Getting Back to the Bible: America's Only Hope

It is true that America is in dire condition today, but I have the solution. We get back to biblical principles and the nation can be transformed. 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 866-34TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

I read an article today by Dennis Prager, leading Jewish conservative thinker and radio host. And he basically said America's never been in worse condition than it is now. It's lost more lives, and for example, the Civil War and other wars in our history, and we've had more riots and things like that. But in terms of rejecting the fundamental principles on which the nation has been built, we've never been in worse shape. And he articulates those things very well, very clearly.

And he doesn't end on a positive note. He ends saying, Look, we're going to fight, but it's bad. I've got positive news for you in the midst of the darkness. There is a solution, and I believe Dennis Prager would agree with that solution. It's going to take supernatural help.

But America can be changed. Michael Brown, welcome to the broadcast. Here's the number to call: 866-348-7884. That's 866-34TRUTH. It's really, really simple.

We get back to the foundations that made America great. We've always been a flawed nation. We've always been an imperfect nation, but we have been a nation that has excelled in many ways, that has led the world in many ways, and that has been a hope for the world on a certain level, despite our flaws and our failings. But we are so far from our foundations now that many think there's no way back. It's like the cancer has spread through the body and it's too late to arrest its progress.

That's how it looks. That's how it feels in the natural, but God. And I'm not just speaking abstractly here. If we can get back. to biblical principles.

on which our nation was founded. Our nation was not a theocracy. It was a democratic republic. It is a democratic republic. It's not a theocracy where religious leaders enforce their religious views on the nation.

And it is carried out by force, and it is not a democratic process. And there is no objecting to it. You have to submit to it or face the consequences. America is not founded as a nation, as a theocracy. But the biblical principles that empowered us, the principles of freedom, the principles of liberty, the principles of the dignity of every human being, the self-evident God-given rights.

That are again God-given, not man-created, but God-given. They're the foundation of our nation. And if we get back to the wisdom of the word, and that starts with us. That starts with God's people rediscovering the Word. That starts with God's people rediscovering the wisdom of the Word.

That starts with God's people getting a fresh hunger for the Word, diving into the Word, living by the Word. That's the key for America's transformation.

Now, I've got a lot of interesting things to share with you, some concerning, weighty things, but ultimately with hope. And I want to look to the wisdom of the word in every area of life. But if you have a question for me, about the Bible. I don't mean how do we interpret this verse? But a question about the Bible.

A question about separation of church and state in America. Question about Interpreting the book. How do we interpret scripture? How do we answer some of the difficult objections that are raised against the Bible? What about the biblical languages, biblical translations today?

If you have a question along any of those lines, so again, not just, I'm trying to reconcile the Trinity with this. No, no, not that. Or do the dietary laws apply to us? No, those are great questions for a Friday. But today, Our focus is on the Word of God itself, in which are hidden The treasures of God's wisdom.

In fact, in Jesus hanging there. in full display on the cross. but a stumbling block to the world. In Jesus are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and they're revealed to us through. The word.

By the way, Do you know about the old Deluder act? 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. This is my commandment. This is my commandment that you love one another, that you joy. Maybe for me, this is my commandment that you love one another, that you joy. You know, it seems so simple.

Oh yeah, you love one another, that your joy may be full. but there is a profound depth to the Word of God. There is a profound depth to the truth of Scripture. It is often not apparent. When you look at it at the surface level, it's often not apparent.

You have to dig. You have to dig. And that's often the way it is with things that are worthy. Leonard Ravenhill pointed out to me many years ago that in First Corinthians three it likens our works, or especially those building on the foundation of Jesus, be it church planters or other leaders, it likens our works to wood, hay, or stubble, Or gold, silver, or precious stones, and it says that the fire will test what manner of work. It is.

And he pointed out to me that wood, hay, and stubble are found in abundance. Woodhay and stubble are found in abundance above the ground. Gold, silver, precious stones, what makes them precious, what makes them valuable, is you've got to dig for them, you've got to look for them, they are rare, and that's why they are costly. There is wisdom in the word, and we must dig. 866-34-TRUTH is the number to call.

Now When We look at American history. The colonies were much more religious than America as a whole when the nation became a nation. And Even though a lot of those foundations were still there, and the Bible was widely used in American education, the colonies were. Based on particular religious persuasions.

So you could have, if you had, say, for example, a Baptist colony. Or Catholic colony, or whatever it might be, that that colony could be even more. True to its religious beliefs, and everyone in the colony expected to live by those things. But again, it's the colonies that were the foundation for America as a whole. And that's why the founding fathers agreed on the importance of religion and morality if America was to be a free country.

Now look, you give certain freedom to a twelve-year-old that you don't give to a six-year-old. And perhaps you go out, mom and dad go out for a few hours, and you've got a 13-year-old, you leave the 13-year-old at home, no problem.

So long as the kid's a responsible kid, you leave the kid home, no problem. You leave the kid home at three. You broken the law.

Well, the same way the founders understood that in order to have any type of freedom and liberty that would be based on our constitution, we had to be a religious and moral people, otherwise, it would not function. Again, a theocracy is different. A theocracy is like Iran. A theocracy is like what ISIS is trying to establish, where they say these are the rules, these are the laws, and everybody must live by those, and clergy, unelected clergy, are going to enforce those things, and like it or not, everyone has to live by them. This is not how America was founded.

This is not what God intended for America.

However, What we must understand is that if we go back to biblical principles, it was on these principles that our nation was founded. And and and Those of us who are familiar with Scripture must dig again and rediscover the beauty and the wisdom of Scripture. And we must help the younger generation, which is much less interested in the Bible than the older generation. We must help them. Dig in deeper.

We must help them experience the beauty and the wisdom of God's word. And then, as people begin to live by scripture and conduct their lives based on scripture, we can really see transformation come in. America. 866-34TRUTH. Before I go to the phones, the Old Deluder Act.

It dates back to 1647. Are you familiar with it? Right here in America. It was a law passed by the Puritan leaders of the colony of Massachusetts. To ensure that children received a proper education.

Why?

So that they would be able to read the Bible. thus making them into good citizens. This was the colony of Massachusetts. passed this bill in 1647. And who was the old deluder?

Satan himself. The full name was Ye Old Deluder Satan Act. And I'm going to read it to you in updated English. It being one chief project of that old deluder Satan to keep men from the knowledge of the Scriptures, as in former times by keeping them in an unknown tongue in other words, they were not translated in the language of the people, and therefore only the educated clergy could read it, and therefore oppress the people if they chose to. and and keep biblical knowledge away from the people if they chose to.

So In these latter times By persuading from the use of tongues, so that at least the true sense and meaning of the original might be clouded and corrupted with false glosses of saints seeming deceivers. and to the end that learning may not be buried in the grave of our forefathers in church and commonwealth, the Lord assisting our endeavours, it is therefore ordered that every township in this jurisdiction after the LORD hath increased them to fifty households, shall forthwith appoint one within their town, to teach all such children as shall resort to him to write and read. whose wages shall be paid either by the parents or masters of such children, or by the inhabitants in general, by way of supply, as the major part of those that order the prudentials of the town shall appoint provided those that send their children be not oppressed by paying much more than they can have them taught for in other towns And it is further ordered that when any town shall increase to the number of one hundred families or householders, they shall set up a grammar school. the master thereof being able to instruct youths so far as they may be fitted for the university, provided that if any town neglect the performance hereof above one year, that every such town shall pay five pounds to the next schools till they shall perform this order. Why?

So that Young people will be able to read the Bible. That's why they established education. And that's why our universities were established with these same goals: be it Harvard, be it Yale. via Columbia. The majority of our first universities, colleges, were founded to train people for ministry.

Or to train Christians to be productive citizens in society. and reading scripture in chapel, these were required. The founding of our universities. That's how different things were in the past.

Now, are we going to have it mandatory? Every student at Harvard has to read the Bible tell. Yeah, right. But we can start with us. We can start being people of the word and diving in and ordering our whole lives by the wisdom of the word.

It can bring about cultural change. 866-34-TRUTH. We go to Brooklyn, New York. Robert, welcome to the line of fire. Hi, Michael Brown.

How are you? Doing very well, thank you. Yeah, I have a debate with this co-worker at work. He follows a man called Les Seldink. I don't know if you heard of him.

No, I'm not familiar with him. What's what's less celebrated teach?

Okay, he teaches that, like, you know, this man doesn't follow the Old Testament. He don't follow the four books of the of the Gospel of, you know, Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John. He says that's for the Jew. He pretty much he follows Paul's grace. Paul's basically he starts from Romans to But they're mine.

I know how to say the, you know, anyway, he calls most of Paul. He goes, that's he goes, that's the Gentile. All the stuff from the Old Testament and the four books of the gospel, Jesus was talking about the Jews. Paul's talking about grace. But he's pretty much.

pretty much follows poor. I'm like, I just. Yeah, well, yeah, he doesn't follow Paul. Yeah, he needs to read my book, Hyper Grace. Hyper Grace Demolishes.

That mentality completely demolishes it. And demolishes the idea that the Old Testament is not relevant for today, or that the words of Jesus are not relevant for today. Look, Paul himself. Bases truth after truth after truth on what's written in the Old Testament. Paul himself says 2 Timothy 3.16.

That scripture is inspired by God and is useful for us. What's he talking about? The only scripture that existed then is what we call the Old Testament. Paul himself, Romans 15, 4, He says that everything that was written before was written for us. Speaking of the Old Testament, Paul in 1 Corinthians 10, verses 1 through 11, lays out that what happened to Israel is a message and lesson for the church.

If you take out Paul's citations from the Old Testament, it's like cutting out the first floor of a house, and the second floor is going to collapse when you do. And the idea that we don't go by the gospels, the great commission is to go and make disciples. And according to Matthew 28, 19, that means teaching them to observe everything that Jesus taught.

So, this is just another heretical view. These things surface from time to time, but I would really challenge them to read my book, Hyper Grace. It will absolutely demolish that view. And then just hold into what Paul said because Paul bases things explicitly. Explicitly.

On what is written in what we call the Old Testament. Thank you for the call. Angel World. Give us strict 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. Welcome back, friends, to the line of fire 866-348-7. 884, the scriptures, getting back to the scriptures, getting back to the word of God.

That is our foundation. And if we start in the church, the hidden wisdom, The incredible truths, the the eye opening. Wonders of God, and we dig and we say, Okay, okay, look, this is our roadmap. Picture it. You're in a life and death situation.

You only have enough fuel to make the right turn. You're going to die in the desert, otherwise, you've got the map in front of you. You're trying to sort it out. And do we turn this way or this way? It's hard to say.

You look at it and you study it. Because it's life and death, all the more is it life and death with the Word of God. And if you'll look in Proverbs chapters 2. And three and four. It's saying dig.

Big. study. Look. Everything that you need for life and godliness is found there. Everything you need to raise a family is found there.

Everything you need to have wisdom for business is found there. I remember some years ago. Where the Lord gave me insight into areas where I needed to grow in my own life and how to deal with flesh in my own life. That when I went back to Proverbs, suddenly it was shouting at me. things that I ha I had seen superficially before.

Now ah, now I get it now I see it But a lot of these things are not on the surface. And think of it, most things are of real value. in life, in ministry, In personal growth, in vocational excellence, most things do not just come because they're sitting on the surface, they come. because we dig deep. We dig deep.

866-34-TRUTH. I'm going to go to the phones momentarily, but check this out.

Some of the Some of the early foundations of America. Oh, let's see here. Um New Haven Code of sixteen fifty five. The purpose of education is to equip children quote to be able duly to read the scriptures. and in some competent measure to understand the main grounds and principles of Christian religion necessary to salvation.

And if you want citizens to be good citizens, they need to know the Bible. This was. one of our colony's codes. Yeah, imagine that. Imagine that being introduced today into the Department of Education saying we want everyone to know the scriptures well and to understand the foundations of the gospel.

Yeah, so I mean Look at this. There was a list of books that were objected to in public schools and libraries. In other words, parents were upset that certain books were in public schools and libraries, and some of the books included Pornographic book, 50 Shades of Gray. John Green's looking for Alaska. Citing offensive language and sexual content, two boys kissing.

A transgender picture book. You know the the sixth most objected to book in public schools and libraries? Where Parents said this shouldn't be in the public school or the library. The Bible! The Bible.

Do you want to know why America is as messed up as it is today?

Well, that should tell you. 866-348-786. Eight eight four. Let's go to Eliana in Clinton, Maryland. Thanks for.

calling the line of fire. Hi, Dr. Brown. I'm Shelliana. How are you?

Good. Nice to hear from you. I know, it's been a while. Your granddaughter must be a really big lady. I mean, yeah, I always remember Eliana from Clinton.

Yeah, so our Eliana is 15. She's got her passport. She's going to Italy with me at the end of the month with her cousin. And she's about to get her driver's permit. Yeah, that's serious.

That's serious. Yeah. Oh, my goodness. Scary, but but serious. But it it's interesting.

Anyway, I I was calling because, you know, I when you talk about America getting, you know, can get better, and you're right, you have the absolute solution. There's no question about that. But when I think about the scripture, when I think about what Ishua taught about it being like the days of Noah in the end and what Shaul taught about how he wasn't going to come back until there was a falling away, et cetera, et cetera, I would love to have your optimism. But I need you to tell me how. I mean, everything in the scripture seems to say that things are just going to get worse.

They're going to get worse before they get better. And what you seem to look for. Yeah, Eliana, just cut out at the end there. But yes, I'm asked from time to time where my optimism comes from. And I have to say it's something that God has put within me.

In other words, I don't try to psych myself up. The few times when I really do feel down and discouraged Aside from just laying down and resting a little bit, if I'm tired, I pour my heart out to God. And almost always, just out of my time with him, I come away encouraged. First, let me give you a few scriptures to look at in terms of a biblical perspective. 1 John, the second chapter.

1 John chapter 2 gives us this perspective. It says Oh, let me just scroll down. Here we go. As John says, I'm writing a new commandment to you, which is true in him and you, because the darkness is 1 John 2:8, the darkness is passing away. and the true light is already shining.

The true light is already shiny.

So that's something that's in my heart. The darkness is passing. When I see an atheist rally or something like that, I feel bad for them. Because whatever success they have is short-lived, and it's not ever real success, because they're denying truth and they're missing out on God's eternal life. Romans 13:12, the night is far gone, the day is at hand.

So let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. In other words, I'm not Concentrating on the darkness around us. I'm looking at it, I'm responding to it, but I'm concentrating on the light that is already shining and the glimmer of dawn that's here. Also, there are parables Jesus gave, like Matthew 13, the wheat and the tares, in which the tares are pulled out first, and then the wheat is there. The righteous will shine like the sun on that day after the wicked are judged.

So I know ultimately God's kingdom is going to triumph. And when Jesus says, as it was in the days of Noah, it doesn't necessarily mean as bad as it was, although it could be. It means that everyone was going on with their normal business. They're just going on with their normal business, and then suddenly. Boom, the end.

Then. Unexpectedly, the rain starts to fall. They didn't listen to the warnings. That's all it could mean going on with normal life. But not only so, God's put promises in my heart.

of things I will live to see. And I've seen a number of them happen already, and they're massive, and they seem impossible. And with all my heart, I believe that there's going to be a gospel-based moral and cultural revolution in America. I don't know how low we'll fall. I don't know how bad things will get.

But I firmly Believe that. And that fuels my optimism. And Jesus is Lord. Hey friends, my new book, The Grace Controversy, is now available. The Grace Controversy answers to 12 common questions on grace, now available.

You can purchase it online or at your favorite Christian bookstore. 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 are 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.

Okay. 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. Thanks for joining us on the line of fire, 866-348-7884. Back to the word. Back to the scriptures.

You know, a lot of people are unfamiliar with the wisdom of the word because they know basic Christian doctrine. Jesus died for our sins, rose from the dead. But they don't understand that wisdom for life is found in the Word. They don't understand that principles of family rearing are found in the Word. Principles of work ethics are found in the word, and principles of generosity and compassion.

And as these principles have spread around the world, the world has been changed. Different scholars have documented this. As the Bible, as people have become literate in Scripture and more familiar with Scripture, it's had a positive life-transforming impact on society. In fact, Just the concept that human beings are created in the image of God. Life Giving.

Principle. An extraordinary life-giving principle. And it makes sacred life beginning in the womb. And it makes sacred the life of the elderly, and it makes sacred the life of the outcast. It doesn't mean all behaviors are right, it doesn't mean all actions are right.

That doesn't mean all attitudes are right. But if we are created in the image of God, just that concept. Can have a life-transforming effect on a society. In fact, I'll give you some examples of that. 866-34TRUTH, Westgrove, Pennsylvania.

Enoch, welcome to the line of fire. Hello, Doctor Brown.

So I first, I wanted to say that I really appreciate your ministry and what you do. I have a number of your books, and I really enjoy them. Um I also had a question though. I'm a fan of Joseph Prince. I like watching his broadcast and reading his books.

So I read I got your book, Hyper Grace, from the Christian Bookstore. And was very intrigued by it.

So I read that through and thought you made a lot of good points. But I did have one question for you. I wanted to ask: do you believe that? a believer can be born again Again So like do you believe uh believer could fall away and then Get resaved.

Well, yeah, I believe what Scripture says on that. that it is possible for someone to turn away from the Lord and be lost. but that it's possible for someone who's lost to turn back. to the Lord.

So, for example, 2 Peter, the 2 chapter, tells us that those who once knew the Lord. and turn away and deny him or in worse shape than they were before.

Now if they're still saved, If they still go to heaven, If they still have eternal life, then they're obviously not in worse shape than they were before, before they ever knew the Lord. 2 Peter 2 tells us that those that once knew the Lord. And then turn away from him and deny him, it's worse for them. than it was at the beginning. And it's like a dog returning to its vomit.

On the other hand, We have scriptures like the prodigal son. Or we have scripture like the end of James, Jacob, the fifth chapter. They tell us if someone turns away. and another person is able to bring them back. that will save a soul from death And cover a multitude of sins.

And by the way, if the hypergrace message was true, I'll tell you what, stay there, and we'll continue on the other side of the break. Shake the nation, change the world, change the world. God of light, hear our cry, send us 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 866-34-TRUTH. My simple, simple message today. For America to turn around, for America to recover what made us great in the past.

We must get back to what made us good. And that is the principles of scripture. Based on those principles, we have liberty, we have freedom, we have dignity as human beings, we have the things that have helped America be as strong a nation as it could be. All right, back to Enoch in Westgrove, Pennsylvania. By the way, the reason I took a hypergrace call today, it wasn't directly related to our subject of just putting scripture first, but with my new book, The Grace Controversy, coming out today, I thought it'd be appropriate.

So let's take a look. Enoch at the end of Jacob, James, the fifth chapter, and it says this: My brothers, So, brothers, talking about brothers and sisters, my brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth. and someone brings him back, Let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death. and we'll cover a multitude of sins.

So that demolishes a number of hyper-grace truths right there. I appreciate the many excellent things Joseph Prince says, and pointing people to Jesus and pointing people to their standing in Him. I really do appreciate that. But at the same time, there are serious errors, which is why I've addressed them. Notice number one that someone could turn away and be lost.

Right, whoever brings a sinner back from his wandering will save his soul from death. Notice also, and will cover a multitude of sins.

Now, if hypergrace was true, and this person was once in the truth, Then their future sins were already forgiven.

So, no matter what they did, those future sins were already forgiven. Whereas James here tells us that no, if someone. They have wandered from the truth, they turn back, this will cover a multitude of sins.

Okay, so My my only question is then, um, what about Hebrews six Four to six, it says. Um And by an enlightened taste of the heavenly gift, Partakers of Holy Spirit and Taste to the good word of God and the powers of the age should come, and then having fallen away, it's impossible to renew them again to repentance. since they again crucified to themselves the Son of God and put into open shame. Yeah. The first thing is that also demolishes hypergrace because it says it's possible for someone to turn away.

Hypergrace. Right, right.

Okay. Right.

So that is the one passage in the entire Bible. Which seems to indicate that those who fall away can never turn back.

So, because we have verse after verse after verse throughout the Old Testament and throughout the new, saying, Turn back, turn back, turn back, and Revelation chapters 2 and 3, Jesus rebuking five of the congregations in Asia Minor and saying, Turn back or else, but if you turn back, you'll be forgiven, you'll be restored, right? That this has raised many questions to interpreters.

Some say that. That's what it actually means is those who tasted of things but were never really in the family of God. I don't read it like that. But if it meant that once someone turned away, they could never come back, then how do we explain the verses we just read in James, Jacob, the fifth chapter? How do we explain the prodigal son?

How do we explain the lessons of Israel that God says, turn back and I'll forgive and be merciful? My best way of understanding this is that he's talking to Jewish believers who thought they could deny the Messiah. They could go back under the law. They had forgiveness through the sacrificial system and things like that, and they didn't need the Messiah. And as long as they are in that state, They are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm, holding him in contempt.

And in that state, there is no repentance. See, in their mind, they have repentance. They have repentance, and God will forgive their sins. A traditional Jew today feels that he has repentance if he turns to God in true repentance, that God will forgive, and that he doesn't need a blood sacrifice of any kind. That's what a traditional Jew would believe today.

And it would seem that some were feeling, okay, we still have repentance. We can still go to God. We don't need Jesus. We don't need his sacrifice. And Hebrews is saying, if that's your mindset, if you've fallen away and you are now in that state of mind, there is no repentance there outside of the Messiah.

And you are now crucifying once again the Son of God to your own harm.

So as long as you are in that mindset, there is no repentance. That, to me, makes the best sense there.

Okay. Well, thank you very much, Dr. Brown. I have to go now, but thank you very much for taking my call. You bet.

Thanks for the great questions, and keep digging in the word. Honoring the Lord and get every good thing you can from every good teacher, but sift everything by scripture. All right, God bless you. 866-34-TRUTH.

So let me give you some examples. of the transforming effect that Scripture has had, On Uh On history. on nations. That, as the word of God became better known in a culture, As more and more people read the scriptures. As more people became familiar with the revelation of God's word, that in the process, That Uh what happened was societal change.

This idea, well, it's primitive. You're Bronze Age god. It's primitive. And no. Yeah.

That's the way the world looks at things. The history tells us differently. Oh, yeah, you always have abuses. You had some abuses with the colonies, you know, and the Salem witch trials. But these are the things that the mockers talk about day and night, rather.

Than the positive life-giving change that happened as a whole. It would almost be like. I I advertise to the whole world, thus and such hospital, that treats, let's say it treats 10,000 patients a year. In the last twenty years, three people died because of. problems with the anesthesiology.

And Four people died because of the doctor performing the wrong procedure, etc. You should stay away from this hospital.

Well, that's tragic when that happens. And of course, there's malpractice which goes as far as it can to compensate people where they can be compensated or families to the extent that they can be. But The real stats would be at this hospital. Tens of thousands of lives were saved. Without this hospital, all these people would have been dead and others would be in terrible pain and debilitated to this day.

But through the fine medical care there, this and this and this and this and this has happened. The same with seat belts. We could give the stats About people who got trapped in a burning vehicle and couldn't get out because the seatbelt fused. The seatbelt got stuck. The seatbelt was burned and they they couldn't get out.

Yeah, that's horrific and terrible. But when you compare that to the amount of lives saved by the seatbelt, it is day and night. How many people die in automobile accidents every year? That's a high number.

So, do we then get? automobiles off the road. And we're going to go back to horse and buggy ambulances and things like that? Obviously not.

So it's the same with the scripture. The scriptures have been abused, the scriptures have been misused, the scriptures have been misread, misinterpreted, but when rightly read, when rightly understood, when rightly interpreted. It has brought about Life. transformation on a societal level.

So Um here is a note About uh Let's see, the time of Queen Elizabeth I. 1558-1603, historian John Richard Greene. explained how Elizabeth might silence or tune the pulpits. But it was impossible for her to silence or tune the great preachers of justice and mercy and truth who spoke from the book with the Lord again opened to the people. Meaning b because it was translated into English.

The effect of the Bible in this way was simply amazing. the whole temper of the nation was changed. a new conception of life and man superseded the old. a new moral and religious impulse spread through every class. Uh We could give lots of other examples, but this is the reality.

Here, even the concept of. Uh Christians being leaders in medicines. medicine and the building of hospitals. As C. Ben Mitchell, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Graves Professor of Moral Philosophy at Union University, points out, Christians have been leaders in medicine and the building of hospitals because their founder, Jesus of Nazareth, healed the sick during his ministry on earth.

The early church not only endorsed medicine but championed care for the sick. Another medical historian, H.E. Segorist, it remained for Christianity to introduce the most revolutionary and decisive change in the attitude of society toward the sick. Christianity came into the world as the religion of healing, as the joyful gospel of the Redeemer and of redemption. It addressed itself to the disinherited, to the sick and afflicted, and promised them healing.

a restoration both spiritual And physical. Thus it became the duty of the Christians to attend to the poor and the sick of the community. Why?

Because of Jesus. Because of the idea of the value and dignity of every human being, and because of the Son of God's example of compassion towards the sick and the suffering, this now infused the Christian faith with that same compassion, leading to the building of hospitals and the developing of medical science. Why?

Because God's love is manifest through His people. That's part of the word affecting society. Ain't the world O God of burning, cleansing flames. Yeah. 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. Welcome, welcome to the line of fire.

This is Michael Brown, and I am delighted as always to be with you. 866-348-7884. I want to read to you from Proverbs a little. All right, I just want to immerse you with the word. If you're driving in your car, if you're home with the kids, if you are jogging, who did I hear from the other day?

Bass fishing, wherever you are, whether you're working out in the weight room. Whatever you're doing, let me bathe you with the word and share some thoughts with you. Proverbs chapter 2 My son If you receive my words, and treasure up my commandments with you. making your ear attentive to wisdom. and inclining your heart to understanding.

If you call out for insight. And raise your voice for understanding. If you seek it like silver, and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

So look at this. There's attention given to this. You treasure up the commandments. You call out for insight. You raise your voice for understanding.

You seek God. Uh You seek the wisdom of God like silver. and you search for it as for hidden treasures. Then you'll understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom.

See, he gives it. But he gives it to who? To the hungry? and to the thirsty, From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright.

He is a shield to those who walk in integrity.

Okay, so then get to the third chapter. My son, Do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments for length of days and years of life, and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.

so you will find favour and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make straight your path. Just amazing, amazing scriptures.

Verse thirteen: Blessed. Truly happy is the one who finds wisdom. and the one who gets understanding for the gain from her is better than gain from silver. and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.

Long life is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and Honor. Verse 18: She's a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. You've got to grab hold. Those who hold her fast are called blessed.

Let's go down to the fourth chapter. Hear, O sons, the father's instructions. And be attentive that you may gain insight. For I give you good precepts. Do not forsake my teaching.

When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, he was a He taught me and said to me, let your heart hold fast my words. Keep my commandments and live. Get wisdom. Get insight. Do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

Do not forsake her, and she will keep you. Love her. and she will guard you. The beginning of wisdom is this get wisdom And whatever you get, Get insight. Prize her highly.

And she will exalt you. She she will exalt you. She will honor you. if you embrace her. It's the seeking, it's the digging.

It's the same God, open my eyes, open my heart. It's the spending of quality time with God and His Word. Can I suggest a little test for you to do? Can I? Here's what you do.

You take out your Bible, however, you have it, whatever form on your cell phone, tablet, computer, or the physical Bible. Yes, sometimes that's the best to do of all. If you're able, unless you have some health issue, Get down on your knees by your bedside. or wherever you have a good private place to go. Get down by your knees, on your knees.

If you can't do that, if you have to just get alone in your car, sitting there one day or sitting in your chair. Take out Psalm 119. And read it. Out Loud. Psalm 119 Out loud.

And as you're reading it, Ask yourself, Is is this how I feel? Is is this Is this really my heart? As you talk about how much you love the words, you talk about how the words of God's mouth are more precious to you than thousands of pieces of silver and gold. I've stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. And on and on, I'll meditate on your precepts, in the way of your testimonies, I delight as much as in all riches.

And on and on. Uh uh As you read it, ask yourself Is is this my heart? I've done that in years past and gotten convicted and said, Lord, this is not my heart. I've drifted from my devotion to your word. I've drifted from my love for your word.

Oh, I'm quoting scripture constantly. I'm using scripture constantly. I'm teaching scripture constantly. But that doesn't mean that our love for the word. Is where it should be, where God desires it to be, where it needs to be.

Remember, Hebrews 11:6. God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Would you do that? Take the Psalm 119 test. Get alone?

Get on your knees if you can, just in that focused, reverential position. Read it out loud. Do it. Trust me. You'll understand why as you read it.

Psalm 119. And as you're reading it, Ask yourself. M I Reflecting the same heart as the psalmist, as I say these words out loud. As I say these wonderful words out loud, even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes, your testimonies are my delight, they are my counselors. Oh.

If you're saying that, you say, I'm a hypocrite, that's not me, then say, God, put a love for your word in my heart. Renew My desire for the word, my love for your word. And if you do, friends, It'll be life-changing. It will be life-changing. By the way, Eliana, if you're still listening in Clinton, Maryland, Another reason for my optimism is I take note of what God is doing.

Around the world he's moving. And here in America, he's moving. And lives are being changed. If you focus on the bad, Without focusing more on what God is doing, it's very discouraging. But in the midst of the bad, if you focus on what God is doing, it will lift your heart, it will encourage you.

And if you focus on the Word, then the Biblical perspective will fill your heart and mind. And with that will come faith. And hope. All right, friends, just a reminder: my new book, The Grace Controversy, is now out. How is it?

that the Hyper Grace message, the same message has helped so many people And hurt so many others. How can that be? Didn't Jesus say a... Good tree can't bear bad fruit, and a bad tree can't bear good fruit. How does that work?

I sorted out in the book. And how does God see us? Is He pleased with us all the time? Does He see us as righteous all the time, holy all the time? I sort that out in the book, The Grace Comes.

Controversy available at your local bookstores or available online, and of course, through our website, Ask Dr. Brown, A-S-K-G-R-Brown.org. My bottom line today. America must return to its foundations, and those foundations are found written in the pages of the Word of God. It is true that America is in dire condition today, but I have the solution.

We get back to biblical principles and the nation can be transformed. 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. If I were to point your finger.

and say this is the number one reason. that America is in such a critical condition today. The media, oh, I could point to the media big time: our entertainment, movies, TV. even the news and what's broadcast and how. Oh yeah, that is certainly affected the way people think and what they believe.

That's massive, massive, massive. And there are many other things we could point to. In terms of the ultimate cause of why America is in the state that it's in, but ultimately, My answer would be It's the failure of the church to be salt and light. And that means the failure of the leaders to equip us to be salt and light.

So ultimately, I would put the Corrupt. morally bankrupt. Standing on the precipice of destruction, state of America. I would put the responsibility for that at the feet. of people like me.

In other words, leaders in the body. Preachers, teachers, pastors, leaders. That we have failed to raise our voices. We have failed to get people really into scripture. We have failed to call people to really be disciples.

And if we did, America would look different. The good news is it's not too late. And the same ones who've been part of America's failing can be part of America's restoration. This is Michael Brown, and you're listening to. The line of fire, 866-34-TRUTH.

If you have a question about the Bible, Not about a specific verse like you call in on a Friday, or what's the Jewish background to this, like you call in on a Thursday to ask, but you know, how did we get the Bible? Or what translation of the Bible should I use? And how I created translations from the biblical languages. What about separation of church and state? How much role should the Bible have in our society?

I'm happy to take those kinds of questions today as we talk about our need to get back to the word and to live out what is written in the word as opposed to our comfortable, easy life, convenience store, Christianity type message. Joey, grab clips number four. And five. I want you to hear something that goes back. To the very year that I came to faith, 1971.

From something that was happening in America that was quite. Unexpected. Clip number four. It started on the west coast. Of the United States around 1967.

All of a sudden, these hippies, these dropouts, these uh many thought the scum of society We're discovering Jesus Christ. Aha, that was Jim Pellisari. Talking about From Milwaukee Jesus People talking about what began to happen, the Jesus People movement. that began in 67 and maybe was at its apex. In 1971.

This is CBS News, Clip Five, speaking about the Jesus movement, nineteen seventy one. Of all the things that have caught on among the young, this is perhaps the most unexpected. A prayer service and baptism by immersion on the Pacific at Santa Monica Beach. In recent years, the more experimental of America's young have gone through Oriental religions and mysticism, long hair and offbeat clothing, drugs and sex.

Now, in surprisingly large numbers, they're turning to Jesus. I was one of them. I was one of them. 1971. Rebel.

Hard hearted shooting heroin using L S D. Living to be a rock star. That was my goal as a 16-year-old hippie rock drummer. What happened? There was a revolution.

A Jesus people movement. The nation was shaken. In many ways, and yet, in other ways, things fell short. What can we learn from it today? 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. Thanks for joining us on the line of fire. Michael Brown, 866-348-7884. It'd be awesome if you could join me in Israel. Uh When we did the trip two years ago, I knew it would be a good trip, a great trip.

I knew it was a good price. But I didn't realize how fabulous the trip would be. As I was on the trip with our tour group, I was calculating things thinking, how, how, How do we get all this? This is a great deal. This is great accommodations, great food, great buffets.

You know, the tours where we went, just thought, wow. This is a way better deal than I thought. And then the way the people were impacted was greater than I was expecting. I thought, man, next time I do this, I'm really going to tell everyone to do their best to get out there.

So if finances are tight, which there are for many, pray. That if God wants you to go make a wait, it's going to be February 25th to March 6th of next year. And so many special things we get to do together.

So go to the website, askdrbrown.org, to find out more.

So Let me go back in time, all right? pollsters in the early sixties. We were very optimistic about the young generation. I've shared this on the radio in the past, but I only learned this within the last maybe two years. that polls that were taken as as late as nineteen sixty two were full of optimism.

for the young generation. They they love authority. You know, the only knock on them is they don't seem to have any real goals outside of just, you know, the typical American dream kind of thing. You know, very much status quo, kind of conforming, but good kids, and employers are going to love them. And within a few years, America is in chaos, and who's leading the chaos?

The young people. They're right in the thick of it. the counterculture revolution of the sixties.

Now what happened? What happened? Well, there was a lot of shaking. On the one hand, there are certain things behind the scenes. that did not get so much attention, nineteen sixty birth control pill.

became legal. Suddenly, it was very easy to separate Uh sex from procreation. of sex for recreation rather than procreation. It's much easier to do that. And women became more free sexually because of that.

They could then choose. that they would use birth control. That was not so widely publicized. 1962, the Supreme Court removed organized public prayer from school, although it had no legal precedent for its ruling. Organized public Bible reading was removed from our schools.

And again, when you look at early American history, not just the colonies. But the 1700s, after the founding of our nation, into the 1800s, well into the middle of the 18th century. or uh the 1800s, the middle of the 19th century. Scripture was being widely, widely used in our school curricula. I I download it.

The New England primer or primer, depending on you pronounce it. That was first published in nineteen in s excuse me, in sixteen ninety. The alphabet was taught using Bible verses for each letter. The prayer contained questions on the moral teachings of the scriptures, children's prayers, the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the shorter catechism, and questions on the Bible by Mr. Cotton.

And it was used for about 200 years in public schools, private schools, home. Parochial schools.

So I downloaded in order to check this out. I downloaded the 1777 edition of the Primer.

So this addition would have been used widely at the time our nation was birthed. And I'm going to have all this material in a new book that'll be coming out next year.

So on the opening page of this 1777, so so this is at the time of the founding of our nation. The opening page is an Isaac Watts hymn. titled A Divine Song of Praise to God for a Child. And it's followed by morning and evening prayers written by Dr. Watts for children.

Can you imagine that being used as a public school textbook today? The outrage, separation of church and state, and so on. No, I'm not saying that we can introduce a book like that. Which is so explicitly Christian in every way, and have that widely used in our public schools. But there are plenty of parts in America where the population is overwhelmingly Christian, where.

The schools could say, hey, we want to have a more Christian curriculum because that's 99% of our students. And where anyone has an issue of faith, they can opt out of certain things. I mean, we have it the opposite today. We have the exact opposite today. That the kids are going to be exposed to the most profane, often anti-God, anti-faith teaching, and they can't opt out.

So In the seventeen seventy seven edition, of the primer. uh after listening listening the pronunciation of letters and words. The first lesson begins with Pray to God. Call no ill names. Love God.

Use no ill words. Fear God. Tell no lies. Serve God. Hate lies.

Take not Uh hang on. Ah, all right. We've got an error here. Take not God's name in vain. speak the truth, spend your time well, Do not swear, love your school, do not steal, mind your book.

Cheat not in your play, strive to learn, play not with bad boys, be not a dunce. Oh, yeah, yeah, just like today's school books. Just like the schools where they They they give out condoms in elementary schools. Yeah. Just like California schools that require The celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender American history to be taught for all students K through 12.

Neither teachers nor students can opt out. Oh yeah! just like today's textbooks. You want to know how American kids learned to read the A B C's in the late seventeen hundreds and beyond? Are you ready?

A and atoms fall? We send all. V. Heaven to mind? The Bible excuse me haven't defined the Bible mind.

See, Christ crucified for sinners die. I shared some of this a few weeks ago on the air. Not as much, but I shared some of these things. It's still jarring. It's still very jarring because These are the principles.

That people lived by. No, America was far from perfect. We understand that. And yes, you had the mockers and the scoffers among uh the population. And yes, there were times of backsliding.

I mean, the early 1700s got so dark that you needed a great awakening to stir people again. But when the founders talked about the the self-evident rights of human beings, it was because everything was founded on the existence of God. And God creating us in His image, and therefore us having dignity and value. And that's why everyone was entitled to life and liberty in pursuit of these things. Oh, let's just see here.

Uh Noah Webster. his eighteen twenty four edition of The Webster's Speller, which I I ordered in have on my it will have on a bookshelf at home now according to Vision Forum, which published a reprint of his eighteen twenty four edition. The great American educator Noel Webster first published a grammatical institute of the English language, otherwise known as the blue-black speller. In seventeen eighty three. His goal was to provide a uniquely American Christ-centered approach to training children.

Many of the founding fathers used this book to home school their children, including Benjamin Franklin. who taught his granddaughter to read, spell, and pronounce words using old blue black, so even someone who was not an Orthodox Christian like Ben Franklin. who in many ways was against traditional religion, He taught his granddaughter to read, spell, and pronounce words using old blue black. Lesson one. Are you ready for lesson one?

in No Webster's Speller. No man may put off the law of God. My joy is in his law all the day. Oh, may I not go the way of sin. Let me not go the way of all ill men.

The last lesson states this: for those boys and girls that mind not their books and love not the church and the school, but play with such as tell tales, tell lies, curse, swear, and steal, they will come to some bad end and must be whipped till they mend their ways.

So, obviously, you have corporal punishment in the schools. Not advocating that. But look at this mentality. Teaching morality. As opposed to The latest sex education class in school, morality is all relative.

Wow, picture kids reading that instead of playing Grand Theft Auto. 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. My very, very simple proposition is: back to the scriptures, back to the scriptures, back to the scriptures. That is the hope for America, back to the scriptures. That is the answer for America's ills. Back to the scriptures.

That is what can turn the nation around. Oh, with life, of course. Not just a dead letter of an intellectual approach to the Bible. But the living word of the living God lived out among God's people here in this world, America will never be the same. You want to deal with debt issues?

The word addresses it. You want to deal with personal discipline issues? The word addresses it. You want to deal with family crisis issues? The word addresses it.

You want to deal with addictions, the word addresses it. Oh, not everything is addressed explicitly. And for those that are not as familiar with the Bible, it's not like you look up, okay, heroin addiction.

Well, the Bible does not explicitly address heroin addiction. But the Bible does explicitly address freedom that we can find in Jesus. It does address how we can crucify the flesh. It does give principles for overcoming where we can lead new lives. And if the sun sets us free, we're free indeed.

It's amazing to see how relevant Scripture is across culture. Across centuries of time. You read things written a thousand years ago and think, what are they saying? It seems so.

So irrelevant to our society. You read things from different cultures today, you think, I don't understand. I don't understand how that culture operates. And then you read scripture, it's oh. That's relevant.

That's clear. That makes sense. That's how that applies to today. It's amazing. The wisdom of God.

If you have a scripture-related question, something about the Bible itself as opposed to interpreting a particular verse, I'm glad to talk with you today on the air. Let me get back to something I mentioned earlier in the broadcast: the idea of us being created. in the image of God. And how, because we are created in the image of God, that colors our understanding of the meaning of life. and the value of life.

Reading a Fascinating book by Vichel Mangalwadi. He is a Christian scholar from India. And he's worked with his nation's poor for decades. He's lived among the poorest of the poor. and serve them for decades.

And he saw how Within Hinduism, There wasn't a concept of every human being being created in the image of God, and of course, there's the concept of reincarnation within Hinduism. But he saw how this demonizing mentality could be applied to children outside the womb as much as children inside the womb. In other words, today, when people speak about the baby in the womb as just a tumor that needs to be removed, or a massive cells, Or just a carbon unit, and that's all we are as human beings, carbon units.

Well, if we're just a massive cells inside the womb. If Hillary Clinton had has announced her opposition to an Indiana law. that says that you cannot choose to abort based on the sex of the child. based on the gender Of the child. I think they're, excuse me, the Uh yeah, the sex of the child.

and probably Down syndrome. and maybe one or two other categories, that you can't choose to abort because of that. And and she's upset with that.

Well well hang on. If you can abort a a viable baby that could live outside the womb, Then why is it wrong? to kill a baby outside the womb, an unwanted child. If you could terminate within the womb, really any stage of the process, if you could terminate within the womb, and it's already a human being created in the image of God, then what's different about terminating the baby outside the womb. And that's why many cultures that are pro-abortion have also practiced infanticide over the years.

So Visha Mangawadi and his wife had intervened on behalf of a dying little child in a poor village. And he says there's a girl named Sheila, In the middle of a windowless, dingy room, An 18-month-old living skeleton was lying on a bare string cot. Puss. oozing from sores covering her body. and head.

with flies swarming over her because she could not raise her hand to chase them away. Her thighs were only as thick as an adult's thumb. Sheila was so weak that she could not even cry she only sighed.

So Vishnu Magawandi's wife said, Hey, we can help. We can help. And everything they offered, no, no, it won't work. It won't work. No, no, we can't take off work to go to the hospital.

We'll. We'll bring it to the hospital. No, no. It's gonna cost no Even now we don't want you to cover it.

So they kept saying no.

So finally, The Mongol Wadis took matters into their own hands. They got a legal injunction to help Sheila. They brought it to the hospital. They cared for her in their own home. And and then ultimately they they gave her back.

Gave her back to the parents healthy. Happy. When the mother said, Hey, I don't want you raising a child and you're Christian and so on. They give her back. They figured Saboth would be happy right within a few weeks They go and see her and she's as sick as she was before.

So They go through the whole process the second time. They bring her back to the hospital. They care for in her own home. They return her to her mother once again, thinking the mother's learned her lesson. And then soon enough The baby was dead.

starved to death, by her own parents. And listen to what Mangawadi says. She was parents, starved her to death, because they saw her as a liability. They already had a daughter to babysit their sons and to clean and cook for the family. a second girl was an unnecessary burden.

They would have to feed her for ten to twelve years. Then they would need to go into debt to find the dowry to marry her off. her in laws might torture her to extract more money from them. In those days, according to our national press, every year in-laws were killing around three hundred young brides in our nation's capital in efforts to extract more dowry from the parents. But a dowry is not the end of costs.

The daughter would return to her parents' home to deliver her children. Why should they take on this lifelong burden even if someone was offering free medical care and milk? for a few weeks.

So friends, this is what happens. when human beings are dehumanized. You say, what's this got to do again with the Bible? Because it's the Bible that tells us. that human beings are created in the image of God.

And therefore every life has dignity. Every life has value. Every life has purpose. Yes, so here, this is what Hillary Clinton objected to. Washington Post reported this May 1st.

She did not mention the details of House Bill 1337, which bans abortions for several factors, not. Deemed life-threatening. As enacted, the bill prohibits termination of pregnancy if the woman asking for it is motivated to abort based on the race. Colour national origin Ancestry Or say sex of the fetus, or diagnosis or potential diagnosis of the fetus having Down syndrome or any other disability. In other words, even if you're told the baby has a disability, you can't abort it any more than you could kill it once it was born.

This is a concept based on the Bible, even if it's not explicitly stated. That that child Even though fall and fragile as every human being, that child is created in the image of God. If we can return to a biblical way of thinking, friends, a nation will be turned upside down. 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 866.

Three, four, eight, seven. Eight, eight, four. Is it too late for America? Can America be changed? Can America be saved?

I liken it to someone that's had a serious heart attack. And the doctor says Sir, Your condition is critical. Unless you radically change your diet and your lifestyle. You're going to die. But If you'll make radical changes, 10 years from now, you can be healthier than you are today.

20 years from now, you can be healthier than you are today. That's where we are. in America today. Yesterday, we posted an article on seven sure signs that religious faith is under attack in America. What people don't realize.

is they are attacking the very thing that gives them freedom. They are attacking the very thing that contributes to America being strong. and that has made us great in the past. They contribute. Oh, it's like the old story, the Aesop's fable.

where the parts of the body got upset With the stomach. Because the the body would exert itself going out to hunt. the feet would have to trek for for long miles. and and the arms would have to shoot the the bow and arrow. The shoulders would have to to carry the the the killed back and and on and on and the legs would have to drag along carrying all these things and and then the teeth would have to chew and the throat would have to swallow and all the stomach did was sit around and eat all day.

That was the perception. That that was the wrong perception.

So they decided to to starve the stomach and punish the stomach. But the more they didn't feed the stomach, the more the whole body got weak. and the the arms and shoulders began to sag and the hands lost their strength and the the feet couldn't walk so far. And they realized the stomach was doing its part as well.

Well, obviously that's not an exact analogy. But friends. The religious liberties. that are at the foundation of our nation. were there to protect America.

Because it was understood that That our forefathers who fled from England because of religious persecution, they fled from England, they knew. That they wanted things different here, that it was not to be a state-run religion. Where you would just have one denomination, and that was imposed on the whole nation. No, the government would not get involved with that. And it would fine be Christian and have Christian foundations and things like that, but there would not be a state religion, nor would there be restriction.

nor would there be any type of restriction of the free exercise of religion. And that meant the Bible being widely used in our public schools. The Bible being quoted as a foundational document. It's well documented that the book most commonly quoted. By our founding fathers in their documents, in their writings, their letters, their interaction one with another.

The most commonly quoted book, anything having to do with the law, the establishment of the nation, anything like that, was the Bible. Far and away. Far and away. And away. Mm-hmm.

Yeah. And what was next? I believe it was Blackstone's law books, which also had a strong Christian base. And many of these believed, many of these believed that the only way The only way that that that America could have any success Would be if there was a moral and religious foundation of the nation, and that would go back to Scripture and the people living out Christian faith. It remains the same today.

it remains the same. Today. Back to the Bible, beginning where. The people of God. We need a revival of scripture in the church today.

866-34-TRUTH is the number to call. Shake the new sign, 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. I will get to a few calls in a few minutes. First, as always, as we do as often as we can, Tuesday in this slot, 3:37 Eastern Time, and you can work it out across the country. It's always my joy to speak with James Robinson.

You may know him from his TV show for many, many years, his life Outreach International for the Ministry of Compassion that we're involved with. And All right, let's just see.

Okay, hang on. Do we have James on the air with us? Are you there, sir? Yes, sir. Yeah.

Okay, great, great. Good to talk to you as always.

So, on the broadcast today, I've been saying in short that for America to be great, America has to be good. For America to be good, we have to go back to biblical foundations, that in the word is the wisdom for everything we need in society.

Now, I know you've written about that. I think a new book coming out points in that same direction, and you've addressed that in the book with Jay Richards, Indivisible. But a lot of people just think of the Bible as doctrinal or spiritual. and not practical. And yet, in all the critical issues of life, it's God's word that gives us wisdom.

So let's speak to the financial issue. We've got Bernie Sanders with a populist message of socialism. Many young people thinking, even I've even had callers say he has the most Christian message out there. Because he's talking about socialism. How would you respond to that from a biblical perspective?

Or any move in this universe and in this world that tries to shape people. in the same image. rather than appreciate the uniqueness and diversity of our creator. who nay it made no two fingerprints the same, no snowflakes the same. any attempt to create individuals in like kind rather than God-like is anti-god.

and anti-best for those who've been created, are God's family. And when you cause people to try to create an equality It's not equal opportunity, but making everyone the same. You are really working against God's nature. and what's best for humanity. When you teach people to depend upon any source, other than God and what people who are free can create and accomplish and achieve for their own benefit and the benefit of others.

Once again, you're working against everything meaningful. And socialism and a dependence upon government. as our source. Seeing government as provider rather than what our founders understood as divine providence. and government as a protector and an enforcer of meaningful laws to protect the people and preserve liberty and freedom.

Anything that opposes that freedom brings people into bondage. and what Bernie Sanders is talking about and frankly what Hillary Clinton is talking about. frankly, what a lot of Republicans and even, quote, so called conservatives have done is we've been telling people You need somebody to take care of you. and it limits opportunity, it destroys freedom, History is irrefutable in the track record that socialism has provided. It is devastation.

It eliminates opportunity, possibilities, and freedom. It brings everyone into bondage. It brings equal poverty. And it literally divides the people. And destroys opportunity.

And that's what's happening today. And it's tragic that so many people get excited about thinking somebody's gonna take care of me. and we're going to take and distribute. based on whose discretion. And I'm telling you, it's really insanity, and I am amazed that so many people.

Are excited about something that has proven throughout history to be so detrimental, so damaging. and so prevalent in its bringing people into bondage. Irrefutable. Yeah, and the whole entitlement mentality. that somehow I deserve a free lunch.

And the fact that someone else has food means that I deserve a free lunch as opposed to Paul's simple counsel if anyone doesn't work he shouldn't eat. Or proverbs saying, you know, go to the ant, you sluggard, and look how it works. It's a destructive mentality in life. And then, of course, the only ones that are thinking like this. Are the ones that don't have, especially the younger people.

Because if you tell them, hey, that's right, we're going to take from the rich and we're going to give so you can get your education and you're going to work hard, you're going to go to college, then you're going to go to medical school, then you're going to serve as an intern, then you're going to accomplish all this. And when it's time for you to make all your money, we're going to take it all and give it to the next person. I don't think they'd be too happy with that. There won't be any jobs. Opportunity is destroyed by socialism and an ever-increasing government.

The smaller God and His Word become in the eyes and minds of the people. the larger government gets. The larger government gets, the more dependent people become on it, the more the wealth is redistributed, the greater the poverty in the nation, the greater the unemployment. I want to say something to everybody that's got a job. If you're concerned about the unemployed, and rightly so, you better start getting concerned about those who are employed because the wheels in motion right now with this consuming, debt-producing government, is going to cost everybody their job, and it's going to literally begin to devalue the dollar.

We are really headed off the cliff. If people don't come to their senses and return to the unshakable foundation. of freedoms principles, and yes, they are taught clearly In the Bible, and we're not talking about religion, we're talking about laws as irrefutable as the law of gravity and aerodynamics. You simply cannot Defy the law of God and not know that that defiance will, in fact, break you. And that's precisely what people are doing.

And they're cheering it, just like Romans 1 said. They actually take joy in the reprobate thinking and the. Inappropriate, unnatural desires and appetites and practices. We are literally. Supporting them, not recognizing the devastation that comes from it, which is clearly found not only in Romans 1, but in Romans chapter 2.

That's basically where we are today. You want to see where we are today? Start at verse 18 in chapter 1 of Romans and read on into the second chapter. You will see precisely. where we are in America today in light of biblical truth.

Yeah, and I remember oh, 20 years back going through Romans 1 and seeing. The descent we were on as a nation. And then of course it's now become more entrenched, it's become deeper and deeper still, to the point when you look around at things, you know, the fact that there's a debate about should grown men be in locker rooms with women and children. The fact there's debate about this, it really feels as if We're in 2 Thessalonians 2, people drinking a strong delusion, or the Romans 1 being given over to a reprobate mind, because I've never seen so many people be so illogical about so many things and unable to reason, which means again then that the hope of America, yeah, the elections are important, of course, we pray for those, we're involved in encouraging people to understand what the issues are. Those things are important, but the only hope of America has to be supernatural awakening and opening of eyes, because otherwise, there's a spirit of stupor on us.

Well, it's so severe that you actually give hearty approval to the people that practice this decadence. And we're doing it. We're approving things that we couldn't even imagine a few years ago having open discussions about. And it is absolutely it set the stage for catastrophic events. But God can turn it.

You know, one of the things I'd like people to begin to pray for right now. If you will take what Jesus said as greatest in the kingdom from his perspective, Is those who serve others. Serve God by serving others. Love your neighbor as yourself. You want the best for yourself, rightly so.

You want the best for your neighbor. And let's begin to pray. I think we ought to pray for these candidates that are targeting one another and sniping at one another to have the spirit of a servant come on them and the spirit of meekness, where they would actually submit and say, Okay, I'm running for the highest office in the land. But I need to become a servant. I need to be willing to serve even the other candidates that seem to be in conflict with me.

We need together to seek God. We need together to seek God's will. We need to help each other together find the best for the people that God loves and the people that we're running to represent in high office. I'm praying, dear God, bring a spirit of meekness, power under control on these candidates. Bring a servant's heart on people.

And everyone praying, say, God, let me love my neighbor and seek the best for them and really love those, even those I'm convinced who are wrong. and let love prevail and transform our thinking and our nation. And I just ask everyone to pray for that. Even today, wouldn't it be wonderful if a spirit of humility and meekness would come on these candidates today? I'm actually praying for that, Michael.

Yeah, then that. Talk about miraculous, but the ways of Jesus are totally countercultural. Friends, let me strongly encourage you. Put this bookmarket on your website, on your home screen, stream.org. Yes, it'll keep you up to date with what's happening in the news, latest breaking news, key things, but it will give you a voice of wisdom, a godly perspective on all the issues, the practical wisdom of the word expressed through many, stream.org, and then there's fresh inspiration.

God news as well. James Robinson founded this. It is a voice to the nation, stream.org. James, as always, a joy and privilege to speak with you. A joy to be with you, Michael.

God bless you and all your listeners. Thank you. Change the world. 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. Of all the things that have fought on among the young, this is perhaps the most unexpected. a prayer service and baptism by immersion on the Pacific at Santa Monica Beach. In recent years, the more experimental of America's young have gone through Oriental religions and mysticism, long hair and off-beat clothing, drugs and sex.

Now, in surprisingly large numbers, they're turning to Jesus. Actually, we played that clip earlier, but it's good to hear again. That was my bad. I was thinking of a different clip, actually, but, but. All that being said, yes, there was an unexpected movement, the Jesus people movement, something extraordinary and supernatural that took place beginning in 1967 and up through the mid-70s, in which a multitude of hippies, radicals, rebels were radically saved.

I spoke at a church in Newton, North Carolina this past Sunday. Perhaps you're listening.

Some of those that were in the meeting on Sunday, Pastor Mark Ivey got up and said that he believes there's going to be a massive outpouring among those who identify as LGBT and a massive harvest of them coming into the church to find salvation, wholeness, repentance, forgiveness in Jesus. I said, how long have you been feeling that way? A few years. I said, man, I've been feeling that way for years myself. And I know others that have been feeling that way for years and believe God's really spoken it.

A great harvest coming, but we must, in the Jesus people movement, there was a great harvest, but. In many cases, there were very few spiritual fathers for those who were coming in. There was often a lack of discipleship. There was there was often A lack of grounding people more deeply in the word, and lack of new wine skins for the new wine. And so many came in, were genuinely saved, but within a few years had fallen away.

We must not repeat that when God begins to bring into our midst. Those who are very openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and maybe a man wearing a dress with a wig, carrying the Bible, and sitting in the front row and saying amen. Say, what do we do? Invite them to lunch, spend time with them, and bring them to a place of finding real wholeness in Jesus. Here's a gay couple in the back, and they're singing all the songs and worshiping and holding hands.

What do you do? Reach out to them. Invite them out to lunch. If you have a little kid, you know, certain things are confusing. Mommy, why is that man wearing a dress in the service?

He's confused. Just pray for him. That's enough. That's enough. Daddy, those two men, they're holding hands like you and mommy do.

Oh, pray for them. They're confused, and you love them on them. Love on them, and we're not talking about someone in the body that's part of your congregation who is willfully living in unrepentant sin. We're not talking about that. We're not talking about someone that has left his wife, is living with another woman, and they're showing up at church together.

No, that person needs to be called to repentance privately, and if not, they need to be marked publicly. We're talking about people just coming in. and people that you're just getting to know. people that are just getting to know you. Let them feel the love of God.

Let them understand if there's a community where they can find the truth and where they can get help and they can find liberty, it's among you. It's among you. Let that be what they understand, and then let them hear the truth with love. And no, hey, my pastor is going to address controversial issues, but he's going to do it with wisdom and he's going to do it with love. No holds.

No holes barred, nothing held back, but with wisdom, with love. We must be ready for the harvest. 8663487. 884. Let's go to Raleigh, North Carolina.

David, welcome to the line of fire. Hi, Doctor Brown. I was just calling because I think Uh, you know, not all forms of socialism is bad. And and I certainly, you know, I think Bernie Sanders and Hillary don't always come across them.

so bad. I mean Hillary says that she's a Methodist. Bernie's Jewish. And Donald Trump isn't always coming across as the most Christlike out of the three candidates. And sometimes Republicans are wrong on issues such as waterboarding and the war and some of the things that we're talking about.

Let me ask this, David, just because our time is limited, so forgive me for jumping in. When Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are radically pro-abortion. All right. And we're where Hillary Clinton Is speaking up against bills that would say you can't abort a baby based on it being a boy or a girl. You can't abort based on that.

Or based on the race of the child, or if it's diagnosed with Down syndrome, you can't abort based on that. And she's against that. She wants you to be able to say, okay, I don't want that baby because I don't want another girl. I don't want that baby because it has Down syndrome. She she can call herself a Methodist, but it has zero to do With Christianity, Bernie Sanders is a is a nominal Jew.

And Donald Trump shows no evidence whatsoever of understanding what it means to be a Christian. Ted Cruz, from what I can see, is a genuinely born-again man that loves the Lord and wants to live scripturally with all of his weaknesses. A number of our other Republican candidates seem to be genuinely. Christian people. And of course, no party or a candidate is right on every issue from our perspective.

But that's my point. I just think sometimes. there are some good There is even some pro-life Democrats, not very many of them. But just it's almost it it's almost sent out there that if you're a That all Democrats are ungodly and bad people, and all Republicans are good. And the Speaker of the House.

pastor molested boys. And so if you're going to call out the Democrats in their simple ways, we've got to be fair and also call out the Republicans. Yes, sir. I wholeheartedly agree with you and affirm that. And I see massive corruption In politics in general, and people who are career politicians, and the Democratic establishment, and the Republican establishment.

One reason that many people like Donald Trump is they look at him. As an outsider who is not establishment, my concern would be that he's been pretty much a liberal Democrat and very much establishment. All of his life, but many people like him because he seems so anti-establishment. One reason I endorse Senator Cruz. Last year was because he's taken on the establishment.

But I have, here, here's been a quandary for me, David: that I embrace the Republican platform in terms of pro-life, pro-marriage, pro-Israel, and other values I held to. I did a little test online one day when it says, okay, answer all these questions, and then let's compare where you stand with the Republican platform and the Democrat platform. And I was 100% with the Republican platform when the test was done and they revealed the results, and 0% with the Democratic platform. And yet, For sure. They're candidates we could vote for, and we're going to end up with more of the same.

And we have all the battle over the elections and the passion, and then we elect somebody, and we end up just with more. Of the status quo.

So, yes, David, thank you for making that comment. I fully affirm it. And there are some fine Democrats, and there are some. Ungodly Republicans. And Yeah, they're godly candidates serving in all different capacities, Republican and Democrat.

Again, my problem is that the Democratic platform is so massively unscriptural. and against the things that I value so deeply and I feel are important for America. But thank you, sir, for the call. We are out of time right now. My new book, The Grace Controversy, is out, just out today.

Questions you've always wondered about. About what the Bible says about grace. What does it mean to be under grace but not under law? And how does that affect the way we live? And what's the difference between that and a dangerous anti-nominism?

Nominism. All in the book, The Grace Controversy, Now Out Today. My bottom line is this. If you put your trust in the political party, you will be disappointed. If you put your trust in God, you'll never be disappointed.

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