Donald Trump, Chuck Todd, Stormy Daniels, and Evangelicals

Evangelicals Donald Trump hypocrisy how we sort these things out for the line of fire with your host activist and author, international speaker and theologian Dr. Michael Brown your voice of moral cultural and spiritual revolution Michael Brown is the director of the coalition of conscience and president of fire school of ministry get into the line of fire now by going 866-34-TRUTH that's 866-34-TRUTH your exam is Dr. Michael Brown all right. My goal is not to offend everybody. My goal is not to get everybody provoked and worked up. However, I'm confident that as we address certain key things today on the line of fire that some folks will get offended and maybe on all different kinds of sides of the issues we discussed my goal is to us because the truth in love and help us as God's people follow him wholeheartedly and speak the truth to power and speak the truth to culture this is Michael Brown you are listening to and watching many view the line of fire. 866-34-TRUTH 866-34-TRUTH 87884.

All right over the weekend. Pres. Trump in a very free-form speech in Pennsylvania supporting an endangered Republican candidate. They are endangered in terms of his election in a district easily won by Pres. Trump. He's campaigning there and from what I have read. He is more and more wanted to do things on his own trust his own judgment, cut loose from some of the team. Counselor constraints around them. It seems like he's determined to just be himself and that means insults and that means vulgarities the very things that I don't like about the president. All I'm all for his boldness. I'm all for his courage understand it takes a certain type of person to make the decisions he's made and be willing to step out and do what he thinks is right regardless of what the reaction is going to be and I applaud him for those things that are right that are good where he is courageous at the same time he does other things that embarrass me. And because people look to me and they look to pastors and leaders and they licked it to evangelicals that they look to others who profess the name of Jesus for some type of moral guidance or moral clarity for me.

It's important to say hey I really appreciate the president doing this. Hey, I really grieved over the president doing this I don't understand why we must go one way or the other. Why we must be so blindly loyal to him that we cannot say this is wrong or this grease me or why we must be so decidedly against him that we cannot commend him for doing good. I don't see any moral consistency there and I don't see how either of those positions helps our witness. So in case you missed it over the weekend. He referenced Chuck Todd, NBC, MSNBC, Chuck Todd. He referenced him as a sleeping son of a and he spelled it up a sleeping SLB.

He also insulted Maxine Waters as low IQ, but the court that got the most attention was the sleeping SLB and now you've got SLB everybody repeating it and out there either one of my dear friends and colleagues, godly Christian man who's been so careful in terms of how he has presented himself in the midst of controversial issues, he said, look, he's been advocates taken strong stands for years he's been arrested for strong stances taken for pro-life and in the gospel over the years. He's a courageous follower of Jesus fearless doesn't backed out at the same time he's always sought to do things in a way that honors Jesus that is in keeping with him being irreverent, being a minister of the gospel is Facebook page he said it's distressing to him did on the president use this kind of rhetoric it actually quotes all they were on his Facebook page of the how interesting that is nothing just become commonly say all what's the big deal man you're nitpicking to get approved liquid ring dealing with enemies or to destroy America were dealing with issues having to do abortion were dealing with the radical left deal with radical Islam getting upset is a present useful profanity and and it has little fun why can't why can't the president fight ISIS and radical Islam. Why can't that the president oppose the agenda of the radical left. Why can't that the president work for better economy. Why can't the president work against the slaughter of the unborn. Why can he do all those things without the vulgarities disable presidents and all kinds of things behind closed doors.

Yes they do. And when they now insulted active certainly publicly it it it has a ripple effect through the nation, so that stuff grieves me just as the other stuff you know, moving the embassy to Jerusalem in May. That's massive that excites me so I'm to say well done Mr. president of one day of ecstasy, sir.

Please you're hurting your own because you're alienating people your further dividing a very divided nation, while Obama devout. Yes, Obama divided trumps further dividing.

How does it help has a help in the charges of hypocrisy. These are things we need to examine especially when I say we believe is in general but specifically we who are white evangelicals need to be ready to respond to this charge of hypocrisy and in a little on a talk about hypocrisy white, black, evangelical will sort these things out 866-34-TRUTH so in response to the article that I wrote my roast, my most recent article I agree with Chuck Todd will play your clickable place of clips in a moment from a few different folks coming from different angles here, but in response to my article.

I selectively get a call me a liberal summary to copy this and that what we got some interesting responses. How about this one that was posted on Facebook saying this Brown is a drug addict and a liberal your wheat we did blot renascent wheat we did walk that because we don't allow that level of insult unwanted against me, but we don't allow it, just in general or social media sites reverence attacking affects the liberal truck addict yet, I guess. So if I was shooting heroin in 1977. The one that makes me a drug addict today. Yeah.

Perfect logic there that make sense and then and then another comment, I mean just defending Trump Trump was 100% correct. Says Randall what he said was not vulgar at all.

And then he added in this is this additional comment that he said this, he was right about mad Maxine. Also, she is also a mental midget see this is the type of stuff registrants flinging flinging words and flinging insulted and we don't think that hurts the country also we don't think that that has a degrading effect on the country also is a what's worse, that or killing the unborn, or killing Christians in the Middle East will that's why I voted for Donald Trump against Hillary Clinton and if I had the same choice to make. Today Donald Trump against Hillary Clinton. I would vote for Donald Trump again but but here there's there's a good comment posted on Facebook by Kirk and and and we need to take hold of this, he said, look, evangelicals believed in the morality and uprightness of the presidential office all the way until Trump was elected suddenly Jesus, the Bible and the entire Christian faith have taken a backseat. What I do know is 95% of you no longer have the moral right to chastise judge nor admonishing of the president from here on out. Kirk, you make a good point. In other words, if this had been Bill Clinton using this kind of language say about a conservative commentator on Fox News or conservative radio host, or if it'd been brought Barack Obama doing it we would have been in an uproar over right or that the stormy Daniels accusations.

Let's just say their true, let's just say that years back Donald Trump had an affair while married) affair with a porn star and paid her hush money to keep court if true, we don't know if it's true, but if true, let's say that that had come up during the primaries right and and in the days when I was supporting Ted Cruz it was opposing Donald Trump.

This would be further fuel for my fire to say you see the man's a moral he can't be trusted. He did this while married. He did this while allegedly again, but he did the smoke blot it was was pregnant with it with her child right if the chronology is right there and and Debbie Furyk for the fuel for far or let's turn this around. This comes out during the, the, the campaigning of Sen. Barack Obama running for president and we find out that allegedly he's paid hush money to a porn star, with whom he had the further we wouldn't have raise that is an issue of concern.

Social these are things that I think we have to take seriously and we have to evaluate seriously and we have to respond to seriously. Now we can do it in a way that is consistent with our faith and still explained why we choose to vote for Donald Trump or if the elections were today.

Why would vote for him, and by the way I'm in the midst of a twitter pole and and it's interesting from this twitter pole. I asked the question right in preparation for today's radio show.

Let's repeat this pole if you did vote for Trump would you do so under the same circumstances today. If you did not vote for him. Would you vote for him now, so the way it breaks down 66% of those follow me on Twitter did vote for him. 34% did not suppress the two out of three did vote for him, and of those who did vote for him. 62% said they do so again for percents of the woods whether the 66% right.

What over 90% said they do so again, look at this out of those who didn't. So that's the 34% of that, it's 27 to 7 saying I didn't vote for him. Then I would now versus I didn't but without in other words, he has picked up more potential voters than he has lost so we can say evaluating the issues and seeing how his government we have these pluses here which are this high. And these minuses here and we evaluated and we go with the pluses and if you been Hillary Clinton argue that the minuses will been over here in the pluses over here so that's how we voted right we just have to be realistic and consistent and honest and I don't know why it's so hard to do that why we think we either have to defend him at every point or why we can't recognize good that he's doing and then we've got to honestly face the question about how important this character in the past, we said it was very important in the past we said integrity mattered in the past we said these things are of paramount concern.

Some of said look one of the most influential beloved leaders in American history is Martin Luther King who was infamous for his many affairs's adulterous affairs in his womanizing and I've seen nothing ever that that really denied the truthfulness of those allegations are we putting too much emphasis on character or can you have strong character in certain ways, and we character in other ways.

These are honest questions we need to ask ourselves, and we simply need to be consistent before God book the world is looking to us whether it likes us or not it's expecting some type of moral Compass from us.

Even if it hates us and despises us. Let us be consistent.

That's all I'm asking for it.

We got some clips to play for you when you come back and the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown your voice and more cultural and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown French there's a right way is an end to respond in a way that is not morally consistent. The right way is to be honest Michael Brown here you are listening to the line of fire. 866-34-TRUTH submitted for.

Remember, you can watch the broadcast of a live feed on YouTube and Facebook on the asked Dr. Brown channel so Esther can run on YouTube S Dr. Brown on Facebook and to get the conversation 866-34-TRUTH there is there is a comment a couple of comments from someone using the initials DG on on YouTube and saying oh my God, are we wasting our time even dignifying this obvious attack on Trump, give me a break. I go for trumpeted the over the corrupted which Hillary Clinton give me a break, shaking my head. Yet DG I really appreciate you being engaged. That's why we have the live chat on YouTube and seek and express your views.

I don't know if you claim to be a follower of Jesus teaching if you do that's the big issue again.

I voted for Donald Trump on election day.

If the elections were today. I vote for him with even less hesitation now because I know exactly what I'm getting right.

My fear, my worst fear was that he would break all his promises to the conservatives and have lousy character. My greatest hope would be that he would keep his promises to the conservatives and his character would change my expectation was more that he would keep his promises. The conservatives in his character really wouldn't change right now that we've seen what we've gotten it's it's basically what my expectation was well for me that that means I would I would vote for with even less hesitation. Now I see the damages doing I see the good is doing. I see the good in my view is being better than the damage that's on the vote right accordingly and I'm pleased with the good results and grieved over the bad things, but as a follower of Jesus people are looking to you in there looking to meet and this has to do with our witness to the world. That's the issue some politics concerning the politics right here. I'm concerned about our witness to the world so Michael Garrison was on face the nation on Sunday and he's asked this question. He had he had written a piece in the Atlantic about evangelicals and hypocrisy and so on to white evangelicals and I agree with some of it in disagreed with other parts of it, but listen to what he had to say. Margaret Brennan asked him a question, listen to what he has to say. I want to ask you. You just wrote an in-depth piece about sort of, that the struggle with and you are as you see at the search for the soul of the evangelical movement, and in many ways you say they lost their interest in decent what you think evangelicals are support Pres. Trump make of this stormy Daniels scandal. Well, I think that it is the height of hypocrisy we saw with Lori Moore as well alright so here is right agree and disagree that he what he went on to say this, that if this is been a Democratic president that the evangelicals would have been off the reservation, so here's were I agree.

Here's right disagree, I agree. If this is been a Democratic president and the accusations coming against him with the accusations coming is Donald Trump. He behaved himself. The way Donald Trump that we would have been all in arms. This is wrong. That's wrong. On the flipside, these Democratic presidents say if it had been Bill Clinton. If it'd been Barack Obama. If it had been Hillary Clinton. The accusations regarding they were not fighting for the life of the unborn. They were not fighting for religious liberties. They were not fighting against radical left agenda they they were not doing many other things that we view before important. Therefore, there is a conflict here right as for bring up Roy Moore while the fact of the matter is that many of us didn't believe the allegations were true or we weren't sure if we believed they were true. I was very clear on this, if we believe the allegations were true, and Roy Moore didn't acknowledge that that would've meant he was lying today and if he was lying today that would be my issue. Yes, you send in the past.

If you made things right with God and man. We move forward, you can be forgiven and we move forward and depending on the level of what's done. You make the judgment.

What are some of the suitable for leading in the future, but the issue would be if you're lying about it to day than that is saying something about your trustworthiness today and if you are campaigning as a Christian candidate which Roy Moore was right, which Donald Trump ostensibly was but very few of us took that seriously write those become issues for me 866-34-TRUTH alright so Huffington Post upset with Robert Jeffress, Pastor Robert Jeffers, prominent evangelical voice posts a headline attacking him saying quote from Pastor thou shalt not have sex with a porn star doesn't apply here. Now of course as you might expect from a very liberal help Huffington Post that is hardly a fair representation of a tester. Jeffers had to say.

But he's on Fox news and he is discussing these issues. Allegations stormy Daniels a porn star allegations and and all of the. The latest controversy.

Moral controversy surrounding president Trump so this is what he had to say first that what you make of evangelicals being called a Kratz in the wake of this is allegations what well it's absolutely ludicrous what evangelicals know they're not compromising their beliefs in order to support this great president. And let's be clear.

Evangelicals still believe in the commandment thou shalt not have sex with a porn star okay were still agreed on that.

However, whether this president violated that commandment or not is totally irrelevant to our support of him for two quick reasons.

First of all, evangelicals knew they were voting for an altar boy when they voted for Donald Pratt rightly supported him because of his policies and his strong leadership and tonight you saw another example, the result of that strong leadership in the announcement from North Korea. But secondly and savor this is more important perhaps evangelicals understand the concept of sin and forgiveness.

Look, we are all sinners, we all need forgiveness that forgiveness is available through Christ for anyone. I asked, and whether the president needs that forgiveness is an ethical allegation whether he's asked for is between hand chocolate MA and it's got right now that here's right differ with respect to pastor Jeffress interest right differ. Yes, forgiveness is something that we believe in. Yes, forgiveness is something that we seek to practice towards others to forgive others as God has forgiven us and I believe my large Americans are are are a forgiving people.

I mean just just think for a moment of of an athlete that messes up and and then publicly messes up and confesses to it makes things right. You know trust to fix things with whoever they've sinned against us as man, I blew it on the learn from this I I'm so sorry. I'm embarrassed when they show up to play next. Everybody's clapping for them.

Say we support you man.

We stand with you. You Americans have that quality of being forgiving.

But here's the issue. Would we have said in this is the hypocrisy think would we have said the same thing about President Clinton.

Whether the charges are true or not is between him and God is between him and his family is between him and the people that he allegedly sinned against nobody wouldn't have said that no here's here's the other thing.

President Trump denies the allegations. Alright, I'm just trying must be consistent. I'm talking about honesty and consistency before God. Pres. Trump denies the allegations or if he's being lied about, then we want to expose those laws and we want to stand with him against those laws. If he's lying to us, then that becomes a concern if he said yes I blew it 10 years ago or 12 years ago many of you know I was. I was narcissistic guy was a Playboy. I boasted about committing adultery. You know that's that's who I was as if if that's what he said and just comes clean, yet you make things right with family. But when allegations are out there. If there true.

Especially was a public figure of this notoriety, the president of the United States said and it NaturallySpeaking the most powerful man in the world aright and and one with this support of a large number of evangelical Christian leaders that know we are tied in with this. That's what we have to say we are tied in with this. I don't know why that's so hard for some people to grasp. I'm not throwing stones at the president.

I voted for him in 2016. If the elections were today. I would vote for him today.

Okay now if if he was up against her godly God-fearing conservative Democratic candidate, then that would change the picture, but that candidate does not exist okay and that that Democratic Party does not exist were talking about our connection to the president so here's what I say. If this affair happened and it is now gone public in a big ugly way. If the president got up and said you know these evangelical Christians have taught me a lot about right and wrong and I'm not the man who used to be. I used to be. Yes those charges are true.

I did those things I've confessed them to to my wife I I'm ashamed of them but I also asked the American people there. Forgive me. I'm not that man anymore. I then then what we do is evangelicals. Now we talk about forgiveness. Now we say yes God's merciful and he forgives them and how many of you have done things in your life that you're ashamed of and how many of you are glad that that the whole world doesn't know about them. So let's forgive as we been forgiven and let's encourage that the president to set a good example look at Bill Clinton's sexual acts and saying that certain things were not sex that filtered down into the culture not stand that friends will be the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown get into the line of fire now going to 866-34-TRUTH here again is Dr. Michael Brown are the charge of hypocrisy in the church cuts in several different directions. My question is are we willing to be honest with ourselves before God thanks for tuning today. This is Michael Brown hears them to call 8663 for a 7884 been looking at some articles that are referencing black evangelicals leaving white evangelical churches, and the reason that according to these articles.

They are, and one was in a Christian publication. Mom was in a liberal secular publication. The reason that according to these articles. Blacks are leaving some white churches of black evangelicals, leaving some white evangelical churches is because the white evangelicals seem blind to their concerns politically and this is become evident in their support of Donald Trump and therefore they feel they can't be there because they see Trump is racist or they see Trump as a concern for their needs and therefore they can't be there right now whether that statistically true or not, how well this is it analyzed how how Mrs. just relying on adding to another, but certainly for some that's that's true now, here's my concern and and here's why say the purchase of hypocrisy can cut both ways for years I have seen, there have been prominent black churches by evangelical churches that, for example, prayed my name for the election of Al Gore or prayed by name for the election of Barack Obama. Something that I never saw it done in a white evangelical church right and that it would. I mean this was actually God's will and you were praying for these things to happen by name and when a Democratic candidate would speak in a in a black church. Nobody better than eyelash.

And when a white candidate would speak in the white church owns a separation of church and state. In another words I've seen over the years. Hypocrisy on both sides. So what gives you the right to address this one part of the body of Christ of the believer for the family of God in the family. God transcends race of a family friend of God transcends transcends ethnicity and the family of God transcends male or female category so we can all speak to all of these issues. So from my perspective that the concerns about hypocrisy cut both ways that you have white evangelicals voting for a candidate who had clear moral flaws worse in the past to sit integrity integrity integrity you had black evangelicals voting for candidates with with clear moral flaws in their stance voting liberal voting for Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton despite their pro-abortion stances aright and in then so ice I see the concerns that hypocrisy going both ways and I think that all of us need to say.

Are we being consistent before God.

Are we falling to political traps if we vote for a candidate with reservations. How clearly do we state our reservations if if for example we are white evangelicals who voted for Pres. Trump. Are we free to criticize him when we differ with him take issue with his behavior or do we think we just have to zip our mouth shut to show that were good boys and and were in the right political Hearing and he's going to do good things for us and will be happy when he doesn't, we can't cross him and get him upset that were going to do if if you're black evangelical and you said look I don't I don't like abortion agree with abortion but on balance I think Hillary Clinton is a better candidate than then Donald Trump will then what are you doing for pro-life how active are involved in pro-life how I liked about you fighting against abortion in your community.

We we just got a be consistent and and bit because the secular liberal media is always get a point in the direction and it's very rarely going to recognize its own hypocrisy and then within the body. Once I can point to the other side you. Someone suggested to me that I don't have the right to talk about black evangelical hypocrisy.

I can only speak about white evangelical hypocrisy because I'm white.

All right, well then how is it that black evangelicals can talk about why hypocrisy of white evangelical hypocrisy or or the secular media can can accuse Christians, but that we can't do the no.

We've got to be consistent equal weights and equal measures. That's what's important in the sight of God one play clip from you. This is Washington post columnist Michael Gertz and he's on face the nation. The issue of evangelicals, white evangelicals and hypocrisy and Donald Trump and stormy Daniels the porn star accusations all the stuff coming up. Listen to this interaction look final question for you. Many people, including myself, raise their kids to respect the office of the presidency and the present United States when he uses vulgarity to talk about individuals when they supposed to tell their kids. I get out there with my kids this morning and I'll be focused on them on what the president is doing to protect to the United States of citizens, and more importantly is moral it don't worry about his values don't. I never said that whatsoever so I don't know why you're putting these words in and what I'm trying to say okay so it again. I am very comfortable with what were doing okay and again I think you're trying to take this out of perspective and implying something I'm not signing up benefit to hot. What do you what are you supposed to say when he's using his vulgarities to kids it again. I think you should be focused on what the policies are he's using those vulgarities in the context of a campaign rally and obviously there were a lot of funny moments on that rally. They were hilarious and voice-recognition mission.

I appreciate you coming on again.

I know you wake up extra early that I appreciate okay II set up the wrong clip there. There was a different one. All reference should give you a quote from in the face the nation of segments will come back to that those those my bed. The clip that was played was Chuck Todd and he was speaking with Steve Nguyen and he was speak with with Nguyen about the president's insult of Chuck Todd in the NBC, MSNBC journalist Chuck Todd of the president called him a sleeping SLB but spell the whole thing out. He said said the whole words in case you missed it the sleeping son of a blanket. He said that I and Chuck Todd was asking Steve Nguyen how you feel about this that notice and obviously disagree with things Chuck Todd set out to follow closely but but he's going to represent the liberal mainstream media cc in that sense some of that the president opposes and takes issue with, but to me it's demeaning and degrading to the office of the presidency and does not help of advances because it it actually splinters his base in certain ways when he engages in this kind of rhetoric. A lot of people love it and they get into it but to me it it just adds to the general chaos and instability of and unkindness of our society as a whole and is far more harm than good.

All right. And and it it lessons him in the eyes of men… The present.

So Chuck Todd is is pressing this issue politely and say look, I teach my kids to to not speak human presence of several Chuck Todd needs to do a better job on TV.

Okay, fine, fine, but he say look I teach them not to speak evil of the president wonder why do now when the president saying these things about me right hat. How does that help that I agree with Chuck Todd on that point. That's why I wrote an article entitled, I agree with Chuck Todd and it bothers me. I don't care Stephen Nguyen's is part of the administration. It bothers me that he can't say yes I understand why those comments would be disturbing and I and the president may have made it lighthearted tongue-in-cheek. He's having fun in the campaign rally but yes I understand that's about you. I could be staying that could seem to be uncivil and I can understand how it leaves in a quandary with how you gonna teach your children the rights they were the present students of jail just have to defend it. You say will that's what you gonna do in politics. Okay fine he has to do it because he's part of the political scene.

He's part of the administration, but as followers of Jesus is evangelicals as leaders we don't have to do. We can say if Chuck Todd asked me right you know Howdy Philip, this comes I regret them. I wrote an article say I agree with you. I still support the president. I would vote for him. The elections were today, but those are the types of things agreed me that I feel doing more harm than good, that he shoots himself in the foot with, and I regret that. He said that right that while learning to try another little bit.

Here's here's the one I don't want to betray his his name is Jesus.

I don't betray the Lord. I do not want to betray the Lord it it it is it is that simple. I do not want to betray my own integrity in the sight of God and and I am not going to work and labor to live a certain way before the Lord and before people for decades to then throw out whatever credibility is been earned because I feel I have to support everything the president says and does. At the same time bow down to secular media or to the left or to radical liberal and and and say what they want me to say because I'm not there. Pawnee were nobodies poem were God's servants.

If we could take hold of that week we live a whole lot differently so that the clip I'd I'd set up a book had the wrong clip played for you. Here's the here's that the dialogue right my cougars and said evangelicals and really has a good tradition and now they're really undermining that reputation of their faith. So some face the nation. Margaret Grennan Brennan asked but in that judgment, you are say the transactional part of this relationship isn't worth the trade-off. My cougars replied while they're acting like you know slimy political operatives, not more leaders. The same is about evangelical leaders there acting like slimy political operatives, not moral leaders.

They are essentially saying, in order to get benefits for themselves in a certain way they talk about religious living and other issues, but to get benefits for themselves. They're willing to wink at stormy Daniels and wink's misogyny and wicked nativism, and that I think is deeply discredited not just in the political sense but actually a moral and religious sets while I agree.

If we wink at if the story at Daniels allegations are true, if we just wink it that right if we wink at sings comments for the president that a decade plus ago how we treat women what he does and grabs the such and such and if he is wink kids that you now we are compromising ourselves and and yes, we are acting in a certain sense like slimy political operatives. But if we save all those things grieve us were aware of those were where was bad behavior when you were voting for what we believe is going to do the best job we regret that we don't have a candidate that shares or other moral values and perspectives, but we believe right now is the president that he's the best choice and he can do a lot of good and we see a 24 seven attack against him by the liberal media will speak for him.

Believe is right. So what can we have a position in many new it's the line of fire with your host activist and author international's leader and theologian Dr. Michael Brown voice of more cultural and spiritual revolution get into the line of fire now by calling 86643 here again is Dr. Michael Brown as friends for joining us on the letter fark can I speak to you from my heart honestly and I always do I always do, but but I want to do so once more and out and I want to do so with this much openness as I can. All right.

Many of you listen to me regular for years so you just tuning in, some of you watch videos here and there but to hear the radio show some you read my articles and doing his radio show vice versa. So I am not assuming that all of you know everything that I say and do okay. That would that would be ridiculous to think that you never miss a broadcast.

You never miss a video you never miss an article you never missed several of some of your that's that's to your credit, you don't miss anything – all right with you know me well or not. This is what it comes down to for me, political affiliation is, is not just secondary in my thinking it's it's way down the list in no secondary, tertiary. It's it's further down the list.

If I if I knew the right term.

I use it if it's the fifth or the seventh of the 10th. I it's way down the list for me all right. I am a registered independent. Now some of you by conviction or by calling or by history, whatever our registered Democrats, publicans, and that's that your business all right.

I'm not saying it's wrong to be I'm saying I'm registered as an independent and political affiliation is not important to also. I am not trying to get a siege at Donald Trump's table. I have friends of mine who have had influence in his life and impact in his life that have spent time with him one-on-one or in small groups.

I have not, nor do I have any ambition to, nor do I have a deep sense of calling that that is God's will that I do if I had a deep sense of calling that I am supposed to be in Donald Trump's inner circle or in the inner circle of another political leader, then there would be a test set before me. Will I speak the truth anyway will I address issues the way I use to on the radio, will I write about things as I feel the need to even if it might offend or put that person off or will I not do those things because I want to have an end with that person. That would be an honest test that I would have to face will I do what's right in the sight of God and man with wisdom. Of course, and always with a redemptive heart as I seek to will I do that or or will I play political games to gain someone's favor not to come on, you've never done that in any way you you've never tried to get the favor of a leader it in the hall, give them the home. You know, played one parent against another in and get over it you're not being totally honest, could you try to get a certain thing accomplished all right. So yeah, I've I've had to evaluate that in my own life over the years that with political leaders, but with other situations. If I speak the truth here will I will I lose this constituency are suitable. Let it be of God.

Honor the Lord, if I write this book are certain people going to turn against could be, will I lose the support of certain publishers could be why be barred from certain schools could be an and it's just been something very deep inside of me and married to Nancy also does not have a compromising bone in her body when it comes to certain moral truth and integrity that yeah I'm gonna do what's right. If it cost me everything cost him everything about it other times of realize you not acting in the fear of man. I'm acting in a man pleasing spirit and and even today of a big prayer.

I was praying was just the Lord would help me to be more intimate with him and more intimate with his word so that I would just consistently do what's right. That I've sought to do that through the decades I've sought to live my life like the two decades but I'm quite sure I am quite sure that at times I have fallen short because of an unconscious desire to please this person or unconscious fear of this person in their final say it like it is the exact right way or the other hand, you go too far.

You try to prove something to somebody you try to prove how zealous you are and either way, we were catering to this monitoring approves on that one either way, we end up hurting ourselves. We end up hurting others and we hurt the cause of truth.

So look, I don't have that test before me with Pres. Trump. I have no ambition to be in his inner circle. I have no sense of calling or destiny that I'm supposed to be one of these guys it's regularly in the White House. If that's the will of God.

Five but it's it's nothing on my horizon that I look forward to and see when I pray I feel the Lord is showing. Therefore, I I it's easy, it's easy. My only obligation is to do my best to be loyal to the Lord and to serve the body and and to be a representative of the gospel to the world.

It's easy I will have to weigh this out will if I write this column and Pres. Trump will shut the door and I don't have an open door. If I look, I know at times that articles are written have been sent directly to him to his assistant. Your closest assistant all right or or family members have been urged to read everything I write.

I know that that has happened at certain times in the last year or two, but I don't imagine that when I write something only you and Pres. Trump looked at Solano Michael Brown noted I'm imagining on the thinking that nor my thinking on a lesser level. Well Chuck Todd like they were innocent groups you like this will soon as you like all fox will I'm not.

I'm trying to honor the Lord but good luck until you want me to talk about you.

Are you free. Are you free to hold your convictions in the sight of God, or do you feel because of the color of your skin because of your ethnicity because of your church affiliation because of expectations that you have to either take the stand all the time or take the stand all the time. Look, I have black evangelical friends that have lost large parts of their churches because they did not support Pres. Obama and the fight they voted for Donald Trump is not just put them completely off the mark know that and I was with a few these guys were just time at this the other day at but but they were trying to get the white evangelical leaders of the room to recognize that this that the sensitivities of the problems in the issues and I was I was still a white evangelical but you're not hearing he's got you're not recognizing that you not understand the world they live in with what that had to deal with, so they were talking about a problem they've had in the black evangelical community and I was telling her what evangelical friends. We got up we got a blind spot when I hearing what they're saying so that this cuts in all different directions, but there's an interesting verse it it's in Matthew's gospel when some religious leaders come to test Jesus and they say, look, look you that you know you don't fear man you're trying to please man is most speak the truth before got to paraphrase right not know they're trying to flatter him. They're trying to set him up, but that is an accurate description of who he was and who he is and that should be an accurate description of each of us.

We don't fear man. We don't play political games we we are. I've preached for years we we are we are not politicians as leaders in the body we are not professionals. We are God's prophetic spokesman.

We are to be obedient to him hearing his voice and declaring it to the church and the world and if you think of the prophets of Israel were not claiming their divine authority.

All right, but if you think of the prophets of Israel. You think they heard God, and they feared God and therefore they spoke the truth, regardless of cost or consequences, and having work with the persecuted church around the world to this day, having been in life-threatening situations and is a Jewish believer in Jesus just right from the start you realize the stance you take will be costly.

So all I'm asking for is just that were consistent. All I'm asking for is that we realize were ever we stand with the president wherever we stand with politics that the biggest thing is we are consistent in our witness that we are first and foremost followers of Jesus and then everything else is after the the way we parent the way we live is singles. The way we live is couples the way we walk in the business world the way we conduct ourselves on social media.

It is consistent with our profession of faith and it is not just for the glory of God. It's for the good of a confused church and the good of a dying world. A friend on that note, that reminds you that you can still order a number signed copy of the first printing of playing with holy fire send that note because here is a book that I wrote not because of the critics. But despite the critics of written a book of honesty to the charismatic church a we identify abusive hat how to recognize an abusive leader.

We talk about people prophesying for financial gain or weekly stately things that we expose that the peptalk carnal prosperity gospel in our celebration of doctrinal deviance, all while recognizing what God is doing around the world and the outpouring of the Spirit to find the book redemptive, but absolutely brutally honest, she can still order your numbered sign collectors edition of the first printing we get to beginning the books in any we can be ready to sign them and send them out to go to my website Esther Brown ASK DR Brown dog board when you're there some homepage and see the banner click on it be my joy to sign the books and the death you are right back with you for some great interviews tomorrow