“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
Being faithful, or fitting in?
The book of Daniel tells us that Daniel and his friends were exiled to a foreign nation, Babylon, after Jerusalem was besieged. The text tells us that they were young. We find this in Daniel 1:3-4: “Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the … Continue reading Being faithful, or fitting in?
Devotion changes you
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23).Writer Selma Lagerlöf tells the story of a knight from Italy. This was the Middle Ages, the time of the Crusades. He was a warrior, capable of dark things. When he got to the Holy Land he found himself at the … Continue reading Devotion changes you
When everything is stripped away
“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it” (Daniel 1:1). And with that, Daniel and his friends—and many others—were exiled to Babylon.As I study the book of Daniel, I’m struck by the abject calamity which came up on him:His ancestors had rejected … Continue reading When everything is stripped away
