Spiritual Warfare

Daneil 10

HOLLYVIEW FAMILY FELLOWSHIP
March 28, 2010 Daniel Chapter Ten

Spiritual Warfare

The Bible is very clear that we as Christians…members of Christ’s church are involved in warfare with angelic beings…..

Ephesians 6:10-12 (ESV)
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
We can actually learn a lot about some of Satan's strategies in spiritual warfare by studying the military strategies of some of the warriors of old. In his book Head Game, author Tim Downs writes:
Psy-ops stands for Psychological Operations, a form of warfare as old as the art of war itself. An early example of this can be found in the battle strategies of Alexander the Great. On one occasion when his army was in full retreat from a larger army, he gave orders to his armorers to construct oversized breastplates and helmets that would fit men 7 or 8 feet tall. As his army would retreat, he would leave these items for the pursuing army to discover. When the enemy would find the oversized gear, they would be demoralized by the thought of fighting such giant soldiers, and they would abandon their pursuit.
Satan likes to play head games with us, too, often leaving us demoralized by fear or doubt. We assume Satan is bigger or greater than he really is. And the quickest way to thwart our Enemy's psy-ops is to gaze upon the greatness of our God. Perhaps all it takes is a quick look at Job 38:4–7:
Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone
while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy?

As we have been studying the book of Daniel we have seen his faithfulness to God, in spite of many difficulties…..

Daniel passed the tests and did not compromise his faith…He did not bow down to contemptible idols….He did not back down from powerful kings…but he spoke God’s truth and he kept the faith.

Here in Daniel 10 the curtain is pulled back and we see the power behind the worldly thrones…..

We discover a battle in the heavens against the nation of Israel…and powers of darkness….

Daniel is almost 90 years old now…some of his people have been able to return to Israel.

Daniel has stayed in Babylon, perhaps because of his advanced age…perhaps he thought he could serve his people best in his position of power and influence under the Persia Kings.

Daniel 10:1-3 (ESV)
1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision.
2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks.
3 I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks.
Daniel was mourning for the difficulties of his people….for three weeks he voluntarily fasted.

And then he receives a vision….

Daniel 10:4-9 (ESV)
4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river ( that is, the Tigris)
5 I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist.
6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.
7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves.
8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength.
9 Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground.
Daniel is visited by an Angel…and he is overwhelmed…..all his strength left him….he fell on his face and was overwhelmed with sleep…….

We always think we want to see an angel….but it is always depicted as a fearful thing in the Scriptures….not soft cuddly pictures….but trembling…..loss of strength…people are undone in the face of these Holy beings………

What is rather amazing is that the angel has come to give Daniel news of his nation…even when they have good news to bring, the sight of them is unnerving…..

What a vision verse 10 gives us…..

Daniel 10:10-12 (ESV)
10 And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees.
Daniel was on his face…but now he has risen to his hands and knees but he is still shaking……
Listen to the Angel trying to comfort Daniel…..

11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling.

Daniel you are greatly loved……

Isn’t that great….wouldn’t you like to hear that……you have heard that….God has told us over and over again of his eternal love for us…..He demonstrated that love by dying for us…this is why this week is so important to us…the cross is crucial for us….It is a demonstration of God’s love for us…..

When we read these Bible stories…often we reflect…how cool would that be to have an angel tell me…I am greatly loved…..God does it all the time….with each breath he gives us, with each sunrise, with the words that fell from Jesus lips……
Read the Gospel of John this week…and look for when Jesus is telling you he loves you……..
With these words….the Angel gets Daniel to his feet…..He is still trembling though………

12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.
From the very first Day that Daniel was praying…..God heard him…..this angel was sent in response to his words…..

But then the question….why did it take three weeks for Daniel to hear from him?

This is one of the best peeks behind the curtain of the spiritual realm. God does not allow us to know much of this….

Daniel 10:13-14 (ESV)
13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia,
14 and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.”

John Piper in a sermon of this passage is instructive…..

The reason the messenger of God was detained is because a spiritual being called "the prince of the kingdom of Persia" stood against him. And the reason this angelic messenger got free from this opposition was because the angel Michael came to help him.

This is the clearest example in all the Bible of what is called today a "territorial spirit."

Verse 13 refers to "The prince of the kingdom of Persia." The natural meaning of this phrase would be that among the supernatural beings opposed to God, at least one is assigned to a territory or, more accurately, to a kingdom, namely, Persia.
Presumably his job is to darken the people of Persia—to keep them from having the truth and the light of God's Word.

Other Enemy Spirits Rising Up

But this spirit is not the only one mentioned.

Look at verses 20–21: "Then [the messenger from God] said, 'Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I am through with him, lo, the prince of Greece will come. But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince.'"

So the messenger is going back to fight against the prince of the kingdom of Persia and defeat him. And then there will appear on the scene another great enemy spirit, the prince of Greece. In other words, as different kingdoms rise and fall, different demonic spirits hold sway and have to be dealt with by God's messengers in accomplishing his purposes.

So it appears that there was a spirit over Persia and a spirit over Greece. But it also seems that Michael, the good angel, has some special assignment for Israel. Because it says at the end of verse 21: "Michael, your prince." And the "your" there is plural in Hebrew. This is not a reference to Daniel's guardian angel, but to Israel's guardian angel.

John Piper continues…..
Conclusion
So I conclude from this that there is good biblical reason for thinking that there are powerful evil spirits with special appointments from Satan over kingdoms like Persia and Greece.

In Luke 4:6 the devil took Jesus up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and then tempts him with these words: "To you I will give all this authority and their glory; for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will."

Satan has an inflated notion of his power in relation to the sovereignty of God. But under God it is true that Satan is "the god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4). And it is probably true that he (Satan) gives his power to those who worship him (cf. Revelation 13:2). He is the "prince of demons" (Mark 3:22).

Since the New Testament tells us that this prince of demons "darkens the minds of unbelievers" (2 Corinthians 4:4), and that he "deceives the world" (Revelation 12:9), and that he plants his weeds (unbelievers) throughout the world (Matthew 13:39), and that he takes people captive to do his will (2 Timothy 2:25), and that he plucks up the seed of the Word when it is preached (Matthew 13:4), and that he thwarts missionary activity (1 Thessalonians 2:18), and that he throws ministers in prison (Revelation 2:10)—since we know the prince of demons does all that, we may conclude with good reason that this is what his sub-princes do as well.

So then, I would conclude that there are high-ranking demonic powers over various regimes and dominions and governments and realms of the world; and that they work to create as much evil and corruption and spiritual darkness as they can. They strive to interrupt Christian missions and ministry as much as they can.

That is why the prince of the kingdom of Persia tried to hinder the messenger from reaching Daniel from heaven. The messenger was bringing a message of truth. Verse 21: the messenger says to Daniel, "But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth."

But Satan is a liar and a deceiver from the beginning. The main aim of all his princes is to keep the book of truth from being known and believed. The truth frees people (John 8:32) and sanctifies people (John 17:17). So the territorial spirits like the prince of the kingdom of Persia do their main work of corruption and destruction by blinding the people of their area from the truth.

Implications for Ministry
How then shall we do ministry in view of this reality of "territorial spirits"?

1. Take the Supernatural Seriously
Take the supernatural seriously and realize that we are in a warfare that cannot and should not be domesticated by reinterpreting everything in the biblical worldview so that it fits nicely with secular, naturalistic ways of thinking about the world.

Our Missionaries this week reported….

The last four weeks have been some of the hardest times in our ministry here in Portland. Traditionally, as a family we spend a significant part of the winter months passing around illnesses we receive from our numerous guests. This last month, we have been sick nonstop. We haven't had one well day. This leaves us as parents exhausted as you can well imagine. In the midst of all of this, there are often many trials in the spiritual realm as well.

An inspector from the City of Portland visited our house on March 8th. (And with his visit, the sky fell and so did our tears). A neighbor, who has been difficult for a number of people in the neighborhood, decided to make sure the Pamoja House would not be able to operate in this neighborhood. We were given a 30 day deadline to cease all Pamoja House classes. It seems that we are an institution operating in a residential zone. What should we do?

We should pray for them…they are engaged in spiritual warfare…..

Be filled with the Spirit and well-armed with biblical promises about the authority of Jesus Christ and about your rights as a child of God. Remember that two times in our text the messenger from heaven said to Daniel, "O man greatly loved." The word means "desired" or "precious." He said this to take away Daniel's fear in the midst of spiritual warfare. And it should take away ours too.

2. Daniel Wasn't Praying About Angels

The second thing is to notice that Daniel's prayer that has such powerful effects in the spiritual realm was not a prayer about angels and territorial spirits. He was wrestling for truth and for the good of God's people the way we saw him praying last week. He was totally shocked when an angel appeared to him. And he knew nothing about the conflict with the prince of the kingdom of Persia.

But it's no accident that the messenger said that his struggle with the prince of Persian lasted exactly the same amount of time that Daniel's fasting and prayer did (cf. vv. 2, 13)—21 days. The reason for this is that the warfare in the spirit realm was being fought in a real sense by Daniel in the prayer realm.

And so it is with more of our prayers than we realize. But the point is this: Daniel's praying was not about angels. And probably ours shouldn't be either. We should wrestle in prayer and fasting for the things that we know are God's will in our lives and our families and our church and our city and our world.

Right now we are praying for our Easter Service….we are praying that God would soften the hearts of people we love and we want in God’s kingdom. We are praying that their eyes will be open to the truth…that they will know that Jesus really does love them….that his word is true….that he came to seek them…because they are lost from him….We are praying for open eyes…open hearts…for spiritual victory…and the defeat of Satan and his hosts.

We have had our three nights of prayer this week…but don’t stop praying…..continue to pile prayer upon prayer….Jesus taught us to pray and never give up….Keep on Seeking…Keep on knocking…Keep on Asking God to draw with the cords of his love….Your friend, your neighbor, your loved one…

To know Jesus……

John 17:1-3 (ESV)
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,
2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

This is eternal life …..to know the only true God…and Jesus whom you have sent.

We want people to know Jesus….to have eternal life…..

There is no one else than Jesus….

Acts 4:12 (ESV)
12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Pray…Pray …Pray……remember we are engaged in spiritual warfare…….

Daniel 9

Daniel 9

HOLLYVIEW FAMILY FELLOWSHIP
Feb 21, 2010 Daniel Chapter Nine

Daniel’s prayer

Now we come to One of the most written about chapters in the Book of Daniel….Daniel chapter nine and the prophecy of 70 weeks.

There are so many theories and so many interpretations that have been made.

But I will give you the definitive answer, but you have to wait till the end of the sermon.

Much has been made of this prophecy…but if you examine this chapter you will notice that most of it is devoted to prayer. Daniel’s prayer for his people. And since today is the day when we collect prayer cards in a prayer offering, let’s discover together the importance of prayer, the need for prayer and let’s together commit ourselves to prayer.

Daniel 9:1-2 (ESV)
1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans—
2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.
By this time Daniel is 85 years old…he has served his God faithfully in a foreign land, He has seen trials and has remained true to his faith. God has given him favor under different kings and different nations.

85….a ripe old age. I remember fondly going to preach at Baptist Manor on a regular basis. I was always way more blessed than I could believe. It was a joy to share the word of God with those dear people. And they were always eager to hear it. Most every time I would encourage them that they still had a vital ministry for Jesus….the ministry of prayer….they might not be able to teach a Sunday School class or do a 1000 acts of service they did when they were younger…but they could still pray.

Here we find Daniel doing just that….first he is studying God’s word…and that leads him to prayer.

He read in the book of Jeremiah that 70 years were decree against his people as a punishment for their sins.

Perhaps he read this….
Jeremiah 25:1-14 (ESV)
1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon),
2 which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem:
3 “For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, to this day, the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken persistently to you, but you have not listened.
4 You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the LORD persistently sent to you all his servants the prophets,
5 saying, ‘Turn now, every one of you, from his evil way and evil deeds, and dwell upon the land that the LORD has given to you and your fathers from of old and forever.
6 Do not go after other gods to serve and worship them, or provoke me to anger with the work of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.’
7 Yet you have not listened to me, declares the LORD, that you might provoke me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm.
8 “Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Because you have not obeyed my words,
9 behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the LORD, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation.
10 Moreover, I will banish from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the grinding of the millstones and the light of the lamp.
11 This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
12 Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the LORD, making the land an everlasting waste.
13 I will bring upon that land all the words that I have uttered against it, everything written in this book, which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations.
14 For many nations and great kings shall make slaves even of them, and I will recompense them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.”
Think of this….Daniel had seen the words of Jeremiah fulfilled….he had lived the captivity…he had suffered for the stubbornness and sins of his people.

Really when we read the scriptures we can experience this….As we read, God’s Holy Spirit testifies to our spirit …these words are true and right and holy. And as Daniel read these scriptures and engaged with the Holy Spirit….It drove him to his Knees.

Daniel 9:3-4 (ESV)
3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
4 I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
Do you notice the intensity of Daniel’s prayer….this is not…God thank you for this food …Amen……this is not….God bless all my family….Amen

Daniel is fully engaged in his prayer….

He turns his face towards God…..Did you ever have to grab your toddler’s face and turn it towards you to make sure they were getting the message….

God’ s face is towards us….but is our face turned toward God.

Daniel is fasting…denying himself food and other comforts as he pours out his heart to God….He put on sackcloth …a sign of repentance…….

Listen to his prayer…..

He begins with Adoration……

Daniel 9:4 (ESV)
4 I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
Do we do that when we pray…Confessing that God is great….that He is awesome……He always keeps his promises…….His love is steadfast….It never fails…never gives up……

Then adoration….Daniel confesses the sins of his people….

Daniel 9:5-6 (ESV)
5 we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules.
6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
I love that Daniel identifies with his people and takes their guilt as part of his own. This is the biblical way to look at things….we are a community ….we are God’s people…..

What rules did they disobey and turn away from…..?

And the end of Israel’s 40 years of punishment in the desert….just before God allowed them to enter the promised land, Moses stood before them and reminded them of the laws of God and gave them the choice for life or death….

Deuteronomy 30:11-20 (ESV)
11 “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off.
12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’
13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’
14 But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.
15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.
16 If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.
17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them,
18 I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess.
19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,
20 loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”
Daniel recognizes that his people chose death….they disobeyed God’s good and just laws and were taken captive out of the promised land……

This is what he was thinking about as he prayed and fasted…….

Daniel 9:6-15 (ESV)
6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
7 To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you.
8 To us, O LORD, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.
9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him
10 and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him.
12 He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem.
13 As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the LORD our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth.
14 Therefore the LORD has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice.
15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
We need to do this….We need to take time before God and confess our sins…and seek God’s mercy. As Christians we are not to simply repent once and we are finished.

We are to examine ourselves…and continually ask for God’s forgiveness whenever he reveals to us that we are doing wrong…that we have wrong attitudes and wrong hearts.

As His Holy Spirit searches our hearts and reveals to us our sin…we come again and again asking for mercy and grace.

This prayer reminds me of Billy Graham when he spoke at the National cathedral after 9-11.

Finally, difficult as it may be for us to see right now -- this event can give a message of hope -- hope for the present, and hope for the future.

Yes, there is hope. There’s hope for the present because I believe the stage has already been set for a new spirit in our nation.

One of the things we desperately need is a spiritual renewal in this country. We need a spiritual revival in America. And God has told us in His Word, time after time, that we are to repent of our sins and we're to turn to Him and He will bless us in a new way.

But, there is also hope for the future because of God's promises. As a Christian, I have hope, not just for this life, but for heaven and the life to come. And many of those people who died this past week are in heaven right now, and they wouldn't want to come back. It's so glorious and so wonderful. And that's the hope for all of us who put our faith in God. I pray that you will have this hope in your heart.

I've become an old man now and I've preached all over the world and the older I get the more I cling to that hope that I started with many years ago and proclaimed it in many languages to many parts of the world.

We do need to pray for our nation….as Daniel prayed for his….

Right now we have a divided nation..strong opinions on both sides of the health care debate…..

And I don’t care on which side you are on….I care about how we carry on the dialogue….

Jesus said long ago…..
Matthew 12:25 (ESV)
25 “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.
Abraham Lincoln quoted these words as the nation was divided in a bitter war…….

Our nation is in need of prayer…and we can pray for unity…we can repent of our sins…turn to him in a new way.

Remember the promise in I Chronicles…

2 Chronicles 7:14 (ESV)
14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
This was Solomon’s prayer…when he dedicated the temple….

It is the way always deals with his people.

Listen to Daniels prayer for his people…

Daniel 9:17-19 (ESV)
17 Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate.
18 O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.
19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”

This we can pray for our Nation……

O Lord, hear our prayer….
O Lord, forgive….
O Lord, pay attention and act…..

I will give you some special prayers we can offer for those who do not know Jesus in a few moments…

But I promised to say something about the 70 weeks of Daniel.

Daniel 9:20-23 (ESV)
20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the LORD my God for the holy hill of my God,
21 while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice.
22 He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding.
23 At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision.
We discover some great truths here….at the beginning of Daniel’s prayer….Gabriel was sent….because Daniel was greatly loved. And God wanted Daniel to have insight about the future of his nation……

Daniel 9:24 (ESV)
24 “Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.
Just as Daniel had been 70 years in exile….there is another 70 decreed for his people, the nation of Israel.

My study bible tells me…
There are many suggested interpretations of the seventy weeks (or “seventy sevens,” see ESV footnote), but there are three main views:

(1) the passage refers to events surrounding Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-164 B.C.);

(2) the 70 sevens are to be understood figuratively; and

(3) the passage refers to events around the time of Christ.

Most scholars understand the 70 “sevens” to be made up of 70 times seven years, or 490 years, but they apply these years to different periods of time. ESV Study Bible, The: English Standard Version.

Remember prophecy is not easily understood. There are most likely elements of all three in this.

Some of this came true when Antiochus overthrew Jerusalem and sacrificed a pig on God’s holy altar.

I believe that it does have to do with Jesus both his first and second coming….the prophecy mentions a prince, the anointed one….he will atone for sin, put an end to iniquity, and bring about everlasting righteousness.

But I don’t think that be manipulating the dates we can discover when all this will take place….remember last week no one knows the time or the hour…except the Father….not even those who are good at math and study scripture.

But studying scripture is good…and it drove Daniel to pray for his people ….and let him come to discover God has good plans for his people in the future.

How can we pray….today I want us to focus our prayers on those who don’t know Christ…..

STEP ONE….WRITE DOWN THEIR NAMES…..

Identify some people….some people you know who need Christ.
Jesus said ,
John 4:35 Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.

Look around you life….You know people who need the Lord……write down their names…..

STEP TWO…PRAY FOR THEM FAITHFULLY

Something happens when we pray. We are enlisting God’s almighty power into the process.

You may think, this person will never change. That may be true without the power of God.

The Bible tells us….
Proverbs 21:1
The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord;
he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.

Don’t give up…pray faithfully.

STEP THREE…RAISE THE FLAG

Somehow let them know you are a Christian. And that you are glad you are a Christian.

Many of us take too literally the advice….
“Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary use words.”

STEP FOUR …LOOK FOR A SOCIAL OCCASION

Invite them golfing, fishing, garage sale shopping…find out their interests and connect. You make the first move. Go to the movies, a swap meet, a cruise in….the possibilities are endless. Invite them over for coffee, Meet them at Jiffy Java, Go have a piece of pie.

STEP FIVE…LOOK FOR A NEED, MEET A NEED

I Believe this will be taken care of if you are consistently praying for them. God will make you aware of a need in their life as you pray for them on a regular basis. When you discover the need, look for a way to help them with it. Maybe they have an elderly parent, maybe you could share a book with them with ideas to help them in their care for them.

Perhaps they need firewood and you have a chainsaw.

Perhaps they are sick and you could prepare a meal or make a trip to the store…..Look for needs and meet them.

STEP SIX…OFFER TO PRAY FOR THEM

When they share some struggle or hardship, tell them you will pray for them. Or ask if they would allow you to pray for them right now.

Most people are quite willing to be prayed for.

Everybody needs prayer. We need prayer….everybody we know needs prayer.

I have scheduled three nights of prayer this week

Tuesday….Wednesday …..Thursday

Come join me at 7:00PM and we will pray over the names we collect on the prayer cards this morning. This is a simple process…..

Write your name on the card….and then write the names of people who need Christ in their lives…..you may put down their relationship to you….friend, brother, neighbor

And then on those three nights we will join our prayers with yours that they come to know Jesus…..It is the most important relationship they can ever have.

STEP SEVEN…..INVITE THEM TO CHURCH

This is our outreach plan for Hollyview. Identify some people you know that need the Lord, write down their names on a seven for heaven card and a Prayer card. Pray for them faithfully. As we pray look for opportunities to raise the flag, let them know you belong to Christ. Build a relationship with them, make a social date, meet a need, pray with them and for them….and then

Invite them to an outreach event.

You have heard me say that people are more open to accept an invitation to church at Christmas and Easter than any other time of the year.

Guess what….Easter is two weeks away.

Invite people to our Easter service….


Let’s take our prayer offering now……

Found Faithful

Daniel 7

HOLLYVIEW FAMILY FELLOWSHIP
Feb 21, 2010 Daniel #7
CHARACTER COUNTS….
FOUND FAITHFUL

So far we have been on an amazing journey with Daniel and his friends…….these first six chapters told us how Daniel and his friends were ripped from their homeland at a young age…..forced to speak a new language….live in a strange land…and yet we find them unwilling to forsake their God.

They maintain their allegiance to Yahweh the one true God.

And from crisis to crisis we see God watching over them and rewarding their faith.

He and His friends refused the King’s diet…and God made them healthy and 10 times better than any of the other wise men.

Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah refuses to bow to the 90 foot idol….and of course so did Daniel…and God rescues them from the fiery furnace.

The King has a second dream and Daniel speaks the truth and tells the king of God’s warning and pleads with him to repent at the risk of his life. Once again Daniel receives honor and favor for his integrity.

Two weeks ago we looked as Daniel interpreted the handwriting on the wall, which was not favorable to the King…and once again he is promoted…but this promotion was not to last. The Kingdom was overthrown that very night.

Last week God sent his angel to protect Daniel from the hungry lions.

What an adventure Daniel had in his journey with God…He was faithful and true…He was prayerful and bold. He had a part in God’s eternal plan…

But guess what…We are part of God’s eternal plan as well….We all have a part to play…We won’t have our own book of the Bible…..at least not in this life….who knows what is written in heaven……we are all part of the grand story.

And that brings me to our study today….Today we begin to look at the prophetic parts of the book of Daniel. The stories so far are fairly straightforward and easy enough to understand. But now we begin to delve into future things, things that are not so easy to understand, things that through history have been misinterpreted and misunderstood.

But after this morning….I am sure everything will be clear to you……JUST KIDDING!!!!



Prophecy in scripture is very prominent..and we must not neglect it…but we also need to be aware of the dangers of misreading it.

Church history is full of people who became certain that prophecies were meant for them and them alone. And their name is legion and there errors many.

Joseph Smith who founded the Mormon religion thought some of the occurrences of the name Joseph in the Old Testament meant him and what he was to do……but reading those passages in context tells another story.

When a man stopped by the church and I was showing him around, I told him we were studying Daniel…..he became intensely interested and brought me a book to help explain the prophecies….It is the Jehovah Witness version and it a terribly wrong approach to prophecy.
Let’s start in Daniel seven…

Daniel 7:1-8 (ESV)
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter.
2 Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.
3 And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.
4 The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it.
5 And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’
6 After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
8 I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.


I checked out the internet….you can find a dozen different theories of what these beasts represent……

I don’t recommend that….

Let’s go a little further and discover the meaning….

Daniel 7:15-18 (ESV)
15 “As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious, and the visions of my head alarmed me.
16 I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things.
17 ‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth.
18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’
This illustrates the first point I would like to make about prophecy…..

I would like to share three things not to look for in Prophecy….

1. Do not look for a detailed plan of your life in prophecy…..

Enough people have already made that mistake……Some have taken the pilgrims journey to the new world and equated it with Abraham be called from Ur of the Chaldeans to the Promised Land. So they would have us believe that America is the promised land of the Bible….

Prophecy usually has to do with the big picture….Daniel was told four kings would rise in power…..but then the saints will possess a kingdom forever.

This is big picture stuff….there were the kingdoms of Babylon, Media Persia, Greece and Rome…..I think that is what he was talking about….and we can do an historical study and discover a lot about these kingdoms…but the point is God appoints….He raises up and he casts down….God is in charge….

2. Don’t look for specific dates….Some people think that by studying Daniel and Revelation…you can discover when Christ will return

There is a lot of that going around…..remember I told you that there is a man who comes to the Gresham Chamber of Commerce which meets weekly….and he is convinced that Jesus will come back on May 12, 2012.


I guess we should forget about our triennial conference in July of that year….I better call Rick Weber and tell him to cancel the planning committee.

I think Jesus words should help here….

In Matthew 24 when Jesus was teaching about his second coming and the end of the age he said….

Matthew 24:36 (ESV)
36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
I choose to believe Jesus….we will not figure out the date of his coming. He wants us to look for it….to long for it……to work for it, by sharing the gospel….to pray for it….”Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done….”

3. Don’t look for magical or mathematical codes that reveal secret truth…that only mathematicians’ will be able to discover….

Bible Code: The Book
A book entitled The Bible Code (Drosnin 1997) came out a few years ago and has occupied the bestseller lists for awhile. It is written by journalist Michael Drosnin, who claims that the Hebrew Bible contains a very complex code that reveals events that took place thousands of years after the Bible was written. Drosnin contends that some foretold events later happened exactly as predicted.

It is true, the Bible is a book full of prophecy…and many things written in the Bible reveal events in the future.
But this author believes that the code is a secret one…one which He has discovered……
What he does is run all the letters of the Bible together…and then he looks for secret messages by taking every 5th letter or every 4th letter…some kind of sequence that will reveal a hidden message.
This is nonsense….This is not how God intended to reveal His word.

Prophecy is not a cipher to figure out….you don’t need magic glasses…you need the Holy Spirit.

If prophecy is not these things…what is it….what is it good for?

Remember much of the Bible is prophecy…so it is part of what God wants us to know.

1. Prophecy helps us to realize the sovereignty of God throughout history….


God is the author of History….Remember in the Beginning God created the heavens and the earth….It is his plan…no one can thwart him…No one can deny him…..No one can outmaneuver Him.

So when God says…he will raise Cyrus for his purpose….he can do it…..If he chooses to depose Pharaoh…He can do it….

Do you remember the lesson God taught Nebuchadnezzer?

He was the mightiest man on the face of the earth….and God spoke a word…and his reason left him…he became like a beast…God said…You are gone…and He was gone….And then God restored Him.

Listen to what Nebuchadnezzer’s learned…

Daniel 4:34-35 (ESV)
34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
35 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”
Prophecy helps us to believe that God will fulfill his promises….and we have read and seen the fulfillment of many of his promises in the Bible…..we can be certain that all of them will be fulfilled.
God wants us to know good things await us….Someday there will be no more sickness, no more goodbyes, no more death…..Evil will be gone…Sin will be gone….No more bad backs, no more bills to pay, no more relationship worries…..Prophecy gives us hope. The second thing that prophecy is good for…..
2. Prophecy teaches us to be watching and waiting
Jesus when teaching about the end of the age….said…

Matthew 24:36-44 (ESV)
36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,
39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left.
41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.
42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.
44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Did you hear what Jesus said….stay awake…Be ready
One of my favorite songs when I first became a Christian was that song about the coming of Jesus…
I wish we had all been ready…..
We were into studying prophecy…..and I thought Christ was coming soon….I was ready to quit school…and start preaching…
Ralph Wagner was a man many in our Bible study group looked to for wisdom…..I talked to him about my idea to quit school because Jesus was coming any day….
He suggested since we really did not know the day or the hour….maybe I should continue in school..and still tell people about Jesus…..
3. Prophecy helps us relish our part in God’s unfolding drama…..
Jesus is building his church….and we are a part of that church….
Someday every knee will bow and tongue will confess Jesus is Lord….
Until then he has called us as ambassadors of heaven…think of that …that is a pretty impressive post….we are calling people to His kingdom
We are part of the drama God is writing…..
Let me conclude with Paul’s words to the Thessalonians…..

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 (ESV)
1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you.
2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.
5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.
6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.
7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night.
8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.
9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.
11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Private and Public

Daniel six

HOLLYVIEW FAMILY FELLOWSHIP
Feb 21, 2010 Daniel #6
CHARACTER COUNTS….
Private and Public

Daniel is an amazing book….and Daniel is an amazing person….ripped from his homeland at a young age…..forced to speak a new language….live in a strange land…and yet we find him unwilling to forsake his God.
He maintains his allegiance to Yahweh the one true God.

And from crisis to crisis we see God watching over him and rewarding his faith. God fills him with wisdom and knowledge…and he finds favor with King after King.

He and His friends refused the King’s diet…and God made them healthy and 10 times better than any of the other wisemen.

Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah refuses to bow to the 90 foot idol….and of course so did Daniel…and God rescues them from the fiery furnace.

The King has a second dream and Daniel speaks the truth and tells the king of God’s warning and pleads with him to repent at the risk of his life. Once again Daniel receives honor and favor for his integrity.


Last week He interpreted the handwriting on the wall, which was not favorable to the King…and once again he is promoted…but this promotion was not to last. The Kingdom was overthrown that very night.

Now we find Daniel under another Kingdom’s power. He survived and prospered under the Babylonians…..and now the Medes rule.

We read…

Daniel 6:1-5 (ESV)
1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom;
2 and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss.
3 Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other presidents and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
4 Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him.
5 Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”
Did you notice in vs three….an excellent spirit was in him.

What do you think about that? Was that God’s Holy Spirit? I think it was…God’s Holy Spirit was at work in the Old Testament….when we read about him he came upon O.T. Saints…..remember David pleaded that God not take His Holy Spirit away.

God’s spirit produced the kind of man Daniel was…..keep that thought….because if we want to be like Daniel…perhaps the Holy Spirit is the one who will make it happen.

Because of this Excellent spirit ….King Darius was going to make him the chief guy in the whole kingdom.

Think about it…with Daniel in charge the king never needed to worry about the details of his kingdom. Daniel would take care of them with wisdom and integrity….no error or fault in him.

Wouldn’t you want someone like Daniel to run you company….your business….your kingdom.

Have you ever imagined winning the lottery…how would you handle all that money….In my dreams I find someone like Daniel with integrity to handle my investments.

So we find Daniel…prospering in the Kingdom, being faithful and successful in his job, being faithful and committed to his God.

Everything should be great for Daniel….he should live long and prosper. Right?

He did have some enemies…..and did you hear their assessment of him……Even his enemies knew that they could not find anything to pin on him….except if it had to do with his God.

Wouldn’t you like that said of you…..

I know there are a lot of politicians who would love that reputation.

There will only a few individuals in the Old Testament with this kind of reputation.

Job 1:1 (ESV)
1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.
Genesis 6:8 (ESV)
8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
David was a man after God’s heart…..

Now none of these were perfect men….we know from Scripture ….All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God….

But they were heroes of faith….and they were faithful men….

So Daniel’s enemies hatched a plot…..

Daniel 6:6-9 (ESV)
6 Then these presidents and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever!
7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.
8 Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.”
9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.

How slimy these men were…..buttering up the King….O King….Live forever….

King you are so great…so powerful….let’s make a law that during the next 30 days….No one can pray or petition any god…but you.

And if anyone does….let him be cast into the lion’s den.

Think how that appealed to the King’s pride…
“My Subjects think I am so great….they want to honor me…..And after all …I am deserving of this honor”

Daniel’s enemies were wise….they knew the King and his pride…they knew Daniel and his devotion to God….

So the combined both of these elements in their plot….and it worked.

The King signed the law into effect.

And the Medes and Persian Kings were not as powerful as the Babylonian Kings….they could change their minds whenever they wished…but the Medes and Persians tied themselves to the law…and the law could not be revoked.
What will Daniel do?
Will he give in to the decree and put his prayer life on hold for 30 days?

I don’t recommend it….We need God’s strength every day…..

Daniel 6:10 (ESV)
10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

The decree changed nothing for Daniel….He was not going to be held hostage by a pagan king with regards to his faith and prayer life.
And he wasn’t going to hide it either.

He could have closed the window….perhaps we would have counseled him to close the window. But Daniel preferred to obey God rather than man…..Exactly what Peter told the ruling Jewish counsel who told him to stop talking about Jesus.

No way….can’t do it.
We read that Daniel prayed three times a day…he was regular in his prayer life…It was something he could not do without.

And he was not going to hide his devotion…His love for God.

I hate it when people say religion is a private matter. It is personal, but it should not be private….We are to confess Jesus before others…No secret saints……

I like Rick Warren’s exhortation…
We should be audio-visual Christians….

We should speak Jesus with our lips….not obnoxiously not boastfully…but humbly…gratefully….

And we should demonstrate our faith by our lives…so people can see Jesus in us……

So we find Daniel…faithful in his work…faithful in his faith…

Everything should go well for him…He is in the center of God’s will.

Daniel 6:11-13 (ESV)
11 Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God.
12 Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.”
13 Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”


Again this slimy guys……O King….didn’t you sign into law…..no one can pray to anyone but you for the next 30 days…..and if they do…to the lions they go.

Yes, the King replied…and the law is the law.

Well, Daniel is breaking the law…three times a day…..

I can see the stakeout…..they are outside Daniel’s apartment….talking into their sleeves….He is opening the window….he is kneeling down….He is praying…..right now…He’s praying….and then they take a picture with their iPhone and they have the proof.

Well it went something like that.

I love the reaction of the King….

Daniel 6:14 (ESV)
14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him.


The king knew he had been tricked…He liked Daniel….he had fallen into their trap. They weren’t as wise as they thought……Now they had crossed the king….they might win this battle…but they would not win the war.

But for now…there was no way out….the king wanted to rescue Daniel….but there was no way out.

Daniel 6:15-17 (ESV)
15 Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”
16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”
17 And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.

The conspirators came and demanded their pound of flesh. King you must follow the law. So the king had Daniel thrown into the lion’s den….they sealed it with a stone.

But the king held out a small ray of hope…..
Daniel….may your God deliver you.

And the king was sincere…..

Daniel 6:18 (ESV)
18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.
Listen a pagan king fasted and I believe prayed to Daniel’s god for help. He was serious…no wine, women and song for him that night….no sleep either.

Daniel 6:19-20 (ESV)
19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions.
20 As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
If you don’t sleep….it is easy to get up early….at the break of day…in haste he went to Daniel….two things not typical of a King….getting up early….and hurrying some where…people hurry to the king….not the other way around.

In anguish….Daniel…are you okay….did your God deliver you?

Daniel 6:21-23 (ESV)
21 Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever!
22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”
23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken 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.
Yes he did….He sent an angel to shut the lions’ mouths…..

Whenever Angels appear in scripture….what is the first thing they say?

FEAR NOT!!!! WHY?

Because they are fearsome beings…..I imagine those lions became tame cats in the presence of an angel….I imagine a huge awesome being….and the cat’s knew they were outmatched.

However God did…not harm came to Daniel…not even a scratch.

I imagine Daniel slept better than the king…he knew what was going on…the king was worried and in the dark.

I read this in a commentary on Daniel…

Sometimes God prefers to keep us safe in the lions' den rather than safe from the lions' den. Either way, we are kept from harm. We may go through troubles and trials and not be spared the storms of life, but God can keep us in turbulent times just as easily as He can keep us from difficult times. Often it brings more glory to the Lord to save us IN our troubles than to save us FROM our troubles.
Mattoon's Treasures - Mattoon's Treasures – Treasures from Daniel.

Then we read of the punishment of Daniel’s enemies….

Daniel 6:23-24 (ESV)
23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken 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 And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.
We discover the lions really were hungry. That only a miracle had saved Daniel. We are a bit overwhelmed with the brutally of the king…not only the men..but wives and children. Many kings keep their thrones secure by killing off the descendents who might bear the King a grudge.

Notice that Daniel did not seek revenge….
God tells us not to seek revenge as well.

Then the story concludes with…

Daniel 6:25-28 (ESV)
25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you.
26 I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end.
27 He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”
28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
I love hearing a pagan king…make a decree to worship and praise the true God.

And remember their decrees cannot be broken.

And Daniel prospers once again.

So let’s all go out and be like Daniel…faithful in our duties and devotion to God.

But how do we do it?

Remember all the way back in verse 3…

There was an excellent spirit in Daniel….

Daniel did accomplish all of this in the power of his will….in the strength of his flesh. He accomplished all of this in the power of the Spirit.

We were called into a relationship with Christ by the spirit of God…and he means for us to sustain and continue in it in the same manner.

Romans chapter eight is a wonderful encouragement….

I quoted part of it this week and Paula and Janine’s grandfathers funeral.

Romans 8:38-39 (ESV)
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This is a wonderful comfort …that nothing can separate us from God’s love…..

But the whole chapter has such power….it begins…..

Romans 8:1-11 (ESV)
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

We can never be a Daniel in the flesh…In our own strength…We can only allow God’s Holy Spirit to produce that supernatural life in us…He will give us life…He will give us victory….

Depend on Him. Be filled with Him. And then we can live like Him.

Amen.

The Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25-37

Hollyview Family Fellowship..........June 29, 2008

Parables…..Luke 10: 25-37
The Good Samaritan, Go and Do Likewise

In His Steps video…..We are going to view a short play that is taken from A book that may have changed more lives than any other outside of the Bible. In His Steps is a novel written by Charles M. Sheldon in 1896. experts have ranked it as the tenth-most-read book in the world.

In simple style, In His Steps tells the story of self-satisfied congregants of a midwestern church who are challenged by a tramp during a Sunday service to live up to their declaration of faith. …. So moved are the minister and his parishioners that they pledge to live their lives for one year asking themselves, "What would Jesus do?"

VIDEO……..

Today we want to consider the parable of the Good Samaritan….I believe the message in this parable is the same message of the book “In His Steps”


In the book, the author is trying to help us to really see others, and then to ask ourselves the question, How would Jesus serve them? How would Jesus love them?

This is precisely what Jesus does for us in the parable…..let’s take a look at it and listen to what the Spirit wants us to do.

Luke 10:25 (NIV)
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Don’t think for a moment that this expert in the law did not think he knew the answer to this question. He had probably taught classes for years concerning this topic….
Sometimes people ask questions they think they know the answer too….they ask it to embarrass or trick the person they are questioning…..
Like asking a political candidate how much a gallon of milk is…..they try to embarrass and make the one they question look foolish.

This verse tells us this expert in the law was trying to test Jesus…..more like stump him….
But Jesus turns the table on him…..we read….

Luke 10:26 (NIV)
"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

You are an expert in the law…..what do you think it says…..

Someone once asked a Jew, “Why do you always answer a question with a question?”
The Jewish man replied, “What do you mean?”

This Jewish scholar did answer well…..

Luke 10:27 (NIV)
He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

You may remember, Jesus gave this same answer to someone who asked him which was the greatest commandment.

I believe this tells us, that it was common knowledge among the learned, that this was what God required. That these two statements did sum up the law. If you love God and love your neighbor, you will keep the law.

Jesus was pleased with his answer…..

Luke 10:28 (NIV)
"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

The expert in the law…got the answer right…but Jesus knew that knowledge alone was not enough.

We often know what the right thing to do is…..we don’t always do it…..

I know for my health when I go to Red Robin should choose the chicken burger….but I seldom do…..my favorite is the guacamole burger


I indentify with Max Lucado….I am burger addicted.

Knowing the right thing and doing the right thing are not the same.

Actually pretty soon I will not be eating many burgers….my diet will consist of pizza and pasta.


When confronted with Jesus’ words….Do this and you will live…….the expert in the law answered….

Luke 10:29 (NIV)
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

He most likely identified his neighbor very narrowly….we are guilty of that as well….so Jesus tells this wonderful parable to expand our understanding of who God loves…and who we are to love……

Luke 10:30-35 (NIV)
30 In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.
31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.
32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.
34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.
35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

Traveling in the wilderness was dangerous business….robbers beat him, stripped him and left him to die.

Three people pass this misfortunate man……Those who might be expected to help did not….a priest and a Levite….These were those who were held in esteem in Jesus’ society…..Surly the priest will help…surly the chosen tribe of Levi…where the priests are chosen….If anyone is to do a kind deed, we would expect them to do it….
But they simply pass on by……
Maybe they were afraid the same robbers would attack them…..Maybe the simply did not care enough….they knew what should be done…they just didn’t do it….

And then enters our hero….The Good Samaritan….the most unlikely of the three…..to a Jew…a Samaritan was a half breed…half Jew and half pagan….and to them…that made them all bad…they despised them…had nothing good to say of them…..
And yet we read of the Samaritan….He saw the wounded man, took pity on him, cared for him at his own cost and peril.
He is truly a noble example of someone loving his neighbor……

Then Jesus asks the expert in the law….

Luke 10:36 (NIV)
"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
Some suggest that the expert in the law could not even bring himself to say the word “Samaritan”….so he replies…..

Luke 10:37 (NIV)
The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

Jesus message is really quite clear…..Go and do what the good Samaritan did…..love your neighbor….

Our society is no different than when Jesus told this story…..perhaps you heard of this news story of last month….




Description: A surveillance camera captures disturbing footage of a hit and run in Hartford, Connecticut, that left a man paralyzed. But what it shows after
the accident is what really has the police chief outraged.

"The guy landed on the ground, blood everywhere, his head was cracked."

Angel Torres was crossing the street on Friday (May 30) when a car swerved over the center line, hit him and kept going. Torres landed in the middle of the road. Ten cars passed by Torres. Two others turned around and went the opposite way. Witnesses who stopped to gawk never called 911.

A police officer, on his way to another call, saw Torres in the street and called dispatch for an ambulance.

"It's a clear indication of what we have become," said Hartford Police Chief Daryl Roberts. "We see a man laying in the street who has been hit by a car and people are just driving by, and people around him walk by him. People always say 'what are the police doing'. That is not a police problem."

We must not hid our eyes from the pain and the need around us…..

This is a picture of a homeless youth….there are young people all over Portland who are in need…..One of them held up a sign…Do you see me….because most people walk by and try not to make eye contact….afraid they will be asked for money……

My study bible has this note on this parable….


A Collection of Attitudes
To the expert in the law, the wounded man was a subject to discuss.
To the robbers, the wounded man was someone to use and exploit.
To the religious men, the wounded man was a problem to be avoided.
To the innkeeper, the wounded man was a customer to serve for a fee.
To the Samaritan, the wounded man was a human being worth being cared for and loved.
To Jesus, all of them and all of us were worth dying for.
Life Application Study Bible.

We must learn to see in everyone…the image of God…Oh son of Adam, Oh daughter of Eve….how did you come to this place…and then we must respond as Jesus asked us to….

Go and Do Likewise….Go and act like the Good Samaritan….
See their need
Act on it…bind up their wounds
Help them..even if it costs you

And this is not just Jesus message to us for the homeless….the desperate….it is his message to us for everyone….to love them….then we are truly his disciples…and the world will notice.

Did people notice Mother Teresa?…..yes, they did.

When you live in love…..it will be the best witness for Jesus.

Hear, Jesus command….

Go and do Likewise.