End Times Church Count-down: Fast and Pray, Church!

Esther 3 (KJV)

 ¹After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.
 ²And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.
 ³Then the king's servants, which were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment?
 ⁴Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew.
 ⁵And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.
 ⁶And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.
 ⁷In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.
(Nisan is April. Note the date: 13th April, 2012.)
 ⁸And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them.
 ⁹If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.
 ¹⁰And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.
 ¹¹And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee.
 ¹²Then were the king's scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring.
 ¹³And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
(Adar is March).
 ¹⁴The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, that they should be ready against that day.
 ¹⁵The posts went out, being hastened by the king's commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed.
______________________________________Jewish Calendar

Hebrew	English	Number	Length	Civil Equivalent
	Nissan	1	30 days	March-April
	Iyar	2	29 days	April-May
	Sivan	3	30 days	May-June
	Tammuz	4	29 days	June-July
	Av	5	30 days	July-August
	Elul	6	29 days	August-September
	Tishri	7	30 days	September-October
	Cheshvan	8	29 or 30 days	October-November
	Kislev	9	30 or 29 days	November-December
	Tevet	10	29 days	December-January
	Shevat	11	30 days	January-February
	Adar I (leap years only)	12	30 days	February-March
	Adar (called Adar Beit in leap years)	12 (13 in leap years)	29 days	February-March

End Times Witnessing: Last words to Persecuted Church

Revelation 2:8-11 (NKJV)
The Persecuted Church
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write,

‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: 9 “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”’
 
Revelation 12:11

Amplified Bible (AMP)
11And they have overcome (conquered) him by means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony, for they did not love and cling to life even when faced with death [holding their lives cheap till they had to die for their witnessing].

Revelation 17:14

These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”

Revelation 21:7
He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

Revelation 20:6

Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Revelation 20:14
Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.


Revelation 21:8
But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
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Romans 12:21

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

1 John 2:13

I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father.

1 John 2:14

I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one.

1 John 4:4

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

1 John 5:4

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

1 John 5:5

Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Watchman’s Adventure: A watchman’s calling is to be different

(Picture above: The first watchman/intercessor/prophet, Abraham hearing God) It is hard to explain why anyone would want to be called to be a watchman. Indeed, there is no explanation. The watchman has come to this conclusion lately. He finds that the messages received in his spirit are increasingly difficult to pass on given his nature. Yet he has to obey. Often he has to contradict others and cause ‘unhappy’ feelings. (The reason: he ‘sees’ and they cannot. Those who see are the minority minority).

Sometimes even his own loved ones are offended and consider him without tact. Many times he has to choose between listening to man or to God. When he is certain what he hears is from God he does not hesitate anymore. He has no choice really. He has to choose God everytime.

One day he could not take it so he asked the Lord his mission on earth. Then he was shown Exodus 28:29-30 on Aaron’s duties. When he goes before the Lord he has to represent his people. When he goes in before the Lord he has to determine the Lord’s will for his people. An intercessor/prophet does these two jobs.

Can he ‘resign’ being a watchman? Can he not see into the spiritual realm’s reality and give warnings? Can he stop his ear from hearing or his eyes from seeing what others do not hear or see in the physical realm?

Can a man choose his spiritual calling?

These are the questions he is asking himself. Of course there are temporary ‘advantages’ in being ignorant of spiritual matters and matters concerning God. One can live in blissful oblivion and not knowing why things happen the way they happen and knowing what to do even when the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. This would also mean choosing not to believe in the Bible, because the Bible is spiritual and is all about the supernatural spiritual God.

This is not a stance the watchman dares to take.

The watchman looks to the Bible for comfort and assurance of his stance. He can find a lot of examples of how those who see into the spiritual realm and obey God had suffered in the hands of men.

Jesus Himself is the number One example. His Apostles and disciples are expected to suffer the same. The godly and faithful prophets had suffered the same fate, and many were even killed when they faithfully carried out their assignments.

He has just finished reading a detailed spiritual testimony by a former medical consultant. He realized now that the reality of the spiritual realm cannot be disputed. Yet, reading the 40 pages long testimony would be like reading a science fiction to many sceptics (Christian or non-Christian). He can understand how the brethren must have felt giving the testimony.

The Lord lamented in Hosea 4:6, “My people are being destroyed for lack of knowledge (Knowledge of God)”.

Hosea 9:8 “The prophet is a watchman over Israel for my God, yet traps were laid for him wherever he goes. He faces hostility even in the house of God.”

Hosea 9:7 “Because of your great sin and hostility, you say, “the prophets are crazy and the inspired men are fools.”

The good news is, Jesus has foreseen all these and assured his followers:

Luke 6:22-23 (NLT)
“What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.”

Matthew 10:41
“Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.”

_______________________
Truly, the blessings and rewards for followers of Jesus and who choose to obey God are limitless and will not be shakened when the Day of the Lord comes.

End Times Witnessing: Liberals, Totalitarians and Spiritual Remnants (Vision Revised)

The watchman knew this day would come. He was reminded twice within two consecutive nights. “You just have to deny yourself. Yourself is blocking your advance in your quest for eternal life.”

He has been reading up on the frightening but seemingly inevitable impact of a very disciplined and fast growing wild fire kind of belief. The world seems to have gone one full circle.

Liberalism has given a false security to many in history that the golden days on earth will be when everyone can be free to do what he wants and thinks for himself what is best for him. Every one can choose what lifestyle he wants and what definition he means by living a good life. After all, are not more and more men being educated and civilized? Is not the world being more and sophisticated in science and technology?

Alas, this ‘ideal’ is not to be. Just look around and one cannot deny the fact that many more in this world are being deceived, pulverized, oppressed, suppressed, terrorized, coerced, bullied, enslaved, even dehumanized. Many have not been able to rise above the mire they are subjected to for generations and the slime and grime have no end. The advance in external material realm have not brought advancement in the higher quality of human hearts, such as, kindness, generosity, neighborly love, charity, mutual respect and honor, sharing attitude, gentleness and tender mercy.

Unlike the liberal elite who might survive as one man anywhere on earth (until now) perhaps, the majority of masses have opted to adhere to some form of totalitarian rule and order as a survival strategy. As one individual, they cannot access any power base. As a mass of people adhering to one faith, one ruler, they can. Indeed. they become one formidable power group.

Do not be surprised, to many, it is preferable to live on basic physiological needs than to die for conceptual ideals such as individual human rights or liberty. Many do not have the word, ‘concept’ in their mental dictionary.

Can liberals live on individually without the use of other groups for long in this world? Not very long. The days for the individuals seem numbered. Liberals by nature and lifestyle are not cohesive enough and cannot form any sustainable power group to rule effectively. Reproduction is one big weakness. Liberals are not able to reproduce and multiply their followers (even by birth) as fast as others can.

*However, totalitarians need only a few liberal elites manipulating a large group of masses who follow them blindly or under coercion. How can the elites not be detected? Easy, just hide in the powerful, long established and well organized systems of various religious beliefs (mainly the only two mega ones in the current world). *

NB: * This above revelation was received by the watchman just now (22nd September 2010) This ties in with what Jesus and the Apostles have warned the Christians. Daniel 9:26-27 and 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 specified their characteristics. 1 John 4:3 declared that the spirit of the Antichrist indeed is already here.

Fundamental Christians have woken to the truth that unless they turn back to the old path of a theocratic society they too will perish as a physical entity. In the beginning when God first formed a power group He decreed that they lived a God-centric life style. Being God-centric means submitting all values and aspects of living to your God (and His Word). Otherwise, you will will just like the liberals. Soon you will become no more as a power group. You will be assimilated into the one dominant totalitarian belief power system which will govern all aspects of your life anyway. Unless you are part of the elitist Antichrist system you will be just an oppressed and powerless pawn within that system.

For Christians who opt out of the above mentioned totalitarian system, they will become a small remnant as few will be willing to follow this very narrow gate and difficult path, living by faith and by the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus has predicted. Remnants will not become a big power group in this world. They are pocket size. they do not have a permanent base. There may come a time they do not have a place a rest their heads. Remnants will not be threats to any mega power groups. They will not be noticed. They are more like the third class passengers on an ocean liner, being clustered in some lowly and humble corners out of sight and out of mind of the system of the world.

Many remnants will be outside the ‘camp’ of the world’s system. They will not have access to the world’s social and economic system. On the other hand, they will live supernaturally. They follow exactly the Word of God and live the supernatural life style as demonstrated by Jesus and His disciples, and as witnessed by many before them (all the men and women of faith as recorded in the Bible). 

Can others join such a free life if they do not want to be in the world totalitarian system? Yes, you may, only if you deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus Christ.

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Ponder on the verses for today as below: Luke 9

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

¹⁸ And it happened, as He (Yeshua Christ) was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them,
²⁰ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection

²¹ And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, ²² saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”

Take Up the Cross and Follow Him

²³ Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily,^[a] and follow Me. ²⁴For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. ²⁵ For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? ²⁶ For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.

Jesus Transfigured on the Mount

²⁷ But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.”
²⁸ Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. ²⁹ As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white andglistening. 
³⁴ … a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud. ³⁵ And a voice came out of the cloud, saying,“This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!”

The Calling and Sending of a Prophet/Watchman

The watchman heard, "Ezekiel 2!"

Ezekiel Sent to Rebellious Israel

So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.
¹ And He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak to you.” ² Then the Spirit entered me when He spoke to me, and set me on my feet; and I heard Him who spoke to me. ³ And He said to me: “Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. ⁴ For they are impudent and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ ⁵ As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse—for they are a rebellious house—yet they will know that a prophet has been among them.
⁶ “And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, though they are a rebellious house. ⁷ You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious. ⁸ But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.”
⁹ Now when I looked, there was a hand stretched out to me; and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. ¹⁰ Then He spread it before me; and there waswere writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it lamentations and mourning and woe.

Ezekiel 3

¹ Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” ² So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll.
³ And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.” So I ate, and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness.
⁴ Then He said to me: “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. ⁵ For you are not sent to a people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, but to the house of Israel, ⁶ not to many people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, had I sent you to them, they would have listened to you. ⁷ But the house of Israel will not listen to you, because they will not listen to Me; for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted. ⁸ Behold, I have made your face strong against their faces, and your forehead strong against their foreheads. ⁹ Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.”
¹⁰ Moreover He said to me: “Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears. ¹¹ And go, get to the captives, to the children of your people, and speak to them and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,’ whether they hear, or whether they refuse.”
¹² Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a great thunderous voice: “Blessed is the glory of the LORD from His place!” ¹³ I also heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, and a great thunderous noise. ¹⁴ So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me. ¹⁵ Then I came to the captives at Tel Abib, who dwelt by the River Chebar; and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.

Ezekiel Is a Watchman

¹⁶ Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ¹⁷ “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: ¹⁸ When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. ¹⁹ Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.
²⁰ “Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. ²¹ Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul.”
²² Then the hand of the LORD was upon me there, and He said to me, “Arise, go out into the plain, and there I shall talk with you.”
²³ So I arose and went out into the plain, and behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, like the glory which I saw by the River Chebar; and I fell on my face. ²⁴ Then the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet, and spoke with me and said to me: “Go, shut yourself inside your house. ²⁵ And you, O son of man, surely they will put ropes on you and bind you with them, so that you cannot go out among them. ²⁶ I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute and not be one to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious house. ²⁷ But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.

Chapter Seventy-Six: A Watchman's Vision of End Time Survival Kit

A dream came to the watchman in vivid details which he could remember clearly when he woke. It is about end time survival for God’s children.
Indeed he has thought about this matter previously. He thought of finding a piece of land on high ground which can be cultivated for self-subsistence. But he is no farmer, or even gardener. He has one pet dog and that is all he knows about keeping animals. He cannot do carpentry, mud shelter construction, handle heavy manual hand tools, not even basic plumping. He has never done a hard day’s manual labor before. When he realized the need for manual labor practice, he thought it better to put the idea (or vision) aside.
But this dream is a different sort. It has opened his spiritual eyes and mind. It tells him how wrong he has been all this while thinking of surviving end time using mere physical resources and skills. He woke knowing that this is what the Bible has been teaching him all this while!
In the dream, an organization controls all goods and services. Every one with a chip implant can buy whatever supplies they require. There is constant surveillance on all economic and social activities.
A man without a chip implant has no legal identity and social right and cannot access any of the world supplies. How can one survive without such access? For the followers of Jesus, survival is ‘outside the camp’ as they choose to identify with Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13:13)!
On waking he was led to search the Bible for the way out  and found this: Put on the full armor of God: “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all these, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the fiery arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:14-18)
There are three important components in this full armor for all Bible believing Christians who have believed and accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord (and thus have the helmet of Salvation, breastplate of Righteousness and gospel of Peace): The Holy Spirit, the Word of God and Faith. Praying in the Spirit is the essential operational tool for working in the spiritual realm.
Living in the Spirit is not optional for Christians.
It is compulsory. Without living in the Spirit you would not be able to rise above the physical elements and live outside the camp. Jesus and His disciples had demonstrated this truth. The Apostle Paul has written on this at great length and clarity. You already have the supernatural power in you to live accordingly. Read this following important truth:
Read 1 Corinthians Chapter two. God has revealed His mystery to us by His Spirit. The Holy Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. We have received the Spirit of God and understand what God has freely given us. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment. We have the mind of Christ.
How to live by the Spirit? Read the Bible and believe every word of God by faith and act on them. Seek God diligently daily in worship, prayers and His word. Pray in the Spirit as often as the Spirit leads you. Practice by faith praying in the Spirit. Receive power from the Holy Spirit by faith as a son of God. The Holy Spirit will come and help you when you ask.
Some of the practical 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)!
For those who fear hunger, here is another verse of truth to dispel your doubt as to how your physical food will come. “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3) This makes sense as who can see a small atom?
For those who think they can wait till the last minute to practice divine living, the watchman’s advice (through personal experience) is you really need a lot of practice to let the faith in you come forth. 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)!
Another reminder is to memorize the word of God. You would not have a Bible ready for you at end time. The word of God in your heart must rise as resources (materials) for the Holy Spirit to bring forth produce that you need in the physical world.

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

Day six：why rejoice exceedingly when being persecuted?

“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12)
“If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.” (1 Peter 4:14)
As a Christian who speaks out for Jesus we are ridiculed and even reproached. I usually avoided such occurrences. But my wife is a brave woman and she is determined to share the Gospel with her ailing father. Her brothers scolded her and even threatened her. At times it was so bad that she cried. Of course she felt hurt under the insult and ill treatment from her siblings. She became sad and miserable.
If being persecuted results in unhappy feelings, then what did Jesus mean when He asked us to do the opposite? How can one rejoice exceedingly when one normally feels hurt and being unfairly treated?
Today when I read these two verses spoken by Jesus and their cross reference to 1 Peter 4:14, I realized that Jesus was right. Being persecuted for Jesus’ sake is a good thing and signs of a lot of good happenings!
1. You are raised to the status of the prophets.
2. Great reward immediately comes from heaven.
3. The Holy Spirit rests on you.
4. God considers you glorifying Him.
Of course, the evil person (bully who persecutes you) cannot get off scot free, as he has blasphemed against the Holy Spirit! Jesus has warned that those who blasphemed against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven either in this age or in the age to come. (Matthew 12:31-32)
Application: I share with my wife about what I read and she feels comforted now. As for me, I pray that I will not be afraid to stand up for my faith too. Again, it is a matter of whether I care about living before God more than living before man. I need to really ponder on this.
AAA Jack
2009-03-03

Day three: be merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, persecuted for righteousness sake

I got up late as I forgot that today was the day of prayer as a “watchman” (in prayer) for the city. When I managed to start praying it was 6.15am. I read the verses from the hymns of worship and praise instead of singing. I reaffirmed my belief through the reading of “We believe” written by Graham Kendrick. “We believe in God the Father, Maker of the universe, and in Christ His Son our Savior, come to us by virgin birth. We believe He died to save us, bore our sins, was crucified. Then from death He rose victorious, ascended to the Father’s side. We believe He sends His Spirit on His church with gifts of power. God His word of truth affirming sends us to the nations now. He will come again in glory judge the living and dead. Every knee shall bow before Him, then must every tongue confess, Jesus Lord of all, Name above all names.”
After reading I prayed for the city, using a booklet prepared by the prayer group. Based on my previous day’s reading of the words from Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel I prayed that the people here will repent, humble themselves, thirst for righteousness (Jesus), be meek and gentle, and mourn for the terrible conditions many are in right now, in captivity and held under the bondage of vices and darkness.
What a wonderful city this will be when that happens! (I admit I am an idealist. I am a realist too. I believe. Otherwise there is no point foregoing my sleep. )
MERCIFUL
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy”. (Matthew 5:7)
“Blessed is he who considers the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble”. Psalm 41:1 is the cross reference. How do I apply this today? I took this to mean doing a merciful deed to the poor today when given the opportunity. The repair workman was here again today to fix the roof. He wanted to come at 8am but I was not available. He said he would come around 11-12pm but he only turned up at 1.45pm! The workman/proprietor was alone (cutting cost?) and only finished his work in the late afternoon. After that I had to rush off to reach the government office before it closed to pay some important bills due. The usual roads were blocked and I was diverted into a police station! Thank God the police man was courteous and showed me the new direction. I arrived seconds before the closing time!
PURE IN HEART
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”. (Matthew 5:8). This verse cross referred to Psalm 15:2, in which King David described the person who could draw near to God: “he who walks uprightly, and works righteously, and speaks the truth in his heart”. He believed in God’s presence. He put God in every aspect of his life. No wonder he saw God in his spirit. Even when David failed to meet the standards of God he continued to seek God’s presence. This was the clue to seeing God.
I am no David. I need to improve in appreciating the reality of God’s presence in my life. I need to read the Bible with the intention to increasing heart knowledge of God instead of head knowledge. Jesus defined eternal life as He prayed for us in John 17:3 “and this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent”. Eternal life is knowing God and Jesus!
PEACEMAKERS
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). This verse reminds me that Jesus, the Son of God is called the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). In the Book of Ephesians (2:14-19), Apostle Paul pointed out the fact that Jesus Himself is our peace. He has by His blood, made peace and reconciled us to God through the cross. Through Him we have access by the Holy Spirit to the Father (God). In verse 19 Paul declared: “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household”.
The peacemakers are those who lead others to make peace with God. How do I apply this requirement? I shall continue to write and hopefully reach some friends and strangers who are seeking to make peace with God.
PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS’ SAKE
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10). This requirement seems tough for me. However, Proverbs 16:7 stated that “when a man’s way pleases the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him”. Apostle Peter also encouraged us in I Peter 3:13-14, “and who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.”
I shall certainly heed the advice of a senior citizen in God’s kingdom. She advised young Christians to ask God to work into them, to put iron in their souls so they will be ready when the tests come.
Review for the day: it dawned on me that the blessings requirements were all meant for our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. They form a basis for me to interact with God.
AAA Jack
2009-02-27