Being A ‘Watchman’ [v250]

DECEMBER 2019

An Army officer was the ‘WATCHMAN’ on duty at the Fort Shafter radar center on an utterly peaceful morning in December 1941, and ‘mistook’ a radar warning indicating a large number of aircraft approaching Pearl Harbor as his own planes—and then disaster struck.

A few weeks ago (on December 7th) we remembered the 78th anniversary of what FDR called, “a date which will live in infamy”—the deliberate and surprise attack of Pearl Harbor by the Empire of Japan. Even though American intelligence had an idea that Japan was considering some kind of attack in retribution for a U.S. oil embargo, they failed to give it enough ‘IMPORTANCE’ to do anything about it.

The Senate committee that investigated the attack ‘pondered’ in their report: “Why, with some of the finest intelligence available in our history, with the almost certain knowledge that war was at hand, with plans that contemplated the precise type of attack that was executed by Japan on the morning of Dec. 7 — Why was it possible for a Pearl Harbor to occur?”

Kermit A. Tyler was the Army Air Forces’ first lieutenant that said, “Don’t worry about it,” to a radar operator about the unusually large “blip” on the screen (that indicated a considerable number of aircraft which was about 130 miles away and approaching fast). Officer Tyler was thinking it was the squadron of B-17 bombers that was due in from Hamilton Field just after 8:00 am that morning. However, instead, it was the first wave of more than 180 Japanese fighters, torpedo bombers, dive bombers, and horizontal bombers whose surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and the island’s main airfields shortly before 8 am, plunged the United States into World War II.

Although it was determined that it was not ‘entirely’ the fault of Officer Tyler—and there was a certain amount of culpability in the command of both the Army and the Navy. It just shows HOW IMPORTANT A ‘WATCHMAN’ IS to be observant, committed to being alert and awake, and ever ready to warn of approaching danger—and what happens when they don’t sound the alarm, even when there is only a small amount of uncertainty.

[ Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWv-BrnSII4 ].

 

TODAY’S EARLY WARNING ‘SYSTEMS’
Early warning systems are the means by which people receive relevant and timely information in a systematic way prior to a disaster, in order to make informed decisions and take appropriate action. Without even realizing it, we have come to depend upon these people, trusting them to alert us of any impending danger.

There are many kinds of “early warning systems” that provide information that enables people and communities to respond when a disaster strikes. Some forecast natural hazards like earthquakes, landslides, and volcanos. Others warn us of biological hazards as well as complex sociopolitical emergencies and industrial hazards like droughts, diseases, and radioactive leaks from power plants. There are also systems for communication networks, information technologies, the financial industry, and even some dedicated to educational milestones.

Some smaller, more personal systems are all the ‘rage’ these days. Citizens can protect their house and family with an ‘electronic’ watchman—an alarm system that is directly connected to a firm that monitors everything happening in the house, 24/7, and can advise the ‘authorities’ when the system advises of an ‘abnormality’ (usually a break-in or a fire), and can be accessed via the Internet by the owner to check things themselves or change some of the settings. Since these systems are “I.O.T.” (“Internet of Things”) compatible, they can ‘talk’ to other I.O.T. systems like HVAC, lighting, and even appliances (that will automatically order items that are almost gone, like milk and eggs).

 

In addition to security for the house, the U.S. military serves around the world and watches for the potential of attack ‘before’ the threat reaches U.S. ’shores’. They work in difficult and dangerous places in order to ensure our safety and our freedom. These men and women serve as ‘watchman’ for our nation. We are dependent upon them and in many ways place our lives in their hands, without ever really having to consider all that is going on around us.

At this very moment, every satellite, airplane and other objects in flight are being carefully tracked before they ever enter U.S. airspace. Readiness teams stand by to launch defensive maneuvers or counterattacks. The President is also ready with the ever-present special ‘briefcase’ with the “launch codes” just in case of an emergency involving our national defense warrants that kind of response.

 

Though the military warning systems are vital to every U.S. citizen, they don’t normally interact with those systems on a daily basis. However, there is a ‘warning system’ that most citizens interact with on a daily basis—the weather forecast—and the data to make a forecast that is analyzed by many organizations in the U.S. originates via the “National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration” (NOAA). They primarily warn of dangerous weather, chart seas, guide the use and protection of ocean and coastal resources, and conduct research to provide understanding and improve stewardship of the environment.

The NOAA ‘group’ that performs the weather forecasts is the “National Weather Service” (NWS). To able to better analyze a storm and determine what type of warning they should issue, they get a larger quantity of data and more accurate data from their “weather watchers,” officially named the “Core Observer Network” (CON).

The CON is a group of over 10,000 volunteers scattered over all 50 states, that have a certified weather observation station that takes measurements 24/7, and provides more accurate information for their locale. The NWS then combines all the data from the CON observer stations to develop a very accurate forecast. If appropriate then, the National Weather Service can then issue warnings that are more accurate and timely. They use three terms to indicate increasing risks related to a storm: “Watches,” “Advisories,” and “Warnings.”

For example, a winter storm “WATCH” is issued when there is the ‘potential’ for significant and hazardous winter weather within 48 hours. It does not mean that significant and hazardous winter weather will occur, it only means it is possible.

A winter weather “ADVISORY” will be issued for any amount of freezing rain, or when 2 to 4 inches of snow (alone or in combination with sleet and freezing rain), is expected to cause an ‘inconvenience’, but not serious enough to warrant a warning.

A winter storm “WARNING” is issued when a significant combination of ‘hazardous’ winter weather is occurring or imminent.

 

WHAT DEFINES A “WATCHMEN”?
Well, generally a ‘watchman’ is a type of “scout” or “lookout,” that surveils a particular area, and provides a warning to those he is ‘commissioned’ to protect—many times using the same ‘level’ of risk determinations like the National Weather Service has.

A watchman issues a “watch” to inform people that, based on their experience and what they are currently seeing, there is a ‘potential’ of an event happening in the near future. They issue an “advisory” to tell people that something will be happening, but it will not be very ‘serious’ and can be ‘handled’ easily. Finally, the watchman will issue a “warning” that communicates that there needs to be ‘all hands on deck’ because what is coming will be ‘severe’ and is ‘imminent’.

This real-life example epitomizes what I’m trying to say:

Many months before the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980, news accounts were saying that seismographers and other scientists, who kept a watch on volcanoes, said that there was a “good possibility” for something to happen (a “watch” warning).

On March 1, 1980, the University of Washington installed a new system of seismographs to monitor earthquake activity in the Cascades, especially around Mount St. Helens, where there had been a recent increase in seismic activity. According to the Department of Geological Sciences at San Diego State University, the first key indication that major volcanic activity was imminent was when a 4.2-magnitude earthquake rumbled below Mount St. Helens on March 20, 1980. Seismographers issued a ‘caution’ to be on the ‘WATCH’ for increasing activity.

Just three days later, on March 23rd, a 4.0-magnitude earthquake shook the ground and set off a chain of smaller-magnitude earthquakes—about 15 per hour. The shaking continued and began to intensify over the next couple of days, and by March 25th, seismographs were detecting an average of three, 4.0-magnitude quakes every hour. Aerial observations revealed new fractures in the surrounding glaciers and numerous rockslides. Seismographers issued an ‘ADVISORY’ that an eruption may occur, but they couldn’t determine the intensity yet.

Around noon local time on March 27th, the tension was released as the peak of Mount St. Helens burst open, shooting steam 6,000 feet into the air and blasting a 250 foot-wide crater through the summit.

Smaller eruptions continued at a rate of about one per hour throughout the month of March, then decreased to about one per day in April until they totally stopped on April 22nd. However, on May 7th, eruptions started back up again, and the rate of eruptions gradually increased for the next 10 days. By May 17th, the north side of the volcano had bulged out about 450 feet nearly horizontally, indicating that magma was rising toward the summit of the volcano and pressure was building.

People in the area were given a ‘WARNING’ that Mount St. Helens was most likely going to erupt. They were told to leave their homes and vacate the area, but there were those who refused to leave.

On the morning of May 18th, volcanologist David Johnston woke up at his campsite on a ridge six miles north of the volcano, and radioed in his regular 7 am report. The changes to the bulging mountain were consistent with what had been reported several times daily since the watch began, and gave no indication of what was about to happen.

Then, at 8:32 am, a magnitude-5.1 earthquake registered on the seismographic equipment about 1 mile beneath the volcano. Johnston’s excited radio message, “This is it!” was followed by a stream of data. Sadly, it was his last transmission—the ridge he was camped on was within the direct blast zone.

The abrupt release of pressure over the magma chamber created a “nuée ardente,” a glowing cloud of superheated gas and rock debris blown out of the mountain face moving at nearly supersonic speeds. Everything within eight miles of the blast was wiped out almost instantly. The shockwave rolled over the forest for another 19 miles, leveling century-old trees, aligning all the trunks neatly to the north. Beyond this “tree down zone,” the forest remained standing but was seared lifeless. The area devastated by the direct blast force covered an area of nearly 230 square miles!

Shortly after the lateral blast, a second, vertical explosion occurred at the summit of the volcano, sending a mushroom cloud of ash and gases more than 12 miles into the air. Over the next few days, an estimated 540 million tons of ash covered an area of over 2,200 square miles, settling over seven states.

The 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption was the most destructive in U.S. history. Even though all the homeowners in the area were warned of the impending danger, 57 people refused to leave and lost their lives. In addition to that, thousands of animals were also killed. More than 200 homes were destroyed, and more than 185 miles of roads and 15 miles of railways were damaged. Ash clogged sewage systems, damaged cars and buildings, and temporarily shut down air traffic over the Northwest. The International Trade Commission estimated damages to timber, civil works, and agriculture to be $1.1 billion.

This shows the REAL NEED for vigilant watchman that don’t dawdle and warn of imminent danger—acting with immediacy. The immediacy with which the watchman sounds their warning normally increases the likelihood of saving the most lives of those they have been appointed to protect.

 

TRYING TO ‘BE’ A WATCHMAN
In the past few months, I have been kind of following the three ‘levels’ of warning that the National Weather Service uses to indicate increasing risks for my “Life’s Deep Thoughts” posts. However, I focused the ‘warnings’ on what is called the “End Times”—what some call “Armageddon” or “World War III”—as the war to end all wars that will essentially ‘destroy’ the living conditions of the planet to such an extent that human life may not be viable!

The Bible tells a similar narrative, but describes a period of time that precedes the war—the “Tribulation”—that will be MUCH WORSE than any secular scientist or pundit has ever described.

 

So, for the July 2019 “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post, I presented my ‘WATCH’ tips for the “End Times”—the “‘Blessed’ Hope”—which discussed a believer’s hope is a “living hope” because of their confident assurance that there is NO DOUBT that they are going to Heaven after they die, and be with God eternally!
(https://markbesh.wordpress.com/blessed-hope-v245/).

Then, the next month (August 2019), I ‘ADVISED’ the reader about what the Bible specifically says about the “‘Final’ Tribulation” our world will be going through seven years before Jesus comes ‘physically’ back to the earth to end World War III
(https://markbesh.wordpress.com/final-tribulation-v246/).

For September 2019, I continued the “End Times” ‘series’ by ‘WARNING’ my reader about “Mankind’s ‘Destiny’”—a 1,000 year period of perfect peace, and after that, true believers will enter ‘eternity’, something totally beyond human imagination and the amazing experience of ‘living’ with God in the New Jerusalem on the New Earth
(https://markbesh.wordpress.com/mankinds-destiny-v247/).

Finally, in last month’s post (November 2019), I presented the biblical prophecy that is being fulfilled today and the ‘convergence’ of them. I DO BELIEVE (as well as MANY other biblical scholars) that this is the “LAST GENERATION” of truly born-again Christians that will finally see the first ‘event’ in the “End Times” ‘sequence’ of events—the “Rapture” of the Church!
(https://markbesh.wordpress.com/last-generation-v249/).

 
This month, as a “watchman on the wall” (Ezekiel 33:1-33; Isaiah 62:6; Nehemiah 4:7; Matthew 26:41), I have pulled out my ‘BULLHORN’ to tell anyone who will listen to SINCERELY CONSIDER all of what I presented in my previous posts—showing how one essentially can MISS the impending “End Times” and spend eternity in Heaven with God.

Since I will try to present the ‘highlights’ of the previous posts about the “End Times,” this post may just be the MOST IMPORTANT ‘message’ of your life!

 

WATCHMEN ‘WERE’ VERY IMPORTANT!
In biblical times, a watchman was REALLY IMPORTANT (since they didn’t have any satellites or surveillance drones!). They were THE security ‘system’ for the ENTIRE CITY!

When talking about a watchman, the ancients used the Hebrew word “shamar,” which means “to keep watch, to preserve, or to guard”—primarily referring to that of a sheepfold. However, it also referred to “guarding” the heart, the mind, a church, a city, or even a nation from ungodly influences.

In the New Testament, the Greek word for “watch” is “grégoreó,” which means to be “keeping awake in order to guard,” “a close observation,” and “to be on the alert”—essentially, to be cognizant of an enemy’s ‘schemes’ (1 Peter 5:8). So, biblically, a “watchman” is a “sentry” or a “sentinel” that ‘looks out’ for enemies, and sends a warning message, when appropriate, to those they are protecting.

Ancient citizens also had to be on watch themselves—being alert to outside threats to their fields, herds, animals, and family members. They did this by standing in a “watchtower” that was high above their fields, to have the best vantage point. The elevated view of the watchman allowed him to see what others on the ground could not.

Typical watchmen safeguarded fields and vineyards primarily during harvest time (Isaiah 5:1–2; Matthew 21:33; Mark 12:1) and acted as ‘sentinels’ who announced the start of a new day (Psalm 130:6; Isaiah 21:11–12).

[ Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSvZsNvecy8 ].

 

To have a better understanding of who a watchman was in ancient times, I’m going to ‘transport’ you back into the prophet Ezekiel’s time.

The cities were very small and did not have all the protection that we have now. Therefore, the only way that a governor could protect the citizens of the city was to have walls built around the city. Walls and doors were built and fortified in order to defend against an attack from the enemy. This does not mean that the city was constantly closed. The normal ‘situation’ was to have the doors open in order for the citizens and the visitors to have access to and from the city. The doors were then closed at night to prevent people from entering the city without being ‘inspected’. They could always protect the city as long as they were not caught by surprise, because in all reality that was the only way to take a city. This is where we begin to see the importance of the ‘watchman’.

The watchman was a person or persons that were responsible so that a city would not be taken by surprise—and, in my opinion, they had the MOST IMPORTANT job in the entire city! They would stand on the walls or in towers constantly watching their surroundings and scanning the horizon looking for signs of activity. An entire city counted upon them to warn them of impending harm. Primarily, they would inform the inhabitants of approaching messengers (2 Samuel 18:24-27), the danger of an oncoming army (2 Kings 9:17-20), and of the progress of a battle (1 Samuel 14:16).

It also did not matter whether the weather was good or bad, sunny or rainy, lightning or thunder, the watchman could never desert his post under any circumstance. The watchman could not fall to sleep, nor could he not afford to be paying attention. He had to have his eyes wide open at all times, constantly searching for ‘signals’ that would indicate that an invasion was about to take place. Then, if a watchman spotted or observed signs of trouble, his duty was to blow the “Shofar” (an ancient trumpet made of a ram’s horn) to alert the people, have the doors closed, and have the soldiers ‘man’ the walls to defend the city. The job of the watchman was one of CONSTANT ‘VIGIL’.

The watchman was SO IMPORTANT that if he failed to sound the warning when the enemy came and his city was destroyed, losing many lives, according to the prophet Ezekiel, death was the penalty! (Ezekiel 33:6). The watchman was a VERY IMPORTANT post, and on him rested an ENORMOUS ‘RESPONSIBILITY’.

 

The Bible also refers to watchmen in a ‘SPIRITUAL’ sense—over the souls of God’s people: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me” (Ezekiel 33:7; Hosea 9:8). Their job as a ‘watchmen’ was to urge God’s people (believers) to live faithfully and warn them of the perils involved in falling away from the Lord and doing evil. As watchmen, they were also called to warn wicked people (unbelievers) of the judgment and destruction that would come their way unless they turned from their evil ways.

Israel’s spiritual watchmen bore a heavy responsibility before the Lord. If a prophet failed to warn others as God had appointed him to do, his own life was also in danger of being ended, and he would be held accountable for the people’s sin: “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood’” [ Ezekiel 33:2–6 ].

Then, and today, obedience is the ONLY course of action for a true watchman: “But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved” [ Ezekiel 33:9 ].

[ Note: Chapter 33 in Ezekiel is the “renewal” of the ‘call to Ezekiel as a ‘watchman’, whereas chapter 3 is the ‘initial’ call tasking Ezekiel to be a ‘watchman’ ].

 

Jeremiah was appointed as a prophet to Judah even before he was born (Jeremiah 1:5). Sadly, the prophet’s warnings of pending danger were often ignored.

The thing is, the watchman just needs to WARN PEOPLE—just as I am trying to do right now FOR YOU—and it’s up to them as to whether or not they heed the warning.

 

WATCHFULNESS TODAY
Now today, the end of the “Church Age,” God primarily appoints all Christians to be ‘watchmen’—primarily to proclaim the Gospel and Jesus’ soon and glorious return (the “Second Coming”).

Jesus told His disciples to “watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38). Every believer should be ready and waiting for the Lord’s return: “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” [ Luke 12:35–40 ]. So, knowing that the Rapture could happen at ANY TIME, the believer needs to be ‘busy’ telling as many people as they can THE WAY to get to Heaven—Jesus! (Just what I’m trying to do for you right now!).

In addition to that, the role of a “spiritual watchman” or “shepherd” continues in the ‘form’ of church leaders, and their role in today’s church also goes a bit ‘deeper’ than the ‘typical’ believer. It refers to guarding the heart, the mind, a church, a city or even a nation from ungodly influences.

When it comes to the Church, a spiritual watchman’s very life and breath is intercession for the ‘flock’ (believers), to point them down the right spiritual path, and expose all wrong paths. Just like Israel’s watchmen on the city walls, today’s watchmen guard a church against spiritual attack and keep them safe in the ‘sheepfold’. This may come in the form of prophetic discernment, biblical preaching, godly guidance, or even urgent prayerful intercession. “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” [ Acts 20:28 ].

 

While we in the U.S. may not be under the threat of ‘physical’ invasion today (or living in literal walled ‘fortresses’), Satan and his demons seek to destroy and lay siege to the Church through false teachers, ungodly philosophies, and bad doctrine.

Sadly, many so-called ‘ministers’ no longer view God’s Word (the Bible) as the primary basis for true doctrine. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears” [ 2 Timothy 4:1-8 ]. So, the Church is definitely under attack and, therefore, is definitely and desperately in need of ‘reliable’ watchmen. “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” [ 1 Timothy 4:3 ].

 

Jesus said the “APOSTASY” of the Church (the abandonment or renunciation of a religious belief) would be one of the first ‘signs’ of the “End Times.”

Other places in Scripture, in fact, says that apostasy will only get worse as Christ’s return approaches. “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition” [ 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 ].

The Apostle Paul also wrote about this, telling the Thessalonians that a great “falling away” would precede Jesus’ Second Coming (2 Thessalonians 2:3), and that the “End Times” would be characterized by a “Great Tribulation” and ‘hollow’ religious charlatans: “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people” [ 2 Timothy 3:1–2, 5 ].

Today, in many churches across America, there are many pastors who are preaching an inclusive, ‘feel-good’ message instead of sounding the ‘alarm’ that millions of people—such as your next-door neighbors—may be going to Hell because of their failure to believe in Jesus and accept Him as Savior. “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” [ Matthew 7:15 ].

Watchman also warn believers against the lies that this world offers: “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears” [ Acts 20:29-31 ].

[ Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMXgauV8LrM ].

 

The following video will give you more details about how you can recognize apostasy, apostate teachers, and why apostate teaching is so deadly:

[ Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1Z8COt10wI ].

 

So, you have probably gathered that the watchman’s primary ‘job’ is to WARN OTHERS. However, they need to be ‘ready’ themselves. The parable of the “10 Virgins” emphasizes staying spiritually prepared and ready—by keeping one’s ‘lamp’ filled with oil (which represents staying ‘filled’ with the Holy Spirit by obedience and Bible reading):

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward, the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” [ Matthew 25:1-13 ]. All of us must BE READY and CONSTANTLY WATCHING!

 

Discussing the “End Times” with His disciples, Jesus ‘urges’ them, three times, to ‘personally’ watch for His Second Coming, because He said that it’s a ‘secret’:

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake” [ Mark 13:32-37 ].

 

IT’S REALLY SERIOUS!
Please forgive me if you feel that I am ‘reprimanding’ you (if you are a believer), I just want you to be ABSOLUTELY SURE you understand the SERIOUSNESS of what is happening these days. A ‘watchman’ is supposed to LOUDLY SOUND the ‘trumpet’ once an ‘enemy’ is spotted—so the people can get prepared (and that’s what I am trying to do!).

More and more world events are fulfilling Bible prophecies—especially those that point to the increasing nearness of Jesus’ return. From recent hurricanes and earthquakes, the rise of ISIS, to Russia, Turkey and Iran ‘cooperating’, many people are asking whether these specific events are signs of the “End Times.”

Shortly after we entered this new century, Billy Graham wrote, “We see the storm clouds gathering and events taking place that herald the second coming of Jesus Christ.” I definitely agree! Even though we really don’t know ‘exactly’ when, I’m thinking that we are in the LAST ‘MINUTE’ of the “11TH HOUR.”

The following list are the top ‘signs’ that are prophesied to indicate that we are ‘in’ the “End Times”:

– The Planet is Having ‘Birth Pangs’: Natural disasters worldwide are happening with greater frequency and greater intensity
– Business as Usual: People are going to be caught off guard
– Mocking and Scoffing: Jesus was supposed to come back many times before, and didn’t show up.
– Rise of Wickedness/Plummeting Morality: Mankind will be given over to a depraved mind (as in the days of Noah)
– A Strong Delusion: Comments like, “Climate change is more dangerous than terrorism”
– Terrorism: Increasing worldwide; Primarily in the Middle East
– A Surge in Technology: Internet has worldwide access; Smartphones; A.I.; Cashless banking; Drones
– Wanting to Rebuild the Third Temple: Vestments and ritual items for animal sacrifices are already made; Building plans are finished
– Globalism: One ‘point’ of contact to solve environmental issues like pollution and climate change
– One-world Religion: Pope Francis has a strong ecumenical focus to embrace all religions; Pope is involved in an alliance with Turkey to control Jerusalem
– Longing for a Global Leader
– Counterfeit Christianity: Explosion of cults, occult, and aberrant teaching
– Increase in Apostasy in the Christian Church: Many churches deny the eternal truths of Scripture replacing them with ungodly, temporal and “politically correct” values
– Religious Persecution: An unprecedented rise in the persecution of Jews and Christians worldwide
– Middle East Activity: Looks like Russia, Iran, and Turkey are preparing to invade Israel (they are all in Syria, which borders Israel) [ Bible prophecy: Ezekiel 38-39 ].
– ‘Rebirth’ of Israel: The rebirth of Israel as a ‘State’ is the ‘CENTRAL’ WORLD EVENT that is prophesied to lead to the last ‘generation’ and the FINAL WAR of all time
– Convergence: All of these things happening all at one time is statistically impossible!

 

Scripture tells us that these are signs of perilous times to come, and the ‘close’ of this age. As a ‘watchman’ I am ‘charged’ to warn people of the impending danger—the coming “Tribulation,” the end of the world as we know it, and THE WAY to ‘MISS’ going through the Tribulation (the “Rapture,” which could happen at ANY TIME now), and being ABSOLUTELY SURE of going to Heaven!

[ FYI: For more details on what Scripture says about being absolutely sure one is going to Heaven, view these two past “Life’s Deep Thoughts” posts:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/knowing-assurance-v243/;
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/benefits-of-assurance-v244/ ].

 

To make it even more ‘imperative’, Jesus says that He will “come like a thief!” (Revelation 16:15a). This should remind us not only that Jesus will probably come unexpectedly, but that He may even come when some are unaware. So, that’s why I am doing this post—to be sure that YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED ahead of time, and you WILL NOT BE CAUGHT ‘OFF GUARD’!

 
Jesus also said that we should, “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 ]. “All these things” refers to the coming of the “Great Tribulation” (Matthew 24:21).

Jesus did not mean that we are to only focus our prayers primarily on our own survival and salvation, but to WARN OTHERS! (Again, that’s what I’m trying to do with this post!)

 

WATCHMEN ‘ARE’ VERY IMPORTANT!
Watchmen are becoming EVEN MORE IMPORTANT these days, since there are MANY MORE DANGERS than there were in ancient times—primarily the proliferation of cataclysmic weapons of mass destruction, especially nuclear missiles.

Probably the most sophisticated—as well as the most used—anti-missile defense system in the world is the “Iron Dome” in Israel. It is claimed that the system has had a nearly 90% success rate in intercepting potentially deadly rockets aimed at the Israeli territories.

[ Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsrEY3YZqsI ].

 

Although early warning ‘systems’ are very important to ensure the safety of people living on this planet—particularly military ones—there is a MORE IMPORTANT ‘message’ of SAFETY for people’s ‘lives’ AFTER they leave this earth—WHERE WILL THEY SPEND ETERNITY—and the believer has been given a ‘job’ to tell everyone they can how to miss going to Hell and spend eternity on Heaven with God.

Just before Jesus left this earth, He gave His disciples ‘marching orders’—to go to all the earth and tell everyone the saving Gospel: “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” [ Matthew 28:16-20 ]

This is called the “Great Commission”—the command to “go therefore and make disciples”—a responsibility that ‘rests’ on each believer, even if they are not gifted evangelists or apologists.

So, what is discipleship? Well, think of it as raising children. Evangelism is ‘making children’, and discipleship is ‘building’ them up. Discipleship is being a ‘mentor’ to those believers who are not that ‘mature’ in the faith yet. No matter who you are, and no matter how immature you consider yourself to be in the Lord, there are others less mature than you who you can build up in some way. Every believer has something to give every other believer!

 

Desperate times await the unredeemed! Jesus taught that one should, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” [ Matthew 7:13-14 ].

So, believer, always be an ‘ambassador’ for Jesus, because He ‘appointed’ us to do that work (Ephesians 2:10).

[ FYI: For more information about being an ambassador for Jesus, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/go-tell-all-the-world-v234/ ]

 

The watchman’s ‘other’ job is to ‘distribute’ the Gospel to all the world, and the believer is under the same ‘penalty’ that Ezekiel mentioned if they neglect to perform their duty! God’s great love for the souls of mankind compels Him to put a severe penalty on negligence. Question for believers: Are souls being lost today because of your failure to sound the warning?

 

IT’S URGENT!
If we are going to make an impact on our generation for the cause of Christ, IT MUST BE DONE SOON! Since we have no idea how much time is left, we dare not let the time slip away indiscriminately. If we are going to use wisely whatever time God gives us, we must be about His ‘business’ with a sense of URGENCY. On the one hand, we dare not presume on God’s grace by assuming we have plenty of time left to get the job done, and on the other hand, we dare not ‘terminate’ the grace of God by assuming it is too late for our generation!

Living in the light of Jesus’ Second Coming should keep the believer focused on what is really important in life—saving souls! It also should keep their attention on the ‘balance’ between their present responsibilities and future expectations.

The hope of the Second Coming is the strongest encouragement for the believer to live obediently until Jesus comes back. The ultimate incentive to ‘right’ living is the fact that we will face our Lord when He returns, and each of us needs to be ‘ready’ when that day comes. If we live out faithfully whatever time is left to us, we will surely hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23).

 

THE OUTCOME IS CERTAIN!
The world is speeding toward its ultimate date with destiny. Every day that passes moves us closer to the ‘end’. Humanity and the planet have a divine ‘appointment’ to keep. As each second ticks away, mankind comes closer and closer to earth’s final hour!

It is only a matter of time until our planet will be plunged into the most devastating catastrophe imaginable! The outcome is certain. Global conflagration is clearly predicted in biblical prophecy. The only real question is: HOW MUCH TIME IS LEFT?

Well, as I have said, I believe we are living in the LAST OF THE ’LAST DAYS’ even though every generation of Christians has lived with the hope of the imminent return of Christ, it sure does look like Jesus could return at any moment. The thing is, there is no prophetic event that remains to be fulfilled before the “Rapture” can occur. In fact, certain events, like the return of Israel to her land (in 1948), indicate that we are REALLY CLOSE to the ‘end’—this is possibly the ‘LAST’ GENERATION!

[ For more details on what the Bible says about the “Last Generation,” view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/last-generation-v249/ ].

 

If we can take seriously the biblical predictions about the “End Times,” then we must make preparation now for what is coming in the future. We cannot wait until all other options have been exhausted. THE TIME FOR ACTION IS NOW!

If you are not sure about your own relationship with Christ, might I STRONGLY SUGGEST that you make sure before it is too late! There are many things that demand our attention, many ‘voices’ calling to us, and many images ‘filling’ our minds. But no matter what our focus in life, one thing is certain: All of us will face death at some point. We cannot avoid it! All of us are VULNERABLE!

 

Death is the great equalizer. It makes no difference how rich or poor, famous or infamous, respected or rejected you may have been in this life. When you face death you are facing an impartial judge. The Bible reminds us that, “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23) and the “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). When death comes ‘knocking at your door’, all that really matters is that you are ‘READY’ to face your Maker!

The reason Jesus came the first time was to die for our sins. He came to ‘pay’ the price for our sins so that we might be forgiven. He is called our “Redeemer” because He has redeemed us from God’s judgment against our sin. The Apostle Peter gave more specifics about this: “You were redeemed…with the precious blood of Christ…He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake” [ 1 Peter 1:18-20 ].

 

‘WATCH,’ ‘WARN’, AND ‘WORK’
I’ve got to believe that you have heard the old saying, “I can walk and chew bible gum at the same time.” Well, today we would call that a “multitasker”—being able to perform multiple tasks concurrently.

Well, that’s what God wants the believer to do: Watch for spiritual dangers, warn those who need it, and disciple those who are new to the faith (so they can become a ‘watchmen’ and then disciple others—kind of like a ‘ethically honest’ multi-level marketing business model). “This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!… And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest” [ Luke 8:8b, 15 ].

 

The Old Testament tells a story about Nehemiah, that provides an excellent illustration of how we should watch and work at the same time:

“Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked… “Each man kept something to fight with in his hand, even when he went to wash” [ Nehemiah 4:17-18, 23c ]. This IS God’s ‘battle’ with the Devil for souls, and He has chosen us as His ‘hands and feet’ (Micah 6:8; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19; Acts 2:38) here on earth to do His ‘work’.

Nehemiah’s advice? Everyone MUST be constantly ‘watching’, and everyone MUST always be ‘on guard’!

 

Now, ‘modern-day’ watchmen also watch for more than just physical or spiritual threats. They also:

– Focus, remain vigilant, and are not easily distracted (Matthew 25:13) to not only see dangers, but also remain vigilant for ‘revelation’ and understanding of the Word to convey to people

– Are awake and alert, even when fatigued; even when others are celebrating or resting (Isaiah 21:8)

– Are able to discern a threat at great ‘distances’, and many times, in the dark of night (2 Kings 9:20)

– Is able to endure times of rejection, isolation, and loneliness to carry out their assignment (Jeremiah 15:17)

– Is so trustworthy that when they perceive a threat and warn the ‘authorities’, swift action would be taken because they said so (Jeremiah 12:3). [ Similarly, a believer must be trained to discern spiritual threats and dangers to other believers ].

– A watchman must be obedient to proclaim what they see (Ezekiel 3:17-21)

The following poem was written by a young African martyr in a prison cell before he died, and does a great job of explaining what a true “born again” Christian (“watchman”) is supposed to be doing here on earth before they die or are taken up in the Rapture:

“I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power.

The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of His. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.

My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure. I’m finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, applause, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer and labor by power.

My pace is set. My gait is fast. My goal is heaven. My road is narrow. My way rough. My companions few. My guide is reliable and my mission is clear.

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I’ve stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give ’til I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He’ll have no problem recognizing me. My banner will be clear.

Amen! May it be so in your life and mine.”

 

‘BE’ A SPIRITUAL WATCHMAN!
Imagine that several years ago someone found a cure for cancer—not just a treatment, but a 100% cure for this dreaded disease. Now, let’s say that the scientist who discovered this cure informed a select group of people, but neither he nor they ever shared it with anyone else. Since their discovery, thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, could have been saved, but for some reason, they were afraid to tell anyone else. Perhaps they were concerned that other people would think they were proud, since they had the cure and no one else did. Maybe they thought that others would not believe them, or that they would not believe that it would work. Maybe they were only concerned about themselves and thought that as long as they had the cure, they wouldn’t worry about anyone else.

Of course, this is absurd, but isn’t this not exactly what some Christians are doing? Believers have the MOST IMPORTANT ‘MESSAGE’ in the world, and they are ‘worried’ that other people will think that we are saying that we are better than they are. We are concerned that people will not accept what we have to say. They might even be afraid of what others will think, and what they may say about them. They don’t think they will believe them or receive what they have to say, so they don’t even try. Besides, as many others have told them, a person’s faith should be a very private thing, and as long as they are ‘saved’ and on their way to Heaven, then they really don’t have to worry about anyone else. TOTALLY RIDICULOUS!!!

Believers have the BEST ’NEWS’ in the world, and we SHOULD NOT keep it to ourselves! There is NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT for people to hear and understand! God doesn’t want ANYONE to go to Hell!: “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” [ 2 Peter 3:9 ].

God wants the believer to “Always be ready to tell everyone who asks you why you believe as you do. Be gentle as you speak and show respect. Keep your heart telling you that you have done what is right” [ 1 Peter 3:15-16a ].

As was said previously, God just wants believers to tell people about Him as the opportunity arises, leave the ‘results’ to Him, and don’t be concerned about what others say about you: “If men speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see the good way you have lived as a Christian” [ 1 Peter 3:16b ]. Great! No ‘pressure’!

 

All the believer has to do is ‘point’ people to God like John the Baptist did (Luke 3:4-6). He essentially told those that came to him what has been called, in Christian ‘circles’, the “ROMANS ROAD” Although God’s plan for human “salvation” is communicated throughout the entirety of the Bible, a collection of verses in the Apostle Paul’s epistle to the Romans offers a clear and structured ‘roadmap’ to becoming “born again” and “saved.”

Although many people believe they will go to Heaven because they have lived a ‘good’ life, done charity work, have been baptized as a child, attended church, or treated others fairly, the Bible declares that none of us can live up to God’s standards of righteousness. Therefore, we need a ‘roadmap’ to God that doesn’t rely on anything we do, but rather, relies on the ‘gift’ of His grace alone.

Acknowledgment:
We must acknowledge God as the Creator of everything, accepting our humble position in God’s created order and purpose:

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” [ Romans 1:20-21 ].

The ‘Problem’:
We must realize that we are sinners and that we need forgiveness. None of us are worthy under God’s standards:

“There is not one righteous, not even one” [ Romans 3:10 ].
“For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” [ Romans 3:23 ].
“For the wages of sin is death…” [ Romans 6:23a ].

There is ’Hope’ in Jesus:
God gave us the way to be forgiven of our sins. He showed us His love by giving us the potential for life through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ:

“…but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” [ Romans 6:23b ].
“But God demonstrates His love toward us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” [ Romans 5:8].

Sinner’s ‘Response’:
If we remain sinners, we will die. However, if we repent of our sins, confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, then you are saved and have eternal life:

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” [ Romans 10:9-10 ]
“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [ Romans 10:13 ].

The ‘Result’:
Justified sinners can now enjoy peace with God, no longer separated from Him by sin. Determine in your heart to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life today!:

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand” [ Romans 5:1-2 ].
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” [ Romans 8:1 ].

 

So, for the believer, this can be a helpful ‘shorthand’ version of what the Gospel is when talking with an unbeliever.

For the unbeliever, if you are experiencing an ‘angst’ deep down in your soul, God may just be ‘calling’ you to become one of His ‘children’! If so, in your own words, ‘sincerely’ repent of your sins and ask God to forgive them. Then, if you can say this honestly, assert that you truly believe that Jesus died on the Cross as your ‘substitute’ for your sins, and He rose from the dead to give you eternal life. Finally, genuinely commit the rest of your life to serve Him.

 

[ NOTE: If you are ‘struggling’ with what exactly to say, don’t worry about it. God knows what you are thinking! Just tell Him what you are feeling in your ‘gut’. If you would like something to guide you, use the paragraph below, or the “Prayer of Repentance” at the end of this ‘section’.

“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

If you decided to ‘receive’ Jesus, WELCOME to God’s ‘family’! Now, as a way to grow closer to Him, the Bible tells us to ‘follow up’ on our commitment with the following:

– Tell another believer about your new faith in Christ
– Get baptized when you can
– Spend time with God each day. It does not have to be a long period of time. Just develop the daily habit of praying to Him and reading His Word. Ask God to increase your faith and your understanding of the Bible.
– Seek fellowship with other followers of Jesus. Get ‘connected’ to a group of believing friends to answer your questions and support your growth in the faith
– Find a local, bible-believing church where you can worship God ].

 

Just as it was in ancient times, it’s the responsibility of the believer today to ‘warn’ and ‘proclaim’ as persuasively as possible, but how the message is received is beyond their control—and they are not ‘responsible’ whether or not others accept the message.

This illustration might help to clarify what I am trying to say:

In 1969, in Pass Christian, Mississippi, a group of people were preparing to have a “hurricane party” in the face of a storm named Camille. Were they ignorant of the dangers? Could they have been overconfident? Did they let their egos and pride influence their decision? We will never know.

What we do know is that the wind was howling outside the posh Richelieu Apartments when Police Chief Jerry Peralta pulled up sometime after dark. Facing the Beach less than 250 feet from the surf, the apartments were directly in the line of danger. A man with a drink in his hand came out to the second-floor balcony and waved. Peralta yelled up, “You all need to clear out of here as quickly as you can. The storm is headed straight here.” But as others joined the man on the balcony, they just laughed at Peralta’s order to leave. “This is my land,” one of them yelled back. “If you want me off, you’ll have to arrest me.”

Peralta didn’t arrest anyone, but he wasn’t able to persuade them to leave either. He wrote down the names of the next of kin of the twenty or so people who gathered there to party through the storm. They laughed as he took their names. They had been warned, but they had no intention of leaving.

It was 10:15 p.m. when the front wall of the storm came ashore. Scientists clocked Camille’s wind speed at more than 205 miles-per-hour, the strongest on record. Raindrops hit with the force of bullets, and waves off the Gulf Coast crested between twenty-two and twenty-eight feet high.

News reports later showed that the worst damage came at the little settlement of motels, go-go bars, and gambling houses known as Pass Christian, Mississippi, where some twenty people were killed at a hurricane party in the Richelieu Apartments. Nothing was left of that three-story structure but the foundation; the only survivor was a five-year-old boy found clinging to a mattress the following day.

Those people died because they FAILED TO HEED the words of the watchman! That policeman did his job. It’s too bad they didn’t listen to him!

 

The ‘responsibility’ of the believer is similar to that of the policeman. They are, to the best of their ability, supposed to warn all those who do not ‘know’ Jesus as their Savior (unbelievers), and keep the ‘sheep’ (believers) safe from spiritual attack. “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” [ 1 Corinthians 16:13 ].

 

‘TRIBULATION’ IS COMING!
Jesus said that there is coming a time of ‘tribulation’ “such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be” (Matthew 24:21), and “except those days are shortened no flesh would survive” (Matthew 24:22). The thing is, you couldn’t have even understood that ‘comment’ until this generation—you couldn’t have ‘wiped out all flesh’ with swords, spears, and bows and arrows! There was no danger of this prophecy happening until today, HAVING THE WEAPONS to turn this earth into a sterile bit of dust without even a microbe or a cockroach left alive on this planet!

So, all that to say, NOW is the time to ‘get right’ with God, so you DON’T GO THROUGH this horrific period of time!

[ For more details on the “Tribulation,” view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/final-tribulation-v246/ ].

 

JESUS IS COMING BACK!
The disciples were looking up intently as Jesus was ascending into the sky, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into Heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into Heaven” [ Acts 1:10-11 ].

After remembering what Jesus had said to them previously, they were not as ‘concerned’ as they had been: “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” [ John 14:2-3 ]. Jesus ‘promised’ that He would come back to “rapture” His ‘children’ before the “Great Tribulation”: “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God” [ Romans 5:9 ].

Some ‘mock’ the believer and say that Jesus said this over 2,000 years ago, and He still hasn’t come back—and probably never will. Well, the thing is, the Apostle Peter said that, “do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” [ 2 Peter 3:8 ]. So, it’s only been two ‘days’ since Jesus resurrected, in God’s ‘eyes’! Again, Jesus said, “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” [ Matthew 24:44 ]. Watching motivates the believer to remain ready!

 

THE ‘RAPTURE’
Jesus promised to come back to take believers to Heaven: “Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” [ 1 Thessalonians 4:17 ].

This promise is no ordinary hope. Believers do not hope for it as they hope for sunshine on the day of a picnic, or for their home team to win the Superbowl. No, believers are actually QUITE CERTAIN of Jesus’ return, happening BEFORE the “Great Tribulation” (Romans 5:9).

So, believers are to be actively, anxiously, eagerly, and continually looking for this “Blessed Hope,” the “Rapture” [ The Greek word used here, “harpazo,” means “caught up” and “snatched away,” whereas it’s the Latin word “Rapere” that we get the “Rapture” from ].

Now, an important aspect of all this is that there IS NOTHING that must be prophetically fulfilled before the “Rapture” happens. It is a ‘signless’ event, in contrast to the “Second Coming,” which has seven years worth of ‘signs’ beforehand. It’s no wonder that the Apostle Paul said, “The hour has come for you to wake from sleep for salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed” [ Romans 13:11-12 ]. James also said that, “The coming of the Lord is at hand” [ James 5:8 ]. The fact that the Rapture can occur any moment should spur all believers on to live righteously, right now!

 

PERILOUS TIMES CALL FOR ‘HEIGHTENED’ WATCHFULNESS!
Back in Old Testament times, Noah constantly warned the people that a great disastrous flood was coming. However, they had never even seen rain before, so most people were ‘apathetic’ to Noah’s message.

To be a watchman today requires overcoming some serious obstacles, such as the mind-numbing effects of mainstream media and the dumbed-down public education system. Psychologists have also labeled a certain kind of mental inertia as “the normalcy bias,” which describes people who believe nothing really dangerous is ever going to happen, no matter what kind of facts are presented. This ‘condition’ was a reason why so many Jews refused to leave Germany during WWII before being killed.

Many of the German Jews, brilliant, cultured, and cosmopolitan as they were, were too complacent. They had been in Germany so long and were so well established, they simply couldn’t believe there was going to be a crisis that would endanger them. They were too ‘comfortable’. They believed the Nazi’s anti-Semitism was an episodic event, and that Hitler’s ‘bark’ was worse than his ‘bite’. They reacted sluggishly to the rise of Hitler for completely understandable but tragically erroneous reasons. Events moved much faster than they could have ever imagined.

So, when you go against the ‘grain’ to warn people, many people will be apathetic, some will appreciate it, and others may even become angry. Some people ignore news because it’s mostly bad news that interferes with feeling happy and comfortable. But that’s choosing escapism over facing reality.

This story illustrates well what I am trying to say:

A team of paramedics loaded a dazed auto accident victim into the ambulance.

“I don’t understand it,” the stunned patient moaned. “I’m sure I had the right-of-way.”

“Yes,” replied a medic, “but the other driver had the eighteen-wheeler.”

Often we are like this accident victim. We see the “eighteen-wheeler” coming, but we ignore the danger and still pull into its path because we think we’ll ‘be okay’. We don’t take the time to HEED THE WARNING because we are either ‘busy’, too ‘rushed’, or both! PLEASE take the time to consider all of what has been said here! It’s a LIFE OR DEATH decision…for eternity!

 

REALITY ‘CHECK’
Now, I know that this is not a ‘pleasant’ message that will ‘please’ you (it’s not meant to). It’s my ‘responsibility’ to bring, you the biblical truth—whatever it says—and to be a ‘light’ to dispel the ‘darkness’ you may be experiencing. (John 1:5-9; Mathew 5:16; Ephesians 5:14; 1 Peter 2:9).

The day will come that we all will be face-to-face with our Creator, and will have to ‘account’ for what we have done during our lives. We will also have to account for all that we have ignored, or what we assumed was not our responsibility. It’s will be a very serious matter!

So, you have A DECISION TO MAKE—between eternal life and eternal death. The thing is, God gives eternal life to all of those that ‘come’ to Him repentantly, and believe that His Son, Jesus, is their Savior. DO IT NOW!

 

I’M BLOWING THE ‘SHOFAR’
Many natural disasters have caught different nations by surprise in the last few years, including tsunamis, hurricanes, and frequent earthquakes—which all have ‘flattened’ entire cities and a major portion of some countries. It just so happens that these are ‘signs’ that God’s judgment, which will take place before Jesus returns to this earth, is approaching—and ONLY THOSE WHO ARE ‘PREPARED’ will be saved!

Question: What would you do if you saw two small children playing a little distance from their parents who, without realizing, started to walk towards a deep hole? How would you react? Would you say to yourself, “That doesn’t matter to me, they’re not my children,” or would you warn them about the danger? If you decided to warn them, would you speak in a gentle tone of voice? Probably not! The only thing you would be thinking would be trying to avoid an awful accident. You would SHOUT LOUDLY for them to stop immediately, and also try to pull them away from the danger! This is what I am trying to do with this post in regards to your ETERNAL ‘resting place’!

The timing of the “last days” is in God’s ‘hands’. From a human standpoint, it appears that we are on the ‘threshold’ of the final ‘frontier’ for humanity. The pieces of the ‘puzzle’ are all in place. As the sands of time are slipping through the ‘hourglass’ of eternity, we are all moving closer to an ‘appointment’ with destiny! A very compelling watchwomen, prophecy expert Jan Markell, says, “The world is not falling to pieces, rather, the pieces are all falling into place.”

 

Here’s another story that illustrates my ‘passion’ for making people aware of the IMPENDING DANGER:

Years ago, a story appeared in a Northwestern newspaper concerning a truck driver who, on a really foggy night plunged his rig down a river gorge where he’d expected to find a familiar bridge. Miraculously uninjured, the shaken trucker managed to crawl from the wreckage and make his way back up to the road.

Frantically waving his arms and screaming at approaching vehicles, he did all he could to warn them of the impending danger. “The bridge is out!” he would scream. “STOP!” However, most of the traffic on this foggy night ignored his pleas, considering him a ‘wacko’, and they perished!

 

Such is the situation that many believers face in today’s world—their warnings go unheeded. In fact, most are reviled and ridiculed for having the ‘arrogance’ to tell others that they are taking the wrong ‘path’ spiritually. All of us must ask ourselves: “Will this ‘road’ I am traveling on leave me without a ‘bridge’ at the end of my life’s journey?”

 

I am PROFOUNDLY CONCERNED and am ‘CONVICTED’ that NOW is a TREMENDOUS RESPONSIBILITY to WARN THE ‘LOST’ about the reality of Hell, to offer them a ‘recommendation’ to ‘miss’ going there, and how to be SURE that they are going to Heaven, by ‘salvation’ in Jesus Christ! “Knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men” [ 2 Corinthians 5:11 ].

 

WRAP UP
Hopefully, I have communicated HOW IMPORTANT being ‘SAVED’ is, and pray that you will DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!…RIGHT NOW!!!

I STRONGLY BELIEVE (as well as MANY others) that the world doesn’t have a lot of time left until “Armageddon,” so that means YOU DON’T HAVE a lot of time to become ‘SAVED’! (not to mention you may not even ‘make it’ until then, passing away before that time).

 

One of the most thankless jobs in the military during times of peace (i.e. before “Pearl Harbor”) is the job of the “sentry” or the “watchmen.” No one takes notice of them when there is not much ‘on the line’. However, during a time of combat, that all changes. It is the watchman’s job to be the first ‘line of defense’ for those sleeping—to be the first to see the enemy coming and warn everyone of the impending attack, to quickly get ready to defend their ‘position’.

Such is the ‘responsibility’ of those who are appointed to be “watchmen” in this ’world’, and God has ‘appointed’ every believer to be a ‘spiritual’ watchman that will warn of the attack of the ‘enemy’ (Satan) coming, and to rouse everyone from their ‘slumber’. The thing is, Satan wants to ‘lull’ the watchmen into inactivity and have them join everyone else in the slumber, and grow weary about sounding the ‘alarm’.

The spiritual watchman MUST NOT lose heart! If they do, many are doomed. They cannot grow weary in doing that which Jesus has called them to—because they are the ‘first line of defense’ in these last days. The enemy is at the ‘gate’!

 

We’ve been told that our nation has a surveillance system in place that can detect incoming missiles that are meant to harm us. But what if, after all the time, effort, and money spent, those responsible for watching out for our welfare saw ‘signs’ that we were under attack, and yet, for some reason, decided not to alert the military, inform the President, or warn the American people? What if the radar screens were showing clear signs of an impending nuclear attack, the satellites were sending all the right information, the computers were all functioning properly, lights were flashing, and warning sirens were going off, but those responsible for passing along the warning decided they would rather remain silent rather than cause national panic? Or, what if they had fallen asleep because they stayed up too late watching the final episode of “America’s Got Talent.” What if they were too engrossed in playing cards with the other members of the alert team in the lunchroom to tend to their duties. What if they were on the phone with a friend, or just didn’t like their job (since they had to work at night), and really didn’t care to take the situation seriously. What would happen to them and the people they were ‘charged’ to protect? You can probably imagine for yourself scenarios that go from ‘bad’ to ‘horrendous’.

 

The prophet Ezekiel tells of his ‘call’ to be a watchman for ancient Israel, and likened it unto that of a sentry observing the danger of an enemy coming and then warning the ‘slumbering’ city of the impending danger.

In like manner, Ezekiel was a watchman to them in ‘spiritual’ matters, too (as every believer today should be). He is to point out their sin and warn them to repent and turn to the Lord (as every believer today should be doing).

 

As a ‘believer’, I have committed to being a spiritual ’WATCHMAN’ and to WARNING everyone that there is an APPROACHING DANGER that will possibly ‘affect’ WHERE YOU WILL SPEND ETERNITY!

 

Hopefully, I have summarized herein the prospect that we just might be in the final ‘hours’ of history before the Second Coming of Jesus (proceeded by the “Rapture”). The world is largely ‘lost’ and in desperate need of a Savior.

[ NOTE: These previous “Life’s Deep thoughts posts give a lot of details about all aspects of the “End Times”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/blessed-hope-v245/;
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/final-tribulation-v246/;
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/mankinds-destiny-v247/;
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/last-generation-v249/ ].

 

Here’s a poem (“What Then?”) that hopefully will ‘cinch’ all of this for you:

When the great factories of our nation,
Have turned out their last finished works;
When the merchants have sold their last orders,
And dismissed every hard-working clerk;
When the banks have racked in the last dollar,
And paid out their last dividend;
And the Judge of the Earth says, “Closed for the night,”
And asks for the balance—What Then?

When the church choir has sung its last anthem,
When the preacher has prayed his last prayer;
When the people have heard their last sermon,
And the sound has died out on the air;
When the Bible lies closed in the pulpit,
And the pews are all empty of men;
When each one stands facing his record,
And the Great Book is opened—What Then?

When the actors have played the last drama,
And the comic has delivered his last pun;
When the movie has flashed its last picture,
And the billboard displayed its last run;
When the music halls have turned out their lights,
And the crowds seeking pleasure have vanished;
When the trumpet of ages has sounded,
And we stand up before God—What Then?

When the bugle blast sinks into silence,
And the long marching columns stand still;
When the captain has shouted the last orders,
And they’re captured the last fort and hill;
When the flag has been hauled from the masthead,
And the wounded are brought from the field;
When the survivors who rejected the Savior,
Are asked for a reason—What Then?!”

[ Author unknown ]
(FYI: A music video of this is in the “Articles” section below)

 

Two lines in the poem ‘jumped out’ at me. First, “When the trumpet of ages has sounded, and we stand up before God—What Then?” Will you be able to ‘stand’ before God?

Then, it ends with, “When the survivors who rejected the Savior, are asked for a reason—What Then?!” What ‘reason’ will you give? That you are a ‘good’ person and try to help everyone you can? That your good deeds ‘outweigh’ your bad deeds?

Question: What would you think a traffic court Judge would say to you if you said, “I know I was speeding the other day, but I’ve driven many miles within the speed limit since, so my good driving should ‘outweigh’ my bad driving.” Well, let me tell you. He would say, “Guilty. Pay the fine.” You broke the law and you have to pay the penalty.

 

Similarly, the Bible very clearly lays out humanity’s ‘problem’ that we are all “sinners,” we have broken God’s laws, and we need to ‘pay’ the penalty—death! “For the wages of sin is death…” [ Romans 6:23a ]. HOWEVER, God has made a ‘way’ for our sins to be ‘propitiated’ for, by just finishing the Romans 6:23 sentence: “…but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” [ Romans 6:23b ]. Jesus’ death on the Cross ‘paid’ the penalty, in full, for all of your sins, past, present, and future! All you have to do is ‘accept’ Jesus as your Savior!

The hymn, “He Paid A Debt He Did Not Owe,” summarizes this better than I can:

“He paid a debt he did not owe
I owed a debt I could not pay
I needed someone to wash my sins away;
And now I sing a brand new song, “Amazing Grace”
Christ Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay.

He paid that debt at Calvary
He cleansed my soul and set me free
I’m glad that Jesus did all my sins erase;
I now can sing a brand new song, “Amazing Grace”
Christ Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay.

One day he’s coming back for me
To live with him eternally
Won’t it be glory to see him on that day!
I then will sing a brand new song, “Amazing Grace”
Christ Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay.
Yes, Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay.”

[ Ellis J. Clum ]

[ Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co6R4P47qps ].

 

Are you READY for Jesus’ Return? If He were to appear in the heavens today, coming back for His Church, would you be ‘TAKEN OUT’ of this world, or would you be ‘LEFT BEHIND’ to face the horrors of the Tribulation and the terror of the Antichrist?

Everyone seems to know the Scripture verse John 3:16 (especially when ‘that’ guy in the clown hair shows it on a sign at many football games), “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” But few seem to be aware of what Jesus said to the Pharisee named Nicodemus just a few minutes later that, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” [ John 3:36 ].

 

EVERY PERSON on the planet is either under the ‘GRACE’ of God (John 3:16) or the ‘WRATH’ of God (John 3:36). It is a ‘GLORIOUS’ thing to be under God’s grace, but a ‘TRAGIC’ thing to be the subject of God’s wrath!

When Jesus was hanging on the Cross, EVERY SIN you and I have ever committed and ever will commit was ‘placed’ upon Him, and HE received all of the wrath of God that you and I deserved!

So, when a person “accepts” Jesus as their Savior (repenting of their sins and believing that Jesus is the propitiation for their sins), they are ‘IMPUTED’ THE RIGHTEOUSNESS of Jesus, and become ‘IMMUNE’ to God’s wrath…forever!

 

Now, I am trying to be a spiritual ’watchman’ here warning you that there is GREAT DANGER looming on the ‘horizon’—the “Great Tribulation”—and if you are not yet truly “born again” and a ‘child’ of God, this just may be the LAST OPPORTUNITY for you to ‘MISS’ the most horrific time the world has ever known! God may just be using this post to WAKE YOU FROM YOUR ‘SLUMBER’!

[ If you have any doubts about how bad it’s going to be, then read this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/final-tribulation-v246/ ].

 

The thing is, if you are reading this, IT’S NOT TOO LATE! God still doesn’t want any to perish! “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” [ 2 Peter 3:9 ]. HOWEVER, the next verse describes what will happen to those who are not “born again”: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” [ 2 Peter 3:10 ].

One becomes “born again” or “saved” by putting their trust in the Person of Jesus. The author of the Book of Hebrews said that, “it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.” [ Hebrews 11:6 ].

So, if you have never put your faith ‘in’ Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I STRONGLY SUGGEST you do so RIGHT NOW (since no one knows the time of their death). Just confess to God that you are a sinner and ask Him to forgive you of your sins. Then, ‘receive’ Jesus as your Savior!

[ Note: The “Prayer of Repentance” below might be able to ‘guide’ you in formulating your thoughts, however, the ‘specific’ words don’t really matter that much, just tell God what you are feeling in your ‘heart’ ].

God is STILL RECEIVING ALL who will ‘come’ to Him in faith! Repent and believe in Jesus NOW and BE ‘SPARED’ from having to go through the “Tribulation,” and BE SURE you are going to Heaven!

[ Christians WILL NOT go through the “Tribulation” period ]

[ Link to video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbAvo_Ra5po&feature=youtu.be&t=247 ].

 

You’re probably saying to yourself right now that I am sounding like a ‘broken record’. Well, that might be true, but I just want to BE SURE you ‘caught’ my WARNING of your IMPENDING DOOM!

Yes, very ‘strong’ language, but don’t ‘shoot’ the messenger—I’m just telling unbelievers in Jesus (and superficial, apathetic, and lukewarm ‘believers’) what the Bible says! (Romans 10:9-10; John 3:5-6; John 3:18; John 5:24; Acts 16:31; Revelation 3:20).

 

I REALLY CARE that people (maybe you!) are ‘dropping’ into Hell every minute of every day, and I DON’T WANT YOU to be one of them!

PLEASE consider it VERY IMPORTANT that you DO SOMETHING about this SOON! You are in GREAT DANGER because of what is on the way—The “Tribulation.” BUT, you can get yourself OUT OF THE DANGER!

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” [ Romans 10:9-10 ].

 

If you are an unbeliever, don’t put this off until tomorrow. GET ‘SAVED’!

[ FYI: For more details about “getting saved,” read this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/saved-from-death-v219/ ].

 

If you are already a believer, ‘WATCHMEN’ ARE REALLY NEEDED NOW! I have become one, WILL YOU?

 

[ Excerpts from: Mark Copeland; William D. Brown; Josh Toupos; Chip Brogden; John MacArthur; Chip Brogden; Steve Mitchell; Michael Erickson; Michael Boldea Jr.; James May; David Reagan; Jan Markell; Dave Hunt; Greg Koukl; Greg Outlaw; Steven J. Cole ]

 

RELATED POSTS:

“‘Last’ Generation”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/last-generation-v249/

“Mankind’s ‘Destiny’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/mankinds-destiny-v247/

“‘Final’ Tribulation”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/final-tribulation-v246/

“‘Blessed’ Hope”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/blessed-hope-v245/

“Knowing ‘Assurance’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/knowing-assurance-v243/

“Leaving A ‘Legacy’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/leaving-a-legacy-v242/

“‘Outworkings’ Of Grace”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/outworkings-of-grace-v241/

“Amazing ‘Grace’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/amazing-grace-v239/

“One’s ‘Last Words’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/ones-last-words-v232/

“The Greatest ‘Gift’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/the-greatest-gift-v226/

“A ‘Place’ To Retire”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/a-place-to-retire-v221/

“‘Saved’ From Death”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/saved-from-death-v219/

 

‘PRAYER’ OF REPENTANCE
In the Bible, there is a parable that Jesus told about a Pharisee and a tax collector praying in the Temple. He notes that the tax collector didn’t even dare to lift his eyes toward Heaven as he prayed. Instead he “beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner’”—and Jesus said that the tax collector “went home justified,” he had been “born again” and ‘reconciled’ by God. (Luke 18:9-14).

If you are ‘sensing’ something like that right now, let me strongly encourage you to HUMBLE YOURSELF, CRY OUT to God, and PLEAD for Him to mercifully ‘SAVE’ YOU! None of us have a ‘claim’ on our salvation, nor do we have any ‘works’ that would cause us to deserve it or earn it—it is purely a gift of Divine grace—and all any of us can do is ask. So, CONFESS YOUR SINS and acknowledge to God that you have no hope for Heaven apart from what He provides through Jesus.

There is no ‘formula’ or certain words for this. So just talk to God, in your own words—He knows your ‘heart’. If you are genuinely sincere, and God does respond to your plea, one will usually have a sense of joy and peace.

Jesus said, “He that comes to Me, I will not cast out” [ John 6:37 ].

[ FYI: This is a great sermon on the “Call to Repentance” by John MacArthur from his book “The Gospel According to Jesus”: https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-22/the-call-to-repentance
(Transcript: http://www.spiritedesign.com/TheCallToRepentance-JohnMacArthur(Jul-27-2019).pdf) ].

[ NOTE: If you have ‘tasted the kindness of the Lord’, please e-mail me—I would love to CELEBRATE with you, and help you get started on your ‘journey’ with Jesus! ].

 

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RESOURCES:

—————-
“Pearl Harbor: Warning and Decision”
By: Roberta Wohlstetter

This account of the Pearl Harbor attack denies that the lack of preparation resulted from military negligence or a political plot.

—————-
“Countdown to Pearl Harbor: The Twelve Days to the Attack”
By: Steve Twomey

This “riveting” (Los Angeles Times), “crackerjack read” (Smithsonian) turns the lead-up to the most infamous day in American history into a ticking time-bomb thriller. Never before has a story you thought you knew proven so impossible to put down.

In Washington, DC, in late November 1941, admirals composed the most ominous message in Navy history to warn Hawaii of possible danger—but they wrote it too vaguely. They thought precautions were being taken, but never checked to be sure.

In a small office at Pearl Harbor, overlooking the battleships, the commander of the Pacific Fleet tried to assess whether the threat was real. His intelligence had lost track of Japan’s biggest aircraft carriers, but assumed they were resting in a port far away. Besides, the admiral thought Pearl was too shallow for torpedoes; he never even put up a barrier. As he fretted, a Japanese spy was counting warships in the harbor and reporting to Tokyo.

There were false assumptions and racist ones, misunderstandings, infighting, and clashes between egos. Through remarkable characters and impeccable details, Pulitzer Prize–winner Steve Twomey shows how careless decisions and blinkered beliefs gave birth to colossal failure. But he tells the story with compassion and a wise understanding of why people—even smart, experienced, talented people—look down at their feet when they should be scanning the sky.

The brilliance of Countdown to Pearl Harbor is in its elegant prose and taut focus. “Even though readers already know the ending, they’ll hold their collective breath, as if they’re watching a rerun of an Alfred Hitchcock classic” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch).

—————-
“Pearl Harbor Betrayed: The True Story of a Man and a Nation under Attack”
By: Michael Gannon

A naval historian draws on newly revealed primary documents to shed light on the tragic errors that led to the devastating attack, Washington’s role, and the man who took the fall for the Japanese tactical victory

Michael Gannon begins his authoritative account of the “impossible to forget” attack with the essential background story of Japan’s imperialist mission and the United States’ uncertain responses-especially two lost chances of delaying the inevitable attack until the military was prepared to defend Pearl Harbor.
Gannon disproves two Pearl Harbor legends: first, that there was a conspiracy to withold intelligence from the Pacific Commander in order to force a Pacific war, and second, that Admiral Kimmel was informed but failed to act. Instead, Gannon points to two critical factors ignored by others: that information about the attack gleaned from the “Magic” code intercepts was not sent to Admiral Kimmel, and that there was no possibility that Kimmel could have defended Pearl Harbor because the Japanese were militarily far superior to the American forces in December of 1941.

Gannon has divided the story into three parts: the background, eyewitness accounts of the stunning Japanese tactical victory, and the aftermath, which focuses on the Commander, who was blamed for the biggest military disaster in American history.

Pearl Harbor Betrayed will be published to coincide with the 60th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

—————-
“What is a Rapture Kit?”

​A Rapture Kit is a resource designed to aid believers in actively praying for and reaching out to individuals who are not yet saved. The goals are to lead individuals to Christ and provide support to individuals who delay in making that decision and are not taken by Christ in the Rapture. The giving of a Rapture Kit is an expression of care and God’s love, and a way for believers today to have a spiritual impact in the world even after they have been taken in the Rapture by Christ.

A Rapture Kit is a collection of resources designed to draw people to faith, explain what the Rapture is and what has happened, and help individuals be prepared for events associated with the Tribulation.

A Rapture Kit is a resource that will aid believers in being a witness before the Rapture, and draw individuals to faith and equip new believers for service in a post-Rapture world.

What is included in a Rapture Kit?
The Rapture Kit includes following: A Bible, a digital folder with more than 120 pages of important information (information on how to be saved, what has happened, what to expect, and how to prepare for what is to come), eight books (on the topics of prophecy, apologetics, the Christian Walk, and being a Watchman for the Lord), 12 video teachings (on prophecy, how to be saved, apologetics/reasons for faith, and living out your faith), a two-part audio teaching on why and how to share your faith, an illustrated storybook for children, several spiritual tracts from World Missionary Press, and a 40-minute video presentation noting what the Rapture is, what has happened, and what to do now. These resources come preloaded on an 8 GB Flash Drive and shipped in handsome, full color packaging.

Note: Physical books and DVD’s can be purchased through the Shop page of the RaptureKit.org website

Rapture Kit

—————-
“Rapture Kit Promo”

This is a promo video for the Rapture Kit resource offered by the I Am A Watchman (IAmAWatchman.com) ministry.

Promo Video: https://vimeo.com/362149042

—————-
“What Does It Mean To Be A Watchman”

In today’s episode, we talk with Mike Kerr, founder and president of Hear the Watchmen, a non-denominational conference ministry providing inspiration and encouragement regarding the end times, as well as the popular “Hear the Watchmen Journey” YouTube channel. We discuss the importance of faithfully serving as a watchman during troublesome times.

Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJJPLuBPGKk

—————-
“I Am A Watchman”

This five-minute video presents a general overview of the I Am A Watchman ministry. The video profiles the ministry’s goals, vision, and plan to reach the lost, equip believers, and support those called to serve as watchmen.

Overview Video: https://vimeo.com/260872319

Website: https://iamawatchman.com/

—————-
“Watchmen On The Wall Overview”

A brief overview of the mission and call of Watchmen on the Wall. A movement of pastors.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RThbHZ6p8Jk

Allow me to introduce you to “Watchmen on the Wall,” our ministry to pastors. Why would Family Research Council invest in pastors? After all, FRC is a Washington, DC-based non-profit ministry that is focused on shaping public policy and informed civic activism. Good question.

Simply put, we believe that the problems we face in our communities and our nation are not just political and cultural, they are spiritual in nature (Eph. 6:10-13). Consequently, these problems ultimately require a spiritual solution administered by spiritual leadership. That is why we are championing pastors to transform America.

What are we hoping pastors will do? Simply this: 1) Pray for our nation, 2) Preach the whole counsel of God without apology, and 3) Partner with other pastors who will lead their churches to become the salt and light Jesus spoke about and make a positive difference in their communities, state, and our nation.

As you walk out your calling as a pastor, we want to serve you, stand with you, and be an encouragement to you, just as the Bible teaches:

“Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.” – 1 Thess. 5:12-13a.

I sincerely hope you will prayerfully consider joining with Watchmen Pastors all across America as we stand for Faith, Family, and Freedom.

[ Tony Perkins ]

Website: http://www.watchmenpastors.org/

2019 Conference Videos: http://www.watchmenpastors.org/archive-2019

—————-
“Watchman, What of the Night?”

“Watchman, what of the night?”
— Isaiah 21:11

What enemies are abroad? Errors are a numerous horde, and new ones appear every hour: against what heresy am I to be on my guard? Sins creep from their lurking places when the darkness reigns; I must myself mount the watch-tower, and watch unto prayer. Our heavenly Protector foresees all the attacks which are about to be made upon us, and when as yet the evil designed us is but in the desire of Satan, he prays for us that our faith fail not, when we are sifted as wheat. Continue O gracious Watchman, to forewarn us of our foes, and for Zion’s sake hold not thy peace.

“Watchman, what of the night?” What weather is coming for the Church? Are the clouds lowering, or is it all clear and fair overhead? We must care for the Church of God with anxious love; and now that Popery and infidelity are both threatening, let us observe the signs of the times and prepare for conflict.

“Watchman, what of the night?” What stars are visible? What precious promises suit our present case? You sound the alarm, give us the consolation also. Christ, the polestar, is ever fixed in his place, and all the stars are secure in the right hand of their Lord.

But watchman, when comes the morning? The Bridegroom tarries. Are there no signs of his coming forth as the Sun of Righteousness? Has not the morning star arisen as the pledge of day? When will the day dawn, and the shadows flee away? O Jesus, if thou come not in person to thy waiting Church this day, yet come in Spirit to my sighing heart, and make it sing for joy.

“Now all the earth is bright and glad
With the fresh morn;
But all my heart is cold, and dark and sad:
Sun of the soul, let me behold thy dawn!
Come, Jesus, Lord,
O quickly come, according to thy word.”

[ Charles Spurgeon ]

—————-
“Watchman Report: Uncharted Prophetic Territory”

Pastor J.D. talks about how we’re now in unchartered territory geopolitically and more importantly, prophetically!

[ J.D. Farag ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p598jJzcHIA

—————-
“Watchman Report: Prophecy Update from the Valley of Armageddon”

In this week’s Prophecy Update, we join Tom Hughes in Israel with special guest David Tal. What’s so significant about the Valley of Armageddon? Let’s find out!

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g-_wn6bafk

—————-
“Watching Evil Wax Worse and Worse”

For more Olive Tree Ministries Resources click here: http://www.olivetreeviews.org. Jan Markell discusses the perils of the paranormal with Eric Barger and Jill Martin Rische. We are watching evil wax worse and worse as predicted for the last days. From the demon possession and blatant occult featured on Netflix to the Arch of Palmyra in Washington, mankind is celebrating the dark. This has consequences. What can Christians do? Listen to Steven’s warnings.

[ Jan Markell interviews Eric Barger and Jill Martin Rische ]

Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEMQzk1LNO8

—————-
“Watchman On The Wall”

God’s big picture is that He wants all people to turn to Him and be saved. As Pastor Dudley Rutherford teaches from Ezekiel 33:1-9, we learn that in the midst of sin and confusion, God will always raise up a watchman to warn and guide the people. If the watchman does his or her job, their hands are clean—even if the people do not listen. If the watchman fails at his or her job, their hands are guilty. This message is not just for Ezekiel, but for all God’s people as well. Are you willing to be a watchman on the wall?

[ Dudley Rutherford ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lsw2spCs1c

—————-
“The Watchman with Erick Stakelbeck”

America’s largest pro-Israel organization, Christians United for Israel (CUFI), has “The Watchman,” a cutting-edge weekly newsmagazine delivering the inside story on what’s happening in Israel and the Middle East and why it matters to you.

Website: https://www.cufi.org/impact/initiatives/the-watchman/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD8YGIxFCnVqv-ZGqgtVWAg

—————-
“Nehemiah Inductive Bible Study: Watching and Working”
By: Jack Abeelen and Debbie Abeelen

Morningstar Christian Chapel Inductive Bible Studies are designed to help believers go through the Bible and discover the rich Truths of God’s Word for themselves. Paul told Timothy to be a student of the Word (2 Timothy 2:15) and Peter encouraged us to have an answer for every man who asks for the hope that lies within us (1 Peter 3:15). By breaking up each study into 6 days of work and learning, with challenging questions and applications, the inductive study method will have you gleaning much from the awesome Word of God which never goes out void (Isaiah 55:11). These studies are not designed to replace your weekly involvement in your local church fellowship for Bible study but are rather to supplement your daily devotions and reading times before the Lord. God promises to teach us much if we desire to know Him (Jeremiah 33:3). These studies are used by Morningstar to lead men’s and women’s Bible studies. They also make an excellent resource for anyone wishing to lead a small group. So may the Lord fill you with the knowledge of Him (Ephesians 1:17; 2 Peter 1:3) as you seek His face diligently and may His Word fill your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ.

—————-
“The Watchman on the Wall: Daily Devotions For Praying God’s Word Over Those You Love”
By: Dr Ronald Harvell and Marsha Harvell

Welcome, fellow Watchman to the Wall. There are over 6,000 prayer warriors lifting up requests to the LORD using His Word and The Watchman on the Wall, Volume 1 (WOW-1). Through God’s leadership, we are excited to open another arsenal of 366 more Swords of the Holy Spirit for your use with The Watchman on the Wall, Volume 2 (WOW-2).

God has called you to be a prayer warrior for the sake of others. Isaiah 62:6- 7 says God has appointed watchmen who all day and all night never keep silent. These watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem are constantly reminding the LORD to establish Jerusalem. The watchmen refuse to take any rest for themselves, and they refuse to give God any rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

Who does God want you to constantly remind Him to establish and make their life a praise to Him? Just like the watchmen in Isaiah keep talking and talking to God about Jerusalem, you keep talking and talking to God about the people He wants you to watch over in prayer. Remind the LORD of His promises, of His good Word, of His good Name. Refuse to back down or take a break. As a watchman, appointed by God, continually intercede until God establishes your loved ones and makes them a praise in the earth. See from your place on the Wall the glory of the LORD as He answers your prayers and changes the landscape of eternity before your eyes in the lives of those you love.

Volume 1: https://www.amazon.com/Watchman-Wall-Daily-Devotions-Praying/dp/099161044X

Volume 2: https://www.amazon.com/Watchman-Wall-Daily-Devotions-Praying/dp/0991610482/

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“How Should We Then Live?: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture”
By: Francis A. Schaeffer

As one of the foremost evangelical thinkers of the twentieth century, Francis Schaeffer long pondered the fate of declining Western culture. In this brilliant book he analyzed the reasons for modern society’s state of affairs and presented the only viable alternative: living by the Christian ethic, acceptance of God’s revelation, and total affirmation of the Bible’s morals, values, and meaning.

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“How Now Shall We Live?”
By: Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcey

Christianity is more than a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is also a worldview that not only answers life’s basic questions―Where did we come from, and who are we? What has gone wrong with the world? What can we do to fix it?―but also shows us how we should live as a result of those answers. How Now Shall We Live? gives Christians the understanding, the confidence, and the tools to confront the world’s bankrupt worldviews and to restore and redeem every aspect of contemporary culture: family, education, ethics, work, law, politics, science, art, music. This book will change every Christian who reads it. It will change the church in the new millennium.

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“Final Warning”
By: Rev. Daniel W. Blair

Blair gives compelling evidence that the new Global City is already being built by the beast of worldly power to enslave the nations by teaching them to follow his godless agenda. Reverend Blair asserts that the image of the beast is already being worshiped and the mark taken by millions who are completely unaware of their eternal consequences. You are invited to join him in an unforgettable journey to the edge of extinction to witness all the plagues, woes, and wrath of God as they are being poured out upon the Global City. And then he carries you to the threshold of hell to imagine the horror of eternal torment. This is a whirlwind of a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. A must read for anyone concerned about the future.

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“Can We Still Believe in the Rapture?”
By: Mark Hitchcock and Ed Hindson

Today, the hope that all believers on earth will be “caught up” to heaven is being challenged in new waves of criticism. Is the rapture really taught in the Bible? Can we really expect Jesus to gather up His followers before the Antichrist is revealed?

In this well-reasoned and thorough defense, prophecy authors Mark Hitchcock and Ed Hindson examine the concept, context, and consequences of the important and long-expected event known as the rapture. Discover the answers to such questions as…

What is the rapture—and is there any historical precedent for it?
Why do some believers object to the idea of a rapture?
Does the timing of the rapture really make a difference?
As you explore what Scripture says about the end times, you’ll get a grander glimpse of your glorious future and the deepest hope of every follower of Jesus.

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“David Wilkerson: A Final Warning to America”
By: Nicky Cruz

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“15 Future Events That Will Shake the World”
By: Ed Hindson

What can people on Earth expect during the last days? In all the chaos that the Bible predicts, several events stand out as truly extraordinary―so much so that they arouse many questions from both Christians and non-Christians.

What are these events, and what makes them so significant? Longtime Bible prophecy expert Ed Hindson surveys each one in detail and explains the impact they will have:

millions missing in the rapture
world power shifts after the rapture, including in the USA
the rise of a global dictator
God’s two witnesses rising from the dead in full view of the world
the rebuilt Jewish temple usurped by Antichrist
the Holocaust eclipsed
Christ’s glorious return to earth as conqueror and king
A riveting overview of events that truly will shake the world―how they will unfold, what they mean to us, and God’s purposes for bringing them about.

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“The Littlest Watchman: Watching and Waiting for the Very First Christmas”
By: Scott James

Benjamin is a Watchman. It’s his job to watch for the sign that all God’s promises are coming true. It’s his job to watch a stump.

Trouble is, it’s hard just waiting. And one night, Benjamin finally gives in and stops watching. But that same night, as he sits outside Bethlehem, he gets to watch something wonderful.

Kids will be gripped by what Benjamin saw, and will be excited by the Christmas story all over again.

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“Pearl Harbor: Warning and Decision”
By Roberta Wohlstetter

This account of the Pearl Harbor attack denies that the lack of preparation resulted from military negligence or a political plot.

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“The Watchman Fell Asleep: The Surprise of Yom Kippur and Its Sources”
By: Uri Bar-Joseph

Based on many formerly undisclosed intelligence and military documents, the secret protocols of discussions on the eve of the war, and interviews with relevant figures, The Watchman Fell Asleep is a compelling account of Israel’s intelligence failure before the 1973 Arab attack known as the Yom Kippur War. The Hebrew version of this book was awarded the Tshetshik Prize for Strategic Studies on Israel’s Security in 2001, and the Israeli Political Science Association’s Best Book Award in 2002. Available here in English for the first time, Uri Bar-Joseph has crafted an authoritative explanation of the most traumatic event in Israel’s stormy history and one of the biggest strategic military surprises of the twentieth century.

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“Racing Toward Armageddon: Why Advanced Technology Signals the End Times”
By: Britt Gillette

Did you know breakthrough technologies will soon lead to the fulfillment of hundreds of ancient bible prophecies concerning the end times, the Antichrist, and the Second Coming of Jesus? In Racing Toward Armageddon, you’ll learn: •Why global government is inevitable •Why the world will worship the Antichrist •Why a new movement promises to transform the human race •And why an overlooked prophecy is the key to understanding the end times For years, world leaders have warned we’re on the verge of Armageddon. Find out what the Bible says. Learn why our generation is unique in all of human history. Most of all, find out why modern technology will soon lead to the most epic battle of all time – the Battle of Armageddon.

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“Signs Of The Second Coming: 11 Reasons Jesus Will Return in Our Lifetime”
By: Britt Gillette

Did you know the Bible contains more prophecies about the Second Coming of Jesus than it does the First? In fact, the Bible says specific signs will appear prior to His return, and Jesus Himself commanded us to look for those signs. In Signs of the Second Coming, you’ll learn about the signs Moses, Jesus, and the Old Testament prophets said to look for. Signs such as: • The Jewish people back in the land of Israel • The Jewish people back in control of Jerusalem • And the worldwide spread of the Gospel More importantly, you’ll learn that almost all of the signs the prophets said to look for are present right now… Could ours be the generation of His return? Study the signs for yourself and decide if our generation is destined to witness one of the greatest events in all of history – the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

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“The Final Countdown, Volume 3”
By: Billy Crone

Because God loves us, He has given us many warning signs to show us that the 7-year Tribulation is near and that the return of Jesus Christ is rapidly approaching. Therefore, The Final Countdown takes a look at 10 signs given by God to lovingly wake us up so we’d give our lives to Him before it’s too late. These signs are the Jewish People, Modern Technology, Worldwide Upheaval, The Rise of Falsehood, The Rise of Wickedness, The Rise of Apostasy, One World Religion, One World Government, One World Economy, and The Mark of the Beast. Like it or not, we are headed for The Final Countdown. Please, if you’ve haven’t already done so, give your life to Jesus today, because tomorrow may be too late!

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“Earth’s Final Hour: Are We Really Running Out of Time?”
By: Ed Hindson

Some people say that the last days are upon us right now. Others say the end times are in the distant future. Who is right? Is it possible to know?

If you’re wondering what you can know for certain about the timetable of last days’ events, you’ll find answers in this book:

– Can I still believe in the soon return of Christ?
– Why have so many people miscalculated the second coming?
– How can Christ’s return be imminent if there are still unfulfilled prophecies?

This balanced look at the unfolding of Bible prophecy in a wildly chaotic world will help you sort fact from fiction. Learn how to avoid excessive speculation and receive hope, inspiration, and a very clear picture of what God has revealed for about the last days.

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“THE SEARCH FOR MEANING” WEBSITE

This site presents discussions on the 12 most commonly asked questions about the Christian faith.

The 12 discussions are accessed by the “tabs” at the bottom of the page. The tabs are numbered 1-12. Roll your mouse over them and you will see the question displayed at the right. Click on the number to select that question.

Within each question (i.e. tabs 1-12), there are subtopics (or dialogues) to select that appear as smaller tabs underneath the numbered tabs. Roll your mouse over them and the title of these topics is also displayed to the right. Click on the open rectangle to select that dialogue.

For each question (1-12), a link to related resources and an optional flowchart is provided. To access this material, click on the respective words, “Related Resources” or “Options Flowchart.”

To play a more detailed discussion of the subject, between two people, select the desired dialogue and click on “Play Audio Dialogue.”

In the upper right-hand corner of the page, there is an icon that looks like binoculars looking at a question mark. Click on this icon to return to the homepage.

In the upper right-hand corner of a “Related Resources” page, there is an icon that looks like some books. Click on this icon to get to an “overview” page that has links to all of the resources for all of the questions. There also are additional “appendices” for most of the questions.

In the upper right-hand corner of a “Flowchart” page, there is an icon that looks like an Org chart. Click on this icon to get to an “overview” page that has links to all of the flowcharts.

http://4vis.com/sfm/sfm_pres/sp_q1_d1_1of10.html

[ Content by: Bill Kraftson and Lamar Smith; Website by Mark Besh ]

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“FRUITS OF THE BEATITUDES” WEB SITE
(The ATTITUDES of Jesus that produce the CHARACTER of Jesus)

CLICK ON THE LINK to view:
http://fruitsofthebeatitudes.org/

FACEBOOK PAGE:
https://www.facebook.com/FruitsOfTheBeatitudes/

[ Mark Besh ]

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[ P.S.: If you would like to investigate further about fulfilled prophecies, visit the following link:
http://www.4vis.com/sfm/sfm_pres/sp_q4_d4_1of10.html ].

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ARTICLES:

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“Day of Infamy” FDR And Pearl Harbor”

In the hours following Japan’s devastating attack on U.S. military forces in Hawaii, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was remembered for “not losing his cool.” David Martin reports on the timeline of FDR’s actions between the attack on Pearl Harbor and his address to a joint session of Congress seeking a declaration of war against Japan.

TV Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNDnEb6sbU0

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“FDR: ‘A date which will live in infamy’”

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declares war on Japan, on Dec. 8, 1941.

Speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iElllj4mS70

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Why Did Japan Attack Pearl Harbor?
History » World War Two » Pearl Harbor » Why Did Japan Attack Pearl Harbor?
why did japan attack pearl harbor

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After more than 75 years, the question remains for students of the history of World War Two: Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor?

The attack on Pearl Harbor ranks as the most successful military surprise attack in the early years of combined naval/aerial combat. On December 7, 1941 the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service struck the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory. The Attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 directly caused America’s entry to WW2 which led to the eventual launch of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, an outcome that spelled disaster for the Japanese. The Japanese managed to damage almost 20 U.S. naval vessels, of which 8 large battle ships, 200 airplains and killing over 2,000 American, but why did the Japanese attack America in the first place? And what were they trying to achieve by attacking Pearl Harbor, specifically?

Why Did Japan Attack Pearl Harbor?
The U.S. and Japan had been butting heads for decades and it was inevitable that things would eventually culminate into a war. Japan had imperial ambitions to expand to China to solve some demographical and economical problems and to take over the Chinese import market. When in 1937 Japan decided to declare war on China, America was very against this aggression and responded with trade embargoes and economic sanctions. Specifically, the oil embargo that America organized with the British and the Dutch was a thorn in the side for Japan, which imported 90% of its oil. Without oil Japan’s military could not function and all war efforts would come to an end. Negotiations had been going on for months between Washington and Tokyo, without any resolution, so Japan decided to attack first.

Why Attack Pearl Harbor?
As war was inevitable, Japan’s only chance was the element of surprise and to destroy America’s navy as quickly as possible. Japan wanted to move into the Dutch East Indies and Malaya to conquer territories that could provide important natural resources such as oil and rubber. By destroying a large portion of the American fleet, they hoped to conquer the Philippines and Malaya while America was still recovering from its own damages – simultaneous attacks were launched on these places while Pearl Harbor was taking place.

Let’s return to our main question: why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor? Ultimately, Japan hoped that America would accept defeat and that Japan could create a fortress that would stretch across the whole Pacific Rim.

Roosevelt expected an attack by the Japanese, but conspiracy theories claiming that he knew that they were going to strike Pearl Harbor have been rejected by most scholars. The Government rather expected Japan to attack American targets in Thailand or the Dutch East Indies than a target this close to home. The Chicago Tribune published a top-secret war plan, “Rainbow Five” on December 4, 1941, in which the War Department made preparation arrangements for war with Japan.

Intelligence Warnings of the Attack Before Dec. 7, 1941
The day before the death of Sara Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt’s mother, the State Department’s rebuff of Japanese Prime Minister Konoye’s urgent request for a private talk with Roosevelt convinced the Japanese to begin serious plans for an attack.

At a cabinet meeting on September 6, 1941, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was told to attack unless Konoye somehow achieved peace terms with the United States that would not spark a revolution at home, an uprising in Korea, or the restoration of Chinese morale. Hirohito had been shot at twice, once by a Japanese communist, once by a Korean nationalist. The better men of two cabinets had been murdered or wounded because they were seen as too accommodating to the foreigners who wanted to colonize Japan or reduce the nation that had never lost a war in modern times to a vulnerable third-rate power. Konoye himself had been threatened with assassination if he made too many concessions, and there had been serious attempts to overthrow the emperor in favor of his brother or his son. Hirohito knew that his dynasty itself could be wiped out like the Romanovs or marginalized, as the Japanese themselves had done to the Korean royalty, if he bowed to demands that the Japanese saw as not merely insulting but insane.

Yamamoto, who spoke fluent English, had studied at Harvard, and in happier times had hitchhiked across the United States, knew that Japan could not conquer, or even defeat, the United States. The Japanese grand strategy, if war could not be avoided, was to inflict enough damage and seize enough territory that the Americans would guarantee Japanese sovereignty in return for an armistice and restoration of all or most of what Japan had taken outside Korea and perhaps Manchuria.

Theoretical plans for a Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor had existed for decades. General Billy Mitchell had warned as early as 1924 that the next war would be fought with aircraft carriers. The U.S. Navy’s Admiral Harry Yarnell conducted a simulated attack by carrier-based aircraft in 1932 as part of a war game. The Navy judges ruled that it would have sustained substantial damage if the attack had been genuine, and the attackers won the war game.

Yamamoto had delivered his updated contingency plan for an attack on Pearl Harbor on January 7, 1941, less than a month after the British aerial torpedo attack on Taranto. Minoru Genda, Japan’s genius of planning, called Yamamoto’s initial plan “difficult but not impossible.” More information was needed. By the summer of 1941, Korean patriots who kept an ear to the wall at the Japanese consulate in Honolulu through Korean servants and loyal Japanese-Americans were picking up rumors of intense Japanese interest in the depth of water in the harbor and the strengths and weaknesses of Army and Navy installations in Hawaii.

Roosevelt’s restriction on Japan’s oil supply shifted Japanese planning into high gear. War was now the only alternative to economic strangulation and political revolution.

In the final months leading up to the attack, the U.S. government issued a memorandum stating, “The Japanese government does not desire or intend or expect to have forthwith armed conflict with the United States. . . . Were it a matter of placing bets, the undersigned would give odds of five to one that Japan and the United States will not be at ‘war’ on or before March 1 (a date more than 90 days from now, and after the period during which it has been estimated by our strategists that it would be to our advantage for us to have ‘time’ for further preparation and disposals).”

On December 1, 1941, the emperor met with his privy council. “It is now clear that Japan’s claims cannot be attained through diplomatic means,” Tojo said. The emperor—perhaps more gun-shy than the elder statesmen—asked for a vote. The cabinet voted unanimously for war. Hirohito agreed. The Japanese fleet was told to attack Pearl Harbor on December 7 unless it received a last-minute cancellation because of a sudden change in America’s attitude. Kurusu and Nomura—who had been sincere in seeking peace until they received the Hull note—were told to stall for time. Tojo summed up the situation: Japan, the one Asian, African, or South American nation that had modernized instead of being colonized, could not accept the American demands without riots at home, revolt in Korea, and reversal in Manchuria. “At this moment,” he declared, “our Empire stands on the threshold of glory or oblivion.”

This article is part of our larger selection of posts about the Pearl Harbor attack.

To learn more, click the following link for our comprehensive guide to Pearl Harbor: https://www.historyonthenet.com/pearl-harbor-ultimate-guide-dec-7-1941-attacks

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“Pearl Harbor – Four words that could have changed the outcome – Don’t Worry About It!”

On January 23, 2010, a retired Air Force officer died in San Diego, California, age 96. His name was Kermit A. Tyler. For most of his life, he was one of the least understood players in the Pearl Harbor tragedy. On December 7, 1941, Tyler was the officer who told radar operators plotting a large inbound bogey, “Don’t worry about it.” Those four words, spoken in a total information vacuum, led to decades of criticism.

On that day of infamy, Tyler was a 28-year-old first lieutenant. He had grown up in California and enlisted as an aviation cadet in 1936. By late 1941, he had four years’ experience.

At the time, Tyler was a pilot in the 78th Pursuit Squadron at Wheeler Field, north of Pearl Harbor. Wheeler was Oahu’s fighter base, home to eight squadrons. The 78th owned 16 P-40Bs and three P-26As—not unknown in that transitional period.

At 4:00 that Sunday morning, Tyler reported to Fort Shafter to begin learning collateral duties at the interception control center, east of Pearl Harbor. That trip, however, was merely the second time Tyler had seen the facility. His previous visit had been a familiarization briefing that Wednesday.

Tyler was to go off duty at 8:00 a.m. and, thereby, was caught in an historic time warp, as the bombs began falling at 7:55. But the incident for which he became known occurred nearly an hour previously. The radar station at Opana Point, on Oahu’s north coast, reported a large blip. Tyler was the only officer present; the others were at breakfast or still en route. Knowing little more than zero and unable to consult anyone, he was the one who had to make the decision because senior officers didn’t begin arriving until 20 minutes after the attack began. Consequently, in response to the Opana report, he uttered the apparently damning words, “Well, don’t worry about it.”

Contrary to many accounts, Tyler suspected but did not know of a flight of B-17s approaching from the mainland. The fact that a Honolulu radio station was transmitting before 4:00 a.m. was as much indication as he received. He subsequently testified that he believed the radar plot referred to friendlies: “I thought they were off course and that they were maybe working out some problem, and it confused me.” Due to interservice secrecy, he had no information on U.S. Navy or Marine Corps flights, although a scouting mission was inbound from the carrier USS Enterprise.

Tyler’s most telling testimony came months later: “I did not know what my duties were. I just was told to be there and told to maintain that work.”

In short, Kermit Tyler inherited an untenable situation. Lacking training and supervision, he was wholly on his own.

[ Barrett Tillman – Flight Journal Magazine ]

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“Pearl Harbor Hearings – Kermit Tyler Testimony”

566 CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION PEARL HARBOR ATTACK

[1095] TESTIMONY OF LT. COL KERMIT A. TYLER, AIR CORPS, ORLANDO, FLA., ARMY AIR FORCE BOARD

(The witness was sworn by the Recorder and advised of his rights under Article of War 24.)

Article: https://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Pearl-Harbor-Hearings-Kermit-Tyler-Testimony

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“CREWS – Climate Risk & Early Warning Systems Initiative”

The CREWS initiative supports LDCs and SIDS to significantly increase the provision of the weather and climate services and the capacity to generate and communicate effective, impact-based multi-hazard, gender-informed, early warnings systems to protect lives, livelihoods, and assets.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFg_Ed69MdI

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“Early warning of disasters: Facts and figures”

Disaster risk reduction has focused, in part, on developing early warning systems to help communities respond to disasters

Lucy Pearson looks at early warning systems for disasters, their uses and limits, and what accounts for the gap between warning and action.

Through history disasters have destroyed lives and livelihoods, killing people and damaging homes and businesses. Disasters in the past 35 years have taken an estimated 2.5 million lives and cost more than US$1.5 billion, mainly in developing countries. [1]

Disasters result from natural and biological hazards (floods or infectious diseases, for example) as well as complex sociopolitical emergencies and industrial hazards (droughts or radioactive leaks).

The extent of the damage caused by a hazard is related not just to its severity, but also to the capacity of people living in disaster-prone areas to prepare for and resist it. Efforts to reduce disaster risk have therefore focused, in part, on developing early warning systems to provide timely and effective information that enables people and communities to respond when a disaster hits.

Early warning systems are combinations of tools and processes embedded within institutional structures, coordinated by international — and sometimes national — agencies. Whether they focus on one particular hazard or many, these systems are composed of four elements: knowledge of the risk, a technical monitoring and warning service, dissemination of meaningful warnings to at-risk people, and public awareness and preparedness to act. Warning services lie at the core of these systems, and how well they operate depends on having a sound scientific basis for predicting and forecasting, and the capability to run reliably 24 hours a day.

Scientific and technological advances (Box 1) have driven marked improvements in the quality, timeliness and lead time of hazard warnings, and in the operation of integrated observation networks. But advances in technology alone are not enough — and in some cases they can even create obstacles to the capacity of vulnerable populations to respond.

Forecasting and modelling technology
Several countries have early warning systems based on seasonal-to-interannual climate forecasts. [2] These systems are based on using monitoring data, including temperature and rainfall values, and state-of-the art climate models. Climatologists analyse the observations and model-based predictions to predict climate anomalies one or two seasons ahead.

Remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) applications
Remote sensing and GIS applications have significantly advanced famine early warning systems. The Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) has been using remote sensing-based regional early warning systems for food security to supplement national initiatives in eastern African countries. RCMRD predicts harvests half way through the growing season to give advance warning on food security before the end of the season. In addition, flood monitoring is now regularly informed by remote sensing that obtains information on soil types, water resources, settlements, cropped areas and forests.

Satellite communication technology
Improvements in satellite communication have helped decrease the lag time between data collection and warning. For example, the Pacific Tsunami Warning System works by a recorder on the seabed relaying data on anomalies to a buoy on the surface. This data is then transmitted via satellite to ground stations every 15 seconds.

Mobile phone technology
With the global spread of mobile phones and networks, this technology is now increasingly used to communicate warnings and coordinate preparation activities — particularly SMS alerts for disseminating mass messages. For example, upon detection of p-waves that precede earthquake shaking, Japanese agencies send out SMS alerts to all registered mobile phones in the country. However, some obstacles can arise with this technology — phone pylons can be damaged or networks can be overburdened during hazards, for example.

ICTs for crowdsourcing
The use of ‘crowdsourced’ data is gaining traction with increasing Internet connectivity and use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) such as mobile phones. Crowdsourcing was used extensively in the response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, allowing local people, mapping experts and other stakeholders to communicate what they saw and heard on the ground, and to produce information that could be used by humanitarian workers. This was particularly useful in locating survivors who needed assistance, but it is increasingly recognised that crowdsourcing could also help with pre-disaster activities, specifically risk identification and early warning.

Crisis mapping
Through initiatives such as Ushahidi and Google Crisis Response, crisis mapping utilises crowdsourcing as well as satellite imagery, participatory maps and statistical models to power more informed and effective early warning. It can provide real-time information on an upcoming crisis in times of uncertainty and confusion. The vast amount of data that can be produced from such systems can be analysed through networks of stakeholders (such as Crisis Mappers).

Early warning systems: what are they good for?

Early warning systems are increasingly considered to be an integral component of disaster preparedness and involve a broad spectrum of actors. Figure 1 shows just some of the key events in the development of such systems.

Figure 1: Key events in the development of early warning systems (click for full image)

Figure 1: Key events in the development of early warning systems
But early warning systems do not exist in every part of the world. A quarter of the countries assessed in the 2011 Global Assessment Report for Disaster Risk Reduction reported that communities did not receive any timely warnings for impending hazards. [4]

And while some early warning systems are better than others, existing ones are still in need of improvement. Discussions on how to improve effectiveness can be informed by critical analyses to determine what early warning can realistically achieve, and what is outside its limitations (Box 2).

Early warning can save lives
Several countries have significantly reduced deaths by developing effective early warning systems. Cuba’s Tropical Cyclone Early Warning System is credited with reducing deaths dramatically for weather related hazards such as tropical cyclones, storm surges and related flooding: five successive flooding events left only seven dead. [5] Another example is Bangladesh, which now has a 48-hour early warning system in place that allows people to evacuate to safe shelters hours before cyclones make landfall, reducing deaths. In 1970, 300,000 died as a result of Cyclone Bhola, compared to 3,000 in 2007 during Cyclone Sidr, which authorities were able to track as it grew in strength.

…but cannot prevent all damage
While a certain amount can be done at the local level to protect lives and livelihoods once a warning has been received, there is little that can be done to protect infrastructure in a sudden disaster —financial losses from destruction of buildings and interruption of services still occur. However, in slower onset disasters that can be pre-empted days or months in advance, early warning systems can provide enough time for risk reduction measures to be put in place, such as retrofitting buildings and constructing barriers.

Early warning can help in many types of hazard
Warning systems are in place and have proved beneficial for a variety of hazards. In the case of tsunamis, the benefit of an internationally coordinated system was shown in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku, Japan, which threatened many Pacific islands: warnings were more coordinated than in the devastating Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004, providing time for many people to evacuate to high ground.

Having an impact is more difficult for systems set up to warn of hazards that have complex causes, such as drought. However, some countries have developed systems capable of integrating information from various sources and providing warnings of the imminent onset of drought. And early warning systems for food security have developed significantly over the past few years. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture (GIEWS) is the most globally complete food security monitoring system.

…but is limited when it comes to geological hazards
The signs of an impending volcanic eruption or a landslide can sometimes be detected at an early stage and used for warnings. Regional monitoring systems have been installed in most earthquake-prone regions, and multinational initiatives exist (the GEOFON network of the research institute GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, for example). However, picking up earthquake precursors is difficult, and routine predictions remain elusive: the location, magnitude and time of occurrence of earthquakes cannot be forecasted.

Yet even a lead time of a few seconds can make a difference, and some countries are working with the limited information available. In Mexico City, for example, technical systems can identify the first seismic wave following the start of an earthquake that may have happened more than 100 kilometres away — allowing authorities to use this information to shut down critical systems such as gas supply lines.

The gap between warning and heeding
However, improving the effectiveness of early warning systems does not, in itself, lead to reduced risk for disaster-prone communities — early warning does little good unless it is followed by (early) action.

Warnings are still not effectively communicated, and not sufficiently acted upon, even as agencies in developed and developing countries are now more aware of the nature, frequency, locations and intensity of various hazard types, and have advanced technical capabilities for monitoring such as climate models and remote sensing. [3, 4]

A good example is one of the most devastating disasters in history, the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii picked up the earthquake. But despite the phone calls made by the centre to government agencies in countries such as Indonesia and Thailand, the emergency infrastructure was missing and so the warning was not disseminated to local communities. [6]

So what accounts for the gap between early warning and response? Identifying the factors that contribute can help countries and the international community to find ways to address them.

Understanding uncertainties
The uncertainty inherent in scientific information is one of the reasons for failing to act on disaster warnings. Information from forecasts is often in a language and format that is not easily understood by humanitarian workers or the local communities that need it. Scientific jargon relating to uncertainty regularly causes users not to act.

Statements such as “there is a 20 per cent chance that rainfall will be above the interannual mean” present information in an unfamiliar language.

However, uncertainty does not have to be a reason for inaction. Two-way exchanges of information can mitigate misunderstanding and help scientists and users of scientific information to appreciate each other’s ‘language’, their respective objectives, and how they might best work together to prepare for a disaster (Box 3). [7]

Box 3: The need to understand uncertainty

In 2011 the Humanitarian Futures Programme conducted research on the use of climate science in informing livelihood decision making in the context of seasonal flood and drought conditions in Kenya. [8] It found that although the Kenyan Meteorological Department had been generating useful and relevant information for crop and livestock producers, it was not in a form that they could understand. Questionnaires also indicated that the community had a high level of mistrust towards the agency, largely because it had previously produced predictions that did not materialise. A lack of understanding of the uncertainty of estimations led people to interpret the predictions as wrong, and to believe that estimations could no longer be trusted.

Prioritising risks
Another reason for inaction is that the warnings tend not to reflect an understanding of the decisions people then need to make in response. In developing countries, this means getting a handle on the well-established link between disasters and poverty. For example, a farmer may stay looking after their cattle rather than evacuate because they judge the risk of flood to be lower than the risk of losing their livelihood.

Communicators of early warnings can work more effectively by taking into account how people behave in that crucial period after they receive a warning — particularly how they prioritise different risks. Assessing behaviour after disasters can help to clarify who does and does not heed warnings, and why.

Reducing false alarms
As early warning systems grow in geographical coverage and sophistication, false alarms are rising too. While some believe that they provide invaluable practice, high false alarm rates can undermine public confidence, breed mistrust, dilute the impact of alerts and reduce the credibility of future warnings.

In 2007, a local tsunami alarm was raised mistakenly in Aceh, Indonesia, causing mass panic and injury as residents fled. Anger led residents to later disable the tsunami warning system, causing unnecessary vulnerabilities and long-term risk. And this year, an earthquake measuring 8.7 on the Richter Scale, which hit off the coast of Indonesia, led to the activation of the Pacific Tsunami Early Warning System; but there were no significant tsunamis, and the likelihood of a tsunami was judged to be low based on the characteristics of the earthquake.

One approach to reducing false alarms is to use reliable local hazard indicators, such as animal behaviour or vegetation changes, to verify scientific indicators of upcoming hazards. Another approach is to work with the media to avoid inaccurate, exaggerated or misleading information about potential events.

Monitoring communication tools
Innovative ICTs are being developed and rolled out, playing an important role in disseminating information to organisations in charge of responding to warnings and to the public during a disaster. But their capacity to make an impact is limited by the lack of systematic and consistent monitoring.

Web services, SMS and email, as well as more established technologies such as radio and television, have all been used to communicate warnings. But these tools are created and deployed in various locations and under different circumstances, with insufficient follow up on what does and does not work.

For example, television is not always effective in the most at-risk communities due to mistrust. If follow-up does take place, it often fails to monitor effectiveness over both the short and long term, or may raise questions over reliability if undertaken by the organisation that has implemented it.

Coordinating response
Finally, insufficient coordination and collaboration between organisations can hold back efforts to encourage early action because the organisations that produce warnings are not those that disseminate them. For example, in the case of hurricanes, the World Meteorological Organization collects atmospheric data which are then transmitted to the US National Hurricane Centre, which generates forecasts and hurricane advice.

This advice is then transmitted via the Global Telecommunication System, fax and the Internet to national meteorological and hydrological services in countries at risk, where national forecasters use them to produce specific hurricane warnings. These are then dispatched tolocal newspapers, radio and television stations, emergency services and other users.

But communication mechanisms between organisations as well as agencies within countries are limited. And there are institutions with overlapping mandates; for example, both the local agricultural agency and the climate change department may view it as their responsibility to communicate a flood warning to communities, and separate warnings can cause confusion.

Hazards do not abide by the territorial boundaries of countries or districts. And as hazard exposure areas expand due to climate change, the sharing of information is set to become more important. Better communication channels and linked policies that create one authoritative voice can help to address this.

Serving communities
A changing climate means changing needs for developing countries and their capacity to respond to disasters. Shifting rainfall patterns and hurricane paths, and more days of extreme temperature, will bring new hazards to areas that previously may not have experienced them. [9] In addition, settlements and services are expanding into at-risk locations as urbanisation intensifies along the coasts, increasing exposure to hazards (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Large coastal cities set to see a rise in population in line with rapid urbanisation (click for full image)

Figure 2: Large coastal cities set to see a rise in population in line with rapid urbanisation
Early warning systems — and the technologies and tools that support them — will work best if they are embedded in, understandable by and relevant to the communities they serve. [10] This will have particular value where communities cannot rely on the government to respond effectively.

And there is a need for local knowledge and practices to be integrated with those of the science community, to improve forecasts and increase acceptance, ownership and sustainability of early warning systems. The UNISDR’s Hyogo Framework for Action emphasises the importance of encouraging the use of traditional knowledge.

The idea is that local practice and scientific practice can complement — not replace — each other, because each has its own advantages and restrictions. In the Solomon Islands, for example, integration has occurred with the communication of early warnings on Tikopia Island, where only a few residents received a Radio Australia transmission warning (scientific method) of the coming cyclone in December 2002. The local communication system (indigenous method) then took over with local runners taking the message out to other community members in the local language. [11, 12]

But there is no simple way to improve early warning systems. Their impact will be maximised only when all necessary steps are taken to enhance the effectiveness of technological tools and scientific forecasts that governments and communities rely on, providing more time for appropriate action.

[ Lucy Pearson ]

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“How Israel’s Iron Dome Takes Out Incoming Rockets”

For the past few years Israel has been working to perfect an all-weather missile interceptor system, called the Iron Dome (Golden Dome was deemed too ostentatious).

Developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the network is made up of forward deployed missile batteries, which work together with a rapid response control center and radar tracker to take out incoming Qassam and Grad rockets, as well as artillery shells fired from the Gaza Strip. [more…]

Article: https://www.businessinsider.com/how-israels-iron-dome-works-2012-11

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“Israel Develops New Defense System”

STRICTLY SECURITY | Israel comes out with their latest missile interceptor called David’s Sling, which is designed to deal with air threats.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpgJEXPy_iI

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“Israel: Iron Dome intercepts dozens of rockets from Gaza”

Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system intercepted approximately 90 rockets fired by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip on Saturday.

Footage near Sderot shows missiles being intercepted by the Iron Dome system as alarms in the neighbourhood sounded.

Residents living in areas on the periphery of the besieged enclave were forced to evacuate their homes. One home suffered a direct hit, but no casualties were reported.

Israel Defence Forces launched retaliatory air strikes on the northern part Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing one Palestinian and injuring four others.

The recent flare-up comes as senior officials from Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad were in Egypt for talks about a proposed Gaza-Israel truce.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTsDljBMz18

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“Here’s How Israel’s Iron Dome Actually Works”

One of Israel’s most famous military inventions is the Iron Dome, a vast, high-tech shield against the rain of missiles that has threatened the nation. Hello World’s Ashlee Vance travels to the coastal town of Ashkelon, near Gaza, to see an Iron Dome battery up close.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4a_ie0J0hU

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“When Watchmen Warn”

Jan talks to the “I Am a Watchman Ministry” about reaching those left behind after the Rapture of the Church. We offer the Rapture Kit in our online store at https://store.olivetreeviews.org/product/rapturekit-flashdrive/

[ Jan Markell interviews Scott Townsend and Gary Ray ]

Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MU2E6XHaGwQ

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“The Final Countdown Tribulation Rising: The Jewish People and the AntiChrist”

Sermon Series.

[ Billy Crone ]

Sermon: https://youtu.be/ui9VBLRqBmI?list=PLjl8UmRmMIOKArVar-7DlSiyM0zyBdL29&t=2303

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“The Final Countdown Tribulation Rising: Modern Technology & the AI Invasion”

Sermon Series.

[ Billy Crone ]

Sermon: https://youtu.be/p4zzPcVDEt0?list=PLKo3WhPQsdu5jJkmIVYYOXrz2bEsayqq6&t=2254

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“When Watchmen Warn – Dr. David Reagan”

Jan Markell talks to Dr. Dave Reagan for the hour about his newest book. He lists many “watchmen” or “God’s Prophetic Voices to America” in the book found here. God warns before He judges. What is God saying to the “divided” States of America?

[ Jan Markell interviews Dr. David Reagan ]

Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTpyYLdWfLA

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“When These Things Begin to Happen, Look Up – Pastor J.D. Farag”

Jan spends the hour with Pastor JD Farag talking about current issues that have biblical significance. Could President Trump implement his “art of the deal” as it concerns the Third Temple? How might the “deep state” play into this and other last days’ activity? We see all issues revving up

[ Jan Markell interviews J.D. Farag ]

Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjgWwO84VLY

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“When God Sends Final Warnings – Pastor J.D. Farag”

Jan spends the hour with Pastor J.D. Farag who believes God is sending final warnings. Things cannot continue on as is without something snapping. The earth is reeling and God wants our attention. Is anybody listening?

[ Jan Markell interviews J.D. Farag ]

Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQdrFakD9GI

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“The Work of a Watchman”

A watchman is one who is willing to follow God’s leading. He will go where God leads him to go. Do what God wants him to do. And say what God wants him to say… [more…]

Too often we’re told that the Christian life should be marked by prosperity and comfort. That’s not what the Bible teaches. The truth is, faithfulness and sacrifice go hand-in-hand. Jesus taught this. Jesus lived this. Are you willing to make real sacrifices to support the Lord’s work?

Website: https://iamawatchman.com/the-work-of-a-watchman/

Video: https://vimeo.com/352176018

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“16 Characteristics of a Faithful Watchman”

God’s definition of a Watchman is demonstrated throughout the Old and New Testaments. A Watchman is a keeper. A Watchman is trusted. Watchmen see. Watchmen guard. Watchmen warn.

1) God is a faithful Watchman Who keeps [שֹׁמֵ֧ר] His covenant and fulfills His promises. (Deuteronomy 7:9Open in Logos Bible Software (if available))

2) The Watchwoman keeps [שֹׁמֵ֤ר] her word as God keeps His. She speaks the Word of God when she calls out a warning. (Daniel 9:4Open in Logos Bible Software (if available))

3) Watchmen are trusted keepers [שֹׁמֵ֔ר] of the sheep. God trusts His flock to a Watchman until He returns. (1 Samuel 17:20Open in Logos Bible Software (if available))

4) A Watchman is a bodyguard [שֹׁמֵ֧ר] who personally protects those in battle. Note that the Deut. 7:9Open in Logos Bible Software (if available) reference to God uses the same Hebrew word! (1 Samuel 28:2Open in Logos Bible Software (if available))

5) Watchmen don’t fight alone. Israel was keeping watch [שֹׁמֵ֜ר] over its allies. Watchmen fight together. (2 Kings 9:14Open in Logos Bible Software (if available))

6) The Watchman is the trusted keeper [שֹׁמֵ֣ר] of those most important to the King. Watchmen see people as God sees them. (Esther 2:3Open in Logos Bible Software (if available))

7) A Watchwoman is a keeper [שֹׁמֵ֨ר] overseer, and producer of the King’s resources. Building God’s Kingdom depends on her diligence. (Neh. 2:8Open in Logos Bible Software (if available))

8) A Watchman rebuilds broken homes. Shecaniah, keeper [שֹׁמֵ֖ר] of the East Gate, repaired the wall in front of his home. (Neh. 3:29Open in Logos Bible Software (if available))

9) The Watchman depends [שׁוֹמֵֽר] on God’s protection. Hurt people, hurt people. Healed people, heal people. Watchmen are healers. (Psalm 127:1Open in Logos Bible Software (if available))

10) A Watchwoman protects [שֹׁ֘מֵ֤ר] strangers. Watchwomen have God’s heart for widows, orphans, single parents, and refugees. (Psalm 146:9Open in Logos Bible Software (if available))

11) The Watchman heeds [שׁוֹמֵ֣ר] instruction. Watchmen understand the order and hierarchy of leadership and submit to authority. (Proverbs 10:17Open in Logos Bible Software (if available))

12) A Watchwoman is one who keeps [שֹׁמֵ֥ר] a clear vision of the time she lives in. She sees ahead and prepares herself and others. (Proverbs 19:8Open in Logos Bible Software (if available))

13) Watchmen guard themselves [שׁוֹמֵ֥ר] from temptation. Their lives are clear demonstrations that God has power over the enemy. (Proverbs 22:5Open in Logos Bible Software (if available))

14) A Watchwoman sees [שֹׁמֵ֖ר] through the darkness. Hidden things are visible to her trained eyes because of her earnest prayers. (Isaiah 21:11Open in Logos Bible Software (if available))

15) A Watchman is a doorkeeper [שֹׁמֵ֥ר] opening the way for people to enter God’s presence. Watchmen lead people to God. (Jer. 35:4Open in Logos Bible Software (if available))

16) A Watchwoman understands [שֹׁמֵ֤ר] the power of worship. She lives in God’s presence, openly, unashamedly, and often. (Isaiah 56:6Open in Logos Bible Software (if available))

Watchmen and Watchwomen are responsible for much, see everything, but are seldom seen. They recognize the enormous task set before them, but few of those they watch will understand the Watchman’s sacrifice. The enemy will attack, but God promises victory. The work will garner little praise, but those obedient to the call of God will one day stand before God on the day of judgment and hear Him say,

“Well done My good and faithful servant.”

God will reward those who finish well!

[ Gary Ray ]

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“Watchmen on the Wall 2019”

Mark Cahill explains that watchmen watch and warn. They watch for danger that threatens to take people captive and they warn the people to take refuge in Christ and arm themselves with truth! Dire consequences are coming for those who don’t heed, but blessings and safety for those who do!

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ofh6Gc8bp8Y

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“Nehemiah and the Wall”

What do you do when obstacles and distractions block your path, or thwart your progress? Do you get discouraged? Not if you’re following in the footsteps of the Bible hero, Nehemiah. He trusted in the power of God and never stopped working. This is his story.

Teaching Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6d-eAw_VeU

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“Mind to Work, Heart To Pray, Eye To Watch – Nehemiah 3:1 – 4:9”

In this study, Pastor Jack picks up the story and study of Nehemiah, watching this work of God continue as the people had a mind to work, a heart to pray, and an eye to keep watch on the enemy. Chapter 3 gives us a detailed account of the start of the wall building project: who did what and where. Except for a few proud elitists mentioned, all joined in to help from the smallest to the greatest. There was a warm and excited faith and bond in the camp and no doubt progress was quickly noticeable. Each had a job to do, none were jealous of the others, some in zeal even took upon themselves the responsibility of 2 sections of wall. As you read the names and the what was being accomplished by them, you can’t help but think of how God builds the church in the same manner; everyone a part.

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbwTZWfyAv0

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“How to Get Ready for Jesus’ Return | The Parable of the Talents”

If Jesus were to return right now, would you proud of what you have to offer Him or would you be ashamed? Is your life completely poured out and sold out to Him to where He would say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant?” In this video we continue our series through the parables of Jesus and discuss some key things you can do to prepare for Jesus’ return.

[ Allen Parr ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1qx3IrwClI

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“The Unthinkable: When Those You Love Are Left Behind”

What do you imagine when you envision the post-Rapture, “left behind”, scenario? Chaos, tumult, anarchy, lawlessness, and confusion, perhaps? A few will figure out what just happened. Perhaps one billion people will vanish— and all at the same time.

Many of those left behind will have been pestered by loved ones to make a decision for Christ—to turn their lives around. Maybe they will have been witnessed to hundreds of times and they blew everyone off.

The regret some will feel will be literally overwhelming.

Then there are the serious and rather offensive online products being peddled right now. One website asks you to send them $14.95 and they will send e-mails to anyone you ask them to once you’ve been taken in the Rapture of the Church.
This outfit will apprise friends, co-workers, family members and skeptics who have been left behind, about what just happened! Other websites promise to take care of your pets if you’ll send them a few dollars.

The problem is these outfits are run by unbelievers and atheists who are secretly laughing at you and also laughing all the way to the bank.

Many of those left behind will be in “strong delusion” and will just believe lies (II Thess. 2:11). Does this mean they are too far gone to even be saved during the Tribulation? Some would say yes. These folks will be glad their evangelical pest friends are gone. Good riddance.

But is any heart really too hardened that God cannot break through to it?

Others who are left behind will want answers! They will not be too proud to start inquiring and to reflect back on the words of those who warned them.

Left behind will be some nominal churchgoers, occasional Bible readers, and people who have been proud of their “good works”. They were sure these things were good fire insurance.

The Bible says an untold number will vanish in the twinkling of an eye. The scenario is not like a lengthy illness where you prepare for the inevitable!

Most of these left behind folks will have started out their day like any other day. Their routine was familiar. It’s just that this day had a twist to it they weren’t expecting. Now what do they do?

The impact of this ordeal will be staggering. Consider those who actually realize the wrath that is to come because you told them about it. But most of those left behind will be in a state of confusion. They just won’t know what to do.

Life won’t be the same. The economy won’t be the same. Some world leaders will be gone. Key people in their lives suddenly have vanished. The Seal, Bowl, and Trumpet judgments will be staggering. Getting real answers may be the most difficult. A tyrant will rise and he’s called the Antichrist. He’ll promise to restore order out of chaos!

Let me introduce you to The Rapture Kit produced by the “I Am a Watchman Ministry.” The Rapture Kit resource is designed to aid believers in actively reaching out to individuals who are not yet saved and may be left behind at the Rapture of the Church just prior to the Tribulation.

It contains hours of videos, books, a Bible, and much more. This is a wonderful tool to tap into now as it will be a life-saver in the post-Rapture world. All content is on a small flash drive.

The Rapture Kit —which has taken a year to produce—includes:

A Bible
A digital folder with more than 120 pages of important information (information on how to be saved, what has happened, what to expect, and how to prepare for what is to come)
8 books (on the topics of prophecy, geopolitics, the Christian walk, and being a Watchman for the Lord)
12 video teachings (on prophecy, how to be saved, apologetics/reasons for faith, and living out your faith)
A two-part audio teaching on why and how to share your faith
An illustrated storybook for children
Several spiritual tracts from World Missionary Press
A 50-minute video presentation noting what the Rapture is, what has happened, and what to do now.

Plug the flash drive into a computer and access all of the above.

Two of the Watchmen and producers of the product were on air with me recently. Many appreciated the product and hundreds of my listeners have tapped into it.

Other believers, sadly, have made snide comments, when, in fact, the post-rapture time will be the most serious time in the history of the world.

The Rapture Kit tries to offer reassurance and most of all, salvation, for God is the God of second, third, and fourth chances. The Tribulation is a time of great judgment, indeed, but also a time of evangelistic harvest never seen before in the history of the world.

And you can be a part of that by checking out The Rapture Kit. Learn more about the “I Am a Watchman Ministry” here.

[ Jan Markell ]

To Purchase “Rapture Kit”: https://store.olivetreeviews.org/product/rapturekit-flashdrive/

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“Dave Hunt Rally “Prophecy, Current Events and the Return Of Christ”

[ Dave Hunt ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn1IrRjhU5k

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“God’s Watchman”

After receiving the vision of God’s glory in Ezekiel 1 and being called to his work in chapter 2, Ezekiel has his head hardened by the truth of God’s word. Then in chapter 3 he is set as a watchmen for God to warn the children of Israel of the danger of rebellion against God.

In this lesson we look at the work of God’s Watchman.

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ygnt4uZ8is

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“Celestial Signs of the Coming Savior (Luke 21:25-26)”

[ John MacArthur ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5721kFg2xQ

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“Ezekiel: You Have Made Me A Watchman”

Every Christian is called to be a watchman like Ezekiel and warn the world about God’s judgment that is coming soon! Jesus said in Revelation 22:12-13, “12 Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

[ Joe Wyrostek ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMkA6yu-2Sk

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“A Sermon (No. 2254) Intended for Reading on Lord’s-Day, May 1st, 1892”

Delivered by C. H. SPURGEON, At the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington
On Thursday Evening, July 24th, 1890.

“Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.”- Neh 4:9

Nehemiah, and the Jews with him, were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Sanballat and others were angry with them, and tried to stop the work. They determined to pounce upon the people on a sudden, and slay them, and so to put an end to what they were doing. Our text tells us what Nehemiah and his companions did in this emergency: “Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.”

These people had not only to build the wall of Jerusalem, but to watch against their enemies at the same time. Their case is ours. We have to work for Christ. I hope that all of us who love him are trying to do what we can to build up his kingdom; but we need also to watch against deadly foes. If they can destroy us, of course they will also destroy our work. They will do both, if they can. The powers of evil are mad against the people of God. If they can in any way injure or annoy us, you may rest assured that they will do so. They will leave no stone unturned, if it can serve their purpose. No arrows will be left in the quivers of hell while there are godly men and women at whom they can be aimed. Satan and his allies aim at our hearts every poisoned dart they have. [more…]

Sermon: https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2254.cfm

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“THE MESSAGE FROM THE LORD’S MOUTH NO. 1431”

A SERMON DELIVERED ON LORD’S-DAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 1, 1878, BY C. H. SPURGEON, AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.” Ezekiel 3:17.

PDF: https://www.spurgeongems.org/sermon/chs1431.pdf

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“Is the Rapture the Great Escape? – Dr. Ed Hindson”

Today, the hope that all believers on earth will be “caught up” to heaven is being challenged in new waves of criticism as is proper Rapture timing. Jan Markell talks to Dr. Ed Hindson about this for the hour. Dr. Hindson’s and Hitchcock’s new book is found here. Jan and Ed also defend the pre-Trib position and are critical of the new belief called pre-Wrath.

[ Jan Markell interviews Dr. Ed Hindson ]

Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVnjbQuIStw

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“Ezekiel 3: The Watchman”

[ Roger Jimenez ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZayCq3OEjg

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“Ezekiel 3”

Ezekiel is commanded by God to speak only His word to his stubborn, rebellious, chosen people, the Israelites. Watch as Pastor James Proxmire describes the risks and rewards the prophet faced as he ministered to the people, much the same as we face today.

[ James Proxmire ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr7BIUmfraI

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“Ezekiel 3”

[ Thomas Osterkamp ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWCLk3MJ0Ic

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“Ezekiel 3”

[ Steve Whinery ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juDLr3B4Vxs

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“The Scroll and the Watchman”

“So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. And he said to me, ‘Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.’ Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey” (vv. 2–3).

– Ezekiel 3
Visions were often granted to the old covenant prophets to convince them that the call they received was from God. Having looked at the Lord’s appearance to Ezekiel to commission him as a prophet (Ezek. 1:4–28), we are now prepared to examine what God actually said to Him when He called Ezekiel to ministry.

We read in today’s passage that Ezekiel was given a scroll to eat (3:1). This scroll from God had “words of lamentation and mourning and woe,” which describes the message the prophet was to preach with his mouth—a message of covenant curses for Israel and Judah’s disobedience (2:8–10). Ezekiel ate the scroll and it tasted sweet to him (3:2–3), indicating that the Word of God would nourish the prophet. Also, the sweetness of the scroll is striking because curses are normally bitter fare. However, hearing the Lord’s curse on sin is ultimately a sweet thing for those of faith. Only after we hear the curse are we ready for the sweet and satisfying gospel of salvation. Man does not live by bread alone but is sustained by the discipline of God’s Word (Matt. 4:4; Heb. 12:3–11).

In putting His message in Ezekiel’s mouth, the Lord assured the prophet that he was not being sent to foreigners who spoke a different language—the Babylonians—but to his people who would understand his words. Ironically, God said Ezekiel would find a greater reception if he were to go to the Babylonians than he would by going to the covenant community who spoke his native Hebrew (Ezek. 3:4–11). The Jews’ essential problem was not that they lacked the intellectual capacity to understand Ezekiel’s preaching but that their hard hearts would not believe him. Unsurprisingly, then, a key theme for Ezekiel is that God must give new hearts to His people (11:14–21; 36:22–27).

God also called Ezekiel to be a watchman for His people when He gave the prophet His Word (3:16–21). Like the ancient watchmen who stood on the city walls to warn people of the enemy’s approach, Ezekiel was to warn the people of the Lord’s judgment for their sin. Note that the prophet was not responsible for the people’s response but only for his faithfulness to the divine call. If Ezekiel preached God’s message and the people did not heed it, only the disobedient would be guilty. Ezekiel would incur some responsibility for their sins, however, were he to fail to preach against their evil. Preachers who knowingly refuse to preach against the sins of their congregations will not get off scot-free.

Coram Deo
John Calvin comments: “What Ezekiel heard belongs to all teachers of the Church, namely, that they are Divinely appointed and placed as on watch-towers, that they may keep watch for the common safety of all. It was the duty of those who have been appointed from the beginning ministers of the heavenly doctrine to be watchmen.” Preachers must always preach the truth, even when it is hard for their congregations to bear. Let us pray that our preachers would be faithful to this calling.

[ Ligonier Ministries ]

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“Marching Orders for a Backslidden Church (1 Corinthians 16:13)”

Be watchful, Stand firm in the faith; Act like men; Be strong.

[ Phil Johnson ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDY0RZcvLCw

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“Jeff Kinley: As It Was in the Days of Noah”

[ Gary Stearman interviews Jeff Kinley ]

TV Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzVEAT_0OmQ

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“JerUSAlem: Armageddon, America, and the Last Days”

Where does America stand in the timeline of biblical prophecy? Why is the United States so tightly tied to the State of Israel? What are the irrefutable signs of the end of the age?

If you know your Bible, you will know that the compass of prophecy always points toward the city of Jerusalem. That is the light that reveals God’s timeline.

And if you are keeping a watchful eye on that volatile city, you will know that we are drawing near to the climax of the ages—the glorious Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Are you ready?

[ Living Waters ]

Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5qAC6nP-Og

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“Jeff Kinley – Uncovering the Secrets of Bible Prophecy”

In today’s episode, we talk with Jeff Kinley, an author, teacher, and speaker who is well-respected in the areas of Bible prophecy and apologetics. He has authored over 30 books and speaks around the world. Jeff’s weekly Vintage Truth podcasts are heard in 38 countries. Jeff and his wife live in the Ozarks and have three grown sons.

In our program together, we discuss his latest book Uncovering the Secrets of Bible Prophecy. This includes a unique discussion of Prophecy Apologetics, or the concept of using fulfilled Bible prophecy as evidence to support the Christian faith.

Jeff’s perspective offers tremendous help in better understanding how to apply our understanding of prophecy to everyday life. Whether through deepening your faith or sharing Christ with others, his wisdom provides perspective for effective ministry in these last days.

[ I Am A Watchman ]

Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqPJT8SMx8I

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“Watchmen On The wall”

Darkness is covering the earth. Fearful things lie just over the horizon. Watchmen are called for – to be alert to spiritual danger. Recognise the signs. Sound an alarm. We have need of a Bible-based warning. Heed God’s message and take action.

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=mM_ePUtuRpY

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“The Parable of the Ten Virgins”

The Fate of the Unprepared Matthew 25:1–13

[ John MacArthur ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb5cgi4lPnc

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“The Parable of the Ten Virgins | Matthew 25 | John MacArthur | The Olivet Discourse Series”

The Fate of the Unprepared Matthew 25:1–13 July 29, 1984
25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. 5 Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11 Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

[ John MacArthur ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb5cgi4lPnc=

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“Second Coming Of Christ”

Second Coming of Christ – No One Knows When

The Second Coming of Christ is plagued by many false teachings. Prediction books have even been written picking the exact day of Jesus’ return. These books may sell many copies, but they mislead their readers. There’s one guarantee: As soon as someone predicts the day or time of Jesus Christ’s second coming, that prediction is wrong. Why? Simply, only God the Father knows when it will be — Jesus doesn’t even know. Jesus told His disciples:

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father… Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with the hand mill; one will be taken and the other left… Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” (Matthew 24:36, 40, 42).

Second Coming of Christ – Signs for Keeping Watch
We could just shrug our shoulders and casually wait for the Second Coming of Christ. However, Jesus wants us to “keep watch.” A great way to keep watch is to know what the Bible reveals about upcoming events and compare those to what we see happening today. There are nearly 100 biblical passages discussing the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The key events can be summarized with the acrostic: S – E – C – O – N – D.

S…Sudden. As we saw above, no one but the Father knows when. However, we do know it will take place “as lightning.” Matthew 24:27 says, “For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

E…Essential. One of the foundations of the Christian faith is Jesus’ second coming. It is spoken of by Jesus and many others in the Bible. Jesus will physically come again for all His believers and for His final judgment. Unfortunately, some Christian cults teach that Christ “secretly” returned already. As you read what the Bible says about the Second Coming of Jesus, it will be obvious that it hasn’t happened yet.

C…Christ’s Final Judgment. The Bible declares that Jesus will be the final judge of the world (John 5:22, Acts 10:42 and 2 Timothy 4:1). Some of the additional verses describing the second coming, resurrection of the dead, millennium, and final judgment are located in Acts 17:31, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11 and Hebrews 10:27.

O…Obvious. There are over 6 billion people on the planet. God only knows what percentage are truly Christians, but let’s use a conservative number like 10%. If this is true, over 600,000,000 people will vanish from the earth simultaneously according to Matthew 24:40. There will be no mistaking when Christ comes back for His Church!

N…No One Knows When. In Matthew 24:36, Jesus said only God the Father knows when. God is outside time. God already knows every prediction regarding Jesus’ return that has ever been or will ever be made. Since Jesus said that no one knows about that day but the Father, NO ONE KNOWS!

Second Coming of Christ – The “D” is for “Doubters”
As we get closer and closer to the Second Coming of Christ, there will be increasing and widespread doubt about whether Jesus even existed. People will also start wondering if God really exists and believers will leave the Christian faith (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, 1 Timothy 4:1-2, and 2 Peter 2:1-3). Do you think we’re already seeing these signs?

[ All About Jesus Christ ]

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“Being a watchman is serious business

God says Ezekiel is his watchman.
There are two key things about being a watchman.
First, the duty is to look for danger and sound the alarm.
Second, the watchman is at fault if he fails to warn of threats.
We need to be on the lookout and warn people of spiritual danger.
If we fail to sound the alarm, any harm that befalls them rests on us.
Being a watchman is serious business.

[ Peter DeHaan ]

Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZETh2FD4QU

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“Watchman on the Wall”

Mark Cahill prepares Christians to blow the trumpet long and loud in the lives of the unsaved. Watchmen see trouble coming and warn the people to take refuge in Christ.

[ Mark Cahill ]

Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFtKn8yL1GQ

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“Lukewarm No More”

May This Video Set You Ablaze As You Seek To Live Out This Life, LUKEWARM NO MORE. We Encourage You To Share This With Your Family, Friends, and Co-workers.

[ Mark Cahill ]

Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW1RzIxmJ1Q&feature=youtu.be&t=1834

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“Watchman, What of the Night?”

[ J Vernon McGee ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4WgoRSonfc

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“Eric Barger – Part 2 – The Rise of Surveillance Society”

What role does technology play in the end times? The Bible mentions a global leader, a single currency, and a one-world government.

In his new documentary “Home Invasion: The Rise of Surveillance Society,” Christian worldview expert Eric Barger discusses some of the ways today’s pervasive and often-biased technologies point toward what will take place in the last days.

In part two of our two-part series, we also close with practical words of warning for personal online usage, encouraging the use of discernment and care regarding the pervasive nature of new devices and apps. Join us for this fascinating episode of “A View from the Wall.”

[ I Am A Watchman ]

Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-d4NNLyHKQ

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Are You Waiting? (Watch and Be Ready)

Are you prepared to meet Jesus? Does the promise of His return bring you hope? Pastor Jack challenges believers at the Southern California Men’s Conference to be people of faith, waiting and ready for Christ’s soon return.

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKerkVE_yHA

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“Eric Barger on Perilous Times”

Are Christians living in perilous times? Find out with guest Eric Barger on the show Christ in Prophecy.

[ Christ In Prophecy ]

TV Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuW3IoVkC-Y

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“Bill Salus – A Discussion on Tribulation Events”

Did you know that in addition to the judgments of the Tribulation period, there will also be many positive developments? In our new episode with Bill Salus, author of The Next Prophecies, we discuss the 144,000 Jewish evangelists, the Two Witnesses, and who will come to faith in Christ during this difficult time.

The Tribulation is not something a person would desire to endure. It will include many judgments, including persecution and martyrdom among those who believe in Jesus and refuse the mark of the beast. Yet God will continue to unfold His ultimate plan to bring many to faith, protect His Jewish people, and prepare the world for His coming and future reign.

[ I Am A Watchman ]

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUIBDm8DKso
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KseZFUy4Adk

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“THE WATCHMAN” (Christian Short Film)

ADAPTATION OF THE SPIRITUAL NATURE OF THE CHURCH. SLEEPING VIRGINS MISSING OUT ON THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES, LIVING AS IF EVERYTHING IS IS NORMAL. WE NEED WATCHMEN TO STAND UP IN THIS TIME AND CRY ALOUD, TO WAKE THE SLEEPING VIRGINS UP, TO PREPARE FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW96AemaQUs

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“The Birth Pangs Are Increasing/Intensifying Worldwide”

Don’t think the Birth Pangs are increasing and intensifying Worldwide???

Brother Chad shares some of a massive list of things that went down in just one month!!! The month of November 2019.

Make no mistake about it… the Birth Pangs are increasing in intensity and frequency worldwide and will continue to
all the way up until Jesus second coming at the end of the 7 year tribulation period.

[ Chas Thomas ]

Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKZOkoVa2To

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“The Cry of the Watchman

We are living in a day in which the messages of the prophets must be understood and proclaimed. Jesus lived and preached, constantly under the knowledge that He was fulfilling the words of the prophets, “Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished” (Luke 18:31).

Jesus upbraided the two disciples on the road to Emmaus for not believing what the prophets spoke. “Then He said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken” (Luke 24:25).

Paul clearly states that the prophets speak to these last days, “Yea and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days” (Acts 3:24).

John the Baptist understood and preached the message of the prophets. He needed no new revelation, no new doctrine, no novel truth. He preached from Isaiah! “Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of the Lords, make His paths straight!” (Matthew 3:1-3 NAS).

We do not need new truth – present truth – or whatever novel thing itching ears now seek for. We need to hear what the prophets spoke about this, our day. They were accurate regarding Christ in every detail. They must also be right about their warnings and admonitions to us!

All through the New Testament, you see events unfolding in order that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled. “And when evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill in order that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, “He Himself took our infirmities, and carried away our diseases” (Matthew 8:16, 17 NAS). “But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed Him, and He healed them all, and warned them not to make Him known, in order that what was spoken through Isaiah the Prophet might be fulfilled..” (Matthew 12:15-17 NAS).

Isaiah saw the glory of Jesus centuries ago; and he preached Christ in his own day. Isaiah not only saw the future Lord and Savior; he also had a hard, devastating vision of the very days in which we live, His vision in Chapter 21 must be understood, heeded and proclaimed! It is a message for this time!

David Wilkerson was the Founding Pastor of Times Square Church in New York City. He was called to New York in 1958 to minister to gang members and drug addicts, as told in the best-selling book, The Cross and the Switchblade.

In 1987, David Wilkerson returned to “the crossroads of the world” to establish Times Square Church. As a pastor of the church, he faithfully led this congregation, delivering powerful biblical messages that encourage righteous living and complete reliance on God.

David Wilkerson had a strong burden to encourage and strengthen pastors throughout the world. From 1999 to 2008, he traveled around the globe holding conferences for Christian ministers.

[ David Wilkerson ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqJayBezdLw

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“Are You a Watchman on The Wall”

[ Hal Lindsey ]

TV Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBS8Ae7H_Po=

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As the Days of Noah Were”

Ready or Not, Part 1 Matthew 24:36–42

[ John MacArthur ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb697G9Ptuo

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“Be a Watchman!”

In Acts 20, the apostle Paul gives his final words to the leaders in the church of Ephesus. In doing so, he describes the Christian life as being like a watchman.

Paul says, “Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men” (Acts 20:26 nkjv). What does it mean when Paul says he is “innocent of the blood of all men?”

In the book of Ezekiel, the Lord impresses on His servant the importance of his role:
Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel. Whenever you receive a message from me, pass it on to the people immediately. If I warn the wicked, saying, “You are under the penalty of death,” but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible, demanding your blood for theirs. (Ezekiel 3:17-18 nlt)

In ancient times, cities would have large walls around them to offer much-needed protection. On those walls would be towers that would be even taller. There, the watchman would position himself to keep an eye out for any potential dangers. For instance, if an enemy army was approaching, the watchmen would have the trumpet sounded to warn the people.

What a serious calling it was to have this role. The watchman had to stay awake and alert, paying careful attention. He had to be faithful, not fearful, because the safety of many people rested with him.

This is the most sobering of the terms Paul used in Acts 20, showing that the sharing of the gospel is not something we are to do in a casual manner, or when we are “in the mood.” This is something of extreme importance.

In the same way, we are to be watchmen too. We as Christians are all called to lovingly warn our friends if we see them in any spiritual danger. This would not only be those who do not yet know the Lord, but also Christian friends who might be misled or overtaken by a sin.

The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in the church of Galatia and said, “Dear friends, if a Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself” (Galatians 6:1 nlt).

Let’s all seek to be faithful watchmen in our world today.

[ Greg Laurie ]

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“Being a Spiritual Point Man”

Satan’s strategy has always been to take out the point man, because without the point man the patrol is blinded and unaware of the way to avoid the other pitfalls which wait ahead of the patrol.

[ Greg Metzgar ]

Sermon: https://www.ocfusa.org/2010/11/spiritual-point-man-2/

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“Guest Pastor Billy Crone: ‘President Trump & Last Days Conflict’”

Guest Pastor Crone of Get a Life Ministries provides a sermon on President Trump, relocation of the U.S Embassy to Jerusalem, and conflicts during the Last Days.

Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2f2o9480oI

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“Marching Orders for a Backslidden Church”

Sermon about 1 Corinthians 16:13 at the 2010 Shepherds’ Conference at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, CA.

[ Phil Johnson ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDY0RZcvLCw

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“The Days Of Noah And Lot Are Here!!!”- Prophecy Update”

Are we living As it was in the days of Noah and Lot??? I would have to say yes…and it will continue to get worse all the way up until Jesus second coming at the end of the 7 year tribulation period…Society today is mirroring almost to a tee as it was in Days of Noah and Lot.

[ Chad Thomas ]

Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJOGvTfJ90M

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“The Watchman On The Wall”

Please read the book: One Thing you can do in Heaven
Share the book with your Pastor and let him know that Mark Cahill can be booked as a special speaker in your local church. May you and your church be bless with a zeal for Christ, to love HIM and obey HIS Great Commission on Mark 16:15

[ Mark Cahill ]

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNZmsqCe37c
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsZ5CELnA3c

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“Hope for the Battle-Weary”

Jan plays Pastor J.D. Farag’s conference message from two weeks ago: Hope for the Battle-Weary. If you are struggling or know someone who is, please listen and be encouraged! There is hope. The difficult times are a sign of His soon coming.

[ J.D. Farag ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnBnxtgTreI

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“Jesus’ Words to Last Days Believers”

What steps can last days believers take to return to a vibrant spiritual life? Pastor Greg encourages us to study the Word of God, by the empowering of the Holy Spirit, and going through the open doors of opportunities that God gives will keep believers moving forward in their spiritual walk.

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c48I72WLHUM

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“On The Verge: Damascus Countdown”- Prophecy Update”

Brother Chad discusses the recent loud explosions heard in Damascus as well as the Damascus International Airport…and how with Russia, Iran, and Turkey all inside of Syria it not only pushes closer to the coming invasion on Israel’s norther border ( Ezekiel 38-39 )…but to the Prophecy against Damascus ( Isaiah 17:1 )

[ Chad Thomas ]

Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBG3TzZ9SiA

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“2020: A Year Of Accelerated Convergence And Prophetic Explosion”

Brother Chad discusses why He believes (Lord Willing if we go into 2020) that 2020 is gearing up to be a year of accelerated convergence and Prophetic explosion like we have never seen before.

Jesus is coming soon! Repent, believe the Gospel, and be converted to new life in Jesus Christ today!

Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJsy1dyH-N4

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“Behold, I Come Quickly: Hang On!”

Jan and Gary Stearman remind listeners we have a date with destiny and encourage listeners to hang on a bit longer. Many are weary from the 2 Timothy 3 “selfish climate” even among believers. If you love the message that the King is coming, you likely feel alone and isolated. Jan and Gary have a word for you.

[ Jan Markell interviews Gary Stearman ]

Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUHPvDA-k3Q

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“According to God’s Timepiece, Our Time is Short!”

All the signs of the last days are converging at the same time. Bible Prophecy is happening right before our eyes and like birth pains, the predicted events are happening more frequently and more intently. Never, in the history throughout the world have so many forces, including economic, scientific, techno-logic, ecologic, cultural, geopolitical, moral, spiritual and religion, converged together to bring this world that’s already teetering over the edge into the abyss, to a point of no return. Jesus said when you see all these signs happening, know that I am near, even at the door.

Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA0AyxQIvlA

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“On Your Walls Oh Jerusalem”

From the album – Go Through The Gates

[ Barry & Batya Segal ]

Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAPeqi9C1m4

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“Watchmen On The Wall”

Oh watchmen on the walls, why do you sleep?

[ Misty Edwards ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19w9-g1ShrU

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“The Watchman”

God has placed a watchman on your walls
Oh Jerusalem
They will not be silent day or night
Of the Lord they make constant mention
They will give no sleep to their eyes
Until God establishes grace
There will be no peace in their nights
Until the Lord makes Jerusalem a praise
He has sworn it by His strength

If you lift up your voices and call on the Lord
He will come
And the nations will see that salvation comes
From Zion
Oh no more waiting the anointing of God
Has begun
Oh blind eye will see as the captives go free
If you lift up your voices He’ll come

Behold the Lord has proclaimed this to
Ends of the earth
And though there’s fear in your
Streets tonight
Something’s already birthed
Tabernacle is rising right now
In the hearts of those who believe
There’s the sound of a freedom shout
Rising up from under your feet

If you lift up your voices and call on the Lord
He will come
And the nations will see that salvation comes
From Zion

Oh no more waiting the anointing of God
Has begun
Oh blind eye will see as the captives go free
If you lift up your voices He’ll come

[ Paul Wilbur ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn808F94ttY

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“Generation” (Full Album)

00:00 Turn
03:44 Stand Strong
07:42 Straight
11:16 Best Friend
15:55 Breakin’ The Chains
19:11 United
22:53 I Will Be There
27:14 Defenders
31:01 One Day

[ Watchmen ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbZJV6racEI

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“What Then”

The question I have is,
“What really is going to happen?”
When the great Book is opened and
Each one stands facing his record
What then?
What then?

When the great factories of our cities
Have turned our their last finished work
When the merchants have sold their last yard of goods
And fired the last tired clerk
When our banks have raked in their last dollar
And paid the last dividend
When the Judge of the earth says, “Closed for the night”
And asks for the balance
What then?
What then?

When the choir has sung its last anthem
And the preacher has made his last prayer
When the people have heard their last sermon
And the sound of it has died out on the air
When the Bible lies closed on the altar
And the pews are all empty of men
And the trumpet of the ages is silent
And the great Book is opened
What then?
Can you tell me
What then?

And when life seems so absurd
There’s still a word that can be heard
Just be still and know
And then

When the actors have played their last drama
And the mimic has made his last fun
When the film has flashed its last picture
And the billboard displayed its last run
When the crowds seeking pleasure have all vanished
And gone out in the darkness again
When the trumpet of the ages is sounding
And the great Book is opened
What then?
What then?

Can you tell me – What then?
I’m asking – What then?
What’s gonna happen? – What then?
When the great Book is open – What then?
And we stand before Him – What then?
And we’re asked for a reason – What then?
And the trumpet of the ages is sounding
What then?

[ Greg X. Volz – “The Exodus” album ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDTa7KsJHf4

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“In The Light”

(1, 2, 3)

I keep trying to find a life
On my own, apart from You
I am the king of excuses
I’ve got one for every selfish thing I do

What’s going on inside of me?
I despise my own behavior
This only serves to confirm my suspicions
That I’m still a man in need of a Savior

[chorus]
I wanna be in the Light
As You are in the Light
I wanna shine like the stars in the heavens
Oh, Lord be my Light and be my salvation
Cause all I want is to be in the Light
All I want is to be in the Light

The disease of self runs through my blood
It’s a cancer fatal to my soul
Every attempt on my behalf has failed
To bring this sickness under control

Tell me, what’s going on inside of me?
I despise my own behavior
This only serves to confirm my suspicions
That I’m still a man in need of a Savior

[repeat chorus]

Honesty becomes me
(There’s nothing left to lose)
The secrets that did run me
(In Your presence are defused)
Pride has no position
(And riches have no worth)
The fame that once did cover me
(Has been sentenced to this Earth)
Has been sentenced to this Earth

Tell me, what’s going on inside of me?
I despise my own behavior
This only serves to confirm my suspicions
That I’m still a man in need of a Savior

[repeat chorus 2x]

(There’s no other place that I want to be)
(No other place that I can see)
(A place to be that’s just right)
(Someday I’m gonna be in the Light)
(You are in the Light)
(That’s where I need to be)
(That’s right where I need to be)

[ DC Talk – “Jesus Freak” album ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTWPbPixvIc

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“Although None Could Watch an Hour”
(Parody of: “All Along the Watchtower” by The Jimi Hendrix Experience)

If there is some kind of way out of this Said the Savior through the grief
Then use that solution
And take this cup from Me
If this bitter drink of wine Now can’t be reversed
To Thine omniscient will divine O, Father, I will defer

Though He had already prayed it
Those things three times He spoke
There were many here among us
Who felt surprised when they awoke
But you know Christ He went through that And this is what He prayed
Soon dead of night was falling down The hour He’d get betrayed

Although none could watch an hour We just slept on through
While all of Him was bathed in sweat Facing certain doom
Our Lord went the whole distance And while that went down
Judas he was approaching
And with him an angry crowd

[ ApologetiX – “Eastern Standard Time” album ]

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““Devil Fell”
(Parody of “Rebel Yell” by Billy Idol)

That’s right, there is a danger when answering your door
The Bible says that angels can come from another source
He sends them all beaming with false light and false love
Where did they get this brightness? He fell from above

Because
It’s the midnight hour, so find the Lord, Lord, Lord
When the devil fell, he cried war, war, war!
Whoa! It’s the midnight hour, babe – draw your sword
It’s in Revel. 12 — more, more, more, war, war, war!

He don’t look unsavory, he don’t dress in red
But when you try his roadway it leads to death
John 10:10’s creed – I want you to read, babe
God’ll set you free
You need to hear my plea
CHORUS

You’ll think he looks like a gift from Heaven
But check it in Second Corinthians 11
Well, he shines false light to project a glare
Check First John verse 4:1 and don’t get unprepared
Hey! Oh!

Christ watched him fall in Luke 10
As lighting strikes – it’s true
He’ll try to sear your brain, men
A trillion trials for you
He’ll steal your soul from you, friend
He wants you to burn with him
Why risk it all to have fun, then?
Listen, listen, listen, you have to hear my plea
CHORUS

Beware the devil’s angels
They want more
1:8, 9 in Galatians
They want more
More, more, more, more, war!

[ ApologetiX – “Singles Group” album ]

Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suEbBRMVNv4

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“It’s Tough (Song About Nehemiah)”
(Parody of “This Love” by Maroon 5)

Our wall’s so high you would not recognize
But fire burned and minimized the way it sat for all my life
Kissed Persia goodbye, you see I brought a plan
To get Jerusalem strong again
The wall was where I’d start – Oh!
It’s a tough task making this wall complete
We said goodbye to dinnertime and sports
There are kids making some fun of me
And I hope those boys, Sanballat and Tobias, get bored
They tried their best to keep us occupied
Said they’d come in with their knives
It’s hard but we work side by side
Oh, kept saying stuff ‘bout me that’s just insane
Pretending I built this thing
To turn around and be the king – whatever
This wall has taken us seven weeks
Three days till I can finish up the doors
Wal-Mart did make a good wall for cheap
But I had no choice ‘cause I don’t live nearby any stores – no oh oh I fixed this broken thing, repaired these openings
I ain’t your average Pink Floyd guy (Nehemiah, me oh my)
I can’t sing all their hits, but I know “Another Brick”
Let me sing for you ‘dause I’m Nehemiah how do you do?
Ezra has taken the scroll to read
We said goodbye to sins we tried before
Four hundred and forty-four B.C. and I have no Floyd
And I can’t play guitar like Gilmore
It’s rough just making this song funny
We had to try and then we tried some more
And I‘d like to break the monotony
We say Maroon 5 should end it at the chorus
Guess what I’m making this all up here
Read Nehemiah and Ezra right before
Work hard and pray with a fervency
But I have no voice so I so I will fade this right here for sure

[ ApologetiX – “New and Used Hits” album ]

*****************************
“Wherever You Will Sow”
(Parody of “Wherever You Will Go” by The Calling)

So lately you’re wondering
Who really cares to take Christ’s grace
Well, Christ taught that seeds of
New life get scattered on Earth’s face
If a grain of wheat shall fall
Yeah, fall upon good soil
In between the sand and stone
Good News makes that crop to grow
Yes, I’ve learned that Christ’s word
Will grow wherever you will sow
Wait a while, hold out hope
It grows wherever you will sow
And maybe you’re fried now
Afraid you’ve wasted bags of grain
You watered, you tried to
Do your darnedest, all in vain
If as great a faith as Paul’s
Can follow after Saul
Then there’s hope for someone out there who You think rejected you
Yes, I’ve learned that Christ’s word
Will grow wherever you will sow
There’s all kinds of ground though
It grows wherever you will sow
Some it may hit the rocks
Some it may hit the road
Some it may hit the thorns
I know now there’s dry ground
But lives you love might still grow strong Give their hearts some more time
And state the truth for all mankind
Yes, I’ve learned that Christ’s word
Will grow wherever you will sow
We all cry, we’ll shout though
As Psalm 126 will show
We might return back cryin’
Christ’s word is never useless though
Read Isaiah 55
By verse 11 you will know
It grows wherever you will sow

[ ApologetiX – “Adam Up” album ]

*****************************
“Tribulation”

In the Holy Bible it tells us of a day
When the beast shall walk among us and many shall fall away
Famine war and desolation nation rising against nation
Trouble everywhere you turn
As in the time of Noah in the days before the flood
Sin will cool the love of man and the streets will run with blood
Rape and murder grief and sorrow just like Sodom and Gomorrah
This world is gonna burn

I believe that we are living in the days John wrote about
The end times are upon us and of that there is no doubt
Get your mind out of the world and take your Bible off the shelf
Read the book of revelations for yourself
(Tribulation) I don’t want to be here
(Tribulation) when that flaming star comes down
(Tribulation) when the seven seals are broken
And the seven vials are opened and the seven trumpets sound

As quick as lightning streaks from east to west across the sky
God’s faithful ones will disappear in the twinkling of an eye
Many are called but few were chosen
Brother don’t let your heart be frozen don’t you want to go
This world will be in bondage under Satan’s evil power
The antichrist will rule until that final glorious hour
When pain and sorrow disappear and God will wipe away all tears
Joy forever more

I believe that we are living…
[ fiddle ]
I believe that we are living…

[ Charlie Daniels Band ]

*****************************
“In The Sky”

I saw the news today,
The world seemed to stop.
Fear was everywhere,
And hope was so lost.

In the circus of darkness,
May I reply,
I see him coming in the sky!

Watching and praying,
And waiting all the day,
With all it’s abilities,
It walks away.

God speed that moment when I can stand up and cry,
I see Him coming in the sky!
I see Him coming in the sky!

I see Him coming,
I see Him coming,
Splitting the heavens in the twinkling of an eye!
I see Him coming,
I see Him coming!
I see Him coming in the sky!
I see Him coming in the sky!

People are trying to find what they need.
Hopeless illusions, where will it lead?
Well, I’ve found the answer in the sweet by-and-by.
I see Him coming in the sky!
I see Him coming in the sky!

I see Him coming,
I see Him coming,
Splitting the heavens in the twinkling of an eye!
I see Him coming,
I see Him coming!
I see Him coming in the sky!
I see Him coming in the sky!

Oh, that perfect moment,
Won’t be very long.
I’ll trade a broken heart for a beautiful song.
And the angels singing Egyptians lullaby,
I see Him coming in the sky!
I see Him coming in the sky!

I see Him coming,
I see Him coming,
Splitting the heavens in the twinkling of an eye!
I see Him coming,
I see Him coming!
(Yeah, yeah, yeah!)
I see Him coming in the sky!
(I see you, I see you!)
I see Him coming in the sky!
(I see you, I can see you in the sky!)

[ Russ Lee, Bob Carlisle,and Ashley Cleveland ]

*****************************
“It’s Happening Now”

All of my life I’ve been hearing
That Jesus is coming back someday
For two thousand years the world’s been waiting
He just told us to watch and pray

We don’t know the minute nor the hour
But the signs that the Bible speaks about
All point to the day of His returning
It’s happening now

We may be the raptured generation
Rumors of war are in the air
Nation is rising against nation
False messiahs are appearing everywhere

The word’s being preached to all the nations
There’s famine and flood, earthquakes and drought
The Jews have gone back to claim Jerusalem
It’s happening now

Let the righteous rejoice at the sound of His voice
Let the word be proclaimed
Let the word be proclaimed
Let the message be sent to receive
And repent for He’s coming again
Coming again

Let the righteous rejoice at the sound of His voice
Let the word be proclaimed
Let the word be proclaimed
Let the message be sent to receive
And repent for He’s coming again

The hands on the clock are moving faster
Humanity’s sun is going down
With each passing day the time grows
Shorter and shorter and shorter and shorter
It’s happening now, it’s happening now

[ Charlie Daniels Band ]

*****************************
“In Armageddon Valley (Someday)”
(Parody of “Pleasant Valley Sunday” by The Monkees)

The global clock moves down to zero while the armies march along
They surround Israel’s weakened sides; They’re just about to throw their bombs

In Armageddon Valley someday (someday)
Christ’s returning in the air
Rows of thousands that have that have called His name
And no one seems too scared

Jesus displays his power today. He’s got His soldiers on platoon.
They met the Beast who can’t believe he got defeated there so soon

In Armageddon Valley someday (someday)
Fiercest battle in the land
Bible explains about a war like this
And the simple don’t understand

The future comforts those
who know He won their souls
They’re lookin’ forward to this scene
Armageddon day
It isn’t so far away
You need to change your loyalty

Da da ta ta…

In Armageddon Valley someday (someday)
Christ’s returning in the air
In Armageddon Valley someday
Fiercest battle in the land

In Armageddon Valley someday (Armageddon Valley someday)…

[ ApologetiX – “Biblical Graffiti” album ]

*****************************
“Hold On, Christ’s Comin’”
(Parody of “Hold On, I’m Comin’” by Sam & Dave)

Don’t you fret and be sad
Please don’t weep when times are bad
If you stay calm and you don’t doubt
In the midst of trouble
He will bail you out
Just hold on, Christ’s comin’
Hold on, Christ’s comin’
Christ’s on His way if you’re sufferin.
If you just hold fast, Christ will keep His covenant (Hallelujah) Don’t have to worry (No worries)
In blind fear (No fear)
Don’t need His number, baby (‘cause God’s in the Book)
He’s right here (Hey yeahhhhhh!)
Just hold on, Christ’s comin’
Hold on, Christ’s comin’
Hold on, Christ’s comin’
Hold on, Christ’s comin’
Lookee here!
Keep out of reach
Those bad distractions, yeah
Lookee here, baby! Here’s all you got to do
Call Christ’s name, yeah – and quit reactin’
Yeah, yeah, yeah – yeahhh!
LEAD
Now don’t you fret and be sad
People are mean, and their crimes are bad
When the day comes and He comes down, baby
He’ll deliver His loved ones
Way up off the ground
Just hold on, Christ’s comin’
Hold on, Christ’s comin’
Just hold on (Don’t you worry)
Christ’s comin’ (Here He comes)
Hold on (Wait on God to save you)
Christ’s comin’ (Yeah!)
Hold on (Don’t you worry)
Christ’s comin’ (Here Christ comes)
Hold on (Our God will save us)

[ ApologetiX – “Transformed Soul” album ]

*****************************
“Life In The Last Days”
(Parody of “Life in the Fast Lane” by “The Eagles”)

It’s sorta hard to understand, but it’s totally awesome
And it’s eternally finished
Who wrote it up? It was John the Apostle
And the Lord said it won’t diminish
He had fantastic revelations of the future news
Sent here from Jesus, sent here for you
When he saw Jesus comin’, John fell down as dead
He told him, Grab your tablet and write this down instead
Life in the last days — sure to make you lose your mind
Life in the last days — yeah, heh
He saw four horsemen, holding the reins
Of colorful stallions, who brought different things
He who rode the white conquered, and the red one brought war
And the black one brought famine; then pale horse number four
There was death in the saddle, ridin’ out through space
He had Hades right behind him, killed a fourth of the human race
All of the people, were trying to hide
When the earth started shakin’ and the moon turned to blood — the sun was
Black in the last days — sure to make you lose your mind
Life in the last days — yeah, heh
Life in the last days — everything prophesied
Life in the last days — yeah, heh
So much to tell you; I’ve got one verse. Man didn’t heed the stop signs
And the earth got worse and worse
If you’re a Christian, baby, you don’t need to fear a thing
If you’re not, go read the Bible ‘cause there’s more than I can sing
There’s a false messiah, the people will think he’s Christ
The world will take his number, but they’ll have to pay his price
They’ll look up and they’ll see Jesus and they’ll know that they’ve lost
He won the war when He was dyin’ on the cross and it was
Life in the last days — sure to make you lose your mind
Life in the last days — yeah, heh
Life in the last days — everything prophesied
Life in the last days — yeah, heh

[ ApologetiX – “The Boys Aren’t Backing Down” album ]

*****************************
“Won’t Get Born Again”
(Parody of “Won’t Get Fooled Again” by The Who)

They’ll be frightened of the beast
And they still will have no peace
And the hero that they worshipped will be gone
And the man who spurred them on
The one they thought could do no wrong
Is a tyrant a lot like Genghis Khan

A tip I have for the United Nations:
Take a browse through the book of Revelation
Bible says there’s a stranger comin’ round
Who’ll specialize in charm and grace
Pacify every race
But he led all the people astray
Who don’t get born again

A savior had to come – they knew it all along
But they never read about the one that’s false
And the world will bless his name
It’s a mystery and a shame
‘Cause the man that they love won’t win the last war

A tip I have for the United Nations:
Think about what you’ll do on that occasion
Bible says there’s a stranger comin’ round
Who’ll shoot up like a star in flames
Can’t quite guess his name
But he’ll get all the people to pray
Who don’t get born again – no, no

He’ll fool the world when he finally arrives
They’ll be happy till they’re left out to dry
He’ll get all the nations to buy into his lie
But I know that the Israelites won’t comply – Will ya?

LEAD

Yeahhhh!
And nothing is complete
Till all of Israel is redeemed
It’s in Romans verse 11:25
And the Lord will heal the rift
In all the hearts of Israelites
And the people and their God will both unite

A tip I have for the United Nations:
Wake up now to the dude in Revelation
Smile and grin when there’s peace all around
(Don’t) forget about the price you’ll pay
There on Judgment Day
When you get on your knees and pray
But won’t get born again – won’t get born again – no, no LEAD
Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Meet the true God – name is Jehovah

[ ApologetiX – “The Boys Aren’t Backing Down” album ]

*****************************
“Babel, Babel”
(Parody of “Rebel Rebel” performed and written by David Bowie)

Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo

We got some others in the world
They’re not sure if they should boil us in oil
They hate – the Israelites
They say, let’s go and unite
It’s like reading the Second Psalm
It’s like glancin’ at the Book divine
The Lord laughs at their pagan hordes
The world roars at His warning voice

They put me down – and they all scoff
Attacking things that put them off
Babel, Babel – their former address
Babel, Babel – that place was a mess
Babel, Babel – how could they know
God’s plans – they just move slow
Told ya

Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo

We got the mother of all wars
We’re just – not sure when but we’re sure of the source
He hates — the Israelites
He hates men sold out to Christ
He likes peace and he likes it false
He loves tramplin? on the Book divine
He’s got plans and he plays his part
He wants war and he comes with force

He hooked the crowd – but they are wrong
Their crafty kiiing – he put them on
Rebel nations – their forward address
Revelation – 16:16 says – it’s
Armageddon – how could they know
God’s plans – they just move slow
Told ya
Uhh!
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo

Babel, Babel – the Torah says
Babel, Babel – a snake’s in the grass
Babel, Babel – why don’t they know
God?s plans – they just move slow
Told ya

Their former address – was facin’ a mess
In chapter 11 of old Genesis
They got the — translation of the languages
Now and — news live and their cameras and crews
Who wanna — be there when the battle ensues
‘Cause they love distress
But the dude won’t have success
Because he’s facin’ the best
But how could they know
I said, how could they know

So what you ought to know
The Revelation described
In chapter 19 long ago
Their man is doomed to lose and Christ defeats their troops
Because his forward address
Is a lake of regrets
Ooh – their faith is amiss
Ooh ooh — so how could they know
Heh heh — how could they know
Heh

[ ApologetiX – “I Know You Are but What Am I?” album ]

*****************************
“Lightning Flashes”
(Parody of “Lightning Crashes” by Live)

Lightning flashes all over the sky Weather center calls for a storm This ain’t no ordinary sky
The invasion begins
Who thought that God would step in and stop the war? Lightning flashes … an old book of mine
Clearly mentioned all this before
We ain’t supposed to be surprised
But the few who prepared
Are gone now as we face the wrath of God
Ooh, I see Him comin’ back again
Like the lightning comes from east to the west
Faces fallin’ as the Son returns to earth again … I can see Him Lightning flashes … the moment of Christ
This moment He’s been waitin’ for
The angel hosts have arrived!
Pale and paralyzed, we face the Son
But the glory is too bright! Bright!
Ooh, I see Him comin’ back again
Like the lightning comes from east to the west
Voices callin’ out as sinners on the earth confess, “I believe it!” Ooh, I see Him comin’ back again
Like the lightning comes from east to the west
We’re so sorry, but repentence doesn’t work right then, I can see it Ooh, I see Him comin’ back again
Like He told in Matthew’s Gospel back then
Chapter 24 the 27th verse, amen … I believe it

[ ApologetiX – “Ticked” album ]

*****************************
“There Are Wolves Among Us”
(Parody of “Werewolves of London” performed by Warren Zevon)

I saw a weird wolf with a Bible trembling in his hand
Talkin’ to the sheep that don’t know where to graze
He was lookin’ for some ways to fleece those flocks
Gonna get a big church and preach ’bout faith

There are wolves among us
There are wolves among us

I hear ’em prowling around on Christian shows
Whenever I tune ’em in
Seen the holy Word of God mutilated late last night
They’ll do it Sunday again

There are wolves among us
There are wolves among us

If you dare to say repent
They’ll brand you a malcontent
Label me an overzealous naysayer
“You’d better stay away,” they grin
We preach on love, not sin!”
Huh, then why’d we need a Savior

There are wolves among us
There are wolves among us

Well, I saw the Lord Jesus warnin’ you and me
We should beware of wolves among us
I saw the Lord Jesus do it in Matthew 7:15 — uh
We should beware of wolves among us
I saw various Apostles speakin’ to people about it — I made a list
It’s filled with verses – ha
Aw hoo! Acts 20:29
There are wolves among us

There are wolves among us

There are wolves among us

[ ApologetiX – “Only a Glorified Cover Band” album ]

Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMXgauV8LrM

*****************************
“I’ll Prepare For You”
(Parody of “I’ll Be There for You” by The Rembrandts)

so Jesus told his disciples
“We’re gonna go away.
Where I go you know,
They all crowd please explain”
He said “You’ve all been stuck in 2nd grade
If you haven’t seen the way, the truth, the life,
it’s here in your face but

I’ll prepare for you
prepare a place up above
I’ll prepare for you
‘Cuz, I’ve been there before
I’ll prepare for you
prepare for me, too

I’ll send another friend
to help you on your way
you learn from him you’ll go far
please don’t be afraid
“Father help me do the things I did”
“But you will do even greater works then that if you believe and

I’ll prepare for you
prepare a place up above
I’ll prepare for you
‘Cuz I’ve been there before
I’ll prepare for you
so prepare for me, too

The world could never know Him
The world could not receive Him
so you’re the only ones who know
what it’s like to know Him
become a place in their plan
He’ll come to live inside you
so when all of this happens
you will know the words I say were true, yeah

Seems like you’ve all been stuck in 2nd grade
when you haven’t seen the way, the truth, and the life
it’s here in your face but

(2X)
I’ll prepare for you
prepare a place up above
I’ll prepare for you
‘Cuz I’ve been there before
I’ll prepare for you
so prepare for me, too.

[ ApologetiX – “Classics: 90’s” album ]

*****************************
“I Want in That Place”
(Parody of “I Want it That Way” by The Backstreet Boys)

You are much higher – I want inside there
Beneath heav’n I pray – I want in that place
But we are two worlds apart – You speak to my heart
Then You say, “I want in that place”
Tell me why – (You) came knockin’ on my heart today
Tell me why – I’m nothin’ but a disgrace
Tell me why – Why You’d ever come to me and say
I want in that place
Can I soar higher? I want inside there
Yes I know – it’s two-way
But I want in that place
Help me Christ – I’m nothin’ but I’m sorry
Help me Christ – I’m knockin’ but I need grace
Help me Christ – I’m never gonna get it straight
But I want in that place
Now I can see that we’ve fallen so short
From the way we’re supposed to be (Yeah)
No man in existence is righteous enough
I need You inside of me
You are Messiah – You want inside of
My heart – C’mon, c’mon, c’mon!
(C’mon I need you)
(You) came knockin’ on my heart today
Tell me why – I’m nothin’ but a disgrace
Tell me why – in Revelation 3 You say
I want in that place
Help me Christ – I’m nothin’ but I’m sorry
Help me Christ – I’m knockin’ but I need grace
Help me Christ – I hear Heaven’s gonna be great
I want in that place
REPEAT LAST CHORUS
And I want in that place

[ ApologetiX – “Spoofernatural” album ]

*****************************
“Twice Dead”
(Parody of “Once Bitten Twice Shy” by Great White)

Well it’s time to get a start that’s new, little girl
You’ve been huntin’ and you’re stumblin’ all over God’s Word
You can’t remember where you got so much sin
And you don’t know just how we’re born again
You didn’t know what a rotten soul was
Until you read in John where chapter three told us
Christ was there with Nick at nite
Be born again, He said, or else you’ll stay died … yeah
Now it’s the middle of your life and you’re growin’ old
You see there’s God’s word in a hotel drawer
You look inside – the Book is kinda neat
The written word ya read sure knocks you off your feet
You didn’t know how a rotten soul cooked
Until you caught the rich man in the gospel of Luke
That hit home and your heart got hot
You said, “It looks like it’s time
I was gettin’ right with God”
I said, my, my, my – you’re once livin’ twice died, babe
My, my, my – I’m once dead and twice alive, babe
My my my – you’re once livin’ twice died, babe
Woman you’re a mess gonna die in your sins
There’s blood of the Lamb if you let Christ in
Can’t keep Him out – confess with your mouth
You best read Romans 10 cause that’s where it’s found
You didn’t know that a rotten soul burned
Now you’ve got the manual and you’ll live if you learn
You’ve got the picture – you’ve got to speak
Come to Him and pray and make it short and sweet
CHORUS
You didn’t know they let rotten souls in Heaven
Until you saw the scripture there in Romans chapter 7
You told me, “I want to know the Son”
And look at you now – your darkness is gone
CHORUS

[ ApologetiX – “Classics – The 80’s” album ]

*****************************
“Taken Up”
(Parody of “Shake It Up” performed by The Cars

Uh, well, a man called Elijah prayed one day
That the Lord would take Him away
Stand tall, Elijah — keep your feet
Don’t you worry, now – soon you’ll be
Taken up
Taken up — Ooh yeah
Taken up
Taken up

Well, men don’t fly – Israel knew
But you know Enoch did it, too
In Genesis 5, verse 24
Don’t you know why? He pleased the Lord

Taken up – ooh ooh
Taken up – yeah yeah
Taken up – ooh ooh
Taken up

That’s right, I said
Men don’t fly
(No, no, no)
And yet those guys
(Would get real close)
No one died
(Definitely not)
They were
(Ahh ahh ahh)
Taken up, yeah, home with God, woo! Yes!

LEAD
Oooh yes!

Uh, well, His friends know Christ will prepare
To take us right back up to there
Just hold tight – go to work
Let’s spread the news that the earth needs first

Just take it up – ooh ooh
Take it up – ooh yeah
Take it up – that’s right
Take it up

Uh well, shed some light
(Go, go, go)
Spread worldwide
(Let them know)
Stand for Christ
(Spread real love)
And we’ll
(Ahh ahh ahh)
Take ’em all – home with us, woo

Taken up – hey, have you seen
First Thess-a-lon-i-ans 4:17
Just stand tall in Christ — keep your feet
Don’t you worry, now – soon you’ll be

Taken up — ooh ooh
Taken up – ooh ooh yeah
Taken up — ooh ooh
Taken up – ohhh yeah
Taken up – taken up, taken up, baby
Taken up – taken up — ooh ooh
Taken up — taken up, taken up, baby
Taken up – taken up — ooh ooh
Taken up — ooh
Taken up – ooh yeah, yeah
Taken up – hoo hoo
Taken up – taken up
Oh Taken up – look it up — in Second Kings, baby
Taken up – check in – chapter 2, ooh!
Taken up – mm mm hmm
Taken up – oh yeah — yeah
Taken up – oh here He comes
Taken up – oh here He comes

[ ApologetiX – “Double Take” album ]

*****************************
“Droppin’ On The Sun”
(Parody of “Walkin’ on the Sun” by Smash Mouth)

It ain’t no joke, no lie, the Bible clearly spoke
To teach the world to fear the furnace underneath
To teach the world about hellfire but there’s liars
Who say they know Christians are wrong, even bad people rest in peace
It gets enough attacks. I know men doubt that it’s fact
It’s not like any map shows exactly where it’s at
But just like gravity you cannot see it really exists
And it does no good but they’ll deny it just to stay in their sins
So don’t delay, act now! Your time is runnin’ out!
Find out while you’re still alive — The true way is Jesus Christ
And if you follow the way, you’ll have no sorrow but if
the offer’s done, you might as well be droppin’ on the sun
Two thousand years ago He spoke out and they wrote down
All the best in the New Testament together in a book
And He told how it was dark, surrounded by fire
Where teeth will be gnashin’, man, Christ said Hell happens
And so He spelled it out, so to help out those who felt doubt
Then He brought it back up when He talked against the self-proud
And religious hypocrites threw hissy fits
Because that’s just what happens when they’re faced with their sins
So don’t delay, act now! Your time is runnin’ out!
By now I’m sure you’ve surmised — There’s two places to arrive
And if you follow the way you’ll have no sorrow, but if
The offer’s shunned, you might as well be droppin’ on the sun
It ain’t no joke that He’s gonna take the sheep and goats
And He’ll steer them to the left and right, but, listen, folks:
The ones that’s goats get disposed of. God won’t just burn their souls up
They’ll be livin’ in eternal Godless hopeless darkness
So don’t risk that, get facts, you ought to take a look at
Luke 16, Mark 9 and Jude — There’s one little chapt’r
Look today at Matthew chapter 10, verse 28
You need to read in Revelation 20 what does it say?
So don’t delay, act now! Your time is runnin’ out!
Find now while you’re still alive — Matthew chapter 25
And if you follow the way — you’ll have no sorrow, but if
You drop and punt, you might as well be droppin’ on the sun

[ ApologetiX – “Biblical Graffiti” album ]

*****************************
*****************************
*****************************

DEEP THOUGHTS:

“I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain – and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light.
I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.”
[ Robert Frost ]

“Every man’s island, Jean Louise, every man’s watchman, is his conscience. There is no such thing as a collective conscious.”
[ Harper Lee ]

“I need a watchman to tell me this is what a man says but this is what he means, to draw a line down the middle and say here is this justice and there is that justice and make me understand the difference.”
[ Harper Lee ]

“Do you not already hear the warnings of God? Do you not see that the enemy is coming in like a flood? And God is trying to raise up a standard against it. And you and I are that standard.”
[ Dr. Henry Blackaby ]

“Keeping The City”
Once,
in August,
head on your chest,
I heard wings
battering up the place,
something inside trying to fly out
and I was silent
and attentive,
the watchman.
I was your small public,
your small audience
but it was you that was clapping,
it was you untying the snarls and knots,
the webs, all bloody and gluey;
you with your twelve tongues and twelve wings
beating, wresting, beating, beating
your way out of childhood,
that airless net that fastened you down.

Since then I was more silent
though you had gone miles away,
tearing down, rebuilding the fortress.
I was there
but could do nothing
but guard the city
lest it break.

I was silent.
I had a strange idea I could overhear
but that your voice, tongue, wing
belonged solely to you.
The Lord was silent too.
I did not know if he could keep you whole,
where I, miles away, yet head on your chest,
could do nothing. Not a single thing.

The wings of the watchman,
if I spoke, would hurt the bird of your soul
as he nested, bit, sucked, flapped.
I wanted him to fly, burst like a missile from your throat,
burst from the spidery-mother-web,
burst from Woman herself
where too many had laid out lights
that stuck to you and left a burn
that smarted into your middle age.

The city
of my choice
that I guard
like a butterfly, useless, useless
in her yellow costume, swirling
swirling around the gates.
The city shifts, falls, rebuilds,
and I can do nothing.
A watchman
should be on the alert,
but never cocksure.
And The Lord –
who knows what he keepeth?”
[ Anne Sexton ]

 
RELATED SCRIPTURE VERSES:

2 Kings 9:17
Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel and he saw the company of Jehu as he came, and said, “I see a company.” And Joram said, “Take a horseman and send him to meet them and let him say, ‘Is it peace?'”

1 Samuel 14:16
Now Saul’s watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude melted away; and they went here and there.

2 Samuel 13:34
Now Absalom had fled And the young man who was the watchman raised his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain.

Psalm 127:1
Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain.

Psalm 130:6
My soul waits for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.

Jeremiah 51:12
Lift up a signal against the walls of Babylon; Post a strong guard, Station sentries, Place men in ambush! For the LORD has both purposed and performed What He spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.

2 Samuel 18:24-27
Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and raised his eyes and looked, and behold, a man running by himself. The watchman called and told the king. And the king said, “If he is by himself there is good news in his mouth.” And he came nearer and nearer. Then the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, “Behold, another man running by himself.” And the king said, “This one also is bringing good news.”read more.

2 Kings 9:18
So a horseman went to meet him and said, “Thus says the king, ‘Is it peace?'” And Jehu said, “What have you to do with peace? Turn behind me.” And the watchman reported, “The messenger came to them, but he did not return.”

Isaiah 21:6
For thus the Lord says to me, “Go, station the lookout, let him report what he sees.

Isaiah 52:8
Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices, They shout joyfully together; For they will see with their own eyes When the LORD restores Zion.

2 Chronicles 26:10
He built towers in the wilderness and hewed many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the lowland and in the plain. He also had plowmen and vinedressers in the hill country and the fertile fields, for he loved the soil.

Isaiah 27:3
“I, the LORD, am its keeper; I water it every moment So that no one will damage it, I guard it night and day.

Micah 4:8
“As for you, tower of the flock, Hill of the daughter of Zion, To you it will come– Even the former dominion will come, The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 31:6
“For there will be a day when watchmen On the hills of Ephraim call out, ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, To the LORD our God.'”

John 10:3
“To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

Jeremiah 6:17
“And I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’

Isaiah 21:11-12
The oracle concerning Edom One keeps calling to me from Seir, “Watchman, how far gone is the night? Watchman, how far gone is the night?” The watchman says, “Morning comes but also night. If you would inquire, inquire; Come back again.”

Isaiah 56:10
His watchmen are blind, All of them know nothing. All of them are mute dogs unable to bark, Dreamers lying down, who love to slumber;

Isaiah 62:6
On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; All day and all night they will never keep silent You who remind the LORD, take no rest for yourselves;

Ezekiel 3:17
“Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me.

Ezekiel 33:2
“Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, ‘If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman,

Hosea 9:8
Ephraim was a watchman with my God, a prophet; Yet the snare of a bird catcher is in all his ways, And there is only hostility in the house of his God.

Habakkuk 2:1
I will stand on my guard post And station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, And how I may reply when I am reproved.

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MAN KEEPING WATCH

Matthew 24:42-44
“Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. “For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

Matthew 25:13
“Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

Exodus 12:42
It is a night to be observed for the LORD for having brought them out from the land of Egypt; this night is for the LORD, to be observed by all the sons of Israel throughout their generations.

Habakkuk 2:1
I will stand on my guard post And station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, And how I may reply when I am reproved.

Matthew 24:43
“But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

Luke 2:8
In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

Acts 9:24
but their plot became known to Saul They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death;

Hebrews 13:17
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

Proverbs 16:17
The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who watches his way preserves his life.

Lamentations 4:17
Yet our eyes failed, Looking for help was useless; In our watching we have watched For a nation that could not save.

Nehemiah 4:9
But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night.

Matthew 27:36
And sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there.

Matthew 27:54
Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

2 Kings 18:8
He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.

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WATCHING

Hebrews 10:26
For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

2 Timothy 4:5
As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Matthew 16:1-28
And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed. When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. …

Revelation 14:12
Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.

Genesis 1:26
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

James 3:1
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

Acts 20:35
In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Zechariah 14:1-21
Behold, a day is coming for the Lord, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. …

Psalm 150:1-6
Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! …

Genesis 16:9
The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.”

Genesis 2:7
Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

Revelation 5:11
Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,

1 Peter 2:4-9
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. …

Hebrews 13:7
Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.

Hebrews 6:6
And then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

Ephesians 4:11
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,

Matthew 16:18
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

1 Chronicles 17:1-27
Now when David lived in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, “Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.” And Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.” But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: It is not you who will build me a house to dwell in. For I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up Israel to this day, but I have gone from tent to tent and from dwelling to dwelling. …

Genesis 1:1-31
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. …

Revelation 20:1-15
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. …

Revelation 13:1-18
And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. …

Revelation 11:1-19
Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. …

Revelation 5:8-13
And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” …

Jude 1:6
And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—

1 John 3:1-2
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

Hebrews 1:13-14
And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?

Hebrews 1:1-14
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? …

Titus 1:5
This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—

2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Ephesians 6:4
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Galatians 5:19-21
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 1:17
For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Romans 8:22
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

Romans 5:20
Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

Romans 1:21-22
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools,

Acts 20:29
I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;

Acts 16:1-40
Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily. …

John 14:1-31
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” …

John 3:16-17
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Matthew 23:8
But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.

Matthew 23:8-10
But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.

Matthew 22:1-46
And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, …

Matthew 16:15-17
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 10:6
But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Matthew 5:1-48
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. …

Zechariah 11:17
“Woe to my worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! Let his arm be wholly withered, his right eye utterly blinded!”

Ezekiel 48:1-35
“These are the names of the tribes: Beginning at the northern extreme, beside the way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, as far as Hazar-enan (which is on the northern border of Damascus over against Hamath), and extending from the east side to the west, Dan, one portion. Adjoining the territory of Dan, from the east side to the west, Asher, one portion. Adjoining the territory of Asher, from the east side to the west, Naphtali, one portion. Adjoining the territory of Naphtali, from the east side to the west, Manasseh, one portion. Adjoining the territory of Manasseh, from the east side to the west, Ephraim, one portion. …

Jeremiah 23:1-40
“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord. Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord. “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. …

Jeremiah 1:1-19
The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month. Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” …

Isaiah 57:15
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Isaiah 40:5
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Ecclesiastes 10:1-20
Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. A wise man’s heart inclines him to the right, but a fool’s heart to the left. Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense, and he says to everyone that he is a fool. If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place, for calmness will lay great offenses to rest. There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were an error proceeding from the ruler: …

Ecclesiastes 5:1-20
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words. When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. …

Proverbs 31:6-7
Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.

Proverbs 31:1-31
The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him: What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb? What are you doing, son of my vows? Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted. …

Psalm 91:1-16
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, …

Psalm 53:1
To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath. A Maskil of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good.

Psalm 14:1
To the choirmaster. Of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good.

2 Chronicles 33:6
And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.

1 Kings 19:1-21
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” …

Genesis 6:1-22
When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. …

Genesis 3:9-10
But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”
 
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“A quick summary of the Christian “Gospel”:
JESUS’ PROPITIATION made our SINS FORGIVEN and IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS to us so that we have GOD’S ACCEPTANCE into His Heaven and ETERNAL LIFE.”
[ Mark Besh ]

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Hope you enjoyed some of these insights—share them with your friends and colleagues—so we can have a larger ‘pool’ to receive from, and more to share with! Also, remember to include your name as the “source,” if some of this wisdom is of your doing—I would like to give credit where credit is due!

 

FOCUS VERSES:

“At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.

Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.”
[ Ezekiel 3:16-21 ]

“The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.

So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.”
[ Ezekiel 33:1-9 ]

“On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the Lord in remembrance, take no rest,”
[ Isaiah 62:6 ]

“Those who were building the wall and those who carried loads did their work with one hand, and held something to fight with in the other hand. Each builder wore his sword at his side as he built… “Each man kept something to fight with in his hand, even when he went to wash.” [ Nehemiah 4:17-18, 23c ]

“The prophet is the watchman of Ephraim with my God; yet a fowler’s snare is on all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God.”
[ Hosea 9:8 ]

“When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.”
[ Matthew 16:2-3 ]

“Take heed that no one deceives you.”
[ Matthew 24:4 ]

“Then there shall be two men in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.”
[ Matthew 24:40-42 ]

“Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
[ Matthew 24:42-44 ]

“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
[ Matthew 26:41 ]

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
[ Matthew 28:16-20 ]

“Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”
[ Mark 13:33-37 ]

“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
[ Luke 12:35–40 ]

“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 ]

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
[ John 14:3 ]

“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”
[ Romans 13:11 ]

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”
[ 1 Corinthians 16:13 ]

“Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

[ 1 Thessalonians 4:17 ]

“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.”
[ 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 ]

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.”
[ 2 Timothy 4:3 ]

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
[ 1 Peter 5:8 ]

“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”
[ 2 Peter 3:8 ]

“Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”
[ Revelation 16:15 ]

“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.”
[ Revelation 22:12 ]

Mark

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If you have a ‘neat’ story or some thoughts about an issue or current event that you would like me to try to respond to, I would be glad to give it a try…so, send them to me at: mbesh@comcast.net

Disclaimer: All the above jokes & inspirations are obtained from various sources and copyright are used when known. Other than our name and headers, we do not own the copyright to any of the materials sent to this list. We just want to spread the ministry of God’s love and cheerfulness throughout the world.

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