Journey to see God: Stay In Christ!

JOHN14 is a crucial chapter for all who follow Jesus. Here are two diagrams for the ease of memorizing the crucial verses.
KEEP YOUR IN CHRIST POSITION!

“If you love Me, you will keep My word”

“the Father who dwells in Me does the works”

The watchman prays that the “eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of your calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places…” (Ephesians 1:18-20)

Journey to see God: Bible reading - Holy Spirit way

The 5 am Bible reading meeting came about when a newly Spirit-filled Christian wanted to know more about God Who is Spirit. So another Christian agreed to meet with him daily Monday to Friday initially. Three others decided to join them and soon it was extended to daily Monday-Saturday. 

The small group meet and read Bible as the Lord leads them. Each day a new group of passages from the Bible came forth as the Holy Spirit lead them. Often they start reading chapters from one book in the Bible and are led to read chapters in other books as well. As they read, the words speak and their spiritual eyes and ears are opened. The words of God become life and spirit to them. Deep meanings and significance which were hitherto hidden are now revealed clearly. 

The only hindrance is they do encounter the common spirit of stupor. One Holy Spirit Christian admits that whenever he reads the Bible (even at home) he just feels sleepy after a short while. Another two also face the same problem in the small group. Often it becomes difficult and tiring to get up in time to gather together to read the words of God. Soon other hindrances like suffering from lack of adequate sleep sets in as well.

The watchman observes that when a person decides to give in to the flesh and miss one session, the act of absence soon becomes a habit without any effort. How does the watchman keeps the session going even when alone? The key to success is the Holy Spirit.

For example, one day he will get up real early and start sweep and mopping the floor, or the courtyard, enjoying the fresh morning air and cool breeze. Another day he will pray in the spirit and sing in the spirit. Today he got up around 2.30 am and walked about, did a bit of house cleaning, getting the place ready, taking a cold shower, reading the Bible, praying for awhile, and soon it was time for the meeting. He does not follow a fixed pattern. He just does what his spirit receives at the moment from the Lord. How does he know what book and chapters in the Bible to read for the day? He prays and asks the Lord. When the others arrive and start asking questions or sharing, they will then know what passage to read. The issues at hand are always met by the Lord Holy Spirit’s choice of the passages.

Today they met after most participants went outstation for a short break attending reunion gatherings with their siblings and parents. During the sharing a common issue came up. They wished their spouses were more spiritually alert when important decisions needed to be made over family matters. The difference is explained in 1 Corinthians 2. The Holy Spirit has declared that the unspiritual man tries to make sense of everything. Otherwise he just cannot comprehend. The answer is therefore to pray and intercede for your spouse to become a spiritual man or woman.

1 Corinthians 2 (J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS))

I came to you in God’s strength not my own

2 1-5 In the same way, my brothers, when I came to proclaim to you God’s secret purpose, I did not come equipped with any brilliance of speech or intellect. You may as well know now that it was my secret determination to concentrate entirely on Jesus Christ and the fact of his death upon the cross. As a matter of fact, in myself I was feeling far from strong; I was nervous and rather shaky. What I said and preached had none of the attractiveness of the clever mind, but it was a demonstration of the power of the Spirit! Plainly God’s purpose was that your faith should not rest upon man’s cleverness but upon the power of God.

There is, of course, a real wisdom, which God allows us to share with him

6-8 We do, of course, speak “wisdom” among those who are spiritually mature, but it is not what is called wisdom by this world, nor by the powers-that-be, who soon will be only the powers that have been. The wisdom we speak of is that mysterious secret wisdom of God which he planned before the creation for our glory today. None of the powers of this world have known this wisdom—if they had they would never have crucified the Lord of glory!

9-10a But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him’. But God has, through the Spirit, let us share his secret.

10b-12 For nothing is hidden from the Spirit, not even the deep wisdom of God. For who could really understand a man’s inmost thoughts except the spirit of the man himself? How much less could anyone understand the thoughts of God except the very Spirit of God? And the marvellous thing is this, that we now receive not the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God himself, so that we can actually understand something of God’s generosity towards us.

This wisdom is only understood by the spiritual

13 It is these things that we talk about, not using the expressions of the human intellect but those which the Holy Spirit teaches us, explaining things to those who are spiritual.

14-16 But the unspiritual man simply cannot accept the matters which the Spirit deals with—they just don’t make sense to him, for, after all, you must be spiritual to see spiritual things. The spiritual man, on the other hand, has an insight into the meaning of everything, though his insight may baffle the man of the world. This is because the former is sharing in God’s wisdom, and ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?’ Incredible as it may sound, we who are spiritual have the very thoughts of Christ!

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How did this small group become spiritual? By earnestly and diligently seeking the Lord, reading the Bible and praying, asking according to the will of God, just as Jesus has commanded His disciples. There is no shortcut for them. Of course they do things that do not make sense to the natural minds!

Journey to see God: See as Mary sees

In this message today, the Spirit of the Lord showed us three disciples of Jesus and how they differed in seeing God -Jesus. The disciples are: Mary, Lazarus, and Judas Iscariot. ____________________________Here are the Bible verses. The watchman’s notes are after the Bible verses.

John 12:1-11 (ESV) Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for Him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound[a] of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii[b] and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it[c] for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus[d] was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

Footnotes:

1.John 12:3 Greek litra; a litra (or Roman pound) was equal to about 11 1/2 ounces or 327 grams

2.John 12:5 A denarius was a day’s wage for a laborer

3.John 12:7 Or Leave her alone; she intended to keep it

4.John 12:9 Greek he

_____________Watchman’s notes

 Jesus was the main character. He came to a home where they prepared a dinner for Him. A number of His disciples and even large crowd were there. The hostess, Martha served them. There were three other main characters: Lazarus, Mary and Judas Iscariot, all disciples of Jesus.

 Lazarus, a disciple who was raised to life from dead: There was no record of his spoken words. He merely testified Jesus, the Son of God, and the mighty work of God, the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus operated in, by being himself. He was alive and well. He sat close to Jesus. He was not afraid of death (or the threat of death from the chief priests) anymore. He became an overcomer just by being with Jesus.

 Mary, a disciple who sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to His teaching, believed Him, and was the only disciple who acted according to what she received from HIs Spirit-filled message (which all other disciples had failed to hear or understood as they continued to be hindered by their flesh). She was the first and only disciple who discerned spiritual things which Jesus spoke about prior His crucifixion and death on the cross. The rest of the disciples had to wait till after the Lord's resurrection and after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Day. How did Mary make it ahead of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit?

 The key is in what Jesus said in Luke 11:34-36. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.” Mary had spent her life soaking in Jesus' presence and His words. Her eyes were filled with His light. Jesus knew and spoke of her eternal reward.

 Today, disciples of Jesus can receive the same from the Holy Spirit. The following verses explain this: 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (ESV) 16 But when one[a] turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord[b] is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,[c]are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Judas Iscariot: the disciple who was a thief. He later betrayed His master Jesus for the same price that Mary had given up for the same Lord Jesus. Jesus knew what he did and what he would do. Yet Jesus spoke to him and commented on his statement about the poor. Why? Jesus gave him another chance, “But you do not always have Me.” Judas still could not comprehend. He was filled with the world and was led by his flesh. He could not even wait a bit longer as he heard of Jesus’ forthcoming death. He did not want to lose the one last way of making some earthly fortune from Jesus. what good would Jesus be to him as a dead person? He figured.

Alas, this is the usual way an unspiritual man thinks. The signs and wonders are all supernatural but he just could not comprehend. His eyes are veiled when he reads the Bible. Only when oney turns to the Holy Spirit, the veil will be removed.

God’s Way is spiritual. Spiritual way is narrow and hard but it is the only way to life. Only the Spirit of life can show us this way.

Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV) 13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy[a] that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Footnotes:

 1.Matthew 7:13 Some manuscripts For the way is wide and easy

The Spirit of Life says, “Beware of depression spirit and burnt chicken!”

YUMMY BURNT CHICKEN

Dear Junior: (a watchman/intercessor who started young):

Yesterday your uncle watchman learned a lesson from the Lord Holy Spirit. He did not obey the lord’s command to watch and pray. Instead he spent a lot of quality time driving and waiting for spiritually unproductive administrative procedures in banks. By the time he returned to his abode, it was already afternoon and he made further unproductive decisions without asking the Holy Spirit.
Someone turned up for urgent ministering by his co-worker and he had to rush to finish laundry and cooking so they would not be distracted. However, rain waters poured like waterfall from above and strong wind brought the water right into his first floor home-office and whilst he rushed upstairs to close the windows, the bed sheets and kneeling pads which were earlier hanging out under the bright sun in the garden were soaked.
Whilst he was feeling upset and went up to ‘sulk’ in the third floor attic the chicken on the stove in the ground floor kitchen was burnt. The whole house was full of smoke. While he wondered where the smoke came from, someone came to his door and knocked and told him the bad news -instead of switching off the stove he turned to full power and it continued for at least fifteen minutes!
So the uncle felt self-pity and grumbled loudly to the Lord. He was a watchman and not a servant to the cares of this world. When he wallowed in self-pity he forgot that he was supposed to be sons of God and led by the Holy Spirit. He felt depressed and oppressed. He thought he was being neglected by all loved ones as the the smoke was swarming the whole house and no one paid any attention. These include those in the kitchen blissfully taking their tea, and those in the living room engrossed in talking. The rain poured into the house causing the beginning of a flood and yet the inhabitants were in blissful oblivion in their rooms doing their own things.
While moping, the Lord reminded him that he was to be led by the Spirit and not by flesh. He then discerned that the spirit of death, spirit of deception, and spirit of depression came into his mind through the ‘open window’ (or open-door) from the ‘patient’ and her mom downstairs. So he used the name of Jesus to bind and cast out the unclean spirits, using the same authority Jesus gave to His disciples and all who believe.

Matthew 16:19 (NKJV) ¹⁹ And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed^[a] in heaven. [”Footnotes: a. Matthew 16:19 Or will have been bound . . . will have been loosed.]

He also used the power of the Son of God -Jesus, to destroy the works of the devil as in

1John3:8b “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

The depression lifted instantly at the name of Jesus. The Spirit of the Lord Jesus refreshed him as he prayed in tongue. He took a refreshing bath and felt bright and sunny by the time he took his dinner. The chicken miraculously tasted good and juicy too. The burnt ginger was edible. The vegetables were extra delicious. So the smoke did not damage anything. He even had a treat of chocolate from Manila.
Summary of lesson learned:

1. Obey the Lord Jesus who urged us to watch and pray always.
2. Walk in the Spirit.
3. Do not assume that feelings and thoughts are the truth.
4. Always be alert of the spiritual realm. Look at the unseen.
5. Pray in the Spirit without ceasing.
6. Be always prepared to use the authority and power of the sons of God.
7. Be equipped and ready to use the sword of the Spirit -the word of God.

TODAY’S MESSAGE TO CHURCHES THAT SPEAK ENGLISH: THE WAY OF LOVE

The watchman asked the Lord and received this as Today’s Message to Churches that speak English:”THE WAY OF LOVE”

1 Corinthians 13 (ESV) The Way of Love

13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,^[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.
⁴ Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant ⁵ or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;^{[b] 6} it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
⁸ Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. ¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. ¹² For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
¹³ So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Footnotes:

1. 1 Corinthians 13:3 Some manuscripts deliver up my body [to death] that I may boast
2. 1 Corinthians 13:5 Greek irritable and does not count up wrongdoing

The watchman has no other words. His only prompting is that we read the word from the end. There are seven love letters from the resurrected Lord Jesus Himself. Go and read them, church!

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.”)

The End Times book -God’s Demands of Love

10/12/2012

Click here for PDF file The watchman yesterday found this book again after it disappeared mysteriously. He was led in his spirit to give this book to someone and the person read it just in time. He was asked to read it too so he agreed. However, the book disappeared after he read a few pages. It was very unusual as he just cleaned up his whole house and everything was in order. There was no where a book could hide. However, yesterday he took out a briefcase to look for some office document and to his amazement this book was hidden among his documents! The Lord told him to finish reading. So he did. Here is the book. It is a must read for all serious intercessor and altar builders. DEMANDS OF LOVE Song of Solomon A Devotional Study SUSAN TANG DEDICATION To All the alumni (and future students) of Station of Life: You were (will be) taught spiritual intimacy and communion. Now live it. To the beloved Bride of Jesus Christ everywhere: May we know that we are great only because we are loved. We are loved by Him; therefore, at all times and in every situation, we the greatest!

CONTENTS Song of Solomon Preface Principles From Song of Solomon A. For the Single Person B. For the Married Person C. For Fruitfulness, Effectiveness and Longevity in Ministry 1. Exclusiveness 2. Spiritual Intimacy and Communion 3. God-Consciousness The 1st Demand : Rise Up ! 1. Rise Up to Achieve Our Full Potential in Him 2. Rise Up and Come Out of All Our Selfish Indulgences 3. Rise Up and Break Free from All Worldly Conformity 4. Rise Up and Be a Standard-Bearer The 2nd Demand : Come Away ! A. Be Separate B. Let Go of the Past C. Be Willing to Lose It All The 3rd Demand : Come With Me ! The 4th Demand : Look From The Top ! The 5th Demand : Open To Me ! The 6th Demand : Return, Return ! ____________________________________ Sample of a chapter: (Bold letters and italics were added in some cases by the watchman) C. BE WILLING TO LOSE IT ALL Jesus made it very clear in Mark 8:34, 35 that the criteria for following Him is to deny self, take up the cross and be devoted to Him with no private agenda for self. If we understand this divine summons to deny all, we will have no problem fulfilling the divine demand that we “come away.” It is not difficult to realize that the accomplishments, the success, honour and blessings of Abraham rested on the fact that he was willing to lose it all, to give up all, including his one and only son in his old age. Gandhi was a man with a passion for the teachings of Jesus Christ but unfortunately, he did not become a Christian. He could not because he realized that the white people who came to India to preach Jesus did not live like Him. He was himself so convicted by the teachings of Christ that he decided to put them into practice. He renounced everything and vowed that he would fight his enemies with love and not violence. For years, he walked the streets of India and begged for food. He turned his left cheek to his enemies when he was slapped on the right. Most of the time, he looked tired and worn out. He owned nothing but by the time he died, millions thronged his funeral. The rich and the popular, the mighty and the renowned, dignitaries, kings and queens came from all over the world. What was the secret to Gandhi’s success and popularity? He was willing to lose it all. Wasn’t this true of our Lord? He was willing to lose it all, including His own life. He literally denied all, becoming poor so that we might be rich. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). In the end, He gained back everything, with interest. He was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing (Revelation 5:12). All these came only after He had been willing to be slain, willing to lose even His right to live. Yes, our Lord’s supremacy and glory rest on this basis: He was willing to lose it all. Throughout the centuries, men and women have tried all ways and means to obtain power and riches _ fighting, cheating, manipulating, etc. God teaches us that the way to power and riches is through being willing to lose. Are you willing to lose it all? Whether you like it or not, able or not able, the demand of the Bridegroom is sounding out loud and clear, “Come away! Come away from it all!” If you do not yield to this demand, you will never SOAR; you will never have the joy of feeding on the heritage of Jacob in high places. Jesus taught us that the kingdom of heaven is likened to a merchant who, when he finally found a pearl of great worth, was willing to sell all that he had so that he could purchase that one pearl. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it (Matthew 13:45-46). We Christians have found that one pearl of great worth. Are we now willing to sell all that we have, willing to lose it all, to give up all, including marriage, career and children (if He so requires) in order to gain this Pearl of great worth? It would have been utter foolishness for the merchant to merely rejoice over that great pearl, wanting to possess it yet not willing to sell all that he had in order to raise the money to buy it. Many Christians are like this. They know they have found it _ Jesus, our Pearl of great value _ yet they are not willing to lose it all for Him. To be indecisive is the worst situation to be in. I remember spending the three years in Bible School pleading with God, every morning at 5 am, to release me from full-time ministry. I had no desire for full-time ministry as my ambition was to be a fashion designer or an interior decorator. Every evening at 5 pm, I would plead with God to change me if He would not release me from ministry so that I could serve Him with a free heart and mind and not be indecisive. I knew that if I were to serve Him, there would be no turning back. I also knew that what I do for Him must be done not only with my whole heart but also with my kidneys, liver, intestines, etc. If I were to serve Him, I wanted to do so with passion, intensity and the totality of my being. I would not serve Him and keep one eye open for a husband or daydream of a family of my own. No. No. To be divided in this way would not do for me. Many ladies in ministry today are divided. They are unproductive because the ministries that they are in right now are just something to hold them up temporarily while they wait for Mr Right to pop up. I have raised up lady workers and I have had many different ladies working under me all these years. I have come to one conclusion: it is easier to raise up men than ladies! The world trusts in its knowledge, scientific advancements, doctorates and degrees in education. I am afraid that this has also affected many in ministry. We go after degrees and doctorates but do not know what faith and prayer are anymore. We have become mentally swollen and spiritually shrunken. Today, instead of doing what the apostle Paul did, willing to lose everything for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, we can be tempted to do the exact opposite. If a balance could be struck, it would be beautiful. It is not easy to find someone who can pursue his studies and still find time to spend in the presence of God (but thank God we do have such people). I remember the kind gesture of Professor John Williams some years ago. He told me that every year, his institute in New York confers an honorary doctorate on people who are truly worthy recipients. One such recipient had been Charles Doss who had composed the popular song, “He is my everything.” The professor invited me to Kenya in September of that year for the conferment of a doctorate in recognition of my works and accomplishments. I remember praying about it and instantly hearing an answer from the Lord. “Everything that has happened in your life and ministry is just a result of the demonstration of the power of My Spirit.” That was all. I was not told to go or not to go _ I was told only the truth of why I had succeeded _ it was a demonstration of His Spirit’s power. Now, how could I go and be conferred with a doctorate if all that I had done had nothing to do with me? I couldn’t, I shouldn’t and I didn’t. The next morning, I thanked the professor, told him that I was deeply honoured but I would not be going to Kenya for the conferment. That should have settled the matter. Unfortunately, a few weeks later, my carnal self played up and said, “It was a fool’s decision to reject the doctorate. The blessing and reward of the Lord came and you did not even know how to enjoy it.” I decided to call up a friend and shared this with him. He told me, “Walk far away from it, Susan. Be happy that you have been honoured but lay down that doctorate. Come away from it _ be willing to lose it. You don’t need it to prove anything. Jesus in you is all-sufficient. You made the right choice in letting it go.” A lady with her own doctorate told me, “You should have gone for it. Times are changing. When you go overseas for ministry, people will not listen to you if you do not have a doctorate.” How sad. Not for me, but for them. If people will only come and hear me because I have a doctorate, they are the wrong group of people for me. I have no intention of ministering to such people. I want to minister to those whose hearts are in the right place, wanting more of God. I do not want to waste time speaking to anyone whose sense of value lies not in the things of the Spirit but in a degree or a doctorate. More than one person has asked me whether I regret losing that doctorate. Definitely not! I have not missed anything. My ministry is just as fruitful and effective. The doctorate would never have made my ministry effective but it would have affected me if I had taken it up _ it would have made me vain. Please do not get me wrong. I am not against doctorates and degrees or the conferment of titles. I am merely saying that we must know where and how to draw the line. Study is good and every minister should be doing his own on-going study of the Word. Only watch out that you do not study until your head swells and your spirit shrinks, until you see a demon in the face but call it a “complex” or a bad habit and do not know how to deal with it. “Look from the top,” says the Bridegroom to His bride. Yes, look from the top and let us get God’s perspective on the whole picture. What does He say? Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgement and righteousness, in the earth: for these things I delight, saith the Lord (Jeremiah 9:23-24). Yes, may God soon raise up a generation of men and women right across this nation who will be willing to lose it all, whatever it may be. May they be standard-bearers who will both understand and know the Lord: that God is a God who relishes the exercising of lovingkindness, judgement and righteousness. back to contents

Watchman's Bible Study -who cannot discern the signs of the times

The message today is: hypocrites cannot discern the signs of the times because they operate and focus on the level of the flesh (physical level, and mind and emotion -soul level). They are not mindful of the things of God but the things of men. They are not spiritually discerning. Jesus stated clearly that no one can see and enter the kingdom of God unless he is born again of the Spirit. Why cannot many 'Christians' see or hear God and live by the Spirit? The reason is the same as mentioned. To be born again of the Spirit, one must believe and obey the word of God as led by the Holy Spirit. Mere knowledge in the mind will not make one a born-again Christian. The willingness to know God in the Holy Spirit, through being joined to Jesus, and be of one spirit with Him, and the focus on spiritual matters rather than flesh matters, are prerequisites for being a spirit-led Christian, a true son of God. Only sons of God can discern the signs of the times and know Jesus as He is, the Son of God, the Christ. Only sons of God can overcome the devil.

The watchman's Bible study notes are in bracket.

Matthew 16

New King James Version (NKJV)

The Pharisees and Sadducees Seek a Sign

16 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. ² He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; ³ and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites!^[a] You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. ⁴ A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet^[b] Jonah.” And He left them and departed.

Watchman's notes: (The hypocrites do not really mean what they say, pray, proclaim or sing. Even when they quote a lot of Bible words in their 'displays' of religiosity, they would not gain or give life if they are not led by the Holy Spirit. To them signs are mere physical things, something that could give them physical sensation and they feel good about. Jesus had performed many miraculous signs but they still asked for more!)

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

⁵ Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. ⁶ Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”
⁷ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.”
⁸ But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?^{[c] 9} Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? ¹⁰ Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? ¹¹ How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ¹² Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Watchman's notes: (Even the disciples were not spiritually discerned. Today many Christians have the same problem because they focus on the flesh realm -physical and soul- and ignore the spiritual truth. Only spiritual truth sets one free from bondage, including that of the flesh -the old nature. Jesus said His words are life and spirit.  Reading His word needs spiritual discernment.)

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

¹³ When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
¹⁴ So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
¹⁶ Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
¹⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. ¹⁹ And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed^[d] in heaven.”
²⁰ Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

Watchman's notes: ( Only God, who is the Father in heaven for Christians, can reveal spiritual truth to His children. Why then cannot many Christians understand spiritual truth? The question everyone needs to ask is: am I a child of God? Do I have a spiritual relationship with God as the Father in heaven? Is Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God to me personally?)

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection

²¹ From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
²² Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”
²³ But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

 Watchman's notes:(the key difference between the children of God and the children of Satan is: the children of God are mindful of the things of God. God is Spirit. Only those born of the Spirit are His children. They are spiritually discerning. Their focus is on God- hear His word, do His will and live His divine nature, as led by the Holy Spirit.

Take Up the Cross and Follow Him

²⁴ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ²⁵ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. ²⁶ For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? ²⁷ For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. ²⁸ “Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

 Watchman's notes:(the spiritual man is not afraid to deny his flesh, his old nature, his 'self'. True disciple has no difficulty to follow Jesus as he walks and lives through the Spirit, living the kingdom of God's life even on earth.)

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 16:3 NU-Text omits Hypocrites.
2. Matthew 16:4 NU-Text omits the prophet.
3. Matthew 16:8 NU-Text reads you have no bread.
4. Matthew 16:19 Or will have been bound . . . will have been loosed

 Watchman's notes: in summary, please read Romans 8, 1 Corinthians 2, 2 Corinthians 10:2-5

When the enemy comes in like a flood

Isaiah 59

New King James Version (NKJV)

Separated from God

59 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear.
² But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you,
So that He will not hear.
³ For your hands are defiled with blood,
And your fingers with iniquity;
Your lips have spoken lies,
Your tongue has muttered perversity.

⁴ No one calls for justice,
Nor does any plead for truth.
They trust in empty words and speak lies;
They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity.
⁵ They hatch vipers’ eggs and weave the spider’s web;
He who eats of their eggs dies,
And from that which is crushed a viper breaks out.

⁶ Their webs will not become garments,
Nor will they cover themselves with their works;
Their works are works of iniquity,
And the act of violence is in their hands.
⁷ Their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed innocent blood;
Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;
Wasting and destruction are in their paths.
⁸ The way of peace they have not known,
And there is no justice in their ways;
They have made themselves crooked paths;
Whoever takes that way shall not know peace.

Sin Confessed

⁹ Therefore justice is far from us,
Nor does righteousness overtake us;
We look for light, but there is darkness!
For brightness, but we walk in blackness!
¹⁰ We grope for the wall like the blind,
And we grope as if we had no eyes;
We stumble at noonday as at twilight;
We are as dead men in desolate places.
¹¹ We all growl like bears,
And moan sadly like doves;
We look for justice, but there is none;
For salvation, but it is far from us.
¹² For our transgressions are multiplied before You,
And our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And as for our iniquities, we know them:
¹³ In transgressing and lying against the Lord,
And departing from our God,
Speaking oppression and revolt,
Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
¹⁴ Justice is turned back,
And righteousness stands afar off;
For truth is fallen in the street,
And equity cannot enter.
¹⁵ So truth fails,
And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.

The Redeemer of Zion

Then the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him
That there was no justice.

¹⁶ He saw that there was no man,
And wondered that there was no intercessor;
Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him;
And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.
¹⁷ For He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing,
And was clad with zeal as a cloak.
¹⁸ According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay,
Fury to His adversaries,
Recompense to His enemies;
The coastlands He will fully repay.
¹⁹ So shall they fear
The name of the Lord from the west,
And His glory from the rising of the sun;
When the enemy comes in like a flood,
The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.

²⁰ “The Redeemer will come to Zion,
And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,”
Says the Lord.

²¹ “As for Me,” says the Lord, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the Lord, “from this time and forevermore.”

THE TRUE HELPER HAS COME

 Eve had failed Adam. Many had failed their spouses. The reason is that the man (Adam) involved had not fulfilled his spiritual role to fit into the original design by God. Thus the helper (Eve) could not fit in her original spiritual design. The answer and solution is in the spiritual realm. Families have been salvaged and saved from being robbed, destroyed and even killed by the enemies (agents of the evil one) when man and woman submit to God and resist the devil. The Holy Spirit (the true Helper and Comforter) has come to enable and empower those who believe to overcome the enemy.

1.  Genesis 2:18
   And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
   Genesis 2:17-19 (in Context) Genesis 2 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
2. Genesis 2:20
   So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
   Genesis 2:19-21 (in Context) Genesis 2 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
3. 2 Kings 14:26
   For the LORD saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter; and whether bond or free, there was no helper for Israel.
   2 Kings 14:25-27 (in Context) 2 Kings 14 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
4. Job 29:12
   Because I delivered the poor who cried out, The fatherless and the one who had no helper.
   Job 29:11-13 (in Context) Job 29 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
5. Job 30:13
   They break up my path, They promote my calamity; They have no helper.
   Job 30:12-14 (in Context) Job 30 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
6. Psalm 10:14
   But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief, To repay it by Your hand. The helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.
   Psalm 10:13-15 (in Context) Psalm 10 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
7. Psalm 30:10
   Hear, O LORD, and have mercy on me; LORD, be my helper!”
   Psalm 30:9-11 (in Context) Psalm 30 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
8. Psalm 54:4
   Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is with those who uphold my life.
   Psalm 54:3-5 (in Context) Psalm 54 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
9. Psalm 72:12
   For He will deliver the needy when he cries, The poor also, and him who has no helper.
   Psalm 72:11-13 (in Context) Psalm 72 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
10. Jeremiah 47:4
    Because of the day that comes to plunder all the Philistines, To cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper who remains; For the LORD shall plunder the Philistines, The remnant of the country of Caphtor.
    Jeremiah 47:3-5 (in Context) Jeremiah 47 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
11. John 14:15
    [ Jesus Promises Another Helper ] “If you love Me, keep My commandments.
    John 14:14-16 (in Context) John 14 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
12. John 14:16
    And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
    John 14:15-17 (in Context) John 14 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
13. John 14:26
    But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
    John 14:25-27 (in Context) John 14 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
14. John 15:26
    [ The Coming Rejection ] “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
    John 15:25-27 (in Context) John 15 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
15. John 16:7
    Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
    John 16:6-8 (in Context) John 16 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
16. Romans 16:2
    that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.
    Romans 16:1-3 (in Context) Romans 16 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
17. Hebrews 13:6
    So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
    Hebrews 13:5-7 (in Context) Hebrews 13 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations

GOD’S SPOKEN WORD IN THE SPIRIT -THE END TIMES WORD-SWORD 2

GOD’S WORD DEMANDS OBEDIENCE, BUILDS HOLY AND GODLY CHARACTER, GIVES LIFE
Deuteronomy 8:2-4 And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years.
Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
EVIL TONGUE BRINGS DESTRUCTION
Job 5:21 You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
And you shall not be afraid of destruction when it comes.
Job 20:16 He will suck the poison of cobras;
The viper’s tongue will slay him.
WATCHMAN HEARS AND FEARS GOD AND SPEAKS HIS WORD ONLY; GOD MAKES SURE HIS WORD COMES TRUE
Ezekiel 3:16-17 Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me:
Ezekiel 33:6-8 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’
7 “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.
Job 5:15 But He saves the needy from the sword, From the mouth of the mighty, And from their hand.
Isaiah 1:20 But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
2 Chronicles 36:22 [ The Proclamation of Cyrus ] Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,
Ezra 1:1 [ End of The Babylonian Captivity ] Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,
Psalm 33:6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.
Isaiah 45:23 I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath.
Isaiah 55:11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
Deuteronomy 30:14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.
GOD SPOKE THROUGH THESE PROPHETS AND CONDEMN EVIL TONGUE
Jeremiah 1:9 Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
Isaiah 50:4 “The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned.
(Watchman’s notes: the watchman’s job is to seek the Lord, hear His word and give to the people as told.)
Ezekiel 33:31 So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain.
(Watchman’s notes: often the people do not listen to true prophets, because they are self-seeking and do not really seek God. But the true prophets fear God and not men.)
Isaiah 54:17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the LORD.
(Watchman’s notes: the devil uses man’s mouth to accuse the brethren. But the Lord has given His people his word which is all powerful to overcome the enemy!)
Isaiah 57:4 Whom do you ridicule? Against whom do you make a wide mouth And stick out the tongue? Are you not children of transgression, Offspring of falsehood,
(Watchman’s notes: just look at the internet postings on social network, e.g.facebook etc.)
Isaiah 59:3 For your hands are defiled with blood, And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken lies, Your tongue has muttered perversity.
(Watchman’s notes: unlike the social ‘norm’ of these days, God’s standard/plumb line demands absolute integrity. To Him, speaking lies means muttering perversity.)
Jeremiah 9:3 “And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies. They are not valiant for the truth on the earth. For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know Me,” says the LORD.
Jeremiah 9:5 Everyone will deceive his neighbor, And will not speak the truth; They have taught their tongue to speak lies; They weary themselves to commit iniquity.
(Watchman’s notes: people have to learn to tell lies, by listening and believing the lies told to them (by evil spirits) in their mind. After practicing this way long enough (to the extent of deliberately bending their tongues), they tell lies automatically, believing their own lies as truth!)
Jeremiah 9:8 Their tongue is an arrow shot out; It speaks deceit; One speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, But in his heart he lies in wait.
(Watchman’s notes: Do not listen with your physical ears to words of ‘peace’. Listen with your spirit and hear the evil intents of their hearts. Discern the spirit that uses the speaker’s mouth).
Jeremiah 18:18 [ Jeremiah Persecuted ] Then they said, “Come and let us devise plans against Jeremiah... Come and let us attack him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.”
(Watchman’s notes: the evil one attacks with words through the tongues of men.)
Hosea 7:16 They return, but not to the Most High; They are like a treacherous bow. Their princes shall fall by the sword For the cursings of their tongue. This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
Micah 6:12 For her rich men are full of violence, Her inhabitants have spoken lies, And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
(Watchman’s notes: those who use their tongues to curse will fall by their own curses. Violence and lies/deceits are linked together with pride. James 3 well describes how such evil manifestations work together.)
Zephaniah 3:13 The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness And speak no lies, Nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; For they shall feed their flocks and lie down, And no one shall make them afraid.”
Zechariah 14:12 And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.
Isaiah 11:15 The LORD will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt; With His mighty wind He will shake His fist over the River, And strike it in the seven streams, And make men cross over dry-shod.
Jeremiah 5:14 Therefore thus says the LORD God of hosts: “Because you speak this word, Behold, I will make My words in your mouth fire, And this people wood, And it shall devour them.
Jeremiah 23:16 Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart, Not from the mouth of the LORD.