EDITION 07 | FEBRUARY 2019

Welcome to the seventh edition of Watchmen Connect!

In this month of February, as many people are talking about love, may we be reminded of the first and greatest commandment that Jesus gave us — to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and strength, as well as the second one, to love our neighbour as ourself (Matt. 22:37-40). As we walk in increased measures of this “Greater Love”, may those around us be drawn to our wonderful Bridegroom, who is the ultimate expression of love.

We want to wish a very happy “Year of the Pig” to our Chinese family and all our Asian brothers and sisters celebrating the Lunar New Year!

If you look closely, you’ll be able to recognize that the Father’s invitation for us at the start of this year to demonstrate “Greater Love” continues to echo in February.

How might the themes of the first two months, “Greater Love” and “Year of the Pig”, be connected you may ask? (The answer, although absolutely correct in many circles, is not “roast pork!”)

There’s a message buried in the Chinese pictograph for “Family”, 家 (jiā), which also means home or house. The ancient Chinese symbol for family/home was a pictograph of a pig inside a house. Although much more stylized, the modern character today still represents the character for hog underneath a roof.

Isn’t a pig the most unpleasant of the domesticated farm animals? Isn’t this the very reason why we associate these undesirable terms dirty, greedy, lazy, dull, rude, insensitive, filthy, gluttonous, etc... particularly with pigs?

The Bible tells us in Luke 15 that Jesus, while surrounded by sinners and tax collectors, begins to tell these social outcasts a parable of the Father’s love. He speaks about a Father whose heart and house is so big that a prodigal covered in pig filth is welcomed home and his return celebrated. A dwelling where a selfish and desperate young man, drenched in the stench of an “unclean” animal, meets the embrace of a Father who runs towards him.

Jesus always found a way to bring someone on the outside into the family. In fact, He is the Way to the Father. That is what the Kingdom is about, an eclectic collection of peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations, all under one covering.

May this be a spectacular year where we open the doors of our hearts, homes, and churches and stretch out our arms wide to demonstrate a “Greater Love”, so that the Father’s house would be filled with a family. It’s going to be epig!

Gatherings

Japan Gathering
March 27-30, 2019 — Kyoto (Japan)

Malaysia Gathering
May 23-25, 2019 — Kuching (Sarawak, Malaysia)

Chinese Gathering
July 24-27, 2019 — Hong Kong

The Lord has been knitting the hearts of the Chinese family together. On July 24-27, 2019, Chinese from around the world will be gathering together in Hong Kong to celebrate what God has been doing amongst them and to present themselves as a first fruit offering to the Lord. The international family is invited and encouraged to come and stand with the Chinese at this time. Together may we continue to walk in greater measures of the reality of oneness that Jesus desired in John 17.

Releasing the Destiny of Nations

JAPAN

Last month at the Pre-Gathering in Kyoto, Japan, a sweet presence of the Lord was very tangible, as everyone rejoiced over God’s destiny for Japan and bowed hearts low to acknowledge their desperate need of Him. Just as cherry blossoms will be in full bloom in the heart of springtime when the Gathering takes place next month in Kyoto, we are believing that Japan will see a spiritual springtime with new life springing forth throughout the nation!

Over the same days as the Pre-Gathering in Japan, some leaders from Singapore were in Malaysia gathering with some leaders there, since their destinies are very much intertwined. A precious connection in the spirit was very evident, as the Singaporean and Malaysian leaders took time to contend for God’s purposes to be fulfilled in Japan. Many others from the Global Family contended from their various nations as well, creating a real sense of oneness and a tangible awareness of one nation’s breakthrough being another’s.

Let’s continue to cover the leaders in Japan through prayer, especially leading up to their national Gathering next month, and continue to contend for Japan to be fully released into her destiny!