In the Line of Fire

The Hate Mail Gets Even Uglier

2012-02-15T02:48:00.001-05:00

All these emails were sent to us after Dr. Frank Turek and I debated gay activist Mitchell Gold on the Line of Fire broadcast. Please pray for God's light to shine on these poor souls!

From Boris:

So you advocate for human rights violationsagainst gays. You want gays to be exeduted, killed and tortured in the name ofreligion? You don't think gays deserve ANY human rights or protections and inthe name of religion you can do anything to gays.

You are pure evil. Pure evil personified. I knowthat it must hurt you not to be able to kill or detain and torture your fellowAmerican citizens just because they are gay but at least you can condone violenceagainst black and Arab gay persons.

You are sick, vile person without any humandecency.

I despise you and the violent hatred youespouse. I hope that one day you, your children and grandchildren will faceprecisely the fate you advocate for gays to endure.

You are one sick puppy.

Without any respect whatsoever, because I do notrespect people who love violence and murder in the name of their religion.

Also from Boris (after we reached out to him):

You are a murderer. You advocate for violenceagainst gays and you support all forms of prosecution and murder. You are avile despicable excuse for a human being.

From Rosemarie:

You are the one that is blinded by bigotry. Read how the churches handled slavery, mixedmarriages, etc. I heard your words atthe end of the program as if a prayer. Yes Jesus died for us all, we are all make in God's image, Father. Son.Holy Spirit: Body, Soul, Spirit. Youwant to kill someone’s spirit and deny their bodies and souls the human loveour Lord puts in our hearts for someone.

You and others like you will have a lot to answer for at thejudgement. You might make it in thegates and you will most likely besurprised who is there and who is not there.

From Cindy:

Yourarguments are outdated and preposterous. You . . . reminded me of mygrandmother when she would rant on and on about black folk. She was fearful.

From Bob:

You seemto feel the need to speak for God, butreally if you search your heart, trulyyou will find you are just blowing wind, selling books , and making money.

From Devin:

Homophobiais a disease which does not have to exist. You fear gays & there is noreason for it. Can't you just relax?

FromDerek:

Religionists, your time is up. You may now leave thebuilding.

FromJeana:

We all listened to your Q&A yesterdayregarding homosexuality. I let the office tune in and we all got a goodlaugh. A few people are convinced that you're a comedian and thisis simply your shtick because your assertions are so preposterous. Lindasaid you needed to "fall on your face" a little harder to knock somesense into it. And she's a 62 year old conservative Christiangrandmother. We were laughing so hard. I personally think you'rejust a notch below Pat Robertson on the crazy meter. "Theworld's about to end because people are doing gay things." Haha! On a serious note, there's medication you could take. Have agood day Chicken Little.

From Nancy:

Do you really not understand that your vicioushomophobia, and that same attitude from so many Christian Evangelists,contributes massively to the hate filled actions of gay-bashers, gay-bulliers,and those who beat up and sometimes kill homosexuals. Millions of Christians think that their hateful actions are OK, because peoplelike you say so.

Please try to understand that our Constitutionis not based on the Bible. Stop your hate filled campaign againsthomosexuals...they do no harm to you.

An Important Audio Message from a Leading Christian Attorney (Just Two Minutes Long!)

2012-02-09T13:45:00.002-05:00

Last week, I was joined on the air by my dear friend Joseph Infranco, Senior Vice President of Allied Attorney Coordination and Senior Attorney of the Alliance Defense Fund. (The Alliance Defense Fund is on the front lines of the battle for the very soul of our nation, involved in many of the premier legal cases affecting our rights and freedoms and the welfare of our children.)

I asked Joe to take a moment to share with our listeners the importance of the work we are doing, and I was blown away by what he had to say. Click HERE to listen.

If you feel prompted to stand with us, please click HERE to become a monthly Torchbearer or HERE for your one-time donation. And remember that right now, your gifts are being multiplied through the generosity of an anonymous donor. Thank you again for your love and your help!

To hear more words of encouragement, click HERE for a strong endorsement from family activist leader Laurie Higgins, or to hear what NY Times bestselling author Eric Metaxas had to say, click HERE. (Eric recently spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast and his latest book is on Dietrich Bonhoeffer.)

The good news is that we are one-fourth of the way toward meeting our current radio obligations (this is a giant jump from one just week ago, thanks to your generosity), so if all of you receiving this could take a moment to pray for our work and to contribute as you feel led, I would be deeply grateful. This is not about me or about "my ministry." This is about a sacred work for the Lord, one that is touching many lives.

A few nights ago, my wife Nancy asked me, "Do people realize how encouraging it is to you when they send in support for the radio broadcast? And do they realize that not a dime of their gifts goes into our pockets?" I assured her that I often express these things, but please allow me to do it once more: THANK YOU FOR YOUR SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORT.

Together we will continue to make a difference!

"You Should Be Called Out, Fired, Fined and Shamed"

2012-01-31T17:40:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,

There are people who would love to silence my voice.

I say that without hype or exaggeration, as you can see from the email that was sent to me after debating a gay activist on the Line of Fire last week.

The man who sent the email made it very clear that you and I do not have the right to hold to our biblical values and convictions. And if we dare speak up in public, we should be "called out, fired, fined, and shamed."

I can tell you plainly that, by God's grace, all the threats in the world will not stop me from standing up, speaking up, and serving as a voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution.

In the last twelve months, after years of crying out to the Lord, He has opened an amazing door for our ministry, putting us on national radio, five days a week, two hours a day, broadcasting into some of the key cities in America. And it is becoming more and more common for me to get blasted by a gay activist or counter-missionary rabbi on a YouTube video shortly after the broadcast is over. People are listening to the show!

My radio network is totally behind me. The local station managers in each city are totally behind me. No amount of threats will get me to stop obeying the Lord.

There is only one way that the Line of Fire broadcast can be silenced, and that is by taking it off the airwaves. And this is where I need your help.

An anonymous donor who believes in our ministry has pledged to add 50% to every gift we receive -- which means that every $50 gift becomes $75, every $100 gift becomes $150, every $500 gift becomes $750, and every $1,000 gift becomes $1,500.

If you believe in the work the Lord has called us to do, if the Line of Fire is making a difference in your life, and if you want to help us be a voice for you and millions of others, please prayerfully consider sending a one-time gift (or becoming a monthly Torchbearer).

I do not believe in using gimmicks and promising you some miracle if you will give some magical amount, and I actually prayed before writing this email, "Lord, if you can anoint me to write books, you can anoint me to write this email!" So please take a moment to ask the Lord what He would have you do, and remember that together, we are making a difference. We have an urgent need to meet, but we know that when we all do our part, that need will be met. God is faithful!

Please also read my latest Townhall article. Your hearts will be stirred!

Thanks for standing with us!

Dr. Michael L. Brown

Misinformation Is Not Kosher

2012-01-25T20:34:00.002-05:00

Duringthe course of more than 20 debates with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, he and I havebecome dear friends despite our intense theological differences. In fact, inthe Acknowledgements section in his controversial new book Kosher Jesus, Shmuley stated that “our exchanges have served as oneof the sources of inspiration for this book.” Within the book, where mywritings are one of his frequent targets, he describes me as “the world’sleading Jewish-Christian missionary-scholar and my longtime debating adversary,even as we have become close friends.”

Inlight of the relationship we have enjoyed, one that is mutually respectful andyet ruthlessly honest, I have been dismayed to see the outright dismissal ofShmuley’s book in some ultra-Orthodox Jewish circles, to the point that it hasbeen publicly banned by Rabbi Dr. J. Immanuel Schochet, whom I also debated in1995 (more on that in a moment).

Tobe candid, I would have expected the book to be far more offensive toChristians than to Jews, since the Jesus that Shmuley presents is verydifferent than the Jesus of the New Testament documents, and he arguesstrenuously against Jesus’ divinity and his Messianic claims. Why aren’t majorChristian leaders calling for the book to be banned?

Afterall, if Shmuley is right about Jesus not being the Messiah (an argument, ofcourse, that I would absolutely reject), then the very foundation of theChristian faith has been overturned. Why then should it be perceived as more ofa threat to the Jewish community?

Justlast year, Oxford University Press published The Jewish Annotated New Testament, representing the combinedeffort of a number of top Jewish scholars, and this landmark publication isreceiving approbation in both Jewish and Christian circles. Why then the greatuproar over Shmuley’s book?

Jewishscholars and even rabbis have been reclaiming Jesus the Jew for decades (oreven centuries if we go back to the famous 1757 letter of the Talmud scholarRabbi Jacob Emden). And they have done this despite the horrors of 1,500 yearsof “Christian” anti-Semitism and despite the fact that, at times, the Churchhas transformed this Jewish rabbi him into an “unkosher Christ.” Yet scores ofbooks have been written about by Jesus by Jewish scholars (including two withthe title Jesus the Pharisee, one bya rabbi and other by a professor). Shmuley’s book simply continues in thattradition.

Ifully understand religious believers wanting to preserve the integrity of theirown communities, and they certainly have no obligation to give exposure todissenting views. On the other hand, it is healthiest when our beliefs canwithstand scrutiny and criticism and challenge, and that’s why Shmuley and Ihave committed ourselves to ongoing public dialog and debate, with the hopeful goalof the edification and education of our listeners.

Butnot everyone sees things that way. Last Friday, the Post carried a columnwritten by Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet entitled "Not Everything Is as Kosher as It Seems.” (Rabbi Schochet is the son of theaforementioned Rabbi Immanuel Schochet, a world class scholar of Jewishmysticism and philosophy, and a famed opponent of Jewish believers in Jesus.)In his column, Rabbi Schochet spoke disparagingly about such debates,mentioning one in particular.

“Tobe sure,” he wrote, “there was one debate my father did have when asked tochallenge Michael Brown, the tragic Jews for J proponent. This was in thepresence of a panel of judges who would determine the winner of the debate.Notwithstanding my father's victory and inasmuch as he felt that one timenecessary, he still regretted it thereafter.”

Now,he is quite correct in mentioning my debate with his father (which took placeon March 30, 1995, before an audience of almost 600 at the Arizona StateUniversity at Tempe Arizona), but he is quite incorrect in his description ofthe event: There was no panel of judges, nor was a victor declared. (Hiscomment that I am “the tragic Jews for J proponent” need not be dignified witha response, whatever he meant by it.)

Dr.James White, the moderator of the debate, emailed me on January 22, 2012, stating,“It is now being claimed by the Rabbi’s son, Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet, in aHuffington Post piece, that this debate took place before ‘a panel of judges’and that Schochet was proclaimed the victor by this group of judges. This is simply false. I was the only moderator of the debate. There were no judges, there was nopanel. There was no proclamation of avictor: that was left to the listeners to decide, as in the vast majority ofsuch debates.” (The debate was audio and video taped and released in uneditedform to the general public, so all details can be easily verified.)

Asfar as the verdict of the listeners, Dr. White wrote, “The audience wasprimarily Christian, and I would imagine the vast preponderance of theaudience, myself included, considered the debate rather one-sided in Dr.Brown’s favor.”

That,of course, is a matter of opinion, and others can freely dispute it. What isnot a matter of opinion is that Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet gave a false andmisleading picture of the debate (I assume unintentionally, and I hold nomalice towards him), a description that was as inaccurate as his comment that I“once” debated Rabbi Shmuley (unless “once” is roughly equal to more than 20times).

Thetitle of his column, then, serves as a cautionary warning – and an ironic oneat that – since, indeed, “not everything is as kosher as it seems.”

Two Articles on Ron Paul

2012-01-13T13:04:00.001-05:00

In recent weeks, as a result of some interaction I was having with some believers who are committed supporters of Ron Paul, I decided to look into some of his policies more closely, leading to a couple of articles which were posted on Townhall.com.

Please check them out and then get involved in the comments section there-- if you dare! (Of course, you can add comments here if you like.)

The first article was meant to stimulate discussion about why Dr. Paul's supporters are so passionate in their support of him (and, often, it appears, very sensitive to criticism of his platform).

The second article focused on his views concerning Israel.

I'd love to get your feedback!

"Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace" Is Now Online

2012-01-06T00:47:00.000-05:00

You can watch my talk at the Family Research Council from Thursday afternoon, January 5th, HERE.

The message, which is of urgent importance, was enthusiastically received by those attending, and I'm convinced that if God's people stand up, speak up, and do what is right, we can see our society changed. The hour is late, but things are not beyond hope.

Feel free to leave your comments here after you watch.

RightWingWatch.org Does It Again!

2012-01-03T02:04:00.001-05:00

Well, our friends over at RightWingWatch.org are not happy with my upcoming appearance at the Family Research Council, which is already a constant target of their website. (In case you didn't know, RightWingWatch is an arm of the notoriously anti-gospel "People for the American Way.")

What interests me most in their article is that they posted a video about A Queer Thing Happened to America which was produced by Sid Roth's ministry after I recorded my interview with him for his TV show -- and thus, not even seen by me until the show aired a couple of months later -- and called it "the trailer" to my book. So much for accurate reporting!

But this is no surprise. A few months back they posted an edited version of my TV interview with Mike and Cindy Jacobs, being sure to remove any compassionate comments before putting up the link.

The good news is that truth will triumph (2 Cor 13:8), that light will continue to shine in darkness and ultimately expose it (John 1:5; Eph 5:8-14), and that one day, "the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea" (Isa 11:9).

So, rather than being frustrated with organizations and websites like this, let's pray for God's light to shine into the hearts and minds of those who work at RightWingWatch and for the Lord to bring some of their front line people into a saving knowledge of Jesus.

Some Stirring and Inspirational Quotes for 2012!

2012-01-02T01:20:00.000-05:00

At the beginning of each chapter of my 1993 book It's Time to Rock the Boat, there is a selection of powerful quotes. Here's a selection from those quotes that will stir your heart as we begin this new year. Come back to them often! Let's do this!

Our religiousneutrality is threatened whenever someone we know well takes spiritualcommitment seriously and refuses any longer to play hide-and-seek andtouch-and-go with the living God. (Carl F. H. Henry)

Give me onehundred men who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I willshake the world. (John Wesley)

Oh, for anutter abandonment to the Spirit! . . . Whenever, in any period of the Church’shistory, a little company has sprung up plastic and pliable in the hands of thedivine Spirit, then a new Pentecost hasdawned. (James Alexander Stewart)

If God werenot my friend, Satan would not be so much my enemy. (Thomas Brooks)

When I reallyenjoy God I feel my desires of Him the more insatiable and my thirstings afterholiness the more unquenchable. O’ this pleasing pain. It makes my soul pressafter God. (David Brainerd)

The greatnessof a man’s power is the measure of his surrender. (William Booth)

If there isanything of power in my ministry today, it is because God has all the adorationof my heart, all the power of my will, and all the influence of my life. (WilliamBooth)

I long forlove without any coldness, light without any dimness, and purity without spotor wrinkle. (Robert Murray M’Cheyne)

A man whowants to work for God can find work, and nobody can stop him. (D. L. Moody)

I believe thatfor one man killed by overwork in the cause of Christ ten thousand die fromlaziness. (D. L. Moody)

Man’sextremity is God’s opportunity. Jesus will come to deliver just when His needyones shall sigh, as if all hope had gone forever. (Charles H. Spurgeon)

There isnothing that you can possibly need but you will find it in Him. (Robert MurrayM’Cheyne)

We do not havea book of the “Resolutions of the Apostles,” but because of spiritual power andGospel triumphs, we have the “Acts of the Apostles.” (The Marechale, WilliamBooth’s eldest daughter)

The truefollower of Christ will not ask, “If I embrace this truth, what will it costme?” Rather he will say, “This is truth. God help me to walk in it, let comewhat may!” (A. W. Tozer)

What adifference in the men who go into battle intending to conquer if they can, and those who go intobattle intending to conquer. (D. L. Moody)

We are asupernatural people; born again by a supernatural birth; we wage a supernaturalfight and are taught by a supernatural teacher; led by a supernatural captainto assured victory. (J. Hudson Taylor)

On thefollowing words I staked everything, and they never failed, “Lo, I am with youalways, even unto the end of the world.” (David Livingstone)

The Latest Fun Hate Mail

2011-12-29T09:01:00.001-05:00

The strangest thing about some of the hate email that I receive is that sometimes I don't have the slightest idea what motivated the attack or what the person is actually attacking. For a case in point, check out this email I just received via Townhall:

You want war with Iran send your own [expletive] kids, not mine. Stop sucking up to Isreal. What a piece of [expletive] this Townhall spews. One can clearly see your for the Tea Party of Hate. I know becuase of your hate for Ron Paul.

Aside from feeling bad for folks like this, you can only smile when these emails come in. First, out of the many articles I've written on Townhall in the last six months, when did I talk about Iran? Second, when did I mention Ron Paul? Third, when did I mention the Tea Party? (Note, too, that "hate" is mentioned twice -- as if this email isn't filled with hate!) :)

For my reaction to emails and posts like this -- of which there are plenty -- and the call of Jesus to love our enemies, check out this article.

What You Can Expect on This Blog

2011-12-28T21:24:00.000-05:00

Since we have so many different things going on in our ministry work and so many web sites and pages, we wanted to have one place where we could keep you updated, edified, encouraged, and challenged -- so welcome to my blog!

On a regular basis, I plan to share inspirational quotes and thoughts; links to new articles of interest; important ministry updates; interaction with friends and foes alike; comments on all kinds of controversial subjects -- and much more.

Please subscribe to receive notification of new posts, and recommend the blog on Facebook or share it on Twitter. I hope and pray that you'll find this blog to be helpful, informative, and life changing.

Video from My 18th Trip to India, December 2011

2011-12-28T20:49:00.000-05:00

Here's a 9 minute video of my recent trip to India, recorded by my friend, Dr. Rod Thompson, who accompanied me and did some medical work while there. This will really give you a feel of why I have gone to India 18 times since 1993 to minister with these precious believers there. What a privilege!

As you watch, take note of how many of the pastors have suffered real persecution for the faith, watch their fervor in prayer, and check out how the orphans in the children's home live. (For more on their very moving story, go here).

If you would like to stand with us in our ministry work -- to the nations, to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and to America -- please click here. To become a monthly Torchbearer, click here.

Together we really are making a difference!

A Journal Entry from India, 1994

2011-12-20T20:11:00.002-05:00

I wrote this down while ministering in Ponnur, India, in Feb. 15, 1994:

By warning prospective converts about the potential hardships involved in following Jesus, we clearly INCREASE the value of salvation: Just think of something so valuable that it is well worth purchasing at the cost of everything you own! Of course, this will also deepen the commitment of the new believer, who by very definition, will be serious about following the Lord. This should be something almost universally incorporated into my "altar calls" everywhere especially where the potential "cross" is not self-evident.