Month: June 2019

Daniel 4:1-37

Pride. We all suffer from it.

Nebuchadnezzar learned a valuable lesson. He was king of Babylon between 605BC to 562BC and attributed his great prosperity to his own mighty power.

Nebuchadnezzar had been forewarned in an alarming dream that his kingdom would be removed from his power for a period of time and that he would be made to eat grass like an ox until he had been humbled. This came to pass.

Nebuchadnezzar then repents and his reason is returned to him. He acknowledges and praises the Most High. He has learned that the King of heaven rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will,;for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

What an amazing testimony!

James 4:5b-6
Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Romans 12:3
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Revelation 12:1-17; Daniel 3:1-30

We live in changing times with conflicting standards and the Christian world view is barely tolerated. Christians are being told that we must be tolerant to all world views and idiologies, otherwise we are called out as being the ones who are intolerant bigots.

How did Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego handle themselves when they were put in a position of having to choose to either go along with the culture and bow down to idolatrous human belief systems or remain faithful to Almighty God’s commandments?

How will we respond, as followers of Jesus Christ, to the intolerance and persecution from our culture and from those who would seek to shut us down and destroy us?

Where do our convictions lie? Are we prepared to stand firm and trust in God, no matter the consequences, even our own death or the death of those we love?

Do we dare to not conform to Babylon?

Live or die, God will save us!

Matthew 10:28
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Luke 12:4
“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.

We are called to die with Christ that we may live with him, and to suffer with him that we may reign with him. —William Tyndale

Daniel 2:1-49

We all have vivid dreams when we sleep, but quite often we have forgotten the details after waking. What are the chances that someone else would be able to tell us what we dreamed, and then give us the interpretation of the dream.

That’s exactly what King Nebuchadnezzar expected from his magicians and he put them to the test. When they made excuses and failed, they were exposed as charlatans.

No one knows the  future except our omniscient God and he alone has an unblemished record for revealing the future.

Daniel knew that only with the help of the Lord he would be able to reveal and explain Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Daniel and his friends prayed to the LORD and God blessed Daniel and gave him the knowledge and wisdom he needed.

Daniel 1:1-21; 2 Kings 24:1-20

Many young christians seem to lose their faith when they go off to university and are confronted with new temptations and new ideas contrary to  the ways of God. They may even turn completely away from the Lord.

Daniel Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah on the other hand, when removed from Jerusalem amongst the first captives and were taken to Babylon for re education at a young age, resolved to remain faithful and loyal to the God of Israel even though it appeared as though the Babylonian gods had defeated Israel’s God.

The Lord God greatly blessed Daniel and his friends. Daniel remained in a high position through successive governments in that land, lived through the entire exile and saw the eventual return of his people to the promised land.

Let us remain faithful to our great God who is Lord over all kings and governments., and may we hold fast to the gospel which we have received and by which we are being saved: without wavering, until he comes again.

The Beatitudes Part 8

Readings Matthew 5:1-12; Jeremiah 20:1-18

Do we love God and his word so much that we can’t contain it or do we try to bottle it up so we avoid persecution?

Even if we are the most gracious and wise person it is likely we will be reviled for speaking the truth of God’s word to unbelievers.

Are you willing to suffer for something you care for?

Luke 6:26
“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

John 15:20
Remember the word that I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.