Tag Archives: Life

Finish Strong

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Jesus Is Your Life

That’s the message I get from Paul’s words to the Church of Colosse— “When the Messiah, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory” Colossians 1:4. Jesus is returning! So, FINISH STRONG! Paul says that Jesus, the Messiah, “…IS YOUR LIFE…” Not the rest of your life that consumes your time, causes you stress, and wears you out! No! JESUS IS YOUR LIFE! Make Him your life; so that when He returns— when He “…is revealed…”— you can share in His glory!

Your Day Of Glorification

In other words, that day will be your day of GLORIFICATION! That defines who you are— NOT your job, your education; or your possessions! Not even your family members! If you know Jesus Christ, as your Savior, your identity is all wrapped up in Him.   Later, in the same chapter, Paul adds that “…He might come to have FIRST PLACE in EVERYTHING” Colossians 1:18.  So, chase hard after Him; and, “finish strong” in your life pursuit of Him! Are you so in love with Jesus that you’re looking & hoping for His return every day? For His “revealing”? Paul challenged Timothy with a life that finishes strong:  “There is reserved for me in the future the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved His appearing” 2 Tim 4:8. 

Stuck On Thoughts Of Jesus’ Return

It’s impossible to look up & LOVE His “appearing”— in the clouds— if you’re always looking down, at the “stuff” on planet earth! Your spiritual growth & SANCTIFICATION are attached, in part, to a mindset that is “stuck” on thoughts of Jesus’ return! The Holy Spirit’s work to help us purge sin from our lives is attached, in part, to a mindset that is “stuck” on thoughts of Jesus’ return! We CAN NOT finish strong on our own! Please, don’t miss that! You will not defeat sin by yourself! Your flesh is corrupt, depraved; and, powerless to deliver spiritual victory over sin! The Apostle Paul asked the Church of Galatia, “Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now going to be made complete by the flesh?” Gal 3:3.  “Don’t be foolish” he’s saying, “You can’t be JUSTIFIED by the SPIRIT; but, SANCTIFIED & GLORIFIED by your flesh.” That’s an impossibility! Our flesh will never help us draw close to; and finish strong in Christ! Paul taught the believers in the Church of Rome:  “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if, by the Spirit, you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” Romans 8:13

Where Does Victory Come From?

Your flesh offers you no hope for spiritual victory!  Only “by the Spirit” are we able to “put to death the deeds of the body” and live! Your victory, over sin, begins with your IDENTITY— don’t forget who you ARE, in Jesus! See your position in Christ! You need to identify in His death, His resurrection; and, His glory in heaven, even now! He is IN YOU! YOU ARE IN CHRIST! You’re an adopted child of the Father! When you forget that, you’re temporarily blinded to your true identity! This world will always fail you! When the Spirit opens your eyes to your backsliding, then return to Jesus, repent of your sin; and, be revived! Someone said it like this—  “The only way to identify with your true identity is to let go of all other competing identities.” Your spiritual growth & your SANCTIFICATION depend on your willingness to renounce all competing identities! May God’s indwelling Spirit help you do that; so that you might finish strong!
 

How Do We Fight?

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Succeeding In Your Thought Life

The Apostle Paul paints a picture, of what spiritual growth looks like, in his letter to the Church of Colosse. He tells these young believers:  “…if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God.  When the Messiah, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory” Colossians 3:1-4. Let’s think about the implications of Paul’s words—he seems to be saying that a successful fight against sin is won in the “thought life”, right? The battle against the “weeds” of sin is fought in your mind; which, means that it’s either “won” or “lost” in the mind!

Rooting Sin Out Of Your Life

I believe Paul is teaching us a principle that spiritual growth always relates to how highly & how often we THINK of God; and, conversely, how infrequently we think of ourselves! Using farming terminology, meditating on God & His Word is like spraying ROUNDUP on the weeds of sin in your life; and, dwelling on yourself is like fertilizing those weeds! Part of the Holy Spirit’s ministry is to empower us to root sin out of our life; while living for ourselves is the main cause for sin to thrive in our lives! So, let’s talk about how God’s Spirit supports our work to root out the weeds of sin.  Paul reminds the Church of Colosse that their “identity” is in Christ! So, any believer who hopes to be successful in the battle against sin has to know who they are!

It Starts With Jesus

See your position in Christ— “…so, IF you have been raised with Christ…” he says in v.1. Your spiritual growth & victory over sin doesn’t begin with YOU, it starts with JESUS! If you know Him as your Savior, you need to figure out that you’ve been raised with Him—Paul is pointing to the bodily resurrection of Christ on the 3rd day after His crucifixion; and, he’s telling the believers in Colosse, “…you’ve been RAISED with Him….” You DIED with Him in v.3; and, “…your life is HIDDEN with the Messiah in God.” You DIED with Him! And, you’ve been RAISED with Him! Though you were “…dead in trespasses & sins…” you’ve been made ALIVE, in Him, because Jesus rose from the dead & is ALIVE!

Know Your Position In Christ

In one sense, Paul says that our salvation— our place in heaven— is already SEALED! It’s a DONE DEAL! In the mind of God, He’s already raised us up and seated us in the heavens.  “But God,” Paul writes the Church of Ephesus, “who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens” Ephesians 2:4-6.  We take hold of our identity when we begin, with the Spirit’s help, to kill the weeds of sin in our life; or to “mortify” the deeds of the flesh. My sinful life was the “old” me; but, that’s no longer who I am! I’m set free from the power of sin! The indwelling Holy Spirit has all the power; and applies all the necessary grace to progressively sanctify me and transform me into the image of Christ. My sinful, broken flesh will never allow me to reach sinless perfection; but a spiritual body awaits me at the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ! Praise God!

What Does Spiritual Growth Look Like?

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Serious Gardening Looks Like This

My parents were not “hobby” gardeners! A lot of gardening today tends to be more “recreational” than essential to life, doesn’t it? That was not the way it was for me growing up! It really was “life or death” for us! If we didn’t grow our food, we wouldn’t have had anything to eat. We had 2 huge gardens & it seemed like we grew every kind of vegetable known to man. My mom canned everything; and, by the end of the harvest season, the cellar was stacked full of canned food.

The Battle Against Weeds

But, let me tell you the most vivid memory I have about my parent’s garden, growing up— it was the daily battle we waged against undesirable and troublesome plant life that grew profusely where it was not wanted…WEEDS! According to the dictionary, weeds are:  “a valueless plant growing wild, especially one that grows on cultivated ground to the exclusion or injury of the desired crop.” Every summer my dad preached the same sermon to us—  “We have to kill the weeds; or, the weeds will kill our crops.” So, every morning— early, before it got too hot— my sisters & I made our way to the garden, with a garden hoe in hand, to kill the weeds before they killed our crops!

Our Sins Are Like Weeds

The parallels to our spiritual life are obvious, aren’t they? Our sins are like weeds in the gardens of our lives, and just like weeds harm & injure the desired garden crops we’re growing, so, the remaining sin in us will stunt our spiritual growth & development! Sin, like weeds, has to be rooted out of our lives and killed! The old Puritan, John Owen, warned that “We’ve got to be killing sin; or, sin will be killing us.” That is what Biblical, spiritual growth is all about! Paul taught the Church of Rome:  “If you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” Romans 8:13.  And, that’s what we call “SANCTIFICATION.”

Bible Knowledge Is Not Enough

It should resonate with you that SANCTIFICATION = SPIRITUAL GROWTH! Just adding more Bible knowledge is NOT sanctification or spiritual growth if we’re still entertaining sin in our lives! The goal of our salvation is NOT HEAVEN! The goal of our salvation is JESUS! By faith, in Him, we are remade in His image! According to Paul, that transformation work is done in our lives by God’s indwelling Holy Spirit—  “…IF by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body…” The work of rooting sin out of our lives is the Spirit’s work.

Here’s What Life Is All About


 It’s imperative that you understand what this life is all about! It’s NOT ultimately about your family, your job, or your retirement! It’s NOT about you or the “American Dream”!  It’s about your SANCTIFICATION! That’s why you’re still here! If you’re a genuine believer in Jesus Christ, a follower & disciple of His, then you were JUSTIFIED when you humbled yourself & accepted His payment, for your sin, on the cross! At the moment you believed, God JUSTIFIED you! He pardoned you; and, set you free from the penalty of your sin; which, is death! And, one day you will be GLORIFIED! You’ll be given a new GLORIFIED body like Jesus; and, you’ll be set free from the very presence of sin! Hallelujah!  “If there is an earthly body, there is also a spiritual body.” 1 Corinthians 15:44-58
 

God Makes You New, Part II

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No Condemnation Now Exists

One of the most powerful Scriptures for a believer to hold onto is this:  “Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).  God no longer condemns you if you’ve placed faith, for your salvation, in Jesus’ work on the cross! So, we need to quit condemning ourselves! When you mess up & sin, CONFESS it— that means you AGREE with God that what you did was sin! (1 John 1:8-10) But after you confess it, thank Him for forgiveness; and, get back into fellowship with Him! God has adopted you into His family; and, no one is going to overpower Him and rip you away! You belong to Him!

It’s Who You Are

That’s your “identity”— it’s WHO you are! Until you live by faith, knowing who you are in Christ, you will struggle to experience spiritual growth! Unlike “JUSTIFICATION”— which is an instantaneous judicious act of pardon by God; and, a passing from death to life— ”SANCTIFICATION” is a process that God begins IN YOU the moment you’ve been JUSTIFIED! God frees us from the power of sin as He SANCTIFIES us! But it’s a progressive work of God in our lives. Little by little, with each new day, God gives us the grace we need to overcome sin.

We Were Chained To Sin

The Apostle Paul, in Romans, speaks of our sin as DOMINATING us BEFORE “JUSTIFICATION”— i.e. we were chained to sin; and, we couldn’t help but sin! But, at the moment of our “JUSTIFICATION”, the Holy Spirit indwells us; and, empowers us in a battle to “mortify”— or, “put to death”— the deeds of our flesh; or, the “old man” Paul calls it! So, at “JUSTIFICATION” we WERE saved; and, “regenerated” or made alive! In our “SANCTIFICATION,” we are BEING saved! Don’t be concerned by that! It’s a good thing! Theologically, we mean that God’s “SANCTIFICATION” work, in us, is ACTIVE!

The Capacity To Overcome Sin

The Holy Spirit is not passive about purging sin from our lives! He’s aggressive! In the Spirit, we now have the power or the capacity to overcome sin; and, at the same time, a growing DESIRE to be rid of it! That is one of my greatest PASSIONS— to BEAT SIN! If you have no desire to overcome sin, your “salvation” is in question! Perhaps you’ve been deceived! It’s in the “SANCTIFICATION” process that you are progressively becoming MORE like Jesus; and, LESS like you! It’s a work that only God can do in you!  So ask for His help regularly to overcome sin! 

Trying Harder Doesn’t Work

Unfortunately, it’s pretty typical for believers to try hard, do good & FAIL. That didn’t work; so, try HARDER, do BETTER & FAIL again! Until they stop trying so hard; and, just give in and FAKE IT. Can you relate to that? I know I can!  Listen, God’s “SANCTIFICATION” process tells us to take off the masks & quit pretending we’ve reached perfection! We’re all broken! We all need to be made complete in Christ! So, make yourselves accountable to each other to strengthen the Spirit’s effort to crucify your flesh! And, finally, one day we will all become who we already are “positionally” in Christ—we’ll be “GLORIFIED”; and, set FREE from the very PRESENCE of sin! We’ll be like Jesus, Amen! No more corruption! No more sin! So live with that hope!

Daniel: Giving Up Your Life For Others

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(Note: This is the 22nd post in a series on Daniel’s life)

The Greatest Commandment

One of the key lessons the Prophet Daniel shows us is how to give up our lives for others. When asked which commandment was the greatest, Jesus responded, “The greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and, with all your might.” Then He said, “And, the 2nd is like unto it—Love your neighbor in the same way you love yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). In other words, the 2nd is only surpassed, in importance, by the 1st. Or, understood, in context, the 2nd comes out of obedience to the 1st. We can’t claim to love God when we fail to love others, who are made in God’s image; nor can we claim to love others rightly when we don’t love their Creator with all our being.

We Can Give Up Our Life

Jesus was saying that when we truly grow in love for God, we can’t help but grow in love for our fellow man! We can give up our life for others because our God has given up His life for us! That’s how we help others become reconciled with God—we LOVE them! We deny self! We even die to ourselves! Daniel lived that kind of life! Even when facing the prospect of death, he persistently shared the truth & incarnated that truth in the way he lived. I’m fairly confident that Daniel never would have scripted his life the way God did—to be torn away from his family & his homeland; and, exiled to a foreign land to serve the very King that ruined your happy home life! But, his yieldedness to a Sovereign God made for quite an exciting life & gave him ample opportunities to offer praise to God!

We’re A Bit Too Whiny

We American Christians, unfortunately, have a reputation for being kind of whiny about things! God help us see trouble & pain as opportunities for God to do miraculous things so He can receive the praise He so richly deserves! When God stepped in & miraculously delivered Daniel from the lion’s den, King Darius rejoiced and said: “I issue a decree that in all my royal dominion, people must tremble in fear before the God of Daniel: For He is the living God, & He endures forever;  His kingdom will never be destroyed, & His dominion has no end.  He rescues & delivers; He performs signs & wonders in the heavens & on the earth, for He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.” (Daniel 6:26-28) Daniel could be used, by God, because he willingly gave up his life for others.  He served people! 

What A Legacy

How would you like to be the one who led an Adolph Hitler or a Saddam Hussein to become a follower of Jesus? Sound impossible? That’s probably the equivalent of Daniel influencing Nebuchadnezzar & Darius to the faith! These were bad guys! History records that the kings of Babylon & the Medo-Persian empires were some of the most ruthless ever to walk the earth! But, it seems pretty clear, from Scripture, they’ll both be gathered around the throne of God—with the rest of us—worshipping & praising God for all eternity! Because Daniel saw God’s “big picture” & submitted to God’s plan for his life, he became a disciple-maker of Kings! What a legacy Daniel has left us! In one of the most spiritually hostile environments in the history of the world, Daniel survived & thrived in his faith! Will you, like Daniel, trust God with all of your life?

Daniel: Trust God With Your Life

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(Note: This is the 21st in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

Choosing Crime Over Sin

Let me begin this post by making another interesting point about God’s prophet, Daniel— He purposely committed a “crime” against a human government so he would not be guilty of committing a “sin” against God!  The scene unfolds in chapter 6, of Daniel’s book, as the enemies of Daniel deceive King Darius into signing “…an edict that for 30 days, anyone who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den” (v.7).  An agreement that, if followed, would force Daniel to commit the sin of idolatry against his God.  Something he would not do!

Arrested For Treason

So, when he was observed praying to his God the trap was set & he was arrested for treason against his King & sentenced to death, a pit full of hungry lions to be his executioners! So, he purposely & knowingly committed a “crime” against a human government to avoid committing a “sin” against his God!  This was familiar territory for Daniel! Much earlier, in his life, he had observed how his 3 friends— Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah— had made a similar decision when faced with their choice to obey God or man (see Chapter 2). Instead of lions, they faced the prospect of death in a fiery furnace!

God, Our Deliverer

But, Daniel noted that God delivered them! God always delivers— whether by a miracle; or, by death— but, He always delivers! We may not consider “death” as a delivery option, but it’s often something God uses to remove the believer from their suffering; while at the same time leaving the persecutors with an irrefutable testimony of faith for consideration. When King Darius, who was NOT Daniel’s enemy, realized that he had been duped, he worked hard to deliver Daniel from certain death; but, he could not (v.14).

The Law Of The Medes & Persians

The most powerful man, in the world, couldn’t deliver him from “…the law of the Medes & the Persians, that changes not…” What a picture of the weakness of man! Even the most powerful, of men, was unable to reverse the inevitable! Don’t trust in man! Don’t trust in yourself! Trust God! Oh, how we need to learn that, don’t we? When Daniel submitted to God’s Sovereign plans, God was able to use his life circumstances to build another person’s faith! Daniel focused on God’s “big picture.” Without God’s help, we will always focus on our circumstances!

Take Off Those Glasses

We tend to see all our pain & suffering through the lens of our own self-centered glasses! We need the Holy Spirit’s help to remove the glasses of self! To deny self! Daniel saw God use the trouble in his life as a testimony that led first, to King Nebuchadnezzar’s faith (ch.4); and, now brought King Darius to faith! “Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No diversions were 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 reached the den, he cried out in anguish to Daniel.” “Daniel, servant of the living God,” the king said, “has your God whom you serve continually been able to rescue you from the lions?”  “Yes,” Daniel answered, “My God has delivered me. He has locked shut the mouths of lions.” Even when facing the prospect of death, Daniel remained influential in the King’s life! He persistently incarnated God’s truth in the way he lived! Oh, may that be a lesson we all learn! Let God use you for His eternal purposes, even if it leads to deliverance by death.

Daniel: Praying Through Obstacles

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(Note: This is the 20th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

Not Everything Goes As Planned

The so-called “Health, Wealth & Prosperity Gospel” would have us believe that doing the right things & praying the right way & saying the right words will ensure that everything, in life, will go right! That health will follow us! That wealth will follow us; and, prosperity too! But, the Biblical story, of the prophet Daniel, shows us quite the opposite! In fact, the Bible is replete with similar examples that show that doing the right thing does NOT always ensure that everything in life will go right! That everything will go the way we’ve planned for it to go!

Loyalty To God Over King

Despite of Daniel’s faithfulness, to God’s Word & His commandments, he still had enemies who meant to do him harm (read Daniel chapter 6).  When “…they could find no charge or corruption, for he was trustworthy…” (v.4) they conspired to use his faith against him by deceiving King Darius into signing a decree that exposed Daniel for his ultimate loyalty to God rather than the king! But, Daniel’s story teaches us to trust God to deal with our enemies! We don’t need to work so hard to defend ourselves! Let God defend us!

Life Isn’t Always Comfortable

Daniel’s story also proves that a believer can thrive in an environment that’s hostile to their faith; but, it’s not always going to be comfortable! In our “politically correct” world, we’re tempted every day to compromise our faith! To fudge a little here! To keep our mouth shut there! Like Daniel, if you don’t compromise, you’re going to run into trouble with this unbelieving world sooner or later! So, trust God with your enemies! Daniel has seen this before. He’s a very old man at this point; perhaps, more than 80 years old! He had been exiled to Babylon as a teenager; and, Darius is now the 4th king under whom he’s served. So, the “names” may have changed; but, Daniel’s challenge, to remain faithful to God in a hostile world, remains the same! 

Prayer A Regular Rhythm Of Life

So, how does he respond when he is informed of his enemy’s deception? The text says, “…he went into his house…and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before” (v.10).  See that? Daniel didn’t just turn to prayer when he had exhausted all human attempts to fix his predicament! Prayer was part of the regular rhythm of his life!  We can’t expect to treat God like a genie, ignoring Him until you face a problem you can’t fix by yourself; and expecting Him to eagerly make good on your request! That kind of treatment is repulsive and disrespectful to the God of the universe! Daniel had a regular pattern of consistent, daily prayer.

Planned Neglect

Like clockwork, the text of Daniel 6 informs us that Daniel prayed regularly, 3 times a day every day! A noted concert violinist was once asked about the secret of her mastery of the instrument; and, she answered with 2 words— “Planned Neglect!” she said, “Many things used to demand my time. When I went to my room after breakfast, I made my bed, straightened the room, dusted, and did whatever seemed necessary. When I finished my work, I turned to my violin practice. That system prevented me from accomplishing what I should do on the violin. So, I reversed things. I deliberately planned to neglect everything else until my practice period was complete. And that program of planned neglect is the secret of my success.” Nothing got in the way of Daniel’s prayer time! He scheduled it… to the planned neglect of everything else!

Daniel: God Is In The Details

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(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: The Handwriting’s On The Wall

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(Note: This is the 14th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

The Fingers Of A Man’s Hand

As the 5th chapter of Daniel’s prophetic book opens, the Medo-Persian army has surrounded the great city of Babylon. In his pride, the Babylonian King Belshazzar threw this huge drinking party for all his nobles, because it was believed the visiting army would be unable to penetrate the massive walls of the city.  “At that moment the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the king’s palace wall next to the lampstand. As the king watched the hand that was writing, his face turned pale, and his thoughts so terrified him that his hip joints shook and his knees knocked together” (vs. 5-6).

The King Is Sobered Up

King Belshazzar was suddenly very sober! After a failed attempt to gain an explanation, from his wise men, the queen mother shows up and encourages the King to seek the prophet Daniel’s counsel.  Now advanced in years, Daniel rehearses the story of Nebuchadnezzar— Belzhazzar’s grandfather— and concludes with this:  “…you have not glorified the God who holds your life-breath in His hand and who controls the whole course of your life” (v.23).  What a rebuke! Like many in our own day, Belshazzar seemed to think he was entitled to live his life however he wanted with no consequences! Perhaps he thought God would just wink at his sin!

Don’t Ignore God’s Justice & Judgment

There’s a grave danger in over-focusing on God’s love, mercy & grace! We dare not ignore His justice & judgment! We do so at our peril! It is possible to exhaust God’s immense patience! Though 2 Peter 3:9 says that God is “…patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance”;  scripture also teaches us that His patience has limits. The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write a letter to the Church of Galatia and tell them:  “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption…” (6:7-8).

Your Days Are Numbered

So, how did Belshazzar think this would end for him? Was he so deluded that he thought he could live out his life with no regard for the God who created him; and, get away with it? Apparently so! He abused God’s patience; and, God’s judgment was against him— “This is the writing on the wall,” Daniel said, “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN.  This is the interpretation of the message: MENE means that God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end. TEKEL means that you have been weighed in the balance and found deficient. PERES means that your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians” (v.25-28).  Times up, King Belshazzar! God is stripping you of your kingdom!     

When God Speaks We Need To Listen

This whole tragedy was so unnecessary! Belshazzar should have known better! He knew his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar’s “story”! Some 40-50 years earlier, God had revealed— through the Prophet Daniel (ch.2)— that Babylon would be replaced by the Medo-Persian empire— the very army just outside Babylon’s walls!  And it all happened just as God said it would! God’s Word is certain! It’s authoritative! If God says it, you can bank on it! Don’t grow weary over the delay of God’s promise that Jesus will come again! “Scoffers will come in the last days to scoff,” Peter warned (2 Peter 3:3), “living according to their own desires, saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?” When God speaks, please listen!

Daniel: Take Time To Love People

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(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!