Dr. Brown Interviews a Lifelong Missionary

You can hear a story today that will bless you, challenge you and maybe rock your world stage 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 calling 866-34-TRUTH.

That's 866-34-TRUTH here again is Dr. Michael Brown friends of Michael Brown here right now in Catania, Italy, and on my way flying to Stuttgart Germany for two meetings in Tübingen and then gobbling home on Tuesday we had a great weekend meetings got in early Friday afternoon that we had meetings Friday night three on Saturday and two on Sunday with lots of meetings in the midst of the meetings God moving things exciting were were launching fire school of ministry in Sicily gobbling in September and I'm sitting here in Catania with a dear friend. We met 30 years ago. The first trip I took to to Italy first 25 Nancy was with me on that one and we met up with the ministry in Italy called Christ is the answer. It's an amazing story and I'm sitting here with my friend Paul Schaefer all the years we've known each other.

This may be the first interview we've done, I can. It's great to be here with you and greet everybody this listening all right so Paul you're from Canada.

Originally a French-Canadian background. So how did you come to faith in the first place to share your story so yeah morning Saskatchewan, Canada. My my mother was French-Canadian. My father was German Canadian. Of course we're speaking English in the province and a raise in a very Catholic family.

Very devout Catholic family. I went to a Catholic school for the first seven years and went on to high school many activities with youth and everything finished high school and left for a trip that politician gave me to England and came back and we began to work in all that I had so far with my Catholic practice in the going to church and all just disappeared and I just started working in beginner look for what what would my life all about. At a certain point I heard about international exchange program.

The counter was developed with five different nations called Canada world youth and I fly forward and they accepted me and that took me to preparation down in French Canada and then we went to Tunisia while I was in Tunisia. There, living in Arab families and in doing all kinds of activities with them. We got a letter a girl in the team.

I was with from French Guiana got a letter from her brother gone on the states and not met a team called Christ is the answer and had a life-changing experience by the power of the gospel been.

He was filled with the Holy Spirit and erroneous. His testimony so we were there. Tunisia, in this era found the reading this letter about how he got to know Jesus. We didn't know what to make of it, but we got back to Canada. We met him. He challenged us to read the Bible to seek the Lord and we left Eastern Canada with backpacks and hitchhiking what seven weeks across Canada working and eventually I started doing just that, a meditation and I was looking towards. So was working towards becoming a teacher shuns a meditation working in the health food restaurant and at a certain point the girl was living with difference getting girl.

She went back to her visitor family and at that time she really surrendered to the Lord. Three months later went down to Montréal or to Québec city and I took a course to become a teacher chose a meditation came out of the course and she met me and she said it all my life is really changed. I want to, so apologies that I want to mess around anymore. You can have to decide what you want to do and that evening I confit my back up against the wall and I prayed in over the first time and I felt the Lord shall be two things one that I was a sinner without any hope in my religion hadn't really wouldn't save me and then I had an understanding that Jesus had died for me and I gave my life and then the next months weeks older than we had left everything there in Canada came to Italy to meet her brothers who were here with the mission-critical Christ is the answer and that we came. We joined up to half years later got married, had three children, and here we are 41 years later still serve the Lord. So in other words, you've been here on the mission field in Italy for basically 41 years holding up all 63 years old just a little bit older than the friends I don't think you have any idea when he says that they've been here in Italy. The team 42 years Paul with them. 41 years which are about to hear is an amazing story on file. The line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown get into the reminder fire now by calling 866-34-TRUTH here again is Dr. Michael Brown and Michael Brown and ready to go on to Germany for a couple of meetings later in the afternoon and then home again on Tuesday so thank you for praying for this trip. Sitting with my friend Paul Schaefer. We first met 30 years ago under a tent called Christ is the answer. In Italy I meditate about the team in a moment, but with Paul when you got saved you were caught up in the whole hippie movement. At that time so just paint a picture of your lawn here become a literature review and trochanter practices.

While I was reading anything we can get the Bhagavad-Gita and in the Tibetan book of the dead and the Egyptian book of the dead, and anything else really. We were seeking. I was seeking many others were seeking yoga meditation. We were vegetarians we were doing absolutely anything but we were also the same time real rebels who were against the establishment where against the war in Vietnam. We were against the American domination of world politics and world economics and and everything. We were we were in that we weren't that we were really confused people and in the midst of all this, the Lord brought us in contact with the gospel and that I began to read the Bible and read the Bible for myself before I ever really believe and read the entire Bible seeking you know and I realize now that it the sum of things us on the Bible that they would understand him. They did was totally foreign to me.

But the Lord did speak to me out of one verse and John the gospel of John 14 six I'm the way the truth and the life said Jesus. No one comes the father by me and I thought wait a minute. There are many ways to know God, if there is a God there many ways is either zero returns in the meditation, other religions, philosophies, and I couldn't come to grips with this.

This is a unique claim of Jesus, until of course I came to know him that I realized he really is the only way art, so you get one for the born-again and you you you're married now to Juliann and now you're you're going to sell everything and you go to Italy to join up with family member. There a part of this crisis. Answer missions team so what what was the team like in and how did they get to Italy.

While the team but was born of the Jesus people movement of the late 60s and 70 Amanda and Emma Bill Lowery had a burden to bring the gospel to the young people in America and then have the same burden to come to Europe so he you was using a big tent like a circus tent and he came over and 74 versus Sweden and Finland and and start going moving down into your and end of October 74. They set up for the first time in Rome and the thing was, we were convinced Jesus coming back very very soon and only thing that mattered was to get the gospel out to people to know him as their Savior and Lord and just keep on going and so we went throughout the nation. In 1976 we came. We did 11 cities in one year.

The next year with 10 cities moving the stent from city to city, preach the gospel every day on the streets day afternoon and an evening and just reaching out to the people and and and and not bringing them through to realize that. And of course Jesus is not just religion.

Jesus is a real living Savior that we can know and have an experience and live with and so we kept that pace going for about 20 years thinking that at any moment now. Jesus can repack it is a good meal over so absolutely you were living you went in. You never made long term plan see if you living like in a little tent or little van or something or just sleeping and Aaron went thing that kids going to have kids and then if you had kids so they would be old enough to go to school, so this is again friends over 40 years ago still paint a picture of how you live your on the street all day all night.

You're preaching on the street bringing people into the tent for meeting tonight having meetings seven nights a week and then just going preaching. How did you live what was lifestyle like and where did the money come from what we live sharing everything is a Christian commune was kind of a unique radical type of situation, but we did that all by faith in the money came in from the office.

We just believe that the Lord provide and he did Is going. We never lack anything essential on all of these years. Are we did get married. We did have children. Our children actually did a Christian homeschooling eventually and became they excelled at it. So some of her children were actually able to go on to get university degrees, which of course we didn't even contemplated that time and we moved from small dents to go to old root campers and from campers removed containers and we just kept moving around Italy, up and down the boot going Debbie city, town and village we could. We were challenged after the earthquake of 1980. We are challenged by the director of every home crusade. He said in every home crusade which I get a gospel tract and every family, every, every at home address but wanted you guys try that. Get to every single person because the gospel is for every single creature physical person so we did that we tried to reach out map out cities, towns, provinces and regions and look at every city, village and actually intentionally go and evangelize every one of them and us in some parts of the nation that had never been done since the last time an OEM team came in 1972. So some places we came along it was tens of years at Best Buy and there's a whole new generation of people needed to hear and as you describe this rapidly that the way you live when when Nancy and I come over and 87 and we were given a tent to stay in and then either the big meetings we did morning afternoon teaching for the team and preaching meetings at night, but we stayed this little tent and of course you had these little be like porta potty's diseases little shack she used for the toilet and then if you take a shower then you had a truck shower in it. So here's when the men could use it here, so the women could use it could be freezing cold and rainy can be hot is very challenging.

We live so we thought that you were like kind of a short-term youth with a missions team. You came over for a few months and then he went back home facility could live like this and what we found out that you folks been living like this for over a decade. We we were stuck as their families. It's lived in it little tent or families if they had the little family took over the bandits for the whole family lived but but now it's it's been over 40 years living like this.

You sacrificed a lot your family sacrificed a lot. You don't have a retirement account you don't have a house to go to Jimmy regrets about the way you live. No have no gifts whatsoever were happy that we are we that the Lord give us the grace to do it. We were committed to keep on doing it.

We know that our families living that way, did pay a price and we made some mistakes and so some of those mistakes bear consequences and over the years. We understand that also. But at the same time. We regret nothing. We don't have a pension plan, but the Lord is taking care of us for 41 years will take care of us only through the end and an end.

Of course we never know he's still coming back now Italy though is a really unique country and I didn't know it, that it was known as a graveyard for missionaries and on the one hand you have a very strong Catholicism, which is very different than Catholicism. Most Folkstone in America or in the West and in and then you also have it's it's it's the worldly it's the fashion capital. The world is it it has these different elements that old tradition and an the modern worldliness you been here all these years. What are some of the unique challenges in Italy and your knowledge will be a realistic idea of what percentage of the population is born again, the percentage of the population right now approximately 500,000 Italians are born again and at the same time, there are now about 700,000 immigrants from other nations of the world that are here that a born-again believer.

So now we've gone beyond 1 million million 200,000 on a population of just over 60 million people.

There's the challenges to penetrate the actual Italian European culture of secular humanism. That's the biggest challenge more than Catholicism, more than anything else. That's the challenge the mindset is very and deep faith and the holy living anti-God and the all of all of that we we consider is the score of the gospel testimony at the same time. In this last period of time we have seen the spirit of God is moving things are happening. New things are happening and we really have faith that we can still go one of the goals right now is to be able to plant a good gospel testimony in every city, town and village there about 6800 that still are without a gospel witness. People are really believing that the gospel their present so were working with the churches in different church planting organization to arrive at try to cover all of these places using 6800 cities or villages in Italy without a real clear viable gospel witness and what's amazing friends is that you go over Italy and you'll meet pastors. Some of significant churches and they got saved under the Christ is the answer tent. They were drug addicts.

They were lost they were sinners in the world and they got saved, and they become some of the pastors. Some of the leaders and out wherever the team goes Italy people have known them for years and years and years and and friends. When you look at the way they live. It makes sense in the light of eternity. The way a lot of us live and being so caught up with the things of this world and and putting so much of our effort into just satisfying the needs of this world.

It makes very little sense in light of eternity. God is moving in Europe in the midst of the darkness. And God is moving mightily in the Muslim world we come back. I want to talk with Paul Schaefer of Christ is the answer and let you know some of the things that God is doing in your some of the real need some real challenges but some of the things that God is doing in Europe and also God is doing in the Muslim world will be right back from Catania here in Sicily.

The line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown.

Your voice is more cultural and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown welcome welcome to the line of fire Michael Brown coming away from Sicily, but about to be in route to Germany for just a couple of meetings in Germany before heading home.

And if you didn't get my email this morning just want to let you know about something, there's a tremendous new book will get to be focusing on. On Wednesday by Dr. Mark Spengler and his son Mark Singler Junior it's culture shock. It is, it is a tremendous book for winning Jehovah's Witnesses winning Mormons winning cult members. It's over 250 pages Josh McDowell really gives it a rave review it's a it's a $17 book, but we're sending it as our thank you gift to you for your one time gift for ministry of any size be as generous as you can, but this is our way of saying thank you and equipping you putting something in your hands.

They can really inform you open your eyes and enable you to be an effective witness so we want to send you the book as our appreciation for your gift of any size.

Your gift is specially going to help me in these coming weeks as we are devoting time and effort energy to producing outreach shows to air all over Israel. The most unique outreach we've ever been part of you can share with her. So go to the website asked Dr. Brown AES KG are brown.org. You see, right on the homepage. The special offer joint with us and together friends can help reach the lost sheep of the house of Israel. I am here with my long time friend and coworker Paul Schaefer steadily following the Lord through challenge and hardship serving with the Christ is the answer ministry that has been in Italy for 42 years, and they also had works in different parts of the world.

Mexico Butte, Ukraine, beaten India. The other parts of of Europe, a Clark Clark.

Clark is a coworker of Paul Sartre, apostle Paul.

You are your years in Italy. What what are some of the most astounding things you CW had miraculous provision visual living by faith, living in community you had. Maybe the biggest hundred 50 people to men, women and children all trusting God for the for their daily bread literally, but you seen some amazing conversions it what what so what are some of the things that stick out your reverently crazy stories, amazing stories, funny stories were some of the conversion stories that really stick with what the young people that we saw come to the Lord in the first years was absolutely incredible. The numbers of people that were believing. I mean I remember back in 76 just walking on the streets of Naples. I didn't speak Italian, and all I could say was JCT out of Jesus loves you and and people would take a track that evening they would come under the tent and get saved.

Just so simple so spontaneous workers as street workers are prostitutes we a proppant process we were bringing prostitutes in and transvestites to the point where the mayor of the city of Naples got wind of it and he came and he gave us a special award. The keys to the city of Naples for the work that we were doing reaching out to the prostitutes under the transvestites we went was a whole part of the city.

There, though the Lord led us into areas also of course we touched areas with the Mafia is prevalent and we had many encounters with Mafia at times they threatened us at times they came and listened and one time in the city in the south part of Italy.

The first person arrived to bring us any help with food, they brought a whole load of fresh-baked bread and and when he drove away.

Somebody that knew him said you know that guy is one of the big hitmen of the city, maybe just a crazy situation. We were totally ignorant just just simply serving the Lord preach the gospel. What is been particularly as last time we had to go through whole life to style change from being totally immobile moving around in a in a little village of containers with a big tent and that has one. Second, the containers that you lived and how how big was the container aborted translated into feet and inches about the 21' x 50 thereby 7 feet wide, supportive along 27 feet wide and about two and half are 334 feet high container units that we we lived there. We made ourselves the using here in the earthquake areas and in construction sites.

We made them into living quarters. I think four is highly intelligent for a higher rent right so higher for person to basically hundred 4050 ft.² whole families with yeah and now I live there with my wife and her and her two children. Raising the relief they've left the from our home in that little container yeah but we couldn't use manure the laws to change about them and that we had give it all up and wouldn't have a place to move to a certain point in the late part of 92,015 we were all over the nation have been a guess in different homes and and centers and we got wind of a man that had a big hotel upon place. About a thousand thousand about 3000 feet up in an altitude and we got a hold and talk to them and asked him if he would let us use free of charge is old hotel that was closed and abandoned and we would do the renovation work and he gave it to us all of 2016 free of charge.

We did the work to move in and make a livable and now 2007 is given at a skin free of charge as we got a place to live from. As we work to buy a property but in the way it all happened as the Lord use the most unlikely person that knew us and met us and went this person without saying to us went around to looking for opportunities and he made the contacts and just all came together in a very intense moment. We were changing our lifestyle we been totally on the move never having a permanent place for over 40 years.

We got married, raise our families, our families went on, graduated from high school went on University and we were just kept on moving city to city Cedar City, never stopping now.

We got this place to live in but we just use it as a place to come back to rest up and keep on moving throughout the nation. We really want to but we were leaving for this nation is a particular nation course or Windows. The Vatican is here. It is also a major NATO American and NATO Air Force and Army place and and it's a crossroads of the nations any time any week.

There can be up to 20 million people from outside of Italy moving through Italy for various reasons. So it's very particular very very unique and certain senses. We just believe the Lord is going to do something here very particular even regards Israel, so friends we come back out. I want to focus on Europe. The challenges the good things that God is doing but just want one more week before one more question before we move away from Italy.

How many governments have there been in Italy since World War II.

I believe were on the 61st or 67th, 62nd government. Since 70 years your 70 years ago the end of World War II, and it's happened more than once that leader campaign he was going to be anticorruption was elected and ended up in jail for corruption. Yes it happens quite frequently and right now it's been it's happening again friends.

Italy needs more prayer you would realize and even in the church is there is this a lot of traditionalism that has has not moved with the times. The same gospel but moving with the time so pray for Italy. Here nation where the apostle Paul went preach the gospel in Rome and yet there has not yet been a national revival in Italy and roughly 2000 years. I'd say the heart is for cleansing and by the Expo line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown of your voice and more cultural and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown, this is like the Italy soon to fly up to Stuttgart, Germany for two meetings late afternoon and evening. On this Monday in Tübingen, Germany, and God willing back home on Tuesday said with a dear friend.

We serve together more than 30 years, he's been on the mission field, living sacrificially little tense trailers to take the gospel all over Italy and other nations with the Christ is the answer gospel to my dear friend Paul Wilbur a Paul will perfect Paul Schaefer, I guess, felt tired with jet lag, finally hitting my friend Paul Wilbur is in Israel right now leaving a torso hey Paul, I'll be seeing you in Israel. About a week or so, I think, but okay. Paul Schaefer here you know. Saying so would not pull over right so also Paul, you have labored especially in Italy. These many years. Give me a picture of your points. The spirit of the age right now in Europe and and what's God doing no in your will. The European union the nations get together and they wrote up their Constitution, which is over 20,000 words. And in that Constitution.

There is no reference to God to a God to a sovereign being news intentional choice. They didn't want to make in reference to God because they believe that they are sovereign unto themselves.

They forgot out of the society out of the politics of the government out of the car makes it convicts us to the economic situation and it's the mindset that right now is dominating the people, the people are very unsatisfied and there are all kinds of social problems that are constant putting question, the whole belief system but in the midst of all this, the Lord is opening up many opportunities to keep the gospel going out into the people to the people groups to the city's towns and villages.

The actual reality of terrorism is shaking everybody up and making them wonder the economic crisis that has gone on since 2008, which still touches the lower lower 20% of the population. So right now nearly 7 million Italians have slipped down to the poverty level so this is a really shocking development in the midst of all this, we stand strong keeping with the gospel.

We keep it out public and we don't we don't return not to be forced out of the public arena try to be up there with the people, whether living, working, shopping, moving around every day to be right there with the gospel message. We also emphasized with them. We know that life is difficult for most of them we so we there to pray with them and offer them spiritual counsel to offer them also helpful in any way we can help them socially and in the Lord is opening up new opportunities. So we praise God for this and we ask everyone of keep praying for it for Europe is the hardest continent and of the earth to reach of the gospel, but the Lord is moving and right now young people that they must have a lot of questions the terrorism and the instability of this world are you seeing more openness with the young people in their starting to open up there starting to open up the problem with that. The young people is the social network is gotten very used to a very quick shallow message in the gospel is not a shallow message you can get it out quickly few words but it's a deep message.

It takes people takes time to consider to reflect upon and let it come to their lives. But at the same time, though, there's really nothing else out there that's of any value whatsoever. They we talk about a lack of values is really the whole value system is crumbled. Even the family structure in Italy which has not lasted up until this generation is now crumbling, so the gospel is the only answer that will really give them hope to friends. Pray for Europe, which are about to hear we come back as a speak with Paul Schaefer with a focus on the Muslim world and God is doing amazing things in the Muslim world, we may see the latest horrific terror attack, and headlining grieve over that and rightly so. Within the midst of this, God is powerful in the Muslim world I wanted courage or faith. You know the Muslim world Europe in our backyard right to be the line of fire your host Dr. Michael Brown get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34-TRUTH here again is Dr. Michael Brown back friends to the line of fire. Michael Brown, you're still in Sicily and shortly for Germany for a couple of meetings late afternoon Monday, then Monday night and then gobbling flying home on Tuesday, sitting with my friend Paul Schaefer, a lifetime missionary with Christ is the answer in Italy and Paul. I know for years the team would do outreach on the streets and and there'd be some Muslims that reach out to and you never really saw much happening but recently you've even had to turn your whole tent over to Muslim believe former Muslims who are believers now and in conferences, so I know certain things you can't talk about because it's it's confidential what's happening in certain countries and and rear workers risking their lives in these countries. But first tell us what you seeing firsthand of God working in the Muslim world and then this one really are working with it for most of what his perspective is well are the experiences been growing over the last years. Of course there was always a certain percentage of Muslim population in Italy but is growing in incredible because of the refugee moving movement for refugees moving in from Africa and from the Middle East. So now there are about a million have Muslims in Italy and we been reaching out to them. But now, with the help of this brother came alongside of us about nine years ago we were to develop a better ministry to them. So bring the gospel to them, but also disciple them in helping to form little churches and communities in different parts of the nation were still doing that and it's increasingly now partnered with other organizations of from different parts of Europe that are working on this project. Some of it is just reaching out to the refugees.

You know when they come in there and really difficult situation gone through a lot. They've seen death in the face they been abused and tortured. They been taken advantage of may come in and they're not welcome here because are not coming in knock on the door and asked to come in that they're just forcing away insight is a difficult situation, but in the midst of them.

I remember about five years ago during the summertime in our tent.

We have baptized more refugees from the Middle East that were coming to know Jesus that we baptized Italians in that particular time it was a system amazing how the work is extended into other parts of Europe into Greece and moved into Turkey and we even took attentively but here in Italy and we center their and in Italy we use it for 10 years. What was never follows up a tent never full but up in a refugee camp in Turkey, and it was filled with 1200 and Kurdish people have very few believers, but they receive the gospel that were waiting through the same thing in another Middle Eastern nation and we see the door is wide open to reach people groups that haven't been reached in centuries.

And we also see that the signs of Islam crumbling are becoming more and more evident so many people of the Muslim faith are tired of what's happening. The terrorist attacks the abusive cruelty and the reaching out and asking for info is there is this really the religion that that that that that that that the true religion and and is a wonderful opportunity to lead him to know Jesus. Internal really what life in Christ is all about. When these Muslims are coming to faith some of them have seen the love of Christians and they seen the terror within their own religion. They seen the warfare. The constant striving is Muslim killing Muslim a lot of suffering we we couldn't even relate to their their coming to faith what what level of dedication that I have is there something different about their level of dedication and when many people get saved in the West when they get saved the ones that were meeting and they're getting saved are usually very very dedicated they're very committed.

The Lord is doing wonderful things with signs and wonders, visions and dreams and just supernatural events that God grants them so when they meet up with God. They realize that he really is the living God, the real powerful God and that brings into a commitment on real solid commitment and many times the message we preach, of carrying the cross of being a disciple of Jesus of going all the way with the Lord being totally committed in the Western ears that messages and well received anymore. We find that there much more in symphony with without message because they come from a real reality that lives that type of rear of the type of message and and when they get baptized, that's that that's the real commitment and they understand what it could cost them all. Yes, they understand because what people don't realize we have had several of the new converts get knifed here in Italy by the other refugees when they found it had date start to believe in Jesus, Ari and you have a foremost of even working with now for nine years and he has amazing open doors in different parts of the world. I can mention his name or anything beyond that. But you said that his perspective is that Islam is crumbling.

We we we hear about well at this rate of growth by 2050 will be the world's biggest religion and things like that. Of course a lot of his birth rate and much of it is still concentrated in a few parts of the world but as a former Muslim living in the Middle East are serving in the Middle East and in much the Muslim world. He has a different perspective what what is he saying well. The unsafe what he's seeing with two statistics one is in the nation of Iran when the shop was kicked out of year-end and the Ayatollah took over, there were no and a few hundred believers in the gospel now there are over 3 million believers in the underground church and in the what the church is visible. What is what is possible. That's one statistic. Another statistic is our first team that went across from your to buy on the land route to India went through Afghanistan in 1976 and at that time that was said.

There are no gospel believers in Afghanistan. Later we found there about 25 of them that they were hidden away. Okay, but now we know of over 80,000 Afghan believers in the nation and outside the nation. Things are happening that just never happened, but not for a few years. In the last centuries. None of this happened.

So this is just an indication of the doors that are wide open does not affect men that were the brother works with us. Kiki costly says the doors open. Now we gotta get in. We gotta do all we can now because the door can close suddenly and why does he have the perspective give me statistics. But what is that he sees this on the ground. Forget statistics he sees. Just on the ground. It makes him think that Islam could be weaker than we think. Or or perhaps ready to collapse in certain ways because he is moved for the last year's throughout all the nations of the released he's met with people with imams he's met with our tribal leaders he's met with major political leaders of major people groups in different parts of the Middle East. He's witness to them is talk to them is brought them help and is always offered them more and but being right up front with them said we are to come in where we believe in Jesus were going to bring the gospel to bring the Bible with us, and they've all said come bring it. We want to hear more, and in one occasion, he was top of a mountain dog with a major leader and the Americans were bombing on one side of the mountain. The Russians were buzzing outside and they were up there and praying in this this man came to believe in Jesus for the first time in his life, with bombs falling on both sides of the mountain. That's a kind of situation is going on in the NEC's word were their ministry both in Syria and in Iraq as the ISIS is forced back in and cleared out of the cities were there dealing helping the refugees tens and tens of thousands of people are living out in the in the dry barren areas of of Syria and that we provided a medical truck that that's given the medically and and talking with them and we just find it there hurt letter seeking and just they're just so willing to to open up and and we ask, we pray with you they want to be prayed for. They want to know Jesus and it's and it's happening very very quickly is are our biggest problem. This mother keeps telling our biggest problem is to have prepared workers to be there on the ground helping so that there is a mighty harvest we've heard about it for years.

We have friends grants from our ministry school work in the Muslim world.

They give us the reports we've heard the reports about Iran and so said after China. It may have the fastest growing church and anywhere in the world and this is this is extraordinary and it is there also something about the Muslims are tired with the fear-based religion that that they've grown up in all definitely there. Tired there there tired of head fear there there tired of of the contradictions of the religion that the different factions. The Shiites and the Sunnis and the Sufis in the small groups here and there, and the political issues a Gideon and Edward turn one against the other. Basically when we meet them on the streets. The people of the different factions agreed each other when they are amongst themselves.

There's a tremendous tension between them.

They're looking for something that is really going to change their life. Give them real sense, the living and also cause them to know God and of course we know our God is is a loving God is a loving father. He wants to save set free and give us real life and that's with a need to know some friends be praying in faith for God to raise up laborers to go to the Muslim world.

The harvest is ripe or than it's ever been in the history of Islam pray for more laborers pray for more strategy pray for open borders because this is an amazing time of harvest. Hey we come back and focus on speaking to Christians right here in America.

The line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown voice of more cultural and spiritual revolution.

Here again is Dr. Michael Brown thanks for joining us today on the line of fire Michael Brown your friendly voice of moral cultural ants in Italy about to leave for Germany for a few hours of ministry in Germany with my longtime friend Paul Schaefer, one of the leaders of the Christ is the answer missions team and Paul often joke with the team that I envy all of you because of the treasures in heaven have never had much done here on earth, but the treasure in heaven is going to be amazing.

One thing that joined our hearts together when we met in 87 was, we had a similar passion for discipleship for surrender to the Lord for for making your life count for eternity, and in your not one to bash the church in an attack can be critical.

You always have a burden you don't spend a lot of time in the states.

What you see a lot of what comes out from the states going around the world many fine missionaries, for America, the crisis answer team came out from America, but there's also a lot of stuff that American the American church sends out that's not so helpful, so give us your perspective of someone living over 40 years here in Europe well just mention the loss on movement has published 12 challenges that the church now faces in the next decade to bringing the gospel to all of the world. 12 people groups will nations and one of them. It's about the fourth point is nominalism. Another one is the prosperity message. There is more damage being done by the prosperity marriage message which came out of America and other peoples if they can, especially in Africa and Asia, and they've exaggerated even more than ready what was taught in America and the damage is done is just uncomfortable.

We don't know. So we we stand against that we don't believe that we believe that God blesses. We believe that God provides. And we believe that anybody that prospers has along with this prosperity is a real believer, the responsibility to properly administer that extra for the good of others. Thus, we commit ourselves to. But so we also live the same reality we see we receive much good out of America but we also this mixed message and the and the and that the changes that need to be made. The Reformation living get it right about the church structure were still struggling after 500 years to get the church right and when each of the prosperity gospel obviously decided I did a Jesus died to make me rich in the side of us spiritualities is financial success. So the damages is that it puts tremendous emphasis on things and possessions and gets our minds off the things of God have, how do you define the damage will damages that, but it also is that the simple believers in any place something particular of Africa, but I can think of other places. They keep giving. They keep tithing and of course it's going to bless their pastor minister. Their Bishop, their apostle, who does live a prosperous prosperous life, but in very rarely trickles down to the rest of church members because is not realistic. It doesn't fit into any economic reality, the role living there isn't all of this abundant so that we can all have more than enough excess of everything the world doesn't have that and God never tended to be like that. So the damages right really to the lives of many, many simple believers that are confounded, confused and entrapped. So were not talking about having needs met were talking, my, living like royalty and and when you're just depend on your your chicken to lay an egg to make it through the day and and that's God's provision and you can get your new Rolls-Royce is deception and that message clearly and what about other aspects of the American message that has not been helpful is superstar thing. We put out. Is it a superficial message. What what are some of the negative things thank awful deposit of this, for America, but what are some of the things of the more harm than good.

Well superstar mentality. Of course, is one of the problems because it completely distorts the Bible teaching on the different ministry. There are ministries, biblical ministries, at least five of them, but none of them were superstars are all there to serve the body and to equip the body and to get everybody growing and maturing and doing and being and doing their part in the overall work of God. So that's definitely one.

One of the problems.

The other problem I would have to say is also the mega church concept concentrating a large number of believers and one under one ministry in one location, rather than covering the entire area with a valid Christian mission are amid ministry and witness. The goal is to have real believers living the gospel praying and showing how one lives.

As a Christian in the midst of every people group every every 1000 people every village, every city, town, just pass by and see this huge building that's immense it doesn't really tell anybody how to live for Jesus on a daily basis right so if you are part of the mega church of the goal is river you live in your community, neighborhood, live it out as opposed to it only happens under the roof that one building so that that could be something that people do misunderstand and then take one minute and even living like this, I would point to your team. Living like this for decades in your understanding listening to be a disciple means to take the cross, then renounce ourselves and live daily for Jesus and put him first in everything we do every day and it means being willing to sacrifice and suffer for him if that were called to the means at the lid on our lives for the good of others, it means to develop a servants heart we go out and everywhere we see everywhere we go every day we see opportunities where we can serve people show them God's love and share his word with them and you've really done it. The team is really done it and the nation of Italy is indebted to crisis answer where missionaries have gone since then and now we get to partner together fire school of ministry in Sicily. Is there a place to go if folks want to find out about Christ is the answer. Yes, we have our own website with right now unfortunately it's only an Italian crystalline artist poster.org were eventually have to get up in English website right so if you know Italian you could figure out the spelling. There and it's it's been a joy to serve together these these many years, and friends want to give you an opportunity to partner with me directly, as we are preparing broadcasts in the weeks ahead making a major investment of time and energy to prepare the special outreach broadcasts on I'm talking about ultimately will be dozens of shows that will get into virtually every home in Israel with cable TV will be able to get these broadcasts and it's it's going to be the most focused, targeted outreach with every generalized Israel. You can help me with this and we want to say thank you when you do, there's a tremendous new book by Dr. Mark Singler and his son Mark Junior.

On reaching the cults practical, eye-opening, informative, especially focusing on Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. It's over 250 page book highly recommended by Josh McDowell and others. It sells for $17 1699 to be precise, but we have a bunch of these copies that we want to send you as our thank you gift when you stand with me, helping me reach the lost sheep of the house of Israel. So take a moment go to my website right now. It's asked Dr. Brown AES K DR Brown.org ask Dr. Brown's Argosy right on the homepage he can partner together. Your generous gift. Your gift of any size. We want to send you this book is our thank you gift reaching the cults good news of Jesus friends. The harvest is ripe said it a few times in this broadcast is very ripe even as we speak. Pray that God would use you then use me that he thrust us out into the harvest when the loss