This is Michael Brown, and today's broadcast on the Line of Fire might just change your life, might just change your thinking as well.
Welcome, welcome. All this month, we're talking about the Second Coming, Bible prophecy, the last days. Where do we stand today?
And as you see, we're doing everything we can to base ourselves in scripture, scripture, scripture, scripture, scripture. What does the word say? What does the word say?
What does the word say? We're doing our best to unpack that together. So today's broadcast is going to be super practical, super practical.
First, I want to be even more practical. Every day, friends, we are on the air with one purpose, to infuse you with faith and truth and courage to help you stand strong on the front lines. We are here to help you be equipped and empowered because we are in the Line of Fire.
When we started our radio broadcast many years ago, named the Line of Fire, it was, you know, kind of the show is in the Line of Fire and you get on the air with us on the Line of Fire. But the reality is we're all in the Line of Fire today. Things have shifted very dangerous ways in our culture and just being a believer, not just in heavily persecuted countries outside of America, but right here in America, it's intensified. Following Jesus has become more costly.
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All right. Many of you believe in a pre-trib rapture, believe that we will be taken out before a time of tribulation. Some believe in a mid-trib rapture that will be taken out before the time of great tribulation so that we may have persecution hardship in this world, but the tribulation period is marked by the wrath of God. Is marked by the judgment of God.
And that's a different period. And because we're not appointed to wrath, but to salvation, as Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 1 and 1 Thessalonians 5, because we're not appointed to wrath that will be taken out before the time of wrath. Others believe that we will go right through any final tribulation and that as we do, that we're never promised protection from the wrath of man or the wrath of Satan. In other words, there is opposition and persecution for the gospel, but that we will have protection from the wrath of God, right? So some believers say that we'll be taken out before the wrath is poured out. Others say we'll be protected from the wrath. There's even the pre-wrath rapture idea, which is, you know, at the end of final tribulation, we're taken out right before the final outpouring of wrath. But either way, we agree that the wrath of God is not for his obedient children. That the wrath of God is not for us as believers. We all agree on that, regardless of whether we're pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib, pre-wrath, or even have a different view about the end times and don't expect an exact seven year tribulation period.
Can we all agree that as believers, that when God pours out his wrath on the earth, he's not pouring out his wrath on believers? Can we all agree on that? OK. Can we also all agree that the Bible never promises us rescue from all difficulties?
Can we agree on that? What I want to do is confront this mentality that before things get really bad, we're out of here. And I want to confront it based on scripture, but in a way that's going to build your faith in a way that's going to strengthen and encourage you and help you to realize who you are in Jesus.
All right. So my goal is not to attack a pre-trib rapture teaching here or demean those who hold to it. No, as I've said earlier in the week, some of my best friends, coworkers over the years have held to a pre-trib rapture. Some of those courageous Christians on the planet have held to a pre-trib rapture.
I'm not demeaning and I'm not arguing the position here. I simply want us to be infused with the mentality of overcomers rather than having the escapist mentality. I'm out of here before it gets really bad.
As I heard a well-known national preacher say in the early months of Covid, don't worry, it won't get really bad because if it did, we'd be out of here first. So I want to challenge that mentality biblically, but not in a way to demean others, rather to build faith, to strengthen, to encourage, to build up. Because here's the reality. Christians who have been burned alive in their countries, Christians who have been beheaded, Christians who right now are suffering horrific persecution in human imprisonment conditions in North Korea, or are watching their family members get killed, sliced up, martyred in countries like Nigeria, or are having their children taken away from them, or family members put to death by draconian regimes. They're going through hard times. They're suffering. And Christians who have lived through tsunamis, Christians who have lived through earthquakes, Christians who have lived through famines and seen friends and family die through these things, they weren't raptured out. And the family right now with a little child dying of leukemia, the horror of horrors to watch your child die, they haven't been raptured out. So we know that even if you believe in a pre-trib rapture, it does not mean you escape from all suffering. It does not mean you escape from all persecution.
It does not mean you escape from all hard times. So regardless of your views of rapture, pre-trib, post-trib, I just want you to hear the word and be encouraged. Let's start in John chapter 16. John 16, 33, Jesus speaking to his disciples says this, I have said these things to you.
John 16, 33. I have said these things to you that in me, you may have peace in the world. You will have tribulation, but take heart. I have overcome the world.
Let me read that again. The words of Jesus. In this world, you will have tribulation. It is the Greek word, Flipsis. It's the same word used for tribulation throughout the New Testament.
It means hardship, difficulty, pressure. Flipsis. In this world, you will have tribulation.
Flipsis. But take heart. I have overcome the world.
That's good news. Yes, in this world, you're going to have tribulation. Now, again, don't race in your mind, well, not great tribulation. We're not debating prophecy.
We're just talking about living in this world. Okay, so just drink these words in. Jesus saying, you're going to have tribulation. It might cost you your life, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Take heart.
I've overcome the world. Now, let's go to Romans chapter five. Romans chapter five.
Paul says, beginning of verse one. Therefore, since we've been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus, the Messiah. Through him, we've also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings in Greek, in our tribulation, in tribulation. We also rejoice in tribulation, knowing that tribulation produces endurance and endurance produces character and character produces hope. And hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
How many of you experienced that in your own life? The worst thing became the best thing. The most difficult situation became the one that made you who you are in God. The calamity brought you to salvation. The thing that didn't kill you made you stronger. That's what Paul is saying here, but in God's redemptive purposes, not just natural in the world.
So rather than having this idea before things get really bad, we'll be out of here. The biblical mentality is no matter what we go through, we are overcomers. The biblical mentality is no matter what's coming in Jesus, we overcome because He has overcome the world. No matter what is coming and we go through, if we walk with Him, it will produce Christ-like character in us. It will produce endurance. It will produce faith. Yes.
Yes. Now we go to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. And in each of these verses, it uses the same Greek word, Flipsis. It's not an uncommon word in the New Testament. It's a common word, tribulation, suffering, pressure. It occurs many times in the New Testament.
Nothing mystical or unusual about it. So I want to read this list. This is Paul in Romans chapter 8. And it's such a glorious passage. I'm going to start in verse 31. He's talking about God's plan of redemption. And he says, what then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? He is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus, the one who died. More than that, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
Now look at this. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? What's the first thing on Paul's list? What's the very first thing? Shall tribulation?
That's the first thing on the list. Or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or dangerous sword? Are any of these things going to separate us from the love of Christ? Where does he start? Tribulation.
That's his starting point. Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or dangerous sword separate us from the love of Christ as it is written? For your sake we're being killed all the day long. We're regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. He doesn't say we won't be killed. He doesn't say we won't be slaughtered. Through much of church history, God's people have been slaughtered.
To this day around the world, Christians are killed every single day for their faith, dying for their faith every single day. No, he says, in all these things, in death, in persecution, in tribulation, in distress, in hardship. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Friends, that's your identity. Not before it gets really bad we're out of here.
No, no. No matter what comes our way, we are overcomers through him who loved us. We are more than conquerors. The risen Jesus lives in us, and in him we overcome no matter what comes our way. That's our mentality. That's our attitude. For I am persuaded, I am sure that neither death nor life nor angels nor rulers nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor death nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Are you getting encouraged, my friends? Are you getting built up and strengthened? All right, we got more. We got more coming your way. We're gonna bathe you in the Word of God on the other side of the break.
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Call 1-800-771-5584, 1-800-771-5584, or online at trivita.com. Thanks, friends, for joining us on the series on the end times, the last days Bible prophecy. Today, we're focusing on the fact that in Jesus, we are more than conquerors, and no matter what tribulation, hardship comes our way, we are more than conquerors through him. We agree that we are exempt from the wrath of God, so when the wrath of God is poured out on the world, he will protect his people.
Some of you believe he'll take us out before this time. I believe he'll protect us right in the midst of, but either way, we agree that we're protected from the wrath of God. But Satan's rage, the rage of people, all types of horrific things that come on this earth, we may live through them, but not as those looking for a way of escape because we can't endure, rather saying in you we overcome.
And as for passages that talk about escape, well, look at them. As we make the case for the preacher of rapture, then the case against the preacher of rapture, we'll look at the verses and you can come to your own conclusions. Look at what it says in Acts 14. Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas are preaching to the believers, and it says this in verse 22, strengthening, they were strengthening the souls of the disciples. Acts 14, 22, encouraging them to continue in the faith and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. Again, the word flips us, tribulation, hardship, difficulty, pressure occurs numerous times in the New Testament, not in a special mystical meaning, but just talk about the hardship and difficulty of living in this world, which will get more intense at the end of the age as God is moving powerfully and Satan is deceiving powerfully. We'll have greater times of tribulation, but the same principle applies.
Jesus says, take heart, I've overcome the world. Yeah, you'll experience tribulation in this world. For some it'll be more severe than others. For some it'll be terrible calamity through hardship in life. For some it'll be horrific persecution of the faith.
For some it'll be living in countries that are going through terrible upheaval. But all of us on one level or another will experience some tribulation in this world, but that is meant to strengthen us. Going through it with the Lord produces endurance and character and hope and faith and strengthens us. So Paul is saying not that we earn our salvation by going through tribulation, but Paul and Barnabas are saying on the way from here into our eternal destiny we're going to pass through many, many tribulations. But notice this, he encourages them to continue in the faith.
Be strong, be strong, be strong. What about the book of Revelation chapter 1? Look at how John writes. So he's on the Isle of Patmos. He did not escape tribulation, did he? Church tradition says he was boiled in oil twice and survived and was exiled.
I can't verify that is true, but there are traditions that say that. He didn't escape tribulation. He was on the Isle of Patmos. He didn't escape tribulation. According to church tradition, in this fairly strong tradition, he was crucified upside down, saying he didn't feel it was worthy. He was worthy to be crucified as his Lord was.
Yeah, increasing the suffering and intensity of the experience. So look at what John writes in Revelation chapter 1 verse 9. I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. So this is what we experience as believers in this world. Tribulation, hardship, difficulty. And notice this. I remember a pastor pointing this out when he was preaching from Revelation decades ago that the kingdom is in between the tribulation and patient endurance.
That it's all sandwiched together in one package. The tribulation, patient endurance in the midst of it, right in the middle of that is the kingdom. So I, John, he says, I'm your brother and your partner in these things. I'm your brother in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus. Now, what about the church is in Asia Minor?
Now this is going to be seven out of seven. And this speaks to us in a practical way, in a very, very practical way. He ends each message to the seven churches with these words. Revelation chapter 2 verse 7, the church in Ephesus. He who has an ear, that I'm here, what the Spirit says to the churches, to the one who conquers. To him who overcomes, I will grant you to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. All right, to the victorious ones.
Each letter ends with this same word. Revelation chapter 2 verse 9, to the church in Smyrna. He who has an ear, that I'm here, what the Spirit says, to the churches, the one who conquers, will not be hurt by the second death.
The church in Pergamum, to the one who conquers verse 17 of chapter 2 of Revelation. To the one who conquers, I will give him some of the hidden manna and I will give him a white stone with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it. To Thyatira, Revelation chapter 2, it says this, the one who overcomes, starting in verse 16, the one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations and he will rule them with a rod of iron as when earth and pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father and I will give him the morning star.
You see, each one is given the authority and I will give him the morning star. You see, each one is given a promise to Sardis, Revelation 3, 5, the one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. The church in Philadelphia, verse 12, the one who conquers, Revelation 3, 12, the one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out and I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven and my own new name. And then even Laodicea with the strong rebuke, verse 21 of chapter 3 of Revelation, the one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
The overcomers, the overcomers, the conquerors. And then we get to the end of Revelation, second to last chapter, Revelation chapter 21, verse 7, the one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my son. This is the new heavens and the new earth and dwelling with him forever. The one who conquers, that is the one who will inherit all this, the one who overcomes.
But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestables, for murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. What does it say in 1 John chapter 5? 1 John chapter 5, written to every single one of us. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah has been born of God and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments.
For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world and this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the son of God? My friend, in Jesus you are an overcomer. In Jesus you are more than a conqueror. That doesn't just apply to times of heavy persecution. That applies to right now where you live, maybe going through a crisis in your family, maybe going through a financial upheaval, maybe going through sickness and disease, maybe going through the loss of a loved one, maybe going through an agonizing split in your church where you've lost your best friends, maybe facing things you've never faced before, maybe struggling with mental and spiritual and emotional oppression. In Jesus you are more than a conqueror. In Jesus you are an overcomer and the promise is no matter what you go through in this world, no matter what comes your way, he is with you and with him and in him you can overcome. Catherine Booth co-founded the Salvation Army.
Shortly before she died she said the waters are rising but so am I. I'm not going under, I'm going over. This is Dr. Michael Brown. Thanks so much for tuning in. Just a reminder that we are listener supported. If we have been a blessing to you, if you're being enriched in the word and prayer and your own walk with God through this broadcast, then stand with us so that we can reach many, many more and bless many, many more. Together friends we're making a difference. So go to thelineoffire.org, thelineoffire.org and click donate.
