Watchmen on the Wall

In Biblical times, cities had walls. The walls protected the people within. The city gates were opened at dawn and closed at dusk. As a secondary precaution, watchmen were posted on the walls. This gave them the advantage of height so that they could see great distances, preventing enemies from sneeking up on the city.

Watchmen were the city's lookouts. They watched for encroaching armies. They gave commentary to those in the city during battles. They sounded the alarm if they saw smoke or fire during peace times, and signaled the king's return to the city.

God has posted watchmen over His church throughout the centuries. Men and women in every generation have been raised up to watch on behalf of God's people and to sound the alarm in the day of battle. Isaiah 62:6 says, "I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord give yourselves no rest." Jeremiah 6:17 says, "I appointed watchmen over you and said, 'Listen to the sound of the trumpet!' But you said, 'We will not listen.'"

Billy Graham and Mother Theresa have been watchmen during our time. There are others. Recently, a number of the watchmen have all been sounding the alarm. David Wilkerson, head of Teen Challenge and of "The Cross and the Switchblade" fame, has sounded the alarm: a judgment is upon us. Kay Arthur, founder of Precept Upon Precept Bible Study, has sounded her trumpet: judgment is upon us. On Sunday, after worship, I heard from two of Grace Church's watchmen. Both their messages that they received from the Lord Sunday (one was a picture and the other a brief word) was that judgment is upon us (our nation). Each of these are warnings beyond what the United States is currently experiencing in this economic down turn.

So what do we inside the walls do with this information? First, we do not fear. "Fear not, I am with you. Be not dismayed, I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness." Fear can prevent blessings from arriving at their destinations. Fearalso caused unnecessary stress and havoc in our lives.

We remind ourselves that God has said that this area is a Goshen area (Cindy Jacobs prophecy in October, 2008). Goshen was the province in Egypt where the Israelites lived during their sojourn in Egyp. The plagues that ravaged Egypt, stopped at the very border of Goshen leaving God's people untouched while decimating the Egyptian culture and economy!

Finally, we pray. We listen for God's Spirit to carefully guide us in each day's activities. We look for open doors to minister in the Name of Jesus. Judgment was never sent out of hate. It was God's way of getting people's attention. They were missing His best by wanting God out of their lives. They were speeding through life without Him and were being continually being clawed by the enemy. It is God's hope that since blessings have not turn our nation back to Him that judgment might. We'll see.

God has placed His watchmen on our walls. They see things we do not. We can ignore them to our down fall or we can heed their call and live.
Blessings,
Father Scott +