Watch and Pray

By Prof. Kofi A. Amoateng

Today, many are teaching and preaching about Jesus Christ they do not know. They teach and preach without unction, and they have no real experiences of whom they teach and preach.

When Paul preached after meeting the Lord on the road to Damascus, he became one of the greatest teachers and preachers of Christian faith. This book unveils the

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorUnit
• Release date: Nov 3, 2022
• ISBN: 9781958895801

Book preview

And so What?

Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go unto the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish

Esther 4:16.

And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said thus, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost

Luke 12:46

All of us have experienced moments of hopelessness that have left us crumpled on the floor sobbing and straining to breathe in the midst of pain. Oftentimes, we feel overwhelmed that we cannot fathom how we can survive the ongoing ordeals. When our world crumples through suffering, and the loss of our son or daughter, and life around us keep turning as if we are the only victims of Satan and his demons. Even as our wounds get bigger and bigger, God is still God, and the Lord is our hope, we can shout And so what? to our pains. In the midst of our brokenness God is using our pains, sufferings, and struggles to draw us unto himself and connect hope and joy in the midst of our sufferings. Whether you are facing relationship challenges, job issues, disability, financial struggles, critical health challenges, the loss of loved one, or other forms of life-threatening challenges, there is a lasting hope when you speak to these challenges as and so what. Sometimes, it feels as though God is distant or unloving or you are wondering how there could possibly be a purpose in our pains but to shout And so what? Emotional pain, heartache, and sadness are natural and expected reactions to life’s disappointments and struggles, but we must have confidence in the Lord and say, And so what? Again, if you are feeling an ongoing sense of hopelessness, anxiety, or emptiness that seems to persist apart from your circumstances just say And so what? to get relieve and blessings.

In the beginning, when we get saved we take baby steps in the Christian race. We act so carnal that there is not much difference between unbelievers and us. We become very sensitive to the things of the world and enjoy all the fruits of the flesh. As Paul and Peter admonish us that we ought to be fed on spiritual milk as new babes as we begin to walk with God.

And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men (1 Corinthians 3:1–3).

As new babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. If so ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3–3, 5).

Many have become dwarf Christians forever and never graduate even from the elementary school in the spiritual sense. Do not be surprised when you dream of your old elementary/high schools because in the spiritual realms you are a babe. Peter denied Jesus to the maid who confronted him about his association with Jesus Christ.

But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, this man was also with him. And he denied him, saying, woman, I know him not (Luke 22:56–57).

It was a different Peter who spoke to the crowd of three thousand at the day of the Pentecost. Also when he had matured in the spirit he could say and so what when he asked to be crucified with his head down. Paul encourages us that because of the confidence we have in the Lord we make boldness of speech.

In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him (Ephesians 3:12).

When Do We Say And So What?

First, without righteous and holiness we cannot draw near to God and exercise our God-given authority. Holiness and righteousness prompts us to do wonders and say And so what? because we have the commander-in-chief fighting for us.

Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretchest out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them (Exodus 15:11–12).

Faithfulness of God: Abraham was the father of faith, and he trusted God most part of his life. It was his trust in God that drove him to the edge by attempting to sacrifice his only son and saying, And so what?

And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And he said, lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou feared God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me" (Genesis 22:9–10 and 12).

Abraham had so much trust in God that he did not care for his only son and was willing to let go his only son with no regrets. We need to have Abrahamic faith to step into unfeigned faith and care less about what the devil has done or is doing to us. It was an act of faithfulness that drove the three Hebrew boys to the edge by saying and so what

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchanezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter> if it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up (Daniel 3:16–18).

It was faithfulness in God that got Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fiery furnace by not caring for the power of the furnace on their bodies. It was the same faithfulness that drove Daniel into the Lion’s den by saying And so what? to King Darius. In the like manner Stephen was full of faith when he was being stoned to death.

And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel (Acts 6:15).

Everybody knew that Stephen’s faith tipped him over to say and so what to the crowd who stoned him to death with young Saul consenting to it. Jesus Christ our role model, humbled himself unto death by saying and so what at the eleventh hour of his crucifixion (Philippians 2:8). He was able to say and so what with great sense of humility and God gave him a name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility (Proverbs 15:33).

When we are desperate, and at the crossroads of life and all hopes are gone, we can do better by casting our burden unto Jesus and by resigning from all activities and saying And so what? and handing over all our cares unto him. At the end, we cannot fall or go further, so we fall unto his arms for relief.

Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved (Psalm 55:22).

When our Lord was at the eleventh hour on the cross, he was able to say And so what? by giving up the ghost.

And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said thus, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost (Luke 12:46).

When Mordecai had briefed Esther about the evil plot of Herman to destroy all the Jews in the province of Shushan under King Ahasuerus, Esther reached the point of desperation by saying And so what? If I perish, I perish.

Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go unto the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish (Esther 4:16).

David, after finding out that his wives, children, and all his belongings have been burned at Ziklag and inquired, he pursued the enemies and overtook by saying and so what

And David inquired at the Lord, saying, shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them? And he answered him, pursue for thou shall surely overtake them, and without fail recover all (1 Samuel 30:8). Get Real with the Word of God

It is imperative that all faithful Christians must at some point in the middle or end of their Christian journeys say And so what? We say And so what? when we resign and cast all our burden unto the Lord. Father God sustained Jesus Christ when he cast his burden on him and said it is finished. In the same way Jesus will sustain us when we cast our burden on him. As God glorified his son so will the Lord glorify us if we cast all our problems on him and say And so what? You have to lose to gain it back. The Lord lost and was glorified by the Father.

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul (Mark 8:35-36).

Faithfulness, righteousness, holiness, and boldness along the Holy Spirit and the blood of Jesus drive us to say And so what? Believers and non-believers cannot say And so what? because they are so much in the flesh and in perpetual sins. As a result of their fleshly desires and lifestyles they are overwhelmed by fear and cannot say And so what? On the other hand, righteousness and holiness make us spiritual and in turn makes us bold to say And so what?

And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Hebrews 2:15).

Paul encourages us in his first letter to the Philippians "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). Furthermore, Paul encourages in his letter to the Colossians, Set your affection on the things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3:2). Also, Paul taught to say And so what? in his letter to the Romans.

For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living (Romans 14: 7-9).

The power in praise tips us over to say and so what. When Paul and Silas were cast into prison, they resorted to prayers and praises that brought earthquake into the foundations of prison.

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened; and every one’s bands were loosed (Acts 16:25–26).

Take a chance (risk) in your life by saying And so what? to life challenges now. Thus, the greater the risks, the greater the glory of God in your life. Jesus took the risk by saying And so what? and following the will of his father, and the father glorified him. Therefore, anyone carrying the will of God should be able to say And so what? to your challenges. Taking risk for the love of Christ for eternal blessing is a smart thing to do. Many of the children of disobedience who live in sins and bondage to many fleshly desires cannot say And so what? to their lifetime challenges.

The bottom line is that if you are afraid to die for the Lord, then you need to check the accuracy of your faith. Jesus died to glorify his father, so we must all die to glorify the father. If you cannot die in the Lord’s, it will be difficult to say And so what? when you face life challenges. It is a smart choice to die for the father and enjoy eternal salvation.

Let’s Pray:

Father God, I, insert your name about here, thank you that your amazing unfathomable love has been poured out for me at the cross and poured into me by the Holy Spirit. I want to taste and experience more of the depth and breadth and length and height of your amazing love. Help me walk by faith. Help me endure suffering. Help me fully embrace your son Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Pour out your love into my heart in increasing measure by the power of your Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ our Lord. I praise you, God, for your infinite wisdom. Father God, I praise you for using me to bring joy to your son Jesus Christ. In the midst of all the struggles, pressures, and discouragement I face while in my frail, failing body, please continue transforming me into your servant who is always of good courage. Lead by your Holy Spirit to find rest in the grand promises that you have revealed to me in your word. I confess that I am weak and that I need your help. Prepare me for the day when you will judge an account of all my works and offenses.

In the name of Jesus, I take authority over my thought life. Though I walk in the flesh, I am not carrying on my warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. For the weapons of my warfare are not physical (flesh and blood), but they are mighty before God to overthrow and destroy strongholds. I put the mantel of Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Daniel, Elijah, Jeremiah, Jesus Christ, Peter, John, Paul, and Silas to mention but a few to do exploits and miracles and speak to all my challenges as and so what. I transport noise of great host, noise of rain, noise of battle, noise of cry, and noise of chariots to headquarters of marine demons, to covens and temples of witches and wizards, and to principalities and powers as well as spiritual wickedness in high places who are resisting me in this prayer (2 Kings 7:6 and Daniel 10:13). Lord Jesus let your kingdom come in the power of the Holy Ghost, and glory of God. I, insert your name about here, seal this prayer with the precious blood of the Great Shepherd of the sheep and with thanksgiving. Amen.

Assurance of Salvation

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

— Isaiah 1:18

For by grace are we saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.

—Ephesians 2:8

There seems to be so much confusion in religious circles surrounding the question of the assurance of salvation. Most Christians live between fear and hope, and they hang, as if it were between heaven and hell. On one hand, they hope that all is well and that it shall go well with them forever, and on the other hand, they fear that they shall perish by their sins. They are like a ship in a storm, tossed here and there. A good illustration of this sharp dichotomy between different Christians is the difference between passengers who hold confirmed tickets and those who are on standby. The ones with confirmed tickets are relaxed; they read newspapers, chat with their friends, or sleep. The ones on standby hang around the ticket counter, pace back and forth, and carry worried faces. Those with confirmed tickets have God’s word and are fully confident, knowing that God has saved them, forgiven all their sins, and given them eternal life. The standby ones live in a state of anxiety and never sure they have been truly saved.

But, it does not have to be this way. Where God grants righteousness, He also adds peace and assurance (Isaiah 32:17). Grace from the Father via His son Jesus Christ and unwavering faith on the part of the believer are a function of assurance of salvation. We have perfect assurance of salvation when grace squarely meets faith.

Much of our modern-day evangelism, however, fills the pulpit with false information about salvation. It is syllogistic assurance, which creates doubts about the major premise and/or minor premise (John 1:12). These evangelists and preachers are trying to assure people of their salvation based on an untested profession. Assurance is the reward of tested and proven faith. It is the Holy Spirit who gives it, not a human being. Assurance is essential to a healthy Christian life. When you lack assurance, you lack confidence in yourself and in God. Assurance is important because you have an eternal soul. It will spend eternity in one of two places. You will be in either heaven or in hell, which one depends on what you do with the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, this is how we know where we will spend our eternity.

Why are many believers not sure of their salvation?

1. Strong preaching: Such preaching forces people to see their sinfulness and acknowledge that the holiness of God calls them not to practice lofty standard of living. Contrary to this sort of preaching, churches across the world are full of preachers who feel it is their duty to make everyone feel good. The pulpit should be the creator of anxious hearts, but it should also give comfort and assurance to those who love Christ.

2. Guilt: Some people lack assurance of salvation because they cannot accept forgiveness. They are tormented by their emotions, and they feel they are too bad to be forgiven. The conscience speaks against forgiveness. Yet the only thing your conscience knows about is guilt and conviction; it knows nothing of grace and mercy. We are grace revolution. Anyone who lacks assurance of God’s love converses very much with Satan, the accuser of brethren. In addition, lack of assurance of God’s love or interest is an inlet for many sins and miseries. When Manasseh, king of Juda, turned away from the love of the Lord he committed