Tag: Prophecies

April 1, 2024

April 1st, 2024

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Luke 14

Highlight Verse:

“And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭14‬:‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Many have interpreted this to be a form of earning salvation.

Other Scriptures make it clear that is not the case.

Jesus took away all of the guilt that kept us from a relationship with God. We need not fear any eternal judgement if we have trusted Jesus and accepted His sacrifice.

The people in the region and time Jesus lived on earth knew all about carrying the cross.

They understood that just following Jesus came with the risk of crucifixion.

Today in most of Western culture, the worst we face is a rare bit of ridicule and unfair stereotyping. Frankly, that has led us to be spoiled believers. In many cases, our faith can be shown weak when we face real challenges.

In many parts of the world, it is a capital offense to worship Jesus and to share His love. It is there that people truly understand this verse.

They must have a solid faith so they can stand like steel!

I would never advocate persecution for the sake of strengthening faith. But I think we would do well to remember daily those who lay their lives on the line every day to follow Jesus.

Wisdom would remind us to realize that we could be among the persecuted someday.

Have you witnessed real persecution firsthand?
Is your faith solid enough to withstand true persecution?
March 29, 2024

March 29th, 2024

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Daniel 7-8

Highlight Verse:

“While he was speaking, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. But Gabriel roused me with a touch and helped me to my feet.”
‭‭Daniel‬ ‭8‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I can relate to Daniel.

I hear prophecies of the end times and strange prophetic dreams in the Bible and want to stick my fingers in my ears and go “lalalalala” so I can’t hear anything.

At least that used to be my perspective.

Then a wise person long ago told me that when I read end time prophecies, I should look for how they should change my life today.

I still don’t like to figure out timelines and how all the prophecies will play out.

But I don’t fear them.

These prophecies given to Daniel are especially confusing. But then my study Bible has a nice neat chart that illustrates how these prophecies already came true in history.

Daniel glimpsed history before the events played out.

I don’t know all the ins and outs of the prophecies, but I know that Daniel was a man of very high integrity and put in a position to make a difference in history.

It is one of my life goals to make a positive difference in this world, and this scripture confirms it for me.

Do unusual prophecies like these creep you out too?
What lessons have you gleaned from Daniel?
March 20, 2024

March 20th, 2024

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Kings 18-20

Highlight Verse:

“When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord,”
‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭20‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Isaiah had just told Hezekiah that he was going to die soon. That’s tough news to take.

Hezekiah did exactly what I would have done. He cried out to God.

Here’s the part that stood out to me…

God heard him and acted on his prayers.

Despite the prophecy, God healed Hezekiah and protected him from attack by Assyria!

God is sovereign and will act according to His will. But He listens to his children and allows them to influence His will.

This happened long before Jesus came to earth.

It happened when Jesus was here.

It still happens today!

If you could influence God’s will (and you can), what would you want Him to do?
Have you witnessed prayer change impossible situations? Share your stories!
March 8, 2024

March 8th, 2024
Friday – Prophets

Reading – Daniel 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“The king was furious when he heard this, and he ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be executed.”
‭‭Daniel‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT

Have you ever had “that” kind of boss?

You know, the one who followed his own agenda, didn’t let you know what that was, and gave you grief whenever you didn’t follow that agenda down to the unknown letter.

For some of you, maybe it was a mentally unstable parent or a coach who only coached for the power trip.

Almost all of us have had to deal with someone like that at some point.

I’m blessed with a good boss now but I’ve had some who drove me to the edge of quitting. And then there was my stepdad. Don’t get me started.

So how did Daniel deal with people like that?
- He stayed calm.
- He reasoned with his handlers.
- He put forth his best effort.
- And, most importantly, he relied on God, retaining his integrity and devotion.
Can it be so hard?

Yes.

Some have it very tough. I’m guessing that very few have it as rough as Daniel and his friends had it.

Despite that, Daniel stayed strong in the Lord and put full effort toward following his boss.

Do you struggle with dealing with a difficult person?
Have you given that relationship over to God in prayer?
Can we help pray for you? (Without revealing the identity of that person please).
February 23, 2024

February 23rd, 2024

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Ezekiel 43-45

Highlight Verse:

“And the glory of the Lord came into the Temple through the east gateway.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭43‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

If this whole section sound familiar, that’s because it repeats many of the themes from Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy.

Like before, God’s glory fills the temple.

While this is a vision of the near future, the hope cast by this vision comes to life little by little as the exiles return from captivity.

You might even say that it is a vision of Israel’s rebirth.

The holy nation was “dead” in exile but returns to life as the exiles come back to the land.

This section also serves to remind me of the rebirth that we can experience today.

As we repent and trust God, true life returns to us.

How do you perceive the purpose of this prophecy?
Is there a part that stands out to you? Let’s talk about it.
February 9, 2024

February 9th, 2024

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Ezekiel 37-39

Highlight Verse:

“So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭37‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I know I usually lean toward the more obscure verses, but I couldn’t resist this. This is my favorite part of Ezekiel.

As part of a student ministry leadership meeting, we were asked what our best memory of serving students was.

For me, the best times by far have been when getting to the end of a teaching time and having students respond by putting their faith in Jesus.

I believe that is a modern-day equivalent of Ezekiel’s life-giving words.

Seeing new life come into the life of a student is no less wonderful than the valley of dry bones coming back to life.

It is not my words but the work of the Holy Spirit touching lives.

I count it a privilege to be able to speak to students but that is certainly not the only way God uses to speak life into people.

The Holy Spirit can use something as simple as a t-shirt or bumper sticker to start someone down the right path.

Acts of kindness, living out God’s love to people, go a long way toward drawing people to God.

And consistent friendship is priceless in the Holy Spirit’s book.

When have you seen God speak life through you?
Are there ways that you would like God to use you to bring life to people?
February 2, 2024

February 2nd, 2024

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Ezekiel 34-36

Highlight Verse:

”I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day.“
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭34‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When I was a junior in high school, I had a job as a hand on a small farm. In the winter, one of my jobs was to feed the sheep.

I loaded a couple of bales of hay on an old pickup truck and hauled it to a hillside in the frozen pasture.

The moment the sheep heard that old International pickup come up the hill, they came running.

I told that story a few weeks ago to our middle schoolers when I taught a lesson about Jesus as the Good Shepherd.

I didn’t realize that this concept was foretold in Ezekiel.

One of the things we learned about was that sheep recognize the sound of the shepherd’s voice and trust him since they knew that he protected them and led them to food and water.

Just like the sheep reacted to the sound of the truck, they know a good thing when they hear it.

Likewise, we can trust the voice of Jesus because we know he loves us and provides for us.

He is always faithful, even when we’re not.

We can trust His voice as we hear it in the words of the Bible.

When you hear or read the word of God, do you trust it completely?
Did you know that he will always lead you to what is good for you – never bad?
January 31, 2024

January 31st, 2024

Wednesday – History

Reading – 1 Kings 21-22

Highlight Verse:

“An Aramean soldier, however, randomly shot an arrow at the Israelite troops and hit the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. “Turn the horses and get me out of here!” Ahab groaned to the driver of his chariot. “I’m badly wounded!””
‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭22‬:‭34‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This story happened after God had spared Ahab because he had repented. By this time, Jehoshaphat, the good king of Judah, had made peace with him.

Jehoshaphat was so intent on keeping that peace that he went along with Ahab’s plans to survive despite what the prophet Micaiah had predicted. (Read the whole chapter for more details).

God faithfully protected Jehoshaphat despite his foolish obedience to Ahab.

The prophecy against Ahab, however, was fulfilled despite their best efforts to protect him.

There are many nuances to this whole story.

To me, the bottom line is two fold.

First, God may change His plans for someone who is truly repentant.

He did this when Ahab repented.

Second, no amount of selfish scheming, no matter how clever, can stop God’s plans from being fulfilled.

Even though his clever plans fooled the enemy, God brought the arrow that broke Ahabs plans.

Have you ever tried to outsmart God? How’d that work for you?
Have you seen God pour out his grace and change the circumstances around you when you truly repented? Please share with us.
January 26, 2024

January 26th, 2024

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Ezekiel 31-33

Highlight Verse:

”As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?“

Ezekiel 33:11 NLT

I will admit, I don’t always look forward to preparing these Friday lessons from the Prophets.

There’s a whole lot of judgement.

Sorrow and death are major themes of many of Friday’s chapters.

But there is a purpose to these doom and gloom chapters and that is summed up in this verse.

God’s heart is always for the good of His people. It’s not always easy. Sometimes it’s downright terrifying.

But it all comes down to the main story of the Bible. That is the reconciliation of man to God through the loving mercy and grace of God.

Let’s never forget that He loves us so much that He went to the most extreme lengths to save us. Even as far as sacrificing His only Son.

Have you ever stopped to think about what the overall message of the Bible is?

Can you believe that God loves you beyond every measure?
January 12, 2023

January 12th, 2024

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Ezekiel 25-27

Highlight Verse:

“Son of man, Tyre has rejoiced over the fall of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Ha! She who was the gateway to the rich trade routes to the east has been broken, and I am the heir! Because she has been made desolate, I will become wealthy!’ “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am your enemy, O Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the waves of the sea crashing against your shoreline.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭26‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It is said that the LORD is a jealous God.

But that jealousy is another manifestation of His love for His people.

Most of Ezekiel is full of rebukes against Israel, but today’s reading is against the surrounding nations.

Why?

Because they bullied Israel.

Even when God allows the bullying to teach Israel a lesson, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t get emotionally involved when someone is picking on His kids.

In fact, I believe that is proof that God is a person, not just a power. But that’s another subject entirely.

The bottom line to me is the fact that God loves His children so much that He goes to extreme lengths to protect them.

Even when He disciplines His children, He loves and protects them.

If you trust in God for forgiveness and new life, you are His child!

Have you ever felt like God couldn’t love you because of the things you’ve done?
Have you come to the point where you realize that God’s love is not dependent on your actions but on your identity as a child of His?

Tag: Prophecies

They understood that just following Jesus came with the risk of crucifixion.

Wisdom would remind us to realize that we could be among the persecuted someday.

I can relate to Daniel.

I still don’t like to figure out timelines and how all the prophecies will play out.

I don’t know all the ins and outs of the prophecies, but I know that Daniel was a man of very high integrity and put in a position to make a difference in history.

Hezekiah did exactly what I would have done. He cried out to God.

God is sovereign and will act according to His will. But He listens to his children and allows them to influence His will.

Have you ever had “that” kind of boss?

So how did Daniel deal with people like that?

Despite that, Daniel stayed strong in the Lord and put full effort toward following his boss.

You might even say that it is a vision of Israel’s rebirth.

As we repent and trust God, true life returns to us.

For me, the best times by far have been when getting to the end of a teaching time and having students respond by putting their faith in Jesus.

I count it a privilege to be able to speak to students but that is certainly not the only way God uses to speak life into people.

I didn’t realize that this concept was foretold in Ezekiel.

We can trust His voice as we hear it in the words of the Bible.

God faithfully protected Jehoshaphat despite his foolish obedience to Ahab.

The prophecy against Ahab, however, was fulfilled despite their best efforts to protect him.

First, God may change His plans for someone who is truly repentant.

Second, no amount of selfish scheming, no matter how clever, can stop God’s plans from being fulfilled.

But there is a purpose to these doom and gloom chapters and that is summed up in this verse.

Let’s never forget that He loves us so much that He went to the most extreme lengths to save us. Even as far as sacrificing His only Son.

It is said that the LORD is a jealous God.

Even when He disciplines His children, He loves and protects them.

If you trust in God for forgiveness and new life, you are His child!