Thoughts on God and Country

God and country, do they always go hand in hand? Kingdom of God, allegiance, patriotic allegiance? How do we work these things out? 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.

Alright, I've got a question for you. Do you think the early disciples had a vision or bird of making Rome great? Or maybe if Rome was on the decline after a while, let's make Rome great again. Or would you say no, no, no, they were they were in this world, but not of it? They were living for God, citizens of a heavenly kingdom, and seeking to make disciples, and they did not have a nationalistic mentality.

Or let's say believers living in communist China. in the height of persecution. Was their prayer, let's make China great again? Or were they seeing themselves as people of the kingdom of God intersecting with this world? And yet, not primarily Chinese citizens, primarily heavenly citizens.

Was that their mentality? What about us in America? We talk about things like bringing America back to God. We talk about rebuilding the nation. We talk about making America great again.

Are those things fully compatible? with the gospel? Are those things in harmony with the gospel? Do we have any type of conflict between God and country? This is Michael Brown.

Welcome to the line of fire. It is a delight to be with you today, and we're going to explore these issues of patriotism. and the kingdom of God. When do they intersect? When are they at crosshairs, or I should say, at loggerheads, one with another?

At what point do we compromise our allegiance to God by being patriotic? At what point are we truly patriotic because of our allegiance to God? What should our attitude be? What should our attitude be to the flag? Yes, the flag.

We had some lively discussion yesterday regarding Colin Kaepernick's decision to sit out the national anthem, quote, until things change with his focus on police brutality. And I said I admired his courage. Others said it takes no courage whatsoever. But I said I admired his courage. But questioned his judgment.

I am all for challenging America. I am all for calling our nation to account whenever it is necessary to do so. I'm all for that. I believe it's our role as the church to do that, to be, in the words of Martin Luther King, the moral conscience of the society. At the same time, I absolutely Oppose a certain radical mentality that, in many ways, is fundamentally anti-American.

That in many ways rejects anything that's made our country great over the years, or most of the foundational things that make our country great over the years. And because of that, I take issue with the nature of the protest, not raising issues, not saying there's still racial injustice in America, but I take issue with focusing on police brutality as, say, a major, major issue. Yes, an issue, but certainly if I was giving a top 10 list, it's not in the top 10 in terms of real major issues in America, despite the way things get played on the media. I believe there are larger issues of racial injustice that need to be examined. But My issue is when you do things in a way that seems fundamentally anti-American.

And do you know? Do you know that Colin Kaepernick's mother is is not happy as birth, mother? She's not happy with what he did. And do you know what the Black Lives Matter website says about? The nuclear family that we're used to here in America.

We're going to take that up, but you get to weigh in today: 866-348-7884. Should we have the same attitude the disciples did in Acts? who asked, Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel before Jesus ascended to heaven? You say you're comparing apples with oranges. America's not Israel.

It's not a theocracy. We'll take all that up. Oh God of burning, cleansing flame. Send the fire. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr.

Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

Thanks so much for joining us. We are going to talk about Patriotism and the kingdom of God, we're talking about our allegiances. Should we say God and country? Is that how it goes? God and guns and country, and that's our allegiance, or is our allegiance to God going to put us at loggerheads with allegiance to our country?

How do these things work out? When Muhammad Ali refused to be drafted to fight for America as a black Muslim, he was obviously being true to his convictions. And by the way, That to me was a massively more courageous thing than what Colin Kaepernick did. Muhammad Ali, in the prime of his boxing career, as one of the greatest athletes of all time, and perhaps one of the best known athletes in the world, or maybe even the best known athlete in the world at that time, to tremendous personal and financial loss. Would not step forward to fight in the Vietnam War.

Now, of course, I deplore so much of the teaching of black Muslims. Of course, I disagree fundamentally with Islam. And yet, what he did was a tremendously courageous thing. And he suffered greatly for it. In fact, it was found.

Guilty. immediately. I don't believe that was right, that he was found guilty first. In other words, he was stripped of his title. immediately.

As opposed to, okay, let this be properly investigated and let's see what his legal rights are and what his heavyweight championship responsibilities require, etc.

So I have no problem. Saying an athlete did something courageous and look, the Vietnam War, tremendously controversial, and we were hardly even there to win, sadly enough, which makes the loss of life all the more terrible and tragic.

Now, I know that there were black men and women who fought in World War I and fought in World War II, despite living in the midst of segregation and things like that. They said, hey, we're still fighting for our country, and that's tremendously admirable. But there are ways of doing things that produce more harm than good. There are things that join us with not a kingdom of God higher spirit. but an anti-American lower spirit.

Follow what I'm saying? I will stand with anyone who's standing for justice. Truly. But not someone who has their own agenda that is ultimately an unjust agenda or a questionable agenda. or a radical unproductive agenda.

Eight six six six six six six six three four eight seven eight eight four. Uh Heidi Russo. Colin Kaepernick's birth mother who gave him up for adoption. uh said this on Twitter. There is ways to make change without disrespecting and bringing shame to the very country and family who afforded you so many blessings.

That's Heidi Russo. And then, let me get to this. The Eagles linebacker. Mike Tavares was going to sit out the anthem as well. But then he said this plays for the Philadelphia Eagles.

I want to apologize for the distraction I've been to all of Eagle Nation. I feel passionate about racial issues going on in our country, and I thought that sitting during the national anthem would bring more awareness to this issue and encourage more constructive discussion to find solutions, but I feel I only made things worse. I want to make change in this world, but sitting down during the national anthem just isn't the best way to do it. With that being said, I do plan on finding a better way. I'm young and I still have a lot to learn about saying and doing the right thing.

For now, I will stay focused on football, but I will definitely look for opportunities to do what I can to prevent injustices. I'm so blessed to be an American. I just feel the responsibility to do what I can to make things better. I don't know them at all, but that gains my respect right there. That massively gains my respect.

Yes, he put the statement out through his agent. How much of it did he write? That's secondary to me. That's what he once said. That's what he's standing behind.

And he's saying, hey, I've got a responsibility to my team and I distract it from the team. That's not why I'm here. And NFL, football, college as well, other levels, it's an intensely team-oriented sport with tremendous dependence on every player to do their part and not be a distraction.

So he's saying, yeah, I want to bring awareness to the issue, but there are better ways to do it. Even says, I'm young, I have a lot to learn. That's. You humble yourself. And you get lifted up.

I mean, that to me is something commandable. to have that attitude, to say those things in that way. But again, to me I can be loyal to God. and patriotic to a certain level. But my ultimate allegiance is still going to be to the kingdom of God.

And if that means standing against something in my nation, I have to do that.

Now I believe ultimately To the extent that we honor God, America will be blessed. And our nation was founded on many Judeo-Christian principles. And from day one in our nation, as a nation, there was opposition to slavery and controversy over it. and this was something inherited from Great Britain and ultimately abolished. And yes, there have been ongoing racial injustices through our history.

And yes, the treatment of the American Indians continues to be a genuine issue and concern that has never been righted. I'm not arguing with any of that. And even as of yesterday, so many God-fearing Respectful African American listeners have called this show and told me about what they face, the injustices they face to this day as black Americans. And I take them totally seriously. Totally seriously.

And those are conversations we're going to continue to have here on the line of fire to raise awareness. And yet, and yet, There are things to me that are fundamentally destructive. anti-American. as opposed to a loyalty to our country because we are loyal to God, because of which we must stand against certain things in our country, knowing that to the extent America turns, America can be blessed and great. And to the extent America doesn't turn and do the right thing, America will not be blessed and great.

All right, one more point, and then I'm going to take your calls. All right. This was sent to us by a listener, much appreciated. And it is from the Black Lives Matter website. And when you click on black villages, This shows you one of their goals.

I'm looking at it from the link on the website, and it says this: quote, We are committed to disrupting the Western prescribed nuclear family structure required by supporting each other as extended families and quote villages that collectively care for one another and especially, quote, our children to the degree that mothers, parents and children are comfortable. We are committed. To disrupting the Western prescribed nuclear family structure requirement. This is a group with a lot of radical views and ideas. There are African American women across the country who have said, yes, black lives matter.

May America feel that more deeply that are not affiliated with that movement. But if it is true that Colin Kaepernick Recently converted to Islam, and that his fiancé is a leader, a Muslim, and a leader in Black Lives Matter, then that would further. explain why His actions were so inappropriate, although. He does well to draw attention to true racial injustice where it does exist. I believe he pointed to a fairly weak example overall.

To the phones we go, 866-34TRUTH. We start in Mike in Monalapin, New Jersey. How it's the right way to pronounce where you live? Um um Manal up in New Jersey. Yeah, yeah.

I knew I had the accent slightly off. Yes, go ahead, sir. Uh Well, when you open your show concerning about make America great or make Rome great or something, I want to go specifically to what Donald Trump, when he was asked about When when did he think America was great? And he referred to around the turn of around 1900 and then shortly after World War II was over. because um for I guess manufacturing uh and and other things.

But I it's like that was a time when there was no integrated schools, integrated neighborhoods, there was Jim Crow. There was a lot a lot a lot of uh things that that that were terrible. Um And so that to me is not American great. And in God's view, all none of the nations are great. We're all like a drop of water on a pail.

But a nation can be better like we were in the civil rights movement or shortly after nine eleven where we kind of came together to view all human life as being valuable and being precious. Uh I I disagree with with with Colin Kaepernick. Uh he he's uh Uh Not choosing the right venue to make his. Um is you've known. He's not like Muhammad Ali where he he's he's Having a personal sacrifice by going to the middle of the middle.

Yeah, and he's got a hundred-something million-dollar contract, right? Yes, and and I would say he's a young guy like like that the like the Philadelphia linebacker Eagle linebacker, but the Philadelphia Eagle linebacker has has recognized, you know what, Um there there there's there's better ways to do this and and and our nation has has made a lot of progress, okay? There there there are police officers who who who are being killed. Anger is never a a um A uh prognosis for yeah, or or yeah, that prognosis, I think you meant to say the remedy, the answer. All right, hey, thank you for weighing in.

Want to get back with our other callers on the other side of the break, so we had to jump in. You can hear that music. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown.

Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34TRUT. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

Welcome back to the line of fire, 866-348-7884. Going to go to your calls momentarily. Ah, yeah, I find this so, so interesting.

Some people were critical of a meme posted on Facebook yesterday. Ken said this: Dr. Brown, it's a shame that you're offended by a guy who has refused to stand up for the national anthem. National anthem is not a ticket to heaven. Nationalism has become your God.

Dear brother, you couldn't be more wrong. Yeah. How many times, sir, have you gone overseas and apologized for things Americans have done? How many times? Just out of curiosity.

How many books have you written that Called for deep repentance in America. How many hundreds of hours, thousands of hours, have you spent focusing on calling America to repentance for American sin and grieving over our nation and saying we're under the judgment of God? If nationalism is my God, sir, I wouldn't be doing that. Perhaps My issue with Colin Kaepernick is far more nuanced than you realize, sir. Daniel said, This, this coming from the man who loves to speak out about anti-Semitism, but yet can't seem to recognize the same thing going on here against black people.

Sir, where have you been? How many broadcasts have you listened to? How many articles have you read? My very article about Khan Kaepernick where I talk about the very real injustices that do exist. Where have you been, sir?

Are you just basing it on one meme? Another, Siegfried, you can't protest unless you're a victim of it, according to Dr. Brown. No. What do they say that?

I'm told I can't take issue with it unless I'm a victim of it. I can't take issue with the position unless I'm a victim of that same position. I mean, that's that's a weird concept. You can only speak out if you're directly persecuted. If if you stand with those being persecuted or mistreated, you can't speak out.

That's odd. No, he can speak out. All he wants, I'm just saying he's it's is hypocritical. That's all. Of course, you speak out even if you're not a victim.

You stand with victims.

So, I've got no problem with people differing with me. It's when they 100% miss the point of what I am saying. That's that's my issue. And they miss it. quite willfully because we post things day and night.

dealing with all these issues. in in a righteous way. before the Lord. 866-34-TRUTH. All my friends in Brooklyn.

And greater New York, do you have September 8th on your calendar? You're going to meet me September 8th in Brooklyn. for a special talk I'll be giving. On. Isaiah 53, the rabbis and the messiah.

And then we're going to do live QA. It's going to be a meet and greet for our line of fire listeners in greater New York listening on WMCA. Admission is free. Just put it on your calendar. Thursday, September 8th.

All right. And then put on your calendar Saturday, September 10th, Manhattan. Yeah, we're going to be in the heart of New York City. Come from all over. Our friends in Jersey.

All over the New York area, island. Come in. For that event, I'm going to be doing a talk on the political candidates in Israel. Oh, yeah. And then taking live Q and A and doing a meet and greet there as well.

These are special rallies for our New York line of fire listeners. 866-34-TRUTH. We go now to Montgomery County, Maryland. Patrick, welcome to the line of fire. Hi, how you doing?

Doing very well. Thank you, sir.

So, I mean, my only comment is is that You know, just like with Muhammad Ali's situation at the time, a lot of people felt like, you know, this is not the right venue for this type of thing at that moment. And we look back in hindsight to at least twenty twenty, but we celebrate Muhammad Ali And what he did. And I think that we can be in danger of making similar mistakes.

Nowadays, I think that approaching it from a spiritual perspective is a little bit precisely because Colin Caperna is not is not right now standing Uh unless I missed something. for a for some spiritual standpoint or Christian Uh tenants. And so I think it's hard to kinda mix the two. You kinda have to take it on the merits of of what he's saying. And what he's saying is that there's injustices, which I think We all can agree on, and the fact that we're talking about it now, I think, says a lot about what he did.

But let me ask you this, Patrick. I fully respect what you're saying. Haven't we been talking about this day and night for months now? for for even a couple of years now. Since the Yeah, since since the in particular the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson.

And regardless of what happened, who was right or wrong on that, I don't think hardly a week's gone by where we haven't had. Issues about this, or another video, you know, or a shooting here, or something.

So, I do believe we have been talking about it. And you know, in in my um I was raising a couple of different issues together, Patrick. One being. how we relate to the flag as Christians. And when I take issue with what he did.

like those quotes, I get attacked as if I'm Mr. Super Patriot. And, you know, that's my whole thing, which I'm not. I appreciate our country. But the other thing is the.

I think there are other ways to draw attention to an issue, and then for him to make the whole focus on police brutality, then to misstate things. You know, there were black officers around America saying, hey, come and sit in my shoe in my shoes for a week, buddy. And you know the trauma that we live through if if someone is shot? And and you know the investigations and you know, you know, just go through all the stats, you know, that that it's even been documented that Black cops are more likely to shoot black suspects than white cops are. And then you've got all these other issues.

To me, there's so many bigger things. I think the court system is a bigger issue, the sentences that African Americans receive. I think the way that the welfare mentality put forth by the Democrats. Puts many African Americans in a decimated position to the star. I think there are larger issues we need to address as a nation and better ways to do it.

But I respect what you're saying. And Okay. Back to you. I was just gonna say, you know, thanks for letting me share with you guys, but I think that there's a large majority, I think it's safe to say, of the African American community is feeling very hurt and oppressed by what's going on in our country. And so when you see African Americans speak out against that, I think as Christians, it's more of a calling To be loving and compassionate in those moments.

And we can disagree with the venue, but I've just noticed that we always find nuances to nitpick. And I'm not saying exactly what you're doing, but it's a pattern that I've noticed of where we can look at the nuances of the situation rather than just being like, you know what, this is my brother, this is a fellow human being, and they're going through a lot of pain right now. And I need to try to be understanding, even if I don't necessarily agree. And Patrick, you must be.

Well, I remember three specific calls just like this, but probably more, where the main call was for empathy. That was the main call. But here's, let me just give you the other side of it. when we don't believe that the hands-up, don't shoot thing actually happened. That's a misstatement of what happened, and that the officer actually fired in self-defense, and that the hands-up, don't shoot thing was actually a lie.

When that's the big case presented, Then immediately And then you have, say, an Al Sharpton or a Jesse Jackson is not going to use that for a certain thing. You're always going to get a reaction to that. As opposed to when you have something that's a legitimate issue of injustice or violence. And that's so with Colin Kaepernick, when if it's correct, he's recently converted to Islam and his fiancée is a radical member of Black Lives Matter. then you're getting that kind of pushback.

So I'm 100% with you in shouting from the rooftops, even if what he did is wrong, let us continue to talk about racial injustice. Absolutely. And let us recognize the pain that our black brothers and sisters are experiencing to this day. Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes. And I'll then differ with Colin Kaepernick as I do.

Thank you, sir.

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.

Alright, I've I've got. I've got a question. I've got a question for all of you dear listeners. All right, 866-348-7884. About to go back to the phones, but I've got a question for all of you, my dear listeners.

All right? Here's the question. I am willing. to have my blind spots exposed. I am willing to have my viewpoints challenged.

I am willing to have my perspectives expanded. Are you willing? to have those things in your lives as well. In other words, Can you say to me? Dr.

Brown, I believe you're missing something here. You need to consider XYZ. Mike, I think you're off base here. Would you consider this? And I say, yeah.

Uh-huh. Thank you. Let me chew on it. All right, good point. All right, I see what you're saying.

Are you willing to have me do that for you? Because unless we have the conversation, you might lighten me, but then I can't lighten you.

So let's enlighten one another. All right. And any of you who've been listening for a period of time know my heart. And one of the things that has blessed me. I hope you know my heart.

Anyway, one of the things that's blessed me over the years. Is a lot of people listen on radio and they've never seen me on TV and they've never gone to my website. Or somehow they haven't seen my articles with my picture, whatever it is. And it's happened to me quite a few times where I've gone out to speak. and an African American listener has come up to me and said, I didn't know you were white.

So somehow just the issues, the way I presented them. and the sound of my voice whenever. Gave them a certain impression, but what blessed me so much was that we've walked through a lot of really controversial issues on this show. And I've taken stands that are going to be controversial to some. and yet I was perceived as being a black American.

In other words, that much in harmony with or sympathy with certain concerns or issues. As much as I take strong issue with President Obama, as much as I'll take an issue with the method used by Colin Kaepernick. etcetera.

So that That means a lot to me. I keep Being willing to be challenged on a daily basis. I hope you do as well. 866-34TRUTH over to Franklin, Maryland. Michael, welcome to the line of fire.

Are you talking to me from Franklin? If you are Michael and Franklin, you are the man. Go ahead.

Okay, thank you, Michael Brown. We've had past discussions. Let's make it reasonable this time, please. I will do my best. I was listening to you.

I first wanted to talk about that football player, but now I changed my mind to heard you talk. I'd like to speak back to Assa about corrections period. Especi especially for blacks. I did I'm writing a book down in progress, being what he called Changing an Oppressive System. And basically, what it's what my research showed me was that from World War two until the seventies, justice system was concentrating on corrections, reforming people.

Now the conservative movement is about punish and get tough on crime.

Well f until the seventies He had an average of 100. ten peasures per hundred thousand. But as soon as we passed around nineteen seventy two and seventy three, it went up to it went up multiplied over five times until about two thousand and seven or so. Remote by In percentage times, over 500% percentage amount over how many they used to be. It is funny that's around when the Civil Rights Movement ended or was concluded when they got their rights.

back to them. That the bas that the blacks were basically semi to be incarcerated totally five times as many times as as before. And as soon as they got the rights, now they're put away and blocked in prison. Hey, just quick question. I want to come back to you so you can continue this.

Have you read, I'm assuming, Michelle Alexandria's book, The New Jim Crow? No, I have not, sir. Tell me about it, please.

Okay, well, that's she very, very strongly argues that it's the prison system that is the new Jim Crow in America. It was a very, very controversial book, tremendously well-selling book. And I haven't finished it, but I started it. It raises a lot of similar issues and questions.

Now, some have challenged the accuracy of various points, which I think is fair. But it points to the massive numbers of black Americans in the prison system and questions how this is happening and why.

So stay right there. We'll be right back to you. 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.

Thanks so much for joining us on the broadcast 866-34. Truth is the number two call. Uh So, Michelle Alexander, in her New Jim Crow book, believes that. The war on drugs, the war on Mm-hmm. specifically was introduced And it was a way to get ultimately more black Americans in prison.

And it struck there with a certain inequality. And suddenly, minor offenses became major offenses, et cetera. And not only so, now if someone said, wait a second, wait a second. If you go and study this historically, there were black leaders in the other cities calling for the war on drugs and pleading for upping of standards and saying it was destroying their communities. Nonetheless, there are major issues that are raised that need to be addressed.

So, yeah, Michael, just back to you for one more word.

So, what do you believe? Do you believe there's something intentional going on, sir? Sir, the CIA introduced drugs to this country. Our soldiers guard the poppy fields in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We basically.

The war is not on drugs. The war is using drugs against our citizens. That is a real war. And that is why And heavy population blocks. white, Hispanic, they all basically use the same percentage use drugs.

How come is it three to four times as many blacks are arrested and ten times as many blacks are in jail for drugs? That's a reason for it all. And there's much more behind this. Why is that once you've committed a felony and whether or not you're guilty, usually you're not, I've been in jail myself and been totally innocent. And there's a jail there's probably a jail mentality that we are the better ones in jail because we haven't fallen for the capitalist system, which is basically all about making money over humanism and about controlling other people and about money and power and all that.

We're the ones who basically put in jail for no reason and incarcerated against our will. We're victims and better than the police who basically are utilized tools of the powerful to enforce laws to enforce the benefits for the rich. Right.

So you feel in short that this is being done intentionally to keep black Americans down, that Americans are finding another way to do it. Hey, you're not the only one who feels that way. You're not the only one who feels that way. Where there is injustice, we address it. And where it's a figment of our imagination, we address that.

Where it's somewhere in between, we address that. NBC analyst retired NFL player Rodney Harrison said this. If you think sitting during the national anthem A lot of people really served before his time, now trying to give him the freedoms and the liberties that he had. And I tell you this: I'm a black man. And uh He's not black because he's mixed parent, right?

He cannot understand what I face and what other young black men and black people face or people of color face on an every single day basis.

So that's Interesting. Another perspective. 866-34TRUTH Mitchell in Washington, D.C. Thanks for calling the line of fire. You're welcome.

Welcome. Um talked about a lot. I think your initial issue um was the um football player. who did not um stand for the um Um the national anthem. Yeah, and I was tying that into even before that.

Tie that into our relationship to America as believers. You know, are God and country one and the same as far as allegiance? Is the American flag something that should be venerated by Christians? Do we have dual loyalties, you know, to the Kingdom of God and to our nation. And it was in that context that we returned to Colin Kaepernick.

But anyhow, just for our listeners, just tuning in.

So back to you. I hope that's a rhetorical question. For someone like you, because God and country are not the same, and I think any Christian that's read the Bible should know that. Um but with regards to this gentleman. I think that uh he has every right to um Uh a protest by Not saluting the flag or standing during the national anthem.

And I think that athletes should be encouraged to. Protests in that form because it's athletes and entertainers. Those are the only people that the the white and Jewish media will listen to. They make money off of them, and so they're concerned about their behavior. There are people who are fighting racism in the trenches on a daily basis.

who are not recognized, who are not listened to, whose opinions and whose Uh research and work. isn't given any type of um Recession. Because They don't care. But who's they? Who's they?

What I What do you mean who's they? When you say they won't listen, who's they? I just said the white and Jewish media, the powers that go. The white and Jewish media. Ah.

People who control the system. That's right. Ah, so the same media.

So the same media that blasts Israel in ugly terms, that that that misreports things that give more favor to Islam that's the Jewish-controlled media, I guess, shooting itself in the foot. Is that it? No, the the Yeah. media is engaged in a game of manipulation and exploitation. Israel is not blasted.

People believe that Israel has the right to murder and kill Palestinian children. Who told you that? Who told you that? That's on the news on a regular basis. Who told you that Israel has.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. See, here's my problem, Mitchell. You disqualify yourself. You disqualify yourself. every word you just said up to now intelligent thinking listeners are now saying, what's this guy talking about?

You just shot yourself in the foot. I have no problem with you agreeing with Colin Kaepernick. I disagree with him. I am 100% for athletes speaking out. I am 100% for athletes being role models.

I am 100% for athletes doing things that are unpopular because they have a conviction. Go for it. And for better or worse, be benefited by it or suffer the consequences. But when you come out and spout out and out lies, No media. No.

Major media. is reporting that Israel has the right to kill Palestinian women and children. Israel has the right to defend itself, sir. Israel has the right to defend itself. Israel carries out warfare more carefully than any nation in recorded warfare history.

Israel loses soldiers on a regular basis because of the guidelines by which it must engage itself. I've talked to the soldiers, I've talked to the parents. Are you aware that if you're an Israeli soldier, you can't even leave base without your ID card and your ethics card? You must always have your ethics card as to how you are to conduct yourself as an Israeli soldier. And when they begin training, they begin training by talking about ethics.

Or are you aware of that? Mm. And I'm going to let you talk in a minute, but as much as you were talking over me, it's not going to happen.

So I'm going to let you talk again in a minute. But In the war in Gaza, Israel was fighting Hamas terrorists. This is a. recognized terrorist group that is destroying Gaza. Israel took out terrorists.

Unfortunately, as in every war, there were civilian casualties. Israel avoids them strenuously, and no media. No respectable media, be it liberal or conservative, says that Israel has the right to kill Palestinian women and children, but Israel has the right to defend itself, which it seems to do.

So I You know, I'm trying to figure out. I'm glad to stand with you for racial justice in America, but I'm not going to stand with myths and fables.

So I guess the question is: am I part of the Jewish? You should treat black people any kind of way. What are you talking about, to treat black people any kind of way? I said it is the Jewish media that says it's okay to treat black people any kind of way. Give me an example.

Who's the Jewish media? Am I the Jewish media? I'm Jewish. Am I Jewish? I would say probably 90% of the media in this country is somehow controlled or owned by Jews.

Everybody's not. No, it's owned by black Masons, sir. It's owned by black Masons from Mars. Oh, okay. What I just said is as crazy as what you're saying.

I'm trying to wake you up to reality. I'm trying to wake you up to reality. Give me an example of Jewish-controlled media that says blacks can be treated in any way. Sir, you can't. If you're going to have a conversation with me.

You're going to have to honor the fact that I have the mic here.

Okay, I'm trying to let you talk. All right, I'm trying to let you talk. Give me one example of major media allegedly Jewish control that says you can treat blacks any way you want. Give me a quote from CNN, from NBC, from CNN. Of course, I wouldn't consider a quote from CNN to necessarily be factual.

Actual information, okay? No, no, no, give me an example. Give me an example. They can exploit and manipulate the media. Give me an example.

Give me one ritual. Give me one example. Tell you what. Tell you what. I'll give you one last shot.

I'm being patient with you, buddy. I'll give you one last shot. Give me one example of ABC, CBS, NDC, MSNDC, CNN, Fox, any, any, any, any. Give me one. Example.

Of major media say you can treat blacks any way you want. Just give me one example. Give me one example speak out in protest. All right. Give me one example.

Give me one example. of the major Alright, well tell you what friends. Trust me, trust me. Trust me on this. Mitchell spoke for Mitchell.

He does not, if you. Have a cause and you're standing for a cause. and Mitchell's identified with your cause. He disqualified himself. He doesn't disqualify you.

All right? So, just want to say that when you have someone. that bigoted, that biased, that misinformed, they disqualify themselves. That's it. They don't disqualify anybody else.

So you can call and say, hey, I think what Colin Kaepernick did was right. And you have nothing to do with Mitchell, all right? Unless you're gonna put out the same nonsense. All right, we'll be right back with your calls. 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.

Hey, check out my latest video. It's on a little different note, but it asks the question: what point do we brand something heresy? You can also watch a recent video where I asked the question, are Christians trying to take over America? Which is very much relevant to what we're talking about, what our attitude should be towards our country. Go to ask Dr.

Brown, A-S-K-D-R-Brown.org to watch the latest videos and read the latest articles. 866-348-7884. Let's go to Nauris in Maryland. Welcome to the line of fire. Hi.

Dr. Brown, thank you for your Hard work. God bless you. You're very welcome, Nerice. Um um I wanna m make a point in this guy, the the the Forty Nighter player.

Yeah. A lot of people don't realize this is a spiritual battle. And this guy had a privilege to be adopted by believers in Christ and raised by believers in Christ. He even have tattoos with the scriptures in on on his body.

So now he met this girl. To me, this girl is like Delilah and Samson. And he lay on Dahlia's lap And now he succumbed to all this, turning into a religion that follows Satan, not God.

So he's in a backsliding condition. And according to the word of God, When a person turn our back on God, just like the prodigal son, we turn worse. And this guy is even falling apart in his career as a football player. They are considering letting him go. Right.

So he is in the downfall, and I pray for him because he needs to come back to the Lord. Um, but, um he wants attention and he going the wrong way because he's leaning in his own understanding. in the understanding of the Word of God anymore. Yeah, Naris, I appreciate first you coming at it with a compassionate viewpoint, saying, hey, he's a soul. And he needs our prayer.

Again, I don't know what his relationship with the Lord was, but yes, he did have a scripture verse tattooed on him, you know, believing that God was, you know. His strength and so on. And he was raised in a loving, adoptive home. And if it is true, That he is engaged to this woman who's a strong Black Lives Matter leader, then, yeah, it's what's influencing him, what's radicalizing him. It's interesting.

that an earlier coach that he played under Said that he was totally shocked by this. This was not the guy that he knew, and he also said that. It was a wrong way to do this because you, rather than drawing attention to your cause, you draw attention to the way that you did the thing, which then puts the attention in the wrong place. But yeah, for sure, he's a soul loved by the Lord. And if it's true, again, there's things saying it's not true, so I don't know if actually, if he did convert to Islam, if he did send out Ramadan greetings on Instagram, as was reported, was that bogus or real?

Then there are larger spiritual things going on. And again, the issue is not. Does he have the right to continue to discuss racial injustice in America? No problem. More power to you.

And do it in a constructive way. Also, do it recognizing your place of privilege. I mean, could you imagine a contract for X number of viewers for $100 million? How about for a million dollars? You know, most of us can't even imagine anything like that.

Yeah, valid points, but thank you. Thank you for focusing on the spiritual end and on his own soul. Let's pray that the Lord would really get hold of him and radically save him or radically bring him back to a faith if he once walked in it. Thank you so much. Much appreciated.

866-34TRUTH. Let's go to Barbara in Oahu, Hawaii. Welcome to the line of fire. Little Barbara Brown. Hey, how are you doing?

Wonderful. It's always a blessing for me to speak with you and always a blessing for me to listen to you each and every day. I miss you on the weekends though. But anyway. All right.

Well, thank you. Yeah, the last time I called you, I was calling from Baja, California, Mexico.

Now I'm back in my home in Oagu. I have been listening to your show since two thousand nine. At that time, I was walking through a chemo valley. was um after going through breast cancer.

So I went through that for about seven years. And after that, I went through.

Some more cancer, you know, with colon cancer. And through all of that, the last ten years, I have been. In a valley. A D Dar Valley. The light of Christ.

Only the light of Christ, doctor Brown. And listening to you each and every day. allowed me to walk through that valley. As he says in his 23rd Psalm, as you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, Anyway, I say all that to say this. I came out of that chemo fause.

I came out of that coma in January 2015. And do you know I thought that I was back in the sixties again. I thought I graduated from high school in 1966. And all the things that are going on when it comes to race in our country today. I thought I was having.

What do they call it? Flashback. Mm-hmm. Not only a flashback, but it's like every day, every day you listen to the news. I'm thinking, how can this be?

How can this be? We have come so far. I am an African American female from Richmond, Virginia. Born and raised up in Virginia in the sixties.

So I think I have a feeling about what went on when it comes to blacks in this country. Oh, blacks talk about being black. Oh, and a female too. I am thirty year Navy retired Retired officer. But I'm a Mustang because I went into the military as an enlisted.

So here you have a black human.

Okay, with a high school education. Raised in the sixties, who managed to at the end of her life sixty eight. And I tell you, I believe in that rule for basketball baseball. Three strikes, you're out. I've had two strikes.

But Until then, until God calls me home, I'm trying to understand what are we doing? How can it possibly be that after seven and a half years, we have had a black leader But Our country has gone in the opposite direction when it comes to race. Please help me understand that, because it breaks my heart. Yeah, let me say this, Barbara. Yeah, first, God bless you for your courage and your heart.

And thank you for the incredibly kind words. It's deeply meaningful to me to know that we've stood with you through thick and thin and helped you come out on the other side of this trial. Oh, yes, you have. Yeah, well, that's a privilege and honor, dear sister. Let me just say this, and I've got just a few seconds before the break.

I believe, unfortunately, that our President and some of his administration. Yeah. been guilty of race baiting in certain ways or been guilty of Of siding with issues prematurely or unfairly, which rather than rallying us around the very real issues that we should address. more deeply divided us. Again, there are real issues we must still address, no question.

But I believe it was done in a destructive rather than a constructive way. With that, I've got to run, but may the blessing of the Lord be yours. My bottom line today. We can pull each other down, destroy each other, or work together for a better nation. God and country, do they always go hand in hand?

Kingdom of God, allegiance, patriotic allegiance? How do we work these things out? Mm. 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.

I'm holding in my hands a big, beautiful Bible, the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. I'm holding it in my hands and I have it open to Romans chapter 13. Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authority that exists have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted.

And those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. If you want to be free from fear of the one in authority, then do what is right, and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid.

For rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment, but also as a matter of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants who give their full time to govern and give to everyone what you owe them. If you owe taxes, pay taxes.

If revenue, then revenue. If respect, then respect. If honor, then honor. This is Michael Round. But did I mispronounce my own name?

Did I say round rather than brown? Could that happen? And a simple name like that, yeah, oh come on. Yup instantly? That's the feedback I get from my team.

All right. This is Michael Brown. There you go. Pronounce carefully. articulately.

Your voice of moral Sanity and spiritual clarity. Here we are. I'll slow down a moment. Reading from the words of Paul. As he talks about our relationship to government.

And we can. We can Honor authority Honor our government, and be loyal Patriots, but our highest allegiance is to the kingdom of God. And when the two come in conflict, we say, we must obey God rather than man. We must obey God rather than man. That is our great focus.

That is our Uh that is our priority. And uh If We find ourselves in conflict. We are not America bashers. We don't burn the flag. Because that would be contrary to the Romans 13 attitude.

Instead of the We, with respect for our government, if I take issue with President Obama, or before that, with President Bush, with respect for our leadership. honoring their authority as those whose ultimate loyalty is to God, we say, I love my country, I pray for my country, but I cannot agree with this. I love my country and I pray for my country, but I am ashamed. of this. And there are right and wrong ways to do things, but ultimately, We are dual citizens.

We are citizens of a heavenly kingdom and of this earthly nation, whatever nation we live in, and therefore is different than if you lived in ancient Israel. And that nation being a theocracy meant you could be 100% loyal to God and your country. Here, that may not always work in the same way, however. Here is the same thing. To the extent Israel turned to God, Israel was blessed to the extent America turns to God, America is blessed.

And that role is constant. We as God's people should be helping turn our country towards God rather than away from God. All right, got some questions for you to weigh in on, a lot to discuss today. 866-348-7884. If you wanted to weigh in on the Colin Kaepernick controversy yesterday and didn't get an opportunity to, phone lines are open.

We had some lively discussion last hour. 866-348-7884. 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.

Let me read to you what Professor Craig Keener. In his study notes here, in the Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, he's a New Testament editor, John Walton, the Old Testament editor. If I had to pick two people in the world, one to edit the Old Testament, one the New, for cultural background, those are the men I would have picked.

So Craig Keener says this on. On Romans 13, 7, he's got notes on basically every verse in this chapter, just about, where it says, Paul says, if honor, if you owe someone honor or the government honor, then honor. He said, both custom and prudence demanded honoring officials and others of higher social rank. Jews refused to sacrifice to the emperor. But the temple honored him with prayers and sacrifices to God on his behalf, the Jewish temple.

Suspending such offerings in the temple roughly a decade later quickly led to war against Rome, and he cites Josephus and Wars Volume 2. four oh nine. Again, just interesting there, the tension of where do you go with honoring the emperor. Uh where where do you go with Honoring authority. What if the emperor is viewed as a god and you're supposed to sacrifice to him?

Well, you won't do that. Can you offer sacrifices on his behalf, praying for him? Yes. But what if that is perceived as a sacrifice to him? Do you then need to stop it?

These are real questions that come up.

Now, I've got a bunch of things I want to discuss with you. But Let me be, it's going to slightly change gear. It's partially, partially changing gear. As we talk about our allegiance to God, Along with our allegiance to America. our allegiance to God versus our allegiance to America.

or perhaps we could say we are totally devoted to what is best for our country. As children of God, we are wholeheartedly and totally Devoted to what is best for our country. In that sense, we are good citizens. In that sense, We are the best citizens. Because we want what is best for America.

but often that means challenging the status quo. Often that means going against what is politically correct or the prevailing view. Will we do that? I hope we will. I hope we will.

But as kids are going back to school Basically, kids around America are back in school now. Maybe in a few places, still another few days before they go back. But as kids are back in school, Firstliberty.org. Gives us 25 surprising facts about religious rites in public schools. Here's another question where the intersection of liberty And patriotism comes into play, or the question of separation of church and state.

A widely misused phrase and concept, how that comes into play. These things obviously are all interrelated.

So, here are 25 surprising facts about religious rites in public schools. Parents, are you listening? Hey, kids. Mom, Dad, maybe just picked you up from school, and this is your daily routine to listen to the line of fire.

Well, a shout-out to all of you. I hope you had a good day. If you had a rough day, I hope you have time to recover tonight before you go back to school tomorrow. I know for some, you're in real challenging environments. Parents, kids listening, educators listening from FirstLiberty.org.

Here are 25 surprising facts about religious rites in public schools. One, students and educators do have First Amendment religious rights inside public schools, so you still have your freedom of speech. And freedom of religion inside public schools. Students can speak about their faith even when their teachers must be neutral.

So If something is coming up and maybe there's a discussion about Islamic terrorism and does that represent true Islam? And someone says, well, what about the Crusades and Christianity? You have the right to speak freely. You have the right to speak freely about your own faith, even if the teacher has to remain neutral. Schools cannot treat religious activity differently than any other activity.

So if students are allowed to Uh say congregate. Outside, maybe in playground area around the school, they can get in a circle and talk, or then get in a circle and pray. It's perfectly legal, perfectly fine for them to do that. If There is a A group that meets. Hey, we want to have a special group.

We're into building rockets. And we want to have a rocket building group. Great. Hey, we love riding horses. We want to have an equestrian group.

Great. Hey, we're really into the word. We're really into the word. We want to have a Bible study group. Great.

Whatever the rules are for one, if you need a faculty sponsor and then a room, whatever applies to the one has to apply to the other. 4. Students can pray during lunch, recess, or other designated free time. Five students can pray silently during the school's moment of silence. Six, students can read the Bible or other religious materials at school.

Teacher has no right to tell the student you can't bring your Bible to school, you can't read the Bible to school.

Now, if the kid is reading the Bible during another class, the teacher tells him you can't do that just like you tell them don't read a comic book in another class, or don't read a textbook for another class in this class. Same things would apply. 7. Students can share their faith with fellow students during free times when they could discuss other topics like the movie they just saw or their weekend plans. Eight, schools can acknowledge religion.

And what exactly does that mean? I have to find out from them. Nine, students can pray either individually as a group at school athletic competitions, student assemblies, or other extracurricular activities when school officials are not involved.

So, if the football team says, hey, let's pray for protection, you know, that nobody will get injured or hurt. Great. If the cheerleaders say, hey, let's really shine, hopefully they're addressed modestly, hey, let's really shine, let's really pray that the Lord will bless the game, it's great. They can do that. Yep, the students can do that.

Students can pray at graduation ceremonies or include religious content in their speeches. 12. A public school can refer to Christmas and have a Christmas party if the intent is not to advance. Christianity. A public school can display Christmas decorations if the intent is to teach and not part of a religious exercise.

14. A public school can include religious music, art, or drama in a school play or performance if it is used to teach history or cultural heritage and not advance a particular religion. 15. Students can give out Christmas gifts with religious messages at school parties because they're students. They're free to do that.

16. Students can incorporate their faith and religion in classroom and homework assignments so long as the work meets the requirements of the assignment. 17. A public school district cannot be hostile towards religious beliefs. Ooh, can I read that one again?

This is all at firstliberty.org. 25 Surprising Facts About Religious Liberties in Public Schools. seventeen on the list A public school cannot be hostile toward religious beliefs. Wow. Teachers and other public school employees can discuss religion with students as cultural and historical education, or when asked.

By the students. Teachers and other public school employees can discuss religion with other teachers or other school. Employees.

So so look at that. Uh when they're asked by the students, they can discuss religion. as cultural and historical education. And among themselves, they can discuss religion, though the teachers are the school employees. Is that saying that if you ask a teacher, Hey, what do you believe personally?

Off campus, they can't tell you. I don't think it means that. A public school or a teacher cannot limit religious speech by students unless they limit others' speech. Mm-hmm. What's good for one is going to be good for the other.

21. If students can have a secular extracurricular club, then students can have a religious club at their school. I included that in an earlier point. 22 religious students. Student groups can meet on campus whenever other non-curricular clubs can meet.

You got a chess club that meets here. You've got a Advanced Computer Programmers Club that meets here. You've got a fantasy football club that meets here. You've got a Bible study club that meets here. Do it.

And by the way, you can have a study of the Quran Club. By the way. Uh let's see. Religious clubs can use the same school resources available to non-religious clubs, for example, school facilities, bulletin boards, public address systems, to promote. a public address system to promote or facilitate club events.

24 in most cases, teachers or other public school employees may attend a religious students' group meeting in a supervisory role. 25 members of religious student clubs can distribute flyers about meetings and events just like non-religious clubs. Important to remember that. And you can actually download. I just read the list and I said, one, I need a clarification on.

Well, the clarification is all here. You can actually download a free booklet, Religious Liberty Protection Kit for students and teachers at the firstliberty.org website. 866-348-7884 is number to call. Yeah, I'm going to go here next. Clemson University.

Oh, you gotta hear this. Oh boy, oh boy. We'll be right back. Around the new sign, 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.

Alright are you ready for this? 866. Three, four, eight, seven. Uh Clemson University, you ready for this? Campus reform is pointing this out.

Uh Clemson University Administrator Sean Jones demanded that a local man who was praying with students leave campus last Thursday because he was not in a designated, quote, free speech. Zone. Yeah. So on campus. You have free speech zones, and presumably Much of the campus is not a free speech zone.

Sh shouldn't the whole campus be free speech though? Shouldn't every classroom, every grassy knoll, every administrative building, shouldn't the whole campus, every street that you walk up and down, Should those be free speech zones? It's one thing if you break the law, say that if the speech is. Prohibit it by law, then you don't engage on it in the campus. But shouldn't the whole campus be a free speech zone?

Am I missing something here? What if he was just going blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah? And he was not in the free speech zone. What if he was saying? I do not like Donald Trump.

And he was in not in a free speech zone. What if he was talking to other students who were asking about Islam? and he was not the free speech song. Would would he Uh Would he have been ordered to leave? Clemson maintains that university policy requires non-students to pre-register on campus.

to preregister on campus activities outside of designated areas, but student pro students protest that the entire campus should be open to free speech. Yeah, I could see if you have people coming onto campus in ways that are disruptive. I could see that. And you have to monitor that, but this is crazy, is it not? By the way, University of Chicago.

University of Chicago has gotten a little bit of pushback because they have they have said no safe zones and you know won't won't give your feelings hurt over here. No, enough with this stuff. You get challenged on campus. You have your views challenged. You have your thought process, child.

Yeah, that's part of what happens. on campus. Mm-hmm. Now Another, while we're on campus, we're going from children's schools to campuses.

So, also on campus reform, how about this? Are you ready? Are you ready, friends? Amber Athey reports, and this was just today. Campusreform.org.

Oh, you ought to visit there regularly. You will have your eyes opened. You will really have your eyes open. A Vermont college is handing out pronoun pins to incoming freshmen. Of course, freshmen.

is the term used by campus reform because you don't want to call it freshman, right? Yeah, fresh people. Fresh people. Not freshman. Of course, because that's man, you got the man word in there.

Remember, Princeton University, Human Resources, we've got a video up on that. Just go to askdrbrown.org and click on digital library to watch it. Yeah, Princeton University, they want to ban the M-word man. As in Man made oh yeah yeah, seriously. It man can't say man made.

It's artificial. How about mana ooh, no, no, no, no, no, no. Not man hours, person hours. And on and on it goes, as I wrote about that in an article. Not only can't you say man oh man, you have to say maybe person oh person or individual oh individual.

And you can't say, come on, man up. No, no, no. Maybe you may not. No, that has the man word too. Ooh, that's not good.

Individual up. That's come on. You need to individual up. But the mafia If it spreads from Princeton beyond, the mafia will have to hire a a hit a hit individual. Yeah, 'cause you're never hitman.

And on and on it goes with the cultural insanity. Yeah. I'm not drinking the Kool-Aid. In an effort to become more inclusive for gender non-conforming students, Champlain College handed out hundreds of pronoun pins during first-year orientation advertising the wearer's preferred gender pronouns. Options included she/her, He himself And uh how do you pronounce X E X E R?

See sir? Why pick such a difficult one? Why not go with some of the easier? And even. Hello, my plu uh pronouns are fluid, please ask me.

Yeah. Yeah, so you could wear that pin. You could wear that pin Uh Gosh. God help these confused young people It wasn't for young people to be confused, but for a whole college to be confused. For the administrators to be confused, for the faculty to be confused, for everyone that goes along with this.

This is nonsense. According to the Burlington Free Press, the pens were created by the official Residential Life, which expressed a desire to accommodate students in the LGBT community.

Now on another note. I don't know. I'm.

So I have time tonight. After teaching, night school teaching, or at school of ministry or fire school of ministry, or first-year students tonight. If I have time tonight, I want to write an article. on separating The Value of Black Lives from the Black Lives Matter Movement And and As someone pointed out to us, one of our listeners pointed out, thank you so much for doing so, pointed out earlier today, this was passed on to me. If you go to blacklivesmatter.com, guiding principles, and click on Black villages, it starts by saying we're committed to disrupting the Western prescribed nuclear family structure requirement.

and goes on from what it means. kind of extended families in villages that collectively care for one another. That's in the Black Lives Matter movement. But hang on, you know what's also in there? Queer affirming.

The Black Lives Matter movement, under principles, says it is queer affirming. That's part of Black Lives Matter. That's why you've got to separate the value of black lives from the from the Black Lives Letter movement. It's not only A queer affirming. It's also transgender affirming.

So queer doesn't include transgender. No, no, you now need something else. We are committed to embracing and making space for trans brothers and sisters to participate, lead. We are committed to being self-reflexive and doing the work required to dismantle cisgender privilege, that means heterosexual. and uplift black trans folks, especially black trans women who continue to be disproportionately impacted by trans antagonistic violence.

Yes, so this is this is some of the radicalism that I oppose. This is some of the misguided ultimately anti-social Anti-family, anti-cohesive society radicalism that I oppose. and try to separate these radical causes from the educational system. from the justice movement. From From the value of other lives, because this is the very type of stuff that is so foolish, so destructive.

It's one thing to say. We are going to protect everybody, no matter who they are. If they're people of color, we're standing with them.

Now you start to say, well, we're queer affirming, we're transgender affirming, and now if you're part of Black Lives Matter, you also want to destroy the Western nuclear family. Disrupt it, I should say. Royal boy. Ain't to work. 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.

Thank you so much for joining us on the line of fire today, 866-34TRUTH. I've been talking about The difference between just having an allegiance to our country as Americans. And having allegiance to our country as believers.

So we honor our country, we appreciate our country, we work for the good of our country, but we are God-fearing people first. We are citizens of the heavenly kingdom first. And then, secondarily, citizens of this earthly kingdom.

Some political leaders recently said they are. Christian first and conservative second, that's not disloyal. That's what our attitude should be. That is the right attitude. And Paul in Philippians 3:20 says, Our citizenship is in heaven.

And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. This is Michael Brown. You are listening to the line of fire. And in a couple of minutes, I want to talk with my friend, Reverend James Robison, about. being kind to each other.

In the midst of our passionate differences, even political differences and things like that.

So, I'll be speaking with James Robinson in just a few minutes. But let me read to you what Craig Keener says in the Cultural Background Study Bible. Remember, you can order this from our website, from the S. Dr. Brown website this week.

When you do, you'll get a beautiful 2,350-page, amazingly packed study Bible that gives you the cultural background to passage after passage and verse after verse with beautiful charts and images. And it's just amazingly well done. I was thoroughly impressed with it when it came out.

So much so that after I had Craig Keener on with me last week, I said, tell you what, Craig, let's record what you had to say.

Well, of course, record. Let's offer it along with this Bible.

So you can get my exclusive two-hour interview with Professor Craig Keener, the New Testament editor for the study Bible, along with the study Bible. When you order through our website, you'll be helping us with this radio broadcast. Getting the Bible. It's a great early holiday present as well.

So, Philippians 3:20, Craig Keener says this in the study notes. Our citizenship is in heaven. the Philippians understood what it meant to be citizens of a place they had never yet visited. Because Philippi was a Roman colony, its citizens were legally citizens of Rome with all the privileges that came from that status. Although the Philippian Church included resident aliens such as Lydia from Thyatara in Acts 16.14, many of its influential members were likely citizens, perhaps Clement in Philippians 4.3.

Philosophers sometimes declared themselves citizens of the world rather than any mere city-state.

So what he's saying is that the Philippians knew that they were Roman citizens, even if they hadn't been to Rome. Paul is saying, hey, our ultimate citizenship is in heaven.

So here's what I want to take up. We come back after the break with my friend and colleague, Reverend James Robison. We or not just conservatives because as Americans we're part of the conservative movement. We are conservatives because of our biblical foundations. In other words, it's not just gods and God and guns and God and country, and it's all one and the same.

Rather, we are moral conservatives. because we believe in the values of Scripture. We hold to certain economic viewpoints because we see those laid out in scriptural principles. The problem is, it's so easy to get caught up in partisan politics. It's so easy to get caught up in a crossfire where even believers are shooting at one another.

And we even treat those we differ with, say, President Obama or candidate Hillary Clinton, in ways that are un-Christ-like.

So, how do we put our faith first and then live that out with kindness and grace through those we differ with? I'm not a right-wing conservative talk radio host, even though I may agree with certain things that other talk radio hosts or conservatives agree with. I am a follower of Jesus. airing these biblical issues on the radio. We'll be right back.

It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

Thanks so much for joining us today. We've been talking through issues of Allegiance to God, our allegiance to our country. How do we view the American flag? What are righteous things for us to do and not do? But what we do ultimately, we do as citizens of the kingdom of heaven living here in this world.

And knowing that as we advocate for God's ways in this world, it is for the best interest of our country.

So, I want to pursue this with my dear friend and colleague, James Robinson. And, James, you know all too well, having been involved in this longer than me, how easy it is to get caught up in partisan politics and either compromise our testimony or have an unchristian attitude and we get so righteous that we bash others. How, sir, do we keep Jesus and his principles first and foremost in all that we do?

Well, I think it would be very important for all of us to recognize that if we're going to. You know, even love our enemies, and we're supposed to love our neighbor, which is the second of the two great commandments. And Paul even said, in. Fulfilling that herein is all the law fulfilled in a word. There's something about this.

father-in-law of this This God love. Unconditional love that just needs to flow, and we don't even seem as professing Christians oftentimes. to flow very much of that love toward other professing Christians. I I'm I'm amazed and shocked. Stunned, horrified.

and how quickly professing Christians can begin to attack one another just if they have even a disagreement and a discussion Let's just take right now. We're facing the most serious election in my 70. two in about a month or so, seventy three years on Earth. And I've been through some pretty, pretty rough ones and I've been through some I consider miraculous. I think in nineteen eighty we experienced a miracle.

I really do believe that. I don't think the miracle played out as fully as it could. Because the person leading, Mr. Reagan, was then affected by the Republican establishment, or I call the Republican Guard, and he won't continue to receive the wise counsel that his heart actually longed for, and he always responded positively to.

So here we are now. in a situation that is just indescribably uh let's say unexpected, especially the choices that we have. And here's the situation. even people who say to Christians.

Okay, you don't have the perfect person, but we never have had. Why are so many of you now so angry and so frustrated? You get angry at another person who might try to find a reason to find some kind of hope. For instance, many of the platforms in the Democratic platform should be or their prank should be totally unacceptable to any serious Christian. You don't keep destroying innocent life.

You wrote a tremendous article about that. You do not support an ever consuming federal government that consumes the resources of the people and creates an entitlement society, and pretty soon the people in bondage will be as Israel trying to make bricks without straw. In other words, we won't even have the wherewithal to be productive and effective anymore because we've been dominated by statism. And then you also are being told that as a Christian, you've got to change your beliefs about abortion. And we can permanate a life all the way through nine months, even for a sexual gender preference.

And that if you do not support that, then you're going to be threatened. I talked to Mark Green. A couple of days ago, they're about all the way to Hobby Lobby. I'm hoping to visit with him in another week or so in a meeting that you'll be in. I'm going to ask him to actually take us on the journey.

With what happened with Hobby Lobby when they were being fined $1 million a day because they would not give pills to kill little babies in the womb. And that was their conviction.

So here we've got a platform there. But now on the other side, you've got a candidate to keep them look at their past. And uh you know they might say well it even makes us all a Tarsus a Pale, and Saul in the Old Testament, pale, and other kings David talk to pale. But they don't seem to realize that these great men of God kept speaking the truth to these individuals if they opened the door.

Sometimes it was as though God forced the door open. But they didn't stand outside the room discussing how bad the individual was. They went in with wise, loving counsel to try to benefit all the people that God loved. today. I do you realize I'm actually being scolded, Dr.

Brown, because mister Trump has asked me to surround him with wise counselors. Even economic counselors. I'm going to discuss immigration in about two hours with some of the greatest minds in the country. To try to help them get a handle on something that Congress never seemed to be able to get a handle on. And I got news for you.

It's not that tough to get a handle on it. If people created in the image of God who love God, who love their neighbor, who want the best, will sit down at the table of reason. And have the civil discussion that can lead us to a way out of despair and defeat. Immigration is a serious problem. the United States has contributed to the problem as much as the illegals have.

We have enabled it. We have funded it. We have put it in welfare, so to speak. And now then, we're discussing what do we do to protect our borders. We're inviting people in here thousands at a time you would never let in your home.

You wouldn't let them in your subdivision. We don't know. We're bringing in so many that they are impacting the culture when everything in their culture and mindset is against everything that made America great. We have reached the point, doctor Brown, of what appears to be total insanity. And Christians now are standing back Just like they did with Jesus, he hangs out with sinners.

He's a line bibber. He's with these wicked people. What's he doing in the house with a Pharisee and a prostitute at the same time? And they never shut up picking on one another. Let me say this to you.

You're one of the most brilliant men I have ever known in my life. and I'm watching you every week that you live. Make the most incredibly bold, profound, transforming statements, but sir, you are delivering those in love, even for the individual that you're correcting. Why can't Christians try a little of that? You and I are both two strong individuals.

And yet, God has given us a love and respect for one another where we not only listen to each other, we seek wisdom together in a spirit of love and compassion and genuine interest in all our neighbors. I'm just saying to Christians. Quit Finding a reason to argue, divide and divorce and try to destroy the other person. Please, please Please, Christians. Let's behave like the family our perfect father is encouraging us to be.

Please, Christians. Mm. Yeah, I hear your appeal loud and clear. And thanks always for your very kind and gracious words, my dear brother. I was actually examining my heart, and I may be writing on this in the next few days.

By the way, folks, have you been to the stream lately? I went there as I'm there every day and was blown away by the new look. I mean, the graphics and the clarity of it, amazing.

So you're getting the latest news and you're getting godly commentary on what's happening. And James Robinson, the pioneer publisher of this, so go to stream.org if you haven't been and you'll stay there for a while once you're there. But I was actually convicted of, and I may ask the question to others: do we have the love of Christ for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama? Because it's so easy. You know, if you'd listen to say Conservative news and maybe just conservative talk radio or TV, there's a certain level of bashing.

There's a certain rhetoric that's acceptable and name calling and so on. And I remember listening to Rush Limbaugh many years ago when Bill Clinton was president. He used to refer to him as Slick Willie. And I thought, you know, I have real, real grave issues with many things with President Clinton, but I couldn't call him that because there's something unchristian about it.

So we can have these attitudes that somehow we justify, because after all, we're right. We're right in our doctrine. We're right in this view, that view. And that somehow gives us the right to have unkind attitudes towards others.

So I can completely oppose the policies of Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton and still have a burden to pray for them. And I know if Hillary Clinton opened the door to you, you'd be there tomorrow to talk to her. No question about it. And the thing about it is, I open by talking about things that people and parties and candidates support that are simply totally 100% against really sound thinking and love for your fellow man and for the innocent and wanting to care for one another. And I pointed out the problem was the practice, the policy, and the principle that's being violated.

I didn't even attack the people that seemed to be promoting that. Promoting that, I said it's foolish for a candidate to tell us to get over it as Christians and just leave your faith. But we want to get in the door. Here's the problem: if they don't open the door, you can't go in. I knock at the door.

If any man opens, I will come in. I'll eat with you. I'll take whatever's on your shoulders. I'll have your burdens. But one of these days, I'm going to set a table before you because I'm coming in with love.

That's how I go in. When Mr. Trump asked me to come in and speak truth to him, you don't have to wonder, Dr. Brown, what is James Robinson saying? I promise you with all my heart, I'm sowing the purest, most consistent with the word of God, seeds of truth, transforming truth faithfully, fearlessly, boldly.

And I have to wait and see what kind of soil received those seeds and see the fruit that it bears. And by the way, I've said this before in your program. we may be looking at a very visible person right now who happens to be one of the candidates. who may actually be similar to Simon Peter. He may not change in 12 months in the presence of Jesus in person.

Look what the condition he was in after three years. Boasting about how strong he was. He denied Jesus three times in his hour of greatest need.

So, will we as Christians offer any patience to somebody else who did at least open the door? I mean, I was on a meeting on the phone, a conference call, with 30 of the most powerful Christian leaders in the country this week.

Well, matter of fact, I think it was yesterday. Talking to Mr. Trump. I'm about to talk to one of his lead advisors about how we deal with immigration policy. Let me just jump in, sir.

If I could keep you on the other side of the break. I want you to talk immigration and then I have one very specific Donald Trump related question that you can help us with. If you can, stay over through the break. 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 back friends to the line of fire. Have you visited the stream lately? Stream.org, a beautiful new upgrade to the whole site. I'm super impressed. And I have the joy of working with the editors at the stream sometimes three, four, five times a week as I'm publishing articles and they're giving me feedback and we're sharpening things together.

This is a great website to go to know what's happening in the news. But then to get godly perspective and wisdom on what's happening in the news.

Some of the best thinkers out there, some folks you're familiar with, some you haven't heard of.

So check it out: stream.org. James Robinson is the publisher of Stream.

So, James, two things, and thanks for a few extra minutes. You were talking about immigration moments before. Obviously, Donald Trump's making a major speech what, tomorrow? Yeah, so is it is it your understanding that he want that he genuinely wants to hear from you and other faith leaders to to get your perspective on this issue?

Well, I think he genuinely wants to, but I'd say as a faith leader and someone who's concerned about the issues we face, I think it's imperative that he listen. And therefore, I think we speak very boldly and firmly with great compassion and yet conviction.

So that's what we do. And for whatever reason, I have been invited in that door along with others I respect, like Sammy Rodriguez, and he will be on the conversation. He oversees 41,000 Hispanic churches here in the United States. And he's saying amazingly, many of the Hispanics are now seeing the daylight about what's coming down. Here's the thing that I'm saying has to happen.

If you don't get the one who employs these people who are really, let's say, dedicated and gifted and determined and trustworthy and capable of being productive and dependable, and they actually care about the right things and they respect us. You see the people who pay them and employ them, and oftentimes terribly, they will get them papers that are illegal to try to make them look legal. In other words, the employer knows their value. And so values them that they would be willing, I think, to pay fines to help you determine the right person. How would you even identify the people that you were going to deport if nobody can identify them accurately?

And no one can know them better than the people who love them so much because of the work they do and they value it so much, they're going to come to the table of reason. I'm just going to say this firmly and absolutely. We have helped create this problem.

Now we're going to have to help solve it. And that means that the people who are employing them for the reasons Many times they can't get someone of another race to take that particular job and be dependable. They found people who are dependable. They found people who are reliable. They're going to be willing if they had to pay a fine to keep good workers.

They're going to be willing if they had to to send the people back to the border to get legal work permits and come in. In other words, we've got to sit down and find the people that really bring back. may have children here, may have been through the school systems. in our discussion that we're going to have today is we have we have literally created a welfare program to take care of these people who come in here for all the wrong reasons. They don't come in here to work.

They come in to get the entitlement they've been taught can be available because we made it available.

So, if we will sit down at the table of reason, Dr. Brown, and literally hammer these things out. we can solve this problem. And we can have the best people here helping us and the employers that know their value standing up for them, even paying necessary penalties for it. And then we've got to secure the border and stop the nonsense.

But we've got other borders, other than our southern border, that right now are allowing people to come into this country that are pledged to destroy everything any of us have ever believed is important, destroy this nation, destroy freedom, destroy our future. And we're bringing them in by the thousands. It's time to really slam our fist on the table and say enough's enough, but also we're going to think this thing through and hammer it out at the table of reason. We're going to have wisdom, we're going to have conviction, we're going to have compassion, and we're going to do it right. And don't tell me.

People at the table of reason, especially those who pray and seek wisdom and work together, don't tell me we can't solve the problem. We absolutely can and we must. Yeah. So, friends, pray for grace and favor as these leaders speak with Donald Trump and pray for ears to hear God's wisdom, God's plan.

So, last question, and we're almost out of time, so I've got to be real quick. You're getting attacked as if you were in the Ann Coulter camp of In Trump We Trust. But what you're doing is completely different. Your trust is in God. You haven't endorsed and never will endorse a political candidate.

We are simply trying to get Christians to understand is how can they be upset with you speaking godly things into someone's life? And I'm sure in private, really calling him to get right with God. Where's the fault in that? I mean, it's completely different than this, and Trump we trust, or he's the man to change America. You're saying he's opened the door to you.

How can you not go through it as a Christian leader? It's that simple. We trust the God that every person must learn to trust. And if you don't want to trust him, you better accept the laws because if you refute the law of gravity or you have the law, the consequences of that nonsense is going to bring you crashing down. If Mr.

Trump gets up tomorrow night, And says a bunch of things that are pure nonsense, you're going to hear me shouting it from the rooftops. Mr. Trump, go back to the table of reason. You're not listening to good sound thinking. You think I haven't already said that to him in some areas where I know he wasn't listening to sound reason?

And I have watched him doing about face. Hey, listen, Christians. Don't start calling someone weak when they do an about face. God calls that repentance. When you get truth that transforms your mind, your heart, and your direction, you're making good correction.

And if I understand the gospel right, we're supposed to preach transforming truth that causes people to change their direction for good reasons and the right reasons. And Dr. Brown, right alongside of you, I'm going to be shouting truth from the housetops, but I'm going to shout it in love. It's for Hillary Clinton. It's for President Obama.

It's for everyone in Congress and everyone in the Senate. And I'll guarantee you this: if we don't get Congress to the table of reason, And quit their nonsense and passing a bunch of stuff on us that we gotta pass it before we can see what's in it. Stop the stinking nonsense. Am I making myself clear? That's for everybody and for Christians.

Pray for the kind of miracle I'm talking about: ears to hear, hearts to heed, hands to help. Yeah, amen. Amen. And I trust you. Excuse my zeal, Doc.

Excuse my zeal. But as a 73-year-old grandfather and great-grandfather, I'm fed up with what I'm watching people do. And much of America is saying it. Let me just say about all the people there. When Trump says I'm going to change something, they're cheering him and they may not know the Lord.

I want you to know a lot of Americans are fed up with people talking about Jesus and they don't live like Jesus, talking about biblical truth and they don't believe biblical truth. It's time for us to begin to live like people of another kingdom and impact this kingdom right here, right now. Excuse my zeal, but I can't get over it. It's in my bones like a fire. Yeah, well, let me say this: as a fellow fire breather, you'll never have to excuse for your zeal on this broadcast.

I look forward to seeing you soon and talking with you soon. God bless you. I love you, sir. Love you too, man. Thank you.

All right. That's the fire we need. Citizens of another kingdom impacting this kingdom. That's what we do. Check out my latest articles and latest videos.

Go to thelineoffire.org and just look at them. They're there. Beautiful new website. We're thrilled with it. And you want to just search for something else?

Just click on digital library. Boom, there you go. If I've spoken about it, it'll come up there. If we've got a video out on it, if we've got an article out, boom, you'll find it right there. And be sure to check out our special resource offer.

As I'm holding it, pick it up here. Yeah, the beautiful, massive, incredibly thorough cultural backgrounds study Bible that we're offering with an exclusive interview with Craig Keener. for your standing with us on this broadcast. My bottom line today. Zeal for the house of the Lord should consume us, bring that zeal, turning America to God.

Yeah.