Praying Through God’s Word: Daniel

DANIEL

1:1-2:16
‘Daniel resolved not to defile himself’ (Daniel 1:8). We thank You, Lord, that Daniel was devoted to You. It was not easy to live as Your faithful servant. His dedication to You was put to the test – ‘Test your servants’ (Daniel 1:12). Our faith is put to the test. We ‘suffer many trials’. Why, Lord, do You allow our faith to be tested by ‘all kinds of trials? – ‘The testing of your faith produces steadfastness’. ‘These have come so that your faith, which is much more precious than gold, may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed’ (1 Peter 1:6-7; James 1:2-3). Knowing that ‘every trial falls from above, traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love’, may we learn to ‘trust You fully’ and ‘find You wholly true’ (Mission Praise, 421).

2:17-49
‘In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a Kingdom that will never be destroyed’ (44). We thank You, Lord, that Your Kingdom is the only Kingdom which stands forever. Your Kingdom is eternal. We thank You that, through Christ, ‘the Kingdom of God has come near to us’ (Luke 10:9). Christ is the ‘King of kings’ (Revelation 17:14; 19:16). ‘His throne will last for ever and ever’. ‘His Kingdom will never end’. ‘He will reign for ever and ever’ (Hebrews 1:8; Luke 1:33; Revelation 11:15). Teach us, Lord, to sing, from our hearts, ‘Christ triumphant… ever reigning… enthroned for ever’: ‘Sin and death and hell shall never stifle hymns of love. So, our hearts and voices raising through the ages long… this shall be our song: Yours the glory and the crown…’ (Mission Praise, 77).

3:1-30
‘We want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up’ (Daniel 3:18). We have no other king but You, Lord. You, alone, are King. You, alone, are to be worshipped. We are to ‘have no other gods before You’. We are ‘not to make for ourselves an idol’ which takes the place of the Lord (Exodus 20:3-4). You, Lord, must come first in our lives. You are to be our ‘first love’ – ‘the love of our heart: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart…’ (Revelation 2:4; Mark 12:30). Jesus asks us, ‘Do you love me?’ He waits for our reply: ‘I love You’ (John 21:15-17). May we sing, from our hearts, ‘I love the Name of Jesus. King of my heart, He is everything to me’. ‘I love You, O Lord, You alone… my God who shall have all my praise’. (Mission Praise, 285,286).

4:1-37
‘His Kingdom is an eternal Kingdom; His dominion endures from generation to generation’ (Daniel 4:3). The generations rise and fall – ‘You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning… by evening it is dry and withered’; ‘As for man, his days are like grass… the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more’ (Psalms 90:5-6; 103-15-16). You, Lord, are ‘the everlasting God’: ‘From everlasting to everlasting You are God’. Your love is an ‘everlasting’ love: ‘From everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear Him’. You, Lord, ‘have established Your throne in heaven, and Your Kingdom rules over all’. We thank You that You are ‘our dwelling-place throughout all generations’ (Isaiah 40:28; Psalms 90:1-2; 103:17,19).

5:1-31
Teach us, Lord, not to ‘praise the gods of gold and silver…’ (Daniel 5:4). Material possessions must never take the place of God. Seeking material prosperity is not to be the most important thing in our lives. We are to ‘seek first Your Kingdom…’. We are to ‘grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’ (Matthew 6:33; 2 Peter 3:18). Teach us to say, from our hearts, ‘I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold, I’d rather be His than have riches untold…I’d rather have Jesus… than to be the king of a vast domain and be held in sin’s dread sway. I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today. I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause, I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause; I’d rather have Jesus than world-wide fame, I’d rather be true to His holy Name’ (Mission Praise, 319).

6:1-28
‘He is the living God and He endures for ever; His Kingdom will not be destroyed, His dominion will never end’ (Daniel 6:26). You, Lord, are the living God. You are also the loving God – ‘His love endures forever’ (Psalm 136). You are the King. You’re a very special kind of king. You’re ‘the King of Love’. The coming of Your Kingdom will be the victory of Your love: ‘Kingdoms of the world become the kingdoms of the Lord: Love has the victory for ever!’ May we enjoy the victory of Your love as we lift our hearts to You in worship: ‘Who can see Your greatest Gift and fail to worship You?’ May we enjoy the victory of Your love as we give our lives to You in service: ‘Let us labour for the Master… Let us talk of all His wondrous love…’ (Church Hymnary, 388; Mission Praise, 86,759).

7:1-28
‘There before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven… His Kingdom is one that will never be destroyed’ (Daniel 7:13-14). We thank You, Lord, for these great words. They point us to Christ’s description of His Second Coming, the Coming of His Kingdom: ‘They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory’ (Matthew 24:30). In Revelation 1:7, we have another echo of Daniel’s ‘vision.’ As we think of these great things, may we be inspired to lift up our hearts to You in praise: ‘Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him’. ‘Lo! He comes, with clouds descending… Yea, Amen! let all adore Thee, high on Thine eternal throne; Saviour, take the power and glory, claim the Kingdom for Thine own. O come quickly! O come quickly! O come quickly! Alleluia! Come, Lord, come!’ (Church Hymnary, 316).

8:1-27
We read, Lord, about a ‘vision’ concerning ‘the distant future’, ‘the time of the end’ (Daniel 8:26,17). We catch a glimpse of Satan, the very powerful enemy of God’s people. Satan’s power is very frightening – ‘His power shall be great, and he shall cause fearful destruction…’. It was the power of Satan which lay behind the ‘stern-faced king’: ‘He will become very strong, but not by his own power’ (Daniel 8:23-24). We thank You, Lord, that Satan’s power will be broken. We thank You that Satan faces certain defeat – ‘He will be defeated.’ How will he be defeated? We will not defeat him – ‘He will not be destroyed by human power.’ There is only one Power able to destroy the power of Satan: ‘He shall be broken by the hand of God’. ‘Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ’ (1 Corinthians 15:57).
9:1-27
‘O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act!’ (Daniel 9:19). How, Lord, do we know that You will hear and answer our prayer as we look to You for salvation? – ‘The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against Him’ (Daniel 9:9). We come to You with our sin – We are ‘dead in our sins and wickedness.’ You come to us with Your grace – ‘By grace you have been saved through faith.’ We come to You, Lord, deeply conscious of our sin. We know, in our hearts, that we can do nothing to save ourselves. The way of salvation can never begin with the word, ‘I’. It always begins with You, Lord. It begins with Your love – Your great love for us’: ‘God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our sins’ (Ephesians 2:1,4-5,8).

10:1-11:13
Daniel came to God in great weakness – ‘I am helpless… My strength is gone…’ (Daniel 10:16-17). We thank You, Lord, that Daniel received great strength from You – ‘The One who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength… When He spoke to me, I was strengthened…’. Daniel’s strength came from Your love and Your peace. You assured him of Your love for him. You called him a ‘man greatly beloved.’. We thank You, Lord, that You spoke Your Word of peace to Daniel: ‘Peace be with you.’ As You revealed Your love and peace to him, he came to realize that there was no need to be afraid. He could ‘be strong’ in You (Daniel 10:18-19). When we are weak, help us, Lord, to come to You and receive your strength – ‘His grace is sufficient for us. His strength is made perfect in weakness’ (2 Corinthians 12:9).

11:14-45
Help us, Lord, to live for You – ‘The people who know their God shall be strong and do great things.’ Help us to stand against Satan – ‘The people who know their God will firmly resist him’ (Daniel 11:32). Teach us that, if we are to live for You and stand against Satan, we must ‘put on the whole armour of God’. ‘Strong in the Lord’, we ‘take our stand against the devil’s schemes’ (Ephesians 6:10-11). Help us to rise to the great challenge of living for You and standing against Satan: ‘Soldiers of Christ, arise and put your armour on, strong in the strength which God supplies through His eternal Son… From strength to strength go on, wrestle and fight and pray, tread all the powers of darkness down and win the well-fought day that, having all things done and all your conflicts past, ye may o’ercome through Christ alone and stand complete at last’ (Church Hymnary, 441).

12:1-13

We read, Lord, of two very different futures – ‘everlasting life’ and ‘everlasting contempt’ (Daniel 12:2). We thank You that we receive ‘eternal life’ through ‘believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.’ Through faith in Him, we ‘know that we have eternal life.’ You give us Your promise: ‘He who has the Son has life.’ To those who ‘overcome’, through ‘believing that Jesus is the Son of God’, You give this promise: ‘I will never blot his name out of the Book of Life.’ Alongside Your promise, there is also Your warning: ‘He who does not have the Son of God does not have life.’ To those who refuse to come to Christ for salvation, You give this warning: ‘If anyone’s name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire’ (John 20:31; 1 John 5:5,11-13; Revelation 3:5; Revelation 20:15). Help us, Lord, to heed Your warning and trust Your promise.

He is Coming With The Clouds ...

"There before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven… His Kingdom is one that will never be destroyed’ (Daniel 7:13-14).

These words point us to Christ’s description of His Second Coming, the Coming of His Kingdom: ‘They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory’ (Matthew 24:30). In Revelation 1:7, we have another echo of Daniel’s ‘vision’: ‘Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him’. ‘Lo! He comes, with clouds descending… Yea, Amen! let all adore Thee, high on Thine eternal throne; Saviour, take the power and glory, claim the Kingdom for Thine own. O come quickly! O come quickly! O come quickly! Alleluia! Come, Lord, come!’(Church Hymnary, 316).

Satan’s power is very frightening. Satan’s power will be broken.

In Daniel 8, we have a ‘vision’ concerning ‘the distant future’, ‘the time of the end’ (Daniel 8:26,17). Here, we catch a glimpse of Satan, the very powerful enemy of God’s people. Satan’s power is very frightening - ‘His power shall be great, and he shall cause fearful destruction...’. It was the power of Satan which lay behind the ‘stern-faced king’: ‘He will become very strong, but not by his own power’ (Daniel 8:23-24). Satan’s power will be broken. Satan faces certain defeat - ‘He will be defeated’. How will he be defeated? We will not defeat him - ‘He will not be destroyed by human power’. There is only one Power able to destroy the power of Satan: ‘He shall be broken by the hand of God’. ‘Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ’ (1 Corinthians 15:57).

A Faithful Follower Of The Lord

Daniel was a faithful follower of the Lord. He refused to follow a worldly way of living (Daniel 1:8). He loved the Lord. He refused to follow a way of life which would harm his walk with God. He is a great example for those who take seriously the call to live in obedience to God. As we read about Daniel’s single-minded devotion to the Lord, we are challenged to live in obedience to God’s holy Word rather than following the ways of the sinful world which is always threatening to pull us away from the Lord.

In Daniel 2, we read about Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and Daniel’s interpretation. God is speaking to Nebuchadnezzar. God is speaking through Daniel. The heart of the message, given in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and Daniel’s interpretation, is summed up in Daniel 2:44 - “At the time of those kings, the God of heaven will establish a Kingdom that will never be destroyed ... It will be established forever.” These are prophetic words. They look far beyond Daniel’s time. They look ahead to God’s eternal Kingdom.

“Look, I see four men ... The fourth one looks like a son of the gods” (Daniel 3:25). These words of Nebuchadnezzar point beyond the servants of God - Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They point to the Son of God - our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. The Son of God saved His faithful servants. He saves all who put their trust in Him. He saved them from the fire of Nebuchadnezzar. He saves us from the fire of judgment.

“Stop sinning and do what is right” (Daniel 4:27). This was the Word that God spoke to Nebuchadnezzar. This is the Word that God speaks to us. “Now, I, Nebuchadnezzar will praise, honour, and give glory to the King of heaven. Everything He does is true, His ways are right and He can humiliate those who act arrogantly” (Daniel 4:37) - This was Nebuchadnezzar’s response to the Word of Lord. In Nebuchadnezzar’s response, there is a call to worship, addressed to every one of us. It is a call to humble ourselves before God. It is a call to learn from Him and live for Him.

The handwriting on the wall (Daniel 5) is a word of judgment. Numbered, Numbered, Weighed and Divided - This is the message that came to Nebuchadnezzar from God. God has numbered the days of your kingdom. He will bring it to an end. You have been weighed on a scale. You have been found to be too light. Your kingdom will be divided. It will be given to the Medes and the Persians. Down through the centuries, these words could be repeated, time and time again. Human greatness is brought to nothing so that the glory might belong to God alone.

Daniel in the lion’s den (Daniel 6) - What a remarkable miracle we have here. When we read about it, our thoughts move on to the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The resurrection of Jesus is a far greater miracle than the deliverance of Daniel. Daniel was delivered from the threat of death. Jesus was dead - and He was raised to life. We rejoice in what God did for Daniel. Our joy is so much greater when we think of what God has done for us through the mighty resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ, our Saviour.

Saved by grace, saved through faith, saved for good works

Ephesians 2:1-10 
What we were without Christ (Ephesians 2:1-3); What God has done for us in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-10)
Ephesians 2:8-10 - saved by grace, saved through faith, saved for good works
By grace - but not without faith and good works
Faith and good works - the fruit of grace
Faith and good works - Grace has done this.
The grace has come from God. The glory goes to God.

I just know ...

I just know. This is what I think. This is how I feel.

These are the kind of things some people say when they speak about having faith. 

Often, their idea of faith is very vague - and says more about themselves than it says about God.

We read these statements, I just know. this is what I think,  this is how I feel, we see a lot of I in them, and we wonder, what about God, where is he in all of this?

When our faith is real - firmly grounded in the Lord, we do not think so much about ourselves - what we believe and how we feel. We think more about the Lord and what he has done for us. Rather than giving out our own thoughts and feelings, we concern ourselves with something much more important and much more valuable - sharing the Word of the Lord.

Our thoughts and feelings come and go. Sometimes, we have positive thoughts and optimistic feelings. At other times, our thoughts are more negative and pessimistic. The Word of the Lord is very different: "the Word of the Lord endures forever" (1 Peter 1:25).

It's one thing to have a 'faith' that is a dormant thing. It's quite another thing to have a faith that's grounded in the Lord's Word. 

Some people say, "I'm a believer", but they don't really have much idea exactly what it is they believe in. Often, they are "blown here and there y every wind of teaching" (Ephesians 4:14). 

What about the wind of the Spirit? What happens when the Spirit of the living God is working mightily? Go back to Acts 2. What do we find there? When the Spirit of God comes like "rushing mighty wind" (Acts 2:2), there is the teaching of God's Word and the preaching of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour - and people are brought to faith, but it's much more than, 'I've got my own faith. You've got your faith, and I've got my faith. I keep my faith to myself.' Faith that is grounded in God's Word, centred on God's Son - Jesus, and inspired by God's Spirit, is a life-changing faith. It changes people. They can't just go on as they always have done, making vague statements about 'faith' without really be changed by the Lord. On the day of Pentecost, the people who responded to the teaching of God's Word, the preaching of Christ and the moving of God's Spirit became new men and women: "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" (Acts 2:42). When people were transformed like this, the world listened to what they had to say. They knew that this was no empty faith - a faith that didn't really make much difference. This was faith that was less about my faith, and more about the love of God, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. Their faith was so much more than just their faith. It was faith that had come to them from outside of themselves - from the teaching of God's Word, the preaching of Christ crucified and risen, and the powerful working of the Spirit of God. If we, in our generation, are to be men and women of faith, we must learn from those who responded to the preaching of the gospel on the day of Pentecost - learning to listen to God's Word, learning to rejoice in Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, and learning to move in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Don't blame me! It's not my fault! ...

Don't blame me! It's not my fault! 

These words take us back a long way - back to the Garden of Eden, back to the beginning of sin (Genesis 3). It's not just a story from a long, long time ago. It's our story. It's the story of every one of us. We don't confess our sin. We make excuses for ourselves. What does God say about this? He says, 'Really? - Do you really think it's not your fault? Do you really think you're not to blame?' Let's go back to Genesis 3. What do we find there? We find sin - and, before that, we find temptation. What's the connection between temptation and sin? Temptation gives us a choice to make. Temptation came from "the serpent" (in Revelation 12:9, we learn that "the ancient serpent" is, also, known by the names, "the devil" and "Satan.) When did temptation become sin? It became sin when Adam and Eve chose to do what the serpent suggested they should do. The temptation came from the serpent. The sin came from Adam and Eve. It's still the same today. We are tempted. We sin. When do we sin? - when we give in to temptation: "Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin." Why does God's Word speak to us so forthrightly about our sin? - It's because he wants us to confess our sin and receive his salvation. God never speaks to us about our sin so that we'll be depressed about how sinful we are. He speaks to us about our sin  so that we will see our need of his salvation. God doesn't leave us in the place of our sin - the Garden of Eden. He takes us to a better place. He takes us to the place of Christ's crucifixion. He shows us his Son - Jesus, our Saviour: "In Christ, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us" (Ephesians 1:7).

Follow God's example ... walk in the way of love ...

"Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:1-2).

God's love for us always comes before our love for Him. His love is eternal. It has no beginning. It has no end. It comes to us from the very beginning. It takes us on to the very end. Let us receive His love. May our lives be shaped by His love.Where do we see His love for us? We look at Jesus. We see how much Jesus loves us - and we are changed by His love. May we become more loving people, as we learn to appreciate how much we have been loved by God.

The best thing I can tell you is God loves you.

"He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap" (Ecclesiastes 11:4).

"I have loved you with an everlasting love" (Jeremiah 31:3).

Like everything else in our world, the weather can be so changeable. 

The love of God is unchanged, unchanging and unchangeable. What's so different about God's love? His love is eternal love. It's not something that comes and goes. He doesn't blow hot and cold. He loves us in life's rainy days as well as its sunny days.

How do we know that God loves us? - The answer to our question is Jesus - especially the fact that Jesus died for us.

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As I was thinking about the love of God and the death of Jesus, our Saviour, I started thinking of a song which says, "The best thing I can tell you is God loves you." Here are two versions of it - 

The Best by Dion - YouTube and

Dion DiMucci "The Best" - YouTube.

The first video concentrates on the words of the song. The second tells the story of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. This second video is very graphic in its presentation of Christ's death on the cross. It tells it like it really was! I think that the combination of pictures, Bible verses and the song is powerful. I hope it will help you to see how much Christ suffered for you. I hope it will help to see how much he loves you. Look at his suffering - and catch a glimpse of his love. He suffered for us because he loves us - this is the meaning of his suffering. He suffered for us so that we might be forgiven by him - this is the purpose of his suffering..

A Vision - For Daniel

"I, Daniel, alone saw the vision ... the men who were with me did not see the vision" (Daniel 10:7).

Here, we have a vision that was intended for Daniel. The vision was not given to the men who were with him. While this was, for Daniel, a unique experience of divine revelation, it raises for us a more general question: Why is it that some people receive blessing from the Lord, while others miss out on the blessing?

What are we to say about those who miss out on God's blessing? They may be present when the Lord's people are gathered together for worship - but they have no real sense of the Lord's presence. The power of the Lord is at work in the lives of others, but nothing happens to them. The Word goes on one ear and out the other. Others are being transformed. They remain unchanged. Are we simply to say, "Some are blessed by the Lord. They give thanks for His blessing. Sadly others miss out on His blessing - and we can say no more about this"?

In Romans 9:13, we read these awesome words: "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated." Here, Paul is writing about "the purpose of God according to election." He emphasizes that salvation is "not of works but of Him who calls" (Romans 9:11).

If we are to enter into the blessing of God's salvation, we must honour the principle upon which His salvation is based - "not of works but of Him who calls."

- "Not of works" - In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul emphasizes this point: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

- "Of Him who calls" - In 1 Corinthians 1:21, Paul emphasizes that "it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." In Romans 10:17, he writes, "So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ."

When we come to hear the Word of God, we must come to God, seeking His glory. His glory is much more important than our blessing.

If we are preoccupied with getting a blessing for ourselves, we will find that His blessing is like the elusive butterfly - so close yet so far. We are so close to the blessing. It's all around us. Other people are being blessed. We may ask, "Why them? Why not me?"

There is a problem with the "Why not me?" question. It's centred on ourselves. It's asking about what I can get. It's more concerned with getting blessing for ourselves than giving glory to God.

When we gather together for worship, let's not get stuck at the self-centred level of "I hope there's a blessing there for me." Let's pray that God will lift us up to His God-centred level: "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to thy name give glory, for the sake of thy steadfast love and thy faithfulness!" (Psalm 115:1).

Let's return to the tragic story of Esau: "Esau despised his birthright" (Genesis 25:34); "Afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears" (Hebrews 12;17).

The tragedy of Esau is this: everything centred around Esau - what Esau wanted. He showed his true colours when he "despised his birthright." Later on, he wanted to get the blessing for himself. He wanted to be 'one up' on his brother, Jacob. What did all this have to do with the glory of God? There were "tears" - but what was he crying about? There were "tears" - but they weren't tears of "repentance." Esau was feeling sorry for himself. Jacob had been blessed - and he hadn't.

Feeling sorry for ourselves because other people have been blessed and we haven't - This is very different from seeking the glory of God. God wants to bless us. We must never doubt that - but we must never forget this: He does not bless us because we want to get blessing for ourselves.

God looks at what's going on in our hearts. Are we filled with envy? - We see others being blessed and we become obsessed with one thing: "Why am I not being blessed as much as he is? I deserve blessing every bit as much as he does."

What does God say about this? - "not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:9); "not of works but of Him who calls" (Romans 9:11).

Let us pray that God will give us a heart which seeks its glory - and let's leave the blessing to Him. He will send His blessing to those who seek His glory: "the vision ... will surely come", "Though it tarries, wait for it" (Habakkuk 2:3).

Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord …

Daniel 1:1-2:23; 1 Peter 5:1-14; Psalm 134:1-3

Daniel’s praise, offered to God, in Daniel 2:20-23, highlights for us the direction from which blessing comes. It comes from above. What we do not have is given to us by God – “He gives” (Daniel 2:21), “You have given me” (Daniel 2:23). Daniel’s praise is echoed in Peter’s praise: “To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:11). Again, in Psalm 134, the connection between praise and blessing is underlined: “Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord … May the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth bless you from Zion” (Psalm 134:3).

From my One Year Bible

The God of heaven will set up a Kingdom that will never be destroyed ...

Daniel 2:24-3:12; 2 Peter 1:1-21; Psalm 135:1-12

God is sovereign. He is establishing His Kingdom which is heavenly, eternal and glorious – “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a Kingdom that will never be destroyed … it will itself endure for ever” (Daniel 2:44). Alongside the sovereignty of God, there is also the responsibility of man – “Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fail, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:10-11). There is no comparison between the kingdoms of men and the Kingdom of God – “I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods … He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings … and He gave their land as an inheritance, an inheritance to His people Israel” (Psalm 135:5,10-12).

From my One Year Bible

God’s Kingdom will prevail over the kingdom of Satan ...

Daniel 3:13-4:18; 2 Peter 2:1-22; Proverbs 29:1-9

“The Most High is sovereign over the kingdom of men” (Daniel 4:17). It is a great comfort to know that God is sovereign. It gives strength in the midst of the conflict. It’s an unequal conflict – God’s Kingdom will prevail over the kingdom of Satan. We must not, however, doubt that Satan will provide determined opposition – “false prophets … false teachers … will bring the way of truth into disrepute” (2 Peter 2:1-2). However fierce the conflict may be, we have this assurance: “The Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the Day of judgment” (2 Peter 2:9). In the heat of the battle, we must never forget what we are fighting for and who we are fighting for – ‘To be the best that I can be for truth and righteousness and Thee.” In this battle, the Lord Himself fights with us and for us. He enables us to maintain His standard. He keeps us from dropping down to the level of the world’s standards. “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern” (Proverbs 29:7).

From my One Year Bible

Your Name, O Lord, endures for ever ...

Daniel 4:19-5:16; 2 Peter 3:1-18; Psalm 135:13-21

Worldly men “praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone” (Daniel 5:4). They worship things – material possessions. The Lord calls His people to higher things. He tells us that “the idols of the nations are silver and gold” (Psalm 135:15). They are not to be worshipped. We are to “praise the Lord” (Psalm 135:19-21). we are to give the glory to “our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). We are to praise the Lord – “Your Name, O Lord, endures for ever, Your renown, O Lord, through all generations” (Psalm 135:13).

From my One Year Bible

Link to "The Reformation Continues"

The Reformation Continues

The 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War

This sermon was preached on 11th November 2018 - the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. The Bible reading was 2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5.

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On 11th November, David Lloyd George announced the Armistice - the ending of hostilities, the truce which, it was hoped, would lead to a better and brighter future.

He looked back, and he looked forward.

Looking back, he described the First World War as "the cruellest and most terrible War that has ever scourged mankind."

Looking forward, he expressed his hope for the future: "I hope we may say that thus, this fateful morning, came to an end all wars."

Where are we now, 100 years on from the end of the first World War?

There have been quite a number of ward during these 100 years.

From 1939 to 1945, there was the Second World War.

Since that time, there has been the development of weapons of mass destruction.

There are still wars, and many fear that our world may yet spiral out of control.

Is there any hope for our world?

History warns us: Human sin is very great. We dare not assume that the future will be brighter and better than the past.

Scripture encourages us: God's love is very great. He is directing our attention beyond this world with all its uncertainties. Many centuries ago, the prophet Daniel spoke of the warnings of history and the encouragement of God's Word.

He speaks, in Daniel 2, of the rise and fall of the kingdoms of this world. 

The rise and fall of the roman Empire, the rise and fall of the Nazi regime - from the ancient world and the modern world, we have terrible warnings about what can happen when power-hungry men try to take control of the world.

Have such things become a thing of the past?

The events of the twenty-first century are not encouraging. 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq - we only need to speak these words to know that there is still much anxiety about the future of our world.

Where can we find encouragement?

We must turn to the Word of God, where we read about God's eternal love, God's eternal purpose and God'e eternal Kingdom.

Here are some great words of hope from Daniel 2:44 - "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure for ever."

The changing circumstances of our world, the unchanging purpose of God - what a great contrast there is between the history of human sin and the Kingdom of God's love.

When we look back to 11th November 1918, we are reminded of the First World War. It was a time of terrible atrocities. Millions of people lost their lives.

Many of the veterans of the World Wars refuse to speak of these terrible days. The memory of these horrible days is too painful for them. 

We look back at these events from a distance of many years. Is it a safe distance? I believe that our gathering together on this Remembrance Day is a reminder to us that we need to pray for our world and its future.

There may still be difficult times ahead of us. We have no guarantee- in our sinful world - that our problems are all behind us.

Is this all that we can say at this Remembrance Day service: - No! There is more than this. There is also a word of encouragement.

We still have to face the fact that, in this world, there are many "wicked and evil men", who continue to exert a godless influence on our world.

Paul tells us to "pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not every one has faith" (2 Thessalonians 3:2).

Standing up for Jesus, in this world, will never be easy. As we sing hymns like, "Onward! Christian soldiers", "Stand up! Stand up for Jesus" and "Who is on the Lord's side?", we are reminded of the spiritual conflict between good and evil, between god and Satan.

We are not, however, left in any doubt about the final outcome. The Lord will be victorious. Satan will be defeated. The Word of God points us beyond the raging conflict to the final victory - "the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thessalonians 2:14).The Word of God assures us that God will not leave us, and God will not fail us: "The Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one" (2 Thessalonians 3:3).

When we hear God's Word of encouragement, we are able to say, with Paul, "We have confidence in the Lord" (2 Thessalonians 3:4).

 On this Remembrance Day, as we recall some terrible times in the history of our nation and our world, let us learn to look beyond our ever-changing world, with all the uncertainties concerning its future. Let us look to the Lord, who is unchanged, unchanging and unchangeable in the faithfulness of his love for us. Let us hear his words of encouragement: "May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and, by his grace, gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and work ... May the Lord, direct your hearts into God'e love and Christ's perseverance" (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 ... 3:5).

God's love, God's call, God's glory

2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5

God's love, God's call, God's glory (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14)

"the traditions" (2 Thessalonians 2:15): Who is behind the tradition? If it's the Lord, we have something that's more than a tradition. Who does the message come from?  - It comes from the Lord. That's why we must "stand firm."

Eternal encouragement for here-and-now (2 Thessalonians 3:16-17).

Contrast "not all have faith" (2 Thessalonians 3:2) and "the Lord is faithful" (2 Thessalonians 3:3).

"He will strengthen and guard you from the evil one" (2 Thessalonians 3:4) - "The Lord bless you and keep you" (Numbers 6:24).

"May the Lord direct your hearts to God's love and Christ's endurance" (2 Thessalonians 3:3). When the Lord is at work, He becomes the chief focus of our attention. It's His love and endurance that inspire us to keep on loving Him and serving Him.

The Kingdom Of God: 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus

We begin with some great verses from Titus - "Jesus Christ ... gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds" (Titus 2:13-14); "He saved us, not because of deeds dine by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5).

There are kings who need to be prayed for (1 Timothy 2:1-2), and there is the King to whom we offer prayer (1 Timothy 1:17). To understand the nature of God's kingdom, we must understand the character of the king. God's kingdom contrasts with the kingdoms of men. (a) Kings are "in high position" (1 Timothy 2:2), but "the king of ages" is in the highest position of all. (b) The kingdoms of men last for a time, but "the king of ages" is immortal. (c) The kingdoms of men display great outward show, but "the king of ages" and his kingdom works in an "invisible" way - the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24-30,36-43). When we compare "the king of ages" to the kings of this world, we conclude that he is "the only God (to whom) be honour and glory for ever and ever" (1 Timothy 1:17).

If we are to be men and women of the kingdom, men and women whose lives are controlled by the king, we are to be men and women of prayer (1 Timothy 2:1), men and women who read the Bible (2 Timothy 3:14-17).

There are many obstacles to our living as men and women of the kingdom. Paul faced many obstacles, and so do we. In the face of many obstacles, Paul had a marvellous testimony (2 Timothy 4:17-18). The Lord stood by him. The Lord rescued him. The Lord saved him. Paul looked at the Lord, and gave the glory to him. He looked at what the Lord had done for him, and he said, "to him be the glory for ever and ever." Like Paul, we can overcome the obstacles. Like Paul, we can bring glory to God - through prayer and God's Word.

Paul, a humble man, who worshipped and served the Lord

1 Timothy 1:12-17
The Lord saved Saul of Tarsus. The Lord changed him. Saul - "blasphemer, persecutor, arrogant man" (1 Timothy 1:13) - became Paul, a humble man, who worshipped and served the Lord.
  *  humble - "worst of sinners" (1 Timothy 1:16)
* worshipper - "Unto the King ... " (1 Timothy 1:17)
* servant - "the ministry ... an example to those who would believe in Him for eternal life" (1 Timothy 1:12,16).

God was manifested in the flesh ...

"I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God ... the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh ..." (1 Timothy 3:15-16).

We read, in 1 Timothy 3:16, of our deeply-held convictions concerning our Saviour, Jesus Christ: "God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory." Paul is not only speaking about beliefs that we hold with our minds - 'I believe this about Christ. I believe that about Him.' He's speaking about beliefs that change the way we live - "how you conduct yourselves in the house of God" (1 Timothy 3:15).  

When Paul speaks about "the mystery of godliness", he's speaking about "God was manifested in the flesh". He's also speaking about "how we conduct ourselves in the house of God." This is the practical mystery - How can sinners live a godly life? This takes us beyond recalling the events of Christ's life. This takes us beyond, "I believe this about Him. I believe that about Him." This takes us on to Paul's teaching concerning the Holy Spirit: "your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you ... you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit ... " (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). 

When Paul writes to us about "how we conduct ourselves in the house of God", we may recall his description of our life (it's more than our body, it's our body and our spirit) as "the temple of the Holy Spirit." Paul is not only concerned about how we behave when we set foot in the house of God. He's concerned about our whole life. He's saying to us, "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16).

What is the connection between "the mystery of godliness" - God was manifested in the flesh" - and "the mystery of godliness" - sinners saved by grace are led in the way of the Holy Spirit? - "You were bought at a price": If we really believe the things that happened to Christ and the reason that these things happened to Him ("for us and for our salvation"), how can we continue to live as if these things were not true?
How we conduct ourselves - in the house of God and in the whole of life: This is where the real strength of our faith will be seen. Strong faith expresses itself in godly living. A strong faith is always ready to ask the question, "How much is my life being changed by the Lord?"

That’s just ancient history ...

‘That’s just ancient history’: this is what many people say about the Bible story.

Is that all there is to it? or Is there something more?

The Bible story challenges worldly people to think again – to question their assumption that everything can be explained without God.

Could it be that the world’s ‘answers’ are not as convincing as we’ve been led to believe?

Could it be that there’s an ‘old, old story’ that we still need to hear and believe – a story that tells us that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15)?

Getting Ready For The Lord's Return

There is one wrong attitude we must take care to avoid. We must not sit back and say, “Let’s just wait and see what happens.” We dare not think like this. We dare not live like this. We must get ready for the Lord’s Return. At the heart of 1 Corinthians 15, there is a very challenging verse - “Come to your right mind, and sin no more” (1 Corinthians 15:34). Whenever our thoughts turn to the Lord’s Return, we must hear the challenge of the future. God says to us, “Jesus is coming again. Come to your senses. Don’t keep on going your own way, the way of sin. Go Jesus’ way, the way of faith, the way of obedience.” If we are to know the blessing of God in our lives, there must be a willingness to go the Lord’s way.

I told you so ...

I told you so ...

Often, these words are spoken with the kind of pride that takes pleasure in putting other people down. How different are the words of Paul, "Pride puffs up. Love builds up" (1 Corinthians 8:1)! Where did Paul learn to love like this? He learned it from the Lord. Jesus loves us. He teaches us to love one another. May there be less pride - putting people down - and more love - lifting them up.   

Celebrating The Lord's Supper In Joyful Obedience

1 Corinthians 11:1-34
We celebrate the Lord’s Supper (23-26).
We take note of whauyt Paul says about the way we are to come to the Lord’s Table (27-29).
What’s this all about? Is it about the whole thing looking good - impressive?
Paul gives us something to think about in verse 22 - ‘Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the Church of God and humiliate those who have nothing?’
In Paul’s questions, we hear an echo of the Old Testament prophets (Isaiah 1:12-20; Amos 5:21-24).
We rejoice in John 3:16 - ‘God so loved the world…’.
Let’s not forget 1 John 3:16-18 - ‘let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth.’
Jesus says, ‘…first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift’ (Matthew 5:23-24).
Don’t just think about it. Act on it (James1:22-25; 2:14-17)!

Thank You, Lord ... for victory over death ... beginning here-and-now.

"Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Towards the end of the great resurrection chapter, this verse proclaims Christ's victory over death - "Death is swallowed up in victory" (verse 54), there's a call to serve the Lord wholeheartedly, We are to serve Him with the firm conviction that "our labour is not in vain in the Lord" (verse 58). This victory is not achieved by us. by us. It is given to us by God. It comes to us "through our Lord Jesus Christ." What are we to say to this? What can we say? There's only one thing we can say - "Thank You, Lord." 

The Kingdom Of God Is Not In Word, But In Power.

The kingdom of God is a power. Paul tells us, "The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power" (1 Corinthians 4:20). It is the power of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, breaking into our lives and transforming them. "The race of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Corinthians 13:14). This is the blessing of God's kingdom. It's a blessing which is more than mere words. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit - these are not just religious words. They are spiritual realities, the power of God at work in our live, the power of God which brings the forgiveness of sins, the power of God which brings new life, the power of God which gives us a foretaste of heavenly glory.

A foretaste of heavenly glory - This is what the kingdom of God is in our present experience. God's future breaks into our present experience. Here and now, we have begun to experience the salvation of God. In heavenly glory, we will experience all the fullness of God's salvation. Here and now, we have begun to see glimpses of the perfect love and the perfect holiness of God. these glimpses appear in our lives as we learn to walk with Jesus Christ. In the heavenly glory, we will dwell forever in the presence of the God who is both perfect in love and perfect in holiness. Paul contrasts this present life and the life to come. This is what he says: "For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known" (1 Corinthians 13:12). The contrast between our present experience of God and the fullness of our future salvation is the contrast between "the imperfect" and "the perfect": "⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears" (1 Corinthians 13:9-10). What we have now is only a hint or glimpse of what we shall have in the glory of heaven. What we are now is only a hint or glimpse of what we shall be in the glory of heaven. To speak of heaven in this way is not to assume that everyone who says, "Lord, Lord" will find  place in heaven. "The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power" (1 Corinthians 4:20). 

As we look at what the New Testament says to us about the kingdom of God, we must give our answer to the question: Do you know the power of God's kingdom in your life? Has the kingdom of God broken into your life as a transforming power, enabling you to trust Christ as Saviour and submit to him as Lord?

God's future is not a faraway, distant future which has no effect on our present life. It's not an airy-fairy irrelevance which is utterly remote from our life here and now. Those whose lives have been changed by the power of God's kingdom are not to spend their days day-dreaming about a glorious yet irrelevant future. we are to live for Christ here and now, allowing the power of God's kingdom to make us, each day, more like Jesus and more useful in the service of God's kingdom. To know that you are  going to heaven is a great privilege. It's a God-given privilege. God gives this privilege to every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ: "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life"  (1 John 5:13). Do you believe in the name of the Son of God? - not in word, but in power. Has the power of God's kingdom broken into your life, convicting you of sin, showing you your need of Christ to be your Saviour and enabling you to trust Christ and give yourself to him? To receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour is to receive the gift of eternal life. This is the great privilege of which the hymnwriter speaks, "Blessed assurance! Jesus is mine, O what a foretaste of glory divine." With this great privilege comes a great responsibility - to live as sons and daughters of our heavenly Father. We are to live as men and women who have been changed by Jesus Christ. God's Word says to us, "Do not be conformed to this world" (Romans 12:2). How can we avoid being squeezed into the world's mould? We must learn to live in the power of the world to come. We dare not get bogged down in the things of this world. We must learn to turn our eyes upon Jesus: "Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full on his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace." Look often to Jesus, and you will find that the world's way of living loses its appeal. Look often to Jesus - not once but often. Turn your eyes upon Jesus - and keep your eyes upon Jesus. We must not only begin with Jesus. We must go on with Jesus. To go on with Jesus means putting the past, with its sin, behind us and moving forward, with faith, into god's future. This is what Paul stresses when he writes to the Christians at Corinth. They, and we, are to leave the past behind us and press on to God's glorious future. Corinth was a city in which there was much drunkenness and much prostitution. Into this situation, Paul wrote these words of warning:"⁹ Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men ¹⁰ nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). This is the situation into which the grace of God came with mighty power: "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11). What was Paul saying in these verses? Three things:

 * Don't forget what you were. That's what you were. Don't forget it.

 * Remember that you have been saved from all that. What a great thing Christ has done for you. Never forget that.

 * Don't go back to the old life. Don't go back to living the world's way. The Lord saved you so that you might live the new life, the life of God's kingdom. We are to live as those who have been "washed ,,, sanctified ... justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11).

There is a past which we must leave behind. There is a future towards which we must move. 1 Corinthians 15 has been described as 'the great resurrection chapter.' It reaches its climax in these great words: "⁵⁴ When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

⁵⁵ “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” ⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). With this as our future hope, how are we to live here and now? -

"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:58). May God help us to live this kind of life - a life that is faithful, fruitful and fulfilled, the life of God's kingdom within us.

     

Don't get your fingers burned ...

Don't get your fingers burned ... You might set fire to the rest of you!!
"If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire" (1 Corinthians 3:15, King James Version).

These are challenging words. What does this mean? Let's look at some of the other translations, and see what they say.

 * "If someone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but it will be like an escape through fire" (Evangelical Heritage Version).

It's great to escape from a fire - but it's better not to be in the fire in the first place! 

 *  "But if any person’s work is burned up [by the test], he will suffer the loss [of his reward]; yet he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has barely escaped] through fire" (Amplified Bible)

Barely escaped - this makes it even more dramatic! This is more than getting our fingers burned - more like getting ourselves killed!

 * "But if anyone’s work goes up in flames, they’ll lose it. However, they themselves will be saved as if they had gone through a fire" (Common English Bible).

No-one wants to go through a fire. Who knows if you'll come out the other side? 

 * "Or, to put it another way, you are God’s house. Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn’t, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won’t be torn out; you’ll survive—but just barely" (1 Corinthians 3:9-15, The Message)

As usual, The Message is a bit different! It doesn't specify which verse is which. It takes verses 9-15 as a paragraph. It helps to read it in full. Note that it emphasizes the importance of building on Jesus Christ. There's not to be just a superficial building on him. There's to be more than just believing in him. We are to serve him.
How are we to serve him? 
Perhaps, the best comment on 1 Corinthians 3:15 is another verse from, later on, in 1 Corinthians -  "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:58, New International Version - UK).

Draw back the curtain ...

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18).

In these words, Paul is encouraging us to draw back the curtain and catch a glimpse of a bigger and better world than this world, which is passing away. Draw back the curtain - and catch a glimpse of glory - the glory of God. Paul's encouraging us to see our life with the eyes of faith, hope and love. He speaks about two different kinds of seeing - "For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face" (1 Corinthians 13:12). When we're learning to look at life with the eyes of faith, hope and love, we're catching a glimpse of what lies beyond the curtain - "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13). Faith, hope and love - these are the things that remain. May God help us to keep these eternal things at the heart of our life. This is what Paul prays for us - "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people" (Ephesians 1:18).

Simple, Sincere And Spiritual

1 Corinthians 2:1-16 
Paul's ministry was simple, sincere and spiritual.It was preaching in the power of the Spirit. What Paul is saying is this: Less about me, more about Jesus.
* His message was simple. He wasn't trying to impress people with great learning. He was bringing Jesus to them. He was bringing them to Jesus.
* His preaching was sincere. He said what he meant, and he meant what he said. He spoke the truth, and he lived the truth.
* His outlook was spiritual. The power did not come from himself. It came from the Spirit - the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of love.

Our Love For The Lord Must Be Stronger Than Any Other Love.

1 Corinthians 6:12-7:24
The Lord has placed the highest value on us: ‘you were bought with a price’ (6:20; 7:23).
Our love for Him must be stronger than any other love.
Some are under pressure, at home, from an unbelieving husband or wife. You wonder whether your Christian witness is doing any good (7:16). You feel you are getting nowhere. You feel like giving up. You feel yourself being dragged away from the Lord.
What does the Word of God say? - ‘Lead the life which the Lord has assigned’; ‘Remain with God’ (7:17,24).
A difficult situation at home is just one example of ‘the world’ trying to ‘squeeze us into its own mould’ (Romans 12:2).
The world will keep chipping away at our faith - until there’s nothing left. ‘Do not love the world or the things in the world... He who does the will of God abides for ever’ (1 John 2:17).

A remnant ... The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

"For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and those who escape from Mount Zion. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this" (Isaiah 37:32).

A remnant - When Isaiah was called by God to the prophetic  ministry, he was given a warning. He was told that only a small minority of his hearers would respond positively to his message. If Isaiah was expecting the majority of his hearers to welcome his preaching, he would have been discouraged by the poor response that he received from so many people - The land is utterly desolate ... and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land" (Isaiah 6:11-12). Isaiah needed to receive encouragement from the Lord. This is the encouragement he was given - "But yet a tenth will be in it ... As a terebinth tree or as an oak, whose stump remains when it is cut down. So the holy seed shall be its stump" (Isaiah 6:13). If we read most of Isaiah 6, without reading on to the final verse (verse 13), we would be greatly discouraged, thinking that this is all doom and gloom - there is no hope in this. We must read the word of God carefully - not overlooking verses that we need to read! Thank God for Isaiah 6:13 - There will be a remnant. There will be the holy seed. We must not allowed our thinking to be controlled by majority opinion. What does this mean - majority opinion? It means, "That's the way most people think" - but it doesn't mean that they have truth on their side. Jesus made this very clear to his hearers: "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:13-14). Jesus' ministry was like Isaiah's ministry. Many rejected him, but those who received him found the greatest blessing they could ever find: "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:10-13). In our generation, we need to learn the lessons taught by Isaiah and Jesus. When we learn from them, we will learn to trust in God's promise: "The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this" (Isaiah 37:32) - and we will understand what Paul meant when he said, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58).