Final Journey in the Holy Spirit: A prodigal Son Returned

Watchman’s Adventure: One night journey from Lamentations to Revelation!

Reblogged from AAA Jack's blog (A Watchman on your walls):

After midnight, while in a hotel room, the watchman could not sleep so he got up and read the Bible. He was led to read the following passages. It was like he was led through the whole salvation plan. He started from Lamentations wherein the poet prophet mourned the sad state of his nation and cried to God for help as he still had hope in the Lord’s mercy and grace (undeserved favor). Then he was led to read Mark on the full passage towards the end of Jesus’ ministry on earth: the humiliation He went …

The watchman never realized that this blog would come to the forefront of his memory and would be just the right message today. During the past few days he went from one chamber of his life into another chamber. A brother passed on to be with the Lord. After an absence of over fifty years, the brother came back and now he left for eternity after just fifteen months of reunion. During the short and last phase of his life he reconciled with the Father in heaven, his own siblings and their children. He even gained a big family of brethren in a farm home living his last journey on earth before the Lord, reading and meditating the word of God day and night, learning to worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth. Miraculously, his gift in cooking (which had previously been totally robbed and destroyed by the devil through alcohol intoxication) was restored to him. He became a well respected and honored elderly in the home of old and young, men and women. Even more stunning to all who knew him before, from a man who could hardly read a few words, he had learned to read and write well by reading the Bible (completing the whole New Testament and some parts of Old Testament) and copying notes. He even memorized Key Verses. The blood of the Lamb of God (Jesus) had washed away his sins, and the word of God had cleansed and transformed him in and out. In addition to ridding off all his addictive habits, his common burst of anger was healed. A big group of brethren in Christ led the wake service for him and many shed tears for him (and for themselves when they recalled the journey they all went through). One message is clear: the Father in heaven does not give up on His sons.
On the last day of his life on earth he led worship and Bible reading. He passed away peacefully while resting after the daily morning worship service on 3rd March 2012. He was 59 years and ten months old. He did not suffer any major illness in the home. He just had his medical check up a month ago and was given clean bill of health. He was completely divinely healed and well. Three days previously he re-dedicated his life to the Lord for His use, kneeling down and the pastor of the home blessed him. He finished the race on earth well after a life of being a prodigal son. The Father in heaven accepted him into His bosom.
During the worship he picked his favorite eight worship songs. According to his brethren in the home all were positive Kingdom of God songs, praising God and focusing on God’s greatness and glory. The watchman believed that he had joined the heavenly choir and happily singing and worshiping the Almighty God day and night now…
A favorite verse and song of the late brother of the watchman is from Job:

Job 42:5 (NKJV)

⁵ “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You. “
(In a recent prayer with his class, the watchman suddenly prayed they would be like Enoch, walking with the Lord, and one day the Lord would decide to take them to His home, as they were nearer to His home than to their own homes on earth! )
______________________________

Verse of the Day

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” 

End Times Watchman Bible Study: “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

The watchman and his class found a dilemma in this verse. "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark9:24)

How can one have faith and still has doubt and unbelief at the same time? 

This requires immediate investigation. Many cannot receive the healing and deliverance from their diseases and weaknesses because of this contradiction in them. The watchman's study notes are in brackets.

Mark 9:14-32 

A Boy Is Healed

¹⁴ And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. ¹⁵ Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. ¹⁶ And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?”
¹⁷ Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. ¹⁸ And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”

(A great multitude was there and they observed the physical condition of the sick boy and the failure of Jesus' disciples to cast out the mute demon from him. They were even arguing with the 'specialists' -scribes over the treatment of this medical or mental case. The disciples had been given authority and power by Jesus previously and had been successful in their healing ministry. So why did they fail this time? The patient's father of course complained to the master healer Himself. It was natural to react the way he did to failure and disappointment.) 

¹⁹ He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” 

(Jesus was not addressing the faithless crowd of bystanders or the patient and his father. They did not know Him or His power. Many had not even heard the full Gospel of the Kingdom of God and of Christ. Jesus was addressing His own disciples who had followed Him and lived with Him and witnessed His supernatural power and deeds. They had heard the full Gospel. They had been given authority and power by Him. Note how Jesus described them.)

²⁰ Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.
²¹ So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?”
And he said, “From childhood. ²² And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
²³ Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

(Note the conversation between the patient's father and Jesus. How can anyone be believing and not believing at the same time?  Was he telling lies? But the poor man was in tears. He was in front of a big crowd. Yet he continued pleading to Jesus to heal his son. So he must have heard of Jesus' power and believed that Jesus could do it. Yet, he admitted that he had unbelief. Amazing. This is the theme of today's message. Can we have faith and unbelief at the same time?)

²⁵ When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” ²⁶ Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” ²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

(Note how simple the matter was. Jesus merely commanded and the evil spirit obeyed and came out of the boy. The boy might have looked terrible when he was possessed. But Jesus saw the evil spirit and not the patient. In the spiritual realm Jesus' authority is recognized and obeyed.) 

²⁸ And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”
²⁹ So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting." **

(Note the conversation between the disciples and Jesus. The disciples were still obsessed with their job failure. They were looking at the physical  (body and soul -mind and emotion) realm, the humiliation and inadequacy they felt in not delivering the required result.) But Jesus did not answer them about this 'job' or 'performance assessment'. He revealed the true condition of their spirits. They were still living within the paradigm of their physical and natural world. they were unable to believe that Jesus' Father (God)'s world is real, even though they could not see it. Jesus had taught them and demonstrated to them the reality of God and that He is from God. But their hearts were hardened by their preoccupation with the physical and natural and unbelief of the spiritual reality.)

Those who are not spiritually discerned cannot understand the things of God. God is Spirit. The Pharisees and Scribes cannot understand. Christians are expected to know and understand. But Many cannot. Why? Spiritual discernment comes from diligently seeking God, belief in the spiritual reality of God (and His word), being led by faith and not by sight. These are all essential in order to know and understand the matters of God, that is, the matters as revealed by the Holy Spirit (often through the word of God).


___________
**Notes on FASTING: This does not mean certain evil spirits are so powerful that the disciples cannot cast it out even by Jesus Name. The fasting is for the disciples to cast their own flesh and unbelief of God’s spiritual reality. Unbelief nullifies their use of the Name of Jesus and the authority therein over spiritual beings (e.g. evil spirits). They did not believe because they were walking by sight and not by faith. Their hearts were hardened by the world and worldly knowledge. They could not discern spiritual matters because they were not led by the Spirit.

Fasting deals with our flesh and carnal man.  
Being a disciple means we need to deny ourselves (body, mind and emotion and everything that makes up us in the physical natural realm), take up our cross and follow Christ daily. Only sons of God are led by the Holy Spirit. Only when we walk and live by the Spirit, can we discern spiritual matters and war in the spiritual realm, taking the authority of the name of the Son of God, Jesus effectively.

 

Lament with HOPE: He will not crush the weakest reed

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice  ~ Isaiah 42:3 NIV

 

New Living Translation (NLT)

 ³ He will not crush the weakest reed
      or put out a flickering candle.
      He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. 

 

 

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory.  In his name the nations will put their hope. ~ Matthew 12: 20-21 NIV

 

 New Living Translation (NLT)  ²⁰ He will not crush the weakest reed
      or put out a flickering candle.
      Finally he will cause justice to be victorious.
 ²¹ And his name will be the hope
      of all the world.”^[a]

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 12:21 Isa 42:1-4 (Greek version for 42:4).

 Isaiah 42:1-4

New King James Version (NKJV)

The Servant of the Lord

42 “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
My Elect One in whom My soul delights!
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
² He will not cry out, nor raise His voice,
Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
³ A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench;
He will bring forth justice for truth.
⁴ He will not fail nor be discouraged,
Till He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”

 Ecclesiastes 3

New King James Version (NKJV)

Everything Has Its Time

3 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

² A time to be born,
    And a time to die;
A time to plant,
    And a time to pluck what is planted;
³ A time to kill,
    And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
    And a time to build up;
⁴ A time to weep,
    And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
    And a time to dance;
⁵ A time to cast away stones,
    And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
    And a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶ A time to gain,
    And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
    And a time to throw away;
⁷ A time to tear,
    And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
    And a time to speak;
⁸ A time to love,
    And a time to hate;
A time of war,
    And a time of peace.

The God-Given Task

⁹ What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? ¹⁰ I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

Watchman laments, yet "Lord, Great is Thy Faithfulness!"

Lamentations 3

New King James Version (NKJV)

The Prophet’s Anguish and Hope

3 I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath.
² He has led me and made me walk
In darkness and not in light.
³ Surely He has turned His hand against me
Time and time again throughout the day.

⁴ He has aged my flesh and my skin,
And broken my bones.
⁵ He has besieged me
And surrounded me with bitterness and woe.
⁶ He has set me in dark places
Like the dead of long ago.

⁷ He has hedged me in so that I cannot get out;
He has made my chain heavy.
⁸ Even when I cry and shout,
He shuts out my prayer.
⁹ He has blocked my ways with hewn stone;
He has made my paths crooked.

¹⁰ He has been to me a bear lying in wait,
Like a lion in ambush.
¹¹ He has turned aside my ways and torn me in pieces;
He has made me desolate.
¹² He has bent His bow
And set me up as a target for the arrow.

¹³ He has caused the arrows of His quiver
To pierce my loins.^[a]
14 I have become the ridicule of all my people—
Their taunting song all the day.
¹⁵ He has filled me with bitterness,
He has made me drink wormwood.

¹⁶ He has also broken my teeth with gravel,
And covered me with ashes.
¹⁷ You have moved my soul far from peace;
I have forgotten prosperity.
¹⁸ And I said, “My strength and my hope
Have perished from the Lord.”

¹⁹ Remember my affliction and roaming,
The wormwood and the gall.
²⁰ My soul still remembers
And sinks within me.
²¹ This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.

²² Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
²³ They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
²⁴ “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!”

²⁵ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
²⁶ It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord.
²⁷ It is good for a man to bear
The yoke in his youth.

²⁸ Let him sit alone and keep silent,
Because God has laid it on him;
²⁹ Let him put his mouth in the dust—
There may yet be hope.
³⁰ Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him,
And be full of reproach.

³¹ For the Lord will not cast off forever.
³² Though He causes grief,
Yet He will show compassion
According to the multitude of His mercies.
³³ For He does not afflict willingly,
Nor grieve the children of men.

³⁴ To crush under one’s feet
All the prisoners of the earth,
³⁵ To turn aside the justice due a man
Before the face of the Most High,
³⁶ Or subvert a man in his cause—
The Lord does not approve.

³⁷ Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass,
When the Lord has not commanded it?
³⁸ Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
That woe and well-being proceed?
³⁹ Why should a living man complain,
A man for the punishment of his sins?

⁴⁰ Let us search out and examine our ways,
And turn back to the Lord;
⁴¹ Let us lift our hearts and hands
To God in heaven.
⁴² We have transgressed and rebelled;
You have not pardoned.

⁴³ You have covered Yourself with anger
And pursued us;
You have slain and not pitied.
⁴⁴ You have covered Yourself with a cloud,
That prayer should not pass through.
⁴⁵ You have made us an offscouring and refuse
In the midst of the peoples.

⁴⁶ All our enemies
Have opened their mouths against us.
⁴⁷ Fear and a snare have come upon us,
Desolation and destruction.
⁴⁸ My eyes overflow with rivers of water
For the destruction of the daughter of my people.

⁴⁹ My eyes flow and do not cease,
Without interruption,
⁵⁰ Till the Lord from heaven
Looks down and sees.
⁵¹ My eyes bring suffering to my soul
Because of all the daughters of my city.

⁵² My enemies without cause
Hunted me down like a bird.
⁵³ They silenced^[b] my life in the pit
And threw stones at me.
⁵⁴ The waters flowed over my head;
I said, “I am cut off!”

⁵⁵ I called on Your name, O Lord,
From the lowest pit.
⁵⁶ You have heard my voice:
“Do not hide Your ear
From my sighing, from my cry for help.”
⁵⁷ You drew near on the day I called on You,
And said, “Do not fear!”

⁵⁸ O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul;
You have redeemed my life.
⁵⁹ O Lord, You have seen how I am wronged;
Judge my case.
⁶⁰ You have seen all their vengeance,
All their schemes against me.

⁶¹ You have heard their reproach, O Lord,
All their schemes against me,
⁶² The lips of my enemies
And their whispering against me all the day.
⁶³ Look at their sitting down and their rising up;
I am their taunting song.

⁶⁴ Repay them, O Lord,
According to the work of their hands.
⁶⁵ Give them a veiled^[c] heart;
Your curse be upon them!
⁶⁶ In Your anger,
Pursue and destroy them
From under the heavens of the Lord.

Footnotes:

1. Lamentations 3:13 Literally kidneys
2. Lamentations 3:53 Septuagint reads put to death.
3. Lamentations 3:65 A Jewish tradition reads sorrow of.

3-3-2012

End Times Watchman Bible Study: Today God Speaks “Relationship”

Today’s Bible Study Message in Luke 15 for watchmen is about one key theme according to the will of God for mankind: God wants relationship with His own.
Heaven rejoices to see the will of God accomplished. The key words are: “Lost” and “found”, “dead” and alive”. It is also about what quantity or weight is considered significant to God: One-hundredth, One-tenth, or One-half? The answer is, every individual unit matters. There is no limit to God’s grace and mercy.
Who matters to God? Who are God’s treasures/possessions? All are invited, but the specific treasure will be those who respond to His calling for repentance and have a mark of God (reverent fear of the Lord) on them. (Read Malachi 3:16-18. Also read Revelation 9:4-5; Ezekiel 9:4-6; Revelation 14:1)

(The watchman’s notes are in brackets. )________________________
Luke 15 (NIV)
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
(God delights in those who listen to Jesus. They are the ones who respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. The spiritually discerned can receive the things of the Spirit of God. 1 Cor.2:9-16. The Holy Spirit transmits God’s messages, but the natural man does not receive. The Pharisees and scribes are obsessed with their physical realm and refuse to believe in the spiritual supernatural realm of God as demonstrated by Jesus, the Son of God.)
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
(Sheep is a valuable asset to a shepherd. It is like his family as he lives with his flocks for long period of time moving according to the availability of pasture and water. Although in this case the loss is only one percent, the shepherd values his relationship with each sheep. Note how different the way God looks at value, putting high worth on persons whom religious leaders consider of low worth. There is a key to appreciating a person’s worth in God’s accounting system, “repentance”. The moment the sinner repents a relationship with God is initiated in the heavenly realm! Hallelujah! )
The Parable of the Lost Coin
8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
(Each coin is worth a day’s wages. Compared to the lost sheep the value of each unit alone is much less. But in this case the woman lost one-tenth of her collection of coins, and it meant a lot to her. It was night time when she discovered her loss. What was she doing prior to that? She took out her coin collection and looked at them. The missing part was not overlooked. The worth of the loss is determined by the owner himself/herself. It depends on who the owner is. When we are owned by God, each unit/part becomes just as valuable as the whole. This is the law in heaven. Even angels know this.)
The Parable of the Lost Son
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
(In terms of physical importance, one out of two or one-half of the whole is quite important. But the key to being valuable here is again, “relationship”. The father described the lost son as: “this son of mine” and “this brother of yours”. He described a relationship on which he has placed great worth and he has reminded his elder son to focus on the unchangeable relationship and not on physical aspects that can change. God is our Father in heaven. He places great worth on relationship with His own. This is what Jesus wants us to know.)
 
Summary: No matter who you are in the eyes of men, what you have gone through, and how badly you have fallen, the only thing that matters is to get into a relationship with God. Repentance is the first step of faith in action. However, there is a time limit for this. Read Luke 17:34-36 on how 50% of each pair can be eternally lost in the days of the Son of Man.

End Times Watchman Bible Study: Today’s Message is all about Prosperity

Today’s Bible Study for watchmen is all about money and prosperity. The watchman’s study notes are in bracket.

Luke 12:13-33 (NLT)

Parable of the Rich Fool

 ¹³Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.”

¹⁴ Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” ¹⁵ Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”
(Asking for a share of his father’s physical estate seems a normal request. The man seems to have merely asked for his entitlement. However, Jesus rebukes him of greed! The Jews traditionally practice sharing of estates according to their strict laws and ordinances. So the man would have received his share already. However, the eldest son normally inherits a double portion according to their law. So this man is probably asking for some of his elder brother’s share as well. Jesus calls this greed. He warns two things: 1. Every kind of Greed. 2. Wrong measurement of Life using physical carnal standards and not the spiritual plumb-line of God.)
¹⁶ Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. ¹⁷ He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ ¹⁸ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. ¹⁹ And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’
²¹ “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
(Jesus points out that real wealth is in the spiritual realm, a rich relationship with the only One who gives wealth, God Himself! Physical wealth comes and goes. Everyone, rich and poor, have experienced this fact on earth. ‘Change’ is the only constant word in the realm of men. The watchman was led to read Solomon’s Ecclesiastes two days ago and this theme is again singled out. Under the sun, in the physical world, the wise and the foolish both die. The wisest and possibly richest man himself, King Solomon, died.)

Teaching about Money and Possessions

²² Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. ²³ For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. ²⁴ Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! ²⁵ Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? ²⁶And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things? ²⁷ “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. ²⁸ And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
²⁹ “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. ³⁰ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. ³¹ Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.
³² “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.
³³ “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it.
(Jesus assures the disciples two things: 1. God is our Father in heaven and He knows our physical needs. He will provide all our needs super-abundantly according to the riches of His glory. 2. God is our real wealth and treasure. He will be our security. What more can we ever ask? God, unlike men, never changes and He keeps all His promises.)
In summary, for security in this life and next, watchmen must take heed of these: 1. Be spiritual and know the spiritual God through His word. 2. Know and believe that God is our real security. 3. Do not be fooled by the world and its mechanism of ‘prosperity’ making. Beware of the spiritual power behind that system.
Additional reading: 1 Timothy 6; 2 timothy 3

End Times Watchman Bible Study: Beware of the wrong tree

Here is the Bible study for watchmen today.

Luke 12 (NKJV)

(The watchman's study is in bracket)

Beware of Hypocrisy

12 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another,  

He (Jesus) began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 

(The Pharisees are religious Jews. They are famous for their physical observations of their religious traditions, rules and regulations, including ritualistic practices. How to know who are the Pharisees today? Know them by their fruit. 

The Lord Jesus has warned against blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and stated that a tree is recognized by its fruit. (Matt.12:31-33) when the Pharisees questioned and slandered the work of the Holy Spirit.).

² For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. ³ Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

(Jesus further warned the disciples that although the religious leaders appeared godly and purported to be defender of their religion externally, making a lot of observations, analysis and criticism on Jesus' teaching and lifestyle, insinuating that He was in error, even to the point of accusing His supernatural power having come from Satan himself. But they themselves were in fact the real descendants of the devil. They lived in darkness and spoke from the dark realm. However, the light of God will expose them).

Jesus Teaches the Fear of God

⁴ “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!
(Jesus teaches that His followers should fear God and not fear men or the devil behind men. Only God can have the power to cast men into hell, which He has reserved for the devil.)
⁶ “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?^[a] And not one of them is forgotten before God. ⁷ But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
(Jesus has assured His followers that they are valuable to God and God will take care of them, body, soul and spirit). 

Confess Christ Before Men

⁸ “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. ⁹ But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
¹⁰ “And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.
 (The Pharisees have challenged the divine authority of Jesus. They did not believe that He is the Son of God. They even condemned the works of the Holy Spirit! Only by willingness to listen to the Gospel, receiving the Holy Spirit's conviction of sins, repenting, believing in Jesus' blood bought redemption on the cross, being thus born again  by the Holy Spirit through incorruptible seed (the word of God 1 Peter1:23), will one be saved from eternal damnation. Believing in the full Gospel message means believing in the reality of God, Who is Spirit).
¹¹ “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. ¹² For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
__________________________________

Summary for watchman: 

Beware of purported religious teaching from men. Read the word of God, the Bible yourself. Abide in Christ and let the word of God abide in you. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you. Obey. Practice. Watch the fruit. Are they fruit that the Lord wants? Fruit that remains? (John 15:7, 16)

Watchman Adventure: How does a watchman do his work?

How does a watchman work? He needs to wait upon the Lord and receive messages before he could do anything. Lately the watchman was led in his spirit to do or heed something differently. The overall message is: Be supernatural and be spiritual!

Watch and Pray for signs confirmed by the word of God.

______________________________________________

1. He resumed Sunday afternoon class urgently but with a difference. Instead of the usual teaching conducted by him or another, the class just read the Book of Mark, with everyone reading at the same time about eight chapters each in his own language. They were given about an hour to read and most managed to finish six chapters. Only one English teacher finished eight chapters.

After that he spent about half an hour sharing (with the help of a translator for non-English speaking audience) what the Holy Spirit wanted them to know about these passages. He went through the passages earlier and had some observations, but when he started to share what came forth was entirely Spirit led. When he completed the translator told him that she perceived that it was not from his mind.

Indeed, the watchman received a fresh message from the Gospel of Mark that it was all about authority, the authority of the Son of God, on how to live the Kingdom of God life on earth as in heaven. Jesus (the Son of God) was living and demonstrating to His disciples a supernatural lifestyle. To Him, it was normal. Being able to use His divine authority, calling for repentance, preaching the Kingdom of God message, healing the sick and casting out demons were part and parcel of everyday life. Making physical things that can be seen out of unseen resources like feeding 5000 thousand men plus women and children with only five loaves and two fish, and 4000 men plus with only seven loaves and a few fish, were normal. Commanding the natural elements to obey, wind and waves to stop, walking on water, and many more, were ordinary, normal events.

Of course, the Holy Spirit's giving birth to sons of God through the word of God (incorruptible seed), sons of God being led by the Spirit of God, being redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, and being justified by faith (believing in the unseen Son of God's giving His life 2000 years ago) etc. all supernatural happenings are normal to the Kingdom of God citizens too.

2. He was led to pray differently for another watchman who has suffered physical excruciating pain for about five months. After such a prolonged period of crisis, he has run out of words to intercede for the person. However, yesterday he was led to read Revelation 8 and 9. When he reached 9:5 he realized that that watchman was a type signifying the reality of end times. When he re-read Chapter 8, he realized the reason why a strange strong wind blew and one of his three tall trees was cut off side way just a few days ago. It was a sign for 8:7. But he asked the Lord for another confirmation and he was led to read Isaiah 24, all about end times. The end times signs and messages are on again with greater urgency. The two signs appeared after the Seventh Seal, at the first and fifth trumpet sounds (out of seven trumpets). Instead of praying for a local situation, he was led to look at the big picture!
3. He was also led to pray for another intercessor differently. For sometime he was feeling uncomfortable over a closed one (of younger generation), with similar spiritual calling and gifts of seeing visions and receiving prophetic words from the Lord. She appeared super-sensitive over even kindly advice like, not to utter complaints about her own loved ones. He asked the Lord how to pray. He asked for Bible prophet example. The answer came clearly and instantly, the prophet Micah. So he asked further what were the calling of the three of them at this time and space. He was asked to read Nehemiah 3:8. The two intercessors were helping to build the Jerusalem Broad Wall, being the goldsmith and the perfume maker. He is building next to them, as man from Mizpah (which means 'Watchtower')! Again, he was led to look at the big picture and not be distracted by petty localized 'symptoms'!

Summary: Read the word of God with freshness as led by the Holy Spirit; intercede with end times in mind; keep on rebuilding the "Jerusalem walls", focusing on God's big plan for human kind.

End Times Witnessing: This is the Victory! This is the Confidence!

The watchman woke when he heard the sound of the wind. He got up and looked out from his attic window. The trees were swaying but this time he prayed that his trees would be protected. Then the wind stopped and the trees swayed gently despite their height. The rain came. He was tempted to go back to slumber. But his spirit man urged him to stay up. So he took the cup of vine juice that represented the blood of Jesus and a biscuit that represented the body of Jesus. 

As he was kneeling and praying something fell from his prayer table. He picked it up and on it was the inscription of 1 John 5:4: " ⁴ For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith."

The Word for today is "Our Faith".

__________________________________

1 John 5

New King James Version (NKJV)

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. ² By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. ³ For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. ⁴ For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our^[a] faith. ⁵ Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

The Certainty of God’s Witness

⁶ This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. ⁷ For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. ⁸ And there are three that bear witness on earth:^[b] the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.
⁹ If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which^[c] He has testified of His Son. ¹⁰ He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. ¹¹ And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. ¹² He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. ¹³ These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life,^[d] and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

Confidence and Compassion in Prayer

¹⁴ Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
¹⁶ If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. ¹⁷ All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.

Knowing the True—Rejecting the False

¹⁸ We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself,^[e] and the wicked one does not touch him.
¹⁹ We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
²⁰ And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
²¹ Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
_________________________________________

 Hebrews 11 (AMP)
  ¹NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, ^[a]the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].    ²For by [faith--^[b]trust and holy fervor born of faith] the men of old had divine testimony borne to them and obtained a good report.
    ³By faith we understand that the worlds [during the successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible.
  ⁴[Prompted, actuated] by faith Abel brought God a better and more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, because of which it was testified of him that he was righteous [that he was upright and in right standing with God], and God bore witness by accepting and acknowledging his gifts. And though he died, yet [through the incident] he is still speaking.
    ⁵Because of faith Enoch was caught up and transferred to heaven, so that he did not have a glimpse of death; and he was not found, because God had translated him. For even before he was taken to heaven, he received testimony [still on record] that he had pleased and been satisfactory to God.
    ⁶But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].
    ⁷[Prompted] by faith Noah, being forewarned by God concerning events of which as yet there was no visible sign, took heed and diligently and reverently constructed and prepared an ark for the deliverance of his own family. By this [his faith which relied on God] he passed judgment and sentence on the world's unbelief and became an heir and possessor of righteousness (^[c]that relation of being right into which God puts the person who has faith).

Waiting upon the Lord requires constant practice. There is no work-smart kind of shortcut, no microwave kind of instant experience and encounter. Many men and women of faith spent the bulk of their life time waiting upon God. The watchman could see the significant difference on those whose lifestyle is waiting upon the Lord! A senior watchman/intercessor often required the class to spend time in quiet doing 'nothing' except waiting upon God. They were usually required to do so in the afternoon when he was feeling quite sleepy. But he noticed that the others were indeed seasoned 'waiters'. They had gone through many practices and were truly basking in the Presence of the Lord.
When he decided to seriously wait upon the Lord, he received the word 'Practice'. Here are some of the Bible verses (in Amplified Bible) for serious seekers of God._____________________

PRACTICE WHAT JESUS HAS COMMANDED

Matthew 5:19 Whoever then breaks or does away with or relaxes one of the least [important] of these commandments and teaches men so shall be called least [important] in the kingdom of heaven, but he who practices them and teaches others to do so shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Luke 6:27 But I say to you who are listening now to Me: [ in order to heed, make it a practice to] love your enemies, treat well (do good to, act nobly toward) those who detest you and pursue you with hatred,
Luke 6:46 Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not [practice] what I tell you?
Luke 6:49 But he who merely hears and does not practice doing My words is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation, against which the torrent burst, and immediately it collapsed and fell, and the breaking and ruin of that house was great.
Luke 11:28 But He said, Blessed (happy and to be envied) rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey and practice it!
John 3:21 But he who practices truth [who does what is right] comes out into the Light; so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are--wrought with God [divinely prompted, done with God's help, in dependence upon Him].
John 5:27 And He has given Him authority and granted Him power to execute (exercise, practice) judgment because He is a Son of man [very man].
John 5:29 And they shall come out--those who have practiced doing good [will come out] to the resurrection of [new] life, and those who have done evil will be raised for judgment [raised to meet their sentence].

John 13:17 If you know these things, blessed and happy and to be envied are you if you practice them [if you act accordingly and really do them].

Revelation 22:9 But he said to me, Refrain! [You must not do that!] I am [only] a fellow servant along with yourself and with your brethren the prophets and with those who are mindful of and practice [the truths contained in] the messages of this book. Worship God!

PUT TRAINING INTO PRACTICE

Philippians 4:9 Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you.
1 Timothy 4:15 Practice and cultivate and meditate upon these duties; throw yourself wholly into them [as your ministry], so that your progress may be evident to everybody.
Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is for full-grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law.
Hebrews 6:12 In order that you may not grow disinterested and become [spiritual] sluggards, but imitators, behaving as do those who through faith (by their leaning of the entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness ) and by practice of patient endurance and waiting are [now] inheriting the promises.

1 Peter 4:7

But the end and culmination of all things has now come near; keep sound minded and self-restrained and alert therefore for [the practice of] prayer.

End Times Witnessing: Doing the Impossible -Waiting for God

The watchman read some testimonies of people waiting upon the Lord and their respective experiences encountering God. He decided to do the same one night in his attic. He went to bed around 9pm and woke at midnight.

From 12am to around 3am he waited in silence and tried not to fall asleep again. But nothing happened and he dozed off into oblivion. After a short while he woke and stayed up until almost dawn. He did not encounter any phenomena. He slept for another brief interval before he was due to get up for his daily living.

However, that day he was calm, well, and fully refreshed. Something he did not expect happened. A closed one suddenly changed her original plan and decided not to go somewhere far. That saved him considerable time and trouble. He had two days of supernatural peace and quietness in his abode.

When he now reads through what he wrote that morning during the early hours of waiting upon the lord, he realizes that he was then led to read silently through Psalms 107-118. He recalled the only words he uttered during the silent waiting were, "LORD, help!" (NLT) (Psa107:6,13,19,28).

When he read Psa118 again, he knew the answer and conclusion for that waiting. Though he waited in silence, his spirit was crying out to the Lord. The Lord has answered his silent prayer. It was a spiritual journey (in Spirit and in Truth) in silence. The Lord came to his humble tent and dwelling and gave him strength (Psa118:15), and open to him the Temple Gate, the Gate of the Lord, the Chief Cornerstone Himself (118:19-22)!

The watchman is indeed delighted in reading one particular verse now, “Save now, we beseech You, O Lord; send now prosperity, O Lord, we beseech You, and give to us success!” (Psa118:25) (Amazing how this verse popped out as he found his large print Amplified Bible today deciding to put a new wrapping over the cover). This was the verse he received twice lately (once in an earlier recent blog).

O watchman, continue waiting upon the Lord. Don't give up. You are loved.

WAITING UPON THE LORD VERSES -------------------------------

Proverbs 8:34 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

Wait upon the Lord: in the morning, through out the night (more vigilant than a watchman) and all day long; the Lord will speak to your heart!
Psalm 5:3 In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord; in the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart]. Psalm 25:5 Guide me in Your truth and faithfulness and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You [You only and altogether] do I wait [expectantly] all the day long.

Psalm 130:6 I am looking and waiting for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, I say, more than watchmen for the morning.

You will have honor, integrity, uprightness, courage and stout heart!

Psalm 25:3 Yes, let none who trust and wait hopefully and look for You be put to shame or be disappointed; let them be ashamed who forsake the right or deal treacherously without cause.
Psalm 25:21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for and expect You.
Psalm 27:14 Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.
Psalm 31:24 Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for and hope for and expect the Lord!

Psalm 112:8 His heart is established and steady, he will not be afraid while he waits to see his desire established upon his adversaries.

The Lord will watch over you, give you His mercy, loving-kindness, hep, shield, rest, plans and even physical food

Psalm 33:18 Behold, the Lord's eye is upon those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe], who wait for Him and hope in His mercy and loving-kindness,
Psalm 33:20 Our inner selves wait [earnestly] for the Lord; He is our Help and our Shield.
Psalm 33:22 Let Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, in proportion to our waiting and hoping for You.
Psalm 37:7 Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him; fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass.

Psalm 106:13 But they hastily forgot His works; they did not [earnestly] wait for His plans [to develop] regarding them,

Psalm 104:27 These all wait and are dependent upon You, that You may give them their food in due season.

The Lord will give you landed property

Psalm 37:9 For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait and hope and look for the Lord [in the end] shall inherit the earth.
Psalm 37:34 Wait for and expect the Lord and keep and heed His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land; [in the end] when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.

The Lord will heal your depression

Psalm 40:1 [To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.] I WAITED patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry.
Psalm 42:5 Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God.
Psalm 42:11 Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the help of my countenance, and my God.

Psalm 62:5
My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him.
Psalm 69:3 I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched; my eyes fail with waiting [hopefully] for my God.
Psalm 69:6 Let not those who wait and hope and look for You, O Lord of hosts, be put to shame through me; let not those who seek and inquire for and require You [as their vital necessity] be brought to confusion and dishonor through me, O God of Israel.
Psalm 62:1 [To the Chief Musician; according to Jeduthun [Ethan, the noted musician, founder of an official musical family]. A Psalm of David.] FOR GOD alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.

Wait with other believers, you will be safe

Psalm 52:9 I will thank You and confide in You forever, because You have done it [delivered me and kept me safe]. I will wait on, hope in and expect in Your name, for it is good, in the presence of Your saints (Your kind and pious ones).

When you wait you can do and receive hope from God's commandments and His word
Psalm 119:166 I am hoping and waiting [eagerly] for Your salvation, O Lord, and I do Your commandments.
Psalm 130:5 I wait for the Lord, I expectantly wait, and in His word do I hope.

The Bride of Christ waits for Him to take her into His 'waiting home'!

Song of Solomon 8:14
[Joyfully the radiant bride turned to him, the one altogether lovely, the chief among ten thousand to her soul, and with unconcealed eagerness to begin her life of sweet companionship with him, she answered] Make haste, my beloved, and come quickly, like a gazelle or a young hart [and take me to our waiting home] upon the mountains of spices!