Hostile Territory

Summary

Street Preachers Podcast: "Hostile Territory" – Episode Summary

Hosts: Philip Anthony Mitchell & Tim Timberlake
Date: June 16, 2026
Theme: Persevering Faith in Hostile Times — A Deep Dive into 1 Peter

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Episode Overview

In this charged and heartfelt episode, Phillip Anthony Mitchell and Tim Timberlake unpack 1 Peter’s message for believers living in “hostile territory”—whether under persecution or just societal pressure against the faith. Using the metaphor of a world growing less tolerant of Christianity, they challenge listeners to examine what it truly means to “contend for the faith,” hold fast in tribulation, and ground hope in Christ’s resurrection, not circumstances. The discussion is raw, practical, and loaded with encouragement for anyone feeling the heat for following Jesus.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Contending for the Faith: Phil’s New Book “Contend”

[02:03 – 05:35]

• Phil shares about the two fronts of spiritual battle: contending for faith both outwardly in culture and inwardly against shame, insecurity, doubt, and fear.
  • "We have to contend for the faith in our spheres of influence. But I also believe we have to contend for the faith in our hearts…" – Phil [02:17]
• Tim emphasizes the mission behind Phil’s book, encouraging pre-orders and engagement with the journey of its release.
  • “Even pre order a copy for the people that don’t like you because they need this message as well.” – Tim [03:33]
• Listeners are invited to join the book’s interactive pre-release journey at contendbook.com.

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2. The Relevance of 1 Peter in Today’s Hostile Culture

[06:04 – 14:21]

• The hosts discuss how Peter's letter, originally to persecuted Christians under Nero, has striking relevance amidst modern hostility towards Christianity.
  • “The hostility towards Christianity…it is akin to what we’re feeling right now in America.” – Phil [07:19]
• They contrast American religious complacency with the realities of persecution overseas, urging remembrance and prayer for the global church.
  • “Don’t lose sight of the freedoms we have, albeit maybe temporary…We should remember our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world.” – Phil [08:48]
• Peter’s audience suffered for their faith in ways far beyond typical Western discomfort or social ostracism.

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3. What Sustains When Persecution Comes?

[12:00 – 16:11]

• Phil challenges listeners to consider: If Bibles were banned, is the Word tattooed deeply enough on your heart to sustain you?
  • “If the laws in our country make the Bible hate speech, is there enough of this tattooed to your heart for you to pass them down…or to sustain in the midst of trial?” – Phil [12:02]
• Emphasis on discerning what teaching and voices are shaping your faith—for easy comfort or biblical endurance?

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4. Great Mercy: Breaking Entitlement & Recognizing Our True State

[14:21 – 19:36]

• Discussion pivots to Peter’s phrase “great mercy” (1 Peter 1:3).
  • “You know what God really owes us? Wrath…hellfire. Eternal separation.” – Phil [15:10]
• The gravity of salvation and the reality of hell is unpacked. They warn about a theology of entitlement and the dangers of downplaying damnation.
  • “I think sometimes we can’t fathom how great God’s mercy is because we can’t fathom the horrors of hell.” – Phil [15:42]

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5. Modern Heresies: The Devil’s Subtle Deceptions

[19:36 – 27:57]

• Tim notes how some churches compromise (“alter the message”) under diabolical pressure for influence or comfort.
  • “He [the devil] didn’t tell me to stop preaching…he told me to alter what you preach.” – Tim [24:08], retelling his father’s experience.
• Phil uses a fig tree analogy: Large platforms and vibrant ministries may “look fruitful from afar,” but real fruit is seen up close—and only when there’s fidelity to the true Gospel.
• The necessity of discernment in today’s Christian media landscape:
  • “There are servants of God saying ‘it is written’ and servants of the devil saying ‘it is written’. But...people don’t have the discernment to know the difference.” – Phil [20:32]

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6. Anchoring Hope in the Resurrection

[28:00 – 35:08]

• Peter’s radical introduction of “a living hope…through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” is examined.
  • “If Christ is not raised…there is no hope beyond this life. If Jesus is the firstborn from the dead, we have hope we’ll be the second born from the dead.” – Phil [29:07]
• The hosts clarify that hope for the believer is not circumstantial but is permanent, “imperishable,” and rooted in Christ’s victory over death.
  • “We have a hope that is imperishable…anchored in a historical event that changed the world, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.” – Phil [33:04]
• Anything else—pleasure, wealth, false religion—is a poor substitute for this living hope.

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7. The Discipline and Value of Suffering

[35:08 – 39:54]

• Tim and Phil discuss the transformative power of pain, persecution, and hardship for Christian maturity.
  • “Pain has a tendency to teach us at a level of depth we cannot be taught any other way.” – Tim [35:49]
  • “Pain should pay you…deeper intimacy with God. Because if we use pain properly…it pays you intimacy.” – Phil [36:33]
• Many Christians view suffering as a sign to quit, but biblically, it often forges spiritual depth and sanctification.

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8. When Deliverance Doesn’t Come Quickly (or at All)

[39:54 – 41:23]

• Suffering may not end in this life; both hosts share about losing their fathers to cancer despite prayers for healing.
  • “Both our fathers slipped into eternity battling cancer. I’m sure you prayed for yours. I prayed for mine. But they were healed—not in this life.” – Phil [39:08]
• The faithfulness of God and the hope of inheritance remain, even when circumstances don’t change.

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9. Exhortation: Hell Attacks Who Heaven Invests In

[41:23 – 42:40]

• Notable Moment:
  • Tim: “Hell attacks who heaven invests in.” [41:36]
    • Phil: “Yo, come on, Tim. I’m closing my Bible right there…Say the statement again, Tim.” [41:52]
    • Tim: “Hell attacks—who heaven invests in.” [41:54]
  • A clarion call for endurance: If you’re under attack, it’s because you’re worthy soil for God’s investment.
  • “The fact that you are under attack means you are good soil. Heaven sees value in you, which is why hell is attacking you.” – Tim [42:16]

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10. Prayer and Encouragement

[42:40 – End]

• The episode ends with Tim praying for listeners enduring trial, for perseverance and remembrance of God’s investment in their lives.
  • “Thank you for your great mercy…may we never take it for granted. We always be reminded of the alternative outcome.” – Tim [43:31]
• Phil reminds everyone that the ultimate answer to suffering is Jesus’ return, ending with the rallying cry:
  • “So the cry right now as time is running out is Maranatha. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. The answer to human suffering ultimately is the return of Christ.” – Phil [45:22]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Phil: “If the laws in our country make the Bible hate speech, is there enough of this tattooed to your heart for you to pass down…or to sustain in the midst of trial?” [12:02]
• Tim: “He [the devil] didn’t tell me to stop preaching…he told me to alter what you preach.” [24:08]
• Phil: “Pain should pay you…deeper intimacy with God.” [36:33]
• Tim: “Hell attacks—who heaven invests in.” [41:54]
• Phil: “We have an imperishable hope…anchored in the resurrection of Christ and it will translate all the way to the new life.” [45:09]
• Final word: “Maranatha. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.” [45:22]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:03 – Phil describes the heart behind his book “Contend”
• 06:34 – How Peter’s letter is relevant to today’s hostile climate
• 12:00 – The sobering question: Are we prepared to endure?
• 14:21 – “Great mercy” and the dangers of entitlement
• 19:36 – The devil’s temptation in ministry and compromised messages
• 28:00 – “A living hope” rooted in resurrection, not circumstance
• 35:49 – The spiritual value of pain and suffering
• 39:54 – What if deliverance doesn’t come?
• 41:36 – TIM: “Hell attacks who heaven invests in.”
• 42:40 – Prayer for the suffering and exhortation to persevere

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Takeaways for the Listener

• Real faith is forged in hardship, not comfort. Prepare now to stand when (not if) hostility comes.
• Discern who you are listening to. Some teaching soothes; others strengthen for the fires ahead.
• Our hope is unshakable—because it’s anchored in Christ’s resurrection, not earthly circumstance.
• If you’re under attack, you’re worthy of God’s investment. Don’t quit—the opposition is proof of your potential.
• Remember your persecuted family. Pray, stay sober, and be grateful for every moment of Kingdom freedom.
• Pain, when offered to God, pays dividends in intimacy and character that mountaintops cannot deliver.

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Action Steps:

• Pre-order “Contend” (contendbook.com)
• Meditate on 1 Peter 1
• Pray for persecuted saints worldwide
• Anchor daily hope in the resurrection—not culture
• Cry together: "Maranatha. Come quickly, Lord Jesus."

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Street Preachers is a rallying point for those who refuse to back down. “Revival doesn’t wait for a microphone. It starts wherever the Word is spoken.”

Transcript

[Tim]

What's going on, Streak team? We're back for another incredible episode. We've been walking through First Peter and blown away by the response. Thank you all for sharing it. Thank you for subscribing to the YouTube. Thank you for sharing the Spotify and the Apple podcast. These shares matter in helping us spread the word, helping us share the gospel of Jesus Christ. I also want to encourage you, if you have not already, go purchase your merch. This is not just merch. It is mission. It is a message on these clothing pieces that I believe will testify of the goodness of Jesus. My brother has on the Maranatha right now. And you can find that on the website.

[Phil]

Yeah.

[Tim]

And thank y' all for bearing with us in season one. The first three weeks of apparel and merchandise. We were not expecting or anticipating it to go like it did. Y' all was crashing websites. We were running out of merchandise. But we are prepared this season. We have an abundance and it will ship quickly. So go pick that up. Also, I need y' all to go pre order my brother's book, Contend.

[Phil]

Come on.

[Tim]

I'm excited for this. I, I last season, season one. Yeah. We talked a little bit about you signing and writing this book. The book is written, it is submitted, it is available for pre order. I am excited because I know, I know that this book is going to bless everyone that reads it. I know it's going to be hard for book sellers and retailers to keep it on the shelves. So I'm encouraging you stop what you're doing right now. As a matter of fact, pause the podcast, go pre order the book, come back after you pre order the book, press play, continue the episode, continue to go on this journey with us after you have pre ordered Contend. Phil, just give us a little bit of, just an elevator level of why the message of content is so important in this day and time.

[Phil]

I just think we're living in an era right now where we're seeing the, the waning of the influence of Christianity in America and countries around the world. And at the same time, a lot of believers are just struggling with things that are attacking the faith on the inside of the heart. So I think that there are two fronts that we need to contend for the faith on. We have to contend for the faith in the culture that is in our spheres of influence. But I also do believe we have to contend for the faith in our hearts when we're dealing with things like shame and insecurities and doubt and fear and all the things. And that's essentially what the book is written around it is that timeless message of Jew that I think is necessary for the hour that we're living in with the contending the faith. And then I add in something that to the book it is contending on the inside which I think is both important and the book is available right now online for pre order and I trust that it be a blessing to the body of Christ.

[Tim]

I know it will be. I believe it's the first of many books that the Holy Spirit pins through you. Yeah, your voice is needed in this hour. Yeah, your voice is so important to not just shaping the kingdom of God, but helping to shape culture and pointing people back to the heart of the Father and helping people establish indepth relationships with Jesus. We we've had opportunity to travel all over the country and every single stop I marvel at the grace that rests on your life to impact people in a significant and supernatural way. The testimonies that we get a chance to hear, the messages, we get a chance to read. We, we go through all of those messages, whether it's on YouTube, whether it's on Instagram, even on Facebook. And we are so grateful that you all would take out time to just write your heart as to what Jesus is doing through Pastor Philip. Whether it's through 2819, whether it's through street preachers, podcast and Celebration Church. Celebration Church. But for this book contend. And so I want to encourage you pre order copy, pre order copy for your family, pre order copy for your friends, even pre order copy for the people that don't like you because they need this message as well. And so go pick up that pre order today. And and I guarantee you it's going

[Phil]

to be a blessing also too. You know, I suck at promoting myself, but I think if anybody wants to take the journey with me from announcement until actual book drop, they can go to the website contentbook.com and join the emailing list there and the entire content team. I have put together a beautiful journey that will walk with those who are interested in the book. They can follow the content journey from its announcement. There is an interactive journey from its announcement all the way to the time the book actually releases on October 13th. And if they go to contentbook.com sign up in the email, we will take them on that journey. And there are things in there that I think will be a blessing to them. And so I just want to put that out there for those that want to follow along on the journey.

[Tim]

That's wonderful. Ms. Free Team. Y' all know how we roll. I know we don't just talk about it, we be about it. We are faithful supporters of things that will push us closer to Jesus Christ. And so y' all know what to do. Go run it up for my boy. Go. Pre order the book Contend. Share that message Share this episode subscribe like if you have not already and continue to go on this journey with us. We are walking down through First Peter.

[Phil]

Yeah, we're in First Peter. And one of the things that's important to Tim and I is that we don't use our platform to just ramble about things. That's not going to matter. Yeah, right. And so if you're new to the Street Team, that's the family of those who watch, who subscribe, who are tapped into the Street Preachers podcast. We affectionately call them Street Team. And for our Street Team here at Street Preachers Podcast, it is really the intersection of the word of God and the times that we're living in.

[Tim]

Right.

[Phil]

It's the intersection of the word of God and culture. Because Tim and I don't want to waste our time just running off at the mouth about things that's not going to matter. And we were sharing in the beginning episode of this season how our brother Tim was flying back from Europe and the Holy Spirit kind of put in his heart First Peter dropped into his heart. And we were sharing in the beginning of this season just two episodes ago. We feel like it is very, very pertinent for the times. Although First Peter was written in the first century A.D. we feel like the things that Peter was addressing to the church in the 1st century AD is very germane to what's happening right now. He is. Or he was right, because past tense. Peter wrote to a church that was living under the persecution of Rome, but not just any persecution, under the persecution of one of the most violent emperors of Rome, Nero, and where the believers were really suffering, and the church under that persecution is being scattered to various cities. They are hiding out. They're really dealing with the tension of society squeezing in on them. The hostility towards Christianity, it is akin to. To what we're feeling right now in America. And for some of you in countries outside of the United States. We are living in a. In a time, in an era where there is an increased hostility against Christianity. There is a. There is an increase intolerance for Christianity. We are calling things that are good evil and things that are evil good. And you can mention the name of other progenitors and have no problem. You know, talk about Muhammad. No problem. Yeah, no problem. Talk about Joseph Smith, no problem, right? Talk about Buddha, no problem. Confucius, no problem. There is a man whose name stirs up drama in the earth, whether you're for him and against him. And there is a hostility growing against the name of Christ and the people of Christ. Even right now, as Tim and I are talking to you, we're seeing the persecution of our brothers and sisters across the continent of Africa and in the Middle East. We're watching our brothers and sisters being put to death. Right? As SRI Team. Listen to me, man. Especially for those of us in America, we. We haven't seen persecution yet. I think it's coming to our country, right? But we haven't seen anything like what our brothers and sisters are suffering with outside the country. And I, I just want to remind some of us who are here in America to not lose sight of the. The freedoms we have, albeit maybe temporary, the comforts we have, albeit temporary. And while we have them, to not take them for granted, right? To title, to think that God owes us any of that and to remember our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. I. We don't talk about that enough in America. I'm going to talk about it right here for just a moment. Okay. The church is being persecuted outside of America, Right. And we have persecuted brothers and sisters right now who are literally dying for the faith. Right. In our first season, Tim and I, when we was in North Carolina, met a pastor from India, I think, right.

[Tim]

Northern India.

[Phil]

Northern India, whose brother had been kidnapped by a militia. And at the time we met him, he could not find his brother. Right. This is what's happening to our brothers and sisters all across the continent of Africa and across the Middle east. And we should remember them in our prayers, right? We should not be so comfortable in America and so bougie that we forget our brothers and sisters who are suffering. We should be praying for them. This is essentially who Peter's writing to, right? He's not writing to people who feel like the devil got them because they had a bad day at work. Nah, that's not who he wrote to. He wrote to a church that was feeling the, the, the, the, the fire, the refining fire of Roman persecution, when they're watching women being drug out of their homes and the heads of fathers being chopped off. I mean, he's writing to believers who are really suffering and the faith is costing them something. And it's not like if I go to church, somebody don't like me on Instagram. Nah, he's writing to believers who the faith was costing them. Something. Yeah, right. We have a. We have a Christianity in America where the faith costs nothing. That's a. It's a faith of convenience and comfort, and God forbid the faith cost us anything. It's. It's flight, right? It's flight. But he. He was writing to a church where the faith was costing them something. And. And. And that is. That is the atmosphere of the text. And, and really, it's the atmosphere right now. The faith is. Is costing a lot of believers something. There are believers right now who are living in real time, the type of persecution that Peter was writing about. And for us in America, it's social, but it may not stay there. That battleground may shift to physical persecution. And you know what? I wonder? I wonder, what voices are you listening to? What podcasts are you listening to? How much word do you have in you? If they made this illegal, do you have enough of it in you to sustain?

[Tim]

Come on.

[Phil]

If the laws in our country makes the Bible hate speech, is there enough of this tattooed to your heart for you to pass them down to your children or to sustain in the midst of trial? Would the Holy Spirit have enough to pull on to remind you of what God said in the midst of trial? What teachers are you listening to? And when you listen to these voices, what are they preparing you for? Where are they pointing you to? Is. Is Christ being exalted or is man being exalted? Is the Scriptures being preached? Are you getting a TED Talk every single week? Is the word being impregnated in your heart or you being pregnant with foolishness? If things shift, and I might be so inclined to say, when they shift, will you be able to sustain? And who are you listening to right now? Right? Who you listen to? And it matters who you listening to. And so Peter wrote to the church. He introduced himself as an apostle. He wrote to those who were exiles, those who were sojourners. Tim and I talked about that two episodes ago, that we are just sojourners. We are men and women who know that we have a hope that goes beyond this life. He talks about the foreknowledge of God, that nothing catches God by surprise. He talked about those who were chosen, those who were sprinkled in blood. And in our last episode, we spent time talking about his prayer for grace and peace. My brother Tim took time to encourage the street team around these two powerful words, grace and peace. Very, very powerful words. And he's praying that that would increase in a time of trouble. As a reminder to the reader that when TR hits These are the things that need to increase in our life. Grace needs to increase, peace needs to increase. And then we find those things in the presence in the person of Christ. And then he makes a pivot now into the meat of the letter. Verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ according to his great mercy. His great mercy to him is great. He doesn't even just say mercy.

[Tim]

He says, great mercy.

[Phil]

Great mercy. You know, I gotta. I gotta stop right there for a second. He says, great mercy. You know, when I. When I. When I hear that great mercy. Great mercy, a couple things come up in my heart. Kind of stripping us away from entitlement, Right. I feel like in America we have a lot of entitlement, Right. We feel that God owes you a job, owes you a spouse, you know, owes you a roof, owes you food, owes you your vision board, owes you all the things we are begging him for. We almost feel like we listen to the type of teachers that makes feel like God is enslaved to our personal desires.

[Tim]

Right.

[Phil]

But, Tim, if we just hold fast to the word of God with fidelity. You know what God really owes us? Wrath.

[Tim]

Yes.

[Phil]

Damnation.

[Tim]

Yep.

[Phil]

Hellfire. Eternal separation. What we were born into. And it's only by his great mercy that we escape that right. For the believer, because he's writing to those who are the chosen, the elect, those who God has brought into the kingdom. And he doesn't just say mercy. He says, great, great mercy. And I think sometimes we can't fathom how great God's mercy is because we can't fathom the horrors of hell.

[Tim]

Yeah.

[Phil]

And the horrors of damnation. We can't fathom the fact that every day people are slipping into eternity. They're waking up on the other side of eternity and realizing that they're separated from God forever.

[Tim]

Yeah.

[Phil]

And then they're realizing there is no purgatory. There is no second chance. There is no pray me out. That's why Jesus told the account of Lazarus and the rich man. These two men that die, one goes to glory, the other one goes to damnation. And the one of damnation is conscious of where he is.

[Tim]

Right?

[Phil]

Right. Because the Lord is teaching us in the text that there's consciousness in the. In the afterlife. There's no. There's no. Like, we sleep. No. When we die, we wake up on the other side of eternity and there is consciousness. I am either with the Lord or I am separated from the Lord. Right. And now you're conscious, but now you can't make another decision. Right. Once that funeral comes, once fate is sealed. Right. Once fate is sealed, we wake up on the other side of consciousness and think about every day, how many people are ignoring the Lord. I'll get right with the Lord next week. Sitting in churches, hearing the gospel and saying, I'll get right next week. Or you're hearing the Word and you think it's for the person next to you down the road. That's not for you, though, Right? Or it's not for this person. And you think about how many people, Tim, day in and day out, are slipping into eternity and waking up on the other side of damnation. They're not hearing the gospel, they're not being warned, like Colossians 1:28. They're not being awakened by any real preachers, that they're not hearing that there's life. They're not hearing that. So a lot of them are unknowingly slipping into that. And others are in rebellion and slipping into that. And if. And if we just wrap our minds around all the things Jesus taught about hell. Because Jesus spoke a lot about hell. He spoke a lot about damnation, the gnashing of teeth. He talked about darkness. He talked about suffering. He talked about eternal separation from God. Right. He talked about not going there. He even looked into the eyes of the Pharisees. Who's going to save you from going there?

[Tim]

That's right.

[Phil]

With all of your foolishness. Side note, you know, his biggest enemies were religious people.

[Tim]

Come on.

[Phil]

Okay, just want to parenthetically insert that right. Not unbelievers. Right. Let me just throw that out. The unbelievers was not his enemy. And there's a lot the scripture talks about in damnation. And when we wrap our minds around the fact, this truth, Tim, that you and I were not born into the kingdom.

[Tim]

Right?

[Phil]

Right. We were born sinners. You were born a sinner. And by nature of our sin, according to Romans, we earned something for that, for the wages of sin. Romans 6 is death. We've earned something from that. That every person was born separated from God. And if we die in that state, that eternal state, that wrath, we're not. You know, people out here think they tough. They're not that tough. Ain't nobody ready to die apart from Christ.

[Tim]

Nobody.

[Phil]

You're not ready for that. And it's crazy to me that the grace of God is even keeping the unbeliever alive in their rebellion, the atheists alive, the person in the false religion, the grace of God is waking up and keeping them alive while they're Running from God. Right. And here's where this word comes in, Tim, and I want you to jump in here, because he doesn't just say mercy. Great, mercy, great. You know the level of mercy it takes for God to keep a person alive who is in sin and then to woo them into the kingdom. He talked about the elect to woo them into their kingdom. And then they wake up on the other side like their eyes are open. Like, I remember the day my eyes open said, oh, snap. There is a kingdom.

[Tim]

Yeah.

[Phil]

There is a God. There is a Savior. I'm filled with the spirit. My name is recording Lamb's book of Life. I have escaped that race, and now I'm walking in this. This purpose with Jesus. That's not just mercy, Tim. That is great mercy.

[Tim]

Talk about this for a second. Because this theology is creeping into certain churches that hell is not eternal.

[Phil]

Yeah.

[Tim]

And eventually your soul disappears after a couple of years of separation from God.

[Phil]

You know, a lot of that talk, Tim, and I'm going to be very careful when I say this. Okay. You remember the Lord before his ministry became public, he goes into a wilderness and he's tempted there by the devil for 40 days. Remember that? And you remember, during that time, people forget this. Peep the text. Right, street team. Peep the text. The devil's quoting scriptures to Jesus.

[Tim]

Yes.

[Phil]

The Lord says it is written.

[Tim]

Yes.

[Phil]

And the devil says it is written. And he's actually quoting the psalms to Jesus. He's quoting psalms to the Lord. They both says it is written. Christ says it is written. The devil says it is written. The difference is we don't know the difference. Right. And right now in culture, there are servants of God saying it is written, and they're servants of the devil saying it is written. But we, a lot of people don't have the discernment to know the difference between the two. And so what's happening right now is the enemy who knows the word.

[Tim]

Yep.

[Phil]

He knows his end and his demise. You see, where I'm going with this?

[Tim]

Absolutely.

[Phil]

Is working through either either knowingly or unknowingly, pawns. To twist the word of God. To give people alternate narratives that are not found in scripture, to dumb down the text, to water down the text and to give people watch a false comfort that they can pray themselves out of damnation, or if you make it, there won't be that long. And you know what that does? It robs people of the type of concern they should have for a life outside of Christ. Or it will even embolden some people to say, you know what? If hell is temporary, I'm a do me.

[Tim]

Exactly.

[Phil]

I'm going to go there.

[Tim]

Yeah.

[Phil]

I'm a rock out my bid for a little bit and I'm going to get out. No Maji, no my ninja, no my brother. There is no purgatory.

[Tim]

There's no purgatory.

[Phil]

There is no getting out. Right. Once your funeral comes, that is a permanent sealing of your fate. Don't get it twisted. The scripture doesn't say anything other than that when a man dies, that is it. This is why the unknown writer of Hebrew says it is appointed to a man to live once.

[Tim]

That's it.

[Phil]

Then he must face the judgment. Not twice, not second chance once.

[Tim]

That's it.

[Phil]

Right. So what the enemy does, he works through mouths. He hijacks and then uses those mouths to preach heresy. Package eloquently that the undiscerning person can't separate the two. That's why we need to know the truth, right, Tim? Because the more word we know, the easier it is to discern a lie. Right. And just imagine. Imagine if the devil really wanted to mess people up, make them comfortable in sin and make them think there's a second chance when they die. Oh, there is. A reincarnation.

[Tim]

Yeah.

[Phil]

I'll come back and I'll be a better man. I'll be a better woman. You keep feeding that into the culture. You know what you rob men of? A healthy fear of God.

[Tim]

Come on.

[Phil]

I ain't worried about God.

[Tim]

Yeah, I remember, man, my dad telling me when he was pastoring, he was in his office and the devil came and visited him in his office and offered him all the entrapments of this life.

[Phil]

Like Matthew 4 with Christ, would make

[Tim]

him wealthy, would give him the desires of his heart, would give him all of the things that he had dreamed of. And the thing that stuck out to me, he said, he didn't tell me to stop preaching. I said, what did he tell you to do? He said, he told me to alter what I preach, as God is my witness. He said, to alter what you preach. I don't want you to lose your influence. I just want you to alter what you preach.

[Phil]

Just change the message.

[Tim]

Just change it. Just tweak it a little bit. And if you don't preach the gospel, if you don't preach righteousness, if you don't preach integrity and godly character, I give you all these things.

[Phil]

He said that to your father?

[Tim]

Said it to my father. And it made me think, how many pastors have taken that Deal. Like. Like, you know, we.

[Phil]

Hold on, bro.

[Tim]

Hold on.

[Phil]

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Tim, hold on, man. Hold on. Hold on, man. Pause, bro. Pause. You ain't never tell me that, bro.

[Tim]

I just thought about it when we're. When we're just talking about. Just to subtle.

[Phil]

He gave your father an offer.

[Tim]

Yeah.

[Phil]

The same way he gave Jesus an offer.

[Tim]

Absolutely.

[Phil]

So the devil makes offers. You know why I'm coming back here. I just want people to pick up on that. The devil makes offers. But look.

[Tim]

Look at where the devil makes these offers. When we. When we read about the Holy Spirit leading Jesus into the wilderness, we forget that Jesus is on top of a mountain.

[Phil]

Yeah. He's in a high place.

[Tim]

He's in a high place. We think the wilderness is all valleys. Yeah.

[Phil]

And high places.

[Tim]

It's both. And sometimes our wilderness is not a wilderness of lack. Sometimes our wilderness is a wilderness of options.

[Phil]

But. But this is also too. Why, you know, Jesus said, man, it's harder for a rich man to go through the eye of a needle than for him to enter into the kingdom of heaven. And this is not the Lord being anti wealth, Right. This is the Lord teaching us how materialism can become such a God in the lives of people 100% that. That it almost eclipses them from seeing the glory of Christ. But the devil made your father an offer. Don't, don't, don't stop preaching. Just alter the message.

[Tim]

Alter it just a little bit, right?

[Phil]

So that way I can now use your voice to promote my message 100%. But he's. He's. And then you said something so powerful, you wonder how many proclaimers have taken that deal. How many pro. And that's why we got to be careful when we just look at platforms, right? And I want to say this. I want to say this. This very important, right? There's a. There's a fig tree in my front yard. Tim, I ever told you this.

[Tim]

I heard you.

[Phil]

I never told you this. I have a fig tree in my front yard.

[Tim]

Yeah, I heard you say it.

[Phil]

Yeah, I gotta. Yeah, I have. I have a. I have a fig tree in my front yard. Right? And I have a long driveway, right? And if you pull up in front of my house right now, if you pull up from my house right now in Atlanta and you saw that fig tree, the leaves are big and green, right? So it looks like it's in full bloom and blossom. But to know if there's figs on there, you got to get up close on that Tree, and you got to pull back those leaves, and then you'll see these little polyps on the tree. And my kids, when they were small, they will pick it and they will crush it and eat. Eat the jam. It would taste real good. But if you pulled it right now, you couldn't. You couldn't see it. But the leaves are big, right. But you can't really see the fruit until you get up on that tree. You know what I'm saying? And there's a lot of ministries and people that's like that tree. It's like the leaves are really big. The platforms, every. All the things look good from the distance.

[Tim]

Right.

[Phil]

You get up on that tree, right? And you see, man, like, nah, there's no. There's no real fruit there. Right. And I said that because there's a lot of people who. Maybe the devil has given them all the leaves.

[Tim]

Right.

[Phil]

He's given them all the leaves and. And all the things. And in our humanity, we will automatically say, oh, no, that's a man of God. That's a woman of God. But we. We. We haven't inspected that fruit to know if that. Maybe they took the deal, maybe they took the offer. And so we should be listening.

[Tim]

Absolutely.

[Phil]

To what people are saying.

[Tim]

Discernment.

[Phil]

Yeah.

[Tim]

You know, and, man, this. This passage goes crazy when you were reading just now. And as we continue to walk through it, blessed be the God and the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to his great mercy, has caused us to be born again to a living hope.

[Phil]

Yep.

[Tim]

Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. I love this because Peter does not deny pain. Unpack that, though he introduces something radical.

[Phil]

Yep.

[Tim]

A living hope that is rooted in a resurrected savior.

[Phil]

But we know we touched this a little bit two episodes ago.

[Tim]

Yeah.

[Phil]

Unintentionally we talked about hope that goes

[Tim]

beyond this life, goes beyond this life.

[Phil]

Right. But. But this. This right here, this verse that Peter said, it brings out something we didn't get a chance to touch. That hope is anchored in the resurrection. Right. It's anchored in the resurrection. Because if Christ is not raised, there is no Christianity.

[Tim]

Yes.

[Phil]

And if Christ is not raised right, there is no hope beyond his life. So, like, if he. If Jesus is the firstborn from the dead, we have hope. We will be the second born from the dead.

[Tim]

Yeah.

[Phil]

If he was raised, we too, will be raised. And that is a living hope that cannot be taken away from me. You see what I'm saying? Absolutely. Yeah. Let me.

[Tim]

Let me pause and just say that song is Going crazy right now.

[Phil]

Oh, man, I didn't even think about that. It's crazy. For Christ alone. You'll shout out to 2819 worship for Christ alone. If you haven't heard it, you know, go download the song. For Christ alone, a song that our. Our camp wrote about the return of Christ based on Matthew chapter 24. Very, very powerful song, man. I love that.

[Tim]

So powerful. Our church is singing it. Our church is going crazy, man.

[Phil]

I appreciate that.

[Tim]

Absolutely.

[Phil]

I mean, that song is not for 2019. That song was for the body. Oh, absolutely. Because it really is from Matthew 24. Yeah, that's what we hijacked it from Matthew 24.

[Tim]

Absolutely. This is powerful because.

[Phil]

Can I make a discl real quick? You know what I mean? Yo, somebody was telling me, like, somebody was saying, oh, they. They took a Meek Mill song. I forgot the name of the song. Nightmare and Dreams or something like that. I don't. I never listened. I never heard the song. It's like, yo, 2019 remix, Meek Mill song, Nightmares and Dream. I haven't heard the song. I'm not knocking Meek Mill. I don't know what the song is. I just want to throw it out there. We a remix nobody's song. We ain't take Meek Mill song and try to remix it. Like, we ain't do that, right? Like, nah. Our, you know, our worship pastor and the team around him was. Was listening to the word of God being preached. Matthew chapter 24. When Matthew's talking about the return of Christ and the spirit of God, move on him. Moved on them. And a song is born from the text. It was not born from something we hijacked from. So I just. Let me just throw that out there since, you know, people got altered ulterior motives and alternate narratives. Like, nah, that song came from Matthew 24.

[Tim]

You don't get inspiration from nightmares.

[Phil]

Yeah, we don't get inspiration. I never heard the song. Somebody told me the song. Somebody said the song was dope. They was like, yo, that joint. They was like, yo, that joint. Go hard in the club. I'm like, I. I don't know, bro. You know what I'm saying? Like, Christ for long, yo. For Christ alone. Go hard in the church. Go hard in the gathering. Absolutely. All right. Yo, yo.

[Tim]

So.

[Phil]

But yeah, a living hope.

[Tim]

A living hope, right? Roman culture at this particular time, they worshiped strength. They worshiped the visibility of what looked like earthly success.

[Phil]

Yeah.

[Tim]

They are worshiping man given victories. And Peter tells suffering believers that hope is not built on circumstances.

[Phil]

What is it built On.

[Tim]

On resurrection.

[Phil]

Come on, man. Unpack that.

[Tim]

Though the hope that we have, it is built off of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And scripture teaches us the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. It lives in you. So anything you feel buried in right now, anything you feel is covering you, anything you feel like you're drowning in right now, I just want to remind you that the resurrect power of Jesus Christ, it is at work. It is living on the inside of you, waiting on you to activate it. And this. This, you know, thought that Peter gives us, he says this living hope, Peter says that this faith is more precious than gold tested by fire.

[Phil]

Come on, man.

[Tim]

You know, and to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable. So for a moment, let's just take that word imperishable. Yeah, unpack that.

[Phil]

Phil. Yeah. If you've ever been in a pantry and if you have one in your house. We're all familiar with the word imperishable. The things are imperishable are things that shelters say, bring this. Bring these goods that are imperishable. Why? Because they last.

[Tim]

Yes.

[Phil]

Right. They last. They will not rot or spoil before it's time. And Peter said, we have something that is imperishable. That is, we have something that will not rot. It will not fade with time. In fact, the hope that we have, the faith that we have, will outlive this life. It will. It will. It will. It will stabilize us in this life. It will anchor us in this life, but it will. It will transcend this life. We have a hope that is imperishable. It will not rot. It will not die. It will not fade. Because it is anchored in a historical event that changed the world, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And because he is the firstborn from the dead, I will be the second. And then I know that when my funeral comes, they will shed tears. But I will not shed tears. I would have gone into the presence of my Savior. I would have received my reward, and I would have laid my crown at his feet. And I will be preparing myself for the marriage supper of the lamb and the new world that is coming. All right? And that is a hope that I have right now because of the word of God, Tim. It is a hope I have on the mountaintop. It is a hope I have in the valley. It is a hope I have in my trials. It is a hope I have in diff. Difficulty. Is a hope I had when I was dealing with that medical issue in my body. I'm healed in Jesus name?

[Tim]

Yes, sir.

[Phil]

My doctor was confused. It's. It's a hope I have in all things. And it's a hope that's going to transcend this life. It is imperishable. It will not perish with death. It will carry me through death into the eternal state. And that is a powerful hope. And where else will you find that hope? Will you find that hope in things of this world? No. Will you find that hope in the vices of this world? No. Will we find that hope in false religions? No. Will we find that hope in the things that man has given us as a placebo for biblical truth? No. Will we find that hope in anything outside of Christ? No. Any progenitor outside of Christ? No. Any religion outside of Christ? No. Any teaching outside of Christ? No. We will not find that hope in any other place but the man Jesus Christ. Yeah, that's powerful. Imperishable.

[Tim]

Imperishable. Some people only worship when life edits out suffering.

[Phil]

Come on.

[Tim]

Come on, man.

[Phil]

Come on. Right. We.

[Tim]

We only have a tendency to worship when things are going the way we expect them to. There's something powerful, though, about knowing who Jesus is in your suffering, in your pain, in your persecution. This is what I believe. I believe that pain, it has a tendency to teach us at a level of depth that we cannot be taught any other way.

[Phil]

I agree, man.

[Tim]

You know, it's.

[Phil]

It.

[Tim]

It's almost like pain reveals to us what pleasure never could.

[Phil]

I agree.

[Tim]

It. It reveals to us the character, the nature of Jesus, the power of God, the. The ability to overcome. We would not have scriptures like we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the words of our testimony if we did not have anything to overcome. And so I think sometimes as believers, we have gotten soft in that we have stretches where there is no suffering. And we believe and we become entitled to think that that is the journey of the believer, when scripture never promises that.

[Phil]

You know, the other thing too, Tim, is powerful because I think pain should pay you. Absolutely. And one of the things pain has paid me is deeper intimacy with God. Right? Because if we use pain properly, some people will go through pain and it will push them to a vice. Others will go through pain and they'll push them to their knees. And when pain pushes you to your knees, it pays you. And when it pays you, it pays you intimacy. It pays you trust, it pays you that closeness with God, the pain I've endured, I probably been shaped more my character by pain than mountaintops. You know, this is a True story, right? Let me not say true story. This is a true statement, right? I. I think there's people that sometimes may see your life or may see my life and say, man, we want what Tim Timberlake has or what Pam has and all that stuff, man, like, all these things are going to burn up anyway, right? That's what Peter will say. They're going to dissolve. And I think I want to say to somebody who's maybe. Maybe a pastor who's watching, who's daydreaming about a mountaintop and thinking that when they get there, if I get the large staff, if I get the big budget, you know, all my pain is going to go away. It just really multiplies. It compounds, you know. But you know what, though? You know what? You know what I realized, Tim? Looking over my shoulder, I think I've been shaped more in my pain than I have. Like all mountaintops. I think in terms of, like, what God has done in my character and in my life, I think more of that has been shaped through tears than through mountaintops. I've passed through mountaintops now, and I enjoy them. I thank God for them. But in terms of the man that I am and the man that I feel like I'm becoming has been shaped more. My camera's been shaped more by the tears I've shed and the things I've gone through more than the mountaintops. Right. And so I think pain is to pay you. Right? And one of the things pain can pay you is intimacy with God and. And. And your character being forged in the fire of some of the hardships we go to. Right. And. And this is essentially what Peter's kind of getting to here, because he's writing to believers who are going through. And can I be honest? He. He's writing to and wrote to believers who some of them wasn't going to escape through. I know we probably shouldn't even go there because people going to get. They're going to get discouraged now, as you know, we get into the end of this episode, they're going to start getting discouraged. Like, what if it don't shift as quick as you want it to shift? You know, what if it don't? I pray for my father to be healed from cancer, and he's in eternity.

[Tim]

Yeah, mine too.

[Phil]

Yeah, yours too.

[Tim]

Your.

[Phil]

Your father. Both our fathers slipped into eternity battling cancer. I'm sure you prayed for yours. I prayed for mine, but they were healed. But not healed in this life. They were healed in the world to come. We will be healed regardless Everybody who's a believer will be healed regardless, either in this life or the next. But what if. What if the season lasts longer than what we anticipated? You know, I'm going through a battle right now leading our church. I'm not going to talk about on camera, but we. We're being persecuted by someone who's really doing us a number right now, and it's been going on for months, and I've been praying about it, Tim, you know, and. And the Lord has not delivered us from that yet. You know, I mean, and, you know, what if the. What if the season lasts longer?

[Tim]

You know?

[Phil]

You know, will we sustain? Will we endure? And Peter's writing to believers, and I'm saying the point I'm trying to make is writing to believers and wrote to believers who, for some of them, what they're going through is going to last a very long time, and for some of them, situation wasn't going to change. That doesn't sound hopeful, but look at the stuff he's talking about. Grace and peace and blessed be the God of our Father. He's talking about great mercy and talking about us being born again, the living hope. I mean, if I just read this really quickly. This don't sound like somebody who's writing to people who should be depressed.

[Tim]

Right?

[Phil]

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, unfaded, kept in heaven. Oh, there it is. Set your mind on things above, not kept in the culture, kept in heaven. For you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for the salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. We're gonna have to come back to that in the next episode, right? We're gonna. We're gonna. We're gonna. You. And I'm gonna have to come back to that the next episode. But that don't sound like somebody who's trying to make them feel discouraged. That sound like. Man, look at the. This is his encouragement to people who are being killed, man.

[Tim]

Let me tell you something. When you read that last. That last bar, you know what I'm saying? Like that last statement,

[Phil]

Natalie.

[Tim]

Oh, ho, let me, Let me. Let me just drop this. It's burning hell attacks.

[Phil]

Yeah.

[Tim]

Who heaven invest in.

[Phil]

Yo, come on, Tim. I'm closing my Bible right there, man. Come on. Hold on, hold on. We even got no mics to drop. Can we just Take this off and just drop this on the floor. Look at what he said. No, no, no, no. Hold on, bro. Hold on. Say the statement again, Tim.

[Tim]

Hell attacks.

[Phil]

Yeah.

[Tim]

Who heaven invest in.

[Phil]

Is that why you got. Is that why you're being attacked?

[Tim]

Absolutely. That's why you've been attacked, because heaven has invested in you. Heaven has invested in 2018. Heaven has invested in our brothers and our sisters on the other side of this camera right now. That is why hell is attacking you, because heaven has invested in.

[Phil]

Exhort the people.

[Tim]

Hear me when I tell you this. Heaven does not invest in bad soil. Now just think about that for a second. The fact that you are under attack right now means that you are good. So heaven sees value in you. So heaven is investing in you, which is why hell is attacking you.

[Phil]

So let's pray for those like this alarm going off right now in the streets. We sound an alarm right now. Yeah, we. We sound. We put an alarm out right now for the awakening of the brother and the sister who's going through. Who is the called of Christ. Receiving grace, great mercy, born again, imperishable hope. I feel like we need to pray a prayer of fire up on some of them right now. You'll pray that, Tim?

[Tim]

Absolutely. Dear Heavenly Father, I just thank you right now that you're refining in us something so pure that it takes. Come on.

[Phil]

I feel heat in the studio right now.

[Tim]

In the name of Jesus, I just thank you that you would begin to move the pieces in our lives to make us. Yeah. Turn back to you.

[Phil]

Yes.

[Tim]

Thank you for your grace. Thank you for your great mercy.

[Phil]

Great mercy.

[Tim]

Your great mercy.

[Phil]

Yeah.

[Tim]

That you have given us. And, God, may we never take it for granted. We always be reminded of the alternative outcome with hallelujah. Great mercy.

[Phil]

Hallelujah.

[Tim]

And God, we thank you for giving us time to get it right when time is running out. Thank you, God, for allowing us to

[Phil]

get it right, Lord. Sound the alarm, Lord.

[Tim]

And so right now, God, we ask that you would constantly remind us of what you have invested on the inside of us. When we are under attack by hell, may we not get distracted by the arrows that are angled and pointed towards us. Because we understand who is our great defender. We understand who is our shade in the heat. We understand who is our fire in the nighttime, God, in our cloud by day. We understand, God, that you have been with us before we even could identify who you were. And we thank you, God. Not for the pain, but we thank you for what you're delivering to us in the pain. And as Peter has unpacked God this message to us, we just ask that you would keep our minds on you in the middle of pressure, in the middle of persecution, in the middle of pain and understanding that if hell is attacking us, it is because heaven has invested in us. In Jesus name we pray.

[Phil]

Amen. So Street Team, if you are watching right now and we just want to encourage all of you who are going through a difficult time, a difficult season, whatever it may be, Heaven has invested in you and never forget that we have an imperishable hope. It is strong, it is anchored in the resurrection of Christ and it will translate all the way into the new life. So if you've enjoyed this episode, Tim and I ask for a small favorite like Comment. Subscribe Share this episode with somebody who you feel like needs it and it will be a blessing to them. We want you to know that we love you, we're praying for you and time is running out. So the cry right now as time is running out is Maranatha. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. The answer to the human suffering ultimately is the return of Christ. Repeat, the ultimate answer to human suffering. All that we go through is the return of Christ. So we cry together. Maranatha, right? It's more than a word on a sweater. Let it be the cry of the bride in this hour. We love you, Street Team. We'll catch you in the next episode of Street Preachers podcast. Yo, Peace.