Community from the Enemy's Schemes (Bloomington, MN: Chosen Books,

Are you ready to watch? Are you part of a new generation of watchman who will stand, look out, and make intercession? If so, read on. The pages that follow will educate, inspire, equip, and launch you into your calling.

NOTES

1. Dutch Sheets, Watchman Prayer (Bloomington, MN: Chosen Books, 2019), 21. 2. James W. Goll, "You Are Chosen as a Spiritual Watchman," God Encounters Today, 2017, https://www.charismamag.com/blogs/a-voice-callingout/32375-james-goll-you-are-chosen-as-a-spiritual-watchman. 3. Norman Grubb, Rees Howells: Intercessor, 274. 4. Ibid., 273. 5. Ibid. 6. Watchman Nee, The Spiritual Man (New York, NY: Christian Fellowship Publishers, 1968), 66. 7. Watchman Nee, The Prayer Ministry of the Church (New York, NY: Christian Fellowship Publishers, 1973), 113. 8. Lance Lambert, qtd. in Neville Johnson, "From Neville Johnson," Sidroth.org, May 19, 2010, https://sidroth.org/articles/neville-johnson. 9. Leonard Ravenhill, Why Revival Tarries (Bloomington, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 1987), 25. 10. David Wilkerson, "That Dreadful Day," March 25, 2009, https://youtu.be/bRn3UznKjAE. 11. David Wilkerson, "The Dangers of The Gospel of Accommodation," accessed September 30, 2020, http://www.gfellowship.com/davidwilkersons-warning-to-the-assemblies-of-god.html. 12. Steve Hill, Spiritual Avalanche: The Threat of False Teachings that Could Destroy Millions (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2013), 7-8. 13. Dick Eastman, A Watchman's Guide to Praying God's Promises (Colorado Springs, CO: Every Home for Christ, 2012), 8-9. 14. Dutch Sheets, Watchman Prayer: Protecting Your Family, Home and Community from the Enemy's Schemes (Bloomington, MN: Chosen Books, 2008), 24.

Chapter 2

DISCERNING THE CALL OF A

WATCHMAN

was in the barracks on the campus of an orphanage in Nicaragua. I came in late at night after shooting a documentary, so everyone else was fast asleep. I tiptoed around the barracks trying my level best not to disturb anyone as I prepared for some much-needed rest. Exhausted, I climbed up to the top bunk and situated my mosquito net securely. The only sounds I could hear were snoring women and iguanas scurrying across the tin roof above us.

Even though I was worn out physically, my spirit would not settle. I lay in my bed, quietly praying in the 90-degree heat, when the still small voice of the Lord told me to read Ezekiel 3. Two years old in the Lord, I had not yet read Ezekiel and had no idea what to expect. I grabbed my travel Bible and a small flashlight and opened the Scriptures to Ezekiel 3. The header in the New King James Version reads, "The Responsibility of the Prophet."

I devoured the words with hunger as God told Ezekiel to "Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel" (Ezek. 3:1). I kept on reading as God flat out told Ezekiel the people would not listen to him, and that God would make his forehead strong against their foreheads because they were so heard-hearted (see Ezek. 2:7-9). I kept on reading as the Spirit of God transported Ezekiel to Tel Abib, to his amazement (see Ezek. 7:12-15). (You can read more about being transported in the spirit in my book, The Seer Dimensions.)

All of this was intriguing, and if I had stopped reading there in the middle of that hot night with a fine-print Bible in the dark with a flashlight, I would have missed what God was saying. If I hadn't decided to, as Bethel's Bill Johnson often says, "keep reading until God speaks," I would not have received the revelation God was waiting to pour out. I kept on reading and saw the next section heading read, "Ezekiel Is a Watchman."

MY CALLING AS A WATCHMAN

When I read Ezekiel 3:17, the words jumped off the page: "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." I had never even heard of a watchman at my young age in the Lord. I read the entire passage in Ezekiel 3:17-21:

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: 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. 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.

your hand. 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.

I was without words. That was a heavy passage. How could one man be responsible for such a tremendous life-ordeath task? How could God put that weight of obligation on a single prophet, especially when He already made it clear that the people would not listen to him? Surely, there would be persecution from these hard-hearted Israelites. Certainly, there would be suffering in this mandate. The spirit of the fear of the Lord rested upon me as I read those verses, but I kept reading until the end of the chapter.

With slivers of moonlight peering through the open windows—and iguanas prancing back and forth over the hot tin roof—I lay in my bed with a troubled soul. What could this mean? Why would the Lord have me sitting in the second-poorest country in the Americas in the middle of the night with a flashlight reading these passages? I didn't ponder this long before He told me, again in that still small voice almost as if not to wake up the other missionaries, "Read Ezekiel 33."

CONFIRMING THE CALLING

Perhaps because I wasn't getting it, God sent me thirty chapters down the line to Ezekiel 33. I started reading in verse one and the storyline got more intense. Ezekiel 33:1-9 shook me:

Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: 'When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from

their territory and make him their watchman, when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he 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 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."

And that's when I got it. God was calling me as a watchman. He confirmed the call by showing me twice—a double mention. I didn't know what to do with this revelation. I didn't know how to step into that role. I didn't tell anyone about it. I was almost hoping it would go away. But soon, the Lord started giving me words of warning and they were like fire shut up in my bones until I released them. I accepted the call as a watchman.

SIGNS YOU MAY BE A WATCHMAN

Shortly after my calling to serve the Kingdom as a watchman, God also called me as a prophet. Not all watchmen are prophets, but all prophets should have a watchman function. In fact, every believer is called to watch and pray. But a believer or a prophet or an intercessor with a strong watchman thrust will feel led to watch and pray frequently.

I believe God is giving more people a watchman anointing in this hour. Your call as a watchman may not be as dramatic as mine. Not everyone who is called has dramatic encounters. But there are clear signs you may have a watchman anointing.

You receive frequent words of warning from the Lord.

Although the watchman can release words of comfort and alert us of God's presence in its many manifestations, watchmen are not watchmen if they aren't expressing warnings. Indeed, releasing warnings is the primary function of a watchman, followed closely by intercession. The warning drives the intercession, but sometimes the intercession drives the warning.

When God first called me into prophetic ministry with this watchman thrust, the only thing I was hearing from the Lord were warnings. It wasn't pleasant because people grew weary of my coming. The warnings were so frequent that when the pastor saw me walking toward him, he started heading in the opposite direction because he didn't want to hear what I had to say. I'm being somewhat glib, but the reality is that everyone knew what came out of my mouth in a prophetic council meeting was going to be a warning.

I'll always remember the warning dream right before a major conference. In the dream, we were in the sanctuary

having service when three men walked right through the door, through the lobby, and down the left-hand side of the sanctuary. They were wearing all black, including black cowboy hats. No one seemed to notice them but me, and no one stopped them. They went straight back to the children's ministry area behind the double doors at the rear of the building. It was clear to me that some danger was targeting the children's ministry during the conference. We put additional protocols in place to prevent that from occurring.

Leadership heeded my warnings, but at that time I did not have much to share beyond warnings of danger. Part of the reason for this unbalanced expression was my environment and what I had been taught. I was in a spiritual warfare church. The warfare was constant; therefore, the Lord was showing me what the leadership needed to see, but I didn't have the training to do much more with it.

Three things changed that. I moved on from this church, which was seemingly always under heavy fire and rarely taught about anything but demonology. Therefore, the frequency of the warnings waned. Second, as I matured in this gift I understood watchmen should also watch for the Lord and His angels, as well as other positive developments. Third, I grew in intimacy with the Lord, which enabled me to discern His presence more readily.

You carry prayer burdens in association with the warning.

Some erroneously teach that the watchman's responsibility stops when he blows the trumpet or sounds the alarm. In other words, they relegate the watchman to a mere messenger to deliver a warning. But that's only part of the biblical watchman's function. If God gave you the warning, it should come with an intercessory prayer burden.

The watchman's function, then, is to watch and pray—and, when led by the Spirit, to mobilize other intercessors.

God is always looking for people to intercede in times of trouble. Ezekiel 22:30 reveals the heart of God: "So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one." God sends a warning so that the enemy's plans can be averted through fervent intercession. The watchman must become part of, if not lead, the intercessory prayer team. Watchmen carry a true intercessory prayer burden until the enemy's plans are quashed.

You feel fire in your bones to release the warning.

When a watchman receives a warning, it almost consumes him until he releases it. It's not a passing feeling; it's a true fire. There's an urgency in your spirit to release it. This urgency comes from the Lord. It's part of the cloak of zeal in Isaiah 59:17.

We see this urgency in Jeremiah's ministry. This prophet's ministry was unpopular, and typically the modern watchman's ministry is unpopular with a sleeping church. But the fire compels and constrains you to obey the call to release the warning. Jeremiah explains this fire in Jeremiah 20:7-9:

O Lord, You induced me, and I was persuaded; You are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I am in derision daily; everyone mocks me. For when I spoke, I cried out; I shouted, "Violence and plunder!" Because the word of the Lord was made to me a reproach and a derision daily. Then I said, "I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name." But His word was in my

heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.

You operate in high levels of discernment.

Discernment is part of the gift mix of the watchman. As a watchman, you may see things in the spirit that are so far away it's difficult to immediately know if what is coming is good or bad. This is where discernment comes into play. Discernment is "the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure," also "an act of perceiving or discerning something," according to Merriam-Webster's dictionary. Discerning means "able to see and understand people, things, or situations clearly and intelligently."

Many watchmen are more than discerning; they operate in the gift of discerning of spirits Paul mentions in First Corinthians 12:10. The Greek word for discerning in that verse is diakrino. According to Strong's Concordance, it means "a distinguishing" and so "a decision" and "unto discerning good and evil." Even if you don't have the gift of discerning of spirits, you can cultivate discernment in your heart through reading the word and prayer. We see how discernment plays a strategic role in the watchman's ministry in Second Samuel 18. After Absalom died, Joab sent a messenger to give David the news. A second messenger also ran with the message, which was not protocol. Read the account in Second Samuel 18:24-27:

Now David was sitting between the two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof over the gate, to the wall, lifted his eyes and looked, and there was a man, running alone. Then the watchman cried out and told the king. And the king said, "If he is alone, there is news in his mouth." And he came rapidly and drew near.

Then the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, "There is another man, running alone!" And the king said, "He also brings news." So the watchman said, "I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." And the king said, "He is a good man, and comes with good news."

Notice how the watchman discerned who the messenger was by the way he ran—even from far off. As you mature in watchman ministry—and gain experience in this role—you will be able to discern more accurately from greater distances what is coming to the gates.

You may see in the spirit.

Not all watchmen are seers, but the seer anointing may be part of the gift mix of some watchmen. What's more, God can open your spiritual eyes to see what He wants you to see for His purposes at any time He chooses. Just like all believers can prophesy according to the will of God, all believers can see in the spirit when God chooses to open their eyes.

God has not shut off the seer realm to you. You don't have to be a seer to see—and even seers can't decide to see. All believers are at God's behest when it comes to seeing in the spirit. Your part is to desire spiritual gifts and cultivate a sensitivity in your heart and a faith in your spirit to move in this gift for His glory. You can read more about the seer gift in my book The Seer Dimensions.

Your message is often ignored.

The watchman's ministry is not popular and his message is often ignored by the mainstream church. Just as people ignore warning signs of cancer and ignore God's warnings about practicing sin communicated in the pages of the Bible, people have historically ignored the watchman's warnings to their own demise.

God told Ezekiel, "But the house of Israel will not listen to you, because they will not listen to Me; for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted" (Ezek. 3:7). Don't be surprised if the warning is ignored. If you are the only one standing in the gap, you can count yourself obedient and there is no blood on your hands.

You keenly observe the signs of the times.

The watchman is a keen observer of the signs of the times. They have an interest and are actively watching for things that are shut up until the time of the end (see Dan. 12:4). They are paying attention for wars and rumors of wars, false prophets, false christs, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in diverse places, which Jesus spoke about in Scripture. Mat-thew 24 will particularly fascinate the endtimes watchman, as well as Second Timothy 2 and Second Timothy 4.

You have an understanding of seasons.

Watchmen are interested in seasons, and some may also carry an Issachar anointing. First Chronicles 12:32 speaks of "the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do." The Hebrew word for understanding in this verse is yada. According to The KJV Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon, it means to know, to perceive and see, find out and discern. Sounds very prophetic to me!

God anointed this tribe of Israel to see prophetically into times and seasons. God is anointing tribes of watchmen today to see into times and seasons, but He can also allow you to enter into the Issachar dimension as He wills.

You have thick skin.

If you don't, you will need it. The watchman will be rejected in his day and perhaps celebrated in his legacy. You may have heard the phrase "set your forehead like flint." We find this twice in Scripture. Ezekiel tells us:

Behold, I have made your face strong against their faces, and your forehead strong against their foreheads. Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house (Ezekiel 3:8-9).

And this was Isaiah's confession:

For the Lord God will help Me; therefore I will not be disgraced; therefore I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed. He is near who justifies Me; who will contend with Me? Let us stand together. Who is My adversary? Let him come near Me. Surely the Lord God will help Me; who is he who will condemn Me? Indeed they will all grow old like a garment; the moth will eat them up (Isaiah 50:7-9).

You feel a sense of responsibility to guard and protect.

One of the words for watchman in the Bible is shamar. The Hebrew word shamar speaks of a watchman who is "to keep, guard, observe, give heed, have charge of, save life, wait for, retain, treasure up (in memory), to keep (within bounds), restrain, celebrate, keep (sabbath or covenant), to be on one's guard, take heed, take care, beware, abstain." Watchmen take responsibility in prayer, to some degree, for guarding those they watch.

You are attracted to accounts of watchmen in the Bible.

If you are a baseball player, you're attracted to the styles and lives of baseball players. If you are a doctor, you are attracted to case studies from doctors in your field. If you are a watchman, you will be drawn to accounts of watchmen and their ministries in the Bible, as well as modern-day watchmen. Their ministries will intrigue you and you'll learn from their challenges and successes and the posture of their heart.

You will be determined to see what God is showing you.

A watchman doesn't just live everyday life and wait for God to interrupt him with a warning. Watchmen are determined to see, and they posture their hearts in prayer to that end. Habakkuk 2:1 demonstrates the way of the watchman: "I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me." The New Living Translation puts it this way: "I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the Lord says." Notice the effort here. The watchman will climb. The watchman will stand. The watchman will wait. The watchman will see and hear.

You will have a righteous indignation over sin and injustice.

A watchman will be more than grieved over sin and injustice; he will carry a righteous indignation over what offends God. He will love what God loves and hate what God hates. We see this in Ezekiel's life: "So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the Lord upon me" (Ezek. 3:14 BSB).

You will carry a strong fear of the Lord over your assignment.

True watchmen will carry and release the warning with a fear of the Lord. God told Ezekiel if he didn't release the warning, the blood of those who died because of his failure to sound an alarm would be on his hands. Where there is a true assignment and acceptance of this call, there will be a reverential fear of the Lord related to the consequences of failing to perform the God-ordained duty.

Chapter 3

THE ROLE OF A WATCHMAN

HEN God makes a watchman, He makes him with the spiritual attributes, gifts, and skill sets to stand effectively in his particular role. While the watchman can shift roles or assignments according to the will of the Lord, there are baseline operations of a watchman just as there are baseline operations of a prophet.

Understanding your role or function as a watchman is vital to the success of your God-ordained mission. If you don't comprehend your watchman task in God's Kingdom, you may fail to operate in His ways, His timing—or fail to operate at all. When you understand your role, or function, in the Body of Christ, you can stand confidently in your calling and make the impact God designed.

You can find the watchman's functions in the Hebrew words for watchman. Biblically speaking, there are several Hebrew words for watchman. What you'll notice in these descriptions is that no two watchmen are exactly alike. There are specialties within the watchman world just as there are specialties in the medical field or legal arena. So there are common operations but also distinct duties that come with an individual watchman's call.

FOUR TYPES OF WATCHMAN

There are four categories of watchman, and, of course, these categories overlap. But the Lord would not have used four different words for watchman in Scripture if there were not subtleties worth noting. Just as there are different types

of singers or different types of preachers, there are unique expressions of the watchman anointing.

One Hebrew word for watchman is tsaphah. It means "to look out or about, spy, keep watch, observe, or watch," according to The KJV Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon. When Eli the priest was watching, with his heart trembling, for the return of the ark of God in First Samuel 4:13, this is tsaphah. When watchmen stood at the tower in Jezreel spying out Jehu as he came in the glory of God in Second Kings 9:17, this was tsaphah. Several Scriptures that use the word tsaphah speak of the Lord Himself watching, including Proverbs 15:3, "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good."

In Isaiah 21:5-6,8, we also see the tsaphah watchman:

Prepare the table, set a watchman in the tower, eat and drink. Arise, you princes, anoint the shield! For thus has the Lord said to me: "Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he sees." … Then he cried, "A lion, my Lord! I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime; I have sat at my post every night."

Another Hebrew expression of watchman is natsar. This is a type of watchman that includes a stronger thrust to guard. According to The KJV Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon, natsar means "to guard, watch, watch over, keep" and "to preserve, guard from dangers, to keep, observe, guard with fidelity, to keep secret, to be kept close, be blockaded." This is also the type of watchman who calls the church to worship the Lord in unity. Jeremiah 31:6 reads, "The day will come when watchmen will shout from the hill country of Ephraim, 'Come, let us go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord our God'" (NLT).

Shamar has become a popular expression of the watchman with some modern-day teachers, even though this was not the word used to describe Ezekiel's function. The Hebrew word shamar speaks of a watchman who is "to keep, guard, observe, give heed, have charge of, save life, wait for, retain, treasure up (in memory), to keep (within bounds), restrain, celebrate, keep (sabbath or covenant), to be on one's guard, take heed, take care, beware, abstain." The shamar watchman is one who watches daily at God's gates (see Prov. 8:34). According to The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia:

The distinction in meaning between the various words is clear, tsopheh having the idea of "outlooker" and notser that of "careful watcher" (being applied even to besiegers from outside: Jeremiah 4:16, "watchers"), while shomer also embraces the idea of "defending" or "guarding." In Isaiah 21:6 metsappeh [tsaphah] is to be taken generally in the sense of "watch."

The watchman's role, in a nutshell, is to keep watch, spy out the enemy's plans, look for the coming of the Lord, discern the work of angels, and generally be on guard. The watchman gives warning, blows trumpets, sounds the alarm, stands in the gap, and makes up the hedge. The watchman's role is one of the heaviest responsibilities in the Bible and the only time the Lord tells us the blood will be on our hands if we fail to obey the call to warn.

Now, lest the enemy bring you into condemnation—there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1)—I understand and there have been times when I didn't have a way to warn anyone. If that happens, you sound the alarm in intercession. Cry out to the Lord in prayer to push back the darkness or to intercede for the people group He's

highlighting. The idea is just to take action on what God shows you. Let's break this down further:

WATCHING FOR MOVEMENT IN THE SPIRIT

The watchman is charged with being spiritually aware, watching, and listening for any signs of movement in the spirit. Many times, it's enemy operations for which we're looking. First Peter 5:8 says, "Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour" (AMPC).

We absolutely must be on the lookout for devils on the loose. But as watchmen, we have to be careful not to get hyper-focused on the enemy. We also have to look and listen for the Lord. God told Ezekiel, "Give them warning from Me." That means at times we're watching for the Lord warning us not of demon powers, but of the sin that allows demon powers to enter—the sin that eats away at our hedge of protection.

At other times, we're watching for angels or the King of Glory Himself approaching so we don't miss the day of our visitation. Unbalanced watchmen can trip over their own discernment. Remember, if you're seeing demonic activity in the spirit, the Lord is in there somewhere because God is everywhere.

Remember Amos 3:7: "Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets." Not all watchmen are prophets, but watchmen are standing in a prophetic function to see and hear in the spirit realm. God might not show you everything, but He will show you what you need to see to serve His Kingdom in your realm of authority. We shouldn't be blindsided by terror attacks in our

city, for example. As watchmen, we should see the danger in the spirit and take action.

GUARD YOUR SPHERE OF INFLUENCE

Watchmen tend to be assigned to specific people groups, whether it's the church or to a specific nation, such as Israel. Likely, you aren't called to warn everybody, but the watchman is called to warn somebody. Your assignment may be to your family, your local church, the Body of Christ, a denomination, etc. You can discern your calling by locating your passion and taking note to whom your warnings are directed.

The prophet said, "I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected" (Hab. 2:1). Watchmen have a watch. They have a territory or spheres of influence for which they are responsible. Some watchmen are primarily called to watch in the government; others are called to the church or the entertainment industry.

Watchmen will have a grace for the place they are called to watch. But the modern watchman must also press in to be versatile or ambidextrous in the spirit. If you primarily hear, you need to press in to see. If you primarily see, you need to stretch yourself to hear in greater detail the strategy the Lord wants to share. Proverbs 20:12 says, "The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both." I believe God wants to cause eyes to hear and ears to see in this season, prophetically speaking.

Scripture reveals three types of prophetic sentinels whose mission is to stand guard, keep watch, and report what they see. We find Old Testament prophets on the walls, walking in the streets of the city, and in the countryside.

"I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make

mention of the Lord, do not keep not silent" (Isa. 62:6). Watchmen on the walls are positioned to see far distances in the spirit and discern whether friend or foe is approaching. The watchman gives word to those in authority so they can decide whether to sound an alarm of welcome or an alarm of war. In today's local church, these watchmen help protect against enemy attacks. Every prophet is called to this post.

"'They surround Jerusalem like watchmen around a field, for my people have rebelled against me,' says the Lord" (Jer. 4:17 NLT). This relates to the watchmen in the harvest fields. Watchmen have a clear role in evangelism as watchmen who protect gospel-preaching efforts against the destructive work of principalities and powers that keep the lost from hearing the truth. Watchmen should be deployed on local church outreaches and international missions to watch, guard, pull down, and destroy opposition to the Good News. "The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city" (Song of Sol. 3:3; 5:7 NIV). In today's times, this watchman is assigned to stand guard over the Body of Christ to see emerging problems. This is a larger responsibility that carries with it a heavier prayer burden and greater implications for the church at large.

DISCERN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FRIEND AND FOE

The watchman is charged with discerning between friend and foe—or even between demon and demon. If you call it God and it's the enemy, the people will be unprepared for the onslaught. If you call it the enemy and it's God, people may resist the Lord's work. If you call it Jezebel and it's Leviathan, you'll be fighting the wrong enemy. Consider Second Kings 9:17-20:

Now a watchman stood on the tower in Jezreel, and he saw the company of Jehu as he came, and said, "I see a company of men." And Joram said, "Get a horseman and send him to meet them, and let him say, 'Is it peace?'" So the 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 around and follow me." So the watchman reported, saying, "The messenger went to them, but is not coming back." Then he sent out a second horseman who came to them, and said, "Thus says the king: 'Is it peace?'" And Jehu answered, "What have you to do with peace? Turn around and follow me." So the watchman reported, saying, "He went up to them and is not coming back; and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously!"

The watchman was able to distinguish who was riding because he was familiar with the characters. This is why you need to be familiar with the ways of the Lord and the ways of the enemy. The Lord runs differently than the enemy, but the enemy can try to mimic the running of the Lord.

WARN THE CHURCH

I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent (Isaiah 62:6).

Where was Isaiah set? On the walls of Jerusalem. In today's vernacular, that translates to the Body of Christ at large—the church. Remember, God told Ezekiel, "Son of

man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel" (Ezek. 3:17).

Beyond the fact that there is a making process for the watchman, which includes understanding the truths from the Word of God presented in this book, we have to understand the watchman's role is primarily to the church. God called watchmen to warn His people primarily, though Jonah did travel to Nineveh to warn the people of that city of destruction. As a watchman, we have to share God's warning even if we don't like it or we could end up in the belly of a whale—like Jonah.

God told Ezekiel, "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" (Ezek. 3:17). That doesn't leave the watchman any wiggle room. It's not personal preference. The watchman doesn't really have a choice.

Not to release the warning—or making intercession—is sheer disobedience. No true believer wants to be disobedient to God. If you have missed it, ask the Lord's forgiveness and move on. From then on, stay in obedience to pray when God shows you something that you are sure is from God. The Lord never just shows one person when it is an extremely critical situation. However, you need to grow in being a watchman.

And remember, when sharing that message it needs to be clear what part is the Lord speaking and what part is your analysis or opinion or takeaway. The watchman must never present his opinions as the word of the Lord.

What are we warning the church of? Not just demons, but sin and false teachings. Ezekiel primarily warned the church of sin. Sin in the church today looks much different than sin in the church of Ezekiel's day—or at least they are expressed differently or are more widely accepted.

Widespread abortion, homosexuality, obscene wealth while extreme poverty exists, racism, and other isms that exist inside the church grieve the Lord, and few want to address it.

Modern-day watchmen are charged with warning of false teachings, which is not new because Paul the apostle warned of Gnosticism and other errors trying to infiltrate the early church. In his book Spiritual Avalanche, the late Steve Hill warned of seven great lies in the church today. He lists those as 1) an overemphasis on prosperity; 2) exaggerated views of grace; 3) antinomianism, which literally means "against law"; 4) deification of man; 5) challenging the authority of the Word; 6) rejecting hell; and 7) universal reconciliation. This warning was the last major trumpet blow Hill released before he died of cancer in 2014.

REPORT TO THOSE IN AUTHORITY

If you are a watchman in the church, you need to report what you see (at the right time and in the right way) to those in authority so they can decide what to do with the warning. That doesn't prevent you from praying, but you must submit your gift to the authority of your church.

If you are not in a church and receive a serious warning for the Body of Christ that may scare people, you need to submit that to someone of higher rank in the spirit than you

to judge. A watchman under authority is a powerful weapon in the Kingdom of God.

WORK WITH THE GATEKEEPERS

Watchmen and gatekeepers must work hand in hand. A gatekeeper is one who guards the gate or one who controls access. The gatekeeper is an intercessor who makes a wall. Their job is to forbid access to unauthorized persons and demonic intruders. The watchman warns the gatekeeper who is coming, whether friend of foe. The gatekeeper is not stationed in a watchtower to see far distances. The gatekeeper works on the ground.

Second Samuel 18:25-26 explains this dynamic:

Then the watchman cried out and told the king. And the king said, "If he is alone, there is news in his mouth." And he came rapidly and drew near. Then the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, "There is another man, running alone!"

MAKE INTERCESSION

Many feel the watchman's job is over when he sounds the alarm. But the watchman's job is just beginning. It's not difficult to see what the enemy is doing. The harder portion of the job is to stand in the gap and make up the hedge— and gather others to do so in urgency until the enemy is shut out or the opposition to the Lord's entrance is dealt with in the spirit.

Chapter 4

THE WARNING MINISTRY

HEN Charisma magazine asked me to start a column on its Charisma News online property, it didn't take me long to determine a theme: "Watchman on the Wall." During that season, I was heavy into reporting on the culture wars, which is one aspect of the watchman's ministry. Over the years, God stationed me more prophetically to warn about as many spiritual dangers as natural dangers and cultural dangers.

See, a watchman can warn about sin—which is the assignment of a culture-war watchman. Dr. Michael Brown is a modern-day example of the culture-war watchman, dissecting with boldness and grace the issues in a postmodern world that are infiltrating the church. Some watchmen are assigned to the church, to warn of sin and spirits that overtake Christians. Still others warn about natural disasters, plagues, and the end times.

Every watchman has a station, and, of course, there can be crossover assignments—and God can shift you into new roles in new seasons. I've stood as a watchman in many different operations, but my primary function is warning about spirits attacking the church. Regardless of the watchman's expertise or assignment, the common denominators in the watchman's ministry are warning and intercession.

Warn means "to give notice to beforehand especially of danger or evil; to give admonishing advice to: counsel; to call to one's attention: inform," according to MerriamWebster's dictionary. Warning is addressing, alerting, cautioning, notifying, preparing, summoning, urging,

exhorting, reproving, directing, reminding, prompting and advocating.

When God told Ezekiel to give the people a warning for Him in Ezekiel 3:17, the Hebrew word for warning in that verse is zahar. According to The KVJ Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon, it means "to admonish, warn, teach, shine, send out light, be light, be shining."

These references to shining remind me of the ministry of John the Baptist, to whom I have related since I was called into ministry. When Jesus spoke of John, He revealed his role as a watchman prophet whose warnings of the coming Messiah were largely ignored in his day:

Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me (John 5:34-36).

A JOHN THE BAPTIST MANTLE

God called me into prophetic ministry in a church. An apostle prayed over me and prophesied, "I've called you to be a voice of governing authority. I release that voice." I had no idea what that meant. I was a brand-new Christian. I went home and started studying what the Bible said about governing and the voice. I was still largely clueless, but determined. I closed my Bible and asked God what He meant, and was led to open my Bible again.

When I opened the Bible, it landed on Matthew 3:3:

For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.'"

Of course, this Scripture is speaking of John the Baptist. My spirit leaped, though I still did not understand what God was saying. Randomly, I flipped the pages. I landed on Mark 1:3, which essentially said the same thing. Now God had my attention. I flipped the pages again and landed on John 1:23, which repeated the same Scripture.

Even though I was a young Christian, I understood that something about my ministry would be like John the Baptist's. John didn't perform any mighty miracles that we know of. He didn't heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, or cast out demons that we know of. John the Baptist had a warning ministry of which we are all well aware. He was a powerful preacher with a heart-turning ministry like Elijah's. He burned and shone, though few wanted to hear what he had to say.

John's main warning: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (Matt. 3:2). This sounds somewhat like Ezekiel's prophetic warning: "Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin" (Ezek. 18:30). John was faithful to preach day in and day out a message that warned the Messiah was soon to come. In Matthew 3:9-11 we read:

And do not think to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our father." For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto

repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

John's call almost seems evangelistic, like unto a Billy Graham. John was preparing the way for the First Coming of the Messiah. Billy Graham was known to preach fire and brimstone messages—also called "turn or burn" sermons. In fact, in Graham's last book, Where I Am: Heaven, Eternity, and Our Life Beyond, he offers one of his last warnings:

Hell is a place of sorrow and unrest, a place of wailing and a furnace of fire…. And it is where many will spend eternity. If you accept any part of the Bible, you are forced to accept the reality of hell, the place for punishment for those who reject Christ.1

MODERN-DAY JOHN THE BAPTISTS RISING

I believe modern-day John the Baptists are rising as we approach the Second Coming of the Lord. Remember John's calling, which Isaiah—another watchman—prophesied:

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken" (Isaiah 40:3-5).

A John the Baptist watchman isn't always evangelistic, but is a person of self-denial. He took a Nazirite vow and lived in the wilderness most of his life and ate no delicacies. In fact, his food was locusts and wild honey (see Matt. 3:4). You might say John lived a fasted lifestyle. He was truly in the world but not of the world (see John 17:16). John possessed courage to speak hard words. He confronted both political and religious leaders in his day, warning them of the consequences of their sin—and ultimately lost his head because of it.

A John the Baptist watchman is obedient to share warnings that may bring persecution and walks in humility. He wants to draw people to Christ rather than himself. In fact, when John's disciples started following Jesus he did not take exception to the hit on his ministry. Instead, he explained, "He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all" (John 3:30-31).

John the Baptist was zealous to warn, burning and shining for the Lord. Those were Jesus' words in John 5:35: "He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light." The Greek word for burn in that verse is kaio, which means "to set on fire." John the Baptist is a prime example of what it means to be on fire for God. He was faithful to complete his mission to warn.

POPULAR WITH MAN OR GOD?

I've taken on a John the Baptist-like mantle. It hasn't made me popular with man, but I know it has been pleasing to heaven. Watchmen must take a Galatians 1:10 attitude: "For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ."

A watchman is a bondservant of Christ in the same way an apostle or prophet is. In reality, all Christians are servants to do Christ's bidding. The watchman, though, will have blood on his hands if he doesn't complete the mission. We must seek to please God, who examines our hearts (see 1 Thess. 2:4). I have over the years issued hard-hitting warnings on many fronts, but much of it is released to the church itself. In 2016, the Lord showed me clearly a spirit rising that's causing these unreasonable offenses. It was and still is satan's plot to divide believers in an hour of church history when it's more vital than perhaps ever before that we unite on our common beliefs. When I asked the Lord about this, He explained what is going on:

A spirit of offense is rising and running rampant through the church. Those who are easily offended are candidates for the Great Falling Away. Those who cultivate and maintain an unoffendable heart will escape many of the assignments the enemy will launch in the days to come.

For My people must band together in this hour and refuse to allow petty arguments and soulish imaginations separate them. This is the time to press into community and relationship and reject the demonic notions and wisdom the enemy is pouring out.

The love of many is waxing cold. Brother is turning against brother and sister against sister—in My body. You must come to the unity of the faith in order to accomplish what I've called you to do in this hour. The time is upon you. The opportunity is before you. Lay aside the resentment, bitterness, and unforgiveness and, as far as it depends upon you, seek peace with all men.

Humble yourselves even among those who you feel are your enemies, and I will work to bring reconciliation that sets the scene for unity from which the anointing flows. You need My anointing to combat the antichrist spirits rising in this hour.

Many of My people are wrestling in their flesh, engaging in works of the flesh, and otherwise letting the flesh lead in battle—and they are battling flesh instead of the spirits influencing the flesh. This is the result of offense. Forgive, let go, embrace your brothers and sisters despite their flaws and sins. I have.

I warned the body and, of course, some were offended. I've learned one of the quickest ways to offend a Christian is to suggest they are offended. But this is a sign of the times. Like John the Baptist warned of the greatest sign of his times—the sign of the first coming of the Messiah—God has me warning about end-times signs. Jesus said plainly that in the end times, "And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many" (Matt. 24:10-11).

That brings me to the primary thrust of my warning ministry. It seems the common denominator or running theme in my ministry is warning of false spirits, particularly false prophets and teachers. My book Discerning Prophetic Witchcraft is the culmination of over twenty years of steady warnings about false spirits and false prophets. I've consistently and loudly warned the Body of Christ and taught them how to discern spirits, judge prophecy, and otherwise study to show themselves approved.

I've warned about the witch movement appearing with Christian witches rising in the name of Jesus. I've warned about secular humanist agendas, atheistic agendas, religious agendas, and many other agendas through the years. Of course, that's not the extent of my warning

ministry. God has diversified me over the years—and He will likely diversify your warning ministry as well.

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE TO WARN

The warning ministry is not relegated to prophets and watchmen only. Every believer has the ability to stand, watch, warn, and pray. When I was young in the Lord, I was troubled because I had so many warnings and I couldn't see how that fit into the gift of prophecy. We were taught that prophecy should edify, comfort, and exhort, according to First Corinthians 14:3. I asked an elder prophet about this and he helped me understand that the warning aspect is included in exhortation.

While the dictionary definition of exhortation is "language intended to incite or encourage," the Bible definition gives more clarity. The Greek word for exhortation in First Corinthians 14:3 is paraklesis. According to The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon, in the context of the watchman it means a calling near, summons, admonition, persuasive discourse, stirring address, instructive, and admonitory. That sounds like a warning to me.

As a watchman, it's not enough to see what's coming down the pike. If you don't warn the people, God says the blood will be on your hands. What does that mean, really? The New Living Translation puts it this way, "I will hold you responsible for their deaths" (Ezek. 3:18). The Message says, "I'll hold you responsible." Pulpit Commentary writes:

But the unfaithful watchman has his responsibility. It is as though the blood of the sinner had been shed. His guilt may be described in the same words as that of Cain (Gen. 9:5). Compare St. Paul's words in Acts 18:6 and Acts 20:26 as echoes of Ezekiel's thought.

Let's take Pulpit Commentary's suggestion and look at these Scriptures. Genesis 9:5 reads, "Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man's brother I will require the life of man." And Paul said in Acts 20:25-26, "And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men."

Now you can see why the spirit of the fear of the Lord came upon me in the middle of the night while lying on that bunk bed in Nicaragua. This is not a game or a joke. This is a serious responsibility. In this sense, we are our brother's keeper. Although people are not completely exempt from the consequences of danger or sin because the watchman failed to warn, the watchman is held responsible.

GIVE THEM WARNING FOR ME

Watching is an aspect of the Lord's character—and so is warning. The Lord sees everything and He has given us His word to warn us of the consequences of sin. The Holy Spirit is the informant behind the watchman's ministry. The Holy Spirit, in other words, is the one who gives prophetic intelligence to the watchman so the watchman can, in turn, warn the people. Remember, God told Ezekiel in Ezekiel 3:17-19:

same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 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.

Notice the words "give them warning from Me." The watchman is only voicing the warning. The warning comes from the Lord. God has set up watchmen to warn since the days of Exodus. The Lord told Moses to warn the Israelites: "Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish. Also let the priests who come near the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them" (Exod. 19:21-22). The Lord is always faithful to warn His people. The question is whether the watchman is awake and paying attention and willing to release the warning despite potential persecution.

When Jesus walked the earth, fully God and fully man, He offered many warnings. Jesus warned us about sin, hypocritical religious leaders, false prophets, false christs, the devil, hell, being judgmental, and the destruction of Jerusalem. Jesus warned about the great tribulation and to be ready for His Second Coming. Jesus warned about the signs of the times and the end of the age. Matthew 24 is full of warnings from beginning to end. And in Matthew 24:3644, He warns:

But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood

came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

A CRITICAL WARNING TO WATCHMEN

Prophetically speaking, there's never been a more critical time for the watchman to take the warning aspect of his ministry seriously. It's not enough for you to know a thing. You need to warn about a thing. You have to take the Ezekiel 3 and 33 verses about the blood on your hands seriously, because it is serious. Your warnings—or your intercession in your prayer closet—could help avert disaster, cause a person to be protected from an attack of Satan, or even help stop a terrorist attack! Many are falling away or passing away because the watchmen are jostling for first place in a social media popularity contest.

Let the spirit of the fear of the Lord rest upon you. This ministry is not designed for you to gain a large following of believers who sing your praise. Consider the ministry of the watchman in the Bible. He was largely hated, despised, often persecuted. Jeremiah wasn't called the weeping prophet for nothing. He didn't write the Book of Lamentations because he was on a joy ride. While we can have joy and peace standing as a watchman for God's glory,

we must accept that we may be ignored and even hated. Jesus said:

If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, "A servant is not greater than his master." If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also (John 15:18-20).

This is a word to all believers—how much more so of watchmen?

DEVELOP A THICK SKIN

You have to develop thick skin to stand in this office—or even to warn your inner circle of friends and family. I am grateful the Lord prepared me to set my forehead like flint as a journalist. In the media world, I got a lot of rejection letters before I was successful. I received a lot of red ink on my stories from elder editors before I grew into the writer I am now. I got smacked with many nasty comments that used to rattle me before I learned to let it roll off my back.

I am more concerned with what God wants me to say than what other people say about me. Take on this mindset and it will shield you from the impact of the persecution. And remember this charge in Ezekiel 3:17-21:

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: 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. 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.

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. 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.

Forerunner Commentary writes:

Obviously, such a job would bring him into conflict with the people; people do not like to hear such a message. They do not like to hear that things are going down the tubes, and especially that they are personally responsible. But that is basically what the watchman's message is. Nothing changes unless it begins in the individual. The individual must change! He must repent and go God's way. As more individuals do this, society will change. However, Ezekiel has already been told that everything he says will fall on deaf ears, so he must have a forehead of flint, an undaunted, courageous spirit, to keep repeating the message until he dies.

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