the watcher

1 Kings 17:1-4,22-24 Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!” Then the Lord said to Elijah, “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.” The Lord heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he revived! Then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. “Look!” he said. “Your son is alive!” Then the woman told Elijah, “Now I know for sure that you are a man of God, and that the Lord truly speaks through you.” Do we still have the ministry of prophets today? Yes, we do! However listen: Hebrews 1:1-2 Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son.

Philippians 3:20&21 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Philippians 3:21(NLT) He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. This is a truth we must never ignore, our body as it is now continues to decay, however we are going to receive a new body. It is the ignorance of this that makes many lay their treasures on earth alone and when it is time for eternity they find that they have empty files! It is not a man whatever his/her title is that will give you the reward, NO, it is God. Read through all scriptures those that were acknowledged for heaven treasures were not those that gave wrongly but those that gave with sincere hearts, not tho

Hebrews 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; There are and would be times we feel down or discouraged, this is not strange, our attitude is what matters. When challenges comes, it most times looks so overwhelming, as if we have not soared through others in time past. We have, and we must let our mind know this: God has already given us victory. However, we must be careful not to be the architect of our challenges. Most difficulties man goes through is self inflicted. When we feel we know it all, that we don't need to be led by God. These breeds carelessness and mistakes, then the cycle of errors begins. Hebrews 12:13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. This truth hasn't changed: Proverbs 3:5-7 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in

Matthew 18:23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. What if there was no afterlife? Some will say, what type of question is this? There should be afterlife. Well, are we living as if there is? Are all our actions not restricted to this earthy life? Romans 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Yes all of us! The principles we live by, the lifestyle we take, the influence for all our decisions and actions. Do we have the afterlife in heart? Are we controlled by * love of money * tribalism/racism * wrath/rage * our feelings * what people would say * pride * revenge * lust * fear * praise of men. . . . . . If we believe there is an afterlife, do we live as if there is one? Ecclesiastes 3:11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. The Messiah gave a par

 1 Kings 16:8-10,13 Elah son of Baasha began to rule over Israel in the twenty-sixth year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. He reigned in the city of Tirzah for two years. Then Zimri, who commanded half of the royal chariots, made plans to kill him. One day in Tirzah, Elah was getting drunk at the home of Arza, the supervisor of the palace. Zimri walked in and struck him down and killed him. This happened in the twenty-seventh year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. Then Zimri became the next king. This happened because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed, and because of the sins they led Israel to commit. They provoked the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, with their worthless idols. Can we see the consistent pattern of evil in Israel starting from the falling away of Solomon, then the leadership of the eleven tribes by Jeroboam, then his son Nadab, then Baasha who plotted against and killed Nadab, then Elah son of Baasha who was killed by Zimri. It was all a line of evil

1 Kings 15:9, 11-12 , 25-26 Asa began to rule over Judah in the twentieth year of Jeroboam’s reign in Israel. Asa did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, as his ancestor David had done. He banished the male and female shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his ancestors had made. Nadab son of Jeroboam began to rule over Israel in the second year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. He reigned in Israel two years. But he did what was evil in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of his father, continuing the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit. We need to keep this in mind: Cain and Abel came from the womb. Jacob and Esau came from the same womb. Joseph and his brothers came from the same womb. Yet they followed different paths. Before you blame your parents, environment, country or any other person, the first culprit is you, yes you! You choose. Solomon messed up at the end of his days, his son Jeroboam follow suit, then Jeroboam's son to

Genesis 28:7 And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padanaram; For a destination of success, we begin with the right steps. The contrasts between Jacob and Esau was in obedience and disobedience. We thus define our path by whom we choose to obey. We see that the Lord is interested in those who would walk in obedience for that was the main reason Abraham was picked. To fit into the lineage, the same obedience must continue. Today we have an open door, everyone has been called into the fold: Jesus said He was the open door that anyone could come in and find pasture: John 10:9  I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. The same way NOT all that were born to Abraham followed the lineage of the promise also not all who claim they know Christ are of the promise - the key lies in obedience - following the path: Luke 6:46 “

1 Kings 15:4-5 But for David’s sake, the Lord his God allowed his descendants to continue ruling, shining like a lamp, and he gave Abijam a son to rule after him in Jerusalem. For David had done what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and had obeyed the Lord’s commands throughout his life, except in the affair concerning Uriah the Hittite. Let no one tell you otherwise, your faithfulness will pay off in time. The Lord does not overlook our faithfulness. David's faithfulness paid off for him even after he had left the earth. His descendants who did not even follow his ways benefitted from his blessings. However, we must be reminded that we will get the consequences of our decisions, we can not rest on the works of our fathers, we must also prove ourselves. Don't get tired of doing good and walking by the leading of the Spirit, yes, there is so much noise out there but with His voice leading us, our victory is sure. Galatians 6:9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At jus

1 Kings 14: 22-26 During Rehoboam’s reign, the people of Judah did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, provoking his anger with their sin, for it was even worse than that of their ancestors. For they also built for themselves pagan shrines and set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree. There were even male and female shrine prostitutes throughout the land. The people imitated the detestable practices of the pagan nations the Lord had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites. In the fifth year of King Rehoboam’s reign, King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem. He ransacked the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple and the royal palace; he stole everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made. Listen, when you depart from the way of the Lord, do not expect the great things He has done through your lineage to continue. Look at what is happening in the church, when the elders of faith do not set good examples, when man

1 Kings 14:1-3,6,9-10 At that time Jeroboam’s son Abijah became very sick. So Jeroboam told his wife, “Disguise yourself so that no one will recognize you as my wife. Then go to the prophet Ahijah at Shiloh—the man who told me I would become king. Take him a gift of ten loaves of bread, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and ask him what will happen to the boy.” So when Ahijah heard her footsteps at the door, he called out, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam! Why are you pretending to be someone else?” Then he told her, “I have bad news for you. You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made other gods for yourself and have made me furious with your gold calves. And since you have turned your back on me, I will bring disaster on your dynasty and will destroy every one of your male descendants, slave and free alike, anywhere in Israel. I will burn up your royal dynasty as one burns up trash until it is all gone. God is not mocked. Jeroboam was given a special opportunity by G

1 Kings 13:4,6,22,32 When King Jeroboam heard the man of God speaking against the altar at Bethel, he pointed at him and shouted, “Seize that man!” But instantly the king’s hand became paralyzed in that position, and he couldn’t pull it back. The king cried out to the man of God, “Please ask the Lord your God to restore my hand again!” So the man of God prayed to the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored and he could move it again. You came back to this place and ate and drank where he told you not to eat or drink. Because of this, your body will not be buried in the grave of your ancestors.” For the message the Lord told him to proclaim against the altar in Bethel and against the pagan shrines in the towns of Samaria will certainly come true.” I remember reading this record as a child and it drove my mind to really ponder. It actually looked scary for me at that time. Jeroboam as we saw in yesterday's reading, turned his heart away from God preferring to fight for himself to stay

1 Kings 12: 26-28 Jeroboam thought to himself, “Unless I am careful, the kingdom will return to the dynasty of David. When these people go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Temple of the Lord, they will again give their allegiance to King Rehoboam of Judah. They will kill me and make him their king instead.” So on the advice of his counselors, the king made two gold calves. He said to the people, “It is too much trouble for you to worship in Jerusalem. Look, Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!” As scripture says, one reason we read from the records of the old testament is so as not to repeat their mistakes. How can you begin with God and think you can be sustained without Him? Jeroboam received a prophesy from a prophet concerning kingship in Israel, this privilege was given to him because Solomon went after other gods. How then did Jeroboam think that he could also make the same mistake and escape the repercussion? As foolish as his reasoning looks, l

1 Kings 12:1,3,5,8,13,16 Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had gathered to make him king. The leaders of Israel summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel went to speak with Rehoboam. Rehoboam replied, “Give me three days to think this over. Then come back for my answer.” So the people went away. But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men and instead asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him and were now his advisers. But Rehoboam spoke harshly to the people, for he rejected the advice of the older counselors When all Israel realized that the king had refused to listen to them, they responded,  “Down with the dynasty of David!  We have no interest in the son of Jesse.  Back to your homes, O Israel!  Look out for your own house, O David!”So the people of Israel returned home. We learn great lessons from reading through the records of the old testament. We see their mistakes and as scripture says: 1 Corinthians 10:11 These things happen

John 15:9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When we talk of love, we open a long teaching which can be described from many approaches or philosophy. From the question: "what type of love?", we could begin to talk of the various kinds of love, eros, philo, agape etc. However there is someone who is love and we know Him to be the only one who can claim this: 1John 4:8b  for God is love. Many who have read the old testament would wonder at much killings, bloodshed and wrath. The truth is, God had not yet been revealed. We could say,  what of all the prophets that were anointed to shew him forth? Remember the scriptures said: John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared [him]. Jesus revealed God as who He is: Love! John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Luke

1 Kings 11: 35-36 ,38 But I will take the kingdom away from his son and give ten of the tribes to you. His son will have one tribe so that the descendants of David my servant will continue to reign, shining like a lamp in Jerusalem, the city I have chosen to be the place for my name. If you listen to what I tell you and follow my ways and do whatever I consider to be right, and if you obey my decrees and commands, as my servant David did, then I will always be with you. I will establish an enduring dynasty for you as I did for David, and I will give Israel to you. A great dynasty rises from one generation to another, however it gets to a point when one becomes careless and causes that dynasty to fall. We must never be the generation that destroys a lasting dynasty. Solomon seemed to have been doing okay however there was one stumbling block he had put on his way, and when he got older it brought him down, all his great wisdom could not help him at that time. He left God to pursu

1 Kings 11:14,23-25 Then the Lord raised up Hadad the Edomite, a member of Edom’s royal family, to be Solomon’s adversary. God also raised up Rezon son of Eliada as Solomon’s adversary. Rezon had fled from his master, King Hadadezer of Zobah, and had become the leader of a gang of rebels. After David conquered Hadadezer, Rezon and his men fled to Damascus, where he became king. Rezon was Israel’s bitter adversary for the rest of Solomon’s reign, and he made trouble, just as Hadad did. Rezon hated Israel intensely and continued to reign in Aram. When we rebel against God by walking in disobedience or idolatry, we invite the adversaries who the Lord has kept from us to have their way.  For, Psalms 91:1-2,14-15 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord:  He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.  I will protect those who trust in

1 Kings 11:1-4,6,11 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.” Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord. In Solomon’s old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David, had been. In this way, Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight; he refused to follow the Lord completely, as his father, David, had done. So now the Lord said to him, “Since you have not kept my covenant and have disobeyed my decrees, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants. Listen, never let your blessings become a curse! That which the Lord has blesse

1 Kings 10:3-8 Solomon had answers for all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. When the queen of Sheba realized how very wise Solomon was, and when she saw the palace he had built, she was overwhelmed. She was also amazed at the food on his tables, the organization of his officials and their splendid clothing, the cup-bearers, and the burnt offerings Solomon made at the Temple of the lord. She exclaimed to the king, “Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true! I didn’t believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of it! Your wisdom and prosperity are far beyond what I was told. How happy your people must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom! There are many ways the Lord has blessed man and the earth's system by default. Many things people call blessings today are both shared by those who know God and e

1 Kings 9:4-8 “As for you, if you will follow me with integrity and godliness, as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations, then I will establish the throne of your dynasty over Israel forever. For I made this promise to your father, David: ‘One of your descendants will always sit on the throne of Israel.’ “But if you or your descendants abandon me and disobey the commands and decrees I have given you, and if you serve and worship other gods, then I will uproot Israel from this land that I have given them. I will reject this Temple that I have made holy to honor my name. I will make Israel an object of mockery and ridicule among the nations. And though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass by will be appalled and will gasp in horror. They will ask, ‘Why did the Lord do such terrible things to this land and to this Temple?’ We must be reminded of the two sides of a relationship. One great mistake people make is that they feel that relationships shou

John 21:1-2,4,7 Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. So there was the Peter who was getting to know the Lord in the flesh and Peter who knew the Lord in the spirit. The bible accounts that Peter and the disciples saw him and they were not certain it was the Lord. One thing we need to understand is that when Jesus came to the earth his physical appearance and form did not depict His might, power or spiritual self, he just looked like any man. Isaiah 53 : 2 & 3 For he shall grow up before h

Exodus 14:15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: There is nothing wrong in resting, it is actually wisdom to know when to rest, to take time out. However the rest is for you to arise renewed and keep moving forward. As we continue our journey through this world, time and again we face challenges that slow us down. Situations do arise that make us suddenly pause and sometimes it could seem so overwhelming that we feel all would come to an end. Other times we could be our own stumbling block. However, we are not moved by feeling but by FAITH! For the believer we should understand that we are not on our own, the Lord is with us. Psalm 46:1-3 God [is] our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;  [Though] the waters thereof roar [and] be troubled, [though] the mountains shake wi

1 Kings 8: 22-23 , 27-28 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire community of Israel. He lifted his hands toward heaven, and he prayed,“O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion. “But will God really live on earth? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built! Nevertheless, listen to my prayer and my plea, O Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is making to you today. Have you ever thought of how High and Glorious God is, how much powerful and big He is. The whole universe is just a figment to Him. Isaiah 40:22, 25-26 God sits above the circle of the earth. The people below seem like grasshoppers to him! He spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them. “To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?” asks the

1 Kings 7: 48-51 Solomon also made all the furnishings of the Temple of the Lord: the gold altar; the gold table for the Bread of the Presence; the lampstands of solid gold, five on the south and five on the north, in front of the Most Holy Place; the flower decorations, lamps, and tongs—all of gold; the small bowls, lamp snuffers, bowls, ladles, and incense burners—all of solid gold; the doors for the entrances to the Most Holy Place and the main room of the Temple, with their fronts overlaid with gold. So King Solomon finished all his work on the Temple of the Lord. Then he brought all the gifts his father, David, had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and the various articles—and he stored them in the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple. When we read through the splendour of the temple building and consider the inner finishing Solomon put in it, what should come to our mind should be our temple. As scripture says the temple is our body where God dwells by His Spirit. It is therefore

Mark 14:38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly [is] ready, but the flesh [is] weak. Staying awake is one very important role of the soldier. It is something that the body must be trained to do. Same thing for the believer, the watch is so important for us to stay victorious. Then comes the phrase "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak!". However especially in this troubled days, believers must stay awake. Matthew 26:40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? The power and forces of darkness are at work and they ought not to meet us unprepared. Glory to God, we do not fight with weapons that are carnal, but with God's power that can pull down every strong hold. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4(NLT) We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false

1Thessalonians 5:18 "in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." One thing we must ask ourselves as we end each day is "Have I given thanks today?" For the Lord takes care of us daily! No better prayer than giving thanks, when you give thanks for what He has done be sure that He will do more. How glorious it will be if all believers were "Thanksgivers" our lives will definitely be faultless. Listen I am not just talking of a celebration in a gathering/church with dancing, singing and loud instruments, it is more than that! Most of the ills a believer could fall prey to could be avoided if we really know how to give thanks. Prayer should not be asking, asking and asking like the relationship with a boss. With God all things are already done. We just align to what is done. Even in asking when you feel so anxious the bible says do it with thanksgiving. Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing,