Tag Archives: Jerusalem

God’s Glory Is A Big Deal

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The Beauty Of His Character

God deserves all glory because He alone has designed everything, and His name is on everything! It’s His name that adds value to humanity and to the rest of creation! So, when we speak about God’s glory, we define it as “the essence and beauty of His Spirit.” We’re not referring to His material or aesthetic beauty—like we typically define human beauty—but to the beauty of His character—to all that He is! John Piper defines God’s glory as “the manifest beauty of His holiness.” Holiness points to His absolute “uniqueness.” 

The Goal Of All Things

He is one-of-a-kind! He is in a totally separate class all by Himself! There is no other God like Him! “O nations of the world, recognize the Lord, recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong. Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his presence. Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor” (1 Chronicles 16:28-29, NLT). God’s glory is a really big deal to God, and it’s a big deal in the Holy Scriptures! The goal of all things is God’s glory! And I’m not overstating that one iota!

Creator and Creation

Let’s not forget that there is God and there is everything He created! That’s it! There is nothing else! And in the original creation—before sin—God declared that all of creation was good! Why? Because all of creation reflected God’s beauty, so it all brought Him… glory! In a similar fashion, we say that an artist’s painting is a reflection of the artist, and the artist’s work brings him a certain “glory!” God has blessed humanity with certain creative abilities, but they’re all small “c—creative” because all mankind’s creative abilities were received from the capital “C—Creator” God. So, every “artist”—who is a true disciple of Jesus—will redirect all praise received to Creator God! In part, that is one way that we bring God glory—by redirecting all praise and compliments received to God who created us with those abilities! We acknowledge that whatever talent or ability we have is on loan from God! It ultimately belongs to Him! Our greatest preoccupation must be with God’s glory because that’s our reason and purpose for existence!

Mandated To Give God Glory

Here’s an observation from the 1 Chronicles 16 text: the writer, King David, was inspired by God’s Spirit to offer this mandate regarding God’s glory. This is an imperative or a command to “declare God’s glory” (v.28). When David became king, he determined to make worship a priority again in Israel. One of his first acts was to return the Ark of the Covenant, which had been neglected under King Saul, back to Jerusalem. In the process, David preaches this great message that is included as the inspired Word of God. That means it’s authoritative—not because David said it, but because God inspired him to say it! So, “declare God’s glory,” he says! Don’t just study it and keep it to yourself. We’re commanded to declare it, and that’s a general statement that means to declare it everywhere to everyone.

How Has Worship Changed You?

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Seeking After God

People are motivated to seek after God for all kinds of different reasons—some good, some bad, some seeking truth, some seeking personal power, some genuine, and some deceptive. Matthew’s Gospel reveals a “seeking after God” that was deceptive on the part of King Herod. When you think about Christmas, you might think of Herod as the “bad guy” in the story. He was seeking the Christ-child to destroy Him, and he was so committed to killing Jesus that he ordered genocide against all the male children under two years in an attempt to kill Him. His lust for power was insatiable!

Wise Men Worship Him

There was another group who were motivated to seek after God, but—in direct contrast to Herod—they were motivated not by personal gain, but out of a desire to worship Him: “…wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.’ …It (the star) led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed beyond measure. Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him” (Matthew 2:1-12). When worship of God is genuine, the heart and life will be changed!

Genuine Worship Looks Like This

Perhaps nothing contrasts that truth more than Herod and the wise men’s story.  Herod feigned worship in his attempt to kill Jesus, but he was a fraud. The worship of the wise men, however, was a heart and life changer because it was genuine. Their worship was intentional— “…we have come to worship Him…” (v.2). Jesus was their sole purpose for coming. They left their homes to search for Him. Their worship also elevated Jesus and lowered self—when “…they saw the child they fell to their knees…” To fall to one’s knees before another was the same as saying, “You have great dignity and I am lowly by comparison.” Their worship was also emotional— “…they were overjoyed beyond measure…” (v.10). If they had a gauge affixed to them to measure emotion, it would have broken!

Their Worship Was Sacrificial

Finally, the text says, “…they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (v.11). They sacrificed gold, which was offered to deities in that day—They honored Him as “Emmanuel”—God With Us! They sacrificed frankincense, which was used by the priests at the altar—Jesus is our great High Priest who offers Himself and intercedes for us! And, they sacrificed myrrh, an oil used primarily for embalming the dead—Jesus died for us! None of that is coincidental! God calls us out to worship Him—to “…offer your bodies as a living sacrifice which is your spiritual worship…” (Romans 12:1). We’re called to worship Him by giving ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice! That’s how worship changes us—we’re not our own (1 Cor. 6:19-20). We give ourselves to Him in genuine worship!

Worship God Rightly

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An Example of Biblical Worship

It’s been my experience that many, who claim to be followers of Jesus, do not worship God rightly. I’ve found many who claim to be worshipers, but their worship fails to resemble what God commands worship to look like in Scripture. A great example of biblical worship can be found in King David’s Holy Spirit-inspired message to Israel about proper worship. Just open your Bibles to 1 Chronicles 16 and you’ll see what I mean. Among other things, David commands the congregation to worship God with their offerings: “…ascribe to Yahweh the glory of His name; bring an offering and come before Him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness” (v.29). Don’t come to worship God empty-handed!

Stewards! Not Owners!

Remember that we are stewards and managers of God’s stuff, not OWNERS! God owns all of our stuff! We’ve been given the responsibility to manage a portion of God’s estate. God is the owner of it all! And worship has always included an offering! David also led Israel to worship God for His creation— “…the world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, ‘The Lord is King!’ Let the sea and everything in it resound; let the fields and all that is in them exult. Then the trees of the forest will shout for joy before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth” (vv. 30-33). All of creation— the heavens, the earth, the sea and everything in it; the fields and all that is in them; the trees of the forest— all worship Yahweh, David says!

The Very Rocks Would Cry Out

At Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when the Pharisees told Him to rebuke His disciples for giving Him honor as Messiah, Jesus told them that “…if they kept silent, the very rocks would cry out…” We are called to worship God for the wonder of His creation and for the wonder that all creation worships Him! And then, David instructs Israel to worship God now because they’ll be worshiping God for all eternity— “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever. And say: ‘Save us, God of our salvation; gather us and rescue us from the nations so that we may give thanks to Your holy name and rejoice in Your praise. May Yahweh, the God of Israel, be praised from everlasting to everlasting” (v.34). We don’t know a lot about heaven, but worship will be part of it!

Worship Beyond Imagination

It’s a clear sign that a believer hasn’t spent a lot of time in prayer and the Word— seeking after God— when they express fear that an eternity in heaven may get boring! After a billion years, we’ll still not know our God completely! But I’m certain I will find Him more fascinating than all the Super Bowls and Star Trek reruns I’ve ever watched! As David finished his sermon, the text says that all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord” (v.36).  And there was great joy as God dwelt with His people. The disciples also had great joy as God, the Messiah, dwelt with them during his three-and-a-half-year ministry leading up to the cross. In heaven, Revelation reveals that “God will dwell among us”; forever we’ll worship Him!

Worshipers Are Thankful People

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Returning The Ark

The Ark of God’s covenant with Israel was coming back to Jerusalem! King David, the newly installed king, made it a priority to lead Israel back to faithful worship of Yahweh! You might recall that the Ark had been captured, by the Philistines, while Saul was Israel’s king. Though it had been returned to them after God broke out against them with plagues, it had been neglected under Saul’s leadership.  So, returning the Ark to Jerusalem was one of King David’s first orders. “On that day David decreed for the first time that thanks be given to the Lord by Asaph and his relatives: ‘Give thanks to Yahweh; call on His name’ David said, ‘proclaim His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him; sing praise to Him; tell about all His wonderful works!’’-1 Chronicles 16:7-9.

Worship Begins With A Thankful Heart

God’s Holy Spirit inspired David to write that genuine worship begins with a thankful heart.  It’s his initial point! It’s impossible to worship God rightly if your heart is bitter and unthankful! The old preacher, C.H. Spurgeon, once wrote: “All the good that we enjoy comes from God. Recollect that! Alas, most men forget it. Rowland Hill used to say that worldlings were like the hogs under the oak, which eat the acorns, but never think of the oak from which they fell, nor lift up their heads to grunt out a thanksgiving. Yes, so it is. They munch the gift and murmur at the giver.”  True worshippers of God must quit taking God’s blessings for granted!

Thankful For The Good & The Bad

Our faith will grow deeper & deeper the more we thank God for everything in life—the good with the bad! And then, David calls out the children of Israel to worship God by singing praise to Him. Notice, it’s not a “suggestion”; rather it’s an imperative or a command. David doesn’t tell them to sing only if they’re good at it. He’s preaching to the congregation, and he commands all of them to sing! The psalmist wrote, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord” (Psalm 98:4).  It seems that God may actually take a bit more delight when the musically ungifted or unskilled in the congregation sing with all their heart because they’re not doing it for the praise of men but for the genuine love of God.

Worship Is Seeking God

David also tells the congregation of Israel to worship God by seeking Him— “…let the hearts of those who seek Yahweh rejoice,” he says, “Search for the Lord and for His strength; seek His face always” (1 Chronicles 16:10).  It’s an act of worship to seek after God! In fact, the writer of Hebrews says that God “…is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (ch. 11:6). God actually rewards the worshiper who seeks Him! He hides Himself from those who seek Him for their own selfish interests; from those who want Him to be a genie in a bottle. But, to those who seek Him so that they might know Him, He will be found! Do you seek Him? Do you pursue Him with greater passion than you pursue the fleeting interests of this world? Only then will you find Him! Seek Him as though He were the greatest treasure in life; because He is!

What A Healthy Church Looks Like

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A Holy Spirit-Empowered Organism

God’s work is never accomplished in the strength of the flesh! The book of Acts describes the early church as a supernatural, Holy Spirit-empowered organism. What we read, in the 2nd chapter, is the result of a healthy church living in obedience to Jesus. After His resurrection, He gathered the disciples; and, He commissioned them to go & do something— He commissioned them to make disciples of all nations! 

Wait For God’s Spirit

But, He told them 1st to go to an upper room, in Jerusalem, and, WAIT for God’s Holy Spirit to indwell them & empower them! And, that’s exactly what they did! In the power, of the Holy Spirit, they began to make disciples! It says:  “Those who accepted the message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people were added to them. And they devoted themselves to the Apostle’s teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers. Then fear came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with a joyful and humble attitude, praising God and having favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved” (Acts 2:41-47). 

The Normal Way Of The Spirit

The church grew spiritually & numerically! This is the normal way that the Spirit of God works.  When a church gets spiritually healthy, Jesus uses them to add disciples— a healthy church is loyal to God & to one another in their devotion to sound doctrine. The text says “…they devoted themselves…” to the teaching of the Apostles! That word “devoted” literally means to be “loyal” or “attached” to something—the church was LOYAL to the teaching of the Apostles; so, they were LOYAL to sound doctrine! That’s a mark of a healthy church—it’s “Word” centered! It’s “gospel-centered”! That means it exposes “error”—all teachings contrary to the Apostle’s! Any church that fails to expose error; and, fails to align with the New Testament teachings of the Apostles is unhealthy! And, we do so out of loyalty, and, attachment to God first; but, also to the rest of the members of our local church!  

It’s A Challenge To Stay Healthy

As a faith community, we show loyalty to each other; and, Biblical love for each other when we insist that everything we teach & preach— in classes, in Small Groups, in the pulpit— is consistent with the Apostle’s teachings in the New Testament! Can you imagine the challenges, of this church, in Jerusalem? Adding 3,000 new believers in one day is both a Pastor’s “DREAM” & a Pastor’s “NIGHTMARE.” All the variety of backgrounds! Their ignorance of basic Bible doctrines! What a mammoth task to disciple them all in their new faith— but, they were “devoted” or “loyal” to each other & that made all the difference! May God continue to strengthen our commitment to Him, knowing that as He does, He’ll also strengthen our commitment to everyone who calls MBC their church home!  Amen

God Punishes Because He Loves

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-God So Loved The World!

The most well known verse, in all of Scripture, is John 3:16. It says, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” In this way, God proved His love— He sent Jesus to atone for our sin by His death on the cross! That’s really the end of the argument against God! For all the doubters of God’s love, mercy & grace there is the One & Only “Exhibit A”— His Name is Jesus! And, He bore God’s judgment against sin so we wouldn’t have to! So that we could be saved!

-Brokenness To Openness!

But, it’s only as we experience our brokenness that we become open to God’s overtures to save us! And, punishment is often the tool He uses to expose our brokenness! So, ultimately, it is because God is love that He punishes us to bring us to the place of brokenness; where, He can redeem us! And, there is perhaps no better Biblical example of that than God’s judgment of Judah & Jerusalem as they are overrun by Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar; and, taken into captivity & exile! The Biblical narrative reveals that God first warned them; then, punished them; and, finally, in love, He redeems them! To accomplish God’s purposes in our broken world, He first warns!

-A Skirmish You Can’t Win!

Disobedience to God & His Word will never turn out well for you! When you fight against God, it’s a skirmish you can’t possibly win! When I was young & very foolish I loved to get into fist fights out on the school playground! But, I always sized up the other guy first! There were some guys that I just knew I couldn’t take! So, I would find a way to wiggle out of that fight! I was foolish; but, I wasn’t stupid! I would do everything I could to avoid getting into a fight I knew I couldn’t win! So, why would anyone ever pick a fight with God! You can’t possibly win against a God who is all-powerful! You can’t outwit a God who knows everything there is to know! And, you can’t run away from a God who is everywhere!

-They Despised His Warnings!

And, yet, the Biblical account shows that Israel tried multiple times & lost! So, God warned them & warned them & warned them again! In 2 Chronicles, chapter 36, God reminds them of this:  “But Yahweh, the God of their ancestors sent word against them by the hand of His messengers, sending them time and time again, for He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they kept ridiculing God’s messengers, despising His words, and scoffing at His prophets, until the Lord’s wrath was so stirred up against His people that there was no remedy” (vs. 15-16)

-God’s Compassion Toward Us!

Did you notice why God said He sent them prophets? Look at the end of v.15. It says He sent messengers to warn them, “…because He had compassion on His people…” God warns because of His great compassion toward us! He warns because He is Love! When you  disobey God’s word you expose yourself to great danger! Sin lies to you! It promises pleasure! But, it always delivers pain! Sin is a destroyer! It destroys lives, families & nations! Just go back and read God’s 10 Commandments; and, consider the pain and suffering that comes to those who break them! The one who steals will be incarcerated! The one who lies will never be trusted! The one who sleeps with someone they’re not married to destroys relationships & families & brings hatred & disease upon themselves! Listen when God warns!

Daniel: What Revival Looks Like

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

Admitting Brokenness & Public Shame

I don’t know that there’s a more beautiful & spiritually moving prayer than Daniel’s prayer in the 9th chapter of the book named after him. There’s a humility & a brokenness that’s often missing from the hurried & self-centered prayers of our day! When revival occurs in the hearts of believers, this is what it looks like! Prayer, uttered by a revived saint,  admits brokenness & even public shame over their sin, selfishness, and idolatry—  “Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but this day public shame belongs to us:  the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and all Israel— those who are near and those who are far, in all the countries where You have dispersed them because of the disloyalty they have shown toward You. Lord, public shame belongs to us, our kings, our leaders, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.  Compassion and forgiveness belong to the Lord our God, though we have rebelled against Him and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by following His instructions that He set before us through His servants the prophets.  All Israel has broken Your law and turned away, refusing to obey You” (Daniel 9:7-11). 

Sensitivity To Sin

Wow! What brokenness & transparency!  “…PUBLIC SHAME belongs to us…” he confessed in v.7; and, in v.8 he says it again, “…PUBLIC SHAME belongs to us…” Daniel’s greatness, in the eyes of God, was not because he was without sin! None of us are! It was Daniel’s sensitivity to his sin! He admitted the depth of his sinful depravity! He owned it! For our world— and, our NATION— to experience revival, it has to begin with the broken humility of God’s people! With us! We, the Church, have to take ownership of our sins— for our IDOLATRY; and quit pointing judgmental fingers at all the unbelievers around us!

Quit The Finger Pointing

We need to repent of our failure to love all the world’s people groups & every kind of sinner! Daniel didn’t just throw “…our kings, our leaders & our fathers…” under the bad sinner bus (v.8).  He said, “…WE have sinned against You… WE have rebelled against you…” (v.9).  I fear the American church has been too preoccupied with pointing fingers at political leaders when WE are the real problem! We should be looking in the mirror, spiritually speaking! God will only use a broken church to bring the world to revival! What this unbelieving world needs is for God to first revive church leaders across our land, as He did the Prophet Daniel, who will then faithfully call out the church to repentance! 

Concern For God’s Reputation

Daniel was concerned that Israel had hurt God’s reputation in the world! “LORD, bring revival to your people,” Daniel prays, “…for the LORD’S sake” (v.17);  “…make us a city called by YOUR name” (v.18);  “LORD, HEAR! LORD, FORGIVE! LORD, ACT…” (v.19). Did you notice that? “…for YOUR SAKE”, Daniel prayed, “We base our prayers on YOUR abundant compassion” (v.18). Do you pray like that? I’m afraid that, for most of my life,  my prayers sounded nothing like that! Is it possible that the reason so many of our prayers go “unanswered” is because we’re not offering “God-centered” prayers? Can we begin to pray, as Christ’s Church, that God would act in HIS own BEST INTEREST? And, for HIS GLORY? Will you trust Him? Trust Him that everything He does for His best interest is also in OUR best interest. He can be trusted!

How To Pray For Revival

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(This continues a series of posts on the life of the Prophet Daniel)

Prayer For Israel’s Well-Being

The 9th chapter, of the Book of Daniel, opens with a significant prayer for Israel’s revival & restoration to the promised land! It’s significant because it means that Daniel had a copy of the Book of Jeremiah’s prophecy & he realized that the period of God’s divine judgment, against Israel, had ended! In v.2, it says that Daniel “…understood from the books according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet that the number of years for the desolation of Jerusalem would be 70.” It had been 70 years since the 1st chapter, of the Book of Daniel, began with Babylon’s siege of Jerusalem! Israel could begin to return to the land from which they had been exiled; and, they could begin to pray for Israel’s well-being again!

Parallels Between Israel & U.S.

I’ve often felt that there are parallels between Israel’s demise; and, that of our own nation! So, we would do well to consider Daniel’s prayer for revival; and, apply it to our own nation! Psalm 9:17 says, “The wicked will go down to Hell & all the nations that forget God.” Our nation has lost its way! We’re on God’s radar for judgment! If there is any hope to turn this thing around it has to begin with the Church! For the world to experience revival, it must begin with God’s people! Before continuing to read this post, I want to ask you to PLEASE do something FIRST! Open your bible and read the 9th chapter of Daniel’s book! PLEASE read it FIRST before going any further!

Wrong Thinking About Prayer

Many of us have absorbed some wrong thinking about prayer! Read the prayers in Scripture; like, Daniel’s prayer here! Prayer is not a personal shopping list we bring to God with thoughts that He’s some kind of benevolent Genie who can’t resist our selfish requests! Prayer is not meant as some communication device— with the Almighty— to coerce Him to give us the things we wish for or desire! No, God intends to use our prayers to make us partners, with Him, to bring HIS WILL— not our own— into force! Did you notice how Daniel prayed? He came before God fasting in sackcloth & ashes! Prayer begins with humility! He humbled himself, it says, “to SEEK” God! The prayer for revival is “God-centered”, NOT  “self-centered.” In v.4, we see Daniel praying in awe of God! The prayer of revival is worshipful & reverent!

Personal Confession Of Sin

Notice, that Daniel’s prayer gets personal (v.5). But, not in the sense of asking anything for himself! Rather, he confesses his personal responsibility for sin; and, for the nation— “…we have sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled, and turned away from Your commands and ordinances. We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name …”  He confesses two types of sin! He confesses sins of “transgression” (v.9); and, sins of “omission” (v.10).  “We knew Your Word & we still rebelled against it,” he said. Daniel shows us that the prayer of revival admits “brokenness”—  “public shame belongs to us” (v.7); and, he repeats that in the next verse!  He was sensitive to sin! He named it; and, he owned it! How desperately does the church today need to respond to her sin the way that Daniel did in his day.  The Apostle Peter tells us where revival begins:  “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” 1 Peter 4:17.

Taking Ownership Of Our Wrongs

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(Note: This is the 23rd post in a series on Daniel’s life)

I Was Wrong

It’s been said that the 3 most difficult words in the English language are:  “I was wrong!” Husbands, how hard is it to say, “I was wrong” to your wife? But, let’s be fair, ladies, it’s just as difficult for you to say those 3 words too, isn’t it? We’ll do almost anything to avoid saying, “I was wrong”— we’ll say, “Man! I messed up” or “I fumbled that one” or “I goofed” or “I blew it”. We’ll say, “My bad” or “Oops! I made a boo-boo!” All of those are easier to say than, “I was wrong!” They minimize our wrong! I mean, how bad can a “boo-boo” be, right?  

Being Transparent About Sin

This post is about taking ownership of our sins. It’s about being transparent with God, and, with each other about our sins. If there is any hope for revival across our nation— and, God only knows how badly we need it— we need to learn how to say those 3 words: “I was wrong!”  “I was wrong, God! Here is my sin! I confess it! I agree with you about it!” For the world to experience a revival, it has to begin with God’s people! The Apostle Peter wrote: “…the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household…” It has to start with those who claim to be Jesus’ followers! We can’t pray for national revival & ignore our personal need for repentance! We dare not call out the sin of the lost & wink at our own failure to confess our sin!

Failure To Confess & Repent Of Sin

As we turn to chapter 9 in Daniel’s prophetic book, it begins:  “In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, a Mede by birth, who was ruler over the kingdom of the Chaldeans: In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the books according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet that the number of years for the desolation of Jerusalem would be 70.” Let’s stop there, for a moment, and include some really important background! You might recall that Daniel’s story, in chapter 1, begins with Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar laying siege against Jerusalem & taking Daniel & many of the Israelites into exile! Do you remember why? They were being punished! They failed to confess & repent of their sin! They failed to tell God, “I was wrong!” And, God fulfilled a promise He had made to Israel 850 years earlier in Deuteronomy 28— Blessings, to Israel, for obedience! Curses for disobedience!

Don’t Test God’s Patience

Just as God had dispossessed the Canaanites & other people groups from the land because of their evil ways, God dispossessed Israel from the land because they became evil! One more thing to consider: Israel’s sinful disobedience was a gradual thing! Sin always is! As the nation, of Israel, became more and more evil, God sent prophets to warn them! He would extend grace & mercy if they would just repent & turn from their sin! But, there is always an end to God’s long-suffering; and, through the Prophet Jeremiah, God confirmed that judgment was coming! It was inevitable, irreversible & non-negotiable! He even told Israel to quit praying for revival; and, to pray for their captors instead! By way of application, it’s time Christ’s Church in America wake up! It’s time we confess our sin of idolatry! We’ve strayed so far from Jesus’ Commission to His Church; and, we’ve given great occasion for the enemies of God to blaspheme. Wake up, Church! Let us repent & return to the work of the Lord in faithfulness!

Daniel: No Prosperity Gospel Here

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(Note: This is the 3rd in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

The Prosperity “False” Gospel

Because the Western Church has been influenced by the prosperity “false” gospel, it seems almost shocking to read that “…the Lord HANDED OVER Jehoiakim, king of Judah…” to Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 1:2). How could God orchestrate the removal of “…some of the Israelites from the royal family & from nobility…”; like, Daniel & his 3 friends (v.4)? These guys were royalty! They were used to the good life! But, God turned their lives upside down; and, you won’t understand Daniel’s story if you don’t get that! This would be like ISIS “laying siege” to our own country; and, then uprooting you from your family & homeland; and, carrying you off to some middle eastern country you don’t know! You’re forced to learn a new culture; and, a new language!

He Still Trusted God’s Will

That was Daniel; but, he still trusted that it was God’s will to be uprooted from his homeland & dragged off to Babylon. Most bible scholars believe that Daniel & his friends would have been teenagers. There is no mention of their parents! It would have been “customary” for Nebuchadnezzar to have them killed in the siege against Jerusalem; probably, before their very eyes as a “fear” & “control” tactic! Just another layer of hurt & heartache they would have felt! Daniel’s story is the exception— I’m afraid that most children’s church & S.S. curriculum teaches, from Daniel, that God will deliver you from the lions & the fiery furnace if you’re just obedient; and, you have faith! Right? But, as far as we know, Daniel was the only one the lions didn’t munch for lunch; and, his 3 friends were the only ones to escape the fiery furnace! They were the exceptions!

The Faithful Will Suffer

Daniel’s story does NOT teach us that if we live obedient lives God will never let anything bad happen to us! Nowhere in Scripture does God teach that! The so-called “Health, Wealth & Prosperity Gospel” is a perversion of God’s Word.  Scripture does teach us that “…all men who live faithfully in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution…” 2 Timothy 3:12. We have to battle the dominant “Christian Culture” on that one; because the prosperity gospel has trickled down into our doctrine more than we know; and, it’s altered the way we teach bible stories like Daniel! Be encouraged! Daniel wasn’t a Rock Star; and, you don’t need to be either! Fall in love with Jesus; and, run hard after Him! Be faithful! Be available! Be teachable! 

The Real Story

The real story is about Daniel’s unwavering faithfulness to God in a GODLESS CULTURE. In the midst of incredible spiritual darkness, the nation of Israel is compromised by apostasy & idolatry; and, evicted, by God, from the land of promise; and, exiled to an ungodly place! God sought for young men He could use; and, He found Daniel & his 3 friends to be faithful to that calling. In our age— at this very moment— God is looking for a faithful remnant of believers who will be like Daniel in this present age of darkness! If you’ve been trying to write your own story, give it back to God— ALL of it! And, let Him take it from here! Let God write His plan into your life; and, enjoy the eternal rewards of His “…well done good & faithful servant…” Your greatest happiness comes, not from wealth & prosperity; but from obedience to God’s will!