how shall we escape?

DO NOT FOOL YOURSELVES. THERE IS NO ESCAPE! (Unless you repent today)

Hebrews 2:1-4

New Living Translation (NLT)

A Warning
1 So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. 2 For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. 3 So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? 4 And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.

Hebrews 3:12-14 (NIV)


12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.

希 伯 來 書 3:12-14 12 弟 兄 们 ， 你 们 要 谨 慎 ， 免 得 你 们 中 间 或 有 人 存 着 不 信 的 恶 心 ， 把 永 生 神 离 弃 了 。 13 总 要 趁 着 还 有 今 日 ， 天 天 彼 此 相 劝 ， 免 得 你 们 中 间 有 人 被 罪 迷 惑 ， 心 里 就 刚 硬 了 。 14 我 们 若 将 起 初 确 实 的 信 心 坚 持 到 底 ， 就 在 基 督 里 有 分 了 。
希 伯 來 書 2:1-4

1 所 以 ， 我 们 当 越 发 郑 重 所 听 见 的 道 理 ， 恐 怕 我 们 随 流 失 去 。

2 那 藉 着 天 使 所 传 的 话 既 是 确 定 的 ； 凡 犯 悖 逆 的 都 受 了 该 受 的 报 应 。

3 我 们 若 忽 略 这 麽 大 的 救 恩 ， 怎 能 逃 罪 呢 ？ 这 救 恩 起 先 是 主 亲 自 讲 的 ， 後 来 是 听 见 的 人 给 我 们 证 实 了 。

4 神 又 按 自 己 的 旨 意 ， 用 神 迹 、 奇 事 和 百 般 的 异 能 ， 并 圣 灵 的 恩 赐 ， 同 他 们 作 见 证 。

End Times Witnessing: Three in One Combination for watchman

Abraham, Elijah, and Daniel. These are the three men who form the new pattern for end times watchman and intercessor, totally led by the Holy Spirit.

Faith man called friend by God: Abraham. He heard and was heard by God. He saw the unseen City of God (the New Jerusalem). He was a spiritual man. He knew the reality of God and what God had promised. He never doubted God. How else would he have done what he did, even willing to give up his only son (after waiting 100 years for his birth)? God called him “My friend”!

Prophet with spectacular supernatural power that shook a nation: Elijah. He conversed with God and knew with full confidence beforehand the three years’ drought, and thereafter the arrival of rain, called down fire from heaven to destroy soldiers from an evil king, built altar for God and expected fire from heaven to accept his offering, multiplied food, raised the dead, and his prayers were answered. He was one man against the whole nation of Israel (king, priests and people), singlehandedly executing 450 Baal’s prophets. At the end of his ministry, God sent chariot of fire to chauffeur him home to heaven!

Wiseman with many gifts with prayers that shook the second heaven: Daniel. He lived his whole life (holding high official positions in the courts of three powerful foreign kings) with great competence and supernatural wisdom. He lived for God’s glory. He feared God more than men. He received messages from God. He saw vision. He interpreted dream (even knowing what a king had dreamed), read unknown supernatural writings on wall and interpreted them, saw the spiritual world and conversed with spiritual beings (including high ranking angels like Gabriel), and even the Lord Himself. He watched, prayed interceded and sought God’s presence three times a day. He fasted before God. His words were heard by God and his prayers were answered instantly. His prayers were spiritually powerful enough to warrant high ranking wicked rulers and principalities (evil princes/ territorial spirits of the air – Prince of Persia and Prince of Greece) in second heaven to come out to interrupt, trying to prevent them coming to pass! Daniel was the ‘beloved’ in God’s eyes.

Some relevant Bible verses to note:

2 Chronicles 20:7 Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? Isaiah 41:8 “ But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend.

Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 11:10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 12:22-24 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 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, 24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

___________________________

Daniel 5:11-12 (NKJV) 11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. 12 Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmaswere found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.”

Daniel 10:19 And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

Daniel 12:3 Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,

And those who turn many to righteousness

Like the stars forever and ever.

Daniel 12:13 “But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”

______________________

1 Kings 17:1 [ Elijah Proclaims a Drought ] And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”

1 Kings 17:8 [ Elijah and the Widow ] Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 17:13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. 17:15 So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. 17:16 The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.

1 Kings 17:22 Then the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived. 17:24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is the truth.”

1 Kings 18:1 [ Elijah’s Message to Ahab ] And it came to pass after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.” 18:21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. 18:22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 18:40 And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there.

2 Kings 1:12 So Elijah answered and said to them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

2 Kings 2:11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

Holy Spirit broadcasting: both watchman and Jonah heard

The watchman found out that the ancient calling of Jonah is not over afterall and has taken on a new form in the spiritual realm.

On 13th October he attended an evening healing meeting and the Spirit-filled pastor had an anointing to anoint a special group after his preaching. This was the first time he called for those who had previous calling by the Lord but had already forgotten or put their calling aside. To his amazement quite a number of people responded and stood up and let the pastor come round to anoint them afresh to the Lord's calling.
The watchman could not recall any precious calling. So he did not stand up. As he was happily watching others, he heard a soft reminder in his spirit, "Jonah 4, last verse." He turned to that verse (Jonah 4:11) and recalled the long forgotten past many many years ago indeed that was the verse that impacted him! So he was the last one who walked to the altar and had to call after the pastor who by then had left and mingled with the congregation. He told the pastor the verse he received much to the latter's delight.
The next day he received a call to share a message that evening. So he looked up the book of Jonah and meditated on the last verse. He asked the Lord who and where the "Nineveh people" are today. He was led to locate one people group who now live in an area touching 'many nations'! They have no state of their own but they are one unique people group artficially divided into 4-6 nations which boundaries cut through their land. They are named the Kurds.
So he downloaded prayer needs of the group and started to pray for them. He was led in the spirit to download a presentation on how to pray for this group too.
That Friday (14th Oct.) night or rather Saturday morning (1 am) he shared to a group of very tired and sleepy people that the Lord wants them to pray for this group of people. Prior to the sharing he asked the Lord whether it was necessary to speak on such topic and whether there was any audience at all. The Lord asked him whether he would speak if there was only one person who listens. He said yes. Then he heard, what if there is none, would you still speak? He said yes. Then he heard in his spirit that there would be more than one who would hear this message.
The reason the watchman said yes to speak even when there might not be one audience was that he believed that something would happen in the spiritual realm. The Holy Spirit braodcasted the urgency to pray for this group of "Nineveh" people and he was one of those who heard the broadcast in the spirit. He chose to obey in view of verse 4:11 in the Book of Jonah.

Ten days after his unusual sharing, he read the news about the Turkish earthquake.
He now quoted some of them as follows:
"The 2011 Van earthquake was a destructive magnitude 7.2 Mw earthquake that struck eastern Turkey near the predominantly Kurdish city of Van on Sunday, 23 October 2011 at 13:41 local time. It occurred at a shallow depth of 20 km (12.4 mi), causing heavy shaking across much of eastern Turkey and being felt across much of the Near East. Extensive areas sustained heavy damage to their structures, and as many as 1,000 people were feared dead." (excerpt from Wikipedia)
Later, on 26th, he read this latest news, "Earlier on Tuesday, Turkish officials said the death toll has reached 459, adding that 1,352 people were injured in Sunday’s quake." "A 14-day-old infant has miraculously survived 46 hours trapped in debris after the 7.2 Earthquake has shaken Van in eastern Turkey. Latest News report that the missing mother of the bab Azra has also been found.."

An earlier news on 25th: "Van /NationalTurk – Turkish rescue teams pulled an 14 day young infant, a newborn out of a collapsed building, as rescuers hopes of finding more survivors alive were fading. The news comes after a nine-year-old girl was rescued after spending over 30 hours under the rubble. And prior to that Mesut Ozan Yilmaz, 18, was found, 32 hours after the tea house he had been drinking in with friends collapsed on top of him. He walked out miraculously with only few minor scratches. “It was like the judgment day,” he said, explaining the horror he just survived."

Reading rescue stories has warmed one's heart. the number dead is not as earlier predicted by the officials afterall. He prayed that many more miracles would happen. His regret was he did not manage to reach many more intercessors. What saddened him was some had even slept through his presentation. He repented for his lack of forcefulness when sharing this urgent message (also not knowing that it was a SOS message he heard!)

Whilst the watchman does not know the number of global intercessors/watchmen had heard the broadcast in the spiritual realm and responded by prayers and intercessions, he believed that what mattered was the faithfulness of the Lord and His words never returned void even if only one man was interceding.
It is indeed a rewarding job to be 'working' for the Almighty God who loves and wants all peoples to repent and turn back to Him and be saved. His mercy, lovingkindness and grace (undeserved favor) is limitless!
John 3:16 "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. "
 O watchman, watch (and hear the Holy Spirit global broadcast) and pray faithfully!

watchman’s adventure: 2011 Yom Kippur (2)

The watchman completed his Yom Kippur feeling refreshed. A group of them decided to gather together and celebrated the last few hours of the fasting. Whilst he had an attack of severe headache around noontime, he felt rested and well after a nap. By the time they gathered together he was feeling well and ready to read the word of God with others.

What he had learned from this year’s fasting:

1. Fasting has to be a life style and not just on one day of the year to be effective. He will carry on fasting in various combinations of ways throughout the following year. It is natural and a way of life now (after he started his journey in the Holy Spirit almost three years ago).

2. He must clarify his motive and set goals before the fasting. Then fasting has his own meaning and value in depth and not just a copycat action.

3. Fasting with a meaningful spiritual purpose is supernatural and help overcome his physical weakness and limitations. He has gained more realistic understanding of Biblical truth in this action of faith.

4. Fasting with others of the same mind as led by the Holy Spirit and Word of God builds faith and strengthens his commitment to the course. Knowing that many others are doing this that particular day has widened his vision and perspectives in life.

5. The right goal motivates him to press on and not give in easily. This is a must for the serious follower who want to become disciple of Jesus Christ!

By the end of the fasting, he was given a bowl of chicken soup. It was delicious! After that he went home and had another liquid drink and felt contented. He was in no hurry to drink coffee or eat a solid meal. The body was no longer his master. His mind was busy chewing on precious revelations.

One wonderful healthy outcome is that he begins to like drinking plain water!

Will he do it again in Yom Kippur 2012? Only the Lord can tell. Meanwhile, he would encourage all watchmen to seriously consider making fasting a regular part of lifestyle too.

Fasting God wants (NT)

Lent is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. The purpose of fasting is to spend time before God and get to know God more. Jesus Himself fasted forty days and forty nights in preparation for His ministry on earth. He set an example for His disciples. He also presented God to us in His life on earth. Fasting and praying are an integral part of Christian life.


Jesus Fasted

Matthew 4:2 And when He (Jesus) had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.

Jesus taught on fasting:

Do not deliberate show it externally; fasting is not for show to man; fasting is not for scoring points with God (no boasting please!)

Matthew 6:16-18 [ Fasting to Be Seen Only by God ] “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. (wrong fasting is just for show to other men, not for God)

Luke 18:12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ (pride and boasting are detestable to God)

There is an appointed time and reason for fasting:

Fasting is for the Lord first

Mark 2:18-20 [ Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting ] The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.

Luke 2:37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

Fasting breaks bondages and yokes and delivers a person from the control of Satan

Matthew 17:21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (In this case, Jesus referred to His disciples who want to heal and deliver others)

Fasting and praying are often linked and done together, leading to spiritual understanding and actions according to God’s will

Acts 10:30 So Cornelius said, “Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Acts 13:3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

Acts 14:23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

1 Corinthians 7:5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Fasting can be done during crisis, when supernatural intervention from God is needed

Acts 27:9 [ Paul’s Warning Ignored ] Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them,

Fasting is part and parcel of an apostle’s life

2 Corinthians 6:5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings;

2 Corinthians 11:27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—

THE FASTING GOD WANTS (OT)

FASTING AS DESCRIBED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

FASTING IS LINKED TO REPENTANCE

1 Samuel 7:6 So they gathered together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out before the LORD. And they fasted that day, and said there, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel judged the children ofIsrael at Mizpah.

Joel 2:12 [ A Call to Repentance ] “ Now, therefore,” says the LORD, “ Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”

Joel 2:15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly;

Jonah 3:5 [ The People of Nineveh Believe ] So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.

Zechariah 7:1 [ Obedience Better than Fasting ] Now in the fourth year of King Darius it came to pass that the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Chislev,

Zechariah 7:3 and to ask the priests who were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and the prophets, saying, “Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?”

Zechariah 7:5 “Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me?

FASTING IS LINKED TO MOURNING

1 Samuel 31:13 Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days. 2 Samuel 1:12 And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the people of the LORD and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

A KING’S PLEADING WITH GOD (personal sin) 2 Samuel 12:16 [ The Death of David’s Son ] And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became ill. David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.2 Samuel 12:21-23 Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” And he said, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”

A QUEEN PLOTTING EVIL 1 Kings 21:9 She wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth with high honor among the people; 1 Kings 21:12 They proclaimed a fast, and seated Naboth with high honor among the people.

A KING HUMBLED BEFORE GOD (when condemned for his sin)1 Kings 21:27 So it was, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning.

A KING PLEADED BEFORE GOD (when faced with enemy attack) 2 Chronicles 20:3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

PREPARATION FOR A SACRED JOURNEY Ezra 8:21 [ Fasting and Prayer for Protection ] Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. Ezra 8:23 So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.

REPENTANCE AND INTERCESSION (for nation and people)

Ezra 9:5 At the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; and having torn my garment and my robe, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD my God.

Nehemiah 1:4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

Nehemiah 9:1 [ The People Confess Their Sins ] Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads.

Esther 4:3 And in every province where the king’s command and decree arrived, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

Esther 4:16 “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”

INTERCESSION & SUPPLICATION BEFORE GOD

Psalm 35:13 But as for me, when they were sick, My clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; And my prayer would return to my own heart.

Psalm 69:10 When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting, That became my reproach.

Psalm 109:24 My knees are weak through fasting, And my flesh is feeble from lack of fatness.

WHAT GOD DOES NOT WANT FROM FASTING:

GOD DOES NOT WANT EXTERNAL PHYSICAL SHOW (whilst continuing to sin); GOD DOES NOT WANT FASTING WHICH IS SELF-CENTRED WITHOUT TRUE REVERANT FEAR OF GOD AND OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S WORD:

Isaiah 58:3 ‘ Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’ “ In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers. Isaiah 58:5 Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the LORD? Jeremiah 14:12 When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.”

Isaiah 58:4 Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high.

WHAT GOD REALLY WANTS FROM FASTING: BREKING BONDAGES

Isaiah 58:6 “ Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?

PROCLAIMING GOD’S WORD
Jeremiah 36:6 You go, therefore, and read from the scroll which you have written at my instruction, the words of the LORD, in the hearing of the people in the LORD’s house on the day of fasting. And you shall also read them in the hearing of all Judah who come from their cities.

EVEN AN ALIEN KING FASTS BEFORE GOD TO PLEAD FOR HIS PEOPLE (DANIEL)

Daniel 6:18 [ Daniel Saved from the Lions ] Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also his sleep went from him.

INTERCESSOR FASTS AND INTERCEDES FOR NATION

Daniel 9:3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

Joel 1:14 Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land Into the house of the LORD your God, And cry out to the LORD.

APPOINTED TIME & PURPOSE FOR FASTING MUST BE FOLLOWED (Today, this means fast as led by the Holy Spirit and the word of God)

Esther 9:31 to confirm these days of Purim at their appointed time, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had prescribed for them, and as they had decreed for themselves and their descendants concerning matters of their fasting and lamenting.
Zechariah 8:19

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘ The fast of the fourth month, The fast of the fifth, The fast of the seventh, And the fast of the tenth, Shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts For the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.’

watchman’s adventure: 2011 Yom Kippur (1)

The watchman is half way through Yom Kippur. His last meal was 18 and half hour ago. He was still holding well in terms of energy. His last drink of water was 14 hours ago. He felt the discomfort in the mouth but it was still bearable. His last coffee intake was 30 hours ago and the abstinence makes him suffer physically. Lesson learned: Beware of coffee addiction! Take heed of good advice and cut coffee!

Here is a summary of what he has done so far during the first half of the day of atonement:

1. He has his pre-fast main meal early. The meal was mainly pasta with cheese, chicken meat, brocoli, potato and a chicken bone soup with onion and celery. He forgot to ask for less salt so he suffered a bit from having a higher level of sodium for his body to handle during the fasting.

2. At the start of Yom Kippur (following Jerusalem time), he gathered together with a group of Christians in worship, prayers and reading the word of God for three hours.

3. After the three hours of gathering, he and another believer were assigned the time slot of two hours to pray and intercede for Israel, reading the word of God too.

4. After that he drove home and had about 4 hours sleep and got up. The throat was uncomfortable as he was still having symptoms of a ‘cold’ which manifested just a few days ago. But he continued by faith and gurgled his mouth regularly with plain water. The withdrawal from caffeine was worse and he had to battle against his throbbing forehead.

5. He started to pray and read the word of God. He was led to read Malachi. He was led to repent for Christian churches and Christian parents instead of Israel. Why? Here are the verses that convicted his spirit as he started to stand in the gap as a watchman intercessor:

Malachi 1 Unworthy Sacrifices

6The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to the priests: “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name!

“But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’
7“You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar.
“Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?[c]’
“You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect. 8When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

9“Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all?” asks the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

10 “How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings. 11 But my name is honored[d] by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer[e]sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

12 “But you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it’s all right to defile the Lord’s table. 13You say, ‘It’s too hard to serve the Lord,’ and you turn up your noses at my commands,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Think of it! Animals that are stolen and crippled and sick are being presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?” asks the Lord.

14 “Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations!
_____________

Watchman’s comments:
The Lord is not just talking about offering material things here. God is Spirit. He is looking for worshippers who worship in spirit and in truth. He is looking for prayers and intercessions which will be gathered as sweet incense in heaven. He is looking for royal priests and holy nation, a special people for His kingdom. He demands spiritual quality and in exact specification according to His heavenly pattern, as given in His Word – the plumb-line of God.

Action: Let us search our hearts and see if we are quality offerings ourselves. Is my life a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, in accordance to the perfect will of God? Romans 12:1-2