It’s Going to Get Very Ugly in the Aftermath of Roe

“The overturning of Roe v. Wade is revealing the real spirit behind abortion. It is murderous, violent, angry, and full of venom and hate. The attacks on churches and pro-life clinics are par for the course. Abortion has become a pseudo-religious rite; it was never a moral right.”

It’s Going to Get Very Ugly in the Aftermath of Roe | Article | AskDrBrown

You don’t need to be a rocket scientist or a prophet to know that, in the aftermath of Roe v. Wade, it’s going to get very ugly on the streets of America. As I tweeted, “The overturning of Roe v. Wade is revealing the real spirit behind abortion. It is murderous, violent, angry, and full of venom and hate. 

The attacks on churches and pro-life clinics are par for the course. 

Abortion has become a pseudo-religious rite; it was never a moral right.”

We know, of course, that not everyone involved in the abortion industry is dead set on evil. Think of the teenage girl who agonized over their decision to terminate her pregnancy, living with regret in the years that followed. But in the heat of the moment, she felt abortion was her only choice.

Or consider the parents wrestling with what to do with the report that their beloved, precious baby in the womb has a severe congenital defect, destined at best to live a few months or a year, and that in great agony. Is not abortion the merciful thing to do? Isn’t that better than watching your child die slowly in front of your eyes, dominating your time, taking you from your other kids, and destroying your finances?

To repeat: not everyone involved in the abortion industry is dead set on evil.

But there are plenty who are, having felt the power of bloodlust or becoming gripped in the vice of greed.

As I wrote in June 2019, “The state of New York has now added insanity to bloodlust. Yes, the same state that makes it legal to abort a baby in the womb right until the moment of delivery has deemed it inhumane to declaw cats.”

It is only natural, then, that the overturning of Roe would release a spirit of violence and hatred and vandalism and intimidation.

It will be the spirit of Jezebel, by which I mean that the same demonic spirits that operated through this ancient queen will operate through many today. (For more on this, see my book, Jezebel’s War with America: The Plot to Destroy Our Country and What We Can Do to Turn the Tide.)

It will be the spirit of radical, man-hating feminism, the spirit that inspired groups in the late 1960’s like W.I.T.C.H., the “Women's International Terrorist Conspiracy from Hell.”

It is the same spirit that is inspiring groups like Jane’s Revenge today.

Even the left-leaning Wikipedia describes Jane’s Revenge as “an American far-left terrorist group, which has perpetrated and threatened domestic terror attacks in the name of defending abortion rights. The group has committed acts of firebombing, vandalism, and arson.”

Pregnancy crisis centers (meaning, places where women can go to find an alternative to abortion). Churches (yes, the evil churches!).

As reported on June 15, “According to LifeNews, as many as 59 cases of ‘pro-abortion violence and intimidation’ have been reported since the leak of the Supreme Court draft decision that aims to overturn Roe v. Wade. Catholic Vote has also documented as many as 23 cases of ‘attacks on pregnancy centers and pro-life groups’ in the same time frame.”

And Jane’s Revenge is encouraging others to join them, writing, “Everyone with the urge to paint [as in vandalize a building], to burn, to cut, to jam: now is the time. Go forth and manifest the things you wish to see.”

As Caroline Downey tweeted, “Full statement from Jane's Revenge, announcing that it's ‘open season’ on pro-life pregnancy centers.

“Future measures ‘may not come in the form of something so easily cleaned up as fire and graffiti,’ the terrorist group threatens.

As vandals spray painted on a pro-life center in Wisconsin, “If abortion is not safe, you are not safe either.”

In the days ahead, watch for the rise of the witches, casting spells on their pro-life antagonists and muttering curses against people of faith.

Watch for the rise of the roving mobs, with profanity on their lips, with hatred in their hearts, and with violence on their minds.

Watch for the revelation of the spirit of murder that fuels the fires of abortion.

And then remember: these arsonists and protesters and terrorists are doing this because they can no longer terminate the life of their child in the womb. They are furious and violent because they cannot do violence to their own flesh and blood. What kind of madness is this?

Contrast this with the spirit of the pro-life movement, manifest in the annual March for Life in D.C., an event that has been marked by dignity and grace.

And then consider that pro-lifers genuinely believe that babies are being killed in the womb, which could easily provoke violent acts. Yet, over the last 50 years, there have been very few physical attacks on abortion doctors and workers. (To be absolutely clear, one such attack is one too many, and a murderous attack is inexcusable and must be flatly condemned. If you are pro-life, you do not murder someone else.)

In the days ahead, in the aftermath of Roe, you will see which group bears the spirit of life and which group bears the spirit of death. Which espouses care and which espouses violence. Which resorts to appeal and reason and which resorts to intimidation and threats.

So prepare for the worst as it is going to get ugly in the days to come.

And may the beauty of life prevail over the ugliness of abortion.

Did the Prophet Ezekiel Predict Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine?

According to Pat Robertson, Vladimir Putin is being “compelled by God” to invade Ukraine. Indeed, “He went into the Ukraine, but that wasn’t his goal. His goal was to move against Israel, ultimately.” And, according to Robertson, this was all prophesied by Ezekiel, who lived more than 2,500 years ago. Is this true?

Did the Prophet Ezekiel Predict Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine? | Articles | AskDrBrown

According to Pat Robertson, Vladimir Putin is being “compelled by God” to invade Ukraine. Indeed, “He went into the Ukraine, but that wasn’t his goal. His goal was to move against Israel, ultimately.” And, according to Robertson, this was all prophesied by Ezekiel, who lived more than 2,500 years ago. Is this true?

Over on the Bible Prophecy News website, Dr. Bob Thiel asks, “On February 24, 2022, Russia's President Vladimir Putin announced a 'special military operation' into Ukraine. Are Jewish sources correct that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is the start of the Gog and Magog war of Ezekiel 38? Are Protestant sources, and people like Trumpet editor Gerald Flurry right that Vladimir Putin is the 'prince of Rosh/Rush'? Does Ezekiel 38 include Russia? What are some of the other nations involved in Ezekiel 38? Does this battle happen BEFORE or well AFTER Jesus returns? Can you know the answer from the actual passages in Ezekiel 38?”

A Christian Zionist website makes this claim (note that this was posted on December 10, 2021, so more than two months before the Russian invasion): Based on Ezekiel 38-39, the armies that will one day invade Israel “include Russia and Turkey from the north, Sudan/Libya (possibly including Algeria and Tunisia) from the south and west, and Iran from the east. Consequently, sometime in the future, an enormous military force surrounds Israel, which is far beyond their capacity to defeat. God alone can deliver them from annihilation, which Ezekiel reveals He does (38:17–23; 39:1–6).”

In stark contrast, Old Testament and Semitic scholar Michael S. Heiser tweeted, “The idea that Ezekiel 38 and 39 is about Russia or a Russian invasion has literally no merit in terms of exegesis.” (Exegesis refers to accurate interpretation of the Scriptures.)

First, Ezekiel 38 says nothing about Russia, directly or indirectly, despite some translations which read, “Son of man [which is how the Lord referred to Ezekiel], set thy face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him” (ASV, my emphasis; see also the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament which dates to approximately two hundred years before Jesus).

The correct translation, as recognized by the vast majority of translations and commentaries, is this: “Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him” (ESV).

The Hebrew here reads n’si rosh, which could potentially mean “the prince of Rosh” (as if rosh was a place name) but it is better translated as “chief prince” (with rosh carrying its normal meaning of “head, chief”).

Yet even if a case could be made for the Hebrew text meaning, “prince of Rosh,” Ezekiel scholar Daniel Block points out the problems. (This will be a little technical for some readers, but just watch for his conclusions.)

He writes, “The popular identification of Rosh with Russia is impossibly anachronistic and based on a faulty etymology, the assonantal similarities between Russia and Rosh being purely accidental. In the 19th century some scholars associated Rosh with Rûs, a Scythian tribe inhabiting the northern Taurus Mountains, according to Byzantine and Arabic writings. Recent attempts to equate Rosh with Râshu/ Rêshu/Arashi in neo-Assyrian annals are more credible, except that the place so named was located far to the east on the border between Babylon and Elam, and would have had nothing to do with Meshech and Tubal. This interpretation is also difficult (though not impossible) from a grammatical point of view. If Rosh is to be read as the first in a series of names, the conjunction should precede ‘Meshech.’ rōʾš is therefore best understood as a common noun, appositional to and offering a closer definition of nāśı̂ʾ. Accordingly, the prince, chief of Meshech and Tubal, combines Ezekiel’s preferred title for kings with a hierarchical designation, the addition serving to clarify the preceding archaic term. Ezekiel’s point is that Gog is not just one of many Anatolian princely figures, but the leader among princes and over several tribal/national groups.” (New International Commentary on the Old Testament, Ezekiel 25-48, 434-435).

Second, Meshech and Tubal referred to nations that were located in what is Turkey today, hence also unrelated to the current war.

Of course, the argument is that the war will expand, involving many other nations, some of which are mentioned in Ezekiel 38:5-6. And I personally believe that the Bible does predict a final war against Israel, one in which the Lord will fight for His ancient people and ultimately destroy the invaders. This is most clearly addressed in Zechariah 12 and 14, as well as in Ezekiel 38-39.

I believe that this will literally happen, just as I believe that the Bible prophesied that God would scatter the Jewish people around the world (I write this as a Jesus-believing Jewish person myself) and then regather us back to our ancient homeland. As it was written, so has it happened.

And Ezekiel’s language is very clear, saying to these nations, “After a long time you shall be summoned; in the distant future you shall march against the land [of a people] restored from the sword, gathered from the midst of many peoples—against the mountains of Israel, which have long lain desolate—[a people] liberated from the nations, and now all dwelling secure” (NJPS Version). This is quite a striking prophecy!

But there is no evidence that Russia’s current invasion is related to these words, nor is there any evidence that Russia is mentioned or alluded to in these chapters.

What about a Jewish tradition that purportedly states, “When you hear that the Russians have captured the city of Crimea, you should know that the times of the Messiah have started, that his steps are being heard. And when you hear that the Russians have reached the city of Constantinople (today’s Istanbul), you should put on your Shabbat [Sabbath] clothes and don’t take them off because it means that the Messiah is about to come any minute.”

It is just that: a tradition, without scriptural support or divine authority. Plus, the Russians have not yet reached Istanbul. Not even faintly, remotely close.

Could it be that, in the years to come, we will see a coalition of nations coming against Israel, with Russia leading the way (or, at least, participating). That’s possible. And could it be that, when that day arrives, we will look back to Ezekiel 38-39, at least as a broad-brushed description of what is taking place? Perhaps.

But right now, there is absolutely no scriptural or factual evidence that connects Ezekiel 38 to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. And with hundreds (or thousands) of mistaken date-setting interpretations of the Bible littering our recent past, it’s best to toss this latest one in the dustbin right now.

What are the implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? Could it be that we are on the edge of a massively costly, truly disastrous, global war? 
And what does this feel like for the people of Ukraine?

Are We on the Edge of World War III? | Articles | AskDrBrown

What are the implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? Could it be that we are on the edge of a massively costly, truly disastrous, global war? And what does this feel like for the people of Ukraine?

The brother of my personal assistant is married to a Ukrainian woman (they both live here in the US), and as of Thursday morning, my assistant received this report from his brother: “Her parents, who live now in Nova Kakhovka [in Ukraine] have Russian flags planted in their city. Roads and bridges and some airports have been blown up. There’s no access to fuel and the grocery stores have no food.”

And that was within hours of the invasion. What is coming next?

Because of my lack of expertise in European-Russian geo-political affairs, I have not offered my own commentary on the current crisis, relying more on the opinion of those much-better versed in these important subjects. Yet some of what these experts have to say is quite alarming.

On my Thursday broadcast of the Line of Fire I interviewed Fred Markert, who came to faith in 1973 while living in Berlin and immediately got involved with smuggling Bibles into Communist Eastern Europe. Since then, he has ministered in 150 countries and served as a leader in a worldwide missions organization.

But he is not only keenly aware of what is happening spiritually around the world. He has a real grasp of world history and understands some of the key geo-political developments taking place today.

He explained on the broadcast that, unlike America, Russia has no natural barriers on its borders, whereas we are protected by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Pacific to the west  (Markert called them “the two largest moats in the world”), with friendly countries neighboring us to the north and south.

In contrast, Russia is surrounded by plains and has been invaded 6 times in the last few hundred years, and thus there is a certain paranoia about being invaded again. Accordingly, Russia feels more secure when it has buffer countries around it.

In keeping with this, Eliza Mackintosh explained on CNN.com, “Ukraine was a cornerstone of the Soviet Union until it voted overwhelmingly for independence in a democratic referendum in 1991, a milestone that turned out to be a death knell for the failing superpower.

“After the collapse of the Soviet Union, NATO pushed eastward, bringing into the fold most of the Eastern European nations that had been in the Communist orbit. In 2004, NATO added the former Soviet Baltic republics Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Four years later, it declared its intention to offer membership to Ukraine some day in the distant future -- crossing a red line for Russia.

“Putin sees NATO's expansion as an existential threat, and the prospect of Ukraine joining the Western military alliance a ‘hostile act’ -- a view he invoked in a televised speech on Thursday, saying that Ukraine's aspiration to join the military alliance was a dire threat to Russia.”

Heightening the tension was the NATO declaration in 2008 that it would bring both Ukraine and Georgia into NATO. This was perceived as a further provocation by Putin, similar to China or North Korea or Iran moving some of their armies into Canada or Mexico. How would we feel? (Think back to the Cuban Missile crisis.)

In Russia’s eyes (or, in Putin’s eyes), the expansion of NATO, coupled with the growth of Western democracies, is perceived as a very real threat. And this, coupled with Putin’s apparent megalomaniacal vision to reconstitute the Soviet Union, is a recipe for disaster. Also, given the fact that Stalin resettled Russians in different neighboring countries during the time of Soviet expansion, Putin can say today that he is fighting for his own citizens in countries like Ukraine. “It is about our own people’s freedom and independence,” he can argue.

When I asked Markert what the worst-case scenario was, he pointed out that our failed withdrawal from Afghanistan reminded the world that we are not the only superpower today, as we had been since 1992. Rather, there are three, America, Russia, and China, meaning that there is real potential that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could provoke World War III.

He said that “this is a not minor thing,” describing it as a “hinge of history” and “a pivotal moment.” He also opined that how the West responds will determine the future of the next 100 years.

Yet, Markert stated, “We are between a rock and a hard place” in terms of how we respond. If the West engages militarily, “it could easily escalate into World War III.”

If we don’t engage militarily, it will embolden countries like China and North Korea and Iran to take similar action. (Just look at China’s recent sword-rattling when it comes to Taiwan.)

Thus, in many ways, it is a lose-lose situation right now. Certainly, we need to be praying!

As for international Christian perception of Trump and Biden, Markert said that the Christian leaders he knew around the globe did not like Trump in terms of his personality. But they did like his policies, and because he was considered unpredictable, that kept these aggressive, foreign nations at bay. (Think back to Trump’s threat to North Korea’s “Rocket Man” that “my [nuclear] button is bigger than yours!”)

In contrast, these leaders see the current administration as weak, which is why we are seeing these aggressive acts by Russia (today) and perhaps others in the future. (At this point, this observation would appear to be self-evident.)

Interestingly, according to Markert, the biggest world issue today is the ongoing decline of America. And, he stated, the reason for our decline is our immorality, both internally (it is destroying us) and externally (we are exporting it around the world through our movies and music and porn).

Yet, he believes, if America can regain its moral footing, God will bless us and reestablish us as the world’s superpower, resulting in many, positive, international results. This is why Markert is devoting so much of his time and attention to working towards a Great Awakening in America.

So, the situation really is quite critical, and we should cry out God for mercy and wisdom and intervention. Many lives hang in the balance.

But God can turn this crisis into something positive if we respond to Him rightly.

(There’s much more to this fascinating interview, which you can watch here.)

Russia, China, Canada, and a Reminder of Why So Many of Us Voted for Trump

The purpose of this article is not to offer a retrospective analysis of the Trump presidency. Rather, it is to respond to those who cannot possibly understand how God-fearing, Bible-loving, morality-espousing people could vote for Trump. We actually had some very good reasons.

Russia, China, Canada, and a Reminder of Why So Many of Us Voted for Trump | Articles | AskDrBrown

In the aftermath of the events of January 6, 2021, the narrative is becoming more and more fixed. 

Simply stated, it claims that the vast majority of Americans who voted for Trump were gun-waving, white supremacist, insurrectionist, Christian nationalists, who need to be marginalized, if not purged from society. For many reasons, we need to continue to challenge that narrative. And recent world events involving Russia, China, and Canada provide a perfect opportunity to push back against that misleading and caricatured narrative.

To be clear, having voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020, I do not want him to run again in 2024. 

And I am sympathetic to the argument that, in many ways, did Trump more harm than good, especially in his post-election behavior and in the damage that was done to our Christian witness when he looked to him as some kind of political savior. (I know that strong Trump supporters find this perspective utterly outrageous, but that’s a battle I am not here to fight.)

But the purpose of this article is not to offer a retrospective analysis of the Trump presidency. Rather, it is to respond to those who cannot possibly understand how God-fearing, Bible-loving, morality-espousing people could vote for Trump. 

Let’s start with the recent events in Canada and Prime Minister’s invoking of the Emergencies Act in an attempt to crush the Freedom Convoy protesters. According to reports, he “invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time in the country’s history to crack down on protests against his vaccine mandate — just days after the Biden administration urged him to use ‘federal powers.’”

How much of this came directly from President Biden? Only those involved know for sure.

But if true, an obvious question arises: Could you imagine the Trump administration encouraging this kind of extreme crackdown against freedom-loving, peaceful protesters? Could you imagine Trump telling Trudeau, “Yeah, you really need to crush this resistance”?

Yet, when it came to international policy and America’s role in the world, those of us who voted for Trump felt far more confident in his leadership than the leadership of Biden. Does this make us violent white supremacists? Or, put another way, when it came to the massive implications of our international policies, was there no justifiable reason to vote for Trump?

As for Russia, while Trump’s critics claimed that he was either too friendly with Putin or actually admired him, others saw things quite differently.

Writing for the Jewish Press on July 24, 2018, Daniel Greenfield claimed that, “Trump Stood Up to Putin, Obama Appeased Him.”

He wrote, “The architects of Obama’s appeasement of Putin have been some of the most militant voices denouncing Trump. . . . Instead President Trump has steadily reversed Obama’s tide of concessions to Putin.”

He continued, “The media is outraged over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But when that happened, Ukraine asked for weapons and the only aid that Obama offered their country was MREs. It took months for Obama to come through with boots and tires. Meanwhile Trump has delivered actual weapons.

“Why did Obama refuse to provide Ukraine with weapons? According to senior officials, to avoid antagonizing Moscow. Trump isn’t afraid of Russia. Obama however was shaking in his loafers.

“While Trump approved anti-tank missiles for Ukraine, Obama slow-walked shipments of boots, putting them on trucks instead of planes so that they took months to arrive, so as not to upset the Russians. Meanwhile the Trump administration cut the red tape by dipping into its own European stockpiles.

“In the time it took Obama to ship boots to Ukraine, Trump shipped Javelin missiles.”

And he closed with this: “Unlike Obama, President Trump sold weapons to Ukraine. Unlike Obama, he bombed Assad and took on Russian mercenaries. Unlike Obama, he provided Poland with working Patriot missiles. Unlike Obama, he didn’t base his foreign policy around fearing to offend Moscow. Unlike Obama, he stood up to Russia.”

The fact is that many of us who voted for Trump felt that he would do a better job of standing up to the world’s strongmen than Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden would do. (For a relevant Twitter poll, see here.)

As for China, allow me to share two personal anecdotes. While in Australia in early 2020, shortly before the COVID travel restrictions, I was picked up at the airport by a Chinese national who was now an Australian citizen.

When I asked him for his views on Chinese President Xi, he told me plainly that he thought he was dangerous. When I asked him for his views on President Trump, he said, “He’s a hero.”

In fact, a colleague of mine who has spent almost all his adult life living and working in China, and who is well-connected to the underground Chinese church, told me that every Christian he knew in China was praying fervently for the reelection of Trump. And when Trump lost, many of them wept.

More broadly, a Bing search for the words how Trump stood up to China (not in quotes) yields pages of articles and videos with headlines like this: “It Takes a Trump to Stand Up to China” (The Hill, December 6, 2016); and “Finally, a President Stands Up to China” (Townhall, August 28, 2019).

To be sure, Trump had more than his share of critics when it came to his Chinese policies, with CNN claiming in July 2020 that, “Trump blasts Beijing in public, but privately Trump org imports tons of Chinese goods.”

But the fact remains that America just competed in the Beijing Olympics, with our athletes being urged not to protest and our official diplomatic protest seeming quite tepid, even with its reference to China’s “ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity.”

Really now, if we truly believed that China was guilty of “ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity” shouldn’t we rather boycott the Olympics? Why not put teeth in our words?

Obviously, I cannot imagine the pressures President Biden is under, and the purpose of this article is not to throw stones at him. (How many Biden-bashing articles have I written?) And, to repeat, I do not want to Trump to run again in 2024 for quite a few reasons.

I’m simply reminding those who broad-brush and smear all of us who voted for Trump that international policies were a major consideration for many of us, with those policies potentially affecting hundreds of millions of lives. (And I’ve not said a word here about our policies with Iran.)

That is hardly a matter of white supremacy or dangerous Christian nationalism. This is matter of worldwide humanitarian concern.

What are the real intentions of China’s President Xi? How nefarious are his plans? Put bluntly, “China wants to dominate the world... and to have the ability to cripple the economy of the rest of the world.” And it is very possible that China could succeed.

We Must Not Capitulate to China | Article | AskDrBrown

What are the real intentions of China’s President Xi? 

How nefarious are his plans? And how should the west respond? 

When I asked these questions to a colleague who has lived and worked in China for almost all of his adult life, someone fully absorbed in the culture and well-educated in Chinese thought, he replied bluntly, “China wants to dominate the world.”

He explained further, “China wants to dominate the world’s economy and to have the ability to cripple the economy of the rest of the world.” And, my colleague commented, it is very possible that China could succeed.

All the more reason, then, that we refuse to capitulate to China, not ideologically and not economically.

Unfortunately, it appears that for some time now, we have been doing the exact opposite.

Earlier this month, Business Insider reported, “Apple has taken down a Quran app and a Bible app in China at the request of Chinese officials, the company confirmed to the BBC.”

And why, pray tell, did Apple do this? “Apple directed the BBC to its Human Rights policy, which says: ‘We're required to comply with local laws, and at times there are complex issues about which we may disagree with governments and other stakeholders on the right path forward.’

“Apple told the BBC that Chinese officials had said the apps breached laws on hosting illegal religious texts.”

Put another way, we dare not rock the boat and get China upset. We make far too much money in China and depend way too much on China for us to take a stand for human rights and religious liberties. Instead, in the name of Human Rights, we will sell out countless millions of Chinese Christians and Muslims. (For updates regarding Apple and censorship, see here.)

It was back in May that wrestling and acting superstar John Cena issued an apology to China in Chinese for his grievous sin of referring to Taiwan as a country. How treasonous!

But with a new Cena flick about to be released to the massive viewing audience in China, how could he not apologize? Too much money was at stake.

After all, in 2019, when Daryl Morey, the general manager of the Houston Rockets basketball team tweeted out his support of the Hong Kong protesters, the backlash was immediate and severe.

Chinese businesses severed their ties. “The Chinese Basketball Association said . . . it would suspend all cooperation with the Texas-based team.” And, in an official statement, “China’s consulate general in Houston also urged the team to ‘clarify and immediately correct the mistakes.’” The NBA’s very relationship with China was endangered.

But fear not. Morey quickly issued an apology, saying, “I did not intend my tweet to cause any offense to Rockets fans and friends of mine in China. I was merely voicing one thought, based on one interpretation, of one complicated event. I have had a lot of opportunity since that tweet to hear and consider other perspectives.

“I have always appreciated the significant support our Chinese fans and sponsors have provided and I would hope that those who are upset will know that offending or misunderstanding them was not my intention. My tweets are my own and in no way represent the Rockets or the NBA.”

One year later, whether related to this incident or not, Morey resigned from his position in Houston, moving on to work with another NBA team. How interesting.

As for LeBron James, one of the NBA’s greatest and most influential players of all time, a man never afraid to speak out against racial inequality in America, the situation in Hong Kong was different. He said, “I don't want to get into a [verbal] feud with Daryl Morey, but I believe he wasn't educated on the situation at hand, and he spoke. And so many people could have been harmed not only financially, physically, emotionally, spiritually. So just be careful what we tweet and say and we do, even though, yes, we do have freedom of speech, but there can be a lot of negative that comes with that, too.”

Perhaps Morey could benefit from a Chinese reeducation camp!

But the plot has only thickened for the NBA, as Enes Kanter, now with the Boston Celtics, and himself a Turkish Muslim, has spoken out openly against Chinese control of Tibet along with Chinese oppression of the Uyghurs. And he has made it clear that he will not back down.

As he tweeted on Sunday, “XI JINPING and the Chinese Communist Party

“I will NEVER apologize for speaking the truth.

Already this is costing the NBA money, as Chinese TV stations are refusing to air certain games on their network.

Will the basketball league find a way to force Kanter into backing down? Or is there any way he will back down?

While I’m not a fan of name-calling (as in “XinnieThePooh”) I commend him for standing his ground. May others follow in his stead. Otherwise, where will it all end?

It was reported this week that China is pressuring the Vatican to sever its ties with Taiwan. Will the Vatican cave in to these demands, ostensibly to improve relationships with the Chinese Catholic Church? Or will the Pope do what is right?

Interestingly, my colleague in China told me that across the country, Christians, both liberal and conservative, were praying for the reelection of President Trump in 2020.

He explained that, while the Chinese liked Obama, they didn’t respect him. As for Trump, as much as the government disliked him, he was liked and respected by the populace. That’s because he held his ground and pushed back aggressively, but all while speaking graciously of the people of China themselves (and even of President Xi himself).

Caving in and capitulating and acting like fawning mercenaries impresses no one, let alone gains anyone’s respect. Really now, who respects a hireling with compromised ethics?

Not surprisingly, when I sent the link of the Cena apology to my colleague, someone who dearly loves the Chinese people, he said, “Money speaks, and China knows it.” Precisely so.

And this underscores the irony of our moral capitulation to China for the sake of money. In the end, the one to whom we capitulated will become our master, economically and beyond.

To ask the question in advance, was it worth it?

There’s still time to change the narrative, and that starts with putting morals before money. 

(When I sent this article to my colleague to be sure I represented him accurately, he replied with this quote from Benjamin Franklin, “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”)

Once Again the Left is Comparing Christians to the Taliban

Christian Sharia? Christian Supremacists? Isn’t this a little extreme?

Once Again the Left is Comparing Christians to the Taliban | Article | AskDrBrown

In May 2012, Rev. Billy Graham, then 93-years-old, took out full-page ads in newspapers throughout North Carolina addressing the upcoming vote on the definition of marriage. The ads featured a large picture of Rev. Graham and carried his own words: “At 93, I never thought we would have to debate the definition of marriage. The Bible is clear — God’s definition of marriage is between a man and a woman. I want to urge my fellow North Carolinians to vote FOR the marriage amendment on Tuesday, May 8. God bless you as you vote.”

Wayne Besen, an outspoken gay activist, took strong exception to these ads, writing, “I’m a little confused here, because I thought we lived in America. Yet, Graham is now trying to jam his own church’s rules and doctrine down my throat. The last time I checked, I never signed up for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. (BGEA). I don’t even like his church, yet he thinks I should be forced against my will to live by its rules.

“Do we now make our civil laws based upon Christian Sharia? Do we all have to follow his version of the Bible or be punished by government? And if this is the case, are we really a free country? Are we really much different than Iran, or is it only by a matter of degrees or a matter of time until these so-called ‘Christian Supremacists’ get their paws on all of our laws?”

Actually, Besen was not the only one to react in this way. Already in May 2005, John McCandlish Phillips, formerly a Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times reporter, pointed out how newspapers like the Washington Post and the Times told their readers that evangelicals and traditional Catholics were engaging in a “jihad” against America.

Phillips noted that, days before his article was published, “Frank Rich, an often acute, broadly knowledgeable and witty cultural observer, sweepingly informed us that, under the effects of ‘the God racket’ as now pursued in Washington, ‘government, culture, science, medicine and the rule of law are all under threat from an emboldened religious minority out to remake America according to its dogma.’ He went on to tell Times readers that GOP zealots in Congress and the White House have edged our country over into ‘a full-scale jihad.’”

By 2010, Markos Moulitsas, founder of the radically left-leaning DailyKos.com, had written an entire book on the subject. The title says it all: American Taliban: How War, Sex, Sin, and Power Bind Jihadists and the Radical Right.

In the Introduction Moulitsas claimed that “the Republican Party, and the entire modern conservative movement is, in fact, very much like the Taliban. In their tactics and on the issues, our homegrown American Taliban are almost indistinguishable from the Afghan Taliban.”

And remember: This was not meant to be satire. Moulitsas was dead serious, as are many of his readers, who share his views.

During the 2012 presidential debates, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews launched a tirade against Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan, calling Ryan’s pro-life position “extremism” and claiming it was “almost like Sharia.”

He opined, “You’re saying to the country, we’re going to operate under a religious theory, a religious belief. We’re gonna run our country this way, to the point of making a woman’s decision to have an abortion, her reproductive rights, as criminal, perhaps murderous.” (For the record, he was referring to Ryan’s “personhood” argument which would grant 14th Amendment rights to the baby in the womb.)

But, as I wrote in Saving a Sick America in 2017, “this claim of Matthews, which raised quite a few eyebrows in 2012, now seems tame when compared to the latest rhetoric launched against conservative Christians. In fact, it’s not enough to compare us to the Taliban. We are now being likened to ISIS.”

I gave some anecdotal evidence of this in an article published September 13, 2012, titled, “When Committed Christians Are Compared to ISIS.”

In the article, I noted that, a few days earlier, “Dixie” posted on my Facebook page, “You are just as ugly as Isis!”

I asked in response, “Because we want to protect innocent babies in the womb? Because we care about marriage and family? Because we feed the poor and needy around the world? Because we want the whole world to know how wonderful Jesus is? Please be kind enough to explain your views.” Dixie didn’t respond.

Just a few days before that, “Jeromeno” posted this on my YouTube page: “Kim Davis [the county clerk who went to jail rather than issue same-sex marriage certificates] is an ISIS infiltrator in America with a mission to spread. The most radical interpretation of Sharia Law. ISIS needed a hero a Jeanne d’Arc and they found one in KIM DAVIS.”

In response to this comment (and others) I wrote, “So, ISIS is beheading Christians who refuse to convert to Islam and crucifying Muslims who are not radical enough. ISIS is burying little children alive, burning prisoners alive, drowning them in cages, raping teenage girls and selling them into slavery, and throwing gays off buildings. Yet when we say, ‘Gays are free to live how they please and enter into the relationships of their choosing – that’s between them and God – and if they want a minister or judge to sanction their “marriage,” they can do that, just don’t force us to participate in their ceremony’ – we are now like ISIS.’”

I also noted in 2017 that, “Well-known media personalities like Montel Williams have compared supporters of natural, male-female marriage to ISIS.”

Today, as Megan Basham pointed out on the Daily Wire, it is people like MSNBC host Joy Reid and actor Tim Russ and author and freelance journalist Feminista Jones and writer John Max Smith who have compared conservative Christians to the Taliban (rather than ISIS, since the Taliban, once again, are the face of radical Islam).

To quote Smith directly, “Make no mistake; Christian evangelicals are America's #taliban and weld as much power too in their society.”

Filmmaker Michael Moore has chimed in as well, referring to Christian conservatives as “our own domestic Taliban.” (For his explicit reference to Southern Baptists, see here.)

Perhaps it would be worthwhile if a wealthy benefactor could pay for some of these outspoken leftists to spend 6 months, all expenses paid, living in Afghanistan, where gays and patriotic folk singers are being shot in the head, women without burqas are being beaten (or killed), and girls are being ripped from their homes and used as lifelong sex slaves.

After a day, let alone 6 months, these leftists would be longing to get back to “Christian” America.

(Some material in this article was adapted from Saving a Sick America: A Prescription for Moral and Cultural Transformation.)

When this 16-Year-Old Indian Pastor Refused to Back Down, He was Severely Burned with Acid

It’s one thing to hear reports about our brothers and sisters around the world being persecuted for their faith. It’s another to receive a firsthand report from friends, replete with graphic pictures.

When this 16-Year-Old Indian Pastor Refused to Back Down He was Severely Burned with Acid | Article | AskDrBrown

But that’s what happened to me last week when some of my closest friends in the world, Christian colleagues in India, sent me this note:

“Hi Mike. We just wanted to share a very sad and painful incident of persecution with you that happened earlier this month in the state of [name removed]. A young 16 year old pastor who was conducting daily prayer meetings in his house was warned to stop by [name removed] radicals. He didn’t stop, so while he was selling vegetables in his village, they threw acid on him.

“85% of his body is burnt. We have been paying his hospital bills and through connections we are seeking for his perpetrators to come to justice. We appreciate your prayers for this young man N---- as he is suffering so much, for quick healing and for sufficient blood for needed transfusions.

“We recently started financially supporting many pastors in [name removed], and he is one of them. We are deeply hurt by this situation and just wanted to share it with you for prayer.”

The note was accompanied by 7, gut-wrenching pictures. (The image used in this article, with N----’s face blurred, is real.)

This is the price of preaching the gospel in his region. This is what happens when you refuse to bow the knee to religious radicals. You get beaten. You get burned. You might even get killed.

Yet, remarkably, this young man, knowing that his life could be endangered, continued to hold prayer meetings in his house.

That’s because he knew that his life was not his own. That he was bought with a price (the blood of Jesus). And that to save his life was to lose it, but to lose his life for the gospel was to save it.

Over the course of 27 trips I have taken to India since 1993, I have the had the privilege of serving thousands of pastors and church planters and local evangelists.

I do not engage in proselytizing while there. Instead, I serve the local ministries and participate in graduation ceremonies for a key ministry school while visiting my friends there.

To date, as many as 5 (or more?) of the young men who graduated from that school have been killed for their faith. Yet, knowing the dangers that await them, they count it a privilege to be sent out and preach and serve their communities. After all, their people are lost without Jesus and only He has the words of eternal life. How can they not go and preach?

As for being beaten and persecuted for the gospel, they consider it a sacred privilege.

During one meeting with a few hundred Christian leaders, I asked them, “How many of you have been physically attacked for preaching the gospel, not just verbally attacked, but physically attacked?”

About three-quarters of them raised their hands. That was striking enough. But what was more striking was how they raised their hands. It was nonchalantly, as if I had asked them, “How many of you had breakfast today?”

No big deal. Just physically attacked for Jesus. It comes with the turf. It hurts, but we rejoice and keep reaching out.

As for this 16-year-old pastor who is suffering from terrible acid burns, remember that, as a Christian in his state, he is in the tiny minority. That likely explains why he is serving as a pastor at such a young age. There are few Christian workers, and as quickly as a leader can be trained, he begins his mission.

As for bowing down to the demands of local religious radicals, that was not something he was inclined to do. He loved Jesus and his own community more than he loved his own life. And now he is suffering terribly for it.

Can we join together with him and lend a helping hand? Can we stand with him in prayer, asking for healing and restoration? And can we stand with the ministry that his now covering his medical bills and supporting other pastors in his region? I can vouch for their absolute integrity and for their godly stewardship of every dollar you send.

Click here to give, and in the Comments box, designate, “For young pastor burned with acid or for his fellow-workers in his state.” (To find out more about my friends’ ministry in India, click here.)

The Lord is visiting India mightily, and many are coming to faith in Jesus. 

They are also paying a price. May their courage inspire us!

Afghanistan as the New Inspiration and Expanded Staging Ground for Islamic Terrorism

The fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban has implications far beyond the borders of that nation. That’s because the Taliban takeover provides fresh inspiration for Islamic radicals worldwide while at the same time providing a “liberated zone” for Islamic terror.

Afghanistan as the New Inspiration and Expanded Staging Ground for Islamic Terrorism | Article | AskDrBrown

The fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban has implications far beyond the borders of that nation. That’s because the Taliban takeover provides fresh inspiration for Islamic radicals worldwide while at the same time providing a “liberated zone” for Islamic terror. As the Islamists love to say, “Allahu Akbar!” Islam, in their eyes, is triumphant once again.

Just listen to this sermon, titled “War on Islam,” and preached last Friday by Canadian Imam Younus Kathrada at the Muslim Youth of Victoria Islamic Center.

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