Watchman’s Resolution: be trained to be like the Master.

“Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people, And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David, As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, Who have been since the world began,” (Luke 1:68-70 NKJV) This is good news! Today the watchman is reminded of the power of God’s word, which is seed, to be sown in the believers’ hearts in order to germinate and grow into a plant that bears fruits in every aspect of our lives. The fruit will be good, acceptable and perfect for it will align with the will of God. The seed, like any seed in the natural law, will take time. First the blade, then the ear, then the full corn. This law has not changed. That’s how the earth has been sustained. I pray we all understand this truth and live this truth, burning with a passion to read God’s words and store the words in our hearts until the time of harvest.

Last night the watchman was woken to read a passage in the Old Testament from the Book of Ezekiel. Here are some of the verses about the spiritual state some of God’s people are in. Are they relevant in today’s churches? (Those of you who read these are watchmen. This message is for prayers as you watch over the souls of men in your respective stations.)
(Bible verses are quoted from New King James Version (NKJV)unless otherwise annotated)

1. There exists a Rebellious House: “Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; for they are a rebellious house…” Ezekiel 12:2

2. Now is the time frame: Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “None of My words will be postponed any more, but the word which I speak will be done,” says the Lord God.’” Ezekiel 12:28

3. The target is the religious hypocrites: O Israel, your prophets are like foxes in the deserts. You have not gone up into the gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the Lord. Ezekiel 13:4-5

4. A warning against spiritual superficiality in God’s house: I will raise my fist against all the prophets who see false visions and make lying predictions, …
“This will happen because these evil prophets deceive my people by saying, ‘All is peaceful’ when there is no peace at all! It’s as if the people have built a flimsy wall, and these prophets are trying to reinforce it by covering it with whitewash! 11 Tell these whitewashers that their wall will soon fall down. A heavy rainstorm will undermine it; great hailstones and mighty winds will knock it down. Ezekiel 13:9-11 New Living Translation (NLT)

5. A warning about false belief perpetrated by the enemy using his agents to hunt and captive souls of men in churches: “Now, son of man, speak out against the women who prophesy from their own imaginations…ensnaring the souls of my people, young and old alike. You tie magic charms on their wrists and furnish them with magic veils…By lying to my people who love to listen to lies, you kill those who should not die, and you promise life to those who should not live.
“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against all your magic charms, which you use to ensnare my people like birds…22 You have discouraged the righteous with your lies,..And you have encouraged the wicked by promising them life,.. (Ezekiel 13:17-23 New Living Translation (NLT))

6. The young remnants need prayers: Yet there will be survivors, and they will come here to join you as exiles in Babylon. You will see with your own eyes how wicked they are, and then you will feel better about what I have done to Jerusalem. 23 When you meet them and see their behavior, you will understand …” Ezekiel 14:22-23 New Living Translation (NLT)

Coming back to the word seed that Jesus has sown. We can see clearly that the above gloomy conditions need prayers. But prayers alone cannot sow word seeds. We need to speak the words of God. We need the laborers to sow the word seed and to harvest the field. The today’s questions that we must ask ourselves are:
Can I do something? What are my gifts? What training do I need to be equipped to be a laborer as sower or harvester? Let this be our new year resolution: be trained to be like the Master. (Luke 6:40, 7:22)