End Times Survival Weapons: Fast and Pray Training Class 2

The watchman and his class went through a miraculous weekend fasting the Esther Fast (three days without food or water) together in the sanctuary of God., some with variations (3 days with water; one or two days without food or water). For the watchman this was the first time without food and water for 72 hours (Thursday 6pm to Sunday 6pm).
A week prior to this, he fasted caffeine (coffee and tea) totally. For a week he suffered the withdrawal symptoms and had a hard time adjusting. But reading the word of God and seeking God enabled him to hold on. By the time the actual fast started he was amazed to find that he did not have any more physical symptoms (manifestations).
A pastor came to minister to the class by sharing God’s words on fasting. They sang hymns of God’s words put in music. They proclaimed God’s words. They worshiped and praised God. The brethren gathered together in one unison in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord’s Spirit was in their midst. The anointing broke the yokes. During one session, on the second day, the watchman had chest pain which lasted thirty minutes. He prayed. He commanded it to go. When the hymn based on Isaiah 54:17 was sung, he decided to sing along.
“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.”
He proclaimed the verses by applying them on himself. As he sang he could feel the pain which spread to his ear left just as suddenly as it came!
On the third day he found that he coughed out a bit of phlegm. Otherwise he felt fresh and well. The supply of moisture in his mouth was constant and supernatural. He could translate, speak, read aloud God’s words, sing and worship God.  However when he felt he was safely near his goal, with four more hours to go, he had a frightful attack twice. At 2pm his breath stopped without symptoms or forewarning. He was taking a nap in his room alone when this happened. In that instant he got up. The first time it happened he did not take heed it was a spiritual attack. So he tried to sleep again. But this time it was very clear and he was not even sleeping when his breath stopped. (This time he heard in his spirit “take the Blood of Jesus, proclaim life!”) So he got up, knelt down and took the Holy Communion.
Later when he recalled this incident he recalled that just prior the fasting an agent called him for an appointment for a potential buyer to view his spare house on Sunday 2pm (the exact moment of the attacks). The agent said that this buyer can pay cash for his house and really wants to buy his house even at the rather high price he intends to sell. But a loved one who overheard this conversation immediately said no. She reminded him to Isaiah 58:13-14. The watchman obeyed. The words of God had saved him. (He dared not think of the consequences if he was driving long distance alone or in that empty house alone when the attacks occurred). The Lord was indeed merciful!
Some of the lessons learned from this fasting training for the watchman are as follows:
1. Believe and Obey the words of God.

2. Listen and obey the Holy Spirit.

3. Honor God (and His words).

4. Be humble and open to reminders from others (they are led by the Holy Spirit too!)

5. Watch and Pray always.

________________Bible Verses

Isaiah 58:13-14 (NKJV)

¹³ “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath,
From doing your pleasure on My holy day,
And call the Sabbath a delight,
The holy day of the Lord honorable,
And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways,
Nor finding your own pleasure,
Nor speaking your own words,
¹⁴ Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord;
And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth,
And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.
The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Today’s Proverbs: Who has anguish? Who has sorrow?

Proverbs 23

New Living Translation (NLT)

23 While dining with a ruler,
pay attention to what is put before you.
² If you are a big eater,
put a knife to your throat;
³ don’t desire all the delicacies,
for he might be trying to trick you.

⁴ Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich.
Be wise enough to know when to quit.
⁵ In the blink of an eye wealth disappears,
for it will sprout wings
and fly away like an eagle.

⁶ Don’t eat with people who are stingy;
don’t desire their delicacies.
⁷ They are always thinking about how much it costs.^[a]
“Eat and drink,” they say, but they don’t mean it.
⁸ You will throw up what little you’ve eaten,
and your compliments will be wasted.

⁹ Don’t waste your breath on fools,
for they will despise the wisest advice.

¹⁰ Don’t cheat your neighbor by moving the ancient boundary markers;
don’t take the land of defenseless orphans.
¹¹ For their Redeemer^[b] is strong;
he himself will bring their charges against you.

¹² Commit yourself to instruction;
listen carefully to words of knowledge.

¹³ Don’t fail to discipline your children.
They won’t die if you spank them.
¹⁴ Physical discipline
may well save them from death.^[c]

¹⁵ My child,^[d] if your heart is wise,
my own heart will rejoice!
¹⁶ Everything in me will celebrate
when you speak what is right.

¹⁷ Don’t envy sinners,
but always continue to fear the Lord.
¹⁸ You will be rewarded for this;
your hope will not be disappointed.

¹⁹ My child, listen and be wise:
Keep your heart on the right course.
²⁰ Do not carouse with drunkards
or feast with gluttons,
²¹ for they are on their way to poverty,
and too much sleep clothes them in rags.

²² Listen to your father, who gave you life,
and don’t despise your mother when she is old.
²³ Get the truth and never sell it;
also get wisdom, discipline, and good judgment.
²⁴ The father of godly children has cause for joy.
What a pleasure to have children who are wise.^[e]
25 So give your father and mother joy!
May she who gave you birth be happy.

²⁶ O my son, give me your heart.
May your eyes take delight in following my ways.
²⁷ A prostitute is a dangerous trap;
a promiscuous woman is as dangerous as falling into a narrow well.
²⁸ She hides and waits like a robber,
eager to make more men unfaithful.

²⁹ Who has anguish? Who has sorrow?
    Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining?
    Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
³⁰ It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns,
    trying out new drinks.
³¹ Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is,
how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down.
³² For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake;
    it stings like a viper.
³³ You will see hallucinations,
    and you will say crazy things.
³⁴ You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea,
clinging to a swaying mast.
³⁵ And you will say, “They hit me, but I didn’t feel it.
I didn’t even know it when they beat me up.
When will I wake up
so I can look for another drink?”

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 23:7 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
2. Proverbs 23:11 Or redeemer.
3. Proverbs 23:14 Hebrew from Sheol.
4. Proverbs 23:15 Hebrew My son; also in 23:19.
5. Proverbs 23:24 Hebrew to have a wise son.

End Times Investment: the richest man advises further on wealth

 

1. Ecclesiastes 2:26
   God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him. But if a sinner becomes wealthy, God takes the wealth away and gives it to those who please him. This, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.
   Ecclesiastes 2:25-26 (in Context) Ecclesiastes 2 (Whole Chapter)
2. Ecclesiastes 4:8
   This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing.
   Ecclesiastes 4:7-9 (in Context) Ecclesiastes 4 (Whole Chapter)
3. Ecclesiastes 5:8
   [ The Futility of Wealth ] Don’t be surprised if you see a poor person being oppressed by the powerful and if justice is being miscarried throughout the land. For every official is under orders from higher up, and matters of justice get lost in red tape and bureaucracy.
   Ecclesiastes 5:7-9 (in Context) Ecclesiastes 5 (Whole Chapter)
4. Ecclesiastes 5:10
   Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!
   Ecclesiastes 5:9-11 (in Context) Ecclesiastes 5 (Whole Chapter)
5. Ecclesiastes 5:11
   The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!
   Ecclesiastes 5:10-12 (in Context) Ecclesiastes 5 (Whole Chapter)
6. Ecclesiastes 5:19
   And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God.
   Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 (in Context) Ecclesiastes 5 (Whole Chapter)
7. Ecclesiastes 6:2
   God gives some people great wealth and honor and everything they could ever want, but then he doesn’t give them the chance to enjoy these things. They die, and someone else, even a stranger, ends up enjoying their wealth! This is meaningless—a sickening tragedy.
   Ecclesiastes 6:1-3 (in Context) Ecclesiastes 6 (Whole Chapter)
8. Ecclesiastes 9:11
   I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time.
   Ecclesiastes 9:10-12 (in Context) Ecclesiastes 9 (Whole Chapter)

End Times Church Count-down: Fast and Pray, Church!

Esther 3 (KJV)

 ¹After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.
 ²And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.
 ³Then the king's servants, which were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment?
 ⁴Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew.
 ⁵And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.
 ⁶And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.
 ⁷In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.
(Nisan is April. Note the date: 13th April, 2012.)
 ⁸And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them.
 ⁹If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.
 ¹⁰And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.
 ¹¹And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee.
 ¹²Then were the king's scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring.
 ¹³And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
(Adar is March).
 ¹⁴The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, that they should be ready against that day.
 ¹⁵The posts went out, being hastened by the king's commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed.
______________________________________Jewish Calendar

Hebrew	English	Number	Length	Civil Equivalent
	Nissan	1	30 days	March-April
	Iyar	2	29 days	April-May
	Sivan	3	30 days	May-June
	Tammuz	4	29 days	June-July
	Av	5	30 days	July-August
	Elul	6	29 days	August-September
	Tishri	7	30 days	September-October
	Cheshvan	8	29 or 30 days	October-November
	Kislev	9	30 or 29 days	November-December
	Tevet	10	29 days	December-January
	Shevat	11	30 days	January-February
	Adar I (leap years only)	12	30 days	February-March
	Adar (called Adar Beit in leap years)	12 (13 in leap years)	29 days	February-March

End Times Witnessing: Can one not war?

The watchman asked the Lord whether he might stay away from engaging in spiritual warfare. Can he be allowed to remain in his comfort zone? He pleaded that he had to take care of his own people first and make sure they are protected.

Then he was asked to read the following psalm. There is really no option. (His notes are in bracket)

Psalm 144 Of David.

1 Praise be to the LORD my Rock,
who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle.

(The Lord trains us for battle and war. There is no reason that after training we can stay away from the spiritual battlefield. Jesus commanded His trained disciples in Matt.28:18-20, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” The Holy Spirit spoke through Paul, in 2 Timothy 2:2, “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”)

2 He is my loving God and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield, in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples[a] under me.

(God provides the whole armor. In fact, He is the armor and protection: He is the fortress, stronghold and shield against the enemy.)

3 LORD, what are human beings that you care for them,
mere mortals that you think of them?
4 They are like a breath;
their days are like a fleeting shadow.

(He considers even the most insignificant human important enough to be protected by HIM.)

5 Part your heavens, LORD, and come down;
touch the mountains, so that they smoke.
6 Send forth lightning and scatter the enemy;
shoot your arrows and rout them.

(Spiritual weapons come from heaven: fire, lightning, arrows Prayers will bring forth these weapons, as illustrated in many Biblical examples.)

7 Reach down your hand from on high;
deliver me and rescue me

(God’s hand is the mighty weapon against the enemy’s hands. The hand of the Lord saves and delivers. The hand of the Lord upon Prophet Ezekiel signifies the Holy Spirit and His might.)

from the mighty waters,
from the hands of foreigners
8 whose mouths are full of lies,
whose right hands are deceitful.

(The enemy’s weapon is his deceitful mouth and right hand.The right hand is a place of honor (1 Kings 2:19; Psalm 45:9); because of this, it is raised in swearing (Galatians 2:9). The enemy swears falsely. Satan is the accuser of the brethren. Rev.12:10)

9 I will sing a new song to you, my God;
on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,
10 to the One who gives victory to kings,
who delivers his servant David.

From the deadly sword 11 deliver me;
rescue me from the hands of foreigners
whose mouths are full of lies,
whose right hands are deceitful.

(When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard (the word of God) against him. Isaiah59:19 Praise and worship is an effective weapon and some kings like David, Jehoshaphat had used this weapon well. Instead of allowing the enemy to use our mouths to proclaim lies, we let the Holy Spirit use our mouths to proclaim Truth, the word of God. Truth sets captives free. His word is light and lamp. His word is life and Spirit.)

12 Then our sons in their youth
will be like well-nurtured plants,
and our daughters will be like pillars
carved to adorn a palace.

(Victory in spiritual wars will enable us to bring up our children well, godly and honorable.)

13 Our barns will be filled
with every kind of provision.
Our sheep will increase by thousands,
by tens of thousands in our fields;
14 our oxen will draw heavy loads.[b]

(Even our physical profession/business will do well in all our endeavors and have financial and material security and prosperity.)

There will be no breaching of walls,
no going into captivity,
no cry of distress in our streets.

(The enemy will not find any open door to enter to steal, kill and destroy, as the walls (protective hedges) will be well guarded and maintained. The enemy will have no power over us: body, soul and spirit.)

15 Blessed is the people of whom this is true;
blessed is the people whose God is the LORD.

(Summary: There is no need to fear spiritual wars. You will be blessed when you believe and practice the above, living the life of a citizen in the Kingdom of God, as a son of God, being led by the Holy Spirit, believing and living the word of God. You do not have any other option.)

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 144:2 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, Aquila, Jerome and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text subdues my people
2. Psalm 144:14 Or our chieftains will be firmly established

_______________Bible verses on ongoing spiritual warfare

Ephesians 6:10-18(NKJV)

The Whole Armor of God

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

(Note: The full armor of God is spiritual, and includes praying in the Spirit. This has often been overlooked by Christians. The word of God and praying in the Spirit are the only two offensive weapons here.)

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NKJV)

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

(The enemy sets up strongholds in the minds of men. The battlefield is in the mind -our thoughts and emotions.)

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NKJV)

3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

(The enemy blinds the minds of human and thus prevents them from believing the Gospel of Jesus and accepting Jesus as their Savior and Lord and are thus saved and delivered from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.)

Lament with HOPE: He will not crush the weakest reed

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice  ~ Isaiah 42:3 NIV

 

New Living Translation (NLT)

 ³ He will not crush the weakest reed
      or put out a flickering candle.
      He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. 

 

 

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory.  In his name the nations will put their hope. ~ Matthew 12: 20-21 NIV

 

 New Living Translation (NLT)  ²⁰ He will not crush the weakest reed
      or put out a flickering candle.
      Finally he will cause justice to be victorious.
 ²¹ And his name will be the hope
      of all the world.”^[a]

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 12:21 Isa 42:1-4 (Greek version for 42:4).

 Isaiah 42:1-4

New King James Version (NKJV)

The Servant of the Lord

42 “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
My Elect One in whom My soul delights!
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
² He will not cry out, nor raise His voice,
Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
³ A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench;
He will bring forth justice for truth.
⁴ He will not fail nor be discouraged,
Till He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”

 Ecclesiastes 3

New King James Version (NKJV)

Everything Has Its Time

3 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

² A time to be born,
    And a time to die;
A time to plant,
    And a time to pluck what is planted;
³ A time to kill,
    And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
    And a time to build up;
⁴ A time to weep,
    And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
    And a time to dance;
⁵ A time to cast away stones,
    And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
    And a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶ A time to gain,
    And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
    And a time to throw away;
⁷ A time to tear,
    And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
    And a time to speak;
⁸ A time to love,
    And a time to hate;
A time of war,
    And a time of peace.

The God-Given Task

⁹ What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? ¹⁰ I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

End Times Watchman Bible Study: Today God Speaks “Relationship”

Today’s Bible Study Message in Luke 15 for watchmen is about one key theme according to the will of God for mankind: God wants relationship with His own.
Heaven rejoices to see the will of God accomplished. The key words are: “Lost” and “found”, “dead” and alive”. It is also about what quantity or weight is considered significant to God: One-hundredth, One-tenth, or One-half? The answer is, every individual unit matters. There is no limit to God’s grace and mercy.
Who matters to God? Who are God’s treasures/possessions? All are invited, but the specific treasure will be those who respond to His calling for repentance and have a mark of God (reverent fear of the Lord) on them. (Read Malachi 3:16-18. Also read Revelation 9:4-5; Ezekiel 9:4-6; Revelation 14:1)

(The watchman’s notes are in brackets. )________________________
Luke 15 (NIV)
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
(God delights in those who listen to Jesus. They are the ones who respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. The spiritually discerned can receive the things of the Spirit of God. 1 Cor.2:9-16. The Holy Spirit transmits God’s messages, but the natural man does not receive. The Pharisees and scribes are obsessed with their physical realm and refuse to believe in the spiritual supernatural realm of God as demonstrated by Jesus, the Son of God.)
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
(Sheep is a valuable asset to a shepherd. It is like his family as he lives with his flocks for long period of time moving according to the availability of pasture and water. Although in this case the loss is only one percent, the shepherd values his relationship with each sheep. Note how different the way God looks at value, putting high worth on persons whom religious leaders consider of low worth. There is a key to appreciating a person’s worth in God’s accounting system, “repentance”. The moment the sinner repents a relationship with God is initiated in the heavenly realm! Hallelujah! )
The Parable of the Lost Coin
8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
(Each coin is worth a day’s wages. Compared to the lost sheep the value of each unit alone is much less. But in this case the woman lost one-tenth of her collection of coins, and it meant a lot to her. It was night time when she discovered her loss. What was she doing prior to that? She took out her coin collection and looked at them. The missing part was not overlooked. The worth of the loss is determined by the owner himself/herself. It depends on who the owner is. When we are owned by God, each unit/part becomes just as valuable as the whole. This is the law in heaven. Even angels know this.)
The Parable of the Lost Son
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
(In terms of physical importance, one out of two or one-half of the whole is quite important. But the key to being valuable here is again, “relationship”. The father described the lost son as: “this son of mine” and “this brother of yours”. He described a relationship on which he has placed great worth and he has reminded his elder son to focus on the unchangeable relationship and not on physical aspects that can change. God is our Father in heaven. He places great worth on relationship with His own. This is what Jesus wants us to know.)
 
Summary: No matter who you are in the eyes of men, what you have gone through, and how badly you have fallen, the only thing that matters is to get into a relationship with God. Repentance is the first step of faith in action. However, there is a time limit for this. Read Luke 17:34-36 on how 50% of each pair can be eternally lost in the days of the Son of Man.

End Times Watchman Bible Study: Beware of the wrong tree

Here is the Bible study for watchmen today.

Luke 12 (NKJV)

(The watchman's study is in bracket)

Beware of Hypocrisy

12 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another,  

He (Jesus) began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 

(The Pharisees are religious Jews. They are famous for their physical observations of their religious traditions, rules and regulations, including ritualistic practices. How to know who are the Pharisees today? Know them by their fruit. 

The Lord Jesus has warned against blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and stated that a tree is recognized by its fruit. (Matt.12:31-33) when the Pharisees questioned and slandered the work of the Holy Spirit.).

² For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. ³ Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

(Jesus further warned the disciples that although the religious leaders appeared godly and purported to be defender of their religion externally, making a lot of observations, analysis and criticism on Jesus' teaching and lifestyle, insinuating that He was in error, even to the point of accusing His supernatural power having come from Satan himself. But they themselves were in fact the real descendants of the devil. They lived in darkness and spoke from the dark realm. However, the light of God will expose them).

Jesus Teaches the Fear of God

⁴ “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!
(Jesus teaches that His followers should fear God and not fear men or the devil behind men. Only God can have the power to cast men into hell, which He has reserved for the devil.)
⁶ “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?^[a] And not one of them is forgotten before God. ⁷ But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
(Jesus has assured His followers that they are valuable to God and God will take care of them, body, soul and spirit). 

Confess Christ Before Men

⁸ “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. ⁹ But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
¹⁰ “And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.
 (The Pharisees have challenged the divine authority of Jesus. They did not believe that He is the Son of God. They even condemned the works of the Holy Spirit! Only by willingness to listen to the Gospel, receiving the Holy Spirit's conviction of sins, repenting, believing in Jesus' blood bought redemption on the cross, being thus born again  by the Holy Spirit through incorruptible seed (the word of God 1 Peter1:23), will one be saved from eternal damnation. Believing in the full Gospel message means believing in the reality of God, Who is Spirit).
¹¹ “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. ¹² For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
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Summary for watchman: 

Beware of purported religious teaching from men. Read the word of God, the Bible yourself. Abide in Christ and let the word of God abide in you. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you. Obey. Practice. Watch the fruit. Are they fruit that the Lord wants? Fruit that remains? (John 15:7, 16)

Watchman Adventure: How does a watchman do his work?

How does a watchman work? He needs to wait upon the Lord and receive messages before he could do anything. Lately the watchman was led in his spirit to do or heed something differently. The overall message is: Be supernatural and be spiritual!

Watch and Pray for signs confirmed by the word of God.

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1. He resumed Sunday afternoon class urgently but with a difference. Instead of the usual teaching conducted by him or another, the class just read the Book of Mark, with everyone reading at the same time about eight chapters each in his own language. They were given about an hour to read and most managed to finish six chapters. Only one English teacher finished eight chapters.

After that he spent about half an hour sharing (with the help of a translator for non-English speaking audience) what the Holy Spirit wanted them to know about these passages. He went through the passages earlier and had some observations, but when he started to share what came forth was entirely Spirit led. When he completed the translator told him that she perceived that it was not from his mind.

Indeed, the watchman received a fresh message from the Gospel of Mark that it was all about authority, the authority of the Son of God, on how to live the Kingdom of God life on earth as in heaven. Jesus (the Son of God) was living and demonstrating to His disciples a supernatural lifestyle. To Him, it was normal. Being able to use His divine authority, calling for repentance, preaching the Kingdom of God message, healing the sick and casting out demons were part and parcel of everyday life. Making physical things that can be seen out of unseen resources like feeding 5000 thousand men plus women and children with only five loaves and two fish, and 4000 men plus with only seven loaves and a few fish, were normal. Commanding the natural elements to obey, wind and waves to stop, walking on water, and many more, were ordinary, normal events.

Of course, the Holy Spirit's giving birth to sons of God through the word of God (incorruptible seed), sons of God being led by the Spirit of God, being redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, and being justified by faith (believing in the unseen Son of God's giving His life 2000 years ago) etc. all supernatural happenings are normal to the Kingdom of God citizens too.

2. He was led to pray differently for another watchman who has suffered physical excruciating pain for about five months. After such a prolonged period of crisis, he has run out of words to intercede for the person. However, yesterday he was led to read Revelation 8 and 9. When he reached 9:5 he realized that that watchman was a type signifying the reality of end times. When he re-read Chapter 8, he realized the reason why a strange strong wind blew and one of his three tall trees was cut off side way just a few days ago. It was a sign for 8:7. But he asked the Lord for another confirmation and he was led to read Isaiah 24, all about end times. The end times signs and messages are on again with greater urgency. The two signs appeared after the Seventh Seal, at the first and fifth trumpet sounds (out of seven trumpets). Instead of praying for a local situation, he was led to look at the big picture!
3. He was also led to pray for another intercessor differently. For sometime he was feeling uncomfortable over a closed one (of younger generation), with similar spiritual calling and gifts of seeing visions and receiving prophetic words from the Lord. She appeared super-sensitive over even kindly advice like, not to utter complaints about her own loved ones. He asked the Lord how to pray. He asked for Bible prophet example. The answer came clearly and instantly, the prophet Micah. So he asked further what were the calling of the three of them at this time and space. He was asked to read Nehemiah 3:8. The two intercessors were helping to build the Jerusalem Broad Wall, being the goldsmith and the perfume maker. He is building next to them, as man from Mizpah (which means 'Watchtower')! Again, he was led to look at the big picture and not be distracted by petty localized 'symptoms'!

Summary: Read the word of God with freshness as led by the Holy Spirit; intercede with end times in mind; keep on rebuilding the "Jerusalem walls", focusing on God's big plan for human kind.

End Times Witnessing: This is the Victory! This is the Confidence!

The watchman woke when he heard the sound of the wind. He got up and looked out from his attic window. The trees were swaying but this time he prayed that his trees would be protected. Then the wind stopped and the trees swayed gently despite their height. The rain came. He was tempted to go back to slumber. But his spirit man urged him to stay up. So he took the cup of vine juice that represented the blood of Jesus and a biscuit that represented the body of Jesus. 

As he was kneeling and praying something fell from his prayer table. He picked it up and on it was the inscription of 1 John 5:4: " ⁴ For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith."

The Word for today is "Our Faith".

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1 John 5

New King James Version (NKJV)

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. ² By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. ³ For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. ⁴ For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our^[a] faith. ⁵ Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

The Certainty of God’s Witness

⁶ This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. ⁷ For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. ⁸ And there are three that bear witness on earth:^[b] the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.
⁹ If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which^[c] He has testified of His Son. ¹⁰ He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. ¹¹ And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. ¹² He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. ¹³ These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life,^[d] and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

Confidence and Compassion in Prayer

¹⁴ Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
¹⁶ If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. ¹⁷ All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.

Knowing the True—Rejecting the False

¹⁸ We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself,^[e] and the wicked one does not touch him.
¹⁹ We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
²⁰ And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
²¹ Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
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 Hebrews 11 (AMP)
  ¹NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, ^[a]the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].    ²For by [faith--^[b]trust and holy fervor born of faith] the men of old had divine testimony borne to them and obtained a good report.
    ³By faith we understand that the worlds [during the successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible.
  ⁴[Prompted, actuated] by faith Abel brought God a better and more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, because of which it was testified of him that he was righteous [that he was upright and in right standing with God], and God bore witness by accepting and acknowledging his gifts. And though he died, yet [through the incident] he is still speaking.
    ⁵Because of faith Enoch was caught up and transferred to heaven, so that he did not have a glimpse of death; and he was not found, because God had translated him. For even before he was taken to heaven, he received testimony [still on record] that he had pleased and been satisfactory to God.
    ⁶But 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].
    ⁷[Prompted] by faith Noah, being forewarned by God concerning events of which as yet there was no visible sign, took heed and diligently and reverently constructed and prepared an ark for the deliverance of his own family. By this [his faith which relied on God] he passed judgment and sentence on the world's unbelief and became an heir and possessor of righteousness (^[c]that relation of being right into which God puts the person who has faith).

Waiting upon the Lord requires constant practice. There is no work-smart kind of shortcut, no microwave kind of instant experience and encounter. Many men and women of faith spent the bulk of their life time waiting upon God. The watchman could see the significant difference on those whose lifestyle is waiting upon the Lord! A senior watchman/intercessor often required the class to spend time in quiet doing 'nothing' except waiting upon God. They were usually required to do so in the afternoon when he was feeling quite sleepy. But he noticed that the others were indeed seasoned 'waiters'. They had gone through many practices and were truly basking in the Presence of the Lord.
When he decided to seriously wait upon the Lord, he received the word 'Practice'. Here are some of the Bible verses (in Amplified Bible) for serious seekers of God._____________________

PRACTICE WHAT JESUS HAS COMMANDED

Matthew 5:19 Whoever then breaks or does away with or relaxes one of the least [important] of these commandments and teaches men so shall be called least [important] in the kingdom of heaven, but he who practices them and teaches others to do so shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Luke 6:27 But I say to you who are listening now to Me: [ in order to heed, make it a practice to] love your enemies, treat well (do good to, act nobly toward) those who detest you and pursue you with hatred,
Luke 6:46 Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not [practice] what I tell you?
Luke 6:49 But he who merely hears and does not practice doing My words is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation, against which the torrent burst, and immediately it collapsed and fell, and the breaking and ruin of that house was great.
Luke 11:28 But He said, Blessed (happy and to be envied) rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey and practice it!
John 3:21 But he who practices truth [who does what is right] comes out into the Light; so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are--wrought with God [divinely prompted, done with God's help, in dependence upon Him].
John 5:27 And He has given Him authority and granted Him power to execute (exercise, practice) judgment because He is a Son of man [very man].
John 5:29 And they shall come out--those who have practiced doing good [will come out] to the resurrection of [new] life, and those who have done evil will be raised for judgment [raised to meet their sentence].

John 13:17 If you know these things, blessed and happy and to be envied are you if you practice them [if you act accordingly and really do them].

Revelation 22:9 But he said to me, Refrain! [You must not do that!] I am [only] a fellow servant along with yourself and with your brethren the prophets and with those who are mindful of and practice [the truths contained in] the messages of this book. Worship God!

PUT TRAINING INTO PRACTICE

Philippians 4:9 Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you.
1 Timothy 4:15 Practice and cultivate and meditate upon these duties; throw yourself wholly into them [as your ministry], so that your progress may be evident to everybody.
Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is for full-grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law.
Hebrews 6:12 In order that you may not grow disinterested and become [spiritual] sluggards, but imitators, behaving as do those who through faith (by their leaning of the entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness ) and by practice of patient endurance and waiting are [now] inheriting the promises.

1 Peter 4:7

But the end and culmination of all things has now come near; keep sound minded and self-restrained and alert therefore for [the practice of] prayer.

End Times Witnessing: 'killer winter' is no surprise to the watchman

The news on the sudden onslaught of cold and harsh 'killer winter' is no surprise to the watchman. He saw related visions at two preceding consecutive February. On both occasions he saw the speaker standing in the snow. In the first one he saw her (a senior prophetic intercessor) standing in the wilderness confronting the vast emptiness, speaking. The snow was up to her ankle. An avalanche of snow was fast moving toward her but she was relentless. She just spoke on. In the second year, he saw the same speaker standing in the snow. This time he was looking out of a window. The snow has reached neck level. The same speaker whose body was covered by snow had only her head seen. There were other heads sticking out of the snow. The land was empty and frozen. The watchman also received one verse one day after he had these visions. He heard, “Do you have winter clothes?” So he put it in writing and also called up his friends.

This year another intercessor had a dream. She saw the sudden freezing of the sea and big hailstones rained from heaven. She and another were trying to escape but soon the other person was hit. There was no escape.

Soon after this dream the news came. People were even dying of extreme cold. It sounded incredible. But it is real. The winter in February is unusual and unnatural. Again, sudden killer flood came to places normally free of such calamity in the past 100 years!

The watchman continued with weekly Bible reading with a group of friends (members of three families, including his own. This time there were two other new guests. Another guest who came last week dropped out.) in his house on last Saturday. This has become a pivotal and refreshing event in their ordinary lives. When the others left in the evening, he continued reading the Bible on his own. He was led to read Matthew 22-24. Chapter 22 started with the Parable of the Wedding Feast. The warning verse 22:14 “For many are called, but few chosen” stood out (exactly as his guests came and went). By the time he read 24:12, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold”, the watchman knew this was the message for this generation with the physical cold winter as a sign!

He knew the urgency of asking the Lord for the right teaching of God's words to counter the spiritual coldness. So he asked. He stayed up on Saturday night to search the Bible. But he was too tired and he had to give up and sleep. When he got up on Sunday morning he was led to open an audio CD holder which someone had recently re-organized and placed in his car. Among others there were three CD with the label “Hardness of Heart” by Andrew Wommack. He listened and found the key verse: “For they had not considered the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were hardened.”

What are the reasons for hardened hearts? Cold cold loveless hearts (toward God)? The wrong focus of the disciples (on the natural and physical but not on spiritual matters, i.e. the supernatural divine God, His nature and His power!). The same for today's believers. Jesus Himself gave the reason that because lawlessness abounds, the love of many grow cold. What are the things of lawlessness? How to be saved from this lawless and cold heart crisis? Jesus said: “But he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matt.24:13) How can one stand firm to the end? (2 Thess2:15; 2 Pet3:11, 17-18); These are important questions for this time. Take note that the Lord hates lawlessness: Matt.7:23; Heb.1:9. “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived” (1 Cor.6:9).

In addition to what Jesus has warned in Matt.22-25 about lawlessness, some of the other Bible verses are as follows.

Godlessness in the last days 2 Tim.3:1-5; 3:13; 4:3-5; The man of lawlessness 2 Thess2:3-4,7-8; The scoffers 2 Pet3:3; 2 Pet2:8; 1 John2:18; 3:4; Jude 18-19 (Scoffers; men who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit of God).

Indeed, how shall we stand? “What manner of persons ought we to be in holy conduct and godliness?” (2 Pet.3:11) Let us take heed to this question and some of the answers in the following verses.

Our Lord Jesus thus warned the disciples, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36) He however promised, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” (John 14:23) In Revelation 22:14, this essential qualification is confirmed by the Holy Spirit through the recording of John, “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.” (the heavenly city of New Jerusalem, the city of God).

The Apostle Peter thus urged believers to know our status in Christ: “You therefore beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware, lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.'' (2 Pet.3:17-18) “but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.” (1 Pet.1:15) “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people.” (1 Pet.2:9)

The Apostle Paul therefore taught the believers to stand fast by knowing and holding the truth in the Scriptures.(2 Thess2:15): stand fast in the Lord (1 Thess3:8); by faith you stand (2 Cor.1:24); watch, stand fast in the Lord, be brave, be strong (1 Cor.16:13); God is able to make you stand (Rom.14:4); take up the whole armor of God to withstand in the evil day and stand (Eph.6:13-14).

The Apostle James thus reminded, “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:21-22)

The Holy Spirit bears witness for us: “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Rom8:16); the Spirit Himself makes intercessions for us (Rom8:26); For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God (Rom8:14); he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him (1 Cor6:17); your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor6:19); you were washed, sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God (1 Cor6:11); by this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. (1 John 4:13)

The ultimate weapons against Lawlessness: How to overcome the spirit of lawlessness?

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb (Jesus) and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” (Revelation 12:11)
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Andrew Wommack"s Hardness of Hearts (audio download)
http://www.awmi.net/extra/audio/1003 
excerpts: 
"Here are some of the major things I’ve learned that determine the sensitivity of your heart. First, whatever you consider, your heart becomes softened toward. Conversely, whatever you fail to consider, your heart becomes hardened to. That’s what Mark 6:52 reveals. Again, that verse says,
“For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.”