Sleeping Watchmen

Signs of the times are passing without comment from mainstream churches. You might excuse the mainsteam media, after all, they are largely mouthpieces of the powers that be which have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. However, the church, those who ought to be preaching repentance as preparation to meet the LORD are quiet, even strangely content to mention nothing about Signs of the End.

Signs like the moon going blood red, twice already, with two more instances to occur within this year. One would expect such omens to have sparked off revivalism in the churches,  or at the very least, a quick glance at Revelation 6:12-13, which predicts just such an event, whether this could be its fulfilment. But for the most part, all we hear is studious silence from the pews broken only by overheard explanations of secular scientists and astronomers rationalizing the redness away. "Okay, nothing to see here, business as usual, as you were."

did you see? (image from therealstevegray.com)

Elsewhere in the Bible we find an explanation for this glaring oversight by our spiritual leaders:

ISAIAH 56:10-12

10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

12 Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.

In which:

watchmen -  shepherds of the flock, spiritual leaders

blind, ignorant - clueless

dumb dogs wont bark - will not warn of danger, seeing none  ("sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber")

"fetch wine, ...fill ourselves with strong drink" -  wrong doctrine, false teachings

"tomorrow shall be as this day" -  there is no danger; eat drink, and be merry.

Experiment to simulate seriousness

I had never seen her before.

We were in church. She sang with the choir, led the congregational singing and served me chapatis generously at lunchtime. 

As service ended in the afternoon, the choir sang again, and I stared at her and wondered how long I could keep my face straight while I made a joke which she would only realize was a joke at the last minute. Could I walk away looking earnest and serious, like one who made an honest mistake, or would I burst into premature laughter midway, like a malicious crime lord with a rolling laugh that he opened his mouth wide for? Well, since the thought alone already had me laughing in bursts, the prospects weren’t good.

Still it had to be tried.

Service ended. I waited until she was alone – her friends encircled her constantly, those coming replaced those leaving in a constant stream. Popular girl, what could I do? It seemed she would never be alone, therefore I turned my attention to others, lastly lost myself in the crowd among familiar faces. At some opportune time when she was the last thing on my mind, the crowd before me parted and behold, her, standing alone at last, apparently looking for someone.

The moment had come. I zeroed in with the straightest face I could muster. 

Offered a grim handshake. “Hello.”

“Hi.”

“I know you, but you don’t know me.” Saying this revived the mental concept of my mischief and I broke into a wide smile.

“You know me?!” she repeated, in consternation, as if a new and grievous injustice had stormed against the universe by surprise. She looked perplexed. Fearful, even. I have that effect on strangers.

I geared towards the punchline. “Yeah! I even know your name.” At this point, the smile I had on, it was all I could do to not burst out laughing.

“You know my name!” she echoed.

“You are called Lupita, right?” Of course she wasn’t, but I tried to look serious, earnest, dead sure, a bit arrogantly, like one merely expecting confirmation, not correction.

She burst out laughing and walked away visibly amused.