WATCHMEN ON THE WALL

Watchmen on the Wall

Presently there are many ministries which intercede for the United States and for the nations of the world. No serious Christian can doubt that evil men have come to power in the world, whose purpose is to overthrow free forms of government and to suppress the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, few Christians seem to be aware that this same anti-Christ network has infiltrated the Church with a hidden agenda of subverting the true faith and converting believers to their false religious system.

This quiet intrusion of false brethren into the life of the Church was foretold in the New Testament. Paul stated that, for three years, he did not cease to warn the Church day and night with tears: “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” (Acts 20:29-31)

The book of Jude confirms Paul's prediction: "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and deny the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." (Jude 4)

The Lord Jesus Christ must have foreseen this great danger to His church when He related the following parable: “Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.” (Mark 13:34)

Just as some are called to positions of authority within the Body of Christ and others to serve in various ministries, there are also those who are called to be watchmen. In Israel, the watchman stood on the wall and notified the porter or gatekeeper of the identity of anyone who was approaching the city. Using a similar analogy, Jesus says that the gatekeeper will only open the door of the sheepfold to the true Shepherd of the sheep. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out." (John 10:1-3)

Apparently, it was the duty of the watchman to warn and of the porter to protect the city from foreign invaders. Accordingly, there must be a parallel operation within the Church to protect it from outside enemies. God has called some to be 'watchmen on the wall' to warn those who labor inside and 'gatekeepers' protect the sheep.

The Lord Jesus also prophesied that the period just before His return would be a time of unprecedented deception. In Matthew 24:24, He says that even the very elect would be deceived ~ if possible. II Thessalonians 2:3 reveals that during this period there would be a great 'falling away' from the faith that was once delivered to the saints. It is difficult to comprehend how this could happen, until it is understood that this deception would come from within the Church ~ just as Paul said it would!

Today, the New Age Movement and other elements of the New World Order have infiltrated the Bible-believing churches and are posing as Christian ministries. According to Constance Cumbey, their expressed goal is to use the Evangelical Church as the primary instrument to bring the New World Order with its One World Religion to birth. As a result of this conspiracy, many sincere Christians are being led into deception by the abundance of false teachers and prophets on the Christian scene and organizations that have the appearance of doing good works, but are apostate in their doctrine and practice.

The reader may naively assume that the majority of Evangelical leaders could not possibly be false teachers and false prophets because they are so widely accepted. For a more Scriptural perspective on this matter, we recommend reading The Preacher As A False Prophet by Rev. James Stalker who stated concerning Israel, our example:

“The false prophets were strong, not only in their own numbers, but in their popularity with the people. This told heavily against the true prophets; for the people could not believe that the one man, who was standing alone, was right, and that his opponents, who were many, were wrong. The seats and the trappings of office always affect the multitude, who are slow to come to the conclusion that the teachers under whom they find themselves in providence can be misleading them... If they are going wrong, they will generally get the majority of the people to follow them. So completely may this be the case, that by degrees the popular taste is vitiated and will not endure any other teaching than that to which it has been accustomed, though it be false. There is no sadder verse in all prophecy than the complaint of Jeremiah, ’The prophets prophesy falsely, and My people love to have it so.’ Like prophet, like people; the public mind may be so habituated to what is false, and satisfied with it, that it has no taste or even tolerance for the true. Jeremiah could not gain a hearing for his stern and weighty message from ears accustomed to the light and frivolous views of the false prophets; and to Baruch, his young coadjutor and amanuensis, who was starting on the prophetic career with the high hopes of youth, he had to deliver the chilling message, ’Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not.’ The path to popularity and eminence was not open to anyone who did not speak according to the prevailing fashion.”

Foreseeing the great end-time apostasy, when the multitudes would not endure sound doctrine, our gracious Lord advised us how to recognize and avoid the spiritual deception that would engulf the Church. In many passages, such as Luke 21:34-36, He cautions his disciples to 'watch and pray' that they may be accounted worthy to escape the time of deception that will surely come to pass. I Peter 4:7 warns, “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” The apostle Peter had learned well the antidote to temptation, for these were the very words of warning that Jesus spoke to him prior to his own falling away and denial of his Lord. (Mark 14:38) Because he had learned to heed these words of Jesus, Peter ultimately glorified the Lord through his life and death. (Excerpt)

Source: http://watch.pair.com/default.html