Looking Unto Jesus - Hebrews 12:2

 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”— Hebrews 12:2

It is ever the Holy Spirit’s work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan’s work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ.

He insinuates, “Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you have not the joy of his children; you have such a wavering hold of Jesus.”

All these are thoughts about self, and we shall never find comfort or assurance by looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self: he tells us that we are nothing, but that “Christ is all in all.”

Remember, therefore, it is not thy hold of Christ that saves thee—it is Christ; it is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee—it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that be the instrument—it is Christ’s blood and merits; therefore, look not so much to thy hand with which thou art grasping Christ, as to Christ; look not to thy hope, but to Jesus, the source of thy hope; look not to thy faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of thy faith. We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul.

If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by “looking unto Jesus.” Keep thine eye simply on him; let his death, his sufferings, his merits, his glories, his intercession, be fresh upon thy mind; when thou wakest in the morning look to him; when thou liest down at night look to him.

Oh! let not thy hopes or fears come between thee and Jesus; follow hard after him, and he will never fail thee.

“My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness:

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.”

From Morning by Morning devotional of Charles Spurgeon

God, not man - Hosea 11:9

 "For I am God, and not man" Hosea 11:9

The longsuffering, forgiveness, and compassion of the Lord toward His people seems unbelievable until we recognize that He is not man, but God. His love and forgiveness are of a different order. Charles Spurgeon observed that there are many differences between God and man in the matter of forgiveness.

· Man cannot hold back his anger very long.

· Man cannot bear with others when he is tired, stressed, or annoyed.

· Man will not reconcile if the person who offended him is a person of bad character.

· Man is often only willing to be reconciled if the offending party craves forgiveness and makes the first move.

· Man is often only willing to be reconciled if the offending party will never again do the wrong.

· Man, when he does reconcile, does not lift the former offender to place of high status and partnership.

· Man, when he is wronged, does not bear all the penalty for the wrong done.

· Man, when he attempts reconciliation, will not continue if he is rejected.

· Man will not restore an offender without a period of probation

· Man will not love, adopt, honor, and associate with one who has wronged him.

· Man will not trust someone who has formerly wronged them.

What passes for forgiveness among men is nothing like the amazing forgiveness of God. “Suppose that someone had grievously offended any one of you, and that he asked your forgiveness, do you not think that you would probably say to him, ‘Well, yes, I forgive you; but I – I – I – cannot forget it’? Ah! dear friends, that is a sort of forgiveness with one leg chopped off, it is a lame forgiveness, and is not worth much” (Spurgeon).

The Antichrist - Daniel 8:15-27

 Daniel 8:15-27  
15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man.
16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”
17 So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.”
18 And when he had spoken to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But he touched me and made me stand up.
19 He said, “Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end.
20 As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia.
21 And the goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king.
22 As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power.
23 And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise.
24 His power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints.
25 By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken—but by no human hand.
26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.”
27 And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king’s business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it.

The events explained in verses 15-22 can be verified as true in any history book telling events from Cyrus through the end of the Grecian Empire when Rome came into power. From verse 23 on we see prophecy for “the latter end of their kingdom”, the part that told about the ten toes of iron and clay in Nebuchadnezzar’s statue. This prophecy now becomes personal about one man – the Antichrist. He is described here as cunning, deceitful, and destructive. He will “even rise up against the Prince of princes” – Jesus Christ Himself.

This vision was powerfully disturbing for Daniel, so much that it made him physically ill for several days. We, who now live in the last days do not truly understand the evil of the man who is about to come into power in our world – he will have great ability to deceive; and will mislead a great many of our world. Those who see him for who he really is will be hunted for destruction.

*Read 1 Peter 1:10-11 – How well did the prophets of the Old Testament understand the things they were writing?

The Ram and the Goat - Daniel 8:1-14

 Daniel 8:1-14  
1 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first.
2 And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in Susa the citadel, which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I was at the Ulai canal.
3 I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last.
4 I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.
5 As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes.
6 He came to the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath.
7 I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power.
8 Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.
9 Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land.
10 It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them.
11 It became great, even as great as the Prince of the host. And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown.
12 And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression, and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?”
14 And he said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”

This vision came to Daniel about nine years before the events given in chapter 5. The ram with two horns in this vision is the Medo-Persian Empire, and the goat is Greece, with the great horn being Alexander the Great. The four horns replacing the great horn were Alexander’s four generals who took over his kingdom when he died.

We will read more of the interpretation in our next lesson.

*What gives you confidence today that Jesus is still in control of all that is happening in our world?

Alarming Explanations - Daniel 7:15-28

 

 Daniel 7:15-28  
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.’
19 “Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet,
20 and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions.
21 As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them,
22 until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.
23 “Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces.
24 As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings.
25 He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.

26 But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end.
27 And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’
28 “Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart.”

 Daniel asked God for an explanation of this fourth beast or kingdom that was so different. God answered his questions and the answers he received alarmed him (verse 28). The description we have in verse 23 above, that this kingdom will “devour the whole earth”, might well alarm us too, if we who are believers in Jesus Christ today did not know that we have His promise that He will save us from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

*Memorize 1 Thessalonians 1:10 – “And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

The Fourth Beast - Daniel 7:7-14

 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.
9 “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.
10 A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.
11 “I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire.
12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.
14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
Daniel 7:7-14

The beast described here is like nothing Daniel could describe. It is the Antichrist, a ruler like no other in earth’s history because this ruler will be backed up and possibly possessed by Satan himself.

The iron legs and feet (iron and clay mixed) from Nebuchadnezzar’s statue are pictured here as a single animal that has no earthly comparison. That is because there has never been a human ruler in earth’s history like this one – the Antichrist. The destruction foretold here will be greater than at any other time. The ten horns, of which 3 are replaced by a little horn, are ten kingdoms on the earth. Three of them will be replaced by the Antichrist. But his time to rule will be very short as Daniel sees in the next verse that the “Ancient of Days” comes to rule. This is God Himself and He gives the kingdom to be ruled by “one like the Son of Man” which is Jesus who will reign on the earth for one thousand years. The judgement that is seen in verse 10 is the judgement we also see in Matthew 25:31-40, determining who will enter this Millennial Kingdom.

*Read other descriptions of the Millennial Kingdom in Zechariah 14, Isaiah 2:2-4, Ezekiel 34:17-24, Micah 4:1-5, and Revelation 20:1-6.

From Global Media Outreach 

Daniel's First Vision - Daniel 7:1-6

Daniel 7:1-6  

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.

The first six chapters of Daniel have been history. With this chapter we begin to study Daniel’s visions from God through which He would give us information about the future. A first important question is: why would God tell us the future? One answer is that God does so to prove that He truly is God. Another reason is that He wants us, who are His children, to know what is coming so that when bad things happen, we can remain calm in the certain knowledge that He is still in control.

The first image in this vision is the four winds stirring up the great sea. This great sea is a symbol of the Gentile nations that are stirred up by the evil one against God and His people, Israel. All through scripture we find that Satan hates both God and Israel and, since he cannot destroy God, he does everything he can to destroy Israel. History is full of these attempts, and each one has failed.

The four beasts that come up from the sea are the same nations as represented by Nebuchadnezzar’s statue in Chapter 2. The difference is that Nebuchadnezzar’s statue presented man’s view of the governments of the world, while in Daniel’s dream, the animals presented God’s view of these governments. Dr. Strauss suggests that the lion standing up might be a reference to Nebuchadnezzar becoming a man of God.

The bear, raising itself on one side, showed that the Persian side of the Medo-Persian Empire would become the stronger of the two. A bear might be slower and less regal than a lion, but it is more powerful.

The leopard showed the speed with which Alexander the Great would conquer the world, and the four heads showed the four leaders of this empire who would follow Alexander after his death – his four generals.

Again, Dr. Strauss suggests that showing the governments as animals shows the bloodthirsty passion for dominance that man’s kingdoms prove to be.

*How do you see history with different eyes when you see it from God’s point of view?

From Global Media Outreach 

Faith in the Face of Death - Daniel 6:16-28

 

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.
18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.
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?”
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.
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.
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.  Daniel 6:16-28

Every believer in God will face attacks from God’s enemy, Satan, and Daniel was not an exception. Those who wanted the influence with the king that Daniel had, found a way to use Darius’ pride to get rid of Daniel. But God is never caught off guard! He can make even hungry lions wait for a meal! 

Ephesians 6:16 tells us that our faith in God is our shield against danger. This does not mean we will never be hurt or sick or even killed. Our faith in God is that He can keep, for eternity, our soul and life which we have given into His care (2 Timothy 1:12). We must live with the full awareness that this world is not our home: we are only here for a short moment when compared to eternity.

*Memorize 2 Timothy 1:12 – “…But I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard until that Day what I have entrusted to Him.”

A King's Pride - Daniel 6:1-15

 

1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom;
2 and over them three high officials, 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 high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
4 Then the high officials 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.”
6 Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever!
7 All the high officials 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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.” Daniel 6:1-15

*When have you made a decision based on pride which ended up being a bad decision?

Prophecy Told and Fulfilled - Daniel 5:17-31

 

17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation.

18 O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty.

19 And because of the greatness that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled.

20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him.

21 He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom He will.

22 And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this,

23 but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of His house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.

24 “Then from His presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed.

25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN.

26 This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end;

27 TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting;

28 PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed.

31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old. Daniel 5:17-31

Daniel was about 90 years old by this time. King Nebuchadnezzar has died, and, as we know from history, Belshazzar, the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, is the temporary ruler while his father, the King, is away. Daniel scolds him for knowing the truth from Nebuchadnezzar but defiling the things of God anyway. God wrote the judgment on the wall where the party was happening so everyone could see and understand when Daniel interpreted the words. It happened just as God said through Daniel a few hours later.

God foretells the future. Sometimes He tells it in great detail. In Isaiah 44:28-45:1 God names Cyrus as the man who would rebuild the walls of Jerusalem after the captivity in Babylon. This prophecy was written about 170 years before this event in our verses above. From history we learn that Cyrus the Great was the ruler of the Medo-Persian empire, and that Darius was very probably the leader of the army that invaded Babylon and who was then given command of the city with Cyrus being his king.

*What does Bible prophecy mean to your life?

Taken from Global Media Outreach