The Two Witnesses

I was reading a story about President Eisenhower He was vacationing in Denver, Colorado, and he opened up the paper, and there's a story about a young boy named Paul. Who is fighting cancer? Six-year-old boy. And President Eisenhower said, I'm going to go visit this little Paul Haley.

So he decided to make a surprise visit. On a Sunday morning. Sunday morning, early in the morning, the presidential limousine showed up. Eisenhower, impeccably dressed, gets out of the limousine. He goes to the door, knocks on the door, and Paul Haley's father opens the door.

He's still half asleep. His hair's all over the place. He's got stubble on his face, old blue jeans, an old faded torn t-shirt, and there's the President of the United States right there. And the little boy, Paul, comes up, and President Eisenhower said, Paul, I understand from reading the paper: your life's dream is to meet me. He said, Yes, sir, it is.

He said, Take my hand. And the President of the United States walked him up and down the street. talking to him for a few minutes, and brought him back home. And uh As you can imagine. The neighbors?

The family? We're so excited about that. They talked about it for years afterward. Everybody was excited except for one man. But Daddy.

Paul's father said, I was so embarrassed to greet the President of the United States looking like that. Here's what he said. If I would have known that the president was going to come to my house. I would have been ready to greet him. Let me tell you something.

One day somebody's going to come back, and it's not the President of the United States, it's the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Jesus is coming back. And I want to be ready to meet Jesus. Prepared to meet Jesus. Y'all wonder why I'm so into end-time prophecy and the book of Revelation.

It's because the Bible tells us to be ready. The Bible tells us to be watching. The Bible tells us to be waiting. I don't want to be caught flat-footed. I ought to be ready when my king comes back, don't you?

And so we've been sitting in the life of Elijah. And you can't study Elijah without getting into end times prophecy. And so this week and next week, we'll be talking about the second coming of Jesus Christ. And if you study Elijah, the last days. and the subject of Elijah are inextricably linked.

Um The Bible only talks about Two Bible characters that will make an appearance in the last days. Do you know who those two characters are? Jesus and Elijah. And in fact, Malachi chapter 4, verse 5 says this: Behold, I'm going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.

Now, understand, day of the Lord, that is the most prophesied period of time in the entire Bible. And the day of the Lord is not a 24-hour day period. It's a seven-year period that we call the day of the Lord. And the Bible says that Elijah will come back at that future seven-day tribulation. Elijah is going to make an appearance in the last days.

Even Jews understand this. When Jews have their Passover every year, They have a special place, an empty seat right there at the table with a special glass of wine. And they say, that's Elijah's place. Because this might be the year Elijah shows up. I'd love for him to come to our house.

We know Elijah is going to come in the end times. We're waiting for Elijah. And so I want your turn. If you would, to a 2 Kings chapter 1. 2 Kings chapter 1.

And let me give you the background of this. Ahab has died, King Ahab. His successor is a king named Ahaziah. And he's just as wicked as Ahab. And Elijah had given a bad prophecy to Ahaziah.

He said, Azazia, God's hand is against you because you don't trust God. You trust these false idols. And King Ahaziah is so mad. He said, I'm going to get a captain of 50 soldiers. To go and arrest Elijah.

Bring that troublemaker to me. That's 2 Kings 1. And it says in verse 9, then the king sent to him a captain of 50 with his fifty. And it went up to him. And behold, he, Elijah, was sitting on top of the hill.

And he said to him, Oh, man of God, the king says, You come down. I'm here to arrest you. And Elijah replied to the captain of 50: If I'm a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50. Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

So here's what the king does. He sent another captain of 50 with his 50. And he said to him, Oh man of God, thus says the king, come down quickly. And Elijah said to them, If I'm a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty. Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

Now how would you like to be the third captain? leading his men up here. I want you to see a change in attitude. Look at this.

So he again sent the captain of a third 50 with his 50. And when the third captain of 50 went up, he came and bowed down on his knees before Elijah and begged him and said, Oh, man of God, please let my life and the lives of these 50 servants of yours be precious in your sight. And fire didn't come down that time.

Now I want you to stick a A pin on that grenade, and we're going to look at another passage here. Actually, two passages.

So, I want you to hold tight right there. Remember that passage I just read to you. And then let me give you a very brief overview of where we're headed. Here's the prophetic calendar, okay? If you take the Bible literally, which I do, this is the roadmap.

Now, a lot of y'all take the Bible allegorically, and you, okay, if you don't take the Bible allegorically, this won't make any sense to you. But if you take the Bible literally, here's where we're headed. The Old Testament, you see the cross of Jesus Christ where Jesus died on the cross, that's 2,000 years ago. Do you see church? That's the church age.

That's where we're living right now. We are in this 2,000-year period called the church age. That's where you are. Yeah. And we're going to talk about this next week.

The next event on the prophetic calendar is the rapture of the church, where God takes his people out of the earth home with him before the seven years of tribulation.

Now, I've got people here who argue with me all the time. No, I think we're going to be here during the tribulation. That's fine, but you need to understand this because people say, Well, I don't think we'll be exempt from persecution. Listen to me. I don't think we are.

We're going to be persecuted. The tribulation, that seven years, is not about persecution. That's when God's wrath is poured out on planet Earth. And I don't know what your Bible says, but my Bible says we are not made for God's wrath if we're a born-again believer, okay?

So we'll be out during that seven years of tribulation. At the end of the seven years of tribulation, Jesus comes back to earth, sets up his kingdom for a thousand years, and then ushers in eternity.

Now what I'm about to read to you. In Revelation 11, is future. And it's during these seven years of tribulation.

Okay?

So look at the next slide. The Bible, over and over and over, this isn't the only place the Bible does this. The Bible takes that coming seven years of persecution or a tribulation, and the Bible divides it in two. The first three and a half years is called the beginning of sorrows. Then, halfway in the middle of that seven years of tribulation, three and a half years into it, the Antichrist stands up and says to the whole world, I am God, worship me.

And when that happens, the second three and a half years are ushered in, and that's where hell on earth comes. First three and a half years is, I guess, tolerable. The last three and a half years is incredible.

So what I'm about to talk to you about takes place during the first three and a half years.

Now Uh in uh Luke chapter Nine. Two interesting characters show up. I'm about to talk to you about two witnesses who preached during the first three and a half years. They are some of my favorite Bible characters. Question is, who are these two witnesses?

Now, we don't know who they are. If the Bible thought it was important that we know, the Bible would have told us.

So, we don't know who they are. And you don't want to build a doctrine on this and say, you know, if you don't believe this, you don't believe in the Word of God. This is not one of those doctrines you have to hold to. I am just guessing as to who That the two witnesses are who preach on planet Earth during the first three and a half years. My suspicion tells me it's Moses and Elijah.

Now, some say it's Elijah because Elijah never died, and Enoch, because Enoch never died. It is implied in Revelation 11 when it talks about olive trees and that type thing that these are Jews. Enoch was not a Jew. He was here on earth before Abraham, before the Jewish race came together.

So I think it's Moses and Elijah. And part of the reason why I think Moses and Elijah will be these two witnesses that preach for three and a half years, and what I'm about to read to you. It's found in Luke. Chapter 9, verse 31. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John and goes to the top of this mountain right here.

It's Mount Hermon.

Some of y'all were there a few weeks ago. They go to the top of the mountain. And Jesus is transfigured. One moment he's a blue-collar carpenter. The next moment, he's just radiant light.

He's transfigured. And it says, as Jesus is being transfigured with his glorious light, there are two people there with him. Anyone know who the two people are? Moses? And Elijah.

And it says in Luke 9:31 that they were speaking with Jesus of his departure. which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.

Now, that word departure is different than the Greek word for death. It's a unique word, exodus. They're talking about Jesus' exodus from Jerusalem. and his fulfillment in Jerusalem. We don't know what they're talking about specifically.

But I have a suspicion that this might be a staff meeting between Jesus, Moses, and Elijah discussing what I'm about to read to you right now in Revelation chapter 11.

So turn to Revelation 11, if you would. And in Revelation 11, remember this has not taken place in the past. This is in the future. During the first three and a half years, two witnesses are going to stand up. And what happens with those witnesses?

Well, look, if you would. At verse 3 of Revelation 11. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. Stop right there. How many witnesses?

Two witnesses. Why two? Over and over and over again in the Old Testament, it says a matter must be established in the presence of. Two witnesses. We see that in places like Deuteronomy 19, 15.

Two men Show up at critical moments in Jesus' ministry. There are two men. with Jesus on the top of Mount of Transfiguration. In Luke chapter 24, when Jesus is raised from the dead, there are Two men dressed in white. In Acts chapter 1, verse 10, when Jesus is ascended into heaven, there are Two men dressed in white.

Could these be the same two men? Could the two men be Moses and Elijah? We don't know, but it's interesting. Two men all over Jesus' ministry. And it says that these two men, verse 3, when they're preaching.

For the first three and a half years, they're clothed in sackcloth. Sackcloth is what you wore when you repented.

So, their ministry is a ministry of repentance. It's not a ministry of encouragement. They're not telling everybody, you can do it, trust in Jesus, you can fly with wings like eagles, just believe in yourself, and everything's going to be good. That's not what they're saying. They're saying the God of the universe is about to pour his wrath out on planet Earth.

You need to repent and get right with God. That's their ministry. And um They prophesied for how many days? 1,260. Do you know how many years that is?

Three and a half.

Okay.

Now look at verse four. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. Two olive trees. What does he mean by that? All right, jot this down and read this in your quiet time this week.

Zechariah chapter 4. The Bible is the best interpreter of the Bible. And in Zechariah 4, it talks about two olive trees. And it talks about a lampstand, just like this. And listen to me.

Olive trees Produced olives. Olives produced oil. Oil was a symbol of the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

So, when it talks about two olive trees that witness that stand for God for three and a half years, what it's saying is these two men don't operate by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of the living God. They rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to stand for three and a half years. You with me on that?

So these are spirit. Field men that stand and proclaim repentance for three and a half years. And then verse 5. And if anyone wants to harm them.

Now picture this. They're mouthing off at them. We're going to come kill you. You can't talk like that. We're tired of your narrow-minded fundamentalist religion.

Anyone tries to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies.

So if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed this way. Do you see that? These two men are standing for Jesus. Proclaiming God's coming judgment. And if anybody messes with them, Or mouths off, Adam?

call down fire and consume those guys. Yeah. What I love meeting y'all out in the lobby between services, okay? But if anybody has a bone to pick with me about something I've just preached about or my stance on Israel, they always do it out there in the lobby after I got their preacher. That's the worst time to confront a preacher when you're tired, you're emotionally drained.

And so, but that's when sometimes people will do that. Can I make a confession?

Sometimes I wish I had that power. And then I have to repent. All right, so that's what I have.

So you understand? People are trying to kill him, they're trying to come, and they call down fire for him.

Now, let me ask you something. Where else have you seen somebody have the power to manipulate fire to come against God's enemies? That's Elijah. 1 Kings 18. 2 Kings 1 that I just read to you, that sounds a lot like Elijah, doesn't it?

And it's amazing, verse five is implying nobody can destroy them. Nobody can kill him. Nothing's going to happen to them until God It's through with them. Do you know who else that applies to? You.

You are invincible. You are untouchable. Nothing can kill you. Nothing can take you until God's done with you. And when He's done with you, you don't want to be around here anyway.

He's going to take you home to be with Him. You are untouchable till God's done with you. Y'all know who David Jeremiah is? I love David Jeremiah. He said, I used to fly around all over the United States preaching.

He said, every time I get on an airplane, I get scared. I was terrified of flying. I was really having a problem with that. Until one day, he said, I came across a quote that was so powerful. He said, I wrote it in the front of my Bible, and the quote says, This: God's man.

In the center of God's will. Is immortal until God is through with him. Isn't that great? Ma'am, that's for you. A woman in God's will is immortal.

Nothing can touch you, nothing can destroy you, nothing can kill you, nothing can take you until God's done with you, and then He'll say, Come on home to be with me. And that's what happens with these two witnesses. All right, and then look, verse 6. These two witnesses have the power to shut up the sky.

So that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying. We've already seen the days of their prophesying is three and a half years. They have the ability to say, no rain for three and a half years. Who else had that ability? Elijah.

We see that in James 5, our study in 1 Kings, Elijah said, no rain for three and a half years, and it didn't rain. Interesting. And they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every plague as often as they desire. Let me ask you. Who in the Old Testament had the power to turn water into blood, just like these witnesses?

Moses. Who in the Old Testament struck the land with plagues? Moses. Interesting. Verse 7.

When they have finished their testimony, The beast that comes up out of the abyss, who's that? That is the satanically inhabited Antichrist. We'll come up. Make war with them, overcome them, and kill them, and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which mystically, metaphorically, It's called Sodom in Egypt. Where also their Lord was crucified.

Do you see this? They will be operating in a particular city. and killed by the Antichrist in that particular city. And what city is it? It says the city where their Lord was crucified.

What city was Jesus crucified in? Jerusalem.

So these men operate and are killed in the streets of Jerusalem. And then verse 9, those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. You see this? These two witnesses are now laden dead in the street. And the Antichrist is nobody, nobody touch him.

No, I bury them, let them decompose there in the street. It's very interesting. It says people from all the tribes around the world. We'll see their bodies lying in the streets.

Now how is that? In Jesus' time, how could somebody living in India See the bodies live of two dead people lying in the streets in Jerusalem. In the 1400s, How could somebody living in China see the bodies live of two dead bodies lying in the street? That prophecy could not be fulfilled literally until about 1936 when we had our first live television broadcast. And then, after that, with the advent of 24-7 news and the internet, now literally any person in any tribe around the world can see in real time the bodies of two people lying dead in the streets.

That's a technology statement that could not be fulfilled until relatively recently. And burst in.

So, the two witnesses have been preaching, get ready. The wrath of God is coming, they're dead. And verse 10, and those who dwell on the earth. Will rejoice over them and celebrate. And they'll send gifts to one another because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

This is the only time in the book of Revelation you see people who live on earth, not God's people, the people who dwell on earth. This is the only time you see them rejoicing and celebrating. when these two witnesses are dead. I don't want to keep bringing up this stuff, but That they rejoice. And they send text messages.

and Facebook messages and Instagram messages. There's somebody Who stood for the truth is now dead. Yay, let's celebrate. We caught a glimpse of that about two months ago. When somebody who stood for the truth was slaughtered in real time on national TV and the entire world, the pagans rejoiced.

You're seeing a prophetic picture, I think, of what will happen there in verse 10. But after three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into these two witnesses, and they stood on their feet. And great fear fell upon those who were watching them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, Come up here. And they went up into heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.

I love these two witnesses.

Now who are they? I'm going to say it again. This is not a litmus test as to whether you believe the Bible or not. If it's important for us to know who exactly they were, the Bible would tell us. But again, the reason why, I think it could possibly be Moses and Elijah.

Elijah Didn't die. We'll see that next week in 2 Kings 2. Elijah called down fire from heaven. Just like the two witnesses in the book of Revelation. Elijah prayed and there was no rain for three and a half years, just like the two witnesses in the book of Revelation.

And Elijah's return is prophesied in the final days, and that would make sense for Elijah to show up. The reason it could be Moses, and again, we're not sure. Is Moses turned water into blood just like the two witnesses in Revelation 11? Moses sent plagues on earth, just like the two witnesses in Revelation 11. Interestingly, according to Deuteronomy 34, God personally buried Moses after he died.

Did you know that? Deuteronomy 34 says, God buried Moses where people couldn't find him. God personally did that.

Now, that might not mean a lot. Until you go to Jude 9. And in Jude 9 Michael the Archangel. And Satan are having a fight. Do you know what they're fighting over?

Moses' body.

Now, wait a second, Satan. Why are you fighting with Michael the Archangel over Moses' body? Could it be that Satan's a lot smarter than we realize, and Satan's put two and two together, and he knows God has a plan to raise up Moses' body in the last days and use it? You say, why didn't God just give Moses a new body in the last days and use that? Why would he have to raise up his body?

Because if God did not raise up a new body, you'd have to have a doctrine of reincarnation. Reincarnation is Latin. It means refleshed. God's like, I'm not doing a whole new flesh. I'm going to raise up his body potentially in the last days and use that body.

So here's my point. It could be Moses. There's something going on with Moses' body.

Now, the only thing that mitigates against this being Moses is Hebrews chapter 9, verse 27 says this. Man is destined to die how many times? Once.

Well, if this is Moses, he will have died twice. He would have died in Deuteronomy 34. And then, if he's the second witness, he'll die a second time. It is. It is destined for man to die once, but there are some exceptions.

Generally speaking, that's true. But let me ask you something. How many times did Lazarus die? Twice. That died the first time, and Jesus raised him up, and then later on, when he's an old man, Jesus dies.

How many times did Jairus' daughter Die. Twice. When she was a little girl, and Jesus raised her up, and then later on, when she dies. The widow of Nain, her son, how many times did he die? Twice.

Anytime somebody was raised up in the Old Testament, they ended up dying twice. And so, generally speaking, it is true man is destined to die once, but there are some exceptions. And could Moses be one of those exceptions? We don't know. All right, so let's wrap this up.

If Elijah. is one of those two witnesses. What lessons?

Now, I tell you this all the time. Before I preach this to y'all, I've been preaching this to me, okay? What I'm about to share with you, I've had the Spirit of God has gotten a. Pound away at me. If Elijah is one of these two witnesses, what kind of lessons can we learn from Elijah?

Two lessons. Jot this down. Lesson number one, I'm going to say this: there's something called the Jerusalem syndrome. Have you ever heard of this? It's actually a real psychological disorder.

Every time I take a group to Israel, I warn them of this because I wanted to see it happen. It's a psychological disorder where people from around the world will visit Jerusalem. And they get so overwhelmed by being in Jerusalem and all the sights and sounds. They have a mental break and they think they're Jesus. Or they think they're Elijah.

And literally, people every year have to be institutionalized.

So let me say this: y'all do understand you're not Elijah, right? You do get that. No, I'm serious. It's important for me to know that you know you're not Elijah, okay? Right?

Okay.

But we can learn some lessons from him. First lesson is this. Serving Jesus is not always easy. These two witnesses They are in the center of God's will. And yet verse 10 says, everybody on planet earth hates them.

And everybody wants them dead. If you've heard me say Follow Jesus, everything's gonna be great, no problems, life's gonna be perfect. I apologize. That's not what I tried to communicate to you. You need to understand if you follow Jesus, life will not always be easy.

In fact, there will be times following Jesus is more difficult than not following Jesus. You need to understand that because I think in the American church, we do a disservice where we try to sell Jesus and say, Follow Jesus, and life will be great, and everybody loves you. And when they find out that life isn't great and people don't like it, they're like, I don't want this Jesus thing, and they walk away. I've seen it happen in this church. And I look.

My favorite analogy is Ray Comfort's parachute analogy. You've heard me talk about this before. But if I were to say to you, Hey, you're about to take this flight on an airplane. Put on this parachute. It will make your flight easier.

More comfortable. And everybody on the airplane will think you're the coolest guy in the world. Wear the parachute. Oh, okay. Pastor sit out in the chat, I'll do it.

You put on the parachute, you get on the airplane, you take off, and you find out this parachute is not making your flight any more comfortable. In fact, it's giving you a crick in your back. It's kind of uncomfortable. And people don't think you're cool. They're pointing at you, laughing at you.

You know what you're gonna do? You're going to take off that parachute and say, forget that. But if you get on the airplane and you take off And a few minutes after you take off, a steward comes to you, the stewardess, and says, I got inside information. that when this plane hits 20,000 feet, it's going to fall apart. It's going to break apart at 20,000 feet.

Sir, wear this parachute. Because when it breaks apart, this is your only hope. You think you'll wear that parachute? Absolutely. If I say to you, follow Jesus because life will be easy and perfect and everybody like you, you're going to take the parachute off.

But if I tell you, on the authority of the Word of God, one day this place is going to break apart. One day judgment is coming. One day you're going to stand before God and your only hope is this parachute named Jesus Christ. You don't care if people laugh at you, you don't care how uncomfortable it is, you're going to cling to Jesus Christ. And so the two witnesses teach us that if you follow Jesus, it won't always be easy.

Second lesson we learn from the two witnesses, in particular Elijah, if this is Elijah. Like, now listen to me here. Like Elijah. God has given the church. That's you.

A prophetic voice. Acts 2:17 says, In the last days, Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Joel 2.28 says. In the last days. The sons and daughters of God will prophesy.

Let me ask you something. Y'all think we might be living in the last days? You a child of God? Then he's called you to prophesy.

Now, what do I mean by prophesy? Predict the future? That's a small part of prophecy. It doesn't always mean that. If you look at the Greek word for prophecy, can I do what prophecy literally means in the Greek?

Here's what it means. to speak out. That's it. To stand for the truth. To boldly proclaim the truth of God, the truth of Jesus, to stand on the truth.

Prophesy means you and I don't compromise, we speak out through the power of the Holy Spirit. Every one of you, this isn't just my job. You don't pay me to do your speaking out for you. You pay me to motivate you to speak out at your work, at your school, in your family. You speak out.

That's what it means to prophesy. Are you willing on that?

Now, here's how we let me give you some lessons on how to prophesy from Elijah. Number one, We speak out. But we do it peacefully. Peacefully. Cause they're getting back to me.

I'm not mad, but I'm I'm going to gently correct you. It's gotten back to me that some of y'all are being kind of mean and yelling at people and being kind of a jerk. And you're saying, well, Pastor Chad tells us we need to be more like Elijah. That's why I'm acting like this.

Okay?

You're not Elijah. And in fact, in Luke chapter 9. Jesus and his disciples. Want to go spend the night in a little Samaritan village.

So the disciples said to the Samaritans, Can we stay here tonight? And they said, No, you can't come to this village. And James and John get mad. They're like, we're Jews, we're God's chosen people, we got the Messiah with us, you Samaritans are outcasts, and you tell me we can't stay in this village, and they say, That's exactly right. And you remember what they say to Jesus.

They said, Jesus. Do you want us to call fire down from heaven? You know what they're saying? Jesus, do you want us to go all Elijah on these people? And there's a textual variant here, but most translations say that Jesus rebuked them and said something like this.

That's not my ministry. That was Elijah's ministry. Our ministry is not to destroy life, but to save life.

So when I say being Elijah, I mean, you call down fire from heaven to incinerate your enemies. In fact, I want you to see this, 2 Timothy 2.24. 2 Timothy 2:24 says this: A servant of the Lord. How many servants of the Lord do we have in this place today? A servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but must be kind to Everybody.

So y'all speak prophetically, but you do it peacefully. Secondly, We must speak prophetically, but we do it in purity. James chapter 5, verse 16 says this: The effective prayer of a righteous man. Can't accomplish much. Verse 16.

And then in verse 17, he goes right into the story of Elijah. Implication: Elijah stood boldly and strongly and accomplished much because he was a righteous man.

Now that doesn't mean we're perfect, that doesn't mean we don't make mistakes, but here's the thing. You're going to speak prophetically in this generation, even though sometimes we mess up. Even though we fall down, we're still trying to walk close and clean in moral purity through the power of the Holy Spirit. You can't live like hell and speak prophetically to this world. Your lifestyle has negated your prophetic message.

You with me on end? About a third of you are clapping. The rest of you are either under convicts or ready to go home. I saw that. I'm not trying to fat shame anybody, okay?

But I saw a couple about two or three years ago, they're talking about the Minister of Health. in this European country, she's overhilled for that country. And I saw her picture. I'm being generous when I said she's probably 200 pounds overweight. She was totally unhealthy.

And yet she's the Minister of Health for this country. The Charlie Kirk thing. There's a Somebody that worked in a major university that gloated and laughed, and she was overhealth at this major university. You look at her picture, she's very unhealthy. She looks bad.

Last administration. We had a leader over the health and human services who was a man. But thought he might be a woman.

So he dressed like a woman. was overweight. and lectured us on mental health and keeping in shape.

Now, I'm not again, I'm trying to shame anybody. Here's what I'm trying to say. We resent when people lecture us and they're not living by their own advice. And the world resents us when we talk about living differently and holy and being pure people, and yet we're living like hell just like everybody else. And so, if we're gonna have a prophetic voice, our lifestyle's gotta back that up.

Make sense? All right.

So we speak prophetically. Um we speak it peacefully. We speak it with purity. And then, number three, jot this down. If we're gonna speak prophetically, we must do it powerfully.

Go back to Revelation 11:4. These two witnesses are called two olive trees. I'm going to say it again, the implication on that. Olive trees produce olive. Olives produce olive oil, and olive oil is a beautiful picture of the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

What Revelation 11 is saying is These two men don't stand in their own strength. They stand on the strength of the Holy Spirit. The whole world! It's against two men. Those aren't good odds.

How do they stand strong? Verse 4. They had the power of the Holy Spirit. I gotta wrap this thing up, but you need to listen to me. I love you, but you and I, we're not that good.

In these last days, you think you can walk in purity and stand strong and be bold through your own power. It doesn't work that way. In fact, Acts chapter 10, Peter is describing to some Gentiles how Jesus was able to stand against Satan. And do what he did. And he said he did it.

Because he was anointed with the Holy Spirit. Let me ask you something. The two witnesses have got to have the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had to have the anointing of the Spirit, but you can stand for Jesus in these last days, and you don't need the Holy Spirit. No, if Jesus needed him, you need him.

And I'm gonna tell you something. When you get filled with the Holy Spirit. Boldness rises up. and you speak boldly and without compromise. Here we go, Tad.

That's the old assemblies of God in you coming back out. This has nothing to do with the assemblies of God or Pentecostalism. This is the Bible right here. Let me read some stuff to you. Acts 1:8, you receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you're going to stand up and be my bold witnesses.

Acts 4:8, Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and he spoke the word boldly. Acts 4:31, the church was filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke the word of God boldly. Acts chapter 13, verse 9: Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit and he spoke boldly. Are you starting to see a pattern here? You get filled with the Spirit.

I don't care if the whole world is against you. You are bold and uncompromising, but you think you can do it through your own power? You're fair game. Enemy's going to eat your lunch. You got to have the power of the Holy Spirit.

I close with this. I was in Israel a couple weeks ago. And um I pray for y'all. There's one moment that sticks out in my mind when I prayed for me and this whole church. I was, I'll tell you where I was sitting.

Look at this picture. Y'all see that gold dome right there? That's the dome of the rock. That's where the temple was during the time of Jesus. It's not there now, but that's where the temple was.

That mountain on the other side is the Mount of Olives. I was sitting directly across from the dome of the rock where the temple was. On the Mount of Olives. And I prayed for me. And I pray for you.

And I thought, you know, Lord, I haven't had my... My Bible reading in the last couple days. I'm behind.

So I open my Bible. to the Bible reading for that day. As I was standing or sitting, Directly across on the Mount of Olives from where the temple stood. You ain't going to believe this. Here's my Bible reading for that day.

Mark 13, 3. As he, Jesus, was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple. Yeah. Peter and John and Andrew. were questioning him privately.

Tell us when will these things be and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled. And Jesus tells them about the end times, how tough it's going to be in the end times. And then he says this in verse 11: but when they arrest you and hand you over, don't worry beforehand about what you're going to say, but say whatever is given to you at that hour, because it's not going to be you speaking, but the Holy Spirit speaking through you.

Now I'm not into stats But tell me statistically. What are the chances I was sitting on the Mount of Olives? A man from North Carolina. Sitting on the Mount of Olives. Across from the temple.

And my Bible reading for that day is as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives across from the temple. And I've been trying to piece this together for the last couple weeks. Lord, what are you trying to tell me? And it hit me. I think what the Lord is trying to say is.

Chad, your church? Must be filled with the Holy Spirit. Your church has got to operate by the power of the Holy Spirit. That's exactly what he's saying in verse 11. Days going to come you may Be called in by HR.

Because you're a Christian. in a non-Christian business. Day may come We are brought in to the chairman of the department. and tenure is revoked because you're a Christian. They may come.

I'm not being facetious. In your lifetime. The police officers come to the food court at the mall and say, Can you put your hands behind your back? We just saw you praying in public, and you're violating the conscience of everybody here. You're going to be arrested.

When that day comes, what are you going to do? Jesus said, if you are a spirit-filled Christian, according to verse 11, when that day comes, you open your mouth and you'll start speaking, and the Holy Spirit's going to start speaking through you. He's going to do things through you you didn't think possible because it's not by might, it's not by power, but it's by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

Now here's what I want us to do today. If there's anybody in this place like me, you're tired, you're weak, you're kind of running low on energy. Maybe there's a young man here today, you're tired of trying to stand in purity through your own power. It is a homeschooled mama. The kids are driving you crazy.

I don't think I can do this. There's a man that says, I'm getting shot at from all directions at work because I just don't compromise, and I'm tired, and I need a fresh infusion of the power of the Holy Spirit. If that's you, could we stand up if you need a fresh infusion of the Holy Spirit right now? And you say, Jared, what magical things do I have to do to get a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit? Just no magical thing.

See what Jesus said. Jesus, here's what he said. How much more will the Father give the Spirit to them that? Ask. Listen to me, if you're running empty in your car.

And you say, I don't have time to get refueled, so I'm gonna drive around the gas pumps. And every time I drive by, just kind of try to squirt some gas into my gas tank. It doesn't work that way. You gotta stop, slow down, and get refueled.

Some of y'all running on empty. You need to stop for a few moments, slow down. Raise your hands and raise your voices and cry out to the Father for the Holy Spirit. And would you listen to me? Acts 2:11 and other places, there's a connection between praising God, praising Jesus.

and receiving this infilling of the Spirit. That's how I got filled with the Spirit. I was praising Jesus. And suddenly, my voice, my English, was not sufficient. I began to praise Jesus in a different language, but it was through prayer and praise that I received this encounter with the Holy Spirit.

So if you're born again, You tired? You're weary? I don't care if you've been Pentecostal for five years. We are all leaky vessels. We get filled up and then we leak out.

We need a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit. Here's what we're going to do: we're going to sing to Jesus for a few minutes. And then we're going to lift our voices and we're going to cry out to God for a fresh infilling of the Spirit of the living God. Y'all with me on this? Lift your hands, lift your voices, and let's praise the name of Jesus right now.

That's the power of your name. Just dimension makes a way. Try and small and strongholds great. And Aries healing. That's the power that I claim.

It's the same as rolled the grave. There's no power like the mighty name of Jesus. There's no power like the mighty name of Jesus. And I see you taking crown. I see you press ahead.

Your power is dangerous to the enemy's hand. Yes, you still do miracles. You will do what you said for you. You're the same God as you always fade. Your spirit breaking out, your kingdom moving in.

Your victory claims the crown that the enemy has to do. You still do fear and goes, you will do what you say. For you're the same God, as you always fade. That's the power of your name. Just a message makes away.

Giants fall and strongholds great. There is healing. That's the power that I claim. It's the same God all the grave. There's no power like the mighty name of Jesus.

Lift your hands. Lift your voices. He is in this place right now. The Holy Spirit of the living God is in this place right now. I want you to simply ask the Father, Father.

Give me a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit. This comes from the mouth of Jesus, not Chad. How much more will the Father give the Spirit to those who simply ask right now? This is not an Episcopalian church. We are a Pentecostal church.

So I want you to open your mouth and lift your voices and say, Father, in the name of Jesus, fill me the Holy Spirit, oh God. I need a fresh infilling of your spirit right now, oh God. I can't stand in my own strength anymore, oh God. I need the power of your Holy Spirit. Father, I'm tired of trying to live pure on my own.

I need the power of the Holy Spirit. God, give me your Holy Spirit right now. Lift your hands, lift your voices, cry out to God. And as God begins to give you wave after wave of the Holy Spirit, just start praising Him right now. I'm not sure if I can do it.

Yes. Right now, here he is. Just wave after wave of the Holy Spirit, right? Just receive him. Don't...

Don't fight this, just receive this right now. It's a gift. Oh no, but. Jesus. Jesus.

Jesus Oh yes. Right now, just receive ye the Holy Spirit. It'sn't weird, ain't crazy, it's just beautiful. Just receive Him right now. Receive ye the Holy Spirit right now.

As you begin to sense his presence, just lift up the name of Jesus. Start praising Jesus. The Bible says, When the Spirit comes, He'll point people to Jesus. As the Spirit comes and refills you, let Him point you to Jesus. Praise the name of Jesus.

Lift up the name of Jesus. Hold on, I'm a Son. Jesus Jesus I'm not bashing the other services. This is the second week in a row off since. And I said this, I sense the presence of God in a special way in this service.

I've not sensed He's right here. Yeah. It's like a breath. He's like a breath. He's like a dove.

Just receive him right now. Let him make you a warrior right now, a giant killer right now. A demon killer, right now. You're being filled with the Holy Spirit right now. Just receive Him.

Don't find Him, receive Him right now. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. What God told me was not an accident or a coincidence.

At the same spot where Jesus said, the day's going to come when it's challenging and difficulty. Don't worry about it. The Holy Spirit's going to speak through you. Jesus gave me that same word for y'all here today, 2,000 years later. It's going to get challenging.

Demons are going to come at you, giants are going to come at you, circumstances are going to come at you. Don't worry. It's the Holy Spirit who's going to be operating in you, not your own power. Let's linger just a second more. Just a second more.

To be a warrior. You must have the spirit of a warrior. That Holy Spirit is a spirit Of a gentle dove, but it's also a warrior that stands against darkness, wickedness, the encroaching. perversion that's coming across our land. That spirit of a warrior makes you stand strong against this mess, which is why I say to you every single week.

Otto wrote the old ahead. He emerged. I don't know. And a haircut? Behold a share tele.

Which is Hebrew for cross-assembly. Be bold. Be strong. Do not be afraid. And do not be terrified.

Why? Because the Spirit of the Lord of hosts is going to be with you everywhere you go this week. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen and amen. God bless you, beloved.

Go change this world for Jesus Christ. How do you think?