Michael Brown talks ‘fresh wave’ of Holy Spirit, mainstream ‘pushback’ against LGBT agenda
Prolific author and radio host Michael Brown believes that a “fresh wave of the Holy Spirit” is coming to the United States, with the American Church needing to harness it for positive social change.
Brown's latest book, Turn the Tide: How to Ignite a Cultural Awakening, was released earlier this month and is the second entry in his “From Revival to Reformation” series.
In an interview with The Christian Post, Brown, host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program, said the two books composing the series “can be read independently,” though one builds off the other.
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“I've been deeply convinced, like many, many other Christians in America, that without sweeping revival in the Church that then impacts society, that America as we know it is done. That we need something radical to turn,” he said.
“So, we're in an urgent situation. I believe we are seeing pockets of God moving in different parts of America. So, we've got to seize this moment and then work with God to turn the tide.”
The Christian Post talked with Brown about his new book, how conservative Christians must look at culture war battles as multi-generational, and how revival is hitting the U.S. since the Asbury University gathering last year. The following are edited excerpts from that interview.
CP: Why did you decide to write this book series?
Brown: I began to sense about a year-and-a-half ago that there was a fresh wave of the Holy Spirit coming.
Before Asbury happened, I got on my radio show and said, "The beginning of the next wave is here. It’s in its early stages, but something is happening." And then about eight days after that, the Asbury Revival hit and the whole nation was talking about revival.
And that's the context of the first book, Seize the Moment: How to Fuel the Fires of Revival. What happens when God begins to move? What happens in a church when the Spirit is poured out? How can we work with God to see a genuine revival and outpouring come?
The new book, Turn the Tide, is independent but builds on that. It says, "Once God is moving, how do we go from outpouring in the Church to awakening in society? How do we go from revival to reformation?"
Not just in inspirational terms, but in practical terms.
CP: In Chapter 4 you discuss pushback to various socially liberal causes, noting as examples the overturning of Roe v. Wade and increased social rejection of the LGBT movement, even though many conservatives saw both issues as "lost" at some point. Does this show that many of these debates are more cyclical or longer-term than previously assumed?
Brown: Yes, these are definitely longer-term issues and battles. Many times, as followers of Jesus, we have a short-term mentality.
Those with other social agendas, those fighting for what they felt was equality and tolerance in gay relationships or those fighting for what they said is a woman's autonomy, pro-abortion, etc., often have a long-haul mentality.
There were Marxist ideologues in the '60s who were talking about "the long march" and how they would infiltrate educational institutions in America and change the thinking of Americans. And we now see how successful they've been.
So, we need to have that persevering multigenerational mentality as well.
CP: You write in the book that "LGBTQ+ activists declared war on religion 50 years ago" and that "their coming out of the closet necessitated putting us in the closet." Some conservatives have argued that the LGBT movement and religious liberty are fundamentally incompatible with each other. Do you agree?
Brown: Certainly. Our position is that if someone is not breaking the law, they can live their lives how they please and they have to answer to God. In other words, followers of Jesus are not here to be moral policemen and see how people are living in secret and tell them what they can and can't do.
But the flip side is that many of those who have been on the frontlines of LGBTQ+ activism have really said, "You can't have it both ways." In other words, they have branded us "bigots." They have branded our views hateful. They have said there's no place for our viewpoint.
There is a fundamental attack on our liberties and our freedoms. It’s been ongoing for years; it’s becoming much more overt and there is another area where we must push back.
CP: You write about the importance of revivals to have lasting fruit. Do you believe that the Asbury University revival that happened last year is bearing lasting fruit?
Brown: I've heard lots of reports about students at other college campuses being powerfully touched and churches being powerfully touched since the Asbury outpouring. I haven't tracked it in depth personally, but what I do know is those who have been touched have now gone about greater outreach, sharing their faith more boldly, given themselves more to prayer, and are working together with other groups to see a revival on their campuses or churches.
That, to me, is positive fruit. When God moves, we've got to capitalize on it. We've got to seize the moment. We've got to say, "OK, now we press in more deeply in prayer. Now we give ourselves even more to community outreach. Now we give ourselves even more to making positive changes to the world around us."
If we continue to pour out what God has poured in, then we will see an ongoing moving of the Spirit. And it will grow from year to year.
CP: You mention in your book the struggle for children and how social media, public schools and modern entertainment are leading them away from a godly understanding of life. In recent times, conservative Christian groups have been launching their own social media websites, book companies, streaming services, TV series, etc. Do you believe this wave of new content and information sources can be used to help improve and keep young people in the faith?
Brown: We have to do whatever we can on all fronts.
It’s good that we have platforms that are Christian-oriented, that can focus on Gospel-themed materials. Make some safe spaces for our kids. At the same time, we have to be realistic and recognize that our kids could well be interacting on dangerous platforms like TikTok, which are so full of indoctrination and anti-God information, and that come in such persuasive ways for our kids.
So, we have to make a determination. Having kids is great, and having lots of kids is wonderful, but we have to focus on doing a better job of discipling them than TikTok and the world are doing.
I know godly parents who even homeschool their kids, who are very careful to see what their kids watch for entertainment. They were careful as to who their kids hung out with, but they forgot about cell phones and all of the influences that their kids were getting through social media. They have now found that, as their kids have gotten older, they've turned away from the faith.
So, parents just need to be vigilant. It’s a tremendously dangerous environment. There are even kids who get human trafficked through these means. So, it just requires a greater vigilance than any generation has had to have before.
CP: In Chapter 9, you wrote about being "salt and light" in our public education system. As you may know, several states are considering laws to allow chaplains into public schools. Do you see this as a great opportunity for working as "salt and light" in public schools?
Brown: However we can serve the local school communities, we should. There are churches that I know where public schools have reached out to them and said, "We don't know what to do with our students, they're out of control."
So, the churches sent in students from their ministries school.
And they'll go and sit and have lunch with the kids, and then outside of school hours, they'll hold chapel services. And they're seeing many of these kids come to the Lord.
The public schools are welcoming them because the needs are great. We have to realize, though, that it’s just as legitimate a call of God to be called to teach in the public school as it is to be called to go on a mission field or preach behind the pulpit.
Whatever we can do to get back in the school system, not to try to impose our Christian values and views on others, but to get back to teaching a solid education and to push back against some of the extremist agenda.
CP: In Chapter 11, you discuss Christian political engagement, warning that, oftentimes, Christian Americans go to one of two extremes when it comes to politics. Either they "drop out entirely" or they "confuse politics with the Gospel." How does a church properly avoid these two extremes?
Brown: We have to have involvement without seduction. That means putting politics in its proper place. We recognize it has an important role because the people that we vote for will pass laws and have great influence in the direction of our country.
But politics cannot take the place of the Gospel. Politics cannot transform a human being. Politics cannot bring redemption and healing and restoration and forgiveness. So, we must give ourselves to the Gospel first, to prayer first, to winning the lost first and to being positive influences on our communities first.
It means as well that we refuse to become the appendage of a political party and that we never look to a human being as the Savior.
CP: What do you hope readers take away from your book?
Brown: First, I hope they'll be inspired. I hope that something will rise up in their heart where they say, "It’s not too late, we can bring about change."
Second, I pray that and hope that they will find themselves in this book, that as they're reading it, they're going to think, "That's me, that's my job, that's my role, that's my calling, that's my task."
And together we can literally see the turning of the tide morally and culturally through the Gospel, through outpouring, through awakening, in our day.
