Today’s sermon from the Holy Spirit: God remembers & records prayers and living right

The Holy Spirit gave a second sermon this morning: Acts of the Apostles chapter ten. When the watchman woke, he was led to read psalms 65 (all the way back to 53, plus two verses from 52 v8-9.) He received one verse specifically, 65:2 “O You who hear prayer.” This has turned out to be the message and prayer for today!

(In this journey to see God, the watchman’s study notes are in either boldness or in brackets. He also highlighted/made bold those verses/words that the Lord has required to be noted specifically in today’s message!)
Here is the summary note from the watchman:
One unusual event occurred: He printed the verses of this chapter but the printer printed one sheet of paper with the word ‘God’ repeated sixteen times!

1. God is again the focus today. See God and see what He has taken the initiative to give to man.
2. God works in us by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power. Peter heard from the Holy Spirit and received instructions and obeyed. Cornelius and households and close ones received the Holy Spirit and His gift of tongues when they believed in the word about Jesus.)
3. Those who receive from God share these qualities: They fear God. They do right living before God. They pray continually to God. They raise devout household (family, servants, relatives and close friends). They are eager to hear from God and are willing to wait in the presence of God to hear all that God has commanded! (God remembers, honors, and records these qualities.)
4. God does the cleansing (of believer’s spirit, soul and body) and saving. God shows no partiality. God loves the ‘world’ and sent His only Son to die for the ‘world’. (John 3:16-21)

Acts 10 (the Bible verses with notes)

English Standard Version (ESV)
Peter and Cornelius (each called by God as they were praying at separate time. One saw angel, and another saw vision of things coming from heaven. Both heard and conversed with the heavenly messenger).

10 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, ² a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. ³ About the ninth hour of the day^[a] he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” ⁴ And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. ⁵ And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. ⁶ He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.” ⁷ When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him, ⁸ and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

Peter’s Vision (“What God has made clean, do not call common.”)

⁹ The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour^[b] to pray. ¹⁰ And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance ¹¹ and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. ¹² In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. ¹³ And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” ¹⁴ But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” ¹⁵ And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” ¹⁶ This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
¹⁷ Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood at the gate ¹⁸ and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. ¹⁹ And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. ²⁰ Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation,^[c] for I have sent them.” ²¹ And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?” ²² And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” ²³ So he invited them in to be his guests.
The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him. ²⁴ And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵ When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. ²⁶ But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.” ²⁷ And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. ²⁸ And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. ²⁹ So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.”
³⁰ And Cornelius said, “Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour,^[d] and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing ³¹ and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. ³² Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ ³³ So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”

Gentiles Hear the Good News (The good news is all about Jesus Christ Whom God had sent to save that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.)

³⁴ So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, ³⁵ but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. ³⁶ As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), ³⁷ you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: ³⁸ how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. ³⁹ And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, ⁴⁰ but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, ⁴¹ not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴² And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³ To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles (All who heard the word and believed in Jesus received the Holy Spirit, with the gift of the Spirit poured out, and they were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ!)

⁴⁴ While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. ⁴⁵ And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. ⁴⁶ For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, ⁴⁷ “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” ⁴⁸ And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

Footnotes:

1. Acts 10:3 That is, 3 p.m.
2. Acts 10:9 That is, noon
3. Acts 10:20 Or accompany them, making no distinction
4. Acts 10:30 That is, 3 p.m.

Journey to see God: know the covenant God

The watchman’s journey to see God continues. Today’s message is for all who earnestly seek God. God hears and answers your prayers. Do not give up!
This morning the watchman woke around 4am. For today’s message, he was asked to read Joshua 7. He realized it was not a pleasant message but he obeyed. Indeed it was about how Israel was defeated at Ai after a resounding victory at Jericho. But as he read he understood the reason for this message today.

1. The Lord is a covenant keeping God.
2. He wants His people to keep His covenant.
3. He wants His people to know He is holy and sets apart. His people must know Him in Spirit and in Truth. Only by fully obeying His divine instructions and setting themselves apart from the world and its way then they would be able to know and worship God in Spirit and in Truth.
4. He shows that when they break covenant with Him they would have no protection from Him, because He would withdraw His presence. They would be no match to their enemies in the spiritual realm no matter how strong they think they are and how weak their enemy seems in the physical realm. They have become “doomed to destruction” (Joshua 7:12).

For Christians, in practical terms, this means:
(A) There are two things to do (as faith in action) before the Lord to keep covenant:

1. build altar and give sacrifices (ministering to the Lord: in prayers, worship in Spirit and in truth -His words)
2. read and listen to the word of God (being spoken, read, proclaimed, prayed)

(B) There are two things (the things that break covenant) to avoid doing:

1. do not hang on to things that the Lord has set apart to destroy (as an offering to the Lord).
2. do not take the things that the Lord has set apart for His treasury (do not even put them among your own personal belongings! To the Lord that is deliberate hiding). The Lord described this ‘crime’ in Joshua 7:11 “Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff.”

100. The Result of disobedience to the divine instructions of God: 1. the culprit will be completely destroyed (in this case the person Achan, his family and all his belongings).
     2. he will also bring trouble and curse to his nation (36 soldiers from the camp of Israel were killed by the enemy from Ai, which was physically weaker than Israel. The Israelite had 30000 mighty men of valor whereas the entire population of the city of Ai was only 12000! )

RELEVANT VERSE FROM THE WORD OF GOD
(The watchman’s study notes are in brackets, using NKJV verses to illustrate)
The Bible version New Living Translation (NLT) is used here (as led by the Holy Spirit today)
Joshua 6:17-19 Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed[a] as an offering to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies. 18 “Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. 19 Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury.”
Footnotes: a. Joshua 6:17 The Hebrew term used here refers to the complete consecration of things or people to the Lord, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering; similarly in 6:18, 21.
(The divine instruction is clear and specific: on this occasion, the Lord specified a curse and a consecration (a) Curse: the city of Jericho, except for Rehab and all who are with her in her house, be doomed for destruction, it and all who are in it. (Joshua 6:17a) (b) Consecration: all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the Lord; they shall come into the treasury of the Lord. (Joshua 6:19))
Joshua 6:21 They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys. Joshua 6:24 Then the Israelites burned the town and everything in it. Only the things made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron were kept for the treasury of the Lord’s house.
Joshua 7:1 Ai Defeats the Israelites 7 But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the Lord.[a] A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the Lord was very angry with the Israelites. Achan was the son of Carmi, a descendant of Zimri[b] son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah.
Footnotes:

1. Joshua 7:1 The Hebrew term used here refers to the complete consecration of things or people to the Lord, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering; similarly in 7:11, 12, 13, 15.
2. Joshua 7:1 As in parallel text at 1 Chr 2:6; Hebrew reads Zabdi. Also in 7:17, 18.

(The divine instruction demands 100% compliance: partial compliance is of no effect in the spiritual realm. See the terrible result as follows.)
Joshua 7:4-5 So approximately 3,000 warriors were sent, but they were soundly defeated. The men of Ai 5 chased the Israelites from the town gate as far as the quarries,[a] and they killed about thirty-six who were retreating down the slope. The Israelites were paralyzed with fear at this turn of events, and their courage melted away.
Footnotes:

1. Joshua 7:5 Or as far as Shebarim.

Joshua 7:12-13 That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction.
(The divine instruction when fully complied will bring the presence of the holy God and victory over the spiritual enemies. Otherwise, mortals are doomed to destruction. Ephesians 6:12 “for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”)
13 “Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the Lord. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you.
(The divine instruction says: cleanse your temple! This includes your body, soul -your mind and your emotion- and spirit.)
Joshua 7:25-26 Then Joshua said to Achan, “Why have you brought trouble on us? The Lord will now bring trouble on you.” And all the Israelites stoned Achan and his family and burned their bodies. 26 They piled a great heap of stones over Achan, which remains to this day. That is why the place has been called the Valley of Trouble[a] ever since. So the Lord was no longer angry.
Footnotes:

1. Joshua 7:26 Hebrew valley of Achor.

Joshua 8:30-32 The Lord’s Covenant Renewed 30 Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal. 31 He followed the commands that Moses the Lord’s servant had written in the Book of Instruction: “Make me an altar from stones that are uncut and have not been shaped with iron tools.”[a] Then on the altar they presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord. 32 And as the Israelites watched, Joshua copied onto the stones of the altar[b] the instructions Moses had given them.
Footnotes:

1. Joshua 8:31 Exod 20:25; Deut 27:5-6.
2. Joshua 8:32 Hebrew onto the stones.

Joshua 8:33-35 Then all the Israelites—foreigners and native-born alike—along with the elders, officers, and judges, were divided into two groups. One group stood in front of Mount Gerizim, the other in front of Mount Ebal. Each group faced the other, and between them stood the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant. This was all done according to the commands that Moses, the servant of the Lord, had previously given for blessing the people of Israel.
34 Joshua then read to them all the blessings and curses Moses had written in the Book of Instruction. 35 Every word of every command that Moses had ever given was read to the entire assembly of Israel, including the women and children and the foreigners who lived among them.
(The divine instruction is practical: Joshua followed exactly according to what Moses had written. Every word and every command was read and reaffirmed. He demonstrated to the entire congregation by his faithful and obedient deed: build the altar, copy the covenant, read the entire word of God.)
(In summary, Joshua believed and practiced the entire word of God, according to what the Lord has instructed him at the beginning of his take over of national leadership from Moses. Joshua 1:8 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”)

Revised October 2012: Today’s Verses for Watchman

How to know God intimately? How to hear God?

Watchman’s October 2012 notes: (practical steps)

This has been one of the most frequented posts for the last 2 years. Many actually yearn for intimate relationship with God, our Creator, our Father in heaven. In this world of constant change, increasing isolation and separation from God, due to man’s increasing coldness and hardening of hearts, lawlessness, self-seeking, presumptions, covetousness (which is idolatry) and passion for the wisdom of the world (which according to James 3:15 is earthly, sensual and demonic.), many are crying out to the Almighty God who hears and answers.

How to re-build or start an intimate relationship with a God whom you do not even know?
The watchman has learned this (from experience and encounter with the Father in heaven since 1983, the year when he was born again by the Holy Spirit):

1. start today.
2. be still before Him.
3. believe He exists.
4. believe He wants to reward you, when you seek Him diligently.
5. believe that He is pleased with your faith (in Him and His Son Jesus)
6. believe in all His word, in the Bible.
7. read the Bible.
8. pray.
9. spend more and more time with God.
10. let go of more and more of the things of the world. When your hands are full of them you have no hands to receive anything from the Father in heaven!
11. do not love this world, nor the things it offers you. (1 John 2:15)

Practical steps:

1. keep your mind and body in stillness before the Lord.
2. be open to the Holy Spirit. Do not let your feeling or mind interfere.
3. take a note book.
4. write down your question and listen for answer.
5. the voice of the Lord will come in the still small voice in your inner part.
6. write down His answer. (He may answer you in the inner voice or in His written words)
7. discern whether the answer is from your own mind (e.g. thoughts/obsessions you have been thinking regularly lately prior to the session) or emotion or the enemy (evil spirits: e.g. destructive thoughts)
8. discard those not from the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 11:6 Amplified Bible (AMP)

⁶ But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].

updated 10-13-2012

_____________original blog (11-2-2010)

Proverbs 3:5-8 (NKJV)
⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct^[a] your paths.
⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
⁸ It will be health to your flesh,^[b]
And strength^[c] to your bones.

Proverbs 3:5-8 (New Living Translation)
⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶ Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.
⁷ Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.
Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
⁸ Then you will have healing for your body
and strength for your bones.

Proverbs 3:5-8 (Amplified Bible)
⁵Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
⁶In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.
⁷Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn [entirely] away from evil.^(A)
8It shall be health to your nerves and sinews, and marrow and moistening to your bones.
_______________________________
“acknowledge” means “know intimately”. Know your God intimately, watchman.