His reading was right after he finished praying for them. during the prayers he was led to using words like “consolidate”, “circuit”, “strengthen”, “share visions and missions afresh”, “give end times preparation directions (practical stratgies). In his spirit he saw Samuel going round the major cities (bases) minstering to his people, Paul and John going to churches planted or helped built up by them, encouraging, exhorting, sharing visions and goals, entrusting to the elders to carry on what they had initiated.
After he finished praying he asked the Lord to give confirmation to what he had just prayed. He was led to read Jobs, then 1 Cor.15, and finally Acts 20. When he read Jobs he was disturbed because he hardly knew the national leaders and he hardly knew what to pray for them. But it was clear that they did not visit them except for yearly rally (which had been stopped) and some ‘daughter’ churches had gone through tumultuous situations in recent years.
Job 4:3-6 3 “In the past you have encouraged many people; you have strengthened those who were weak.
4 Your words have supported those who were falling; you encouraged those with shaky knees.
5 But now when trouble strikes, you lose heart. You are terrified when it touches you.
6 Doesn’t your reverence for God give you confidence? Doesn’t your life of integrity give you hope?
Acts 20 confirmed the urgent and even dire needs of ‘daughter’ churches further by the example of Paul visiting his churches before he left finally for Jerusalem to face an arrest and imprisonment in Rome later.
There is a spiritual authority issue here. The daughter churches are covered by a mother church and the most senior intercessor leader (the spiritual leader of the mother church, representing the spiritual strongman of the house). The churches were built upon the vision of the initial ’leader’. Although some blievers in the daughter churches see visions, dream dreams and hear from the Lord (Holy Spirit), they see in parts. The overall big picture is revealed to the ‘leader’. The ‘leader’ has the responsibility of standing in the gap and provides coverings for all her ‘daughters’.
When the watchman sees this spiritual implication, he understands why Paul and Samuel spent all their working life going round their ‘churches’ in addition to interceding for them. After Paul was martyred John continued to stay in Ephesian church and mentor the younger disciples until he too left this world.
There was a touching parting scene in Acts 20 describing the Ephesian elders meeting with Paul at a place called Miletus. Paul shared with them his visions ahead, affrmed and entrusted them to God and their corporate reponsibility. Paul’s brief statement contained the following important facts:
1. His vision & mission: “I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. Jail and suffering lie ahead. But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus.”
2. His prophecy on their future together: “I know none of you will ever see me again.”
3. His exhortation: “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock -His church, purchased with His own blood.”
4. His affirmation of their spiritual authority: “Over which (the church) the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders.”
5. His warning about the future: “I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. 30 Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following.”
6. His instruction to follow his personal example: “Watch out! Remember the three years I was with you—my constant watch and care over you night and day, and my many tears for you.”
7. His encouragement: “And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself.”
Why read 1 Cor.15? It is all about resurrection and transformation of the mortal bodies into immortal bodies. It also brings out the uncompromising fact: all human die one day. This ties with Jobs 4:17-19 as follows:
17 ‘Can a mortal be innocent before God? Can anyone be pure before the Creator?’ 18 “If God does not trust his own angels and has charged his messengers with foolishness, 19 how much less will he trust people made of clay! They are made of dust, crushed as easily as a moth.
All apostolic leaders must accept the fact like Paul did that one day they have to depart from this world or they could lose their physical freedom by imprisonment. The message today is to strenghten your ‘daughters’ (some of whom are mere spiritual babies!). Remember how Paul kept reinforcing his churches spiritually and using his spiritual authority to cover (protect) them.
Paul’s churches were Spirit-filled and led by the Spirit in many ways. But he remained watchful, prayerful and in constant communication with them as intercessor and as the spiritual strongman prviding overall cover against the evil spiritual power until he considered his assignment completed and left this world.
The watchman only sees in parts and thus speaks in parts. He prays that the spiritual strongmen for most houses of God see a bigger picture and know more accurately what the Lord has required them to do at the time. He also prays that those who still do not see or know now wake from their slumber (or cast off the distraction spirit) and ask the Lord for the direction of the time and obey.
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