Month: August 2014

“While I was considering the horns suddenly another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. There were eyes in this horn like a man’s and it had a mouth that spoke arrogantly.” Daniel 7:8 HCSB

Today’s verse is part of a vision that Daniel had about the end times. The first six chapters of Daniel presented visions and dreams that provided a historical account of the terrible condition (both physically and spiritually) of the people of Israel. The last six chapters presented encouraging words and revelations about the end times. God is in control of our evil and sinful world even when we may doubt His existence. The ten horns represent the ten nations that will rise to power in the end times. They will form a pact and a treaty together. The little horn represents the Antichrist who will rise to power at the end of the world and deceive people (read 1 Thessalonians 2:3-4 and Revelation 13;5-6). He will destroy three of the other kingdoms and become very arrogant and proud.

This revelation provided Daniel with a vision that God was in control and in the end He would have victory. Evil persists in our world and threatens Christians in many ways. In John 16:33 Jesus warned His disciples that they would face evil in the world but that He had overcome the world and the evil in it.

Challenge: Be assured that God is in control and that the Antichrist and the evil of the world will not win in the end. Pray for God to give you the strength to resist temptation. Pray that you can withstand life’s pressures and remain faithful, even in trying and difficult circumstances.

“My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths. They haven’t hurt me, for I was found innocent before Him. Also, I have not committed a crime against you my king.” The king was overjoyed and gave orders to take Daniel out of the den. So Daniel was taken out of the den, uninjured, for he trusted in his God. Daniel 6:22-23 HCSB

As the youth consultant for the Missouri Baptist Convention, I was responsible for a summer program called Youth Development Week. We had approximately 500 students and adult leaders from across Missouri come to YDW for three different sessions during the summer. I enlisted four youth ministers from around the state to help with the planning and implementation of YDW. Each man was assigned a specific responsibility. I had to have men that I could trust to get the job done. There was one year that one of the men failed to do his job, and it created challenges. It was vital to recruit men that I could trust.

Daniel trusted God to deliver Him. He knew that if he was faithful to God and did what God asked of him that God would take care of him. Certainly, Daniel had prayed for safety from the lions. God answered his prayers and sent an angel to spend the night with him to comfort and protect him from the lions. Some think this angel was the same angel who was in the fiery furnace. If so, then Daniel may have spent the night with the preincarnate Jesus Christ. What a blessing that would have been.

Challenge: You can trust God, He will never fail you. The problems you are currently facing could not be as bad as the lion’s den that Daniel faced. Take your problems to the Lord in prayer. He will be with you through the difficulties of life and protect you. Circumstances may not always turn out the way you wish, but you can be assured God loves you and has a perfect plan for you.

So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!” Daniel 6:16 HCSB

A couple of years ago our church was coming to the end of the financial year and I projected, based on receipts for previous years, that we would spend approximately $30,000 more than what we would receive for the year. We did not inform the church of the financial need, but God delivered in an amazing way. During the month of December our receipts totaled approximately $250,000, the most that has ever been given in one month and especially for December. God provided a miracle and we ended the year $30,000 more in receipts than what was spent.

God provided for Daniel and shut the mouths of the lions. Even the unbelievers acknowledged the power of God. The king loved Daniel and hoped that Daniel’s God would be able to save him. God has power that many others know nothing about – the power to even shut the mouths of lions.

Challenge: God’s power is still available to those who need it. Daniel was willing to face death as a result of his faithfulness to God. Would you be willing to die for your faith? What would others say about your life as a result of your actions and behavior? Listen to Chris Tomlin as he sings “Our God” at https://www.youtube.com/watch? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJpt1hSYf2o) v=NJpt1hSYf2o (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJpt1hSYf2o)

When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in the upper room opened toward Jerusalem and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Daniel 6:10 HCSB

As a family we have always placed an importance on prayer. Prior to each meal we give thanks to the Lord for the food and His many blessings. When our children were younger we would have bedtime prayers. Any time there is a specific need, there are prayers lifted up for that situation or person.

Prayer is a simple conversation with God. Prayer is emphasized in both the Old and New Testament. Frequently there are references to people speaking to God, calling on Him, and crying out to Him in a crisis. Jesus gave His followers instructions on how to pray and He Himself went to God the Father in prayer.

Daniel realized that praying for guidance and direction from God was essential to success and that it was important to continue to pray even if it meant he would be thrown into the lion’s den. He could have tried to hide his prayer time but instead he opened the windows and openly prayed to God.

Challenge: Spend time in prayer each day seeking God’s guidance in your life. Present your requests to the Lord, knowing that He is in control of everything. Pray for God’s will to always be done even when you don’t understand. Don’t be ashamed to pray. Offer to bless the food when you are out with with work associates having lunch.

So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said to him, “May King Darius live forever. All the administrators of the kingdom, the prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an edict that for 30 days, anyone who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den.” Daniel 6:6-7 HCSB

There has been a debate for years about the circumstances surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Some say that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone while others say that there was a conspiracy and that there was more than one shooter that day. After years of study and examination, I am not sure anyone will ever know the truth behind the the death of JFK.

The administrators in today’s Scripture reference agreed to conspire against Daniel. They were jealous of his position and his relationship with the king. They used flattery with the king to get a decree issued. The administrators made it sound like they loved the king and wanted everyone to worship him. The king was influenced by their flattery and made an unwise choice without giving it a lot of thought.

Challenge: Be careful how you use flattery and use it only with sincerity to express your honest feelings. Be aware of others who may be tempting you to go along with the group. Pray for guidance as you make decisions and interact with others.

The administrators and satraps, therefore, kept trying to find a charge against Daniel regarding the kingdom. But they could find no charge of corruption, for he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him. Daniel 6:4 HCSB

I have had the opportunity to hire employees for the church. Of course any employer desires a candidate who is knowledgable of the job, but also someone whose attributes include honesty and trustworthiness.

Those who worked with Daniel wanted to find a flaw in his character that they could use against him to make the king dislike him. They were jealous of his position and power. They looked for anything that would discredit Daniel and his God, but they could not find any fault or corruption. Instead, they found Daniel to be a person who could be trusted.

Challenge: Are you trustworthy? Would others you work with say you are trustworthy? Be a person of honesty and integrity and the type of employee that you would want to hire.

“This is the writing that was inscribed: 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 ben divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” Daniel 5:25-28 HCSB

Have you ever played one of those games where the letters of a word or the words of a phrase are scrambled and you have to unscramble the letters or the words to discover the true meaning? The words that were written on the wall did not make any sense to the king or any of his advisors. God gave Daniel the special ability to understand the words and interpret the meaning for the king.

Defying God can be very dangerous. Even though King Belshazar’s kingdom was very large and powerful, its days were numbered and the kingdom would be divided. The message from God that was written on the wall literally meant: “numbered, numbered, weighed, and divided”. The king’s behavior was weighed on God’s scale of justice. His power and wealth did him no good and did not withstand the judgment of God.

Challenge: If you have forgotten God and turned from His holy ways, there is still time to repent and do what is right. If you fail to follow God’s way, you may face the same destruction and judgment that King Belshazar experienced. Repent now and pray for forgiveness.

“But you have not glorified the God who holds your life-breath in His hand and who controls the whole course of your life.” Daniel 5:23c HCSB

As a former youth pastor I learned how to play some of the basic chords on the guitar so I could lead singing with youth around the campfire and other gatherings. One of the songs I learned was “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”. It is a gospel song that was first published in 1927 and was performed by various artists in the 40’s and 50’s. It is the only gospel song to hit #1 on the United States pop singles chart in 1971. The words to the chorus of the song are:

He’s got the whole world in his hands, He’s got the whole world in his hands.He’s got the whole world in his hands, He’s got the whole world in his hands. He’s got you and me brother in his hands… He’s got the whole world in his hands…

Daniel reminded King Belshazzar that he had abandoned God and that God is so powerful that He even held king Belshazzar’s life in His hands. God is in control of everything. He is sovereign. Nothing happens without God’s permission.

Challenge: Your life is in God’s hands. He controls the course of your life. Always seek God’s will and direction in your life. YouTube has several versions of the song “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” that are available for your listening.

“However, I have heard about you that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain around your neck, and have the third highest position in the kingdom.” Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts, and give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription for the king and make the interpretation known to him.” Daniel 5:16-17 HCSB

The Fresno Bee reports: Joe Cornell could have yielded to temptation when he found a bag full of money in downtown Fresno. He didn’t, and it’s paying off for him.

Cornell found a bag with about $125,000 that had fallen off a Brinks armored car in downtown Fresno. Keep it or return it? He decided on the latter course, and now Brinks officials say they’ll give Cornell a $5,000 reward. “It was the right thing to do,” Cornell said. Brinks officials are breathing a sigh of relief. “Mr. Cornell did the right thing,” Brinks spokesman Ed Cunningham said. “For that, we are grateful.” Brinks also will donate $5,000 in Cornell’s name to the local Salvation Army, where Joe works and is a part of a drug and alcohol abuse program.

There are times when we all are faced with the decision to do what is right. Daniel had the opportunity to “cash in” on his God-given ability to interpret dreams, visions, and the writing on the wall. Obviously, the king had already sought an interpretation from his own counselors and they could not provide him with an answer. The king then turned to Daniel and offered him purple clothes, a symbol of royalty and power, and a gold chain that was only worn by those recognized by the king as a person of rank. Daniel could have had it all and been third in charge of Babylon, but he refused the king’s gifts, not as a way of being disrespectful, but as a way to do what was right rather than do something for personal gain.

Challenge: Doing what is right should always be our first priority over gaining power and financial reward. Do you love God enough to do what is right even if it means giving up personal reward and gain?

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. Daniel 5:5-6 HCSB

I was once in New York City on a mission trip and took the subway out of downtown to meet Debbie and the children so they would not have to drive in the traffic. Debbie had gotten lost and was not there when I got off of the subway. I was standing alone in Harlem in an area that was totally unfamiliar to me. I was afraid and felt some concern for my personal safety.

When King Belshazzar saw the hand writing on the wall, he became terrified to the point that his body was shaking. It sounds like a scene from a horror movie. Imagine the powerful king of Babylon shaking with fear. I am sure he was not the only one who was afraid. All of his guests watched the hand write on the wall. God used the hand as a way to confront the king with his sinful behavior. God is patient but eventually He will confront man’s sins, often in ways that are unexpected.

Challenge: As believers, the Holy Spirit resides within each of us to convict us and confront us with our wrongdoings. All have sinned and should be terrified of God’s condemnation. It is only through Jesus Christ that we find grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Pray for forgiveness of your sins and ask God to guide and direct you so you will not fall into temptation. Thank Him for His mercy and grace.