“Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He refused his usual entertainment and couldn’t sleep at all that night. Very early the next morning the king got up and hurried out to the lion’s den. When he got there the king called out in anguish, Daniel, servant of the living God, was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?” Daniel 6:18-20 Darius again is our focus. He knew … Continue reading →
“So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, may your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.” Daniel 6:16 Daniel meets his fate as a result of breaking the king’s law. Even the king doesn’t like it, but the law must be kept even if your friend breaks it. So Daniel gets arrested and thrown into the den of lions. I guess that … Continue reading →
“Then they told the king, that man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is ignoring you and your law. He still prays to his God three times a day. Hearing this the king was deeply troubled and he tried to think of a way to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day trying to think of a way to get Daniel out of this predicament.” Daniel 6:13-14 Step into the mind of this king. His officials tricked … Continue reading →
“But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open towards Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help.” – Daniel 6:10-11 Daniel disobeyed the king’s law. He knew the penalty for doing this. Surely he could … Continue reading →
“So they concluded, our only chance for finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.” – Daniel 6:5 Let’s play dirty. These leaders remind me of politicians in our own day. Here we have a man doing a great job and they want to take him down. Since they cannot point out faults in his work they decide to play dirty and attack his belief system. Yes the devil fights dirty and so … Continue reading →
“Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible and completely trustworthy.” Daniel 6:4 I remember back when I was in school. Writing came naturally for me, as it does now. My English teachers tended to like me a lot because I could write well. God gave me a gift and I enjoyed it even … Continue reading →
“Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officials. Because of Daniel’s great ability the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.” Daniel 6:3 I recall another verse that basically says your gift will make a way for you. God gifted Joseph, as you likely remember, and thus he rose from prisoner to top leader. We now see Daniel doing the same thing. God gifted Daniel and Daniel used his God given … Continue reading →
“The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king’s interest.” Daniel 6:2 I want to take a few days to look at this popular chapter in order to glean the truths within. Sometimes I believe we miss the hidden treasures in such a passage because all the emphasis goes to Daniel and the lion and not to how we got there. So now we begin. Daniel is chosen to be … Continue reading →
I share with you this morning Daniel’s prayer, a revelation of what his God can do and has done. “Praise the name of God forever and ever for he has all wisdom and power. He controls the course of world events. He removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars. He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what is hidden in darkness though he is surrounded by light. I … Continue reading →
“If any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally and does not play favorites, and he will give it to you.” – James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom?” We all lack wisdom at some point. Thinking about the choice of words here I think the words make a point I have rarely heard preached. Maybe you might want to rewrite it to say that when you lack wisdom, but by … Continue reading →
“Make me to know your ways O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation. For you I wait all the day long.” Psalm 25:4-5 Have you ever had a mentor, someone you looked up to for some reason? Was she that teacher who paid special attention to you and helped you work through something difficult? Perhaps yours was a coach who helped you become all that … Continue reading →
“Clap your hands all peoples. Shout to God with loud songs of joy.” – Psalm 47:1 If God brings us victory, provides for our needs, answers prayer, puts a song in your heart then why is it that when you enter the house of worship you must sit in quiet reverence and thus the atmosphere looks more like a funeral than a worship celebration? You get excited at a football game, especially when your team scores a touchdown. Does a … Continue reading →
“We must not be like Caine, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Caine had been doing what was evil and his brother was doing what was righteous. So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.” – 1John 3:12-13 NLT Yes, doing what we know to be right comes with a cost in this world. Go along to get along feels like the mantra of … Continue reading →
“Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this. When people do what is right it shows that they are righteous just as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning because God’s life is in … Continue reading →
“Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.” – 1John 3:15 Hate feels like such a strong word. That said, do you hate certain people? You say no, however, perhaps we say no too quickly. I remember when I first moved here to Wichita. A family member instructed me not to live where all the black people live. Of course I paid no attention. … Continue reading →
