Are we like those of the first century who were able to watch their children ripped from their arms and torn apart by wild beasts?  These wild beasts that we’re going to be facing are not going to be beasts of the animal kingdom, they’re going to be beasts of human beings.  Hardened by hatred for God.  I have talked about our naivete.  I’m going to remind you again.  Other than those who have been regenerated, who are renewed in their minds, who are full of the Holy Spirit, who are bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus, in man there is no good!  For generations, the restraint in this nation has been a restraint of law, not of character.  Men are evil and law has restrained them, but law—the truth—has fallen into the streets.  That restraining power is no longer going to be recognized in the days not too far in the future.

The Bible says that the whore church will be drunk with the blood of the saints.  Professed Christians, organized Christianity, the traditional Christian groups, will rise up, the Scripture tells us, in the person of the apostate church, and will kill us and believe they’re doing God’s service.  It will be open season on true believers.  What is going to cause us to be able to stand and finish this course?  I know I’ve rehearsed it in my mind, I’m sure many of you have over the years, but trying to imagine what would I do with my precious little babies?  They’re not so little anymore, but with my wife whom I love with all my heart.  Could you possibly stand?  Trying to be as truthful with myself as I could, I say, I don’t know.  I just don’t know.  But what I do know is this:  His grace is sufficient; amen?  I do know that God is faithful.  And what I do know is God is good, and He doeth good, praise God!  I do know that if God is for me, nobody can be against me.  I have no confidence in my flesh, but in the love of God, and the mercy of God, and the grace of God; amen?  Don’t be afraid.  Don’t be afraid for what you and I are going to be facing here real soon.

The theme I want to share is that we must be on the offensive.  We must be a people that at this moment will shake ourselves from all our lethargy, in all our prosperity, in all our ease.  We must rise up and become a people that long for and hunger for the anointing of God in this hour.  Not being satisfied in our mediocrity, but to be the one that cries out, “Here am I.  Send me.”  Young people, I want to tell you something.  It’s available to you today!  It’s yours to take.  I remember back when I was your age and when I was born again.  I knew what it meant to find that pearl of great price, and nothing else had value to me.  My family disowned me.  I turned away from what my heart’s desire for my vocation would have been.  Over the years, I’ve had young people, based on our testimony, come and say, “Boy, you turned around or left so much!”  I left nothing.  I am the debtor, praise God.  I didn’t give anything up for God.  He gave everything up for me.