We have been talking about the need of preparing ourselves in this hour through prayer for that soon coming of the Lord Jesus.  The Scripture makes it very clear that we’re to watch and pray that that day doesn’t take us unawares; amen?  At any moment, that trumpet can sound.  Hallelujah.  Come quickly, Lord Jesus.  At any moment, that trumpet can sound.  Just think, if the trumpet sounds before we’re done today, how much wasted energy you used on all that worrying about things that aren’t going to happen, and we could’ve been praising the Lord.  We could’ve been rejoicing in His great victories; amen?  Because the end of this whole thing is: He is going to come.  He is going to establish justice.  He is going to reconcile us to Himself to that final glorification process.  What a day that will be.  We’ll see Him and we’ll be like Him.  Hallelujah.

You know, so often we get upset with ourselves, our failures, and our weaknesses.  The good news is that we get up seven times; amen?  The bad news is “that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing.”  The good news is that sin will not have dominion over us, praise God.  The final outcome will be a trumpet blast, a changing in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, we’ll be caught up to see Him, we’ll be like Him, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Hallelujah. 

So, we were looking at all the different aspects of watching and praying.  We looked at the different aspects in Luke 18, such as that men ought always to pray and not to faint.  We looked some at the good promises of God, that it is our heavenly Father’s desire to give His children the kingdom.  There’s going to come a kingdom, a literal kingdom.  Jesus is going to sit upon the throne of His father David, and He will reign forever and ever; amen?  There’s a kingdom that’s going to manifest itself on the earth and there is a kingdom eternal that has been expressing itself from creation through eternity.  In the midst of this kingdom, He inserted what we refer to as the “Church Age,” and the kingdom of God is running parallel with the rule and reign and power and authority of the church at this particular hour.

The church, the building of God.  The church, us filled with the Holy Ghost as the Temple of God.  The church, the beloved Bride that He’s purifying at this moment for that day that He will see us and take us to Himself.  A pure church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.  The preparation that’s causing this purification process comes through adversities and trials and temptations.  The Lord promised that all who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution; amen?  This is what the Holy Ghost tells us through the apostle.  In the midst of this process, we see from James and in Corinthians that we will not be tempted past that which we are able to stand, and that with every temptation He makes a way of escape.  Paul tells us very clearly that we will not be tempted past that we are able.  We will not be tempted past that that we are able; amen?  That should be something that causes you to rejoice.  The temptation that you’re in right now, the trial that you’re in right now, and the test that you’re in right now will not overcome you.  It will not overcome you.  He will make a way of escape that you will endure; amen?  Blessed are those that endure.  So, we understand that particular promise and we rejoice in it.  We count it all joy, James says, when this purification process is taking place.  We’re being made to look more like Jesus.