the watcher

THE RULERS, THE OPPRESSORS AND THE PEOPLE at the end. . . (Isaiah 13) Isaiah 13:1 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see. Babylon was one nation God used to deal with Israel and Judah. We can recall the story of Nebuchadnezzar and his conquest of Judah and Jerusalem. Even to the stripping clean of the temple's precious items. However as he ravaged, he was also to be ravaged. I commented on a post that tried to disprove that God had a hand in the leadership of the circular world. The pastor did not agree with my submissions, anyway Nebuchadnezzar confirmed it: Daniel 4:17  'This decision is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones, in order that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men.' Daniel 4:25  They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat gra

Isaiah 12:2 Behold, God [is] my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH [is] my strength and [my] song; he also is become my salvation. This book of Isaiah is full of the prophesy of Christ's first and second coming. See verse 3: Isaiah 12:3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. See Jesus revealing the same: John 7:38  "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." If only the people of Israel and Judah at that time had the patience and wisdom to wait on God, how wonderful an ending they would have had. Today as we worship with the brethren let us remember what great a salvation God has given us. That we are no longer under the bondage of Satan, sin and the world, but we have victory over them all. We are significant and so much empowered because we have been adopted as sons. Isaiah 12:4  And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call u

Isaiah 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. The prophesy on Judah's predicament did not end there, there was the prophesy of the return of the remnant. The end of the days will see a new wave of peace and joyous happiness. It will be characterized with the initial plan of God being fulfilled. Wildness in animals removed, wars will not need to be fought, snakes would no longer be poisonous. Peace would reign. This prophesy displayed salvation in Christ Jesus for the Gentiles.: Isaiah 11:10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. Christ Jesus would also bring about the return of the remnant of the children of Israel from all parts of the earth. It would be like the exit of Israel from the bondage they experienced with Pharaoh in Egypt. No matter

Isaiah 10:1&2 Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness [which] they have prescribed;  To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and [that] they may rob the fatherless! Isaiah 10 continues to look at the woes that befell Judah because of their rebellious attitude. It stands as a lesson for the nation and the church today, the passages talked about the welfare of the less privileged at that time, there is a tendency to focus on wealth and highly placed people so much as to deny justice and equity to the people. Any country that allows these type of evils should expect evils and God's disfavour on them. The apostles understood the importance of these, that was why they assigned special stewards to cater for the dependent ones in the church. Acts 6:3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, who

Isaiah 55:9 For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Israel and Judah had forsaken the way of the Lord, they just kept on rebelling against God, who chose them out of many nations. Isaiah was one major prophet who foretold of their impending doom and their fall into captivity, they never really recovered from this fall even from the rise of Babylon to the time of the Roman empire and time again and again. The Prophesy of Judah's redemption was also revealed. However what they did not realize was that God's thoughts and plans went beyond them. They were chosen as a link to bring salvation to the whole world. Isaiah 9:2 & 6 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be c

Deuteronomy 28:6 Blessed [shalt] thou [be] when thou comest in, and blessed [shalt] thou [be] when thou goest out. That is the promise God gave His own and He expects us to reflect it in all we do. Definitely we feel pain and hurt when we are wronged, betrayed or hurt. More painful if it comes from a loved one. Betrayal tears at the heart and the easiest thing to do is to wish evil for the one who hurt us. We could be tempted to curse with outspoken words or in our heart. However we are reminded to bless and not to curse. Romans 12:14  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Luke 6:28  "bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. Romans 12:19  Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. It is not that it is easy to do, however the Holy Spirit is there to help us. That is why He came to live inside of us. [If you are

Isaiah 8:5 - 6 The LORD spake also unto me again, saying, Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son; The urge to reach out to that which is not from the Lord, it could be from fear or from impatience. No matter what it is, we could rope ourselves into more oppressors. Isaiah 8:7-8 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, [even] the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks: And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach [even] to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel. The Lord is merciful why should we place ourselves at the mercy of man or the evil one. No matter how fearful it looks or how urgent it seems, we must put our trust in God. Isaiah 8:11 For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong han

Matthew  25:15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Matthew 25:24  "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. Everyone God created was created blessed, no man was born empty.  Everyone was created with the power to contribute, we all have something to offer. I have come to see in man that in lacking one thing we are compensated with another. The questions is what have we done with what we have? We could decide to complain of what others have, what they know or where they have gotten to. When will we use that which we have ? When do we become that blessing? When do we become the giver or encourager. It is time to look at our accounts, assets, talents, gifts and anointing. Proverbs 11:24 - 25 There is one who scatt

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Sometimes we could get too familiar with God and thus forget that we are working with the Alpha and Omega. He sees beyond our comprehension and He knows the end before the beginning. In Isaiah chapter seven Syria joined forces with Ephraim and with the king of Israel to attack Judah and thus take over Jerusalem and install a new king that is, the son of Tabeal. King Ahaz ruled Judah at that time. The Lord sent prophet Isaiah to King Ahaz telling him not to fear: Isaiah 7:7 Thus saith the Lord GOD, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass. However we see that the Lord asked King Ahaz to ask for a sign, I love this man's answer, an answer of a man who had FAITH! Isaiah 7:10-12 Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying,  Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.  But

We live in a world that is full of noise.  A lot of things coming in from every corner. If you are to live in faith you should hear the voice of the Lord above all the noise. Psalms 62:11 God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God. Jesus said His own will hear and thus they would follow Him, they would not follow another. John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: So many things seek our attention. * Some are very important * Some are not that important * Some are a mere distraction As we go about our duties and roles,  it is important to listen to the Father and He speaks to us through His Holy Spirit. No wonder the character of the Holy Spirit is patience. We must learn to patiently listen, because yes he would surely speak. The love of God could seek your attention when you get so carried away or distracted, when you pay no attention or bother to listen to what He says. Oh what pain, if we need crises

From the beginning of man's living on earth there have been separation(s), and most times it has been on the line of the good and the evil. From Isaiah chapter six many have taught on the death of King Uzziah as the liberty that allowed Isaiah see the Lord. Then they go ahead to advice us to break links with this person or that person. This do have a lesson to those who have attached themselves to people instead of to the Almighty God! However separation from Isaiah 6 is seen in Isaiah's prophesy in two scenarios: firstly we see Isaiah exclaim: Isaiah 6:5 Then said I, Woe [is] me! for I am undone; because I [am] a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. That is our separation from God, our unclean lips, the evidence of a sinful heart. Just as Jesus said: Matthew 12:34&35 "Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart t

Isaiah 5:4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? In Isaiah 5, the Lord is seen given an illustration of a well prepared vineyard, nurtured and cared for by its owner, however when it was time for it to bear fruit it produced sour grapes. What then will the vine owner do but to pull down its wall and destroy the vineyard. Isaiah 5:5&6 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; [and] break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:  And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. The vineyard in this text referred to Judah and Jerusalem: Isaiah 5:7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts [is] the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his ple

John 14:16 And I will make prayer to the Father and he will give you another Helper to be with you for ever, God revealed himself to us in Christ Jesus, and He continues to be with us through His Holy Spirit. In John 14:16 Jesus said the Holy Spirit will be with us forever. Yes forever! However we must not keep Him silent. Imagine living in a house with someone and you two do not talk to each other, or the communication is monologue. When the bible says "walk in the Spirit" it was a daily communication. Galatians 5:16&17  But I say, Go on in the Spirit, and you will not come under the rule of the evil desires of the flesh.  For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; because these are opposite the one to the other; so that you may not do the things which you have a mind to do. So as long as we keep walking in the flesh our communication with God's Spirit is hampered. Many have taken their thoughts, impulse and inner f

Isaiah 3:10 & 11 Say ye to the righteous, that [it shall be] well [with him]: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.  Woe unto the wicked! [it shall be] ill [with him]: for the reward of his hands shall be given him. Isaiah chapter 3 was a prophesy against Judah and Jerusalem because of the evil they had allowed to take place in their land. Just as it is today, their leaders were part of their problem. They caused them to sin. Isaiah 3:12  [As for] my people, children [are] their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause [thee] to err, and destroy the way of thy paths. At that time women ruling and very young people ruling were regarded as a disgrace. (even till today. . .  if you understand its interpretation) Seeing the err of these people of old, just like Jesus told the Scribes and Pharisees: Matthew 23:29&30  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the

Isaiah 2:6 Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and [are] soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers. In Hebrews we as christians are warned not to rebel like the people of old. They did not take time to study and know the way of the Lord. Many of them perished in the wilderness, they just seemed to always take the wrong decisions doing those things that displeased God. Many have turned worship to seeking to know their way to prosper or get their heart desires just like soothsayers and magicians. Hebrews 3:10  Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in [their] heart; and they have not known my ways. In Isaiah 2, the bible talked of some possessing wealth and these wealth led them to acquire idols. They allowed themselves to be polluted with the practices and ways of strangers thus rebelling against God. Isaiah 2:7&8 Their land

Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. There have been questions about the release of God's power as His people gather again and again. Some sect even have the believe that the manifestation of God's power ended with the apostles. This is not correct! Let us look at three aspects of the gathering on that day. 1. It was not seasonal, the brethren had a habit of coming together to pray. There was an instruction that they should wait. Acts 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. The gathering was continuous though the Messiah had ascended, yet they had to continue gathering. This many fellowship still do. 2. The content of their gathering. They of course had a relationship with one another but they did not neglect the major ingredients of fellowship: * study of scriptures * prayers * worship Acts 1:15  A

Isaiah 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, [that] the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. We live in times when so many religions, beliefs and opinions exists. It is a circular world and powers also do tend to impose one religion or the other on the people they govern (categorizing atheism as a religion also). Worship has not been liberal through times, it did not just begin. We remember the record of Daniel's three friends who refused to worship Nebuchadnezzar's statue. Even David refused to worship king Darius contradicting the bogus law of the Mendes and Persian. We even see the false accusation against Christ and his apostles as a rebellion against the ruling authority of the day. Today we still have people who kill others for refusing to follow their own belief. We see people manipulate others all in the name of religion. Religion entwin

Malachi 4:2 But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves. The desire of God for us is that we should be in good health. The earth consist of things which could make our natural body weak and fall to sickness. Some ailments were from birth, some developed from activities done after birth, some as a result of bad life style, some as a result of eating the wrong things and recently from the activities of man in improving technologies, wars and also industrialisation. From the beginning of time God had been in the business of healing. The fall of man as recorded in Genesis 3 made man liable to sicknesses and diseases. But God had always shown His power to heal. His mercy was reveled from His children of Isreal and all who still came from the outside received their healing, when they stirred up their faith and came to God. An example is Naaman the Syrian commander who was heal

Isaiah 1:11 To what purpose [is] the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. Isaiah reigned through about four tenures of about four different kings of Judah, He was God's mouth piece to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. At that time many could only see within the activities that took place that led to the captivity of Judah, the exile to power nations and the destruction of Israel's city. Isaiah 1:1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, [and] Hezekiah, kings of Judah. It was of course far more than that the deliverance God sent Isaiah to prophesy about, it went beyond Israel  to all men. Deliverance was coming to the world. The shadow was to pass away, truth was to be revealed. He revealed thus: Isaiah 1:11-14 To what purpose [i

Isaiah 54:8  In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer. The children of Israel through whom God reached out to the world lived in an "off and on" relationship with God, they just could not stick to complete obedience being easily influenced by the world around them and just couldn't maintain a faithful relationship with God. Yet His love reached out! It did not remain on the Jews only, but that all humanity may receive grace from God and that all will enjoy the salvation of the Lord God, freedom from the bondage of the world and sin. Romans 9:22-26 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,  and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,  even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but a

Psalms 90:17 And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands. After creating the heavens and the earth for six days(whether literal or otherwise) on the 7th Day God rested. After God rested on the 7th day, what did He do on the 8th day. The answer to this question is obvious, He resumed work again. Jesus confirmed this when He said ...my Father works so I work . .. John 5:17  But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." Idleness, laziness and mediocity are not the character of our Father, if you have these characters then you need to explain where you got them from but definitely not from God. God has already set things in motion which you activate when you work in knowledge and wisdom. The greatest of all was redemption which He had already done from the foundation of the world. 1Peter 1:20  He indeed was foreordained before th

1Corinthians 13:8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. God is the all knowing, that is why He is Yaweh the Ominiscience. Psalm 139 talked about God's knowledge of all things, yet one great thing about it, is that this knowledge of all, was imbedded in the nature and person of God, Love. A proverb says " no one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care". What is that knowledge we have that makes us feel we are superior to others, or make us feel that we can look down on others. No, that is not what we are given knowledge for. The advantage of knowing should be to make others better and to bring them closer to fulfil their purpose in life. When knowledge is not backed with love, it profits nothing. 1Corinthians 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have a

John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Psalm 66:19  But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. There are times we feel God is taking His time. We hear our self say things like, I have been waiting on the Lord for this and for that. It seems to us that the Lord desires that we should pray, pray and pray before we get that which we desire. We may not be able to explain why some things do delay, or do not actually come to pass, the moment we declare them. One thing is sure though: 1Peter 2:2b   but now you have come back to him who keeps watch over your souls. Psalm 34:7  The angel of the Lord is ever watching over those who have fear of him, to keep them safe. We cannot say that there is anytime we pray and God do not answer. What did He say? Was it a dialogue or a monologue? Can we recall those times we called out silently to God in a moment of pain or distress and

Colossians 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard [it], do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; This was the desire of Paul and the other elders when the heard of the faith in Christ Jesus of the church in Colossae. That they may increase in the knowledge of the will of God. That is, as believers we have received salvation, the next thing is to determine His will for us and then go ahead to fulfill it. Colossians 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Is this what believers are taught today? When one is brought to Christ what is the next desire? Paul prayed the same prayer when he wrote to the church at Ephesus: Ephesians 1:17 & 18 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge

Habakkuk 2:3 For the vision [is] yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. The most important expectation of the believer is to be with the Lord after the life we have here on earth. That is, the minute fraction of our time which we will spend here on earth is so insignificant compared to the immeasurable time we have to spend in eternity. Thus the christian has the character of patience, else we would not finish the race. People have been taught, or by their experience come to believe that "God is slow". This is not true in the sense we speak. If we think back to see how at an instant the Lord has brought us out of many situations that needed instant deliverance (most of them we take ourselves into) we see that the Lord is swift in delivering His own. (most times we do not remember those times but dwell on times when it seems the Lord delayed. Hmm). However waiti

Psalm 139:23 & 24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:  And see if [there be any] wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. When we come to Christ Jesus we are reborn, something happens we receive a new birth, a new nature. God adopts us as His children. John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: He then gives us His Holy Spirit. To get more understand on this, we look at chapter 15 of the book of John. John 15:1&5  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. Thus the new birth is us springing up from Christ Jesus who is the tree in this illustration. Now the issue still remains that we still have the power to decide, if we would abide in Him bearing His fruit of righteous, or to fu

Paul wrote to the church at Colosse, he heard of their faith, he knew that they needed to be encouraged. Colossians 2:6-10 [6]And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. [7]Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. [8]Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. [9]For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. [10]So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. 1. CONTINUITY: Most business fall because they fail in this, we do not just sit and begin to eat the fruits of the harvest, we also go again to sow, that we keep on reaping the harvest. Ecclesiastics 3:2b a time to plant, and a time to pl

John 6:68 - 69 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.  And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. Any christian who has come a distance in walking with the Lord would definitely have faced challenges that would bring out the question of another option. The reasons could be: * No proper teaching * Temptations or trial * A former belief or exposure * A wrong foundation or poor soil (see the parable of the sower) * Living in the wrong environment. Many reasons could abound, from our text the disciples who stopped following Christ did not even understand what He said. John 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Read John 6:26-67 Really many did not understand that Jesus the Christ was the Word of God. John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and

Habakkuk 2:3  For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, it will not tarry. We may * have fallen * think we have failed * have tried many times and feel it may never work out * feel we have waited too long * have everything working well for us People may be making fun of us, maybe behind our back. People may be praising us. The enemy may keep dropping doubts in our mind. Don't stay there get up! try again. It will surely work out. It is time to move ahead. Recall, take account of, then Throw away the: * mistakes * wrong decisions * hurts * disappointments * shame * sorrow * sins * self righteousness * fears * unbelieve * pride and then recall all you have succeeded in . . . It is time to start a new chapter, it is time to make all things new. Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee

Psalm 92:4 For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands. Matthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. Jesus made this statement after he cursed the fig tree and it withered away. He went on to say that if we had faith, and doubt not, we would move moutains. When we pray a lot of activities take place, we need to remember that we pray to change things. Just like Jabez' prayer. Do we also understand that when we change a part, the other part is automatically affected. Take the case of the sons of Zebedee: Matthew 20:20 & 21 Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping [him], and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. Well we may all attack her as selfish, infact, the other dis