Conditional (Christian) Faith

 I was listening to a comic recently. It was an old video that I had never seen before. In it, the comedian made a bold declaration of his faith in Jesus. That's something you don't necessarily expect to hear from a comedian. However, there it was. Further, during his presentation, this comic made a profession that it wouldn't matter whether his circumstances were good or bad, he would completely and unequivocally trust the God that he was proclaiming.

This comedian told a very powerful story about his son being involved in a bad car accident. He told the listeners how he had been praying on his way to the crash scene, telling God that he wouldn't waver in his previous commitment but that he would trust the Lord completely, no matter his son's outcome. His son survived and thrived in the coming days but not before some difficult days of waiting. So, I guess his declaration that he would trust God even if the outcome wasn't a good one never really got tested (at least in that situation).

However, this isn't the first time that such a declaration has been made. I am reminded of the story in the Old Testament Book of Daniel where Daniel's three friends (three young Jewish boys) refused to obey an order from the king which order directly contradicted their faith in Jehovah God. This order was for everyone in the kingdom to bow down and worship the king (as god) for 30 days. It was a setup if there ever was one. Daniel would later be found in violation of the same despicable order.

The boys were every bit as devout as Daniel later proved to be. They were brought before the king and, since he liked them, he offered them an opportunity to comply and live. If they refused (and he truly hoped that they wouldn't), they would be burned alive. The young men continued to refuse to bow to the king, choosing to die a death by fire rather than to dishonor God. So, the king ordered that the furnace be heated up even hotter, so hot that the soldiers working the furnace died from the heat. Yet, when these three young men were thrown into the furnace, they walked around unharmed and unaffected by the fire. Also, there was a fourth man in the fire with them and he too was unaffected.

The commitment of these young men to follow their God even if it cost them their lives was no casual commitment. There were no conditions on their faith. They were determined to trust this God that they had never seen with their eyes regardless of whatever threats were made against them by those whom they could see right before them. And apparently their faith in God was rewarded by their miraculous deliverance THROUGH the fire rather than OUT of it.

Several years ago, I was introduced to a discipleship movement that has challenged me in ways that I had never dreamed of previously. The type of faith that these young men demonstrated in the Book of Daniel has been the model held up for us to consider, even though we don't actually study anything from the Book of Daniel in a year of studies. Near the very beginning of our study introduction, we are confronted with the concept of entering into a personal, dynamic, intimate relationship with Jesus. The way that this is framed states that such a relationship is only possible to those who are willing to enter into it by "Personal Abandonment and Absolute Trust." 

Either the personal abandonment or the trust would be a challenge all on its own. However, upon a certain amount of reflection, you realize that absolute trust isn't truly possible unless you actually do abandon yourself. As long as you fail to abandon self, you are still asserting your own ability and trusting your own ability. It seems that is where we get ourselves into trouble. It always has been. In fact, Adam & Eve were confronted with this same test in the Garden of Eden, and they failed the test. God said don't eat this one tree or you'll die. A serpent argued that they would actually become as God Himself. Which of us doesn't wish, at some point in our lives, to be as God Himself? To trust him absolutely means that we must abandon our own desires, our own wisdom, and our faith in ourselves. We must renounce our faith in Self in order to fully embrace our faith in the Creator.

I am a failure when it comes to righteousness (with the possible exception of self-righteousness). However, I wish to embrace the grace and mercy of Jesus and all that it entails. What a gracious Savior to accept me in all of my brokenness and failure and to transform me exclusively for His glory! So, I continue to fail... to disappoint. However, I have thrown down the gauntlet. I have entered the battle against self and in favor of the Savior. I am His. Period. He may do with me as He chooses and I remain His. Fully.

Whose are you and in whom do you trust?

Christianity: Religion or Relationship?

 There's a battle going on in the world over what distinguishes Christianity from all other belief systems and codes of behavior. It's been going on for ages now. As I was growing up, the basic line of reasoning was that Christianity is a relationship (with Jesus) and everything else, including atheism, is "just" religion. Jesus, being a real, historic human being (and God at the same time, see trinitarianism) is and was someone with whom humankind could enter into relationship. Since He both was and is living (He was raised from the dead three days after His execution), this was rationally possible. If Confucius were still living, the same possibility would then exist with him but he, the buddha, Joseph Smith and so many other philosophers and religious leaders of antiquity are dead. The last time I checked, it's impossible to have a relationship with anyone who is dead. So, there is a distinction after all.

But how does the PRACTICE of Christianity differ from the practice of (other) religions? Is it just the indication and application of a different set of values or a different code of conduct? Is it just the names with which these distinctions are associated? Is it the governing documents themselves (the Bible for Christianity, for instance) that really makes the difference? Is it just a matter of "getting it right?" Are heaven and hell just a risk v reward analysis motivating us to choose the right set of rules to follow and then following them sufficiently? Is that all there is?

That might be all there is separating one religion from another. Just a different set of values and a different code of conduct. These, having been established and promulgated by different people (prophets, philosophers, teachers, etc.), are certainly a way of knowing about and identifying any one of a variety of religions and religious activities. Buddhists may have some ideas in common with Hindus but there are identifiable differences that allow us to separate the two belief systems. Either of these can be contrasted with other religions of the world and the comparison will yield a rather lengthy list of religions or religious systems around the world. The crux of this discussion is not whether there are differences between religions but rather whether there is anything distinctive about Christianity that pulls it apart from and out of competition with the religions of the world. Is Christianity just one more religion to weighed in the balance and considered on an equal plane with all of the other religions of the world.

Christian churches of all denominations carry different lists of rules for acceptable behavior. Individual congregations within a single denomination may place a greater emphasis on the acceptance or restriction of certain very specific behaviors. However, those who are outside of Christianity are very unlikely to look at an individual or a family and conclude that they are Christians simply on the basis of whether or not they subscribe to a particular rule about the use of alcohol, the practice of dancing or the use of profanity or curse words. Since most of the world's religions base the faithfulness of their followers or adherents on how well they observe their particular list of dos and don'ts, such a list of prescribed and proscribed behaviors for Christians would merely render those Christians one more in a long list of religions. So what actually is there about Christianity that makes it different from all of the rest?

Going back to the first paragraph, it's Jesus. Just Him. Well mostly just Him. He stated publicly that He did nothing of His own accord but only with the prompting of Jehovah God, His Father. And, he promised when He left that He would send the Holy Spirit (the Comforter) to ensure the survival and eventual victory of His people. Trinitarian doctrine once again.

The Biblical message about Jesus is certainly a unique one. He was born of a virgin (that's not just unique). He lived a sinless life (even as a teenager). He ministered to the people around him in truly miraculous ways (defying all earthly explanation). He died a death of a criminal (in spite of the fact that He never even entertained thoughts of a crime much less committed one). After three days in the grave, He walked out under His own power and later was observed as He rose up into the clouds with an announcement from Heaven itself that He would return one day. Wow! What a story. And that's just the highlights. Just at a glance, Jesus was no "great teacher" like some other earthly leaders may have been.

But even the nature of who Jesus is doesn't change Christianity without something else. That something else is the distinction. It's the very essence of Christianity the relationship. In fact, without this one thing, even Christianity actually is just one more of many religions of the world. That one thing is this: How do we relate (the root of relationship) to anyone of whom the things above can be said? Answer: Faith. Not A faith. Faith. Not a system of belief or a code of conduct but a living, breathing relationship with Jesus as evidenced by the intimate, daily interactions one has with Him and the confidence that is built as a result of this type of intimate relationship.

Let's go back momentarily to our childhood.  Most of us were born into a family unit and were raised by at least one of our parents. There are exceptions to this rule but the vast majority of people worldwide are raised in this way. Because of the relationship that we develop (from birth) with our parents and throughout our lives with other family members and friends, we learn to have various degrees of trust in each of these family members and friends. Those that we are closest to get the greatest degree of our trust. We have all seen this dynamic in action but somehow we don't tend to translate that basic principle of relationship into our interactions with God. Or, maybe we do and that is exactly the reason that we don't particularly trust Him: We don't really KNOW Him.

Several years ago I met some men who challenged me to look at this relationship through the lens of John 15. Jesus makes a rather strange analogy (by today's standards) of His relationship with people as compared to the relationship that a fruit-bearing branch has to a grape vine. He uses the word "abide" to describe how this works. The clear implication of His teaching is that one who actually engages in this fruit-bearing relationship with Him will become completely dependent upon Him, moment by moment, day after day. Dependent for everything. But the result is the abundant production of fruit in and through our lives. (The type of fruit produced is for another discussion at a later time.)

So, if your Christianity is a description of the moral code or behavioral limitations you put on your life, when and where you attend church (or not), the type of music you listen to and the style of haircut you get, your Christianity is definitely a religion, regardless of whether you claim it. However, if your Christianity is a moment by moment complete and utter dependence on the grace and mercy of Jesus to guide and direct you, provide all your needs and produce spiritual fruit in and through you, your Christianity is definitely a relationship. Which do you have: Religion or relationship?

Pharisees, tax collectors and sinners

​Luke 15:1–2 (ESV): Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

“Pharisee” is a term that many have come to use and think of synonymously with condemnation but it’s more than that. Why is that important? It’s important because we battle so much more than just “wrongness.” Here in Luke 15, the Pharisees give their best analysis of who Jesus is and how He measures up by looking at who he is seen with. Have you ever drawn a conclusion about anyone based on their associations? I have.

First, the writer mentions that “tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.” It doesn’t say how large this group was. It only describes the (supposed) character of those who were listening. They’re not even charged with wrong thinking for choosing to listen to Jesus. Rather, the Pharisaical judgment is aimed at Jesus for permitting them an audience with Him. Apparently Jesus was supposed to teach only “good” people.

Now, we know without explanation that tax collectors are “bad” people. They take from the poor to give to the rich (or the government, if there’s a difference). We all seem to inherently resent those who are so employed. However, I have been told that these tax collectors were worse than that. These tax collectors were thieves with badges. Government thugs. Further, they were Jews (see Note 1,) who collected taxes for the Roman government so they were also traitors. Sellouts. No wonder they were despised and even hated.

Just imagine a system where instead of completing and filing a tax return with voluntary declarations you had to entertain a family member who made your declarations on your behalf and in your presence, without any evidence, and then assessed taxes at whatever rate he/she felt like assessing, pocketing whatever amount exceeded the actual amount owed. Imagine that. Would you love or trust that family member?

In v. 1, Dr Luke lumps the tax collectors and “sinners” together. In v. 2 he says that the judgment of the Pharisees was aimed at Jesus’ association with “sinners.” So, Pharisees did not distinguish between tax collectors and sinners. Perhaps the reason for this failure to distinguish was because of the “class divisions” of that day. We might expect Pharisees to see themselves as being part of the highest class while putting everyone else in some lesser class, whatever lower classes they may have considered. Sinners and tax collectors were undoubtedly (and perhaps speculatively) a part of the lowest class within the Jewish culture. (See Note 2.) Therefore, in the judgment of the Pharisees, Jesus was also in a lower class than they because he associated with these less then desirable characters.

The division of Jews, by Pharisees, into multiple “classes” of people changed and directly influenced their perspective on who and what these people were. It also impacted their views on other people based on the way in which these others interacted (or chose not to interact) with other classes. So, even if they didn’t take issue with Jesus or His teachings (and they did), His deliberate association with “tax collectors and (other) sinners” would be sufficient for them to question His character.

But Jesus doesn't share the perspective of the Pharisees. The worth that Pharisees put on a single human was not the value that HE sees. In His view of each individual being inherently valuable in and of themselves, Jesus compares himself to the shepherd who has lost just a single sheep from his flock. The shepherd, if his goals were merely financial, might be tempted to see the cost of going after a single sheep out of the flock as too expensive a proposition to be worth the effort. After all, aren't sheep rather stupid, at least  by reputation? What about the relative value of a sheep that's always wandering off or who doesn't eat right. How motivated would such a shepherd be to go after a sheep who's disruptive, always dragging other sheep into trouble?

So, religion and the agents of religious institutions are less moral than Jesus in that they permit human, immoral perspectives to mandate who is valuable and who is not. Or, perhaps mandate who is more valuable as compared to someone who is less valuable. Are you assured that others would always put you in the category of MORE VALUABLE and thus that you would be worthy of effort? And what about the way that YOU look at other people? Do you categorize and classify others and then assess their worth based on how you feel about them and their character or based on who they choose to associate with? Jesus doesn't.

Although I wold love to think differently of myself, I know myself well enough to be certain that others, if they are honest with me, will have to acknowledge that I don't belong in the highest class as Pharisees saw themselves. Rather, I would be looked at as being of the lowest class. After all, if nothing else, I wore a policeman's badge for nearly 20 years. On that basis alone I would/should probably be viewed as a government thug. Not a high class position. Not a high class person.

But here's the thing: That's not how people ought to be viewed, judged or classified!

Jesus, in the parable in Luke 15, likens Himself to a shepherd and us to His flock of sheep. He doesn't differentiate between the individual sheep. In fact, he later tells a similar story about a lost coin. In both stories, He is referencing the fact that the shepherd of sheep and the owner of a coin place inherent value on that which belongs to them. Therefore, be it a lost coin or a lost sheep, the owner (and in this case the shepherd) searches tirelessly until the lost one is found and brought back home. Clearly, Jesus sees us this way. He doesn't conclude that since we are "only a penny" that we aren't worth the effort but that He would move all heaven and earth if we were a dime. Rather, we are simply coins or sheep and regardless of which we are or what value others may place on us, to Him only one thing matters. We are HIS. And that's enough.

Notes (Pocket Lexicon to the Greek New Testament):

1. τελώνης, collector (receiver) of customs, tax-gatherer, revenue official, of any rank, but especially of Jews of the lower rank, who collected revenue for the Roman overlord, detested by their fellow-countrymen and practically identified with ἁμαρτωλοί.

2. ἁμαρτωλός, (a) sinning, sinful; (b) frequent as a translation of a contemptuous Aramaic word, with reference to particular classes despised by strict Jews, a sinner.

The Cost of Discipleship

Luke 14:25-33

Jesus made it plain in this passage that discipleship with Him is not a matter to be taken lightly. It will cost you something. 

Some have misunderstood this passage and concluded that Jesus contradicted the law (honor and obey your parents) and gave permission to harbor hatred and disrespect their parents. However, He makes his statement about “hating” family in the context of discipleship and goes on to mention both wars and building projects. He also refers to “hating” the life that you have deliberately chosen to make for yourself (not just hating the difficult circumstances of your life). 

So, what is Jesus’ point? What is He really getting at? Does He really want us to hold hard feelings for our families? Is He encouraging bad attitudes and disrespect? No. He’s asking for commitment. True commitment. Lasting commitment. He’s issuing a real caution because following Him is not to be confused with following popular characters in the culture or the world. He’s saying, “Don’t make a rash decision!”

Jesus is telling us that there are decisions to be made that flow out of the decision to walk with Him. There will be times when your family will disagree with you and possibly reject you because of your commitment to Jesus. Your decision to follow Him may actually militate against all the plans you have made for your personal happiness in life.

Jesus illustrates His point with two things: completing a building project and prosecuting a war. An interesting choice of illustrations. Both of these things require careful thought and planning. Both will carry a tremendous price tag. Either would be embarrassing to begin and then not be able to finish because you hadn’t given sufficient thought to the cost.

What is Jesus NOT saying? He’s not saying that the price is too high. He’s not saying to turn around and go home, abandoning Him. He hasn’t suggested not building new buildings or not doing battle with your enemies. He’s just saying to think about your commitment before jumping in. Count the cost to see if you have what it takes to finish.

So, what is the cost of being a disciple of Jesus? It differs in some ways for each of us who chooses to follow Him. When going to war, it’s a foregone conclusion that some will die on the battlefield and never return to their homes and families. But not all. Some will be forever changed and possibly incapacitated by their wounds. But not all. Some will be haunted by memories and visions of the battlefield. But not all. Think about it.

The people Jesus spoke to in Luke 14 were familiar with both building projects and wars. They knew the realities of each. They also knew that they would be watched by those around them whenever they took on any major endeavor and would be humiliated if they then found that they couldn’t finish. Jesus wasn’t trying to set anyone up for failure He just asked for careful consideration before making a decision. Think about it!

He’s calling you to an intimate relationship with Him. He wants you to be His disciple. However, He’s not inviting you to failure. But He’s also not inviting you to a life of ease. There will be great accomplishments and great joys along the way but not without a price. Are you willing to pay the price for the relationship that He offers?

If you would like to know more about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, we have a process called “The Journey” that introduces you to this concept. Please contact us and someone will reach out to you with more information.

Study #17 - Practicing what you preach? (Daniel 3)

This section of Daniel and the story told there may be my favorite part of all of Scripture. Not only is it an incredible story, it is also an incredible description of what Faith is all about. You see, this is the culmination of all of the faithfulness that we have already seen from Daniel and his three friends as the three young rules of Babylon are thrown into the fiery furnace. Sound like fun?

After all that they have been through and all of the proof that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego have given of their love for and devotion to the Creator-God, Nebuchadnezzar still doesn’t understand. He has demonstrated his own foolishness or insanity by continuing down the same losing path that he has been on while continuously expecting to gain different (presumably more favorable) results. Even so, he has still not learned his lesson and these young men are about to give him a lesson that he will never forget.

When faced with the likelihood of imminent death by fire, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego tell King Nebuchadnezzar that they will not bow to his god(s) regardless of his threats. Further, they explain to him that they do not need to defend themselves (Daniel 3:16, NIV) in his presence. They are leaving their defense in the hands of God. We might look at this story and ask if the Scriptures are teaching that civil disobedience (rebellion against man’s rule or authority) is OK. Nothing could be further from the truth. Although these young men are refusing to obey the king, it is only because they are submitting to a higher authority. It is important for King Nebuchadnezzar to realize that he is not the ultimate authority.

In fact, they have so recognized the higher authority of God that they even call into question the authority, the power, the ability of the king to carry out his own orders against them. In verse 17, they begin with the word, “if.” “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace…” is almost a challenge to the king authority but it is not a universal challenge. They are challenging his ability (or authority) to do anything against THEM. They have faithfully submitted themselves to their God, the Creator-God and as a result they expect Him to deliver them from any harm. Just as Abraham proceeded with the plans to sacrifice Isaac while expecting God to deliver Isaac from the execution, these young men expected God to intervene and deliver them from the king’s death sentence.

But this next part is the best part of all. If you like stories of courage, this may be the best one of all time. They tell the king that their God, the Creator-God, is able to deliver them from his hand. However, they also tell him that if He chooses not to deliver them, they will still remain faithful to Him. That, my friend, is an incredible display of faith and of faithfulness. The confidence that these young men had in this God of Heaven was so incredibly strong that they would willingly go through the fire for Him, if He required it of them.

Thought: Occasionally, a member of the Secret Service Presidential Protection Service is required to “take a bullet” for the President. Soldiers often are committed to harm’s way so that the rest of us can live in peace and safety. Police Officers sometimes are called upon to be shot at or to be physically assaulted while working to protect us, our families and the values that we hold dear. In each of these cases, extreme courage and devotion are required. However, they still don’t compare to the courage and devotion shown by these three young men.

These young men were willing to go to a fiery grave for a God that they had never seen. Their belief (confidence in Him) was so strong that they never even questioned His authority, His ability, and even His intent to deliver them from their impending “doom” at the hands of the king and his men. Their confidence in the Living God was so great that they questioned the ability of the king to carry out his own orders, and this in one of the greatest empires of all history.

What level of confidence do you have in the living, Creator-God? Do your actions confirm or deny the words of faith that your mouth speaks? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego not only had extreme faith but their actions confirmed the words that their lips spoke. With His help, we can also have that kind of faith, that kind of confidence in our God. It is not just a good idea, it is what He requires of us.

By His grace, there is more to come….

Study #16: Rational v. Irrational (Daniel 3)

I once heard insanity defined as, “Doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results each time.” The Scriptures (probably Paul) put it a slightly different way by using an agricultural picture when he said, “…whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7, KJV) Anger, especially extreme anger, has this same effect on people.

King Nebuchadnezzar wasn’t thinking clearly. Rage had spilled over from his heart to the point that he was no longer a rational man. He was completely consumed with his anger. This was exactly the point of the writer when the church at Ephesus was instructed to, “Be ye angry, and sin not….” (Ephesians 4:26, KJV) When we allow our anger to take us from rational to irrational beings, we cannot any longer be yielded to the working of the Holy Spirit within us so we cannot help but act in a sinful manner.

There is no indication that Shadrach, Meshach and Abedneggo were hard of hearing or that they were not present when the orders were given the first time. If this had been the reason for the King’s leniency, it would probably have been mentioned. The fact that no such excuse or reason was given is a direct testimony to their perseverance and dedication under the greatest of pressures: a direct threat on their own life.

Therefore, when the King repeated his instructions to these godly men, he did so in an angry, furious rage. He was completely irrational and he repeated the earlier instructions while simultaneously expecting that he would get different results the second time. What he failed to recognize was the fact that their dedication to the Creator-God was precisely what made them so valuable to him. If, in fact, they had been the same as all of his other wise men, they would all have been executed for failing to tell him his dream together with its interpretation. It was precisely their connection with this one, true God that gave them the power and authority to bring him what he asked for.

Thought: We often face circumstances in our lives that we are unable to understand. Since we cannot make sense of these circumstances, we often react in anger. We permit our anger to become rage and we react emotionally and sinfully. We fail to recognize that God has had a hand in bringing these circumstances into our lives. We also forget that He does nothing without considering how it will impact us and how He can use the circumstances to make us more like Him, more like what He has designed us to be.

The angry reaction is what is natural to us because our basic, natural person is one whose very nature is sinful. However, God puts His divine nature within us via the indwelling of the Holy Spirit from the moment of our salvation. With His nature indwelling us, He expects us to be continually more conformed to His glorious image. This means acting and reacting in love rather than in anger, something we cannot do as long as we are being ruled by our (natural) emotions.

In our more lucid moments, let us resolve ourselves to being increasingly yielded to the working of the Holy Spirit in our inner being so that our outer actions will look more and more like the work of Jesus, the Christ.

By His grace, there is more to come….

Daniel 3: Who is Worthy of Worship?

The main point of this entire study, as I have mentioned previously, is the thought that it is all about God. Our very existence, the world around us, the circumstances that we find ourselves in, the tests and temptations that we face are all about our Creator and about the relationship that He desires to have with us. He created us for a purpose but that purpose is not served by our existence alone. His purpose must be lived out in our lives one day at a time. So, when we read the Scriptures, one of the main questions that we should be asking ourselves is what lesson God is trying to teach us about Him.

So, when we get to Daniel 3:13 and King Nebuchadnezzar is “furious with rage” and he calls Daniel and his friends to appear before him, we get a clearer picture of who this king really is and of what he thinks of His creator. We have mentioned before that Nebuchadnezzar was a pagan king so we shouldn’t be surprised but somehow we always are.

When he summons Daniel and his friends, he demands of them to know whether it is true that they refuse to worship and serve the gods that he had set up. It should also have been quite obvious to him by this time. After all, it wasn’t that long before that the magicians and other religious leaders and wise men of his kingdom, all pagans, were unable to perform his demands. In spite of this and their pagan beliefs about gods, the Creator revealed both the dream and its interpretation to the king through Daniel. Since Daniel gave all of the credit for this to his God, the king had no reason to think that this God was even in the same league with the gods that he worshiped.

Regardless of degrees of surprise on either side, the king was angry at Daniel and his friends. This was to be expected from a human standpoint largely because Daniel and his friends had defied the king’s orders (again) but this time in such an open manner that their lack of respect for and obedience to the king could not be hidden or overlooked. Now the king was humiliated in front of his other leaders. How was he to keep them all in check when he had this small group who would openly defy his orders in front of their peers? Further, he was enflamed by the words of the accusers who had reported that Daniel and his friends “pay no attention to you.” Kings are never supposed to be humiliated and these men had given him a large dose.

In spite of all of this, Nebuchadnezzar wanted to recognize the contributions of these men. So, he gave them another opportunity to bow down and worship his gods, especially this new statue that he had just finished building. In fact, he promised them in verse 15 that he would forgive the first offense and let them go free if they would only bow down and worship this statue when the music began again. But, he didn’t stop there. He reiterated his promise to have them executed by throwing them into a fiery furnace if they chose not to obey his orders again. He apparently had no doubt that their love of their own lives would motivate them to obey. But even this was not enough for Nebuchadnezzar.

The king made his promise to burn Daniel and his friends if they refused to worship. He knew that he had both the authority and the power to have these men thrown into the fire. That was not even in question. Since he also was well-acquainted with the power of the flame, he had no doubt of the outcome if they were thrown into the furnace. In fact, he asked them to tell him, “Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” The implication was clearly one of his supremacy by the use of fire, whose power nobody questioned. The implication in his question is that he was not acquainted with the God who made fire.

Thought: In Romans 12:3, Paul stated: “For I say , through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think ; but to think soberly , according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” (KJV) He is really making both sides of the same two-edged point. On the one hand, he is saying that we should not be puffed up, not think of ourselves in terms that exceed either our authority or our power. On the other hand, he is also saying that we should not underestimate the power of the Living God, our Creator and Saviour.

Satan already went there. He thought so highly of himself that he vowed to ascend to a place of power, to a position, that would be recognized and worshiped alongside of the Creator. This is a violation of God’s command to have no other god before Him. In holding himself up so highly, he also, by default, placed God in a lower place than He deserved. His condition was evidenced by self-worship while goal and objective was to gain the worship of others. Nebuchadnezzar clearly shared this character trait and this goal. He issued the challenge, “What God will be able to rescue you from my hand?” He really thought that he was on top of the world.

Stay with us because we will shortly see that nobody can attempt to ascend to and be seated on God’s throne without being cut down to size. Only God is God, and He is only One God.

By His grace, there is more to come….

Daniel 3: Holiness and Half-truths.

Lying is an obvious moral problem and most of us would describe ourselves as being too honest to lie. This does not mean that we necessarily believe we are above lying, but rather that we have advanced to a place of maturity or sanctification (or we are merely much too honest as humans) where we just plain do not wish to lie or to be known as a liar. We have a personal code of integrity that will not permit us to tell an outright lie. This is definitely not a bad thing. In fact, it is a very good thing. But how many of us who would not even think of telling an outright lie wouldn’t think twice before telling a half-truth if is seemed to suit our position?

It seems to be a staple of humanity to tell the truth, or at least a part of the truth, because it actually does seem to suit us and our purposes better than lying. We may be able to manipulate the results that we are looking for by telling at least a partial truth while conveniently leaving out a portion of the truth. Altogether too often, it is the part of the truth that we have omitted that becomes the crux of a matter. In fact, many a reputation for integrity has been destroyed by the half-truth rather than by the whole lie.

In verses 8-12 of Daniel 3, the king has begun the dedication of his great statue of gold. All of the people who held positions of importance throughout his kingdom were invited to attend. Also, they were all jointly given instructions to bow down and worship the statue when the “worship music” began. Since the one giving the order and the one who built the statue was their king, were they all not required (morally) to obey the king and bow down to this statue? Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego decided that they had a higher moral obligation to their own Creator than they did to the creator of this gold statue. They also may have assumed at this point that the king would understand and permit them an exception but we won’t get properly into that part of the story this week.

These three men and their friend Daniel all remained standing when the others bowed down to the huge gold statue. As we still see today, not all of the worshippers were paying attention to what they were doing. Several of them were apparently looking around during the worship (music, prayer, etc.). They came to the king and told him what they had seen. They reported that Daniel and his three friends (the Jews), “neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”

You might ask, “What’s the big deal? Didn’t the king already know that these guys worship a different god than he? Would he really have expected that these men would bow down to a cold, gold, inanimate statue?” He should not have expected these men to change and probably had not even contemplated that there would be an issue. In fact, if the men who “ratted them out” had come to the king with a simple message regarding how these faithful servants who had also told him his dream and its interpretation had not bowed down, the king might possibly have acknowledged their difference and permitted them to worship in their own way. However, that would not have pleased these men who came to the king.

Apparently there was a bit of a jealous streak between them. They told the king that, “they pay no attention to you, o king.” In fact, these were the inflammatory words that they started with. Was this statement a true statement? It could only be judged as true under the light of their actions. Since they refused the order of the king, this might have been a reasonable conclusion to come to. However, introducing the story with the conclusion before the facts was merely inflammatory and introducing these men with the mere statement that they would not bow down was a calculated move on the part of these men to move the king to anger. They succeeded. The very next verse begins with, “Furious with rage…” and we all know what dire, even unreasonable actions can be taken by any man who is filled with fury and rage.

Thought: It is vitally important that we be careful in our choice of words. It is often easy to state the obvious when the less-than-obvious is more pertinent. It often serves our desires and ambitions better to state the facts that are true on their face, knowing the reaction that they will bring. What we ought to remember though is that speaking in this way makes us morally (if not legally) liable for any damages that ensue.

In James 3, the tongue (our speech) is likened to a fire (v. 6) and goes on to say that the fire it possesses is lit by hellfire itself. Of course, the point of the entire passage is that we ought to take possession of our tongue rather than allowing it to take possession of us. As we begin this new year, let’s determine to be more careful to guard our tongue and to use our speech in ways that build people up rather than tearing (or burning) them down. Let’s speak the whole truth and take a step closer to the holiness of Almighty God.

By His grace, there is more to come….

Daniel 3: Worship is More Than Form.

Worship is a popular word in the church today. Everyone is trying to improve their “worship experience”. This often includes better music, more instruments, and more advanced technical support. We try to get a dramatic element into our church services by employing these and other musical elements because we now know that music is powerful in the way that it bypasses so much of our intellect and speaks directly to our hearts. It is almost as though the church has made a thoughtful decision to employ music for the purpose of bypassing the brain, ignoring the intellect. This obviously isn’t true of all churches but you cannot deny that our focus is more on worship and worship music than it is on holy living.

In Chapter 3 of Daniel, it is hard to miss the significance of a pagan king setting up his nest version of god and then commanding all who are present to bow down and worship when they hear the music. He had it down, didn’t he? He had a full orchestra with all of those instruments. He had a huge crowd gathered and it must have been an awesome sight to see such a great crowd bowing in response to all of the worship music that was being played that day. I wonder how moved Daniel and his friends were at the sight and sound of the event.

2 Timothy 3 speaks of what things will be like “in the last days.” In verse 5, we hear that people (in the last days) will have “a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” This “form of godliness” can take a lot of forms and many have been eloquently spoken of by preachers over the years. As the church continues to change with the times, it is important that we examine its practices in light of the truth of Scripture to be certain that we are embracing true godliness and not merely a form of it. Is our worship the kind of worship that Jesus said we should participate in? Are we worshipping in spirit and in truth? Or, are we merely mimicking in body what we believe to be true worship, leaving out both the spirit of worship and the truth of worship?

Some will respond by claiming that I have taken an Old Testament passage out of context and have applied it wrongly to today’s church. Looking again to 2 Timothy, we find in chapter 3 that, “16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (KJV) We cannot exclude any portion of Scripture from our study of God and His ways if we would truly learn of Him and if we would genuinely draw close to Him in worship. In Daniel 3, we see a clear example of false worship against which Daniel and his friends stood, fearlessly.

Thought: It should not be our desire that worship be dry and dull, devoid of emotion. However, we also need to avoid using manipulative techniques to generate emotion that is devoid of the spirit of repentance and humility before a holy God. We should not use any technique that encourages us to come boldly before this Almighty Creator in an unholy condition which He cannot accept. That is failing to worship in truth and we have been commanded to worship in both spirit and truth. No false teaching or false, manipulative techniques to bring men and women to worship.

What we do need is the pure, unadulterated Gospel of Jesus Christ to bring the hearts of men and women to a place of repentance so that their hearts and their minds can be prepared by the Holy Spirit of God for the act of worship. Unless we are prepared to confess our sin and repent of it, we have no business coming before God with any other request. Once our hearts are changed and cleansed, we are commanded to come before Him with thanksgiving, with a heart filled with worship. It is only when we come before Him in the way that He has prescribed that we will know His forgiveness, experience His love, and enjoy the peace that only He can give.

By His grace, there is more to come….

Christmas 2009.

As another year draws to a close, we celebrate Christmas once more. With all of the traditions, including the music, gift-giving, family gatherings and church services, it is so easy to become completely detached or to be completely caught up in the re-enactment of Christmases past. Perhaps it is no wonder that so many people find this to be the most depressing, the most lonely of any season all year long. Yet this year has served to drive a lesson home for me that is so obvious and yet had escaped me for years.

In Matthew 1:23, the Scriptures say that a virgin will give birth to a child who shall be called Immanuel, a name that means literally, “God is with us.” A lot of time is spent traditionally on several aspects of Christ’s birth, not the least of which is his birth by and to a virgin. But perhaps we often overlook the name given to Jesus in this passage, and the interpretation or the meaning of this name. Immanuel. God with us.

The name is not one which we are accustomed to using any more and so we may overlook it or even look right past it as though it were not there. Even the meaning, God with us, is often dismissed or overlooked. After all, perhaps we can concede that He was with us about 2000 years ago but that’s all ancient history now. Further, if we take the “us” in that phrase to mean all of the population of the entire world, it becomes very impersonal at best. So, what difference does this name, and its meaning, really make?

Having served as a police officer for a number of years, I have become keenly aware of what it means to respond to a call having someone with me. Responding to any call alone causes you to think in very defensive terms. But when you have someone that you know and trust responding to the call along side you, it frees you to think more strategically and perhaps even proactively. Having someone respond with you is invaluable in producing excellent results in situations that can otherwise be extremely dangerous.

Of course there are many other situations in life which are made better by the mere presence of someone else with us. If you are lost in the woods, it is less frightening and more survivable if you have someone with you. If you should happen to be in a strange land, it is less foreboding if someone you know is accompanying you. It is a known part of human nature that we like to have someone with us in many situations in our lives. If we are cold and alone, we instantly feel better when we meet the gaze of a friendly face and perhaps a warm embrace from this same friend or family member. Whether children or adults, young or old, we do not like to be alone.

When the angel of the Lord (some would interpret this to be the Holy Spirit Himself) appeared to Joseph in a dream and explained to him that he should go forward with his plans to marry Mary, He told Joseph that the babe that Mary was pregnant with would be called Immanuel and he explained that this name meant, God with us. He was making a very important statement about the role that Jesus was to play in the lives of human beings all over the world. He was to be with us so that we would no longer be alone, lonely, cold, unloved, uncared for.

When we speak of Jesus and of Salvation, we often speak of sin and of our need for someone to pay our sin debt on our behalf. While this is true and is no small matter, it is important to realize that God was providing a means of bringing us back into fellowship, intimate friendship with Him. When He came walking in the Garden of Eden to speak with Adam and Eve and found that they were hiding from Him because they had disobeyed Him, He also felt the separation and was hurt by it. He had created us out of love and of a desire to have a friendly relationship and now the relationship had been ended. For about 4,000 years, God looked forward to the day when the relationship would be mended and Christ was the means to that end.
When Jesus came to earth, He came as the physical representation, the very physical presence of God with us. God gave His son to get us back to Him, to renew and revitalize our relationship with Him.

Thought: When God created us, it was not His intention that we should go through life on our own. He did not intend that we should fail, especially failure due to being overpowered or outnumbered. He intended to be there with us through every day and every situation. It was us who broke that relationship when we entered into sin, rebellion against Him. He would not allow even this to defeat us or to make the broken relationship inevitable.

Jesus came to be God with us here on earth. This is why it was so important for Him to send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, when He returned to God the Father to let Him know that the objective had been met, that the goal had been accomplished. Having God with us, having our Creator with us, causes us to be triumphant over all our enemies through His strength. We are the winners when we allow Him to get the victory in and through us. Hallelujah for Immanuel and for His presence with us in every situation. We are no longer alone!

By His grace, there is more to come….

Daniel 2: Faithfulness and rewards.

Where is our discernment? I mean, we have been duped on several occasions over the decades. In fact, I might characterize the church (generic) as being rather gullible. We hear someone say that they are “born again”, they sing songs that COULD refer to Jesus and heaven, or they use language that we expect only true Christians to know and use and we immediately conclude that these people are also true Christians. I dare say that there are people in the church today that would conclude after Daniel chapter 2 that Nebuchadnezzar had been converted. However, chapter 3 gives a somewhat different view of the king.

Obviously, based on the things that God said about Nebuchadnezzar in the dream and its interpretation, Nebuchadnezzar was an ambitious person. He had high aspirations and perhaps this is why his kingdom was the head of gold and represented so much earthly glory. His ambition is evident in the opening of chapter 3 as he erects a statue of his own (as compared to the one in his dream). This one is all of gold and it is about 90 feet tall. This piece of art was pretty impressive by any standards. However, it wasn’t simply a piece of art. Remember that Nebuchadnezzar was a pagan king in a pagan country and although he had recognized the God of Israel as being special and unusually powerful compared to his own gods, he was still a pagan at heart.

So when the statue was completed, he gathered together all of the leaders that were under his command. He invited them to come and participate in the dedication of this new work that he had made (v. 3). When he had gathered everyone together, he had an announcement made to all who were there. The announcement was that everyone was to bow down and worship this statue when they heard the music begin to play. Sounds a little like church, doesn’t it. After all, we play and sing music when we “worship” god, don’t we. A lesser man than Daniel and his friends might have seen this sight and thought, “What could be the harm in this? After all, it isn’t like this statue is alive or anything.”

Daniel and his friends new that God had commanded that His people should not worship anyone (or anything) except Him. After all, it logically follows that we should not elevate the art above the artist or the music above the musician or the creation above the Creator. What would we (or should we) expect for a reaction from our mother if she cooks a wonderful meal for us to enjoy and we begin to give all our praise and thanks to the food itself instead of to her, after she has prepared it intentionally for us?

If bowing before this image could be viewed as “not a big thing”, then there would likely be little or no consequence to failing to bow. But the king commanded and the herald declared that anyone who did not bow to the image would be thrown into a fiery furnace. This may not have been such an unusual thing as some pagan cultures practiced human sacrifice and this was the type of ceremony where such a thing would have been likely to take place. Also, burning human sacrifices in a furnace was not an uncommon method of performing this type of sacrifice. In any event, by placing this level of punishment on anyone who refused to bow the king made it clear how important this (forced) idol-worship was to him.

Thought: The Scriptures urge us repeatedly to be discerning. Solomon used words like wisdom and discernment over and over in the Book of Proverbs. Also, Jesus said that we would know people by the “fruit” of their lives. We need to be more careful in our examination of people to know for certain what they believe, not just take their word for it. Words can be very deceiving and we often do not interpret words in the same way as others based on the context in which they are used.

Let us determine in our hearts to be more discerning, to exhibit the wisdom of God in our daily interactions with others. After all, we cannot pray for the salvation of a lost person if we falsely believe them to be saved and we cannot encourage the believer if we do not know that they are in the family.

By His grace, there is more to come….

Daniel 2: Faithfulness and rewards.

As we finish our study of Daniel 2, let’s not skip over a couple of very significant verses right at the end of the chapter, verses 48 and 49. These verses are particularly significant in light of the title and purpose of our study (“It’s All About Him”). Although verse 48 begins with “Then the King…”, this is clearly an act of God. Don’t make the mistake of equating the king with God but understand that nothing happens without God’s direct intervention, or at least with His approval. So, when the king gives Daniel and high position in the government and then appoints Daniel’s three friends to similar positions right under him, this is really an act of Almighty God.

Recall that just a few verses earlier the king is laboring under a false assumption perpetrated by the king’s other wise men. They had asserted that God is too big to be interested in the affairs of men or the things of this earth. Daniel had to set him straight on this matter, letting the king know that God is very interested in the things of this earth and that He is never too big or too busy to communicate with men.

So now, the king acts as a servant of the very God that he knew little or nothing about just a short time before. He exalts Daniel and his friends to positions of great prominence, influence, and authority in the kingdom. This would not be the ordinary, expected response of a pagan leader. By taking this action, he was officially acknowledging that the God of Daniel, the God of Heaven, and the God of Creation is and was a true God. He was acknowledging the personal yet powerful nature of an almighty, Creator God.

In Hebrews 11:6, the author writes that God is “a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (KJV) This is representative of a theme that runs through all of Scripture. God likes to give rewards to people. In the closing verses of Daniel 2 we see a practical example of how God rewards those who seek Him, those who are faithful to Him. In this case, He exalted Daniel and his three friends to these prominent positions. If that is not a reward, especially after all that they had been through, then I can’t imagine what would be a reward. It reminds me a little of the stories I read as a child where the king would offer the hero anything he wanted “up to half of (my) kingdom”.

Thought: We tend to complain frequently about how God treats us. We even look at all of the evil in this world and begin to doubt that a loving God can exist. However, perhaps we would be better to examine ourselves, our motives, and our behaviors to see whether we are in a position of faithfulness to Him. If we have not been faithful, if we have not been loyal to Him, how can we legitimately expect Him to do anything for us?

Mark 8:38 says, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels.” (NIV)

Daniel and his friends were not ashamed of who they were or of the God that they worshipped. In return, God rewarded them for their faithfulness. What will God have to say to you when you finally stand before Him? Will it be, “Well done.”? Will you also be rewarded?

By His grace, there is more to come….

Daniel 2: The Rest of the Story (sort of).

I’ve already promised that I will not attempt to give an interpretation of this prophetic portion of Scripture, largely because so many who are more qualified than I have done so already. I will keep that promise but I want to point out just a couple of very significant elements that are included in the dream and its interpretation.

First, Daniel plainly states that Nebuchadnezzar was represented by the head of gold. You can read the entire portion that includes the dream and Daniel’s interpretation in Daniel 2:29-45. In verses 36-38, Daniel declares that God used the gold head to signify Nebuchadnezzar’s reign because of his greatness as a ruler of men. He even refers to the king as “the king of kings” (v. 36), meaning a king among kings, or one whom other kings would look up to (or bow down to). This was a compliment of the highest order, especially since the compliment came directly from God.

Lest Nebuchadnezzar become puffed up with pride at this description of his kingdom, Daniel goes on to show that this description is very much relative. He describes the nations, kingdoms, or empires that would come in the future and how they relate to other portions of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream.

The last portion of the statue was the feet and it was described as being a mixture of clay and iron. Although I have not heard any Biblical scholars espouse this position, I find it very interesting (coincidental, perhaps) that the United States of America is becoming every day more and more like this “empire” or “kingdom” that is described as being a mixture of iron and clay. In verse 42 this entity is described as being both strong and brittle. It goes on to describe the people of this land as being a mixture that “will not remain united.” (v. 43) This may not be a good interpretation of the intent of God; however, the feet of clay and iron represent a final world power before Christ returns. We do know unequivocally that the time of Christ’s return is very near.

When the interpretation of the dream was complete, it is very significant that Nebuchadnezzar did not get caught up in the details of the dream or its interpretation. He did not dwell on his position in the lineup. Rather, he immediately recognized Daniel’s integrity and the awesome power and wisdom of Daniel’s God. Whereas he had been ready to kill of the wise men for the error of the pagan wise men, he was now prepared to recognize and reward those who had remained faithful to God. This was true even though he was a pagan king.

Thought: Whether the USA is seen symbolically in this statue dream or not is not really the important thing. The most significant thing to note from this dream is that nearly all has been fulfilled and we are definitely close to Christ’s return. We must therefore be prepared.

Secondly, we see again in Nebuchadnezzar’s response to Daniels interpretation that our response, our reaction to the circumstances God puts us in is very important. We must remember to put God first, to bring our praise to Him alone as the source of all wisdom and power. He may choose to use men and women in the process of communicating with us but we are obligated to remember and acknowledge the true message sender.

As we now move from Thanksgiving into the Christmas season, let’s remember to give thanks continually for the grace and goodness of God in our lives. Let’s put Him in His proper place and be prepared to humble ourselves before Him. After all, we cannot be too big to bow before Him when He was not too big to hang on a cross for us.

By His grace, there is more to come….

Daniel 2 (continued): Significance and Perspective...

Let’s face it. Sometimes we need a little reminder of how significant (or IN-significant) we actually are. For example, when was the last time that you read an article in the newspaper or saw a TV news piece done on King Nebuchadnezzar? You may laugh at this thought but consider for a moment that he was one of the most important, most influential people of his time.

King Nebuchadnezzar definitely thought that he was important and when his advisors came to him and advised him to declare a “National Day of Prayer” in which all of his subjects were to bow down in prayer to him (I know that I’m getting just a little bit ahead of myself here), he agreed! HE must have thought that this was a worthy idea or he would certainly have taken decisive action against his advisors. He has plainly shown in the last couple of weeks’ study that he was capable and did not hesitate to think about and threaten such an action. Yet, his name is rarely uttered anymore except in a Sunday School class or a college Bible class and occasionally in a sermon.

We all know people who think of themselves as being exceedingly important to the ongoing world in which we live. We may even be one of those people, if we are completely honest with ourselves. Perhaps we should stop for a moment and ask ourselves how significant we will be in another 100 or 200 years? Or, how about 500 years after our death? But, why this question?

God took the time to reveal his plan for the future of the world, in a dream. He gave the interpretation of the dream through one of His faithful servants. He completed this task in the time of Nebuchadnezzar’s rule and revealed it to Nebuchadnezzar. You would think, if only considered through the light of this historical account, that Nebuchadnezzar was an important person. You might even conclude that God “waited” for Nebuchadnezzar to come on the scene and take his position of prominence before revealing his long-term plans. But, maybe there is a better explanation.

Nebuchadnezzar was not the first person who held a prominent position in history. He is also not the last one to do so. So, why did God choose Nebuchadnezzar? Or, was it even important that it was this pagan king? Could it just as easily have been some other pagan king near to his time? Perhaps. Except for the fact that Nebuchadnezzar was the king over one of the empires mentioned in the dream and at a time of that empire’s greatest prominence, Nebuchadnezzar might actually not have been of much significance at all. What we DO know from this passage is that God was revealing His plan, not the king’s plan. Also, God was revealing something of His character by detailing what was to come, and even by making this revelation through the particular means that He used.

I will not attempt to interpret the prophetic nature of this passage as there are many who are much more qualified who have already done an excellent job. What I do want to point out is how significant or insignificant we are in the events of our lives when compared to the overall plan that God has set in motion. He has graciously permitted us to be a part of this plan and we should make our emphasis one of gratitude to Him for permitting us to serve Him in the midst of it all.

Thought: As we move through this life that God has given us, let us do so with a proper perspective on our significance. We are objects, wrought by God, who have been made with a purpose. But this purpose for which we are made is up to God to decide, not us. We should not think of ourselves more highly than is fitting, since we are the creation and He is the Creator.

It is appropriate in fact, at this special time of year that has been dedicated, set aside, for the purpose of giving thanks to God for all of His goodness and grace, that we re-evaluate our level of importance. We ought to put ourselves and our lives in perspective. Jesus didn’t elevate Himself above the place that His Father had for Him during His time here on earth. Rather, according to John 3, He submitted to the Father’s will and obeyed the Father’s command. He laid down His life for us. There is true significance. Maybe that is why we still see Jesus mentioned in the news, even in our day and time!

By His grace, there is more to come….

Daniel 2: Getting the right perspective.

Before we go on, let’s make one thing perfectly clear. Before God can do the things that He desires to do, He has to be certain that we are in the right frame of mind. He has to make sure that we are listening. He ensures that the message He is sending will be perfectly clear (except for messages like parables, and Jesus addressed that issues in the Gospels).

This incident is just one more time that God had to make sure that “we” were listening. You see, God wanted to make sure that we could understand the difference between the wisdom of men and the wisdom of God. He wanted us to know the difference between the voice of men and the voice of God. The “wise men” of Babylon weighed in on the dream subject at the beginning of Chapter 2 and concluded that no man could do what the king asked and no God would be interested enough to stoop to earth and get involved. Daniel then steps in, after all that we’ve considered the past couple of weeks, and makes a very different statement. He says in Daniel 2:27 and following that no man is capable of fulfilling the king’s request but that the God he served, the Creator of all that is, was very interested and had actually been the source of the “wisdom” he was about to share with the king. Not only was he giving credit where credit was due, he was making a very important statement about the God that we encounter in the pages of the Bible.

The statement he was making about God says that God is personal, intimate, and very interested in the details of our lives. This is not only true, it is a fundamental element of our Faith. If God were not all of these things (and so much more) then He would not have been interested in our plight and might have destroyed us all and started over (as many people suggest He should have.) It is precisely because He IS interested in us as individuals, in a very intimate way, that He provided a Savior that is sufficient to meet every detail of our needy souls.

But what does Daniel’s statement say about Daniel and how should we see his behavior in light of our own circumstances and culture? Turn for a moment to I Peter 2:9. The King James Version says it this way: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”. When I was a lot younger, I remember hearing people talk about what it meant to be peculiar. I remember thinking (as an impressionable teen who wanted desperately to belong) that we shouldn’t try to be different just for the sake of being different. In fact, it was exactly the “being different” that I was worried about. It’s is nearly impossible to fit in as a teen when you are very different from those that you want to be accepted by.

Now I realize that God has not called us to be peculiar for the sake of peculiarity; rather, He has called us to be peculiar because we will stand out as being very different if we just faithfully follow Him where He has called us to go. So, it is not for the sake of peculiarity but for the sake of Jesus Himself. Isn’t that the very focus of our study? Aren’t we seeking how to make it, “All About Him?”
In Daniel’s case, he was different. That was not the issue. The real issue was whether he would embrace the difference and the relationship with God which made him different, and BE different for God without apology. He stood tall before the king and explained, without apology, how and why he was different. More importantly, he explained to the Babylonian king how his God was different than all other gods and how He was interested even in the intimate details of our lives, even if those details were “just” a dream.

Thought: Jesus said that He would be ashamed of us before the Father if we were ashamed of Him (here on earth). Daniel certainly was not ashamed. He declared his purpose, his place, and his God with great boldness, even when his audience was the enemy king that had taken him captive and removed him from his home and family. I submit to you that this is the very essence of faithfulness. This is the kind of person, the kind of character, the kind of strength of will that God is looking for in us.

Daniel really did not more for God than we would expect our best friends to do for us if we found ourselves in a tight spot. If we are to be the true friends of God, we should not be surprised that He expects as much from us!

By His grace, there is more to come….

Daniel 2: The right worship attitude.

We human beings are truly amazing creatures. We rarely agree on the right thing to do or even the best approach to take when solving a problem. Then, when the problem is solved, we fight over who gets the credit. This is often the case in situations when we actually are doing no more or less than was required of us.

How would you have approached Arioch with news that you could tell the King’s dream and its interpretation? Would you have cleverly found a way to imply that you had the answer because of how wise you were? Would you have failed to credit God with the wisdom He has provided you? Would you use the situation to get something more from the King (more money, more power, more recognition, etc.)? Since our flesh is much weaker than our spirits often are, many of us would use the circumstances to our advantage, or at least try to do so. This is not so with Daniel.

Once again we see that Daniel is different. He is not like the other wise men and magicians. He is more like his Jewish peers than his Babylonian peers but still stands out as a unique individual. Daniel makes no pretense of being any wiser even than his Babylonian peers who were very wise and knowledgeable. He makes no special appeal for extra benefits or special treatment.

We could assume that God chose to use Daniel specifically because he was so different from everyone else. However, it would certainly be more accurate to say that Daniel was different specifically because he wanted to be useable in the hands of God. He understood the Old Testament scriptures and he knew that God requires his chosen people to be holy, set apart from all the others, pure, clean, obedient, and uniquely sold out to God and His purposes. Because he knew these things about God, He gave all of his effort and attention to being exactly what God required of His people.

His humility of spirit made him stand out from any of his Babylonian peers and it undoubtedly endeared him to the King. His candor, even in the face of the King’s anger, was seen for the courage and integrity that it truly was. His unpretentious attitude made him trustworthy, even to an angry king. This is the kind of honest worship that God desires of us, that He demands of us.

Thought: Too many of us, even in fundamental churches, bring behaviors before God that we hope will persuade Him to do things our way or to give us what we want. This is not what God desires and it is not what He demands. He asks that we worship him in spirit and in truth. This means that we are honest with ourselves and with others about who we are and about whom God is. It also means that we do not even attempt to elevate ourselves beyond the position that God has graciously given us.
If our worship is actually to be “all about Him” as the Scriptures teach, let’s examine ourselves as we come before His throne. Whether we are coming with the rest of the local body on a Sunday morning or whether we are coming alone in prayer, let’s be certain that we are allowing Him to be God and we are reserving humble positions of servitude for ourselves. The Scripture is very plain that God will lift up (to positions of greater prominence) whomever He chooses. It is not for us to exalt ourselves as the enemy of our souls has already done.

Here we see Daniel keeping God in His rightful place and submitting himself to Him. Let’s remember this attitude of humility in our worship: It really is all about Him!

By His grace, there is more to come….

Daniel 2: Keeping your perspective…

While we do not learn from Daniel chapter 2 whether any of the king’s wise men were executed, we do know that the Commander of the king’s guard was on his way to carry out the king’s orders. This is when Daniel finally learned of the predicament that they all were in and he did an amazing and a courageous thing. Most of us, faced with this kind of a situation, would have deserved the indictment that the king served on his top advisors. He accused them of trying to “buy time”.

Most of us would undoubtedly try to talk our way out of the situation or otherwise try to convince the king that we were not really a part of his problem Daniel was different. Daniel, with all of his God-given wisdom and with great tact (see 2:14), immediately asked about the source of the king’s anger. Arioch explained the situation to him and here is where Daniel’s reaction is so remarkable. He went directly to the king. The king had ordered his death, in anger, and he daringly went directly to the one man who had the authority, and apparently the inclination, to order and carry out his execution.

The king must have already had a taste of Daniel’s wisdom and tact because he actually listened to Daniel’s appeal. He gave him additional time to interpret the dream. Some would say that the king was just being fair, or that his curiosity had got the best of him. Considering that our source is the Scripture, the Word of God, we might reasonably conclude that there is more involved in the king’s forbearance. Perhaps he was merely curious to see and hear what the God of the Jews would have to say. After all, they were his prisoners and so, he may have thought, was their God.

Having had his life extended by a few hours, Daniel might have begun planning a means to escape. He might have worked on a scheme with his friends or even with his pagan peers. He might have gone to Arioch, since he obviously had a great deal of trust in him, and pleaded for his life. However, he did none of these things. One thing we need to remember about Daniel is that he was unlike any of his peers and very unlike the people of our culture today. He was fiercely loyal and consummately faithful to his God.

What Daniel did do was to hold a prayer meeting with his friends. He briefly told them the nature of the problem and asked them to go to God and ask Him for wisdom and insight equal to this task. This is particularly poignant when we consider that his pagan peers had already declared this assignment to be outside the capability of any man and beyond the interest of “the gods”.

In verse 19, Daniel has the mystery revealed to him by God in a vision, during the night. His reaction to this miracle is also amazing when compared to what we might do or expect others to do. The next several verses reveal that Daniel’s reaction was to praise God, to give Him thanks! Of all of the things he might have done at this point, he stops to thank God for what He has done. There is no earthly reason to be certain, at this point, that the king won’t make good on his threat to kill him and his friends, even if he does interpret the dream. But he takes time to thank God for answering his prayer.

Thought: At the very least, Daniel’s faithfulness to and confidence in his God in the face of grave danger bought some additional time for the other wise men. At best, his actions and the faithfulness of his God saved their lives. Like Daniel, we should never waver in our commitment to the One who has done so much for us. Even when our self-confidence disintegrates or disappears, our God-confidence should remain strong. He is always faithful. (If He were not always faithful, He could not be God.)

As we face the challenges that God has designed for us this week, let’s have great confidence that He will never do us harm that will not ultimately improve us. He will never lead us down a path that He is not familiar with, and He will accompany us. He will not ask us to do anything that He is not prepared to assist us with and for which he is not prepared to supply all that we need. Sometimes the best word for faithfulness is endurance. Finally, in the light of all the rest, don’t forget to give thanks to Him, regardless of the circumstances. He deserves it!

By His grace, there is more to come….

Daniel 2: Out on a Limb? Don’t cut it off!

Have you ever been so far out on a limb that even the sight of your enemy brought a sense of hope and the possibility of deliverance? That is exactly where King Nebuchadnezzar had his “wise men”. This was not a normal Day. It was not “business as usual” for them. They had developed a level of expectation in the king that gave them a sense of comfort in their own positions. Now, the king had set them on their heels. He had pushed them so far out on their own limb that they were nearly ready to cut it off themselves.

If you don’t really understand how far out on the limb they were; if you don’t comprehend the terror that they were feeling; look at verse 11 of Daniel 2. They finally admitted to the king that they were mere mortals, in spite of the expectation that they had created in him of something more. Now that he was expecting more than they were able to provide to him, they said, “What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men.” (Daniel 2:11, NIV)

We really need to understand why the king pushed his famous band of advisors to such a point of desperation. It is because this story comes from the Bible; and, since it comes from the Bible it is really not a story about Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel or his friends. This is a story about the God of Creation, the God of the Bible. He claims, in the pages of Scripture, to be a sovereign God who is in control of all things and for whom all things are done. In that light, God was orchestrating this situation, through the will and wisdom of the king, to bring to light the true nature of God and His wisdom. He had already put Daniel and his friends in place because He knew that they would be faithful to Him and take no glory or other recognition for themselves.

When the pagan “wise men” said that the gods do not live among men, they were implying that the gods do not even affect things on earth. However, the God of the Bible wanted Nebuchadnezzar, wants us, to know that He is intimately involved in the everyday affairs of men. Therefore, in steps Daniel. He has confidence in the God that he serves, unlike the other “wise men” and their pagan gods.
If you’ve followed the story to this point, and you read ahead just a few more verses, you know that Daniel had been left out of the situation so far. This doesn’t mean that he was any less liable for the fate that the king had commanded but he didn’t know that the king needed anything or that his peers had failed to meet his requirements. He also didn’t know that they had declared the gods to be unreachable. When the soldiers came to take him away, he asked, “Why?” and was told the whole story.

So we come to the part of the story where the king’s wise men are up in the tree, out on the limb, the limb is bending and cracking and threatening to break when Daniel appears under the tree and says, “Hey! What’s up?” Next week we’ll find out how and why this greeting from a young Jewish upstart brought a sense of relief and hope to these godless pagan men.

Thought: We are often caught in situations that seem hopeless and we are tempted to despair. We ought to breathe deeply of the strength and comfort of our God in these times because He may have brought us here for the deliverance of those who don’t know Him, to bring hope to the hopeless and faith to the faithless. Our God is great so our confidence in Him ought to be great as well. Have confidence in Him today!

By His grace, there is more to come….

Daniel 2: Not Stupid – Just a healthy dose of skepticism!

At first glance, King Nebuchadnezzar seems like he’s lost his mind. It’s a tall order to ask someone to give you an accurate interpretation of a dream that you may have had. To ask that they first tell you the dream (for verification) and THEN to give its interpretation seems like a set-up. This goes way beyond mind-reading, doesn’t it?

In this case, the king was so adamant about his command that he started out telling his “wise” men what the penalty for failure would be. It was no small thing, since the king promised that they would die and even their houses would be destroyed. Wow! How terrible is this, and the only way to avoid it was to first tell the king what he dreamed and then to give an accurate interpretation. It is almost as though the king had got tired of hearing silly things from his supposed “wise” men, as though he had received poor advice one too many times. He told them that he had already made up his mind, that there was no avoiding what he had already determined.

Apparently, the “wise” men didn’t quite “get it.” They really thought that this was going to be business as usual. They must have thought that this was one of the king’s jokes because they certainly did not take him seriously. Instead, the merely asked him a second time to tell them the dream and offered to give an interpretation of whatever dream he laid out before them. But this made the king angry. I think maybe he was becoming tired of being taken for granted by some of his top advisors. So, when they asked him the second time, he replied by accusing them of trying to buy additional time.

What kind of a man (because the king was first a man and only second was he a king) asks ANYONE to reveal out loud what he only knew from the recesses of his mind, and then in a dream while he was sleeping? What kind of a man makes this kind of a demand of his most faithful, his most trusted and closest advisors? What kind of a man uses this demand as a set-up, already believing that these men were in their positions more for their own good than for his?

This was not a righteous man, but he exhibited some of the qualities that God calls His people to have. In this case, the king exhibited a gift of discernment in that he was skeptical about the motivations and even the wisdom or abilities of the “wise” men who had been called to serve him and he was not about to put them in a place of power and then just take whatever they might dish out. He was going to make them accountable, in a verifiable sort of way, for their actions. In the end, the king’s skepticism served to work the will of the Lord God of Heaven, as he revealed both the dream and its interpretation through Daniel.

Thought: As professing Christians, we should be more careful to “test” the things that we hear. If even pagans can benefit from discernment and God uses it in their lives, how much more should we be discerning if only as an act of honor and obedience to Him? Will He not also bless and benefit us if we heed His word and cultivate an attitude and habits of discernment?

I challenge you, this week, to challenge the things that you hear, not merely to be a skeptic but to practice discernment as all godly people are instructed to do. And remember to be always on your guard. Nebuchadnezzar listened to his advisors later when he should have been more discerning. Daniel ended up sleeping with lions.

By His grace, there is more to come….

Daniel 1: Part 3 of 3

Sometimes we look at the characters of the Bible as though they were old and out of touch with reality, especially out of touch with the reality of our day. However, I wonder how many of us today would find ourselves fitting in comfortably with the conditions we read of in Scripture. Lion’s dens do not sound like comfortable overnight accommodations and fiery furnaces do not sound like the saunas of our time.

The characters that are presented for our consideration in Daniel are extraordinary human beings. We are even amazed at the decisions and actions of some of the pagans who came in contact with Daniel and his friends. Think for a moment of the incredible impression Daniel and his friends must have made on the guard that the king had assigned to their care as well as their security. He did not “do his job” without regard for the lives entrusted to his care. He apparently watched them and got to know their characters because he responded with both fear and trust when Daniel asked him to ignore the king’s orders in favor of their own proposal.

This guy could easily have put the king’s food in front of them and forced them to either eat or go hungry. That would certainly have been a different story, but God apparently moved the heart of this guard to listen to the pleas and proposals of Daniel and his friends. There is no indication that Daniel or his friends begged, pleaded, cajoled, or manipulated their way into getting the food that they requested, the food that was approved by the God of Heaven. They merely laid out a plan which they knew would honor God, a plan which God could honor in and through them. This plan did not involve ignoring the king’s commands altogether because they did not advocate or insist on a hunger strike. They did not try to anger the king whom they were now honor-bound to serve as though he were their own king.

What if God had not responded to this gesture of faith? What if He had not blessed them with the tremendous health that he gave Daniel and his friends? They had agreed to eat the food provided by the king if God did not favor them in this plan. Would not God have been honored just as much by their message of faith and their obedient service to the new king without insisting on their adherence to dietary laws?

God softened the heart of the guard toward these young men of Israel. He made it possible for them to remain faithful to Him and obedient to His commands while still obtaining the king's favor. This reminds us of Luke 2:52 where it says, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. (KJV) The Lord then favored them with better health than could be provided by the best nutritionists and dietitians at the king’s disposal, better health than the others who were attending the University and eating from the King's table. He not only blessed them with health but He also gifted them in extraordinary ways so that they could do incredible things (interpret dreams, etc.), further setting them apart from the king’s other experts. In this way, they proved that their service to the king would be most effective and most desirable if they remained faithful in their service to God first (see Daniel 1:17-20).

Thought: When God gave the commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai, the first commandment that He gave was an instruction to put Him first. He said, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3, KJV) Since that time, the enemy of our souls has tried to tempt us in many ways to ignore God’s commands and put our own needs or desires in front of His. So this is nothing new and yet we fall prey to the tactic on a daily basis. Jesus’ own response to such temptations was to quote Scripture and to stand firm in the face of the temptation and its consequences.

We often speak and sing of victory in Christ as we gather for worship. However, I wonder how often we are actually experiencing the kind of victory that Daniel and his friends experienced, victory over temptation and victory over sin by not yielding? Are you yielding to temptation today or are you standing firm. To stand fast, you may need to quote the Scripture to the enemy of your soul. I encourage you today to stand fast by knowing God, knowing the Scripture, and committing yourself to being true to your Saviour, regardless of the temptations that assail you.

By His grace, there is more to come…