Chapter ninety-five: a prophecy of ‘times’, one dream and one vision

Last night Jack pondered on the vision someone saw last weekend, of gray fishes from the sea, touched by the living fountain of Jesus, at first swimming in circle, eventually breaking out from frozen state (Luke 19:43), swimming up an ancient waterfall, breaking and shattering stone lion mouth and granite wall, into uncharted waters (the source of living waters). After worshiping interspersed with prayers while walking on a treadmill, he finally rested on the floor. He asked the Lord what the vision meant. Was it for his church or was it for other church? He asked why he was not able to hear from the Lord. Then he was reminded that he was too busy talking all the time so how could he hear? So he kept quiet for sometime. When he was about to give up he heard the prompting to read Micah 4.

But he had an urge to go out into the garden. He went and walked about in the cool night breeze under a clear sky. When he was about to go inside, he saw a patch of light so he rushed into his house, changed his glasses and took his mobile phone camera. The edge of the sky was bright like day with white rolling clouds like sea. He tried to take picture but the camera did not work. The sea of cloud moved on and left behind a clear sky.When he looked into his camera he saw spots of golden lights dancing. He took pictures and found that the photos showed only his own garden structure and not the light spots. By the time he realized he could try to video the light spots, he managed to capture some distant white light spots only.

Then he read the Bible. He quotes below what he discovered: Micah 4: 1 “BUT IN the latter days it shall come to pass that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains; and it shall be exalted above the hills, and peoples shall flow to it.” (also read Isa. 2:2)

From this verse, he was led to read Jeremiah 30:8 ^“For it will come to pass in that day, says the Lord of hosts, that I will break [the oppressor's] yoke from your neck, and I will burst your bonds ; and strangers will no more make slaves of”

But how did he know whether the vision was for his church? He was then led to read Daniel 10:14, “Now I have come to make you understand what is to befall your people in the latter days, for the vision is for [many] days yet to come.”

The amazing thing was that on the previous morning he was woken in a dream in which he was urged to get up and intercede, with this verse, from  Micah 4:13 “ Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion; For I will make your horn iron, And I will make your hooves bronze; You shall beat in pieces many peoples; I will consecrate their gain to the LORD, And their substance to the Lord of the whole earth.” (Continue to equip the church to be house of prayers and faithful intercessor for all nations! Luke 19:46; Isa. 56:7)
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Today he woke up and continued to ponder on the vision and the related verses he was led to read in Isaiah, the theme of the sign of ‘times‘. Then he received an urgent message to intercede for his kinsmen (two nephews who are currently dwelling in comfortable and happy homes in big cities of a rich country). Someone had a dream about the need to intercede for them urgently. When he looked at the Bible passage he was reading this morning, he saw a clear prophecy for the ‘time’ of the day. The full prophecy was in Isaiah 32 but he would quote the very verses that caught his spirit.

Isaiah 32:10 In a year and some days  You will be troubled, you complacent women; For the vintage will fail, The gathering will not come.
11 Tremble, you women who are at ease; Be troubled, you complacent ones; Strip yourselves, make yourselves bare, And gird sackcloth on your waists.
12 People shall mourn upon their breasts For the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine. 13 On the land of my people will come up thorns and briers, Yes, on all the happy homes in the joyous city;
14 Because the palaces will be forsaken, The bustling city will be deserted. The forts and towers will become lairs forever, A joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks—
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But the solution for God’s peoples are there too in the following verses. These are the verses that Jack had been praying over and over in times when he was asked to pray in public. He did not know why then.
V 15 Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is valued as a forest.
16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation) will abide in the fruitful field.
17 And the effect of righteousness will be peace [internal and external], and the result of righteousness will be quietness and confident trust forever.
18 My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting-places.
19 But it [the wrath of the Lord] shall hail, coming down overpoweringly on the forest [the army of the Assyrians], and the capital city shall be utterly humbled and laid prostrate.

What is required of the peoples of God? The answer is as follows:

20 Happy and fortunate are you who cast your seed upon all waters [when the river overflows its banks; for the seed will sink into the mud and when the waters subside, the plant will spring up; you will find it after many days and reap an abundant harvest], you who safely send forth the ox and the donkey [to range freely].

The seeds are the words of God watered by the Holy Spirit. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Sow the Gospel of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Set the oppressed free just as Jesus had done. (Isa. 41:17-18; 44:3; Mark 16:15-18,20; Luke 4:18-19).

The vision and dream brought the urgent communication that the Bible prophecies will soon come to pass. Jack prays that his own household will not live as those who do not know or believe in the living God.

O, be the doers of His words (James 1:22). Be the men of faith (Heb. 11:6). Be the called ones who live and are led by the Spirit (Romans 8). Be focused. Focus on Jesus, the Lamb of God who is the author and finisher of our faith. (Heb.12:1-2) The just shall live by faith. (Rom.1:17; Hab. 2:4)

chapter eighty-eight: the Holy Spirit said. “Take up the sword of the Spirit!”

The watchman Jack cannot sleep like a log. He was troubled. His body was under attack and he was fed up. He questioned, “How can the enemy be so seemingly ‘powerful’? Why was he under attack often when he went to one particular geographical location?” He even told God he was fed up. Indeed, when he went to his father-in-law’s house recently he was again attacked with the old back-ache symptoms.

Given a choice he would never want to go there or anywhere near any unbeliever’s living quarters in view of the spiritual defilement and idolatry stronghold. He is a peaceful man who has enjoyed many generations of simple peaceful Christian living. However, there are things in life that are called ‘obligations’. Jack knew he had no option as far as this assignment was concerned.

He suffered the whole day even after the long drive back to his own home. He tried to rest in bed but the aches continued. He claimed divine healing to no apparent result. So he finally got up and told God he was fed up. Then he decided to read God’s words regardless of the physical symptoms. He was drawn to read all the verses about end time and spiritual warfare and victory for no particular reasons. After reading he reminded himself he was giving the enemy too much attention. So he resolved not to make the same mistake. He took a warm shower and a ginger drink which he had never taken, though a favorite of his wife’s. He did not know why he took it except that he heard his spirit ask him to do so. (Without the Holy Spirit, you can take as much such stuff as possible and nothing would happen!)

After that, despite the unchanged physical symptoms, he went to church to worship God. He worshiped and praised God as usual. He knelt down and bent his back as usual. He did not pray for any healing as it was not on his mind at all. He made up his mind to give God the full attention and glory. When the sermon started he was relieved that someone else did the translation instead of him. When the speaker spoke he was not surprised that she spoke about end time and what manners of persons we ought to be in holy conduct and godliness (2 Peter 3:11). The Holy Spirit indeed prompted him to read these verses that same afternoon when he was determined to listen to the Holy Spirit.

During the sermon he had to leave as he was asked to take his relatives (whose three young infants were making too much noise) home. When he got up from his seat, he found that he was healed completely. The symptoms vanished without his notice. He went home a very convicted man. Yes, he learned a lesson of faith living in practice. How was he healed? He knew in theory but lacked patience in practice. But God was merciful and patient.

The lesson Jack learned is summarized as follows:
1. We live by faith and not by sight.
2. We trust God’s word which contains His will.
3. We proclaim God’s words (victory) and not ours.
4. Our role is to put on the whole armor of God and stand still.
5. God will take charge.Be still and know that He is God!!
6. We continue to worship and praise God for His faithfulness, grace and mercy regardless of the symptoms. Always give God the glory!!!
7. Never make the enemy prominent in our lives. He is merely a deceiver. Resist him and he will flee!

Here are some of the verses Jack had read and proclaimed during his struggle: (He prays that you will be blessed too!)

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
Ephesians 6:10-18 The Whole Armor of God
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[a] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
2 Peter 3:9-14
9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
The Day of the Lord
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Be Steadfast
14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;
Malachi 4:1-3 The Great Day of God
1 “For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” Says the LORD of hosts, “ That will leave them neither root nor branch.
2 But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings;
And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.
3 You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this,” Says the LORD of hosts.
Isaiah 58:6-8
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.
Isaiah 32:15-18 Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,       And the fruitful field is counted as a forest.
The Peace of God’s Reign
16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness remain in the fruitful field.
17 The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.
18 My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places,
Isaiah 10:27
27 It shall come to pass in that day That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, And his yoke from your neck, And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.
Psalm 121 A Song of Ascents.
1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.
8 The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Chapter Eighty: "Sons of God are led by the Spirit"

Living and walking according to the Holy Spirit is no simple task. It takes practice. As Jack has experienced, often one is not sure whether he is walking by the Spirit or not. This applies especially to those who are very proud of their own mind and the work of their mind. For example, he is trained in using his mind to collect data, organize and analyse them. He uses such skill over a lot of things, including his social and religous life. There are advantages to use such skill efficiently and effectively. On the other hand, such skill is not applicable in God's matters.

Living by the Spirit requires learning entirely new living principles and skill, centered on God's word, faith and the Holy Spirit.
Some of the practical spiritual living examples are: Believe in divine healing and divine health. Proclaim God's word by faith on all aspects of life. Take up your legal authority as a son of God and use the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth by faith. Cast out your unbelief (worldliness). Align your desire with the will of God. Fast and pray to subject your body and soul (mind and emotion) to the control of your spirit (which is to be led by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ Himself)!

There is no way one can suddenly acquire the principles and living skill of the Spirit at End-Time. You just have to prepare now. For family (with or without children) it will be essential to start learning as a family unit. You will need each other to sustain the new living which is entirely different from the living you use to know and live. Father (or mother, in the case of single mother) needs to be responsible for your whole household's spiritual life.

1. You need to practice living by faith. For example, you need to practice praying the word of God by faith now, believing in the power of the name of Jesus Christ and take authority over the headache instead of reaching for the painkillers. You need to build up the faith practice until you can take authority over more serious chronic diseases. You will find that you save a lot of money and worries that way (even if end time does not come during your lifetime)!

2. You need to become a word person and household. Everyone reads the Bible and memorize God's word. Jack has done this through systematically using Scripture Memory Cards in (various topics) his younger days. Now he just uses the Bible. Both works. You can store a lot of word for future use. Do not underestimate your children. They are led by the Spirit too. Follow the instruction given to Joshua (Joshua 1:8).

3. You need to become a worshipful person and household. Lead your children to worship and praise God. Take Holy Communion as a family unit (and also a body of Christ). This is a must! As you praise and worship God, the war is won as the battle belongs to the Lord. Sometimes Jack is travelling alone in hostile places and he continues to worship God on his own. This is the best weapon against the enemy. He has seen visions of many angels following a worship leader as the leader led the worship singing spiritual songs. On another worship occasion he saw vision of a senior intercessor wearing the coat of a general-commander! (She is an elderly grandma who sings off-key).

4.  You need to become a prayerful person and household. Pray in the power of the Holy Spirit. Listen to your own prayer and ask yourself whether that is the prayer of a Spirit led person. Lead your household to pray in the Spirit. Practice interceding for other Christians (as required in activating the full armor of God).

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." (Romans 8:14)

Remember: Faith + the Word of God + the Holy Spirit + Practice living by faith in the Spirit = keys to your survival.

Chapter Seventy-Eight: "For then, you shall make your way prosperous"

Survival Step One: How to live by the Spirit?
Action Two: Read the Bible and believe every word of God by faith and act on them.


Seeking God will lead you to hear God more clearly. Often God speaks through His word. Jack has never heard audible voice of God. He saw words (verses from the Bible) either in his heart or as he read the Bible, certain word stepped out and caught his attention and he knew they were meant for him in that occasion. It is therefore essential to read the Bible with a heart to hear God. He also tries to keep the word of God in his heart. He normally prays for the Holy Spirit to work on him as he reads and reveal to him his future, and the work of the hands of God.

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things and bring to our remembrance all things Jesus has said to us. (John 14:26) The Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth, and He will tell us things to come. (John 16:13) Jesus further promised: “All that belongs to the Father (God) is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.” (John 16:15) Wow!

In End-Time every Christian would want to know what belongs to God and how to take hold of them to survive. He who knows the word of God will be guided by the Holy Spirit in him. The word is like a road map to treasures. Without the word of God, one has no direction, no resources (to produce physical supplies), and no weapon for the Spirit to work on (the word of God is the sword of the Spirit).

Joshua 1:8 “This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” it is God’s command to read the Bible and meditate in it and act on it. The promise of God comes from the word.

The word of God is God’s will. Know His word means know His will and the promises therein. For example, when you know that God declared Himself in the Bible verse in Exodus 15:26 as “I am the Lord who heals you”, you are assured of God’s will for you to be healed from sickness. You can then act on it by faith to get well supernaturally (without reliance on medicine which you will not have access without the chip at End-Time). You will have faith if you have read that three million Israelite who believed this verse indeed enjoyed divine health! You will have faith when you know and believe that Jesus had born your sickness on the cross, as the Bible declared, “By His stripes you were healed.” (1Peter 2:24)

Jesus left a very important command (key to End-Time survival) to His followers. “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” (John 15:7)

Jack prays that all who read this blog will be stirred by the Holy Spirit to read God’s word fervently, meditate in it day and night and practice acting on them. You will definitely need this for all your supplies at End-Time.

The Holy Spirit says, "For then, you shall make your way prosperous!"

(Indeed, this is what Jack has experienced!)

Chapter Seventy-Seven: A watchman cries, "Your face, Lord, I will Seek!"

Jack is led by the Spirit to share a series of his action steps for END TIME SURVIVAL WITH JESUS OUTSIDE THE CAMP complete with Scripture verses to help to cast out unbelief and let mustard seed faith come forth and produce tangible result.
Survival Step One: How to live by the Spirit?
Action One: Seek God diligently daily. Why? By end time, Christians would have realized that they just have to depend on God to get them out of the horror. There is no one but God Who can save them. All who choose to follow and identify with Jesus will need to know how to seek God and hear His voice.
SEEK GOD NOW. This is the Number One preparation action for end time survival. You need to TRAIN NOW in worship, prayers and reading of His word.
God wants us to seek Him. In Psalm 27:8 David declared to God: "When You said, seek My face, my heart said to You, Your face, Lord, I will seek." (Psalm 27:8)
Indeed, God looks down from heaven to see if anyone who understands, who seeks Him. (Psaalm14:2; 53:2)
God even says He rewards those who diligently seek Him! (Heb.11:6)
God is our refuge, fortress, and strength in the day of affliction (Psalm 46; Jeremiah. 16:19).
He is our protector against evil, destruction and pestilence. (Psalm 91)
God delivered His people from evil for the purpose of meeting with them and dwelling among them as their God! (Exodus 20:24; 29:42-46)
Jesus said He needs to know you first before He will allow you to enter into heaven. (Matt. 7:21-23) Get used to seeking and meeting God (The Father, the Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit) now daily so you would not be caught in end time without knowing Him.

Jack has over many years, with intensity building up in the last 12 months, been seeking God consistently. The result is indeed amazing and rewarding. What God has promised in His word have come true! What happened?
1. He started by reading the Bible as a young Christian. A lot of Christians do this as a routine. Over many years, the word of God has been stored in his heart (spirit).
2. He meditated on God's word. He memorized them. But he was not satisfied when he could not receive any illumination from the word. So he persisted in seeking. He listened to sermons with his whole heart. He thirsted and hungered for the word of God to feed his inner man.
3. After many years, he realized that the problem was with his mind and not his heart. The mind is well trained, to analyze, rationalize and organize. All these actions have no input from faith and/or from the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of truth.
God says, without faith it is impossible to please Him. (Heb.11:6)
Jesus says, the Holy Spirit comes to guide us into all truth. (John 16:13)
4. A breakthrough came last year. Jack was asked to sign up to pray for the churches and the city he lived in. So he did. That was  the beginning of a journey in the Holy Spirit. He found that the prayers were empty and lifeless and came from mechanical recitation of written guides from his church or a copy from somewhere in his mind archives. His heart was sincere but his flesh (body and mind) blocked him from really reaching the level that God has intended for him.
5.  He recalled how he was filled with the Holy Spirit many years ago, the joy and love he felt flowing from God's presence to him then. He read the Bible day and night then with zeal and passion, believing that the word of God was real and they spoke to him. However when he started going back to church he was soon caught in the snare of man's tradition. He built up considerable Bible knowledge. He clocked in numerous hours of ministering to others. But he soon became malnourished spiritually.
6. So Jack started to practice worshiping God and waiting upon the Lord. That was the breakthrough. God's presence becomes real to him. He read the word of God afresh and listened to the still small voice within if any. God started to get through to him. He saw visions. he dreamed dreams. He saw Bible verses in his heart. He receives Biblical confirmations for the visions and dreams.
7. When he prays, he no longer utters familiar routine words that sound good to hear but empty (which the Lord Jesus described as babbling like pagans), knowing that he is in front of the great, awesome and holy God. How can he simply say things? When he hears his own previous prayers he feels ashamed.

END-TIME SURVIVAL is all about knowing how to hear God and follow His voice. The Holy Spirit will lead you in your spirit to listen and follow. The word of God that you have stored in your heart will rise to the occasion and become alive, bring forth life as you pray it and meditate on it and proclaim it by faith.

How else do you think Jesus has expected you to overcome? Just practice now. You will hear God. You will see what God wants you to see in your spirit. You will become real. A son of God. A kingdom of God citizen. A royal priest. A special national. An elect. A victorious remnant. A faith person. Jesus becomes your real life.

It is a marvelous and wonderful life in Christ Jesus. A divine lifestyle on earth as it is in heaven. No fear for end-time.

chapter forty-eight: “I have set watchmen on your walls”

“I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem praise in the earth.” (Isaiah 62:6-7)

Jack has been reading these verses over and over. He was woken one morning to re-read them. About nine months ago he was called to pray for his city and the churches therein. He thought he was merely doing his duty as a Christian.

As time went by he was more and more aware that there was a spiritual reality of which he was not aware previously. Prayers and intercessions were spiritual. When one prays, one in fact acknowledges the reality of the spiritual God. When one prays, one invokes spiritual forces. Things happen in the spiritual realm. The reality in the spiritual realm becomes reality in the physical realm.

His awareness of the spiritual became more sharpened. He developed spiritual discernment.

When reading the Bible, which is Spirit and Life, the word indeed became alive and real.

When praying he became more and more led by the Holy Spirit to intercede for things/people of whom he had hardly or never thought before.

But he was still far from a committed watchman on the walls whom God has set to cry out day and night for the establishment of Jerusalem (the ideal city of God which God has designed to materialize for the benefit of all nations on earth). He could not figure out how this call would impact all nations as one city on earth was such a tiny dot on the map.

Today he awoke and read the passage again. It suddenly dawned on him that there were many like him all over the world in every city of the world, awoken daily just to call out to God and give God no rest until the ideal plan of God has been established.

It also dawned on him that the ideal plan will be established all over the world as God is not limited to one tiny dot on the map of mankind!

So when he and the other watchmen cry out and intercede for their respective cities, the plan of God would equally be realized in those cities too (all being the New Jerusalem of God)!

This discovery made Jack’s heart leap up. Yes. This makes sense to his little mortal human mind.

Wherever you are, watchmen on the walls of your cities do not lose heart. Your city will be made praise in earth too as promised.

2009-11-08

Declaration of victory of Jesus

For those who seek to know more about our God, here are the verses to declare the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Read them aloud daily and let the Holy Spirit help you to see and understand how great our God is!! Be assured, you will be greatly and wonderfully blessed.

(Revelation 5:12; Revelation 1:8; Revelation 1:17-18; Revelation 5:5; Matthew 28:18; Psalm 110:1-2; Romans 16:20; Luke 4:18-19; Acts 26:18; Colossians 2:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:8-9, John 3:16; 1 John 3:8; 2 Timothy 2:26; Matthew 12:28; Luke 10:19; Psalm 107:14; Psalm 107:16; Matthew 16:18-19; 1 Samuel 17:47; Isaiah 49:24-25; John 10:10; Acts 10:38; Isaiah 42:3; Luke 5:31-32; Ephesians 1:19-23; Numbers 10:35; Psalm 144:1-2; Psalm 24:8; Psalm 60:12; Isaiah 42:13)

(New King James Version)

Revelation 5:12 saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 1:17-18 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

Revelation 5:5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

Psalm 110:1-2 The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!

Romans 16:20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Luke 4:18-19 “ 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; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”

Acts 26:18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’

Colossians 2:15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

2 Thessalonians 2:8-9 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

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.

2 Timothy 2:26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

Matthew 12:28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Luke 10:19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Psalm 107:14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And broke their chains in pieces.

Psalm 107:16 For He has broken the gates of bronze, And cut the bars of iron in two.

Matthew 16:18-19 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed[a] in heaven.”

1 Samuel 17:47 Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

Isaiah 49:24-25 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, Or the captives of the righteous be delivered? But thus says the LORD: “ Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, And the prey of the terrible be delivered; For I will contend with him who contends with you, And I will save your children.

John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Acts 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Isaiah 42:3 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth.

Luke 5:31-32 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Ephesians 1:19-23 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Numbers 10:35 So it was, whenever the ark set out, that Moses said: “Rise up, O LORD! Let Your enemies be scattered, And let those who hate You flee before You.”

Psalm 144:1-2 Blessed be the LORD my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle—My loving kindness and my fortress, My high tower and my deliverer, My shield and the One in whom I take refuge, Who subdues my people under me.

Psalm 24:8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle.

Psalm 60:12 Through God we will do valiantly, For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.

Isaiah 42:13 The LORD shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies.

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE: “I AM LOOKING FOR A CHURCH”

Matthew 24:6-8 “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

Reading headline like “the day of death” was no comfort. In the same weekend more than one disaster hit the nations of the world, earthquakes, tsunami, typhoon, and flood with colossal human and financial losses, were certainly bad news for the earth inhabitants. The Christians woke up and asked whether these were signs of the end time. The more sensible ones asked themselves, whether they were ready to meet the Lord, who is coming soon.

Indeed, when shocked out of our hitherto comfort zone, no matter how secure we once thought we were, we had no choice but to re-examine our lives, calculate the possible risk factors and the worst case scenario and decide our best immediate defense actions.

To prepare for the end time, Jack thus is looking for a church. He had escaped from his previous church as it no longer mentioned (and/or believe in the power of) the cross, Jesus’ blood and His redemption anymore. The church had gone the popular humanistic way and thus returned to Egypt, busily prospering in numbers, building colossal multi-million dollars buildings, engrossed in a great variety of programs, works and activities. The music was popular. The attendance rate was high. The number of membership and its growth probably topped the list of its peers in this city.

But it preached anything but Christ. Jack patiently waited for three years. Then, as signs of end time kept popping up, Jack figured that it would be impossible to be part of that corporate body and yet go to heaven. So he abandoned ship when he was certain that the Holy Spirit had called him to progress in his faith (not without feeling sorrowful to leave the familiar).

Now he is looking for a church that preaches Jesus Christ day in and day out. There is no other more worthy topic. But where is that church? At times he wonders if he should advertise. How shall he word it? “A man in the Holy Spirit is looking for a church that preaches nothing but Jesus on the cross, shedding His precious blood to save the world, so that all who believe will not perish but finds eternal life. If any church fits into this category please let Jack know the good news. Those who take the Holy Communion in vain, that is, not mentioning (and/or believing) the redemptive blood of Jesus and healing body of Jesus, need not bother to apply.” Many churches will feel offended. Many will ignore this advertisement. One mere number of memberships is not worth the bother to churches which had gone the Egypt (worldly) pathway. One is nothing to the churches when they already have a hundred or even a thousand. Or worse, many would think this is a cry of an outdated man who has not kept up with the modern religious world.

But Jack is sincere in his cry. Meanwhile he has asked God to make Jesus’ footsteps his pathway. So daily he seeks the presence of God through Jesus, bringing to daily remembrance of His cross through the Holy Communion (remembering the redemptive power of the blood of Jesus and the body of Jesus that was broken for us-our total healing), reads His words and prays in the name of Jesus, living in the Spirit and all by faith. He believes the church is out there, all over the world, with individuals like him, forming the corporate body of Christ, spiritually, not limited by physical distance and time.

1 Cor. 11:24, 25 The Lord Jesus said, “Take, eat, this is My body, which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

1 Cor. 10:16-17 The Apostle Paul wrote (authored by the Holy Spirit): “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” “For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.”

2009-10-02

the coming of the Son of Man

Matthew 24

6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

The Coming of the Son of Man

29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!


No One Knows the Day or Hour

36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.

38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,

42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.

Matthew 25:13

13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

CHAPTER THIRTY: HOW NOT TO LOVE YOUR LIVES TO THE DEATH?

When Jesus began to preach, He said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17) He told the disciples His mission on earth, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.” He taught His disciples to pray, “Your kingdom come” (which was followed by “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matt.6:10) He proclaimed His mission on earth was to do His Father’s will. Jesus’ famous teaching about blessings was centered on the characteristics of the kingdom of heaven citizenship. (Matt.5:3-12) When He commissioned His disciples to go out to preach He instructed them, “And as you go, preach saying, ‘the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ His disciples asked Him what will be the sign of Him coming and of the end of the age. Jesus answered, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Matt.24:14)

Since Jesus had focused His ministry on earth on preaching the good news about the kingdom of heaven/God, it makes sense for us to know and live this kingdom life, Jack reckoned. Recently when he received a notice of seminar on “Thy kingdom come” training, he enrolled immediately.

It was a four days intensive course daily seventeen hours stretching from morning to night and early morning with three hours dinner and bathroom break in the evening and another four hours sleep and breakfast break in the morning. They fasted lunch. He drove for about three hours on a Sunday afternoon, had a hasty light dinner and joined the marathon kingdom training at 8pm. The course went on until 4am in the morning. By then his mind was saturated. So he gave up and drove back to the hotel to take his sleep. The second day started at 9am. He missed the hotel breakfast and had his own snacks in the room. It was tough going as he went along. But he was prepared to sit out the whole course.

This time he found that he could be part of the worship, as he had trained hard in the prayer house during the last six months. He had no back ache or body sore whatsoever (unlike six months ago when he first attended the same seminar). He also managed not to fall asleep although he did feel sleepy once or twice.

The worship in the Spirit was powerful. On one night he was worshipping in the Spirit through singing spiritual songs. On occasions when he was led to sing in words like, “hallelujah”, “worthy”, “mighty God”, he found the song leader (a Spirit-filled elderly pastor) similarly burst forth in singing such words too in her spiritual songs. He was amazed and knew that the Holy Spirit indeed was leading them as he was not singing loudly and many people were singing or praying aloud in tongues so the noise would have drowned his own utterance.

On the last day when they were worshipping Jack prayed in his heart for the Holy Spirit to come and burn off whatever chaff he still had in him that was hindering him from God, and he also pledged that his life would not be the same again. Immediately after he prayed, the songs that followed were all about the Holy Spirit, like fire, coming to burn off the chaff in people, and their lives would never be the same again!

It was a confirmation from the Holy Spirit to Jack that he could hear the Holy Spirit more clearly now.

The course was taught by two senior lady pastors (in their 60s?) who live practically on divine health and divine stamina. They teach on how to prepare for the coming of Christ and how we ought to live as kingdom citizens. At the end of the seminar they imparted and anointed the students in two areas of spiritual zeal: the zeal to pursue God and the zeal to pray and intercede for all nations.

They were given three charges: to re-structure their prayer lives; to pray as a family (at home); and to pray for all nations.

What Jack was urged to commit up to this point was not difficult to follow. However, he was troubled by the definition of a overcomer. In Revelation 12:11, “And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb (Jesus) and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

The first two verses are alright for him but the third verse was not for a coward. He knew he had to go home after this course and think hard on this matter.
The key question is: why does he love his life on earth?

Why do you love your present life so much? Don’t you know no one can be an immortal on earth? In fact these are the questions he had been asking himself during his quest to live Biblically and in the Holy Spirit.

Now that he knows the kingdom of heaven is real and that he can hear the Holy Spirit (God Himself), he is not so worried about life on earth. On the other hand he still needs to find out the key purpose of his present life and make sure he has lived that purpose before he can move on.

During the seminar he saw a vision of Jesus carrying two items: a sword in one hand and a jar (of incense?) in another hand. He had the perception that they meant the word of God and prayers. Are these meant to be his key purpose in life? Was this why he had been thus far led to seek God and an answer for his existence?

AAA Jack
9-5-09

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: BE PREPARED AND WATCHFUL AT THE HORSE GATE

Coming to the Horse Gate is no easy task. Jack tried to postpone this journey in the spirit. He went back to other Jerusalem Gates, dug and indeed found gold. But the next few Gates had to be explored and he knew sooner or later he had to face with the prophetic and visionary.

The following is a vision of John: Revelation 19:11-16 “Christ on a White Horse”:
11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had[a] a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean,[b] followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp[c] sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

What does this mean? Obviously this was predicted by Christ to the disciples. Matthew 16:27 “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” Colossians 3:23-24 “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”

Yes, Jesus promised He would come again and in a different role. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Christians all over the world are hoping for the soon return of the Lord. The problem Jack faced was that he knew he was not yet ready. So how should he prepare himself? He found the guide in the Book of Prophet Jeremiah. God expects holiness in His people.

Jeremiah 31:40 “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that the city shall be built for the Lord from the Tower of Hananeel (Mercy) to the corner (horse) gate… And the whole valley of the dead bodies (those sacrificed to idols).. All the fields as far as the Brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate shall be holy to the Lord. It shall not be plucked up or thrown down anymore forever.”
Nehemiah 3:28 “Beyond the Horse Gate the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house.”

The Horse Gate was located between the Water Gate (Words of the Lord) and the Sheep Gate (Declaration of truth). When Nehemiah restored this gate, the priests (spiritual leaders) were required to do the job. This is significant. The gate was used by horsemen of the king to enter and exit for war purposes. Yet the priests were living nearby. Why? This confirms the truth that spiritual war is just as important if not more important than the physical one. The Bible recorded that many physical wars were won by winning spiritually!

By deploying the priests to restore the Horse Gate, it signified the restoration of true worship and holiness for the Lord. Indeed when the walls and gates were rebuilt, the Spirit led the priests and people into a great spiritual revival at the Water Gate.

A writer wrote: “We are living between the Water Gate (God’s Word) and the Sheep Gate (Declarations of truth). Unless our lives and declarations come forth from a holy life, they are like the brass shields that fail to reflect His glory.” (The original shields put in the temple were in gold but they were replaced by brass at the time of spiritual low)

We all have our role at the Horse Gate. This was Jack’s conclusion. He resolved to be watchful and prepared for the Lord’s return, worshipping God in Truth and in Spirit. The following is taken from his Biblical living journal on how he focused on the seeking the Truth (Word of God).

JOURNAL DAY 92B: LET US PURSUE THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE LORD

“Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord.” (Hosea 6:3)

I have returned to this prophetic book as it was the first word I heard from the Lord. I heard the word “Hosea” very clearly when I woke from a dream after much prayer, asking God to let me know more about Him. Although at that time, I thought I had the answer then in the last verse (“Who is wise? Let him understand these things.”), I now believe there is more in this book for me to ponder on.

When I have started this quest I asked the Lord to let me know Him and know Him more than what I thought I knew before. During the quest, I was led to use the spiritual gift of knowledge. I could see a word in my mind or hear a word of God in my spirit and knew it was from God. I did not know the meaning of the ‘knowing’ but I know it is a way God shows me Himself or something He wants me to do. In short, it is a way of communicating with me. He is Spirit and I am flesh. Obviously I find it very hard to receive His communication. He can hear me and I cannot hear Him.

Only by living in the Spirit, I can receive His communication. That is why Jesus told His disciples that the Holy Spirit will come and tell us everything. Indeed those who live close to God, living in the Spirit and walking by the Spirit can receive His message accurately.

Hosea saw a sad situation among the people of Israel and Judah: they did not know the Lord. Therefore they ran here and there instead of running to God to seek help. Hosea described them as being sick and wounded. God can rescue them. God can heal them. But they had no knowledge of Him, so they did not ask Him to save them.

Today many Christians run here and there in time of troubles. They do not seek God first. Seeking God may be their last resort, because they do not know God. Recently a man collapsed and died suddenly outside a Christian gathering place. With his last breath, he screamed the name of a Christian worker for help, and he uttered in horror that the devils were coming to get him. He did not even call out to Jesus to save him. He called the wrong name instead. In your utmost danger, whom do you call first? In your extreme trial, whom do you turn to first? In desperation where do you run to first?

Let us know God. Let us pursue the knowledge of God diligently before it is too late.

AAA Jack