Dr. Brown Weighs in on the Current Political Scene and Answers Your Calls (and Discloses What Kind of Car He Drives)
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Dr. Brown Weighs in on the Current Political Scene and Answers Your Calls (and Discloses What Kind of Car He Drives)
Comments are closed.
God bless you Dr. Brown, and may God be glorified tomorrow on Dr. White’s show, remember we don’t know who is listening! Sometimes our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read!
In love
-Eric!
In reference to government:
There’s something that has always nagged at me, which I haven’t resolved yet regarding government. Paul clearly attributes the governments of the world as being set up by God; argues that we’ve nothing to fear if we’re good citizens, which we ought to be to give a good witness for our faith, etc., and of course, anyone can definitely see positive aspects to government. But then we have the unholy beasts of The Book of Revelation, which the angel tells John stand for the governments of the world. And governments can indeed act “beastly.” And I’ve often heard the expression, “We’re living in the belly of the beast.” If fact, I’m more apt to see governments as such than as benevolent or even benign, and I think history bears this out (with few exceptions). So: Aren’t these ideas about governments, as presented in Scripture diametrically opposed, or what am I missing here?
I hope you’ll respond Dr. B., but I know you may not — so I hope that someone will try to explain this dichotomy to me?
Oh — and thank you!
Hey Julie,
I think you are correct in seeing the paradox. I think the paradox exists because of humanities inclination to evil. God desires to maintain some form of order on earth, especially in the dispensing of justice and punishing evil as such he ordains human governments to do this. I’d say that the main function of governments is to be ministers of the sword in maintaining justice and in their societies as well as protecting the weak etc.
Human being’s naturally understand some form of good and evil as a result of having some knowledge of good and evil as well as being made in the image of God. This understanding of right and wrong is the basis of cultural laws which usually are against such basic things as murder for example. That said human governments usually do not base their morality and justice on God’s Law, nor do they Fear God and call their people to fear Him and believe the Gospel. Many governments are either secular and so respect all the gods of their people without advocating worship of any or basing their political system on the beliefs of any of them. Other governments however are theocratic and believe in some false god as is the case in Iran.
So governments like most of the people they govern are in darkness and ultimately under the sway of the prince of the power of the air. This is why Satan offered Jesus the kingdoms of this world, it is because he is the prince of this world and so in a very real way the governments of this world are not holy but rather unholy. There is One Holy Government and it is upon the shoulders of Messiah, and He is the King of it; we are part of it as royal priests and shall rule with him if we suffer with Him.
Because God is Sovereign he ordains governments to be ministers of the sword but He still judges them as he did all through the O.T. and as shown he will do in the end of days at his return.
I think if more governments and leaders were like the ruler of Niniveh would repented because of Jonah’s preaching there would be more change and that transformation would be good. But because governments outlast the lives of people, I don’t know if that would stop the government itself being evil and part of this world.
Thank you, “our patient hope”
That was well-thought out and expressed. I especially appreciated the reference to Jonah, as he has been on my mind lately. I do appreciate your entire perspective.
You’re welcome Julie,
Jonah is a marvelous piece of scripture, I do have to say I always laugh when I read it though. I find that its written with seriousness and some humor too. The truth in it is eternally enduring though and thats its true beauty. God bless you my sister.
Thank you & May God bless you, too
Yes, you’re right, the story of Jonah does have its humor — the way he tries to run away from God, such a human response in so many ways, and after all of his avoidance, the Nineveheans actually take his message in the right way and repent. Then God wants to teach him something by first delighting him with the luxurious gourd, then taking it away, showing him how silly he is to be more wrapped up in his feelings over this gourd than over all the inhabitants of Nineveh… He is just so human in his response — the way we fixate on fairly small things that impact us personally while God is looking at the bigger picture. I have also read that since the Nineveheans were Gentiles, another point is that God cares for all and wants all to repent…is that why Jonah didn’t want to bring the message at first, because they weren’t Jews?
I’m sorry you were accused of making a bunch of money off of the gospel, Dr. Brown. That was a “cheap shot” your accuser made, and if he’d even bothered to check out your site, he could have seen how grossly unfair it was.
I really appreciate reading what you have written — I know you’ve spent untold hours as a professional historian, researching all of the information you provide in depth, and I’m very glad to put my ‘dollar on the counter,’ so to speak. Proverbs 23:23 (KJV) “Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.”
And thank you very much for all the great free resources (articles, videos, podcasts, etc.) you give in abundance!
God has blessed you richly and we are richly blessed by your ministry…!
The worker is worthy of his hire.
Look, I’m no Christian. But even I can see the value in Dr Brown’s work. I’m also not going to ask how much he gives to worthy causes, as he becomes aware of them. Because I don’t think he’d regard that as “giving” so much as “returning a loan”.
Worldly riches that we earn with the sweat of our brows are entrusted to us, to do with as we see fit. To provide for ourselves, and our families. But also to do such Good Works as we may. We must neither waste them on profligacy, nor be too concerned about their accumulation, other than towards achieving a worthy goal.
Zoe,
You remain very kind in your comments.
I do understand that a few bad apples here and there have given gospel workers a bad name, so I don’t mind being personally accused. I just feel bad for the people who believe that stuff!
All the best to you, and may God’s reality and grace and goodness flood your life.
Ruth,
Thanks for your kind words! Being attacked and misunderstood is part of the territory, and I’m honored when I’m falsely accused for the Lord’s sake.
It’s great to hear that our resources are a blessing to you!
The person that accused you of haaving a big bank account and driving a mercedes and also ridiculed our faith in God sounds like a supposed friend of mine who is a progressive and very liberal…they hate religions of any kind and do not believe in our God…my friend, there is no reasoning with these people as they are are very closed minded, except what they think….I love God and that is that….doesn’t matter what other people think or say….Praise Our Holy Lord…..Amen…..