On my fence at home, I have letters on my back wall of my yard behind our pool, “Enjoy everything, possess nothing.”  He has given us all things to enjoy; amen?  We are not owners, we are not the possessors, we are stewards.  I am convinced that in this last day, the Scripture says in Daniel that he destroyed them by their prosperity.  In our abundance we must learn and discipline ourselves to be dependent.  Should I say that again?  In our wealth, in our abundance, we must discipline ourselves to be dependent, to be able to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.”  Amen?  To be able to understand, clearly, that what I possess has been given to me of the Lord.  My wealth, my children, any blessings that I happen to have experienced, and it’s given by grace not merit.

We are not better than other people.  When we go to Third World nations, I’ve watched people respond this way and it really bothers me.  I’ve seen so many Americans assuming that we are better than these Third World nations.  Thank God, for what we’ve had and the privileges in this country that we’ve experienced.  God has been working on millions of hearts in these last years around the world preparing His church, maturing believers.  When this thing crashes, whatever the cause might be, before Antichrist is raised up on the world scene to save the world from economic destruction—that is what is going to launch him into power.  Who do you think is more prepared, Americans or Third Worlders?  As we’ve been able to know many of these people from many nations, there’s one thing in common.  You go into the Third World and they pray.  They just don’t go to prayer, they pray!  “When I come, will I find faith on the earth?”  When He comes, will He find us praying?  I’m not just talking about the opportunities we have as a group here.  When you’re cleaning the house, when you’re walking in the way, are we praying in the Holy Ghost?  Underneath our breath at all times can you sense, are you aware of the Holy Ghost praying?  Is your mind established in the heavens?  Don’t you want to see Him and be like Him?  Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

The Scriptures admonish us to become sober in this last hour.  Look over at 1 Corinthians, Chapter 9.  These are all verses that we are so familiar with.  But in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 9, here, Paul is speaking and he says in verse 24, “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize?”  Listen to this one phrase (we’ve read it how many times?) but let the Holy Spirit bring the magnitude of this one phrase to our hearts this morning.  “So run, that ye may obtain.”  Amen?  Beloved, we have to start running and know that we’re going to obtain.  I’m not talking in a boastfulness like Peter that says, “Though all else forsake You, not I Lord.  You can trust in me.”

Paul said there is a lawful way to obtain.  Run that you might obtain.  How do you obtain?  Deny yourself; amen?  How do you obtain?  Come out from among the world and touch not the unclean thing.  How do you obtain?  Love not the world.  If you love the world, you’re an enemy of God.  Those things have to become real to us.  Those become the cornerstone, the hallmark of who we are.  I hate this world, it’s the enemy of God.  There’s nothing in it but the lust of flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.  Yet, we’re seduced, drawn, and delight in so many of these things that should be an abomination to us.  I’m not preaching to you, I’m preaching to me.

You have to run lawfully.  We have to run with a purpose.  You see, the reason we make all these choices, that the world looks at us and thinks that we’re weird, is because there is a purpose to what we are choosing.  If we marry their daughters, they will seduce our young men and serve their gods.  “Surely that won’t happen.”  It happened every time.  How many times does it have to happen until we understand that it’s a law?  How many times until we know that a little leaven will leaven the whole lump?