Daniel 9::16-19

Jesus was tender hearted but firm. In His encounters with people He always showed compassion. Along with mercy He offered forgiveness for the sins that they had committed with the assurance that if they would change their ways He would give them an abundant eternal life with His Father.

Do you ever consider that maybe people have such a low opinion of Christians because of our words and actions? Do we act like Christ or do we only offer condemnation to the world without the promise of the loving acceptance of the Father He offers to ALL of His creation in the salvation of Jesus Christ. We need to humbly accept the truth that no one is without sin and all of us are deserving of spiritual death. Stop and think before speaking....you may be the only member of the Body of Christ that someone else will see in his lifetime.

It is important to note that the only basis for Daniel’s appeal was the grace of God. Daniel knew full well that all of God’s promises had not come to pass, nor had the blessings been conferred on the regathered and restored people. 

The coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, would give man his final chance at redemptive salvation.

Daniel 9:16-19

¹⁶ “O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us. ¹⁷ Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. ¹⁸ O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. ¹⁹ O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.” 

John 21:15-17

What is required of us as Christians? We are to love God above all others and love others as much as we do yourself. We need to care for His sheep! 

Works without faith is dead.We cannot earn salvation it is the gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Faith without works is dead because we are not being living examples of His love for His creation.

Good Works with faith is the outward expression of the inward transformation of the Holy Spirit @work in our life.

Human beings are born with the natural life, called psuchē in Greek, which can be translated “soul,” “personality,” or “life.” Eternal life can be received only by believing in the One who is Himself life, Jesus Christ.

 Peter would need to care for diverse people in different ways, as Christ had done with His disciples. Peter denied the Lord at least three times. Here he affirmed his love for the Lord for the third time.

John 21:15-17

¹⁵ So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,  “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” 
He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” ¹⁶ He said to him again a second time,  “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him,  “Tend My sheep.” ¹⁷ He said to him the third time,  “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time,  “Do you love Me?” 

And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him,  “Feed My sheep. He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” 

Luke 5:1-12

What more could we desire than to be blessed by the One who made us who we are today? I love You...Father, Son and Holy Spirit...the mind, body and heart of the Triune Godhead revealed to us in Jesus Christ.

The Sermon on the Mount was not given as the way of salvation for the lost, but as the way of life for true children of the kingdom. It was instruction for those who had responded to Jesus’ invitation to “repent”. In this address, Jesus clarified both the heart of the law and the nature of true religion in God’s kingdom (Mic. 6:8). In a sense, Jesus turned the law, which was mainly negative, inside out to show its positive core.

Micah 6:8 Be fair, forgive easily knowing that there is no one deserving of the death of God's only begotten Son in exchange for their sins... it is the gift of God to those who repent and choose to accept it.

⁸ He has shown you, O man, what is good; 
And what does the Lord require of you 
But to do justly, 
To love mercy, 
And to walk humbly with your God? 

blessed (Gk. makarios) Strong’s #3107: This Greek word is derived from the root mak, which means “large” or “lengthy,” and means “fortunate” or “happy.” The Greek word was used in Greek literature, in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the OT), and in the NT to describe the kind of happiness that comes from receiving divine favor. The word can be rendered happy. In the NT it is usually passive; God is the One who is blessing or favoring the person.

Luke 5:1-12

5 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. ² Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: 
³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, 
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn, 
For they shall be comforted. 
⁵ Blessed are the meek, 
For they shall inherit the earth. 
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 
For they shall be filled. 
⁷ Blessed are the merciful, 
For they shall obtain mercy. 
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, 
For they shall see God. 
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, 
For they shall be called sons of God. 
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, 
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
¹¹ “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. ¹² Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 

Matthew 26:45-46

It is human to question and it is divine to accept things by faith. It is human to question God’s involvement in our life in the midst of tragedy. It is only with the Holy Spirit within us that we can accomplish what He ask of us. Christ gave up His life to save mine.

The sixth hour was noon. The darkness was not due to an eclipse of the sun, since the Passover occurred at full moon. This was a supernatural occurrence. 

The duplication of “My God, My God” indicates Jesus’ deep sorrow. The fact that Jesus spoke in Aramaic, the tongue of His birth, may be another sign of the extreme stress He was encountering. No human can understand the theological significance of this cry. This was not a cry of defeat, however. Christ was quoting from Ps. 22 and may have been alluding to the great victory that the psalm describes. Psalm 22 is a profound lament psalm that concludes as a triumphant psalm of praise for God’s deliverance. Although this psalm speaks of David’s own distress and the Lord’s deliverance of him, it also prophetically describes in remarkable detail Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. The language David uses to describe his own predicament is prompted by the Holy Spirit. 

Psalm 22
¹ My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? 
Why are You so far from helping Me, 

²⁷ All the ends of the world 
Shall remember and turn to the Lord, 
And all the families of the nations 
Shall worship before You. 

²⁸ For the kingdom is the Lord’s, 
And He rules over the nations. 

Matthew 27:45-46

⁴⁵ Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. ⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” 

2 Corinthians 11:12-15

In God’s infinite wisdom and grace He did not leave us orphans in this world but gave us the Holy Spirit within us to teach, guide and correct. We must be very careful to allow our Spirit to guide us to the Holy Scriptures that agree with a message or disagree when it is not 100% correct.

If Satan, the prince of darkness, can disguise himself as an angel of light, then his servants, the ministers of evil, can disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Satan’s main tool is deception.

2 Corinthians 11:12-15

¹² But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. ¹³ For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. 

Matthew 25:26-30

Use the talents and gifts that God has given you. EVERYTHING comes from Him and is to be used for His glory! Be grateful... it is our work to use them wisely as building blocks for knowledge increasing their value to you and to Him. Be wise!

This proverb illustrates that a person must use what God has given or else lose it. This includes abilities and spiritual gifts, as well as material possessions.

Matthew 25:26-30

²⁶ “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. ²⁷ So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. ²⁸ So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 

²⁹ ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. ³⁰ And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 

Nahum

God can and does use Nations for His purpose, however, that does not mean that if they abuse that power they will remain in power. He does not tolerate injustice and idolatry of any kind and although He is slow to anger there is a consequence to actions. We must not be complacent to abuse of power in our nation or in any other. Those who live by the sword will die by the sword.

The people of the northern kingdom of Israel had been sinning grievously against God and ignoring the warnings of punishment given through God’s prophets. Finally God used the nation of Assyria, with its capital city in Nineveh, to destroy the nation and carry the people into captivity. A century after the fall of Samaria in 722 b.c., the Book of Nahum was written to express a major truth of the prophets. Even when God uses a nation for His own purposes of judgment, this does not excuse that nation from its own guilt before the Lord. It was Nineveh’s turn to feel the wrath of God. The last great emperor of Assyria was Ashurbanipal. After his death, the nation did not last much longer, for the Lord was against it.

The seriousness of coming judgment is never a call for complacency among God’s people. Implicit in any announcement of doom is a call for holy living on the part of God’s people and an urgent call for them to bring the message of salvation to those who, apart from salvation, will experience the wrath of God. Judgment is God’s “unusual act”, but it ultimately arises out of the goodness and justice of God.

Most of the biblical prophets directed their judgment oracles against the sinning peoples of Israel and Judah. Nahum, however, brought the word of God’s judgment against Nineveh. 

Nahum:

1 The burden against Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. 

² God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; 
The Lord avenges and is furious. 
The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, 
And He reserves wrath for His enemies; 
³ The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, 
And will not at all acquit the wicked. 

Zephaniah

Zephaniah
God’s use of Zephaniah’s family was generational. He was not afraid to speak the words that God gave him even if it resulted in him being avoided as a bearer of bad news.  God will restore anyone who is willing to hear Him.

Zephaniah’s message had both halves of the bad-news-good-news equation. The day of the Lord was coming and that meant terrible judgment. The Israelites had scorned God’s law, worshiped false gods, and sinned without remorse long enough. Now it was time to repent. They had to turn back to their God or face the consequences.

It was the “turn back to God” part of Zephaniah’s message that offered hope. And to those who listened and responded to his call, the good news wiped out every line of bad. God would restore those who sought Him.

1 The word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of  Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. 

² “I will utterly consume everything 
From the face of the land,” 
Says the Lord; 
³ “I will consume man and beast; 
I will consume the birds of the heavens, 
The fish of the sea, 
And the stumbling blocks along with the wicked. 
I will cut off man from the face of the land,” 
Says the Lord. 

¹² “And it shall come to pass at that time 
That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, 
And punish the men 
Who are settled in complacency, 
Who say in their heart, 
‘The Lord will not do good, 
Nor will He do evil.’ 

2 Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, 
O undesirable nation, 
² Before the decree is issued, 
Or the day passes like chaff, 
Before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you, 
Before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you! 
³ Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, 
Who have upheld His justice. 
Seek righteousness, seek humility. 
It may be that you will be hidden 
In the day of the Lord’s anger. 

Isaiah 58:5-9

Why, why is it so hard for us to accept the life of Christ as the template for our own lives? Throughout the Scriptures the same words are repeated over and over. In the Old Testament and in the New......we are admonished to love God above all and love others as much as yourself...why is this so hard for us to accomplish as mainstream Christians? Our government should reflect our Christian values.

The people’s fast was not an acceptable day to the Lord because it focused on self-righteousness and not on justice for others. Yoke is a metaphor for social oppression. 

Job 31:16-17
¹⁶ “If I have kept the poor from their desire, 
Or caused the eyes of the widow to fail, 
¹⁷ Or eaten my morsel by myself, 
So that the fatherless could not eat of it 

Matthew 25:37
³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? ³⁸ When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? ³⁹ Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ 

Isaiah 58:5-9
And an acceptable day to the Lord? 
⁶ “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: 
To loose the bonds of wickedness, 
To undo the heavy burdens, 
To let the oppressed go free, 
And that you break every yoke? 
⁷ Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, 
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; 
When you see the naked, that you cover him, 
And not hide yourself from your own flesh? 
⁸ Then your light shall break forth like the morning, 
Your healing shall spring forth speedily, 
And your righteousness shall go before you; 
The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. 
⁹ Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; 

Daniel 5:22-23

To God be the glory....it is not in our own power that we accomplish anything. All things come from God and are His to use as He wants. If He can create life from the dust that He made He can use that life to accomplish His will!

Daniel 5:22-23

²² “But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. ²³ And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house 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, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.

Mark 2:17

Jesus came to save the unrighteous sinner......and there is no one righteous.....no not one! We are all in need of a Savior!

Christ came to call sinners to repentance. Jesus did not condone the activities of sinners, but required repentance—a change of mind that recognizes the need of a Savior and recognizes Jesus Christ as the only Savior.

Mark 2:17
¹⁷ When Jesus heard it, He said to them,  “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” 

Mark 3:13-19

Not all hear God but to those who hear Him there is no doubt it is Him...He talks and you listen. 

Jesus had a large group of followers. These twelve were Jesus’ apostles—a chosen group sent out to fulfill a particular mission. Christ gave power or authority to these twelve apostles. The apostle Paul called this authority “the signs of an apostle”. Christ and the apostles authenticated their ministry through signs, miracles, and wonders. Jesus no doubt sent out His apostles in pairs as He did the 70 disciples.

Mark 3:13-19

¹³ And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. ¹⁴ Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, ¹⁵ and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: ¹⁶ Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; ¹⁷ James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”; ¹⁸ Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; ¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house. 

Daniel 5:21

You either believe that God is in total control of ALL things....or He isn’t! Humble yourself before Him so that you do not need to be humbled. Nothing happens on earth that has not been ordained on high! We will learn our lessons....the easy way OR the hard way...choose who you believe!

Daniel 5:21

²¹ Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses. 

Micah 6:8

What does God require of us? He wants us to be fair to all people, to extend mercy and forgiveness easily to others and to humbly accept His gift of salvation in Christ Jesus knowing that it has nothing to do with our goodness BUT everything to do with His! Live a life that reflects your gratitude for His mercy and grace knowing that ALL things come from Him.

The majority of the people of Israel had violated each of these standards repeatedly. The rulers of His people did not know justice, had no interest in mercy, and demonstrated no humility. It is the Lord who ultimately gives a person strength, courage, and ability to exercise the virtues of godly living.

Micah 6:8
⁸ He has shown you, O man, what is good; 
And what does the Lord require of you 
But to do justly, 
To love mercy, 
And to walk humbly with your God? 

Mark 2:17

If we let go of our past and give it to God the Holy Spirit will use it for His glory in our salvation and in the salvation of others...He doesn’t want any one to perish because all of us are His creation and only in His Son is eternal, abundant life! 

Ask and you will receive, knock and the door will be opened, seek and you will find all the treasures of the Godhead...Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Mark7:7)

Mark 2:17

¹⁷ When Jesus heard it, He said to them,  “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” 

Mark 3:8-10

Jesus, all God and all man, knew that He would be protected from the masses until His time would come to die for mankind. Even though Jesus knew all things were under the control of His Father He still took measures to assure He could safely distance Himself if necessary. We should be doing the same by making sure that we have a safety net in place.

Idumea (the Edom of the OT), the birthplace of Herod the Great, was south of Judea. Beyond the Jordan refers to the cities on the east side of the Jordan River. Tyre and Sidon (Phoenicia in the OT), both on the Lebanese coast, were also cities Jesus visited during His earthly ministry.

 Mark 3:8-10

⁷ But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea ⁸ and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him. ⁹ So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him. ¹⁰ For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him. 

Jeremiah 46:27-28

With God at your side nothing else matters. Place yourself and those you love at His feet remembering that He corrects those He loves. Welcome correction.... for He is strongest when we are at our weakest!!  He will do whatever it takes to bring us back to Him. 

Jeremiah 46:27-28

²⁷ “But do not fear, O My servant Jacob, 
And do not be dismayed, O Israel! 
For behold, I will save you from afar, 
And your offspring from the land of their captivity; 
Jacob shall return, have rest and be at ease; 
No one shall make him afraid. 
²⁸ Do not fear, O Jacob My servant,” says the Lord, 
“For I am with you; 
For I will make a complete end of all the nations 
To which I have driven you, 
But I will not make a complete end of you. 
I will rightly correct you, 
For I will not leave you wholly unpunished.”