I recently had a former Special Forces Sergeant-Major come to our ministry to teach Situational Awareness & Threat Analysis. It was mainly for our leaders and key security people, but many in our church came that were interested in getting this training, which I was really happy about. It is obvious that we are living in increasingly dangerous times, and this kind of training will soon become crucial for all to have. Even more important than being able to discern and deal with threats, the more aware and focused we are in any situation can also enable us to be more useful to minister to people.
There are many Scriptures about the duties of watchmen. It was their job to not only be vigilant against threats but to also keep the time, which they would call out each hour. The tribe of Issachar was devoted to this for the whole nation of Israel. Today in America we have the military, and whole agencies like the C.I.A. and F.B.I. devoted to being on watch for the country. We have local police and law enforcement doing this on local levels. Many communities have added Neighborhood Watches that seek to have everyone watching out for everyone else in the community. Some even have their own patrols.
One thing that the body of Christ is called to be is God’s army. Even though the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, there are aspects of the military that the church is called to have. As the ultimate battle between light and darkness unfolds we will see a more military demeanor come upon the body of Christ. This requires everyone to know their place and their function and doing it in harmony with the rest of the body. We will begin to think more strategically, have clear objectives, and the kind of force cohesion that can achieve them. The times will cause us to move in this direction soon and decisively.
If this causes us alarm that is a good thing. We need an alarm to wake us up. We are entering the last battle, and we are here to be a part of it. To the prophets of old who foresaw this time, to actually be here to be a part of it is one of the greatest privileges and honors we could have. We must be awake, and we must be prepared for our part in it. One of the most basic ways we can do this is to be the watchmen we are called to be.
In the military everyone is trained to be a watchman, and everyone stands watch at times. There were different positions and ways that you stood watch. For some, it might be as Officer of the Day at headquarters, or it could be as a sentry in the field. Some might stand watch at a radar screen, and pilots might stand watch flying patrols, but there were some on duty all of the time to expose any possible threats.
With the exception of a few, being on watch was not your main job, but it was one, and when you were standing watch it was your most important duty. One person not being attentive while on watch could jeopardize everyone else. For this reason, sleeping while on watch was a very serious crime that brought severe punishment.
Not only should we be watchmen for our families, but for the church, our communities, and some are called as watchmen on national or international levels. Everyone should be a watchman on some level. With the present breakdown of authority and order in our cities, along with the disarming and dismantling of police forces, and the failure to defend our borders, to be trained in situational awareness and threat analysis is becoming crucial for all.
Prophets in Scripture were called watchmen because that was a good description of what they did. Being a watchman is basic to prophetic ministry then and now. In Ezekiel Chapters Three and Thirty-three, we see how serious this aspect of the prophetic calling is.
In Ephesians Four, we have the prophets listed as one of the five primary ministries given for the equipping of the saints, which means they were to equip all of the people to do what they did. Therefore, a primary ministry of New Testament prophetic ministry is to train people to be watchmen.
For the next few weeks, we will examine the basics of being a watchman in these modern times. We do not do this in fear of the things that are unfolding today, but the more we are prepared the more confidence we will have, and the more proactive we will be engaging in the crucial issues of our time. Being aware, engaged, and proactive is essential for victory in any conflict, and we are in a time of conflict. To be unaware and passive will make us the most vulnerable.
