End Times Witnessing: God looks for end times champion

Who are the end times men? The end times champions? How does God locate them? What does He talk to them about? The watchman is interested to know. He has been asked to read Gideon again. Indeed, the conversation brings great revelation for him and for his class.

God works with people of faith. In Gideon’s case, God has to start the faith journey and accommodates Gideon all the way to deliver the Israelites from their arch enemy, the Midianites.

Gideon is far from an ideal candidate to lead the people to win wars. He is hiding from the enemy and working on his meager supplies of food miserably and in shame and indignation. He is apparently disillusioned with the false gods (Baal and Asherah) his father worships as they cannot help the Israelites.

Gideon has right for his indignation for the Midianites are cruel and have often come in to kill, steal, and destroy. They stay until the land is stripped bare and the Israelites shiver in hiding and starvation. (Doesn’t this sound familiar to many Christians? The minute you repay all debts and put the broken pieces of your family together, I.e. start planting new crops, the enemy comes in as thick as locusts, with droves of camels too numerous to count, and wipe you clean! How can you trust God and hope in God?)

How God called Gideon

But God has plan for miracles. God sent an angel to Gideon, saying “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” It sounded like sarcasm instead of compliment to Gideon, so he complained, “  “Sir, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.” Gideon had heard about the Lord of his forefathers but he did not know this Lord God.  He also had doubt that this Lord God could help them.

Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!”

The Lord did not answer him but continued to tell Gideon His plan for him. God saw something (hidden strength) that Gideon could not see.  God saw him as someone who could hear God, fear God, look for miracles and believe in them, have faith in God, obey and carry out God’s mission full heartedly once convinced.

“But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” Gideon’s response was real and honest.

The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.” The Lord continued to assure Gideon of victory and the reason.

Gideon asked for sign

Gideon replied, “If you are truly going to help me, show me a sign to prove that it is really the Lord speaking to me. Don’t go away until I come back and bring my offering to you.”  Gideon was cautious and knew how to test the angel’s statement so he would not be fooled by the wrong spirit.

The angel agreed and waited as his job was to convince Gideon the reality of the Lord God Almighty.  After the test, when Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he cried out, “Oh, Sovereign Lord, I’m doomed! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!” Gideon indeed was a man who feared God. “It is all right,” the Lord replies. “Do not be afraid. You will not die.” And Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and named it Yahweh-Shalom (which means “the Lord is peace”).

The Lord’s turn to test Gideon’s faith

That night the Lord said to Gideon, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, ..Pull down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole standing beside it. Then build an altar to the Lord your God here on this hilltop sanctuary, laying the stones carefully. Sacrifice the bull as a burnt offering on the altar, using as fuel the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down.”This was the Lord’s turn to test Gideon’s faith. Gideon obeyed fully.

Gideon’s turn to ask for more signs

Soon afterward the armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east formed an alliance against Israel.. Then the Spirit of the Lord took possession of Gideon. He blew a ram’s horn as a call to arms.. and the people responded. Then Gideon said to God, “If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, prove it to me in this way.. He again asked God for signs. God answered him twice.

The Lord’s turn to further test Gideon

Twice the Lord spoke to Gideon about his army (initially of 32,000 men) having too many warriors. So Gideon let 22,000 (all those afraid) go home, leaving only 10,000 who were willing to fight. They were further screened and only 300 was left. The Lord told Gideon, “With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites.“  Gideon obeyed fully and kept only the 300 men with him (to fight 135,000). He certainly has passed the test of faith!

God gave Gideon a dream confirmation

That night the Lord said, “Get up! Go down into the Midianite camp, for I have given you victory over them! But if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah. Listen to what the Midianites are saying, and you will be greatly encouraged. Then you will be eager to attack.” God knew Gideon still had fear, and therefore arranged for Gideon to hear from the enemy’s mouth the prophecy of his victory!

Final test of Gideon’s faith

After Gideon heard the prophecy -enemy’s interpretation of enemy’s dream-in his favor, he believed full heartedly. So he led his 300 men to war with one hand holding a torch inside a jar, and another hand holding a ram horn. They broke the jar, revealing the blazing torches, blew the ram horn and shouted, ““A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”

Each man stood at his position around the camp and watched as all the Midianites rushed around in a panic, shouting as they ran to escape. When the 300 Israelites blew their rams’ horns, the Lord caused the warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords.

The war was thus won and the enemy never recovered -throughout the rest of Gideon’s lifetime, about forty years, the land was at peace.

__________________________________

Gideon though seemingly an underdog in the eyes of men, was a mighty hero in the eyes of God. God saw in this humble man his spiritual strength. He has a heart for the true God, fears God more than men (risking his life to break the popular false god‘s altar and in its place build an altar and offered sacrifice for the true God), cares enough for his country to lead the fight (risking his life), has faith with action (to the point of being ‘ridiculous’ in the size of his ‘army’ and their ‘weapons’) -300 defeating 135,000 warriors of the enemy. No wonder he was listed in the hall of faith in the Book of Hebrews.

End Times Witnessing: God uses the most unlikely warriors and weapons

Religion blog

The watchman was greatly encouraged today when he heard the Lord said, “think of Gideon”. He was lamenting over past fortunes being stolen, robbed, destroyed by the spiritual enemies during the last century.

He was also lamenting that there seemed no great men/women rising up to counter this ‘flood’ of wickedness.


 Then he heard this clearly. Look at the characters and their backgrounds in the Bible. They are usually the most unlikely candidates for success. Even the Lord Jesus Himself was hung on a cross! The strategy used by God is impossible for a natural human mind to figure out.

Indeed, he was further encouraged when he recalled the record of people of faith and found names like: Gideon (from the weakest clan and least in his family), Jephthah (son of a prostitute), David (youngest and least impressive in natural endowment in family), Samuel (just a weaned child left alone in the temple), odd men out (Noah, Joseph, Moses, Caleb, John the Baptist, Paul), Rehab (the prostitute), Ruth (the foreign widow), Anna (old widow), Simeon (old retired man) and all the prophets (not in the main stream popular religious system).

Who was Gideon? He was really at his rock bottom when he was called by the angel of the Lord. He was hiding and “threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites.” He was doubting the Lord too seeing all the hardships he and his people endured and no help was insight for so long!

Judges 6:2-6 “The Midianites were so cruel that the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds. Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, marauders from Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east would attack Israel, camping in the land and destroying crops as far away as Gaza. They left the Israelites with nothing to eat, taking all the sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys. These enemy hordes, coming with their livestock and tents, were as thick as locusts; they arrived on droves of camels too numerous to count. And they stayed until the land was stripped bare. So Israel was reduced to starvation by the Midianites. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.”

Judges 6:2-6
GOD CALLED THE WEAKEST AND LEAST
Judges 6:1 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years.11 Then the angel of the Lord came .. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites.13 “Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?" 15 “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!”
GIDEON ASKED FOR SIGN AND BUILT ALTAR TO THE TRUE GOD
Judges 6:17 Gideon replied, “If you are truly going to help me, show me a sign to prove that it is really the Lord speaking to me.19 Gideon hurried home. ..And Gideon did as he was told. 22 When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he cried out, “Oh, Sovereign Lord, I’m doomed! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!” 24 And Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and named it Yahweh-Shalom (which means “the Lord is peace”).
GIDEON PULLED DOWN THE FALSE GODS’ ALTAR
25 That night the Lord said to Gideon, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd… Pull down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole standing beside it. 27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord had commanded.
GIDEON ASKED AND RECEIVED TWO SIGNS FROM GOD
Judges 6:33 Soon afterward the armies of ..(enemies) formed an alliance against Israel and crossed the Jordan, camping in the valley of Jezreel. 34 Then the Spirit of the Lord took possession of Gideon. He blew a ram’s horn as a call to arms, and the men of the clan of Abiezer came to him. 36 Then Gideon said to God, “If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised,” He then asked the Lord for two more signs (the signs of the fleece) and the Lord answered his request.
GOD USED A SMALL READY REMNANT ONLY
Judges 7:2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many warriors with you. 4 But the Lord told Gideon, “There are still too many! 7 The Lord told Gideon, “With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home.” 8 So Gideon sent 31,700 soldiers home. But he kept the 300 men with him.
GOD USED A DREAM & PROCLAMATION BY THE ENEMY TO CONFIRM GIDEON’S VICTORY
Judges 7:11 Listen to what the Midianites are saying, and you will be greatly encouraged. 13 Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream. 15 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship before the Lord. Then he returned to the Israelite camp and shouted, “Get up! For the Lord has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!”
GOD USED THE MOST UNLIKELY WEAPONS -FAITH AND OBEDIENCE IN ACTION
Judges 7:19 It was just after midnight, after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the rams’ horns and broke their clay jars.
Judges 7:20 Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 8:11 Gideon circled around, taking the Midianite army by surprise.
GOD HONORED FAITH
Judges 8:28 That is the story of how the people of Israel defeated Midian, which never recovered. Throughout the rest of Gideon’s lifetime—about forty years—there was peace in the land.
Isaiah 10:26 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will lash them with his whip, as he did when Gideon triumphed over the Midianites at the rock of Oreb, or when the Lord’s staff was raised to drown the Egyptian army in the sea.

Hebrews 11:32 How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets.

End Times Witnessing: How a Wine-Taster Nehemiah won the war

Nehemiah was not a warrior in the natural sense. He was just a man spending his life tasting wine and keeping the king and queen happy. However, that was his public life. In private he was a man of God. He studied the Word of God diligently and prayed and fasted before God to seek God’s will and purpose for him, despite the apparent futility as he was a captive in the enemy’s court and living a life of subjugation and humiliation. He was a man led by the Spirit. He was an overcomer!

With God’s favor, he took up the 12 years assignment to become a governor of Jerusalem and finished the rebuilding of Jerusalem walls in 52 days!

The neighboring enemies mocked, insulted, blatantly threatened harms, secretly plotted to attack and kill. They also tried soft tactics four times with the motive of murder and when failed adopted poison letter to accuse and slander Nehemiah of treason. They even hired a prophet to falsify, intimidate, and make him sin so they could discredit him.

HOW DID NEHEMIAH WIN THE WAR?

1. He prayed to God. He knew God. He identified with God’s will.

2. He focussed on the work: ie. to continue building and complete the walls within the shortest possible time (in 52 days).

3. He stuck to the truth (God’s plumb line -His Word and His will)

4. He was not afraid to die but he would not die for useless and foolish purpose.

5. He identified with his people’s needs and met their needs.

6. He posted guards. In fact he armed all builders. (Our enemies today are in the spiritual realm: we need to put on the full armor of God and stand guard as we continue building our temple of God and personal Jerusalem).

Enemies Oppose the Rebuilding: Chapter 4

FIRST ROUND OF ATTACK FROM ENEMY: BY INSULTS

1-2 “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? (insulting the Jews: limited manpower) Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? (insulting their worship to God: limitation of their temple worship) “Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap-and charred ones at that?” (Hit at their present problems/weak points: limitation in building materials/resources)

3 “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!” (insulting their capability: limitation of skill and equipment)

NEHEMIAH RESPONDED BY PRAYER: 4 Then I prayed, “Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, ..Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of the builders.” (Pray to God to take up their case; continue building)

SECOND ROUND OF ATTACK FROM ENEMY: THREAT OF HARM

6 At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm. (people cheered by short term success) 7 But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard.., they were furious. 8 They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion. 9 But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.

THIRD ROUND OF ATTACK FROM INSIDE AND OUTSIDE: WEARINESS AND THREAT/SCHEME OF ATTACK

10 Then the people of Judah began to complain, “The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves.” (His workers complained: tired, too much rubble; not enough manpower.)

11 Meanwhile, our enemies were saying, “Before they know what’s happening, we will swoop down on them and kill them and end their work.”

Enemy threatened to attack them secretly.

12 The Jews who lived near the enemy came and told us again and again, “They will come from all directions and attack us!” (Jews frightened and kept repeating bad reports.)

13 So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows.

(Nehemiah responded by positioning armed guards, and arming families.)

14 Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your families and your homes!” (Nehemiah also spoke encouraging words to his people.)

15 When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall. (Enemy knew that the Jews have defense and halted their attack plan.)

v16 -23 Nehemiah continued to be vigilant against the enemy attack and armed his people.

Nehemiah 6 -Continued Opposition to Rebuilding: chapter six

FOURTH ROUND OF ATTACK FROM ENEMY: BY FAKE PEACE GESTURE & SLANDER

..our enemies found out that I had finished rebuilding the wall and that no gaps remained—..not yet set up the doors in the gates. 2 So Sanballat and Geshem sent a message asking me to meet them at one of the villages ..(enemy tried new tactic: pretend to be peaceful, but try to lure him to a remote place to murder him)

But I realized they were plotting to harm me, 3 so I replied .: “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?” (Nehemiah responded with discernment and avoided the danger) 4-7 the enemies tried five times making up story he wants to be king, but failed to distract Nehemiah. v8 I replied, “There is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing.” (Nehemiah listened to the Holy Spirit, feared God and not fear men.) 9 “They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination.”

FIFTH ROUND OF ATTACK FROM ENEMY: BY DECEPTION (FALSE PROPHECY FOR HIS DISCREDIT)

10-11 I replied, “Should someone in my position run from danger? Should someone in my position enter the Temple to save his life? No, I won’t do it!” 13 They were hoping to intimidate me and make me sin. Then they would be able to accuse and discredit me. (Nehemiah was able to discern in his spirit accurately and choose to obey God and not man)

The Builders Complete the Wall

15-19 “So on October 2 the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun.” Enemies were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God. But There were enemies’ alliances among the nobles of Judah who spied on Nehemiah.

NEHEMIAH FIVE: SIXTH ROUND OF ATTACK FROM INSIDE: BY OPPRESSION

People protested against their fellow Jews.

The people borrowed money to pay taxes and sold their children as slaves to pay off their debts etc. they also lost their lands to the wealthy because of their debts.

Nehemiah’s response:  He was very angry at first. 7 “After thinking it over, I spoke out against these nobles and officials. He pointed out that the poor have been redeemed from the foreigners. How can the Jews make them slaves again?

9 “Should you not walk in the fear of our God in order to avoid being mocked by enemy nations?”

(He took the lead to redress the economic imbalances and social oppressions).

TODAY’S APPLICATION: SUMMARY OF ENEMIES’ TACTICS

1. Insult and verbal abuse: enemies tried to make the Jews builders focus on their present problems (limitations of resources: skilled manpower and finances; their ‘unrealistic’ hope for resumption of a worship life as before prior their fall to Babylon).

(Are you aware that even a seemingly harmless little ‘fox’ can crush your fragile walls when you focus on the present problems and the physical aspects?)

2. Intensified attack at midpoint by further verbal threat of violence: enemies make plan to physically attack and harm them; the threat aims to throw them into fear and confusion.

(At midpoint when some success is achieved is the time when the enemies would intensify attacks, like threats of violence and harm).

3. Sabotage from within: Jewish builders complained (too much work and not enough workers); Jewish people who lived near the enemies gave bad reports of enemies’ threats. Jewish nobles who collaborated with the enemies spied on Nehemiah and his building project and reported to the enemies, also trying to distract him from carrying out his building work.

(Internal strives causing divisions among Christians is the most common tactic by the spiritual enemy.)

4. More Intensified attack: enemies planned to attack suddenly and secretly and kill them.

(Enemies are serious. They came to steal, kill and destroy. John 10:10)

5. Fake Peace Gesture: to make him compromise or get him murdered; when failed, the enemies slandered him.

(Beware of enemies’ sweet talk and change of gesture -from a violent stance to a peaceful stance!)

6.  Further serious sabotage from within: The poor people were oppressed by their richer counterparts. People had to mortgage their lands and vineyards to get food and pay taxes. Eventually they were forced to sell their slaves into slavery for the rich.

(Economic hardship is the usual seed of discontent and disunity. That is why the Bible teaches us to take care of the poor.)

7. Enemies’ last Resort -attack from a trusted source: the enemies even hired a religious person (a Jewish prophet) to try to lure Nehemiah into hiding in the temple and thus discredit him.

(Always check and verify the words from men against the Word from God. Be well-versed with the Bible. Learn to walk closely with God and listen to the Holy Spirit. Sons of God are led by the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ sheep listen to His voice!)