Bible Reading: A prophet who sees eight visions

The Bible is God’s Book. Genesis tells us God began our history. Revelation tells us God wins. We also find ourselves becoming major characters in God’s development of this history book and His plan for lives on this earth. It is therefore important to read this Book and find out what God has planned for us.
THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH  Author:  1:1 the Prophet Zechariah. Date of Writing: between 520 and 470 B.C.
Purpose of Writing: God has used His prophet to teach, warn and correct His people, also showing glimpses of God's future glorious plan.
Key Problems: Refusal to listen to the Holy Spirit through the prophets; disobedience to God's word resulted open doors to spiritual attacks- manifestations of  evil conducts and hardships: economic failure, physical enemies' threats, moral breakdowns,breakdown of social-economic, political, legal and religious system. 

Big Picture: The people of God did not know God or the word of God. They departed from the plumb line of God and tried to meet their needs by swinging to either sides of the plumb line: Rejection (due to unbelief) or Rebellion (due to pride), becoming victims or the criminals. 
Result of Refusal to listen to the Holy Spirit
7:5-6 "Say to all your people and your priests, "During these seventy years of exile, when you fasted and mourned in the summer and in early autumn, was it really for Me that you were fasting? And even now in your holy festivals, aren't you eating and drinking just to please yourselves?" 12 "They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the messages the Lord sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets." 7:13, "'When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,' says the LORD Almighty." 14 "They turned their land into a desert."

SOLUTIONS OFFERED BY GOD for their immediate problems:

(1) A Call to Return to the Lord: establish right relationship with God (rebuild the Temple and right worship)

Zechariah 8:10 " Before the work on the Temple began, there were no jobs and no money to hire people or animals. No traveler was safe from the enemy, for there were enemies on all sides. I had turned everyone against each other." 11 "But now I will not treat the remnant of My people as I treated them before" 12 "For I am planting seeds of peace and prosperity among you."
Zechariah 1:3, "Therefore tell the people: This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Return to me,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'and I will return to you,' says the LORD Almighty." 1:4 "Turn from your evil ways and stop all your evil practices." 1:6, "But everything I said through My servants the prophets happened to your ancestors, just as I said." 2:6 "The Lord says, Come away! Flee from Babylon..."

(2) A Call for Justice and Mercy: establish right relationship with each other

7:9-10 "Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other. "
9:16-17 "But this is what you must do: tell the truth to each other. Render verdicts in your courts that are just and that lead to peace. Don't scheme against each other. Stop your love of telling lies that you swear are the truth. I hate all these things, says the Lord."

(3) God promised that this can be achieved by the Holy Spirit (they must be led by the Spirit and not by flesh)

4:6 "This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by My Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.
4:10 "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel's hand."
8:6 "All this may seem impossible to you now, a small remnant of God's people. But is it impossible for Me? says the Lord God Almighty. "
10:12 "By My power I will make My people strong, and by My authority they will go wherever they wish. I, the Lord, have spoken."

Fasting broke this woman's stronghold

It was an ordinary evening service but at the end of it, a woman came to the front and gave a testimony. This was the same woman who had come often for prayers to be delivered from one financial problem that became a heavy yoke on her neck.
She did not know how to pray much and one midnight prayer meeting she volunteered to pray. She took the mike and decided to sing a song. She spoke, “Abba, Father, I want to sing a song for You.” Then she sang the song of four stanzas over and over until the leader came and told her to stop. After the meeting she apologized and said she did not know how to pray and she felt she was out of line. But a prayer leader told her it was alright as the Lord had heard her ‘prayer’ (song). She came again to another midnight prayer meeting. Again she offered the same song to the Father in heaven. Again a prayer leader had to stop her as she was repeating the same stanzas a number of times. (Indeed, it was her heart-felt ‘prayer’ and God had heard her!)The testimony was powerful. She testified that she had been trying to sell her small food business but to no avail. The shop was making losses and she owed a large sum of money to the shop owner. When interested parties came to look at the shop they could only offer a price less that one-quarter of what she owed. Meanwhile she also had the problem of her own home being occupied by a group of men lodgers who refused to pay rent or move out.
She and her own family lived above her rented shop but was given the ultimatum by the shop owner to move out within that week and move all their stuff too in addition to repaying all her debt, a colossal sum she could not afford.
She fasted and prayed. On the third day, the shop landlord came and told her he would not postpone his eviction and demand of the full payment of her debt. He also knew that she had tried for a long time to sell her business but there was no taker. But she merely answered him that it was alright as her Father would help her. He said her father was dead and surely ‘he’ could no longer help her. But this woman said, “I have another Father in heaven who will definitely help me!”
The shop owner, an unbeliever, shook his head and went off to take his breakfast.
Later in the morning, he came back and told her he had decided to buy the business from her for the total sum she owed him, thus canceling all her debts!
In the same evening she went home to see if she could clear a space to put one of her rather large cupboard (from the shop) and found that her house was totally empty of lodgers. The next door neighbors told her that in the middle of the night before, they suddenly moved out, everyone of them in a hurry!
The woman was overjoyed as her Father in heaven indeed helped her mightily and all within the third day of her fasting and praying! (A modern day Esther story. Her enemies were annihilated!)

End Times Witnessing: He sent His voice and the Earth melted

 The watchman heard "The Voice of the Lord":

# Psalm 18:6 In my distress I called upon the LORD,And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.
# Psalm 18:13 The LORD thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.
# Psalm 29:3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The LORD is over many waters.
# Psalm 29:4 The voice of the LORD is powerful;The voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
# Psalm 29:5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars,Yes, the LORD splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
# Psalm 29:7 The voice of the LORD divides the flames of fire.
# Psalm 29:8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;The LORD shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
# Psalm 29:9 The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth,And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everyone says, “Glory!”
# Psalm 46:6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
# Psalm 66:19 But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
# Psalm 68:33 To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old! Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice.
# Psalm 77:1 [ To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph. ] I cried out to God with my voice—To God with my voice; And He gave ear to me. Psalm 77:18 The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook.
# Psalm 95:7 For He is our God,And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice:
# Psalm 103:20 Bless the LORD, you His angels,Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word.
# Psalm 104:7 At Your rebuke they fled; At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away.

End Times Witnessing: Fasting God wants

The watchman heard, “Is this the fasting I want? No, you are not fasting for Me. You are fasting for yourself.” “ Is this not the fast that I have chosen : To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?”
Fasting has to do with God’s purposes. God wants yoke be broken, the oppressed set free. Who oppresses? Who sets yoke on our neck? Jesus says, “The thief came to steal, kill and destroy.” (John 10:10). Jesus came to destroy the work of the devil (1 John 3:8). Often Christians look at the flesh (physical realm) and miss the whole point (the reality is in the spiritual realm). Fasting is indeed an end times weapon for spiritual warfare.
Read the Bible verses and note the many examples of how fasting accompanied warfare and victory. Fasting is for seeking divine guidance and direction, protection, breaking of spiritual bondage (which results in physical deliverance too), deliverance from danger, prayer and supplication, mourning, repentance, humbling and disciplining our souls, showing our faith in God, obedience to God, even consecration and sacred assembly before God!
Fasting for the Lord can be for “ joy and gladness and cheerful feasts For the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.” (Zech.8:19)

1. Ezra 8:21 Fasting and Prayer for Protection ]fast there at the river Then I proclaimed a of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. 8:23 So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.
   
2. Nehemiah 1:4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
   
3. Psalm 35:13 But as for me, when they were sick, My clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; And my prayer would return to my own heart.
   
4. Daniel 9:3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
   
5. Matthew 17:21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
   
6. Luke 2:37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
   
7. Acts 10:30 So Cornelius said, “Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,
   
8. Acts 13:3
   Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
   
9. Acts 14:23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
   
10. 1 Corinthians 7:5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
    
11. 2 Chronicles 20:3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
    
12. Ezra 8:23 So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.
    
13. Ezra 9:5 At the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; and having torn my garment and my robe, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD my God.
    
14. Nehemiah 9:1 [ The People Confess Their Sins ] Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads.
    
15. Esther 4:3 And in every province where the king’s command and decree arrived, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
    
16. Esther 4:16 “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”
    
17. Esther 9:31 to confirm these days of Purim at their appointed time, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had prescribed for them, and as they had decreed for themselves and their descendants concerning matters of their fasting and lamenting.
    
18. Psalm 69:10 When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting,That became my reproach.
    
19. Isaiah 58:1 [ Fasting that Pleases God ] “Cry aloud, spare not;Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins.
    
20. Isaiah 58:3 ‘ Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’ “ In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers.
    
21. Isaiah 58:4 Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high.
    
22. Isaiah 58:5 Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the LORD?
    
23. Isaiah 58:6 “ Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?
    
24. Daniel 6:18
    [ Daniel Saved from the Lions ] Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also his sleep went from him.
    
25. Daniel 9:3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
    
26. Joel 1:14 Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land Into the house of the LORD your God, And cry out to the LORD.
    
27. Joel 2:12 [ A Call to Repentance ] “ Now, therefore,” says the LORD, “ Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
    
28. Joel 2:15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly;
    
29. Jonah 3:4-6 Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”⁵ So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. ⁶ Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes.
30. Zechariah 7:1 [ Obedience Better than Fasting ] Now in the fourth year of King Darius it came to pass that the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Chislev, 7:3 and to ask the priests who were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and the prophets, saying, “Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years? 7:5 “Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me? 8:19 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘ The fast of the fourth month,The fast of the fifth, The fast of the seventh, And the fast of the tenth, Shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts For the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.’

End Times Witnessing: Holy Spirit teaches how to fast

 Watchman heard: "To live End Times, you need to live by the Spirit of God. Pay attention to what the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual." (1 Cor.2:13)

"But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God." (1 Cor.2:10)

___________________________What does the Spirit say on fasting?

Isaiah 58:6-12 (New King James Version)

⁶ “ Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
      To loose the bonds of wickedness,
      To undo the heavy burdens,
      To let the oppressed go free,
      And that you break every yoke?
       ⁷ Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
      And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
      When you see the naked, that you cover him,
      And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
       ⁸ Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
      Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
      And your righteousness shall go before you;
      The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
       ⁹ Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
      You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’

      “ If you take away the yoke from your midst,
      The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
       ¹⁰ If you extend your soul to the hungry
      And satisfy the afflicted soul,
      Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
      And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
       ¹¹ The LORD will guide you continually,

      And satisfy your soul in drought,

      And strengthen your bones;

      You shall be like a watered garden,

      And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

       ¹² Those from among you
      Shall build the old waste places;
      You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
      And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,
      The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
____________________________________
When you think of fasting, consider this, what bondage oppresses the people of many nations most? Poverty? Many Christian (and other religious) organizations have been doing a lot of charity work throughout human history to feed the poor and cloth the naked. But many more peoples in many nations are increasingly under dark bondage and suffer worse fate. Why? Why? Why?
Even Christians (and other religious followers) are under the same fate.
Is there something in these verses/commands we have been blind to?
Why did Jesus tell the disciples this stunning statement praising and honoring Mary who anointed His feet with a jar of expensive perfume (worth a whole year's wages in those days) and wiping His feet with her hair, filling the whole house with fragrance?

Matthew 26:11-13 (New International Version)

¹¹The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. ¹²When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

Jesus revealed a lot of clues in His words. let us look at some and pray that the Holy Spirit illuminates our hearts to digest them and make them alive in us!
Matt.4:4 "But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,   ‘People do not live by bread alone,
      but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

John 6:63 "The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life."
 What did Jesus come to this world for? The Holy Spirit says, 
1 John 3:8 "He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil."
Luke 4:18 “ The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
       Because He has anointed Me
      To preach the gospel to the poor;
      He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
      To proclaim liberty to the captives
      And recovery of sight to the blind,
      To set at liberty those who are oppressed;" 

Isaiah 10:27 "And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing."


2Cor.3:6 "He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."


Now you know how to fast God's way!

End Times Witnessing: Deliverance from Confusion

Your Word,  O Lord, is a lamp to my feet!

Watchman heard:  "You need to continue to walk in the Light, so you will not stumble like the people in the dark!"

Proverbs 4:18-27

¹⁸ But the path of the just is like the shining sun,
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
¹⁹ The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know what makes them stumble.
²⁰ My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
²¹ Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
²² For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.
²³ Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.
²⁴ Put away from you a deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
²⁵ Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
²⁶ Ponder the path of your feet,
And let all your ways be established.
²⁷ Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 4:18 Literally light

______________________________

ONLY THE LORD GIVES LIGHT!

# 2 Samuel 22:29
“For You are my lamp, O LORD;The LORD shall enlighten my darkness.
# Ezra 9:8
And now for a little while grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage.
# Job 33:30
To bring back his soul from the Pit,That he may be enlightened with the light of life.
# Psalm 13:3
Consider and hear me, O LORD my God;Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death;
# Psalm 18:28
For You will light my lamp;The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
# Psalm 19:8
The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
# Ephesians 1:18

the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

# Hebrews 6:4
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,
# Job 37:15
Do you know when God dispatches them,And causes the light of His cloud to shine?
# Psalm 56:13
For You have delivered my soul from death.Have You not kept my feet from falling, That I may walk before God In the light of the living?
# Psalm 118:27
God is the LORD,And He has given us light; Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
# Isaiah 24:15
Therefore glorify the LORD in the dawning light, The name of the LORD God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea.
# Isaiah 50:10
“ Who among you fears the LORD? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness And has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD And rely upon his God.
# Jeremiah 13:16
Give glory to the LORD your God Before He causes darkness, And before your feet stumble On the dark mountains, And while you are looking for light, He turns it into the shadow of death And makes it dense darkness.
# Ezekiel 32:8
All the bright lights of the heavens I will make dark over you, And bring darkness upon your land,’ Says the Lord GOD.
# Daniel 5:11
There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers.
Daniel 5:14
I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.
# John 3:21
But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
# Acts 26:18
to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
# 1 Corinthians 4:5
Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.
# 2 Corinthians 4:4

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.

# 2 Corinthians 4:6
⁶ For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
# Philippians 2:15

that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

# 1 John 1:5
[ Fellowship with Him and One Another ] This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
# Isaiah 60:19
[ God the Glory of His People ] “ The sun shall no longer be your light by day, Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the LORD will be to you an everlasting light, And your God your glory.
# Revelation 4:5
And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
# Revelation 11:19
Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.
# Revelation 21:11
having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
# Revelation 21:23

The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.

# Revelation 22:5

There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

End Times Witnessing: O Cry for a Samuel!

Judges 2:1-5
Then the Angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: “I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you. ² And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? ³Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side,^[a] and their gods shall be a snare to you.’” ⁴ So it was, when the Angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voices and wept.
⁵ Then they called the name of that place Bochim;^[b] and they sacrificed there to the LORD.
⁸ Now Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died when he was one hundred and ten years old.
¹⁰ When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel.

Israel’s Unfaithfulness

¹¹ Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals;

¹⁸ And when the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed them and harassed them. ¹⁹ And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they reverted and behaved more corruptly than their fathers, by following other gods, to serve them and bow down to them. They did not cease from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.
²⁰ Then the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not heeded My voice, ²¹ I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, ²² so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the LORD, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not.” ²³ Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out immediately; nor did He deliver them into the hand of Joshua.
_______________________________

We are in the Judges Time again. What happened before happens again.

God has spoken:
^{Isaiah 46: 9} Remember the former things, those of long ago;
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.
¹⁰ I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say: My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please.
___________________________________

O watchman, cry for a Samuel to be raised today!

End Times Witnessing: The night is nearly over!

WATCHMAN’S PROPHETIC PROCLAMATION FOR END TIMES:

Isaiah 42:7
to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
Isaiah 49:9 to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’ 

“They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill.
Isaiah 61:1
[ The Year of the LORD's Favor ] The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
Psalm 146:7
He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free,
Isaiah 58:6
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
Luke 4:18
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed
Romans 8:21
that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
Isaiah 9:2
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.
Isaiah 42:16

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.

Isaiah 45:7
I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.
Isaiah 58:10
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
Isaiah 59:9
So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.
Jeremiah 13:16
Give glory to the LORD your God before he brings the darkness, before your feet stumble on the darkening hills. You hope for light, but he will turn it to thick darkness and change it to deep gloom.
Daniel 2:22
He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.
Matthew 4:16
the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”
Matthew 6:23
But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
Luke 11:34
Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness.
Luke 11:35
See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness.
John 1:5
The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
John 3:19
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
John 8:12
[ The Validity of Jesus' Testimony ] When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 12:35
Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going.
John 12:46
I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
Acts 26:18
to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
Romans 13:12

The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

1 Corinthians 4:5
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
2 Corinthians 4:6

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

2 Corinthians 6:14
[ Do Not Be Yoked With Unbelievers ] Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
Ephesians 5:8
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
1 Thessalonians 5:5
You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.
1 Peter 2:9

"But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light."

1 John 1:5
[ Walking in the light ] This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
1 John 2:8
Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.
1 John 2:9
Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.

End Times Witnessing: The Power of Singing

2 Chronicles 20:1-30

Jehoshaphat Defeats Moab and Ammon ¹ After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites ^[a] came to make war on Jehoshaphat.
² Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, ^[b] from the other side of the Sea. ^[c] It is already in Hazazon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). ³ Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. ⁴ The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.
⁵ Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard ⁶ and said:
“O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. ⁷ O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? ⁸ They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, ⁹ ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’
¹⁰ “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. ¹¹ See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. ¹² O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.”
¹³ All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD.
¹⁴ Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.
¹⁵ He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. ¹⁶ Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. ¹⁷ You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’ “
¹⁸ Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD. ¹⁹ Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with very loud voice.
²⁰ Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” ²¹ After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his ^[d] holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
“Give thanks to the LORD,
for his love endures forever.”
²² As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. ²³ The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
²⁴ When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. ²⁵ So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing ^[e] and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it. ²⁶ On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah, where they praised the LORD. This is why it is called the Valley of Beracah ^[f] to this day.
²⁷ Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. ²⁸ They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the LORD with harps and lutes and trumpets.
²⁹ The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard how the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. ³⁰ And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.

END TIMES WITNESSING: Turn away from deceptions and LIVE!

NEW TESTAMENT CALL FOR REPENTANCE
Matthew 3:8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Matthew 9:13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Matthew 11:20 [ Woe to the Impenitent Cities ] Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: Matthew 11:21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Matthew 12:41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

Mark 1:4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Mark 1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mark 2:17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Mark 6:12 So they went out and preached that people should repent.

Luke 3:3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, Luke 3:8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Luke 5:32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Luke 13:1 [ Repent or Perish ] There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. Luke 13:3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Luke 13:5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” Luke 15:7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 16:30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ Luke 17:3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.

Luke 17:4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” Luke 24:47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Acts 3:19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, Acts 5:31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. Acts 8:22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. Acts 11:18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.” Acts 13:24 after John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

Acts 17:30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, Acts 19:4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” Acts 20:21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.  Acts 26:20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.

Romans 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

2 Corinthians 7 [ The Corinthians’ Repentance ] 7:9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. 2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 2 Corinthians 12:21 lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced.

2 Timothy 2:25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,

Hebrews 6 The Peril of Not Progressing 6:1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. 4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with all people,  and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; 16 lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. 17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. Revelation 2:16 Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.
Revelation 2:19 “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. 20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce. My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. 22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. 23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works."

Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.
Revelation 3:19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and  repent.

Revelation 9:20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. Revelation 9:21  And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. Revelation 16:9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory. Revelation 16:11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.
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It is frightening that some people would not repent and turn to God for forgiveness and salvation even to the very end of times. The Revelation highlighted four categories of evil spirits that hardened man's hearts: murders, sorcery, sexual immorality and thefts, i.e. lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life.
Friends, turn away from them and turn to Jesus NOW! It is not worth gaining the momentary gratification and losing your soul forever.

CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE: watchman saw visions of wolves, serpent and one young man

Something amazing happened. Jack found out lately how patient the Holy Spirit has been in trying to give him an important message. The following is a summary of the sequence of recent events illustrating this:


He attended Sunday morning worship and was filled with the Spirit.

The following Tuesday he was prompted by the Holy Spirit to read the Book of Nehemiah. He thought the book has something to do with church building. But he kept this thought to himself at the back of his mind.

After the above experience he was fired up to read the Bible, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal more to him so he would know God’s will and obey.

He was reminded one day by his prayer partner that he was yet to read one little booklet about God’s creative power for finances. She gave him that booklet sometime ago and he forgot all about it. So he finally located it in an unused briefcase and read it.

While reading the booklet he said amen to the Bible verses and repented his past careless words about finances. He also asked the Holy Spirit to show him what seeds he should plant in accordance to the inspired teachings.

The minute he finished the booklet he received a phone call. Someone from a Christian organization invited him to give a talk on managing finances in two weeks time. He knew this was the seed he asked for, so he agreed without hesitation.

One morning he decided to do research on what the Bible says about finances. He spent the whole morning before God reading God’s words and meditating on God’s matters.

By the afternoon he was a bit tired and sleepy so he decided to rest by reading a book. He took one book at random from the shelf of some new books he bought about a month ago while travelling overseas. The book is “Walls of My Heart” by Dr. Bruce and Barbara Thompson.

When he had read a few pages he closed his eyes to rest. He saw a clear vision of a young man from his church. The young man was walking alone outdoor (with tall grass nearby and no building in sight). He was followed by a pack of wolves (or wild dogs). He seemed troubled but he was not aware of the presence of the wolves and the danger! Jack responded in surprise and opened his eyes. He had not been praying for the church and had no reason to see this young man at all. But he thought it would be better to wait for clearer instruction from the Holy Spirit before he told the young man or anyone.

He spent the whole afternoon reading the book in between doing his usual chores. By night time he almost finished reading the book. He felt tired and closed his eyes to rest for awhile. The minute he closed his eyes a second vision appeared. He saw the young man close up and there was a pole by the side of the young man. There was a serpent coiled round the pole and its mouth was open. Its head was at level with the young man’s ear as though it was speaking to the young man. Jack was stunned so he opened his eyes. He knew he should not delay and he called the leader of the church, who confirmed that he should communicate with the young man about the visions.

Later at night the young man (who was contacted by the church leader) called him. Jack thought the leader had already told him the visions so he asked the young man what he had been doing. The young man said he was concentrating on character building and wanted to learn to become a godly grown man. He said he was no longer a child. So he should learn to be a grown up from godly people. So Jack shared how he was led to read Nehemiah and later the book on “Walls of My Heart” which makes use of Nehemiah’s example for character building. He suggested that the young man read Nehemiah.

The next morning Jack re-read the introduction of the book and discovered that the writer in fact quoted a verse from Ephesians 4:13, “Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Verse 14 says, “That we should no longer be children…” So the answer to the young man’s quest is in the book of Ephesians!

The young man called and said Jack had not yet told him the visions so Jack told him accordingly. Jack also shared with him about his discovery and asked him to read the book of Ephesians chapter 4, which aptly ends with the verse, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God in Christ forgave you.” (By the way, the dangers of the enemy, the lying serpent and angry wolves were all described in that chapter too!)

The Holy Spirit summed up His instruction with this verse from Ephesians 5:1, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.”

Imagine the long suffering the Holy Spirit must have gone through in order to accommodate Jack in his dull in hearing and seeing in the spirit. On the other hand Jack was elated that God has not given up in revealing to him important visions like this so that he can continue to learn to carry out the task of a watchman. The books of Nehemiah and Ephesians have benefitted him too. The book “Walls of My Heart” is a must-read for all hurting Christians, aspiring counselors and watchmen.

January 19, 2010

You are Delivered! Be Free!

Many Christians do not know they are free from bondages. They live in fear and uncertainty because they believe the lies of the devil (who rules the world). They do not know that as children of God, they have power and authority to live a victorious life. The follwing verses assure that you are set free. Believe in the faithfulness of a loving God who loves you so much that He has sent His only Son to die for you in order to set you free!

Believe and do not doubt and you shall receive the joy and peace He promised. Be free!

Romans 8:15-16 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

Romans 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.


2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

John 8:36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,

Hebrews 2:14-15 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

1 Corinthians 15:55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”

Hebrews 7:25Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Romans 8:31-34

God’s Everlasting Love

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Isaiah 35:10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return,

And come to Zion with singing,

With everlasting joy on their heads.

They shall obtain joy and gladness,

And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.


2 Timothy 4:7-8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Romans 8:15-16; Romans 8:37; 2 Corinthians 3:17; John 8:36; Colossians 1:13; Hebrews 2:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15:55; Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:31-34; Isaiah 35:10; 2 Timothy 4:7-8

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May your faith rise as you read these words of God.

Power in the blood

Many Christians are weak and often feel defeated and depressed, mainly because they are not aware of and/or are convinced in the power of the blood of the Lamb (Jesus). The following Bible verses clearly declare the truth that there is power in the blood of Jesus Christ. For example, how did the Christians overcome the devil? The answer is in Revelation 12:11, “And they overcame him (devil) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and they did not love heir lives to the death.”

Knowing the Bible verses and read them often, you will have twofold benefits: able to stand and resist the devil, carrying the powerful spiritual weapon, the word of God (the sword of the Spirit); your faith will increase and it is also spiritual armour (shield of faith, with which you can extinguish the fiery darts of the devil).

All Christians should read these Bible verses, know them well, believe in and use them often. You will be amazed at the power of the word of God.

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Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

Ephesians 1:7In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

Romans 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

Hebrews 10:19-20 Hold Fast Your Confession

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,

Matthew 26:28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Romans 3:25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,

Revelation 1:5

5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.

To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,

Ephesians 2:14 Christ Our Peace For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,

Ephesians 1:6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

Ephesians 2:19 Christ Our Cornerstone

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

Colossians 1:20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

Romans 5:10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Revelation 12:11; Ephesians 1:7; Romans 5:9; Hebrews 10:19-20; Matthew 26:28; Ephesians 2:13; 1 John 1:9; Romans 3:25; Revelation 1:5; Ephesians 2:14; Ephesians 1:6; Ephesians 2:19; Colossians 1:20; Romans 5:10

Declaration of victory of Jesus

For those who seek to know more about our God, here are the verses to declare the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Read them aloud daily and let the Holy Spirit help you to see and understand how great our God is!! Be assured, you will be greatly and wonderfully blessed.

(Revelation 5:12; Revelation 1:8; Revelation 1:17-18; Revelation 5:5; Matthew 28:18; Psalm 110:1-2; Romans 16:20; Luke 4:18-19; Acts 26:18; Colossians 2:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:8-9, John 3:16; 1 John 3:8; 2 Timothy 2:26; Matthew 12:28; Luke 10:19; Psalm 107:14; Psalm 107:16; Matthew 16:18-19; 1 Samuel 17:47; Isaiah 49:24-25; John 10:10; Acts 10:38; Isaiah 42:3; Luke 5:31-32; Ephesians 1:19-23; Numbers 10:35; Psalm 144:1-2; Psalm 24:8; Psalm 60:12; Isaiah 42:13)

(New King James Version)

Revelation 5:12 saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 1:17-18 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

Revelation 5:5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

Psalm 110:1-2 The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!

Romans 16:20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Luke 4:18-19 “ The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”

Acts 26:18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’

Colossians 2:15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

2 Thessalonians 2:8-9 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

1 John 3:8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

2 Timothy 2:26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

Matthew 12:28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Luke 10:19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Psalm 107:14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And broke their chains in pieces.

Psalm 107:16 For He has broken the gates of bronze, And cut the bars of iron in two.

Matthew 16:18-19 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. 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.”

1 Samuel 17:47 Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

Isaiah 49:24-25 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, Or the captives of the righteous be delivered? But thus says the LORD: “ Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, And the prey of the terrible be delivered; For I will contend with him who contends with you, And I will save your children.

John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Acts 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Isaiah 42:3 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth.

Luke 5:31-32 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Ephesians 1:19-23 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, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Numbers 10:35 So it was, whenever the ark set out, that Moses said: “Rise up, O LORD! Let Your enemies be scattered, And let those who hate You flee before You.”

Psalm 144:1-2 Blessed be the LORD my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle—My loving kindness and my fortress, My high tower and my deliverer, My shield and the One in whom I take refuge, Who subdues my people under me.

Psalm 24:8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle.

Psalm 60:12 Through God we will do valiantly, For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.

Isaiah 42:13 The LORD shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies.