One professional who works with believers who are addicts urged us to keep on emphasizing forgiveness, to bless those who are struggling, to tell them that God loves them, because that is all they can bear at this time. He claimed that people are addicts because they have an addictive personality, and the addictive personality must be dealt with by someone properly prepared to do so.

To exhort a disabled personality to be strong in discipleship may be to disable him even further. To exhort a child with a learning disability to try to be at the head of his class is to produce discouragement rather than success. It is like exhorting someone with a broken leg to try to win an ice-skating competition.

We are not excusing worldliness or spiritual laziness. We are saying that people cannot start out on the Christian discipleship when there are severe emotional or mental and sometimes physical problems.

There also is a place for casting out devils. Again, this should be done by experienced Christians who know what they are doing.

God has called the writer to preach the victorious Christian life. However, we see the need for ministry to believers who have severe mental, emotional, or physical problems. The Lord would have us speak comfortably to Jerusalem and to minister to the many needs she has so that eventually the saints will become oaks of righteousness. We intend to keep on urging the Church forward into battle and at the same time, as the pastor of a church, make provision as we are able for those who need assistance so they too may one day join the army of the Lord.

We see, then, that the first task of the end-time witnesses of the God of the earth is to speak comfortably to Jerusalem, healing her until she is an oak of righteousness and a priceless jewel in the hand of the Lord.

Verse three.

The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:3)

John the Baptist was a witness who prepared the way of the Lord. John came in the spirit and power of Elijah.

For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. (Matthew 3:3)

There will be two witnesses who will prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. The two witnesses are symbolized by the two wave loaves of the feast of Pentecost.

Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals; they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the Lord. (Leviticus 23:17)

The two witnesses are Christ and His Body. They are the two Lampstands and the two Anointed Ones standing before the God of the whole earth.

To be continued.