“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 →
“O give thanks to the Lord for he is good. His steadfast love endures forever.” – Psalm 118:1 How long something will last often determines its value. Generally speaking the more it costs the longer we might expect it to last. A cell phone may be a good example. Buy a cheap phone for under $50 and likely you don’t expect it to last more than a year or so. Buy the latest iPhone and you expect to use it … Continue reading →
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1 I remember a quote from the past. “There’s no place like home.” Sure travel can be refreshing, but when you arrive back home and climb into your own bed it sure feels good. Why does it feel so good? It feels good because home to most of us means safety and security. No worries that the guy in the next room may lock the bathroom door … Continue reading →
“Dear friends we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will then see him as he really is.” – 1John 3:2 “And all that have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure just as he is pure.” – 1John 3:3 In football you have the goal posts. And the object of the game is to get … Continue reading →
“When I am afraid I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I trust, in God I trust. I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4 I like how he puts it here, “when I am afraid.” All of us face fear at some point. Over and over scripture tells us not to be afraid, yet we are. Perhaps here we see how to respond to fear. Considering the picture in the text … Continue reading →
