D. Taking Heed to Ourselves
and Being Watchful at Every Time,
Beseeching That We May Prevail to Escape
All the Things of the Great Tribulation

We need to take heed to ourselves lest our hearts be weighed down with debauchery and drunkenness and anxieties of life, and that day of the great tribulation come upon us unexpectedly as a snare, as it will come in upon all those who dwell on all the earth; and furthermore, we need to be watchful at every time, beseeching that we may prevail to escape all the things of the great tribulation in the last three and a half years of the last week of the present age and to stand before the Son of Man, Christ (Luke 21:34-36). We need to be on guard that our hearts would not be weighed down with debauchery, drunkenness, and anxieties of life. Debauchery is indulgence in drinking and feasting. If our heart is full of anxieties, then it has no room for God, for Christ. We may even come to a meeting, but our heart is not in that meeting because it is preoccupied with worldly things. We need to guard our hearts because we do not want the day of the great tribulation to come upon us unexpectedly as a snare. This day will be like the flood which came unexpectedly to the people at Noah's time. We need to watch and pray that we may prevail to escape all these things and stand before the Son of Man. This corresponds with Revelation 14:1, which indicates that the raptured overcomers will stand before the Savior on Mount Zion in the heavens before the great tribulation (cf. Rev. 12:5-6, 14).

E. Keeping the Word of Christ's Endurance
That We May Be Kept by Him
Out of the Hour of Trial,
Which Will Come on the Whole Inhabited Earth,
to Try Those Who Dwell on the Earth

We also need to keep the word of Christ's endurance that we may be kept by Him out of the hour of trial which will come on the whole inhabited earth, to try those who dwell on the earth (Rev. 3:10). Today the word we keep is the word of endurance. As long as we keep the word of God, we will suffer. People will persecute us. Even our parents and relatives may despise us. We need to keep the Lord's word of endurance so that we may be kept out of the time of the great tribulation as a trial which will come on the whole inhabited earth to try those who dwell on the earth. We have to be watchful and ready to learn the spiritual lessons. To become matured is not an overnight matter. Therefore, we have to prepare ourselves for His coming by loving Him so that we can grow in Him and be matured for His appearing.