End Times Witnessing: Rebuilding your Old Gate -walk the Old Path- back to Calvary

The watchman discovered that rebuilding Old City Gate has great depth of meaning and significance that he could never have dreamed of. Yes, the Spirit of God prompted him to find this old path as he waited upon the Lord. When leading the class to do this prophetic act of faith he had merely started the work by faith. But now he knows this not initiated by him. The following are revelations received as he sought the Lord.
Revelation One: God wants His people to look back to Him as the Foundation, the Source of life. Ps. 102:25 “Long ago, You laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with Your hands.” Jeremiah 6:16 states ‘Thus says the Lord, Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls.’
Revelation Two: God’s truth stands firm as a foundation stone. 2 Tim.2:19 “But God’s truth stands firm as a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.”
Revelation Three: God has assigned some of His people to be re-builders. Isa.58:12 “Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a re-builder of walls and a restorer of homes.” In v11, the Lord also promises that He will guide you continually, giving water when you are dry and restoring your strength. (This was exactly what Yeshua did when He came to the two followers on the road to Emmaus).
Revelation Four: The Lord Yeshua Christ comes personally to accompany His re-builders onto the right path. On the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), the resurrected Yeshua came to His two followers. They were sad and disappointed, as they thought their hope in the Messiah re-building the physical Israel nation dash to pieces. But the Lord Yeshua came to seek them out, took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. After the seven miles’ walk, at their invitation, He went home with them, sat down to eat, took bread, blessed it, broke it and gave to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him!
The watchman was at first puzzled over this last passage. What has the Road to Emmaus got to do with the Old Gate? Then his eyes were opened. He looked up the map and indeed found that it started outside the Old Gate and stretched North-West ward. This was not a coincidence. The watchman knew in his spirit that the Lord Yeshua has revealed this truth.
When believers and followers of Christ depart from the Old Gate plumb line of God, they will be filled with discouragement, emptiness of purpose, helplessness and even hopelessness. They have left the solid rock foundation of old (the Ancient of Old) and moved their building to shaky foundation of sands. The path away from the right path of the godly (righteous in Christ) is described as “the path of the wicked” in Psalm One. The Lord only watches over the path of the godly (righteous) (Ps.1:6)
Psalm 121 promises you pilgrims who ascend to Jerusalem, to worship the Lord God Almighty Himself (not turning away from Him), the Lord Himself watches over your life, keeps you from all harm, stands beside you as a protective shade and He will not let you stumble. Indeed, “He will keep watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.” (Ps.121:8)
One clearly revealed clue for us is that Yeshua (Jesus) uses the Word of God to turn our focus back to Him and His Redemption. Only by reading and understanding His Word the followers’ spiritual eyes opened which changed the course of their life immediately. They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as He talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” “And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem” (to testify for Him)! (Luke 24:32-33)


When the two disciples walked back to Jerusalem’s Old Gate, they were indeed walking towards Calvary, not away from the Cross as they did in the confusion after Jesus was crucified. Indeed, when they arrived, they found to their great joy that He is risen!!
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Faith in Action: Old City Gate Rebuilding Group: Purple cloth is used to represent ‘before time’ ‘Ancient of Days’ God; the old paths of God; Original Foundation (Yeshua Himself). The builders’ names are: Joiada (the Lord knows), Meshullam (repaying), Melatiah (Jehovah delivers), Jadon (judge), people from Mizpah (watch tower)

End Times Witnessing: Rebuilding Your Fish Gate -Why are men made like fish of the sea?

Prophet Habakkuk asked the Lord in anguish, “Why do you make men like fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler over them?” (1:14) “The seemingly random fate that befalls fish and animals, one killing another, is the only thing to which Habakkuk could compare a more evil nation harming a less evil nation”.  (New Spirit-filled Life Bible) Indeed, without knowing God (i.e. with the eternal life in focus), it is difficult not to wonder this way.

The Jerusalem Fish Gate Rebuilding in Nehemiah 3 gave the watchman a fresh picture of God.
Revelation One: God has a good plan for men (Jeremiah 29:11-14 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope..”) despite the fact that we tend to behave like fish, enjoying the vast freedom of the sea, yet remain ignorant and blinded to the immense danger of the freedom of choices. The fisherman’s net, other predator fishes, polluted waters, other living creatures, men’s excessive profit-making activities (due to greed, lack of foresight, and disobedience and rebellion of men against God’s plumb line, resulting all sorts of wickedness and evil conduct) etc are common examples.
Revelation Two: Lord Yeshua (Jesus), the Son of God who came in the flesh as man, favored humble people like fisherman as He called several of them to be His Apostles. He declared prophetically, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men!” (Matt.4:19) Indeed, He later filled them with the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Christ) and they became great fishers. In one preaching and witnessing for the risen Yeshua Christ, they brought three thousands to repent, turn away from their wicked ways and turn to Yeshua as their Lord and Savior. (Acts 2:41)
Revelation Three: God’s plan is to bring many fishes (nations) to flow back to Him and there will be no more war (Micah 4:1-3). He spoke through the prophets on this goal. In Isaiah 19:23-25, the prophecy is that Egypt, Assyria and Israel will one day worship the same God as one, the Lord of hosts will bless them and make them a blessing  in the midst of the land.
Revelation Four: Guess what was the first profession called to be disciples of Yeshua? Fisherman. What was the last profession mentioned when describing the New Jerusalem Temple (as in the vision of Ezekiel)? Fisherman. Ezekiel 47 described water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, which goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. There will be a very great multitude of fish and they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. There will be places for fishermen to spread their nets. The fish will be of the same kind as the fish of the Great Sea, exceeding many. (Ezekiel 47:1-10) Also read Revelation 22:1-2.
Jeremiah 16:16 “Behold, I will send for many fishermen,” says the LORD, “and they shall fish them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks. (Lost sheep/fish, how not to be found by the Lord?)

Nehemiah 3:3-5 Fish Gate Re-Builder Group: The watchman uses Pink color cloth for this class group to rebuild their section of the walls (signifies blood of the Lamb; be fishers of souls – sharing the Gospel)
The names of the original builders are interesting and prophetic: Sons of Hassenaah (lifted up), people of Tekoa (more faithful & willing to do hard labor for God than their leaders; Prophet Amos ‘burden-bearer‘ is their country man), Meremoth (elevation), Meshullam (friend), Zadok (just).

End Times Witnessing: Rebuilding the Sheep Gate -keep proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes!

The watchman took the class to continue with the faith in action project in emulating Nehemiah 3: Rebuilding the Wall. The first gate group is Sheep Gate Group. Why Sheep Gate is recorded as the first group to build? This is very important to know and remember.

Revelation One: It is definitely a crucial and powerful prophetic act to keep proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes!

Every Christian knows and acknowledges that there is no way one can reach God except through the blood of Yeshua (Jesus) on the cross. Not preaching the cross (and the blood of the Lamb of God), even not taking the Holy Communion often, have placed church members at a very vulnerable position. Not knowing the spiritual implication means they have no defense against the attack of the enemy. Yeshua commanded His followers to partake the Holy Communion as often as they did. In addition, the Holy Spirit (through Apostle Paul) further explained in 1 Cor.11:26 ” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” Not discerning the Lord’s body (and His complete salvation) resulted that many were weak, sick and many even died.

Revelation Two: Another revelation on Sheep Gate is that God has two flocks of sheep in mind, the Israelite and the gentiles. Both are to be saved and redeemed and led back to His fold. No one is to be left out. These are confirmed in the following verses.

Revelation Three: Yeshua is the Sheep (Lamb) which had provided the atonement for all our sins. He is also the Shepherd and the Gate through which all His sheep are to enter.

Revelation Four: After Yeshua resurrected and ascended to heaven, the Holy Spirit has made some of His followers overseers of the flocks. They are to serve faithfully and selflessly. They will be rewarded when the Chief Shepherd Himself, our Lord Yeshua returns.
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¹ Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They built as far as the Tower of the Hundred,^[a]and consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of Hananel.
Isaiah 53:6-7
All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.
Jeremiah 50:17  “Israel is like scattered sheep; The lions have driven him away. First the king of Assyria devoured him; Now at last this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones.” Ezekiel 34:6 “My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.” Ezekiel 34:12 “As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.”
Matthew 9:36 But when He (Jesus) saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 15:24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
John 10:7 [ Jesus the Good Shepherd ] Then Jesus said to them And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. John 10:16
Hebrews 13:20 [ Benediction, Final Exhortation, Farewell ] Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Acts 20:28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 1 Peter 2:25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1 Peter 5:2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 1 Peter 5:4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.
Revelation 7:17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
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Nehemiah 3: 1-2 Sheep Gate Re-builder Group: The watchman uses Rust color cloth for this group to rebuild their section of the wall (signifies the blood of the Lamb; sacrifices; salvation)
Note the meanings of their names: High Priest Eliashib (whom God restored), the priests , Jericho men (place of fragrance; the city was originally destroyed by Joshua’s conquest, set free from curse), Zaccur (mindful; he builds even as one man).

A watchman prays and calls forth a burning torch

Isaiah 62

Isaiah’s Prayer for Jerusalem

¹ Because I love Zion,
I will not keep still.
Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem,
I cannot remain silent.
I will not stop praying for her
until her righteousness shines like the dawn,
and her salvation blazes like a burning torch.
² The nations will see your righteousness.
World leaders will be blinded by your glory.
And you will be given a new name
by the Lord’s own mouth.
³ The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see—
a splendid crown in the hand of God.
⁴ Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City”^[a]
or “The Desolate Land.”^[b]
Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight”^[c]
and “The Bride of God,”^[d]
for the Lord delights in you
and will claim you as his bride.
⁵ Your children will commit themselves to you, O Jerusalem,
just as a young man commits himself to his bride.
Then God will rejoice over you
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.
⁶ O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls;
they will pray day and night, continually.
Take no rest, all you who pray to the Lord.
⁷ Give the Lord no rest until he completes his work,
until he makes Jerusalem the pride of the earth.
⁸ The Lord has sworn to Jerusalem by his own strength:
“I will never again hand you over to your enemies.
Never again will foreign warriors come
and take away your grain and new wine.
⁹ You raised the grain, and you will eat it,
praising the Lord.
Within the courtyards of the Temple,
you yourselves will drink the wine you have pressed.”
¹⁰ Go out through the gates!
Prepare the highway for my people to return!
Smooth out the road; pull out the boulders;
raise a flag for all the nations to see.
¹¹ The Lord has sent this message to every land:
“Tell the people of Israel,^[e]
‘Look, your Savior is coming.
See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.’”
¹² They will be called “The Holy People”
and “The People Redeemed by the Lord.”
And Jerusalem will be known as “The Desirable Place”
and “The City No Longer Forsaken.”

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Bible Reading: Be part of the big picture of prophecy!

Zechariah (continued)
God used the prophets to reveal His plans and send His messages to His people. But we also must know that our knowledge is partial and incomplete and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture.
Seeing Visions:  Zechariah received eight prophetic visions for Israel, which all follow the same pattern, a) introductory words, b) a description of the things seen, c) a question by Zechariah to the angel for the meaning, and d) the explanation by the angel.

In the visions we see that God is righteous as well as merciful. He judges and blesses too!

Zechariah 1:8, “In a vision during the night, I saw…” 1:9, “My lord, what do these horses mean?” 1:18,1:19,1:21, 2:1,2:2,3:5,4:2,4:4 (Read all the verses of how he saw visions and asked the angel what they meant)
1. The Man Among the Myrtle Trees (Zechariah 1:7-17) Meaning: God’s anger against the nations and blessing on restored Israel.
2. The Four Horns and the Four Craftsmen (Zechariah 1:18-21) Meaning: God’s judgment on the nations that afflict Israel.
3. The Surveyor with a Measuring Line (Zechariah 2:1-12) Meaning: God’s future blessing on restored Israel.
4. The Cleansing and Crowning of Joshua, the High Priest (Zechariah 3) Meaning: Israel’s future cleansing from sin and reinstatement as a priestly nation.
5. The Gold Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees (Zechariah 4) Meaning: Israel as the light to the nations under Messiah, the King-Priest.
6. The Flying Scroll (Zechariah 5:1-4) Meaning: The severity and totality of divine judgment on sin in Israel.
7. The Woman in a Basket (Zechariah 5:5-11) Meaning: The removal of national Israel’s sin or rebellion against God.
8. Four Chariots (Zechariah 6:1-8) Meaning: Divine judgment on Gentile nations.
 
God promised prosperity to Israel and Jerusalem
1:17 “The towns of Israel will again overflow with prosperity…” (also read 8:1-3) 2:4 “Jerusalem will someday be so full of people and livestock that there won’t be room enough for everyone! Many will live ouside the city walls. Then, I, myself, will be a protective wall of fire around Jerusalem, says the Lord. And I will be the glory inside the city!”
 
Prophecy of Jesus Christ, the Branch (the divine High Priest, the King)
2:10 ” Shout and rejoice, O beautiful Jerusalem, for I am coming to live among you.”
3:8-9 “Listen to Me, O Jeshua the high priest, and all you other priests. You are symbols of things to come. Soon I am going to bring My servant, the Branch. ..and I will remove the sins of this land in a single day.“
6:11-13 “…make a crown…Here is the Man called the Branch. He will branch out from where He is and build the Temple of the Lord. Then He will receive royal honor and will rule as King on His throne. He will also serve as Priest from His throne…”
Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet He is humble, riding on a donkey – riding on a donkey colt.”
 
On That Day” (Future Deliverance); Second Coming of Christ
12:10 “Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on Me whom they have pierced and mourn for Him as for an only son.”
13:1 “On that day a fountain will be opened… a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and impurity.” 2 “I will remove from the land both the false prophets and the spirit of impurity that came with them.”
13:9, “This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold.”
14:1 “Watch, for the day of the Lord is coming…” 20 “On that day…and the cooking pots in the Temple of the Lord will be sacred as the basins used beside the altar.”

Foreshadowings: Prophecies about Jesus Christ through Zechariah: Messiah would come and dwell in our midst (Zechariah 2:10-12; Matthew 1:23); the symbolism of the Branch and the Stone (Zechariah 3:8-9, 6:12-13; Isaiah 11:1; Luke 20:17-18); His Second Coming (Zechariah 12:10; John 19:33-37). Jesus is the Savior of Israel, a fountain whose blood covers the sins of all who come to Him for salvation (Zechariah 13:1; 1 John 1:7).

Practical Application: Today, we too must prepare to meet our Lord’s Second Coming. We are called to:

1. Listen to the Holy Spirit and be led by the Spirit.
2. Obey God’s word and live His Word.
3. Live a life ministering to God (as chosen people, royal priests, holy nation).
4. Be the the living temple (the Holy Spirit lives in you) for the holy God.
5. You are called to be a part of the big plan too! Are you praying for Jerusalem?

Who we are in Christ:

1 Peter 1:2 “God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and His Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed Him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.” 14 “So you must live as God’s obedient children.” 2:1 “So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.”
2:4-5,9 “You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple… And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple. What is more, you are His holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God…for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.”

Bible Reading: A prophet who sees eight visions

The Bible is God’s Book. Genesis tells us God began our history. Revelation tells us God wins. We also find ourselves becoming major characters in God’s development of this history book and His plan for lives on this earth. It is therefore important to read this Book and find out what God has planned for us.
THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH  Author:  1:1 the Prophet Zechariah. Date of Writing: between 520 and 470 B.C.
Purpose of Writing: God has used His prophet to teach, warn and correct His people, also showing glimpses of God's future glorious plan.
Key Problems: Refusal to listen to the Holy Spirit through the prophets; disobedience to God's word resulted open doors to spiritual attacks- manifestations of  evil conducts and hardships: economic failure, physical enemies' threats, moral breakdowns,breakdown of social-economic, political, legal and religious system. 

Big Picture: The people of God did not know God or the word of God. They departed from the plumb line of God and tried to meet their needs by swinging to either sides of the plumb line: Rejection (due to unbelief) or Rebellion (due to pride), becoming victims or the criminals. 
Result of Refusal to listen to the Holy Spirit
7:5-6 "Say to all your people and your priests, "During these seventy years of exile, when you fasted and mourned in the summer and in early autumn, was it really for Me that you were fasting? And even now in your holy festivals, aren't you eating and drinking just to please yourselves?" 12 "They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the messages the Lord sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets." 7:13, "'When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,' says the LORD Almighty." 14 "They turned their land into a desert."

SOLUTIONS OFFERED BY GOD for their immediate problems:

(1) A Call to Return to the Lord: establish right relationship with God (rebuild the Temple and right worship)

Zechariah 8:10 " Before the work on the Temple began, there were no jobs and no money to hire people or animals. No traveler was safe from the enemy, for there were enemies on all sides. I had turned everyone against each other." 11 "But now I will not treat the remnant of My people as I treated them before" 12 "For I am planting seeds of peace and prosperity among you."
Zechariah 1:3, "Therefore tell the people: This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Return to me,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'and I will return to you,' says the LORD Almighty." 1:4 "Turn from your evil ways and stop all your evil practices." 1:6, "But everything I said through My servants the prophets happened to your ancestors, just as I said." 2:6 "The Lord says, Come away! Flee from Babylon..."

(2) A Call for Justice and Mercy: establish right relationship with each other

7:9-10 "Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other. "
9:16-17 "But this is what you must do: tell the truth to each other. Render verdicts in your courts that are just and that lead to peace. Don't scheme against each other. Stop your love of telling lies that you swear are the truth. I hate all these things, says the Lord."

(3) God promised that this can be achieved by the Holy Spirit (they must be led by the Spirit and not by flesh)

4:6 "This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by My Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.
4:10 "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel's hand."
8:6 "All this may seem impossible to you now, a small remnant of God's people. But is it impossible for Me? says the Lord God Almighty. "
10:12 "By My power I will make My people strong, and by My authority they will go wherever they wish. I, the Lord, have spoken."

End Times Witnessing: Hear the Voices from the Sea

The Watchman slept around midnight and woke at 4am. He had been pondering on how to make his class more passionate about reading God’s Word. Before he slept he asked the Holy Spirit to intercede for him. When he woke he was led to read the following verses from 2 Chronicle 17:
“⁷ In the third year of his reign he sent his officials… to teach in the towns of Judah. ⁸ With them were certain Levites…and the priests … ⁹ They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the LORD; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people. ¹⁰ The fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not make war with Jehoshaphat. ¹¹ Some Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and silver as tribute, and the Arabs brought him flocks: seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred goats.”

So the watchman was encouraged. He also received in his spirit how to teach too, what faith in action activities to conduct for the coming lesson. He was filled with enthusiasm after seeing this fresh vision of a wonderful big picture, with clear details of the event ahead.

The Lord indeed confirms His Word. “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3).

The watchman then continued to intercede for his class and even those who have chosen not to turn up for the class. He felt a deep sorrow for them. He knew in his spirit that time is short and he has been assigned only ten lessons for this term (August to October). He also knows that those who come will be greatly blessed just as he is, in obedience to the Lord.
This morning he was led to read the psalms. He finished with Psalm 119 and Psalm 98. Psalm 119 reconfirmed the wonderful work that the Lord will carry out for those who love and value His Word. Psalm 98 is a new song that the watchman is urged to sing for the Lord this morning. So he sang. The whole hall was filled with voices from the sea, even though his house was many miles away from it.

The Holy Spirit continued to teach him until dawn!

¹ Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
² The LORD has made his salvation known
and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
³ He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to the house of Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
⁴ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
⁵ make music to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,
⁶ with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—
shout for joy before the LORD, the King.
⁷ Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
⁸ Let the rivers clap their hands,
Let the mountains sing together for joy;
⁹ let them sing before the LORD,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity.

End Times Witnessing: A Prayer from a man very precious to God

The Watchman heard, “Read and take note why Daniel was very precious to Me.” So the Watchman read and was filled with comfort and joy!

Daniel’s Prayer for His People (Dan.9:1-24)

¹ It was the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede, the son of Ahasuerus, who became king of the Babylonians.^{[a] 2} During the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, learned from reading the word of the Lord, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years.^{[b] 3} So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes.

⁴ I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:

“O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands. ⁵ But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations. ⁶ We have refused to listen to your servants the prophets, who spoke on your authority to our kings and princes and ancestors and to all the people of the land.
⁷ “Lord, you are in the right; but as you see, our faces are covered with shame. This is true of all of us, including the people of Judah and Jerusalem and all Israel, scattered near and far, wherever you have driven us because of our disloyalty to you. ⁸ O Lord, we and our kings, princes, and ancestors are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. ⁹ But the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him. ¹⁰ We have not obeyed the Lord our God, for we have not followed the instructions he gave us through his servants the prophets. ¹¹ All Israel has disobeyed your instruction and turned away, refusing to listen to your voice.
“So now the solemn curses and judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured down on us because of our sin. ¹² You have kept your word and done to us and our rulers exactly as you warned. Never has there been such a disaster as happened in Jerusalem. ¹³ Every curse written against us in the Law of Moses has come true. Yet we have refused to seek mercy from the Lord our God by turning from our sins and recognizing his truth. ¹⁴ Therefore, the Lord has brought upon us the disaster he prepared. The Lord our God was right to do all of these things, for we did not obey him.
¹⁵ “O Lord our God, you brought lasting honor to your name by rescuing your people from Egypt in a great display of power. But we have sinned and are full of wickedness. ¹⁶ In view of all your faithful mercies, Lord, please turn your furious anger away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. All the neighboring nations mock Jerusalem and your people because of our sins and the sins of our ancestors.
¹⁷ “O our God, hear your servant’s prayer! Listen as I plead. For your own sake, Lord, smile again on your desolate sanctuary.
¹⁸ “O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city—the city that bears your name—lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy.
¹⁹ “O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, do not delay, O my God, for your people and your city bear your name.”

Gabriel’s Message about the Anointed One

²⁰ I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people, pleading with the Lord my God for Jerusalem, his holy mountain. ²¹ As I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice. ²² He explained to me, “Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding. ²³ The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. Listen carefully so that you can understand the meaning of your vision.
²⁴ “A period of seventy sets of seven^[c] has been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin, to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.^[d]

End Times Witnessing: How to pray according to God’s will?

The Watchman heard,
“Watch how you intercede! Do you not know that I will do this for My own name’s sake? “
O watchmen, call for the Lord’s name to be honored. Give glory to Him alone! Learn from the men of faith how to pray!

1. Exodus 9:16
   But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.
   
2. Exodus 20:24
   An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you.
3. Numbers 6:27
   “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”
4. 2 Samuel 7:13
   He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
5. 1 Kings 8:18
   But the LORD said to my father David, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well that it was in your heart.
6. 1 Kings 9:3
   And the LORD said to him: “I have heard your prayer and your supplication that you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built to put My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.
7. 2 Kings 21:4
   He also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem I will put My name.”
8. Psalm 25:11
   For Your name’s sake, O LORD, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
9. Psalm 31:3
   For You are my rock and my fortress;Therefore, for Your name’s sake, Lead me and guide me.
10. Psalm 79:9
    Help us, O God of our salvation,For the glory of Your name; And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, For Your name’s sake!
11. Psalm 89:24
    “But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him, And in My name his horn shall be exalted.
12. Psalm 91:14
    “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
13. Psalm 109:21
    But You, O GOD the Lord,Deal with me for Your name’s sake; Because Your mercy is good, deliver me.
    
14. Psalm 143:11
    Revive me, O LORD, for Your name’s sake!For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
    
15. 2 Samuel 7:21
    For Your word’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things, to make Your servant know them.
    
16. 2 Kings 20:6
    And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David.”’”
    
17. 1 Chronicles 17:19
    O LORD, for Your servant’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things.
18. Nehemiah 1:9
    but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’
19. Isaiah 42:8
    I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.
    
20. Isaiah 43:7
    Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”
    
21. Isaiah 48:11
    For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it;For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.
22. Isaiah 43:25
    “ I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.
23. Isaiah 45:4
    For Jacob My servant’s sake, And Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me.
24. Isaiah 66:5
    [ The LORD Vindicates Zion ] Hear the word of the LORD, You who tremble at His word: “ Your brethren who hated you, Who cast you out for My name’s sake, said, ‘ Let the LORD be glorified, That we may see your joy.’ But they shall be ashamed.”
25. Ezekiel 36:32
    Not for your sake do I do this,” says the Lord GOD, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel!”
26. Daniel 9:17
    “O our God, hear Your servant’s prayer! Listen as I plead. For Your own sake, Lord, smile again on Your desolate sanctuary.
27. Daniel 9:19
    O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
28. Jeremiah 14:7
    O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, Do it for Your name’s sake; For our backslidings are many, We have sinned against You.
29. Jeremiah 14:21
    For the sake of your reputation, Lord, do not abandon us.Do not disgrace your own glorious throne.Please remember us,and do not break your covenant with us.
30. Zechariah 13:9
    I will bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”
31. Malachi 1:11
    For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to My name, And a pure offering; For My name shall be great among the nations,” Says the LORD of hosts.
32. Malachi4:2 “But for you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings.^[a] And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.

Fasting broke this woman's stronghold

It was an ordinary evening service but at the end of it, a woman came to the front and gave a testimony. This was the same woman who had come often for prayers to be delivered from one financial problem that became a heavy yoke on her neck.
She did not know how to pray much and one midnight prayer meeting she volunteered to pray. She took the mike and decided to sing a song. She spoke, “Abba, Father, I want to sing a song for You.” Then she sang the song of four stanzas over and over until the leader came and told her to stop. After the meeting she apologized and said she did not know how to pray and she felt she was out of line. But a prayer leader told her it was alright as the Lord had heard her ‘prayer’ (song). She came again to another midnight prayer meeting. Again she offered the same song to the Father in heaven. Again a prayer leader had to stop her as she was repeating the same stanzas a number of times. (Indeed, it was her heart-felt ‘prayer’ and God had heard her!)The testimony was powerful. She testified that she had been trying to sell her small food business but to no avail. The shop was making losses and she owed a large sum of money to the shop owner. When interested parties came to look at the shop they could only offer a price less that one-quarter of what she owed. Meanwhile she also had the problem of her own home being occupied by a group of men lodgers who refused to pay rent or move out.
She and her own family lived above her rented shop but was given the ultimatum by the shop owner to move out within that week and move all their stuff too in addition to repaying all her debt, a colossal sum she could not afford.
She fasted and prayed. On the third day, the shop landlord came and told her he would not postpone his eviction and demand of the full payment of her debt. He also knew that she had tried for a long time to sell her business but there was no taker. But she merely answered him that it was alright as her Father would help her. He said her father was dead and surely ‘he’ could no longer help her. But this woman said, “I have another Father in heaven who will definitely help me!”
The shop owner, an unbeliever, shook his head and went off to take his breakfast.
Later in the morning, he came back and told her he had decided to buy the business from her for the total sum she owed him, thus canceling all her debts!
In the same evening she went home to see if she could clear a space to put one of her rather large cupboard (from the shop) and found that her house was totally empty of lodgers. The next door neighbors told her that in the middle of the night before, they suddenly moved out, everyone of them in a hurry!
The woman was overjoyed as her Father in heaven indeed helped her mightily and all within the third day of her fasting and praying! (A modern day Esther story. Her enemies were annihilated!)

End Times Witnessing: He sent His voice and the Earth melted

 The watchman heard "The Voice of the Lord":

# Psalm 18:6 In my distress I called upon the LORD,And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.
# Psalm 18:13 The LORD thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.
# Psalm 29:3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The LORD is over many waters.
# Psalm 29:4 The voice of the LORD is powerful;The voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
# Psalm 29:5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars,Yes, the LORD splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
# Psalm 29:7 The voice of the LORD divides the flames of fire.
# Psalm 29:8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;The LORD shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
# Psalm 29:9 The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth,And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everyone says, “Glory!”
# Psalm 46:6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
# Psalm 66:19 But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
# Psalm 68:33 To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old! Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice.
# Psalm 77:1 [ To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph. ] I cried out to God with my voice—To God with my voice; And He gave ear to me. Psalm 77:18 The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook.
# Psalm 95:7 For He is our God,And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice:
# Psalm 103:20 Bless the LORD, you His angels,Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word.
# Psalm 104:7 At Your rebuke they fled; At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away.

End Times Witnessing: Fasting God wants

The watchman heard, “Is this the fasting I want? No, you are not fasting for Me. You are fasting for yourself.” “ Is this not the fast that I have chosen : To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?”
Fasting has to do with God’s purposes. God wants yoke be broken, the oppressed set free. Who oppresses? Who sets yoke on our neck? Jesus says, “The thief came to steal, kill and destroy.” (John 10:10). Jesus came to destroy the work of the devil (1 John 3:8). Often Christians look at the flesh (physical realm) and miss the whole point (the reality is in the spiritual realm). Fasting is indeed an end times weapon for spiritual warfare.
Read the Bible verses and note the many examples of how fasting accompanied warfare and victory. Fasting is for seeking divine guidance and direction, protection, breaking of spiritual bondage (which results in physical deliverance too), deliverance from danger, prayer and supplication, mourning, repentance, humbling and disciplining our souls, showing our faith in God, obedience to God, even consecration and sacred assembly before God!
Fasting for the Lord can be for “ joy and gladness and cheerful feasts For the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.” (Zech.8:19)

1. Ezra 8:21 Fasting and Prayer for Protection ]fast there at the river Then I proclaimed a of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. 8:23 So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.
   
2. Nehemiah 1:4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
   
3. Psalm 35:13 But as for me, when they were sick, My clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; And my prayer would return to my own heart.
   
4. Daniel 9:3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
   
5. Matthew 17:21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
   
6. Luke 2:37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
   
7. Acts 10:30 So Cornelius said, “Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,
   
8. Acts 13:3
   Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
   
9. Acts 14:23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
   
10. 1 Corinthians 7:5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
    
11. 2 Chronicles 20:3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
    
12. Ezra 8:23 So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.
    
13. Ezra 9:5 At the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; and having torn my garment and my robe, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD my God.
    
14. Nehemiah 9:1 [ The People Confess Their Sins ] Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads.
    
15. Esther 4:3 And in every province where the king’s command and decree arrived, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
    
16. Esther 4:16 “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”
    
17. Esther 9:31 to confirm these days of Purim at their appointed time, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had prescribed for them, and as they had decreed for themselves and their descendants concerning matters of their fasting and lamenting.
    
18. Psalm 69:10 When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting,That became my reproach.
    
19. Isaiah 58:1 [ Fasting that Pleases God ] “Cry aloud, spare not;Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins.
    
20. Isaiah 58:3 ‘ Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’ “ In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers.
    
21. Isaiah 58:4 Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high.
    
22. Isaiah 58:5 Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the LORD?
    
23. Isaiah 58:6 “ Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?
    
24. Daniel 6:18
    [ Daniel Saved from the Lions ] Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also his sleep went from him.
    
25. Daniel 9:3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
    
26. Joel 1:14 Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land Into the house of the LORD your God, And cry out to the LORD.
    
27. Joel 2:12 [ A Call to Repentance ] “ Now, therefore,” says the LORD, “ Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
    
28. Joel 2:15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly;
    
29. Jonah 3:4-6 Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”⁵ So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. ⁶ Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes.
30. Zechariah 7:1 [ Obedience Better than Fasting ] Now in the fourth year of King Darius it came to pass that the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Chislev, 7:3 and to ask the priests who were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and the prophets, saying, “Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years? 7:5 “Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me? 8:19 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘ The fast of the fourth month,The fast of the fifth, The fast of the seventh, And the fast of the tenth, Shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts For the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.’

End Times Witnessing: The Altar Men of Faith

Watchman heard, “Be an altar man of faith! Build altar! And you will be amazed how much you will start receiving, because the altar is where I shall meet with you.” (be sure to continue reading!)

1.  Genesis 8:20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and there he sacrificed as burnt offerings the animals and birds that had been approved for that purpose.
   
2. Genesis 12:7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants. ” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
   
3. Genesis 12:8 After that, Abram traveled south and set up camp in the hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar and dedicated it to the Lord, and he worshiped the Lord.
   
4. Genesis 13:4 This was the same place where Abram had built the altar, and there he worshiped the Lord again.
   
5. Genesis 13:18 So Abram moved his camp to Hebron and settled near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. There he built another altar to the Lord.
   
6. Genesis 22:9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood.
   
7. Genesis 26:25 Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the Lord. He set up his camp at that place, and his servants dug another well.
   
8. Genesis 33:20 And there he built an altar and named it El-Elohe-Israel.
   
9. Genesis 35:1 [ Jacob’s Return to Bethel ] Then God said to Jacob, “Get ready and move to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau.”
   
10. Genesis 35:3 We are now going to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.”
    
11. Genesis 35:7 Jacob built an altar there and named the place El-bethel (which means “God of Bethel”), because God had appeared to him there when he was fleeing from his brother, Esau.

Building altars runs in the family, just as blessing. Note how the three blessed men (Abraham the grandpa, Isaac the son and Jacob the grandson) carried on the family faith in building altars and call on the God who honors covenant and whose words and promises never fail. The building of the altars is a mark of their faith in the Almighty God.It is also worth pondering that all three men heard God and indeed worshiped God truthfully. They walked closely with God and spent their lifetime in the presence of God.
What else does the altar do? Many, as evidenced in the following verses from Genesis to Revelation.
What does the altar do for a Christian today? The watchman’s personal belief is that the altar (spiritual of course) has a number of very important supernatural functions:

1. A place to meet God.

2. A place to worship God: offering praises and songs in Truth and in Spirit.

3. A place to offer oneself as a living sacrifice (surrendering to the awesome God our body, soul and spirit).

4. A place to talk with God and hear God.

5. A place to pray, intercede, cry out to the Lord.

6. A place to receive cleansing, purifying, refining, being poured out, broken and molded into the image of Christ.

7. A place just to be still and know that God is God.

8. A place to receive blessings as promised and stake claims accordingly.

9. Above all it is a place to remember the Son of God, Yeshua Christ who came to the world and gave His life for us on the cross, shedding His blood and having His body broken so we are redeemed, saved and healed! Only through this High Priest we can approach the throne of grace.

What is your personal altar revealing? Be blessed when you step out in faith today and build yours! Give your children this heritage that never goes out of fashion or favor from the Almighty God!
________________________________MORE BIBLE VERSES ON ALTARS BUILDING

1. Exodus 17:15 Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-nissi (which means “the Lord is my banner”).
   
2. Exodus 20:22 [ Proper Use of Altars ] And the Lord said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: You saw for yourselves that I spoke to you from heaven.
   
3. Exodus 20:24 “Build for me an altar made of earth, and offer your sacrifices to me—your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats, and your cattle. Build my altar wherever I cause my name to be remembered, and I will come to you and bless you.
   
4. Exodus 20:25 If you use stones to build my altar, use only natural, uncut stones. Do not shape the stones with a tool, for that would make the altar unfit for holy use.
   
5. Exodus 20:26 And do not approach my altar by going up steps. If you do, someone might look up under your clothing and see your nakedness.
   
6. Exodus 24:4 Then Moses carefully wrote down all the Lord’s instructions. Early the next morning Moses got up and built an altar at the foot of the mountain. He also set up twelve pillars, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.
   
7. Exodus 24:6 Moses drained half the blood from these animals into basins. The other half he splattered against the altar.
   
8. Joshua 8:30 [ The Lord’s Covenant Renewed ] Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal.
   
9. Joshua 22:24-28 “The truth is, we have built this altar because we fear that in the future your descendants will say to ours, ‘What right do you have to worship the Lord, the God of Israel? “So we decided to build the altar, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, “If they say this, our descendants can reply, ‘Look at this copy of the Lord’s altar that our ancestors made. It is not for burnt offerings or sacrifices; it is a reminder of the relationship both of us have with the Lord.’
10. Judges 6:24 So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
11. 1 Samuel 2:28
    I chose your father out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your father’s house all the offerings made with fire by the Israelites.
12. 1 Samuel 7:17 But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also judged Israel. And he built an altar there to the LORD.
13. 2 Samuel 24:18 [ David Builds an Altar ] On that day Gad went to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”  25 David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the LORD answered prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.
14. 1 Chronicles 21:26 David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the LORD, and the LORD answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.
15. 1 Kings 8:22. [ Solomon's Prayer of Dedication ] Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven. 54 When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the LORD, he rose from before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven.
16. 1 Kings 18:30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which was in ruins. 32 With the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. 35 The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.
17. Ezra 3:1 [ Rebuilding the Altar ] When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled as one man in Jerusalem. 2 Then Jeshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. 3 Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar“on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the LORD, both the morning and evening sacrifices.
18. Isaiah 6:5 Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” 6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷ With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
19. Isaiah 56:7 these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
20. Ezekiel 43:26 For seven days they are to make atonement for the altar and cleanse it; thus they will dedicate it. 27 At the end of these days, from the eighth day on, the priests are to present your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar. Then I will accept you, declares the Sovereign  LORD.”
21. Ezekiel 47:1-2 In my vision, the man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple. There I saw a stream flowing east from beneath the door of the Temple and passing to the right of the altar on its south side. ² The man brought me outside the wall through the north gateway and led me around to the eastern entrance. There I could see the water flowing out through the south side of the east gateway.
22. Joel 1:13 [ A Call to Repentance ] Put on sackcloth, O priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister before the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you who minister before my God; for the grain offerings and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God. 2:17 Let the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, O LORD. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’
23. “Zechariah 14:20 On that day HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the LORD’s house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar.
24. Luke 1:11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
25. Revelation 6:9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 8:3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. 8:5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake. 9:13 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God.
26. Revelation 14:18 Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” 16:7 And I heard the altar respond: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.”

End Times Witnessing: Holy Spirit teaches how to fast

 Watchman heard: "To live End Times, you need to live by the Spirit of God. Pay attention to what the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual." (1 Cor.2:13)

"But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God." (1 Cor.2:10)

___________________________What does the Spirit say on fasting?

Isaiah 58:6-12 (New King James Version)

⁶ “ Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
      To loose the bonds of wickedness,
      To undo the heavy burdens,
      To let the oppressed go free,
      And that you break every yoke?
       ⁷ Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
      And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
      When you see the naked, that you cover him,
      And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
       ⁸ Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
      Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
      And your righteousness shall go before you;
      The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
       ⁹ Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
      You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’

      “ If you take away the yoke from your midst,
      The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
       ¹⁰ If you extend your soul to the hungry
      And satisfy the afflicted soul,
      Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
      And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
       ¹¹ The LORD will guide you continually,

      And satisfy your soul in drought,

      And strengthen your bones;

      You shall be like a watered garden,

      And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

       ¹² Those from among you
      Shall build the old waste places;
      You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
      And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,
      The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
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When you think of fasting, consider this, what bondage oppresses the people of many nations most? Poverty? Many Christian (and other religious) organizations have been doing a lot of charity work throughout human history to feed the poor and cloth the naked. But many more peoples in many nations are increasingly under dark bondage and suffer worse fate. Why? Why? Why?
Even Christians (and other religious followers) are under the same fate.
Is there something in these verses/commands we have been blind to?
Why did Jesus tell the disciples this stunning statement praising and honoring Mary who anointed His feet with a jar of expensive perfume (worth a whole year's wages in those days) and wiping His feet with her hair, filling the whole house with fragrance?

Matthew 26:11-13 (New International Version)

¹¹The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. ¹²When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

Jesus revealed a lot of clues in His words. let us look at some and pray that the Holy Spirit illuminates our hearts to digest them and make them alive in us!
Matt.4:4 "But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,   ‘People do not live by bread alone,
      but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

John 6:63 "The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life."
 What did Jesus come to this world for? The Holy Spirit says, 
1 John 3:8 "He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil."
Luke 4:18 “ The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
       Because He has anointed Me
      To preach the gospel to the poor;
      He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
      To proclaim liberty to the captives
      And recovery of sight to the blind,
      To set at liberty those who are oppressed;" 

Isaiah 10:27 "And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing."


2Cor.3:6 "He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."


Now you know how to fast God's way!