Five Lessons From
The Book Of Daniel
Part 1
About 2600 years ago, Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem. This stressful time marked the beginning of a radical change in the life of four bright Jewish lads – Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. In the years to come, the invading Babylonian Empire, and King Nebuchadnezzar himself, would be affected by the life and convictions of these young men.
Your life, like theirs, can also influence others. When Daniel got older he was inspired by the Lord to write of extraordinary events – some which he lived himself, others which happened later, and some yet to happen. The first six chapters of his book are historic; the remaining six are mainly prophetic. Continue Reading »
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THREE SECRETS OF
A Strong Marriage
In these difficult times of increasing unemployment, financial loss, stress, emotional illness and spiritual challenges, many people are worried about their finances, futures and marital relationships becoming weaker. But we need not be paralyzed by fear, rather we should be moved by faith in God to maintain strong relationships in a weak society. Let’s consider some secrets for a healthy marital relationship.
Life is full of questions, but as believers, even when we do not know the answers we know who is the answer – our precious Lord Jesus. The Pharisees and Sadducees asked questions concerning taxes, the authority of government and God, future marital relationships and resurrection, and the motivation of law and love for relationships (Mt. 22:15-40; Mk. 12:13-34 NKJV). Some people today are looking to the government and the economy for solutions to their problems, but feel disappointed and discouraged every time they read or hear the news. Therefore, in order to maintain a healthy marriage in these stressful times, we need to know these three secrets found in the Word of God. Continue Reading »
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Give Priority To God And People
The word “Christian” means a follower of Christ. The beginning of a new year is a good time to focus on some of the words He spoke – in particular, His first words, His most important words and His last recorded words – and determine how well we are following Him.
His First Words
When He was 12 years old, Jesus stayed behind to talk with the teachers in the temple while His parents headed for home after the festival of the Passover. When they returned and found Him, Mary said, “‘Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.’ ‘Why were you searching for Me?’ He asked. ‘Didn’t you know I had to be in My Father’s house?’ But they did not understand what He was saying to them. Then He went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Lk. 2:48-52 NIV). Continue Reading »
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Made In The Image Of God
And is it so? We shall be Like Thy Son!
Is this the grace, which He for us has won?
Father of glory, thought beyond all thought,
In glory, to His own blest likeness brought.
– J. N. Darby
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The Old Testament tells us that in the very beginning God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness” (Gen. 1:26 KJV). How magnificent! Even after the Fall, God continued to state this fact (Gen. 9:6). And in the New Testament, the apostle Paul reiterated these words of the highest honor given to man: “He is the image and glory of God” (1 Cor. 11:7). And God said it was “very good” that He “created man in His own image” (Gen. 1:31,27). Wasn’t this enough for Adam and Eve?
In the Garden of Eden, the serpent enticed Eve with the thought that when she and Adam ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil “ye shall be as God” (Gen. 3:5). Was this not the same desire that Satan, the anointed cherub, had for himself before time began, when he said, “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God … I will be like the Most High” (Isa. 14:12-14; Ezek. 28:13-15)? Tragically, they believed the serpent and ate. Continue Reading »
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Learning From Adam And Eve
Were Adam and Eve real, historical, three-dimensional people? There’s no reason to suppose that they were anything but what the Bible says. Some dismiss this prototype couple as myth, but the Bible stakes its own credibility on the reality of Adam and Eve, referring to them repeatedly as real people, and to their lives, actions and example as actual and historical (Gen. 5:1-5; 1 Chr. 1:1; Hos. 6:7; Lk. 3:38; Rom. 5:12-14; 1 Cor. 15:22,45; 2 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:13-14; Jude 1:14). If Adam and Eve were not real, but only mythical or symbolic, then all the Bible is open to question.
As Christians, we believe that all of the Bible is God’s Word, completely reliable and authoritative, the essence of truth. Thus, Adam and Eve are real. They were the only humans ever to live without experiencing birth, childhood, puberty and adolescence – all the stages of maturing. They began life as adults, from the hand and breath of the Creator (Gen. 1-2), long before the enemy of truth hatched the theory of evolution! Continue Reading »
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Adam And Eve Covered
Early in Genesis, through deception of the woman and disobedience of the man, the world was plunged into sin. God had placed man in a wonderful environment, the Garden of Eden, and provided for all of his needs. Man was in a state of innocence; he had everything one could ask for. He had the beauty of a paradise that only God could create. He had the company of all of the animals that he had the privilege of naming, which showed his intelligence. He had the companionship of his lovely wife, Eve, whom God had given to him. He had health, strength, vitality and a promising future. But most importantly, he had the fellowship of God who communed with him in the Garden of Eden in the cool of the day (Gen. 3:8).
Yet all of this was lost in a moment of deception and disobedience, because Satan had come to do his work. All of the grief that we feel today, and that has been felt for centuries, is a direct result of the Fall. And since then the principle of sin has been in effect as a result of what occurred in the Garden of Eden. We suffer sickness, pain and death. We experience crime, poverty and hatred. We feel racism, sexism and narcissism. And the list is endless. However, we can bless God because He has covered our nakedness by His grace. He has covered us with the blood of Christ. We are able to take off the fig leaves and be fully covered in the coats of skin. “And the Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them” (Gen. 3:21 NASB). Continue Reading »
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Discovering Ourselves In EDEN
Genesis has often been described as the seed plot of the Bible. Subjects raised in this first book are developed in later books. The very name “Genesis” means “origin” – a fitting title for a book that reveals a number of significant beginnings. Man’s own origin is unveiled in this book as well as his destiny.
It is hardly surprising that Genesis has been the object of Satan’s vicious attacks for centuries, and many so-called scholars today dismiss it as a book of myths. If Genesis is taken literally it makes rather unpleasant reading for the humanistic anthropologist and for those who embrace the teaching of evolutionary science. In order to maintain their views, they have to read Genesis in a non-literal way. However, if we fail to read Genesis literally we run into all kinds of problems in the New Testament. Our Lord Jesus Christ clearly understood Genesis as literal history, and Paul’s extended discourse on the gospel message in Romans also depends upon a literal reading of Genesis.
We do not need to be afraid of reading Genesis literally. In fact, it contains the answer to many of life’s problems today – particularly when we consider the lives of Adam and Eve. Continue Reading »
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