End Times Witnessing: 'killer winter' is no surprise to the watchman

The news on the sudden onslaught of cold and harsh 'killer winter' is no surprise to the watchman. He saw related visions at two preceding consecutive February. On both occasions he saw the speaker standing in the snow. In the first one he saw her (a senior prophetic intercessor) standing in the wilderness confronting the vast emptiness, speaking. The snow was up to her ankle. An avalanche of snow was fast moving toward her but she was relentless. She just spoke on. In the second year, he saw the same speaker standing in the snow. This time he was looking out of a window. The snow has reached neck level. The same speaker whose body was covered by snow had only her head seen. There were other heads sticking out of the snow. The land was empty and frozen. The watchman also received one verse one day after he had these visions. He heard, “Do you have winter clothes?” So he put it in writing and also called up his friends.

This year another intercessor had a dream. She saw the sudden freezing of the sea and big hailstones rained from heaven. She and another were trying to escape but soon the other person was hit. There was no escape.

Soon after this dream the news came. People were even dying of extreme cold. It sounded incredible. But it is real. The winter in February is unusual and unnatural. Again, sudden killer flood came to places normally free of such calamity in the past 100 years!

The watchman continued with weekly Bible reading with a group of friends (members of three families, including his own. This time there were two other new guests. Another guest who came last week dropped out.) in his house on last Saturday. This has become a pivotal and refreshing event in their ordinary lives. When the others left in the evening, he continued reading the Bible on his own. He was led to read Matthew 22-24. Chapter 22 started with the Parable of the Wedding Feast. The warning verse 22:14 “For many are called, but few chosen” stood out (exactly as his guests came and went). By the time he read 24:12, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold”, the watchman knew this was the message for this generation with the physical cold winter as a sign!

He knew the urgency of asking the Lord for the right teaching of God's words to counter the spiritual coldness. So he asked. He stayed up on Saturday night to search the Bible. But he was too tired and he had to give up and sleep. When he got up on Sunday morning he was led to open an audio CD holder which someone had recently re-organized and placed in his car. Among others there were three CD with the label “Hardness of Heart” by Andrew Wommack. He listened and found the key verse: “For they had not considered the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were hardened.”

What are the reasons for hardened hearts? Cold cold loveless hearts (toward God)? The wrong focus of the disciples (on the natural and physical but not on spiritual matters, i.e. the supernatural divine God, His nature and His power!). The same for today's believers. Jesus Himself gave the reason that because lawlessness abounds, the love of many grow cold. What are the things of lawlessness? How to be saved from this lawless and cold heart crisis? Jesus said: “But he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matt.24:13) How can one stand firm to the end? (2 Thess2:15; 2 Pet3:11, 17-18); These are important questions for this time. Take note that the Lord hates lawlessness: Matt.7:23; Heb.1:9. “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived” (1 Cor.6:9).

In addition to what Jesus has warned in Matt.22-25 about lawlessness, some of the other Bible verses are as follows.

Godlessness in the last days 2 Tim.3:1-5; 3:13; 4:3-5; The man of lawlessness 2 Thess2:3-4,7-8; The scoffers 2 Pet3:3; 2 Pet2:8; 1 John2:18; 3:4; Jude 18-19 (Scoffers; men who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit of God).

Indeed, how shall we stand? “What manner of persons ought we to be in holy conduct and godliness?” (2 Pet.3:11) Let us take heed to this question and some of the answers in the following verses.

Our Lord Jesus thus warned the disciples, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36) He however promised, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” (John 14:23) In Revelation 22:14, this essential qualification is confirmed by the Holy Spirit through the recording of John, “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.” (the heavenly city of New Jerusalem, the city of God).

The Apostle Peter thus urged believers to know our status in Christ: “You therefore beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware, lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.'' (2 Pet.3:17-18) “but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.” (1 Pet.1:15) “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people.” (1 Pet.2:9)

The Apostle Paul therefore taught the believers to stand fast by knowing and holding the truth in the Scriptures.(2 Thess2:15): stand fast in the Lord (1 Thess3:8); by faith you stand (2 Cor.1:24); watch, stand fast in the Lord, be brave, be strong (1 Cor.16:13); God is able to make you stand (Rom.14:4); take up the whole armor of God to withstand in the evil day and stand (Eph.6:13-14).

The Apostle James thus reminded, “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:21-22)

The Holy Spirit bears witness for us: “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Rom8:16); the Spirit Himself makes intercessions for us (Rom8:26); For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God (Rom8:14); he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him (1 Cor6:17); your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor6:19); you were washed, sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God (1 Cor6:11); by this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. (1 John 4:13)

The ultimate weapons against Lawlessness: How to overcome the spirit of lawlessness?

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb (Jesus) and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” (Revelation 12:11)
____________________________________
Andrew Wommack"s Hardness of Hearts (audio download)
http://www.awmi.net/extra/audio/1003 
excerpts: 
"Here are some of the major things I’ve learned that determine the sensitivity of your heart. First, whatever you consider, your heart becomes softened toward. Conversely, whatever you fail to consider, your heart becomes hardened to. That’s what Mark 6:52 reveals. Again, that verse says,
“For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.”

End Times Witnessing: Know your God in Spirit

The watchman was given a sudden assignment to share the word of God to a congregation. But he was involved in reading the Bible with a group of Christians who hunger for God’s words. His house was ‘crowded’ with people over that period and he could not sit down quietly before the Lord for a message. He was also fighting his own ‘war’ against some old symptoms, determined not to take any medicine.By the eve of the sermon he still had no message from the Lord and he knew he had nothing to preach the next morning. So he went to bed around 9pm.
At 12 midnight he was woken. He heard from the Lord the word: “God is Spirit.” He was asked to preach this truth. He got up and went to his ‘altar’, a table where the word of God had been read by many who joined them in regular Bible reading, ever since last year when he was alerted in his spirit to start this prophetic faith in action at the same time making disciples for the Lord Jesus.
It was not an easy topic to preach. How to prepare himself with only a few hours of sleep and a few hours left before dawn? He knew this was another occasion when Zechariah 4:6b must apply: “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord.” He obeyed and sat before the Lord, reading many verses from the book of John as led by the Spirit. By the time he knew he had to go back to bed it was 4am. He could not sleep again until 5am. So he had another 3 hours of sleep.
By the time he arrived, the leaders and some members of the congregation were praying in the Spirit. They prayed on with the flow of the Holy Spirit anointing. The regular worship leader and preacher were out of the country. However the worship that morning was Spirit led and many were ministered. The congregation moved with the flow of the Holy Spirit in unison as one body of Christ. When the words of God were preached, the anointed flow just continued and it was effortless. Indeed, the Lord God is Spirit! (John 4:23-24)
This reminded the watchman that last year when he was reading Psalm119 with the class he described the experience as “open eyes swimming in the river of God’s words seeing the wondrous things in His law” (Psa119:18). “The Lord writes His word on the living water so we submerge and soak in it and let osmosis take its supernatural course.”(So he wrote in a short message discourse with another intercessor).
Here are some of the verses the watchman shared with his congregation/class:
_______________________________________
God is Spirit : You need to know Him in Spirit and in Truth (You cannot use your physical eyes to see. You need spiritual eyes)

John 4:23-24 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 7:24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.

1 Corinthians 2:13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.2 Corinthians 4:18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.  

1 Corinthians 2:13 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.

John 3:3  Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
How to receive?
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. John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: John 1:13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Romans 3:24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
1 Peter 1:23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, Hebrews 11:3 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.
How to practice knowing God in your spirit?
1. Through Worship in the Spirit
John 4:23-24 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
2. Through Partaking the Holy Communion
John 6:53-56 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
Matthew 26:26-28 Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
3. The Word of God by the Spirit
John 14:21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. John 8:42-43 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.”

John 8:31-32 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:47 He who is of God hears God’s words; John 8:51 Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death. John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. John 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

 John 5:39 39You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
4. Prayer in the Spirit
Romans 8:26-27 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
5. Divine Nature By God's Grace
2 Peter 1:1-4 Greeting the Faithful 1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

O LORD I PRAY, SEND NOW PROSPERITY

 

The watchman received this psalm today with the verse, “Send now prosperity”. So he recorded here by faith. Indeed this New Year is unusual. He has received messages he seldom received before. This is a different January. He and his neighborhood friends have been doing a lot of Bible reading aloud with Mike and speakers. All have encountered breakthrough as they advance together in the Kingdom of God, by faith in Jesus Christ and what the Lord has accomplished on the cross. Breakthrough upon breakthrough. Grace upon grace. A new Labrador puppy arrived and they named her Grace. She is indeed a bundle of joy to all (ranging from 9 years old to 63 years old) around!

 

Psalm 118

(NKJV)

Praise to God for His Everlasting Mercy

 ¹ Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
         For His mercy endures forever.
      
 ² Let Israel now say,
         “His mercy endures forever.”
 ³ Let the house of Aaron now say,
         “His mercy endures forever.”
 ⁴ Let those who fear the LORD now say,
         “His mercy endures forever.”
      
 ⁵ I called on the LORD in distress;
         The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place.
 ⁶ The LORD is on my side;
         I will not fear.
         What can man do to me?
 ⁷ The LORD is for me among those who help me;
         Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.
 ⁸ It is better to trust in the LORD
         Than to put confidence in man.
 ⁹ It is better to trust in the LORD
         Than to put confidence in princes.
      
 ¹⁰ All nations surrounded me,
         But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
 ¹¹ They surrounded me,
         Yes, they surrounded me;
         But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
 ¹² They surrounded me like bees;
         They were quenched like a fire of thorns;
         For in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
 ¹³ You pushed me violently, that I might fall,
         But the LORD helped me.
 ¹⁴ The LORD is my strength and song,
         And He has become my salvation.
      
 ¹⁵ The voice of rejoicing and salvation
         Is in the tents of the righteous;
         The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
 ¹⁶ The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
         The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
 ¹⁷ I shall not die, but live,
         And declare the works of the LORD.
 ¹⁸ The LORD has chastened me severely,
         But He has not given me over to death.
      
 ¹⁹ Open to me the gates of righteousness;
         I will go through them,
         And I will praise the LORD.
 ²⁰ This is the gate of the LORD,
         Through which the righteous shall enter.
      
 ²¹ I will praise You,
         For You have answered me,
         And have become my salvation.
      
 ²² The stone which the builders rejected
         Has become the chief cornerstone.
 ²³ This was the LORD’s doing;
         It is marvelous in our eyes.
 ²⁴ This is the day the LORD has made;
         We will rejoice and be glad in it.
      
 ²⁵ Save now, I pray, O LORD;
         O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity.
 ²⁶ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!
         We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.
 ²⁷ God is the LORD,
         And He has given us light;
         Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
 ²⁸ You are my God, and I will praise You;
         You are my God, I will exalt You.
      
 ²⁹ Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
         For His mercy endures forever.

May He give you the power to accomplish all the good things

 The watchman was led to read 1 and 2 Thessalonians today. He was drawn to a simple truth about salvation.
1. God made the choice of whom to be called to become His. He loves those He has chosen.
2. God chose us to experience salvation.
3. Our salvation consists of the following essential ingredients:

1. God who called us.
2. Someone who told us the Good News.
3. The Good News. 
4. The Holy Spirit.
5. Our holiness through the Holy Spirit.
6. Our belief in the Truth.
7. The Truth.

4. The result of salvation:

1. Now we can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Our God will enable us to live a life worthy of His call.
3. This is possible because of the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ. 
4. God will give us power to accomplish all the good things.
5. Our faith will prompts us to do them.
6. The way we live will honor the name of the Lord Jesus.
7. We will be honored with Him.

 _______________The Bible verses:

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
¹¹ So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May He give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. ¹² Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.^[a]

Footnotes: 2 Thessalonians 1:12 Or of our God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

¹³ As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first^[a] to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. ¹⁴ He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Footnotes: 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Some manuscripts read chose you from the very beginning. 

End Times Witnessing: Today's Word is "WHIRLWIND"!

After finishing a wonderful six hours' Bible reading session with two other families and sleeping for three hours the watchman was woken up in his spirit. So he got up. But there was no urge to pray. So he read the Bible and waited. Then the wind started. It was loud and strong. He had never seen anything like this before from his attic room. The fiber glass  roof top of his conservatory began to rattle and shake violently. Sheets of rain hit at his attic windows. The three storied tall trees lining the path beside his house were swaying in the dark. He could see their movements clearly because of the street lamp behind the trees. The wind lasted fifteen minutes. The rain continued for another fifteen minutes and then stopped just suddenly as it came.
When he looked out again it was all calm and clear. The only reminder of a rain was the wet street, freshly washed and the air that was totally cleansed and pure.

He received the word then. "WHIRLWIND". So he looked up the word in the Bible and here are some of the verses. 

He considered himself truly blessed in his quest to know God through His Word. Indeed those who seek will find.

1. 2 Kings 2:1
   [ Elijah Taken into Heaven ] When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal.
   2 Kings 2:1-3 (in Context) 2 Kings 2 (Whole Chapter)
2. 2 Kings 2:11
   As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven.
   2 Kings 2:10-12 (in Context) 2 Kings 2 (Whole Chapter)
3. Job 30:22
   You throw me into the whirlwind and destroy me in the storm.
   Job 30:21-23 (in Context) Job 30 (Whole Chapter)
4. Job 38:1
   [ The LORD Challenges Job ] Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind:
   Job 38:1-3 (in Context) Job 38 (Whole Chapter)
5. Job 40:6
   [ The LORD Challenges Job Again ] Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind:
   Job 40:5-7 (in Context) Job 40 (Whole Chapter)
6. Psalm 77:18
   Your thunder roared from the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world! The earth trembled and shook.
   Psalm 77:17-19 (in Context) Psalm 77 (Whole Chapter)
7. Isaiah 5:28
   Their arrows will be sharp and their bows ready for battle. Sparks will fly from their horses’ hooves, and the wheels of their chariots will spin like a whirlwind.
   Isaiah 5:27-29 (in Context) Isaiah 5 (Whole Chapter)
8. Isaiah 21:1
   [ A Message about Babylon ] This message came to me concerning Babylon—the desert by the sea : Disaster is roaring down on you from the desert, like a whirlwind sweeping in from the Negev.
   Isaiah 21:1-3 (in Context) Isaiah 21 (Whole Chapter)
9. Isaiah 29:6
   I, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, will act for you with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and storm and consuming fire.
   Isaiah 29:5-7 (in Context) Isaiah 29 (Whole Chapter)
10. Isaiah 41:16
    You will toss them into the air, and the wind will blow them all away; a whirlwind will scatter them. Then you will rejoice in the LORD. You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.
    Isaiah 41:15-17 (in Context) Isaiah 41 (Whole Chapter)
11. Isaiah 66:15
    See, the LORD is coming with fire, and his swift chariots roar like a whirlwind. He will bring punishment with the fury of his anger and the flaming fire of his hot rebuke.
    Isaiah 66:14-16 (in Context) Isaiah 66 (Whole Chapter)
12. Jeremiah 4:13
    Our enemy rushes down on us like storm clouds! His chariots are like whirlwinds. His horses are swifter than eagles. How terrible it will be, for we are doomed!
    Jeremiah 4:12-14 (in Context) Jeremiah 4 (Whole Chapter)
13. Jeremiah 23:19
    Look! The LORD’s anger bursts out like a storm, a whirlwind that swirls down on the heads of the wicked.
    Jeremiah 23:18-20 (in Context) Jeremiah 23 (Whole Chapter)
14. Jeremiah 25:32
    This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: “Look! Disaster will fall upon nation after nation! A great whirlwind of fury is rising from the most distant corners of the earth!”
    Jeremiah 25:31-33 (in Context) Jeremiah 25 (Whole Chapter)
15. Hosea 8:1
    [ Israel Harvests the Whirlwind ] “Sound the alarm! The enemy descends like an eagle on the people of the LORD, for they have broken my covenant and revolted against my law.
    Hosea 8:1-3 (in Context) Hosea 8 (Whole Chapter)
16. Hosea 8:7
    “They have planted the wind and will harvest the whirlwind. The stalks of grain wither and produce nothing to eat. And even if there is any grain, foreigners will eat it.
    Hosea 8:6-8 (in Context) Hosea 8 (Whole Chapter)
17. Amos 1:14
    So I will send down fire on the walls of Rabbah, and all its fortresses will be destroyed. The battle will come upon them with shouts, like a whirlwind in a mighty storm.
    Amos 1:13-15 (in Context) Amos 1 (Whole Chapter)
18. Nahum 1:3
    The LORD is slow to get angry, but his power is great, and he never lets the guilty go unpunished. He displays his power in the whirlwind and the storm. The billowing clouds are the dust beneath his feet.
    Nahum 1:2-4 (in Context) Nahum 1 (Whole Chapter)
19. Habakkuk 3:14
    With his own weapons, you destroyed the chief of those who rushed out like a whirlwind, thinking Israel would be easy prey.
    Habakkuk 3:13-15 (in Context) Habakkuk 3 (Whole Chapter)
20. Zechariah 7:14
    As with a whirlwind, I scattered them among the distant nations, where they lived as strangers. Their land became so desolate that no one even traveled through it. They turned their pleasant land into a desert.”
    Zechariah 7:13-14 (in Context) Zechariah 7 (Whole Chapter)
21. Zechariah 9:14
    The LORD will appear above his people; his arrows will fly like lightning! The Sovereign LORD will sound the ram’s horn and attack like a whirlwind from the southern desert.
    Zechariah 9:13-15 (in Context) Zechariah 9 (Whole Chapter)
22. Hebrews 12:18
    You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai.
    Hebrews 12:17-19 (in Context) Hebrews 12 (Whole Chapter)

End Times Witnessing: 2012 First Dream -Fire from Heaven!

The watchman woke from a terrible dream at 4am. It was the first vivid dream this year. He dreamed of a sunny and modern city with happy and contented looking people selling and buying, enjoying their Sunday activities, eating, drinking, watching games or picnicking in an open field. He walked down the main street with someone he knew. He was on his way to see if he could scout a busy business outlet and offer to invest in it. Suddenly they saw thick smoke and the news that fire came down from the sky and started burning the people in the open field. He and the other person raced down the street toward the burning field. Someone shouted at them where they were going. He shouted back, “We are going to save those in the fire.”They reached there within minutes but there were only charred remains. Some workmen were already clearing the field like after a normal football event…
What a terrible dream! He thanked the Lord it was only a dream. On the night before around 11:30pm he was troubled and prayed about his concern over someone. Then he read the verses from Psalm 45:10-11 in New Living Translation: “¹⁰ Listen to me, O royal daughter; take to heart what I say. Forget your people and your family far away.  ¹¹ For your royal Husband delights in your beauty; honor Him, for He is your Lord.” (She is well and belongs now to the Lord Himself, being made “royal”!) Then the next morning he was told by the same person that at that same time she prayed in the Spirit and suddenly made a decision to submit to the Lord and let go of all her soul ties with her parental families, old school mates etc who were having a big pagan festive celebration yearly shortly. She decided not to attend anymore. She was surprised at her decision. “It is from the Lord (Holy Spirit), not me”. She said.
How wonderful to be able to listen to the Holy Spirit and obey and be described as “Royal”! (The church-all Christians is required to be, a royal bride to the Lord!)
___________________Fire end times verses as follows:
Mark 9:49 “For everyone will be tested with fire. Mark 9:48-50 (in Context) Mark 9 (Whole Chapter)
Luke 3:9 Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.” Luke 3:8-10 (in Context) Luke 3 (Whole Chapter)
Isaiah 30:27 Look! The LORD is coming from far away, burning with anger, surrounded by thick, rising smoke. His lips are filled with fury; his words consume like fire.
Isaiah 30:26-28 (in Context) Isaiah 30 (Whole Chapter)
Isaiah 33:14 The sinners in Jerusalem shake with fear. Terror seizes the godless. “Who can live with this devouring fire?” they cry. “Who can survive this all-consuming fire?” Isaiah 33:13-15 (in Context) Isaiah 33(Whole Chapter
Jeremiah 7:20 So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “I will pour out my terrible fury on this place. Its people, animals, trees, and crops will be consumed by the unquenchable fire of my anger.” Jeremiah 7:19-21 (in Context) Jeremiah 7(Whole Chapter)
Ezekiel 20:48 And everyone in the world will see that I, the LORD, have set this fire. It will not be put out.’” Ezekiel 20:47-49 (in Context) Ezekiel 20(Whole Chapter)
Ezekiel 38:22 I will punish you and your armies with disease and bloodshed; I will send torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur! Ezekiel 38:21-23 (in Context) Ezekiel 38 (Whole Chapter)
Amos 1:4 So I will send down fire on King Hazael’s palace, and the fortresses of King Ben-hadad will be destroyed. Amos 1:3-5 (in Context) Amos 1 (Whole Chapter)
Amos 1:7 So I will send down fire on the walls of Gaza, and all its fortresses will be destroyed. Amos 1:6-8 (in Context) Amos 1 (Whole Chapter)
Amos 1:10 So I will send down fire on the walls of Tyre, and all its fortresses will be destroyed.” Amos 1:9-11 (in Context) Amos 1 (Whole Chapter)
Amos 1:12 So I will send down fire on Teman, and the fortresses of Bozrah will be destroyed.” Amos 1:11-13 (in Context) Amos 1 (Whole Chapter)
Amos 1:14 So I will send down fire on the walls of Rabbah, and all its fortresses will be destroyed. The battle will come upon them with shouts, like a whirlwind in a mighty storm.
Amos 1:13-15 (in Context) Amos 1 (Whole Chapter)
Amos 2:2 So I will send down fire on the land of Moab, and all the fortresses in Kerioth will be destroyed. The people will fall in the noise of battle, as the warriors shout and the ram’s horn sounds. Amos 2:1-3 (in Context) Amos 2 (Whole Chapter)
Amos 2:5 So I will send down fire on Judah, and all the fortresses of Jerusalem will be destroyed.” Amos 2:4-6 (in Context) Amos 2 (Whole Chapter)
Amos 4:11 “I destroyed some of your cities, as I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Those of you who survived were like charred sticks pulled from a fire. But still you would not return to me,” says the LORD. Amos 4:10-12 (in Context) Amos 4 (Whole Chapter)
Amos 5:6 Come back to the LORD and live! Otherwise, he will roar through Israel like a fire, devouring you completely. Your gods in Bethel won’t be able to quench the flames.
Amos 5:5-7 (in Context) Amos 5 (Whole Chapter)
Amos 7:4 [ A Vision of Fire ] Then the Sovereign LORD showed me another vision. I saw him preparing to punish his people with a great fire. The fire had burned up the depths of the sea and was devouring the entire land. Amos 7:3-5 (in Context) Amos 7 (Whole Chapter)
1 Corinthians 3:13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value.
1 Corinthians 3:12-14 (in Context) 1 Corinthians 3 (Whole Chapter)
2 Thessalonians 1:8 in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 (in Context) 2 Thessalonians 1 (Whole Chapter)
Hebrews 10:27 There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies.
Hebrews 10:26-28 (in Context) Hebrews 10 (Whole Chapter)
Hebrews 12:29 For our God is a devouring fire.
Hebrews 12:28-29 (in Context) Hebrews 12 (Whole Chapter)
2 Peter 3:7 And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.
2 Peter 3:6-8 (in Context) 2 Peter 3 (Whole Chapter)
2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.
2 Peter 3:9-11 (in Context) 2 Peter 3 (Whole Chapter)
2 Peter 3:12 looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames.
2 Peter 3:11-13 (in Context) 2 Peter 3 (Whole Chapter)
Revelation 8:7 The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth. One-third of the earth was set on fire, one-third of the trees were burned, and all the green grass was burned.
Revelation 8:6-8 (in Context) Revelation 8 (Whole Chapter)
Revelation 9:18 One-third of all the people on earth were killed by these three plagues—by the fire and smoke and burning sulfur that came from the mouths of the horses.
Revelation 9:17-19 (in Context) Revelation 9 (Whole Chapter)

End Times Bible Study: Know Your God -BE SEPARATE!

The watchman was led to read Genesis Chapter One. He was prompted before the last year ended. He was again prompted today. He obeyed this time. Indeed, the direction to “READ” and the promise of “OPEN” materialized. He was blessed. He believed the message is urgent and relevant for many who seek to know God now, TODAY.

Here is how he read the message from above today. He recorded what he has received in brackets.

Genesis 1 (NLT)

The Account of Creation (of this world we know)

¹ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.^{[a] 2}The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

(In the beginning, God created. Note the Presence of the Spirit of God. God spoke His Word to create as shown in the rest of this chapter. In John 6:63, Jesus said, “It is the Spirit who gives life. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life“).

³ Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.”

(The word “SEPARATE” is the dominant theme of God’s creation. First creation was LIGHT. God SEPARATED Light from Darkness above the earth. “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of Light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.” Ephesians 5:8-9).

And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day.
⁶ Then God said, “Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth.” ⁷ And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens. ⁸ God called the space “sky.”
(Second creation was SPACE-called SKY. God SEPARATED things of Heavens from things of Earth. )
And evening passed and morning came, marking the second day.
⁹ Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.” And that is what happened. ¹⁰ God called the dry ground “land” and the waters “seas.” And God saw that it was good. ¹¹ Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened. ¹² The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.
(Third creation was SEED. Seed produces seeds which in turn produce seeds. This is how life continues on earth. The Word is Seed. The words of God are seeds. Jesus said in Mark4:14 “The sower sows the word.” God SEPARATED seed/Word bearing and non-seed/Word bearing. Jesus said in John 15:7 “If you abide in Me and My words abide in you ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you”. )
¹³ And evening passed and morning came, marking the third day.
¹⁴ Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them mark off the seasons, days, and years. ¹⁵ Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.” And that is what happened. ¹⁶ God made two great lights—the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars. ¹⁷ God set these lights in the sky to light the earth, ¹⁸ to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
(Fourth creation was TIME. Signs to mark off time. God separated Day from Night, Light from Darkness on earth. )
¹⁹ And evening passed and morning came, marking the fourth day.
²⁰ Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.” ²¹ So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. ²² Then God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.”
(Fifth creation was: LIVING THINGS in waters and skies, fish and birds. His direction: “Multiply and Fill up“. They too have seeds to procreate offspring of the same kind. God SEPARATED each kind).
²³ And evening passed and morning came, marking the fifth day.
²⁴ Then God said, “Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.” And that is what happened. ²⁵ God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

(Sixth creation: Living things on earth. He separated each kind. They too have seeds to procreate offspring of the same kind. God SEPARATED each kind).

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make human beings^[b] in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”
²⁷ So God created human beings^[c] in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.

(Seventh creation: “MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD“. God SEPARATED those of His image and those not of His image: the God-like and the UN-God-like. The Rulers and those being ruled. )

²⁸ Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

(God’s direction to Human beings: FILL and REIGN. Note their reigning was over the living things on earth and in the sky. They had no authority over other beings, like the evil spirits or the spiritual beings in heavens. But this has changed since the fall of man through Adam. Man lost the reigning authority. However, when the Son of God-Jesus was crucified on the cross He redeemed us from the fall. Revelation 5:10 (KJV) “¹⁰And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” GOD SEPARATED THOSE WHO REIGN AND THOSE WHO DO NOT!)

²⁹ Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food.³⁰ And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened.
³¹ Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!
And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.

(Overall summary: “BE SEPARATE”!)

End Times Witnessing: Watchman's 2011 year end and New Year 2012

The watchman started the New Year with more revelations. A week before the New Year he went to a place where prayers, reading of the Bible, and worship are being carried out 24 hours daily for three days. He rested and sought new directions from the Lord. His prayer was answered.
After he returned he invited a few friends (housewives and children) and relatives and had daily Bible reading for the last three days of 2011. They managed to read the whole New Testament and the five Books of Moses. They read slowly and paused when received promptings to explain one or two words/verses.
The Bible reading was a breakthrough for his neighborhood. The 'supernatural' selection of the two group of 12 readers from 7 families who turned up randomly is amazing. It was like a model for the End Times Church!
1. watchman's own 'household' : six persons from five families.
2. neighborhood friends: six persons from two families
3. The 12 participants were from five different decades: one from late 1940s,  4 from 1960s, 3 from 1970s, 1 boy 1 girl from 1990s and 1 boy 1 girl from 2000s.
4. the random volunteers consisted of persons ranging from 9 year old to 63 year old.
5. two different persons dreamed of two similar dreams before the year end. Both were scenes of crowded outdoor 'churches' which they had not seen before. In one dream the house church was packed and new people kept arriving so they packed the outside courtyard as well. All were unfamiliar faces. None of the regular church members were around except the dreamer and another brethren.
In another dream the church consisted entirely of children and the dreamer was leading them in open places navigating narrow and difficult terrains in between ruined and deserted buildings. The enemies were around but could not see or detect them!

Words received in the spirit by the watchman:

26th-27th December: John 4:21-38 The message is: Be Sowers of seeds (the Word) and Reapers of harvests for the Kingdom of God -do the will of the Father in heaven. (He shared this teaching with his house group on 27th evening)
(Depression set in around 27th and the watchman received the word "Faith" Heb,11:1 and 6 (confirmed again  on 31/12/11 by a text message from another intercessor). He however took sometime to prepare and fortify himself with this shield of faith (which quenches the fiery darts from the enemies). He suffered the cut of his finger, getting into strife and the loss of all his accounting data base when the New Year arrived.)
 29th-30th December: The word was "READ" and "READ" (the Bible)
31st December: The word was "OPEN" (ears, eyes, understanding, effective door, the Scriptures) for the coming year.
(However, there is a warning verse: Heb.4:13 "...but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him  to whom we must give account.")
 1st January 2012: Preacher's confirmation of John 4:21-38! (the watchman's house group members noted this confirmation and felt strengthened in their spirits)
2nd January: Ezekiel 10 and Revelation 8. 'WHEEL', 'FIRE' = PRAYERS
3rd January morning: Christ = God's Love (Read John 17)
3rd January evening: Matt. 5 with house group. "Kingdom of God" life, Son of God life, Spirit-led life = sons of God lives. As the Father in heaven is perfect, so is the Son of God (Jesus) and so are we.
 4th January morning: Encounter the Holy Spirit. New tongues (unutterable sound in the spirit)."REST".
4th January afternoon: Read Luke 19 on treadmill. "Recognize the time of God (Jesus)'s coming to you!" (Zacchaeus of Jericho in contrast to Jerusalem)

 Overall Message for 2012: "KINGDOM" (of God) is advancing!

What an awesome way to start the New Year!

End Times Song: We hear songs of praise from the ends of the earth

Isaiah 24


Destruction of the Earth

1 Look! The Lord is about to destroy the earth
and make it a vast wasteland.
He devastates the surface of the earth
and scatters the people.

2 Priests and laypeople,
servants and masters,
maids and mistresses,
buyers and sellers,
lenders and borrowers,
bankers and debtors—none will be spared.

3 The earth will be completely emptied and looted.
The Lord has spoken!
4 The earth mourns and dries up,
and the crops waste away and wither.
Even the greatest people on earth waste away.

5 The earth suffers for the sins of its people,
for they have twisted God’s instructions,
violated his laws,
and broken his everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore, a curse consumes the earth.
Its people must pay the price for their sin.
They are destroyed by fire,
and only a few are left alive.

7 The grapevines waste away,
and there is no new wine.
All the merrymakers sigh and mourn.
8 The cheerful sound of tambourines is stilled;
the happy cries of celebration are heard no more.
The melodious chords of the harp are silent.
9 Gone are the joys of wine and song;
alcoholic drink turns bitter in the mouth.

10 The city writhes in chaos;
every home is locked to keep out intruders.
11 Mobs gather in the streets, crying out for wine.
Joy has turned to gloom.
Gladness has been banished from the land.
12 The city is left in ruins,
its gates battered down.
13 Throughout the earth the story is the same—
only a remnant is left,
like the stray olives left on the tree
or the few grapes left on the vine after harvest.

___________________(A RAY OF HOPE)
14 But all who are left shout and sing for joy.
Those in the west praise the Lord’s majesty.
15 In eastern lands, give glory to the Lord.
In the lands beyond the sea, praise the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

__________________(BUT, ALAS)
16 We hear songs of praise from the ends of the earth,
songs that give glory to the Righteous One!
But my heart is heavy with grief.
Weep for me, for I wither away.

Deceit still prevails,
and treachery is everywhere.
17 Terror and traps and snares will be your lot,
you people of the earth.
18 Those who flee in terror will fall into a trap,
and those who escape the trap will be caught in a snare.

Destruction falls like rain from the heavens;
the foundations of the earth shake.
19 The earth has broken up.
It has utterly collapsed;
it is violently shaken.

20 The earth staggers like a drunk.
It trembles like a tent in a storm.
It falls and will not rise again,
for the guilt of its rebellion is very heavy.

_______(THOSE WHO THINK THEY ARE gods WILL NOT BE SPARED: including physical and spiritual wicked powers)

21 In that day the Lord will punish the gods in the heavens
and the proud rulers of the nations on earth.
22 They will be rounded up and put in prison.
They will be shut up in prison
and will finally be punished.

23 Then the glory of the moon will wane,
and the brightness of the sun will fade,
for the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will rule on Mount Zion.
He will rule in great glory in Jerusalem,
in the sight of all the leaders of his people.

End Times Witnessing: Count Down to Glory!

Count Down to Glory!


The message today is for all the people of God who believe in His Son Jesus Christ, and have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

 Romans 8:29-31(NLT) 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

____________________Start counting Down…

ALL DONE BY JESUS CHRIST
Jude 1:24

[ A Prayer of Praise ] Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.

Jude 1:23-25 (in Context) Jude 1 (Whole Chapter)

Jude 1:25

All glory to Him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.

Jude 1:24-25 (in Context) Jude 1 (Whole Chapter)


Revelation 1:5

and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world.All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us.

Revelation 1:4-6 (in Context) Revelation 1 (Whole Chapter)

Revelation 1:6

He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

Revelation 1:5-7 (in Context) Revelation 1 (Whole Chapter)

WORSHIP IN HEAVEN
Revelation 4:9

Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever),

Revelation 4:8-10 (in Context) Revelation 4 (Whole Chapter)

Revelation 4:11

“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.”

Revelation 4:10-11 (in Context) Revelation 4 (Whole Chapter)

Revelation 5:12

And they sang in a mighty chorus: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered— to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”

Revelation 5:11-13 (in Context) Revelation 5 (Whole Chapter)

Revelation 5:13

And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang:“Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.”

Revelation 5:12-14 (in Context) Revelation 5 (Whole Chapter)

Revelation 7:12

They sang, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

Revelation 7:11-13 (in Context) Revelation 7 (Whole Chapter)

FEAR GOD!
Revelation 11:13

At the same time there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake, and everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Revelation 11:12-14 (in Context) Revelation 11 (Whole Chapter)

Revelation 14:7

“Fear God,” he shouted. “Give glory to Him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water.”

Revelation 14:6-8 (in Context) Revelation 14 (Whole Chapter)

Revelation 15:8

The Temple was filled with smoke from God’s glory and power. No one could enter the Temple until the seven angels had completed pouring out the seven plagues.

Revelation 15:7-8 (in Context) Revelation 15 (Whole Chapter)

Revelation 16:9
(Only the damned ones do not worship God)
Everyone was burned by this blast of heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had control over all these plagues. They did not repent of their sins and turn to God and give him glory.

Revelation 16:8-10 (in Context) Revelation 16 (Whole Chapter)

Revelation 19:1

[ Songs of Victory in Heaven ] After this, I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven shouting,“Praise the Lord! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.

Revelation 19:1-3 (in Context) Revelation 19 (Whole Chapter)

NEW JERUSALEM: THE BRIDE OF CHRIST
Revelation 21:11

It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone—like jasper as clear as crystal.

Revelation 21:10-12 (in Context) Revelation 21 (Whole Chapter)

Revelation 21:23

And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.

Revelation 21:22-24 (in Context) Revelation 21 (Whole Chapter)

Revelation 21:24

The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory.

Revelation 21:23-25 (in Context) Revelation 21 (Whole Chapter)

Revelation 21:26

And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city.

Revelation 21:25-27 (in Context) Revelation 21 (Whole Chapter)

End Times Church: All about Church -BEGINNING AND LAST WORDS

WHO ARE THE CHURCHES? WHAT ARE THE CHURCHES FOR?

Ephesians 1:15-23

Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom

15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding[c] being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 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.

22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to THE CHURCH, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Ephesians 3:9-11 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,



Colossians 1:18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.



1 Timothy 2:8 [ Men and Women in the Church ] I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; 3:15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.



Philemon 1:2 to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:



Hebrews 12:23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,



James 5:14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.



_______________________HOW CHURCHES STARTED



Acts 2:40-41 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.



2:46-47 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Acts 5:11-13 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.



12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch. 13 Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly.

Acts 14:22-23 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” 23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.



Acts 20:28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.



1 Cor.16:19[ Greetings and a Solemn Farewell ] The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.



Ephesians 5:26-27 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.



_____JESUS’ LAST WORDS AND WARNINGS TO CHURCHES



■Revelation 2:1

[ The Loveless Church ] “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:

Revelation 2:1-3 (in Context) Revelation 2 (Whole Chapter)

■Revelation 2:8

[ The Persecuted Church ] “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:

Revelation 2:7-9 (in Context) Revelation 2 (Whole Chapter)

■Revelation 2:12

[ The Compromising Church ] “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword:

Revelation 2:11-13 (in Context) Revelation 2 (Whole Chapter)

■Revelation 2:18

[ The Corrupt Church ] “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:

Revelation 2:17-19 (in Context) Revelation 2 (Whole Chapter)

■Revelation 3:1

[ The Dead Church ] “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.

Revelation 3:1-3 (in Context) Revelation 3 (Whole Chapter)

■Revelation 3:7

[ The Faithful Church ] “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”:

Revelation 3:6-8 (in Context) Revelation 3 (Whole Chapter)

■Revelation 3:14

[ The Lukewarm Church ] “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:

Revelation 3:13-15 (in Context) Revelation 3 (Whole Chapter)