Watchman on the Wall

Examining national ministry of finance comes from your generous donation. I know more about running the horizon having party and you can look at the time of the Wesleys of the wood seals of the Spurgeon's for the William Bobo forces you will see in the central that: all the milligrams of the central: one person who moved in a certain direction because she knew God was moving in the bona fide mass movement follows along.

There was such a man in the midst for hundreds before Christ, he was bearer to the Persian monarch in the palace itself learned that Ravi Zacharias is talking about a man who, according to Ravi's description you exactly what God wanted from him hello and welcome to let my people think shaft them at the time the messages from Ozzie M sound at a late Ravi Zacharias is anti-Christian. He doesn't long and pray for knowledge of exactly what God wants from him all have it really isn't such a mystery. The Bible is full of information about what God asks of his people this week while he's going to shout one of those examples in his message watchmen on his body. Now we are engaged in a huge titanic struggle in our culture and the fact of the matter is, not only are we uncertain about how to hold onto the substance of the message and retain theological integrity but we are even more confused about how to find the means and retain methodological genius. How do we retain the substance of what we believe and find the ways in the means to communicate it at a time when words have been redefined rights have taken on nuances that a generation ago people would never have put into that category is an amazing time in which we live. When we talk so much about human rights and very little about the right to be human because we don't even know shortly what it means to be human and with the plurality of messages that your hearing and one after another voice reminding you and reminding me it's going to take. Ultimately, the power of God and the wisdom of God did turn the tide that is flowing which such might against that which is essentially right not pragmatically redefined to see all questions about evil and all questions against the existence of God make one great assumption that the life has worth. When you raise the problem of evil and say how can God allow all of this to happen.

Your assuming the question that your question is a lovely one because you have essential. How can one arrogate to humanity essential worth time plus mother plus Johnson's been the original close. The only way you can assume human worth is if we are the offspring of the creation of an entity who himself is the ultimate worth I want to read for you to statements tough one is along the 11 is a briefer one and then build into my message or I want to talk about before we put the watchmen on the wall let us build the wall and I'm going to get that part of it in the heart of my message. Here it is in the late 80s we should've been alerted to this when Arthur Schlesinger said this in an interview with the New York Times. The mystic profits of the absolute cannot save us sustained by history and traditions. We must save ourselves at whatever risk of heresy on blasphemy we can find soulless in the memorable representation of the human struggle against the absolute in the findings seen in the greatest of American novels. I refer, of course, to the scene when Huckleberry Finn decides that the plain hand of Providence requires him to tell Mrs. Watson wear a runaway slave.

Jim is to be found how Crites's letter of the trail to Mrs. Watson and feels quote old, washed and clean of sin. For the first time he had ever felt this way in my life and I know it I can pray now he sits down there for a while thinking how good it was all this happen and how near I came to being lost in going to hell and Huck begins to think about Jim and the rush of the Red River and the talking and the singing and the laughing and the friendship that I began to look around that I sees that paper and I took it up and I held it in my hand and I was trembling because it got to decide forever betwixt two things, and I noted I studied it a minute sort of holding my breath and then I says to myself, all right then I'll go to hell and tore it up. Schlesinger adds this note, that if I may say so is what America is all about. He was still brilliant. A man not to have notice the problem in the first place was because of the loss of an absolute taking the text out of context and creating a conflict between absolutes when the problem in the first place has come about because of a violation of absolute. Then he invokes a kind of a relativism which you want never to have invoked their smart in the way they position issues in order to be self referencing in their ultimate decisions. Listen now to the words of Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the West is on the verge of collapse created by its own hands between good and evil, listen to this statement, please between good and evil. There is an irreconcilable contradiction. One cannot build a life, one's national life without regard for this distinction, we the oppressed people of Russia watch with anguish the tragic and feeble month of Europe. We offer you the experience of our own suffering, we would like you to accepted without having to pay the monstrous price of death and slavery that we have paid between good and evil. There is an irreconcilable contradiction. I want to take you through one man's life and point out to you that it is the kind of individual with the kind of vision that he had, that it is going to take to rebuild the city to rebuild the walls of the city as you and I as watchmen and watch women keeping an eye on the city can alert the people to why the wall was built in the first place and what is the reason that we are there in order to protect that which is sacred. GK Chesterton put it rightly when he said anytime you remove any fence always pause long enough to last glide was split down the first place.

These words were written by Richard Ellsworth today in his book filled with the spirit. It would be of no surprise of a study of secret causes were undertaken to find out that in every golden era in human history. It proceeds ultimately from the devotion and righteous passion of one single individual. This does not set aside the sovereignty of God. It simply indicates the instrument through which God uniformly works in many ways. There are really no bona fide mouse movements.

It may look that way. But in the center of the column. There is always at least one person who knows his God and knows that God is going.

It may look like a bona fide mouse movement but at the center of the column. There is one person who knows God and knows when God is going, you can look at the time of the Wesleys of the wood feels of the Spartans of the William Bobo forces and you will see in the center of that column all the milligrams at the central deck: one person who moved in a certain direction because he or she knew where God was moving in the bona fide mouse movement follows along. There was such a man in the mid-400s before Christ, he was bearer to the Persian monarch in the palace itself of the amazing thing to me about Nehemiah is this that even though he was in exile. The team trusted him more than he trusted his own people, because this man was the taster of the food before the king consumed to imagine having that kind of integrity way, even though I have got to you as a captive in my pre-sings contrasting use so much that I believe you're the one with whom I would risk my entire life had to be something about the character of this man where there monarch and you he would never betray the trust that was given to him what a character contribute to Nehemiah. He was a civil engineer and he I said in this great return. They were taken in three waves of captivity. They came back in three returns and you see the monarchs being influenced by him. If you read chapters 1 and two. You'll begin to quickly see the story, may I race through the highlights of this life.

The first thing is this, he felt a pathos for his people. He personally felt a pathos for his people. Ladies and gentlemen, you will never lighten any load until you feel the pressure in your own soul you will never lighten any load until you feel the pressure in your own soul you know my life as an itinerant is so crowded out. Sometimes that I think in the latter years. They do, I'm going to regret that how fast I actually move last week I was in Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia speaking there some meetings day before yesterday at Menlo Park in San Francisco this morning in Orlando speak at a conference in Florida and come here and I say to myself I just lay down for about half an hour. When I came here I said Lord's does not write because I'm not allowed to bask in the blessing that you poor I'm moving so quickly. As of what happened. Lastly, didn't really happen. I am now on to something new. So I did something I just call my wife and rehearsed with her what happened. Just this morning, just so that I could relive it and treasure it. But God is put on my heart the needs of this world, especially to reach the skeptic. I give priority to hostile audiences.

I don't often come to audiences love.

This is wonderful as it is you're too kind and you're too good and my calling is to those who are going to agree with most of what I have to say to them, and yet on that last in column for my colleague was here with me grin will tell you at the invitation to see that why front packed to capacity with men and women and I had the privilege of praying with a woman in her middle years, a refugee from it on of a completely different faith and as the tears ran down her face and she said something happened to me as you were speaking and it dawned on me as my colleague reminded me she didn't even speak English.

I had to have the privilege of praying with her through an interpreter and as I walked away from there. I talk to myself this is where I belong.

I belong in the midst of people who have a completely different worldview to my you know politicians can be limited. Preachers can be limited. We cannot tell the heartbeat and the cry of every person that I remember after great tragedy New York City one night in the 70s if you remember a woman who was destitute. Came home the newborn baby and the dog had eaten up that they be because she had no food and let the baby on the floor, a five-day-old baby and the whole city was stunned into shock.

I remember reading that nothing is only the mid-70s and they were all questioning the politicians I would so much go wrong in an individual life and nobody be aware of it and finally a city councilman spoke up and said you know what you're asking me to do said you know what you're asking of me. He said I don't even have a big heart big enough sometimes to hear the heartbeat and drive even every member of my family, my relatives you're asking me how the heartbeat of a whole city and a bar of this size, you may as well ask me to listen to the sound of every blade of grass growing in the heartbeat of every squirrel.

The noise would be deafening. On the other on the side of silence remains.

Lastly, listen to the sound of every blade of grass growing in the heartbeat of every squirrel. The noise would be deafening.

On the other end of silence, ladies and gentlemen, the world is so large, and the news is so vast and expensive, and at the end of 30 to 40 minutes you pause and say to myself, how can I even absorb all of this.

So the only thing you and I can do is begin each day and end each day. At least the beginning and end if not punctuated with several such visits before God. Kim what is the burden he's laid on your heart. That's what he intends for you and me to carry. We cannot carry everything that we must ask him what it is he wants us to carry and I challenge you with just this one simple moment of thought here.

Can you and I really carry a burden for the world. If we do not carry a burden for the value of every human life, it's essential work, its value UD sacral eyes life and everything like a domino effect becomes decentralized and all of our choices become be synchronized in the process and so the battle of the issue in which we are engaged is a very serious one you'll never lighten any load on can you feel the pressure in your own soul. Secondly, I look at Nehemiah. How did he prioritize his mission to prioritize his mission in prayer prioritize his mission with prayer. 11 times in 13 chapters, he went to his knees and he says so I prayed to the God of heaven, so I prayed to the God of heaven, so I prayed to the God of heaven a few years ago. It is my privilege to be in Albania and the curator of the museum took me into that museum which was now surrounded by guards and it was. I was taken in there for what he says would be the treat of a life time is a long story, and when I got there he asked me to speak to his style of the message I just had the privilege of delivering to the members of Parliament and again had to do it so interpretation is a tough ordeal, but he kept promising. He was going to give me a treat the likes of which I've never had before.

I wondered what charity was dangling in front of me. Then when I sat on full guards walked in with their arms outstretched like this one holding Matthew's gospel another mark another Luke and another John in Goldie being perfectly justified the translation of St. Chrysostom. All four Gospels give me a pair of gloves and attach those pages are thought to myself, my word, 1600 years has gone by this man gave his life pending in Goldie Inc. and the chapter initially open before me is done and then Greek was the story of the woman with the alabaster ointment of the gospel is preached to show this also be told of what this woman has done to me.

The thought that came to my mind was Chrysostom's comment on prayer which I had in my notes.

Ellen back to my hotel room and read it. Here's what he said the potency of prayer had subdued the strength of five. It has bridled the rage of lions. It is hushed and I came to rest.

It is extinguished wars of these the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, expanded the gates of heaven assuaged diseases rebuild frauds, rescued cities from destruction stated the sun and the scores and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt prayer is the most efficient panoply of mind which is never diminished that treasure, which is unexhausted clouds obscured by the storm.

It is the root the fountain and the mother of a thousand blessings is that mere rhetoric in a lighten the load on the feel the pressure in your own soul number two cemented immediately by prayer totally. Not only did he meted by prayer human close. He got proximate to the situation. You and I will never get a burden of how it really is until we get close. If you don't get close you will always be proclaiming from a distance and it is been my privilege over these years to get closer and closer and closer to people whose questions are tough and hard and only when you get close do you answer a question rather than answering merely a question here what I said it's only when you get close that you start answering the question rather than answering a mere question in all of my team of apologists I always say to them. Please remember when you ponder and proximity that you are answering a person and that person probably has the convergence of numerous Kurds and agonies in this pleasures and all of that if you merely answer a question and not answer the question you may have one a momentary battle, but you will lose the war. We must understand we are dealing with people and we must hear how clearly it is that they really need to be understood like a Joseph Damien who bound the wounds of the lepers in Molokai deal. Ultimately he contracted it himself, and what did the people in Molokai ask for all three died they ask for the cutting off of his arm because the Belgian government demanded that his body be sent back. This is would you at least keep his arm out here because this is a hand that touched us and that's what's buried in Molokai you today some of them say it's his hands on them saves the arm, but that's what was severed in order to be put on the ground so he prioritize his mission by prayer, he pondered and proximity of the feeling of pathos for his people, fourthly, that was a process of preparation. He knew what it would take me this kind of need and 1/2 my life I have to spend studying.

Sometimes I wish I didn't have to but is important. You must understand what it is, people are thinking why there thinking that way. I want to say this to very candidly as fellow leaders in ministry.

We are on the verge of losing thousands of our young people to a rabid skepticism. A rabid skepticism because we have sent them into the halls of learning, totally unprepared, totally unprepared. I'm dealing with a young man like that.

Now if you'd call my son was only 80 brilliant guy is one night at 915 two weeks alone on the phone and chatted with them I said let's get moving on this discussion, I said are you living a lifestyle that you really want to live in the Christian faith make you feel uncomfortable because that families know how to entrant this discussion he says no I said tell me the truth.

He said yes I said I have a friend like that into a bizarre lifestyle is become an atheist. I said you realize if you are an atheist is no such thing as a bizarre lifestyle is a Jamaican moral judgment, you dismiss causality you dismiss design and you dismiss a moral argument but you're asking us to defendant a cause for God's creation of this world you're asking us for moral justification of why he is allowed this kind of world you're asking you to get to see the design argument when he already said, morality, causality and design doesn't really work you're asking this very arguments to be used when you dispensed with in an hour had the privilege of praying with that young man is a brilliant young guy running Gemini that is a gentleman, you must get close under in proximity I just say give you two more thoughts you next avoid the promises of pessimism. Don't give up hope.

Please don't give up hope. Lives are changed by the day. Dramatic changes are made.

I got a letter from a man in prison was on life sentence. He wrote to me in 99% of my radio audience writes to me as Robbie Aro BBI he said and by RX and I thought you were Scottish surviving for name you know is that unless I a name on a book and I said is this the same guy.

He said I'm writing to you because I want to beg your forgiveness. He said when I saw your name and I saw your picture and I found out you're from India.

I thought all along. You were Scottish. He said I'm in prison because I killed an Indian man in a convenience store. He said who or what, but the grace of God to send an Indian evangelist over the airways to bring me to Christ is that only God could have done amazing.

You've got stories like that amazing, so avoid the paralysis of pessimism. I was in a country leave unnamed vendors on seniormost communist officials had 3 1/2 hours with may have questions. This person is revered in that country. At the end of it. When we finished praying. I won't even give you the agenda here. This person looked at me and said this is the first time I'm over 70's the first time in my life ever heard anybody pray this the first time in my life I've ever pray I do Saturday, with tears running down my face God's changing hearts don't give up hope. And the last thing I say to you is he built the wall of tree pledge to the king, he would do it in 52 days and he came back you can excavate in Jerusalem today and see parts of that wall that still remains from the mid for hundreds before Christ pathos feel people prioritizing in prayer, pondering, and proximity the process of preparation, paralysis of pessimism do what is right and to bring peace to the people. All of this. The message of the love of the gospel which is unique and beautiful and Amy lifted up. He will draw only go to heaven thank you for giving me a hearing. We hope this message is encouraged. If you'd like to practice a complete copy BC with the coolest that one 800-4487 six.

Thanks. Asking the methods titled watchmen on the will. If you're not familiar with our ministry. Be sure to visit our website to order online or landlord that affects around the globe. They can see a list of upcoming conferences and events being held at the Zacharias instinct leads sign up for an online class through Zan Academy land about the whack being done throughout humanitarian arm about spring international website is a great place to land more about Ozzie IM and to find content to help you grow in your Christian faith that web address is Ozzie IM.l-lysine is that I am.ca in Canada that my people thing is a listener supported radio ministry and is managed by Ozzie IM in Atlanta.

The man born in India as family traces its roots to the highest caste of the priesthood become a world renowned Christian apologist and philosopher Jeremy Ravi Zacharias, and is highly acclaimed block walking from east to west. Probably the most difficult book I wrote for two reasons on the mountain fees. I really think are dangerous things to attempt not at any stage so need only valid at the end of your life and even then it's very precarious, but the reason I rooted is because of the trials the trauma and all of the struggles I went through in life before Christ transformed my heart and my mind. I wrote it because I know there are so many all over the world go through the same thing. You can buy a copy of wanting from Ethan. Lastly is now by visiting our online bookstore at www.IV, IM.OIG