We’re living in an interesting hour.  As we look around us and see this world, the world’s system, the Scripture said the world itself will reel as a drunk man in these last days (Isaiah 24:20).  Many of the things that people are concerned with about the environment—the reality is there’s some truth to what these are saying, because very frankly, this world is wearing out.  It’s very soon that the Lord’s going to come back, and He’s going to reconcile His church back to Himself.  The Scripture says we’re going to be with Him, we’re going to see Him, we’re going to be like Him.  So shall we ever be with the Lord, hallelujah!

There’s going to be a refining and a rejuvenating, a renewing of this earth also, as it’s purged and prepared for eternity.  So don’t take concern with all of these natural things.  It will not run out until God’s ready; amen?  I’m planning on being “raptured” out of here before it goes bad.  So excited about the return of the Lord and caught up with His soon coming, and the bride is preparing herself for that hour.  And hopefully, in each one of our lives there’s a renewing taking place, a sanctification process, that new man created in the image of Christ is being renewed day by day.  Hopefully, there’s a hunger in our hearts to be more like Him.  Every man that has that hope in His soon return, purifying himself even as He is pure.  That’s where our heart should be; that’s what we should be taken up with.  We are preparing for the soon coming of the Lord, that preceding that, the catching away of the church. 

Excited about this hour, believing that the Lord, that trumpet, could sound at any moment—but prior to that time of judgment, that time of God’s wrath.  We know that the church is not appointed to wrath; amen?  So, thank God, there’s no place for us in the tribulation.  The Antichrist cannot come to power until he that now letteth—or restraineth—ceases to restrain, is removed.  The restraining power is the church, full of the Holy Ghost.  Amen?  The restraining power is a Spirit-filled church, praise God!  We need to be full of the Holy Ghost; amen?  Not just for our personal daily victories, but to fulfill that mandate as the restrainer until that moment comes and the trumpet sounds.  If you think about it for just a moment, it’s kind of cool to think that we’re messing the devil’s plan up!  Amen?  The church is victorious!  We are the power of God on this planet; amen?  Even though we’re not going into tribulation, it does not mean that the church is not going to experience severity of trials, persecutions that will precede the second coming of the Lord.  We don’t want to be naïve.  One of the first things we have to do to prepare for persecution is not to be naïve, but to be aware that it’s coming.  If we really don’t believe it’s coming, we’re not going to be prepared for it.  If we still think that it’s a long way off, then we’re going to make the mistake of not watching and praying lest we enter into temptation.  We as humans, tragically, don’t get serious until the pressure is really on.  There are very few that prepare themselves with the same diligence for something that’s far off.  Anybody know what I’m talking about?  So, we as the church are called to “watch and to pray that we enter not into that temptation” (Matthew 26:41, Mark 14:38, Luke 22:40, 21:36).