Phil Beach Jr. emphasizes that God seeks individuals who are humble, weak, and willing to be used for His purposes in a world filled with pride and self-reliance. He highlights the importance of being foolish enough to depend on God's wisdom, weak enough to be empowered by the Holy Spirit, and base enough to seek no honor from men. The preacher calls for believers to embrace these qualities to be part of God's end-time army, as He prepares to pour out His Spirit in a powerful way. The message serves as a reminder that true strength comes from recognizing our weaknesses and relying on God.

It says, The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek. He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted and to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. Jesus Christ is going to heal the sick. He's going to proclaim liberty to the bound through you and I who are yielded to His Holy Spirit. The Lord is going to move in this whole area in a most incredible way. People are going to get saved. Listen, the powers of darkness are going to be shaken. And the Lord is going to arise as a mighty, mighty whirlwind and a mighty army are going to arise in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you believe that this morning? I tell you, it's going to happen. Jesus is going to do it. And He's preparing us for that very thing. He's preparing His people all over to be partakers of the greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit that the world has ever seen. The greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit that the world has ever seen. And He's going to do it. Now, I'd like for a few moments, if the children have to go, that's fine. I'd like for them to go ahead and walk with their teachers nice and quietly. Nice and quietly. Thank you. I would like for you, if you would listen very carefully this morning. We're going to get this on tape. And I would like for you to please pay attention. Because it is very important for us to understand this message from the Scriptures this morning. First of all, I'd like to remind you that in the book of Revelation, seven times, beginning in Revelation 2, Revelation 2, beginning there, all the way through to Revelation 3, the Bible speaks in this manner. Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus. That's Revelation 2.1. Then Revelation 2.8. Unto the angel of the church in Smyrna. Then Revelation 2.12. Unto the angel of the church in Pergamos. And each time the Lord Jesus addresses the church, He speaks to the angel of the church. Now, in Revelation 1, Jesus interprets who the angels are. Revelation 1.20. The mystery of the seven stars, which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. And the seven candlesticks, which you saw, are the seven churches. So therefore, when the Bible addresses each church unto the angel, what it's saying is unto the messenger of the church. Now that word angel is used both to describe a heavenly angel. Not a man, but a heavenly angel. But it's also used to describe men. The word literally means a messenger. So therefore, when the Scriptures speak of the angel of the church of Ephesus, of Smyrna, of Pergamos, of Thyatira, it is speaking not necessarily of exclusively one messenger. The Bible says the angels are the messengers, plural, of the churches. So therefore, God speaks to His church through messengers, plural. There are many messengers that are speaking to the church in this late hour. Each time God speaks to His people, He speaks through messengers, and those messengers share His heart and they confirm what God is saying to all of His people. Now, each town, each city has a church in it. And every church, every city, or every city and town, has messengers, plural, who are speaking what God is saying to the church. Each city has messengers. Men and women who are hearing what God is saying and they're speaking to the church. When Jesus wanted to speak to His church, the seven churches, He spoke to the messengers of the church. Unto the angel of the church. Unto the angel of the church. This means that God will hold those who are leading the church to a high measure of responsibility. Because they, by virtue of leading the church, are representing to the people what God is saying. They are supposed to be faithfully speaking what God is saying. They are supposed to be faithfully representing the heart of God. They are supposed to be faithfully declaring the heart of God. That's why the Bible says in the book of James, don't be so eager to be a leader. Don't be so eager to be a teacher. Don't be so eager to publicly make yourself a messenger. An angel. A proclaimer of God's truth in a public way. Because we who are leaders shall receive a greater standard of accountability and judgment. Because we affect many by what we say and by what we do. So in each one of these churches, God spoke to the angel of the church. Now, I believe that as Jesus had a message for the church in Ephesus, the church in Smyrna, the church in Pergamos, which were churches in Asia, Thyatira, Philadelphia, Sardis, and Laodicea, even as Jesus had a message for these churches, I believe that Jesus has a word to the church in Hackettstown. I believe He has a word for the church in every city. Just like He had a word for the church in each one of these seven churches in these seven different places in Asia Minor. And I believe that the Lord has opened my heart to hear at least one of the messages that He is speaking to the church in this area. The Hackettstown area. Now listen, even though there may be many churches scattered abroad, the Lord does not see many churches. It is one church, one church, bought by the blood of Jesus Christ under the headship and lordship of Jesus Christ. It is one church that God sees when He looks down and sees the whole area, the Hackettstown surrounding areas. It grieves the heart of God and it disturbs the heart of God to see all of the disunity and all of the division that is in the church because there's only one church. And as one church, God has one message to that one church. I would like to say that I believe that Jesus is speaking to the church. And that does not simply mean we who associate ourselves with River of Life Church. This is a word that is for all believers in the Hackettstown surrounding areas. And I believe that as Jesus spoke to the seven churches in Asia Minor and spoke unto them, explaining to them the things that were pleasing to Him, the things that were displeasing to Him, and the things that they needed to consider, I believe Jesus is speaking a word to us. And here is what I believe He's saying. Unto the angel or messengers of the church in Hackettstown, say these things. Who among you will be a fit vessel to be used by God in this late apostate hour? Who among you will be a fit vessel to be used by God in this late apostate hour? This is what I believe God is saying to the angel of the church in Hackettstown. Who among you, who within your ranks, who there that names My name will be a fit vessel to be used by Me in this late apostate hour? Turning your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 1, I believe that Jesus would speak to the church in Hackettstown by saying, verse 18, For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom did not know God. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom. But we preach Christ crucified. Unto the Jews a stumbling block and unto the Greeks foolishness. But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men. And the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. And God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. And base things of the world and things which are despised, hath God chosen. Yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are. That no flesh should glory in His presence. Jesus is speaking to the church in Hackettstown saying there are five essential qualities that are needful if God is to use the church in this late hour of apostasy. Five essential qualities that are needful to be developed in our lives if God is to use you in this late apostate hour. Now I would like for you to ask yourself a question. Do you have the slightest desire in your life to both know God and to make God known? Do you want to be used as part of the church in this area to demonstrate to the world the reality of Jesus Christ? Do you want to be used? Or would you rather just live your own life and do your own thing and leave it up to others? Because if that's the way that you feel, then that's most likely exactly what God will let you do. He'll let you just live your own life and do your own thing. But if you have a passion for God, to do and see God move in a glorious way and demonstrate the power and beauty of His name and His honor and to see men and women's lives changed by the power of God, then you have to understand the kind of things God is looking for in order to qualify you to be used by God. We are living in a generation that is continuously glorying in flesh. Boasting in who we think we are and who we think we know and what we know. And well thy worships power. We are living in a generation that glories in flesh and well thy worships power. For somebody to have power is almost as if you're a god. Power with money. Power with influence. Power with who you know. Power with how big your corporation is. Power with how much money you make a year. Power with how much property you own. It is a worship of power. It is a worship of being big in the eyes of other people. And because of this great tragedy and travesty that has overcome this generation, you can be sure that God is taking special precautions to avoid using people who have such highfalutin ideas about themselves. The Bible is filled with examples of God's mightiest acts arising out of the most weak, insignificant circumstances and people. And surely, Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore, will once again do His greatest, mightiest acts in the midst of an unbelieving world, not through the high and the lofty and the mighty and those who think they're something, but yea, rather through those insignificant, weak nobodies who trust in nothing but God unto the angel of the church in the Hackettstown area, say these things. Let us look at the things that qualify us to be a part of God's end-time army. In 1 Corinthians 27-28. 1 Corinthians 1 27-28 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty. The base things of the world and the things which are despised hath God chosen, yea, and the things which are not to bring to gnaw things that are. The first qualification, credential that God is looking for in you and me and in the church in Hackettstown is the quality of being foolish enough to confound the wise. Foolish enough to depend on Him for all of our wisdom. 1 Corinthians 1 24 The Bible indicates that Christ is the wisdom of God. We must allow the Holy Spirit of God to work in us to the point where we are willing to become foolish enough to depend on Him for all of our wisdom. That's the first point. Foolish enough to depend on Him for our wisdom. We must come to the place where we are taught by the Holy Spirit not to trust in our own human wisdom, not to trust in our own human thinking, not to trust in our own human reasoning, but to trust Christ as our wisdom. Secondly, we must be foolish enough to renounce all human understanding. 1 Corinthians 3 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. Proverbs 3 3-5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path. Fear the Lord and depart from evil. Number one, foolish enough to depend on Him for all of our wisdom. Number two, foolish enough to renounce all human wisdom and worldly wisdom. There is a way that seems right in the eye of man, but the end is destruction, the Bible says. Are you learning to distrust human wisdom when human wisdom rises up and causes you to doubt the wisdom of God? Are you learning to distrust the wisdom of this world that says the way to get ahead is to step on people and to be dishonest and to cheat and to do things in a very deceitful way? Are you doing what the world tells you to do? Do you slander people and try and commit character suicide? That's the wisdom of the world. God's army in this late hour will renounce human wisdom. They will renounce worldly wisdom. They will not walk by the wisdom of this world. And lastly, we must be foolish enough to be a fool for Christ's sake. 1 Corinthians 4, 9, 10. 1 Corinthians 4, 10. For we are fools for Christ's sake. We must be foolish enough to be considered a fool. You will be considered a fool if you walk in honesty before all men. You will be considered a fool if you refuse to party with those who party and laugh with those who laugh about immoral things. You will be considered a fool, husbands, if you love your wife alone and don't have roving eyes toward other women. You'll be considered a fool if you guard your tongue and don't engage in slanderous speech. You will be considered a fool if you don't worship the idols of money and success. You'll be considered a fool by the world if you love your children and want to spend time with them. You have to be foolish enough to be a fool for Jesus' sake. Are you prepared to let go of your reputation? Are you prepared to be esteemed as a fool? Or do you want to be considered a pretty smart guy through the standards of the world? Number two, not only does God use the foolish, but God uses the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. The second credential that God is looking for in the town of Hackettstown among those that name His name is the credential of being weak enough to be dearly empowered by the Holy Spirit. Colossians 1, verse 11 that you might be strengthened by the power of His might in your inner man. God is looking for people weak enough who recognize that they must be empowered by God. As long as we are walking in our own strength and our own tenacity, we are not being empowered by God. And God is looking for people who will allow Him to make them weak enough so that they realize they can't do anything except they be empowered by an Almighty God. Secondly, we must be weak enough to be able to resist defending ourselves when reviled, misunderstood, and abused. 2 Corinthians 12, verse 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities and reproaches, in necessities and persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake. We must be weak enough to be able to resist defending ourselves when reviled, misunderstood, and abused. 1 Peter 2, verses 18-23 Beginning in verse number 20, particularly, For what glory is it if when ye are buffeted for your faults you take it patiently? But if when you do well and suffer, you take it patiently, that is acceptable with God. For even hitherto were ye called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving an example that ye should follow His steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth. Who when He was reviled, reviled not again. Did you hear that? When He was reviled, He reviled not again. But He suffered. When He suffered, He threatened not, but committed Himself to Him that judges righteously. We must be weak enough to be able to resist the temptation to defend ourselves when we are reviled, misunderstood, and abused. God will not use a people who wear their feelings on their skin. How well do you do when you're misunderstood? How well do you do when you're being taken advantage of? How well do you do when you're reviled? How well do you do when you are lied against or misrepresented? How well do you do? Do you run to take revenge? Do you run with the sword in your hand and say I'll show them a thing or two? If that's true, then don't expect God to use you in the way that He's going to move in this last hour. Don't expect Him to. Because God uses the weak who are weak enough to resist the temptation to defend themselves, but like their Master, like their Savior, they commit everything to God and they say God is the revenger of all who do evil. God knows the truth. Weak enough to bless them that curse you and to do good to those who despitefully use you. Brothers and sisters, listen to me closely. If you do not learn by the power of God's Spirit to stop defending yourself and to stop trying to make things right when you're misunderstood, you are going to fall prey to bitterness and resentment in your life. Because you are not going to be able to handle or work with or love those people who hurt you or misunderstand you and who might revile you. And you're going to close your heart to them and you're going to... Here's what people do when they're hurt. They start hearing the Holy Spirit say leave and go somewhere else. The typical words that a pastor hears on a regular basis. Pastor, I feel led of God to go and do something else. Now, this doesn't mean that God's children are not free to follow the Lord. And sometimes that's true. But I'll tell you, beloved, I have found in my own experience dealing with people that more than once if you do a little bit of research, you'll find that the people who are hearing God tell them to go somewhere are really running from an uncomfortable situation that they're in with someone else and don't want to deal with it. And so they feel led to go somewhere else. And you know, when people are like that, they have a pattern. And you know what the pattern is? In six months, the new place where God planted them, they're feeling led to go somewhere else. And then six months later, the new place where God planted them, they're feeling led to go somewhere else. Why? Because it's a pattern in their life. They haven't learned to endure being misunderstood. They haven't learned how to overcome evil by good. They haven't learned how to bless those that curse them. How to love those who don't have a high opinion of them. It's immaturity. Why do you think there's so much divorce today? Because even couples don't know how to deal with misunderstandings among themselves. Even couples don't know how to deal with being misjudged when the one says to the other, you did this! Well, I didn't mean to! Well, you did it! And you go back and forth and before you know it, there's a barrier there in your heart. And the world says when that barrier gets unbearable, just divorce. Just get out of it. Just get out of the commitment. But God's going to have a people who are weak enough not to allow such difficulties to distress them. But they'll find their strength in Jesus Christ. And lastly, God's going to have a people weak enough to endure the things brought into their life to keep them weak so they can be strong. I'll say that again. While I'm saying it, turn to 2 Corinthians 12. 2 Corinthians 12. We only have a few more minutes to go, so please hold on. Weak enough to endure the things brought into your life to keep you weak so you can be strong. 2 Corinthians 12, beginning in verse 9. And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities. God is going to have a people weak enough to glory in the things that keep them weak. Rather than fight against those things, the glory in them. Why? Because in their weakness, God's strength is made perfect. Therefore, will I glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. God will have a people that are weak enough to be able to say along with Paul in verse 10, I take pleasure. That word, take pleasure, means to find supreme satisfaction in infirmities, reproaches, necessities, persecution, distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong. Unless you come into the weakness of Jesus Christ and are stripped from pride and love of self, when you confront reproaches and necessities, when you find yourself in difficult situations and you're persecuted and you're pressed at a measure, rather than glorying and finding the strength of God in your weakness, you're going to get angry. You're going to get a complaining spirit. You're going to start bickering. You're going to start grumbling. You're going to start blaming your troubles on people. It's their fault. It's your fault. It's their... You're the reason why I'm like this. And you're going to start getting a perspective that's going to work cancer inside your spirit. It'll hurt you. That's why God needs a people weak enough to endure the things that make them weak. That word weak simply means powerless. That word weak simply means being put in a place where in your own strength you can do nothing, but must depend upon the power and might of God. That's what God is looking for. Thirdly, the Bible says that God will use not only the foolish and the weak, but the base. The base things. The Scripture says, verse 28, verse 28, chapter 1, and the base things of the world, and the things which are despised have God chosen, and the things that are not to bring to naught things that are. So the base things and the despised things. We must be base enough to desire no honor from any man except that which comes from God. John 5, verse 44. God will not work through a vessel individually or corporately who has their hearts set on being honored by men. There is a lust in the world today to be a demigod. This spirit has come into the church and has seduced the leadership. Leadership is seeking to be seen of men, known of men, esteemed of men, and golly gee, nearly worshipped by men. Leaders today want a prominent place on the platform. They despise the thought of coming in and sitting in the back. They despise the thought of being inconspicuous and not seen. They would be highly offended for the most part if they were not recognized. Such an attitude disqualifies a man or a corporate vessel from being used by God in the way He wants to use them. Because the Bible says that we must be base enough and low enough. That means we can't have a high opinion of ourself. We can't think we're God's gift to the church or God's gift to the world. We can't think that everything will be alright as soon as I get there. We must be base enough to seek the honor that comes from God and God alone. John 5.44 How can ye believe, Jesus said, when ye seek honor one of another and not the honor which comes from God? Number two, we must be base enough to follow the Spirit who will lead us on the way of Christ's humility. Philippians 2 I want to ask everybody a question now. Are you prepared by the grace of God to be led by the Spirit of God into a posture where you will walk and know and partake in the humility of Jesus Christ? You must be base enough to lower yourself, to get down to the dust and not seek the limelight. Philippians 2 Beginning in verse 5 Let this mind be in you. Let this attitude be in you. Let this way of thinking be in you which also was in Christ Jesus. I don't understand what gives the church the right to think that she can have an attitude in her mind different from that of her Lord. And if her Lord's attitude was that of, verse 6, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself, listen, of no reputation. Why is there a lust to be known when Christ made Himself of no reputation? When they sought to make Him king, what did He do? He hid Himself from the crowds. And He went into the wilderness and prayed. Nowadays, if the crowds sought to make someone a king, they would say, thank You, God! You've answered my prayers! Thank You, God! Something's not right. He made Himself of no reputation. He emptied Himself. Do you know how the Holy Spirit is working in your life? He's teaching you how to make yourself of no reputation. Do you know when you're being deceived by another spirit that might even pretend to be the Holy Spirit? When you are secretly desiring to be something. The Holy Spirit of God will conform, will make in us the mind of Christ. He made Himself of no reputation, took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. God needs people who are base enough to follow the Spirit, to lead them to the way of Christ's humility, so that not only will they not seek a reputation, but they will seek to be a servant. And you remember a few weeks ago the acid test. How do you know you're a servant? When you're treated like one and it doesn't bother you. Remember that? When you're treated like one and it doesn't bother you. You're not a servant when you choose who you're going to serve, when you're going to serve, how you're going to serve them, and the conditions of the service. And that's really what's in the church today. We think we're servants when we come up with the plan on how we're going to serve the church. And boy, you let someone deviate from your plan, and all of a sudden you realize you're not much of a servant. But really, you're a lord cloaking yourself in the garments of a servant. Because you've got the plan of any person who wants to lord it over people. But the servant doesn't have a plan like that. The servant says, Master, I will be as You are to the people. I will be as You are to the people. I will be as You are to the people. And let me tell you something, Jesus endures a lot as our Savior in the midst of the church. And He doesn't get offended and demand His rights. This is what revival's all about. He became obedient after He became a servant. He humbled Himself and became obedient to the death of the cross. So the threefold stages of being base enough to follow Christ in His humility is number one, make yourself of no reputation. Number two, become a servant. And number three, as a servant, go lower. You see, you can be a servant and not taste of death. But there is that of being a servant, and then there is that of going even lower, even to the point of death. Now how many of us are prepared to allow God to work these qualities in us that so attract His heart? That attract the Holy Spirit and that literally cause hell to tremble? Number three, we must be base enough to allow God to make us a spectacle to the world. 1 Corinthians 4. 1 Corinthians 4. You see, it's amazing. Most Christians would say, boy, I didn't know these things were in the Bible. 1 Corinthians 4, beginning in verse 9, For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were, appointed to death. If we are made a spectacle. Spectacle. It's the same thing. We must be base enough to allow God to make us as a spectacle before the world, before angels, and to men. And lastly, we must be base enough to allow others to wrong us and not to react in the wrong way for Christ's sake. 1 Corinthians 6. How dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to the law before the unjust and not before the saints? Verse 7. Verse 6. But brother goes to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Don't you know that there is utterly a fault among you because you go to the law one with another? Listen. Why do you not rather take wrong? Why do you not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded or to be taken advantage of? Nay, ye dee wrong and defraud, and that your brethren. We must be base enough, low enough, humble enough to allow others to wrong us from time to time and not react for the sake of Christ. There is a principle here that is almost lost in the church today. We feel it's our rights to get what we feel we deserve and we'll go through measures that bring a reproach upon the name of Christ to get what we think is ours. And it's wrong. Paul said it's a fault. Paul said you ought rather to have the desire to be wronged just for the sake of peace and not to bring a reproach on the sake of Christ. My last point. The Bible says that God uses the base and the despised. The last point, despised. We must be despised enough so that we do not think of ourselves to be more highly than we ought to. Romans 12, verse 3. Therefore, I say to you, by the grace of God, let every man think of himself soberly. Let no man think of himself more highly than he ought to. Isaiah 53. I will not read it, but that's the Scripture that refers to the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says He was despised. We must be despised enough in order to endure being like our Lord and Savior. If He was despised, we too will be despised. If men looked at Him and scoffed, they will look at us and scoff. If there was no beauty that men should be attracted to Him, then when the world looks at the church who is stripped from all of her attempts to dress herself up and look good in the eyes of the world, then they will be despised as He was. Are we prepared to let the Lord bring us down this road of being despised? And so we must be base, which means to be low and humble. We must be despised enough. And the Bible says we must be nothing. The base things of the world, the despised, and the things which are not, to bring to naught things that are. We must be nothing enough so that God can be everything. We must be nothing enough so that God can be everything. Now, we're going to close. But I have a question I want to ask before we close. I want everyone to please bow your hearts before the Lord. We just looked at the things God uses, at the qualities that God uses. We looked at the foolish. We looked at the weak. We looked at the base. We looked at the despised. And we looked at the nothings. And we saw these five qualities are the things that qualify us from being used by God. And now my question to you is this. Do you find these qualities ever growing in your life? Are you foolish enough to renounce human wisdom? Foolish enough to trust in the cross alone? Foolish enough to be a fool for Christ? Are you weak enough to endure misunderstanding? Are you weak enough to seek empowerment by the Holy Spirit? Are you base enough? Are you despised enough? Are you nothing in your own eyes? Let's sing a song. Let's allow the Holy Spirit in this moment of quietness to give us a desire to have the credentials necessary to be used by Him. Sister, thank you for coming. We're expecting to hear a good report. Praise the Lord. Everyone before the Lord now, let them search your heart. This is the Bible way. This is the way the Holy Spirit bears witness to. And this, I assure you, beloved, are the things God's looking for before He pours His Spirit out. God will bring us to this place if we will look to Him.