WATCHMAN REPORT

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WHEN GOD APPOINTS LEADERS: A PRESIDENTS’ DAY CALL TO PRAYER

Presidents’ Day invites us to pause and remember a truth older than our Republic and deeper than our politics: leadership is ultimately determined by the sovereignty of God. Elections matter, civic duty matters, but Scripture makes it unmistakably clear that behind every rise and every fall stands the hand of the Lord.

“He removes kings and sets up kings.” (Daniel 2:21)
“The Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will.” (Daniel 4:17)
“There is no authority except from God.” (Romans 13:1)

These are not poetic sentiments. They are declarations of divine governance. Presidents rise and presidents fall, but none do so apart from the will and wisdom of the One who governs nations for His purposes.

THE POSTURE OF GOD’S PEOPLE UNDER ANY LEADER

Because God appoints leaders, our response is never rebellion against His choices. Our response is intercession.

Paul urged believers to pray “for kings and all who are in high positions” (1 Timothy 2:1–2).
Peter instructed the church to “honor the emperor” (1 Peter 2:17).
Jeremiah told exiles to “seek the welfare of the city… and pray to the Lord on its behalf” (Jeremiah 29:7).

These commands were given under rulers far more corrupt than any modern president. Yet the posture remained the same: humility, prayer, and obedience to God above all.

Prayer is not passive. Prayer is participation in God’s governance. Prayer is how the church influences the nation without violence, rebellion, or despair.

THE LEADERS WE RECEIVE REFLECT THE PEOPLE WE HAVE BECOME

This is the sobering truth at the heart of biblical history.

God told Israel:
“I gave you a king in My anger, and I took him away in My wrath.” (Hosea 13:11)

Leadership is often a mirror. When a nation’s heart grows cold, God allows leaders who reflect that coldness. When a nation repents, God raises up leaders who guide with righteousness.

A nation’s success or failure is not solely the fault of its leaders. It is the fruit of its collective heart.

THE WATCHMAN’S WARNING

A watchman does not predict outcomes. A watchman reads patterns. And Scripture gives us a pattern that cannot be ignored:

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” (Psalm 127:1)

No president can secure a nation God is tearing down.
No administration can destroy a nation God is upholding.
No policy can outmaneuver the purposes of the Almighty.

If the Lord is not building, we are wasting our strength.
If the Lord is not guarding, we are wasting our vigilance.

This is why the true crisis of our nation is not political. It is spiritual.

THE PATHWAY TO NATIONAL HEALING

God has already given the remedy:

“If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Notice the order:
Not if the president…
Not if the government…
Not if the culture…

If My people.

Revival begins in the pews, not the polls.
Healing begins in the church, not the Capitol.
Transformation begins with repentance, not legislation.

A PRESIDENTS’ DAY PRAYER

Lord God Almighty,
You rule over nations and over those who lead them. You raise up presidents and You remove them. You appoint authority for Your purposes, and none can resist Your will.

We pray today for the President of the United States, for Congress, for governors, and for all who bear the weight of leadership. Grant them wisdom from above—pure, peaceable, humble, and just. Restrain evil. Exalt righteousness. Guide their decisions for the good of the people and the glory of Your name.

And Lord, begin with us. Cleanse our hearts. Correct our pride. Restore our reverence. Teach us to pray with the urgency of watchmen who see the dawn approaching.

Unless You build this nation, we labor in vain.
Unless You guard this land, we watch in vain.
So build, Lord. Guard, Lord. Heal, Lord.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Epistle to the Churches of This Age

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To the assemblies scattered across cities and suburbs, grace to you. This extends across denominations and traditions. It reaches across sanctuaries filled with worshipers who bear the name of Christ yet often lack His life. Peace comes from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

A Call to Awakening

I write not to condemn you, but to awaken you. For many among you have received a form of godliness yet deny the power thereof. You have inherited the customs of your fathers. You have learned the doctrines of your teachers. You have followed the rhythms of your denominations. However, you have not discerned the one thing that marks the children of God: the indwelling Spirit.

For it is written, “Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” (Romans 8:14) And again, “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” (Romans 8:9) These words stand as a witness. They oppose every tradition that substitutes ritual for regeneration. Ceremony is not a replacement for union with Christ.

The Cross: The Place of Death, Not the Source of Life

You have been taught to look to the cross as the place of power. However, the cross is the place of death. It is holy, yes, for there the Lamb of God bore the sin of the world. But the cross does not indwell you. The cross does not breathe life into you. The cross does not lead you. The cross does not seal you. The cross is the altar where the old life ends, not the wellspring from which the new life flows.

The Water: A Symbol, Not the Substance

You have been taught to look to the water as the moment of new birth. Yet the water is but a sign. It testifies to burial and resurrection, but it does not impart the life it symbolizes. For the Lord Himself declared, “It is the Spirit who gives life.” (John 6:63) And again, “Unless one is born of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5) The water may wash the body, but only the Spirit washes the heart.

The Misplaced Celebrations of the Church

You have been taught to celebrate the seasons of Christ’s earthly life. His birth is celebrated with pageantry. His death is honored with solemnity. His resurrection is marked with lilies and trumpets. Yet you have neglected the day on which His life entered you. You have adorned your sanctuaries for Christmas but scarcely lifted your eyes for Pentecost. You have honored the manger where He lay. However, you have not honored the upper room where He came to dwell within His people.

Christ’s birth brought no forgiveness. His birth brought no indwelling. His birth brought no power. The incarnation is the miracle of God with us, but Pentecost is the miracle of God in us. And without the Spirit, you remain forgiven yet powerless, cleansed yet empty, religious yet unchanged.

The Spirit: The True Mark of Belonging

Do you not know that the Spirit is the seal of your salvation? It is the witness of your adoption. It is the life of Christ within you. Do you not know that apart from the Spirit, no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except as empty words? Do you not know that the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God?

Why then do so many of you live as though the Christian life is a matter of doctrine alone? Or is it merely morality? Or solely tradition? Why do you cling to the cross yet resist the Spirit? Why do you honor the water yet ignore the fire? Why do you celebrate the birth of Christ yet neglect the birth of the Church?

I fear for you, beloved, that you have embraced a Christianity defined by your denomination rather than by the Scriptures. Many say, “We are Baptist.” Others declare, “We are Methodist,” or “We are Reformed.” Some claim, “We are Catholic,” or “We are non‑denominational.” Yet few say, “We are led by the Spirit of God.”

And yet this alone is the mark of the children of God.

Not your creed, tradition, baptism, church membership, your moral conduct, nor your theological precision.

The Question That Will Be Asked on That Day

For on that Day, when many will say, “Lord, Lord,” He will not ask for your denominational statement. He will not inquire about your church attendance. He will not review your religious résumé. He will ask one question alone: Did My Spirit dwell in you?

For those who are led by the Spirit of God—these, and only these, are the children of God.

The Final Exhortation

Therefore, I write to you with urgency: return to the foundation laid by Christ and His apostles. Do not stop at the cross, for the cross is the place of death. Do not stop at the water, for the water is the place of symbol. Press on to Pentecost, where the life of God enters the soul of man.

Let every church, therefore, examine itself. Let every pastor search his own heart. Let every believer ask, not “Do I know Christ?” but “Does Christ know me?” For He knows His own by the Spirit, He has given them.

And now I say to you plainly. I speak without hesitation or apology:
All churches should be Pentecostal — not by denomination, but by indwelling. They should not be Pentecostal by style, but by Spirit. They should not be characterized by emotionalism, but by the life‑changing dynamism of God Himself dwelling within His people.

Benediction

May the Lord awaken His Church to the fullness of His salvation. May the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwell richly in you all.

Grace be with you in the Spirit

of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Wednesday Worship: Jesus Paid It All

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Opening Reflection

Hebrews 10 invites us to stand before the cross with clear eyes and a quieted heart. It reminds us that the law was never the destination. It was only the shadow of a greater reality yet to be revealed. The sacrifices of the Old Testament expose sin, but they never erase it. They bring people near, but they can not make them clean.

Christ, nevertheless, offered one sacrifice for sins for all time—and then He sat down. His work was finished. His offering was done. His blood accomplished what the law never could. It cleansed the conscience. It perfected those who draw near.

This is the truth that the beloved hymn Jesus Paid It All proclaims with such simplicity and power. Every believer confesses this. They have discovered that their hope does not rest in their own efforts. Instead, it rests in the finished work of Christ.

Scripture Anchor: Hebrews 10:12–14 (ESV)

“But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God… For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”

Devotional

Hebrews 10 opens with a sobering reminder: the law was never meant to be the final answer. It was a shadow—a silhouette cast by something greater that had not yet appeared. The sacrifices of the Old Testament exposed sin, but they never erased it. They brought people near, but did not make them clean.

If the blood of bulls and goats had truly cleansed the conscience, the offerings would have stopped. But they didn’t. Year after year, the priests stood—always standing, always sacrificing—because the work was never finished. The very repetition of the sacrifices was proof of their insufficiency.

Hebrews 10:12 interrupts with the gospel in a single sentence. Christ offered one sacrifice for sins for all time. Then He sat down. The priests stood because their work was never done. Christ sat down because His work was finished.

This is the heart of the chapter: we do nothing because Jesus has done everything.

His sacrifice is not one more offering in a long line of attempts. It is the final offering. It is the perfect offering. It is the once-for-all offering. It actually cleanses the conscience and perfects those who draw near. The blood of Christ does what the law could never do—it makes us clean, whole, forgiven, and welcomed.

And this is where the hymn Jesus Paid It All becomes more than a song. It becomes a confession of faith that rises straight out of Hebrews 10. The hymn writer understood what the writer of Hebrews proclaimed. Our efforts and our striving cannot make us presentable before God. Our spiritual disciplines and attempts to “be better” are insufficient. None of these can make us presentable before God. They are good, but they are not atoning. They are helpful, but they are not saving.

We do not approach God because we have prayed enough. We do not approach God because we have behaved well enough. We do not approach God because we have avoided sin long enough. We approach God because Jesus paid it all.

And that changes everything.

Have you ever hesitated to come to God because you felt unworthy? Have you ever tried to “clean yourself up” before praying again? Have you ever believed the lie that you need a streak of good days before God will welcome you?

Hebrews 10 dismantles that lie. The hymn reinforces it. The cross settles it.

Your confidence before God is not rooted in your performance—it is rooted in Christ’s finished work. His sacrifice is not fragile. His blood is not temporary. His cleansing is not conditional. You are invited to draw near, not because you are worthy, but because He is.

So take a moment and ask yourself: Where am I still trying to offer God my own sacrifices?

  • My discipline
  • My consistency
  • My ministry
  • My moral effort
  • My attempts to “make up” for my failures

All of these things matter—but none of them save.

You are a son. You are a daughter. Not by your offerings, but by His.

And that is why generations have sung, and will continue to sing, that simple, liberating truth: Jesus paid it all. Not some. Not most. Not the part you can’t fix. All.

Hymn: Jesus Paid It All

Words: Elvina M. Hall (1865)
Music: John T. Grape (1868)

Verse 1
I hear the Savior say,
Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.

Refrain
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Verse 2
Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.

Refrain
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Verse 3
For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

Refrain
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Verse 4
And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
My lips shall still repeat.

Refrain
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Jesus Paid It All: take time to meditate upon this great hymn as you are reminded as to how great a love the Lord has bestowed upon us, sinners as we are.

About the Hymnwriter

Elvina M. Hall wrote the words to Jesus Paid It All. She was sitting in the choir loft of Monument Street Methodist Church in Baltimore. As she listened to the sermon, the lines began forming in her heart—a simple, profound declaration of Christ’s sufficiency. John T. Grape, the church organist, later composed the tune that carried her words into the worship of generations.

The hymn endures because its message is timeless: Christ has done what we could never do. His sacrifice is enough.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your once-for-all sacrifice. Thank You that You have done what the law could never do. Thank You that we can draw near with confidence, not because of our worthiness, but because of Your finished work. Teach us to rest in the truth that You paid it all. Amen.

Benediction

May the God who perfected you through the sacrifice of His Son fill you with confidence. May He also fill you with peace and joy as you draw near to Him. Walk in the freedom of the cross. Know that Jesus paid it all. Nothing can be added to His finished work.

In One Ear and Out the Other: When the Word Never Reaches the Heart

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A Funny Story With a Not‑So‑Funny Truth

Three men went deer hunting, and as they crossed a field on their way to the woods, a massive buck jumped up right in front of them. All three fired at the same moment. The buck dropped instantly, and the men hurried over—only to realize they had a problem. Who actually shot the deer?

As they stood there debating, a game warden approached to check licenses. Hearing the dilemma, he knelt down, examined the buck, and said, “One of you is a preacher, right?” Sure enough, one of them was. The warden nodded and said, “Well, the preacher’s the one who got him.” The men stared at him in disbelief. “How can you know that?” The warden shrugged. “Simple. The bullet went in one ear and out the other.”

It’s a humorous story, but beneath the laughter lies a sobering truth—one James warned the church about with prophetic clarity when he wrote, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22).

When Hearing Becomes Self‑Deception

Hearing is not the problem. Hearing without obeying is. A message that goes in one ear and out the other never reaches the heart, and the heart is the only place where real transformation takes place. Jesus Himself said the greatest commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). The mind matters. The mind is essential. But the mind is not the destination. It is the doorway. The heart is the target.

The preacher in the story fired a shot that passed through the deer’s head but never touched the heart. It produced death, not life. It left a carcass, not a conversion. And that is exactly what happens when the Word of God is received only at the level of intellect. It may pass through the mind, but if it never penetrates the heart, it cannot produce obedience, repentance, or new life. It becomes information without transformation.

A Wound That Never Heals Becomes Fatal

Here is the deeper truth: a bullet that never reaches the heart can still kill you. It can wound you. It can tear flesh, rupture arteries, and leave you bleeding out. A wound is not harmless simply because it missed the center.

And the same is true of the Word when it is only received intellectually. A sermon aimed at the mind alone may not transform you, but it can still wound you. It can leave you convicted but unchanged, aware of truth but still resisting it. You can feel the sting of conviction without ever surrendering to it. And that kind of wound, left unattended, becomes spiritually fatal.

The writer of Hebrews says, “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two‑edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). The Word is designed to pierce. It is meant to cut deep enough to expose motives, confront sin, and bring healing through repentance. But when the Word is only admired, analyzed, or agreed with—when it is heard but not obeyed—it becomes a cut that never closes. Over time, the soul begins to hemorrhage. Not because the Word failed, but because the heart never yielded.

When the Lips Say “Amen” but the Heart Stays Distant

Jesus described this condition when He said, “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (Matthew 15:8). The mind can say “Amen” while the heart remains untouched. The intellect can applaud truth while the will refuses to bow to it.

James continues this warning by saying, “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror… and goes away and at once forgets what he was like” (James 1:23–24). The problem is not the hearing. The problem is the forgetting. The problem is the lack of response. The problem is the absence of obedience.

Truth that only grazes the mind can still leave a person spiritually dying. Truth that never reaches the heart cannot save. Truth that never produces obedience becomes a slow bleed. Eternal death does not always come from outright rebellion. Sometimes it comes from a lifetime of sermons that never penetrated deeper than the intellect.

The Word Must Be Received With Surrender, Not Just Agreement

This is why preaching must aim for the heart. This is why hearing must lead to doing. This is why the Word must be received with surrender, not merely agreement. Jesus said, “Everyone then who hears these words of Mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24). Hearing is the beginning. Doing is the evidence. Obedience is the fruit. Transformation is the result.

Do not let God’s Word pass through you without penetrating you. Do not let it skim the surface of your mind without sinking into the soil of your heart. Do not let it go in one ear and out the other. Slow down. Meditate. Respond. Obey. Let the Word reach the place where life is changed. Let it pierce, not to destroy, but to heal. Let it cut, not to wound, but to free. Let it strike the heart, for only there does the Word bring life. It isn’t about how much Bible you know or can quote but how much you actually put into practice.

Don’t let His Word go in one ear

and right out the other!

The Indwelling Christ: A Test of True Faith

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A Call to Honest Examination

Paul’s command in 2 Corinthians 13:5 is not gentle counsel but a summons: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” He does not ask us to recall a moment of sincerity or to lean on a memory of spiritual awakening. He calls us to look honestly at the present reality of our inner life. The question is not whether we once believed, but whether Christ is truly dwelling within us now. Paul presses the point further: “Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” The test is not about religious activity. It is about indwelling. It is about whether the life of Christ is actually present and active within the believer.

Christ Within: The Only True Evidence

Scripture makes this standard unmistakably clear. Paul writes, “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). If Christ is in us, there is hope. If Christ is not in us, there is no glory at all. John echoes this reality when he says, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12). Life is not found in religious familiarity but in union with Christ Himself. Paul goes even further in Romans 8:9: “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” The dividing line is not church attendance, doctrinal agreement, or moral behavior. The dividing line is the presence or absence of Christ within.

The Danger of Overestimating Ourselves

This is why Paul warns us not to overestimate our spiritual condition. “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought” (Romans 12:3). We are prone to assume devotion because we participate in religious environments. We sit in church, we sing the songs, we nod at the sermons, and we assume these things testify on our behalf. Yet Jesus confronted the most religious people of His day with devastating clarity: “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (Matthew 15:8). External proximity is not internal reality. The Pharisees prayed, fasted, tithed, taught Scripture, and yet Jesus said, “You are like whitewashed tombs… outwardly you appear righteous to men, but within you are full of dead men’s bones” (Matthew 23:27). They failed the test not because they lacked religious activity, but because they lacked the indwelling Christ.

The Voice That Reveals Our Allegiance

Jesus Himself defined the test of true discipleship with piercing simplicity: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). The evidence of belonging to Christ is not merely hearing Christian voices but hearing His. It is not following Christian culture but following Him. The modern church has trained many believers to outsource their spiritual discernment to pastors, authors, influencers, and institutions. Yet Jesus did not say, “My sheep hear their pastor’s voice.” He said they hear His. And He warned that many who assume they belong to Him will discover otherwise: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father” (Matthew 7:21). Words are not proof. Obedience is.

The First Commandment as the True Measure

This is why the first commandment is the true measure of the heart. Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). That word all dismantles every rival authority. To love God with all your mind means His Word outranks the voices of media, academia, science, politics, and even our own understanding. Proverbs speaks directly to this: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). To love Him with all your heart means no affection competes with His. To love Him with all your strength means obedience is not occasional but the natural outflow of devotion. Jesus tied love and obedience together when He said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Love without obedience is sentiment. Obedience without love is religion. True discipleship holds both.

Adam, Eve, and Abraham: Two Portraits of the Test

Scripture gives us two vivid portraits of this test. Adam and Eve failed it because they trusted another voice above God’s. The serpent questioned God’s character, and they embraced the lie. The text says, “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food… she took of its fruit and ate” (Genesis 3:6). They trusted their eyes over God’s Word. They leaned on their own understanding instead of His command. Their failure was not about fruit; it was about allegiance. Abraham, by contrast, passed the test because he trusted God’s character even when the command made no sense. When God said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love… and offer him there” (Genesis 22:2), Abraham obeyed. Hebrews explains why: “He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead” (Hebrews 11:19). Abraham trusted God’s voice above his own logic, above his emotions, above the visible circumstances. That is what passing the test looks like.

The Inner Witness of the Spirit

When Paul tells us to examine ourselves, he is calling us into that same clarity. He is asking whether Christ is truly the center of our affections, the anchor of our decisions, the voice that shapes our convictions, and the Lord who governs our steps. John gives us a simple diagnostic: “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments” (1 John 2:3). Not perfectly, but sincerely. Not flawlessly, but faithfully. The presence of Christ produces repentance, humility, endurance, holiness, and a growing love for truth. The absence of Christ produces apathy, compromise, self‑rule, and selective obedience. Paul’s command is not meant to create fear but honesty. It is not meant to condemn but to reveal. And when Christ truly dwells within us, His Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16).

Christ in You: The Only Hope of Glory

For if Christ is in us, His presence will not remain hidden. His life will press outward. His voice will rise above the noise. His truth will confront our excuses. His holiness will shape our conduct. And His glory will begin to take form within us, even in quiet and unseen ways. But if Christ is not in us—if our faith is merely cultural, inherited, intellectual, or performative—then no amount of religious activity can compensate for His absence. Jesus warned of this with sobering clarity: “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Without Him, we may appear spiritual, but we will lack the life that only He can give.

Returning to the Center

This is why Paul’s command matters. It calls us back to the center. It calls us to the first love. It calls us to the first commandment. It calls us to the living Christ who does not merely inspire from a distance but dwells within those who belong to Him. The hope of glory is not found in our performance, our knowledge, our traditions, or our religious habits. The hope of glory is Christ in us. And nothing less will do.