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A recap of the August 28th sermon from Daniel 11:2-20:
1. Dr. Merrill F. Unger writes about Daniel chapter 11: “This marvelous pre-writing of history by the Spirit of prophecy through Daniel of the 6th century B.C. seems impossible to rationalistic critics and is the chief reason for the rejection of the genuineness of the book of Daniel. History has minutely verified these prophecies fulfilled by Persian kings, 2; Alexander the Great, 3-4; the Ptolemies of Egypt, 5, ‘the king of the South’ and the Seleucids of Syria, ‘the king of the North’, 6-35. Even the Romans, 30…”
2. Daniel is writing in approximately 536.B.C. and records events, Kings, and Kingdoms that would not come into existence for several hundred more years. J. Vernon McGee writes of this passage: “The prophecy of this chapter is so detailed and so accurate that the liberal critic will not accept the fact that it was written before it happened. He insists that Daniel’s prophecy was written after it had become history.” “Obviously, this chapter before us is one of the most remarkable passages of pre-written history in the Word of God, and conservative scholarship can sustain the early date of Daniel. This means that you have a miracle on your hands.”
3. Though these prophecies concern the people of Israel and the nations around her, we can make several applications for Christians today:
-Fulfilled prophecy should give us the utmost confidence in the accuracy and reliability of the Word of God. We can trust our lives to God’s Word, the Bible.
-God in His sovereignty sets up one ruler and puts down another according to His purposes.
-God’s plans always succeed
-God cares for His people and will deliver them in the midst of difficulties.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
The Invisible War, Part 3
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Recap of the sermon from August 21st (Daniel 10:14-11:1):
1. Daniel 10 is a fascinating look at spiritual warfare in action. As one writer puts it: “This report [of the angel concerning the delay in answering Daniel’s prayer] gave Daniel some insight into the unseen spiritual battles going on in this world.”
2. The Bible teaches the following about spiritual warfare:
-Demons are fallen angels who joined in Satan’s rebellion against God, who have great intelligence and power. They promote Satan’s agenda in this world.
-They are spirit beings, however, they are not omnipresent (they can only be in one place at a time), nor are they omniscient (they are not all-knowing). Their effectiveness is due to their long existence and their observations of humans in all kinds of situations.
3. Dr. Charles Ryrie categorizes the work of demons as follows:
-they promote a system of false doctrine (teaching) that includes salvation by good works, denial of the deity or humanity of Jesus Christ, is deceptive (can promote evil or good to accomplish their purposes, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
-they promote destruction of men’s bodies and/or minds, they promote moral impurity, they will torment humans physically in the Tribulation (Revelation 9:11)
-they delude the nations (Daniel 1013,20; Revelation 16:13-14,16)
4. The believer’s defense against Satan and his demons is as follows:
-don’t take Satan lightly, Jude 8,9
-be alert to Satan’s attacks, 1 Peter 5:8 (but see 2 Chronicles 16:9)
-use the armor of God, Ephesians 6:11-18, especially prepared by knowledge of the Word of God and prayer
-flee sexual situations, Genesis 39, 2 Timothy 2:22
-make no provision for the sin nature, Romans 13:14
-be careful about attitudes toward sin (especially repetitive sin), toward your mate, secret sin, the things slipping into your language, actions, thought life.
Recap of the sermon from August 21st (Daniel 10:14-11:1):
1. Daniel 10 is a fascinating look at spiritual warfare in action. As one writer puts it: “This report [of the angel concerning the delay in answering Daniel’s prayer] gave Daniel some insight into the unseen spiritual battles going on in this world.”
2. The Bible teaches the following about spiritual warfare:
-Demons are fallen angels who joined in Satan’s rebellion against God, who have great intelligence and power. They promote Satan’s agenda in this world.
-They are spirit beings, however, they are not omnipresent (they can only be in one place at a time), nor are they omniscient (they are not all-knowing). Their effectiveness is due to their long existence and their observations of humans in all kinds of situations.
3. Dr. Charles Ryrie categorizes the work of demons as follows:
-they promote a system of false doctrine (teaching) that includes salvation by good works, denial of the deity or humanity of Jesus Christ, is deceptive (can promote evil or good to accomplish their purposes, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
-they promote destruction of men’s bodies and/or minds, they promote moral impurity, they will torment humans physically in the Tribulation (Revelation 9:11)
-they delude the nations (Daniel 1013,20; Revelation 16:13-14,16)
4. The believer’s defense against Satan and his demons is as follows:
-don’t take Satan lightly, Jude 8,9
-be alert to Satan’s attacks, 1 Peter 5:8 (but see 2 Chronicles 16:9)
-use the armor of God, Ephesians 6:11-18, especially prepared by knowledge of the Word of God and prayer
-flee sexual situations, Genesis 39, 2 Timothy 2:22
-make no provision for the sin nature, Romans 13:14
-be careful about attitudes toward sin (especially repetitive sin), toward your mate, secret sin, the things slipping into your language, actions, thought life.
Monday, August 15, 2011
The Invisible War, Part 2
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Recap of August 14th sermon from Daniel 10:9-13:
1. When we become active for the Lord, especially in prayer, we energize the enemy. Speaking of Daniel 10, Dr. Gleason Archer writes: “These verses give us a fascinating insight into the supernatural forces involved when a believer engages in protracted and earnest prayer.” “…mighty forces are unleashed when we really devote ourselves to intercession before the throne of grace.”
2. Daniel was called “highly esteemed” in 10:11 (see also 9:23; 10:19). Literally, Daniel was precious to God. This description showed how much God loves and cares for His own. We who are on the other side of the cross should understand God’s great love and care for us even greater than Daniel did. Do we take God’s love for granted? Do we take our position for granted? Sometimes trials can cloud God’s love and care for us making us question that love.
3. The other side of the coin is that Daniel was wholly committed to God. He held back nothing.
Recap of August 14th sermon from Daniel 10:9-13:
1. When we become active for the Lord, especially in prayer, we energize the enemy. Speaking of Daniel 10, Dr. Gleason Archer writes: “These verses give us a fascinating insight into the supernatural forces involved when a believer engages in protracted and earnest prayer.” “…mighty forces are unleashed when we really devote ourselves to intercession before the throne of grace.”
2. Daniel was called “highly esteemed” in 10:11 (see also 9:23; 10:19). Literally, Daniel was precious to God. This description showed how much God loves and cares for His own. We who are on the other side of the cross should understand God’s great love and care for us even greater than Daniel did. Do we take God’s love for granted? Do we take our position for granted? Sometimes trials can cloud God’s love and care for us making us question that love.
3. The other side of the coin is that Daniel was wholly committed to God. He held back nothing.
Monday, August 08, 2011
The Invisible War
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Recap of 8/7/11 (Daniel 10:1-9)
1. J. Vernon McGee said of Daniel 10, “We are moving into a very eerie section. Maybe you would call it weird or strange. The veil of the spiritual world is partially and momentarily pulled aside, and we get a look into the unseen world. There is nothing here to satisfy the morbid curiosity of an idle spectator. However, there is enough to produce a beneficial and sobering effect upon the humble believer similar to the effect that it produced upon Daniel.”
2. The background to Daniel 10-12, the last vision of the book, is as follows. The Jewish exiles had begun to return to Jerusalem, the exile was ending, the Temple was being rebuilt, and it seemed that at last Israel might be in the land in peace. The year of the vision is 536 B.C. Daniel’s vision, however, is not a vision of peace but a vision of war, of suffering, of persecution, of testing and crisis for Israel. This prompts Daniel to mourn, to fast, and to pray for clarification.
3. Daniel has a vision of an angelic visitor. All his companions fled leaving Daniel alone with the angel. God often moves in our lives to remove the props which unwittingly get in the way of our hearing Him. He separates us from the familiar, the routine, the comfortable to have our complete attention. He uses that alone time with us to give us a fresh vision of Himself, to renew our commitment to Him first. Often other people and circumstances (not bad in themselves) serve to distance us from really knowing God.
4. The first casualty of that aloneness was Daniel’s strength. As Matthew Henry said: “Before God gives strength and power to His people he makes them aware of their own weakness.”
Recap of 8/7/11 (Daniel 10:1-9)
1. J. Vernon McGee said of Daniel 10, “We are moving into a very eerie section. Maybe you would call it weird or strange. The veil of the spiritual world is partially and momentarily pulled aside, and we get a look into the unseen world. There is nothing here to satisfy the morbid curiosity of an idle spectator. However, there is enough to produce a beneficial and sobering effect upon the humble believer similar to the effect that it produced upon Daniel.”
2. The background to Daniel 10-12, the last vision of the book, is as follows. The Jewish exiles had begun to return to Jerusalem, the exile was ending, the Temple was being rebuilt, and it seemed that at last Israel might be in the land in peace. The year of the vision is 536 B.C. Daniel’s vision, however, is not a vision of peace but a vision of war, of suffering, of persecution, of testing and crisis for Israel. This prompts Daniel to mourn, to fast, and to pray for clarification.
3. Daniel has a vision of an angelic visitor. All his companions fled leaving Daniel alone with the angel. God often moves in our lives to remove the props which unwittingly get in the way of our hearing Him. He separates us from the familiar, the routine, the comfortable to have our complete attention. He uses that alone time with us to give us a fresh vision of Himself, to renew our commitment to Him first. Often other people and circumstances (not bad in themselves) serve to distance us from really knowing God.
4. The first casualty of that aloneness was Daniel’s strength. As Matthew Henry said: “Before God gives strength and power to His people he makes them aware of their own weakness.”
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
A Disturbing Vision of the Future
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Recap of 7/31/11 (Daniel 9:27-10:1)
1. Daniel 9:27 describes the seven years called Daniel’s 70th week or in other places in Scripture, the Tribulation. Sometime after the rapture and resurrection of the church (1 Corinthians 15:51ff; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) Israel will sign a peace pact with the Antichrist (called the “little horn” in Daniel 7:8). In the middle of the seven years the Antichrist will break his covenant with Israel by putting an image in the Temple (called the Abomination which causes desolation), putting an end to the sacrificial system and organized worship. He will receive worship (2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 11:1,2; 13:8). Jesus, in Matthew 24:15,29,30, places these events of Daniel 9:27 at the time of His second coming.
2. The Antichrist will come to the end appointed him by God, being cast into the Lake of Fire along with the False Prophet (Revelation 19:20). “Men are free to make decisions and even rebel against God if they want to, but He will accomplish His purposes in the world. With confidence you can pray, ‘Thy Kingdom come!’” (Warren Wiersbe)
3. Just as the events of the first 69 weeks (483 years) of Daniel 9 were fulfilled completely so we would expect that the 70th week (7 years) will be also.
4. Daniel 10 introduces the last prophecy of the book of Daniel which will cover chapters 10-12. It unveils a fascinating and sober view of the warfare that is going on all the time in the realm of the spiritual (the realm that is real though beyond our five senses).
Recap of 7/31/11 (Daniel 9:27-10:1)
1. Daniel 9:27 describes the seven years called Daniel’s 70th week or in other places in Scripture, the Tribulation. Sometime after the rapture and resurrection of the church (1 Corinthians 15:51ff; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) Israel will sign a peace pact with the Antichrist (called the “little horn” in Daniel 7:8). In the middle of the seven years the Antichrist will break his covenant with Israel by putting an image in the Temple (called the Abomination which causes desolation), putting an end to the sacrificial system and organized worship. He will receive worship (2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 11:1,2; 13:8). Jesus, in Matthew 24:15,29,30, places these events of Daniel 9:27 at the time of His second coming.
2. The Antichrist will come to the end appointed him by God, being cast into the Lake of Fire along with the False Prophet (Revelation 19:20). “Men are free to make decisions and even rebel against God if they want to, but He will accomplish His purposes in the world. With confidence you can pray, ‘Thy Kingdom come!’” (Warren Wiersbe)
3. Just as the events of the first 69 weeks (483 years) of Daniel 9 were fulfilled completely so we would expect that the 70th week (7 years) will be also.
4. Daniel 10 introduces the last prophecy of the book of Daniel which will cover chapters 10-12. It unveils a fascinating and sober view of the warfare that is going on all the time in the realm of the spiritual (the realm that is real though beyond our five senses).
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