Tag Archives: Heaven

Christianity’s Image Problem

Posted on by
Reply

The Tradeoff Seemed Worth It

It seemed to me that Christianity had an image problem back in the 1970s when I came to faith as a Junior High Boy. Here’s what I mean— if you decided to trust Jesus, as your Savior, you’d get heaven when your life ended HERE; but, the rest of your life HERE would be boring and blasé. But, for me, the “tradeoff” certainly seemed worth it; so, I asked Jesus to be my Savior. I’ll take the 80 years of blasé; but, eternity in heaven vs. 80 years of fun & happiness; but, eternity in hell at the end! But, that didn’t “sell” real well with my friends! I had a difficult time convincing them that the tradeoff was worth it.

Misconceptions About The Christian Life

I think many believers still suffer from some severe misconceptions about the “Christian life”, don’t you? It’s been my observation that many believers just ENDURE the Christian life! Secretly, they still pine for the pleasures & happiness they think the world enjoys. In their hearts, they’re earthly hedonists! Like the children of Israel, during the Exodus, still looking back with longing for the old life they left behind in Egypt. Somehow, we’ve come to this erroneous conclusion that life’s just not going to be fun or happy as a Christian; but, we put up with it because…. well, we get heaven at the END!

The Most Possible Happiness

But, there’s a great text of Scripture that debunks the notion that the life that follows Christ & adheres to the Scriptures is boring. What this Psalm says is quite the opposite. The writer sets the record straight— we don’t just ENDURE the Christian life; putting in our time here until we get to heaven & hang out with Jesus forever and ever! No! This Psalm tells us that it’s the life that submits to God & His Word that provides us with the greatest fulfillment & the most happiness possible! This is a message that the Church desperately needs!

The God-Centered Life

You need this message! I need this message! Happiness & prosperity, in this life & the next, only follows the God-centered life. Here’s how I’d summarize the Psalmist’s big idea: we overcome the pleasures of the world by taking greater pleasure in the Word of God! A significant part of your spiritual growth involves the things in which you find pleasure & happiness! Don’t be surprised that God is concerned with your happiness!  This is anything but a “health, wealth & prosperity” gospel; which is no gospel at all!  What the Psalmist is saying is it is the life of Christ; or walking obediently with Christ by faith that offers the greatest happiness we could ever enjoy! That’s what we were designed for!

Here’s A Happy Man

Listen to what He says:  “How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path of sinners or join a group of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.  He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.  The wicked are not like this; instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away.  Therefore the wicked will not survive the judgment, and sinners will not be in the community of the righteous.  For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.” (Psalm 1) For some believers, it’s a debate over “JOY” & “HAPPINESS”! JOY is a fruit of the Spirit, they say; and, that’s what we should concern ourselves with! Not HAPPINESS! But, read that text again— it makes me HAPPY! We don’t have to choose one over the other! Walking with God makes one JOYFUL and HAPPY!

Your Good Works May Offend God

Posted on by
Reply

Jesus’ Sacrificial Act

Being a disciple of Jesus does not begin with something we do; but, with something Jesus has already done! When Jesus went to the cross, He redeemed our relationship with the Father that was broken by our sin against Him! By Jesus’ death on the cross, He paid the penalty for our sins that we should have paid so that the Father would be just to grant us forgiveness, grace, mercy & love.  By Jesus’ sacrificial act, He made a way for the Father to adopt us into His family when we accept the work of His Son & His payment on our behalf. 

Quit Trying To Earn God’s Favor

But Jesus’ work, on our behalf is only effective when we quit trying to work our way into the Father’s favor! We must accept God’s offer of salvation through Christ alone by grace alone; and, cast aside any hope that our good deeds might impress the Father.  Can you see how offensive it is to God when we try to make ourselves presentable to Him? We trample on His Son’s sacrifice when we try to impress God with our “perceived” good deeds! We spit in His face & tell Him His Son’s work on the cross wasn’t good enough; that, we need to “add” our own.

What God Requires

What God requires of us is nothing more than humility & brokenness, along with a confession that we’re not worthy & incapable of ever becoming worthy of the salvation He offers us! What we need is a new start; a new beginning; a new birth! “You MUST be born again,” Jesus said. He was referencing a “SPIRITUAL” birth. Your “physical” birth makes you a citizen of this world; but, only your “spiritual” birth can make you a citizen of heaven! That becomes your new identity! You’re no longer a citizen of this world; rather, Scripture calls you a “temporary resident” here! Your citizenship is heaven! And, that’s where we have to begin when we start a conversation about “spiritual growth.”

Your Identity In Christ

You have to be sure of your identity— in Christ— before you can ever hope to mature as a disciple of Christ. That is what Paul said happens at the moment of faith. Here’s how the Amplified Bible expands on the meaning of Paul’s words:  “Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, all things have become new [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]” (2 Corinthians 5:17) 

You’re Not The Old You

If you’re a believer; or, a disciple of Jesus, you’re no longer that OLD you. You’ve become; and, are becoming the NEW you— the spiritually born-again you! And, one day God will finish the work He began in you that day you were converted— that’s the coming day of your “glorification”! Until that day, God will be at work in you, sanctifying you. That’s a big word— SANCTIFICATION— but, break it down to its simplest form & it’s the process by which God makes you more like Jesus and less like you! He does that, in part, by revealing to us our sin, convincing us to forsake it, and, empowering us to overcome it! The Apostle Paul summarized it well for the Church of Philippi when he wrote:  “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” Philippians 1:6. What God started at your salvation; and He continues to do in your sanctification, He will complete at your glorification!

Daniel: Treasured By God

Posted on by
Reply

(Note: This continues a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

God Treasured Daniel

In the 10th chapter of the Old Testament book of Daniel, there’s an incredibly encouraging word, spoken by an angel, to Daniel:  “He said to me, ‘Daniel, you are a man treasured by God…’” (v.11).  God treasured Daniel; and, because God “…does not show favoritism…” we can be assured that we, also, are treasured by Him (Romans 2:11). He places great value on each one of us! As believers, we’ve been purchased by the precious blood of His Son, Jesus; and, we’ve been adopted into God’s family. We are actually said to be “…heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ…” to all the eternal riches of heaven (Romans 8:17). 

Delayed Answers To Prayer

He longs to communicate with us; just, as all parents enjoy talking with their children!  He takes time to listen to our prayers! But, this chapter, in Daniel,  sheds light on the fact that sometimes the answers to prayer are delayed by unseen spiritual forces! By way of personal application, don’t assume that God isn’t listening to your prayers! Remember, that the text says that God heard Daniel’s prayer from the 1st day he prayed it! Starting in v.13, the angel told Daniel that “…the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for 21 days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me after I had been left there with the kings of Persia…” Because Michael is also known to be an angel, in Scripture, it’s best understood that “spiritual warfare” was taking place here! The angel tells Daniel that Michael assisted him when a “…prince of the kingdom of Persia…” opposed him— this “prince” is best understood to be part of a demonic force opposing God’s work, at this time, in this place. 

Spiritual Warfare

Have you ever considered that the reason you’ve not yet received an answer, to a certain prayer, is because of spiritual warfare? It could be! God hasn’t ignored you! There’s a delay, which God has allowed, for the ultimate purposes of His Sovereign plan. Pastor Geoff Thomas put it like this: “Wherever there is a flock of Christ’s sheep there are wolves that want to destroy them. Whenever the Church advances, dark principalities are at work against it.” Daniel’s story may give us insight into delayed answers to our prayers.  It’s been said that God does, in fact, answer every prayer. He does so in 1 of 3 possible ways; He says “yes”, He says “no”, or He tells us to wait! In God’s eternal wisdom, He answers each prayer appropriately. 

It May Take Years

And when God does answer “no” it’s because He has counseled Himself to answer that way. He “… works all things according to the counsel of his will” Eph 1:11. We can never offer God wiser counsel than He gives Himself. Don’t quit praying for God to work! Don’t give up on revival just because God hasn’t answered your prayers thus far! God, in His eternal wisdom, may have very good reasons for allowing the spiritual warfare to take place all around us! This 10th chapter, of Daniel, gives us a rare peek behind the curtain dividing our realm from the spiritual realm. Daniel was given a rare insight into the battle & the warfare that’s normally invisible to us!  Don’t obsess over the spiritual aspect of this text. Rather, be aware of what happens in the realm, of the supernatural; but, only in as much as the Word of God reveals it to us! Everything else is speculation! Scripture gives us all we need to know to know about the spiritual realm.

Responding To Spiritual Warfare

Posted on by
Reply

(Note: This Continues A Series Of Posts On The Life Of The Prophet Daniel)

How Prayer Works

On rare occasions, God pulls back the curtain that divides the realm of the “seen” from the “unseen” realm! This post is about spiritual warfare; and, specifically how the prophet Daniel responded to it! If you’re unaware of how prayer works, you might become discouraged by the “turnaround time.” You might talk to God about something; and, because you don’t get an answer immediately, you might conclude that He’s not listening to you! That would be a mistake on your part!

Unseen Forces At Work

In the 10th chapter of Daniel’s book, in the Bible, we’re introduced to the concept that there are forces at work that we’re unable to see because they are “spiritual”! Here’s what the Apostle Paul wrote the Church of Ephesus about these “spiritual” forces:  “Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens” (Ephesians 6:12). There are spiritual forces of evil at work in the “heavens”; but, we can’t see them because they are spiritual, not flesh! So, if we’re aware that there is a battle going on behind that “curtain” that divides our world from the spiritual world, we’ll adjust our focus!

Adjust Your Focus

Again, the Apostle Paul said, “So we do not focus on what is seen; but, on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18).  So, a Biblical response to life’s struggles is to focus not on the seen; but, the unseen! Whatever life situation we may be enduring, it is temporary. In God’s Sovereignty and eternal wisdom, the circumstances of life may change in a moment; or they may drag on for a while.  But God tells us to focus on the unseen rather than the unseen; by faith to trust God’s work that we cannot see. By faith, to believe His ways of doing things in our life is higher and better than anything we could plan. That’s how Daniel responded!

What’s Behind Life’s Struggles

Our challenge is to let God’s Spirit pull back that curtain & give you a glimpse— through the Scriptures— into the reality of the spirit world! And, the reality that the spirit world impacts our world! That there is a spiritual warfare behind all of life’s struggles! And, Daniel shows us some things about this spirit world; and, how we ought to respond! Just pick up your Bible & read the 10th chapter of Daniel. Pay close attention to the words the angel speaks to Daniel in v.12.  He tells him that God heard his prayers from the very beginning!   

Your Prayers Were Heard

“’ Don’t be afraid, Daniel,’ he said to me, ‘for from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your prayers were heard. I have come because of your prayers.’” (v.12)  Though time had passed— perhaps 3 full weeks (v.12)— God actually HEARD Daniel’s prayer from the FIRST DAY he had begun to pray! In v.11, the angel told Daniel, “…I have been sent to you…”; and, v.12 “…I have come BECAUSE of YOUR PRAYERS…” I hope that encourages you! It does me! It might seem as though your prayers are going unheard! That’s what the enemy wants you to believe! Don’t listen to his lies! God hears your prayers the moment they’re formed in your heart! But, as we’ll see, there are reasons the “answers” to your prayers may be delayed! And you don’t need to know why! That’s not how God grows your faith! He grows you spiritually as you submit to Him, even when you don’t know what He’s doing!

Daniel: God Is In The Details

Posted on by
Reply

(Note: This is the 19th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

Open His Eyes & Let Him See

There’s a fascinating true story, in the Old Testament of the Bible, that illustrates how God is involved in all the details of our lives; even, when we don’t see Him! The story is about the Prophet Elisha; and, it’s at a time when the Arameans are waging war against Israel. Every time the King of Aram lays out a strategy for setting up a camp at a certain place, God tells the Prophet Elisha the details; and, he passes it on to the King of Israel who takes counter-measures to avoid their attack. As you can imagine, that kind of ticked off the King of Aram. He figured there had to be a mole in his army that was tipping off the King of Israel; so, he confronted his army & one of his intelligence officers said, “It’s not our people sharing secrets with Israel! It’s the Prophet Elisha; and, he’s even telling the King of Israel every word you say in your bedroom.” It’s determined that Elisha is in the city of Dothan; so, the Aramean King sends a massive army to surround the city & capture him. When Elisha & his servant, Gehazi see that the Arameans have surrounded the city, Gehazi says, “Master, what are we going to do?” So, Elisha told him not to be afraid because, “Those who are with us outnumber those who are with them,” Gehazi looked around with a “what are you talking about” kind of look! And, Elisha prayed, “Lord, please open his eyes and let him see!”

For His Glory & Our Good

So, the Lord opened his eyes; and, when he looked up he saw that the mountains were covered with heavenly horses & chariots of fire, ready to go to battle against the Arameans on Elisha’s behalf. For one brief moment, God peeled back that layer that divides our world, from the spiritual world, to reveal what was REALLY happening! Now, that story encourages me; and, I hope it encourages you, to know that God is IN the details of our lives! That He’s at work for His Glory & our good! Because, sometimes it doesn’t seem that way, does it? And, in our flesh, we question:  “God! Are you really here? Do you see what’s happening in my life right now? Do you even care?” This world can be a pretty dark place; especially, if you intend to live your life for God like the Prophet Daniel did— he was willing to do the right thing, in a spiritually hostile environment, and trust God with the results!

You Can Trust God With The Results

Doing the right thing does not ensure that everything will go right! But, you can trust God with the results! They may not be the results you hoped for; but, they will be what’s best for you— even if it doesn’t seem like it at the time! If you could just peel back that layer that divides our world, from the spiritual realm, you’d see that! Daniel managed not only to survive; but, to THRIVE in a spiritually hostile world! As our world becomes increasingly more hostile, to our faith in Jesus, we can identify with Daniel! But, like him, you can survive & thrive if you trust God with all the circumstances of your life! He has a perfect plan for the world He created. Sometimes it seems like God has lost control! Like Satan is gaining the victory in the battle between good and evil. But, in fact, there really is no battle! God is all-powerful. Satan is NOT! What God has declared He will do! And no one can stop Him! We’ll get into Daniel, chapter 6, next time; and, learn how to tame a pit full of lions!

Daniel: Sanity Based Worship

Posted on by
Reply

(Note: This is the 16th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

The Insanity Of Pride

When God fulfilled King Nebuchadnezzar’s prophetic dream (Daniel ch.4) and cut him down to a stub, it was truly an act of grace on God’s part! If God hadn’t stepped in to humble him, Nebuchadnezzar would have continued in the “insanity” of his pride; and, he would have died in the “insanity” of his pride! God’s humbling was the most gracious thing God could do for him! It saved him! For the rest of his days, Nebuchadnezzar bore the scars of being “cut down” to a stub! A new shoot would grow from that stub as God returned the kingdom to him; but, everyone would know that something happened there! The tree had been cut!

Worship Is The Basis For Sanity

Let me make a couple more observations from King Nebuchadnezzar’s story! First, we see that it is “worship” that is the basis for sanity! When we’re full of pride we’re out of touch with reality! But, humility leads us back to God’s Sovereignty & to worship Him, where sanity is based. Sanity is based on the reality of God & experienced when we worship Him! To worship God is our highest calling! It is worship that separates us from the animal kingdom & the rest of creation! Listen to Nebuchadnezzar’s response:  “…at the end of those days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity returned to me.  Then I praised the Most High and honored and glorified Him who lives forever…” (ch.4:34ff). 

The By-Product Of Worship

When his sanity returned to him, praise & worship were his response! When we worship God we see Him for who He really is & we see ourselves for who we really are! Worship is the path to sanity because it humbles us & it exalts God! And, then, giving witness or testimony is the by-product of our worship! “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and glorify the King of heaven, because all His works are true & His ways are just. God is able to humble those who walk in pride!” (ch. 4:37ff). When we give witness to God’s work in our lives, it’s to the praise of His glory! It should be our delight to give Him praise everywhere we go! That is the overriding moral to Nebuchadnezzar’s story— Humble yourself, or God will do it for you! No truth is more fundamental than that— He is God! We are not! We cannot worship God rightly when we think more highly of ourselves than we ought to; when we place ourselves on the throne of our life! If you belong to Him; if you’ve made Jesus your Savior, God will intercept your attempts to rob Him of His glory! He will humble you!

Get That “G” Off Your Chest

If you’ve been trying to wear a big “G” on your chest (“God”) as King Nebuchadnezzar did, I’m going to warn you as Daniel warned him earlier in the chapter:  “Therefore, may my advice seem good to you my king. Separate yourself from your sins by doing what is right, and from your injustices by showing mercy to the needy. Perhaps there will be an extension of your prosperity.” If only he had listened, he would have avoided 7 years of insanity! That’s my plea to you— Stop the insanity! Confess your sin of pride & ask God’s indwelling Spirit (if you’re a believer!) to help you beat it! Stop trying to play “God” with your life! You’re NOT Him! Tear that big “G” off your chest; and, experience the FREEDOM of letting God run the universe! Let Him run your life; and, lead you in His Sovereign plan! It’s the best decision you can make!

Daniel: Spiritual Insanity

Posted on by
Reply

(Note: This is the 15th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

There Are Consequences

“Don’t ever tempt the Lord God,” Jesus warned Satan! And, Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar learned the consequences, of stepping over that line, according to his own testimony in the book of Daniel, chapter 4.  God caused Nebuchadnezzar to dream about a great tree that stood taller than any other tree on the earth. It provided shelter for the birds; and, produced fruit that fed every living creature. In his dream the King saw a “Holy One” come down from heaven & cut the great tree down to a stump. So, he went to Daniel & asked him to interpret the meaning of the dream; and, just as God had done—back in chapter 1—He gave Daniel the meaning (see vs. 24-27). 

Pride Is The Issue

“You’ve got a pride issue, oh King,” Daniel warned him, “You think YOU’RE Sovereign over the Kingdom of Babylon! That it’s great because YOU’RE great! But, God is going to show you how insane your pride really is!” Unfortunately, for Nebuchadnezzar, when you’re full of pride, you’re not in your right mind! The verses, that follow, tell us that “At the end of 12 months, as he was walking on the roof of the royal palace in Babylon, the king exclaimed, ‘Is this not Babylon the Great that I have built by my vast power to be a royal residence and to display my majestic glory?’ While the words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven: ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared that the kingdom has departed from you.  You will be driven away from people to live with the wild animals, and you will feed on grass like cattle for seven periods of time, until you acknowledge that the Most High is ruler over the kingdom of men, and He gives it to anyone He wants.”

It’s Insanity

For 12 months God patiently waited for the King to repent of his pride; and, for 12 months the King tested God’s resolve to follow through on His Word! Clearly, it’s a form of insanity to think you can overpower the OMNIPOTENT God! It’s a form of insanity to think you can outwit an OMNISCIENT God! It’s a form of insanity to think you can hide your sin from an OMNIPRESENT God! Nebuchadnezzar’s sin was claiming credit, for himself,  what belonged to God alone! “Insanity” happens when a person loses touch with reality!   

He Was Out Of His Mind

Nebuchadnezzar lived in a “make-believe” world that he had created in his own mind—an unreal world! That’s where everyone lives who takes personal credit for anything! It’s spiritual insanity! And, for 7 years, Nebuchadnezzar was “out of his mind”, living like a wild animal until he acknowledged that everything he had—including his kingdom—was the gift of a gracious, benevolent God! That required “humility”; or, yielding to God’s Sovereignty! Only repentance—literally, the “changing of one’s mind”—would bring the king restoration! Pride is all about “control.” Humility is all about “giving up control.” Pride is an unwillingness to acknowledge that it’s God who gives us all the stuff we take pride in! Humbled, by God’s grace, the King acknowledged that it was God who made him great; and, his sanity returned to him!

Daniel: From Pride To Praise

Posted on by
Reply

Vacation Time! My Next Post Is Scheduled For September 20th

(Note: This is the 13th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

Taking Personal Credit

What are the things in your life that people tend to notice & compliment you over? Is it your intelligence? Or, maybe you’re an attractive person; so, people notice your good looks! Or, is it your wardrobe? Are you a snappy dresser? Maybe it’s your wit! How clever you are! Or, do people compliment you for your talents? Maybe you’re a gifted musician, artist, or athlete! Perhaps people praise you for your work ethic; or, for your leadership abilities. Maybe it’s your house, your car; or, some other material thing that draws a compliment! How do you respond? Do you take credit personally when someone compliments you? Do you accept the glory & praise for those things because you think you deserve it?

Bragging And Self-Promotion

Perhaps there are things about you that you wish people would notice & offer you a compliment for! Maybe you feel inclined to kind of point out, to others, your superior talents or abilities— do a little bragging and self-promotion! When I look back at my earlier life I see many times where I was filled with pride! Many times where I bragged about myself! Those memories bring me shame because I attempted to steal glory that wasn’t mine! When I was complimented for something, I accepted the glory & praise that should be directed to God alone! I know that as long as I live in this sin-plagued body I’ll be tempted, by my flesh & depravity, to think prideful thoughts about myself!

Offering Praise To God Alone

Oh how I give praise to God for the work He’s done in me— and, continues to do— through His Spirit! He quickly points out those times I begin to swell up with pride; and, He helps me to confess it for the sin that it is & to redirect all praise to Him! Scripture often contrasts God’s judgment toward those individuals who allow pride to rule their lives with the blessings He provides to those who humble themselves before Him & others! Pride is our attempt to steal glory from God! Any time we take credit for anything, that’s our prideful attempt to steal God’s glory! “What do you have that you’ve not been given?” Paul asks the Church of Corinth (1 Cor. 4:7).  Humble yourself; or, God will do it for you! And it’s much less severe or painful if we choose to humble ourselves before Him; rather than face His judgment against our pride!

Failure Can Be A Gift

King Nebuchadnezzar had been warned, by Daniel, to give God the glory! But, one day, as he walked on the roof of the royal palace in Babylon, he said to himself: “Is this not Babylon the Great that I have built by my vast power to be a royal residence & to display my majestic glory?” (Daniel 4:30) It wasn’t that the king didn’t build Babylon; or that he didn’t have power. His error was taking credit for those things. The verses that follow declare that a voice came from heaven, while those words were still in the King’s mouth, “…the kingdom has departed from you. You will be driven away from people to live with the wild animals…until you acknowledge that the Most High is ruler over the kingdom of men…” God commands us to humble ourselves; and, we can do it the easy way by confession & repentance; or, we can do it the hard way & force God’s hand— that’s not recommended!  Make no mistake! “Every knee will bow & every tongue will confess” that Jesus is Lord & we are NOT!

Daniel: A King’s Pride Is Broken

Posted on by
Reply

(Note: This is the 12th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

A King’s Testimony Of Faith

Should you find yourself reading the Book of Daniel someday, you’ll note a significant change as you start the 4th chapter— it’s no longer Daniel’s story! He’s no longer the main character! This is King Nebuchadnezzar’s personal testimony of how he came to have saving faith in Yahweh— it’s become Nebuchadnezzar’s story! His words are directed at “…those of every people, nation, and language, who live in all the earth”; and, it reads like what someone would say if they stepped up to the mic in a worship service & shared a testimony of faith! “I am pleased to tell you about the miracles and wonders the Most High God has done for me” (v.2). 

The Content & Prosperous

Up until now— throughout the first 3 chapters— the King always referred to “YOUR God…” Daniel; and, to “YOUR God…” Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego! But now, in this chapter, the King describes a personal relationship with God— he shares what “…the Most High God had done for ME.” In v.4 the King said he was “…at ease & flourishing in my palace”— some translations render it “…content & prosperous.” Rarely do the “content & prosperous” seek after God! In fact, Jesus said, “It’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into heaven”; and, then He follows with one of the most misused statements in all of Scripture:  “But, with God all things are possible!” Be careful! Don’t carelessly quote that verse outside of its context! What Jesus is saying is that it’s humanly IMPOSSIBLE for the rich to enter into heaven; but, “…with God ALL THINGS are POSSIBLE!”

The Most High God Is Ruler

Even the salvation of a rich, powerful & pride-filled King, like Nebuchadnezzar, is possible with God; but, ONLY after he’s been broken & humbled! And, the rest of the chapter is Nebuchadnezzar’s incredible story— how God drove him away from people to live, as a wild animal, with the wild animals! For 7 years he ate grass & acted as a wild animal; until, he acknowledged “…that the Most High God is ruler over the kingdom of men, and He gives it to anyone He wants” (v.25).  The King learned that pride is way more dangerous than it appears! Pride blinds us to our sin; and, we become self-absorbed in our own little world of self-importance! We speak of “blind spots” in a person’s character— things they can’t see! That’s why we call them “blind spots.” Scripture teaches us that that is our plight from the moment we enter this world! Our sinful nature creates “blind spots” that keep us from an awareness of how deep and dark is our sin. That was Nebuchadnezzar’s condition! He needed a wake-up call!  

Failure Can Be A Gift

The British playwright, George Bernard Shaw, said, “There are two tragedies in life. One is to lose your heart’s desire, and the other is to gain it… we tend to listen more when God speaks through sorrow, pain, loss, and personal failure. Success tends to make us complacent…” What he’s saying, in a sense, is that failure can be a gift from God! It was for Nebuchadnezzar! Getting himself knocked off his perch of pride became his salvation because it broke his sinful self-confidence! Thank God! He will cut us down to size in order to save us! Nebuchadnezzar had taken credit for his accomplishments when it was God who had blessed him with his abilities! Someone said: “Pride is like plagiarism because it attempts to take for ourselves Glory that belongs to God alone!” God will not share His glory with us! Repent of pride or face His judgment!

Daniel: Take Time To Love People

Posted on by
Reply

(Note: This is the 7th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

TAKING SOME TIME OFF FOR VACATION! NEXT POST JULY 26

Taking Time For Others

When Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar threatened to kill all his counselors & wisemen because they were unable to tell the King what he had dreamed, something significant happened that can easily be overlooked. The text says that Daniel came to Arioch, the King’s executioner; and, it implies that he came in a hurry & he tells him:  “Don’t kill the wise men of Babylon!” (See Daniel 2:24-26) Why is that significant? Because Daniel— rather than simply fearing for his own life— took time to look out for the needs of others!

Doctrine Changes Your Life

Daniel truly believed that God was Sovereign; so, he didn’t have to fear the future! That’s how “doctrine” changes your life when you truly believe it! We said, in our last post, that the King suffered from “chronophobia”; or the FEAR of the future! And, when you’re consumed by the fear of the future, you become preoccupied with your own life. It was easy for Nebuchadnezzar to just throw away his counselors and discard them once he’d tapped their usefulness. But, because Daniel didn’t live in fear of the future, he could take the time to love people.

Preoccupation With Self

I believe that this act of kindness is a significant part of Daniel’s story that we usually overlook! Daniel could have been concerned only with his life & the lives of his 3 friends; but instead, he showed care and concern for others— even the King’s ungodly counselors; because they were souls who needed saving! He wasn’t so preoccupied with his own needs that he ignored the needs of others. There’s an application here for us! If we live in fear of the future, we’ll probably be so preoccupied with ourselves that we’ll miss all the souls that God is directing across our path! And, King Nebuchadnezzar was one such soul that God had caused to divinely intersect with Daniel.

We All Have 24 Hours In A Day

In the next section, it says, “Daniel answered the king:  ‘No wise man, medium, diviner-priest, or astrologer is able to make known to the king the mystery he asked about. But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries…” (2:27-29). There is a God in heaven; and, Daniel took the time to introduce Nebuchadnezzar to Him! “Time”— something our culture claims it doesn’t have enough of! And yet, we all have 24 hours a day. Everyone has the same amount of time in their day, to do what God intends for them to do! Daniel used the time he had wisely!

We Need To Get Over Ourselves

There’s another application here that our Western church desperately needs to apply— if we’re going to be faithful to Jesus’ “Great Commission”, it’s going to take time! Time to love people! Time to disciple people! The “Narcissism” of the dominant culture has had a “trickle-down effect” on the Church— we’ve become self-centered & self-absorbed just like the world! Our obsession with chasing after the selfishness of the “American Dream” has become a NIGHTMARE for finishing the “disciple-making” task we’ve been given! If we’re TOO BUSY to make disciples, we’re TOO BUSY! That’s disobedience! If necessary, let’s remove some of the things from our schedule so we have room to add people! We’ve been mandated to disciple souls for Christ; and, He’s left us no wiggle room to get out of it! Let us love people well by truly getting deep in our relationship with them so that we might use the time to disciple them for Christ!