End Times Witnessing: Winning wars Holy Spirit Way (David’s case)

Lately the watchman received instructions on end times war strategies. he was not directly involved in warfare, but he was led to read and take heed. the following passage was on how david followed the holy spirit and won two wars against his long time arch enemy -the philistines. (the watchman’s comments are in bracket. )


2 Samuel 5:17-25
New Living Translation (NLT)
David Conquers the Philistines

17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of Israel, they mobilized all their forces to capture him. But David was told they were coming, so he went into the stronghold. 18 The Philistines arrived and spread out across the valley of Rephaim. 19So David asked the Lord, “Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”

(David’s response to the bad news of his arch enemy mobilizing to capture him: 1. He went into the stronghold (physical and spiritual). 2. He asked the Lord for strategy. He was direct in asking: “Shall I fight? Will You let me win?” Take note that he knew and acknowledged that the winning key is in the hand of the Almighty God.)

The Lord replied to David, “Yes, go ahead. I will certainly hand them over to you.”

(The Lord’s response to David: The Lord gave straight and precise answers too. “Yes, fight. Yes, I will let you win.”)

20 So David went to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. “The Lord did it!” David exclaimed. “He burst through my enemies like a raging flood!” So he named that place Baal-perazim (which means “the Lord who bursts through”). 21The Philistines had abandoned their idols there, so David and his men confiscated them.

(David’s response to the Lord’s assurance: He acted and won accordingly. He was quick to give full credit to the Lord although he did not see or hear how that could happen. He just believed the Lord’s promise by faith.)

22 But after a while the Philistines returned and again spread out across the valley of Rephaim. 23 And again David asked the Lord what to do.

(David’s response to the second round of bad news: He asked the Lord again. To him, when being attacked, going to the Lord precedes counting military resources is a norm. He knew the Lord so well that he just sought the Lord naturally everytime he encountered a crisis.)

“Do not attack them straight on,” the Lord replied. “Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar trees. 24 When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, be on the alert! That will be the signal that the Lord is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army.”

(The Lord’s response: The Lord told David a change in strategy. This time He wanted David to do it differently, with deeper spiritual discernment. He wanted David to know for sure that it would be the Lord’s heavenly army that would win the war! The Lord enabled David to hear the sound of His heavenly army marching, which would be the signal for David to join in with his ground troops. David’s obedience by faith the first time had pleased the Lord. He was now moved to a higher level of spiritual encounter with the Lord!)

25 So David did what the Lord commanded, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

(David’s response to the Lord: He obeyed and did as the spiritual Commander-in-Chief commanded and thus won again! This time he was more assured as he could hear the Lord’s army sound in the spiritual realm).

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Summary:

1.Know and believe in God (through knowing and believing in Jesus, and knowing and believing in His word)

2.Believe that it is natural to go to the supernatural God everytime you encounter a war (physical, emotional, mental or spiritual attacks)

3.Ask in the Name of Jesus and you will receive answer

4.Believe in the Holy Spirit’s communicating with you

5.Obey and act on what the Holy Spirit has told you

6.Ask and receive your answer by faith (even if you cannot hear or see like what David did)

7.Always give credit to the Lord, Who is your Commander-in-Chief

8.Keep practicing and training your spiritual gifts

9.Obedience by faith brings one to a higher level of spiritual discernment and understanding.

End Times Witnessing: How a love-thirsty woman received the Holy Spirit!

Today the watchman has found wonderful fresh revelations in how patiently and determined Jesus is when bringing even a maritally broken (five times divorced) and sinful ‘lawless’ living Samaritan woman to salvation and in-filling of the Holy Spirit! Many want to receive the Holy Spirit but are still outside, thirsting and wondering why they are not in. But a thirsty woman has received by faith on her first encounter with Jesus. How did she do it? (or rather, how did Jesus evangelize?)


The Scripture: (comments from watchman are in bracket)
John 4:7, 9-14 (NLT)

7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.”

(Jesus took the initiative to approach the woman voicing out her need for her, “Please give me a drink.” He wanted her to ask Him!)

9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans.She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”

(The woman was just like any natural human, absorbed by what she saw in the physical realm, her past experience and traditional culture and religious practice)

10Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

(But Jesus was not distracted from what He has intended to give her. He wanted to give her a gift, the Holy Spirit in-filling; He also wanted her to ask for this gift!)

11 “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? 12And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”

(The woman’s response to Him in her physical realm was no surprise. In hind-sight we can all see how she continued plodding away at the wrong track. But don’t we all?)

13 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

(Jesus, undeterred by this Samaritan-Gentile woman mindset, continued to address her spiritual thirst, and explain patiently what the Holy Spirit is like and how He will meet her unquenchable thirst in her when she is filled! This is further described in the next section of the Gospel of John when Jesus was addressing the multitude of Jewish temple worshippers in Jerusalem)

John 7:37-39 (NIV) 37[ On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.]

John 4:15-26 (continue the discourse between the Samaritan woman and Jesus)

15“Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”

(The Samaritan woman’s attention was finally turned to what Jesus could give her and she asked Him for that supernatural Gift!)

16“Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her. 17“I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—18for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”

(Jesus wanted truthfulness from the spiritually thirsty woman. She was looking for love in the wrong places to quench her thirst which can only be met by God in her!)

19 “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. 20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim,where our ancestors worshiped?”

(The woman’s response and attention turned to that of God, religion and worship. Despite her marital problems and then ‘lawless’ living, she knew about the key Jewish and Samaritan religious physical difference. Now she wanted to know more and how to worship God correctly. What a change!)

21 Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans know very little about the One you worship, while we Jews know all about Him, for salvation comes through the Jews. 23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

(Jesus came to the point of true worship: 1. Know the God-Person Whom you worship, not the place or physical church or congregation group; 2. Know God in the Spirit, and therefore could worship-join to Him, in spirit and in Truth-His word.)

(1 Cor.6:17 (AMP) 17 But the person who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him.”)

John 4: 25The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

26 Then Jesus told her, “I Am the Messiah!”

(The Samaritan woman was thus saved! Her spiritual eyes were opened when she turned to the matter of knowing the true God and true worship, and she recognized and accepted Jesus as the Messiah, her Savior!)

(What a journey Jesus has taken to save just one thirsty soul! Of course, after her salvation, seeing and hearing her testimony, encountering Jesus themselves, many of her countrymen were saved.)

End Times Witnessing: How a rubber tapper entered the kingdom of God

The watchman heard a wonderful testimony given by a veteran woman evangelist last week. It answered his prayer about how anyone can enter the kingdom of God. One woman rubber tapper in Asia accepted the Lord Jesus as her personal Savior and Lord one Thursday evening.


The next day the veteran evangelist visited the new convert to see how she was doing. The rubber tapper told the evangelist her testimony of divine healing and deliverance. She rose that morning and felt giddy and unable to go out to work. The work is done at night or in the early morning before the day’s temperature rises, so the latex will drip longer before coagulating and sealing the cut. So she used the name of Jesus to command all the unclean spirits to depart from her head. And it worked instantly!

The evangelist asked her how she knew how to cast out those demons. She said she remembered an incident that happened many years ago wherein a Christian pastor came to visit her son in the hospital and said the same command. She remembered and used the same words in the Name of Jesus and it worked.

The evangelist said that in all her years of pastoring this was the first time she witnessed a one day old Christian using the authority of the Kingdom of God by faith without doubt.

Truly a great testimony for all to emulate.

______________________

What does John the Baptist say about entering the Kingdom of God? Believe in the Son of God, obey Him (His Word)! (John 3:27-36)

In the case of the woman rubber tapper, she forgets who she is in the physical realm (i.e. in the eyes of men, a poor, illiterate woman rubber tapper, who is among the lowest in the society). She believes in Jesus (the Son of God) who has saved her from that kingdom of darkness and translated her into the kingdom of God, and she acted accordingly, using the authority of the Son of God (as a son of God herself, led by the Holy Spirit)!

John 3: 27-36 New Living Translation (NLT)

27 John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. 28 You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’ 29 It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. 30He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.

31 “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. 32 He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them! 33 Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. 34 For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. 36 And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

Revised (reblogged) Chapter 53: lightning bolt; babies; Jeremiah 7; God has spoken!

 The watchman cannot keep silent. He must re-blog this blog message a second time. He has witnessed the desolation which arrived at a place which was used to be called a house of prayer. It never really prayed. It just refused to bow down to the Lord and submit to the originally anointed Senior intercessor to whom the Lord has given the place. The servants became ineffective and turned the house to the thieves which came int o steal, kill and destroy. Jeremiah Seven is still a clear warning ever since 2009 November. The Lord does not change His word or His intention.

This entry was posted on  09/07/2012. 

 

________________________________Previous re-blog

The watchman realizes that even though the lightning has struck once on that November 2009 clear cloudless day while watching Jeremiah movie, the temple scene of Jeremiah 7, the warning continues and the Word of God continues unfolding…

Sadly he did not have the word of knowledge and wisdom then to forewarn and has been witnessing disasters and tragedies (like fatal floods, fire, violent attacks, tornado, quakes and tsunami) hitting near and far (nations, people, churches, families)…

_____________End Times Warning: The Lighting Bolts Strikes Once but continues to speak When the lightning bolt hits, the watchman was unprepared. One evening he was exercising on the stationery cycle, and watching Jeremiah the movie when the big thunder struck! He watched how young Jeremiah (the son of a priest) was called to be God’s prophet. When Jeremiah reached the age of a young priest, he was called by God to be a prophet instead. His first prophetic …
Read More: http://kzlam36.wordpress.com/2012/09/07/6028/

via AAA Jack’s blog (A Watchman on your walls)

End Times Witnessing: Earth Continues to Melt (you cannot eat this ice cream)

When the earth continues melting at an alarming speed, nations and kingdoms panic, be in chaos and want to know why. But it will be too late if you do not already know.
Watchman's advice to all: Find that City of God now!

Psalm 46

New Living Translation (NLT)

1 God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.

2 So we will not fear when earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea.

3 Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!

Interlude

4 A river brings joy to the city of our God,


the sacred home of the Most High.

5 God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed.

From the very break of day, God will protect it.

6 The nations are in chaos,


and their kingdoms crumble!


God’s voice thunders,


and the earth melts!

7 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;

the God of Israel is our fortress.

Interlude

8 Come, see the glorious works of the Lord:

See how he brings destruction upon the world.

9 He causes wars to end throughout the earth.

He breaks the bow and snaps the spear;

he burns the shields with fire.

10 “Be still, and know that I am God!


I will be honored by every nation.


I will be honored throughout the world.”

11 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;

the God of Israel is our fortress.

Interlude

End Times Witnessing: TODAY’S key word for survival is “OBEY”!

watchman woke around 2:30am and it was too early to get up. So he lingered in bed thinking of having more needed sleep. Alas, the alarm rang soon at 3am. So he told himself he better wait for the next round of alarm. After awhile he heard, “Today’s key word is OBEDIENCE” (as in the case of King Saul, who lost his kingship and favor from God because he chose not to obey God’s word). When the watchman heard this word, he jumped out of bed eventhough he could hardly open his eyes!
Later he looked at the related passage at 1 Samuel 15:21-23 and understood why the word is so urgent for end times survival!
Here is the passage: (with the watchman’s comment after the passage)

1 Samuel 15:21-23

New International Version (NIV)

²¹The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal.”
 ²²But Samuel replied:    “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
   as much as in obeying the LORD?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
   and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
²³ For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
   and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
   he has rejected you as king.”
___________________
Watchman’s summary of this key message received today:

1. The Lord wants your heart’s obedience above your sacrifice of material stuff.
2. Disobedience links to rebellion and arrogance. Rebellion and arrogance are in turn linked to the sin of divination and the evil of idolatry!
3. Obedience to God is evidenced by obedience to the word of the Lord.
4. Serious consequence of disobedience was also recorded in Hebrews 3:16-19 in which it is linked to unbelief. The Holy Spirit warned against unbelief (as those who did not enter the promised land). The people rebelled, sinned, disobeyed God’s word, and all these were evidences of their unbelief.
5. To believe is a spiritual act of faith. Without faith one cannot believe in a supernatural and spiritual God (John4:24) and in His word who is God (John 1:1)!

End Times Witnessing: TODAY’S Key word for Survival is COVENANT

The watchman was called to wake at 3am but he waited for the second round of alarm and got up at 3:10am. After intercession he went back to bed at 5:30am. But he could not sleep and heard distant sounds. Later around 7am he heard the Lord said, “The key for end time survival is COVENANT.” He was also told that he should write this down today. He was also told to write a new story on End Times Survival. The details will be given to him as he obeys.

The previous day was a fruitful day in the Spirit.

He preached about the rebuilding of the Nehemiah’s Jerusalem Wall. He went through the anointing of the banners and ram horns with the whole congregation. He also obeyed the Lord and stayed in the sanctuary to fast and pray until after sunset. The verse he received and carried out by faith was Joel 2. This day he had to stand in the gap to intercede as a priest who ministers at the altar! A watchman indeed must be prepared to stand anywhere as called for any assignment at an appointed time. He needed to hear further instructions from the Lord for his class as well.

The Intercession Joel 2:17: Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, O Lord, Do not make Your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is your God?’”

Claim the promise of God in Joel 2:20: ”I will drive the northern army far from you, pushing it into a parched and barren land, with its front columns going into the eastern sea and those in the rear into the western sea. And its stench will go up; its smell will rise.” (This is also a prophetic declaration for what is happening in Israel today).

Why should God answer? The key word is “COVENANT”.

God is a covenant keeping God. He has a covenant with Abraham, who followed and obeyed the Lord by faith. The same covenant has been extended to those who by faith become descendents of Abraham (Gal 3:29). All who have faith in Jesus, the Seed from Abraham, inherits the same covenant blessing promised to Abraham (Gal 3:16). The confirmation of this covenant is through the blood of Jesus.

Matthew 26:28 “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Jesus said.

God’s covenant with Abraham:

Genesis 17:4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. Genesis 17:7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.

God’s instructions to Moses:

Exodus 2:24 So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. Exodus 19:5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. Exodus 23:32 You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. Exodus 24:7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient.” Exodus 24:8 And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to all these words.”

The Ark carried the Covenant of the Lord recorded by Moses:

Joshua 3:3 and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.

How the Lord keeps and remembers His covenant

Nehemiah 1:5 And I said: “I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, Nehemiah 9:38 “And because of all this, We make a sure covenant and write it; Our leaders, our Levites, and our priests seal it.”

Psalm 25:14 The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant. Psalm 50:5 “Gather My saints together to Me, Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” Psalm 89:34 My covenant I will not break, Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips. Psalm 105:8 He remembers His covenant forever, The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,

God promised another Covenant – Jesus Christ (the Ark) !

Isaiah 42:6

“ I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, Isaiah 59:21 “As for Me,” says the LORD, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the LORD, “from this time and forevermore.” Acts 3:25 You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ Hebrews 10:16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,”

Believers receive the New Covenant through Jesus


1. Through His blood

Matthew 26:28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 1 Corinthians 11:25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” Hebrews 9:18 Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. Hebrews 9:20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.”

Hebrews 10:29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

2. A better Covenant

2 Corinthians 3:6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Hebrews 7:22 by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant. Hebrews 8:6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. Hebrews 9:1 [ The Earthly Sanctuary ] Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary. Romans 11:27 For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.” Hebrews 9:15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

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At the end times everyone will be identified by their mark. They either have the mark of the beast or the mark of God. The mark of the beast is described in Revelation 13:16-18. The covenant mark/seal of God is described in Ezekiel 9:4 and Revelation 7:3, 9:4, and 14:1.