know. Today, if we hear his voice, we should not harden our hearts. All right, part three, evangelist question. Do you have any plans to come to Virginia to preach? I've preached in Virginia many times.

I don't remember the last time I did, and when we have the right invitation. To go, I'll gladly go, said And from where I live, it's not far. But if you check my website, askdrbrown.org, and friends, if you haven't visited there or visited it lately, please do. We've completely revamped it. It's a hundred times more easy on Uh the eye.

And user-friendly in so, so many ways.

So, um. Please visit the website. And uh When you're there, you will uh Have Access to all of our resources, all of these articles, all of this information, all of our videos, etc. But you'll also have our itinerary. And you'll see it right there on the home page.

So you can see where we're going to be next. June, a very exciting month, Italy and Australia. We'll be giving you live updates from Italy. We'll be broadcasting live from Australia, God blowing. All right, so those are my answers there.

And let's see. Sam has asked a question. And Matt, just make a mental note. I need to do a short video on this on one of our teaching videos. What exactly does it mean to blaspheme the Spirit?

I'm saved, spirit-filled, but I'm concerned I may have committed it. My family was sick. I was angry about it. I kept praying for healing and thought to myself, God, I'm believing all this stuff and it's not working. How did so-and-so, famous minister with a miracle-working ministry, do this?

He must be using some mystical stuff to do this. Immediately after, I thought, I said, oh no, I think I just attributed the work of God to Satan. Did I? Sam, if you hardened your heart, to the point of blasphemy in the spirit. then you would willingly and knowingly A tribute the works of the Holy Spirit to Satan, in a way where you would have no interest in God after that.

If you hardened your heart to that level, you'd not be writing me. You'd not even be using the word saved or spirit filled. You would be rejecting God, mocking God, away from God with no interest in God whatsoever. Yes, from what we can see in Mark three, The blasphemy of the Spirit is to knowingly and willingly attribute the works of the Holy Spirit to Satan. That's what it says there in Mark 3.

He said this because they, some of the religious leaders, were saying he has a demon. But those who have blasphemed the Spirit Have committed the unpardonable sin, meaning they're gone. They have walked out. They've turned their backs on the truth. They have no interest in God.

And the last thought on their mind is, oh my, did I do something wrong? No, they are. even glorying in their hardness.

So fear not. in a in a difficult moment. praying and expecting God to do good things as he promised and they didn't happen, you wondered You know, is some is somebody else a charlatan? That's not committing a Blasphemous sin? That's an an honest question from a hurting heart.

and and a humble heart that wants to be right before God. Job said many things that were rash. many things that were rash. And ultimately God stood with Job. Job repented of his ugly words, but God stood with Job because God saw his heart, which was a heart to honor God.

All right, let me try to grab one more question. Rudy in Frederick, Maryland. Time is short, but go for it. Um hi, Dr. Brown.

I was just wondering, I just heard you say about that we will always have tribulations. But what What do you have to say about Matthew twenty four, twenty one through twenty nine? it talks about a great tribulation, Jesus himself. Do you think that that already happens? Or What what how How do you view it?

Well, two things. The first context has to be the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70. The first context is Jesus speaking to his disciples there.

So there was hellish suffering. And in that sense, just like the Babylonian captivity, there are many things that have happened in history. Ragaud said, nothing like this will ever happen again. Jacob's trouble in Jeremiah 30, which first and foremost referred to the destruction of Jerusalem in Jeremiah's day. That was an event that happened in a way that was never repeated.

The same thing, Matthew 24, then there will be great suffering, unlike anything that has happened from the beginning of the world until now, or ever will happen. Uh there there is something unique with that, okay? But then it seems that this is not. uh fulfilled yet that it was partially fulfilled. With the destruction of the temple, and that at the end of the age there will be another time of severe tribulation and testing all around the world.

Let me say this there, Rudy. for those who have been beheaded by Isis. For those who have watched their families, their daughters raped to death. for those who have been buried alive and burned alive, and dropped into vats of acid until their organs We're just gone till they were just a mass of of of flesh. They've experienced great tribulation.

To the million and a half Jews slaughtered, Jewish children and babies slaughtered in the Holocaust. They've experienced great tribulation. In other words, there have been. periods of horrific human suffering throughout history. each one in certain ways unprecedented, and unique.

And at the end of the age, I believe we will see the finale of that as well. As God moves in unprecedented ways, and as the devil moves in unprecedented ways, and as God's wrath is poured out on a sinning world, And yet, God's people are protected from God's wrath, but not from the wrath of man. Not for the wrath of Satan. Hey, I wish I had more time, but the hour is up. Thank you, sir, for an important question.

My bottom line today on this Memorial Day. We remember the hell of war. We remember the hell in this world, and we remember God's promises are sufficient to get us through. We're live on this Memorial Day. I have a special guest, an Old Testament scholar, who's going to talk to us about some of the difficult, thorny passages in the Old Testament.

Yeah. 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.

Thanks for joining us on this Memorial Day. We are live on the line of fire, taking your calls and with a special guest about to join us. 866-348-7884 with the number to call 866-343. Truth. I hope you're having a good day.

I hope you're getting some rest and some family time. And to all veterans, to all families of veterans, thank you for your service. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for your courage. My dad, as I mentioned, the first hour served in the Korean War.

My mom served in a secretarial capacity in World War II. And You know, things were different then. In terms of military personnel coming back From war and receiving a hero's welcome. being honored by the society.

Now to this day, To this day, when I'm flying. And just any day of the year. And we have servicemen on the flight, and they're in uniform. Uh they get cheers. They get treated with respect.

And in fact, the one person universally who will get treated with respect. when they come on a plane. Uh in their uniform, in their garb. It's not a priest. or or or or some monk Or some person just just wearing their the uniform that identifies them.

the one that gets specially honored is military. And of course, if they have military ID, they can board early and things like that. The airlines seek to honor them. And sometimes we'll have a special announcement, so-and-so's just returned from service, and everybody sitting there at the gate claps.

So there still is honor and respect, but Those that came back from the Vietnam War. Came back from an unpopular war, and you know you got anything but a hero's welcome. And those who've come back from Iraq and Afghanistan, it's not the way it was with Vietnam, but there's so much division in the country over the wars. that you've made great sacrifices and sometimes come back unrewarded. But I firmly believe there are far more who appreciate the sacrifice than those who don't.

far more who honor the courage of serving in the military. And ultimately this much we know. America is far from perfect. But the wars we've engaged in, we've sought to do so with honorable purposes. I don't believe personally that we went into a rock Just because we wanted an ulterior motive to get our hands on a rocky oil.

or mess with the Middle East. I believe we sincerely thought As Democrats and Republicans believed up to that point that Iraq did have weapons of mass destruction. Even in our trying to rebuild Iraq in a democratic way, I believe the intentions were right, even if. the approach was ill-conceived. But where we have served Um and where you have sacrificed even in the midst of America's failings.

and even as you come back to the country and see so many things that are grievous, just know That your service is never in vain. and that we are indebted to you. 866-348-7884 is the number to call. If you have some questions, in a few minutes, we will be taking questions and calls. But first, I'm going to speak with a fascinating author who's written some fascinating books that I have personally benefited from: David Lamb, Old Testament scholar.

And it's a discussion that you certainly don't want to miss. And I hope and pray will be a blessing to you on this Labor Day. All the rest of the week, beginning tomorrow, excuse me, beginning tomorrow, and then through Tuesday of next week, we have very, very special broadcasts for you. I'll be in Italy for much of that time. I'll be giving you live updates from Italy and Very, very special shows planned.

You don't want to miss a single one of them. Trust me on that. I'll tell you more a little later. We'll be right back. 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.

America Come. Welcome, welcome, friends, to the Line of Fire broadcast on this Memorial Day. We are live, and I'm. Thrilled to have on the air with me. David Lamb, his newest book, Prostitutes and Polygamists.

I look at love, Old Testament. Style. Dr. Lam, interesting. Uh interesting academic background, bachelor's degree in economics from Stanford.

Master's degree in industrial engineering from Stanford. Then master's degrees in divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary and Philosophy from Oxford, and then a D. Phil, doctorate in philosophy from Oxford. Oxford University. The first book of his that I read God behaving badly, Is the God of the Old Testament angry, sexist, and racist?

His new book, Prostitutes and Polygamists: A Look at Love, Old Testament style. Hey, David, thanks for it. Whoa, what happened to David? Let's Find out what happened to David, Betsy. We will.

We will reconnect. Was it the introduction that offended him? Hmm. No, I don't I don't think it was the introduction that offended him. Was it hearing America the beautiful that offended him?

No, I don't think it was that. Was it that he has a problem with the Memorial Day? No. I don't think it was that. But somehow We lost him.

We have our guests on, obviously, a few minutes before. Chat with them, and then we are ready to go.

So, we'll reconnect with David in a moment. But We get books sent to us every week. from folks who would like to be on the show. Or from Publicis. Yeah, the aliens again, Matt.

I was talking about them when I preached yesterday morning. We had a problem with my mic for a moment. Yeah. We get books sent to us constantly. from folks who would like to be on the air.

We have publicists that send us books. I have colleagues and friends who who send me their books. and say, hey, could you do an interview with me on the air? Uh it's it's quite the the opposite. with uh with Doctor Lamb.

I have read his books and really enjoyed them. And I told our folks, hey, let's see if we can get him on the air. And it just happened to work out to get him on this Memorial Day.

So, David, are you there with us? Yes, I am.

Sorry, I don't know what happened, but I'm pleased to be with you all here on Memorial. Excellent. Did we lose you again? Are you there? No, no, I'm still here.

Oh, okay. You know, every so often, it first happened, David. Maybe this is your next book as well.

Someone called in and wanted to talk about alien abductions, which was the last thing I planned on talking about that particular show, which led to a flood of phone calls. And suddenly, all the phone lines were lit up with people wanting to talk about whether this was true or not. And I said, okay, listen, no calls after these. All the phones, I said, when I get to the last of these calls, we're done. We're changing subjects.

And suddenly, all the calls disappeared.

So, my theory. My theory was that Aliens were about to be exposed on National Talk Radio, and they abducted all of those people at the same time.

So, anyway, maybe a future topic. There's no other possible reason for it. No, no. What reason could there be? Of course.

Of course, you're a man of faith like I am. All right.

David, in all seriousness. When I got God behaving badly, and with my degrees in Semitic languages and Old Testament studies through the decades. When I got God behaving badly, This is this is too much, isn't it? All right.

We've lost him. It's all right. There is no other explanation. It's gotta be aliens. Figure this out.

Wow, okay, we're joking. We're joking, it's not aliens, don't panic. It's not illegal aliens. Don't panic. That's not it.

We'll we'll try this again. And and if we have some problem we'll We'll have to reconnect another day, but this is this is very, very... Odds. Yeah, that could be, Joey, that the phone company's on on holiday 'cause it's Memorial Day.

Now if we don't have an absolutely secure connection, we'll figure out what the problem is. And um Yeah, you know, Matt, I think that is going to be my claim to fame, and maybe we can change the intro. Instead of your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution, I can be Dr. Michael Brown, the new. Orson Welles.

I I David, it's becoming increasingly clear it has to be aliens, I think. I guess so. I guess so. Yeah, I'm not sure what's happening, but I I'm I'm I'm glad happy to be here and talking about books.

So yeah, and listen, if it happens once more, we'll we'll just have to Step back, figure it out, and reschedule another day. But what I really appreciated with God behaving badly, and now with prostitutes and polygamists, which I just got last week. is that you Head on tackle some of the thorniest, most difficult subjects. in a way where you are 100% Standing in faith and believing the Bible is God's Word and the God of the Bible is good, and yet not coming up with cheap. Excuses, you're really taking things on head on, honestly.

What got you into all of this in the first place? And how is it you feel so at home tackling these kinds of things? Wow, what a great question. You know, my uh I'd I'll just, you know As we're thinking about as we're memorializing people that have gone before us, I'll just talk about my mom and dad, who when I was young gave me a love for Scripture. And um And that That developed over my years.

I went off to college, got involved in an organization called InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and I was taught how to study Scripture. And one of the things I loved about both my parents' background and my background in InterVarsity is we looked at parts of the Bible that a lot of people didn't look at. We would just read through Scripture systematically. And um Pretty early on I realized, um, you know, I love I love the whole Bible. Um but I was drawn to the parts that um I was less familiar with.

Um and you know and we all encounter the verse uh Paul's verse. In Timothy, all scriptures inspired and profitable for teaching. Um And I firmly believe that, but I don't I think the church believes that, but I don't think in reality we practice. on what we're what we're believing there. We don't benefit.

We're missing out, really, I would say, by not looking at the parts that often get ignored. And I think the thing about it is that's tragic: you know, this is what Paul was saying. Um We profit. Um it's this is we profit and we we get equipped As we look at these parts of the Bible that portray parts of God that or things about God that we may not like or may not be familiar with. But if that's what God's Word is teaching, you know, we will benefit.

Um Mm. Not ignoring those, those stories, those parts of those laws, etc.

So. Um, yeah, I don't know. I um I I I I I also I also l it's hard for me to um teach on very f familiar passages 'cause I feel like I have to come up with something really creative. It could be hard for me to be a a a preacher that um is just preaching the familiar text. But um I figure I can c I think I can come up with something Um you know different or unique when I'm looking at these um much less familiar stories.

Yeah, and you know, you make the point that All scripture is not just inspired, but profitable.

So it's one thing, okay, it's inspired. I don't see the inspiration of this. Let me try to figure out how it could still be God's word. It's almost a defensive posture. But if it's profitable, then there has to be something positive in it.

And I remember we had a friend who was an intra-varsity leader for many years. And it was probably late 70s, early 80s. He was coaching us on having Bible studies in our homes and having unbelievers in. And His style was such that you could say, you know, I was reading the Bible and I realize now that Adolf Hitler is actually Buddha, who's actually Jesus. And he would like just nod, like, mm-hmm.

Yeah, good. Good insight.

Now, how'd you get there was nothing would faze him.

So in that environment. The thing I would say is, how do you see that in the text? That's one of my favorite questions. You know, people can come up with whatever they come up with, but I'm like, Okay. How do you see that in the text?

And then if and and obviously they're gonna have a hard time with that uh that idea. But but um you know uh people are always um I'm in situations. I was teaching Genesis recently, and people would come up and say, Well, my pastor said this.

Okay, that's great. And, you know, I love your pastor, and I'm sure your pastor loves God and loves Jesus. Um but um Uh How do you see whatever your pastor was seeing? How do you see that? Coming out of Scripture.

And I think those are the questions we've got to be asking. Even when we're sitting and listening to a sermon, Um how is This Idea. Coming out of scripture. How is God saying this in God's Word? And I think that's really going to be important for us to be asking those kinds of questions as.

We're studying even the, particularly even the difficult parts. Yeah. All right, well, listen, here's what I want to ask. We've got a break coming up. But what I want to ask is when we come back, how is it?

that your faith has remained strong. And you've even written on these things, books like God Behaving Badly and Prostitutes and Polygamists, where others say they've lost faith. They can't believe in a God like that or in a Bible like that. We'll be right back with David T. Lamb.

Angel World O God of burning, cleansing flame. Send the fire. 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.

My guest on this Memorial Day, David Lamb, his newest book. Prostitutes and polygamists, a look at love, Old Testament style. His blog is davidtlam.com, and you'll find excellent scholarship presented in a humorous and edifying way, and in a way that doesn't shy from the difficulties, in fact, leans into them. To bring us to edifying conclusions.

So, David, I've read accounts of folks recently, a heavy metal singer that was in a quote heavy metal Christian band. Who said he started reading the Bible again for himself and all these passages he had read, but just kind of looked the other way. The passages that you deal with in your books, God behaving badly and prostitutes and polygamists. And based on that, he said he couldn't believe in a God like that. You'll hear Richard Dawkins, the famous atheist, rail against the God of the Bible.

Yet you've seen those same passages, you've looked at them more deeply. than most people have, And yet rather than losing faith, you find that these are scripturally profitable. How did you do that without sticking your head in the sand and just kind of going into a blinders on faith mode? Yeah, that's a great question.

Well, first of all, I would say Um Everybody approaches screen. Scripture with a lens. Theologians will, or Bible scholars, will talk about a hermeneutic. Maybe people more skeptical might call it a bias. Um But a perspective, I think, on what I'm as I'm approaching Scripture, I would say that I'm approaching it from the lens of faith.

And there are people out there that would probably say more the skeptics, agnostics. um might say that um my faith is naive. But I'm I'm trying to make sense I'm pushing into the problems. But I'm also trying to make sense of them and trying to view them. from an angle of okay This God of the Old Testament is actually the essentially the same God as as Jesus.

You know, God is one and the same. How can I make sense of this. Um And so I try to push into the problem, not downplay the problem, but also try to view it from the perspective of the entire story and scene. Um that there is a God behind even these really difficult texts. that is a God of love and a God of mercy.

that yes, he does bring about judgment Um but ultimately he is a god of compassion and Grace.

So I think for me that's been a big part of it. The other thing I just I do need to just say um A couple of years ago when I started speaking like within the year of having God Behaving Badly come out, I went through a very difficult spiritual struggle. I think a lot of it was Because that was Focusing, as you say, on some of the nastiest bits of the Bible, and that's kind of all I was teaching on. And I kind of had a um it actually affected my health. Um I had um I've never had health problems like this.

I was not sleeping well and I um I had vocal cord issues. Um I started having issues with reflux. And then I started having anxiety issues and other things. I had panic attacks and all this other stuff. And there it I don't won't go into all the details.

That's enough. That's a lot. But but it was perhaps the worst time of my life. And I just realized There's something else going on here. And I just need to have more people pray for me.

And I started to kind of be more open about my struggles. And it's like, you know, when I would speak on these issues, I'd say, you know, and pray for me because There's a way that I'm kind of moving into, you know, t the trenches, I guess, or the front lines. And I just need more people to be praying for me. And actually, that kind of was a turning point for me in the sense. I I got a I got a sense that Yeah, I am being supported in this.

I'm c God is calling me. I'm into some of these areas and I feel like I want to be kind of a profit. to Uh well in some ways Christians, people who are reading their Bible, to take these texts more seriously. But I need to not do this naively, and I need to kind of have more support of people that. you know, can Can sympathize and so I think that that's That's what has allowed me to both I'm approaching it with a lens of faith.

Um but then in the last few years more particularly, I need to be Making sure that there are people out there that are supporting me and praying for me in this process. Yeah, there is spiritual warfare. There is a real spiritual realm. I'm on the front lines day and night, but very little affected by it for the most part. I've had my hellish seasons, of course, and ongoing warfare, but I'm sure also it's because of prayer support.

David, let's do this. Let's unpack just one concept. You can pick from either book. We've got about three minutes before the next break where we look at something that people just see negative, bad, judgment, horror, yet you see a redemptive side or ending to. Just sample us one thing from scripture.

Right. Um wow. Um well, okay, we could talk about the Canaanites, which is kind of the the one of the worst bits um I think that you know, where God tells the Israelites as they're leaving um Egypt, um moving into the promised land, they need to wipe out the Canaanite people, um man, woman and child. Horribly, horribly troubling story.

Now, I think a lot of Christians. We'll focus on well. The Canaanites were being judged, and I think that's true. Scripture makes that clear. I think And we could talk more about the Canaanites, but I think One of the the kernels of hope I see in this is just the story of Um Rahab, this prostitute.

Who shows mercy? to these she she shows hospitality. CD's two spies risks her life. To basically become kind of a traitor for her people in order because she knows that God has given the Israelites the land. She is a she is a person of faith in the midst of this.

Um difficult time. And um so And as we step back and look and say, well, there are actually a few other people like Rahab, anybody that shows hospitality. Um Is shown hospitality and or mercy as well in this narrative. And then as we move forward to Jesus, we see Rahab. Just Cada night prostitute.

Show up, and she's the second person in Jesus' family tree, right there in Matthew's gospel. How we see, again, we just see. We see the story of the gospel there: how God can work through this woman like Rahab who shows hospitality, and it's not just Rahab, but then her entire family. is brought in. To the people of Israel, and then even our Lord and Savior Jesus comes out of her line.

And I just think, what an image of hope and redemption! this amazing story. Right, so there was guilt that was so severe. Let's just say that if ISIS troops were being wiped out and people working with ISIS were being wiped out, we would all say it's right.

So we don't know how wicked the Canaanites were. We know that God waits several hundred years, according to Genesis 15, until the wickedness reaches a certain level. But even in the midst of it, God's looking for opportunities to show mercy. And will, and to tie that in ultimately with Jesus, yeah, you've got to look. At the larger picture.

All right, friends, we'll be right back. Dr. Lamb's agreed to give us a few more minutes of his time on this Memorial Day. Check out David T. Lamb.

For his blog. And if you've struggled, yeah, what about the slaughter of the Canaanites? What about these other judgments in the Old Testament that just seems so harsh? God behaving badly? Or what about, I mean, there's some sexual stuff in the Old Testament seemed God accept it, but it seemed wrong.

His newest book, Prostitutes and Polygamists, A Look at Love, Old Testament style. 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 866-34 TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

Revanus. Wings are on their chests. These are men. America's best ballot of the Green Berets on this Memorial Day. We're live, Michael Brown.

Welcome to the line of fire. Thanks for joining us today. And we send our Heartfelt appreciation to all of you who have served, to the families of those who have served our nation. to help us to be free. May we honor your sacrifice by living in a way that honors the Lord.

I have a special guest joining me, Dr. David Lamb. He is an Old Testament scholar. His most recent book, Prostitutes and Polygamists: A Look at Love, Old Testament style. Before that, another book of his that I really enjoyed: God behaving badly as the God of the Old Testament, angry, sexist, and racist.

You can check out his blog at davidtlamb.com. David, thanks for joining us on the broadcast today. Glad to be here. All right, let me dive right in to your new book. And I'm a Jewish believer in Jesus.

So I'm looking at the history of my people Israel in the Hebrew scriptures. And we're not always presented in the best light. And it it seems you know, they're even with the patriarchs, You have all kinds of sexual scandals. You know, you've got Amon and Moab that are born out of incest, the daughters having relations with their father, but that's looked at as a negative, not a positive. And yet, the tribes of Israel, the 12 sons of Israel, they come from Jacob being married to two different women, and then with them their concubines.

And that was forbidden by later law, Leviticus 18. You couldn't have two sisters. Uh what do we do with this? I mean, it's a bit of a mess, and yet this is it's kind of the origins, the the patriarchs. Yeah.

Yeah, it is kind of troubling, isn't it? Um I I think although You know, we have the words of Jes of Paul, who said, you know, he is the chief of sinners, he's the worst of all sinners. Um and we see that, you know, with Paul um trying to um you know kill the the early Christians in Acts in the book of Acts. Um I think Well, you know, even the the the the mistakes that the disciples are always making in the the Gospels, I think um the The thing I'm Uh it's troubling if we assume Um these people who are chosen by God are going to be completely pure and holy. if we acknowledge, like Paul says, he's the chief of sinners, that Oh gosh.

The people in the Old Testament are going to have some pretty big sins as well. I mean, the people. What what does Jesus say he didn't come for the righteous? But for the sinners. Those who are sick have no need of a physic of position And the reality is Um anybody who's a Christian has said, Yap.

I'm pretty sick. I'm really messed up. I cannot do it by myself. And we see that in the Old Testament. We see, and in fact, the fact that I think that's one of the things I love so much about the Old Testament is.

You know that they're not sanitizing the story, that they're not cleaning it up. And often, I do a lot of work with ancient Near Eastern narratives. these ancient narratives are always um cleaned up to make Whether you're talking about Nebuchadnezzar, or you're talking about Hammurabi, or you're talking about Ramses II. The the this these histories are cleaned up to make these heroes look more heroic and more saintly.

Well, scripture doesn't do that at all. And that's what it just feels real. And you think, wow. Um Yeah, there's Jacob. Again, Jacob's on one level, he's not so bad, at least in this regard, because he didn't want to have multiple.

He just wanted Rachel. But Laban wanted him to have Leah, and then each of those, Rachel and Leah each wanted him to have more kids through their handmaiden Vilma and Vilma. Tell you what, let me just jump in there. We'll continue at Jacob on the other side of the break. And then I've got a few questions.

We've got a few more minutes with Dr. David Lamb. Visit his blog, David T. Lamb, and his newest book, Prostitutes and Polygamists, A Look at Love, Old Testament style. Join Dr.

Michael Brown along with Messianic Jewish pastor Scott Volk for a unique behind-the-scenes tour of Israel, February 25th through March 6th, 2017. Space is limited, so we're accepting applications on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information on the trip and to secure your spot, please visit our website at askdrbrown.org and click on the Israel Tour banner or call our office at 704-782-3760. Uh It's fire we want for fire we want. We please.

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 our live Memorial Day broadcast with. My special guest, Dr. David Lamb, his newest book, Prostitutes and Polygamists: A Look at Love, Old Testament Style. All right, so we're talking about the birthing of the 12 sons of Israel who become the 12 tribes of Israel. And Uh Jacob, not by a choice of his own, marries two wives, which we know is certainly nothing that.

That God desires. It's contrary to what he lays out in Leviticus 18, which are universal prohibitions for everyone there. And yet, through this, And through the jealousy between the wise and the handmaidens who become concubines to Jacob, through this, the tribes of Israel are birthed.

So what do we learn from this narrative in a constructive way? Yes, that's a great question. Um, I would say, uh-huh.

Well, I mean I think We we often see how um God can work despite human beings. Yeah. God's plans. are not thwarted by human depravity. And I think that um Again, the fact that the scripture tells this story Um which is, you know, if you go back to Genesis 2, we see the ideal.

One man, one woman, together forever. That's the ideal. But the reality throughout the rest of Scripture, and you know, particularly in in you know Abraham's Descendants, and as we see it with Jacob, is the reality is it's not ideal. And I think I would hope that this could speak to a lot of us today who would think, well gosh, my family situation's not ideal. And some of us have really, all of us hopefully have really great things about our families.

But I think all of us, because we all come from families that are made up of people who are sinners, there's all of us have levels of dysfunctionality and brokenness. And so So when we look and we see, oh gosh, you know, even these people in the Bible have issues. Um, you know, my mom, um, I am the child of my mom's second marriage. And um you know You know, God makes it clear that he hates divorce. But I kind of think, okay, well, if my mom wasn't divorced, I wouldn't be here.

You know, I. And I think that's not ideal, but it is reality. I think as people. read these stories about people that have you know, non ideal families like Jacob's, they kind of go, Okay, God can still work through Jacob. God can still work through um David the king.

And, you know, he had certainly um some really huge issues, um, you know, whatever it is that Um happened with um uh Bathsheba. I a lot of people call it adultery. I think it's probably more like rape, but we could you know It's a little bit gray, but God still worked through David. And I think that's. amazingly hopeful for those of us who have Um, you know, all of us I guess on some level have non-ideal Um Baggage.

in our backgrounds. And I think that's um an im an issue of an image of yeah. or message of hope. Yeah, out of the checkered past, God gives something tremendously redemptive. And again, even the genealogy of Jesus, to look at that and to see some of the key people included in that, how eye-opening that is.

And Solomon ends up being birthed from David in Bathsheba. Of course, he sins, but still he was called beloved of the Lord. That was a name he was given.

So let's look at David, and I'll make this my last probing question here. Again, friend, the book, Prostitutes and Polygamists, the Look at Love Old Testament style, and then before that, God behaving badly. It'll address so many things you've read and wondered about in a humorous way, in a forthright way, but in a redemptive way above all. But on the one hand, we know David was a man after God's own heart. It was an extraordinary individual.

On the other hand, we know that he blew it very severely. Adultery slash rape, murder, for sure.

So it's, you know, if I say so-and-so is a great guy. I mean, he loves the Lord. He just raped a woman and killed a husband. He's a great guy than that. Of course, he was the king, he had power to do what.

Most people just think about he could actually do and yet. Uh 2 Samuel tells us everything in gory detail. And then 1 Chronicles doesn't tell us. The bad stuff. What do you make of that?

What's God saying through that? What can we learn? And how can we not just think, ah, well, whatever.

So whatever scandal.

So Pastor so-and-so raped, yeah, no big deal. Because we don't hold to that. We know that leaders have to be held to a high standard. Yeah, that's tough. That's another great question.

I'm actually working on a commentary right now on the Book of Kings, and one of the problems I'm working through is how. David is basically viewed very positively. And, you know, it talks about David completely. Completely walking with the Lord. It's a little bit like the perspective of Chronicles, like you just laid out.

David completely walked with the Lord. Oh, except in the matter of Goliath. You know, there's this little. little brief comment and you're like, wait, what's up with that?

So I I think um You know, that's it's that's it's hard. Hard, and it is hard. I think Chronicles and Kings need to be read in light of Samuel, as you said just a minute ago. Um Samuel does portray him very negatively. I I'm named after David.

So, you know, that's He's my namesake, and so I feel a bond with him. Um but I also think Uh you know, scripture was did not gloss over what he did. At the end? He repented. Yes.

And he made it very clear to Nathan, first of all. And then he writes this Psalm, Psalm 51. And that's connected to the incident. you know, with Bathsheba. And He was a man of repentance.

And so he was a man after God's own heart. But he was A man that was very that fell hard in the in the realm of um um sexual misconduct, we'll just call it that generically, and then obviously orchestrating the murder of Uriah. But He repented. He repented to Nathan. He repented in Psalm 51.

And I think it's in light of that repentance. that we can say, okay, Chronicles and Kings. um doesn't feel like they need to dwell in that. Chronicles and Kings need to continue to be read in light. It's part of the bigger story, and the story in Samuel is part of David's story as well.

Yeah, and amen to every point. Samuel does tell us plainly the horrific consequences of David's sin.

So you're reading the whole body, not just reading one book.

So just like some of the Gospels tell us things that the others don't.

So, on the one hand, we see the terrible consequences of sin, so we learn from that. And we see even in a decline in David's authority or kingship, the struggles that follow. We see the depth of his repentance, his immediate repentance in 2 Samuel 12, and then articulated as Psalm 51. The superscription tells us to read that against the backdrop of David's sins.

So we see the intensity of his repentance. But now we see God the Redeemer. The Psalms are in the Bible. David's name outside of Jesus is mentioned more than any human being that walked on the earth over a thousand times. And King says nothing, and Chronicles almost nothing in terms of the negative.

So there is this incredible redemptive message.

So there's no way you could think, ah, no big deal if there's a scandal. No, that scandal could destroy everything. Your ministry may never be the same again. And yet, There is redemption with repentance. There is redemption with repentance.

And again, it's just complicated. There's the judgment of God, there's the repentance of God, but then, as you say, the consequences are severe and look what happens The text doesn't always say Ooh, what Amnon does, or what Adonijah does, or what Absalom does, is directly, the text doesn't always directly make that link. But I think for those of us that know the story, we can see that some of the problems that David has with his oldest son Amnon and then with his son Absalom and then with Adonijah. do seem to be connected. And I just think that the wages of sin are death.

Now, sometimes God. You know, when to repentant sinners, God will show mercy. But the reality is There were just some natural implications and consequences to what David had done and that the paths that David chose. And that's tragic, but that's reality. Yeah, so the lessons are learned.

And yet, the whole theme always is God the Redeemer. And of course, Solomon, in an exaggerated way, then. Carries out some of the sexual sins of his father. Hey, David, can you share for whom you're writing the King's Commentary? Um, yeah, I'm running it for um for Zondervan in the the Story of God commentary series.

Ah, okay. And it probably won't come out for a couple of years. But I'm seeing great things. I always love to study God's Word, and Kings is kind of one of my books. You know, I pushed hard.

I did the Jeremiah commentary in the revised EBC. And exposed his Bible commentary, and they were real strict. They were going to put the whole thing out at the same time, the whole series. And I pushed to get my commentary in on time, and then it was five years before it was released because the guy writing Lamentations dropped out, and then another guy had to take it on. And then, but they let me put some updates in.

So, and I'm just finishing for Hendrickson at Job commentary.

So, we enjoy, it looks like the challenging text, but really a delight to speak with you, and thank you. These books are helping a lot of people, they really are. God bless you. Thank you for allowing me to just... You bet.

God bless. All right.

What a joy to talk to David Lamb today on this Memorial Day. 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.

Welcome, welcome to this live Memorial Day. Broadcast. Eight six six. 342. You know, I'm giving out the phone number, but I want to share a few things rather than take calls now.

Again, My heartfelt appreciation to all of our veterans and families of veterans on this. Memorial Day, as we come your way live. Thoroughly enjoyable interview with author David Lamb. Took some very interesting calls in the first hour. See also Some very special programming this entire week, the rest of this week, and Monday and Tuesday of next week.

I do hope that you will catch every single broadcast And I believe you're going to be richly blessed and edified. Let me tell you what's coming your way. This is going to be a very special sharathon, so, six consecutive days. We are going to be sharing with you. Edifying stories, testimonies of lives changed.

Some phone calls that have come in to the line of fire that will literally move you to tears. Um letters that we've received from people who've been touched. You're going to be encouraged. You're going to be blessed. Your own heart is going to be warmed.

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And then, of course, we try to raise support from our listeners. This is not a fundraising program. This is a program to edify you, bless you, and help you, and equip you, and challenge you, and strengthen you, and answer your questions, and help you to be prepared to do God's will in an effective way in this day and age. And we're gratified by the thank yous that come our way, literally, day and night. That being said We have never received enough support from our listeners to meet the needs of the radio broadcast and allow us to expand beyond that.

So, as I'm out speaking and preaching, and offerings are received for our ministry that, of course, doesn't go in my pocket, that goes back into our radio outreach and our other outreaches that we do in supporting our missionaries around the world. And we had a period of time where a businessman with great prosperity in his business helped supplement things, and where we weren't being supported by you or listeners, we were being helped by this gentleman. And then he came under real, real severe attack in his company. Legal fees cost him millions of dollars. He's been unable to give her support the last year plus.

So that just means that we need each of you who can to step up to the plate. That's all. And if you've been blessed by the broadcast, all this week were to give you an opportunity to be a blessing back. And to say, hey, I've been blessed by the broadcast. It's helped me, it's helped my family.

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So we have a special thank you gift that we're sending out, a gift of appreciation. It's normally sent out to Jewish inquirers. We don't have this as an item you can buy. It is my mini book on seven secrets of the real Messiah. You will find it to be eye-opening.

It distills several decades of study. All together into one mini book, Seven Secrets of the Real Messiah. That's my thank you gift for your gift of any size. Because it's Memorial Day, we don't have our normal phone number that you can call operative, but you can go online, go to ask Dr. Brown, A-S-K-D-R-Brown.org, just click on donate.

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So go to the website, ask drbrown.org, askdrbrown.org. Just click on donate. And again, your gift of any size, you don't have to request it. We will automatically send out Seven Secrets of the Real Messiah. You know what?

I'm going to rapid fire respond to a question from Arlo. What does God have to say to his people about Sharia law and invasion of Muslims?

Well, Sharia law is something that we firmly oppose, that we believe is destructive in many, many ways and oppresses many people. And if Muslims are invading somewhere, we need to have our eyes open and our borders secure, because that could be dangerous. If Muslims are legitimately seeking refuge and themselves are fleeing from terror, and want to assimilate it into our society, then But two, with all the weather going on, volcanoes, earthquakes, etc., why is God reassuring me not to fret and stay where I am in the Kootenaise of BC, Canada?

Well, there's always bad weather, there's always natural disaster, and there's no place that's perfectly safe. The place that's safe is in the Lord.

So if the Lord says fear not, then fear not. What does God want us to do about all the radiation floating around the world? Use wisdom to do our best to prevent. growing radiation issues. Use wisdom in terms of our personal lifestyles as much as we can, and otherwise pray for protection and safety.

I know that we're not of this world, but we do live in it along with our families. His word declares to resist evil, though flee. I've been asking, and all I get is stay calm, don't fret. You'll see the hand of God working on your behalf. Yeah, the evil that we resist, it says.

Resist the devil, and hopefully. We ourselves flee from sexual immorality and things like that. We resist the devil and hell flee.

So we resist him, we honor the Lord, we resist the devil, and he does flee. And And God does keep us in the midst of tribulation and challenge. I'm a very disciplined believer, not afraid for myself. I walk where I please. I'm led as I'm led.

How can one stand by and see God's judgment among the people? we love and live with. We grieve over it. We pray for them. We agonize as we see people suffering the consequence of their sin.

We call them to repent, we offer them salvation. And when God judges the wicked, say if He judges ISIS, we know That although they die in sin, that he's done good in judging them. Why have I not seen more Christians speaking up about these issues? Hey, there are a lot, a lot, a lot of Oh, a lot of issues. to speak about and not everyone is going to major on the same ones.

But by all means, we do not want to live with our head in the sands. All right, how's that for rapid fire answers to your questions? Again, I hope you have a great Memorial Day tomorrow. You're going to hear a very, very special broadcast. I believe a memorable broadcast.

And pray for me. I am beginning a journey to Italy, and we'll be giving you live updates from Italy during the week as well. My bottom line: Jesus is Lord, not just sometimes, but all times. Bow down to Him. Yeah.