February 5, 2000

THE BATTLE:

God brought me up to my watchtower and instructed me to watch various
events presently taking place in the midst of His people. As I was
doing so, I saw various scenes unfolding before me. At one part, I
saw a group of people in battle gear and they seem to be trapped.
There was fire all around them and there was no way of escape. In
another part, I saw a group of people walking over a tightrope like in
the circus. Suddenly, the path under them seem to disappeared and I
saw them pause as if pondering what to do next, not sure how to
proceed.

I was taken aback and my first reaction was to run to my closet to do
intercession. But I felt the Lord restraining me and instructing me
to wait and to continue to watch. The situations seem to be getting
more precarious as the time ticked away. I was beginning to feel
exasperation sweep over me. I wanted to do something, but I don't
know what to do. I turn towards the Lord for help, but He was silent.

At this point, the vision froze before me and I found myself reviewing
actual events taking place in our midst during these past few days.
Actual reports from friends and family were brought back to my mind.
A sister in the Lord was telling me the result of the medical exams of
her husband, the report from the specialists checking him was, " there
is nothing more they can do for him." My sister has been waiting for
some months now regarding her application for a scholarship grant. We
received the form from the institution but the deadline for their
submission was about to end and there isn't enough time to process
them. It seem God has answered her prayer , but the answer has come "
too late." Another brother in the Lord with whom I've been standing
in prayer about some projects in progress wrote to me informing me
that events are not progressing well and in fact seem to be getting
more muddled up .

LORD, WHAT HAPPENED?

As I put these events together, I began to feel numbness sweep over
me. I turn back to the Lord and found myself asking Him. " Lord what
happened? Have we miss something? Things seem to be getting worse
instead of becoming better? I began to remember many words spoken by
the various writers from the book of Psalm and I found myself
repeating these words to Him. " My God, my God, why have you forsaken
us? Why are you so far from saving us, so far from the words of our
groaning? O my God, we cry out by day, but you do not answer, by
night, and am not silent. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you
are the praise of Israel. In you our fathers put their trust; they
trusted and you delivered them." (Psalm 22:1-4) " O God, do not keep
silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still. See how your enemies are
astir, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire
against your people; they plot against those you cherish. With one
mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you - Make them
like tumbleweed, O my God, like chaff before the wind. " (Psalm 83:
1-3,13)

Then I felt the Lord began to touch my hand, and He draw me closer to
Him and I felt Him trying to calm me down with gentle hush. Then He
began to speak and these were His words.

" MY CHILD, I AM SETTING THE STAGE."

As I pondered over these words, I felt that God desires me to share
these with His people.

THE MESSAGE:

In these days and times, many of His people will be finding themselves
standing at the edge of a high cliff and seemingly pushed to the end
(figuratively) . We will be facing more and more impossible
situations. This will cover many areas of our life. This will
appear as medical impossibilities for sickness that affects our loved
ones. Also, projects and programs that we have been working on or
praying for will seemed to go totally awry and will appear hopeless.

Relationships will be stretched to the limit and many will seemed to
be in the brink of being destroyed. We will also began to witness our
children going through times of emotional and spiritual struggles and
it will appeared that they are backsliding and even rebelling. All
these will come upon us in greater rush and we will be finding
ourselves surrounded by these. In so many ways we will find ourselves
standing in the same place that Moses and the Israelites people have
stood. The Red Sea before them and the Pharaoh's army behind them.

BUT God is allowing these to take place in our midst for HE IS SETTING
THE STAGE TO SHOW FORTH HIS POWER AND PERFORM HIS MIRACLES.

The Lord is saying to us:

" Be strong and be courageous. Do not give in, do not give up for you
are not alone. I am fighting these battle with you. I am the Captain
of the Hosts and with you are thousand of heavenly hosts. Do not fear
for I have not abandoned you. Do not be distress for I am here with
you. Take heart, for victory is yours and the day of unveiling is at
hand. I tell you that you will not suffer shame and loss for I will
restore to you all that has been taken away from you. For my
recompense is with me and when I pour them out, you will not be able
to contain them. Stand still and see the deliverance that is coming
your way."

PSALM 94:14 - " For the Lord will not reject His people; He will never
forsake His inheritance." PSALM 95:1-7 - " Come, let us sing for joy
to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us
come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.
For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In His
hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to
Him. The sea is his, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry
land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord
our Maker; for He is God and we are the people of His pasture, the
flock under His care."

May everyone to whom these words are intended find refreshment and
rest in Jesus , our Savior.

In His Service,

Ching Co
Cebu City
Philippines