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but who .. watches the watchmen?
Paul was called out without 'the church' John the Baptist, although Old Covenant was alone . and then it depends on what you call 'the church'. Is the church a denomination, or a building? Or where two or more are gathered?
I have come to understand it as those bound through the Holy Spirit to our Lord Jesus. I myself am between churches, looking and praying, although I am in fellowship with other believers through prayer gatherings. I am missing the ministry of His church without a pastor, teacher, etc etc . although there are some I consider myself under. I would accept correction etc etc . I guess I've wrestled with this question for many years. My conclusion we are bound by the Holy Spirit, not by doctrine or denomination.
The gift of Prophet is a very heavy mantle to bear and when one says that is their gift, I think we should 'consider' it and uphold them. It is easy to criticize. it is much harder to put yourself out there for others to criticize. In that I see, although I might give the message differently. Is it the message for the church, or a part of the church. Remembering that the church didn't have billions of peoples in it at the time, the New Testament was written.
Denominations are just a natural 'human' answer to what to do with so many people who feel so strongly about certain aspects of their walk with the Lord . they respectfully should tarry together. Not as one better than the other but as those in fellowship with the Lord, but with distinct interpretations. Fortunately, we aren't saved bc we can read or by our doctrine and or denomination. Paul was clear, one builds another builds on that foundation, always in alignment with scripture
Don't you think? hmmmm?
God bless, andrea
First, he went to Arabia, according to Gal 1, then Dmasacus, although, reading Acts 9, I get the feeling he was not there long in Arabia.What did the Apostle Paul do right after his Damascus road visitation - he started preaching and was then brought before the church in Jerusalem. He stayed there three years learning and was then sent out. From Acts 10 to Acts 13 where we find Paul where?
Acts 13:1
Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
Paul, a Hebrew of Hebrews, and established theologian spent three years after his conversion learning and was then sent out from the church.
Hmmm.......
but who .. watches the watchmen?
Right now we have thousands of self appointed "watchmen", crying "wolf" at every sheep and trying to rip their skin off, thinking they are something else underneath.
that's kinda why i point to the fact that only Ezekiel was given this calling
most watchmen don't even follow the instructions given to Ezekiel . you just need to say your peace once . vain repetitions are not going to improve people's hearing .
Not only do they hurt a lot of people doing it, many who would be willing are scared . maybe that is a good test for who should be in ministry but I know lots of people who have a real love and understanding of the word, that absolutely want nothing to do with ministry bc of all the infighting, bickering and asking the pastor to settle their differences and than the pastor's wife forget it!! A thankless position for no pay that only brings criticism unless your a total recluse and only show up at fund raisers and Sunday morning in the from pew. Always dressed well and always smiling ugh no life at all.IMO watchmen are like shepherds. Both are secular jobs from biblical times, that were used by God to explain spiritual things. "Pastor" is the God given job, "shepherd" is the analogy.
God explained what He wanted done to some of His prophets by telling them it was similar to being a watchman. I imagine that many towns had paranoid people who were constantly crying "wolf"; but hopefully the appointed watchman knew better than to sound the alarm every time.
Right now we have thousands of self appointed "watchmen", crying "wolf" at every sheep and trying to rip their skin off, thinking they are something else underneath.
IMO watchmen are like shepherds. Both are secular jobs from biblical times, that were used by God to explain spiritual things. "Pastor" is the God given job, "shepherd" is the analogy.
God explained what He wanted done to some of His prophets by telling them it was similar to being a watchman. I imagine that many towns had paranoid people who were constantly crying "wolf"; but hopefully the appointed watchman knew better than to sound the alarm every time.
Right now we have thousands of self appointed "watchmen", crying "wolf" at every sheep and trying to rip their skin off, thinking they are something else underneath.
But did Ezekiel only say his message once? He went some pretty outrageous lengths to get his message across, laying on his side for years, cutting his hair, etc...
Let me tell you, and I guess everyone, what I perceived when I felt God tell me I was a watchman.
I asked Him what He wanted from me as I sat in prayer one night and as I had done many times before, opened my Bible. The first passage I opened to without flipping through any passages was Ezekiel when God told Ezekiel he was a watchman. So as I always do I prayed about it. As I prayed I saw a huge army of people, dressed in Roman Army armor marching in battle formation, forward towards an unseen enemy led by a single individual who had a battle standard raised high. I asked God what this was and He told me that He wanted me to intercede and pray for more intercessors who would do battle in context of Ephesians 6. The ones up front where to be a new generation of leaders He was raising up to lead the church through the final days. With God as my witness, I am not lying about what I saw or heard. That is when God told me, I want you to be a watchman in the mold of Ezekiel, to cry out as He instructs me. He wants me to seek Him in prayer for whatever He wants to share through me.
Now I have stumbled, I'm not going to lie, I tripped up out of the gate, but praise to His name He must have found me acceptable because He's given me grace to stand again. I only pray this time He fulfills His purpose in me and that I have strength to stand, not in myself, but in Him.
Thank you matjohluk for your words of encouragment and others as well. I am sure some here may refuse to accept what I have shared here, but what need do I have to lie about this? I'm not seeking financial reward, nor am I seeking sympathy or extra privilege I am simply sharing something that happened between myself and the Lord.
Than you have no choice you must do as your called. Or your life will never be right. I thought Ezekiel's calling was the heaviest of all. You must become immune to the spiritual daggers that will come your way and pray without ceasing a watchman sounds the alarm he does not argue with everyone in town. He tells them full throated what God has said!!! They receive it and live or do not receive it and die as for you, if you do not sound the alarm you will receive their punishment the blood of those that sin against God would be on your own hands.
When I read Ez 3 it terrifies me to think of being called as Ezekiel was called and I am so grateful to those that rise up and fulfill their calling.
But remember Ezekiel spent weeks praying to the Lord. He learned to hear and He learned to listen, bc it was a life and death issue, not just church politics . not just a matter of sound teaching or so so teaching it was literally life and death
...
16 Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 17 Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: 18 When I say to the wicked, You shall surely die, and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.
20 Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. 21 Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul.
God bless, andrea
I am praying for you, Ezekiel went out to the plains, I am praying the Lord make it plain to you .. God bless, andrea
Ez 37: 22 Then the hand of the Lord was upon me there, and He said to me, Arise, go out into the plain, and there I shall talk with you.
23 So I arose and went out into the plain, and behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, like the glory which I saw by the River Chebar; and I fell on my face. 24 Then the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet, and spoke with me and said to me: Go, shut yourself inside your house. 25 And you, O son of man, surely they will put ropes on you and bind you with them, so that you cannot go out among them. 26 I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute and not be one to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious house. 27 But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord God. He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.
It took exactly 5 minutes for the first arrow…. Study Ephesians 5 & 6. For today here is Eph 6:10-20 you will need it… God bless, andreaThank you for your words sister. You know when I first felt a calling in my life(talking years ago, not necessarily in this instance) I honestly thought since God called me all was going to go smoothly. Man was I wrong. I do understand what you say about it being difficult and perhaps not nearly as much as I should understand. Thank you once again for your words!
Right now we have thousands of self appointed "watchmen", crying "wolf" at every sheep and trying to rip their skin off, thinking they are something else underneath.
No brother, they SHOULD watch. Jesus told us that if we watched, we would not let the enemy come in and steal from us.really, without overpressing everything, it is neither here nor there, in a sense, we all watch, or there would be no debate here, everyone feels the need to say how they see it. Fine, I am a watcham, because I talk doctrine, and the people that reply are watchmen, because they rebutt, watching out for their view.
It is watchful forum.(friendly joke.)
that's kinda why i point to the fact that only Ezekiel was given this calling
most watchmen don't even follow the instructions given to Ezekiel . you just need to say your peace once . vain repetitions are not going to improve people's hearing .
really, without overpressing everything, it is neither here nor there, in a sense, we all watch, or there would be no debate here, everyone feels the need to say how they see it. Fine, I am a watcham, because I talk doctrine, and the people that reply are watchmen, because they rebutt, watching out for their view.
It is watchful forum.(friendly joke.)
But did Ezekiel only say his message once? He went some pretty outrageous lengths to get his message across, laying on his side for years, cutting his hair, etc...
Let me tell you, and I guess everyone, what I perceived when I felt God tell me I was a watchman.
I asked Him what He wanted from me as I sat in prayer one night and as I had done many times before, opened my Bible. The first passage I opened to without flipping through any passages was Ezekiel when God told Ezekiel he was a watchman. So as I always do I prayed about it. As I prayed I saw a huge army of people, dressed in Roman Army armor marching in battle formation, forward towards an unseen enemy led by a single individual who had a battle standard raised high. I asked God what this was and He told me that He wanted me to intercede and pray for more intercessors who would do battle in context of Ephesians 6. The ones up front where to be a new generation of leaders He was raising up to lead the church through the final days. With God as my witness, I am not lying about what I saw or heard. That is when God told me, I want you to be a watchman in the mold of Ezekiel, to cry out as He instructs me. He wants me to seek Him in prayer for whatever He wants to share through me.
Now I have stumbled, I'm not going to lie, I tripped up out of the gate, but praise to His name He must have found me acceptable because He's given me grace to stand again. I only pray this time He fulfills His purpose in me and that I have strength to stand, not in myself, but in Him.
Thank you matjohluk for your words of encouragment and others as well. I am sure some here may refuse to accept what I have shared here, but what need do I have to lie about this? I'm not seeking financial reward, nor am I seeking sympathy or extra privilege I am simply sharing something that happened between myself and the Lord.
...
As someone uses in their signature (on here I think), if something is asserted without evidence it can be dismissed without evidence.
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