In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the seriousness of the current times and the need for the congregation to take God seriously. He highlights the signs of the end times that are evident in the headlines and news broadcasts. The preacher warns against playing games and not giving God the reverence He deserves. He also discusses the devil's plan to gain control of God's creation by infiltrating the congregation, referencing the story of the serpent in Genesis.

It's so good to be back tonight. Amen, and the service, and appreciate all the visitors. Now, we're going to be here through Wednesday night, and I believe the Lord's going to do something, don't you? How many is hungry for God to do something? I appreciate Brother Jim opening this door and letting us share with you only what God has shared with us. See, preachers are nothing but messenger boys. We have no right to change the message. Our job is to get it from God and bring it, and don't worry about it. You know, I used to walk in the pulpit, and you know, and God be giving me something, I'd go over, I wonder if this one's going to receive it, and I wonder if this one's going to like it, and I wonder if this one's what they're going to do with it, but I don't do that no more. I walked up here tonight, and on the way up here, I asked myself, is the message you got tonight truth? And I'm going to preach it on these grounds alone, it's the truth. And the only thing that will make men free is the truth. How many believe the only thing that will make men free is the truth? So, and I want to say this. Now, the Lord showed me something about this church, I'm not going to tell you tonight, but if the Lord will let me, I'm going to tell you before I leave. If the Lord showed me something about this church, forever knew I was coming. I did not know I was coming. Revival's not planned. The pastor had not called, I did not know I was coming. My plans were in other directions. But I saw something about this church. And the very thing I saw, I saw it here this morning. And God's going to do something about it. How many believe the Lord's on the move tonight, and ain't nobody going to stop God's hand? God's on the move, and nobody's going to stop God's hand. I want you to turn with me tonight to Isaiah. Now, you don't have a clock, so I don't know when to quit. I'm going to just quit until I get through. I'm going to do that anyway if you did have a clock. But anyway, let's turn to Isaiah chapter 43, and let's start reading at verse 5. Isaiah chapter 43 and verse 5. And first of all, I want to ask who all brought their Bible tonight. Let me see your hands. Okay. Let them down. Who all didn't bring their Bible? Raise them real high. Real high. Now, all y'all turn around and look at them. I want you to bring your Bible, because you can't take the preacher's word for it. The Bible said in the book of Acts, they searched the Scriptures daily to see if those things were true. How many of you believe you ought to bring your Bible to church? See where the preacher's reading from. See what he's preaching from. You know, for years, Pentecostal people, and I run into Pentecostal folks, they've been in church 40, 50 years, don't know what's in the book. You know why? They never read the Bible. They never take it to church. All they know is what their preacher said. But we and I, you need to know what the Lord's saying. Amen. So you bring your Bible. We're going to be jumping around tonight, and I want you to keep your Bible handy, because I want to show you some things in the Word of God, because I've got to show you these things to back up what I'm going to say, because I'm going to say some tough stuff tonight, okay? How many likes that tough stuff? Now, I'm rude and crude. I'm like Paul. Rude and crude. Just plain. The word, really, rude in speech means plain. I'm just a plain, old country boy that God's called to preach, and I don't know no other way to be. Don't put on no airs. Just say it like it is. Let's read. Isaiah 43 and 5. Fear not, for I am with thee. I will bring thy seed from the east and gather thee from the west. I will say to the north, give up to the south, keep not back. Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth. Verse 7 is really where I'm going. Even everyone that is called by my name. For I have created him for my glory. I have formed him, yea, I have made him. Let's look at verse 12. I have declared and have saved and have showed when there was no strange God among you. Therefore you are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God. Let's look at verse 21. This people have I formed for myself. They shall show forth my praise. Then I want you to turn to Malachi chapter 3 and verse 6. Malachi chapter 3 and verse 6. If I am the Lord, I change not. If I am the Lord and I change not. Now, we're living in a time that the winds of change are blowing. You might as well get ready. The winds of change are blowing. Some of the change is good and some of it is bad. Now, the reason I read Malachi 3 and 6, God does never change. But see what folks get confused is they say, Oh, we're not supposed to change because God don't ever change. God don't need changing. We're the ones that need changing. Whatever he is to a God made like unto man. See, the Bible said in Genesis that in the beginning God created man. I don't know whether you know this or not, but the Bible teaches us in the end time that man will create God. So we're in the day that the winds of change are blowing. Now, the other changes taking place is God is going to change us. How many believe we need some changes tonight? We don't need to make them. We need to let God do the making. Amen. God is going to do some changing. Now, God has not changed His mind. In both the creation and in redemption, God had the same thing in mind. Now, I want you to remember this. I don't know if you've ever heard this statement or not, but this is original from the Lord. All of the seeds of truth and error are planted and sown in the book of Genesis. All the seeds of truth and error are planted in the book of Genesis. All the rest of the Bible is just the coming up of those seeds, and all the scriptures concerning the end time is the coming forth of the fullness of the harvest of those seeds. Okay? Don't forget that. All the seeds of truth and error are found in the book of Genesis. Now, when God made a man, the Bible tells us, you've heard the story of the creation many, many times, I'm sure. But when God made a man, the Bible tells us in Psalms, I believe it's 19 and 1, that the heavens declare God's glory. Is that true? The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmaments proclaim His handiwork. Look, without any man to express God, without any preacher, all you've got to do is walk up and look into the heavens, and brother, those heavens declare there's a God somewhere. You get up in the morning, that sun rises without anybody getting up and telling it to come up. Brother, there's a testimony to man, there's a God somewhere. And the Bible says the heavens declare His glory. And in the first five days of creation, when God made all the things that He made, everything that He made, He was expressing Himself. Everything that God made in the first five days, He was expressing Himself. But in the sixth day when God made us, made man, there was not any change in the sense, but all the things that God had made up until this particular time, you can't say it was not good because it was good, because God said it was good. But yet there was evidently something lacking because God said, let us make man, let us make man in our own image and in our own likeness. And when He made that man, He made him for the purpose of becoming the vehicle of expression that he could express himself through that man. His character, his nature, his everything. That man, we tonight, was made in the creation now. We were made for the sole purpose to become the expression of God, or God would express Himself through us. Now, I want to show you something. You know, there's a lot of ways and a lot of our thinking that God's going to have to deal with. I want to ask you tonight if you really know what constitutes a church. Did you know Jesus told us, He said, where two or three are gathered in my name, I'll be in the midst. That constitutes a church. I don't know if you ever noticed this or not, but the first church was Adam and Eve and God. They were there, and God came down in the cool of the day, and they had service together. That was the first church. Somebody said that was the first family. It was the first church, too. That was the congregation. Adam and Eve and God. Two or three, see? Jesus followed that same pattern. Where two or three are gathered in my name, and that word name means character. See, it's not gathering, just gathering that counts. It's how you gather that counts. It's the character you gather in that counts. Amen? Paul said in one place, you gather for the worse. I've gathered in churches before I was worse off when I left than I was when I got there. Is that true? So it's not just gathering that counts. It's the character you gather in or the way you gather, praise God. It's like the pastor's already read. They gather, they eat, and then they rose up to play. Amen? So the first church constituted there, made there, was God and man of Adam and Eve, and then God came there in that congregation. But God made that man for the sole purpose of becoming a vehicle of expression. Now, I want you to turn with me to the fourteenth chapter of the book of Isaiah. Fourteenth chapter of the book of Isaiah. Now, when God made that man, put him in that garden and put him over the works of all of his hands to express himself through, to have somebody, you know, to fellowship with and somebody to meet with as a congregation and express himself through, I want you to know there was something else going on. There's something else going on. There's an enemy. There's another God that had something going on. Let's read in Isaiah chapter fourteen and verse twelve. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning? How art thou cut down to the ground which did weaken the nations? For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I want you to notice this. I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north. Did y'all hear that? Here's Satan now. For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into the heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the Most High. Now, we know that that first thing didn't work. We know that the devil tried it and it didn't work. He got cast out. Is that true? Literally one day, iniquity was found in his heart. He tried to ascend above the very Godhead and take over the throne room of God and become God. Amen. Take this thing over. Well, that didn't work. But I seen something one day, even though that didn't work, he didn't quit. He was cast out to the earth, the Bible tells us, but there was still something else in mind. So he said his plan was, I can't get to God. I can't overthrow God. I can't take control of God. I can't take control of heaven. I've got cast out of heaven, but I've got something else in mind. I've got to get into that congregation. I can't control heaven and I can't be God. But if I can get in that congregation, I can control the earth. I'm going to get in that congregation. Now, I want you to turn with me to Psalms. Oh, Lord, help me. Pray for me, Pastor. I want you to turn with me to Psalms 48. I want to lay this thing tight tonight where you can't do nothing with it, but accept it. Now, throw your Bible in the garbage can. Psalms 48 and 1. Everybody got it? Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised. This is a chorus we sing sometimes. You may sing it around here. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness. Beautiful for situation. The joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. Now, where did the devil say he wanted to get? In that congregation in the sides of the north. Beautiful for situation. The joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. Now, Satan got cast out of heaven. God booted him out. But his next move was, I've got to get into that congregation. And I've got to take control of God's creation. That's in the book of Genesis. You've heard the stories. You've been to church. You've heard it all your life. How did the devil came that day? Begin to speak through that serpent. I don't know. Nobody really knows the original posture of this serpent. Some folks believe that he was upright creature like a man. Because a serpent has the rib cage just like a man. I don't know. But I do know that the devil got into that serpent. And through that serpent began to use him. And got into Adam and Eve. And began to talk to them. Is that right? How many has read that in the Word of God? This was what he was after. He wanted to get into that congregation. I can't control heaven. I can't take God over. I can't take heaven over. I done been kicked out. But now, I'm going to get God's creation. I'm going to get the earth. I'm going to become the God of this world. I'm going to become the God of this earth. I'm going to control God's creation. So he moved. And sure enough, through that serpent, he was able to convince that first church. The first church listened to him. He got in, didn't he? He got in. Now, what was he looking for? What was the devil looking for? He was also looking for a vehicle of expression. He wanted to be God. He wanted to express what he was. Okay, when he got in there, now to control that man, to control the earth, he had to control the man because God had already given the earth to him. Give him control of all of his creation, the Bible says. Is that right? Give him control of all the creation. To control the earth, he had to control that man. And to control that man, he had to get into that man. And this is exactly what he done. When Adam and Eve sinned, they failed. And in the fall, Satan produced him a vehicle of expression. When that man walked out of that garden and God drove him from the garden of Eden, he retained. No, nothing about that fallen man has any resemblance of God. He has no image of God left. He's a fallen creature from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. He's got to be remade and redone over from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. There's nothing about him made in the image of God anymore. He lost the image of God. And in the fall, he became Satan's vehicle of expression. And through that man, as I said, as he walked out of that garden, he began to walk away from God and driven from God's presence. He began to express. He began to express not the image of God, not the character of God, not the personality of God. Ain't nothing about God. He began and became a vehicle of expression, the very thing that the devil was after. He wanted to get into that congregation that he could do his dirty work. Amen? Now, this church has no right to exist except this church becomes a vehicle of expression of the Lord Jesus Christ. When this church, or any church, the church down the street, up the street, or across the street, ceases to be a vehicle of expression, God will take his hands off of it. Because from the time that God made that first man, and he fell and became a vehicle of expression to express the character, the nature, the personality, and all the attributes of the powers of darkness, everything that God built. You know, when the Bible says, God made a man, it really says God built a man. Down in Mississippi, they still use that word. If they don't make cakes, they build cakes. They don't make pies, they build pies. They don't make candy, they build candy. Strange, but they do it. But God really built that man. He put him together as a vehicle of expression, and when he fell, then everything that God put together, whether it was a man, whether it was Moses' Old Testament tabernacle, Solomon's temple, David's tent, it doesn't matter whether it's the post-captivity people as they come out to build their tabernacle, or build that tabernacle, everything that God built, from the creation of man all the way through God's Word, is for one purpose, and one purpose only, is that building would become a vehicle of expression that God could express himself. How many believe the Lord wants to express himself? He wants to make himself known. Eighty-one times, eighty-one times in Ezekiel's prophecy, the Lord said that I might make myself known. I want to reveal myself. I want to make myself known. I want men to know me. I want to come out from behind the veil. I want to express myself, but I've got to have a vehicle of expression. And every time God built Moses' tabernacle, God gave instructions, Moses built it, but when he got it built like God said built, it became a vehicle that God came down and got in it and began to express himself. He didn't do it to the whole congregation as far as the glory was concerned, because the Old Testament order was nobody went in but the priest and the high priest. But it became a vehicle, and everything about that Old Testament tabernacle was an expression of the Lord. Everything that God's ever put together, He was looking for the same thing that He wants in the creation, and that is a vehicle that He could express His character, His nature, His glory, His power, His love, His peace. Everything that God is, He wants us to have it, and He wants us to know it. Hallelujah. Is that true? Now, let's go to the redemption of God. He didn't change His mind. You know, a lot of folks think from Malachi to Matthew, God changed His mind. He didn't change His mind. He just brought this thing to pass that He had prophesied in the book of Genesis. The seed of the woman is going to bruise the head of the serpent. Christ Jesus was the fulfillment of that prophecy. He was the beginning of the second Adam. Amen. To be a vehicle of expression. That's why when He walked this earth, brother and sister, the Bible said in Hebrews 1, God who is a hundred times in endowments manners spake unto us by the prophets, but hath in these last days spoken to us not by His Son, but in His Son. Jesus Christ was a manifestation of the character, the nature, the power, the love, the peace, the long-suffering of God Almighty. John said in John's gospel, John 1 in 1, in the beginning was the Word. That Word there is the logos. In the beginning was the logos of God. The thought of God. The concept of God. The mind of God. The will of God. Everything that God was, was in the Word. The Word was made flesh. Dwelt among us. Walked among men. We beheld His glory as the only begotten Son of the Father. Full of grace and truth. He manifested everything He done. He said it's not me. It's my Father. It's not my works. It's my Father's. It's not my doctrine. It's my Father's. It's not my miracles. They're my Father's. My Father. My Father. I'm not all alone, but He that sent me is with me. He walked this earth, demonstrated, manifested, and revealed God to us. Can you say amen? As a vehicle of expression. But then, before He left this earth, He done something else. He brought God's great plan of redemption into power, into focus, or whatever. He brought that thing through Calvary and through the shedding of His blood. He fixed this thing. Praise God. Where God once again, through redemption, just like He did in creation, He could once again make Himself a vehicle of expression. Now, you know, a lot of people miss this part of the ministry of Jesus. All they ever see is the miracles, the loaves, the fishes, the sea walking, the storm coming. That's all they ever see. But I want you to know, there's something far more important than these miracles He was doing. Brother, He was handpicking some men that would become His vehicle of expression. Now, to the sick, the down, the out, the bound, the oppressed, the devil, the ones the devil had took over, He had words of love and compassion. How many of you believe He said that? He was a soft-spoken man. Amen. And said, come out of Him, devil. Amen. He set the captive free. But as He began to raise up that vehicle of expression, when He began to deal with those twelve apostles and those twelve disciples, He spoke not a word of softness. When He dealt with men on the level and with the thing in mind of bringing forth a church and bringing forth a vehicle that He could once again express Himself through, He was like an army commander. He spoke words, hallelujah. There were words, amen, that was going to bring forth a people, amen, that one day that God would fill with His glory, that God could reveal Himself on this earth one more time. Is that true? You know, we've made Jesus something He's not. He talks hard to me. Sometimes He gets downright mean. But He ain't near as bad as them army drill instructors I had. They cussed me and done everything but shoot me. Is that right? So in redemption, as well as in creation, God had something in mind. And that was to bring forth a vehicle of expression. Now, when that early church walked out of that upper room, that's exactly what they were. They was God's vehicle. Only one twenty, is that right? Isn't it amazing that only one twenty was in that church? When the Lord, the Bible said, all the things that He had done, if the books were written, the world itself wouldn't contain the books. Isn't it strange that only one hundred and twenty was in the church? Boy, that don't... Now, brother and sister, you've got to settle this thing once and for all. Young folks, you've got to just go ahead and settle it. You're put on this earth for one purpose and one purpose only. And that's to glorify the God that made you. There's nobody here tonight saved just to go to heaven. If God just saved you to go to heaven, He'd have shot you. He wouldn't have left you down here in the claws of the powers of darkness for the devil to hassle and harass. If the Lord only saved you to go to heaven, oh, I don't want to go to hell, brother Lowe. Ah, you know, I'm going to serve God because I don't want to go to hell. God didn't just save you to take you to heaven. Let me say again, if He hadn't shot you, He'd let somebody else shoot you. What'd He save you for? Isaiah 43 says, I have created Him for my glory. These people shall show forth my praises. Now, God, once again, once again, is beginning to raise up again, one more time, a vehicle of expression. God's going to make Himself known one more time. How many of you believe mine and your kids? We owe it to our kids to let God be God one more time. Amen. And one more time, God is beginning now, only in the beginning, is God beginning, brother Jim, to raise up once again, a vehicle of expression. Now, let's go back to the book of Genesis. The same devil that moved to stop that first vehicle of expression by getting in that congregation, that same devil, he hadn't gotten any new tricks, folks. Somebody said he used a new trick on me. Oh, he don't have any new ones. The old ones are still working. Why switch to a new one when you'd pulled one that's 6,000 years old out of the bag and it'll work in 1986 just like it would back there. That same devil, that same spirit, the same old trick, he's pulling it again. As God begins to bring forth and restructure and remake and call out and purge and do all that he's having to do and all that he will do, that same devil has screamed again, I've got to stop that vehicle of expression. And the only way he can do it, he's got to get into the congregation. Mmm. I've got to get in there. Can't do it from the outside, I've got to get inside. So he works his way in to the congregation. Now, how does he do it? If the devil's in this church right now, he either wore a dress in or a suit of clothes. And he's wearing some pretty fine suits today. You know why? He made him a vehicle of expression. When man fell, he became the devil's tool. Did you know, it might be strange for you to realize this, but did you know, nowhere in God's Word does the Word of God catalog the works of the devil? Galatians 5 catalogs the works of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit. Now you find it, show me it's not in there. Nowhere in God's Word does the Word of God catalog, you know, the works of the devil. You know why? The works of the devil is the flesh. I mean, he don't have to come. Just send the flesh. Amen? I mean, why should he come when he's in his vehicle? You ever notice in the book of John, where John said Jesus was manifested to destroy the works of the devil? What are the works of the devil? What did the devil do? In the beginning he created him a child. I don't mean through intercourse. I mean when that man fell, he became a pawn in the hands of the enemy. He became Satan's vehicle. He began to express the character, the nature, the works, the attributes of the powers of darkness. And you read the cataloging in Galatians 5 of the works of the flesh, and you'll see the manifestation of the enemy. So to get in that congregation, he had him a vehicle. And brother, he has to have a vehicle. See, when he got in there with Adam and Eve, he had to have a vehicle. Who was it? It was a serpent. But to get into the congregation now, he don't have to use a serpent. He uses a human being. Is that true? And today as God begins to move, and as God begins to come out of His place to get us ready for the coming of the Lord, and to get us ready to shine a bright light in this day of darkness, as God begins to change and God begins to purge, once again the devil has made his move to stop the vehicle of expression. But he's not going to do it because God's going to reveal where he's seated, where he's at, what he's up to, what he's doing. And God's going to do something about the powers of darkness. Hallelujah. Amen. So he comes in. Now you listen. Oh, we're fixing to get rough now. To control a man. It's a proven fact. You know why I can't play this piano? Nothing wrong with my fingers. My mind won't tune up with my fingers. To control a man, you've got to control his mind. Karl Marx said this hundreds of years, not hundreds, but years ago, Karl Marx said, if I can control the thinking of a society, I'll control that society. I've got to control his mind. I've got to get a hold of his mind. Amen? And for the enemy to control that man, that vehicle of expression, he had to get into his mind. He had to change his thinking. He had to control his thinking, not just change it. He had to control his thinking. He had to get him to think in another channel. And brother, that's all he's got to do is get you thinking in his channel, and he'll make you become his pawn. He'll make you become his vehicle. If he can get you thinking in his channel, he'll control you. That's what the Bible said in 2 Corinthians 10, I believe it's verse 4, somewhere right in there, that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they are mighty through God through the pulling down of what? Strongholds. What are the strongholds? Where are the strongholds? They're in the mind. They're casting down imaginations. Is that true? Bringing into captivity what? Every thought. Bringing down everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. Now here's what Satan does. Here's what he does. I've seen it over and over and over. My Lord, my Lord, my Lord. I've seen it in the Old Testament. God had ordained Moses an Arab as His priest, His go-between. But one day, Satan found him a vehicle and he put a thought in his mind. He said, you know, I've got just as much right to be God's high priest as Moses has. So I'm going to get me a censure and I'm going into the presence of the Lord and I'm going to do just like Moses. He ain't the only one around here that knows the Lord. So Satan planted that seed in that thought in that man's mind. This man I'm talking about happens to be Korah. Come to Moses one day and said, I want you to know I know just as much about God as you do. I have just as much right to be where you are as you do. But the problem with him, he didn't. Because God didn't put him there. Satan had got in there. And he exalted himself above the knowledge of God. He literally said, God don't know what he's talking about by just saying Moses and Aaron is the high priest. I will be just like they are. I have just as much right to minister in that tabernacle as they do. Amen. I'm going to move in. I'm going to do just like they did. He exalted himself above the knowledge of God. And what happened was, now the end result of that was, it brought a great confusion into the congregation. Read it. Because when he proclaimed that he had the right, I'll go in just like Moses and Aaron does, then the people went into a state of confusion. Who is God's vessel? Who is God's vehicle? Who has God ordained? Who has God put up for us? Who is to go in for us? Who is our spokesman? Who is God talking to? Confusion hit the congregation. Boy, y'all are quiet tonight. So the people were in a state of confusion. So that brought on something else. God had to do something. He couldn't leave the people in a state of confusion. They didn't know who the priest was. Moses said, I am. Aaron said, We are. Here's Corin and his company. They said, Oh no, we are too. We've got just as much right as you have. And it brought confusion in the camp. So one day the Lord said, Moses, I'm going to have to do something. Here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to mark my man. I'm going to let you know who my man is. I'm going to reveal the man of sin and the man of God. I'm going to show you both of them. He said, I'll tell you what you do. You tell Corin and all his company to get their censers, fill it full of fire. You and Aaron get your censers and fill it full of fire. And said, Come up tomorrow into the tabernacle of witness. And said, Them that ain't mine, I'm going to open the earth and swallow them up. Y'all better get ready, some of you. The earth's fixing to open up around here. He told them that and they didn't believe it. Moses said, If it don't open up, God hasn't spoken to me. I'm not his high priest. I'm not his chosen. If it doesn't happen, like God said, I missed it. So the next day, everybody marches up to the tabernacle of the congregation. They go into the tabernacle of witness. And brother, that word, that's the first time it's called the tabernacle of witness. It's where God comes down and witnesses for Himself who His man is. Marks it. They went up there, brother, and they began to offer incense before God. And when they began to offer incense before God, the Bible says, sure enough, God opened up the earth and Korah and all His company went in it. Is that right? Is that right? So then the people was not confused on who the Father, they was not confused on who God was talking to. They knew then that Moses and Aaron was the ordained vessels of God to bring them a word from the Lord. Amen. How many believe God's able to do that again tonight? How many believe the Lord's going to mark His people once again that we can know who's who, what's what? Amen. And God is going to pull down everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and set this thing up to become a vehicle of expression. Hallelujah. Now what the devil don't want Stone Mountain Church of God to do is to become a vehicle of expression. He doesn't care if you grow from county line to county line. In fact, if you'll sell out to him, he'll help you grow. He doesn't care if you build a building so big, bless God, you'll have to have an intercom to holler from one end to the other. He doesn't care about all that stuff. What he don't want to happen in this last day is for church to come to the place where the Lord can reveal Himself. The glory of God can fill that tabernacle. The power of God can move once again. And hurting people can be ministered to. And God's power and glory can be seen once again. Lost people be saved. Sick bodies healed again. The devil is after the vehicle of expression, brother and sister. And to do it, he's getting into the thinking of men, amen, to try to make them exalt themselves above the knowledge of God. Let me tell you folks up tonight, let me tell you something. This preacher that God's got here is smarter than anybody here. Or God's an idiot. Jim, if you ain't smarter than anybody in this congregation, God has missed it putting you here. I told them about it all. I told them about it every Sunday. If you knew more than I did, you ought to be up here and me back there. God ain't no fool. How many of you believe God ain't no fool tonight? How many of you believe God's got this thing like He wants it? But brother, that devil always wants to get in that congregation. And now he's found him a vehicle to do it with. How many believe what I'm talking about tonight? He's found him a vehicle. All he's got to do is find a woman with a dress on, a man with a suit on, that's not sold out to Jesus, and he can take the flesh of that person and the flesh of that woman and tear this congregation all to pieces. The Lord said to me in 1982, He said, Let the devil show you where Satan's seat's at, where his throne's at, how he operates his base of operation, his vehicle of expression, how he does it. And lo and behold, dear God, I hate you all on the front row, but I found the devil sitting on the front row of my church. I was looking from all out on them bars. I was looking from everywhere. I didn't even know where he was at. But when the Lord showed me the base of the devil and his operation and what was fighting me and what I was up against, I wish you all weren't on the front row. He was sitting on the front row. Had a towel put on the plate all of a sudden. But he had got into the congregation. And I could feel that old spirit. I could feel somebody there thought they knew more than I did. I thought, God, I ain't got no business being here. And I could feel a lot of the people coming not to know what I had to say. They come to see if I was saying it right. Every time I say that flip, they want Bibles out in just a few months flipping, just turning. Boy, and I could feel that spirit. They're not here to get something from God. They're not hungry for God. They're here to check you out. See if you're doing it right. Seeing if this is the way it ought to be. Let me tell you something, brother and sister, God is on the move in our time. He's going to make some changes in the house of God. He's going to make some changes in the church of God. He's going to make some changes in the Stone Mountain church of God. If He has to let the earth open up and swallow half of this congregation, God's on the move. I said, God's on the move. He's going to do what He's going to do. And the Lord's going to express Himself on this earth one more time. How many believe that tonight? Give them a hand if you believe that tonight. Now, I'm doing this tonight because I need you to pray for me. I've got a message to bring to this church. But I've got to have God's anointing to do it. And I've got to be lifted above the powers I felt here this morning. A few weeks ago, before this preacher called me, I didn't know he was going to call me. I was going to do my tent meeting and go back into the Carolinas. But one night I had a dream of the Stone Mountain church of God. Strange! What am I doing dreaming about the Stone Mountain church of God? I only met Jim one time. Didn't know nothing about this church. Never been here before. Never in my life. Had no intentions of being here. But one night I had a dream. And in this dream, I saw this man right here. I know your face anywhere. It's one you don't forget. That's good. But I saw this man right here. I don't know him. I just met him a few weeks ago. I don't know him. But I know one I hear from God. And I saw this man standing in a field. A pasture. Had a fence all the way around him. And I saw right over the hill was another field. A greener pasture. And this fellow right here wanted to take the flock into that greener field. I saw him as he began to position certain people in certain positions. He was done. And when he began to do it, I saw as he tried to get the flock to go into that greener pasture. But here's what I saw that's so important. As he began to do it, I saw a stubborn spirit come on some folks. And you better read the book of Samuel. Stubbornness and rebellion is the sin of witchcraft. And I saw a spirit of stubbornness. And I saw as he tried with everything that he had to get the folks to go forward. Go into a better place. Go forward. Go on over into the greener pasture. But I saw a spirit of stubbornness. Just an old stubborn spirit come on not all the people, but some of the people. I'm talking about a stubbornness. I ain't going, bless God. I saw them snorting and pouting and jumping and jerking and fighting and kicking and squalling and pawing and every God's thing you could do. I ain't a going preacher. And in the dream, I appeared. And it's strange I'm here. But I used to work at the cattle barn. I used to have a strap. A big old heavy strap. And them old rebellious cows, we'd draw back and knock the fool out of them. We'd put it on. Them old stubborns, I've seen them paw like this. I'd just draw back and knock the fool out of them. The Lord come into my heart. Set me free from alcohol. Set me free from nicotine. Set me free from cussing. Set me free from raising hell. Fill me with the Holy Ghost. Call me to preach. And I know the God that's real. Hallelujah. But my children don't know that God. Because we don't have Him come to our services like He used to come. We gather, but He don't show up. Boy, y'all really like me. I can tell you. I'm going to be real popular when I leave. Change is in the air. God's going to change. How many want some change? Dear God, I don't want to keep going like we're going. I'm ready for some change. I'm tired of dead churches. I want to see God move again. And He can do it, amen. But He's got to have a vehicle of expression. But every time He tries to move, the devil says, I've got to get in that congregation. I'm getting in that congregation. That's all I've got to do is get in there. It's that congregation I want in. Then he gets in there to confuse God's plan. See, you folks didn't know the devil wore a suit. You thought he had a long tail, two forks, and red like on a red devil light can. But he wears bottomies and floor shines and all this kind of stuff. I don't want them women where I don't know how to call their dresses. But his goal, he couldn't get into heaven. He said, I want to control that man. I want to control what God's doing. And the battle ever since man fell is, who's in control? All he wants is control. They told me, you preach what you want to, but we're going to control it. Hogwash. The Holy Ghost is in control of the church. How many believe that tonight? How many believe the Holy Ghost is in control of the church? See, fight over control. I've got to control it. Oh, it's got to go the way I want it to go. No, it's going to go God's way. If He has to kill everything around, He has to go in God's way. This thing has got to be dead serious. We're losing a whole generation of kids. Amen. Amen. We're losing a whole generation of kids. The devil's playing no games. This is dead serious business. Hey folks, we're dealing with eternal souls. We're not playing a checkers game, hope I win and you lose. We're dealing with souls of men, thousands and millions of them. And all God's trying to do right here is raise up a vehicle of expression that Christ Jesus can live through this body, through this church, praise God. Hallelujah. He ain't trying to build a name for nobody, for Jim or the church of God or nobody else. He wants to express Himself to the young people and to the generation that you and I live in that they can know a God that can set them free from the powers of darkness. Now, I've got to tell you this. God is fixing to deal with this stubbornness in this church. I don't know who it is. But I'm telling you something. If God didn't have something to do with this church, I wouldn't be here tonight. I wouldn't be here. I'd be somewhere else. But I'm here because the Lord showed me, even before I got to revival, He showed me this church. He showed me the spirit of this church. And I'm fighting this stubbornness since I've been here. And I've only been here since this morning. How many wants to have a real heaven-sent revival from God? How many wants to see God begin to fill these altars? You know, God doesn't have no trouble getting folks, them sinners out there to come down here. We do have a thing in our power to get folks to come to church. God has no trouble to get them. If He gets me and you where He gets this church where it ought to be, this church won't hold the folks that have got to run through this church. But see, He's got to get us straight first. But see, there's a spirit. Oh, I'll exalt myself above the knowledge of God. I know much as anybody around here. You might not know near as much as you think you know. Satan said, I've got to get in that congregation. And he's got a vehicle to do it through. But this is an hour, brother and sister. This is a time that God is in the process. And you know what's so strange is God changes the preachers first. God's brought some drastic, not drastic, but some major changes in my life since 1982. I mean, made a total turnaround in my life. Amen. Showed me this stuff. Showed me the end of time was on us. Showed me what was fixed to happen. Showed me the prophetic day of the day of the Lord was at hand. Showed me all this stuff was fixed to happen. And turned me around. Showed me the spirit of antichrist. Showed me what He was fixed to do. Showed me the condition that we're in. Showed me the church was dead. Showed me where the church was at. But He said, the time has arrived. I'm going to do something about it. But before He can change the church, He changes the preacher. But what the preachers run into now, when they make the change, the folks start bucking. Is that right? They don't want to go. They don't want to follow. They don't want to change. They don't want to go the way that God wants them to go. But this is an hour that God's on the move. He's on the move. He's done come back to Zion. He's done come back to the church. He's on the move. He's dealing with the preachers. Judgment has already begun at the house of God. It ain't going to stop until God cleanses the church. Sanctifies the church. Purges the church. Gets the church back where it ought to be. He's going to do everything that needs to be done to the church. And the Lord said to me, I've got thousands of sheep sitting at the bars. I said, if there's your sheep, what's it doing sitting at the bars? He said, there's sheep that's gone astray. And all I've got to do with them is deal with them, and they'll come on back home. God has no problem saving lost people. God has no problem reclaiming backsliders. God has a problem with this church. God overrun this church in three weeks with enough people to fill up however many acres you've got. And have no problem doing it, hallelujah. If he can get his vehicle straightened out, and get his people straightened out, and get the devil out of the camp, and straighten out the congregation, God can save all your children, all your grandchildren, and everything around you, hallelujah. And have no problem doing it. It's the congregation he's trying to deal with. I had to say this tonight, because God showed me the significance of dealing severely with this spirit of stubbornness. I hope it don't happen while I'm here, I hope I'm gone. Bless your heart. Because unless there's some repentance, there's going to be some judgment. Okay? God's going to put the hurting on this spirit. Because it's time for this church to become something for God. How many wants to become something for God? Don't you all want to do something for Jesus? Don't you all want to reach out to the hurting people? By God, there's hurting people all around you. Dying. Somebody said, you know, we're cursing the young people to start jokers on drugs. You know why they're on drugs? You know why they're on drugs? If they could find Jesus, they'd never smoke another joint. You know why I drink whiskey and beer and live like the devil? I was searching for something, man. I was looking for something. When I found Jesus, I found a place, found the thing that took the place of all that bunch of garbage. But he's looking for a vehicle. And Satan says, I've got to get in that congregation. Now, he knows he can't overthrow the kingdom of heaven, the throne of God. But he can still get into the congregation. Because he's found him a vehicle. The flesh. And he's moved in. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Lord, if I've ever stood in a place I feel like you've got your hand on, I believe you've got your hand on this church. God, if I've ever preached for a pastor that I felt like was God's man, I feel like I'm preaching for that one tonight, Lord. And Lord, this might have been hard, but I had to get it. I had to bring it tonight. I had to get it up front. Lord, you didn't save us to take us to heaven. You saved us to glorify your name. You saved us. You redeemed us. You set us free. You brought us where we are. That you can express yourself through us. And the devil is determined. He's determined to get into that place. To stop. To take charge. He wants control. He's after control. He don't want you to control this thing, Lord. He don't want your servants to control. He wants control. And all he's got to do to control it is have a vehicle. And through that vehicle, God, I pray that you'll speak tonight. Let this congregation feel the seriousness of where we are. Oh, God, we're not playing games no longer. The party's over. The party's over. The end of the world is in sight. The signs of the time are on every headline. And on every newscast that we see and we read. The armies of hell are marching through our land. And we're playing. We're not taking you serious. We do sit down to eat and drink. And then we do rise up to play. God, help us tonight. You're not playing. You're dead serious. God, help us tonight. God, help this church to become what you set it out to be. And that's a ministry, a vehicle. Don't let the devil twist my message tonight. Don't let the devil twist what I've said tonight. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen and amen. I want you to stand with me, please. You know where you are tonight. Stone Mountain Church of God, this is it for you. I'm telling you. This is it. You're fixing to see God's hand. Folks, all you've got to do is just submit yourself to God. Lord, where you lead me, I'm going to follow. I'm going to follow what you're doing. I'm going to follow you, Lord. That's all. Very simple. If you're stubborn and rebellious, being stubborn and rebellious, repent of it. Lord, where you lead us, we're going to follow. We're going your direction. You're coming again, Jesus, and you're coming soon. Oh, God, but you want to do something before you come. You want to touch this generation, my children.