hotcoffee
New Member
When we left Daniel yesterday, the jealous cohorts had tricked King Cyrus into putting Daniel, an 80 year old devout follower of God, into a den of Lions. A stone had been rolled over the opening and sealed. The king barely slept a wink because of the guilt.
b.Daniel 6:28 Or Darius, that is, the reign of Cyrus
One of the commentaries puts this story in today's perspective.
Today, the followers of Satan are gaining numbers. I heard of a new survey presented by one of the news channels. In the survey a larger majority of the people of age 18-25 stated that they were agnostic or atheists. More and more Christians are being stifled. There are fewer and fewer revivals. The churches are arguing amongst themselves instead of working to get the word out.
Satan is jealous. He's looking for any excuse to stifle the Christian voice. The majority of us are allowing it. We have to speak up. We have to step out in faith. Our army is beginning to dwindle. Yes, I know Jesus doesn't need our human army of Christians. Jesus can and will defeat Satan. Jesus can and will single handedly bind Satan and throw Satan into the lake of fire. But we need to do our part. Not so much to fight Satan in our own lives but to fight Satan's effort to take over the lives of our children and grandchildren.
Life without Christ is so much harder than life with Christ.
Daniel 6:19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”
21 Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! 22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”
23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
24 At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
25 Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth:
“May you prosper greatly!
26 “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.
“For he is the living God
and he endures forever;
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
his dominion will never end.
27
He rescues and he saves;
he performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
21 Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! 22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”
23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
24 At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
25 Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth:
“May you prosper greatly!
26 “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.
“For he is the living God
and he endures forever;
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
his dominion will never end.
27
He rescues and he saves;
he performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
b.Daniel 6:28 Or Darius, that is, the reign of Cyrus
One of the commentaries puts this story in today's perspective.
Some time again your author got a letter from a pastor who told me of a man who was a deacon in his church. He said they had a revival meeting and the evangelist preached a message on having an unashamed commitment to the Lord. This man who have been saved over twenty years and a long time deacon in his church got up and confessed later to the congregation that no one in the factory where he worked all these years knew he was a Christian. But he said that had all changed and he was now telling people when the opportunity came that he was a Christian and was telling people about the Lord Jesus. He said what a wonderful change had come over his life since he stood up and ceased to be ashamed of the Lord Jesus and that he was a child of God.
We will not be cast into a lion's den, but the world around us is full of intimidating vicious lions who will rail on us with their mouths and abuse us personally when we take a stand for the Lord Jesus. One reason the local church should be so important to us is because among other believers there is security and can be great comfort.
We will not be cast into a lion's den, but the world around us is full of intimidating vicious lions who will rail on us with their mouths and abuse us personally when we take a stand for the Lord Jesus. One reason the local church should be so important to us is because among other believers there is security and can be great comfort.
Today, the followers of Satan are gaining numbers. I heard of a new survey presented by one of the news channels. In the survey a larger majority of the people of age 18-25 stated that they were agnostic or atheists. More and more Christians are being stifled. There are fewer and fewer revivals. The churches are arguing amongst themselves instead of working to get the word out.
Satan is jealous. He's looking for any excuse to stifle the Christian voice. The majority of us are allowing it. We have to speak up. We have to step out in faith. Our army is beginning to dwindle. Yes, I know Jesus doesn't need our human army of Christians. Jesus can and will defeat Satan. Jesus can and will single handedly bind Satan and throw Satan into the lake of fire. But we need to do our part. Not so much to fight Satan in our own lives but to fight Satan's effort to take over the lives of our children and grandchildren.
Life without Christ is so much harder than life with Christ.