Since I found out that I was going to be the guest speaker tonight I
have thought about what I wanted to bring to you.
Since then a lot of subjects that I wanted to talk about ran through
my mind, but I was not able to put any of them together.
Then one week ago I received an e-mail from a Companion on another
subject we were discussing on an e-mail list. In that e-mail I was
requested to read Isaiah Chapters 7, 8, and 9.
As soon as I read those Chapters, I realized that God sent me the
subject He wanted me to talk about tonight.
I realized that we miss most of God's help and His messages, because
we reject the messenger. We forget that it is God who picks who He
wants to send His messages by and that we do not get to pick who we
want to receive them from.
Tonight I will talk about what Isaiah Chapter says to me.
ISAIAH CHAPTER 9
Verse 1. Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her
vexation, when at the first He lightly afflicted the land of Zebulum
and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict
her by way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet,
saying,
(Matthew 4:14-15)
The land of Zabulon and the land of Nephthalim by the way of the sea,
beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles:
As we lose our closeness to God, our weather will only get worse. If
you change the names of the places of old and put in the names of the
places of today you will see what happened then is happening now.
Verse 2. 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.
To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace. (Luke 1:79)
That even in these dark times, there will be people that will see the
light of God.
Verse 3. Thou hast multiplied the nation and not increased the joy:
they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men
rejoice when they divide the spoil.
Today every Nation has more people than ever before, but they have no
spiritual joy, only the physical joy of dividing their material
things.
Verse 4. For Thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff
of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.
(Judges 7:22)
And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man's
sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host
fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah,
unto Tabbath.
This is what happened in the past and if we do not take heed, this is
what will happen in our future.
Verse 5. For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and
garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of
fire.
(Judges 7:22)
For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with His chariots like
a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames
of fire.
(2nd Thessalonians 1:8)
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that
obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
I see this as the war in Iraq, where our young men are confused about
why they are there and the blood of those lost is the fuel for the
blood that is yet to be lost.
Verse 6. 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
called Wonderful, Counselor, The might God, The everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace.
This tells of things to come at that time and things that are past in
out times.
(Luke 2:11)
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which
is Christ the Lord.
This is about Zacharias's Prophecy.
(Titus 2:13)
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the
great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
At first I thought this was about things that had passed, then I
realized that this is about things that are still to come. This is
not about the coming and going of Jesus Christ. For those that truly
understand Jesus Christ, this is about the hope of the re-appearing
of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ came in the flesh in the past, I
believe that His return will be in the Spirit, which any that chose
can find if they look in the right place.
(1st Corinthians 1:17)
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with
wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none
effect.
(1st Corinthians 2:4)
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's
wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
To me this means that we are not just to talk about the gospel, but
most of all we are to live according to the teachings of the gospel.
Verse 7. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be
no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it,
and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth
even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
This is what could have been if David has not lost sight of God.
Verse 8. The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon
Israel.
A message was sent to Israel and received by Israel.
Verse 9. And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the
inhabitants of Samaria that say in the pride and stoutness of heart,
The same message was sent to all the other people.
(Malachi 1:4)
Whereas Edom saith, we are impoverished, but we will return and build
the desolate places; thus saith the Lord of Host, they shall build,
but I will throw down; and they shall call them, the border of
wickedness, and, the people against whom the Lord hath indignation
for ever.
As it was in the past, God tears it down and man builds it back up
even stronger than before only to have God tear it down again. If I
didn't know better I would think that we are talking about current
events.
Verse 11. Therefore the Lord shall set up the adversaries of Rezin
against him, and join his enemies together;
All you have to do is change the name and time and this would be
talking about what is going on today.
Verse 12. The Syrian before, and the Philistines behind; and they
shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this His anger is not
turned away, but His hand is stretched out still.
This also seems like current events.
Verse 13. For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them,
neither do they seek the Lord of Host.
(Jeremiah 5:3)
O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth? Thou hast stricken them,
but they have not grieved; Thou hast consumed them, but they have
refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder
than a rock; they have refused to return.
(Jeremiah 7:28)
But Thou shalt say unto them, this is a nation that obeyeth not the
voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction; truth is
perished, and is cut off from their mouth.
Are we not in a war for the wrong reasons and have we not refused to
receive correction? Have we not become even more determined to win
this war? Have we not taken God out of our schools and now even our
court rooms? Are we not now a nation that does not obey the voice of
the Lord? A nation that has cut off the voice of the Lord from our
government?
Verse 14. Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail,
branch and rush, in one day.
(Isaiah 19:15)
Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail,
branch or rush, may do.
(Revelation 18:8)
Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and
famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the
Lord God who judgeth her.
Do we not now have plagues that come in one day, leaving death,
mourning, and famine in their wake? Tsunami, Hurricanes, Volcanoes,
Forest Fires, Mud Slides, Earthquakes, and other natural disasters?
Verse 15. The ancient and honourable, He is the head; and the
prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.
(Isaiah 3:2-3)
The mighty man, and the man of war; the judge, and the prophet, and
the prudent, and the ancient,
It is up to each of us to find out for ourselves just who is the head and who is the tail.
Verse 16. For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they
that are led of them are destroyed.
(Matthew 15:14)
Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind
lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
Just as the leaders that lead astray will be destroyed, so shall
those that follow them. Please keep in mind that the soul to be saved
or lost is your own.
Verse 17. Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men,
neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one
is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For
all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out
still.
Those that are blind will not ask for mercy for they know not that they
need it. Those that know the truth and go along with the blind need
not ask for mercy for they are hypocrites and will not receive it.
His hand is stretched out only to those that see the truth and have
enough faith to live the truth.
(Psalm 147:10)
He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: He taketh not
pleasure in the legs of a man.
God finds delight in the beauty of a horse and not its strength, He
finds pleasure in the spirit of man and not in his appearance.
(Psalm 33:17)
An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.
With all his great strength and size, man can still make a pet of a
horse.
(Psalm 20:7)
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the
name of the Lord our God.
Some trust in their weapons, others trust in their possessions, but I
will trust in God for neither weapons or possessions can stand against
God.
(Isaiah 5:25)
Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against His people, and He
hath stretched forth His hand against them, and hath smitten them: and
the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of
the streets. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand
is stretched out still.
After all we have done and with as angry as God is He will still save
us, if only we take His stretched out hand.
Verse 18. For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the
briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and
they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.
Wickedness if left alone will only spread more wickedness.
Verse 19. Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts is the land
darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire: no man
shall spare his brother.
As the wickedness of man has darkened man so shall the wrath of the
Lord darken land.
Verse 20. And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and
he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied; they
shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm:
The more a man has the more he will want, and he will not be
satisfied until he has everything.
Verse 21. Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together
shall be against Judah. For all this His anger is not turned away,
but his hand is stretched out still.
In the end salvation is in God's hand and all you have to do is reach
up and grab Hand to get it.
All I said tonight is not what I want you to believe, but it is what
I believe. What I want from you is for you to go to your Bibles and
read for yourselves what is written within the pages of it.
(Revelation 2:17)
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden
manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name
written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
For I have received my new name and rejoice in it, but you can only
find yours of your own free will and accord, for no man can give it
to you.
I live on one planet
I will close with these few parting words:
Yesterday I was that I was
Tonight I am that I am
Tomorrow I will be what God makes me.
Yours in Love, Peace, and Unity,
For in Love you can find Peace, and only in Peace can you find True
Unity.
Byron E. Hams
A Lifetime Apprentice
I believe in one God
I am a member of one race
The Human Race.