Daniel 8-10; 3 John

3 John 1:11
Our words and actions influence those around us for good or for bad. We are judged more by how we behave than what we say. What kind of role model are you? Do your friends and co-workers know you are a follower of Christ by your love and actions? lf not, why not?

There has to be another message to our world than the violence and depravity of television, movies and video games! ln the book of Matthew at the sermon on the mound, Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth. This verse in 3John tells us to imitate what is good. ln other words, be imitators of Christ Jesus, who is goodness personified. Remember, sometimes we are the only sermon another person will ever witness. So get out there today and make it a good one! Amen!

Daniel 5-7; 2 John

Daniel chapter 6 tells about Daniel in the lion’s den. I’m reminded of a song we sang in Vacation Bible School in my youth. lt goes like this:

“Daniel was a man of prayer,
Daily prayed he three times,
Til one day they had him cast
ln a den of lions.
Even then,
ln the den,
Fears could not alarm him;
God just shut the lions’ mouth
So they could not harm him!”

I always thought the faith of the king to be interesting. He did not want to throw Daniel in the den and tried to get out of doing so. Those who tricked them into the situation came and demanded their satisfaction. Still, the king tells Daniel he hopes his God will rescue him. The king would not eat, or sleep all night and came early to the den inquiring of Daniel. Daniel testifies to his rescue by God and the king is overjoyed.

May your Friday find you, too, overjoyed at your rescue!

Daniel 3-4; 1 John 5

“Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

The exclusive message of the Gospel is often characterized by our culture as “arrogant, intolerant, or judgmental.” The idea that there are other paths to God and eternal life is a popular one; but if the message of Scripture is true, it’s a popular message that results in death. On the other hand – if the Bible’s message is true, then it is the opposite of “arrogant, intolerant, or judgmental.” In fact, it is the only message of compassion, freedom, and eternal life. And accordingly, Christ-followers aren’t the whacked-out extremists our culture suggests. Instead, they are caring, compassionate carriers of life who brave the opposition of a hostile culture to offer life to the dying. The message of the Gospel is indeed exclusive. But so is every warning sign you’ll see on your way to work tomorrow. The important question isn’t whether the messenger is kind or judgmental; the important question is whether the message is true: “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

Have a blessed day!

Daniel 1-2; 1 John 4

He was only 14 years old.

Daniel of Israel was captured and taken from his homeland at the end of a Babylonian spear to a foreign land. Then after 3 years of reprogramming and assimilation, and under threat of execution, Daniel is required by the foreign king to figure out an impossible mystery – the king’s dream and its interpretation.

And that’s exactly what God enabled him to do!

So check this out: when you are forced into strange and scary circumstances, God will be with you. And when you face an impossible problem, run to God with it – and He will give you what you need… Daniel 1 and 2 are a window into the character of God. He’s faithful – He won’t abandon you when your life gets turned upside-down; And He’s the ultimate problem-solver – all-knowing and willing to reveal impossible mysteries to us – when we seek Him.

Daniel is going to be fun. Have a Great Wednesday!

Ezekiel 47-48; 1 John 3

It’s a universal principle: living things grow. The same is true of our spiritual lives. If we have life through faith in Jesus Christ, we grow in Him. We sin less. We love more. It’s not about our perfection; it’s about our direction:

“Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.”

Knowing God isn’t a matter of being perfect. John says we won’t be completely “like” Him until we “see Him as He is.” But knowing God is a matter of making progress. If you don’t want God more, hate sin more, and love others through action more than you did a year ago, then it’s time to check your spiritual pulse. It’s a simple fact: living things grow.

Have a great Tuesday!

Ezekiel 45-46; 1 John 2

“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

Doing what the Bible says has 2 huge outcomes:

The first outcome of obeying Scripture is fellowship with each other. It’s like being in this tug-o-war between God and the devil, and pulling together on the same end with God. You can’t lose when you partner with God. It’s fun to be on the winning team. It’s more than fun – it’s fulfilling. And regardless of how painful or hard a situation is at the moment, the outcome of it – and of your life – is a foregone conclusion: we win. And we win together.

The second outcome of obeying Scripture is freedom from shame. Doing what God says in your life purifies you. This goes beyond forgiveness. Partner with God, and He starts to rub off on you. You begin to see what He sees, to love what He loves, to want what He wants. Partner with God and He washes the darkness out of you. There’s no more attraction to darkness, no more need for shame or fear or embarrassment. You’re free. Doing what the Bible says…Why would you want to live any other way?

See you tomorrow!

Ezekiel 42-44; 1John 1

When I was very young, I was terrified of the dark. I never knew if something that I couldn’t see would come after me and suck me in. Of course, that may have been because my oldest brother would jump out at me from his dark bedroom and “RRRRROARRRR” as I screamed down the hallway. One night my brother did as he always did, except this time I was holding my Mickey Mouse guitar – the one with the music box in it. Up over my head and crash down on his. Cold cocked him.

We all used to live in the dark, but God couldn’t stand to let us stay there. The light that we’ve been given through Christ is almost like my knocking out my brother; the light is so pure and so bright, it’s jarring. It’s not enough for us to know the light as believers, now we need to show the light to others. It’s the only way we can fellowship with others. I’m not afraid of the dark anymore, because I love to live in the Light.

Ezekiel 40-41; 2Peter 2

I am out of control. I hurry. I hurry at home. I hurry through my work. I hurry in my commitments. I hurry through my prayer time. Because I hurry, I’m not precise in what I do in any part of my life. I’m not precise to put Christ in the center of my life. But Jesus is the true holy place, the center of all life. It’s He who knows precisely who I am and what I will do with my life. So, I am to come to Him unhurried and with reverence – preciseness. It’s then that I can listen to his precise measurement, his plan, for my life. Jesus wants me to be faithful to listen – unhurried. Then, having listened to His precise plan for me, I am changed to reflect Him in all parts of my life. I become precise to do His will. I’m finally unhurried, because now He’s in control.

Ezekiel 37-39; 2Peter 2

I’ve been struggling with this passage; I always do. So many people lead astray before they know Christ, those who walk away from the narrow road because they are told there is something better. I think most insidious teaching is that which just tweaks a passage from the Bible. These are the people who know Scripture, but rather than allowing Christ to have His rightful place in people’s heart, they change- just a little- part of a passage. How far from the original message is the televangelists message of sending them money and the true verse in 1 Corinthians 16:2 where Paul reminds friends to set money aside to help others who were in desperate need of funds? False teachers keep us in darkness, but there is hope. God ALWAYS gives us a way home – check. Check your Bible. Is it right? Is it true? Is that what God said? He is the Way and the Truth and the Life. Thank you!

Ezekiel 35-36; 2 Peter 1

Writing the Bible would have been impossible for human beings. Producing a completely accurate and harmonious book through 40 authors over a period of 1500 years is unthinkable. So how do you explain the Bible? God explains it this way:

“For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”  

Carried along by the Holy Spirit. That’s how God accomplishes supernatural work through natural people. And that’s how He does it today. He empowers us for our unique task by His Spirit. Jesus put it this way, “You shall receive power after the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”  And He continues to empower us. As God’s church, we’re in the life-transforming business. Problem is – we don’t have the power to change anybody. So when someone’s life is changed – and it happens nearly every week – how do you explain it? The same way God does: We’re carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Have a wonderful Thursday.