Tuesday Thought -- December 31, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

The people of Israel were in captivity in Babylon -- and Daniel understood why. “The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.” (Daniel 9:9-14)

Despite the merciful and forgiving spirit of the Lord, the people of Israel continued in their sin. God brought the captivity in Babylon and the desolation of Jerusalem because of their sin. It was a drastic measure, but it was God’s wake-up call for Israel. It was God’s attempt to get their attention and get them to turn back toward Him.

Daniel’s conclusion was – “Yet we have not obeyed him.” God’s discipline of Israel had not worked because their hearts were too hard. There was a remnant of righteous people -- like Daniel -- but the majority of Israel was deaf even to the shouting the Lord was doing to them in their captivity.

That is the common thread throughout the history of Israel. In gentle ways, and then in harsher and harsher ways, God sought to get Israel’s attention. Yet, Israel most often failed to hear Him!

I wonder how many times God has sought to get our attention -- in gentle ways or in harsh ways -- but we have failed to listen to Him? The captivity in Babylon was difficult, but it was not done out of hatred, but out of love -- God wanted His people back. They could have spared themselves great pain if only they’d listened!

So can we!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- December 30, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

Daniel received another vision. It’s recorded in Daniel 8. It’s a vision of a ram with two horns, followed by a goat. The goat had one horn, then it was broken off and four horns replaced the one. Out of one of the horns came another horn that started small grew to be very large. It was a strange vision that Daniel did not understand. In fact, following the vision, Daniel says, “I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding.” (Daniel 8:27)

From Daniel’s perspective it was a difficult vision to understand, even with the explanation provided by Gabriel. From our perspective some of Daniel’s vision becomes clear. As Gabriel said would happen, the two-horned ram represented the kingdom of Media and Persia. It was replaced by the kingdom of Greece led by Alexander and represented by the goat. When Alexander died, his kingdom was divided into four kingdoms. From one of those kingdoms arose another kingdom that became great and powerful -- the Roman Empire.

Those are the parts that can be easily understood from this side of history. They show us that God doesn’t just have His hand on the present, being involved in what is happening now. God has His hand on the future. He knows what will happen -- and nothing will happen without His permission. And nothing will happen that will not move the world toward His appointed end.

But parts of Daniel’s vision are still difficult to understand. The angel declared that they involved the “distant future.” (Daniel 8:26) They involve the ‘appointed time of the end.” (Daniel 8:17)

Rest assured of this -- there will come a day when even those difficult to understand parts of this vision will become clear. For Daniel, the vision presented a time for him to trust, even when he didn’t understand. If you’re like me there is much about God’s revelation of the future that presents a time for me to trust Him, even when I don’t understand.

I think that's what God wants from us -- just to trust Him, even when we don’t understand.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- December 27, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me.” (Daniel 7:15)

Not every message from God is comforting and encouraging. The visions Daniel received brought trouble to his spirit. They spoke of difficult times ahead for the people of God.

“He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.’” (Daniel 7:23-27)

God gave Daniel a look into the future and it was not all pleasant for God’s people. There was a time coming when the people of God would be oppressed. It was a time predicted in which God would not come to their rescue, not until the time was fulfilled.

This word that Daniel received is consistent with the message John received in the Revelation. A time is coming when God’s people will be opposed by wicked men. It will be a troubling time and it will seem that God will allow His people to suffer.

But, here’s the good news -- it will be a short time! That’s the word of Daniel and the word of Revelation. And at the end of that short time “the court will sit.” God will intervene with judgment and justice. Then, God’s people will reign for eternity and His kingdom will never end.

Times won’t always be easy. That’s true in our own lives and for the people of God as a whole. But -- hang on -- the trouble is only temporary – the relief that is coming will last forever!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- December 26, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“As I looked, ‘thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.) In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.’” (Daniel 7:9-14)

No king can compare with the King we serve! No kingdom can compare to the Kingdom of which we are a part!

The King we serve is the Ancient of Days. You don’t have to be a scholar to get the drift of what that title implies. He’s the One who has been around a long time. In fact, He’s been around forever -- and will be around forever still. Earthly kings have come and gone, but He’s the one King who will always be in power.

The King we serve has power that is matchless and cannot be defeated. His power flows from Him as though it is unquenchable fire. Nothing can stand in its way.

When we serve our King, we are not alone. Sometimes it seems as though the church is so small in this world and this time. It’s not! Millions upon millions serve the King, even in these latter days of wickedness. Through the generations of man, the number of those who have served Him cannot be counted. We are part of a vast army of the servants of the King.

Kings come and kings go. Kingdoms come and kingdoms go. But there is one King and one Kingdom that will always be there -- even forever. That is the King worth serving. That is the Kingdom worth being a part of.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- December 24, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

Both Mary and Joseph received clear words from the Lord about what they were to do.

Gabriel visited Mary with this message, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was at first troubled by Gabriel’s greeting and then Gabriel continued with his message, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” Still Mary wondered how in the world what the angel said would be accomplished and so the angel continued, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:28-37)

What an assignment God was giving to this young woman. She was being asked to carry God’s Child. She was being asked to set aside her reputation, put at risk her relationship with Joseph, and walk into an assignment that no one had ever been given before or would ever be given again. How would she respond?

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered, “May it be to me as you have said.” (Luke 1:38)

She willingly and fully submitted to God’s plan and God’s will.

An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph, too. The angel’s message to Joseph confirmed the story that Mary had told him about what Gabriel had said to her. And how would Joseph respond?

“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him.” (Matthew 1:24)

He willingly and fully submitted to God’s plan and God’s will.

It’s Christmas and we are celebrating God’s great Gift to the world in sending Jesus. So, let’s respond in the same way Joseph and Mary did to the first Christmas. Let’s willingly and fully submit to God’s plan and God’s will.

Have a Merry Christmas,

Steve

Monday Thought -- December 23, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying on his bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream. Daniel said: ‘In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.’” (Daniel 7:1-3)

Daniel had a strange dream and vision. It was given by God and it foretold the future. In it were four great beasts, each representing a kingdom of the world: a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a strange ten-horned creature. Several things are striking about these beasts.

First, they came from the sea as it was churned by the four winds of heaven. The winds of heaven represent the movement of God in the world. No kingdom arises except by God’s permission. That doesn’t mean these or any other earthly kingdoms always act in ways that are consistent with the character of God -- it is obvious that they don’t. But it does mean that ultimately they accomplish His will and move the world toward the fulfillment of His plan. There will never come a time when the kingdoms of this world will thwart God’s plan -- no matter how wealthy, how powerful, or how long-lasting they are.

Second, each of these beasts was destructive in nature. They had authority to rule, but they ruled with disregard for those around them. The lion, the bear and the leopard are all beasts of prey, seeking weaker animals to conquer and devour. That is the characteristic of many of the kingdoms of the world -- both past and present. They think only of themselves and seek to satisfy their own needs and desires. The fourth beast is even worse than the other three -- terrifying and frightening, crushing and devouring. (Daniel 7:7) I'm not sure there has ever been such a thing as a benevolent kingdom -- not a kingdom of this world.

The bottom-line of Daniel’s vision is that the kingdoms of this world cannot be counted on. Don’t put your trust in them! They will not last – they are only temporary agents that God uses to move the world toward His plan and goal. Their nature is not loving -- but selfish and taking.

Ah, but there is another kingdom and it’s wholly different than these first four! It’s the kingdom of Jesus!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- December 20, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones. Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language throughout the land: ‘May you prosper greatly! I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.’” (Daniel 6:23-27)

Daniel’s faithfulness and God’s miraculous intervention caused King Darius to take note and resulted in his giving praise to the Lord God. The praise that Darius gave to the Lord was an accurate reflection of God’s character and God’s work.

“He is the living God.” God’s activity is not restricted to times in the distant past. He still lives and is still involved in the world. That was true in Daniel’s day -- and it’s still true today.

“He endures forever.” You can count on God to go on living and being involved in His creation. No power has overtaken Him yet, and no power ever will overtake Him!

“His kingdom will not be destroyed.” God’s power doesn’t just preserve Himself -- it preserves His people, too. Not even the gates of Hell will prevail against God’s kingdom. His kingdom is the one group that you can count on to be around when everything else falls apart.

“His dominion will never end.” From eternity past to eternity future, God has reigned over all and will continue to reign over all.

“He rescues and saves.” He comes to the aid of those who cry out to Him. He provides eternal salvation to those who call on His name. And He intervenes in our lives on earth, too.

“He performs signs and wonders in heaven and on earth.” God’s power is not restricted to working through the natural laws.  He can -- and does -- overrule nature and the usual way this world works. Nothing is too difficult for Him.

Darius praised God for what he saw of Him -- and his praise was right on. Join him in praising God.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- December 19, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, ‘May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!’ A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep. At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, ‘Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?’ Daniel answered, ‘O king, live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king.’” (Daniel 6:16-22)

God is able to rescue those who serve Him.

There is no situation that is beyond God’s ability to step in with help to deliver us from what we face. God was able to control the lions -- He shut their mouths. That was a miracle, and God performed it on behalf of Daniel, because Daniel faithfully served Him.

Are you facing any lions -- hurtful situations that are beyond your control? Do you have a boss who is out to make your life miserable? Do you face a bad situation at work? Sometimes the lions are in your own family, those who should love and support you most, turn against you. Sometimes the lions are within your own body -- physical problems about which you can do nothing. There are many places that lions lurk, seeking to hurt us.

God is able to rescue those who serve Him from the lions in their lives.

God may not always save us from the lions we face – it is His sovereign decision that determines when He intervenes and when He doesn’t. He intervened for Daniel – but He didn’t for Abel, nor for Paul, nor for Peter, nor for Stephen, nor for Jesus! But – He can! So we can trust Him, knowing that it is not powerlessness that causes God to stand idly by while lions attack.

When faced with lions, Daniel continued to walk faithfully before God, and trusted God. There’s a great example for life -- walk faithfully, trust God -- even when you are facing lions.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- December 18, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“Then they said to the king, ‘Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.’ When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him. Then the men went as a group to the king and said to him, ‘Remember, O king, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.’ So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, ‘May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!’ A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.” (Daniel 6:13-18)

Have you ever made a decision and then wished you could change it, but you couldn’t? You had to live with the ramifications of the decision because it was irreversible. That’s what happened to King Darius. He was the third king under whom Daniel had served while an exile in Babylon. Darius, like the other two kings before him, was impressed with Daniel and respected him and his God.

Darius had made a law that anyone found praying to anyone other than Darius would be thrown into the lion’s den. Darius did not think through all of the outcomes of that law. He knew Daniel prayed and knew the kind of man Daniel was, that he would keep on praying. But his advisors buttered him up and his pride caused him to make the law without thinking through all that it would cause to happen. Now, he had to live with that decision, for the law could not be changed.

Darius agonized all day trying to find a way to save Daniel. He agonized all night while Daniel was in the lion’s den, hoping that somehow God would intervene.

Darius is a good reminder to us -- a warning -- think before you act. You’ll still make bad decisions sometimes, but you can reduce the number of bad decisions by taking the time to think through the decision as best you can before you make it. Darius wished he had!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- December 17, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“So the administrators and the satraps went as a group to the king and said: ‘O King Darius, live forever! The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. Now, O king, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered -- in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.’ So King Darius put the decree in writing. Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” (Daniel 6:6-10)

When you do what is right, not everyone will be pleased with you. The other leaders in the administration of Darius were not pleased with Daniel. For one thing, they were jealous. He had already been appointed one of the three top administrators in the kingdom and the king was planning to put him over all of the other administrators. (Daniel 6:3)

It’s also probable that the satraps and other administrators felt guilty because of Daniel’s good work for the king. They couldn’t, or wouldn’t match his effort and integrity.

Jealousy and guilt led to hatred and scheming to get rid of Daniel in the only way they could think of -- they would use his commitment to God against him.

Daniel was now faced with a crisis. The normal expression of his commitment to and relationship with God would be punishable by death in a lions’ den. Would he continue to openly worship God, or would he go underground with his faith?

That was an easy question for Daniel! He continued to do what he had always done, worshiping God and praying regularly and openly. His commitment to God meant more than his position, his power, his comfort, or even his life.

Would it be an easy question for you? Does your commitment to God mean that much to you?

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- December 16, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, ‘We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.’” (Daniel 6:1-5)

Daniel was serving in a pagan government. There was nothing righteous about it. Yet, the fact that it was pagan did not mean Daniel could work poorly. He gave his best to his master, his employer. His commitment to doing a good job and his integrity were the marks of his work.

Most of us work in a similar environment. It’s not that most places of secular employment are evil, it’s just that they are secular. They are motivated by the bottom-line. What kind of employee are you? Do you distinguish yourself by your commitment to do a good job? Are you known as a person of such integrity that your coworkers cannot find ways to speak against you?

The Apostle Paul’s charge to those employed by others was to: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” (Colossians 3:23)

That was what Daniel was doing. Even in a pagan environment, he did his work as “for the Lord.”

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- December 13, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

God sent a hand to write a message on the wall for King Belshazzar and Daniel was brought before the king to explain its meaning. He started by recounting how God had dealt with Belshazzar’s father, Nebuchadnezzar.

“But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like cattle; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and sets over them anyone he wishes.” (Daniel 5:20-21)

Then Daniel makes this sad commentary on Belshazzar: “But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this.” (Daniel 5:22)

Why is it that each generation seems to ignore the lessons that God has taught to those who have gone before it? Each generation seems to make the same mistakes. Why is it so hard for us to learn the lessons of history, even the lessons that have been taught to our parents.

For Belshazzar, the writing on the wall was God’s prediction of judgment. That night the king was slain and his kingdom fell into the hands of others. He had only hours to repent of his arrogance before he would stand before God in judgment.

If only he’d learned from his father!

Are there lessons God taught your parents, perhaps painfully, to which you should be listening?

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- December 12, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way.” (Daniel 5:1-6)

Usually God is quite subtle in the way He speaks to people. God rarely forces Himself on people in such a way that they have to sit up and take notice. But occasionally God breaks that pattern and startles those whose attention He wants to get. Such was the case with the new king of Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar was dead and his son, Belshazzar, had taken the throne. Belshazzar forgot the lesson that Nebuchadnezzar had learned the hard way. He ignored God, even ridiculed Him by using the items from God’s temple in giving praise to his own false gods. And like his father before him, God got Belshazzar’s attention in a miraculous way!

The hand writing on the wall of the banquet hall is a demonstration that God will break in to the ordinary progression of the world to accomplish His will. He may not do that very often. In fact, the rarity of such acts of God is one of the things that makes them so powerful. But the truth is that sometimes God does break in to the normal progression of the world in miraculous ways. Those instances are evidence that God loves people enough to surprise them sometimes in order to get their attention. But the primary lesson from God’s visit to Belshazzar relates to the people of Israel. God, through His surprise visit, was working to protect His people. God cares about His own people so much that He watches over them and intervenes for them.

He still cares about those who are His that much – including you and me!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- December 11, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: ‘What have you done?’ At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” (Daniel 4:34-37)

King Nebuchadnezzar learned a powerful lesson through his time of insanity. His insanity came as a discipline for his pride, so he learned that God is able to humble the proud.

What God caused to happen to Nebuchadnezzar seems horrible -- to wander like a wild animal, eating grass. But it was the best thing that ever happened to him! It resulted in him coming humbly to God in praise and worship.

God doesn’t bring down every proud person like He brought down this king. Certainly, not all insanity is the result of pride.

Most of the proud, it seems, are allowed to continue in their pride, ignoring God and believing that all they have they deserve. But there will come a day, perhaps on the other side of eternity, when all pride will be brought to its end. Better to learn that lesson in this life than to be taught it in eternity!

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- December 10, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, ‘Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?’ The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, ‘This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes.’ Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.” (Daniel 4:29-33)

Nebuchadnezzar took for himself the glory that belonged to God. He looked at all that he ruled and all that he had accomplished and believed it was through his own greatness that it had been done. Nebuchadnezzar was a man filled with pride. God tolerated Nebuchadnezzar’s pride for many years, but there came a day when God’s patience ran out.

The scriptures are clear about God’s attitude toward pride.

God hates pride. (Proverbs 8:13)

Pride goes before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18)

God will give His glory to no one else. (Isaiah 42:8)

God made an object lesson out of Nebuchadnezzar. In an instant, he took the king from his position of honor and respect and power, to the place of dishonor and ridicule and weakness. Nebuchadnezzar believed all that had been accomplished had happened because of his superior intelligence and wisdom, so God removed those. God clouded the king’s mind completely.

Our talents and natural abilities are not our own, they are a gift from God. It is only by His Sovereign choice that we have the intelligence, wisdom, abilities, and opportunities that we have. They are not ours to brag about and be proud of, nor is what is accomplished through those gifts ours to take glory from. The glory belongs to God – it’s our choice to give it to Him voluntarily -- or keep it for ourselves, and there will come a day when He will take it from us.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- December 9, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“‘Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.’ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar, To the peoples, nations and men of every language, who live in all the world: May you prosper greatly! It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders!  His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.” (Daniel 3:29-4:3)

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were faithful to God. They were willing to pay whatever price was required in order to serve Him. Their steadfastness toward God and God’s miraculous intervention in their behalf caused even the wicked Nebuchadnezzar to take note. The king aligned himself with God, promoted the three servants of God, and broadcast his praise of God to the whole nation.

There is evidence that Nebuchadnezzar’s heart was not truly changed in his decree that people be cut to pieces and have their homes destroyed for speaking against God. His unchanged heart will be confirmed as we move through the rest of Daniel’s book.

Nevertheless, the point is still true that people take note when we stand faithful to the Lord. Nebuchadnezzar may not have been truly changed, but some in Babylon would have been as they heard the account of the blazing furnace.

God is looking for people who will be faithful to Him no matter what – “Faithful even to death.” He uses people like that to impact the lives of others around them. He can use you!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- December 6, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

The answer of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego to the king did not please him. He was looking for submission to his will and they answered with stubborn determination to do what was right before God instead of the king. In response, he grew furious and ordered the three thrown into the blazing furnace, and turned the furnace up seven times hotter than usual. The fire was so hot that the soldiers who threw the three into the furnace were killed by the heat!

“Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, ‘Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?’ They replied, ‘Certainly, O king.’ He said, ‘Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.’ Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, ‘Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!’ So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’ command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.’”(Daniel 3:24-28))

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not alone in the furnace. God proved true to His Word. He doesn’t promise that He will always deliver His followers from harm or death, but He does promise that there will never be a situation they will have to face alone.

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

‘I will be with you always.” (Matthew 28:20)

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” (Psalm 23:4)

In this case, God saved the three from the furnace and caused those who witnessed the miracle to be amazed, even the wicked king. But even more important, God didn’t desert them in the furnace. And no matter what you have to face, He’ll never desert you, either!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- December 5, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.’” (Daniel 3:16-18)

The edict had been enacted as law -- everyone was to bow and worship the image that the king had set up. But, because they were committed to being faithful to God, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, could not worship the image. They were brought before the king to answer for their disobedience and this was their answer.

For me, the key words in their answer to the king are these: “even if he does not.” They obeyed God and they trusted Him. They knew He was able to save them from whatever punishment the king gave to them -- even the blazing furnace. Nothing was too difficult for their God!

But whether God chose to rescue them or not would not affect their obedience to Him. If He rescued them, they would continue to serve Him. If He allowed them to die in the furnace, they would not renounce Him. They were committed to Him, no matter what.

A year before our daughter, Becky, died in a car accident, our older daughter, Kristin, was also in a car wreck. The wreck was serious, but neither she nor her children were injured. Here is what Becky posted on Facebook following Kristin’s accident: “Becky Coon is praising God that the message was … ‘I rolled the Jeep but everyone’s fine’ instead of … ‘I’m sorry but your sister rolled the Jeep, the kids were with her, and they’re all gone’.  Words can’t even express ...” Then Becky continued … “It is so true that had the outcome been the opposite God would still be in control, and would still be GOOD … even if we struggled to believe that for a while.”

A year later Becky’s accident resulted in her death. But God was God when Kristin was okay from her wreck and God was God when Becky died in hers.

God can heal you -- but will you serve Him “even if He does not?”

God can provide for you financially -- but will you serve Him “even if He does not?”

God can bring a life partner to you -- but will you serve Him “even if He does not?”

God can protect you from danger and harm – but will you serve Him “even if He does not?”

What is your most important prayer request right now? Will you serve Him, even if He says “no?”

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- December 4, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it. Then the herald loudly proclaimed, ‘This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations and men of every language: As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.’” (Daniel 3:1-5)

There is no limit to the pride and audacity of some men. Nebuchadnezzar demanded allegiance to him and his edicts -- and that’s appropriate for a ruler. But he went beyond that -- to the point of deciding what and how his people were to worship. He’s not the first king to walk down that road, and not the last, either.

But there is a limit to the obedience that a citizen owes his ruler and government. There are allegiances higher than a person’s allegiance to earthly authority. Nebuchadnezzar crossed the line -- he passed the limit. He demanded that his people do something that he had no right to demand.

The Jewish rulers in the days of the early church reached that same point. They demanded obedience from the early Christians in ways that they had no right to demand. They demanded that the early Christians keep quiet about Jesus. In that demand, they had crossed the line. Peter and the other apostles answered that demand saying, “We must obey God rather than men!” (Acts 5:29)

For most of us, the demands of our government do not violate our conscience. We may not like every law our government passes, but most do not require us to disobey God in order to obey them. Someday that may not be true – so remember, there is an allegiance higher than any allegiance to earthly authority. When there is a choice to be made, we must obey God rather than men.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- December 3, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold. After you, another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron -- for iron breaks and smashes everything -- and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others.” (Daniel 2:36-40)

Daniel interpreted the king’s dream. He saw into the future and told Nebuchadnezar of three kingdoms that would follow his. Daniel could see certain characteristics of the coming three kingdoms. And what Daniel predicted did come to pass as Babylon faded and was followed by Persia, Greece and Rome.

How could Daniel know what would happen in the future? Only one way – God revealed it to Daniel as He gave him the interpretation of the king’s dream.

Why did he receive that knowledge? One reason -- to demonstrate to future generations that there is a God in heaven – Daniel’s God -- who knows the future. God is not constrained to wait for the future to unfold and respond to each situation as it comes. He knows what is ahead. The revelation of the knowledge of the future was not just for the king’s benefit. In fact, he would be around to see very little of it unfold. It was given for our benefit, and for the benefit of others who would read the book of Daniel from this side of history.

Be encouraged by this truth -- God knows what the future holds and He is in control of it. He can prepare you for whatever lies ahead in your future and He can protect you through it. The future seems frightening sometimes -- remember that you follow the only One who knows what it will be like -- trust Him!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- December 2, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“Daniel said: ‘Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king.’” (Daniel 2:20-23)

King Nebuchadnezar had a troubling dream and called for his wise men to interpret it. To be sure that they were not just faking it, making up an interpretation, he gave them a test – before they provided an interpretation they had to be able to tell him what the dream was. If they knew what he dreamed without him telling them, he could be sure they had special wisdom and would not be faking the interpretation.

The king’s wise men could not pass the test. They had no idea what the dream was, much less any ability to accurately interpret it. The punishment from the king was that all of his wise men were to be executed – even those who were not involved in trying to interpret the dream. When they came to take Daniel to be executed, he asked them to explain why and then asked the king for time to be able to know what he dreamed and then interpret it.

Daniel returned to his quarters and offered the prayer in today’s text as he asked God for the wisdom to know the dream and to interpret it. Daniel relied on God to provide the wisdom that he needed. He knew God was the source of all wisdom.

In our world, humans take credit for almost everything. Men take credit for the political skill that results in electoral victory. Men take credit for the intelligence that leads to scientific discovery. Men take credit for the creativity to solve problems and invent new products and services.

But Daniel knew the truth -- all wisdom and knowledge and power come from God. Men rule by God’s choice. Men understand because God allows them to do so. This is God’s world -- if men would only recognize that!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- November 29, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, ‘I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.’ Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ‘Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.’ So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.” (Daniel 1:9-15)

Perhaps this story is clear evidence of the superiority of a vegetarian diet, but I don’t think that's the point! I hope not, because I sure like hamburgers and pizza with Canadian bacon. Rather, the point is to illustrate God’s ability to protect those who walk according to His will.

Daniel, and his friends, could have justified eating the food put before them. After all, surely God didn’t want them to starve to death. God had put them in these important positions in the royal house, surely He didn’t want them to lose those positions over food.

But no justification was offered. Instead, they stood their ground and ate only what the Law permitted them to eat -- in this case only vegetables and water were left when they removed the food outlawed by the Old Testament regulations. And God honored their commitment and caused them to remain strong and healthy even with such a restricted diet.

These four men obeyed God and trusted Him with the outcome. We’ll see that same philosophy put into practice in several other places in the book of Daniel. That philosophy forms the theme the book of Daniel teaches about how to live in midst of pain and opposition. Obey God and trust Him!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- November 27, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility -- young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service. Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names:  to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.” (Daniel 1:3-8)

Not all pain and hardship is physically trying. It would seem like such an honor to be chosen to be among the best and the brightest. These young men were taken into the palace. They were given privileges that most of the Hebrew slaves would never enjoy. They ate the food of the king and drank of his wine, the best in the land. The education they received would have been the finest available in Babylon.

But though it was physically pleasant, it was spiritually hard. The food and wine of the Babylonian king would have been objectionable to a Hebrew who was intent on following the Law of the Lord. To eat and drink from the king’s table would have been spiritually defiling for them.

These young men were faced with a serious challenge: they could give in to the luxuries of the king and enjoy life, or they could be faithful to the God they served and face unknown consequences and certainly miss a good deal of pleasure. They were at a crossroad, a decision point. One part of the fork before them was labeled self-fulfillment and pleasure. The other part of the fork was labeled faithful to God.

We face forks like that in our own lives, almost every day. Daniel chose God over his own pleasure. Which road are you walking down?

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- November 26, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god.” (Daniel 1:1-2)

There is a great deal of pain in the first couple of verses of the book of Daniel.

There is the pain felt by Jerusalem. It was a horrible thing for a city to be besieged. The opposing army surrounds the city walls and camps there. No one was allowed to enter the city and no one was allowed to leave the city. A siege could last years. The enemy only had to wait patiently until the food and water supplies of the city were gone and then surrender came quickly. The people of Jerusalem had to be frightened by the powerful enemy as they camped outside its walls -- fear that increased with each passing month and no help coming from God.

There is the pain for King Jehoiakim of Judah. It could not have been easy for a king to watch his people suffer. And even if he was a king who did not care about his people, there had to be horrible fear as he considered what lay ahead for him. Kings were never treated very well when the enemy finally conquered. Jehoiakim knew the fate that awaited him as soon as surrender was made unavoidable. In fact, it’s probably the fear of the king that kept him from allowing an earlier surrender.

There is the pain of God, too. The book of Daniel says that is was the Lord who delivered Jehoiakim into the hands of the king of Babylon. God had come to the point where He gave up on His people. He had warned about it for years through other prophets. Now the time had come for hard discipline to be visited upon His own people, whom He loved deeply. It could not have been easy for God to watch as His people suffered. Of course, it was for their ultimate good -- they would come back one day from their captivity – a repentant people, at least for a while.

The story told in the book of Daniel is a story about how to live in the midst of pain. Since we all live in pain, there must be some things for us to learn from the story!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- November 25, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

The focal word of Revelation 22 is “come.” Three times Jesus reminds us that He is coming again -- soon.

“Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.” (Revelation 22:7)

“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.” (Revelation 22:12)

“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’” (Revelation 22:20)

It’s been almost 2,000 years since Jesus gave that promise through John. “Soon” in Jesus’ mind has a different meaning than soon in our minds. We grow impatient waiting for the fulfillment of the promise. We wonder if He has forgotten, or decided not to come after all. But when we see the things that John saw in Revelation start to unfold in reality then we can know that the Second Coming is right around the corner. Jesus will come again and all that holds Him back now is His patience in wanting as many as possible to come to Him for salvation.

The Spirit of God and the bride (the church) long for Jesus to come again. “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” (Revelation 22:17) The Spirit and the bride call to those who are still living with the emptiness of not knowing Jesus to come to Him for the gift of life.

And, finally, John adds his own plea, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20)

Come, Lord Jesus. Remake this dark world with Your bright light.

Come, Lord Jesus. Show Your glory, majesty, and power.

Come, Lord Jesus. Usher in our glorious eternity.

Come, Lord Jesus. Bring us into Your eternal presence.

Come, Lord Jesus!

His, by Grace,

Steve