The Pen of the Wayfarer

The seventh chapter of Daniel begins the
long hard road toward the end of the world!
The rise and fall of four worldly kingdoms
are telescoped across time and eclipsed by
the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ!

It is a fearsome vision which leaves
Daniel troubled and reeling because
he sees just how intense things will
become and just how much warfare will
happen before Israel is saved and
the Ancient of Days is victorious
in the earth.

Daniel sees the four great kingdoms of
world history. Babylon (the Lion); the
Medo-Persian Empire (the Bear); Greece
(the Leopard); and a terrible ten-horned beast
(a revived Roman Empire) are these kingdoms.

The first three kingdoms go the way of
all flesh and are superseded by the next
as dynasty gives way to dynasty. The
fourth is a fearsome beast and a latter
day formation of the old Roman Empire is
empowered by the "little horn" (vs 8) to
such an evil extent that God steps in.

The "little horn" is the Antichrist,
and to allow us to see the immensity of the
situation, the vision cuts to a scene
in heaven where the "Ancient of Days,"
even God Himself, is ruling and reigning
in glory.

The little horn blasphemes God and persecutes
His saints and it is God who steps in to avenge them.
The Antichrist (the little horn) continues to
unrelentingly persecute the saints even
until the coming of the Lord when they
possess the kingdom (vs 21 & 22). This gives
us pause in any thinking about "premature escape."

Has there not always been persecution against
the saints of God by the powers of Satan and
every antichrist spirit? Yes, and yet this is
a specific persecution speaking of a specific
time YET TO COME. When Jesus speaks of
"'the Abomination of Desolation' spoken of by
the prophet Daniel," He did not refer to it as
something already made manifest or consider it
a parable with no earthly manifestation
(Matthew 24: 15ff).

There are many antichrists that have gone
out into the world, John tells us (1 John 4:
1-3). And yet, Daniel went pale and weak
at what he was seeing: the final war
between the saints of God and the forces
of darkness. What God allows Him to see,
on our behalf, is the calm certainty
of our God reigning in heaven and
of His, and our, ultimate victory.

This is our hope! He that endures to
the end will be saved. Whether we
live unto the Lord, or die unto Him,
WE ARE THE LORD'S! No weapon formed
against us will ultimately prosper,
and yet we cannot underestimate the
magnitude of the persecution still
in front of the saints.

There is much we do not understand,
but there is much written here that
we can understand: that our allegiance
to God must be total and that we
can expect to bear persecution so
that His purposes might come to
pass and that Israel might be saved.
But more of that in lessons to
come.

Questions to ask: Have I actually
studied the bible for myself with
regard to those events and prophecies
related to the end times?

Do I think that others know better
and that I cannot "figure out"
what these prophecies mean?

Take time to study God's word
and to ask Him to teach you and
to reveal to you His perspective.
This does not come easily but
it will not come at all unless
you start!

To be forwarned is to be ready.
We need great humility in
approaching the Scriptures,
but we dare not be as the 5
foolish virgins who have not
prepared. Perilous days lay
ahead, there is no doubt about
that. Trust God. Prepare your heart.

Other installments of the Daniel
Bible study are in the archives of
this blog.

Bible study Book of Daniel
Book of Daniel
Daniel 7
the Ancient of Days
The Antichrist
war on the saints
the four beasts
Christ and Antichrist

The sixth chapter of Daniel reveals to us
some similarities between the life of Daniel
and the life of Jesus. Daniel had a quiet
spirit. He, like Jesus, did not try to
make himself the center of attention. Both
men quietly went about doing good, and
obeying what God had asked of them.

Yet, envy and jealousy rose up in people's
hearts against Daniel, as it did against
Jesus. Those that plotted against Daniel
knew that they could not find anything
wrong in what he was doing "unless they
find it against him concerning the law
of his God" (vs. 5); for they knew that
he served God alone and would not compromise,
even with the king. May we strive for
such a pure place, for sadly, there can be
much that antagonizes others in us that
is not of God.

Nonetheless,envy and jealousy provoke evil
deeds more than we know. We need to guard
against the mad thrashings of envy in our
own lives. Envy provokes Daniel's contemporaries
to devise a plot to bring him down. The
same was true of Jesus. In Matthew 27:18
Pilate knew that "it was for envy that they
delivered him" [to the Roman authorities].

What is amazing about both Jesus and Daniel
is how, when continually and violently
opposed, they just remained in the place that
God called them to and "did not raise their
voice" in the streets. They did nothing to
promote their "ministry" nor defend themselves.
They were simply faithful to God.

In Daniel 6, those that were envious of Daniel
observe that he is not falling down to worship
the king but is still, blessedly, worshipping
God alone. Here is how they hope to trap him
and take him down. Daniel's response to this is to
go home, open his windows, and pray three times
a day to God AS HE HAD ALWAYS DONE! (vs. 10).

When things are arrayed against us let us
quietly but visibly continue to obey God.
Consider the life of Jesus, for in it we
see this same quiet, visible obedience
in action.

Isaiah writes about what the coming
Messiah will be like: "he shall not cry,
nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be
heard in the street. A bruised reed he
shall not break and a smoldering wick he
shall not quench." (Is. 42:2-3).

He also writes:"he was oppressed and
afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth:
he is brought as lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is
dumb, so he openeth not his mouth" (Is. 53:7).

Jesus, and Daniel, did not fight to
defend themselves but trusted in God,
leaving their defence to God.

In Matthew 21 Jesus tells the parable
of the wicked vineyard keepers. The
parable exposes the envy and hatred
of the Pharisees toward God and His Son.
Jesus concludes that He is as the son
of the husbandman who was killed and like
the rejected cornerstone. Then He says
"whoever falls on the Stone shall be broken,
but on whomever it falls it shall grind
him to powder" (Mat 21:44). Even this coming
judgment is without words yet sure and
effective.

The chief priests and elders constantly
plot to get Jesus, yet Jesus just goes
along quietly obeying the Father. They bring
false witnesses to speak against Jesus but
"Jesus held His peace" (Mat. 26:63).

Jesus only does what He sees His Father
doing, He does nothing from Himself (John
5:19). Even then, He is persecuted, but
God is His defender, just as God is
Daniel's defender and the defender of
anyone who obeys God and does not
fight in his own strength to defend
himself for doing what God bids.

Defending ourselves becomes noisome.
We choose to lift up our voice, to
take up our weapons, to defend
our way; in doing so we lose quiet
obedience to God. Our voice is heard
in the street, we call attention to
ourselves. We lose the quiet and
meek spirit displayed by Daniel and
by Jesus. The spirit of Antichrist
is a noisy spirit that chatters
and clatters and pushes itself
to the front, gleefully breaking
bruised reeds and pompously snuffing
out smoldering wicks.

Let us seek to walk quietly and
humbly with God, not raising our
voice, putting ourselves in God's
hands, even when we are threatened
at the hands of men.

God's ways are not like ours.
We find Him in quietness and in
confident trust. We find His favor
in obedience. Let us trust ourselves
into His hands, and leave our defence
to Him. Whether we live we live unto
Lord, or whether we die, we die
unto the Lord, whether we live
or die, WE ARE THE LORD'S (Rom 14:8).

Other installments of this bible study
are filed under "Daniel Bible Studies" in
the archives.

Bible study Book of Daniel
Book of Daniel
Daniel 6
Daniel and Jesus
Isaiah 42:2-3
Isaiah 53:7
envy
trusting God
quietness
humility
godly character
Christ and Antichrist

Throughout the book of Daniel we continue
to see the stark contrast between Daniel,
who fears God and walks with Him, compared
with the prideful and foolish Babylonian kings.

In Chapter 5 of Daniel, Belshazzar,who is in
Nebuchadnezzar's bloodline, perhaps the grandson,
is introduced. What we see immediately is
that wanting to make yourself look good,
plus an excess of wine, will push you to
do things that you should not do.

Belshazzar was giving a great feast and the
wine flowed freely. In order to further
impress his guests he decides, against
all good judgment, to bring out the gold and
silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had
taken from the temple of Jerusalem and
allow people drink wine from them.

Proverbs 16:18&19 says, "Pride goes before
destruction, and a haughty spirit before
a fall. Better it is to be of a humble
spirit with the lowly, than to divide the
spoil with the proud."

The last thing we hear from Nebuchadnezzar,
even the last verse of Daniel chapter 4,
is this: "...those that walk in pride He
[God] is able to abase" (Dan 4:37).

Nebuchadnezzar was brought down by his pride.
Here, the same thing is happening. Belshazzar
is playing with fire! It is said that they
"drank wine and praised the gods of gold,
and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood,
and of stone" (Daniel 4:4). How foolish!
It is interesting that they did not mention
the God of Israel, although they surely
were told where the vessels came from.

They praised things that could not speak
back, they extolled things they could control
and things that served them! Praising the
God of Israel, on the other hand, would have
brought them face to face with the Living God.
It would have brought them face to face with
their pride, foolishness, and idolatry.

Why does Israel, indeed, why does anyone, turn to
idolatry? Because it serves them. It turns the
relationship of us serving God to a god
serving us! Praising the gods of silver and
gold made these objects appear to be something
greater than they are. Here were gods they could
use, yet this shows their ignorance of the Living
God and their lack of respect for Him. God makes
us, we don't make God! God commands us, we
don't command God! God uses us as His vessels,
we don't use Him!

Have you ever wondered, if the Living God
of Israel is your God, why you would choose
to turn away from Him?

In pondering this we will come face to face
with that in us that does not want to be
mastered and led by God.

But in the same hour that this misplaced
revelry happened, the fingers of a man's hand
appeared and wrote of God's impending
judgment upon them. Here was the wake-up call!

The King brought all his wise men to him
but they could not interpret what was written
on the wall. The queen reminds Belshazzar
of Daniel, who had an "excellent spirit,"
one who interpreted dreams with wisdom and
one who "dissolved doubts" (Daniel 5:12).

How would you like to be a person who
dissolved doubts? Doubts arise from being
double minded, they arise from wanting
something both ways, they arise from
lack of knowledge of God. Daniel was a
man who continually purposed in his heart
to follow God. He didn't choose to worship
God part of the time, and Nebuchadnezzar
or Belshazzar the rest of the time. He was
always sure because he was entirely God's!

Belshazzar promises Daniel wealth and power.
Daniel tells the king, "Let thy gifts
be to thyself, and give they rewards to
another, yet I will read the writing" (vs 17).
It is a dangerous trap to take money or
position for the gifting of God. God will
provide for you and make a way for your gift,
but God gives us His gifts freely so freely
we should share. Daniel could have easily
compromised but he stands as a exemplary
example of someone who would not compromise.

Daniel tells Belshazzar it was because
Nebuchadnezzar's heart was lifted up and
his mind hardened in pride that he was
deposed from his kingly throne. If Belshazzar
knew about the silver and gold objects taken
from the temple surely he knew the whole
story. But how selective is our memory
and how quickly we forget the parts we
do not wish to remember!

So judgment comes to Belshazzar just as
it came to Nebuchadnezzar. God is not
mocked, what we sow we reap. May we sow
humility and the fear of the Lord, lest
we reap a whirlwind of destruction.

Daniel and Belshazzar
Bible study Book of Daniel
pride
idolatry

"Therefore, at that time, when all the
people heard the sound of the cornet,
flute, harp...and all kinds of music,
all the people...fell down and worshipped
the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar had
set up" (Daniel 3:7).

Atmosphere can really set the mood, can't it?
The word "atmosphere" comes from the Greek
"atmos" (vapor) and "spaera" (sphere), it is the
air of a locality, the surrounding influence
or the environment, or an intriguing or singular
tone, effect, or appeal.

Do you know that idolatry is often enmeshed
in a created "atmosphere"? Here in Daniel,
Nebuchadnezzar has the musicians play to
"lead" people into the worship of the golden
idol. Music has the power to lead people
past their inhibitions and past their normal
state of mind. For better or worse, it sets
a tone, makes an appeal, and has an effect.

What we might not normally do, we may find
ourselves doing given the right "atmosphere."
Consider Israel when Moses is with God on
Mt. Sinai. They do not "just decide" to worship
another god, they create a whole atmosphere
to accompany and reinforce it. They prepared the
idol, a feast was proclaimed, and then,
"party-time!" The singing and dancing created
such an atmosphere of idolatry for the golden calf,
that the people ended up "worshipping" naked
(Ex 32:25). Its hard to imagine this happening
without more than a little bit of atmosphere!

Creating an atmosphere appeals to our soulish
nature. It prepare us to let down our guard
and to be more open to receive, but the big
question is, "Receive what?"

There are so many issues feeding into this
subject that I will just touch on a few,
and speak only of one in this article.

Dear ones, I fear that we are in danger
of not discerning the Spirit of the Lord
concerning much of what is purported to be
the working and Presence of God in our midst.
The human body is amazing. If you hadn't
noticed, it can feel an amazing range of
emotions, feelings, and sensations.
It likes atmosphere, but after it is
stirred up it is not always a good judge
of the real source of what it is feeling.
Just because I feel goosebumps does not
make it the Presence of God.

Jesus told us to watch out for deception.
Many deceivers and antichrists have gone out
into the world. They are masters of illusion.
They are purveyors of atmosphere. They
are conjurers of a sense of the sacred.
And they can, themselves, be completely deceived
as to what they are doing, or willing
participants in making people "twice as fit
for hell, as they are themselves."

When these people stand before God they
tell God that they prophesied, did many
wonders, and cast out demons, IN THE
NAME OF CHRIST, and yet, God rejects
them and says that He never knew them,
and they are thrown into hell-fire
Matt 7:22,23).

So often we think that the deceivers are
outside of the church, but this is not
what Jesus is telling us here.

Right now there is a purported "revival"
going on in Lakeland, Florida. But
we would do well to ask God for discernment.
Worship sets the stage to receive something:
by its nature, it opens the heart. But
what is being received? and who is being
worshiped?

I listened to the worship songs that
were being sung at the Todd Bentley
"revival" and for as long as I listened
I did not hear one song that directly
spoke the name of Jesus. It was about
rain, and being free, being family,
and even, a long round of "when you're all
about Me, I'm all about you."
...Nothing much about the atoning work
of Christ, nothing much about holiness,
nothing much about the pre-eminence of
Christ above everything.

And then, when the hearts are soft, and
the atmosphere is just right, are we
given the Word of God, truthfully exposited?
or something else, something very
frighteningly something else? I adjure
you to examine the atmosphere of
"revivals" like these in light
of the Word of God.

In this case, while the worship may
produce a good feeling, it is scripturally
on dodgy ground. So we are in trouble before
we even get to the main course, where the
ground appears to ooze into quicksand quite
rapidly. I don't think Paul "visualized" himself
into the third heaven, nor do I think that the
angel named Emma is anyone that I would
want on my team.

Would to God that this were an isolated
experience, but it is not. Jesus told
us that the true worshippers worship
in Spirit and in truth. There is a lot
that we need to understand about what
He means. "In Spirit" does not mean
any sort of spiritual experience that
comes along, it means, "by means of the
Holy Spirit." "In truth", well, don't
even get me started. If our worship
is to be pleasing and acceptable to
God, it must be worship of God as
He is, and has revealed Himself,
through Scripture, to be. He must be
be given His rightful place and
we must be in our rightful place
as His worshippers.

Once we are in an "atmosphere" we
can be lulled to sleep and wake up
having been captured by something
that is not of God. We must judge
all things in the light of the
Word of God to see what be of Him.
We cannot assume that something is
from God because we thought we
felt the "presence of God" in it.
What we discern to be the presence
of God may be a host of other, not
so godlike, things.

I do not write this to frighten you,
nor to criticize. I write this to
warn you. Idolatry always has a
atmosphere. That's why there are so
many bars, that's why rock musicians
have such great followings, that's
why it costs so much to join the
country club, and that's why deceivers
gather such a willing audience to themselves.

It's all in the atmosphere. Literally. It
gives new meaning to the phrase "the prince
of the power of the air" whom Paul says
is the spirit that works in the sons
of disobedience (Eph. 2:2).

Dear ones, I exhort you to pray earnestly.
Let God sift through what you believe and
allow Him to leave only the Truth.
Immerse yourself in the Word
of God. Many deceivers have gone out
into the world. Many more are still
coming. All Nebuchadnezzar had to do
was play the music. Whose tune are
you falling down to?

(This is part of a series on the Book
of Daniel. Other studies are filed
in the archives under "Daniel Bible Study")

Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar
Bible study Book of Daniel
Nebuchadnezzar and idolatry
Todd Bentley
deception
true and false worship
revival in Lakeland, Florida
heresy
spiritual confusion

"You shall be cut into pieces and your
houses shall be made a dunghill" (Daniel 2:5).

(What feels right today is tomorrow's disaster.)

The Book of Daniel shows us examples of
both how to be led by the Holy Spirit, and
how to be led by your impulses. The former
is much more highly recommended! Reading
through the book one is struck by the extreme
impulse disorder of King Nebuchadnezzar.

An impulse disorder is usually defined
as the "inability to resist the impulse
to perform an action that is harmful to
oneself or others." We see Nebuchadnezzar
acting "impulsively" throughout the book
of Daniel. As soon as something stirs him
up he reacts by wanting to "cut people in
pieces and make their houses a dunghill"
(Daniel 2:5,3:29) or "throw them into a
fiery furnace" (Daniel 3:6,15). He acts
frequently and compulsively out of impulse.

Nebuchadnezzar is only focused on himself
and does not care how his actions will
affect others. This is the nature of the
impulse driven life. It is a life that will
move from disastrous circumstance to disastrous
circumstance. Animals often behave this way.
Man should not. We have the opportunity to
be led by the Holy Spirit.

How shall we be led by the Holy Spirit and
not our impulses?

Romans 8:14 & 15 says that as many are led by
the Spirit of God, they are sons of God,
and God has not given us a spirit of
bondage again to fear, but a spirit of
adoption by which we cry "Abba, Father."

God's Spirit does not work by compulsion.
God leads us as a Father, not out of fear
or as a slavedriver, but out of love.
Impulse drives us, there is a tension
to it. We are slaves to it. Those who are
driven by impulse feel an increasing tension
to carry out an impulsive act. They are not
gently led.

If something is compulsively driving you,
it is probably not the Spirit of God.
While Mark's gospel says that the Spirit
"drove" Jesus out into the desert (Mark 1:12),
Matthew's gospel says, more softly,
that He was "led up" (Matt. 4:1).*(see
my note below.) As a rule, in our
day to day walk with the Lord, God leads us
quietly, line upon line, step upon step.

1 Cor. 12:2 says, "You know that when you
were heathen, you were led off after idols
that could not speak [habitually] as impulse
directed and whenever the occasion might arise"
(Amplified Version). Impulse, habitually
followed, leads us off after that which we
idolize. Without the Spirit of God helping
us, we have little control over our impulses.

The impulse driven life is steeped in idolatry.
When urges that are not of God rise up in
us they are always aimed at satisfying
something other than the will of God.
They lead us to worship other things,
other people, other gods. Impulses tempt us
to lead ourselves but we end up under their
dominion, and what a costly dominion it is.

On the other hand, I Cor 12: 3 says,
"Therefore I want you to understand that no
one speaking under the power and influence
of the [Holy] Spirit of God can [ever] say,
Jesus be cursed! And no one can [really] say,
Jesus is[my] Lord, except by and under the
power and influence of the Holy Spirit."--
(Amplified)

When we are under the influence,(and notice
the word influence, and not impulse) of the
Holy Spirit we always acknowledge Jesus and
call Him, in truth, "Lord." We listen only to
Him, we obey only Him. Nothing else causes
us to move forward. If human impulse arises,
we crucify it! The Holy Spirit influences us,
teaches us, guides us into all truth.

Second Peter 2 discusses the frightening
fate of those who pursue their ungodly
impulses..."like unreasoning beasts,
mere creatures of instinct, born only
to be captured and destroyed, railing
at things of which they are ignorant,
they shall utterly perish" (2 Pet 2:12).
This whole chapter deals with those
who boast of liberty but live in
enslavement to the sinful impulses
that drive them. If you want a test
of whether something is an impulse
or not, think of what its impact will
have, think of what fruit it may produce!

Daniel, and his friends, Meschach,
Shadrach and Abednego, never are
said to act on impulse. They walk in
uncompromised discipline and obedience
to God. They seek to keep their hearts
pure and centered on God. A pure heart
produces a pure impulse. Allowing
our hearts to be purified is a process,
and one that cannot, and must not, be
neglected.

When we are led by the Spirit, the
fruit of the Spirit is brought forth.
When we are led by the impulses of
the flesh, the fruit of the flesh is
brought forth (cp. Gal 5:18-24). Verse
24 tells us that those who belong
to Christ crucify the flesh with its
passions, appetites and impulses.

Impulse cannot wait, it does not
wait, to see if something is of God.
How many times do you wish that
you had waited before you said or
did something? It is important
to be quickly obedient to the Lord,
but it is also wise, in many
circumstances, to wait to see
if impulse is driving us or the
Spirit of the Lord is leading us.
The test of time, even just
a short time, usually brings
forth a clear answer.

Discerning whether something is a
fleshly impulse, or whether something is
from the Holy Spirit, is such an
important thing for we, as Christians,
to pay attention to. Let us ask
God for discernment, and let us
exercise prudence in our actions.
Pray before you leap! Wait on the
Lord. Look at what fruit your words
or actions might produce. It may save
you a lot of pain, a lot of embarrassment,
and a whole lot of repentance.

____________________________________

*There are several different ways this verse
can be interpreted, and even the Greek
word, ekballo, here translated
as "drove," has many different nuances and
meanings. We can be certain God was
not forcing Jesus into anything and Jesus
went forth, in obedience to God, of His
own free will. His behavior, at this
crucial moment, was certainly not born of
impulse, and only bore the fruit of obedience
to God. Human impulse on the other hand, usually
is steeped in disobedience and idolatry.

(This is part of a series on the Book
of Daniel. Other studies are filed
in the archives under "Daniel Bible Study")

Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar
Bible study Book of Daniel
Nebuchadnezzar and impulse disorder
being led by the Spirit

Daniel Chapter Three:

"Our God whom we serve is able to
deliver us from the burning fiery
furnace, BUT IF NOT, let it be known to
you, O King, that we will not serve
your gods or worship the golden image
which you have set up" (Daniel 3:17,18).

Our faith in God does not guarantee our
earthly safety. It does not guarantee
that we will not suffer for our faith.
It only guarantees that we are known
and eternally kept by God and that
nothing can snatch us out of His Hands,
not even death.

In the third chapter of Daniel, King
Nebuchadnezzar has built a giant statue
of gold that he has commanded everyone
to worship. Word reaches the king, as word
always does,that Shadrach, Meschach, and
Abednego are not bowing down and worshipping
the image.

King Nebuchadnezzar is furious. He offers
them "a chance" to worship the image.
Gee, "thanks, but no thanks!" They
emphatically decline. No matter what, they
are not going to compromise their devotion
to the Living God! We, too, have to have
this same mind. For them, it was not
even an issue. They say, "It is not
necessary for us to answer you on this point"
(vs 16).

The thought of it is so ridiculous
and the request so ludicrous in their minds
that they do no even feel they need to reply
to the king. Jesus, too, when He stood before
Pilate, also said nothing (Mark 15:1-5). The
truth would fall on deaf ears and make the
judgment all the worse. The pure action of
faith, of remaining true to God, of trusting
Him with our lives and not defending
ourselves, speaks louder than words. Truth,
incarnated, speaks louder than words.

The three men in this account have utmost
faith in God: they trust Him no matter what
He decides for them. May we have such faith!
May death and life be the same for us as we
walk out our devotion to the Lord!

They know that God is able to deliver them,
BUT IF NOT, if He should choose to let them
die at the hands of their enemies, so be it!
This does not show a lack of faith, but
an abandonment to God, a greater faith!

It is easy to follow God when He delivers
us and causes our enemies to be routed.
But when deliverance is slow to come or
in His great purposes, He allows a deliverance
that takes us out of this world into His
everlasting kingdom, then our faith, or
the faith of those watching what happens
to us, can waiver.

The Christian church, it is said, is built
on the blood of the martyrs. There is a
godly legacy both of earthly deliverance,
and of deliverance unto the presence of
the Lord. Hebrews 11, the great faith
chapter, tells us of those that lived
in faith, and those that died in faith.
There is no difference, really. Those that
were not delivered did not have less faith,
their faith did not fail them for their
faith was not in the deliverance but
in the God of deliverance.

We do not believe in God because of what
He can do for us, but because He is who
He says He is and we adore that!
The days are coming when we may need to
take great comfort from this story
of persecution. When the three were cast
into the fiery furnace by the crazed
Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar watched,
perhaps through some sort of opening, to
see what would happen to them.

To his amazement he saw, "one like the
son of God" in the oven with them. Now
whether this be an angel or Christ,
Himself, is not for us to argue, but
be assured that God is always with us
in our trials and in our sufferings.
He never leaves us to suffer alone, never
leaves us to endure something that He has
not, or would not, endure also. Never
fails to provide what we need to endure!
What a great promise!

The three men of faith emerged uncinged
from the fire. They did not even smell
of smoke! What a great deliverance!
May we look for our deliverance on
earth, BUT IF NOT, let us determine
that our proclamation of the Lord, and
of His kingdom, will remain uncompromised.
This is our call and it is a glorious one!

(This is part of a series on the Book
of Daniel. Other studies are filed
in the archives under "Daniel Bible Study")

Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar
Bible study Book of Daniel
Daniel Chapter three
Daniel 3:17,18
fiery furnace
faith in difficult times

Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold,
whose height was sixty cubits or ninety feet
and its breadth six cubits or nine feet (Daniel 3:1).

King Nebuchadnezzar had a large problem:
he thought it was all about him! Nearsighted
and self-focused, all he could see was himself.
We, like he, will make fatal mistakes
interpreting what God has said to us if
we try to make ourselves the center of the world.
The sun does not revolve around the earth.
Nor does the Son revolve around the creature
or the creation.

God sent Nebuchadnezzar a dream to reveal
to him what was in his heart and to show
Him that God, in Christ, would be the
ultimate King. He was shown to be the head
of gold in a great statue, but was also shown
that the Rock hewn without hands (Christ)
would overcome ALL the kings and the kingdoms
of the earth, including his.

Nebuchadnezzar, however, saw all this through
self-colored glasses. As the King of Babylon
he can be viewed as a type of Satan and he
had the same narcissistic personality as the devil.
God tries to save him by allowing him to
be humbled, but he is slow to listen and
quick to act to exalt himself.

In Chapter Two of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar has
the dream of the statue. By the first verse
of Chapter Three he has heard only what he
wanted to hear about the dream and has built
a 90 foot golden statue to himself that everyone
must worship. Talk about not getting the point!
Talk about selective hearing!

We can, like Nebuchadnezzar, in lesser or
equal ways, misinterpret prophetic dreams,
prophetic words, even the Scriptures themselves,
when we view them through the near-sighted lens
of self-focus, self-importance, and self-aggrandizement.

Much was said to Nebuchadnezzar by Daniel, but
notice what he "gets" out of it: that he is
the greatest king and deserves not just a
gold headed statue, but a completely gold
statue, made in his image, 90 feet high and nine
feet wide! We hear what we want to hear, and
we see what we want to see: what tickles our
fancy, what bolsters our ego.

Viewing ourselves as God sees us is priceless.
That view only comes to the humble in heart.
Only the pure in heart see God, and only
the humble in heart can see themselves
as God sees them.

How can we NOT be like Nebuchadnezzar?

1) Don't interpret things with yourself
at the center. Christ is the center. He
is and always will be (Colossians 1:16-18).
When God reveals something to you, it is
not to exalt you but to help you find
your rightful place and that place is
not the center of the universe!
Matthew 23:12 says, "Whosoever exalts
himself shall be humbled and whoever
humbles himself shall be exalted."
Take the low place.

2) Guard against selective hearing.
Hear the whole counsel of God. (2 Tim 3:16,
Prov. 15:22). It is not wise to build your
house on one verse of Scripture or the
interpretation of one verse of Scripture.

The whole counsel of God has a wonderful
balance to it, themes reappear and are echoed
throughout Scripture. Beware of "new"
interpretations. We have more than enough
truth to walk in. It will take more than
a lifetime just to walk in a small portion
of what we know for sure.

God speaks to us, yes, but He is merely
including us in the fellowship He has
with His precious son, Jesus Christ:
His Word is for Christ and is to Christ.
His Word is Christ! We get to
be a part of that--we are not the center
of that.

If you receive a prophetic word or dream,
review it in the light of Scripture. Do
not hastily assume that you know what it
means or interpret it so that it works out
conveniently in your favor. Let God show
you what it means. Nebuchadnezzar took
his dream and the clear interpretation
that Daniel gave him and still did not
listen or hear correctly. Beware!

3) Beware of idolatry (2 Tim 3:1-6,Romans
1:21-25). It is so easy to worship the
creature rather than the Creator. It is
so easy to think of ourselves and look
out for ourselves rather than humble
ourselves before God. Nebuchadnezzar
built himself into a god, or tried
to--he soon ended up less than a man.

4) Put God first, and others before
yourself but after God (Deut. 6:4&5,13-15).
Romans 12:3 tells us not to think of
ourselves more highly then we ought,
but to rate our abilities with sober
judgment. Each of us is gifted in
some way, don't let the gifting God
has given you go to your head or
cause you to think you are better
than others.

When you serve God, do not be proud
of it, know that you are just doing
what is expected of a servant (Luke 17:10).

Much deception abounds in the world.
Most of the deception starts when
we do not give God His proper place
but instead, put ourselves above Him.
Narcissism is a fatal flaw: it is
called sin! Take a lesson from
Nebuchadnezzar and don't be like
him! He found out the hard way that
it was not "all about him." Save yourself
the heartache. Humble yourself in the
sight of the Lord.

(This is part of a series on the Book
of Daniel. Other studies are filed
in the archives under "Daniel Bible Study")

Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar
Bible study Book of Daniel
Daniel Chapter three
narcissism

Have you ever worked for a boss that was just
impossible to please? Do you face difficult
people and difficult relationships? The Book
of Daniel has much wisdom to help you in
dealing with difficult situations in your life.

Daniel served the difficult, angry, impulsive
King Nebuchadnezzar. The King had a
disturbing dream that he could not completely
remember. He did not know what it meant.
He appealed to the dream interpreters of
His kingdom but they could not help him
because he wanted to know not only what the
dream meant, but what it was that he had dreamed.

When they could not do this, he ordered
them all to be killed. When the executioner
came to Daniel, to kill him, Daniel had
to spring into action.

In this bible study we are going to examine
how Daniel dealt with this very difficult
situation. There are some important
principles that can be gleaned and applied
to your life situation.

First, Be up to date with God (Daniel 1:8).
Daniel was prepared. He was ready.
When the executioner came for Daniel he
was already right in his heart toward God.
He did not have time to work on getting
things straight with God. We cannot
ignore our relationship with God and
expect to be ready at a moment's notice
to meet extreme difficulties.

Daniel asked for some time to pray.
No doubt he had precious little time
to come up with this dream and its
interpretation. Nebuchadnezzar was
not known for his patience. His lives
and the lives of all the other
dream interpreters in Babylon were
at stake.

2) Choose praying friends.(Daniel 2:17,18)
Daniel asked his close circle to
pray also. We need the support and
prayers of our trusted friends to
help us through difficult times.
It is important to choose those
friends wisely. Choose friends that
pray, whose lives are right with God,
and who can hold a confidence. They will
aid you greatly in your trial.

3) Have a heart to intercede for others.
(Daniel 2:17,18)
Daniel's heart was to go to the King on
behalf of himself and others. Only God
can give you this heart. Often when
we are in trouble we think only of
ourselves. Daniel, of course, wanted
to live, but he was looking out
for all of his associates, even though
many did not know or believe in the God of
Israel. He could have just sought to spare
only his own life, but he interceded for
them all.

4) Seek mercy from God. (Daniel 2:18)
Daniel did not pray "against" Nebuchadnezzar.
He did not rail against the king even
though the king was being unreasonable.
Daniel sought mercy. So, too, should
we seek mercy when we intercede for others.

5) Seek for wisdom and knowledge (Daniel 2:20-23).
God will give us the wisdom and knowledge
that we need as we seek Him. He is a God
who answers us and teaches us and guides
us with His eye. He tells us what way to
go. Praise Him!

6)Wait expectantly for God to answer and
know that He will speak. (Daniel 2;27-30)
Daniel knew and expected that God would answer.
He had already announced to the king that
God was able to tell him what the dream was.
While we pray, we must look expectantly
to God and not be discouraged. God's
answer sometimes seems slow to arrive,
but it will surely come to us.

7)When God answers, return thanks to Him.
(Daniel 2:20)
It is always right to thank God for helping us.
We must not forget to thank God for hearing us
and answering our cries.

8)Approach others TACTFULLY with the wisdom
God gives you. (Daniel 2:14, 37,38)
Daniel approached the King with great tact.
God may reveal things to us, but we need to
also pray about how to communicate what it
is that God tells us. We need to consider
how important it is that the person receive
what God has said. Let us not cause others
to reject the Word of God by handling it
poorly and causing others to stumble over it.
We cannot compromise what God tells us, but
we can say it kindly, in love, with mercy
and compassion. God's words are meant to
bring life, not condemnation.

As we read through this story, let us apply
this to our own lives. Where is this
situation in our lives? Who is our Nebuchadnezzar?
Am I ready and prepared for whatever battle
comes my way? Am I like the 5 wise virgins who
had their oil lamps full? Or the 5 foolish
ones who were unprepared? Is my heart to
intercede and to show mercy or will people
perish because I do not care to seek God?
Am I expressing thanks to God, even in
a difficult situation? Am I being sensitive
in bringing other people the words that God
reveals to me?

I cannot imagine that any of our situations
are worse than Daniel's as he faced this King.
Let us take his example to heart and
always be ready, in season and out of season,
to intercede on the behalf of others.
Someday, our own life may depend upon it.

(This is part of a series on the Book
of Daniel. Other studies are filed
in the archives under "Daniel Bible Study")

Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar
Bible study Book of Daniel
Daniel Chapter two
wisdom

Daniel & Dreams: Hearing God at Night

The Book of Daniel has several important
dreams in it. It shows us that God speaks
to us by means of dreams. Although dream
interpretation has found its way into the
occult and into psychology,God has always
spoken to His People by means of dreams
in both the Old and New Testaments. Christians
would do well to pay attention to their dreams
and to inquire of the Lord as to their meaning.

In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar was shaken
by a disturbing dream. His spirit was so
troubled that he was unable to sleep,
The Hebrew words here suggest that it was
like he was struck with a jolt that left his
heart pounding. Have you ever had such a
dream? He knew the dream was important but
he could not even recall all of it (2:5&8,KJV).
Even this pagan king knew that something
significant was being told to him by means of
a dream.

On the king's staff was a large group of
dream interpreters, and those who gave the
king spiritual advice. They were "magicians,
astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans." There
was also Daniel, who spoke for the God of Israel!

The magicians,etc were summoned to interpret
the king's dream, but the king did not only
want the interpretation, he wanted them to
tell him what he had dreamed. The interpreters
told him that this was impossible, that the
"gods did not dwell with man", and that
this kind of information could not be gotten (2:11).

Unfortunately, this meant that the king was
going to kill all the interpreters by cutting
them to pieces! The panicked interpreters could
not help him. They were simply telling the king
of the limits of what they felt they could do
as dream interpreters. They did not have a direct
relationship with the Living God, with Daniel's
God, they did not expect to communicate
directly with God. The "gods" they knew
communicated indirectly, in the dark, through
obscure means, by means of divination, and
portents and signs, but never directly,
never "face to face."

Daniel, however, knew the Living God. When the
king's guard came to Daniel to round him up
to be killed, Daniel stepped forward to save
his life and all the lives of the interpreters.
Daniel knew that his God could reveal the
knowledge of the dream, that nothing was hidden
from Him. and that if he asked of God, God
would tell him.

Notice the heart of Daniel, also. He did not
just seek to save his own life, but looked
out for the other dream interpreters and
divines, even though they were pagan and did
not know the Lord. They could fairly be
called "occult practitioners" and yet Daniel
did not seek their demise.

Daniel simply got down to prayer. He asked
his three friends to pray with him for God to
impart wisdom. The Lord gave Daniel both
what the king had dreamed and what it meant
in a "night vision." So the answer came to him
also at night in this prophetic variation of
a dream. Daniel "sees" what Nebuchadnezzar
had dreamed and also "sees" what it means.
When he tells the king, and the king recognizes
it to be true, their lives are spared.

The bible is surprisingly full of dreams, and
below is a very partial list of significant
passages regarding dreams.

Jacob's dream: Genesis 28: 10-22(the ladder
to heaven), and Genesis 31:10-29 (the cattle dream);
Joseph's dreams : (Genesis 37) the sheaves
of wheat and the sun, moon, and stars;
The dreams of the butler and baker in Egypt
(Genesis 40);
Pharoah's dream (Genesis 41);
Gideon and the dream he overhears (Judges 7:9-18);
Solomon's dream (1 Kings 3:5-15);

Joseph's dream regarding Jesus(Matthew 1: 19,20);
Joseph warned to go to Egypt(Matthew 2: 12, 13);
Pilate's wife (Matthew 27:19);
The Spirit's outpouring and dreams:Joel 2:28/Acts 2:17.

God promises to give us interpretations to
dreams when we seek Him. (Gen 40:8: Do
not interpretations belong to God?) and
(Gen 41:16: God shall give Pharaoh an
answer of peace). Psalm 16:7 tells us that
God instructs us in the night seasons.
Job 33:14-18 shows that God reveals things
to us at night.

Daniel knew that he could go to God and
receive the wisdom, guidance, and understanding
that he needed. He knew that God speaks to us
and that we simply need to inquire of Him.
How God chooses to speak to us is up to Him:
that He speaks to us by means of dreams is
clearly revealed in the Scriptures.

What is God saying to you at night?

(this bible study is a continuation
of a Bible Study on the book of Daniel,
further installments are archived in
this blog under "Daniel Bible Study"
and "Bible"

Christian dream interpretation
Bible study Book of Daniel
Daniel Chapter two
dreams

Daniel 2: Nebuchadnezzar's Dream & Hearing God


Daniel
Book of Daniel
Bible Study Book of Daniel
hearing God
Nebuchadnezzar's dream

This is part two of a bible study on Daniel
"purposing".

"Daniel Purposed" & The Eternal Purpose of God



(this bible study is a continuation
of a Bible Study on the book of Daniel,
further installments are archived in
this blog under "Daniel Bible Study"
and "Bible"

the eternal purpose of God
Daniel purposed
bible study, purpose of God
T.Austin-Sparks

"Daniel purposed in his heart that he
would not defile himself" (Daniel 1:8)

Our lives will become something. Either
by default or by drift or by definite
decision, we will become something. Daniel
purposed in his heart that he would stay
true to God. Even if we are imprisoned
or taken captive, our essential choices
are still ours. Others may decide what
they will do to us, or they will exercise
control of over our work situation or time or
life circumstances, but how we react
and how we respond is something that
no-one can take from us. Therefore,
we can ALWAYS choose God.

A typically human response is to feel
sorry for ourselves or to complain or
feel helpless: as if we are at the mercy of
the responses of others. We can feel that
we are a victim and if others would just
do this or do that then we would be able
to serve God. But our ultimate choices
lay entirely in our hands and under our
control and we must "purpose" to choose
God. What we "purpose" will make or
break us!

The word "purpose" is a strong word.
It means to set, ordain, establish, to
set in place, to fix, and in some forms,
to set or make for a sign."

Daniel had to "purpose" and then he
had to decide to stick with his purpose--
come lions, fire, an unreasonable king,
come hell or high water!

From the very beginning of his captivity
in Babylon, Daniel had to develop a
spirit of "no compromise" or at some
point he would lose his resolve and
his head would start to spin, and his
resolve weaken, and soon he would
find himself a fine example of a
Babylonian --and his relationship
with God with seem like a distant
memory.

Do you know people who make excuses?
Have you ever offered godly advice
to others and they were not interested
in taking it? I am not talking about nagging
someone, but offering them tried and
true advice and they are unwilling?

You suggest a plan of action for a problem
they may have mentioned and they say,
"It is too far to go; It is too much money;
It is too much work; I'm busy on that night;
I'm just not good and you are; things work
for you but not for me; I tried that before
but it didn't work; I will try (but they never
do); do you have any other suggestions?;
or they seek a "word from the Lord" from
someone else, one that is more in line
with what they want to do. Maybe. Tomorrow.
I hope. Could be. Later. I'm coming in just
a minute, Lord.

All of this is not just not purposing, it
is the opposite of purposing. All this kind
of thinking and response will lead to us
being overtaken by the high waves of
life and of Babylon that will roll over us.

Do you know that the waves on the
beautiful beaches of Babylon have a strong
undertow? They will sweep you out
to sea of Sin if you are not careful.

Like Daniel, you have to purpose
in your heart not to be defiled.

What are some examples of
different ways that we can purpose
in the Bible?

Do you know that God purposes?

In Acts 19:21 Paul "purposed in Spirit"
to go where God sent him. It was a
deliberate setting of one's heart and
mind and will to do what God wanted.
The minute he purposed in his heart
the great riot of Ephesus erupted in
his midst. Just get used to the idea
that once you purpose in your heart
to do the will of God you will probably
meet with significant opposition!

People can have an equally strong
purpose against your purposing
for God, and against the purposes
of God. In Acts 27:43, when the
ship Paul was on was shipwrecked,
the soldiers that guarded the
prisoners purposed to kill them,
Paul included, so that they would not
escape. The centurion intervened
to saved Paul. In a sense, he, too,
purposed to give Paul a chance
to live.

Another scripture that contains
the idea of men purposing against
God is Genesis 11:6 which is about
the building of the tower of Babel.
The Lord said, "the people are one
and have the same language...now
nothing they purpose to do will
be withheld from them."

So we see that purposing is powerful,
even when it is against God! Still,
the purpose of man cannot stand
against the purpose of God! Amen!

God's response to Babel was to go
down and confuse their speech and
confound their plans. He purposed
to undue their purposing!

In the Old Testament, when God
purposes, it is often connected with
bringing down evil places or things
that come against that which is
good or that which would totally
destroy His people.

In Isaiah 14:22-27, God purposes
to destroy Babylon and Assyria.
And who will stop the Lord?
"For the Lord of Hosts has
purposed, and who will annul it?
His hand is stretched out and who
will turn it back?" Try, O Man,
or Ungodly Nation, to stop the
purpose of God!

In the New Testament, the purposes
of God are expressed in
expansive and eternal terms.
Romans 8:28 : "For we know that
all things work together for good
to those who love God, to those
who are called according to His
purpose." Thank God that
despite the blows of life, all things
will work together for those who
love God because He has purposed
they will. You are safe!

Ephesians 3:11 says, "In Him
also we have obtained an inheritance,
being predestined according to
the purpose of Him who works
ALL things according to the counsel
of His will." God has a preordained
purpose that will be fulfilled and
that involves our receiving an
inheritance--even Himself!

He purposed the mystery of His
will, according to His good pleasure
(verse 9). The great things that
God has thought up and purposed
in His heart for us make Him
happy. They are good things!
These things are far above what we
could ask or think--so far above us
that they are called
"the mystery of His will." And
yet He has seen fit to begin to
reveal to us His redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness
of sins, according to the riches
of His grace which He made to abound
toward us in all wisdom and prudent
understanding" (vs 7 & 8).

Paul says as he writes in First
Timothy 1:9 that God has saved
us and called us, not according
to our own works, but according
to HIS OWN PURPOSE and
grace which was given to us
in Christ Jesus before time began!

The purposes of God are great
purposes that start in God,
are accomplished by God, and
end with God gathering together
in one all things in Christ--both
which are in heaven and on
earth! (Ephesians 1:10). Wow!

We must have this same intensity
of purpose, this same scope of
commitment, this same joy
in purposing to give God all!

Psalm 17 says, "You have tested
my heart, You have visited me
in the night; You have tried me
and found nothing [evil]. I have
purposed that my mouth shall
not transgress." When God
comes to test us, what will
He find? If we purpose not
to sin with our mouth, we
will have started in a good
place!

Proverbs 15:22 says "without
counsel, purposes go awry,
but in the multitude of counselors
they are established."
We must seek the Lord, and seek
out spiritual men and women
to help us to set our purposes
in a Godly way. If we think we
can just go our own way, we
will soon be just going after
our own wayward purpose and
not the purpose of God.

Daniel was aided in his purposing
by his three friends. Evil company
corrupts good habits. The company
you keep affects you! Awake
to righteousness and do not sin!
(I Cor. 15:33, 34). Purpose in
your heart to agree with God
and walk with Him and His
godly ones!

(this bible study is a continuation
of a Bible Study on the book of Daniel,
further installments are archived in
this blog under "Daniel Bible Study"
and "Bible"

Daniel
Book of Daniel
Bible Study Book of Daniel
Babylon
faith in difficult times
compromised gospel
spiritual disciplines
purpose of God

Book of Daniel Bible Study: Identifying
Babylon in Your Life: Daniel 1:1-17

Daniel determined that he would not fall
prey to the spirit and ways of Babylon.
Even in his captivity he had to determine
what was of God and what was not of God
and choose to serve God alone.
He had to set his face like flint against
the spirit of Babylon even while
surrounded on every side by Babylon.

Have you ever felt surrounded on all
sides by evil and ungodliness? Consider
Daniel. He was immersed in the ways of
Babylon but Babylon was not touching
him! How did he keep his heart separated
to God? Everything in our lives is
either leading us toward God or toward
Babylon. We have to discern and recognize
the spirit behind that which we let into
our hearts.

How is Babylon crossing your life?
We need to examine everything that
we let into our lives because, like a Trojan
horse, once Babylon comes in, it infiltrates
to conquer. We don't need to fear
Babylon, we just need to have good
sentries, and ironclad--indeed "Spirit-clad"
boundaries to separate us unto God.

What are you filled with? You only have
so much inner room, so much time, so
much strength. What is your life filled with?
Did you know that you can build for God
even in Babylon?

Our lives will become something--we need
to ask ourselves how will that happen and
what are we building? When we get to the
end of our days we will be something--either
something for God or something for Satan.
We have to make deliberate and conscious choices
or we will be swept toward that which
is mediocre or worse yet, entirely not of God.

Daniel understood this principle. Daniel
understood that spiritual discipline
would aid him greatly in keeping his
heart pure and focused on God. We have
to incorporate biblical practices and disciplines
into our lives that keep us pointed in
the right direction. It is so easy to
drift off course.

Daniel prayed and saw that he could use
the disciple of fasting to set his
heart toward God. He did not have
control over very much in his life.
He was fed that which the king saw fit
to feed him, and the king no doubt
felt he was giving Daniel the best
kind of food. Daniel knew otherwise:
perhaps he was asked to eat pork
or unclean things according to
the Law. Perhaps the food was not
prepared the way the Law stated it
should be. Are you partaking of
things that Babylon offers without
discrimination?

Daniel asked to fast from the
"dainty meat" that was brought to
him. Even then there was a myth
circulating that fasting would
make you weak and take your strength
(Daniel 1:10). We need to realize
that while fasting may deny
the physical body, it strengthens
the spirit when we look to the Lord
(Matthew 17:21, Is 58:6). Fasting
can free us to find or rekindle
our reliance on God alone and
to gaze upon Him unhindered.

Each time Daniel ate his meal
of vegetables he was reminded
who he served and where his
strength really came from:
The Lord God! We need disciplines
such as these to carry us through
our walk in the Babylon of this
world. What might God be asking
you to do so that your focus on
Him might be strengthened?

God is looking for a consistency
in our walk with Him. We cannot
be full of zeal one day, and
compromise the next! We cannot
be for God on Monday, and
for Babylon on Tuesday! We
need "a long obedience in the
same direction"! We have to
"purpose" in our hearts to
not be defiled (vs. 8)
or we will drift away from God.

Jonathan Edwards, the noted
revivalist, himself made a
long list of resolutions
to serve God. It is a formidable
list and one that might seem
impossible to adhere to. But
his heart was set toward the
Lord. He did not want to waste
one minute of his life with
lesser things.

Jesus will direct us, as we
seek Him, with guidance that
He tailor-makes for us. This
guidance is born out of the
relationship we maintain with
God minute by minute, day by
day, week by week, month by
month, year by year. Daniel
spent his whole life in Babylon
but Babylon never conquered him. God
knows the details of our life
and situation and He knows what
will keep us with Him. Ask the
Lord what He would have you do.
Avail yourself of His Spirit.

Often we are spiritually ignorant
and we fail to recognize
Babylon in our lives and Satan's
devises in our midst. We need
to examine everything in our
lives to see if it something
that God wants for us.

Often we do things, even
spiritual things, and only
have a vague idea why we
do them or if they are backed
up by scripture. We may have
a mixture of truth and untruth,
human wisdom mixed with
eternal truth. We should
allow God to test our beliefs.
"God helps those who help
themselves" The Lord works in
mysterious ways, etc": we have
many truisms that circulate in
our minds that are not true at
all or are only partly true.

Where is Babylon in our lives?
We must identify where it is
coming in, and we cannot do
this without the aid of the
Holy Spirit (Romans 8:5-11).

What does Babylon say to us:
That youth is desirable, that
being good looking is
what makes a leader, that
social status is important,
that intelligence will get
you to the top, that human
charisma is the same as
divine charisms (Daniel 1:4).

These were all the things that
the Babylonians looked for
when they chose leaders.
Is this not the same message
we hear in our culture today?
In some sense these things
are ok, but they are
not the ways of God. God
looks at the heart, He is
after a pure heart that is
set on Him. He does not
consider the outward man,
nor that which is politically
correct. He does not consider
your looks, your heritage,
your intelligence, your
ability to charm others
when He calls you. Daniel
became a hero of faith not
because of what he looked like
but because of his strong
trust in God.

We need to ask where Babylon has
infiltrated our thinking and
what we actually value. We can
identify some of the more gross
areas of things that are against
Christ but there are many subtle things
that we must test. We often
accept things and never bother
to see how they contradict
the message of the gospel.

There are many things that we
as Americans value and sometimes
they become entwined with what
we feel we should value as
Christians. How is the American
gospel different from the gospel
that Christ presents? How is
American Christianity different
from "mere" Christianity? When
you answer that question you
will uncover