Have you ever felt like you identified with the prophets the Lord sent to His people? If you have been reading this blog for any amount of time since I started it in 2011, you will recall that I have often said that my husband, Mark, joins me in feeling the frustration that the prophet Jeremiah must have incurred. Hear me ... I am not claiming that we have any kind of anointing from God as prophets! But, I do know that He has called us to be watchmen on the wall. That means God has given us an assignment to listen and observe; seeing [in the spirit] impending danger, and then warning people of their personal sins [as well as the sins of our nation] and the consequences of ignoring God's warnings for being disobedient.
The Bible is full of examples of God-appointed watchmen. You are most likely familiar with Ezekiel 33, in which the Lord announces He will hold the watchman [who receives the warnings from God] accountable for warning the people of their sins and any forthcoming peril. A watchman who was blind or carelessly negligent in carrying out his/her duties, left the people he was to warn open to danger, hardship, and tribulation [suffering]. Consider the Word in Isaiah 56:19 ... His watchmen are blind; they are all without knowledge; they are all silent dogs; they cannot bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.
Some of the prominent watchmen in the Old Testament are very familiar to us, and we recognize their role in carrying the warnings of God to the ancient Israelites: Moses, warning of the consequences of being delivered into the hands of their enemies if they did not keep the Sabbaths of the Lord; Micah, who proclaimed the capture of Israel by Babylon; Jeremiah, who suffered mightily at the hands of his own people for warning of their coming captivity in Babylon if Israel did not return to their God. He was beaten, put in stocks, thrown down a well, put in jail, and brutally ostracized. Yet, he prevailed in obeying the Lord. And, of course, there was Isaiah, who warned that King Hezekiah's conciliatory relationship with messengers from Babylon would be the downfall of Israel and lead to their captivity. But Isaiah's warnings included the prophecies of Daniel's capture and captivity; the release of the Jews by Cyrus the Persian [100 years before Cyrus was even born!]; and the eventual fall of Babylon.
But I often see that the modern Church treats these messengers from God as part of ancient history, with no correlation to modern watchmen. But, who are these modern watchmen? It's not hard to understand that today God calls church leaders, in the form of pastors, ministers, and directors, to be His spiritual watchmen, to keep watch on the souls of the believers. But, we must be cognizant that God calls not just these leaders, but all Christians to be watchmen! Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning ... It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when He comes ... You must also be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him" (Luke 12:35-40).
The Word makes it very clear, through the writings inspired by God, that the prophecies given by the prophets are in alignment with the Signs alluded to, by Jesus, of His imminent return. I believe He gave us those signs so that we would be aware of His return and be prepared to stand and endure through the Tribulation period that He declares will usher in His return to Earth. He wants us to Wake Up! Be alert! Get Prepared! (Read Romans 13:11, Revelation 3:2, Habakkuk 2:19).
And that brings me to the central point of my frustration with the Modern Church. I am finding that many of the faithful, obedient Christian men and women whose paths cross mine -- whether it be during our Home Church meetings, our Inner Healing Sessions, or various retreats and Christian events Mark and I have attended -- are uncomfortable when we give them information [in the form of warnings] that the Lord has instructed us to share. Some of these warnings are attached to the increasing intrusion of Artificial Intelligence into our lives and the consequences of its spiritual injury. Other warnings concern corruption of our DNA through ungodly genetic tampering in the health industries. [Think, "as it was in the days of Noah"]. Then there are the warnings from the Lord regarding the impending Beast System that is hinted at through the monetary, religious, and social controls of our lives.
God warns of all these dangers throughout the Old Testament and into the New. And they are warnings given to help us be prepared and to encourage our fellow believers, and to bring new insight to those who have yet to meet Jesus. But I am often dumfounded and frustrated by Christians who say they know their Bible, but do not see these warnings! Even more so, I am saddened at realizing the institutional Church has not educated them. That's part of their calling! Instead, Mark and I find ourselves confronted by [oftentimes] angry Christians who only want us to speak of the Goodness of God. We make a point of stating that this characteristic of God is a given! We are all gathered together precisely because we know of His Goodness, Love, and Mercy! But we cannot remain blind to His Righteousness, Justice, and Judgment! I'm afraid that too many of our Churches only feed their flocks the part of God that "feels good". The messages of tribulations, suffering, and spiritual warfare remain unspoken.
It is neither fun nor easy to be the deliverer of God's messages of warning. People seem to only want to concentrate on the Glory of Jesus's return on the clouds to escort us Home. They don't want us to caution them of the dangers of ignoring what is happening here on Earth to cause Him to return and what happens then -- when Jesus removes the Restrainer's hand and deals with the Evil and corruption. But it is exactly those dark events that will precede His return and usher in our final deliverance. We need to be watching and alert to see them coming, so we can endure, persevere, and stand!
Let me be declare ... the watchman's warnings do not supersede or override God's blessings and goodness to those He loves. In reality, it is because we are recipients of the experience and knowledge of His goodness that we should be able to hear the WHOLE WORD and receive the FULLNESS of His message to us in His warnings and prophecies. Being a watchman does not mean I am a Doomsday Prophet. Being a watchman means I take my assignment from God seriously, and am willing to take the slings and arrows of Christians who just might be living in fear that Jesus has provided us with an early warning system to get ready and be prepared for these End Times and the Day of the Lord.
It is time for the Church and the Body of Christ to wake up to their responsibility of giving Believers what they desperately need in this world that is full of deadly perils -- and it's not more Church programs and Church growth. That's why the true Watchmen are trying to incorporate the full message God wants His people to hear today ... Hang on to your hope that I am coming soon! Cling to your joyous expectation of meeting Me and returning to Heaven in your immortal bodies. But be aware that there is tribulation approaching and be spiritually prepared for the ways that the Enemy will try to deceive you! But you will not be fooled! You will stand before the Lord, celebrating your victory and reveling in His Glory! Amen!
Luke 21:34-36 But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.
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