Taking Hold of God's Promises

The following program is recorded content created by Truth Network. How do we get spiritual clarity? It is by looking up. It is by looking up to God and his word.

It is by getting our focus where it needs to be in the midst of the chaos and madness and insanity and darkness of this world. And that's what we're going to help you do today here on the line of fire. Michael Brown, thrilled to be with you here to help you be healthy, thriving in the Lord that that the light will shine so brightly in your own life that the darkness, the despair, the hopelessness, the fear, the confusion will be dis-spelled. Okay, here's how you are going to help us edify everyone that's listening and watching today. Now here's the number to call 866-34-TRUTH, 866-348-7884. Now don't call yet.

All right, I'm going to set the table and then you can call. So every day we have the sacred privilege of speaking to you, sharing the word with you, giving our insights to you, taking your questions, your calls, often on life and death issues. You know that this is not a lightweight broadcast. I'm not criticizing anyone else or comparing ourselves to anyone else.

There's tons of fine programming out there, but I'm saying that this is not lightweight. We tackle the heavy, difficult issues. We don't run from controversy. In fact, we run true it. We run to it with truth and with light and with life. Now there's a lot that's happening right now in America that is extremely chaotic and there are grave reasons for concern for the health of our nation and the future of our nation. So as I prepare and think about what direction to go on each show, if we don't have a guest coming on, if we don't have something that's already predetermined like the Friday show and where we go with that.

So late last night I'm on my knees, I'm praying, Lord, which way do we go? I just felt there was a blank slate. I knew there were any number of controversies we could wade into. I mean, hey, look, everybody's got an opinion about the rating of president Trump's home in Mar-a-Lago. Either he's guilty of sin and hiding things or this is an extraordinary example of government overreach, maybe the worst we've seen in our lifetimes. So I mean, that's out there and what happens with the Democrat bill, inflation, climate control, climate change, these things is the bill going to further hurt economy and so on. There are grave reasons for concern right now in America, the massive divisions over abortion and the overturning of Roe V Wade and what's going to happen to state by state, the 2022 elections. By the way, if if you want the book that will help you come into the elections with clarity of thought, with, with biblical grounding with the vision of who and what the church is to be in the midst of the world, pre-order my book, the political seduction of the church, it will really help you think clearly as we come into the election season and function as God wants you and I to function in the world here.

Go to our website, askdrbrown.org to pre-order your sign numbered copy. Okay, so I'm praying, I'm thinking about this last night and I just felt impressed. Do something different today to build up the body and glory in the promises of God. Be encouraged by the promises of God. So I posted on Facebook this morning, earlier this morning, which one promise in the word has meant the most to you? Which one promise in the word has ministered the most to you over the years? Over the years? Go ahead and share it. We're going to look at some of those comments, but probably several hundred comments and responses by now. That's what the phone lines are open for you to do right now.

866-348-7884. Which promise in the word at a key time in your life was life changing, was just what you needed, was that ray of hope in the midst of darkness was that thing that built your faith, was that, that word of truth that helped you to suddenly see with clarity. What's your famous favorite parts or over the years, something that you just love to quote and meditate on because it builds you up and gives you a vision of God. Friends, without a vision of God, I don't mean seeing him with our physical eyes or picturing what he looks like in our minds.

I mean, without a revelation from the word of who he is, of his character, of his nature, of his goodness, of his eternal stability. We're going to fall apart in this world. We, we are going to be subject to fear and anxiety.

We are just going to get cut off with partisan fleshly things will be drawn down. But, but if we can have that fresh vision, I was impressed about this old, maybe two weeks ago, not enough time worshiping at the feet of Jesus, not enough time gazing on the lamb. And, and because of that, you get pulled by these other forces.

You get pulled by worldly things and obviously we don't have all day to just sit, Oh, beautiful Jesus listening to our favorite worship. So, but we must keep our vision there. We, we must be reminded, we must be lifted.

So eight, six, six, three, four truths. Which promise from the word of God has been most meaningful to you? If you could quote a scripture for all of us to hear today, what would that scripture be?

I asked myself that question and to boil it down to one. I hadn't done that yet. I thought of many scriptures in many situations that specially ministered to me that were like a lifeline thing to hold onto a thing that was so life changing. But what's been on my mind today is a word that God gave to Jeremiah, the prophet, and it's a word that was specifically for him.

But I believe in a secondary way we can apply to our lives as his children. So it's, it's Jeremiah chapter 33 verse one, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time while he was still shut up in the court of the guard. So he's under house arrest. He's been in the worst situation where he's just going to die in a dungeon.

Now he is, he's shut up in the court of the guard. So he's under house arrest. He's a prisoner and he knows the city is about to fall and be destroyed city of Jerusalem. Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it, the Lord is his name. So he wants Jeremiah to remember that in the midst of the difficult situation he's in, the God who made the world is speaking. The God who made the world is giving him an invitation. The God who orders this world is giving him an invitation and, and look, look at the invitation call to me and I will answer you and we'll tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

Call to me and I will answer you and we'll tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. Now again, that was a specific promise to Jeremiah at a specific time. But as Romans 15 four tells us, everything that was written beforehand was written for us as well for our hope. First Corinthians 10 tells us it's to to warn us as well. So to build us up with hope, Romans 15 to warn us. First Corinthians 11 second Timothy three, 16 and 17 indicate that everything that God has spoken his word, it is God breathe and is for edification.

It is for the equipping of leaders as well. So we know this was a word to Jeremiah at a time of crisis in his life and in a secondary way it now speaks afresh to us where God is saying to us, he's giving us an invitation in the midst of the craziness of this world. I believe this word is speaking to many. Now you are shut up, you are confined, you are in a difficult situation and you read these words and they jump off the page. Call to me.

Sometimes we exhaust every other means we try every other way and it fails and it fail. And then we cry out, God's inviting us now call to me and I will answer you and do what will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. And I just want to do this for you. I just want to read it to you in Hebrew.

So many times people just edified by it, even if they don't understand the words being spoken, cry lie. They are great things and they are, they are hidden things, secrets that you have not known. So there's an invitation from God. All right, uh, let's, I'm going to open the phones. I'm going to read some of the Facebook promises that the scriptures that are quoted there, but this is a great time to call in and edify the body.

Let's go to Georgina in Timberlake, North Carolina. What, which passage promise has been a special meaning to you? It's definitely Romans eight 28. Yeah, go ahead. Okay. It's Romans eight 28. Yes.

Okay. So we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose. So yes, go ahead.

How has that ministered to over the years? Well, definitely because he's talking about his definition of good, not mine. Yeah.

And so even when there's difficulty, I know that he could call that good because he has the eternal view for me rather than the present view for me and that promise and knowing that he knows that is something I can cling to. Yeah. Yeah. And it's, and through whatever happens, God, we make dumb choices. People hurt us, the devil attacks, but through all of that stuff, God is working out his purpose if we love him. Right.

And ultimately, it's to conform us to the character of Jesus and it's for our eternal good. Yeah. What a great truth. Go ahead. Yeah. I just was going to say then I'm not necessarily hooked on situations at that point because it's working together. Those situations are working together to groom and prune.

Yeah, absolutely. Hey, thanks for starting it off with, with one of the great promises, one of the great truths in scripture and thank you. Eight, six, six, three, four truth. I was hauling some heavy bags of mulch, or something else around the yard for Nancy a couple of weeks ago. And after I pulled the buttons down, she said, Oh, actually those six, I need somewhere else. So that this time I had to go up the hill in our property, a little hill with the bags. And I thought, Hey, why is this any different than just doing exercise and the rolling machine to tread on? Just because I put it one place that I'll put it somewhere else. Hey, this is good for my muscles.

I mean the tiniest little thing, but in the big things, even the crises, God is at work bringing things together for our good, for his glory. Rest in that. Rest in that. We'll be right back. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown. Get on the line of fire by calling eight, six, six, three, four truth.

Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Let us shower one another with the promises of God. You know, it's, it's, it's a highlight in our Israel tours when we would be walking down the streets of Jerusalem and our tour guide will talk about, Hey, there was a time when this was desolate. There was a time when none of the things you see here were here or other parts of Israel that are thriving and fruitful and God said it in his word. God said it in his word centuries ago and he keeps his word. The word of the Lord is always being fulfilled. Isaiah 55 the word that comes out of his mouth does not return void.

It accomplishes what he sends it to do. Isaiah 40 is his word is always being fulfilled, always upheld. So which promise from God in his word has carried you, has ministered to you, has edified you, has strengthened you over the years. You can just quote the promise. Say, that's all I want to do is just quote the promise and say goodbye.

That's perfectly fine. Eight, six, six, three, four truth. Speaking of Israel, remember the time is now to get your deposit in for our May 2023 tour. We'll keep announcing it on the air until we have reached our seating capacity. So go to askdrbrown.org. You'll see it right on the homepage.

First, second slide that comes up. Askdrbrown.org. Looking over at our Facebook page, a number of others have also quoted Romans 8 28. Here's a quotation from Malachi three that has made been of special value to the individual than those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. They shall be mine says the Lord of hosts and the day when I make up my treasured possession and I will spare them as a man spirits his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. That is so important to remember when you could get the feeling that God doesn't care, that God is just letting the wicked prosper and succeed and the plans of the righteous are thwarted and you see people doing evil and getting rich from it and living into old age and you see people seeking to do right with very little funding backing or maybe cut down and some tragic accident and you think where is God on the list? Well, of course, all these questions are raised in the Bible.

The Bible itself raises the questions. If we don't, the Bible does to say these are issues that people look at and wonder about, but hang in there in the end and as the years go on, you will see what thrives and you will see what dies. You will see what endures. You will see what collapses. That's why friends, I always feel bad for those who are doing wrong.

Oh yeah, I pray for their repentance and salvation and I want to see the wrong they're doing stopped, but I always feel bad for them because I know how it ends. I know how things end. It's six, six, three, four truth.

Let us go to Beth driving a truck somewhere in California. Welcome to the line of fire. Hi Dr. Brown. Hey. Hey. Um, so I'd like to share my favorite scripture. Um, a little background.

I am 53 years old. I'm a Mexican Jewish believer and I got saved at the age of 17 to a teen challenge for girls program in Harmony house for girls in North Carolina. So I, um, had a long journey.

We all, you know, and I backlit, um, really bad. And I came word and a scripture and now in hindsight, coming out of the back, I clean to it every day. I hate you, Beth. We are losing you here and there. So let's, let's just try to get the scripture.

Otherwise we'll look for you to be in a better zone. So if let's try one more time. Uh, go ahead and give us that, that verse, that word. Okay. All right, Beth, tell you what, I am going to read the verses for you just because I wanted to have you do it, but, uh, it's your, your, your feet is cutting in and out. So I'm going to do it for you. By the way, sometimes folks say, well, why is someone coming on the air with a bad connection?

Because when they call it and the connection's fine and, and, and our call screen or hears that everything's fine and then something changes once they come on. So Hosea two in that day, I will answer declares the Lord. I'll answer the heavens and they shall answer the earth and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine and the oil. And they shall answer Jezreel and I will sow her for myself in the land. And I'll have mercy on no mercy. And I will say to not my people, you are my people.

And he shall say, you are my God. So the ones that had been God's people and fell away. So God said of them low on me, the ones that used to receive mercy and no longer did. God said of them, Laura Hama, no mercy. Now we're not receiving mercy. Now he says, you're my people. And I'm having mercy or word of restoration.

Hey Beth, thank you for, for calling in. Uh, let me share this with those listening that are in a backslidden state. One of the things that keeps you down is the idea that you could never get back, that you ruin things, that things will never be the same, that there's no hope.

Why bother? And that, that loss of hope, that, that loss of the possibility of restoration is terribly paralyzing. God himself says, turn back to me. And I'll turn back to you. God himself is like the father in Luke 15 who is waiting and looking for the prodigal to come home and who will run and embrace him as the prodigal comes in repentance and contrition. God will have mercy on you and will call you his son or his daughter again if you'll humble yourself. And right now, wherever you are, cry out for mercy and say, God, whatever it takes, I want to come home. He will bring you home. Not everything that was in the past will be restored.

There are consequences to our actions, but your own soul can be restored and stronger in the Lord than it's ever been. Um, all right. Uh, let's go to Kyle calling from Ireland. Welcome to the line of fire. Hey, thanks Dr. Brown.

Love, love your show. Uh, yeah, there's so many promises, I guess. Uh, and I had a district question after this one is the consistent, uh, stake that I am with you that promised throughout the scripture that I'm with you is a, you know, good day, bad day has always been kind of a foundational promise. Uh, and it's just continually repeated in the scripture. So for me, that's one of the mother promises that I just, you know, above all things, whatever's I'm winning, I'm losing whatever.

I know God's with me. So, uh, a special promise to me and it's throughout the whole scripture. I can do a million verse, million times repeated, but I had a question about, you know, kind of, you know, Romans and Galatians kind of go back to the promises related to the promise to Abraham. It seems that you've got the promises seem to be linked to Abraham. Um, and of course there's other ones before Abraham and that type thing throughout the scripture. But do you see all the promises are kind of feeding into that ultimate kind of, you know, uh, you know, uh, Abraham becoming a father of multitude or, you know, I was just thinking about this week.

So when I saw your show, I was like, I'm going to ask Dr. Brown that, you know, that, that, uh, the promise of the gospel, you know, him blessing to all families, you know. Yeah. So just, just to explain that, that's my question.

Yeah. Just to explain that it's because the Messiah comes through Abraham, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, David, Messiah. So in other words, Abraham is the one to whom the first promises of redemption are given that are going to now come through his family as opposed to just through the human race in general. And that's why the promises are associated with him. But it's because the promise seed, the Messiah is the one who comes from from his offspring through the children of Israel, through the tribe of Judah, through the line of family of David. Now the Messiah comes and through Jesus, the Messiah, all the promises of God are yes and amen. Whatever is God has said in a certain context that is now affirmed in the Messiah. Excuse me. Hey, thank you for the call and to reiterate the I am with you promises.

Yeah. Matthew 28, 20. So Jesus is saying to his disciples, we're going into all the world. I'm with you always to the end of the age. Hebrews 13 quoting from old Testament passages, I'll never leave you or forsake you.

Isn't that what we need? Isn't that one truth enough to carry us all the days of our lives that God just says, I am with you. You haven't been abandoned. It's not all over.

It's not just chaos or blind luck or chance. God in the midst of a crazy world is with his people. Thank you for the call. All right, let's, uh, I'm enjoying this. I'm, I'm blessed.

Uh, let's go to Sarah in Nashville, Tennessee. Welcome to the line of fire. Hey Dr. Brown, how are you today? Very well, doing well. Thank you. Good. Um, I thank you for your program.

I love watching your debates and your live broadcast and everything. So thank you for everything you do. Um, I just wanted to mention Revelation 21, I think around verse seven right after Jesus talks about making all things new. He says, he who overcomes shall inherit all these things. And I just talked about walking with the Lord and not needing the sunlight because he is the light in our midst. Um, those promises are very, just beautiful and I kind of rest on them all the time.

Yeah. And Sarah, the crazier the world gets, the more comforting it is to know that forever and ever and ever will be with the Lord in an environment more spectacular than our human minds could imagine. And you, we, we recently were grieving with, with friends who'd lost a grandchild. Uh, and the parents lost a child, just agonizing tragic loss, heart, heartbreaking and shocking on every level. And Nancy and I were talking that to the degree that the world to come as real to us in the midst of those losses, there is that comfort, okay, she's on the other side. We're going to be with her forever and ever. It's a, it's a terrible loss right here and agonizing loss, but she's not gone.

She's, she's on the other side and that side is beyond spectacular. The Lord himself being the treasure in the midst of it. Let's edify one another friends. Let's build one another up. Let's do this in our private lives, families, congregations on a regular basis. Quote the word, encourage one another with the promises of God.

We'll be right back. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown. Get on the line of fire by calling 866-34-TRUTH.

Here again, is Dr. Michael Brown. You know, I, I do not remember the, the church service as far as I can tell, it was many decades ago, but they say the scripture, let's do a scripture shower, something like that. I thought, what's this? And, and it was, it was a smaller congregation so you didn't have thousands of people.

I don't even know if you had a hundred there. And one afternoon they would just start quoting scripture. One would quote a verse and another verse that it was just a shower of scripture verse. I remember being at a prayer meeting, in the basement of my house when we lived in Maryland and we were praying together, a number of brothers and we said, Hey, let's, let's just quote some verses on faith. And one after another, we quoted verses that we remember it. And I just tell you, there's this, this atmosphere of faith being built and strength coming. Let's quote verses on this subject and you just get reminded.

I don't know if you've ever seen one of these little things, a Bible promise book or a promise for every day and you, you open it up. Okay. Today's what?

August 10th. I'll get the vert and it's, it's a word. Now of course it's, it's, there's no context to it.

It's just standing there by itself. If you really want to base your life on it, see the context, do the proper exegesis and all that. But there's also just a divine truth jumping off the page.

I remember staying a couple of years ago at a bed and breakfast in Asheville, Tennessee. And there was one of those Bible promise books. I, if I recall, I got on my knees next to the bed, just flipped, flipped the pages, just, Oh, edified afresh. So that's what we're doing today in the midst of the darkness of this world and the real fragile state of America today.

We're reminding one another of the promises of God. And Hey, you don't need my permission to do it. You can do the seven days a week. You can do this at dinner table.

You do this driving your car with a friend. You could do this at a prayer call with a few people, eight six six three four truth. We'll go to the phones momentarily looking at some other Facebook comments. Tom posted second Timothy two 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful for he cannot deny himself. Okay. Michael posted Matthew six 33 seek first the kingdom of God in this righteousness and all these things will be added to you. Joan posted Isaiah 54 17 which she then personalized originally a promise to Jerusalem and the people of Jerusalem. The weapon formed against you will prosper and every tongue that rises against you and judgment you shall condemn.

Okay. I quote the whole with the ending and he writes, literally every weapon formed against you will not succeed. And every time that rises against you in judgment, like in a court of law to condemn you, you, you will pronounce guilty. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousness. Their vindication is from me. A Susan quoted, Isaiah 40 31 because they are denied. Yes. Those who wait for the Lord put their trust in the Lord will renew their strength.

Y'all do Ava kind of sharing. They'll they'll man up with wings like Eve, like Eagles. Yeah, who'd serve a lawyer? God the running not be weary. You'll hoover lawyer God off of they'll, they'll walk and not grow faint.

Yeah. Uh, praise God for these words. Sean, uh, I has not seen or ear heard nor has emptied into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him. First Corinthians true.

Then Paul says right after that, but God's revealed them to us by his spirit. Wow. All right, let's go to Kenny and Oregon. Welcome to the line of fire. What's your verse?

Hi Dr. Brown. So I have the book of Job. This, um, this verse, uh, made me understand what John three 16 really meant, which is odd. Um, but he said, then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and he fell to the ground and worship.

He said, naked I came for my mother's womb and naked I shall return. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Um, um, I know God is sovereign over all things and I, my wife just lost her mother and I don't have a specific, um, I don't, I guess if you've been in this situation, it's a, it's a very hard thing to, um, explain 50% of the time. I just have to be quiet. But, um, how do I explain God's sovereignty to my wife in the sense of what just happened to her mother at a young age?

Um, yeah, so, so Kenny, yeah, here, here's, here's what I'd say, Kenny. And I'm so sorry to hear this. How old, uh, was your mother-in-law? 54. Yeah.

That of course is a very young age. One of the great lessons from the book of Job is there are things we don't understand. They happen and it either looks as if God is being cruel or capricious or the person must have sinned. And that's what happened.

That's what the friends ended up saying. Well, Job, you must have sinned. Your kids must have sinned. That's why these terrible things happen. And Job looks at God, well God, you must have done wrong. Now he worships initially made the name of the Lord be praised, be blessed. But then, then Job comes to this confusion, well, God must have been monstrous and done something wrong. And then he appeals to God against God. Uh, but one of the great lessons is God is so much better and greater than we could ever imagine. And there are things that happen in this world and we don't have an exclamation, an exclamation for it. But what we can do is cling to his goodness and say, I don't understand this.

It doesn't make sense. You know, let's say, uh, your, your wife's mom was a godly woman and it just makes sense why this happened. But I know that God is good. I know that on the day I stand before him, this will all make sense. And I, and I know at that moment that there'll be absolutely no contradiction between his goodness, between his love, between his promises to, to preserve and keep.

There'll be no contradiction. And Kenny, I'm reminded of a story that I read, I believe it was in a book by Edith Schaefer on affliction. Was she talking about one of her own children or someone else that I'll have to check. But as I recall, this, this young man was doing mountain climbing and what he had journaled that morning before he fell to his death was a promise from the word that that God would keep us from falling. Now, maybe he just acted irresponsibly.

Maybe he did something treacherous or maybe he was following all the safety precautions and there was a freak accident. But either way, you journal a verse about God keeping you from falling. I mean, I read this, I don't know, 30 something years ago or longer. So I'll have to check the accuracy of my memory here. But so how is that tragic event, Kenny, that I was just alluding to earlier. We, we've known this family, the husband, wife since, Oh, the early eighties. So knew their kids growing up. And now of course the kids are parents. So our friends are grandparents a little bit older than us. And one of their sons has three daughters and the three daughters are in the car with the youth pastor.

They're getting ready for vacation Bible school where they're going to volunteer and help and do things. They go out at night for some Burger King and ice cream. They're driving in their car in their lane, minding their own business when another car guy and his girlfriend get in an argument, grabs the wheel, car swerves, comes into their lane, kills the 11 year old, the others injured, but kills the 11 year old. I mean, how do you explain?

Come on. The Godly kids, Godly family on, on, on their, on the way to help with vacation Bible school that week, driving in their lane, doing everything right. Youth pastor, three kids.

There is no good earthly explanation for what happened, but the same God who promised to keep us the same God who sends his angels to encamp around us is the same God who did not at that moment stop that accident from happening for whatever reason. And he's trustworthy. And the father in the midst of his grieving has really heard the Lord say to him, she's with me and life will come out of this.

You have to trust me. I'm paraphrasing, but she's with me and you'll all be with me and it will all make sense. May the Lord give grace Kenny to you and especially to your wife and her family in the midst of this painful time. May that sense of God saying I'm with you, that that's what you hold onto, that I haven't left you and I haven't changed.

That's the truth. Thank you Kenny. And friends, I want to encourage you, don't change your theology based on bad experiences. Don't do that because our theology is based on who God is as revealed in his word and he doesn't change. Now if you don't believe in divine healing and you see people miraculously healed in front of your eyes and you revisit scripture and say, oh, healing is for today and God still heals, that's great. You go back to the word and you reevaluate or you have some superficial notion that all of God's people always be healthy and financially prosperous and that doesn't happen. You go back to the word and reexamine things.

Okay, that's, that's great. But just because you were in a temporarily difficult place or an agonizing place doesn't detract from the goodness of God and the promise of God. That's why we're doing this, to remind ourselves of the promises when things often look contrary to those promises.

All right, let's, uh, let's go to Jan in Indiana. What's your scripture for us? Yeah, it's going to be Philippians four verses 12 through 13 and it says, I know both how to be a base. I know how to abound everywhere and all things. I'm instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me. I started out at a five year old little girl in an orphanage for 11 years. I ran crazy after I got out of that orphanage.

I'll just admit it. And then at the age of 26, that's when God found me. And now I'm in my mid 60 I've lost my mother, my real mother. My father died in an automobile accident and there were seven kids and then, uh, I lost my mom. I lost my youngest sister just two years ago.

Well, it's not even two yet, but I lost my husband. I've been through some highs, I've been through some lows, and this was the very first scripture when I couldn't even read Dr. Brown that Jesus gave me to stand on. And I'm telling you through all these years, he has been so faithful, but I had to learn to let go of pride and be humbled. And at times I've learned to, to, to, to abound in joy.

Yeah. Hey, Jen, we've, we've got a break, but perfect. Thank you for sharing that with Jesus. You can endure and not just endure, thrive even through unspeakable loss.

That's really, Jen, thank you for sharing that. We'll be right back. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown. Get on the line of fire by calling eight six six three four truth.

Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Thanks for joining us friends on the line of fire. I'm smiling just because of an email that I got. You never know who you reach out to open the door to and the fruit that will come from it. So as you have opportunities to be a peacemaker, as you have opportunities to be a reconciler, as you have opportunities to reach out to those who differ, be like Jesus. Set an example. Blessed are the peacemakers, truly happy are the peacemakers.

They should be called children of God. By the way, by the way, every day at certain times of the day I take my vitamins and health supplements. So every day I'm reminded of the value of Dr. Stengler's health supplements. If you haven't ordered them for yourself yet, again, this goes along with a healthy lifestyle there, health supplements. So you can't eat whatever you want all day long.

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So go to vitaminmission.com. You get a 10% discount on all your orders and then in turn, Dr. Stengler makes a generous donation to our ministry to help us reach more and more people. All right, we're, we're encouraging one another with the promises of God. We're taking a break from all the news around this. We're taking a break from the craziness of the world that we live in and we're encouraging one another with the promises of God. Kind of look at it like this.

We've got to swim under water a lot. This is like, Oh, come in, fill our lungs with, with healthy oxygen, fill our lungs with life and truth from God's word on our Facebook page. Quite a few folks have posted verses that he won't leave us or forsake us.

I mean, I'm looking at one, two, three, just consecutive. And then after that, Romans eight 28 again, uh, Matthew 11, 28 and following, come to me, all you who are wearing heavy laden. I will give you rest.

He's the same yesterday, today and forever. He was 13 eight Psalm three, you O Lord are a shield around me, my glory and the one who lifts up my head. Uh, join the year to God and he'll draw near to you. James Jacob four eight Psalm seven three 28 is for me.

It is good to join the year to God. I've made the Lord my refuge that I proclaim all your works. Song of Solomon three four. I found the one my heart loves that we always have peace in the Lord. The peace that he gives us, which transcends human understanding. John 14 Philippians four, uh, one after another words of encouragement and hope. Uh, let's go to Gregory in Darien, Connecticut. What's your verse for all of us?

Um, hello Dr. Brown. Thank you for taking my call. And I have to say you're very courageous and you attract a wonderful listener group.

They're very inspiring all day long and you have wonderful listeners. And I just want to say I have two verses. Um, it's actually from Deuteronomy 30, um, uh, through 11 to 20, but I love 19 and 20. Uh, you may know from my last phone call, I love Moses.

Okay. So this is the area where Moses is saying how the Lord's been up in the heaven. It's not in the city, it's in your heart. And he says in 19 and 20, now I call this guy in the earth to be witnesses, but I am offering you this choice. Will you choose for the Lord to make you prosper and give you a long life or will he put you under a curse and kill you? Choose life. Be completely faithful to the Lord your God, love him and do whatever he tells you.

The Lord is the only one who can give light and he will let you live a long time in the land that he promised to your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I love that doctor. Yeah. And, and you know, it's amazing. And Gregory, thanks for the kind words too. Thank you for all of, all of our listeners. Thank you for being faithful, for contributing, for, for praying, for listening, taking the time, uh, for, for great calls on a regular basis and comments on our YouTube page and our Facebook page. Thank you for the participation and a show like today. Yeah, obviously I could, I could quote scripture all day with promises and encourage you, but I knew we opened the phone lines. We'll, we'll get great calls.

So thank you for the calls. You know what's amazing about that first Gregory, that, that Moses says to us, speaking for the Lord, I said before your life and death, I said before your blessing and destruction, choose life that you and your children may live. Not only does God give us an invitation, think of this, all, all mighty God who is so far above our human understanding that we can't even describe how far above our human understanding he is.

All mighty God says, truth. He gives us choice. How utterly remarkable and in case we didn't get it, choose life, choose life here. I'm giving you a choice and I'm telling you which choice to make.

Thanks for the call. I was talking to James Robison earlier today about God's ways being the best ways. He was sharing his heart with me on some things and how important it is for us as followers of Jesus to help the world see that God's ways are best, that God's ways are ways of life. You know, for example, when we talk about the importance of the family, husband, wife, children, and we talk about the importance of that being a healthy environment where the ideal situation is for children to be raised in a solid home by their biological parents, that overall that is the best for the welfare of the country. And then you see as marriage breaks down, as divorce becomes rampant, as the sacredness of marriage is lost, as marriage is redefined, as kids are raised in all different kinds of settings, you see over a period of years, the destruction that brings, the pain that brings, the difficulties that it brings, and you realize, well, the way God set it up was really the right way. There is a reason for it. Have you ever done something? Someone says, this is how it's done.

And you think, well, I got a shortcut to bypass that only to find out that the shortcut doesn't work or ends up costing you more time, that there was a reason the thing was set up the way it was. God's ways are ways of life. Um, yeah, the encouragement, first John four greater is he that is in us than he who's in the world.

Yeah. And one after another, the same promises, I'll never leave you or forsake you. I'm seeing that more than any John 14, 18 when Jesus says, I will not leave you as orphans. I'll come to you by the spirit. Okay. Let's, let's grab hold of that for a moment.

Okay. Jesus speaking as a father to his disciples here, I won't leave you as orphans, right? Because his presence there has been a fatherly presence to them.

I want to leave you as orphans. I'll come to you. How does he come by the spirit? How real is the Holy Spirit in your life?

How real is the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life? Romans eight 16 the spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. Romans eight Galatians four by that spirit, we cry Abba father because it's the spirit of the son that's been put in our hearts. Galatians five, we bear fruit by the spirit second Corinthians 13 we have fellowship communion by the spirit. We share in the life of the spirit. The spirit leads us, the spirit guides us, the spirit teaches us, the spirit instructs us instructs us or are you enjoying the reality of the spirit in your life or is there a more, it's not just doctrine, right?

It's not father, son and Holy Bible, but father, son and Holy Spirit. We learn of God through the word and the word invites us to know God and to experience God. And I found that experiencing God in the midst of all kinds of difficulties is the way to thrive and get through it. Have you ever been filled with the joy of the Lord for no good outward reason in the midst of everything going wrong around you and you just have to get up and rejoice.

And if you're old time, Pentecostal, maybe shout and jump, maybe even if you're not, shout and jump. And I think back to the early days of ministry when my salary at a Bible school did not nearly meet our needs. A family of four living on Long Island more expensive part of the country than other parts, right?

Family of four owning a house living on Long Island and my full time salary teaching a Bible school in the mid eighties was $1,450 a month. It was not adequate to pay the bills. So every month there was a shortfall and sometimes I was out speaking. Sometimes I wasn't.

I might be speaking at a very small place and where is somebody going to come from? But every month God would meet us and help us. And I remember sometimes I just didn't know how we were going to pay the bills. I did not. I was being responsible. I was working hard. We were being frugal.

I, you know, we had one one little car and I didn't know how we're going to pay the bills. And sometimes I would put all the bills on the floor and begin to worship God and dance before the Lord on top of those bills. And it was my way of saying, God, I don't worship you. I'm going to rejoice in you. I'm not going to be pulled down by the circumstances.

It was not irresponsibility because I was doing everything I knew how to do to be responsible. And I've watched all these decades. God comes through. We've had difficult times, hard times, times of loss, times of challenge. But God comes through. He is faithful. How about closing with this promise? Maybe one of the most general promises in the Bible.

First Thessalonians four, five. Faithful is he who promised he will do it. Faithful is he who promised he will do it. Friends, remind yourself of the promises of God. Take hold of them. Share this broadcast with others. Let's edify one another so we can shine light lights in the midst of the darkness. And be sure, get our emails, askdrbrown.org. If you don't get them, take 30 seconds now, sign up so we can minister to you on a regular basis. God bless.

The magic static. Call me a fanatic. It's our world. They can never have it. This is how we rise up. It's our resistance. You can't resist us. Another program powered by the truth network.