What do Daniel and Resurrection Sunday Have in Common

No way can the prophet Daniel and Resurrection Sunday appear in the same common thread. What could the resurrection of Jesus possible have in common with Daniel.

The Book of Daniel

Even if the book wasn't in our Bible, the book of Daniel would make an excellent world history book. Daniel gives the reader the history of the world in twelve chapters.

It is one of the most fascinating books of the Bible. Daniel lived over 600 years before Christ, and yet he accurately predicts history until the present day. If that is so, his prediction of future history can be expected to come true as well.


From Daniel chapter 2, we get the history of:

• Babylonian Empire
• Medo-Persian Empire
• Greece and Alexander the Great
• Roman Empire

Daniel even records the wars between the Seleucid and the Ptolemy countries. He predicts these events years before the wars take place.

Another Prediction by Daniel

Daniel writes in chapter 9 that from the issuing of a decree until Messiah the Prince would be cut off would by 483 years. Many have tried to show this time frame in history.

A smart Britisher, Sir Robert Andersen, in his book, The Coming Prince, shows it very clearly. Mr. Andersen was an astronomer. So, by calculating the moon phases from the time the decree was issued, his schedule of Daniel's time ended on Palm Sunday, five days before Messiah the Prince was crucified.

Totally Amazing!

Jesus' Last Week

When he rides into Jerusalem on Sunday of AD 30, the crowd wanted Jesus to rid them of the oppression of the foreigners, the Romans. The crowd kept saying, "Save now. Save now."

However, to the amazement of all, Jesus had no intentions of liberating the Jews from the Romans. His purpose was to liberate all of mankind from the power of sin and death.

To demonstrate the fickleness of human kind, some of the same ones who were praising Jesus on Sunday were part of a crowd on Friday morning yelling, "Crucify him. . .Crucify him." Since he wasn't going to save them from Roman oppression, apparently they lost faith in this man who claims to be the Messiah.

The last week of Jesus' earthly live saw him suffer things that was reserved for the most heinous of criminals.

He was beaten until he wasn't recognizable and near death. He was spat upon, rejected, mocked and abused.

Even his closest friends, those with whom he had spent the last three years, left him. All, of course, except for John, the beloved.

Then as if he hadn't suffered enough, Jesus was nailed to a cross, a cruel death the Romans used for capital punishment.

Yes, a man who deserved no punishment, who had not committed a single crime, took my place and received my punishment. However, on the darkest day in history, the same history that Daniel wrote about, religion killed the Light of the World.

Resurrection Sunday

As with all men who have died, Jesus was lain in a tomb. As Daniel the prophet said, "The Messiah the prince would be cut off."

Yet early on Sunday morning, a young lady arrived at the tomb where Jesus' body had been placed on Friday. Most likely, this young woman wasn't thinking about him being missing. It is possible that she knew nothing about resurrection. Her only concern that day was, "Who could she find to roll the stone back uphill."

When she arrived and to her amazement, the stone had been removed. She looked inside, and nothing was there. The tomb was empty.

Timing being everything, Mary meets a man whom she believes to be the gardener. She wants to know where they have taken the body. Soon, however, she recognizes this person as Jesus not the gardener as she supposed.

Jesus asks her to go tell the disciples that he is alive. Because of the status of women in that culture, do you find it amazing that the first great evangelist was a woman. That's right! She came preaching, "He's alive. . .He's alive!"

Daniel was right. The prince would be cut off. However, his death and resurrection provided means for the last part of Daniel's chapter 2--a kingdom not built with hands that eventually will become the only kingdom in the world.

Yes, the tomb was empty. Because of this empty tomb, you and I can join this everlasting kingdom. A kingdom not made with hands, but a kingdom that cost God a huge price.

A Great Day in History

I believe Resurrection Sunday to be a great day in history. Without the resurrection, life has no purpose or meaning. Our faith is in vain, and there is nothing after death.

You are welcome to share your opinion about this by leaving your comments below.

B C Ministries, Inc. is here to help. We have many studies on the books of the Bible, and Daniel is one of them. You can get your free copy by ==>Clicking Here!

Leave questions or comments below. We'll get back soon.

Blessings,


Howard

Who You Are Isn't Based on Performance with God. Who You Are Should Have A Direct Bearing on How You Perform.

The Abundant Life: Sweet Fellowship

No doubt, whenever you think about the abundant life, you probably think about wealth, health and comfort. Yes, I would agree that the above characteristics are great; however, was that what Jesus referred to whenever he made the statement in John 10:10?

What Makes for Abundant Life

In John 10 Jesus talks about His being the good shepherd. If you follow His teachings here, you can find several ideas leading to the abundant life. (See my article about the Good Shepherd relating to abundant life).

Out of Hell

One thing that you might consider as your abundant life would be getting out of hell and into heaven.
No doubt a gift of this kind causes abundant life. Also, it is a super gift and a supreme lifetime.

Not to diminish the beauty of being included with God in heaven, but there are so many things that causes you to live in abundance right here on earth. That's the abundant life Jesus wants you to experience.

Sweet Fellowship

One such part of the abundant life come from fellowship with Jesus. In the Psalm of David, 55:14 you find, "We who had sweet fellowship together, who walked to the house of God in company."

 To experience a personal relationship with the one who formed the universe and you, must rank high in the category of abundant living. Whenever Jesus walks hand in hand with you, no matter what goes on in your life, abundant life abounds.

I believe the time I have been closer to Jesus was the few days I spend last year lying in a hospital bed. He and I talked more than we had in many days.

I don't recommend that you find him this way, However, I would like for you to realize that he abides with you constantly. Open conversation can take place whenever you like.

Rest in Him

Another part of the abundant life comes whenever you learn to rest in him. In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Learning to rest with Jesus establishes your ministry. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus works through your giftedness and personality to perform the ministry he has called you to do.

You never grow tired of doing the ministry he has called you to do. You may grow weary of doing some task that has been assigned you at church.

Whenever you learn from the Holy Spirit your gift, then from Jesus your ministry, it isn't work. It is REST. (Get my free study on rest).

I'm retired, but I do more ministry than ever. I'm also 75 years old, and I love every minute of my spiritual life with Jesus.

Get the Abundant Life

Yes, the abundant life is available to you right now. It isn't hard to find, and you don't have to work for it.

Living hand in hand with Jesus brings you the pleasures of abundant living. He'll teach you to live in heaven here on earth. You don't have to die to go there!

Nothing is important except the things you do with him. He wants control of all your, business, career, personal, family and spiritual lives.

That's living the abundant life as you rest complete in him.

I'm here to help. If you have questions or comments, leave them below. I'll get back really soon.

Blessings,

Howard

Who You Are Isn’t Based on Performance with God. Who You Are Should Have A Direct Bearing on How You Perform.

Employ It

Do You Know Your Spiritual Gift

1 Peter 4:10 advises, "As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace."

Each (in other words all believers) has been given a spiritual gift. When you signed up as a believer, you were baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13).

You weren't water baptized but baptized by the Spirit into "one body" Jesus Christ's universal church. Your spiritual baptism and regeneration occurred at the same time.

It is possible you have been using your gift without realizing you had one. However, you do have a spiritual gift(s).

Holy Spirit

In 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, you learn of the Holy Trinity's involvement in your spiritual gift. Verse 4 reminds you that your gift is given by the Spirit, "variety of gifts but one Spirit."

It is the Holy Spirit that lives in you. He knows exactly which gift will fit your personality, passions and desires.

Jesus Your Lord

Then verse 5 gives information as to where your ministry comes. Jesus provides your ministry. "Variety of ministries but one Lord."

Each believer is called into a ministry for the common good of the Body of Christ. Jesus, as your Lord, knows which ministry suits you best. He puts you into ministry to serve him as a good steward and servant.

God the Father

Then finally, it is God who gives the results. "Variety of  effects but one God." You and I can in no way cause our ministries to get the perfect results that God has planned for our ministry.

Whenever you can get self out of the way, God can provide big-time results for your ministry.

Can I Help

Let me know how I can help! Leave questions or comments below. I'll get back real soon.

Who You Are Isn't Based on Performance with God. Who You Are Should Have A Direct Bearing on How You Perform.

Go and Make Disciples

In Matthew 28:18-20 we read, And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (ESV).

Some Questions

A few questions comes to mind as I look at this passage. Why does he begin by telling the disciples that he has been given all authority both in heaven and on earth?

I think a logical explanation would be that Jesus is giving the disciples present and us later the power to continue his kingdom by making disciples. Making disciples is key to Jesus' kingdom.

How else can his kingdom on earth survive and grow if the followers of Jesus do not make disciples? Of course it goes without saying, if you make disciples and expand the earthly kingdom, you expand the heavenly kingdom as well.

Going, Baptising, Teaching

Another question that arises for me is this, why did he choose the verbs he uses in this passage? Why go, baptise and teach?

The three Greek verbs that Jesus uses are similar to our present participle verbs, the "ing" ending of our verbs. Jesus is saying, As you are going about your daily life, be baptizing disciples. Then after you are baptizing disciples, begin teaching them the things that I have commended you.

He taught us several great commandments. We learn these from the four gospels of our New Testament. However, the disciple that he loved most according to scripture gives us two commandments that Jesus gave for us to follow.

A New Commandment

The Apostle, John, Jesus' most beloved disciple, sums Jesus commandments for us in 1 John 3:23. Hear John writes, And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ and love as he (Jesus) has commanded us. (ESV)

Two commandments given by God, 1. Believe in Jesus, and 2. love others as Jesus gave commandment.

Seems simple enough on the surface, doesn't it? Believing in Jesus is easy for us believers. What about how he commanded us to love?

In John 13:34, Jesus says, A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. (ESV).

Different to Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself

O.K. Another question. How is this new commandment different from the old love commandment that says to love thy neighbor as thy self?

I guess we have to ask ourselves yet another question? How did Jesus love us? Jesus gave up everything. He didn't merely love us as he loved himself. First he gave up any thought of a career on earth.

Jesus Gave Up His Entire Life

He gave up getting married and knowing the pleasures of a woman and of being a father on earth.

Then the ultimate sacrifice, he gave up his life so that you and I could be rid of the Adamic Nature or the old self, Romans 6:6. And he poured out his blood, his very life so that our acts of sin would be covered forever.

How Can You Love As He Did

That's how you are to love others. What do you give up to show your love to your family, your spouse, your church and your neighbor?

Might I suggest that whenever you use the gifts and talents God gives you for others, you are giving your very life's blood--pouring it right into others so they too can see the abundance of the kingdom.

Use Your Gifts and Personality

I believe that Jesus wants to work through your gifts and your personality to help others become better in his kingdom. As you do, you follow his commandment to love others as he loved you.

Might I also suggest. If you keep the two commandments that Jesus gives you, you cannot break any of the Ten Commandments.

Jesus lived his life by these two commandments. He is the only person who ever walked this planet who never broke even one of the Ten Commandments.

Hope you learned a bit from this teaching. I'm here to help, so if you have questions or comments, let me know.

No Matter What the Circumstances, Jesus Is Lord!

Powerless and Unable to Cope

I think you would agree that there are major benefits to be able to control your habits. If you can admit that you have difficulty controlling your tendencies to drink, do drugs or gamble, then you are at the beginning of a new you. That’s the very first step to finding the real person you were designed to be, admitting you lack a bit of control over some of your habits.

Habits will take you places you don’t want to go, keep you longer than you care to stay and cause you to do things you never dreamed that you would do.

You’ve decided that you aren’t controlling chemicals, but rather they are controlling you. What can you do about it? There are good rehab programs available, but there’s usually two things required: one, time and two, money. Many people struggling with addictions, hurts, habits or mistakes, simply can’t take off thirty days or months without pay. Many families can’t help their children who are addicted to chemicals because they don’t have insurance or the money. Rehab facilities are expensive.

Perhaps, you might ask yourself, “How much money can I afford for rehab?” If the answer is, “Very little!” Then, you may have to consider another alternative. Coffey Consulting offers an online, rehabilitation course that you can do at home in your spare time. It is called Choosing Recovery. It has been used successfully with drug addiction, alcoholism, anger management, gambling, in prisons, jails and one-to-one settings.

Howard Coffey is the author of the eBook, and he spent much of his young life struggling with alcoholism. He has taught his course in prisons and jails and in the private sector. He has been helping people involved in chemical dependency, anger issues, abuse, family issues, DUI’s and countless other areas for seven years. Besides, the recovery course is very inexpensive, and you can work at your own pace. Also, you can have support by phone 24/7 in emergencies and from 9 – 5 Monday through Friday, CMT.

Yes, you want to do something about your habits, but this something must fit with your schedule and ability to afford it. Take a look at Choosing Recovery. It may be just the thing you’re hoping for.

As always, if you have questions or comments, we welcome them at www.habitshurts.com. We will respond to your requests.

Timeline for End Times and Revelation

Although the Bible says the timeline of Christ’s return is not known, there is a specific timeline for Revelation and end times. John’s instructions for writing the book is a timeline, Revelation 1:19. His instructions are, “Therefore write the things which you have seen. . .” His instruction is the first of our time indicators for Revelation. The instruction intends for John to write about the past. What past does John see? The answer is chapters 2 and 3 about the churches. The church age is over. The church age began on the day of Pentecost in AD 30. When the church age began, the end times began, too. You are living in the end times age. The era of the church ends with the rapture that occurs prior to the tribulation period. However, the end times continues until after the tribulation period of seven years or the 70^th week of Daniel’s prophesy, Daniel chapter 9.

The next end time indicator that is given John to write is, “and the things which are. . .” The time indicated here is the present. The present would be the time in which John is living. And would represent the time of chapter 1. He is exiled as a prisoner of the Romans to an Island called Patmos. In a vision John sees into the future. Presently, John is looking into heaven. He sees an image of Jesus the Lamb. Jesus is standing among seven golden lampstands. He is holding seven stars in his hands.

At the end of chapter 1, John is given an explanation of the seven lampstands and the seven stars. The seven golden lampstands represent the seven church types of chapters 2 and 3. The seven stars are the seven messengers or leaders of the seven churches. Some scholars believe these seven churches, described in chapters 2-3, are seven distinct times in history. I believe them to be representative types of our churches throughout history. I also feel that the messengers are “called” pastors to these seven church types.

Finally, the last timeline of Revelation that I want to explore is John’s instructions to write, “and the things that will take place after these things.” John is to write about future events in history. Most of his writing about the future takes place in seven years. When measured against history, seven years isn’t long at all; however, because of the severe destruction of property and loss of human life, the seven years will seem like eternity to those who survive them. These seven years take the rest of the book of Revelation, chapters 4-22.

When the voice says to John in 4:1b, “. . .come up here. . .” the church is called or raptured home. The church age is over, and the tribulation period, an event prophesied for the end times, soon begins. The timeline of the seven years of tribulation follows that not a lot of changes take place during the first three-and-a-half years. A new government will be ushered in. However, this government will control the whole world. The ruler, the antichrist, will take over the world through economic strategies. The world is ripe today for an econ-strategist to control the world.

 Although this article partially explains the timeline of Revelation and end times, you can have a free copy of, Why Revelation, Why Now, by requesting your copy at bcministries1@gmail.com. Our materials are free, and we do not capture your email address.

Once When the World Was Wicked

Genesis 6: 5-8 (ESV) “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”

Few passages in the Old Testament reveal the heart and mind of God like this one does. Here we encounter a God who is truly merciful and gracious. God’s love for mankind is so deep that it breaks his heart to be rejected by man and to watch as man goes his own selfish way. What God saw on the earth was so painful for him that he was ready to wipe out the human race along with all living creatures.

The population was increasing and God saw a world of people so corrupt and violent that he regretted having ever created them. After Adam’s fall and after fellowship had been broken between God and man, sin was rampant. The reason is because now man is possessed with a sin nature. The most natural thing for a man with a sin nature to do is sin.

However, I want you to notice something. In the midst of all the evil that had possessed the creation of God, there was one man who walked with integrity. There was a man who walked with God in spite of all the evil that went on around him. The man’s name was Noah. He was a righteous man, and he walked with God (Genesis 6:8-12).

What a testimony, Noah walked with God. For me it is only a wish that my epitaph could read as such. Noah lived counter to the prevailing culture of his day. He listened not to the desires and passions of the world, but he listened to the voice of God. He honored and respected (feared) the almighty God of the universe.

You see, Noah was saved by grace through faith. Hebrews 11:7 tells you, “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.”

Not only did Noah become an heir of righteousness which in itself is sufficient to cause one to walk with God, but when he stepped off the boat, Noah owned the whole world and everything in it.