End Times Witnessing: Last Words to the Churches

Matthew 28:16-20
(NLT)
The Great Commission

16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted! 18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,[a] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Footnotes:
1.Matthew 28:19 Or all peoples.

Mark 16:14-20

14 Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead.[a]

15 And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. 17 These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages.[b] 18They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”

19 When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 20And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.

Luke 24:44-49

44 Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46 And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47 It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations,[a] beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ 48You are witnesses of all these things.

49“And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

Footnotes:
1.Luke 24:47 Or all peoples.

John 21:24-25

24This disciple is the one who testifies to these events and has recorded them here. And we know that his account of these things is accurate.


25 Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.

End Times Witnessing: The watchman’s Comfort

The watchman heard, “I AM your Good Shepherd!” He was instantly re-assured and comforted. What can be more secure than having his head anointed by the Lord Himself for the glory of the Lord’s name? Yes, for the honor of the Lord’s name, march on, O watchman!
Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

1 The LORD is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

3 He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.



4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.



5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell[a] in the house of the LORD

Forever.



詩 篇 23

1 （ 大 卫 的 诗 。 ） 耶 和 华 是 我 的 牧 者 ， 我 必 不 致 缺 乏 。



2 他 使 我 躺 卧 在 青 草 地 上 ， 领 我 在 可 安 歇 的 水 边 。



3 他 使 我 的 灵 魂 苏 醒 ， 为 自 己 的 名 引 导 我 走 义 路 。



4 我 虽 然 行 过 死 荫 的 幽 谷 ， 也 不 怕 遭 害 ， 因 为 你 与 我 同 在 ； 你 的 杖 ， 你 的 竿 ， 都 安 慰 我 。



5 在 我 敌 人 面 前 ， 你 为 我 摆 设 筵 席 ； 你 用 油 膏 了 我 的 头 ， 使 我 的 福 杯 满 溢 。



6 我 一 生 一 世 必 有 恩 惠 慈 爱 随 着 我 ； 我 且 要 住 在 耶 和 华 的 殿 中 ， 直 到 永 远 。

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."

DAY 91: HE WHO HAS EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR

I return to Matthew today because I had a dream. In the dream I was given another word, “harvest”. I now have a number of words: “Hosea”, “glory”, “precious vessel/jar”, “holy”, “harvest”. I have been reading the Bible with my eyes on the kingdom of heaven. My focus has been on God. And now I have come to the word “harvest”. This time I got out of bed without hesitation and rushed downstairs to record down the word. I do not want to miss a thing.
When I recorded the word, I had the bible in front of me and I realized that I could look at the alphabetical index at the back of the Bible. It then dawned on me that I had been reading and meditating on a lot of words starting with “H”. I list here the words that I have meditated on in this quest of Biblical living: hallowed (hallowed by God’s name, as in Lord’s Prayer), harlotry (spiritual harlotry of Israel in Hosea), hear (the Spirit), heart (God sees our hearts), heaven (kingdom of heaven), holy (God), House (of prayer), hymn, hymns, hypocrisy (of the Pharisees and gang), hunger (blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled), and hell (fear God who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell).
So I am hearing God through the Holy Spirit after all.
Jesus told His disciples why He spoke to the multitudes in parables. “Because it has been given to you to know the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” (Matthew 13:11) “Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled…” (Matthew 13:13_14a)
Then Jesus assured the disciples, “But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear.” (Matthew 13:16)
The people were not blind or deaf. But they did not perceive in the spirit the things of God. Jesus explained that He spoke the truth (God’s words). Those people could not understand because they could not listen to His word. Therefore they could not believe Him. “He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” (John 8:47)
The good news is, as Jesus has assured His disciples, blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear. People of God can see and hear of spiritual matters relating to God. I have been receiving such assurances and signs and evidences of this truth.
I have come to the conclusion that as a novice, we can ask God to show us words and signs to help us to understand Him more and to learn to hear the Holy Spirit. God is willing to help us know Him more. He will find ways to reach us and reveal Himself to us as I have recorded before. Every one will find his or her own way as the Holy Spirit leads. I have heard testimonies of the different ways that the Holy Spirit guides different people.
So far I have seen pictures and words (in my mind), heard words (in my heart) and dreamed dreams with a specific message for me to read the Bible. Now I realized that when I read the Bible, the Holy Spirit in fact is guiding me as well. I cannot see or hear Him but He is here guiding me to read and understand and give attention to the right passages that He wants me to see and know God. These are all ways that God has answered my prayers.
However, I have prayed to God that when I am no longer a spiritual novice, I do not need to be guided by God consciously. One day I should live so much in the consciousness of God that I do not need to ask what His will is, or how to choose or decide on certain choices in life.
Oswald Chambers advised that “if we are saved and sanctified, God guides us by our ordinary choices, and if we are going to choose what He does not want, He will check, and we will heed. Whenever there is doubt, stop at once.”
AAA Jack
6-3-2009