In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the need to turn away from the greed and materialism of society. He urges listeners to live for God and not for money, asking for deliverance from the intoxicating lust and greed that has ruined the country and is now affecting the rest of the world. The preacher refers to the book of Malachi in the Bible, specifically chapter 4 verse 1, which describes the last days on earth and the calamity that will come. He warns that those who are not rooted in God will not be able to stand in the trials to come. However, for those who fear God's name, there is hope as the Son of righteousness will arise with healing in his wings. The preacher calls for a revival, a return to seeking God's power and being a voice for righteousness in a self-consumed society.

The coming of the Elijah ministry, Matthew chapter 17. Father, I thank you, Lord, for the anointing of the Holy Spirit. I thank you, God Almighty, that you have a word for this hour that we're living in. Thank you, Lord, that you say that the trumpet is to make a certain sound. There's to be nothing ambiguous about it. Lord, that we might prepare ourselves for the days ahead. God, thank you for the anointing to deliver this. I thank you that you'll take me far beyond all natural ability. And God, bring me into a place where your thoughts are and where your words will be spoken. Lord, we thank you for this and give you praise and glory in Jesus' mighty name. Amen. Matthew chapter 17, beginning at verse 8, the coming of the Elijah ministry. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, as verse 8, save Jesus only. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man until the Son of Man be risen again from the dead. And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias, or Elijah, must first come? And Jesus said to them, Elias truly shall first come and restore all things. But I say unto you that Elias is come already. And they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of Man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the Baptist. Now in verse 10, the disciples have come down from the mount of transfiguration. Peter, James, and John were taken to the top of a mountain by Jesus Christ. And on the top of that mountain, he was transfigured. This is what we call it in the Bible, the glory of the Lord. Because he was fully God as well as fully man. And the glory of God that was within him, so exceedingly brilliant that it actually shone through his clothing. He was as the sun shining in its strength. And there appeared on the mountain with him Moses and Elijah. And they began to speak to him about his coming death in Jerusalem. The disciples, Peter, James, and John, of course, are in great measure outside of everything that is spiritually transpiring here. They each have perceived notions about who Jesus Christ is, what his ministry is about to entail. And they are looking at something so sovereign, so supernatural that Peter blurts out, he says, let's build some tents and stay here. This is a great place to be. And so when they come down from the mountain, they ask Jesus. Now, you have to keep in mind that they don't understand the first and the second coming of Christ yet. As far as they're concerned, Jesus Christ has come to establish his kingdom. He's here, he's going to overthrow the Roman Empire of that time. He's going to establish a kingdom of righteousness. They feel that they're going to rule and reign with him. They don't fully realize at this moment that he's going to go to a cross. He's going to die. The third day he's going to be raised again from the dead. He's going to ascend to his father in heaven. Then there will be a season. Now, they don't know this, called the age of the church, which we are in right now and is perhaps coming very close to an end. At the end of that season, he will return. I'm not going to go into all of the details of it, but he will return and come and establish a permanent kingdom on the earth. But they don't realize that there's that gap between where they are and the coming of Christ to establish his kingdom. And so they ask Jesus the question, why did the scribes teach that Elijah must come first? Before the Messiah comes to rule forever among men and establish his kingdom. And I have to but feel that deep down inside, did they feel that what they had just seen was the fulfillment of the last chapter of Malachi. That says that Elijah will come and he'll set right a lot of things before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. That they feel, is this what the scripture is speaking about? Or is there more that Elijah has to do? What is it that they've been teaching us from the scriptures? Why? Now, go back with me one book in your Bible to the book of Malachi. The last chapter in the Old Testament. And this last chapter, I believe, describes the last days on earth. Talks about the calamity that's going to come. Which we very well might be on the very threshold of some of these things that are spoken about in the scriptures. Chapter 4 verse 1 says, Behold, the day comes that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be stubble. And the day that comes shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, and it will leave them neither root nor branch. In other words, there'll be a fierceness of trial that all who are just simply playing games with God will have no root. They'll have no ability to stand in these days. But he also says, To you that fear my name shall the son of righteousness arise with healing in his wings. And you will go forth and grow up as calves of the stall. So you have one side of the population or one measure, as it is, that seems to be collapsing under the weight of everything that's going on around them. They can't deal with the news as it is unfolding every day. The ambassadors of peace, Isaiah said, are weeping bitterly. Men's hearts are beginning to fail them. Not only fiscal calamity, but natural calamity. Tidal waves, the scripture tells us, and earthquakes are beginning to happen in various places. There are outbreaks of disease. New and fearful ones that are leaving those that are without root as it is bending, falling in the wind. They can't stand. They say, who can stand in this day of devouring as it is? It's all around us. But on the other hand, you have a people of truly trusted in God. And Malachi says they're going to rise up with healing in their wings. Not just a personal healing, but they're going to be bringing a message sovereignly throughout the world of a healing that's not available through any natural means. It can only come through Jesus Christ and what he won for us on the cross of Calvary. I see a church rising up in the last hour of time that is going to transcend all the natural barriers that the world has placed all around those that are part of it. And they're going to be going from place to place. And there's lifted as it is carried by the power of the Holy Spirit. And healing is their message. Not necessarily that everyone is going to get through the coming days without trial and difficulty. But there is a healing much deeper than anything that we can see with the natural physical eye. And he says, you will tread down the wicked. There'll be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I do this, saith the Lord of hosts. In other words, all the reasonings that stand against God, that stand against what Jesus Christ did on Calvary. All these reasonings are going to be brought to nothing. There's going to be a people with a power of reasoning given them. The ability of speech given by the Holy Spirit of God. The ability to stand and face adversity. Unflinching, unafraid, undaunted by the fierceness of the arguments that are raised from the minds and hearts of fallen men against the will and the ways of God. And then he says in verse 4, Now this is an amazing thing. This is a prophecy that has to be fulfilled, folks. God didn't just by the Holy Spirit give these Old Testament prophets words about our day that are just sort of casual statements. They have to be fulfilled. There has to be a coming of this ministry of Elijah in the last days. A day of calamity. A day when the world has come to the end of where the natural minds of men can take it. A day when rebellion has finally reached the border of how far God says it's allowed to go. And finally the Lord himself says this far and no farther. And folks, we're reaching it now. As a matter of fact, I think we're on the border. We've come to that place where God says no farther. You can't do this anymore. You can't live this way anymore. The earth itself, the Old Testament tells us in one particular place, there's a point of iniquity where the earth itself spews the inhabitants out. Where nature itself cannot bear the weight of sin that comes to the land. And the world itself will just cast off as it is those inhabitants that are living in a way that is in rebellion to God. And so they're asking the question, is this the ministry of Elijah that is spoken about? And why are they teaching us this? And how is this ministry going to come? Now Jesus gives an answer that seems to even compound the confusion. Here's what he says. He said, I say to you, first of all in verse 11 he said, Elijah, Elijah shall truly first come and restore all things or bring about a restoration. But I say to you that Elijah has come already. And they knew him not and have done it to him whatsoever they wanted to or listed. Likewise shall also the son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the Baptist. So he's answering this question in a very unusual way. He's telling them that Elijah will come and he's come already. Now they're probably more confused at this moment than when they first asked him the question. Now they understood in verse 13 that he spoke to them about John the Baptist. Now let's go to Luke chapter 1 please if you will in the New Testament. Luke chapter 1 and verse 13. Luke chapter 1 verse 13. Now John's father Zacharias was a priest. And he was in the temple and it was his time to burn incense before the altar, a type of prayer and supplication to the Lord. And as he was burning incense at the altar, the angel Gabriel appeared beside the altar. And the angel said to him in verse 13 of Luke chapter 1, Fear not Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard. And thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Now here's what the angel said to Zacharias. You're going to have a son. And this son is going to have a ministry. And this ministry is going to be a type as it is. He's going to go forward in the spirit and in the power of Elijah. Now we're going to touch that in a moment as we go back into the Old Testament. In verse 15 he says he'll drink neither wine nor strong drink. This man and this ministry is going to be unaffected by the intoxicating influences of the society all around him. He's going to be untouched by it. This is going to be a different kind of a man. It's going to be a different kind of a ministry. He can't be bought politically. He's not in it for himself. He doesn't care what men think. He only has one concern. That men and women find Jesus Christ and begin to follow Him. He's a man who's untouched. The spirit of Elijah typifies the power of the Holy Spirit that's given at specific times to draw the people back to a place of worship. It's a moment prescribed by God Himself. It's where the altar and the sacrifice come back into proper order and proper view. In the days of Elijah, an Old Testament prophet, the society around him was compromised. The religious order of the day was completely engulfed by the intoxicating spirit of that particular society. Scripture tells us that 450 prophets of influence were worshipping at the altar of Baal. And that altar of Baal is an altar of provision. It's an altar of personal gain. It's an altar of the field and of the cupboard. And they're worshipping there. Their whole theological perspective as it is of God is what can God give to us? And what's in this for us if we choose to serve God? How are we personally going to profit from this relationship with this living God? So 450 prophets are at that table and 400 other prophets are at Jezebel's table. Jezebel is the king of Israel's wife. She's an adulterous really religious spirit. And these are men and women who feel somehow that if they can gain access to political power, that the nation is going to be somehow bettered for it. And they're eating at this table. A table that is being laid out as it is by a leader's wife who really truly hates the simplicity of God. Who hates the true message of God. She later on threatens to take the very head of Elijah off of him because he had for a moment been used of God to turn the people's hearts back to true worship. The intoxication of that society had completely permeated its places of worship. And folks, that's the kind of a generation we're living in today. We have politicians now that are standing and rightly so, saying, we're in this mess we're in because of greed, because of covetousness and because of lust. Because we're living at a time when people don't care about their fellow men anymore. Everyone out there says, what's in it for me? And they will bring the finances of not only this country but in the world into a tailspin simply so that they personally may prosper. Folks, we're living at a time that the scripture speaks about. Men are covetous, lovers of themselves, proud, blasphemers of God, disobedient, unthankful, unholy. Exactly the things that the Holy Spirit showed to Paul we're living in now. And now our politicians are looking and saying, and they're actually agreeing with the scripture. We're finally calling it what it is. A society inundated with greed. Inundated with what's in it for me. How can I prosper through this? And the church is like this, much of it, not all of it, but much of it. People coming into churches all over the country. And their heart is no different than Wall Street. What's in this for me? What's the preacher going to say today that's going to make me happy? How's it going to better my life? What principles can I glean from God to further my career? And to get a nicer house and more power? Most socioeconomic status? And such like. Just like in Elijah's day. The spirit as it is of the society, completely the intoxication. It's a drunkenness. It's a foolish stupor that society is in today. And it had gotten into the house of God. And all it produced was noise. All it produced was a lot of running, a lot of screaming, a lot of shouting and no change. And folks, we've had our measure of that for 20 years now. In what has professed to be the spirit-filled church of Jesus Christ. In the midst of it all, Elijah on Mount Carmel builds another altar. The scripture says he repaired the altar that was broken down. He took 12 stones. And the Bible tells us, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob. Unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name. In other words, he built the altar that God had prescribed. And it was an altar that was given with the word. That those who worship at this altar are given a new nature. They're given a new name. Remember, Jacob was a schemer. He would steal from his own brother to advance his own cause. But when he had wrestled with God, when God had dealt with him. He came out of that place of wrestling a new man. He was given a new name, which meant prince. He was a prince with God. And he walked out of that place, and he was a different man. Remember his brother Esau, riding off as it is with his 400 men. To try to conquer some new territory for himself. But Jacob said, no, I'm not doing this anymore. I'm not going to travel any faster than the slowest, the youngest, and the weakest among us can travel. I'll not overdrive the people, because if I do, some of them will perish along the way. He was a different man. He was moved from being self-focused to being people-focused. Other-focused. He had the heart of God now. And you see, that's what that altar was about. It doesn't matter how fancy the altar is. It doesn't matter if you put 850 prophets around. It doesn't matter if you dance and leap on or off the altar, as was happening. Or cut yourself, or make it look very sincere, folks. If the very heart of it is not for other people. If it's not to bring the lost to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. If it's not to deal bread to the hungry. If it's not to give clothing to the naked. If it's not to find those that are cast out. If it's not to be a father to the fatherless. And a mother to the motherless. If it's not to reach out. See, that's why God says through the prophet Malachi, when this ministry of Elijah comes, it will turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children again. And the hearts of the children back to their fathers. That's why 700 or so young people from the inner city are coming here Friday night. Because the hearts of the fathers are being turned back to the young. And the hearts of the young are being turned back to their fathers. Pastor Patrick and his wife Rosa don't have any natural children of their own. But the Lord gave me a word years ago. I said, you're going to be the father of thousands. God's going to bring them in from all over the city. You're going to be their father. Those that have never had a voice. Those that have never had anybody to tell them this is right. This is wrong. This is how to walk. This is where you find the power of God. This is what life is all about. Praise be to God. That's the ministry that Elijah was repairing. He built an altar, the Bible says, around which there was no chance that it could be ignited by any exuberance of the flesh. This is an altar that the flesh can't get excited around. You know, folks, we can all get excited. If everybody, if I stood here today and said, okay, you give me, you give this church $1,000 and I promise you by next Tuesday you'll all have $100,000 in the mail. Now flesh is going to get real excited about that. You're going to clap. You're going to dance. You're going to run the aisles. But what if I called you and said, now you come down to this altar and God's going to cause you to release everything you've got in the bank. He's going to cause you to release your heart, your life, your future. Everything that you have is going to be given to others. Now, folks, the only chance you're going to get excited there is if the Holy Spirit comes on you. You're not going to get excited about this. And that's what that altar symbolized. He dug a trench around it and he poured it with water over and over again because there was no chance that in the flesh people could get excited about this. His only motive was to turn the people's hearts back to God. That was the only motive that Elijah had. And I prophesy to you today that a ministry is arising in our generation. That the only motive of the ministry is going to be to turn the people's hearts back to God again. From sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth. It was upon this altar that the supernatural power of God came. It was on this altar. Elijah, the others had prayed and screamed from literally morning to evening. Elijah sets the altar in order, steps back and prays a simple prayer. God, I've done this at your bidding. And Lord, all I'm asking now is that you turn the hearts of the people back to you again. And he stood back and the glory of the Lord came down on this altar. Praise be to God. Elijah did come. But then Jesus says in Matthew, again, chapter 17 and verse 12. Elijah has come. And he also said that Elijah will come. Now, in John chapter 1, the disciples in Matthew says they understood that he was speaking about John the Baptist. We know there's an Old Testament Elijah. But God sent another ministry through this man called John the Baptist. That is described as moving forward in the power and anointing of Elijah. We see this man, John. In John chapter 1, he was baptizing. He was telling people to turn from their sin. He was saying to the people, open a highway in your heart as it is. And make way for the son of God that's coming to take away the sins of the world. This man was in perfect unity with the plan and the will of God. Jesus came to him one day to be baptized. And when John baptized Jesus, the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus. John saw it with his natural eye. And then heaven opened and a voice from heaven said, behold, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. And so we see complete unity again, just as in the days of Elijah. We see Jesus being baptized, prepared to go to a cross for the sins of this world. We see the Holy Spirit coming upon him. The power of God as it is. The third person of the Trinity walking with him, giving him the power to do this. We see the Father saying, this is right. This is my son. I'm well pleased. And we see John in perfect unity declaring, behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. And in verse 36 of John 1, John and those who were with him were in one accord with the purpose and the mission of God through Jesus Christ, his son. And John said again, when he saw Jesus come later on, he said, behold, the Lamb of God. And everyone, there were those who were walking with John at that moment. And the scripture says they left John and began to follow Jesus. And this is the ministry of Elijah. It's a ministry that's just a voice. If you were to ask this man as they did, who are you? Are you Elijah? He said, no. Are you that prophet that's spoken about that should precede the coming of Christ or be that man we should look to? And he said, no, I'm just a voice. Just like Isaiah said in Isaiah chapter 40, a voice in the wilderness crying out, prepare you the way of the Lord. Oh, folks, if ever there was a need for a voice of God to come through the church again, it's in this hour. Don't play the game in your workplace. Don't be silent when people are dying in their sin. Don't walk down the street unmoved and just self-focused, intoxicated with the spirit of this age. John said, no, I'm a voice. I'm a voice given by God to tell men, to tell women that there is an eternal kingdom. There is a hell. There is a heaven. There is a savior. He's the Lamb of God who's come to take away the sins of the world. When they asked him about himself in his own ministry, he says, I'm unworthy. I'm not even worthy to untie his shoes, one of his shoes. He had a right self-perception. He didn't consider him some great man of God. He didn't walk around strutting. He didn't feel he had a name or reputation to uphold. He just called himself what all men are, unworthy. I'm just invited into this by the grace of God. He pointed others clearly to Christ and then he released them to follow him. And that's the sign of the Elijah ministry. If I am standing today, if these pastors are standing in the power of God, if you're sitting in a church where the power of God is, men and women standing in the pulpit are not pointing it to themselves. They're not pointing it to some program. They're pointing it to the Lamb of God and saying, give it all to him. He is the Lamb of God who's been sent to take away the sins of the world. Follow him. Whatever he tells you to do, do that. Where he says to go, go there. What he calls you to do, he will give you the power to do it. Jesus said in Matthew 17, 11, Elijah truly shall first come and restore all things. Now, Elijah has come. We had a physical Elijah in 1 Kings 18. We had a spiritual Elijah type in John 1. Now, Jesus says, Elijah truly shall first come. And he's talking about the last days. And he shall restore all things. Now, the word restore means to bring back to its former condition, to restore health or soundness, to reform something, to bring back lost dominion and authority. Now, when you research this, some people believe that Elijah will be one of the two witnesses that the book of Revelation says will appear in Israel, supernaturally empowered by God. There will be a testimony of Christ, and they'll turn the heart to the fathers, which would be Israel, to the children, which would be the Gentile church. And there will be a final fulfillment of the promise of one new man in Christ. And there's great truth in this. And it certainly is a possibility. But can it not also be said that on the day of Pentecost, there were 120 people gathered in an upper room. They were unintoxicated by the spirit of the world and the religious practices around them. Just like John. Just like Elijah. All around them, outside, there's a perverse rejoicing, as it is at having put Christ out of their society. Tell me, folks, are we not living that kind of a moment right now? This perverse rejoicing at pushing Jesus out of our schools, out of our courts, out of our society. The very cornerstone that made America a nation that has sat for a few hundred years is the wonderment of the world. And then our blind ignorance and our self-consumption pushed His name to the best of our ability outside of the borders of all of our institutions. And then a sudden blindness comes. And sudden tailspin comes into society and we're perplexed by it. How did this happen? But there are 120 in that upper room who are intoxicated by this worldly spirit outside. They're outside the door, this is the side of this upper room. They put away this imposter. They put away this Christ. There's a measure of bloodlust still in that society. They've been as intolerant as they can be. The religious leaders are wringing their hands. Ha, ha. We still have our influence over the people. We still have our slice of the pie. We still have our kingdom. We still have access to Herod's court. We still have all these things that we think are going to bring about some kind of resolution in the name of God in our society. But they have in their ignorance put the Son of God right out of their midst. But in that upper room are 120 people. Let me liken it to the stones again on Elijah's altar in 1 Kings chapter 18. These people all know they're unworthy. They've all failed. They've all fallen. They're just ordinary people like you and me. There's nobody there of noble birth. There's nobody who's royal. There's nobody who has any great influence in their society. They're considered, many of them, inconsequential to the problems of their day and to everything that's going on. Just ordinary people. Maybe the reason why they let this meeting happen in the first place is because the society that had just been yelling, crucify Christ, thought, well, what harm could come from these nobodies and nothings that are meeting in this upper room? They knew they were unworthy. They were just longing to be voices. God almighty, you told us to tarry until we were given power from on high. Lord, you promised it, so God, we're going to hold to it. We're not going out there until we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. Until you have come upon us. Until we have been given the life that we need that only God can give to stand as witnesses to the fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and has risen from the dead. They're pointing clearly to Christ and these people are worshipping at the right altar. Can we not say today that the fire that came to Elijah's altar, the fire of the Holy Spirit that John visibly saw come upon Christ, can we not say that that same fire that came to those altars came upon them? The same Spirit of God came upon them? And folks, when they were touched to the Holy Spirit, they had no choice but to just burst out of that room and go into the marketplace. They lifted their hands and their voices to God. I'm sure every one of them felt, I'm going to the cross, but I really don't care. I really don't care. They stood empowered by God. They could see things that natural people couldn't see. They knew things that natural people don't know. Faith exploded in their hearts so that they were standing there saying, if you think that what you see now is supernatural, you haven't seen yet what God has destined to do through His church. Praise be to God. And just like in Elijah's day, just like in John's day, 3,000 at least people looked that day and beat on their chests. They said, Oh, what must we do? What have we done, first of all, to Christ? And look what's happened to these people. There's no way that any of our religiousness or any of our self-focused ideas can compete with this. What must we do to be saved and over 3,000 people came to Christ that one day hearing the first sermon after the fire of God fell on this altar. The people's hearts were turned back again. And here's my question to you today. If 120... Now, folks, many of them died. Many of them went on to be martyrs. Some of them ended up in the Roman arena. I'm not even remotely suggesting that it was a good time for everybody involved. The disciples except for John were all martyred. But if 120 could change the known world of their day, if 120 could be sent out in the power of the Holy Spirit, if 120 could be given this ministry of Elijah, think of what 8,000 people leaving this church today could do for New York City. And that's my point. Think of what 8,000 people today... 8,000 people attend this church. Think of 8,000 people having a divine encounter with the Holy Spirit. Think of 8,000 people going out into the streets of one city. What kind of an effect you and I should be having on this city in our generation? Is it possible... Is it possible that the last chapter of Malachi, chapter 4, could also refer to a great end-time revival? Is it possible that this ministry of Elijah is much bigger than just Elijah himself, much bigger than just John the Baptist? Is it possible, folks, and I'm just throwing it out to you as a question, is it possible that in this last hour of time we're going to see an outpouring of the Holy Spirit? Exactly the way it happened in Elijah's day. Exactly the way it happened in John's day. Exactly the way it happened on the day of Pentecost. Because, folks, there's nothing else that's going to be up to meeting the challenge of what we face in our generation. I don't know about you, but I need to be filled every day, every moment with the Holy Spirit of Almighty God. The constant cry in my heart is, Jesus, fill me. Jesus, empower me. Jesus, use me. Jesus, take me into where I could never go. Make me what I could never be. Jesus Christ, Son of God, put power in the words you put in my heart to speak. God Almighty, this city can't be allowed to go to hell when 8,000 people from this church alone are still in it. It can't be allowed to perish. Folks, it can't. What has to happen is we need to be delivered from the intoxicating spirit of this generation we're living in. There has to be an upper room one more time. There has to be a people. Just lock in with God. You can do it here, you can do it at home, you can do it on the subway. It doesn't matter. But a people who lock in with God and say, God, I want your power to come on my life. I don't want to be walking in the stream of a greedy society. I don't want to be sitting in the congregation of a self-consumed church. I want to be able to point to the Lamb of God and say, there's the Lamb of God. Follow Him. Follow Him. When the Lord sent Pastor David to found this church in 1987, he told him two things. He said, I want you to gather a remnant in the city and I want you to warn the city of impending judgment. I've never forgotten that and you should never forget it either. This is a relatively young church. It has prospered incredibly in the winning of men and women to Christ and in every commission that God has given to us. But the instructions were gather a remnant. Now, when we say gather a remnant, it doesn't mean we close the doors and try to hold the fort until Jesus comes because times are getting hard. I think the time to gather the remnant is just starting now. Gather a remnant. A remnant doesn't mean it's just a few people. In a greater New York area of 17 million people, what is a remnant? Even a tenth is 1,700,000 people. Even a tenth as in Isaiah's day. Gather a remnant, lead them to Christ and bring them home to God. That's the commission that's given to my heart. It's the commission that's given to yours. Gather a remnant. Go out. Let your mouth be open. Let the compassion of God begin to flow through you. Ask the Holy Spirit for giftings that only he can give. Give words of knowledge. You will know what a person is thinking. You'll even know you'll meet somebody and you'll know the deepest questions of their heart. And God will give you the ability to answer them. Lay hands on the sick and pray that God heal them. Touch those that are untouchable in our society, that nobody else cares about. You care about them because Christ is in you. Let the focus be about people and lead every man, woman, and child that you can now in the time that we've got left to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Lead them to Christ. But you have to be delivered from the spirit of this world. You have to be delivered from the intoxications of this age. Number one, shut off the television set. Turn it off. You'll become... The Bible says exactly what you're beholding, that's what you will become. If you are beholding idiots on a television set in some sitcom, that's what you'll become in your mind. That's what you'll become in your thinking. Paul says, if we behold Christ, we'll be changed into the image that He is by the Spirit of God from image to image and glory to glory. If we put our eyes in this book and say, show me Jesus. Show me Jesus Holy Spirit in every line. Show me Jesus in every paragraph, every chapter, every book. I want to be like Christ. I want Christ to be in me. I want Christ to lead me. I want Christ to guide me. I want Him to be my voice. I want His eyes to be my eyes. I want His words to lead and guide the steps of my feet. Praise be to God. Turn off everything in this fallen society that is trying to make an imprint on you. Give up on the greed. Folks, give it up, because it's all going anyway. Give it up. There's an old saying, he's no fool who lets go what he cannot keep to lay hold of what he can never lose. Praise be to God. I'm not saying you don't work to pay your bills. Don't even suggest that. I'm saying you don't live for money. You don't live for gain. Don't live for greed. Ask God to deliver you from this intoxicating lust and greed that's in this society. It has ruined this country, folks, and it's now ruining the rest of the world. Oh, beloved, days ahead are not going to be easy. Be a voice. Be a voice for righteousness, for God. Just be a voice. Jude says, save some with fear and others with love. It doesn't matter how. Ask God for the wisdom to know how to speak to certain people. I was invited, and have been, to speak in some places where people have much of this world, and I've seen the terror in people who have accumulated wealth and yet are so fearful of losing it, and they're fearful of getting even higher on the ladder if there's no more there than what they've already possessed in this world, because there's such an emptiness there. Stand in agreement, as John did, with the ministry of Christ. The ministry of Christ is to take away the sins of the world, folks. That's the ministry of Christ. To open prison doors, to destroy the power of sin, destroy the penalty of sin, to see men and women brought out of a sentence of death, a sentence of spiritual death that came on all of humanity because of the sin of Adam. To see them brought out of the sentence of death and into life, not just for time, but for eternity. Walk alone if you have to. John had to walk alone. Elijah had to walk alone, and you might have to walk alone. You might be the only one in your family while everyone else scorns their own redemption. You might be the only one in your workplace, but God will be with you. You'll not be alone. He said, I'll never leave you. I'll never forsake you. Point everyone you can to the cross of Jesus Christ. Talk openly of the redemption he bought on Calvary 2,000 years ago. And as the view, as people in our time especially see the stability in you, they see that you have something. You're standing on something they can't see with their natural eye. There's a joy in you. I mean, there's an idiot joy. You can find that anywhere, but this is not that. This is a joy that says, I know what I'm standing on. I know who I am, and I know where I'm going. It's that kind of joy. It's not the man with a smile on his face whose dog just got run over the day before. People will look at that and say, well, man, it's just a fool. No, it's not that kind of joy. It's a deep abiding presence of God, a confidence in today and tomorrow, a knowledge of where I'm going and what I'm called to do. And lastly, ask Jesus to fill you with the power of God. Folks, this is not a time for religious games, and everyone who plays them is going to be surprised suddenly. Isaiah said, fearfulness has surprised the hypocrites. Jesus said, midnight comes, and there are many who thought they had oil only to find out they don't have anything of God. And a terror hits them suddenly. Folks, ask for the power of the Holy Spirit, but ask for the right reason. The Holy Spirit is given to the church that we might be living witnesses of Christ who died on a cross, and that we might be an extension of the compassion of God to a fallen world. I want to give an altar call today in the annex and here in the main sanctuary. We're going to worship for a little while. And as we do, it's just simply this. God, I hear what you're saying. Count me in. That's the altar call. Just count me in. I'm in. I'm in for the full walk. I'm in for whatever it takes, wherever this leads me. But I want to have a life. I want to be part of this Elijah ministry in the last days. I want to have a life that brings people back to God. Would you stand please in the sanctuary if the Lord's speaking to you, you'd like to respond. You can do so in the annex if you could stand between the screens. We're not going to rush this today because this is a personal issue. Ask to be filled with the Spirit. Just ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit. Vicki, if you'd be kind enough to lead us. Be much appreciated. God bless you. As you come in the balcony, you can go to either aisle. Young people especially, stand up for God in this generation. Make a choice. Stand up for what you know is right. We're living in the last moments of time, folks.