I listened to Conlon’s sermon yesterday and was deeply stirred. Those fires he saw in his dream were incredibly real to me. Oh, how easily the flickering candle flame can get out of control, and soon the whole house burns down. The chastisement: “Why didn’t you do something sooner!” is still ringing my ears. Indeed, we need to learn to quickly recognize the tiny innocuous flames. In fact, we tend to overlook these sins of “our own kind” – and unashamedly permit this lashing out at those sinners “out there” or the hellish imprisonment to works doctrine. Sadly, what has felt righteous for so long escapes the radar of our conscience. And we feel no conviction. It is WE who need revival!

I wish Conlon had used the terms “bitter watchman” instead of “angry watchmen”. Here’s why: In some people’s understanding, anger is not much more than outward expression – ex: loud, shouting, cuss words, scolding, etc. True, anger often accompanies these behaviors, but anger can also hide behind polite words and smiles. It is a hidden ball of fire lurking in the heart. It can be masked by all kinds of behaviors and manifestations – addiction, emotional disorders, self-abuse, religiosity, claim to a special calling, etc etc. The heart is hardened.

Bitterness results when the sun goes down on anger and the anger is not acknowledged. The next day you don’t feel angry any more. It's buried. Since angry expressions are considered a sin in the church ( we don't teach on how to manage anger) it all the more easily gets suppressed - and remains unconfessed.

When people are hurt by the church they need to acknowledge their anger and enter into a time of healing– with the help of the Lord and support of a caring Christian family. They need to learn to forgive those who wounded them, and receive forgiveness from the Lord. This takes time!!

Time and time again I have seen angry, hurt people in the church run away from the source of their wounding, only to turn around and lash back at those with whom they once enjoyed fellowship.

Bitter watchmen, I suspect, are using their “mission” as a launch pad for venting their suppressed rage against past hurts.

The inner fireball of bitterness is constantly searching for fuel to feed its insatiable hunger to consume: revenge. And the most vulnerable victims are those who are yet unhealed, who are already laden with guilt, rejection, and besetting sins, etc - who most need the tender protection and healing environment of God’s people.

I believe that Conlon's message is a word from the Lord for us here on SI. Let’s admit, the majority of us have been wounded by the church. That’s why we are here. We don’t want the sins of the church to continue. But this also is why we are very vulnerable to becoming accomplices for the enemy, and join the ranks of his bitter watchmen.

SI is not likely in danger of slipping into philosophical relativism. However, over time our longing for better behavior in our society and church can subtly degenerate into a pursuit after revival of works fueled by the fire of bitterness.

May God reveal any roots of bitterness and purify our hearts with his blood!

Diane

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Diane

I really feel like this needs to be said, Lord help me.

Not too long ago a wonderful christian man named Ray Comfort started an evangelism ministry called "The Way of The Master". I have been blessed by this ministry as many have. I have always had a heart for evangelism. Ray Comfort has helped many to reach the lost by way of giving the ten commandments, convicting them of thier sin and than preaching the message of salvation.David Wilkerson too has been blessed by his ministry.

The law as the bible says is what brings us conviction because without the law we would not have known sin. I cannot speak for Ray Comfort but I do know he has been turned off by some who let's just say are not very Christ like in thier approach of preaching the law with very little if no grace.

The list of "THINGS" these unsaved or backslidden people have to do just keeps getting longer. There has been alot of vulgarity out of some of these preachers mouths. I don't want to get into too much detail but you can go to youtube anytime and see for yourself.

Im not saying this is what Carter Conlon was speaking of but it is something that needs to be brought to attention. I think of my unsaved loved ones and what would they think if they were to hear this.

--- [color=FF0000]Maybe i didn't here bro. Conlon right but didn't he say in his message that these "angry watchmen" are from the same guys of the now prosperity gospel who'll flip mode and become the purveyors of a new and legalistic "false revival"?[/color] ...

Did i hear it wrong because from what i got he said that apparently "something" would occur that will cause many saints who are caught up in all types of "other gospels" to turn away from them in repentance and toward 'true reveival" but many will be re-duped into a "false revival" of legalism by many of the once "prosperity preachers" ... Whew! ...

[color=FF0000]That's why i asked before, "What will be their motivation since clearly the prosperity guys like money, and money's about to become scarce? [/color]... Could it be that misleading folk is their livelihood and since the prosperity fiasco would be shattered, they'd somehow quickly regroup into "angry watchman" leadership roles just to stay employed? ... i'm sure it could happen, because many people/saints who don't know better can be easily misled of men, but i wonder to God how someone who has been duped once by a proved charlatan, could turn right around and be duped by the same charlatan in another guise - AGAIN? ...

Also someone called this serman a prophetic warning ... In both Bro Wilkerson's and Conlon's cases i don't think they'd agree to this terminology since they are both quick to point out that they're not prophets, perhaps tho it's a word from God in prophesying (as in the gift and not the calling) ... Whatever it is [color=FF0000]i still find the sermon disturbing, irratating, and troubling not that it can't be authentically from God but again because it's just lets me know just how weary i've become of it always seeming satan's having the upper hand and/or always being allowed to throw yet another black-eye ... It makes me cry out, "How long O'Lord before Your Body gets to send the devil into rope-a-dope, before You knock him out? ... It's like it seems we can't get into the ring of the major professional bout, because we can't even seem to get out of training camp[/color] ...

God help me! ... God help us! :-? ---

It is intriguing, even strange, to see how the one preaching repentance in modern settings, preaching out of the purest motives under the covering of the Holy Spirit, is again and again made the perpetrator – the one in need of repentance, the one in need of asking the sinner for forgiveness for daring words touching an already pressured conscience.

Who do we defend? Do we defend the right of our dear Lord and Saviour to bring the end time church back to His order and intentions? Or, do we defend our right to protect what we think is our right to create and moderate statutes for a new kind of Church which focuses on user-friendliness and calls that which is secular to be equal to that which is holy?

None of us have reached the level of “Show me my wretchedness.”
None of us have reached an “I am undone.”
None of us see as the Lord sees.
Far too much of “Spare me, spare this, spare these. . .”
Far too many cry “I have rights, I am able to judge properly- better than both God and men.”

Isaiah 59:4-6
4None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

5They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.

6Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.

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Diane

You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free!

I love the part in the Song of Solomon where He says to look into His eyes and she says I can't I'm not worthy. But we can because He is worthy and He is our righteousness.The way we see ourselves is not the way that He sees us. But how does He see us? That is the question that you have to ask God for yourself.You yourself have look into His eyes.

The reason I believe these watchman are angry is because the gosple they preach is not working for them.

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Ron Bailey

Perhaps the greatest thing any of us can do is to put Christ in front of the hearers. That's it really, He saves people, He convicts people.

Of course this is an offence to US as we want to be the ones who think we have done something. I have found(though I still kick at times) that God hides fruit from us because we would get puffed up, and so that He alone receives the glory. It is similar to what Paul wrote to the Corinthian fellowship, "I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase."

There may be seasons where we are allowed to see fruit, but this is to test our hearts to see who receives the glory.

So now how does one put Christ in front of someone? It all depends, and the Spirit must be our guide.

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patrick heaviside