The Sound of War and the Watchman Response

Earth is preparing for War; Heaven is preparing for a Wedding

A word for 5784
Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
​Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,
but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
Mt. 25:1-4

The sound of war has begun!  Israel is under attack and the nations are mobilizing.  The flurry of information can be dizzying.  How are we to respond?  Recently,  I began hearing wedding bells. Having just enjoyed the wedding of our youngest son, it would be a natural type of sound for the occasion.  However, a few days after, another sound intruded.  It was a deeper gong, and much slower, much like what one would consider a death knell bell.  They vied for my attention back and forth, one moment the airy vibrant sound of wedding bells, the next moment the deeper gong of the death knell bell….”Ding, ding, ding vs. dong, dong, dong.”  At certain points, they were nearly deafening.  I was not drawn to one or the other sound.  In fact, they equally vied for my attention.  Through the alarm, I sensed that Jesus is calling forth His bride into new strength. While the earth is preparing for war; the heavens are preparing for a wedding.  As the sound continued to repeat for several days, I realized it was the Lord trying to speak to me, however, I sensed no clear word until I arrived a few days later in Israel just before the first attacks of what is now known as the "Operation Swords of Iron" offensive. 
            Waking to the reality of war caught us by surprise and flip-flopped all of our plans.  I am writing this partly in response to the sounds of the opposing bells, as a prophetic exhortation for what we see unfolding in this war. There is an immediate response as watchmen, but a longer term transformational response as Jesus molds and calls forth His bride. 
 
Immediate responses to the alarm for war:

1. God is calling the Global Ekklesia to stand in the gap and contend for His purposes for Israel and the nations.  Though the door for restraining escalation into WW III is narrowing, we must contend.  Rick Ridings has sent out his alert to this stance.  Sheep and goat nations are being sifted and shifted now, and how we pray and contend may very well determine the course of nations.  
2. This is a trial run for what is to come.  Jesus is making ready a bride strong and resilient.  We witnessed such at the Shabbat service on Mt. Carmel on Saturday...vibrant worship and dancing in the midst of a call to war.  
3. Pray for the watchmen that we do not exhaust ourselves (Daniel 12:4) but take the time to sharpen our swords (encouragement and strength from His word) and encourage one another (build community)          

As we face the call to war, shift is upon us.  The dichotomy of the bells herald the shift.  A transformational molding of the expression of church is underway as we are called to higher levels of community and engagement in the midst of war.   We may hear the familiar “Dong” and sense the pull of its comfort, but a higher “Ding” is calling us to “Come up here, for I must show you things to come,” (Rev. 4:1).  As time and darkness intensifies, so God is calling forth His bride out of the darkness into greater glory.  As we do so, the strengthening and purifying of the bride is underway.  Here are a few transformational effects as we rise up to the battle strategies of war:
The longer term response: 

1. From focus on using our gifts to developing community of people equipped to be messengers.  As the end time narrative increasingly unfolds, a shift is taking place.  Malachi declares it and Luke reiterates it, “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare the way before Me” (Malachi 3:1; Luke 1:76; 7:27 see also Mt 11:10; Mk 1:2; John 1:23).  Though the scriptures referred to John the Baptist, who was a type and pattern of a messenger,  we are in a time and  generation(s) of fulfillment of this call for messengers.  They are a people called who will “Prepare the way.”  These messengers will be equipped and filled with the hope and promise of God’s Word in spite of the increasing darkness. (Matthew 24).  
2. From focus on developing the expression of ministry to developing a people of understanding.  Successful ministry is frequently defined by numbers.  How many are coming?  How many attended?  Yet, I have witnessed life transforming, headline breaking news done with a few people, in obscure and hidden places, in alignment with God.  Such experiences can ‘blow your mind’ and open vistas of God’s purpose that seeking platforms and numbers could never give.  The result is powerful testimony of only “God can do” and hearts expanded in a life transforming experience with God.   For Watchmen, specifically, we are being called as a people who can view increasingly dark times with a view towards the greater purposes and promises of God.  Such understanding is cultivated and honed in settings of relational accountability and trust.  Simply stated, the new big is small.  Jesus chose 12 men and the world was changed.  Such focus on developing people is not to negate the blessing of larger gatherings, or platform teaching, but rather what we emphasize as successful.  We are committed to developing Watchmen who carry and pursue the revelation of Jesus’ promises in the midst of war and turmoil.  
3. Where fear has bound you, faith will release you.  Like Jacob facing the dreaded meeting with Esau, after years of separation, God leads him to the Jabbok River.  Jabbok means “emptying.”  Facing Esau, a reminder of his sin from the past, was a dreaded reality of his life.  What he did not know was that his identity was at stake.  When he got the nerve to cross the river (by emptying himself), he came into a face-to-face encounter with God.  As he wrestled through the night, by morning, the breakthrough came.  God gave him a new identity.  No longer would he be called Jacob, but rather Israel and thus come into his spiritual identity.  God is calling us into a faith that overcomes the obstacles of betrayal, schemes of offense, shame, failure, misunderstood persecution.  These are common threats the enemy uses to weaken the body of Christ (Mt. 24:10), particularly as the endtime narrative unfolds.  God is looking for those who will have faith in and activate His Word in times of great opposition.  When fear goes, testimony grows!
4. From being consumed by the works of ministry to developing intimacy and character of people able to stand in the days of adversity.  Being called to ministry can be an all-consuming fire.  As news will become increasingly alarming, we can easily be caught in a frenzy of concern over the “events” happening.  Daniel warns us of this time, “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase” (Daniel 12:4).  Knowledge is important.  Praying the news is important.  But is that all?  Such focus can easily tip the scales in a direction that takes us away from our peace and intimacy with the Lord.  “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Cor 8:1).  While contending in this war and for what is coming, we need to be a people of understanding that can process events through the lens of God’s heart and His word lest we find ourselves running to and fro and become exhausted (see Daniel 12:4).  
5. From being a prophetic voice to developing a prophetic people that will speak into the atmospheres of war and derision around us with transforming power.  Powerful prophetic voices have developed platforms for communication largely outside the present-day church.  Insights released have been empowering and effective for their followers.  Vistas are now opening for prophetic voices to move in community to speak into situations and atmospheres opening spiritual doors, even changing the course of nations.  Though not yet seen, these communities of prophetic people are emerging, many unheralded on earth, but their cries are heard in heaven releasing transformative power on earth. 
6. From seeing war today to developing the compassion of Jeremiah.  As times become increasingly difficult, persecution of believers is on the rise at alarming rates.  Many who have walked in a prophetic or Watchman-type function have not been understood and have either publicly or silently been rejected by others.  Like Jeremiah, they have not been well received.  Rejection and misunderstandings are part of the end-time narrative.  Jesus warns, “And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another,” (Mt. 24:10).  When these misunderstandings or outright opposition happen, we need to be able to process the offense through the lens of Jesus.  Doing so, will lead to a heart of compassion filled with spiritual understanding and authority.  There is no other way to spiritual authority but through humility and the cross.  By taking on offense, our hearts can grow cold and bitter.  The writer of Hebrews warns, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled,” (Heb 12:14-15).  This verse alone should put the fear of the Lord in our hearts not to carry offense.  
7. From traditional ways of doing things to covenantal alignments.  “Shamar” watchmen are called to watch over God’s covenant.  Throughout scripture, שָׁמַר šâmar, or to “watch”, is most frequently (Gen 3:24; 17:9-10; 26:5; 28:20, etc.) associated with God’s covenant.  As the anti-christ spirit erupts over the nations, we will increasingly be called to get out of our traditional and comfortable ways of doing things, into unconventional strategies to strengthen if not restore covenantal alignments.  As we do so, we become messengers of a new covenant aligning God’s will and opening His life and light into hearts.  Jesus’ way with His disciples offended the religious establishment.  Today, God is calling the church out of the box, to be the Ekklesia He intended it to be. In so doing, the tares will be exposed and the harvest will be reaped (Mt 13:24-30).  Nations are in the process of contending for their covenantal alignments. There are now and will be governmental upheavals.  We as watchmen need to be ready to declare, to be that prophetic company, and call into being God’s covenantal destiny for our nations.  The sheep and goat nations are being determined and watchmen will play a key role in where they land.  
8. Sharpening and honing our spiritual weapons of warfare.  Paul exhorts the Ephesians who were known for their search for knowledge, For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, Eph 6:12.  God is losing His weapons that will bring His light to an increasingly dark world that He promised through Isaiah, For behold the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you, Isaiah 60:2.  Weapons such as joy amid the battle, will become our strength and be a light in the midst of battle.  We will see what God wants us to see and have words that God wants us to release through a heart fully committed to Him.  For out of the abundance of our hearts, our mouths will speak (Mt 12:34; Ps 49:3).

We are encouraged with the vigorous response to the war and believe the enemy's designs will fail with such a contending force rising in the nations.  This alert from the IDF states reflects the call of Watchmen today.  I write this hearing jets overhead and disruptions in Northern Israel now escalating: 
 
“The IDF and the State of Israel do not lack power, the problem is who is in charge.  But now is not the time to reckon with anyone, it will happen later, it is an intelligence failure of the first order (once again) for which they will have to give answers.  Now is the time to go through this event with all the difficulty, we will do it and we will succeed.” October 8 am, 2023 
 
The wedding bells are ringing, heralding a call to the Bride.  As we respond to this shift and call, we may very well be part of hastening the day as Peter states, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, (2 Peter 3:12).

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So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.
For the things that are seen are transient,
but the things that are unseen are eternal. 
2 Cor 4:16-18