Does the Bible Say the World Will Only Get Worse?

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Does the Bible really say that the last days will only get worse and worse? It's time for The Line of Fire with your host, biblical scholar and cultural commentator, Dr. Michael Brown. Your voice for moral sanity and spiritual clarity. Call 866-34-TRUTH to get on the line of fire.

And now, here's your host, Dr. Michael Brown. It's a very practical question, not just theoretical, but practical. If everything is going to get worse before Jesus returns, if morality is only going to go down the tubes, if the government is only going to get more corrupt, if spirituality is only going to get more apostate, why bother trying to bring about positive change? Win as many people to the Lord as possible and we're out of here. Why be pro-life? Why push back against wrong aspects of cultural activism? Why do any of that? Let's just live our lives, win the lost, and get ready for heaven.

A practical question. We're going to address it today. Thanks for joining the broadcast. This is Michael Brown and the number to call on this subject or any. I'm going to open the phone lines like I do on Friday. Why?

On Monday? Because it's President's Day, it's a holiday for some, so maybe you're able to call when you normally can. 866-348-7884. 866-344-TRUTH. Those of you that differ with me on something, want to give me a piece of your mind, we pay for the airtime so you can call in and do it.

So go ahead. Those really struggling, you're trying to work through in the Word or in your own spiritual life and just need some help, here we are. Here to infuse you with faith and truth and courage. Help to, our desires to equip you, to empower you because you're living in your world. You're living, wherever you are, it's the front lines.

I've said it endlessly, but it's the truth. Whether you're a student on a college campus or a student in middle school, whether you're a homeschooling mom, whether you are a ditch digger, whether you are preaching behind the pulpit, whether you're a computer programmer, whether you're in social media as an influencer, whoever you are, wherever you are, you're in a battle if you're standing for Jesus. If you're seeking to walk in the light in the misty dark places, you are in a battle.

So if we can help you in the process, we're here to do that 866-344-TRUTH. So let's look at several scriptures, the principal verses that are normally brought forward to say that things will only get worse before Jesus comes. Therefore, we shouldn't really be fighting the culture wars, we shouldn't really be engaged in those areas because everything's inevitably going down anyway, so why bother to bring about change at all? Are there verses that tell us that's the case?

So let's take a look. We're going to start in Matthew chapter 24. So Jesus is teaching and the Mount of Olives, his disciples have said, when will these things be the destruction of the temple?

What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? So they're putting two or three different things all at the same time and he answers in a layered way. So you have answers about their day and about the final days all sandwiched together. He answered them, see that no one leads you astray, for many will come in my name saying I am the Messiah and they will lead many astray.

So that was a warning right for them. In other words, it's not just at the end of the age many will come claiming to be the Messiah and they're not and will lead many astray, but right then in their day he's warning them. So you have to realize it's not just an end time deception about false Christs, false prophets, false apostles, but something that was relevant right then. For many will come in my name saying I'm the Messiah and they'll lead many astray. And you'll hear of wars and rumors of wars, see that you're not alarmed for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For a nation will rise against a nation, a kingdom against a kingdom, there'll be famines and earthquakes in various places.

All these are but the beginning of birth pains. So this is something for then, perhaps for the end of the age as well, but certainly for then. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, put you to death, you'll be hated by all nations for my name's sake. Then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another and many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold but the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached, proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come. So let's step back from that passage and say that it certainly does warn about false prophets, about false messiahs, about deception. And much of it does apply to the end of the age, but it also applied to their age. In other words, this is something that the followers of Jesus and lovers of truth have had to deal with through the centuries.

False teachers, false apostles, false prophets, false messiahs, whatever names or titles they have. And with this, it does say that, let's just say this is all about the end times here, okay? It starts speaking of their day but now is ultimately focusing on the end times.

So let's just read it like that. So yes, there will be great deception in the last days and there will be great lawlessness and the love of many will grow cold. At the same time, this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, then the end will come. So there's definitely going to be a final battle as much as I would like to embrace the post millennial position that says that the gospel will triumph through the whole world and we will enter the millennial kingdom after which Jesus would return. As much as I'd like to do that, I can't do that based on many scriptures. But certainly, if we take this as an end time prophecy, it does say there will be end time deception, false messiahs, false apostles, false prophets mentioned here specifically and increase of lawlessness, wickedness because of which the love of many will grow cold.

So there's definitely going to be bad stuff happening is that the whole of it, is that the whole picture, is that everything that is written there. Now when you go through the rest of the gospels, you'll have some parallels to this account, the Olivet Discourse that Yeshua was teaching on the Mount of Olives, so Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, but nothing more to really elaborate on this particular point. So for that, let's go over to the letters of Paul, alright. Let's take a look in 2 Timothy, the third chapter and see what Paul writes there. But understand this, writing to Timothy, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty or perilous times.

The Greek word used for perilous is used elsewhere in the New Testament talking about the demoniac with the legion of demons. You're talking about pretty bad stuff. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Oh, oh, hang on here. First, doesn't this description sound like it could have been read almost any time in human history? People will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness but denying its power.

Avoid such people. First thing, it sounds like our day. It sounds like the last generation. It sounds like the generation before that. It sounds like human history in biblical times, human history today.

That's the first thing. Second thing, Paul says to Timothy, avoid such people. He said, well, I don't get it because he's giving a prophecy about the final days on the earth.

No, he's not. He's talking to Timothy about these last days in which we live. The New Testament consistently teaches that we are in the last days. The period from the death and resurrection of Jesus until his return in the New Testament is called the last days. It's not simply the last days before the destruction of the temple.

It's much broader than that. We have been living in the last days for 2,000 years. That's why Paul is talking to Timothy about it.

Otherwise, ask yourself this question. Why would Paul be telling Timothy, now you understand this, a few thousand years from now it's going to get really bad. Why would he be telling him that? Why would I be warning you today about a tsunami that's going to take place in Asia in the year 4,000 or a financial crisis that's going to take place in America in 3,500?

Why would I be talking to you about that today? And more importantly, why does Paul end with saying avoid such people? In other words, Timothy, just because the Messiah has come and the kingdom of God is advancing, it doesn't mean it's all peace and righteousness and joy here.

It's going to be rough here. These last days in which we live are difficult, perilous times. So be aware, Timothy. But this is not just a prophecy of the end. This is a prophecy about life in this world over these last couple of thousand years. It's practical advice to Timothy as well.

And how about this? Let's go over to 1 Timothy chapter 4. 1 Timothy chapter 4. There Paul says this, Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage, and who require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it's received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. So he's telling Timothy, the Spirit is speaking expressly about deception in these later times in which we live.

Not just the end of the age. Wasn't there deception in Paul's day? Isn't Paul dealing with deception in his letters? Aren't the other apostles dealing with deception in their letters? Aren't they warning against false prophets and false teachers in their day?

Weren't they talking about people falling away in their day? Wasn't Jude saying we have to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints? Doesn't 2 Peter 2 say just as there are false prophets among the people in Israel, so there are false teachers among us today? Doesn't Paul in 2 Corinthians 11 warn about false apostles who are really servants of Satan? Doesn't Jesus commend the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2, which tested those who claimed to be apostles and were not?

So these are things that have been dealt with. Doesn't Jesus warn in the Sermon on the Mount in the seventh chapter of Matthew about false prophets and beware of them, they're wolves in sheep's clothing? So there was deception, there was heresy, there was apostasy, there were false apostles, prophets, teachers, false besides, right there in the first century in New Testament times and that's why Timothy is getting practical advice from Paul as to how to deal with these deceptions in these last times in which we live. You cannot just say this is about the final age because this has been with us in church history to this moment and going back 2,000 years and the Word of God is helping us understand how to deal with these things. You say but doesn't the Bible clearly say that the last generation will be the worst of all? Well let's take a look at that and let's take a look at some positive things that the Bible tells us we can expect in the last days.

My understanding is that the closer we get to the end we will see parallel extremes. We will see the greatest outpouring we've ever seen and the greatest demonic activity we've ever seen. We will see the greatest harvest and we will see apostasy. We will see the Holy Spirit moving and we will see satanic counterfeit and it will only increase and intensify the heaviest persecution, the greatest glory within the body. It will only intensify until the final manifestation when Jesus appears and destroys Satan himself and the Antichrist. Alright we'll take some calls 866-348-7884. Do a little more teaching and then we'll go to the phones.

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There are a few other verses in the New Testament so I'll go to the phone shortly a few other verses in the New Testament that Paul writes for example in 2 Timothy 3 about evil men will go from worse to worse it doesn't mean that the human race is only degenerating that was the case if the human race was only degenerating through the ages we would have completely wiped each other off the planet and there would have been no positive progress moral change yet there's been great progress around the world in many many ways in many ways the world is better now than it's been before in in many ways standards of living have raised and in many ways treatment of others there's been more accountability and things and then there's wickedness and perversion and and and through internet we've been able to send things out more and multiply it more and on and on and on okay so we we're dealing with those with those realities but just look at progress in America from abolishing slavery segregation progress in other ways those in a pro-life movement overturn of Roe v Wade these these are positive things and then other things going in the other direction but every generation there's there's a battle that's the reality until Jesus comes that's what I understand in every generation there's a battle and and my goal look at it like a chess board okay those of you that play chess and and then picture it's infinite chess it's billions of of pieces on this massive board that's in all different dimensions right and we come on the scene with the chess board in a particular position and maybe we're in a losing position to to the opposition to the spiritual forces against us my goal is that when I leave this earth I put the chess board in a better position for the next generation that that that that whatever God's called me to be involved with has advanced in positive ways and has and has gone in in in positive ways to to glorify Jesus and to see more people reached and any ministries I've called to have grown and enhanced it and we've been able to shine more light than darkness that's that's my goal but I understand that there's going to be a tussle until Jesus returns and that at a certain point when critical mass is reached when the harvest has reached critical mass in the nations and the state of the body has reached critical mass in a positive way and critical mass has been reached with the salvation of Israel then the end then it's all over then we get to the end of the game and then we move into into the next phase of God's work on the earth and in eternity but some say but look just take the witness of the seven churches in the book of revelation so Ephesus Smyrna Pergamum Thyatira Sardis Philadelphia Laodicea there's an order there there's a progression and Ephesus is the early church that loses its first love and then Smyrna is the church under persecution and and and it just goes from there then Pergamum there is heresy and and Philadelphia that was kind of like an evangelical revival with the Westleys and others and into the centuries and but but then Sardis you know the before that but then at the end Laodicea the church in apostasy and the church of that's the church of today you say I'm rich increased in wealth have need of nothing don't realize you're rich you're pitiful poor blind and naked so the seven churches of Asia reminded they're actually seven church errors there there's seven church periods and we're in the final period why do I reject that I reject it number one because there's not a hint in Revelation chapters two and three that it's speaking about church ages to the contrary revelation one and the following chapters make it clear that those were believers in seven cities in Asia Minor so in Turkey area today roughly seven churches in Asia Minor and church of each city and Jesus has a message for those churches just like Paul wrote to the Galatians or the Ephesians or the Philippians or to Timothy or Titus here are our messages for the seven churches in Asia Minor they were churches current in that day when John was writing the end of the first century that's number one there's not a hint that it's church ages number two how would you know where to divide it if you're reading the Bible a thousand years ago and thinking we're the final generation then you'd say we're the Laodicean generation and you divide the seven up to the first thousand years if if you're if you're reading at fifteen fifteen hundred or five hundred years late and you're fifteen hundred you're dividing the seven into fifteen hundred now we're dividing it into 2024 what if Jesus doesn't come for another 50 or 100 200 years at each you have to keep redividing where the church ages fit and it doesn't work and then lastly the church around much of the world is anything but Laodicea it's more like Smyrna I know your poverty and your afflictions yet you're rich the church in much of the world is impoverished financially the church in much of the world is suffering great persecution the church in much of the world is is meeting in homes and small groups and is the opposite of Laodicea so how can the Laodicean church characterize the church at the end of the age where whereas the the most growing thriving churches around the world are the opposite of Laodicea not only so but Laodicea has a promise from Jesus that that he counsels them to to to to buy sound for their eyes they can see in gold so they'll be rich and and garments to cover their nakedness and then says I stand at the door and knock if anyone hears my voice I'll come into him and sup with him and he with me so there's a promise of restored fellowship so where does it say it's always gonna only get on on the bad side what about acts two where peter quotes from joel three or joel 228 following in in in english and three one following in in hebrew and says in the last days god says i'll pour out my spirit peter adds those words in the last days they're not there in the hebrew or the greek he adds them to say they're not there in the original hebrew or the greek translation the substituted he adds them they're preaching in pentecost saying in the last days god says i'll pour out my spirit the the the outpouring on all flesh is for the last days so on your sons and daughters the great outpouring is promised for the end in romans 13 the end of that chapter says that the night is almost past the day is at hand and first john two says that the darkness is passing and the true light is shining in other words since jesus came into the world the light has been shining more and more and more and more which is why some historians estimate by the end of the first century maybe one out of every 360 people on the planet was a believer today is a one in six in terms of those professing christian faith it's it's better than one four god knows how many are true believers but the gospel has spread and progressed through the centuries to this very moment that's good news god's on the move again i do not expect the world to to get completely righteous before jesus returns i do not expect society to get completely godly before jesus returns and as much as i'd love to see that happen my my assignment is for today and my and my lifetime your assignment is for today in your lifetime to make the impact you can for god that's it to to to leave things better than when you got them whatever your field is whatever your calling is if you say i'm not doing anything significant well do you know the lord yeah well then you can be a witness do you know the lord you can pray do you know the lord you could be a decent human being if you know the lord you can help somebody in need so yeah i i want to see the whole thing happen jesus returns all the promises fulfilled but either way if i don't live to see that i want to be faithful to this assignment knowing that in every generation more light is ultimately shining around the world more people are coming to faith israel is getting closer to its final destiny and we are getting closer to seeing the kingdom of god come here on the earth when jesus returns so i'm encouraged not discouraged it's a battle it's difficult it's deep it's painful but the good news is god is on the move right let's see look at those interesting phone calls we'll get to them on the other side of the break hey friends michael brown here my delight to serve as your voice for moral sanity and spiritual clarity we are living in such urgent times today friends that all of us are in the line of fire there's a target on your back there's a target on my back if you simply seek to live by biblical values or just conservative moral values you could be canceled you could be cast out you could be put down you could be silenced i'm here to say friends that i am not about to be silenced and i don't believe you are either it is time for us to stand up it is time for us to say enough is enough it is time for us to push back in jesus name not fighting the way the world fights no overcoming evil with good overcoming hatred with love overcoming the flesh with the power of the spirit overcoming lies with truth and that's what we're here to do on the line of fire broadcast and friends it's not just a broadcast it is a movement of people around the world god's people standing up saying enough is enough and saying lord here we are send us use us i want to urge you today to join our support team because we are on the front lines together and we are literally touching people around the world in america in the nations in israel and together with your help we're going to amplify this voice and spread this movement around the globe so i encourage you go right now to the line of fire dot org the line of fire dot org click donate monthly support the line of fire dot org click donate monthly support when you do you become a torch bearer we immediately send you two great life-changing books we immediately give you access to many classes i've taught others have to pay to take those you get them for free exclusive video audio content a new audio message every month an insider prayer newsletter 15 discount our online bookstore so much more join our support team today go to the line of fire dot org donate monthly 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 did you did you get my frontline newsletter over the weekend we really poured into it inspirational message on dreaming god-sized dreams pictures from our team ministering to muslims in the middle east amazing testimony from a former palestinian muslim and hebrew word study long excerpt on jesus the radical from one of my books you didn't get if you didn't get it no after me asking like a million times encourage you to sign up for our front line newsletter okay we've got another one coming out next month plus every week key updates videos articles right right what you need the world you're living in we're there to equip you empower you to stand strong on the front line so go to our website the line of fire dot org the line of fire dot org sign up for our frontline newsletter today and we'll put you on our welcome tour you will be blessed share more about my testimony from lsd to phd and then the three r's of our ministry revival in the church gospel-based moral culture revolution in society and the redemption of israel that's what our heart beats for so if you're not getting our newsletter our emails sign up today the line of fire dot org all right with that we are going to go right to the phone starting with laura in raleigh north carolina thanks so much for joining us today hey thank you uh forgive me my phone is acting up so can you hear me all right right now i can okay that'll work uh oh about five minutes i had this on my wall since september 2013 and going through similar struggles past uh as you did but uh this kept sticking it kept sticking out to me and i read it every day second timothy four or five but you keep your head in all situations endure hardships do the work of an evangelist to start start all the duties of your ministry and the other is and do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul but rather fear them who is able to destroy both the body and soul in hell matthew 10 20. um i just pray that all of us stand strong stand firm because uh it's like esther you know to be watching it right in front of our eyes it uh blows my mind so to speak um as far as standing firm uh as far as you know protecting our children are unborn they are precious and so we have to keep for many reasons we have to stand firm to stand against you know come what may yeah and you know what i appreciate laura you have those verses in front of you on a regular basis right now no one is putting a gun to your head or my head and threatening us with death if we profess jesus as is the case in other parts of the world and yet it's the reminder that we serve god not people it's the reminder that we fear god not people that helps us also in the little things helps us just in our job not to be ashamed of jesus helps us in our school not to hide our convictions and you know if if we we often think well if i was in that case they put a gun to my head and say deny jesus or you die i would be strong well no if we're if we're weak now if if we don't take a stand because we don't want to lose friends on facebook we're not going to be willing to lose our lives on that day conversely if god can give us courage to stand in the midst of of real persecution and and real threats to our lives if he can give us the strength to do that then surely he can give us the strength to stand in these smaller things so i appreciate you calling and sharing those scriptures with us as you know you're affirming what we say that we're here to help you stand strong on the front lines thank you for the call i appreciate it praying for you thank you so much thank you and boy i appreciate your prayers you hear me full of joy full of confidence overflowing and that's reality i'm not putting on a show but the attack is real the pressure is real sometimes it's it's ugly i look you you live in this world too you know what i'm talking about and it's god's grace that sees us through all of you who pray for me thank you from the bottom of my heart i mean that i let us go over to jeff in nassachusetts welcome to the line of fire uh thank you very much now as far as what i'm going to say is concerned this is what i believe i don't think the rapture will happen in our lifetime i hope it does but i don't think it's going to there's a there's a doctrine i call i coin it the imminent rapture doctrine one of the biggest dangers is that the truth is that the born-again churches are teaching their people pretty much hold on hold on to the edge of your seats the rapture is going to happen immediately we won't go through heavy duty persecution like like in these other countries like like when they're like like when ria boem told the the israelites that um that i'm going to add to your yoke well we're going to have the yoke added to us as americans and we're going to go through a lamentation style persecution from other countries why aren't the born-again churches preparing their flock for heavy duty persecution and why is the imminent rapture doctrine being preached yes yeah jeff to to answer those those questions uh number one people preach imminent rapture because they believe that's what scripture teaches that he could come at any moment so we won't debate that that's not my view or your view but they they teach it because they believe for some it is an escapism it's a it's a way out before suffering for others they they genuinely believe that's what scripture teaches and and that's why they teach it you know and and he's going to come like a thief in the night and always be ready what i know for sure is that every generation that has said jesus was coming in their lifetime they they've all been wrong 100 and every person in every generation has died so that we know that death is going to happen and it could happen to any of us at any time so we live ready to be with the lord right whatever we're doing we don't say well i i won't die for five years i can just sin no we we love the lord and we live ready to meet him at any time so to me that's just being ready for his return i'm ready to meet him at any time but the bigger question is why aren't we doing more to talk about it why don't we talk more about the persecuted church in other parts of the world right in other words right right now currently why don't we talk more about the suffering church in the rest of the world why isn't that part of our our regular spiritual awareness here in america why is it maybe once a year that we'll have a day to pray for the persecuted church this is something that should always be in our consciousness if not every well you could make a case for every service every time we gather that we pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters i mean wouldn't you expect that if you were the one being tortured if you were the one being thrown in prison for your faith right now if you were the one watching your children being taken away from you if you were the one watching your neighbors killed for the faith wouldn't you think your brothers and sisters in other parts of the world would be praying for you especially if this is happening to thousands hundreds of thousands millions over the years around the world uh it's it's just because it's not happening in our backyard on the same level jeff we're we're basically oblivious to it and because we just somehow think it could never happen here we're oblivious to it the question is where does the bible say it will never happen in america and doesn't the bible tell us consistently to have an attitude of of being strong in the midst of persecution and opposition knowing that that could well happen second timothy 312 all those who live a godly life in christ jesus will suffer persecution john 15 18 if the world hates you jesus said remember it hated me first matthew 5 10 blessed truly happy those who are persecuted for righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven matthew 10 24 if the master of the house is called beelzebub how much more the the the servants matthew 10 24 and 25 that the servant said above his master if the master of the house been called beelzebub what about the rest of us on and on with verse after verse about suffering for the messiah john 16 33 in this world you'll have tribulation but be encouraged you've got heart i've overcome the world this is this is the reality and and to not have it on this heavy level here in america is the exception so yeah we should be aware we should be praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters and do a better job of equipping our people to stand strong here uh let us go over to richard in louisiana welcome to the line of fire uh hey mr brown dr brown um uh i had a question about you know sins in the last days and redemption and kind of my situation is it's kind of weird i have some horrible sins in my past uh horrible perversions and um pornography type of things and some of it's uh child pornography and it's pretty bad and there's all those other things but all right richard just because you're mentioning these things here let me say it's imperative that you sit down with your pastor if you're in a church uh and just tell them whatever's been going on jesus died for all of our sins all of our sins can be forgiven and every one of us in some way is is in perverse rebellion against god without jesus without jesus there's something horrific in all of us it could be pride it could be greed it could be anger it could be hatred it could be sexual sin it could be perversion of some kind that's why jesus died that is to recognize your sins as being ugly is very very important it's the beginning of repentance when you talk about certain things like this that do break laws i don't know the extent of things and it's not right for me to engage in that discussion on the air here with a stranger to stranger uh stranger to stranger if you are not part of of a congregation ask your friends if any of them go to a solid church and go in and talk with the leadership there and tell them what's been going on i don't know if there are things where the law has been broken in which case that would need to be reported i don't know the extent of any of this but for sure you can be forgiven even if you broke the law and the consequences for that you can still be spiritually forgiven jesus died for every one of your sins the most grotesque horrific things unimaginable that you're so ashamed of jesus died for that that's why he died such a shameful death to take the worst of our sins on his shoulders you can be completely forgiven wash clean and lead a new life and with proper ministry put in place in your life you can be free and lead a productive life but it's very very important this is handled face to face with a professional who can help you take these next steps just because of the nature of what you're saying so lord i i pray for this man i pray for this man that you would intervene in his life and bring him to a place of complete forgiveness mercy salvation deliverance and if he's crossed lines may he come clean about those may he make those things right that jesus would be glorified in him amen thank you sir for the call and i hope you understand why i was not going to have that conversation on the air there this is something that needs to be dealt with face to face with a professional that can help are you experiencing fatigue heart palpitations or tingling in your hands and feet these may be signs that you are deficient in vitamin b12 which may increase your risk of serious cardiovascular conditions without you 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health and support your body's natural defenses against artery damage then get your pack of trivita's hcy guard today to order hcy guard for yourself or someone you care about go to trivita.com spelled t-r-i-v-i-t-a and use promo code brown25 for 25% off your order or call 1-800-771-5584 that's 1-800-771-5584 these statements are not intended to diagnose treat cure or prevent any disease 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 thanks friends for joining us on the line of fire it's president's day a lot of offices are closed if i thought some of you might be off from work today and able to call in that normally couldn't so decided to open the phones like we do on friday we got a whole lot of ground to cover this week a lot of things happening in the world around us that we want to talk about but today we did some teaching out of the word and now we'll go back to the phones let's go over to massachusetts bob welcome to the line of fire hi michael this is uh oh you just said it bob i said it i spoke with yeah i just i spoke with you almost every day i spoke with yeah i just i spoke with you almost one year ago now um i was pretty upset when i talked to you and you suggested your son's or your son-in-law's book to me and so we're a year down the road now i was really struggling hang on if i remember if i remember i talked to a lot of people uh i suggested my son-in-law's book living loved and it was just the assurance of salvation in your own life yes all right i i do is the call made an impression on me bob for whatever it's worth i remember it a year later so please i'm all ears sir all right so i'm a year down the road now um and my i'm really pressing in on the holy spirit or something i've never thought much about i've only over just thought about jesus and i'm pressing in on the holy spirit to know and understand more we're we're 42 years into asking christ to come into my life now and so my confusion about it right now is is i'm not i'm not sure i really grasp the difference between um a guy who's just out there trying to live a better life and to not do sins that he's struggled with or or or to you know eat better or you know yet all these things what's the difference between this guy who's never heard of christ and me who's filled with the holy spirit as i understand it i mean josh mcdowell told me in person many years ago um it's not a matter of how much of the spirit you have bob it's a matter of how much of the spirit has you how much you know it it's not a matter of getting more holy spirit it's about surrendering the holy spirit so i'm not sure i really understand the holy spirit enough to because i i feel like i lack the power to to really make decisions even if it's just over food if i can't conquer a cookie how am i going to conquer much more huge spiritual issues you know that i have to fight got it got it well thanks for your candor bob and by the way conquering a cookie is it was harder for me than than conquering drugs actually and i i needed god's intervention because i you know food is something we have to have every day drugs or alcohol other things we don't exactly so sometimes food addictions can be some of the some of the toughest but here's here's what i have prayed many a time um okay the the difference the first let me answer the question the difference between someone who's just trying to do good in us is that we are doing it first out of relationship with god right in other words it's not just i'm doing it because i think it's a good thing but because i i love the lord because because he lives in me he saved me and he's forgiven me and by the way i'll i'll put you back on to speaking on with this a ton of background noise so i'm just going to answer you then i'll come back to you but you're still you're still on the air with me all right so we are doing this in relationship my whole life is lived with a consciousness that that it's the lord and me that it's not just me even though when i get up in the morning it's me getting out of bed and when i brush my teeth it's me brushing my teeth and and all of that when i get the car to drive to the radio it's me driving i understand that but there's always a sense that it's us together in a deeper way and what i do i do out of relationship with god i i don't do it simply because he calls me to but because it's pleasing to him and i want to honor him and and out of relationship we we do it together but i have often prayed this i've often prayed for god to demonstrate the power of his spirit in me i'm reading a great book by randy clark now intimacy with god intimacy with god where he ties the miraculous demonstration of the spirit through us to our relationship with god and intimacy that everything flows out of that intimate relationship with god and the spirit works through us so many times i look at my life and i know i've been radically changed dramatically set free from drugs 52 plus years ago dramatically set free from unhealthy eating habits nine and a half years ago dramatically changed in many many other ways many testimonies where i've seen god's power works for me but other times i just feel like i'm natural and i'm saying god show me demonstrate the power of your spirit in me demonstrate the power of your spirit in me and i've prayed that i had to pray it bob to get free from food because i was so addicted to unhealthy foods i had said god this you're the same god that set me free from drugs demonstrate the power of the resurrection in me so bob sometimes it's just a cry that goes up from your heart now you do what you know how to do you contribute but just a prayer oh god demonstrate the power of your spirit in me we should be different there should be a self-control we have a power over sin that's that's different than our status in the world or the status of someone else just trying hard and if we're not experiencing it i'd say god demonstrate it god demonstrated through me and helped me to renew my mind that it's not just me alone but that you are working in me and and that's how i would approach this which leads me to a question though have you have you received any peace at all in your heart that your sins are forgiven and that you're a child of god yeah yeah yes but most like unbelievably with heavy heavy tears just two weeks ago sitting in a movie theater watching season opening of season four of the chosen and god just spoke to me that you are forgiven you're just you're you're forgiven bob i and i i had to get up and leave before the end of the movie i had to come on here come on so hard yes sir um and i knew that's only two weeks ago um but i've made i i feel like i've made strides since we talked you know and and just kind of like i'm gonna push in on you like jacob you know come on with them i am i'm not letting you go god i know i wouldn't even care to have this wrestling match if you weren't still fighting for me you know yes so listen i can only tell you that the people who've lived through agony like you have so many years of uncertainty and pain and am i a child of god am i forgiven that when you break through the breakthroughs can be tremendously profound and if if there's a a book that would inspire you in a very supernatural way you know the book i mentioned i was reading randy clark intimacy with god which talks you know on the one hand you'll read it and think this is completely out of reach but then you realize it's just regular people that he's talking about who've seen a supernatural god work in their lives so yes god is fighting for you or otherwise you wouldn't be fighting the same with me we wouldn't be standing if he wasn't standing for us but if you just pray this michael something something you said earlier um that i have prayed it was that you know in time in terms of trying to understand what god is doing and what i'm just struggling to do i said god i want to see something that can only be explained by you that's what i'm looking for yes you know yes sir so keep keep praying that and he will do it he he will do it even you know touching you the way he did after all these years of prayer you've seen other movies you've seen other things about jesus you've read books and then you have this deep encounter so don't let anything steal out from you when of course it's written in the word that you're forgiven but you've had this experience in the spirit to back it so let's just trust that that we continue to to hear and see good and i'm truly glad bob obviously we've had many thousands of calls in the history of this show yours was one of the more painful calls to me uh the it's been so long it was hard for me yeah and you're in such pain that's why i remembered a year later so thank you for calling back and let's continue to believe for great fruit and joy in your relationship with god in the days ahead amen amen thank you michael thank you praise god amen this isn't that wonderful to hear praise god lord do something so wonderful in him that he'll he won't even recognize himself give him wings to fly in jesus name amen oh boy okay i don't have time to get into these these deep questions oliver may i encourage you about women being silent with paul said on that to just go to the line of fire dot org the line of fire dot org and search there for women or women in ministry or women pastors see what i've said about that taught about that watch some of the videos if that doesn't answer your question feel free to call in on another day and t in florida man i would have loved to talk to you just not time to do it um i'm sure you've read my book not afraid of the antichrist written together with craig keaner why we don't believe in a pre-tribulation rapture this is not to divide my brothers and sisters uh some of the finest christians i know on the earth believe in a pre-trib rapture the people who prayed me into the kingdom believe in a pre-trib rapture i don't divide over it but it's what i see taught in scripture and i believe it's something we need to really look at and consider and re-evaluate where we stand on scripture and above all understand how no matter what happens in this world we are called to be overcomers no matter what happens in this world we we are more than conquerors through him who loved us come what may come with tribulation come come what antichrist may come come what opposition may come we are more than conquerors and when god's wrath is put on the world he will shield those who know him all right great being with you can't be can't wait to rejoin tomorrow i'm elana farr god bless you thank you another program powered by the truth network