Watchman on the Wall

A Dream and Coming Destruction
I woke up early this morning with a terrible dream that felt so real. I was in a car and could see several members of my family outside by the water. Then all of a sudden they started screaming and trying to get away from an alligator. The gator first went towards my mom. Then someone else that I did not recognize got right in front of it, and looked directly into its eyes, trying to keep the gators eyes on him and off everyone else. That is when we should have had courage to rescue the others and pounce on the gator as a team but we didn't. It got away and went towards my little 4 year old girl, Abigail. I started screaming for Hugh to get out and get her or get the gator. Again the mysterious man did the same thing, but we again just hoped it was safe and sat waiting, doing nothing, hoping he would kill it on his own. Actually it all went so fast. It seemed that Hugh tried to get out of the car at that point when the gator got free again, came towards our open car window and almost snapped Hugh. I saw Abigail and Mercy, my 9 year old, swimming away in fear, when it immediately flipped around towards my girls and seemed to just opened its mouth ready to bite down on Mercy's head. I was so scared because I couldn't see how we could get to them in time to save them now. I woke up at that point with my heart beating fast and an incredible sadness yet prayers of thanksgiving that it was only a dream. So I have been thinking this morning how precious life is, how much I love my family and wondering why I had such an awful dream. How could I live through such a horrible accident like that, to witness a child be killed before my eyes. I started to think of all the other people hurting in the world and began to pray for them. Then God reminded me of the Scriptures I read yesterday. One was about being a watchman and warning the people of coming danger where they could lose their life. Yet God has called us to warn the people spiritually of the danger or the iniquity they are committing in their life and to turn from their wicked ways or God will destroy them. So God has called us to warn His people for He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Ezek 33:7-12 says, So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. When I say to the wicked, "O wicked man, you shall surely die!" and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: "Thus you say, 'If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?"' Say to them: "As I live," says the Lord GOD,"I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?" We need to realize that our children are in worse danger right now than what I dreamed, a danger that takes their soul. I Peter 5:8-11 says, Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experience of suffering is required of your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, and strengthen you. To him be the dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Where were the watchman in my dream to warn my family from going near the water? Once they are there, who will help them from being destroyed? Who will call them to get out of the water? Spiritually where are these watchman? Christ is our Deliverer, but He has called us to be His body, His witnesses, His watchman.

Are we being watchful?
Are we willing to sacrifice our desires and agenda for the coming generations, for the Kingdom and glory of God? Or do we complain that it it is to hard? Are we calling for our husbands to do something, to save our children, train or protect them because we are to lazy or fearful to do it ourselves? Are we hoping someone else will do something to save our land from the coming destruction? Are we making excuses for ourselves because we don't want to lay our life down for God's children? Are we praying that God would give our husbands or someone else courage to fight the alligator while we sit by and do nothing? Shouldn't we pray for our leaders to protect us, yet take action ourselves and do whatever we can to help? Shouldn't both of us parents be doing what God has called us to do without fear, blame or excuses? Are we doing the thing God has placed in front of us to do as wives, mothers, and Christians? Are you afraid people won't like you if you speak of sin and coming judgment? Are you fearful that you may suffer, be misunderstood, hated, or judged by the world, by your friends, church or family? You may be thinking, "Can't we just keep it light? Can't we all just be friends? I don't want to be too restrictive to my children. I don't want to hold my sister accountable. I don't want to invade their privacy. I don't want them to hate me. I just want to be their buddy." But James 4:4-17 says, Unfaithful Creatures! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is in vain that the scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit which he has made to dwell in us"? But he gives more grace; therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you men of double mind. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you. Do not speak evil against one another, brethren. He that speaks evil against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you that you judge your neighbor? Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and get gain"; whereas you do not know about tomorrow. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and we shall do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Whoever knows what is right to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. I see two things here. First, we need to be careful that we examine our own lives and turn from our wicked ways. We must be covered by the blood of Christ who alone is righteous. Second, that we don't become a judge of others out of pride but in humility warn others of God who is the Judge and will bring judgment if they do not turn from their idols and disobedience to Him and proclaim that the only way to be saved is through the blood of the Lamb- Jesus Christ. In other words, we need to get out of the car and do something to save our young people from being destroyed. Don't put off having a heart to heart discussion with your teen until tomorrow, when you sense it is needed, for tomorrow may be to late? Pray without ceasing, attack the enemy, and take care of those in your care, no matter what the cost.

My Prayer
Father God, please protect our young people from the enemy that wants to destroy them, keep them pure and shelter them from pornography, fornication, and ungodly addictions. Raise up a generation that has strong Christian character and self-government in obedience to the Word of God. Give us parents strength to develop and require this high standard from our children so that they will be able to resist and flee from sin all their lives. May You give us parents wisdom and discernment on how to raise our children and what steps we need to take to protect them until they are strong enough to shoot and kill that "alligator" before he kills them. Use us to help equip them with the weapons for effective spiritual warfare. I also pray for all the young people that have already been exposed to pornography, impure thoughts or deeds, for those who have given their hearts or bodies away in fornication before marriage. I pray for repentance, forgiveness, and healing that only Christ can give. You sent your Son for the sinners and Your love and mercy endures forever. Take away the mental movies and pictures, addictions, or habitual thoughts and deeds from them. Deliver, cleanse, and make new. Give them a heart change to heed your warning and fear You. In Jer 3:22-25 we read Your words, Break up your fallow ground,and sow not among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the LORD,remove the foreskin of your hearts,O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem;lest my wrath go forth like fire,and burn with none to quench it,because of the evil of your doings." Fill our young people with the power of your Holy Spirit that they may no longer sin against you. Help us all to love you with all our heart, soul, and mind! In Jesus Name, Amen.