We are back in Daniel this week looking at his overnight stay in the lion’s den. As we look at what is often considered a Sunday school children's lesson, there is much to learn there. Long-term faithfulness to God and his calling put Daniel in the pit, as those who sought to harm him used his righteous character against him. It is a wonderful story of God’s grace, vindication, and provision in the midst of trial.
This Sunday, we have one more message in our “Clash of Kings” series. We are going to look at two old people who have been faithfully waiting and praying for the redemption and salvation of Israel. Simeon and Anna were two people who dedicated their lives to prayer and looking forward to the coming of Messiah, their savior King. In God’s goodness, they were rewarded as the cry of a baby in the temple stirred their hearts in a way that had never happened before.
This Sunday before Christmas weekend we are going to look at the incident in Bethlehem where King Herod abuses his power and orders the murder of innocent children. Why such a story at Christmas time? Well, Matthew felt it important enough to include it, so we should look at it and understand, as best we can the question, why does God let bad things happen to good people?
I want us to find hope in the midst of darkness, to see mourning turned to joy and the deliverance of God in hard times. To fully understand the words of the hymn writer when he says:
“A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn…” Christ is born.
The Christmas season is here, and we will spend the next few weeks in a series called: The Clash of the Kings. This week, we will see God’s hand of providence moving across time and space, from Daniel’s time to the time of Jesus' birth.
Well, the Christmas season is here, and we will spend the next few weeks in a series called: The Clash of the Kings. This week, we will see God’s hand of providence moving across time and space, from Daniel’s time to the time of Jesus' birth. Just who were these “wise men”? Where did they come from, and why does Matthew include them in his telling of the Gospel?
This week we look at a text of Scripture that brings to the forefront, God’s judgment. This king we learned about last week, Belshazzar, uses his brief moment on the stage of history to do everything wrong that he possibly can. Sadly, in the plans and purposes of God, he stands as a “king” who influenced those around him in a bad way. He pays the ultimate price for his choices as the kingdom is lost. What can we learn from him?
Last week we looked at right belief and how it leads to right behavior. This week we will look at how we bring those together into the public sphere in such a way that makes Jesus attractive to those who do not believe. Daniel, in interpreting the dream given to the king, tells him the truth of what it means and is still there on the other side of its fulfillment as Nebuchadnezzar finally confesses that God in Heaven sets up kings and kingdoms, and is able to humble those like himself who have walked prideful lives.
This week we are going to look at another dream that was given to King Nebuchadnezzar and the effect it had on his life. One of the things we will learn is that to believe rightly leads to living rightly and having great influence wherever God sets you down. It helps us also to keep everything in perspective, most especially in those tense moments of the in-between, where we know God has promised us things, but it doesn’t look like it's working out in our world.