“This mystery has not been revealed to me for any wisdom residing in me more than in any other living man, but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king and that you may understand the thoughts of your own mind.”Daniel 2:30

Nebuchadnezzar was “anxious” (v. 3). The Hebrew word here suggests that he was agitated and could get no rest. This was no ordinary problem but something monumental. What had caused him such anxiety? It stemmed from a particularly troubling dream. The king could not shake the images, and he urgently needed the right interpretation of what the dream meant. But Nebuchadnezzar experienced another form of agitation when he asked the kingdom’s magicians, conjurers, sorcerers and Chaldeans to explain the dream’s meaning. He rejected their request that he tell them the dream. If they truly had special powers, they should be able to tell him both the dream and its interpretation. They argued that his demands were “difficult” and complained that only the “gods” could fulfill his requirements. Yet the king would not budge, and he became even more agitated. Confronted by the same challenge, Daniel sought God, who revealed both the dream and its interpretation. Daniel then shared these truths with the king so he could “understand the thoughts of your own mind.” Yes, Nebuchadnezzar did not even know his own thoughts! But God did. As the Bible makes clear, we may think we understand ourselves, but, in fact, our understanding is limited and often wrong. The Bible says “Man’s steps are ordained by the LORD, how then can man understand his way?” (Proverbs 20:24) Brothers & Sisters Today, remember that God knows you better than you know yourself. And He knows everything about you, including your true thoughts and motives. You cannot hide from Him. So humble yourself, and let Him teach you about yourself. Allow Him to mold you and shape your life according to His plan. He knows best.

“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it. The Lord handed Jehoiakim king of Judah over to him…Nebuchadnezzar carried them to the land of Babylon, to the house of his god, and put the vessels in the treasury of his god.” Daniel 1:1-2

From the opening sentences of the book of Daniel, it is clear that he was involved in a fierce spiritual struggle. The people and vessels of God had been carried away to a foreign land. There they would face a series of conflicts with the people of the land, who served the gods of the Babylonians. The truths that emerge from Daniel flow from this profound confrontation between worldviews. We see insights about health and diet…how to be the best managers and professionals…how to achieve success and advance in a career…how to react to pressure situations…and how to resist the temptation to compromise. The book also includes keys for developing the right priorities…obtaining wisdom and making decisions…achieving personal fulfillment….having the right perspective on current events…and planning for the future. The people of Babylon had attitudes that flowed from their worldview and religion. In the same way, Daniel and his friends demonstrated why faith in God is superior in every way. In our time, we are involved in similar challenges. As the book of Daniel illustrates, the central issue of our lives is our relationship with God. We, too, encounter conflicts with people who serve other gods and who have different belief structures. Like the Babylonians, the enemies of God today seek to capture His holy vessels by intimidating us into abandoning God’s standards. Like Daniel, we are called to be uncompromising, yet have a Christ-like attitude. We are called to be witnesses for God in everything we do. And through our lives, we’re called to show how obeying God’s instructions will lead to success. Brothers & Sisters Today, remember that you are in a battle. Stay strong and focused. Be committed to serving God, unwavering in your faith.

“Then on October 17 of that same year, the LORD sent another message through the prophet Haggai.”Haggai 2:1

God delivered an important message to His people on this day in 520 BC. We can be sure about the timing because of events in the Bible as well as other historical activities. The focus of the message seemed to be on the temple, but this merely was a vehicle to allow God to provide a powerful teaching. While many people might have been blessed by this new temple, those who had seen Solomon’s temple were disappointed. Yet God wanted all of them to see beyond the temple. He wanted them to “take courage.” Instead of dwelling on the past, He wanted them to focus on Him and His plans for the future. God wanted His people to believe Him for favor. They needed to be willing to move forward boldly in faith, putting everything else aside. He wanted them to stop worrying or speculating. God also confirmed that He was with them. In spite of their sins and mistakes, He had not abandoned them. He wanted them to know that His Spirit was “abiding in your midst; do not fear!” However, judgment was coming. God said He would “shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. I will shake all the nations.” The Lord also wanted His people to remember that He was the rightful owner of all the resources: “The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine.” And He promised that He would accomplish His purposes: “The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former…and in this place I will give peace.’” Brothers & Sisters these are important lessons for us to remember. If we have committed sins, we, too, can be forgiven. If we have wasted our opportunities and resources, we can be given a second chance, just like the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-24). He is with us!

"For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."Galatians 6:8-9

A friend sent me this amazing story. A young man who had been raised as an atheist was training to be an Olympic diver. The only religious influence in his life came from his outspoken Christian friend. The young diver never really paid much attention to his friend's sermons, but he heard them often. One night the diver went to the indoor pool at the college he attended. The lights were all off, but as the pool had big skylights and the moon was bright, there was plenty of light to practice by. The young man climbed up to the highest diving board. As he turned his back to the pool, on the edge of the board and extended his arms out, he saw his shadow on the wall. The shadow of his body was in the shape of a cross. Suddenly, he felt a strange feeling, like someone was speaking to him. Instead of diving, he knelt down and finally asked God to come into his life. As the young man stood in deep reverence before the Lord, a maintenance man walked in and turned on the lights. The pool had been drained for repairs. Mm. Sometimes we get frustrated. It seems like our words are falling on deaf ears and that our loved ones will never see the truth. But we never know how God is working in those for whom we've been praying. He often has a plan we know nothing about! Brothers & Sisters, let's not be discouraged when we don't see the fruit right away. God knows the day and the hour and He will be faithful to follow through. Keep praying. Keep sharing. Keep sowing the seed! There's so much work to be done! KEEP ON SEWING!

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."Matthew 13:45-46

In Matthew 13, we see that a merchant sold all that he had to purchase a single pearl. But why, of all things, a pearl? I would question the choice the Lord made -- choosing to leave the Father's side for a pearl instead of what I would think has much greater significance, the much coveted diamond. You may know that the diamond is graded in value according to the 4 C's, Cut, Color, Clarity & Carat-weight. The answer to my pondering was right there! The diamond receives a substantial portion of its value from the way a person cuts it -- the work of man's hand! Interestingly, the only natural gemstone that has more value when it is found than when men finish with it is the PEARL! In the same way, we can add nothing to the work of Salvation! God has paid the price for us in full -- and a tremendous price it was. The God of glory, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords left all the splendor of Heaven to claim this pearl. And He gained it by paying a price that was far more precious than any of us could pay. Brothers & Sisters, sometimes we get so busy and we don't take time out consider this incredible work of God in our lives. He has bought us with a price. We are fully paid, fully ransomed, fully redeemed! We are the pearls of great desire! Let's walk in that victory today! WHY A PEARL?

"This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men."Titus 3:8

Does it ever happen to you - that something terribly simplistic just suddenly becomes clear? I realized something about us the other day. We humans are such addictive creatures. We always hear stories of addictions such as gambling, drinking and using illegal drugs -- most of which, many of us have either never allowed ourselves to touch or been able to conquer at some point in our lives. But it occurred to me that these are just a few of many things to which we can become addicted. I mean, think about it. The more we work and the more money and material things we acquire as a result -- the more we want to work in order to purchase more of those things. The more television we watch -- the more we don’t want to miss that next episode. The more we win at the leisurely games we enjoy, the more we want to play and win more at those games. The more we sleep -- the more we want to sleep! The more we complain -- the more we want to complain! The more we eat -- the more we want to eat! We have even created nightly support group meetings for our addictions to which, if we’re not careful, we can also become addicted! And there are countless other earthly examples we can probably add! It seems that mankind is hopelessly given to the substances and circumstances around us. So wouldn’t it be great if we could just switch our focus from majoring on our daily grind, to majoring on the things of the Lord? And then, I'm sure we would find that the more we pray and see God answer our prayers -- the more we’ll want to pray and see those victories! The more we share our faith and see people come to know the Lord through us -- the more we’ll want to share and see others come! The more we read the Word and gain wisdom for our lives and others' lives -- the more we’ll want to read the Word and gain that kind of wisdom! The more we serve God and those around us-- the more we’ll want to serve them! And there are countless other heavenly examples we can probably add! Brothers & Sisters, how about it? Let’s begin doing more of the things of the Lord and watch how they multiply! I have feeling that we just might experience more joy, peace and contentment than we ever have! ADDICTION CAN BE A GOOD THING!

"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."Matthew 5:11-12

An ancient story is told of the Queen of Sheba. She sent two wreaths of roses to Solomon, one real and one artificial, to test his reputed wisdom. She defied him to detect the genuine from the artificial. Solomon at once directed that some bees be brought into the room and of course, they immediately flew to the real flowers and thought nothing of the counterfeit. So it is with us as believers. When we find ourselves overwhelmed, surrounded, being attacked from every side with the bees of revile and persecution, it simply means they recognize that we are the real deal! Our beautiful aroma attracts those scary bees but the Lord, in the end, "Where,[oh bees], is your sting?" Brothers & Sisters, rejoice when the bees come around! Don't lose heart! God has the victory! WAKE UP & SMELL THE ROSE!