March 1, 2010

Chapter Seventy-five: A watchman's prophetic acts


Often Jack has found that the things he is required to do are insignificant and at times foolish in others' eyes. When he read the Bible he found that many faithful watchmen were asked to do ridiculous acts. He lists some of the more prominent ones as follows:
Noah was asked to build an ark on dry land based on God's specifications for his family and two of every sort of living things (possibly becoming the greatest laughing stock among the inhabitants of that land then). (Genesis 6-7)
Moses was asked to lift up his rod and stretch out his hand over the Red Sea in front of at least two millions of panicky people under death threat by the powerful enemy army close at their heels. (Exodus 14)
Joshua was asked to march daily once around the Jericho city walls  for six consecutive days, with seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark silently in front of his entire armies , and on the seventh day march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. (Joshua 6)
Samuel gathered all Israel to Mizpah, drew water and poured it out before the Lord, then took a suckling lamb and offered to the Lord as a whole burnt offering, while their arch enemies the Philistines armies drew near to battle against Israel. (1 Samuel 7)
When three nations' armies came to battle against Judah, King Jehoshaphat led his people to worship the Lord and the Levites praised the Lord with loud voices. On the day of the battle, Jehoshaphat appointed those who should sing to the Lord and those who should praise the beauty of holiness to go out before the army saying, "Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever." (2 Chronicles 20)
Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up and struck the water of the River Jordan. (2 Kings 2:8)
Elisha cut off a stick, and threw it into the River Jordan where the axe head had fallen into. (2 Kings 6:6)
Naaman, commander of the army of the King of Syria, dipped seven times in the River Jordan, at the instruction of Elisha the prophet. (2 Kings 5:14)

What happened when men did the foolish things in obedience to their callings by God? God acted and performed the great things. God sent the great flood, rid the land of evil and gave Noah and his family a fresh new life as promised. Moses and his two million people saw the Red Sea parted and they were delivered from the Egyptians. The tall and mighty walls of Jericho fell down flat and Joshua captured the city without fighting. Samuel and his armies saw the defeat of their enemy armies. God thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel. When King Jehosaphat's men began to sing and praise God, the Lord sent ambushes and defeated their enemies.  Of course the River Jordan parted and even iron axe head swam to the surface! Namaan, an alien leper, who chose to obey the watchman/prophet, was instantly healed after the seventh dip.

1 Corinthians 2:13-14 "These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man (the man without the Spirit) does not receive (accept) the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned". v16 For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ."

Unless a man stops trying to reason the things of God with his mind, he will not see a miracle. This is called unbelief. Unbelief cancels out faith. Faith rests in our spirits. Let your spirit man rise up and you will see miracles! Jack has taken a long time to accept this truth. Now he knows the truth and the truth has set him free just as Jesus has promised! (John 8:32)

A watchman has to see with his spirit and not his mind, to reach God's rich supernatural resources. The Holy Spirit provides the way to such vision.

No comments:

Biblical worldview: how to reconcile?

 What happens when my generation is gone?  https://wp.me/pzRwB-9w7