Tag spiritual awakening

Who’s Guarding the Tomb of Jesus?

Allen Frederick Leave a comment
A Call for the Church to Return to the Living Christ

The Borrowed Tomb and the Fear Surrounding It

“And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, and departed.” Matthew 27:59–60

Jesus was laid in a borrowed tomb cut from stone — a place meant for the dead, not for the Lord of life. Wrapped in linen and sealed behind a stone, He appeared to be at the end of the story, yet fear still lingered around Him. Herod feared His influence, the chief priests feared His promise, and Rome feared His followers. So they posted guards, sealed the tomb, and tried to contain the One who had already said, “I will rise again.”

They feared His body might be stolen and His resurrection proclaimed. They feared a rumor, a movement, a miracle. But no fear, stone, soldier, or seal could hold the risen Lord. Death could not keep Him. The grave could not restrain Him. The tomb could not silence Him. He walked out of the place they tried to secure.

Yet today, the church often attempts what Rome could not do.

We carve out our own “tombs” — leather-bound, gold-leafed, printed, indexed, and wrapped in doctrinal linen — and call them the canon. We treat Scripture not as a witness to the Living Word, but as His container. We wrap Jesus in pages and call it reverence. We seal Him behind interpretations and call it orthodoxy. We post guards named Tradition, Control, Suspicion, and Fear, insisting that God speaks only in the past tense.

Still, the angels’ words continue to answer every attempt to confine the living Christ:
“Why seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen.” Luke 24:5–6

The Danger of a Past-Tense Christ

Jesus warned the Pharisees in words that still speak to every generation:

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” John 5:39–40

They studied the text but missed the Person. They honored the words while ignoring the voice. They revered the scroll but rejected the Savior. The modern church repeats that error whenever it says, “We know God only by what He has said,” as though the risen Christ stopped speaking when the apostles died.

Yet Jesus promised the continuing ministry of the Spirit:

“When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth… He will speak… He will declare to you the things that are to come.” John 16:13

The Spirit has not retired, the Shepherd has not gone silent, and the Head of the Church has not stepped aside.

The living Christ still leads, speaks, knocks, and calls His people into fellowship with Him.

Sewing the Veil Back Together

When Jesus died, the temple veil was torn from top to bottom — not by human effort, but by God Himself.

“And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” Matthew 27:51

The torn veil declared one thing: access. Through Christ alone, the Father opened unrestricted, unmediated, unguarded access to Himself.

But religion often tries to sew the veil back together. The Pharisees did it by laying unbearable burdens on others:

“You travel land and sea to win one convert, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.” Matthew 23:15

They wrapped God in rules, rituals, and requirements; they wrapped people in expectations, traditions, and fear; and they wrapped truth in layers of human authority.

Today, we can wrap Jesus in the burial cloths of catechisms, doctrinal statements, theological systems, Reformation language, dissertations, and denominational fences. We stitch the veil with academic thread and call it faithfulness, placing barriers between God and His people that neither we nor our ancestors could bear.

But the Gospel remains simple:
Jesus died for our sins. Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus alone opens the way into the Holy of Holies.

The way into God’s presence does not rest on catechisms, confessions, doctrinal precision, theological pedigree, denominational loyalty, or intellectual mastery of Scripture.

Jesus Himself is the way, the truth, and the life. John 14:6

Not merely the Bible about Him — but Christ within us.

Christ in Us — Not Christ Confined to the Pages

Paul did not say, “Christ in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John is the hope of glory.”
He said:

“Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27

Reading about Jesus is not the same as walking with Him, studying His life is not the same as hearing His voice, and knowing His teachings is not the same as knowing His presence.

The Gospel was never meant to remain a museum exhibit; it was meant to become a living encounter with the risen Christ.

The Closed Door of the Church

One of Revelation’s most sobering images is not a rebellious world, but a closed church:

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” Revelation 3:20

Jesus is not knocking on the door of unbelievers; He is knocking on the door of believers. He is not outside the world in this image; He is outside the church that has shut Him out. He is not asking for a platform from which to be displayed; He is asking for a table where fellowship can be restored. He is not seeking a pulpit for performance; He is seeking communion with His people. He is not offering a lecture from a distance; He is offering the shared intimacy of a meal.

The risen Christ desires to tabernacle with His people — to dwell, dine, speak, guide, comfort, correct, and commune. Yet He will not force His way past the guards we place at the tomb, shout over our programs, or break through the stone of our fear; instead, He knocks, calls, and waits.

Return to Your First Love

The church at Ephesus had doctrine, discipline, endurance, and order. Still, Jesus said: “Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” Revelation 2:4 Although they possessed many marks of religious faithfulness, they had lost the One who mattered most.

That is the danger of a tomb-guarding church: we can honor the Christ of history while neglecting the Christ who is present, defend the Word of God while resisting the voice of God, and preach the resurrection while living as though He remains sealed behind stone.

But the risen Lord calls us back — not to a memory, doctrine, or system, but to Himself. He calls us to open the door, welcome His presence, hear His voice, dine with Him, and return to our first love.

The Final Call: Stop Guarding the Tomb

The question is no longer, “Who guarded the tomb then?”
The question is, “Who is guarding it now?”

We must ask whether we are the ones keeping Jesus sealed behind tradition, wrapped in doctrinal linen, locked inside the pages, held outside the church door, and prevented from speaking, leading, interrupting, and reigning among us.

And perhaps the deeper question is this: Where did you bury Jesus? Have you buried Jesus beneath your fear, your theology, your suspicion of the Spirit, your comfort with silence, or your preference for control?

The risen Christ will not remain boxed, sealed, scheduled, or scripted; He walks into gatherings rather than graveyards, breathes on disciples rather than doctrines, knocks on doors rather than pulpits, and speaks to hearts, not only through pages.

And He is knocking now. The final word belongs to the risen Christ Himself: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20



This has been “A View From the Nest,” and that is the way I see it! What say you?

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Shaken, Not Forsaken: God’s Warning in a Wobbling World

Allen Frederick Leave a comment
If the Earth Is Shaking, Perhaps God Is Knocking

Reading the Times Without Panic

This is not a call to read every headline as a code to be cracked. It is a call to read the times with spiritual sobriety. Scripture does not invite us into panic, prediction charts, or fear-driven speculation. It invites us into discernment. When the world shakes, the question for the believer is not, “How frightened should I be?” The better question is, “What is God revealing, and how should I live in response?”

Jesus once told His disciples that the world would experience a season He called “the beginning of birth pains.” He was not giving them a newspaper checklist so they could sensationalize every crisis. He was teaching them how to interpret upheaval with sober eyes and steady hearts. There would be wars, rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, and convulsions of every kind. But He also said these things were not the end. They were contractions before arrival, tremors before transition, shaking before revealing.

“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” Matthew 24:7–8 (ESV)

Birth pains are not random. They have rhythm. They increase in intensity. They point to something coming that has not yet fully arrived. That is why Jesus chose the image. Birth pains are not gentle, and they are not quiet, but they are not meaningless. They tell us that history is not spinning loose from God’s hand. It is moving toward His appointed conclusion.

And lately, the world feels like it is groaning.

A headline can inform us, but it cannot disciple us. A storm can interrupt our plans, but it cannot interpret itself. The believer must learn to bring the shaking world back under the steady Word of God. Otherwise, we may either dismiss every warning as coincidence or turn every disturbance into hysteria. Neither is faith. Faith listens, tests, watches, prays, and obeys.

We do not have to search far for reminders. Earthquakes rattle places that once felt settled. Volcanoes sleep for generations and then remind humanity that the ground was never ours to command. Hurricanes redraw familiar coastlines. Tornadoes touch down in places that thought themselves outside the usual path. Heat waves, floods, tsunamis, lightning, hail, and violent storms keep reminding us that creation is not a tame machine. It is a created order under strain, waiting for redemption.

It feels as though creation itself is raising its voice.

Paul said it plainly:

Creation Is Groaning

“For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.” Romans 8:22 (ESV)

Creation groans because something is wrong, and creation shakes because Someone is still speaking. Paul’s language in Romans is not poetic decoration. It is theology. The world is beautiful, but it is also burdened. It bears the marks of sin, decay, frustration, and longing. Every groan becomes a reminder that this present order is not final and that redemption must reach farther than human souls alone. God intends to renew all things.

What the Shaking Reveals

Hebrews gives that groaning another layer of meaning. When God spoke in the past, His voice shook the earth. Now Scripture points to a greater shaking — one that reaches beyond the ground beneath us and exposes what cannot last.

The shaking language in Hebrews reaches back to Mount Sinai, where the people trembled before the voice of God. The point was never that God enjoys frightening people. The point is that His voice exposes what is temporary and establishes what is eternal. When God shakes, He is not being careless with His people. He is separating what can pass away from what must remain.

“Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” Hebrews 12:26 (ESV)

And the writer explains why:

“This phrase ‘yet once more’ indicates the removal of things that can be shaken — in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain.” Hebrews 12:27 (ESV)

In other words, God is not shaking the world to destroy it. He is shaking the world to distinguish it.

He removes the temporary so the eternal can be seen. He exposes the fragile so the faithful can stand. The shaking is not meant to make believers frantic; it is meant to make foundations visible.

The Foundation That Remains

As the storms intensify, as disasters multiply, and as the world trembles under the weight of its own instability, people are discovering that many things they trusted were never as solid as they seemed. Wealth can vanish. Institutions can crumble. Leaders can fall. Nations can shake. Systems can fail. That is not a reason for the believer to gloat over the world’s insecurity. It is a reason to offer a better foundation. The Rock remains, and His name is Christ.

“He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.” Psalm 62:6 (NKJV)

The question beneath the shaking is deeply personal: What are our lives really built on? If our peace depends on stable markets, predictable weather, friendly politics, personal comfort, or the approval of people, then every tremor will feel like the end. But if Christ is our foundation, the shaking can clarify rather than consume us.

Jesus said that when these things begin to happen, we should not panic — we should look up.

“Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:28 (ESV)

The shaking is not abandonment. It is approach. It is not permission to panic. It is an invitation to awaken. God is still near enough to speak, merciful enough to warn, and patient enough to call people home.

The Church’s Witness in an Unstable World

And as the world grows more unstable, the need for something unshakable grows more urgent. People are searching for refuge, for rest, for truth, for hope, for something real — something that does not collapse when the earth groans.

That refuge is Christ.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way.” Psalm 46:1–2 (ESV)

So when the storms rage, when the ground trembles, when the sky darkens, when the news cycle screams, and when the world shakes, perhaps God is knocking. Perhaps He is calling His people to stand firm without becoming hard, to shine brightly without becoming loud, to speak boldly without becoming careless, and to live faithfully without retreating into fear. The church must offer the world more than commentary. It must offer witness.

Because the world does not need another echo of the news cycle. It needs a living witness to the One who does not move.

Those who wait upon the Lord will not be shaken loose from His hand. They will rise. They will run. They will endure. They will soar.

“But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles.” Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)

Along for the journey.

Parchment reading “He who has an ear, let him hear. Revelation 2:7.”

HE WHO HAS AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR

Allen Frederick Leave a comment
Parchment reading “He who has an ear, let him hear. Revelation 2:7.”

Opening Meditation

There has never been a shortage of voices in the world. From the prophets of Baal to the pundits of YouTube, the air has always been thick with people saying, “This is the way, walk in it.” Yet Scripture does not commend the crowd, the trend, or the loudest voice. It does not say, “Blessed are the churches that have ears.” It says, very pointedly and very personally:

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 2:7)

This is not corporate language; it is individual. Singular. Aimed at the one person in the middle of the noise whose heart is still tender enough to hear. Jesus does not assign discernment to the crowd, the denomination, the institution, or the majority. He places it squarely on the individual who is willing to listen.

The Spirit speaks to the churches.
But only the one who has an ear will hear.

The Age of Many Voices

We live in a time when multitudes are not lacking for voices. There are false shepherds, false apostles, false prophets, false experts, and false influencers on every corner, each one claiming some version of “Thus says the Lord,” or “Trust the science,” or “Follow the data,” or “Listen to me.”

Jesus warned that “many false prophets will arise and deceive many.” (Matthew 24:11)
Paul warned that “false apostles, deceitful workers, transform themselves into apostles of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:13)
Jeremiah and Ezekiel warned about prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing.

The common thread is not the absence of voices — it is the absence of discernment.

The danger is not that no one is speaking.
The danger is that almost everyone is speaking, and very few are listening to the right voice.

The Broad Way of the Multitudes

The multitudes have always been drawn to the wrong voices, a reality Jesus highlighted when He said, “Broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many go in that way… but narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:13–14)

The broad way is not simply about obvious sin; rather, it represents the path of least resistance, where people follow unexamined assumptions and conform to the majority without question. It is a path marked by trusting the loudest voices instead of the gentle guidance of the Shepherd. In contrast, the narrow way is seldom crowded or popular, and it certainly does not cater to the trends of social algorithms. This way calls for a deliberate pause—a time to stop, pray, listen intently, and wait patiently until the Spirit grants peace and direction.

A Modern Illustration of the Narrow Way

During the COVID era, without pretending to be physicians or making medical claims, we can still acknowledge the spiritual reality that unfolded.

Multitudes were swept into fear, confusion, and division.
Multitudes obeyed whatever voice was loudest — political, scientific, or religious.
Multitudes trusted human authority without pausing to seek the Lord.

Meanwhile, a much smaller number quietly went to prayer, did not deny sickness or the need for wisdom, but they refused to let fear shepherd their decisions, instead they listened for the whisper instead of the shout.
They sought the Lord for personal guidance and walked according to conscience rather than panic.

That is what it looks like when “few there be that find it” plays out in real time.

The Remnant Has Always Been Small

Throughout the pages of Scripture, we see a consistent pattern: the faithful remnant has always been a small, steadfast group standing firm against the tide of the majority. Noah, for example, was a lone beacon of righteousness in a world overwhelmed by corruption and violence. While the masses ignored God’s warnings, Noah listened and obeyed, building the ark that would preserve life.

Abraham, too, was called to step away from the familiar and trust God’s promise, standing apart from a culture steeped in idolatry. His faith was a quiet but powerful testimony amid prevailing unbelief.

Moses led a relatively small group of Israelites out of Egypt, confronting the might of a great empire while the majority remained in bondage. Similarly, Gideon’s army was reduced to just 300 men, demonstrating that victory comes not from numbers but from God’s power.

The prophet Elijah stood alone against 450 prophets of Baal, boldly calling Israel back to the true God. Daniel and his friends refused to bow to foreign idols, maintaining their faith in a hostile land despite the threat of death.

After Christ’s resurrection, the apostles faced opposition from religious authorities and a skeptical majority, yet they remained unwavering in their mission to proclaim the gospel.

These examples remind us that the remnant is not defined by size but by faithfulness. They listen for the gentle whisper of the Spirit, stand firm in obedience, and remain committed to the truth even when it means standing alone. Their small number only highlights the preciousness of those who truly hear and respond to the Shepherd’s voice.

The Sleepiness of the Modern Church

In many places today, the modern church no longer reflects the intimate and fervent spirit that marked the original one hundred twenty disciples. Instead, it often resembles the crowd that gathered merely for the loaves and fishes—drawn more by spectacle than by a genuine hunger for God. Despite the abundance of noise, activity, programming, music, and content, and the countless sermons, conferences, podcasts, and worship sets, something vital is missing. In too many gatherings, the deep, heartfelt response to God’s presence is rare. There is little weeping between the porch and the altar, little trembling at the power of the Word, and a noticeable absence of holy fear, brokenness, and true repentance. Though the services may be lively and the meetings well-attended, many hearts remain asleep, and the altars stand empty, longing for genuine encounter and transformation.

The Lost Art of Recognizing the Shepherd’s Voice

Many believers do not know the voice of the Good Shepherd.

They know the voice of their denomination, their favorite preacher, their catechism, their social feed, their political tribe, and their preferred influencer.
They can quote their favorite teacher more easily than they can quote Jesus.
They can recognize the tone of their favorite podcast more quickly than the nudge of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said:

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27)
“A stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him.” (John 10:5)

Yet today, many flee from the Shepherd and follow the stranger simply because they have never learned to distinguish His voice from all the others.

The Dividing Line of Revelation

This is why the phrase “He who has an ear, let him hear” is so critical.

It is not poetic nor decorative it is a dividing line.

The Spirit is speaking to the churches.
He is not silent, He has not retired, and He has not ceased leading and guiding His sheep, and the Holy Spirit has not stopped teaching all that Jesus taught.

But He is not shouting over the noise of the multitudes.
He is speaking to those who have ears — the remnant — the ones willing to stop, listen, test the spirits, weigh the voices, and refuse to follow any voice that does not sound like the Shepherd.

The Closing Door and the Call to Listen

The door of the ark remains open, but it will not stay open indefinitely. The valley of decision is filled with countless souls, and ultimately, the Lord alone will determine their fate. Until that time comes, the call continues to echo through the ages:

He who has an ear, let him hear.

This call is not directed to those who possess a platform, a large following, or a microphone. Rather, it is for the one who truly has an ear—the person willing to listen deeply, to accept correction, to be led by the Spirit, and to stand apart from the crowd. It is an invitation to embrace a path that may be different and challenging, but one that leads to life and truth.

A Final Word to the Reader

If you find yourself restless in the noise, uneasy with the multitudes, and drawn to the quiet place where the Shepherd speaks, take that seriously.

That restlessness may be the Spirit tugging at your ear.
That unease may be the warning that the broad way is not for you.
That pull toward the secret place may be the invitation to join the remnant who still hear.

In a world overflowing with voices, the greatest gift you can ask for is not a louder microphone — but a sharper ear.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

WATCHMAN REPORT: It Is Time to Cross Over

Allen Frederick Leave a comment
A Prophetic Call to Stop Wandering and Step Into Promise

There comes a moment in every generation when God stops speaking to the crowd and begins speaking to the remnant. A moment when the cloud no longer circles the same mountain, when the manna no longer satisfies, and when the Lord Himself declares that the season of wandering has reached its appointed end. That moment came for Israel in the days of Joshua and Caleb, and it is coming again for the church in our day.

The tragedy of Israel’s wilderness was not the giants in Canaan, nor the fortified cities, nor the strength of the enemy. The tragedy was that ten voices—just ten—held back an entire nation from entering the promise of God. Scripture records it plainly: “They brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land”** (Numbers 13:32)**. Ten men froze the faith of millions. Ten men turned a nation’s destiny into a forty‑year funeral procession. Ten men became stumbling blocks instead of stepping stones.

And the Spirit of the Lord is asking His people again: “Are you a stepping stone into promise, or a stumbling block that keeps others wandering?”

The Stumbling Block Spirit: When Fear Masquerades as Wisdom

Jesus Himself warned, “Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks… but woe to the one through whom the stumbling block comes”** (Matthew 18:7). Paul echoed it when he wrote, “Resolve not to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother” (Romans 14:13)**. A stumbling block is not always a sin of commission; often it is a sin of hesitation, a sin of fear, a sin of clinging to the familiar when God is calling His people forward.

This is the condition of many churches today. A handful of elders, board members, or long‑standing influencers—good people, sincere people, but fearful people—stand at the riverbank and say, “We see the promise, but we cannot cross. Let us go back to what is comfortable.” They lead congregations to the edge of inheritance only to turn them around again, back toward the wilderness of routine, nostalgia, and spiritual stagnation.

They do not realize that their caution has become rebellion, their tradition has become a chain, and their leadership has become a stumbling block to the very people they claim to shepherd.

The Joshua and Caleb Company: Those Who Carry a Different Spirit

But God always preserves a remnant. Joshua and Caleb stood before the same giants, saw the same land, heard the same reports, and yet declared, “If the Lord delights in us, He will bring us into this land”** (Numbers 14:8)**. Scripture says they had “a different spirit” (Numbers 14:24). They were not reckless; they were faithful. They were not naïve; they were obedient. They were not dreamers; they were believers.

And like Joshua and Caleb, there are men and women today who feel the ache of delay, the frustration of circling, the weight of watching others refuse to move. They are ready to cross. They are ready to inherit. They are ready to obey. But they find themselves surrounded by those who say, “Not here. Not now. Not us.”

This is not because the Joshuas and Calebs are out of order. It is because the wilderness generation is out of alignment.

A Prophetic Warning: Do Not Be the One Who Holds Others Back

The Spirit is speaking with urgency: “Examine yourselves. Are you moving with Me, or resisting Me? Are you a stepping stone into promise, or a stumbling block that keeps others wandering?”

This is not a word of condemnation. It is a word of invitation. A call to self‑examination. A summons to courage. A warning to those who cling to Egypt while singing about Canaan. A reminder that God will not wait forever for a stubborn generation to obey.

Just as in the days of Moses, God is moving the resistant out of the way. Not in anger, but in mercy—so that the next generation can cross.

Some will awaken. Some will resist. Some will wander until the end. But the remnant will cross.

The Watchman’s Cry: It Is Time to Cross Over

This is the hour when the Lord is saying, “You have circled this mountain long enough. Turn northward.” (Deuteronomy 2:3)

The wilderness season is ending. The Jordan is rising. The manna is ceasing. The cloud is shifting. The promise is calling.

And the question that remains is simple:

Will you cross over, or will you cling to the wilderness? Will you be a stepping stone, or a stumbling block? Will you move with God, or resist Him?

The watchman’s trumpet is sounding. The river is before us. The land is ready. The giants are already trembling. And the Lord is saying:

“Be strong and courageous. For you shall cause this people to inherit the land.” (Joshua 1:6)

It is time to cross over. It is time to stop wandering. It is time to step into promise.

Encouragement to the Remnant: God Has Not Forgotten Your Wandering

Before the trumpet sounds and the call to cross over is complete, there must be a word to the remnant — to the few, the faithful, the ones who have carried the ache of Joshua and Caleb in their own bones.

God has not forgotten you.

He has seen every mile you walked behind people who refused to move. He has heard every sigh you breathed while others hardened their hearts. He has watched you eat manna with the multitude even though you once tasted the fruit of the land. He has counted every tear shed over a promise delayed by the stubbornness of others.

Joshua and Caleb did not wander because they lacked faith. They wandered because they were faithful in the midst of those who were not.

And God took note.

When the wilderness generation died off, God did not give Caleb a valley. He did not give him a plain. He did not give him a safe, easy inheritance.

He gave him the high country. The rugged country. The elevated country. The country where the giants lived.

Because the remnant always receives the high road, not the low one.

The high country is symbolic — it is the place of clarity, the place of courage, the place of elevation, the place where the faithful stand above the fear that once surrounded them. It is the inheritance of those who kept their spirit alive while others let theirs die.

And so the Lord says to the remnant in this hour:

“I have seen your wandering. I have seen your faithfulness. I have seen your longing for more. You will not die in the wilderness. Your mountain is waiting.”

Take heart, you who have walked with the wanderers. Your delay has not been denial. Your suffering has not been wasted. Your faith has not been forgotten.

The high country belongs to the faithful. And the faithful will cross over.

WATCHMAN’S REPORT: DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

We plan as though time were ours to command, confidently declaring, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit.” Yet, as James reminds us, we do not know what tomorrow will bring. Our lives are but a mist that appears briefly and then vanishes. Instead of presuming on the future, we should humbly say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:13–15)

This truth calls us to acknowledge that God is sovereign over all time, and our plans must always be submitted to His will. In a world that grips the illusion of control and endless tomorrows, Scripture confronts us with the sobering reality that our days are numbered and the night is nearly over.

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)

The Midnight Hour and the Illusion of Tomorrow

Every night we lie down assuming we will rise again. We set alarms with confidence. We plan tomorrow as if tomorrow is guaranteed. But the Word shatters that illusion with sobering clarity. Paul writes, “Knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.” (Romans 13:11)

The language is urgent. Not casual. Not optional. High time. The moment to wake up is not later. It is now.

Jesus told a parable that feels painfully relevant in this hour. Ten virgins. Ten lamps. Ten people who believed they had more time than they did. All ten slept. But at midnight—the hour no one expected—a cry pierced the darkness: “Behold, the Bridegroom is coming; go out to meet Him!” (Matthew 25:6)

Five were ready. Five were not. And when the door shut, it did not reopen.

There will be no “do over,” no second chances, and no overtime granted—just the sound of a closing door.

Jesus presses the point even further: “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matthew 24:44)

We do not get to choose the hour. We only get to choose whether we are awake when it comes.

And if the midnight cry feels distant, look around—the signs are already shouting.

The Signs of the Times: A World Drifting Toward Midnight

Jesus rebuked His generation for knowing the weather better than the spiritual climate: “You can discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.” (Luke 12:56)

But today the signs are not subtle. They are loud, global, and accelerating.

  • Wars and rumors of wars fill the daily news.
  • Nations align in patterns that echo ancient prophecy.
  • Economies tremble under instability.
  • Violence, corruption, and deception rise like floodwaters.
  • The love of many grows cold.
  • The Church, in many places, sleeps with its lamp half-empty.

Paul’s words ring louder than ever: “The night is far spent, the day is at hand.” (Romans 13:12)
Far spent. Not beginning. Not halfway. Far spent. The Watchman sees a world drifting toward a prophetic midnight while the Church hits the spiritual snooze button.

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come…” (2 Timothy 3:1)

The Trumpet That Will Interrupt Every Tomorrow

Paul describes a moment that will interrupt every plan, every schedule, every assumption of “tomorrow”: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet… the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:52)

There will be no warning siren. No countdown. No five-minute delay. Just a trumpet. A transformation. And a final dividing line between the ready and the unready.

Jesus said it plainly: “At an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man comes.” (Matthew 24:44)

The Watchman hears the faint echo of that trumpet reverberating through the shaking of nations. The world is not winding down randomly—it is moving toward an appointed hour.

The Prophetic Burden of This Moment

This report is not prediction. It is pattern. It is Scripture. It is the convergence of signs Jesus told us to watch for. The Watchman bears the weight of this moment because the world is rearranging itself into prophetic patterns, the Church is distracted by comfort and routine, believers are living as if the midnight cry is centuries away, and a spiritual drowsiness is settling over people who once burned brightly.

The shaking in the nations is not random—it is a divine alarm clock.

The Call to the Remnant: Wake Up and Trim Your Lamp

The midnight cry will not wait for anyone to finish getting ready. Scripture calls us to watchfulness, sobriety, and readiness. Paul writes, “Let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch and be sober.” (1 Thessalonians 5:6)

Jesus warns, “Blessed is that servant whom his master will find watching.” (Luke 12:37)

This is the hour to examine the oil in our lamps, to strengthen what remains, to guard our hearts, to walk in repentance, to cultivate intimacy with Christ, and to resist the spiritual drowsiness of the age. The night is far spent. The day is at hand. And the trumpet is closer than we think.

Benediction: A Call to Stand Awake in the Light

May the Lord awaken every sleeping heart and steady every trembling one. May His light break through the fog of distraction and call us into the clarity of His presence. May He strengthen the weary, revive the watchful, and stir the embers of every lamp that has grown dim. May the God who neither slumbers nor sleeps teach us to walk as children of the day—sober, alert, and anchored in hope. And may His peace guard our hearts as we wait for the appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Closing Prayer

Father, we come before You with humility, acknowledging that our days are in Your hands. Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Awaken us from spiritual sleep and open our eyes to the lateness of the hour. Strengthen us to walk in repentance, purity, and readiness. Fill our lamps with the oil of Your Spirit so that when the midnight cry sounds, we will rise with joy and not with fear. Keep our lamps burning until the trumpet sounds. Keep us watchful, steadfast, and faithful as we seek Your face while it is still called today. In the name of Jesus, our soon-coming King, Amen.