Daniel’s three friends were told to bow to the king’s statue. If they did, they would live. If they didn’t bow they would burn. They refused. “…even if he does not [rescue us],” they said, “…we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:18).Let me share … Continue reading Glorifying him or denying him
The Up Devo
Prepare for big moments by starting small
In yesterday’s devotional we talked about having an “even if” kind of faith. This was based on the words of Daniel’s three friends. They were told to bow down to the king’s statue. If they didn’t, they would be thrown into a fiery furnace. They had two options: Bow or burn. But they said No. “If … Continue reading Prepare for big moments by starting small
Having an “even if” kind of faith
It was a ruthless time. Daniel’s three friends—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—were threatened with death. If they didn’t bow down to the king’s statue they would be thrown into a fiery furnace. The king gave them one last chance—bow or burn.In response, this is what the young men said: “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, … Continue reading Having an “even if” kind of faith
Giving God a makeover?
“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).Theologian J.I. Packer makes the following observation:“In 1963, J.A.T. Robinson’s ‘Honest to God’ was heralded by an article in one of England’s national newspapers entitled “Our Image of … Continue reading Giving God a makeover?
When governments and kingdoms let you down
In Daniel 2, the king of Babylon has a puzzling dream. God reveals the meaning to Daniel, who then explains it to the king. In short, the king has seen a big statue made of different materials: gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay.At the end of the dream, a stone (or rock) hits the image and … Continue reading When governments and kingdoms let you down
Pray—as a first resort
In Daniel 2, the Babylonian king issued a death order. Since some of his “wise men” couldn’t tell him his dream or it’s interpretation, he wanted to kill them all. Yikes! It was literal insanity.Since Daniel and his friends were among the class of wise men, they too were in danger. After learning what was … Continue reading Pray—as a first resort
The darker the dark, the brighter the light
“…he [God] knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him” (Daniel 2:22).The darker the dark, the brighter the light. Imagine being in a well-lit room in the middle of the day. There are a lot of windows. You hold up a torch. It will definitely bring extra light. After all, it’s a … Continue reading The darker the dark, the brighter the light
Short-sighted-ism and the presence of darkness
The presence of darkness does not mean the absence of God. Let me explain.Lately I have been spending a lot of time studying Daniel. As a young man, he endured horrible things. His nation was attacked and capital city was besieged. Many of his friends and family members would have been killed. Picture homes and property … Continue reading Short-sighted-ism and the presence of darkness
The relational nature of our faith
We live in a time in which we have incredible access to information. This includes information about our faith. If we want to know when the Exodus happened, where Nazareth was, or what verses talk about angels, we can look them up in one of a thousand different resources.We can also research end-times theories, in-depth … Continue reading The relational nature of our faith
Being proactive about sermons and Bible study
In the autumn of 445 B.C., the governor Nehemiah had finished rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem after it had been destroyed. After exile, the people had gathered for a festival. Nehemiah 8:8 says: “They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the … Continue reading Being proactive about sermons and Bible study
