December 17, 1971. A drugged out rock-n-roll drummer named Michael Brown gave his life over to the Lord. And what an amazing road the Lord has had him on since. We got a chance to speak to Dr. Brown about that special day 50 years ago … and the journey he’s been on since.

In Part One, we discussed the months leading up to his surrender to Christ … and the joyful December 17, 1971.

In Part Two, Dr. Brown talks about being sharpened by rabbis and the highlights and lowlights of his half-century in ministry.

From Pounding Drums to Hitting the Books … and Honoring His Parents

After giving his life to Christ, Michael Brown threw away the drugs and threw himself into knowing the Lord better and sharing his faith with others. He spent hours a day studying scripture and within a year was preaching. The teen was clean. But … 

The Stream: How did your Jewish parents react to this change in your life?

My dad said, “Michael it’s great you’re off drugs. But we’re Jews. We don’t believe in this. You need to meet with the local rabbi.”

So I began to meet with the local rabbi, who began to challenge me. “How can you tell us what to believe? You don’t even know Hebrew!” I didn’t want to go to college — probably a residue of my hippie thinking, but also because I just wanted to minister. But when my parents said they really wanted me to go, I knew I had to honor their request. Once I was in college, I started taking Hebrew classes, modern Hebrew, and teaching myself biblical Hebrew.

By the time I finished college, I had taken six different languages, Hebrew, Arabic, Latin, Greek, Yiddish and German. I had a tremendous interest in scholarship. So because of being thrown in deep in the lake to learn how to swim, dealing with so many learned rabbis, because I met with rabbi after rabbi — and they were brilliant and they had very strong challenges to my faith — that got me more into the academic world. 

This has been something I’ve been involved in to this day, to this moment. I’m in regular interaction with Orthodox Jewish rabbis.

The Stream: How have you seen the Jewish-Christian dialogue and relationship change over your fifty years?

I’ve seen some very, very positive developments. There is much more interaction between Christian and Jewish communities. There was more understanding. For many Jews, Christianity was the direct cause of the Holocaust. Ultimately, even though they knew that Nazis were anti-Christian, centuries of European anti-Semitism had paved the way.

But evangelical love for Israel has been so strong for so long. Christians have been Israel’s best friend for years now and that’s made an impact. Also, with the world we’re in now, interaction is easier. And there are more things available.

When I came to faith there were no major resources that equipped Jewish people to answer the objections of the rabbis. So God enabled me to produce those. And these have become now the standard works that are used even around the world and that others are building on.

Dr. Brown has written over 40 books, many of which are scholarly works, including the five-volume set Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus.

Forming Friendships

Even though some of the rabbi community would be very hostile to me and many years ago I was branded public enemy number one, at the same time — because we sought to work with honesty and integrity — I’ve established really close relationships with quite a few rabbis.  The one I’ve debated the most, called “America’s Most Famous Rabbi,” Rabbi Shmuley Boteach and I are dear, dear friends. As are our families. We really have a great relationship and we spend many hours together aside from doing public debates. So that’s been beautiful to see that in the midst of our deep differences, we’ve come together as fellow Jews in really meaningful ways.

So although I’ve seen negative trends of anti-Semitism raising its ugly head again in some Christian circles, I do see a lot of positive as well.

Highlights and Lowlights

The Stream: What would you consider the highlights of your 50 years in terms of the ministry?

One highlight was serving for four years as a leader in the Brownsville Revival, which brought in over 3 million people from over 130 nations, and saw more than 300,000 different people respond to the alter calls. Many of our best missionaries around the world were transformed there. Some came in rebellion, lost in sin. And now they’re some of the finest Christians on the planet. That was extraordinary.

I’ve had some very sacred experiences ministering the gospel overseas, even at times having the privilege of risking my life preaching in violent, hostile environments. So I’ve had some very sacred experiences with other believers in other parts of the world and some very sacred experiences reaching out to my own Jewish people — and encounters with some rabbis that have been very intense and very sacred.

Plus the amazing times I’ve had, just in worship and prayer, encountering the Lord that all I can do is get on my face. And because of his goodness, you sometimes just laugh for joy.

The Stream: And the lowlights?

There have been difficult things that I’ve lived through. There have been the agonizing times of praying for someone’s healing, someone you love, then watching them die in front of your eyes.

There are the mistakes I’ve made that hurt me and hurt others, where I wish I had had more wisdom or more maturity.

So you have these ups and downs. But honestly, from the bottom of my heart, as I look back at these last 50 years, it feels like a dream. I have to hold back the tears as I answer, because I’m so overwhelmed and amazed at what God’s done and what he’s allowed me to be part of. It’s just absolutely stunning. Whatever pain, hardship and difficulty there’s been is the tiniest fraction compared to the grace and goodness poured out.

Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Revival Or We Die: A Great Awakening Is Our Only Hope. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.