This is the fruit of a real move of God, coupled with solid ministry training. Year in and year out, even decade in and decade out, the fire continues to burn. May the Lord send a fresh wave of revival to His people in America ...and beyond!

The Lasting Fruit of a True Move of God | Articles | The Line of Fire

This past weekend, we celebrated our 25th annual missions conference, thanking God for the amazing testimonies from our faithful workers who have served on the mission field worldwide, often quite sacrificially. 

This missions’ movement was birthed directly out of our ministry school, Brownsville Revival School of Ministry, and then FIRE School of Ministry, which in turn was birthed out of the Brownsville Revival in Pensacola, Florida (1995-2000). This is the best answer to the critics who claimed that the fruit of the revival would not last. 

One critic claimed that Brownsville was “not really. . . a revival, but lunatic fringe Christians from other places responding to altar calls,” also referring to it as a “spiritual cesspit.”

A prominent American pastor described the revival as a “mindless, emotional orgy marked by irrational, sensual and fleshly behavior produced by altered states of consciousness, peer pressure, heightened expectation or suggestibility.”

Surely, these emotions would quickly fade!

During the revival, I would say to these critics, “Well, this person has been walking solidly with the Lord now for one full year. What does that indicate about the validity of their conversion?”

The reply would be, “One year? That proves nothing!”

What about several years later, when they graduated from our ministry school with a burning heart to reach the nations? What about several years after that, as they relocated their whole families to serve outside the USA? And what about now, when some of our grads have been on the mission field for 25 years? I would call that lasting fruit!

Eric was a youth pastor who struggled with porn and had to step down from ministry. He visited the Brownsville Revival, experienced deep repentance and complete deliverance, graduated from our ministry school, and has now served on the mission field in Asia with his family for more than 20 years.

Last year, we commissioned one of his daughters to go as a missionary to Japan. This year, we commissioned another daughter to serve in the Philippines. 

Andy and his wife Karyn were powerfully touched in the revival, graduated from our school, and were the very first missionaries to sign up. They have served in Mexico for the last 25 years, continuing to bear great fruit and with all their children serving the Lord.

“We are about to send out a Mexican couple to Asia in 2025; we are super excited about that! We continue to visit the homeless downtown and throughout the streets of Guadalajara, bringing them the Gospel in creative ways from giving food, providing wound care as a nurse, and [more]. . . .

“Has it been worth it? Absolutely 100%. By Life or By Death.  We have had death threats, rocks pelting me in the head, our churches burned down, stranded vehicles in the middle of nowhere, and insects infesting my toes with eggs.  Would we do it all again? Absolutely 100%. Through it all God has been so faithful.  It’s just who He is.”

This is God’s answer to the critics and mockers. 

This is the lasting fruit of a true move of God.

Leann had friends who were powerfully touched in the revival and decided to relocate to Florida and attend our school, enrolling in 2000.

After graduating, she moved with some other grads – mainly single women, like herself – to the Ukraine, where she remains until this day, right in the midst of the war.

“I have seen Jesus do so much in Ukraine in the past twenty-one years, it’s been an adventure and a journey.  Jesus is alive and well, and changing lives across this land. . . .

Ministry began all those years ago, traveling from village to village, gathering all the villagers together, and preaching the Gospel.  Our team saw withered hands restored on several occasions, spines healed, a babushka who was completely hunched over get miraculously healed and start running down the road, as well as deaf ears opened.  Many of those living in villages are elderly and they were so thankful that we came, as they felt forgotten.  We would bring gifts of food and pray with them, they were so touched but the Lord.  Many gave their lives to Jesus in their 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s.”

“There were years of ministry in orphanages, children’s shelters, children’s rehab centers, and children’s camps.  So many children were introduced to the Bible and Jesus through our ministry.  Many of the orphans I knew that were once little are now adults, and some are living their lives for the Lord to this day.  I still have connection with some of those I ministered to 20 years ago. . . .

“I was sharing Jesus recently at a meeting for refugees and an older man named Kolya, in his 60s, was in tears the entire time.  I prayed with him, and he told me his whole life he has been searching for something that is true.  He joined the communist party when he was young and saw that it was empty, he tried lighting candles at the orthodox church and he said it was empty. Now, because he has lost his home and came to our city, he met me and for the first time in his life he heard something that is actually true.  Kolya said ‘I have waited my whole to hear this truth about Jesus.’  He finally found the truth he longed for his entire life in his 60s!”

“I have experienced many hardships since the war began.  But, I know I am in the place where I am supposed to be, and that’s the safest place for me.  Even though we hear explosions every week, sometimes every day.  Even though air raid sirens blare off and on every day.  Even though we have lived without power and water, mobile service, and internet for long periods of time.  I am in the right place.  There is such darkness and hopelessness, but I am here to shine the light of Jesus and help destroy the works of the enemy.”

Leann recently got married, but only after her husband-to-be was miraculously protected while on the frontlines of the very worst part of the war. Now, together, they are serving God courageously in that battle-weary land.

This is the fruit of a real move of God, coupled with solid ministry training. Year-in and year-out, even decade-in and decade-out, the fire continues to burn.

May the Lord send a fresh wave of revival to His people in America and beyond!

Seize the Moment - How to Fuel the Fires of Revival

Turn the Tide - How to Ignite A Cultural Awakening

The Fire that Never Sleeps - Keys for Sustaining Personal Revival

Authentic Fire: A Response to John MacArthur's 'Strange Fire'

A Time for Holy Fire - Preparing the Way for Divine Visitation

It is true that a recent poll indicated that 75 percent of Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank supported the actions of Hamas on October 7. It is true that the people of Gaza chose to elect Hamas as their leaders in 2006. And it is true that an alarming number of Palestinians have no desire to see a two-state solution. Instead, they want an Israel-free Middle East, “from the river to the sea.” Yet in many ways the Palestinians are victims, and my strong support for Israel does not stop me from grieving over the suffering of the Palestinian people...

Sympathy for the Palestinians | Articles | AskDrBrown

It is true that a recent poll indicated that 75 percent of Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank supported the actions of Hamas on October 7. It is true that the people of Gaza chose to elect Hamas as their leaders in 2006. And it is true that an alarming number of Palestinians have no desire to see a two-state solution. Instead, they want an Israel-free Middle East, “from the river to the sea.” Yet in many ways the Palestinians are victims, and my strong support for Israel does not stop me from grieving over the suffering of the Palestinian people.

They have been victims of decades of bad leadership. Victims of lifelong, anti-Israel propaganda. Victims of the aftermath of the Six Day War in 1967.

Their leaders rejected a two-state solution under the Peel Commission in 1937, under the UN Partition Plan in 1947, and under subsequent arrangements through the decades. (For a powerful summary of the evidence, see Efraim Karsh, Palestine Betrayed.)

Not only so, but rather than absorb the Arab refugees who fled Israel during the War of Independence in 1947, the surrounding Arab nations were complicit in creating a permanent refugee crisis. To this day, the Palestinians are the only multi-generational refugees on the planet, and every year that goes by, their anger and disappointment and disillusionment grows. 

As stated by Prof. Alon Ben-Meir on the History News Network website, “No efforts have been made to resolve the tragic refugee problem on its own since 1948. Instead, it has been exploited at the expense of innocent men, women, and children, who have been misled, mistreated, marginalized, and used as sacrificial lambs only to feed the insatiable hunger for power of their misguided and self-absorbed leaders.

“In what was initially a disastrous event, the 1948 exodus turned into a Greek tragedy, festering over time and engulfing innocent souls. Since then, the refugees have multiplied nearly sevenfold, with many living under subhuman conditions which serve as incubators for militancy and violence, which Hamas in particular seeks to cultivate.”

Not only so, but Ben-Meir points out that the UN organization formed specifically to deal with the Palestinian refugee crisis, called UNRWA, “in particular is guilty of perpetuating the Palestinian refugee crisis.”

No wonder that, despite world protests supporting Hamas and chanting “Free Palestine,” the Palestinians feel lonely and isolated.

As reported in a November 2023 article in Haaretz, “other studies show that Palestinians feel profoundly, existentially, alone. The second post-October 7 West Bank survey, commissioned by a new policy outfit called the Institute for Social and Economic Progress, asked which international actor is Palestine’s most important strategic ally: 56 percent said ‘none.’ The top ally was Russia, then Turkey (18 and 11 percent, respectively); just 8 percent chose ‘the Arab world.’ Palestinians have no homegrown heroes either. In focus groups, the institute quoted a participant saying ‘I feel that the Palestinian population is orphaned, there is no one to lead them.’”

As for the people of Gaza electing Hamas in 2005, their other alternative, the Palestine Authority, was not dramatically better. And certainly, the general population could not expect that their senior leaders would become billionaires while they lived in poverty or that hundreds of millions of dollars of international funding would go to acquire weapons and build terror tunnels rather than benefit the people themselves. 

And we cannot forget that, from their earliest days, especially in Gaza, they have been exposed to hate-filled, anger-generating, anti-Israel propaganda on state run TV and in their schools. To die as a martyr fighting the evil occupation is a lofty goal. (For a sampling, go here.)

Added to this is the fact that Israel’s attacks on Hamas, which uses its own civilians as human shields, serve to confirm the evil nature of this Jewish terror state. What else would you expect the people to think?

Earlier this week, while visiting some colleagues in Asia, I was invited to participate in an international student forum at a major university discussing the subject of equality. I presented a perspective based on the Declaration of Independence, but before I spoke, different students shared their thoughts.

One young man stood to speak, filled with anger. He was a Palestinian from Gaza. Israel, he said, killed his father and brother. Yet America supported Israel. And here in India, no one said a word about Palestinian suffering under Israel in recent weeks. The students applauded his words.

At the end of my brief talk, I said that as a Jewish American, I wanted to speak to the students from Gaza and Syria, to hear their perspective rather than to share mine.  (Another Gazan student told us that in the recent war, Israel killed his mother and father.)

They asked me instead to share my perspective, which I said I did not have the right to do. I was a stranger to them, and they had lost family. How could I speak to their suffering?

But they insisted I did, so I asked them to forgive me for anything I said that was offensive, and I would give my perspective.

As I began to describe the monstrous acts of Hamas on October 7, they immediately objected. No babies were killed, they told me. No women were raped. This was all propaganda.

When I described Hamas operating under Al Shifa hospital, they mocked the idea, saying these were all manipulated images on social media. And on and on it went.

And they reiterated the lie that Israel bombed one of their hospitals, but this time, rather than the initial exaggerated numbers of 500 dead, it was over 1,000 dead. (The reality, of course, is that an Islamic Jihad rocket misfired and landed in the parking lot next to the hospital, killing scores of innocent people.)

Afterwards, I went to shake the hand of the first Gazan man who spoke. He said to me, “I will not shake your hand. The blood of my family is on your hands.” (Again, this was because of America’s support of Israel.)

I approached the second Gazan man who spoke, and he said to me, “Your rockets killed my family.”

How can you not have sympathy for people like this? How can your hearts not break for them?

I was able to tell them that, over and over on my radio show and in writing, I have reiterated that Palestinian blood is as precious in God’s sight as Israeli blood and that the death of a Palestinian baby is as grievous as the death of an Israeli baby.

And just last week, an Orthodox Jewish colleague in Israel reached out to me, asking me to endorse a major initiative calling for Christian prayer for Israel. I was thrilled to do it, with only one request: he needed to add a specific line with prayers for the suffering Palestinians, which he was happy to do.

So, my support for Israel remains the same as ever, but my burden for the Palestinians continues to increase.

Parents, Do You Know What Your Kids Believe About Israel?

Genocide?!  “Parents don’t realize the propaganda our children are hearing AND BELIEVING. I knew it for ‘wokeness.’ But not for this..."

Parents, Do You Know What Your Kids Believe About Israel? | Articles | AskDrBrown

What do those under the age of 18 think about Israel?

A recent article in the Jerusalem Post explained that, 

“Around five dozen individuals, some associated with Hamas and collectively boasting more than 100 million social media followers, have been waging a propaganda campaign against Israel on various social media platforms since the start of the Swords of Iron war on October 7.”

That’s a lot of social media followers. Perhaps one of your kids follows them as well, thinking they’re getting solid information when in reality they’re getting Hamas propaganda.

And who, exactly, is TikTok influencing? Young people, of course. Just do a search for “social media antisemitism” and see what comes up, then ask yourself again, “Who is teaching and influencing my kids?”

My last article began with the words, “Wake up world.” 

The theme of this article is more personal: Wake up, moms and dads!

Our Hands Are Stained With Blood: The Tragic Story of the Church and the Jewish People

Christian Antisemitism - Confronting the Lies in Today’s Church

Related Resources

The Madness and Irrationality of Antisemitism

Not only is antisemitism the world’s longest and most widespread hatred, but it is also the world’s most IRRATIONAL hatred...

The Madness and Irrationality of Antisemitism | Articles | AskDrBrown

For more than three decades, I have stated that not only is antisemitism the world’s longest and most widespread hatred, but it is also the world’s most irrational hatred. 

The events unfolding since the horrific slaughter of Israeli Jews on October 7 only underscores the madness and irrationality of antisemitism, which often finds even greater focus and intensity when centered on the state of Israel itself.

That’s why, as inconceivable as this is, people from all backgrounds, including both Muslims and non-Muslims, began to voice their support for Hamas before Israel fired its first retaliatory strike. And that’s why, as news of the atrocities emerged, many were quick to blame the victims – yes, the slaughtered and decapitated and raped and tortured and maimed and burned alive – and exonerate the barbaric terrorists.

In response to this, I have been posting comments on X (formerly Twitter), seeking to expose this pervasive and irrational hatred of the Jews. And what kind of responses I have received to my posts? They are as ugly and irrational as you could expect, confirming the very point I was making....

For Those Who Want the Death Penalty for Homosexual Practice

In a recent video, I asked whether America had the moral right to condemn Uganda’s strict new anti-homosexuality laws. While stating plainly that we do not have that moral right, I also stated clearly that I was not defending the legislation. Some viewers took exception to this, finding my position to be soft and indefensible...

For Those Who Want the Death Penalty for Homosexual Practice | Articles | AskDrBrown

In a recent video, I asked whether America had the moral right to condemn Uganda’s strict new anti-homosexuality laws. While stating plainly that we do not have that moral right, I also stated clearly that I was not defending the legislation. 

Some viewers took exception to this, finding my position to be soft and indefensible. 

First, let’s understand exactly what this new legislation did......

I write these words from India, here now for the 28th time since 1993. In fact, this would have been my 30th visit to this amazing country if not for COVID. Being here among the Indian people, I am reminded once again of God’s heart for the nations of the world. He cares deeply for the people He has created. He has put something unique into each of them.

God’s Heart for the Nations | Articles | AskDrBrown

I write these words from India, here now for the 28th time since 1993. In fact, this would have been my 30th visit to this amazing country if not for COVID.

Being here among the Indian people, I am reminded once again of God’s heart for the nations of the world. He cares deeply for the people He has created. He has put something unique into each of them.

There is a fascinating passage towards the end of the book of Revelation, which is the last book of the Bible...

Times of Refreshing are Here Around the World 

In 1990, deeply gripped by the Lord about what it really meant to be a follower of Jesus, I wrote the book How Saved Are We? As the title makes clear, this was a strong call to discipleship, to surrender, to obedience. And I pulled no punches in the book, just as Jesus pulled no punches when He called us to leave everything and follow Him (Luke 14:33). But I also wrote the book full of vision and hope. I knew that the Spirit was moving powerfully all over the earth, and I knew He was going to move in America again...

Times of Refreshing are Here Around the World | Articles | AskDrBrown

In 1990, deeply gripped by the Lord about what it really meant to be a follower of Jesus, I wrote the book How Saved Are We? As the title makes clear, this was a strong call to discipleship, to surrender, to obedience. And I pulled no punches in the book, just as Jesus pulled no punches when He called us to leave everything and follow Him (Luke 14:33).

But I also wrote the book full of vision and hope. I knew that the Spirit was moving powerfully all over the earth, and I knew He was going to move in America again.

It is in that spirit that I want to share here with you some of the last chapter of that book, followed by an update that will encourage and stir your heart...

Now that he is deceased, we can officially take his name off the list of potential antichrist figures. But you can rest assured that he will hardly be the last one on the list. Not by a long shot.

When Gorbachev was the Antichrist | Article | AskDrBrown

Are you old enough to remember when Christians thought that Mikhail Gorbachev was the antichrist? After all, he was the whiz kid who came out of nowhere and was shaking the Soviet Union. Perhaps he also aspired to take over the world? And then he had that mark on his forehead. Some said it looked like a dragon! Could he be the man?

Now that he is deceased, we can officially take his name off the list of potential antichrist figures. But you can rest assured that he will hardly be the last one on the list. Not by a long shot...

A Sober Assessment of the State of America and the World

Certainly, we are living in chaotic times, times of trouble and upheaval. But how bad are things, really? How dire is the condition of the world? Has America ever been in a worse condition than it is now?

A Sober Assessment of the State of America and the World | Article | AskDrBrown

Are we living in the last moments of human history? Is the whole world about to explode? Has America ever been in a worse condition than it is now?

Certainly, we are living in chaotic times, times of trouble and upheaval. 

There is a mindset that C. S. Lewis called “chronological snobbery” which he defined as “the uncritical acceptance of the intellectual climate of our own age and the assumption that whatever has gone out of date is on that count discredited.” In other words, if it’s newer, it must be better. 

The exact opposite of this concept is the idea that if it’s newer, it must be worse. Society is not what it used to be. Families are not what they used to be. Morality is not what it used to be. Education is not what it used to be. Everything is on the decline!

But are things really that simple? Can we make such blanket statements?

Andrew Klavan, who was born in 1954, was describing his early days with the Daily Wire team, which included much younger men like Ben Shapiro and Michael Knowles.

Klavan wrote, “sometimes the younger guys would say things like, ‘This is the most divided era in American history,’ and I’d say, you know, between the ages of ten and fourteen, I saw the president of the United States murdered by a Communist, his senator brother murdered by a Palestinian and the greatest civil rights leader of the age gunned down by a racist pornographer. To me, things look pretty chill. I think that was useful to keep the rhetoric in check and align our feelings with reality.”

Of course, it’s easy to think that America is the worst it’s ever been. Doesn’t it often feel like that?

After all, when is the last time we’ve been this politically polarized? When have we had to deal with LGBTQ+ extremism? When have we faced such uncertainty about the future? What about the horrific school massacres? What about the dangers of cancel culture and wokeness? What about the racial divisions? What about the plague of porn? And the epidemic of fentanyl overdoses? The list goes on and on.

Still, as Klavan said, we need to “align our feelings with reality.” How bad are things, really?

The fact is that some things are the worst they’ve ever been in our nation’s history, such as the ubiquity of porn or the rise of radical transgender activism.

On the other hand, other things are better than they’ve been in decades, such as the strength of the pro-life movement, from the overturning of Roe v. Wade to the passing of pro-life legislation in state after state. And despite the racial tension we’re living with, things are certainly far better today for black Americans than they were prior to 1964, let alone prior to 1865.

It’s true that we’re having serious economic struggles. But Americans today, on average, live in far more luxurious conditions than did previous generations, and we’re nowhere near the times of the Great Depression.

And despite the deadly uptick in certain drug overdoses and the legalizing of pot, illicit drug use is lower today than in past decades, as is violent crime. (The murder rate in big cities is back to where it was 25 years ago, but again, that just means things have been really bad before.)

As for being a divided nation, which we are, we are nowhere nearly as divided as we were immediately before and after the Civil War.

Even our colleges and universities, many of which had strong Christian foundations and most of which have swung far to the left, have had bad days before. As revival historian James Edwin Orr noted in one of his lectures, after the Revolutionary War, America experienced a period of spiritual decline. 

Things got so bad on some of our campuses that not a single professing Christian could be found at Harvard, which was founded for the glory of God. At Princeton, only two believers were found and only 5 students who did not belong to the filthy speech movement. 

Students rioted on some campuses and, on one occasion, took a Bible from a church and burned it. Orr even states that Christian students were so few on some campuses that they met in secret, and recorded their meeting notes in code lest they should be discovered. This really happened in our country! (I strongly encourage you to take 25 minutes to watch this old lecture by Dr. Orr. He also mentions how Thomas Paine joyfully repeated Voltaire’s words that Christianity would be forgotten in 30 years.)

As for the state of the world today, we are actually living in one of the more peaceful times in history, despite Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine. Just compare things today with the worldwide upheaval and massive loss of life during World Wars I and II. Or consider the tens of millions of lives snuffed out due to the policies of Stalin and Mao.

Even in the Middle East, Israel has friendlier relations with more of its neighbors than at any time since its reestablishment in 1948.

To be sure, the whole world is like a tinder box ready to explode. And there is more potential for some kind of global government than ever, not to mention a potentially catastrophic “Great Reset.”

On the other hand, the gospel is spreading through the nations at an unprecedented rate, and the church is experiencing its greatest growth in history.

To borrow the words of Dickens, these are the best of times and the worst of times. These are times for great concern and great hope. 

These are times of great shaking, of powerful spiritual outpouring, and of intense demonic activity.

These are critical times in which the scales could tip either way, quite dramatically and suddenly, in the days ahead.

Let us be vigilant. Let us be active. Let us seize the moment.

As one of my missionary colleagues has said, “This may not be the last generation, but it’s our last generation.”

Let us use these times for the glory of God. 

The European Parliament Condemns itself by Condemning the Supreme Court’s Expecting Overturning of Roe

The European Union’s Parliament decided to pass a resolution condemning the expected decision. The vote was 364 to 154 (37 abstentions) and was intended to “remind” the United States that it is “vital” to uphold Roe v Wade. In so doing, the European Parliament condemned itself, sticking its nose where it did not belong while standing against the rights of innocent babies in the womb.

The European Parliament Condemns itself by Condemning the Supreme Court’s Expecting Overturning of Roe | Article | AskDrBrown

Even though the Supreme Court has not yet released its decision to overturn Roe v Wade, the European Union’s Parliament decided to pass a resolution condemning the expected decision. The vote was 364 to 154 (37 abstentions) and was intended to “remind” the United States that it is “vital” to uphold Roe v Wade. 

In so doing, the European Parliament condemned itself, sticking its nose where it did not belong while standing against the rights of innocent babies in the womb.

This, of course, is no surprise, given the degree to which most of Europe has become post-Christian.

As noted in a 2018 article in The Guardian, “Europe’s march towards a post-Christian society has been starkly illustrated by research showing a majority of young people in a dozen countries do not follow a religion.

“The survey of 16- to 29-year-olds found the Czech Republic is the least religious country in Europe, with 91% of that age group saying they have no religious affiliation. Between 70% and 80% of young adults in Estonia, Sweden and the Netherlands also categorise themselves as non-religious.”

In the UK, where The Guardian is based, 70 percent of young people identify with no religion and 59 percent never attend religious services.

In the words of theology and religion professor Stephen Bullivant, “Christianity as a default, as a norm, is gone, and probably gone for good – or at least for the next 100 years.” (I would add that this would be true barring a fresh wave of revival; it is not a fait accompli.)

Not only so, but in much of Europe, where there is a profession of Christian faith, especially among the older generation, it is often so mired with either dead tradition or progressive liberalism that it is hardly Christian at all. (This is my own observation, not that of the The Guardian.)

That means that, despite the rapid rise of the “nones” in America (speaking of those with no religious affiliation), we still have many more robust, Bible-believing Christians than does Europe. That’s why we continue to fight for the life of the unborn and continue to stand against LGBTQ+ extremism. And that’s why these European lawmakers felt the need to condemn the court’s expected pro-life ruling.

To quote them directly, the “MEPs [Members of the European Parliament] condemn the backsliding in women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights worldwide including in the U.S. and some EU countries, calling for safe access to abortion.”

In the words of Croatian socialist MEP Predrag Matić, “The draft opinion of the Supreme Court of the United States is a shock and a nightmare.”

The resolution even condemned those states that have passed bills to protect pro-life legislation, such as bills banning abortion after 6 weeks.

All of this leads me to ask the European Parliament: Who asked you for your opinion? Who appointed you the judge of America? And who put you in charge of the decisions of our individual states?

As expressed by German MEP Christine Anderson, a right-wing lawmaker who voted against the resolution: “The USA is no longer a colony ruled from Europe. Didn’t you know that?”

Is it any surprise, then, that a growing number of European leaders have no children themselves? Is this unrelated to the decline of a Christian culture that esteems life and regards children as a gift from God?

A 2017 article by Darrell Delamaide asked the question, “Do childless leaders mean the death of Europe?”

He wrote, “The election of Emmanuel Macron as the new French president now means that the leaders of the four European countries in the G-7 biggest economies — Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Theresa May, and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni — are all childless.

“Other prominent European leaders also have no children — Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

He continued, “Those calling attention to it seem to think so. George Weigel, writing this week in the First Things website, talks of ‘Catholic Lite and Europe’s demographic suicide.’ Earlier this month, James McPherson headlined his commentary in the Washington Examiner ‘Emmanuel Macron and the barren elite of a changing continent.’ And late last month, even before Macron’s victory, Britain’s Sunday Times carried a long book excerpt by Douglas Murray with the title ‘Europe signs its own death warrant.’”

While Delamaide himself downplayed these concerns, I agree with those who have drawn attention to the increased childlessness of many European leaders.

Without children of their own, they can hardly grasp the full significance of bringing a child into this world. Without the gospel, they can hardly grasp the importance of fighting for the life of that child while it is still in the womb. And with a declining birth rate, well under the 2.1 rate needed to sustain a society, Europe will continue to decline, not just spiritually and morally, but in numbers as well.

May a culture of life, based on biblical principles, rise again in Europe!

Who Is Vladimir Putin and What Makes Him Tick?

When it comes to our president or to many prominent world leaders, we have a pretty good idea of who they are and what makes them tick. But do we really know who Vladimir Putin is? Do we know what drives and motivates him? More specifically, do we know for sure why he has invaded Ukraine?

Who Is Vladimir Putin and What Makes Him Tick? | Articles | AskDrBrown

We have been told that he wants to restore the glory of the former Soviet Union. This will be his legacy.

We have been told that he is simply threatened by the expansion of NATO, dreading the possibility of nuclear weapons stationed next to the Russian border.

We have been told that he truly believes his propaganda and is committed to “denazifying” Ukraine.

We have been told that being shut in with COVID for two years has affected his mind and that he is not himself.

We have been told that he is suffering with cancer and is on steroids, hence his apparently irrational behavior and allegedly swollen appearance.

We have been told that his mission is spiritual and that he fashions himself the savior of the Russian Orthodox Church, with Kyiv as the Rome of this Church.

Others would simply say that there is nothing to figure out since the man is a megalomaniac, while still others would remind us that this is the same person who once was a leader in the KGB.

Leading up to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, I watched experts and analysts explain that the whole issue was the expansion of NATO. “If Ukraine joins NATO, that will be akin to Russia putting nuclear weapons in Cuba!”

Yesterday, I read a tweet from a Fox News analyst explaining why there was no truth to this theory. “He did not invade Ukraine because of NATO!”

Do we really know what’s motivating Putin?

Among all the theories circulating, the one that is the most interesting (but is getting less attention) is the spiritual explanation.

Writing for Unherd, Giles Fraser claimed that, “The religious president wants to rebuild Christendom.”

Pointing back to events in 988 involving Vladimir of Rus in Kyiv, when he converted to Christianity, Fraser writes, “This is the founding, iconic act of Russian Orthodox Christianity. It was from here that Christianity would spread out and merge with the Russian love of the motherland, to create a powerful brew of nationalism and spirituality. In the mythology of 988, it was as if the whole of the Russian people had been baptised. Vladimir was declared a saint. When the Byzantine empire fell, the Russians saw themselves as its natural successor. They were a ‘third Rome’.”

Fraser explains that, “Soviet Communism tried to crush all this — but failed. And in the post-Soviet period, thousands of churches have been built and re-built. Though the West thinks of Christianity as something enfeebled and declining, in the East it is thriving. Back in 2019, Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, boasted that they were building three churches a day. Last year, they opened a Cathedral to the Armed Forces an hour outside Moscow. Religious imagery merges with military glorification. War medals are set in stained glass, reminding visitors of Russian martyrdom. In a large mosaic, more recent victories — including 2014’s ‘the return of Crimea’ — are celebrated. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ this is not.”

“At the heart of this post-Soviet revival of Christianity is another Vladimir. Vladimir Putin. Many people don’t appreciate the extent to which the invasion of Ukraine is a spiritual quest for him. The Baptism of Rus is the founding event of the formation of the Russian religious psyche, the Russian Orthodox church traces its origins back here. That’s why Putin is not so much interested in a few Russian-leaning districts to the east of Ukraine. His goal, terrifyingly, is Kyev itself.”

Indeed, Putin has often spoken of his passion for true Christian values, saying this in a September 19, 2013 speech: “Another serious challenge to Russia’s identity is linked to events taking place in the world. Here there are both foreign policy and moral aspects. We can see how many of the Euro-Atlantic countries are actually rejecting their roots, including the Christian values that constitute the basis of Western civilisation. They are denying moral principles and all traditional identities: national, cultural, religious and even sexual. They are implementing policies that equate large families with same-sex partnerships, belief in God with the belief in Satan.”

He even stated that, “The excesses of political correctness have reached the point where people are seriously talking about registering political parties whose aim is to promote paedophilia. People in many European countries are embarrassed or afraid to talk about their religious affiliations.”

Yes, these are the words of Vladimir Putin. And remember that it was in 2013 that a bill banning “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations,” focused on excluding LGBTQ curricula from the schools, passed Russia’s State Duma by a vote of 436-0. Let that sink in.

As Fraser and others claim, “Putin regards his spiritual destiny as the rebuilding of Christendom, based in Moscow.”

And this: “The spiritual choice made by St Vladimir still largely determines our affinity today’ Putin wrote only last year. ‘In the words of Oleg the Prophet about Kyev, ‘let it be the mother of all Russian cities’.”

Is this, then, what is really driving Putin? If so, is there any way to understand how a “Christian” leader, in the name of pure “Christianity,” could engage in such a murderous, destructive, and bloody campaign? (Sadly, this would not be the first time something like this happened in Church history.)

The one thing that seems certain is that this is Putin’s war, not Russia’s war. But until we truly understand who he is and what is driving him, it will be much more difficult to stop him.

That ought to be a major strategic priority.

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.”

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