Endued With Power | Rev. Jeremy Lang

Such a blessing to be at First Apostolic Church in Mville, feeling the presence and power of God. Aren't you thankful for this worship team and choir that's led us in worship tonight? Amen. Awesome. Awesome. Thank you for leading us in worship. Thank you, Bishop Carpenter, to you and the leadership, this great assembly for the opportunity to be here. here. It's been a few years since I've been able to uh be here with you all. I think 2023 was the last time. And it feels good to be back. And of course, I have in tow with me the most beautiful woman in the world sitting right there. Come on, wave, beautiful. Let everybody see. Oh, come on now. There we go. She's too modest. Amen. I often times say when I walk into a room with her on my arm, it gives all the other ugly men in the room hope. They say, "My goodness, if God can do it for him, maybe he can do it for me, too." Amen. And our five beautiful children, Asia, Kaya, Elias, Ephraim, David, and Zapora. We call her Zippy because she zips here and zips there. and you're liable to see that before we leave. And then also a very special guest, my mother-in-law is here with us tonight. Her first time ever being here and we're so thankful that she's come over with us tonight. Amen. Amen. And I do want to say if you're a first-time guest here tonight, I need you to do me a personal favor. I want you to come back next Sunday and hear Bishop Carpenter and the leadership of this assembly preach the word of God. I'm just a guest here today. And uh they don't take any responsibility for anything I say tonight. So, amen. It's a great blessing to be here. Thank you so much. I want to ask you to join me in the book of Luke, chapter number 24. As I look around this congregation, I see so many friends and I'm grateful to be among friends, to be among family this place tonight. But I feel the Holy Ghost. I feel like God is wanting to do some work amongst his people tonight. He is a wonderworking God. And I wonder what kind of wonders that he wants to do in our midst tonight. I've come expecting not because I am here but because the God in whom we have worshiped has been faithful once again as he always is to inhabit the praises of his people. We have praised him. We have worshiped him. And that word inhabit literally means that he comes and sits down in our midst. And what kind of impossibilities can be turned possible when the king sits in our midst? Amen. Luke chap 24, a familiar portion. We're going to read from verse 44. Luke 24 and 44. If you're there, say, "Amen." >> Amen. And he said unto them, "These are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the Psalms concerning me." Listen carefully to this. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures. and said unto them, "Thus it is written, and thus it is, behoove Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem, and ye are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send the promise of my father upon you, but ter ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high. Endued with power. Is there anyone in the house that has already been filled with the gift of the Holy Ghost evidenced by speaking in other tongues just like the Bible says? Amen. That experience was more than just that you would speak in tongues and that you would be able to shout. He did it to endue us with power from on high. That means if you have come into this place tonight feeling weak, you can leave this place tonight with strength because you have been endued with power from on high. That's what I want to talk to us about in this place tonight. endued with power. Can we pray? Father, we love you. We thank you for your word. We thank you for the power and the truth that is in your word. And I'm asking you, Lord, to anoint my lips to speak your word. And I ask that you would give all of us ears to hear what your spirit would say to the church. We give you thanks and we give you praise for all of these things. And everyone said, in Jesus' name, >> amen. Turn to your neighbor and tell them that they look good and do it without laughing or they won't take you seriously. Amen. And you can be seated. The word of God declares in our text tonight, scripture says that while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the psalms concerning me. The next portion of this verse of scripture says, "Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures." I want to help you right here because every one of us in this place have been asked the question before. If baptism in the name of Jesus Christ is the only correct form of baptism, then why did Jesus say in Matthew 28 to go and baptize in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy ghost? And too often we miss this very important part of the gospel because we read it in Matthew 28. We forget oftent times that the synoptic gospels Matthew, Mark, and Luke give us the same scenarios from one gospel to to the other. Oftent times they will highlight different parts. Not necessarily that one missed it or uh one made it up, but I believe that in all of the synoptic gospels, which means same eye in the Greek, that we find something that happened in the book of Luke chapter number 24 in verse number 45 that is essential in us answering the question. If Jesus said to baptize in the name of the father and son and the holy ghost, then why did Peter preach in Acts chapter number two, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins? Well, we too easily miss the fact that more than the words that were written, there was something spiritual that happened that only Luke recorded. And that something special that happened in Luke 24 was that Jesus opened up their understanding. There was a revelation that happened at this point in time around the time of the great commission. So that now after this on the birth day of the church at Mount Zion in the upper room in Jerusalem, Peter whenever he stood up having been asked the question, men and brethren, what shall we do? He answered. And he said, "I'll tell you exactly what you've got to do. Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." I'm thankful that I've taken on the name of Jesus in baptism like what we heard preached this morning. I'm thankful that today my name is Jeremy Lang Jesus because neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. We sing the old song it's all in him. It's all in him. The fullness of the godhead is all in him and I believe it today. Amen. >> So we find in this portion of scripture >> revelation that was happening and after this Jesus was very clear. Now you've got to obey and go where I say go. He said you thought about leaving. You had vacation scheduled. You you had dinner. You had this and that. But what I need you to do is stay in Jerusalem until how long, Rabbi Jesus? How long, Messiah Jesus, do we stay in Jerusalem? He said until. Now, I don't want to make anybody angry here. If your name is Terry, could you just raise your hand if your name is Terry? Do I have any Terry's in the house? If I don't, it might be a first. Any Terry's? They're pointing somebody out that's wanting to be shy. Okay. Oh, we've got Terry back there. Don't take offense what I'm saying right here. But some of us need to get our Terry back. >> We throw our hands up in the air for five minutes. And if God hasn't filled us with the Holy Ghost, we say, "Well, maybe it's just not for me." >> If that was you during the time of Acts chapter number two, you would have been in deep trouble because they terried for many days. They terried and they terried. Why? Because Jesus said, "Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem." How long? He said, "Until. I wonder what would happen in this house tonight if somebody that needs the Holy Ghost would say, "I'm going to get my terry back. I'm going to terry until I'm endued with power from on high." Come on, somebody. It is an essential part of salvation. We've all got to be filled with the gift of the Holy Ghost. And so, if I've got to terry for a little while, I'm going to terry for a little while. Let's get our terry back. Glory. >> It wasn't that bad, was it? Come on, Terry. We got to get Terry back. Until you be endued with power. Endued. This is This is from the King Jesus Version Bible. I got a few chuckles. Some of you all caught what I said, didn't you? King Jesus Version, the KJV. It's interesting because we have the archaic English endued with power from on high. Sounds poetic and powerful and kind of Shakespearean, doesn't it? This word endued literally means to be clothed with power. Clothed with power from on high. I want to encourage somebody in this place tonight. It is the will of God for each one of us in this house to be clothed with power from on high. Not clothed in your own power, not clothed with your own strength, but clothed with the true power of the Holy Ghost. I don't know about you, but I'm thankful that I've been filled with the gift of the Holy Ghost. There's nothing like the power of the Holy Ghost. We are Pentecostal. We are apostolic. And God has poured out his spirit upon all flesh. I'm thankful that I can say I'm one of them. >> That's right. So Luke goes on and writes here in Acts chapter number one. The former treaties have I made, O Theophilles, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach. Until the day in which he was taken up after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen, to whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs. I want some infallible proofs to be on display in this house tonight. Infallible proofs being seen of them 40 days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God and being assembled together with them commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith he, Ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? They asked a political question. See, the apostles were a little bit too focused on politics. You've got the King of Kings with you and you want to talk to him about politics. Come on, somebody. >> Oh boy, I just moved right into some of you all's business right here. But Jesus answered and said, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power." >> That's right. That's right. But you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. Some of us we need to get refocused again on the great commission and how that God has endued us with power. Not so that we can boast that we're apostolic, not so that we can boast that we're Pentecostal, but because there is a world that is lost and dying and without a savior, we are endued with power for the purpose of being witnesses. >> Power endued with power. I wasn't raised in the church. told my testimony here before, I'm sure, because I don't preach very often without putting a little bit of my testimony in there. I had long hair. I'm giving you a moment to picture it. That's what I was really into the 80s hair bands. Anybody else come from that background? Anybody else in? I see some heads bobbing. I I got some hands raised back here. My goodness, I'm compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses. Wow. I didn't know I was going to have witnesses in Mville, but here we are. I was really into that scene and a lot of the lifestyle of the lyrics that went along with it. I won't go into all the details, but that's where I was when Jesus found me. My second service that I walked into the house of God, I was face down in the altar crying out to God said, "I got to get baptized in Jesus' name." I was baptized in Jesus' name and God filled me with the gift of the Holy Ghost. >> And I can't describe it. My words fail me to describe how amazing it is. The moment that the God that created the entire universe, yet he's small, he's big enough to do that, yet somehow he's small enough to live inside of me. I I I I still can't fathom that it is beyond comprehension. But this is the God that we serve. And the first thing that I noticed after I was filled with the Holy Ghost was the love that I felt in my heart. Oh, I'm about to bust somebody in the nose right here. because I've met some of God's people along this journey of nearly three decades, nearly three decades of serving God and preaching. I've met some people that were filled with the Holy Ghost who had nothing but judgment >> in their heart >> and in their mouths >> for sinners. Look at them. Look at how they're acting. Can you believe what they did? They're no good. They're just a worthless this and a worthless that. >> And I've heard this >> after I've preached my guts out at revival sitting with God's holy people in the Dairy Queen. Come on, somebody. You ever go to the Dairy Queen right after service? Oh, come on. Sister Carpenter's with me right there now. Oh, look out. That's where we headed. And I can't help but think that after someone is filled with the Holy Ghost, >> if it doesn't increase one's love for the sinners, you might not have been filled with the Holy Ghost >> because my God loves the sinners. And loving sinners does not mean that you condone the sin. Loving sinners means that you remember what your past was like. You remember where you were when Jesus found you. Come on, I want to help somebody today. When we're filled with the power of the Holy Ghost, when we're endued with power, it ought to bring an increase of love in our heart for the lost. Very soon after I was filled with the Holy Ghost, endued with this new power, I went to my pastor. I said, "Pastor, I feel like God's called me to preach." Two months after being filled with the Holy Ghost. And my pastor said, "I know God already spoke to me, too." He said, "You're up next month youth service. like, "Oh boy, this is not going to go well at all." I was scared to death. I wrote my notes out by hand. My penmanship is barely legible. That was time for my kids to say, "Amen." I got up and preached that night. I'm telling you, I thought I tore it up. God's people were with me. They getting behind me. They were excited. They were shouting. And I thought, man, I just tore up Jack and threw out Jill right here. But I did awesome. My wife and I got married just before we moved to India together. We're going through an old box and found that old cassette tape of my sermon in there. Amber got to digging in the mothballs and found a cassette player and she said, "Let's listen. This is your first sermon on cassette tape." Some of you kids, Google cassette tape. It's so cool. This is how we used to roll. You could rewind it with a pencil. Hashtag technology. We popped that thing in that tape player and was listening to that and I thought, man, here I am with my new beautiful wife and I'm just about to flex when she listens to this my first sermon. About 15 minutes into it, she looked at me and she said, "Babe, what are you even talking about in this sermon?" I said, "I have no idea. I have no idea." I remembered it going a whole lot better than it actually did. From that humble beginning, God began to deal with me. Put a love in my heart for souls. And I'm thankful for that. It's taken me around the world in so many places where I've hazarded my all for the kingdom of God. And if I had a thousand lives to live, I would do it all again. And I wouldn't change anything. And I'm certainly thankful for what for what God has done in that amount of time because I realize something that when you are endued with power, now I'm into my Sunday night punch. When you are endued with power, you cannot sit still. Some of you all are sitting there saying, "Well, I've been doing that for 30 years." Well, I'm about to preach to you. Our God is a God of movement. >> >> He neither slumbers nor sleeps. >> He is a God that moves. It is his precedent from the very cradle of creation when the Bible says that the spirit of the Lord moved upon the face of the waters and that spirit is still moving today. This is the God that we serve. And so I would argue that neither you nor I can be filled with the spirit of God and be motionless in the kingdom when we serve a God of movement. It's called the book of Acts. Not because the apostles sat down and reveled in the fact that they had the truth. It's called the book of acts because it is the acts of the apostles, their actions, their movements. They understood if I'm endued with power from on high, it must compel me to go forward. I've got to be compelled to go forward. When you're endued with power from on high, you cannot sit still. You got to come out here and say, "Come on, Holy Ghost. What are you doing today? Come on, Holy Ghost. How do you want to move today? Come on, Holy Ghost. Who is it that you want me to reach today? The spirit of the Lord moved upon me in an early morning prayer vigil. >> My home church, I was still in high school, a new convert. My pastor said, "Jeremy, if you want to get a hold of the spirit of God, come and pray with me. Every morning is before school. Yeah. 4:45. Every morning. Before school. Did I love it at first? Actually, I did. It was easy. I'm going to pray with my pastor. I'm a new convert. I'm excited, you know. But then after a little while, as with anything, things that are repetitive can begin to feel mundane. And when that alarm went off early in the morning, I would lay there thinking, I'm going to throw that clock through the window and be glad that I did. It was then I realized I'm going to go and now I'm truly praying. >> Because when we do something, listen to me. When we do something in the kingdom of God because it feels good to us, we need to question, am I doing this for God or am I doing it for me? Did the cross feel good on Jesus's back? >> No. And yet you and I are instructed to take up our cross and to follow him. It doesn't mean that our lives are going to be lives of sadness, but it does mean that there will be times that ministry is going to be true work. And it was in one of those prayer vigils that God began to call me into the missions field. And I went to the field very young today. Now sitting on the board and brother Ericson and I served together. I don't know if a 20-year-old coming in as I did. Uh I don't know if we I don't know if we would approve that individual. And I was one of those. I don't even know if I would. I think the board was crazy sending me over there. But I went with four shirts, three pairs of pants, a pair of sandals. They got stolen by somebody. So I was barefooted for a half a day. And then I have my Bible. That's all I had. I was single. Didn't have anything. But one thing I did have, I was endued with power from on high. Came back home for deputation after having already been appointed and serving and living in India. found a trophy wife. >> Glory took her over to India with me. And we understood something in those early days of ministry. It was not easy. There's a lot of problems, a lot of trials. Sometimes it's not easy to preach when there are people outside the church with stones and clubs promising to kill us when we leave. But we're endued with power from on high. We did it anyway without fear. Brought my good buddy Josh Wilson, our general secretary. He came to India with us every year, a couple times a year sometimes. And we saw things happening in the streets in India. We got on a train and left a place where we just had several nights of ministry. It's like, man, this is this is like something you read from a Nona Freeman book. This is crazy. This is nuts. Like, yes, God is moving. The reason that one can be successful in a country with God's blessings is not because of our own strength. They have 330 million gods that they worship in India. >> 330 million. We've got one. >> What separates our doctrine from their doctrine? >> All right. >> Because we both got doctrine. The difference is we have a doctrine with a demonstration. >> And it is that demonstration that makes all the difference. That's why when we go to the streets in places that are adverse to Christianity and that have all kinds of paganism and idol worship, we go in and we simply preach the first aid. Jesus loves you. Jesus died for you. And Jesus went to the cross for you and all of these things. And then we say, "Any sick among you? Come on. Come on. >> We're going to pray for you." >> This is how we worked in the streets. My wife was right there with me anointing people with oil in the streets of India. There were days that we would set up in the streets and preach that we would have to close the road off. So many people would gather and we would pray for people for hours in the streets and God would heal them. There were other days we'd set up in the street. We'd have more cows and goats out there. I'd be praise the Lord. It was like, boy, this is this is hashtag missions right here. They worship cows. It's an amazing thing. Old Bishop Jeanie Brightite, brother Carpenter is one of my mentors. He was a spiritual, he was not my pastor, but he gave me chances to preach before I was even 18 years old. I was preaching revival in Mishawaka, Indiana. I got up close to that brother. He taught me a lot about the moving of the spirit, how God moves, how he wants to heal, how he wants to deliver, how he wants to extend his love towards humanity, not just by the blood that he shed, but by miracles, signs and wonders. And he taught me one thing. When the nine gifts of the spirit are listed, gifts of healing is plural intentionally because some people have a different gift of healing. May have a gift of healing praying for someone who's got headaches or cancer, different ones, diabetes or an ingrown toenail. I don't know. There's different gifts of healing. Okay. Brother Ericson said, "That's my gift." If you have got an ingrown toenail, you come to Brother Ericson tonight. He'll help you. Yeah. But this was what I was taught and I found it to be true. Bishop, in India, sometimes you go places and you get a reputation and reputation sometimes it's behind your back. You have no idea what people are saying behind your back. Sometimes it's better that way quite frankly. But some of our people began to say, "Pastor, people are talking about you and our members are going around going to Hindus, Muslims, those that they know who are having trouble, families having trouble conceiving a child. Because every person that you've prayed for in our meetings and in the streets who have had trouble conceiving a child have conceived. I said, "Oh, okay. No idea." God began blessing. We were having baby dedications all the time. sometimes 10, 15 at a time lined up in the front. I'm dedicating these babies. But one of the things that we're not taught at World Missions University, Brother Ericson, is that in India, if you're the leader of a community, a church, an organization, when you dedicate the babies, you're also required to name the babies. First time this happened to me. I wasn't even married yet. I don't have any kids. I've never I've named a goldfish or something before. I've never named a baby. This is new for me. I mean, I was nervous. Got to name this child. I have no idea what I'm going to name this baby. I was praying with fasting. Oh, God. What do I name this child? Then it happened all the time. more and more and more kids being born. And I'm dedicating all of these kids. After a little while, naming kids became old hat. Old hat. My wife and I have five. And we didn't name a single one of them until we saw them after they were born. You know, everybody else like stitches the name on things. and our family, my mother-in-law, my mother was like, "What are we going to name this child?" Like we when we see the baby, we'll name it made a lot of people nervous. But what people don't understand is my wife and I have named children all over the world. This is not anything big for us. So after a little while, naming kids was just old hat. We'd have these babies all over the place. Before I was, "Oh god, what to name this child?" And then after a little while they'd be lined up across and I'm like John, Paul, George, Ringo, uh, Mo, Curly, Larry. I mean, it was just easy after that. But God was moving and God was blessing. And there were people who came to the faith. They said, "We've come, we've gone to all kinds of witch doctors and this priest and that priest and nothing happened." But when we came into that apostolic Pentecostal church and that crazy white man came up and prayed for us after 10, 12 years, people were saying, "My goodness, look what's happened. Look what the Lord has done." Church family, we are endued with power from on high. Don't you think for a moment that you're a weakling just because you don't have a pedigree in Pentecost? If you've got the Holy Ghost down in your soul, you've got a power inside of you. God has put that power inside of you. Not so that we can show off, >> but so that the gospel can be propagated. One of our pastors told me a couple of years ago, he said, "Sir, India just overtook China in world population." And I said, "Okay." He said, he pointed at me and he said, "I think it was your fault, brother. I think it was your fault." Said, "No, to God be the glory for the things that he has done." In fact, just um last year, I believe it was, or the year before, we were preaching just down the road from here, Clinton, Tennessee, Eagle Bend. You all know the Millers. You all know the triplets. We were preaching there. God was moving. And and Brother Miller told me, he said, "Brother, I I know about your gifting. I want you to pray for this couple. They've been 11, 12 years. They've given up hope. They've done all kinds of all kinds of uh therapies and treatments, and nothing at all has happened. Nothing has worked. And this couple, bless their heart, they came up to the front and I prayed for them. And I just tried my best to beseech the heavens on their behalf knowing knowing that they were beat up, that they were down and out, knowing that their situation seemed bleak and hopeless. We went back there one year later. Sister Miller told my wife, she said, "Oh, I completely forgot to tell you all." Got her phone out, pulled up a picture. Do you remember praying for this couple >> that for years >> and many treatments had no child? This baby was born 11 months after you all left Clinton, Tennessee. This is what God does. Church family, it is incredibly important that we understand cuz some people turn around, they say, "Man, Lang, you have Lang come in. He's going to teach you Hebrew. He's going to have you speaking in tongues. Even if it's repeat after me and he teaches you a verse in Hebrew, you're going to learn something in Hebrew. Well, listen. Hebrew is an important part of what I feel like God has called me to do. But that is not my primary purpose. My primary purpose is to be a preacher of the gospel and to pray for the sick, to lay hands on those who have abandoned all hope. Come on, somebody. This is what the calling of God is all about. I believe in miracles, signs, and wonders. I believe in a God that is able to do everything and all things. >> I believe it. >> Last summer, my goodness, last summer, we like to kill ourselves. I preached five camp meetings last summer, and I told Amber whenever those five camp meetings were over, I told her, I said, "I feel like that my body's leeching calcium out of my bones. I was so exhausted after that and went around there. A lot of people got to pray for them. God was moving and God was healing. And um we've had several testimonies as well since then. I don't even know how many now that have sent us messages and sent us pictures. Here's the baby that was born 10 months after camp meeting. >> And I told Amber, I said, "I'm not surprised anymore. I just know that God is able. >> You read in the word of God, there's a difference between the apostles and us today. >> Today, we're surprised when God does it, >> but the apostles were surprised when he didn't. >> Come on, somebody. I'm trying to help you right here. We've been endued with power from on high. What we need to do is stir up that gift that is within us and begin operating in the Holy Ghost that God has put inside of us. Not to sit in there and be dormant inside of us. But we stir it up. We stir it up. >> Brother and sister Namy, I preached general conference in Philippines last year. Brother and sister Namy, they said, "Hey, we got to show you some pictures. You came and preached our general conference." Said, "Look at these babies. This is just the first fruits." said there are others as well that are with child that he brother Namy said this one here was over 10 years they they had no hope and I said I believe it God's able God's able to do it I was preaching in Texas camp there was a couple that come running up to me they said brother Lang you were here preaching Texas camp just a few years ago I said yes I was they said ah we've been looking forward to seeing you said we're foster parents They said, "We have we were given during the week of Texas camp a baby we were called and they said we need you to come by and pick up this baby. This is going to be a tough one." They said, "This baby was just born and is addicted to crack cocaine." Was born addicted to crack cocaine. Just trembling. Some of you all know what that's about. The baby was born addicted. They said, "You all are going to have to take this baby and help this poor little baby through this." They brought that child to the Friday night of camp meeting. And they come up to me and said, "Brother Lang, can you pray?" I reached my hands out. I held that little baby and I prayed the prayer of faith. The sister lifted up the shirt slightly on that baby's belly where there was a huge knot on the belly of that baby. They said, "We don't know what this is. We're getting more tests done." The doctors wasn't sure exactly what it is, but we're so worried. The baby was just skinny and had this knot on its abdomen. Huge knot about the size of a tennis ball you can imagine on a on an infant. We prayed and they went home. When they got home, the sister put the baby in the bathtub. When she removed the shirt from the baby, that knot was gone on that baby's stomach. And she said, she said, "Brother Lang, this was a placement that we thought was going to be just a short time, part-time placement, but she said, "Look over there." And I saw that little baby that I had prayed for that was born addicted to crack cocaine, running around, loving God, going to Kids Quest. They've adopted that child. Now that child calls them mama and daddy, don't tell me that God can't do it. You've showed up way too late to convince me otherwise. It has nothing to do with me. It has everything to do with the power of God that was designed to work in us. This is the reason why the Bible declares, "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask and think, according to the power that workketh in us," I would to God that tonight we could get a revelation of the amount of power that is in this room. I want to encourage you today. You might think, "Well, I I can't ever pray that kind of prayer. I can't ever see that." I want to rebuke that spirit of doubt that's in your mind. >> I want to rebuke that low self-confidence and self-esteem today. God thought enough of you that he went to Calvar's Hill and died for you. Stop feeling bad for yourself. You are loved by the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. And he has put a gift inside of you, a gift to be used for his kingdom, for his glory. Our God is a God of action. >> Too many people, they like to go to the Mount of Olives and see him go into the clouds. It's the way it is. We're like, "Ah, I've seen him go. He said he's coming back." A lot of people are content saying, "Ah, Jesus is coming back. Look at the newspaper. Look at what's going on in the sands of the Middle East. Jesus is coming back." But when Jesus ascended into the heavens, hear me right now. They watched in awe just like all of us would have. They watched in awe. And then they were brought back down to earth by two men that stood by them in white apparel that said to them, "Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which you have seen taken into the heavens >> shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go. Those two angels that stood in their midst that day was reminding them, "The Mount of Olives is not the end of your calling. The Messiah, God manifested in the flesh, has instructed you to stay in Jerusalem." Why? Because what was designed to be born in Jerusalem was not designed to be confined in Jerusalem. It was for Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. And there was no way that they were going just with their doctrine, but that their doctrine would be accompanied by a demonstration of the power of the Holy Ghost. This is the great thing about God. He's not left us out on a limb to argue about how many gods there are or anything like that. He has filled us with the gift of the Holy Ghost for the purpose of going forth preaching, but also that signs, miracles, and wonders would follow the preached word of God. I'm a believer that that is the God that we serve today. I'm a believer that he's still performing the miraculous. But come on, 500 people saw him and only 120 went to the upper room, 22%. Sometimes I wonder if we could just get 22% of the church today >> to understand the power that they have inside of them. >> Only 22%. We could take the world by storm. >> We understand that Jesus has more. Not just what happened on the Mount of Olives, but what happened at Mount Zion. Being endued with power from on high. >> Being filled with the Holy Ghost is something that cannot be easily put into words. It's an empowerment that compels one to stand through diverse trials and temptations. causes one to stand in faith, to walk in faith, and even in the fiery furnace of life's trials and troubles we walk. And it empowers us toward ministry effectiveness like nothing else can. It's not in the beautiful words that you say in your prayer. It's in the power of the Holy Ghost that even in the face of having your words fail you, God can still do the work in spite of what you know or don't know. Now, if there's if there's any flat-earthers here, you can just disregard what I'm about to say. You've got your right to be wrong. That's okay. It's not a stone's throw. We just disagree. Because the Bible says that when that great warrior Joshua spoke to the son and said, "Son, stand thou still." My friends on the other side of that argument like to say, "See, Joshua said, "Son, stand thou still." That means that it's a sun that moves around the earth. Joshua was a warrior, not an astronomer. Okay, you're not hearing me, so I'm going to come down here. Didn't have a clue what in the world was going on in the sky. But when the sun was going down and the battle was beginning to turn and he realized something, I cannot give my enemies reprieve right now. No, no, no. We've got to push right now. So in desperation, he said, "Son, stand thou still." And what happened? The son stood still. Why? Because God said, "I'm going to look beyond what that man doesn't know. >> He's maybe ignorant as to how things work, >> but there's one thing he's not ignorant about, and that's how faith works. So God said, "Okay, Joshua, you know how to win a battle. You know exactly how to use your weapons. You know how to command troops. >> But just because you don't know about how things work in the sky, doesn't mean that you're worthless and that you don't have some power." >> So what does he do? He says, "Son, stand thou still." And God says, "You know what? Just because he had faith enough to speak that, I'm going to let his son stand still. >> And the Bible says that the son stood still for about a day. And I tell my students all the time, there are no extra words in the Bible. Why didn't it just say a day? But it said about a day. Why? Today we're trying to figure out why is it that we have to add a day every fourth year, the leap year. And people have finally said, "Well, it's one idea. At some point in time in the Earth's history, the Earth's rotation stopped." Well, how long did it stop? They said 23 and a half hours. Scientists say, "I we have no idea how that happened. We don't know what what happened that caused it to do that." And I'm over here thinking about Joshua, how that God looked beyond the ignorance of what he spoke, saying, "Son, stand thou still." I don't know how God heals cancer, but I know that he's able. I've seen him do it. I don't know what happens physically and biologically whenever God begins to move upon somebody who's already abandoned hope and having a child, but yet here comes a child. Come on. I have no idea how it works. But one thing I can tell you is that I've got a God who looks at the faith of a believer that's endued with power from on high and says, "It doesn't matter what you know or what you don't know about how the world works. If you've got faith enough to speak it, God said, I will look beyond it and I will do it." Lastly, oh yeah, we get to the Dairy Queen before they close. Sister Carpenter. Lastly, 1 Corinthians chapter 2 declares this. And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determine not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified. We could preach just on that. But he doesn't stop there. In his letter, Paul then continues, "And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power. >> Why? >> That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, >> but in the power of God. >> Now, I've got a question for us tonight. Sometimes we don't always read these letters with understanding of what where Paul's headspace was at that time. When Paul wrote to the church in Corenth and made this this whole portion, this whole narrative, I can agree. But there's one part that bothers me. Why did Paul say, "When I was with you, I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling." Because I'm going to tell you, Paul doesn't seem like the kind to me that would scare easy. Doesn't seem too squeamish to me. Talk about the guy that stoned to death, beat all kinds of perils that he faced. But yet he tells Corinth that when I was with you, I was in fear, in weakness, in much trembling. What makes the great apostle tremble? It's a great question. Does everything else seems to be great? That part right there, what are you talking about, Paul? Well, we have to ask oursel the question that when Paul went to Corenth and he was there with Aquill and Priscilla, >> he had just he's there making tents, right? He's there with Aquill and Priscilla. He's making tents. Why? Not because they're going to have a tent revival, but where did Paul just come from? He had just come from Mars Hill and then went to Corenth. And when he got to Corenth, in retrospect, he's looking back at what had just happened at Mars Hill. We have the narrative in our Bible. Paul said,"For as I passed by your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription to the unknown God, whom therefore you ignorantly worship him, declare I unto you, God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is the Lord, >> seeing that he is God, >> that he is God, >> dwelleth not in temples made with hands, neither is he worshiped with men's hands, as though he needeth anything. And seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things. What powerful words. What powerful words. And after he preached at Mars Hill, the Bible says, "And just a few men clave unto him." No great revival. Just a few men clave unto him. That's what the Bible says. They clave unto him. great, good, wonderful, but no great harvest, no great outpouring. So when he left Mars Hill and went to Corinth, he was thinking, "What about my ministry?" I went into Mars Hill because these men are philosophers and and doctors and and they're the educated and they're the poets and that's what Mars Hill is all about. I'm going in there. So I'm trying to reach them on their level. So he goes in with this poetic sermon talking about the altar with the inscription to the unknown god. He tries to reach them with his words and with his intellect. >> But then he realized it does not work that way. >> That's right. >> It does not work that way. >> When I go to the streets, it's some pagan country. I don't go in there and say, "Today we're going to learn 10 new Hebrew words." Because nobody cares about Hebrew words. >> They want They're not looking for enticing words of man's wisdom. They're looking for some words that are accompanied with demonstration and with power. So Paul said, "When I came to Corenth, I just left Mars Hill where I dropped the watermelon, thinking if I would use these enticing words of man's wisdom, I might win some souls." Today, we have no book of Mars Hill. >> But we have two letters to the church of Corinth. And how did that happen? Because Paul had a personal revelation. He said, "When I came to you, I did not come with enticing words of man's wisdom, but I've come to you with demonstration and with power so that your faith would not stand in the wisdom of men, but it would stand in the power of God." Church family, if we could get a revelation of the power that's in this room. If we could get a revelation of the power that's inside of your heart today, you're filled with the gift of the Holy Ghost. You've been endued with power. You need to go forward and exercise that faith that God has put inside of you. Stand with me today. Thank you for every moment of time, Bishop. Brother Ericson, Brother Hammond, you have me come back. I'll preach shorter, especially if the microphone dies, but I feel like God is wanting to demonstrate some things in this place tonight. >> Oh, not because Brother Lang is here. No, no, no, no, no. It has everything to do >> with God and his word and what his spirit is saying to the church. Stop neglecting the power that is inside of you. >> It was put there for a reason. Use it. Stir up that gift that is inside of you >> and see what God will do in your life. My son Elias, is he sitting over there? He's with his friend somewhere. I don't know. My son Elias, my wife was terribly sick many years ago. laying in bed. Had a fever 103, 104, been sick for days. And my wife has a disease called chronic faithfulness. My wife's a nurse practitioner and she was working in an urgent care clinic at that time. She said, "I got to work tomorrow." There's my boy. Come here, Elias. I'm up here with your dad. This boy right here, he's a chip off the old block. Now, let me tell you, it's my buddy right here. I said, "Come on, kids. We're going to gather around mama and pray." We gathered around. My little ones laid their hands on their mama. I did. We prayed the prayer of faith. I said, "Now go on to bed. I don't I don't I said, "You're going to call in tomorrow." But that place burned down. I don't even care anymore. You're sick. You just need to stay home and rest. She was so sick. We prayed. She went on to bed. I got the kids fed and watered, put to bed. We've got a herd of them. So, put my boys to bed. And as is our custom, we pray Deuteronomy 6 and4 together every night in Hebrew and in English. Can you do it for us in Hebrew? >> Israel Adonai Adonai. >> Here, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. And after we had prayed the word of God, this boy right here looked at me and said, "Dad, let's pray for mom one more time." I said, "Right now. We do it right now." So, we prayed. I got up early as is my custom. Had coffee. My wife comes walking in dressed, heading out the door. I say, "Hey, wait. Shh. Get over here. What are you doing? >> I feel great. >> Feel fine. >> She went on to work. A little while later, this boy here come running into the living room and said, "Dad, mom's not here." He was wearing a Superman cape when he come running into the room. He stood there with that Superman cape on. He was just a little guy. And he said, "Did mom go to work?" I said, "Yeah." He said, "She got healed." I said, "She sure did." And he just shrugged his shoulders there with his Superman cape on. He said, "Well, that worked." And then went running off into the next room. Thank you, buddy. Down. If a little boy like that one right there with a Superman cape can get a burden on his heart to pray for somebody that's sick. And God will use a little boy like that right there just with childlike faith that's not afraid to say, "Hey, we're going to pray again. We're going to pray until we're going to tarry until this happens." God said, "I'm gonna move on that. I hear that little boy's prayer. I'm going to answer his prayer and I'm going to operate with the gifts of healing. Now, I want to ask you today, this altar call that I want to give tonight is for really two groups of people. Those who you feel something in your heart that God is wanting you to stir it up within you to stir it up aresh so that he can compel you forward to catapult you forward into a new powerful anointed Holy Ghostfilled ministry of prayer and soulwinning. That's the first group. The second group, is there any sick among you? Is there anyone battling with devils at home? You're battling with devils that are just stirring up things in your home and in your family and you're sick and tired of it. You're grieved in your spirit over it. Tonight, we're going to take authority over those things in Jesus' name. Why? because you are endued with power. You are clothed with power tonight, church family. It's time to start believing it again. It's time to start understanding. You are clothed with power tonight. And God is going to use you in this house. Go ahead. Come on. Go ahead and come on. In the name of Jesus, that's it. If there's someone in this place tonight, you need a touch in your body, you need a touch in your mind, you need a touch in your family, you need deliverance from something that's been oppressing you, something that's been depressing you. Go ahead. Come on. We've got enough power in this place. We can send every devil of doubt out of this room today. There's enough faith in this place. Go ahead. Come on. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. Let it be done. Let it be done according to faith in the name of Jesus. According to faith in the name of Jesus. That's it. Stir it up. Stir it up. Stir it up. God's placed it inside of you. He's endued you with power. Go ahead. Go ahead. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. Go ahead. Oh yes. In the name of Jesus. That's it, my brother. That's it, my sisters. Go ahead. Go ahead. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. That's it. Go ahead. In the name of Jesus, stir it up. Stir it up tonight. Stir it up tonight. In the name of Jesus,