Blog: December 2019

There's no better time than the beginning of a new year to affirm (or reaffirm) your commitment to read God's Word on a daily basis. Maybe you already have a good pattern of studying Scripture and paying attntion to what God has to say in the Old Testament and the New Testament.  If so, that's great--carry on. Or maybe you need to make a lifestyle change and begin a new, life-giving discipline of reading and reflecting on what the Maker and Master of All Things has to say.  If so, consider some of the Bible reading plans that are ...

Daniel 7 is considered one of the most important chapters in the Old Testament. This chapter and the chapters that follow describe a series of visions and prophecies about the future of God’s people. This message gave hope to God’s people in captivity. Today’s Bible story takes place in the first year of King Belshazzar’s reign. (Dan. 7:1) Belshazzar was the son of King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel encountered Belshazzar in chapter 5. Daniel was about 82 years old when he was thrown into the lions’ den; chapter 7 rewinds the clock to tell of a ...

Throughout the Old Testament, God reminded His people through the prophets of His promise to one day send a Rescuer. People cannot save themselves; instead, God planned to save sinners by sending His Son. God revealed that He would come from the family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and He would bless the nations. (Gen. 12:3; 17:19; 28:14) He would come from David’s family, and His kingdom would last forever. (2 Sam. 7:12-13) He would be born in Bethlehem to a virgin. (Micah 5:2; Isa. 7:14) But after God’s people returned home from exile in ...

Just think what we know about the baby born in Bethlehem some 2,000 years ago—about who he was (and is), and what the Father intended to accomplish through his Son’s entrance into human life: The angel told Joseph that Mary’s baby was “Emmanuel,” i.e., “God with us” (Matt 1:23, quoting Isa 7:14—and in Isa 9:6 the child is called “Mighty God”). This divine child would “save his people from their sins” (Matt 1:21; and see Mark 10:45, he came to give his life as a ransom for many). Wise men from the east sought the newborn king “to worship ...

Our great and loving God speaks words of comfort to our weary souls.  And I have this sneaking hunch that a great many of us are weary.  And busy.  And distracted.  Maybe even frazzled—yes, right now as we step up to the threshold of Christmas.  We’d love these days to be an oasis where we can drink in God’s peace and rest a while in the strong arms of his goodness.  We need to be still. But can we?  Can you?  Your biggest challenge right now might be simply this:  to block out all other sights and sounds and thoughts, and fix your focus ...

The fifth chapter of Daniel ends with the death of King Belshazzar when the Persians took over Babylon and Darius was put on the throne. Babylon was on the decline—no longer the powerful, prosperous empire it once was. By this time Daniel was an old man, probably in his early 80s. He served the new king as one of the three leading supervisors in the kingdom. Daniel was very good at his job—so good, in fact, that King Darius planned to put him in charge of the entire kingdom. The other supervisors and governors were jealous of Daniel. They ...

As we move deeper into Advent, let me ask a question:  What is the “Christmas spirit” for you?  For many it means time with family, and sometimes long-awaited family reunions.  Of course, family time is a gift—and yet we also know that holidays can be hard for those whose families are separated or who’ve lost loved ones.  Is God calling you to enlarge your “family” and share the joy with others this season? It also means festivity:  twinkling lights, special parties, parades, con­certs, parties; dressing up, decorating, sending cards, ...

In 587 B.C., the Babylonians laid siege to Jerusalem, and God’s people were exiled to Babylon where they would serve an enemy king for 70 years. (See Jer. 25:11.) Among the early exiles was a young man, Daniel, and three of his friends. About 20 years after arriving in Babylon, the three friends faced a test of their faith. King Nebuchadnezzar’s law gave them a choice: worship a statue (against God’s law) or face death by fiery furnace. (Dan. 3:6) Three men from Judah—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—refused to bow down and worship the ...