Daniel Part 5

When Belshazzar takes over from his father Nebuchadnezzar he doesn't really learn anything.  In fact, he goes backwards, making the same mistake of forgetting who is really in charge.

We often make this mistake, maybe just not to this degree.

When we neglect to audibly give the glory to God we rob Him of what He rightly deserves.  Our affection and respect.

And when I say audibly, I mean that we should give God His due by shouting or singing, or affirming in an audible way how He has affected our situation and without Him we are lost.

I think of the scripture that asks if we are ashamed of Him.  And when we can let those around us know we are not, it causes Jesus to do the same to those around Him.

“For I’m not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus, it’s the good news of the living Christ. ”
— Romans 1:16

Give God His due honor and it will come back to you in your time.  Withhold it, and you could find out what the writing on the wall might mean.

Pastor Brent

Daniel Part 4

This week, we shift focus from the Hebrew children to the king in his own words.

Nebuchadnezzar tells of how he came to respect God and take inventory of his own life in comparison.             

He had another dream.  Only in this one he became the receiver of God’s judgment instead of the receiver of praise as to his position in history.

And, as he found out, God will follow through on His discipline if we don’t heed the warnings given to us.

But how long do we listen to the message of God?  Is it burning in our hearts and so huge that it overtakes any thoughts or doubts we might have.?

God is on our side.  Period.  But He also will not be mocked by children that don’t respect their parents.  He will have order and civility in His household.

There’s a sign in one of my friend’s house that says,

“Unruly children will be sold as slaves.”  I think they might have stole this right from the scriptures.  And even though they were just joking, God will go to any lengths to get us in a frame of mind where we understand our position in this world and the next.

Be prepared for the mountains and steel yourself for the valleys.  God will take care of both.

Pastor Brent

Daniel Part 3

We take a small break from looking at Daniel specifically to see what his companions are made of.

20200805_150412.jpg

When the king set up his impressive gold statue, he forgot who had revealed Himself to him.

All of a sudden Nebuchadnezzar was caught up in his own power and importance.  He was so angry at the thought of somebody not bowing to him that he lost all control.

Trouble is, we do that when someone wants to contradict our opinion.  You understand that’s what it is right? Whatever you are basing your story on, it’s still just your opinion.

But people seem to lose their minds over anything that’s going on.

So, be sure of this one thing, God will defend Himself and His people.  But even if we have to give our lives, He still reigns.  God is watching what your and my response is to situations that are not fair, that are not equal, that are not even in the realm of what we think we should be going through.

And he is watching with pride because He knows what your response has a chance to be. GREAT!  But, He allows us to hear those words coming from our own mouth.  And it’s the greatest blessing on earth to know we stood up to the temptation and spoke right in it’s face.

Take heart brother and sister, redemption draws nigh, speak to the elevation of Christ and God the Father and come out without even the stench of smoke on your clothes.

Pastor Brent

Daniel Part 2

Before Daniel and his companions were even known to the king, God used them to save themselves and all of the wise men, sorcerers, and magicians by trusting in God.

“Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon.”
— Daniel 2:14

Oh how I wish it would be said of me that I answered anyone with counsel and wisdom!

We need, no matter the circumstances; to be able to hold our tongue until we hear God speaking.  Even in the face of destruction!

All the wise men were going to be killed, and not pleasantly either!  So Daniel did the only thing we should be thinking about.  What is God doing?  What is He saying?

Do we seek counsel with other Christians who might not necessarily agree with our point of view? But they went to seek God—not a way out—not a pity party.  Then they went to sleep.

Does your encounter with God give you rest, or do you keep yourself up at night wondering if God has  the ability to do what He says?

God is bringing the answer, are you ready to hear it?  Can you hear over the din of what is the world’s noise.  Satan is not a roaring lion, he is like a roaring lion because he wants us to think he is like Jesus.  But, we know who he is and we can rest in the God of Heaven and His place.

Pastor Brent

Daniel

In our present time we should be able to relate to certain individuals in the Bible.

I would like for us to begin a study on the person of Daniel. We will go through the book of Daniel and see the stands that he made, the way he treated the people in authority, and especially how he treated His God.

This was a time where the covering of God had ran out and Israel was going into captivity for a specific period of 70 years!

During this time the nation would basically be enslaved and given over to the rule of the Babylonians. All of the young men of promise were brought to Babylon to serve the king. All the others were left to tend to the country (Israel), those left behind were to get their tribute ready to pay to the king of Babylon and hope there would be enough left for them to live on.

We get to determine how much of ourselves to give to God, and He will never judge us for that, but rather encourage us to seek Him deeper.

Daniel has a really famous story, but he also had a very instructive life leading up to that point.

Pastor Brent

Pure Religion - Part 3

So now we come to the final week in our series on the purity of, not only religion, but the entirety of our gospel.

James is very stern when it comes to the seriousness of the Lord’s words and their impact on what is, in fact, our new way of life.

But in addition, he tells us the love of Christ is of the utmost importance because only out of this will we be able to embrace our “rebornness” and, in turn birth someone to a new and better life free from the trappings of our old one.

God is not interested in our old story. He helped us endure it and turn it into a winner. He is interested in our now. Now is all that matters in concern with our actions, our intentions, and our being.

If we ignore the now to focus on the future or dwell on the past we lose. Period. There is nothing beyond the now because it is not promised. And there is nothing before the now because it is forgiven. Not that our past has no meaning, it’s just not now a dwelling place. Out past makes it possible to have a now that we can live through Christ.

So, now, let’s live.

Pastor Brent

Pure Religion - Part 2

Paul charges Timothy in his letter to him not only what things are important to teach; but how you teach them is equally important.

If we focus our teaching toward one group or another because of the success we think it will bring, (Fame wise or financial) we kid ourselves into thinking we are doing God’s will because of the crowds.

Jesus focused on what God was saying and was not swayed by what He saw or was experiencing.

And we need to be the same.

God is no respecter of persons and if we, as children of God, look for someone like us to minister to, we are missing God’s leading.

He doesn’t want you at comfort and at ease, He wants your attention and your willingness to seek and save the lost.

Have you ever noticed that the “lost” hardly ever wander into the camp (think church) that the rescue party has set up?

You actually have to go out to the wilderness to bring them in after they are found.  People who are already found don’t need the rescue tent.  But that is exactly what Jesus had to tell the Pharisees.  You who are well don’t need a doctor.

Preach the Good News with your life, then enjoy who God is drawing to you, because they are the people who will listen to your message.  Good and bad.

Pastor Brent

Pure Religion

“But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
— James 1:25-27

James, the Lord’s brother, doesn’t really mince words when it comes to our responsibilities as followers of Jesus.

As such, when he comes to what we should be carrying out here on earth, he says what pure religion is.

But do we contemplate this enough as we carry on our duties?  Because if we start from an imperfect foundation, our building will be suspect and have no chance of being what God wants.

Let’s look at the verse in James and a few others over the next few weeks and see what he has to say that our walk, boiled down, should look like.

In a world where everything seems to be skewed, I hope that as we come out of this study, we take on the task to keep our relationship with Jesus one that He wants.

In this book James uses the statement “pure religion” and I think we all would agree we need to seek to eliminate our prejudices and even our preferences for the purity that is found in Christ.

When God made man and woman it was out of pure motivation to have fellowship with another being.

No other agenda and not holding anything back.  Now that the relationship has been restored, don’t let other distractions take the place of what God has put in front of us. Pray that God would open our eyes to see what is good and what the Lord desires for us.

Pastor Brent

Give Me Your Words

“And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for the Jews and Gentiles alike. ”
— Ephesians 6:19

Paul is dealing with two completely opposite cultures, sound familiar? He is doing so not by highlighting one culture against the other, but rather asking for prayers from all that the Good News might be shared.

I'm seeing a split even in the supposed "church" from people up in arms at the far right Christians, who are in turn up in arms at the far left Christians. Sorry, you're both wrong. 

God is neither the author of confusion or division, and if you have a problem with your brother or sister you go to them. You do not rant about where people get their views. i.e. CNN or Fox, Facebook or Google. 

I'm afraid we've gotten so far from actually wanting God to lead us that He has gotten off to see if we notice He is gone.

If, and it's an interesting if, you are a believer and follower of Christ, then ask, with me, for prayers as to open the mystery of the Good News; not to close dialog because we have chosen to close grace for people who don't agree with us or share our same vision of Jesus.

Jews and Gentiles, slave and free, black and white, right and left, gay and straight, it's not about who's the loudest or, in our view right or wrong; it's that the Good News gives us all a place of repentance and peace in Christ. 

Pastor Brent