We did not get the expected snow in northern Colorado last night. It was colder and windy; but I was able to get the rest of my lawn mowed, perhaps for the last time. After my morning prayer time, where I had the opportunity to share a devotional on “Responding to Ridicule”  – I had a workout with my fitness trainer. I was actually able to get in a “push up plank” position for the first time in almost two and a half years! It wasn’t perfect but I off both knees!

This afternoon a meeting cancellation allowed me to attend a planning meeting for next spring’s National Day of Prayer event for Northern Colorado. Even though I had a fairly good day, I “ran out of gas” toward the end of the day and had to beg off an evening meeting in Longmont.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…. “The evil nation is very proud of itself; it is not living as it should. But those who are right with God will live by faith.”  Habakkuk 2:4 NCV

As the prophet looks at what the Lord is allowing the happen, he is confused and upset. The first two chapters of Habakkuk record the prophets complaint to the Lord and the Lord’s response. The final chapter we see a “prayer” of the prophet.

At the core of what God wants the prophet to understand is that regardless of what the situation is like; regardless of how difficult it is to understand what God is doing and why, “the righteous (those who are right with God) will live by faith.”

Living by faith means that I trust the Lord even though He permits evil. It means I trust the Lord and wait patiently even if the Lord uses those evil people to judge the righteous.

Living by faith requires humility. It is submission to the Lord and not exalting our understanding or our sense of justice to be the bottom line. The Lord says, “the evil nation is very proud of itself….” Righteousness is not equated with accomplishment and success. The Babylonians were fierce, mighty and successful. They were also proud and they in the end were humbled by the Lord that allowed them a season in history.

Living by faith is obeying God’s ways. The Lord says of the Babylonians, “…[they] are not living as [they] should.” Pride leads to a self directed and affirming life style. You live by the rules you make up for your own life. But there is a higher standard that is established and judged by God.

Paul refers to this verse twice in his letters. To the Romans he talks about the gospel revealing God’s righteousness and says, “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” (Romans 1:17 NIV) The upside down world of Christ followers is that righteousness is not dependent upon human effort, it is determined by faith. That keeps us humble depending daily upon the Lord.

Paul writes to the Galatians about the same concept and says, “Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Galatians 3:11 ESV)

The writer of Hebrews addresses believers who could identity with Habakkuk. They were facing faith-testing challenging times. Times of persecution, times of suffering, times of asking questions and I’m sure even complaining. These Christians are reminded of the words of the prophet from long ago, “For, Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith…” (Hebrews 10:37,38 ESV) This verse and the on which follows then leads into the listing of God’s people of faith.

To Hababkkuk the Lord said, “It may seem like a long time, but be patient and wait for it, because it will surely come; it will not be delayed.” It is from these words of encouragement and the perspective of faith that Habakkuk would utter the familiar words, “I will wait patiently for the day of disaster that will come to the people who attack us. Fig trees may not grow figs, and there may be no grapes on the vines. There may be no olives growing and no food growing in the fields. There may be no sheep in the pens and no cattle in the barns. But I will still be glad in the Lord; I will rejoice in God my  Savior. The Lord God is my strength. He makes me like a deer that does not stumble so I can walk on the steep mountains.” (Habakkuk 3:17-19 NCV)

Living by faith…it is trusting the Lord and being patient with the Lord’s plan for our life and our world. We may not understand or like what we see, but that doesn’t define what the Lord is doing. Our focus is to live by faith and regardless of the circumstances of life to “…be glad in the Lord;[and]….. rejoice in God my  Savior.”

Today was a good day to get cleaned up, caught up and ready for a coming snow. It was a good day not for appointments, but arranging for appointments. It is nice to have my landscaping projected completed and ready for the coming season and holidays.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…  “…Some things in Paul’s letters are hard to understand, and people who are ignorant and weak in faith explain these things falsely. They also falsely explain the other Scriptures, but they are destroying themselves by doing this.” 2 Peter 3:16 NCV

What does the Bible say? What does the Bible mean? We certainly realize that many arguments and divisions have taken place over the centuries on the teachings of the Bible.

Even before having the “Bible” as it is today, we see people “twisted” the words of the apostles and the scriptures that they did have available. At times it happened to develop a following based around a specific teaching; at other times it was to discredit the author of the words.

Today we see twisting scripture is done to justify actions condemned by the Bible, or to make someone sound spiritually superior, as well as for other motivations. Peter addresses the bottom line of those who distort scriptures, “they are destroying themselves.” The “friendly-fire” casualty is that often the faith of others is destroyed as well.

Paul wrote to Timothy and admonished him, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 ESV)

Here are some basics to keep in mind…

1 – The Bible is first and foremost a “redemptive revelation.” It shows both the beginning and the end of the known world and reveals God’s work throughout time and His eternal plan. God reveals Himself through the scriptures. Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!” (John 5:39 NLT) It is often said, “The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed, the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.”

2 – The Bible is the result of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit on the hearts and minds of men. “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21 ESV) 2 – The Bible in its 66 books is like a “self-contained” library. It has books of history, law, prophetic writings, poetry and letters written by the apostles to different individuals and groups.

3 – The Bible doesn’t tell us everything about all things. The Bible provides for us what we need for our faith and our conduct. What we believe and how we are to act. The Bible at times is very specific and at other times provides us principles that are to guide our lives.

4 – The plain meaning of the Bible is to be our first guide. For example, when the Bible says, “all have sinned….” (Romans 3:23) it means, “all have sinned.” It doesn’t mean some do and some don’t. It doesn’t mean it is humanly possible not to sin.

5 – The meaning of a verse should be understood in the context of the chapter and book where it is found. Pulling a verse “out of context” can be dangerous. This is especially true of using the Bible as a “spiritual horoscope” tool and opening and pointing at a verse to find guidance for your life.

6 – The Bible should be understood and interpreted in light of the Bible itself. Scripture gives meaning to scripture.

7 – The Bible should be understood in light of the culture in which it was written as well as the “figures of speech” that are found. The Bible uses metaphors, hyperbole, poetry, parables and other figures of speech that must be kept in mind.

8 – There is a difference between what the Bible records and what the Bible teaches. Not everything found in the Bible is to be modeled in our lives. We see the sins of many of God’s people laid out for the “world” to see.  For example, in the Old Testament multiple marriages was the cultural norm and even though the Lord prohibited it, it was still practiced by many.

9 – There are passages of scripture and concepts that are more challenging to understand. It is important to use Bible Study aids for word studies, Bible dictionaries and commentaries to see what Bible scholars say about a passage.

10 – Understand the difference in Bible translations. “Literal translations” look for word for word interpretation from the original language to English. Many Bible versions use a translation method known as a “dynamic equivalent.” The goal is to communicate the meaning of the words staying as close to the original language as possible. Paraphrases are the “loosest” forms which are written in the author’s own words, communicating the meaning of scripture in a creative style or “modern language.” Most of these are the work of an individual opposed to a committee of Biblical scholars.

Sometimes people say, “you can make scripture say anything you want!” I think that is more true about statistics than the Bible; but if someone is “using” the Bible for any purpose but to discover God’s plan and purpose for their life are they, as Peter said, “destroying themselves.”

Today was a pleasant day…perhaps the calm before an anticipated snow storm. With the help of some friends of Zane Strange, I was able to get my landscaping project completed. With the pleasant weather we were also able to get the painting of our house completed. We still have a little snow on the north side of our house, but it isn’t too often that we have grass as green as we do this year, at this time of the season. Some of our bushes still have their green leaves. I may need to mow the grass one more time….if the snow melts in time and the weather is warm.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father encourage you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. God loved us, and through his grace he gave us a good hope and encouragement that continues forever.” (2 Thessalonians 2:16,17 NCV) “Now may the Lord of peace give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” (2 Thessalonians 3:16 NCV)

We find two “benedictions” or expressions of blessing and prayer from Paul in his short second letter to the Thessalonians. The benedictions of the Bible make for interesting and encouraging study. They are sometimes expressions of praise; at others times declarations of God’s character; they are prayers and reveal God’s response to our faith in Him.

We find the first benediction in the context of Paul sharing about the coming of Christ. Many believers were concerned they had missed the coming of the Lord. Paul responds by reminding them of certain events that will happen before the Lord returns. He also let’s them know that even though there will be terrible events leading up to the Lord’s return that they can hope for “better things” as heirs of salvation.

As Paul pronounces his prayerful desire he reassures these believers that they can anticipate courage and strength as the day of the Lord approach. their duty is to commit themselves to “good” in word and deed. He goes on tells them this is all is through the Lord’s love and grace that gives us hope and encouragement.

It is important to remember that when we make a commitment to follow Christ, that we don’t live life alone, or in our own strength. The Lord is with us to help us and be with us and provide all that we need.

That leads to the second benediction at the close of the letter. Paul’s reassurance is that the Lord will give peace at all times and in every way. What precedes this benediction are some difficult instructions. Paul tells them of his own struggles and challenges in preaching the gospel and reminds them of their spiritual enemy. He then instructs them on how to deal with those who refuse to work and ignore Paul’s instructions in this letter.

So he is talking about conflict from without and within. Those are the types of issues that create anxiety and loss of sleep at night. But he assures them that the Lord will give them peace, as they are confronted by acts of “tough love” and struggles in their spiritual life.

Paul prays for assurance of peace “at all times.” There is no situation that God is not concerned about, and in which He is limited in His ability to bring calm into the rough seas of life. And then Paul mentions, “in every way.” The Lord is not confined in how He acts to provide what we need. If we stay open and don’t make the mistake of believing the Lord does the same thing in the same way, we will see the Lord’s faithfulness to bring His peace into our life.

What we observe in these “benedictions” or prayers for the Thessalonians, is that they come after some difficult words. The reality of the Christian life is one where our joy, peace and faith can be under attack. We do have a spiritual enemy and at times there are “Christians acting badly.” But in our life, we find the Lord’s provision for us in each situation we face.

We can be confident that because of the Lord’s love and mercy, we will have the strength, encouragement and peace that is need when it is needed.

This morning I attend the Men’s breakfast at Timberline Church. Actually the men were helping hosting a community wide gathering on Human Sex Trafficking. Several organizations were present to share what they were doing to fight against this societal tragedy. It was good to see my friend Vicki Proffit who now is the Director Sarah’s Home.

With the cooperative weather, I am hoping to get the landscaping project I have been working on completed this weekend. Some dirt arrived to fill in around the foundation and I rented some equipment to see if we can make modification to our slope around two sides of the house that have been the source of some water problems.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Israel says, “I will look to the Lord for help. I will wait for God to save me; my God will hear me. Enemy, don’t laugh at me. I have fallen, but I will get up again. I sit in the shadow of trouble now, but the Lord will be a light for me.” Micah 7:7,8 NCV

A commercial for an emergency call system for seniors has an elderly women crying out, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” I actually now what that is like; and it is no fun! Before leaving the rehab hospital Debbie and I worked with my physical therapist on “fall recovery.” Because of my complete weakness, it proved to be a challenge and we needed a system and strategy in place for when that happened.

While falling without the ability to get yourself up is a feeling of desperation; falling and being able to get up brings confidence and hope. That is what describes the spiritual condition of God’s people as the Book of Micah comes to an close. Throughout the book the prophet provides words of hope and restoration after judgment, but now these words come from the perspective of God’s people, “I will look to the Lord for help. I will wait for God to save me….”

The Lord speaks through Micah and declares that there will be extreme famine and time of trial. The Lord addresses the sins of dishonesty and self-centeredness and says, “don’t even trust members of  your own family.” The people are confused about what the Lord wants and the Lord let’s them know that more than sacrifice or ritual He wants them to, “do what is right to other people, love being kind to others, and live humbly, obeying your God.” (Micah 6:8 NCV)

The people seem to finally understand their “fallen” condition. But through the words of the prophet they understand that they can and will “get up.” But here is the process for this “fall recovery.”

“I will look to the Lord for help.” That may sound basic, but remember these people worshiped, gave credit to and sought the advice of idols and false gods and prophets for generations. Understanding that God is for them and is their source of help is a significant revelation and commitment.

“I will wait for God to save me.” Patience is an important spiritual discipline. In our quick fix, microwave, instant gratification world, waiting is not in our DNA. Waiting is a sign of submission. It is not giving God an ultimatum; “If you don’t come through this week…I’m seeking other help.” Waiting on God to save, shows you understand that God is the true source of help and that He knows what is best and we rest in that.

“God will hear me.” Do you have doubts that God is listening to your prayers…that He is aware of  your situation and needs? Do you feel that you have alienated yourself from God to the point He has “given up” on you? If anyone could feel that way, it was God’s people in their sinful condition. But they realized that God does hear the prayers of His people. John writes to Christians and reminds them, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14 NIV)

“The Lord will be a light for me.” Even if I am in darkness now, I know the Lord will be a light to lead me out of darkness. Basically this is the concept that, “what I am experiencing now, is not the way it will always be.” That is why we see the words addressed to the enemies of God’s people, “don’t laugh, I have fallen, but I will get up again.” At times it is easy for us and for those who oppose us to feel that our downfall is final. But that is not the case when we call on the Lord and wait for Him to act on our behalf.

With this resolve and confidence in God, we find the final words of Micah are filled with hope and faith in the Lord’s mercy and faithfulness.

“There is no God like you. You forgive those who are guilty of sin; you don’t look at the sins of your people who are left alive. You will not stay angry forever, because you enjoy being kind. You will have mercy on us again; you will conquer our sins. You will throw away all our sins into the deepest part of the sea.”  (Micah 7:18,19 NCV)

These verses communicate the heart and character of God. Remember who He is and what He alone can do for you. Remember, “If you fall, you will get up” if you call on the Lord and wait for Him to act lead you forward in life.

Today was like “old times.” I went to the Banner Hospital in Fort Collins for an MRI on my neck. This was a follow up from an MRI over a year ago that discovered a bulging disc in my neck. My doctors want to determine the status of my neck and if this disc could be hampering the nerve regeneration needed for my full recovery.

My tech in the lab told me that he had participated in the Iron Man finals in Hawaii. This event will be aired tomorrow on NBC sports. There were several from Fort Collins that I discovered who qualified for this challenging event. They ranged in age from 23 to 50. The Iron Man is a  2.4 mile ocean swim, a 112 mile bike ride, followed by a full marathon. My tech finished in 10 hours; the fastest time from Fort Collins was a little over 9 hours! I am really impressed by the 50 year old who competed and completed the race. So, I went to the fitness center today.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “In the last days the mountain on which the Lord’s Temple stands will become the most important of all mountains. It will be raised above the hills, and people from other nations will come streaming to it. Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Temple of the God of Jacob, so that he can teach us his ways, and we can obey his teachings.”His teachings will go out from Jerusalem, the word of the Lord from that city.”  Micah 4:1,2 NCV

The words of the prophets point out the sin and corrupted character of God’s people. But we see with the condemnation and announcement of judgment, the justice of God and the mercy of God. These are often intertwined in the message of the prophets.

Many of the words of the Old Testament prophets found their fulfillment in Jesus day and beyond. It is Micah’s words that declare, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are too small to be among the army groups from Judah, from you will come one who will rule Israel for me.” (Micah 5:2 NCV) This was this passage that was searched for by the scholars of Jesus day to answer the question of the Wise Men, “where is He, who is born King of the Jews?”

We see the prophetic declaration about the importance of the “Holy City” Jerusalem as the place where the Lord’s presence and teaching will be sought. It is prophesied as “the place” from which the knowledge of the Lord will originate and spread.

We see this fulfilled as the Temple is restored and established and as Jesus comes as the “light of the world” and as the “way, the truth and the life.” It is on the “Mountain of the Lord’s Temple” where a cross will be lifted high with the sacrifice of the “Lamb of God.” It is on the “Mountain of the Lord” where the Temple curtain will be torn from top to bottom and all will be provided access to the presence of the Holy God. It is from “God’s mountain” that the good news will spread to give light to all the world. The “word of the Lord” has indeed gone forth from the city.

Even today, we see the people  of the world coming to Jerusalem to see the place where God’s people have lived and where Jesus walked, taught, performed miracles and died and rose to life.

But the journey to this glorious promise and destiny, would be through captivity in Babylon. “…now you must leave the city and live in the field. You will go to Babylon, but you will be saved from that place. The Lord will go there and buy you back from your enemies.” (Micah 4:10 NCV)

What is of interest is that Micah prophesied this almost 100 years before it would happen. The enemy of the day was Assyria, from whom the Lord delivered Judah. But we see that Hezekiah, welcomed an envoy from Babylon when they came to visit him after recovery from his illness. Hezekiah proceeded to show these foreign visitors all the wealth of the nation. This brought the first pronouncement of God’s judgment on His people by the hand of the Babylonians.

Remember the saying, “it is darkest before the dawn.” Often times the days of blessing are preceded by days of trial and hardship. The Lord was promising days of blessing and prosperity for His people, but they were not a people ready to inherit that blessing.

In our lives we can discover the same thing to be true. The blessings that come from trusting and obeying the Lord are often experienced after we learn the hardships that come from living for ourselves and not trusting and fully obeying the Lord. Just as death precedes resurrection, we must experience death to ourselves and our desires, before we share in the “power of the resurrection.”

Paul would write to the Galatians and remind them, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their own sinful selves. They have given up their old selfish feelings and the evil things they wanted to do. We get our new life from the Spirit, so we should follow the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:24,25 NCV)

So the good news is the Lord has great days for those who follow Him…but first we must experience a death to our old lives, thoughts and actions.

I have come to mark another birthday. This is day has become significant because of the reminder of “celebrating” my 60th birthday two years ago at Northern Colorado Rehab Hospital. While my recovery is prolonged it is good to be able to recognize progress. Today, I had a work out with Garrett my trainer at 24 Hour Fitness. I was able to walk farther with one cane than I have at any time in the past; so on my birthday, I marked another sign of progress.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…“The Lord says, “Even now, come back to me with all your heart. Fast, cry, and be sad.” Tearing your clothes is not enough to show you are sad; let your heart be broken. Come back to the Lord your God,because he is kind and shows mercy. He doesn’t become angry quickly, and he has great love.” Joel 2:12,13 NCV

Joel is a short book of prophecy that opens with an alarm about how terrible the coming judgments will be on land and people. The coming condition is summarized in these words, “Our food is taken away while we watch. Joy and happiness are gone from the Temple of our God.” (Joel 1:16 NCV)

In the Old Testament the sounding of a trumpet was one of the main tools of communication. The trumpet would call to worship as well as war. The trumpet would announce the coming of the King and times of celebration. Two trumpet sounds are found in Joel, the first is to warn…warn of God’s judgment, “Blow the trumpet in Jerusalem;
shout a warning on my holy mountain. Let all the people who live in the land shake with fear, because the Lord’s day of judging is coming;  it is near.” (Joel 2:1 NCV)

The Lord’s warnings have been ignored and His patience has come to an end. The people were to be prepared for the Lord who is ready to act and act in a way that will cause trembling and has never been known among the people. “The Lord’s day of judging is an overwhelming and terrible day. No one can stand up against it!” (Joel 2:11 NCV)

Then we see another trumpet sound. A trumpet sound that is a call to repentance, “Blow the trumpet in Jerusalem; call for a day when everyone fasts. Tell everyone to stop work.” (Joel 2:15 NCV) The warning of judgment is a call to repentance; true repentance. Not going through outward demonstration, but truly experiencing a change of heart, the outlasts the time of crisis. This is life altering, work stopping repentance.

Because God is a God of love, mercy and kindness; there is always hope. The prophet says, “Who knows? Maybe he will turn back to you and leave behind a blessing for you.” (Joel 2:14 NCV)

The cry that is required at this time is a “cry for mercy” a cry for God to uphold the integrity of His name by coming to rescue His people.

We see the assurance of the Lord’s response to the humble cry of repentance and mercy, “Then the Lord became concerned about his land and felt sorry for his people. He said to them: “I will send you grain, new wine, and olive oil, so that you will have plenty. No more will I shame you among the nations.”  (Joel 2:18,19 NCV)

The restoration of the contrite is assured, “At that time I will pour out my Spirit also on male slaves and female slaves. I will show miracles in the sky and on the earth: blood, fire, and thick smoke…Then anyone who calls on the Lord will be saved;” (Joel 2:29,30,32)

In these short chapters we see sweeping judgment, a warning and call to repentance and the assurance of restoration. The words of Joel 2, are referenced on the Day of Pentecost recorded in the Book of Acts, we see other signs and the reference to the “Day of the Lord” as an indication of the application of these words to days yet to come.

We need to remember, awareness of God’s judgment is to be taken serious. It calls for true heart change. When that happens we find God in His mercy, forgives and restores. If people call on the Lord, then, they will be saved.” The trumpet call in the Old Testament may today be a “sound” in our hearts and minds that the Lord is using to get our attention as individuals and as a people. The right response, makes all the difference. To ignore is to be doomed; to heed and turn is to be saved and restored.

We had our first snow fall this morning. I had an early morning meeting in Berthoud so I’m glad the roads were clear. I attended a Chamber of Commerce meeting at Grace Place in Berthoud. This church was started 19 years ago in a school and just moved into a new large facility west of town on Hwy 287. This church is making a huge impact on a community in their community activities and church ministries.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “But we were very gentle with you, like a mother caring for her little children. Because we loved you, we were happy to share not only God’s Good News with you, but even our own lives. You had become so dear to us!”  1 Thessalonians 2:7,8 NCV

I have always viewed Paul as more like Peter, than John. John was the Apostle of “love” and Peter…you know Peter….Strong, brash, outspoken. Paul knew how to stand his ground, endure suffering and keep persevering in the work of the gospel. But as he writes to the Thessalonians we see a “soft side” of Paul. But when we take a close look we see that character is reflected in conduct.

Consider the type of character Paul was trying to avoid. “Our appeal does not come from lies or wrong reasons, nor were we trying to trick you…. You know that we never tried to influence you by saying nice things about you. We were not trying to get your money; we had no selfishness to hide from you.” (1 Thess. 2:3,5 NCV)

In Paul’s day there were those who took advantage of the faith of people. They came across as “spiritual men” but were out for themselves. They were more interested in money, than others. Their motivations were always hidden behind a vale of spiritual authority. Paul knew what his “competition” was like and how he needed to go the “extra mile” to reveal the true character of God’s servants.

So to counter the charlatans of the day, Paul’s conduct spoke of the character of his life and that of Christ. We see he was caring and patient. He was willing to work hard and not be a burden to people. “I know you remember our hard work and difficulties. We worked night and day so we would not burden any of you while we preached God’s Good News to you.” (1 Thess. 2:9 NCV)

Paul was able to stand strong in the face of opposition. He had just come from the Philippian jail where he was persecuted for the work of the gospel. . “People there insulted us, as you know, and many people were against us. But our God helped us to be brave and to tell you his Good News.” (1 Thess. 2:2 NCV)

Paul continually sought to please God and not “fleece” people. “…we speak the Good News because God tested us and trusted us to do it. When we speak, we are not trying to please people, but God, who tests our hearts.” (1 Thess. 2:4 NCV) Paul realized that preaching the gospel may upset some people, but his desire was to be faithful to God’s call and not just win the favor of people. His care for people compelled him to speak the truth.

Paul realized the modern day adage, “you can impress people from afar, but you can only impact them up close.” He said, “Because we loved you, we were happy to share not only God’s Good News with you, but even our own lives.” (1 Thss. 2:8 NCV)

Conduct that flows from character leads to impact. Paul said, “…you know our visit to you was not a failure.” (1 Thess. 2:1 NCV)

Paul’s life challenges us today. Does our conduct reflect a godly character? One that is patient and caring and stands for truth? Are we looking to impress people, or to make a genuine impact on lives?

We see the summary of Paul’s life in these words, “When we were with you, we lived in a holy and honest way, without fault.”  (1Thess. 2:10 NCV) Out of this commitment to the Lord Paul said, “We encouraged you, we urged you, and we insisted that you live good lives for God…” (1 Thess. 2:12 NCV)

May the Lord give us the strength, like Paul, to “go the way and show the way” as we admonish others in their life of faith. When we do, we see our character impacting our conduct.

After feeling quite a bit of fatigue last night I had some good energy and activity today. I attended my Tuesday morning prayer time and then got in a work out at the fitness center before getting in some landscaping work before the snow falls. I was able to get some other officials duties taken care of as well.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…  “As I looked, thrones were put in their places, and God, the Eternal One, sat on his throne. His clothes were white like snow, and the hair on his head was white like wool. His throne was made from fire, and the wheels of his throne were blazing with fire. A river of fire was flowing from in front of him. Many thousands of angels were serving him, and millions of angels stood before him. Court was ready to begin, and the books were opened.”  Daniel 7:9,10 NCV

Daniel is about dreams, visions and divine interventions. We see God revealing Himself to Nebuchadnezzar and then to his son Belshazzar who failed to learn the lesson of humility from his father and in turn lost his throne to another ruler.

During the reign of Belshazzar Daniel has a vision of the sea and beasts. In Bible prophecy the sea speaks of people, so we see these beasts representing rulers and nations coming up from among the people. Much of what unfolds is future history for the world of Daniel, but past history from our perspective, but also prophecies about events yet to happen.

In the midst of all the images of beasts and thrones, we see “a” throne or “the” throne which is most important. While human kingdoms may come and go and jockey for power and positions and dominance, the throne of God stands firm over all. God’s reign is not coming, it already is!

We see a picture of God sitting on His throne. The throne is not empty  and God is not standing waiting for some coronation. He is in position of rule and authority and is at the task of exerting His judgment. His throne is made of “fire” and has “wheels.” Not only that a “river for fire” flowed before Him.

We see the fire purifies and destroys. No one can stand before a blazing fire; and in like fashion no one can stand before the great God of the universe who is not bound or confined by time and geography.

Just as a king is attended by servants, we see the throne of God served by angels…thousands of angels and millions of angels before Him. We often forget about the “heavenly host” that is active in our world. God is not alone, His presence is filled with angels. Not only do they serve God, they serve “God’s people.” “…angels are only servants–spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.“ (Hebrews 1:14 NLT)

Finally we see the “books are opened” and court was ready to begin. This is a vivid picture of God as judge of all the earth and judge of all the kingdoms of the world.

We see this great picture of “God’s throne” sandwiched between Daniel’s description of a “little” horn that grew up out of three of the beasts or nations. While earth is in the midst of all its activities, while ruler believe they have ultimate authority, there is a God in heaven who is sovereign and in control and stands ready to judge.

God acts. In His time and in His way. We see a description of an event that sounds much like the Book of Revelation, “…I saw in front of me someone who looked like a human being coming on the clouds in the sky. He came near God, who has been alive forever, and he was led to God. He was given authority, glory, and the strength of a king. People of every tribe, nation, and language will serve him. His rule will last forever, and his kingdom will never be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13,14 NCV)

On the Isle of Patmos, John saw a revelation that included this, “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen. (Revelation 1:7 NIV)

There is a day coming ( just as all other days of prophecies have been fulfilled) when Christ will return. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom and those who belong to His kingdom will be a part of that eternal kingdom. Daniel saw it, John saw it and one day there will be a generation that sees it not as a vision, but as fulfillment of God’s promise. That is the day of the final “Amen.”