Prayer—fighting the darkness

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Daniel 10-12; Psalm 58

TO CHEW ON: "Then he said to me, 'Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days.'" Daniel 10:12,13


Daniel 10 tells the interesting story of Daniel spending a considerable time in mourning-prayer and fasting as he seeks to understand a message he has received.  After three full weeks he gets a heavenly visitor, a "man"—obviously an angel (Daniel 10:5-6)—who appears to him and says, "...from the first day that you set your heart to understand, your words were heard..."

So why does this angel wait three weeks before coming?

Because he himself was  tied up, fighting spiritual forces (Daniel 10:13).

The writer of my Bible's notes on Daniel explains this section:

"This is one of the clearest OT examples that demonic armies oppose God's purposes and that earthly struggles often reflect what is happening in the heavenlies, and that prayer with fasting may affect the outcome" - Coleman Cox Phillips, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1136 (emphasis added).

What does this glimpse into the spiritual realm mean for us? Dick Eastman in his book Love On Its Knees makes the following points about the Christian's mission, and fighting spiritual resistance with prayer:

1. "It is God's desire to see every person on earth provided access to the Gospel of Jesus Christ... (2 Peter 3:9; Mark 13:10; Matthew 24:14).

2. "It is Satan's plan to prevent every unbeliever from receiving access to the Gospel of Jesus Christ... (2 Timothy 2:25-26; Ephesians 2:1,2).

3. "It is the Church's duty to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every person on earth ... (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15).

4. "It is the intercessor's responsibility to hold back the unseen forces of satanic darkness wherever the Gospel of Jesus Christ is shared ... (Ephesians 6:10-12; 2 Thessalonians 3:1,2).

"... intercessors who contend for lost souls do indeed help add names to the Lamb's Book of Life. They may not be aware that they are sweeping through the heavenlies on their knees, or that they are contending against the darkness for a soul who has just been confronted with the claims of Christ, but their prayers make the harvest possible." - Dick Eastman, excerpts from Love On Its Knees, pages 166-171).

We don't need to know the names or territories of the demonic forces we fight, but being aware that our prayers are Kingdom warfare, and that spiritual battles take time is crucial, I believe, to our preparedness and perseverance.

PRAYER: Dear God, please convict me of the importance and effectiveness of intercessory prayer for the advancement of Your Kingdom. Help me not to be discouraged when the answers take long time to come. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 58

MORE: Prayer is...

"Prayer is God's supreme gift to assist the Church in establishing His Kingdom throughout the earth" - Dick Eastman, Love On Its Knees, p. 161.

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New King James Version (NKJV) Used with permission. The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Civil servant with an excellent spirit

Daniel praying (Daniel 6:10)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Daniel 4-6; Psalm 56

TO CHEW ON: "'I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel.
For He is the living God,
And steadfast forever;
His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed,
And His dominion shall endure to the end.'" Daniel 6:26


Daniel in the lion's den—what a gripping story. It has all the elements of a good read: a noble hero, jealous villains, a naive king, and an insurmountable problem. But it is so much more than just entertainment.

Three things stand out for me in this incident.
1. The description of Daniel having an "excellent spirit" (Daniel 6:3).  That tells me he had a reputation for good things—good work, making wise decisions, perhaps a pleasing manner.

2. Daniel's unshakeable, even stubborn devotion to God (Daniel 6:10). When it came down to choosing between faith in God or his life, he chose God with not even a flicker of hesitation.

3. The incident resulted in praise and glory going to God, not Daniel, shown by Darius's prayer at the end of the chapter (Daniel 6:25-27).

We can draw three lessons for our own lives:
1. We can make it our goal to have an "excellent spirit." What would that look like? Perhaps a heart of service, a cheerful attitude, a considerate manner, a reputation for fairness... Leslyn Musch in her Truth-In-Action Through Daniel article, calls it "godliness" ("Try to reflect godliness in all you do" - New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1140). That would imply the that the attributes we see in God would make up an excellent spirit in us.

2. We can stay loyal to God no matter what the consequences. In our time that may or may not be reason for civil disobedience, as it was for Daniel.

3. The goal of all this is the only worth one: that glory goes to God, not us.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to cooperate with You in developing an excellent spirit within me. May it be the goal of my life to bring glory to You, no matter what the cost. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 56

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Yielded bodies

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Daniel 1-3; Psalm 55

TO CHEW ON: "Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, 'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego,  who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God." - Daniel 3:28

I love the way Nebuchadnezzar spells out what these three rebellious officials have done this day. He says, in effect, 'You thumbed your noses at my law, yielding your very bodies in order to obey God, whom I now see is greater than I am.' Not only had these men  faced the possibility of giving up their positions and reputations but their physical lives to stay loyal to God.

Similar sacrifice is found throughout scripture. In the Old Testament

• Caleb and Joshua followed the Lord to the extent that their fellow Israelites were about to stone them when when they defended Moses after their spy mission - Numbers 14:10; 32:12.

• King Josiah promised and then made good on his promise to follow God with all his heart, soul and might - 2 Kings 23:3,25.

• In the New Testament Paul models that kind of surrender, facing stoning, riots, and imprisonments to spread the gospel.

Surrender to the point of physical pain—even death—is foreign to us, or to me at least. I wonder how I would have done under the pressures of Nebuchadnezzar's edict or the hounding that the first Christians lived with. No doubt the spirits of these stalwarts were first steeled in the mental, emotional and spiritual way Paul talks about in:

Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.


Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.


Galatians 5:24
And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.


2 Timothy 2:21
Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

PRAYER: Dear God, you are not asking me to yield my body to a fiery furnace, but to honour You and achieve Your purposes in my own setting. Help me to discern what Your purposes are, and to give myself, soul, spirit and body, to You. Amen.

The Bible Project VIDEO: DANIEL - (Read Scripture Series)

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Shining legacy

Milky Way (Image: Pixabay)

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Daniel 12:1-13

TO CHEW ON: “Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament
And those who turn many to righteousness
Like the stars forever and ever." Daniel 12:3


Some years ago when we were cleaning up Mom’s apartment, preparing to move her to a tiny suite a fraction of the size of where she had lived, there was much stuff to dispose of. “Take this or that as a keepsake,” she’d urge us kids and grandkids. Very often the answer was “No thanks.” Mom's stuff was not what her family wanted as the legacy of this lovely lady.

Like my mom’s main legacy did not consist of stuff, neither does the legacy of the wise that Daniel speaks of in Daniel 12. Instead, we all understand the wish to leave a lasting legacy and hope that ours will be just that. Our verse today tells us that we do this when we “turn many to righteousness.” What does that mean?

The Amplified version expands on the phrase: “turn many to righteousness” (to uprightness and right standing with God).” The Message rephrases it to: “…those who put others on the right path to life ...” An expression used in many Christian circles to describe this activity is soul winning. Here are some conclusions about soul winning we can draw as we look at Bible passages that talk about it and the people who do it.

1. Soul-winning springs from the fellowship-desiring heart of God.- Luke 14:16-23.
2. It flows out of a right relationship with God - Psalm 51:12,13.
3. Soul-winners are motivated by their concern for others- James 5:20
4. The first soul-winners were trained by Christ.  He is the great soul-winning trainer - Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17
5. Soul-winners are willing to make great personal sacrifice to succeed - 1 Corinthians 9:19,20.
6. They are vigilant over the authenticity of their lives and what they teach - 1 Timothy 4:16.
7. Successful soul-winners realize their actions count as much as – may be more than – their words - 1 Peter 3:1.
8. Soul-winners are wise - Proverbs 11:30.
9. They consider soul-winning an assignment from God - 1 Thessalonians 2:1-4
10. Soul-winners don’t need ideal circumstances to be successful- Philemon 1:10
11. They persevere despite a lack of visible results - 1 Corinthians 7:12-16
12. The legacy they leave “…will shine… like the stars forever and ever.” - Daniel 12:3.

I ask myself, am I working on leaving such a legacy? Are you?

PRAYER:  Dear God, thank You for entrusting me with the privilege and responsibility of influencing lives for You. Please teach me how to do this better. Amen.


MORE: Rita Springer: "All My Days"



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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Prayer insights from Daniel

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Daniel 10:4-11:2
 
TO CHEW ON: “‘Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words’” Daniel 10:12 NIV.

In today’s reading in Daniel 10, I see four things from Daniel's experience that teach us about God, us, and prayer.

1. God knew Daniel by name. He had a reputation in heaven.
When the vision described in Daniel 10 began, Daniel was petrified. The angel visitor began his reassurance with these beautiful words:
“‘Daniel, you who are highly esteemed….’”

Don’t you love how the angel called him by name (Daniel 10:11,12) and told him his heavenly reputation.  A note in the NIV Study Bible explains “highly esteemed”:

“A relatively rare Hebrew word … sometimes translated ‘coveted.’ Daniel is a highly desired, precious man whom God covets” (NIV Study Bible, Kindle Location 202,318).

The expression “highly esteemed” reminds me of a story told by one of the pastors at my church. In a series about hearing God, Pastor Mike told us of a day when he read a Bible story of God changing someone’s name. That morning in prayer he asked God, “Do you have another name for me?” He sensed God telling him to wait for an answer later in the day.

That night before bed he was wrestling with his young sons. At one point one of them straddled his head with his little legs, held Mike’s face in his hands, looked him straight in the eye and said, ‘Daddy, you’re expensive.’

Highly esteemed, highly desired, precious, coveted, expensive. What a reputation to have! Maybe the angels God sends aren’t always terrifying.

2. Daniel’s prayer set things in motion:
“Since the first day … your words were heard” Daniel 10:12.
On another occasion the angel Gabriel came to him with the message: “‘As soon as you began to pray a word went out’” - Daniel 9:23.

3. Daniel’s attitude in prayer moved God.
The angel said: “…the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard…” Daniel 10:12.

How had he set his heart to understand and humble himself? We can read his prayer of repentance and humility in Daniel 9:4-19.

4. The answer to Daniel’s prayer was delayed by spiritual warfare.
The angel’s words give us a glimpse of the spiritual warfare that was being fought in heaven ((Daniel 10:12,13,20) and which is also being waged around us (2 Corinthians 10:4-6).

God knows our names too. We too have a reputation in heaven (Psalm 139:1-18). Let’s keep praying with realism—the awareness of who we are in relation to God—and with faith, confident that our prayers also move God’s hand and that we too can be part of God’s kingdom strategy.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for this glimpse into the connections between our prayers and Your answers. Help me to pray with realism,  perseverance, and faith that my prayers do make a difference. Amen.
 
MORE: Feast of St. Michael and all Angels

Today the church celebrates the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels.

The day’s liturgy begins with this collect prayer:

Everlasting God, you have ordained and constituted in a wonderful order the ministries of angels and mortals: Mercifully grant that, as your holy angels always serve and worship you in heaven, so by your appointment they may help and defend us here on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Unless noted otherwise, all Scriptures quoted in this meditation are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Who gets the glory?

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Genesis 41:1-24


TO CHEW ON: "So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, 'It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace'" - Genesis 41:16

Joseph had no illusions about where he got his unusual wisdom and insight into dreams. "It is not in me," he told Pharaoh plainly. "God will give Pharaoh an answer."

He reminds me of another dream interpreter. The young exile Daniel had a similar ability to interpret dreams. When he came before King Nebuchadnezzar to not only interpret his dream but to tell him what he had dreamed in the first place, Daniel too reflected the glory back to God:

"...There is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days..." Daniel 2:28.

When we experience success, how easy it is to accept praises and compliments never giving a thought or word to deflecting the glory back to God. Let's follow the example of Joseph, making it very clear that God is the source of any wisdom, or insight or special skill. Let's give Him the glory and not take it for ourselves.

PRAYER: Dear God, please forgive me for accepting praise for myself when it rightfully belongs to You. Help me to habitually give You glory for the abilities and successes You have made possible. Amen.


MORE: God delights in His glory

"...God's own glory is uppermost in His own affections. In everything He does, His purpose is to preserve and display that glory. To say that His own glory is uppermost in His own affections means that He puts a greater value on it than on anything else. He delights in His glory above all things. ...


This is the same as saying: He loves Himself infinitely. Or He Himself is uppermost in His own affections. A moment's reflection reveals the inexorable justice of this fact. God would be unrighteous (just as we would) if He valued anything more than what is supremely valuable. But He Himself is supremely valuable. If He did not take infinite delight in the worth of His own glory, He would be unrighteous. For it is right to take delight in a person in proportion to the excellence of that person's glory" - John Piper, Desiring God, p. 41-43.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Kingdom vision

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Daniel 7:1-14

TO CHEW ON: “Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His Kingdom the one
Which shall not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:14

Reading passages like today's shows me how puny are my customary pictures of God, His awesomeness, and His plans for history.

Bible scholars have looked into what or who the grotesque beasts of Daniel’s dream (Daniel 7:3-8) could symbolize and come up with a variety of conclusions. Personally I don’t even want to start down that path.

What does cause my heart to do a somersault, though, is the vision of God the Father and Jesus that Daniel records at the end of our reading. After all the beasts have lost their power, we witness “one like the Son of Man” coming from the sky to stand before the “Ancient of Days” (Daniel 7:9,10) and to whom is given dominion, glory and a kingdom “… His dominion is an everlasting dominion, / Which shall not pass away, / And HIs kingdom the one / Which shall not be destroyed” - Daniel 7:14.

A few verses beyond our reading, Daniel makes reference to this kingdom again: “But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.”

My Bible’s study notes on Daniel explain: “Son of Man was Jesus’ favourite self-designation. Hence Daniel’s dream is in part messianic, announcing that the Messiah’s coming will inaugurate a new phase of God’s rule on Earth. Christ did this by bringing the kingdom of God into human experience, (vs. 18)” Coleman Cox Phillips, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1131.

Reflect now on Jesus and how often he talked about the kingdom. He was recognized as and accepted the title of king (Matthew 2:2; 27:11; John 12:13). He claimed that bringing the kingdom was the very reason He was born (John 18:37). He told many parables about it. In passages like Matthew 5,6 & 7 (parallel Luke 6:20-49) He described its principles and “laws of gravity.”

Jesus’ teachings about the kingdom bear out Daniel’s assertion in Daniel 7:18 that the kingdom is not a human kingly dynasty but is something we as individuals receive and possess now and for all eternity when we accept Him as Saviour and Lord (King).

How exciting to have this connection to the majestic coronation scene of Daniel’s vision!

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, passages like Daniel 7 put me in awe of God the Father and You, Son of Man, as they give me a glimpse into Your greatness and plans for history. May I never lose my awe and wonder at the enormity of You and Your ways. Thank You that I can live in Your kingdom now. Amen. 


MORE: Feast of the Transfiguration
Today the church remembers and celebrates the day Jesus was transfigured before His disciples. This collect prayer begins the day's liturgy:

O God, who on the holy mount revealed to chosen witnesses your well-beloved Son, wonderfully transfigured, in raiment white and glistening: Mercifully grant that we, being delivered from the disquietude of this world, may by faith behold the King in his beauty; who with you, O Father, and you, O Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Why angels?

Image: Pixabay

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Daniel 12:1-13

TO CHEW ON: "At that time Michael shall stand up,
The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people." Daniel 12:1

Through this passage and a couple of others in Daniel we get a glimpse into the realm of angels.

Here Daniel, speaking as the prophetic mouthpiece of God describes the archangel Michael as the "great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people." Earlier a heavenly messenger sent to Daniel in answer to his prayer speaks of Michael as "one of the chief princes" and "Michael your prince" - Daniel 10:13,21.

Angel Power
It's evident that Michael is a powerful being. In a chapter on angels in his Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem says of angelic power:

*Angels apparently have very great power. They are referred to as:
- "You mighty ones" - Psalm 103:20.
- "powers" - Ephesians 1:2q.
- "dominions and authorities" - Colossians 1:16.  

*Angels are seemingly "greater in might and power" than rebellious human beings - 2 Peter 2:11; Matthew 28:2. 

For the time of their earthly existence humans are "lower than the angels" - Hebrews 2:7. 

The power of angels is used to battle against the evil demonic powers under the control of Satan - Daniel 10:13, Revelation 12:7,8; Revelation 20:1-3.
- Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, pp.400,401).

Why Angels?
Grudem delves into the place of these fascinating beings. He gives five reasons for angels (and proves each statement with many supporting scriptures, which I'm not listing):

1. Angels show the greatness of God's love and plan for us - Hebrews 2:7.
2. Angels remind us that the unseen world is real - 2 Kings 6:17.
3. Angels are examples for us - Matthew 6:10.
4. Angels carry out some of God's plans - Revelation 12:7,8.
5. Angels directly glorify God - Psalm 103:20'
- Grudem, Op. Cit, pp. 402-405.

Guardian Angels?
Do angels interact with us personally? Do we each have a guardian angel, as we've often been told?

The idea of a personal guardian angel is rooted in Jesus' words in Matthew 18:10:  "'Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.'"

Though the Bible doesn't explicitly say that an angel has been assigned to each one of us, the fact that one of angels' jobs is to protect people is reassuring:

"For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone."
Psalm 91:11,12.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for angels—these spirit beings that work in cooperation with You, though often unseen by us, to further Your purposes and glory. Amen.  
 
MORE: Feast of Saint Michael and all Angels
Today is the day the church celebrates the feast of Saint Michael and all Angels. The liturgy for the day begins with this prayer:

"Everlasting God, you have ordained and constituted in a wonderful order the ministries of angels and mortals: Mercifully grant that, as your holy angels always serve and worship you in heaven, so by your appointment they may help and defend us here on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

In a time of trouble

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Daniel 12:1-13


TO CHEW ON:"...And there shall be a time of trouble,

Such as never was since there was a nation..." Daniel 12:1

"Times of trouble" run through the Bible. They relate often to the Israelite nation and come as the consequence of abandoning Yahweh for idols. Such trouble in the form of the nation being displaced and distressed was Moses' warning way back in Deuteronomy as a consequence of turning from the worship of God to idols (Deuteronomy 4:30-31).

Jesus referred often to trouble-filled days.

• He told about the trouble that comes to all of us in the course of life and how the foundation we choose will determine whether our life-house will withstand the storms of circumstances or be battered apart by them (Matthew 7:24-28).

• In His story about the sower and the seed, tribulation and trouble destroyed the faith of the believer who was only shallowly rooted in the God's word (Matthew 13:20-21).

• He also talked about end-time tribulation, referring specifically to Daniel's prophecy (Matthew 24:15). He described this trouble as a time of emergency, terror, flight, and life-snuffing ferocity (Matthew 24:15-22).

• Jesus described these end-time troubles as "birth pains" - Matthew 24:8 NLT. We know how a mother's contractions accelerate as the birth of the baby nears, until the little one is finally delivered. That's how Jesus describes the  troubles on earth as they crescendo until "the end" - Matthew 24:14.

It's easy to feel we're in the middle of those birth pains. As I write, Earth is staggering under numerous political, humanitarian, and health crises. There is war in the Middle East as ISIS terrorists overrun Syria and Iraq, while thousands flee. Rocket fights between Hamas and Israel keep erupting. In African whole classrooms of girls are still being held captive by terrorist groups.  Tensions between Russia and Ukraine mount daily. Thousands in West Africa are dying from the ebola virus. There is unrest in Hong Kong as China restricts their democracy.

Let's take to heart Jesus' words of advice for such trouble-filled times:

• Don't be deceived - Matthew 24:4
• "Be ready..." Matthew 24:44.
• "Endure to the end" - Matthew 24:13.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I don't like to contemplate trouble. But when I view it through the lens of Your word, I see that it shouldn't surprise or confuse me. Help me to live alert and prepared through trouble-filled times. Amen.

MORE: Today is the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels

Michael is the archangel who Daniel describes in our reading as "The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people." Find out more about the archangel Michael here.

The liturgy for the Feast of st. Michael and All Angels begins with this collect:

"Everlasting God, you have ordained and constituted in a wonderful order the ministries of angels and mortals: Mercifully grant that, as your holy angels always serve and worship you in heaven, so by your appointment they may help and defend us here on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Meanwhile the battle rages on

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Daniel 7:15-28

TO CHEW ON: "He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time." Daniel 7:25

Recently a local talk show host, responding to someone's suggestion that all references to God be removed from "O Canada," invited listeners to call in and say whether they believed in God or not.

Though the results seemed to slightly favour those who believed (I didn't count), the opinions expressed showed the polarization of the two sides at war in our reading today. Some of the anti-God diatribes could well have been labeled "pompous words against the Most High."

No matter how much we would like to get along with everyone, beliefs about God's existence and what He is like will continue to divide us. Jack Hayford, in an explanation about Daniel 7, says that Daniel's prophecy and the warfare it describes "…spans the spiritual struggle covering the ages through Messiah's First and Second Coming."

The concluding words  of his commentary help us see where we fit in this 'fight to the finish':

"… an age-long struggle between 'the saints' and the power of evil in the world calls each believer to a commitment to steadfast battle, a mixture of victories with setbacks, and a consummate triumph anticipated at Christ's coming.

In the meantime we 'receive' the kingdom and pursue victories for our King, by His power making intermittent gains—all of which are based on 'the judgment' achieved through the Cross. See Revelation 12:10-11" - Jack Hayford, Old Testament, Possessing the Kingdom, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1132 (emphasis added).

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, when people come against me with scorn and mocking for my belief in You, help me to remember the big picture,  to renew my faith in the victory of Your death and resurrection, and to keep pressing on with hope as I wait for Your "everlasting kingdom." Amen.

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

"O Lord … for Your own sake"

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Daniel 9:1-19

TO CHEW ON: "O Lord hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name."  Daniel 9:19

Apologies that start out, "I'm sorry," then turn at "but…" into self-justification ring hollow. There is not a whisper of such an attitude in Daniel's prayer.

Though he was devout in his own life, in this prayer he includes himself with his countrymen: "We have sinned and committed iniquity, … done wickedly … rebelled …. Neither have we heeded the prophets …. We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God" (emphasis added).

He recognizes that their current state of exile is a consequence of the nation's rebellion and begs for God's mercy: "To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him …. we do not present our supplication before You because of our righteous deeds but because of Your great mercies" (Daniel 9:9,18 - emphasis added).

His main concern is God's glory and not his or his people's restoration. It's important, Daniel reasons, that the people return to their land and the city ("Jerusalem" - vs. 16) and its temple ("sanctuary" - vs 17) be rebuilt because they are attached to God's name and reputation.

There is much we can apply to our own prayers from Daniel's example.

1. We can come to God without excuses, owning our sins and the sins of our families, churches, and nation.

2.We can accept the fact that the law of consequences, of "sowing and reaping," is still in effect for us. The sins we have turned a blind eye to in society are entering the church and she will suffer the consequences unless she repents. Now, like Daniel, we depend on God's mercy and not what we do.

3. We can raise the goal of our prayers to go from praying for our successes   to the enhancement of God's reputation and glory: "… Do not delay for your own sake, my God, for your city (the church?) and Your people are called by Your name" Daniel 9:19.

PRAYER: Dear God, may I catch the spirit of Daniel in my prayer—that of owning and admitting my sins, repenting, and relying on Your mercy. I want Your good reputation and glory to be enhanced, not hindered, by my life. Amen.
 
MORE: A great OT prayer
Daniel's prayer here is counted with the great prayers of the Old Testament. Walter Brueggemann ends his chapter on Daniel's prayer with three great questions we might want to ask ourselves:

1. How can we pray when we feel lost or dislocated?
2. What are the worldly and imperial powers about which we need to pray?
3. How can we call God to faithfulness? - Walter Brueggemann, Great Prayers of the Old Testament, p. 121.

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

Shining legacy

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Daniel 12:1-13

TO CHEW ON: “Those who are wise shall shine

Like the brightness of the firmament

And those who turn many to righteousness

Like the stars forever and ever. Daniel 12:3

Vancouver residents awoke November 26, 2009 to the news that a popular city attraction was on the chopping block. At a meeting the night before city councilors voted to shut down the Bloedel Conservatory – a geodesic dome that houses exotic birds and plants. It sits on donated land on top of Queen Elizabeth Park and is now considered too expensive to maintain.

The cries of outrage were predictable. One came from a descendant of the man who donated the land. In a letter to the city, Virginia Bloedel Wright pleaded with councilors to respect “my father’s legacy.”

We all understand the wish to leave a lasting legacy and hope that ours will be just that. Our verse today tells us that we do this when we “turn many to righteousness.” What does that mean?

The Amplified version expands on the phrase: “turn many to righteousness” (to uprightness and right standing with God).” The Message rephrases it to: “…those who put others on the right path to life ...” An expression used in many Christian circles to describe this activity is soul winning. Here are some conclusions about soul winning we can draw as we look at Bible passages that talk about it and the people who do it.

1. Soul-winning springs from the fellowship-desiring heart of God (Luke 14:16-23).
2. It flows out of a right relationship with God (Psalm 51:12-13).
3. Soul-winners are motivated by their concern for others (James 5:20).
4. The first soul-winners were trained by Christ.  He is the great soul-winning trainer Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17).
5. Soul-winners are willing to make great personal sacrifice to succeed (1 Corinthians 9:19-20).
6. They are vigilant over the authenticity of their lives and what they teach (1 Timothy 4:16).
7. Successful soul-winners realize their actions count as much as – may be more than – their words (1 Peter 3:1).
8. Soul-winners are wise (Proverbs 11:30).
9. They consider soul-winning an assignment from God (1 Thessalonians 2:1-4).
10. Soul-winners don’t need ideal circumstances to be successful (Philemon 1:10).
11. They persevere despite a lack of visible results (1 Corinthians 7:12-16).
12. The legacy they leave “…will shine… like the stars forever and ever" (our focus verse today).

I ask myself, am I working on leaving such a legacy? Are you?

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for entrusting me with the privilege and responsibility of influencing lives for You. Please teach me how to do this better. Amen.

MORE:

Rita Springer sings “All My Days”

Know your God

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Daniel 11:21-45

TO CHEW ON: "... but the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits." - Daniel 11:32b

The angel Michael's prediction continues on from our reading of yesterday—a detailed prophecy of events yet to come. Here is how the writer of Eerdmans Handbook to the Bible continues with matching these predictions to history:

"... Verses 21-24 (Daniel 11:21-24) aptly portray his character and policies (talking about Antiochus IV here). Through the treachery of Ptolemy's own men, Antiochus briefly gained control of Egypt in 173.

On his return he attacked Jerusalem and slaughtered 80,000 Jews (Daniel 11:25-28). The next time he attacked Egypt he was thwarted by the Roman fleet (Daniel 11:29-30). He turned on Jerusalem again and desecrated the temple (Daniel 11:31).

He was aided and abetted by some Jews, but others reused to compromise their faith though they died for it (Daniel 11:32-33).

Judas Maccabaeus instigated a successful revolt, so helping the faithful (Daniel 11:34).

Daniel 11:36-45 does not describe actual events at the end of Antiochus' life. These verses may refer to the end of Syrian domination, at the hands of Rom, the new king from the north. Or they may anticipate events at the end of time, which the sufferings of God's people under Antiochus foreshadow" - Eerdmans Handbook p. 437.

I get a sense of inevitability as I read these predictions—the same feeling I get when I read Jesus' prophecy about end times (Matthew 24:4-31). And the question arises—What can a person do in the face of such acts of people and nature that the earth seems to be headed for?

Here is one answer.  Get to know God:

"...but the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits."

In the angel's prophecy, the folks who did this stayed strong and more (though the next verse and the history imply that some of them were killed for their efforts - Daniel 11:33).

The Bible is full of pleas to "know the Lord."

• From the Old Testament prophets: Jeremiah 9:24; Ezekiel 35:11; Hosea 6:3.

• From Jesus, who intimated that obedience was the route to such knowledge (John 7:16,17), that it was the pathway to true freedom (John 8:31,32), and the means of eternal life (John 17:3).

In this vein I see the picture of the white-robed martyr overcomers from Revelation: Revelation 6:9-11 and 12:11:

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death."

PRAYER: Dear God, help me not to be lulled into complacency by my relatively trouble-free life. Rather, help me to use this time to get to know You, so that when trouble comes, I can overcome (even if that overcoming is accomplished through death/martyrdom). Amen.

MORE: A heavenly scene:

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”  All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
 Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen.”

Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”

And I said to him, “Sir, you know.”

So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:9-17

Tomorrow's news today

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Daniel 11:2-20

TO CHEW ON: "And now I will tell you the truth: Behold three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece..." Daniel 11:2

Our reading today seems to predict history in detail. Who are the kings of the South? The kings of the North? Did Daniel's prediction actually come true?

The writers of Eerdman's Handbook to the Bible believe it did. The author of the section on Daniel matches his prediction with history:

"This chapter claims to set out the course of future history in detail. And from our vantage-point in time we can look back on its amazingly accurate fulfillment in the history of the Greek Empire.

There are to be three more Persian kings (2 Cambyses, Gaumata and Darius I) followed by a fourth (Xerxes). Xerxes invaded Greece but was defeated at Salamis in 480 BC.

The power then passed to Greece (Daniel 11:3,4). Daniel 11:5 refers to Egypt (the 'king of the South') and to Ptolemy's one-time general Seleucus, who became 'king of the North'—the powerful kingdom of Syria and the east.

Fifty years later (Daniel 11:6) the daughter of Ptolemy II married Antiochus II of Syria. But she was divorced and murdered, and her brother avenged her by attacking Syria (Daniel 11:7). Daniel 11:9-13 reflects the struggles between the two powers at the end of the 3rd century BC.

The Jews then joined forces with Antiochus III of Syria to defeat Egypt (Daniel 11:14-15). They gained their freedom from Egypt (Daniel 11:16), and Antiochus made a marriage alliance with Ptolemy V (Daniel 11:17).

Antiochus invaded Asia Minor and Greece but was defeated by the Romans at Magnesia in 190 BC (Daniel 11:18-19).

The 'exactor of tribute' ['one who imposes taxes' - NKJV] (Daniel 11:20) was his son Seleucus IV who was shortly succeeded by his brother Antiochus IV, the persecutor of the Jews" - Eerdman's Handbook to the Bible, pp. 436,7.

Note the dates when these things happened, compared to the date Daniel was written (beginning late 400s BC compared to sometime in the 500s [540-530]). That would be like someone writing a detailed prediction of what happened in our time almost 100 years ago and more.

But the God we worship is a God who knows the end from the beginning: Isaiah 46:9-10.

Remember the former things of old,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like Me,

Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure,’

And He knows not only the future of nations, but all the details about you and me - Psalm 139:15-16.

My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You that You know not only about nations but about me. Please lead me by Your knowledgeable Spirit to live wisely. Amen.

MORE: The prophet's call

In the introduction the "The Prophets" section of Eerdman's  Handbook is an interesting explanation of what a biblical prophet was and did. Here are a few excerpts:

"The true prophet claimed the privilege of being in the Lord's 'council,' a word which conveys the idea of both consultation (see 1 Kings 22:19-22) and of close companionship with God ....

The word translated 'prophet' signifies 'called (by God)', with the consequent task of proclaiming the message of God to men. God's call is not an invitation but an appointment (Amos 7:15) ....

The two other Hebrew words are both translated 'seer,' meaning 'one who sees.' These words point to the fact that by God's inspiration the prophets have an altogether unique ability to 'see': both into the affairs of men and into the mind of God" - Eerdmans Handbook to the Bible, p. 371.

Prayer clinic

"Answer to Daniel's Prayers" - Artist Unknown 
 (Northrop's Treasures of the Bible, 1894)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Daniel 9:1-27

TO CHEW ON: "In the first year of his (Darius) reign, I Daniel understood by the books the number of years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet .... Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes." Daniel 9:23

What a wonderful little prayer clinic Daniel puts on for us here. I believe we, as pray-ers, can learn about effective prayer from his example. Here are some things that pinged with me today:

1. His prayers flowed from his study of "the books" (Daniel 9:1-3). Daniel studied Jeremiah and gained insight into God's plan and purpose for His people. Then he set himself to pray into those plans and purposes.

Similarly we can study the Bible to see what it says about God's purposes in general and then pore and pray over passages that seem especially relevant to our time.

2. He stood in for his people (Daniel 9:4-19) It seems odd to hear devout, praying-three-times-a-day Daniel confessing: "...We have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments..." Surely he hadn't done those things. Yet he completely identified with his sinful countrymen and the sins of his people. Of course his prayer continuing on tells us that no matter how white his life looked, he too was sinful and knew it: "Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people..." Daniel 9:20.

Leslyn Musch in her commentary at the end of Daniel helps us apply this to our praying:

"Intercede before God, identifying with the sins of a church or a nation. Confess those sins before God asking for the Lord's mercy, forgiveness and restoration for His glory" - Leslyn Musch, "Truth-In-Action Through Daniel," New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1140.

3. His prayers made a difference (Daniel 9:20-27). The angel Gabriel assured Daniel "At the beginning of your supplications the command went out."

Wow! That tells us that prayers can be like a trigger. They spark changes in the heavenliness. They move the hand and command of God: "The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]" - James 5:16b Amplified
 
PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for these lessons on prayer. Help me to apply them to my life so I will be an effective prayer warrior in Your kingdom. Amen.
 
MORE: Effective intercessory prayer

"I'm convinced that when we stand before God with the record of spiritual successes and failures, we will learn that intercessory prayer had more to with with bringing about positive changes in our world than any other single spiritual activity" - Dick Eastman, Love On Its Knees, p. 17 (from Dick Eastman On Prayer - Three Bestsellers in One).

The vision made him sick

"Gabriel Speaks" - Woodcut, Unknown artist

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Daniel 8:1-27

TO CHEW ON: "And I Daniel, fainted and was sick for days..." Daniel 8:27a

We would call Daniel a mystic and describe the experience he tells of in Daniel 8 as mystical.

[Mystical: of the nature of a direct or subjective perception beyond the ordinary range of human experience. Having a spiritual character or reality beyond the comprehension of human reason - Funk & Wagnall's College Dictionary.]

Some don't believe it is possible for people to be able to foretell events like Daniel apparently did here. Secular historians who look at the Bible, and this incident specifically, debate the date of when Daniel was written because of how his dream came true:

"The precise fulfillment of Daniel's prophecies concerning the defeat of the Medo-Persians (the ram vs. 4) by the Greeks (a male goat vs. 5) and the events that led up to Antiochus Epiphanes has caused secular historians to declare that the Book of Daniel could not have been written earlier than 200 B.C. for they deny the supernatural source of the Scriptures"  Coleman Cox Phillips, Commentary on Daniel, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1133.

Contrast this with the commonly accepted date of when Daniel was written: before 530 B.C.

Daniel, for his part, was an unquestioning believer. He gave himself to the vision and to discovering what it meant, even though the experience drained and sickened him physically. The result, for us, is the foretelling of an event that strengthens our faith in God and His sovereignty over history. Our commenter calls it "... a confirming testimony to the remarkable prophetic anointing that rested on Daniel for the detailed foretelling of forthcoming events" p. 1133.

I can't help but look with awe on the prophets who heard God's voice and gave themselves soul, spirit, and body to communicating God's messages to the people of their time, whatever the cost to them.

What is God asking us to give soul, spirit, and body to for the advancement of His kingdom? Are we willing to abandon ourselves to Him as Daniel and other Old Testament prophets did?

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to give myself to You for whatever purposes You want to achieve through my mind, emotions, spirit, and body. Amen.  

MORE: Abandon

"Never consider whether you are of use; but ever consider that you are not your own but His" - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, March 4 reading.

Jesus King of History

"The Vision of the Four Beasts" Gustave Dore (Dan. 7:1-8)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Daniel 7:1-28

TO CHEW ON: "I saw in the night visions and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented to him." Daniel 7:13

"One like a son of man'..." That sounds like Jesus, doesn't it?

This is just one of a myriad of places where the Bible echoes the familiar Jesus-strain. For Jesus-talk repeats throughout the Bible like the recurring theme of a symphony. Someone has put together a list of Jesus sightings as He appears in each Bible book:

In Genesis, He is the seed of the woman. 

In Exodus, He is the passover lamb.
In Leviticus, He is our high priest. 

In Numbers, He is the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. 

In Deuteronomy, He is the prophet like unto Moses.
In Joshua, He is the captain of our salvation. 

In Judges, He is our judge and lawgiver.
In Ruth, He is our kinsman redeemer. 

In 1 and 2 Samuel, He is our trusted prophet. 

In Kings and Chronicles, He is our reigning king.
In Ezra and Nehemiah, He is the rebuilder of the broken down walls of human life.
In Esther  and Job, He is our ever-living redeemer.
In Psalms, He is our shepherd. 

In Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, He is our wisdom. 

In Song of Solomon, He is our lover and bridegroom.
In Isaiah, He is the prince of peace.
In Jeremiah, He is the righteous branch. 

In Lamentations, He is our weeping prophet. 

In Ezekiel, He is our wonderful four faced man. 

In Daniel, He is the fourth man in life's fiery furnace.
In Hosea, He is the faithful husband.
In Joel, He is the baptizer with the Holy Ghost and fire.
In Amos, He is our burden-bearer.
In Obadiah, He is the mighty to save.
In Jonah, He is our great missionary. 

In Micah, He is the messenger of beautiful feet.
In Nahum, He is the avenger of God's elect. 

In Habakkuk, He is God's evangelist. 

In Zephaniah, He is our Saviour.
In Haggai, He is the restorer of God's lost heritage.
In Zechariah, He is the fountain opened in the house of David. 

In Malachi, He is the sun of righteousness, rising with healing in His wings.

In Matthew, He is the Messiah.
In Mark, He is the wonder worker. 

In Luke, He is the son of man.
In John, He is the Son of God. 

In Acts, He is the Holy Ghost. 

In Romans, He is our justifier. 

In 1 and 2 Corinthians, He is our sanctifier.
In Galatians, He is our redeemer.
In Ephesians, He is the Christ of unsearchable riches.
In Philippians, He is the God who supplies all our needs.
In Colossians, He is the fullness of God, bodily.
In 1 and 2 Thessalonians, He is our coming king.
In 1 and 2 Timothy, He is our mediator between God and man. 

In Titus, He is our faithful pastor.
In Philemon, He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. 

In Hebrews, He is the blood of the everlasting covenant.
In James, He is our great physician. 

In 1 and 2 Peter, He is our chief shepherd. 

In 1, 2 and 3 John, He is love.
In Jude, He is the Lord coming with ten thousands of His saints. 

In Revelation, He is the KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS!

- Author unknown - as found on the site Tentmaker org.

Jesus is also depicted as a king in our reading in Daniel: "...there came one like a son of man....and to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion,which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed" - Daniel 7:13-14.
He is my king. Is He yours?

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for coming as a man to make a way for me to be reconciled with God. Be enthroned as King in my life today.

MORE: "That's My King" by S. M. Lockridge

Your time is up!

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Daniel 5:13-31

TO CHEW ON: "'But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this.'" Daniel 5:22

What was Daniel reminding Belshazzar that he knew? It was the whole story of his forefather Nebuchadnezzar and how he had gone from being a king no one dared defy (Daniel 5:19) to an insane creature who lived outdoors like an animal. It was only when Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged that God was supreme over even him that his kingdom was restored to him.

Belshazzar had not learned a thing from Nebuchadnezzar's life. Instead, Belshazzar's reign was worse in that he not only ignored God but blasphemed Him, using the sacred temple vessels captured from Jerusalem in drunken orgies of praise to the Babylonian gods.

The message on the wall (Daniel 5:25-28) was God's sudden and unchangeable verdict.

The way God is portrayed here reminds me of the way C.S. Lewis describes Aslan, the lion (symbolic of Jesus) in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe: "He's not safe, but he's good."

In both Old and New Testaments, God shows Himself good in His long-suffering - Numbers 14:18; Psalm 78:38; Romans 9:22; 2 Peter 3:9.

But His judgment, when it comes was for Belshazzar and will be for us:

• swift - Matthew 24:27
• unexpected - Matthew 24:36-42
• inevitable - Matthew 24:35,44.

Leslyn Musch sums it up well in her "Truth-In-Action Through Daniel" article:

"Understand that a day of accounting will come for your actions and choices. Receive Jesus' righteousness on your behalf (Romans 3:10-28). Embrace humility and holiness. Seek by the power of the Holy Spirit to live a life that honours and glorifies the Lord" - Leslyn Musch, New Spirit-Filled Bible, p. 1141.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me not to take Your patience as indifference but to believe Your every word about a day of reckoning ahead. Amen.

MORE: "That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain" - Daniel 5:30

"The account which Xenophon ('Cyrop.' vii. s.) gives of the taking of Babylon. and of the death of the king - though without mentioning his name, agrees so well with the statement here, that it may be regarded as a strong confirmation of its correctness. After describing the preparation made to take the city by draining off the waters of the Euphrates, so as to leave the channel dry beneath the walls for the amy of Cyrus, and after recording the charge which Cyrus gave to his generals Gadatas and Gobryas, he adds, 'And indeed those who were with Gobryas said that it would not be wonderful if the gates of the palace should be found open,' as the whole city that night seemed to be given up to revelry" - Barnes Notes on the Bible - Read entire.

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