Tag: Bible study

The Power of His Works (RB)

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.

The Power of His Works

Lord! Lord! (Matthew 7:21-23)

We look at a short yet powerful passage from the Sermon on the Mount today. Such verses should absolutely challenge us to look carefully at our lives and ensure we are truly following God and the Gospel.

We read:

21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

Matthew 7:21-23 NLT

To be clear, these are words of Jesus Himself. As with everything the Lord said, we ought not to take it lightly.

Jesus tells us plainly that not everyone who calls Him Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. In other translations, I believe it says not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will be saved. This is vitally important, and tells us something about what it truly means to be saved. Many people call themselves Christians, and many would say that Jesus is Lord, but is He – really?

Jesus says that only those who do the will of the Father will actually enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Does this fly in the face of the Gospel of grace? It sounds like salvation by works doesn’t it? Calling on the name of the Lord is suddenly not enough, but we must do certain things too to “earn” salvation, right?

I think not.

There is a distinct difference between acknowledging Jesus as Lord and living so, and simply paying lip-service and saying the words. I may have said this before, but it is a good example… I may be a fully paid up member of the local gym, carrying my membership card and even wearing the T-shirt, but if I never go and lift weights, I may as well not bother.

In a similar way, we can go to church, sing the songs, carry a Bible around and more, and yet if our lives do not reflect holiness and obedience, we must ask ourselves if we have truly surrendered our lives to God.

#Salvation is more than just saying words, it is living a life of #obedience #Bible #Jesus #Christianity

When we encounter Jesus, it ought to change us. When we make Him our Lord, that means putting Him in full charge of our lives and not just tagging Him on to our current lifestyle. True submission requires obedience. There can be no other way. It is a silly example, but I cannot claim to be a man of peace if I am frequently getting into fist-fights in the local pub. Likewise, I cannot claim to be a Christian while completely ignoring God’s instructions.

Obeying God’s will, as Jesus sets out above, is not a means to salvation, but a result of it.

Obeying #God is not a means of #salvation, but a result of it #Bible #Jesus

The true Gospel is indeed a Gospel of grace, not something we earn through obedience. God’s grace is freely given, and we need not nor cannot do anything to work for it. However, once freely received, the resulting change in our hearts should be reflected in our lives. Once saved, we joyfully obey the will of the Father in response to His grace. Grace comes first, and the fruit of obedience follows.

Verses 22 and 23 send a shiver down my spine. On that final day when we all stand before God, not all who think they are saved actually are. Imagine that for a moment, imagine being one of those who are told by Jesus, “I don’t know you!” What a terrible thing.

I do not want that to be me, and neither do I want that to be you.

The defence of these people (which is really no defence at all), is that they have 1) prophesied in Jesus’ name, 2) cast out demons and 3) performed many miracles. These are not small things in and of themselves. What this tells me is that not every miracle worker knows Christ, or rather, is known by Christ. Not every prophet, nor everyone who delivers others from demons, is part of God’s kingdom.

So how can we tell?

This is not straightforward to answer in a short blog post. Clearly, the Bible does encourage the use of such spiritual gifts such as prophecy or the working of miracles. Yet my suspicion is that is less about the activity itself i.e. casting out demons, but the motive behind it. Of these three examples, all are very public things. I wonder if it is all too easy to start claiming the credit for a miracle, a prophecy or a demon-deliverance. These are gifts of the Spirit, but there is no mention made of the fruit.

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Galatians 5:22-23 NLT

Many seek the gifts of the Spirit, without seeking the fruit. Jesus said you will know them by their “fruit,” not by their “gifts.” (see earlier on in this very chapter – Matthew 7:15-20)

So what do we take from this?

Firstly, we do need to acknowledge Jesus as Lord. He is in charge, and we must recognise His rightful place in our lives. We must not seek Him as Saviour without also accepting Him as Lord.

If, indeed, He is our Lord, then we must do what He tells us. We will not get that perfectly right all of the time, but in response to the grace we have been given, we take His commands seriously. The better we come to know Him, the more we will want to do this.

We obey, not to earn His love, but in response to it.

When we do obey, it must also be for the right motives. We do not do it to be popular or to seek fame and fortune, but instead we do it for His glory.

As a blogger, I too need to be cautious with this. Do I write to bless people, or do I write to seek their favour? Judging by how often I check my stats, I need to check my motives! How about you?

These are challenging words from Christ, and I encourage you to pray over them in the coming days. I want you to know Christ, and I want Him to know you. When you stand before Him one day, I want you to have full assurance of your salvation. God’s grace is sufficient, and so let each of us respond to it in obedience. Amen

A God of Justice (Psalm 36:7-12)

We conclude our trio of studies on Psalm 36 today by reviewing the final six verses. So far, we have considered David’s revelation of sinfulness in part 1 – A Revelation of Wickedness, and then yesterday we thought about some of the attributes of God in – Faithful to the Skies.

How precious is your unfailing love, O God!

All humanity finds shelter

    in the shadow of your wings.

8 You feed them from the abundance of your own house,

    letting them drink from your river of delights.

9 For you are the fountain of life,

    the light by which we see.

10 Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you;

    give justice to those with honest hearts.

11 Don’t let the proud trample me

   or the wicked push me around.

12 Look! Those who do evil have fallen!

    They are thrown down, never to rise again.

Psalm 36:7-12 NLT

Verse seven reminds us of how precious God’s unfailing love is. In many ways, this is obvious but that makes it all too easy to just pass it over. Preciousness means value, not necessarily financial, but something we prize. God does not have to love us (in a sense). Although it would be against His character and nature, He could look upon our sinfulness and reject us outright. God’s love is not to be taken lightly or for granted. The more precious something is, the more it tends to cost, and God’s love cost Him His Son.

Many Christians ask themselves if God really loves them. They may not feel loved, and so question whether God cares at all. In the hectic world we live in, it can be difficult to hear from God at times. This leads us to think He is distant, or even uncaring. Not so! I often ask myself how well or often I hear from God, and my answer is usually the same. When I set aside other things, sit down in the quiet with Him, and listen – truly listen – I inevitably hear what God is telling me. To hear God speak into my life through His Word or in other ways is a true privilege, and it reminds me how much He really does care for me. And the same is true for you.

God’s love is not just restricted to us however, but extends to all humanity (as verse seven reminds us). John 3:16 springs to mind here:

For this is how God loved the world: He gave[a] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life

John 3:16 NLT

God’s love extends to all humanity. While this does not mean all will accept it, it does affirm that it is available to all. The Bible does not support the idea that all people will be saved, no matter what, for that idea cheapens the cross and leaves little incentive to live a godly life in Christ Jesus. There is a hell to avoid, and while the thought does not bless me, I rejoice that God has made a way for us. Let each of us tell as many as we can of God’s saving love which never fails.

Upon first reading of verse eight, I am not certain if it refers to physical food and drink, or rather points to something more spiritual. God does indeed provide us food and sustenance, and it is certainly important to take a moment to thank Him at each meal time. Not everyone has the abundance of food we do, so it is right not to take our material blessings for granted.

Looking to verse nine as well, I wonder if David was thinking of more spiritual food in verse eight. Verse nine shows us that God is the fountain of life for us. While we need food to survive, we need God no less so. He controls all things, sustains all things, and our next breath is utterly dependent on Him and His grace towards us. God is not just our life, but our light as well. 1 John 1:5 echoes this psalm in telling us God is light. We cannot hope to see our way through this life or the next without the light of God. We cannot hope to understand, nor can we see the right way to go unless God first shows us the way. His Word is indeed a lamp unto our feet as Psalm 119:105 tells us.

Verse ten and eleven turn into an apparent word of prayer. The psalmist asks God to pour out His unfailing love on those who love Him. As referred to above, God has done this at the cross of Calvary. I am not sure we now need ask God to pour out His love, but perhaps it is better to pray that we understand and perceive the love He has already shown. David asks God to give justice to those with honest hearts. Justice is a common theme in the Bible, and we trust God to make all things well in the end. Justice in this life is not guaranteed, but we know that the God of justice will indeed comfort the afflicted and wipe every tear from their eye.

Pour out your unfailing #love on those who love you; give #justice to those with honest hearts. Psa 36:10 NLT #Bible

Verse eleven seeks protection from the proud. I like the phrasing of the NLT here, as no one likes to be “pushed around.” This continues the theme of justice, and the cry to protect the downtrodden. The proud pick on the weak, exploiting them for their own gain. We, as the people of God, must not be like this. We must not show favouritism, nor exploit those who we think are beneath us. Time and time again the Bible speaks of looking after orphans and widows, and we must look after those who are in need or marginalised.

This psalm of contrasts comes to an end with an almost prophetic note. Behold, the psalmist cries out, the wicked are no more! David knows the justice of his God, and knows that the wicked cannot stand before Him. A time will come when sin will end. A time is coming soon when the wicked will see justice. At the end of all things, God will separate the sheep from the goats, and will take care of His sheep for all eternity. I want to be among them, and want you to be too.

You cannot have #love without #justice. #Bible #Jesus #Christianity

God’s love touched on in this psalm is not so far removed from His justice. To love someone means hating anyone or anything that would harm them. You cannot have love without justice. We give thanks that our God is both full of unfailing love, and a God of true justice. Receive His love today, and allow Jesus to pay the penalty for your sin so that justice is satisfied.

Blessings on you this day.

Faithful to the Skies (Psalm 36:5-6)

Yesterday we considered the first few verses of Psalm 36 in my post – A Revelation of Wickedness. Picking up where we left off, we take a sharp turn away from the wickedness of humanity to the wonders of our gracious God. Perhaps the psalmist – King David – was hoping to convey the absolute contrast between the evil of men and the goodness of God.

5 Your loving kindness, Yahweh, is in the heavens.

    Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God.

    Your judgments are like a great deep.

    Yahweh, you preserve man and animal.

Psalm 36:5-6 WEB

Verses five and six begin to compare some of God’s attributes with features of the physical world to provide a sense of scale. Sometimes, when my children take a photo of an insect or similar, we encourage them to add something else to the background to show the size of the object in question. In a similar way, King David is trying to convey the magnitude of these characteristics of God. He begins with loving-kindness.

Verse 5 in the WEB is perhaps not the most helpful rendering. It says that God’s loving-kindness is in the heavens. The NLT puts it like this: “Your unfailing love O Lord is as vast as the heavens.” Which I feel is a much clearer picture. God’s love is so vast that it reaches from the depths of the earth to the highest heavens. God’s love, which never fails, is as big as you can imagine. This is, of course, poetic language, as love cannot be measured by volume or distance. Instead, God demonstrates His love for us in the form of a rugged cross and a suffering Saviour. As John states in his Gospel, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.” That’s the size of God’s love!

With poetic emphasis (and particularly in the Hebrew style), God’s faithfulness is now compared to the height of the skies. Faithfulness is not something we see a great deal of in our world today. It means to be steadfast and loyal, to keep to our word no matter the circumstances and to remain at a friend’s side in the bleakest of trials. God will never leave you. He will never forsake you. God is faithful, meaning what He says and saying precisely what He means. We can trust God because we can trust His word.

We can #trust #God because we can trust His Word – that is, the #Bible

Verse six compares God’s righteousness to the mountains of God. There are few geological features as impressive or even breath-taking as a mountain. To us mere humans standing at their foot, a mountain seems an almost eternal object. Often, from the base, the top is obscured by cloud and we can only imagine how high it extends. Likewise, God’s righteousness is seemingly unending.

The word righteousness here is integrity, or moral uprightness. God is righteous; He is morally perfect and without fault. God is both pure and just, and He is blameless and holy. As we stand before a mountain and feel rather small, we ought to stand before God and feel wholly inadequate before Him. Our righteousness is like filthy rags in comparison, and we dare not hope to approach Him without the cleansing work of Christ. Thanks be to God who no longer sees our sinfulness, but instead sees us as pure and righteous as His Son through the shed blood of the cross!

Verse six then points out another massive geological feature – the great deep. Indeed, the psalmist compares God’s judgements to the depths of the mighty ocean. I do not mind admitting to you that I have something of a fear for the ocean. Partly due to its size and partly owing to its power, I rarely venture into the waves. I recall a story my wife tells of a time when she was swimming over a coral reef. The water was perhaps a few feet deep, but as she swam out further over the edge of the reef, the ocean floor dropped sharply away and there was apparent nothingness beneath her. Rather unsettled, she returned to the relative safety of the reef. The thought of it sends shivers down my spine! It is not only the imagined creatures lurking in those depths, but also the vast volume of water and absence of light that disturbs me.

The deep, here, is perhaps not meant to be so terrifying as I’ve made it out to be! Put simply, it is a huge mass, and again gives us a sense of scale to the judgements of God. I read this as God’s ways being higher than our ways, rather than God’s judgements being harsher or harder than ours (although perhaps that is also true?)

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

    neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the Lord.

9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,

    so are my ways higher than your ways

    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV

Verse six concludes by noting that God preserves both man and animal alike. We could spend a long time considering the preservation of man at God’s mighty hand, but I rarely pass a verse like this without pausing at the inclusion of animal kind. While we know that humans are far more valuable than animals, God is not dismissive of His Creation and willing to care for animals of all kinds as well. I recall a poorly dog we once had, and reading closing words of the book of Jonah where the city of Ninevah is spared. The book of Jonah includes concern not just for the people of Ninevah, but also the animals that live there too (see Jonah 4:11).

God is indeed a saving God; a Rescuer! He is able to preserve our life on this dangerous world but also to save us from sin and its consequences in the life to come. I have only managed two verses today, and perhaps this isn’t the longest of posts, but this seems a good place to pause. I rejoice that despite my failings, and my disturbing familiarity with the first four verses, that God is able to save me. Despite my wickedness, and that of the world around me, Jesus was willing and able to step down into the mire, live the perfect life, and suffer the consequences of sin which was alien to Him. He paid the penalty for me and for you. He died a brutal death, physically and not to mention the spiritual element, in order that you and I might go free.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit are in the preservation business. God sees the trap we find ourselves in, a pit of our own making, yet He is not content to leave us there. Giving up His most precious Son, God paid the price for each of us. If we call on Him today, trusting in what He has done and letting go of our pitiful efforts, we too can be saved – preserved – for all eternity. It is not a mere nod to Jesus that is enough, we must give Him our entire lives and learn to live for Him, and learn to let Him live through us.

As you stand before God today, is it a mountain of righteousness you see, or a righteousness which stretches to the heavens above? Do you feel small before Him, aware of your own failings? I know I do at times! Yet, as we put our faith in Jesus, we are cleansed and made new. Do not let this moment pass you by! Make a commitment today, and begin to follow Jesus. Learn His ways, and rest in Him. If you make that choice today, I’d love to hear from you.

We will return to the rest of this psalm another day. Blessings on you!

A Revelation of Wickedness (Psalm 36:1-4)

What a dark title! Hope it did not put you off reading any further!

Psalm 36 is very much a psalm of two halves. The first four verses remind us of the wickedness of humanity, and the latter eight verses contrast the wonderous righteousness of our God. Today we focus on the first few verses, and consider the sinfulness of rebellious man – but hold on to hope for the goodness of God which follows another day.

For the Chief Musician. By David, the servant of Yahweh.

A revelation is within my heart about the disobedience of the wicked:

    “There is no fear of God before his eyes.”

2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes,

    too much to detect and hate his sin.

3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit.

    He has ceased to be wise and to do good.

4 He plots iniquity on his bed.

    He sets himself in a way that is not good.

    He doesn’t abhor evil.

Psalm 36:1-4 WEB

King David, the author of this psalm and many others, launches straight in with the core purpose of this section – namely, that he has had a revelation of the wickedness of mankind. He will elaborate in the coming verses, but this opening shows us that in his meditations on the Scripture and in his time with God, he has come to receive an understanding of the sinfulness of humanity.

This may not be the kind of revelation any of us want! Yet, I think it is rather crucial to grasping the Christian faith. I recall a time when I was sharing the Gospel with someone, and they simply could not accept what I was saying. On reflection, I realised that we were on totally different wavelengths. I had understood that humanity was wicked at heart, and without hope. They were starting from a point where people were basically good at heart, despite a few bad apples and common mistakes. This latter view is not the Christian perspective.

The heart is deceitful above all things

    and it is exceedingly corrupt.

    Who can know it?

Jeremiah 17:9 WEB

23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;

Romans 3:23 WEB

Having stated that he has received this revelation, David then goes on to summarise what this really means. “There is no fear of God before his eyes.” This is at the heart of the matter for me; a lack of reverential fear of God. While God does not want us to be afraid of him, in a scared sort of way, He does want us to revere and respect Him. I do not fear electricity, but have a deep respect for it and know not to play around with it or misuse it. Likewise, we are not afraid of God, but we respect and understand that He is in charge and to be obeyed.

Verse two points out that wicked men flatter themselves so much so that they cannot see their own sin. We ought not to flatter ourselves, but instead be humble and look on ourselves with sober judgement.

Paul says in his letter to the Romans:

3 For I say through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith.

Romans 12:3 WEB

The NIV translation renders this verse at to look at yourself with “sober judgement.” This is not to beat ourselves up, nor to think we are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Rather, it is to be honest about our shortcomings and the true inclination of our heart without Christ.

When we do not do this, we deceive ourselves, and become blind to our own sin. We are broken creatures (without Christ) and we have a flesh (sinful nature) which craves to please itself and not the things of God. We cannot be complacent, nor can we compare ourselves to others. Our only comparison is to Jesus Himself, and we fall woefully short. Let us have open eyes when it comes to our true hearts, and be not ignorant of our sinfulness. The more we understand the depths of our sin, the more we realise our need for a Saviour – Jesus Christ.

The more we understand the depths of our #sin, the more we realise our need for a Saviour – #Jesus #Christ. #Bible

Verse three turns to our words. I like the directness of this translation; it doesn’t say the words are full of iniquity or deceit, but are iniquity and deceit! As Jesus taught us, a good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and also that out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. Sinful words come from sinful hearts. Words of deceit flow forth from a heart that is deceived. If we think we are without sin, then we do indeed deceive ourselves as the Apostle John teaches us from his first letter.

Words are indeed powerful, both for good and for ill. My post entitled – Words Can Be Atom Bombs – is relevant here. Words can start wars, words can tear down, and words can inflict deep harm. The wicked care little for the effect of their words, and to them, talk is cheap. We know that God created all things in the power of His words, and so we must use our words for creation and not destruction.

The latter half of verse three and verse four also sets out what this “wicked man” will do. Let each of us examine these sayings in turn, and be sure they do not apply to us who believe.

The wicked and rebellious have ceased to be wise, and therefore stop doing good. It is indeed foolish to abandon good ways and seek to fulfil the lust of our flesh. To do so is to shun God and His ways, and such a path leads only to death. That is truly unwise!

The rebellious plot sin on their beds. As they lay there, staring up at the ceiling, they think of things they might do and say. We Christians are not so immune to this as we may think. For instance, have you ever rehearsed an argument you were going to have with someone while laying awake at night? “If they start, I’m going to tell them what for! And if they say this, then I’m going to say that… And if they then say this, I’m really going to say that!” Sounds daft, yet perhaps a little familiar if we are honest. Let us not plot to do evil, nor rehearse it in our minds.

The wicked set themselves in a way that is not good. What does this mean? Perhaps another translation will help us here.

They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots.

    Their actions are never good.

    They make no attempt to turn from evil.

Psalm 36:4 NLT

Put very straightforwardly here, their actions are never good. I think this means they put themselves in a posture to do wrong, i.e. they play with fire and are frequently burned. To set yourself up to do something, good or bad, you must get yourself into a position where you can do it. For example, recovering alcoholics do not venture into bars because they know that the temptation is too great. They have set themselves against drinking by staying away. Those who set themselves to do evil may go looking for a fight, or deliberately stay late at the office to be alone with their assistant. You cannot do anything with your body unless your mind has gone there first.

Finally, verse four says that the wicked do not abhor evil. The NLT is rather weaker in its words, saying they merely do not turn from evil. However, to abhor evil is rather stronger. Plotting evil on your bed is often rather direct, whereas not hating evil is somehow more passive. Yet, it is something the wicked do. If someone were to attack my wife or children, and I just stood there shaking my head and muttering, “How awful!” You would think me a terrible coward! You may also question my love for my family, and no doubt (and rightly so) brand me a wicked man. It is not enough for us to stand idly by and passively watch the sin of the world. We must abhor it. We do not hate the sinner, of course, but sin and wickedness is not something we should tolerate as believers.

All in all, I know this is something of a bleak post – focussing entirely on the wicked and rebellious! Yet, I hope there are lessons for all of us here. It can be all too easy to think of ourselves – followers of Christ – as being far removed from sin and iniquity. However, I think the difference between us and the world is not always as stark as it should be. If, like me, you read some of David’s descriptions above and some of them ring vaguely true in your life, may I humbly suggest it is time for a heart inspection.

We must not be wicked, but instead fear God for His justice and recognising Who He is. We cannot flatter ourselves, and end up being blind to our own failings. Our words should be pure, building others up and singing the praises of our God. Let us be wise, and do good. Let us not plot to do wrong, nor set ourselves towards sin. We must hate and abhor what is evil, and cling to what is good.

May you join me in meditating on these verses, and bear them in mind as we approach the rest of this psalm, and the stunning contrast between evil man and awesome God.

Magnification – Andy Brown

Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! Psalm 34:3 (ESV) At a recent prayer event, we were thinking about “magnifying God”. The facilitator expressed the sentiment that to magnify something is to make it larger, so how can we make God any bigger than He already is? This stumped me. Surely God is…
— Read on andy-brown.org/2018/02/23/magnification/

Who’s Really in Charge? (Daniel 6:19-28)

Over the last couple of weeks I have written a series of posts on the events of Daniel 6, which is one of the more famous sections of the Old Testament. In the account, we read of the faithful man Daniel being thrown into a den of lions. We looked at how Daniel’s life of exceptional standards led to the jealousy of others, and how they lured the king into making a law they knew Daniel would break. Indeed, the king ordered that no one could pray to God or man except to the king himself, and if they did, the den of lions beckoned. Daniel was not a man to compromise his faith, and as he always did, he prayed to his God.

The king is devastated when he realises that Daniel is caught. We speculated whether this was genuine concern for Daniel, or concern for the king’s own interests given the impeccable competence of Daniel’s leadership. Having put Daniel into the den, the king spends a sleepless night worrying whether he will lose his most effective official.

Before we read the next section though, let me pose you a question. Who’s really in charge here? At first, we might think it is the king. He is the king after all, and yet seems rather easily manipulated by the officials. Perhaps it is Daniel, the man rising to the top once again. Yet, he ends up in the den of lions. Could it be the jealous officials themselves? They dislike Daniel and succeed in trapping him. As we will find out shortly however, things do not end well for them. As you read the remaining part of Daniel 6, and reflect back over my posts in this chapter, ask yourself who is pulling the strings here?

Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 When he came near to the den to Daniel, he cried with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God, whom you serve continually, able to deliver you from the lions?”

21 Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God has sent his angel, and has shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not hurt me; because as before him innocence was found in me; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”

23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

24 The king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions mauled them, and broke all their bones in pieces, before they came to the bottom of the den.

Daniel 6:19-24 WEB

As early in the morning as he can, the king rushes to the den to find out what has happened. For the first time in Daniel 6, we hear Daniel speak. He reassures the king that God has indeed rescued him, and has done so by sending an angel to shut the mouths of the lions.

Daniel survived, the king is thrilled, and in retaliation for their actions, the king has the jealous officials thrown in the den instead. Not just the men themselves however, but their families too. The Bible records that they were torn apart and their bones broken, before even hitting the bottom of the den. What a gruesome end!

What do we learn from this account? I have heard some use verse 23 as a summary.

23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

Daniel 6:23 WEB

The theology goes something like this; Daniel trusted in God and was saved. If we too trust in God, we also shall be saved.

The moral of this story however is not that. If you read Daniel 6 and say to yourself, I just need to trust in God and He will protect me from all harm and suffering, then you are heading for disappointment.

This account does show us that God is able to save, and is mighty and powerful indeed. It tells us that God can and does intervene in our lives in miraculous ways. For this, we should be truly grateful.

In a general sense, we could infer that to trust God means everything will be ok. To clarify, if we place our trust in Christ, then He will indeed save us and ultimately all things will be made right in heaven. However, we come into error when we think that by trusting God everything in this life will work out just fine.

Look at Stephen, the first martyr, for example. He trusted God. He followed God’s instruction. He served the Lord faithfully. Yet, he was stoned to death. Why didn’t it work for him? And, if it did not work for Stephen, why should we think it will work for us?

We cannot liberally take Bible passages in isolation, and draw out wrong conclusions from them. In this case, Daniel was saved. In Stephen’s case, he was not.

So what is really going on here? I think the answer lies in the closing verses of this chapter. And it relates to the question I asked you earlier – who is really in charge?

25 Then king Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages, who dwell in all the earth:

“Peace be multiplied to you.

26 “I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel;

“for he is the living God,

    and steadfast forever.

His kingdom is that which will not be destroyed.

    His dominion will be even to the end.

27 He delivers and rescues.

    He works signs and wonders in heaven and in earth,

    who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.”

28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Daniel 5:25-28 WEB

In response to all of these events, King Darius writes to all the peoples and nations in the world. In his letter, he tells them that they are to fear and worship the God of Daniel. Notice he does not claim Daniel’s God – our God – for himself, and still refers to Him as “Daniel’s God”. We each must claim a relationship with God for ourselves. It is no good to say that we follow the God of our parents, our friends or even our church. We must have our own relationship with Jesus.

Look at what the king writes! It is astonishing to hear such words from the Persian King.

He points out that God is living, and this in stark contrast to the many idols of wood or stone throughout the world at this time. He states that God is steadfast forever, and will not be moved. Darius claims that God’s kingdom will never be destroyed, and that is quite a statement from a king who undoubtedly wants his own kingdom to be perpetuated. Darius tells the world that our God rescues and saves (something we too should be doing), and that He is the God of signs and wonders.

So who is really in charge? God is – our God, Daniel’s God, the very same. The events of Daniel 6 and the trial that Daniel faced at the mouths of hungry lions was all about His glory. Daniel was rescued so that a Persian King might proclaim the goodness of God throughout the earth.

We can and should trust God, and we can and should ask the Lord to keep us safe and to rescue us from our troubles. If He does, then we worship Him. Yet, if He does not, then we praise Him in and through those time of trial. Our goal should not be our own comfort, but to glorify the Living God!

The thought of trouble and trial does not excite me, nor does it you I imagine! I pray for a peaceful life, yet I pray for a life of obedience more so. If a few brief earthly troubles leads to the God Heaven being glorified, then so be it.

I hope you have enjoyed this series on Daniel, and I hope it has challenged you to live differently. May you be excellent in all you do, fully committed to your faith in Christ, and will to endure any trials so that your God might be glorified.

Who is really in charge? The maker of heaven and earth, the King of kings and Lord of lords. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Praise be unto Him in all the earth! Amen!

Why water into wine? – Andy Brown

Sharing a video post from last year with you today. Hope you enjoy!

Do follow my Facebook page while you are there

It was my pleasure to stand in for our local vicar at short notice this week. In this video, I share a few thoughts about why I think Jesus turned water into wine from John 2. For some technical reason I do not understand, I was not able to upload the video directly to this…
— Read on andy-brown.org/2021/01/24/why-water-into-wine/

Daniel in the Den (Daniel 6:16-18)

We have been studying our way through the sixth chapter of Daniel in a short series of posts.

In the first one – An Excellent Man – we thought about how Daniel conducted himself, and what lessons there are for us in our modern world. In part two – No Compromise – we saw another aspect of Daniel’s excellence, in that he absolutely refused to compromise his faith irrespective of the consequences. He was prepared to die in the Lion’s Den rather than deny his God. In our third instalment – No Way Out – we see that King Darius is tied up in his own words, and finds no escape.

Seeing no way out, King Darius is forced to have Daniel arrested.

Then the king gave a command, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you constantly serve, rescue you Himself!” 17 A stone was brought and laid over the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing would be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no music or entertainment was brought before him, and he remained unable to sleep.

Daniel 6:16-18 Amp

Verse 16 is somewhat matter of fact. It simply says the king commanded, Daniel is arrest and then thrown into the den. I think it is interesting that we have yet to hear Daniel utter a single word. Even now, as he is taken by force, the Bible does not record him protesting or arguing or begging at all. Now I am not saying Daniel remained silent throughout the whole affair, simply that the Bible does not record him saying anything. Is that relevant? Is there some hidden gem here? Perhaps, or perhaps not. One point I do draw out is that we have not the merest hint of Daniel speaking foolish or idle words, and this is in stark contrast to King Darius who regretted his commands.

The king says to Daniel, “May your God, whom you constantly serve, rescue you Himself!” I emphasise the words “your” and “constantly.”

The king recognises that this God is Daniel’s God. Darius sees that there is a personal relationship between Daniel and his God. This will be important later on when we close out the chapter – so keep it in mind.

I also note that Daniel did not just serve God, but constantly served Him. It implies that Daniel has no apparent lapses or displays half-hearted worship. Instead, Daniel is steady and unshakeable in his walk with God. Indeed, that very commitment is what has landed him in the den of lions. We noted from verse 10 of this chapter that when Daniel hears that the law forbidding prayer to anyone but King Darius has been signed, he goes straight home and prays – three times a day – just as he always had. Daniel is steadfast in prayer, and everyone knew it. What a lesson for us! Are we so dedicated? Are we so unshakeably steady? Do people look at us in church on a Sunday and wonder if we’ll still be following Christ in a week’s time? I pray not!

So, Daniel is lowered into the pit, and as I said above, no mention is made of him having said a word. Yet this passage is not dissimilar to another situation we find earlier on in the book of Daniel. Earlier on in Daniel 3, we read the account of his three friends and they are commanded to worship an idol in the form of a giant golden statue. They refuse. Like Daniel, they now faced death – not from lions, but from a raging furnace turned up seven times hotter than normal. As they are arrested and thrown in, they tell the king of the day (Nebuchadnezzar) “Our God is able to rescue us, and even if He does not, we will still not bow down and worship this idol.”

Daniel was seemingly not present at the fiery furnace, or at least no mention is made of him. I wonder if he was familiar with the account though, and if he knew the words that his friends had spoken. If so, perhaps he would have been saying to the king, “My God is able to rescue me from the mouths of these hungry lions, but even if he does not, I will not pray to you Darius.”

Whatever you are going through right now, you can take these words as your own. “Jesus is well able to rescue me from this [death, illness, job loss, persecution, insert your own situation here] but even if He does not, I will still follow Him with all my heart.”

A stone is placed over the mouth of the den, and it is sealed with the king’s seal so that no one can interfere. This should remind us of another den/tomb, sealed with another stone, which was also sealed/guarded so that no one could interfere…. And look how that turned out!

So Darius returned to his palace, refuses food and entertainment, and spends the entire night worrying about Daniel. Daniel meanwhile, is in the den, and we know not what is happening to him. As I close this post, I wonder who of the two had the better night’s sleep? The king, by worrying, could not change the outcome. Neither could Daniel. Perhaps as he rested and trusted in his God, Daniel was able to curl up and sleep right next to the lions.

You know doubt know how the story ends, and if not, we will find out next time. The important question for me is why? And what, if anything, is the lesson for us as the church? I will try to draw this out next time, and bring this series to an end. If you have enjoyed it, do share with someone else. And as ever, thanks for reading.

S05E001, I’m Fine! Endurance

These young men will go far! and I cannot wait for the next episode!

Watch the video, Listen to the Audio, Read the transcript or Download the Video- below! On this, the first episode of Season 5, we talk about how we …

S05E001, I’m Fine! Endurance

Impromptu Invite – Sunday Suggestion

Most churches have some form of coffee or refreshment after the service on a Sunday morning. This can be a great time of fellowship, but often (especially with children) it can fly by too fast and you do not get the chance to really speak with people. Why not extend that time of encouragement by inviting someone back to your home for a meal?

I know what you are thinking, “I need to plan that sort of thing…” “I haven’t cleaned up yet this weekend…” or “I’m not sure there’s enough food to go around.” While you may be able to make the house more presentable, or you may be able to serve up a better meal if you plan ahead, the point is not the perfect surroundings or exquisite cuisine. The point is to connect with people.

Aside from when I’m in the pulpit, I’m generally an introvert kind of person. An afternoon spent with people I do not know well sounds a lot like hard work to me! Yet this is the kind of hard work that pays. It will be a blessing to you, of course, but more importantly it will be a blessing to your guest.

In our busy world and hectic lives, we rarely have time to develop strong and deep relationships with people. Nothing can achieve this without time and investment. There are times when we do click with people without much effort, but generally all relationships take time and effort.

The Bible says:

Be glad to take other Christians into your house and care for them. And do not grumble about it.

10 God has given each person a gift. That gift is something he can do. Each one should use his gift to help the others. In that way you all make good use of the many blessings God has given you.

11 Has God blessed you by knowing how to talk? Then you should talk the words of God. Are you a helper? Then you should help with the strength God has given you. In all that you do, you should show that God is great through Jesus Christ. He has praise and power for ever. Yes, he has!

1 Peter 4:9011 WEB

Be glad to take other Christians into your house and care for them #Bible #hospitality

There is nothing I can add to this! Be glad to bring believers into your home, share with them, build them up and make them feel part of the family – because they are.

Have a great Sunday!

Stand on His word – 7-15-22

Some wonderful Scriptures to meditate on this Saturday morning. If you get a time of quiet this morning, do you spend some time praying over them.

The Lord is your strength. He will deliver you in times of trouble. That thought went across my mind this morning. Sometimes God speaks to us that …

Stand on His word – 7-15-22