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Daniel 2:45

Whereas you saw the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, it ground to powder the clay, the iron, the copper, the silver, and the gold. Thus the great God has made known to the king what must come to pass after this. The dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy.

Encouraging Words

The passage in Daniel that this verse comes from reminds us that God can use anyone He chooses to do His work. Here we have Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon and a non-Jew, non-believer in Jehovah, rendering a very prophetic image in his dream that was interpreted by Daniel. This verse sums up the explanation of the dream by pointing out that there will be a great one someday who will surpass and overthrow all world governments. He will be the one who sets up a new government and a new kingdom. This one is our Lord Jesus Christ whose kingdom is beyond any kingdom of this earthly world. He is our King Eternal. Glory be to God!

Philippians 1:15-18

Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.

Encouraging Words

In Paul’s day, he encountered people that were preaching Christ for one reason…personal gain. This new Jewish sect, as they saw it was the latest and greatest thing to latch on to and use for personal gain. Here we are over 2,000 years later and this is still happening with name-it-and-claim-it preachers, men and women, who have built empires on the backs of other believers, and many people that see Christianity as fire insurance. How did Paul deal with this? He praised God because He knew that ultimately the gospel of Jesus Christ was still being spread, even if for nefarious reasons. He knew that God will always use the seeds of truth that are planted to grow His church and that He would burn the lies of personal gain in the fires of eternity. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Susanna 1:22-23

Then Susanna sighed deeply and said, “I am hemmed in on all sides, for if I do this thing, it is death for me; yet if I do not, I will not escape your hands. But it is better for me not to do it and to fall into your hands, than to sin against the Lord.”

Personal Challenge

The story of Susanna is a powerful story that is not found in the Western versions of the Bible. It was included as a preamble to the Book of Daniel, in the Septuagint, which is the Old Testament used in the version of the Bible used in the Orthodox church. Susanna was the daughter of Hilkiah and married to Jehoiakim, a very wealthy leader in the Jewish community. She was a young and beautiful woman. In the community, there were two elders in the community who were appointed as judges over the affairs of the people. They met daily at Jehoiakim’s estate and listened to the cases of the people. One day after all the cases had been heard and all of the people had left, Susanna went for a walk in the gardens. These two men had stayed behind for they were infatuated with Susanna’s beauty. They followed her into the garden and demanded that she have relations with them. They told her that if she did not that they would accuse her of meeting up with a young man in the garden, which was punishable by stoning. With the two of them acting as witnesses and being pillars in the community, she would surely be condemned. This is where these two verses pick up. In her love for her God, she chose to take her chances in the courts rather than to sin against Her God. Every time I read this passage I ask myself if I would be this committed to my God or take the easy way out. For the rest of the story… read Susanna. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Philippians 1:3-8

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.

Encouraging Words

In the middle of Paul’s exclamation of thanksgiving, we find this precious nugget of truth, “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” This is truly something to be thankful for. We are not a completed work. God will continue His work in our lives until that day when Jesus returns. He has us in His hands. Glory be to God?

Ezekiel 37:26-28

I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant, and I will establish My sanctuary in their midst forever. My tabernacle shall be among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them, when My sanctuary is among them forever.

Encouraging Words

In approximately AD 33, our Lord established His sanctuary in the midst of His people. That sanctuary is the Church, the Church universal, that exists still to this day. Even though there have been divisions and splits through the millennia, His church still thrives and permeates His world, His creation. As members of that church, we are a part of His covenant of peace, an everlasting covenant. He continues to sanctify us and to provide us with a sanctuary, His sanctuary. And we know that even the gates of hell cannot prevail against us as we take refuge in this sanctuary. Glory be to God!

Philippians 1:2

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Encouraging Words

Is this not the kind of greeting that we should bestow on everyone that we come into contact with, whether friend or foe? God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ have blessed us with so much. They have poured out their grace, mercy, and peace upon each one of us so abundantly. The least that we can do in response to this is to give grace and peace to those in our lives. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Ezekiel 36:25-27

I shall sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be cleansed from all your uncleanness, and I will also cleanse you from all your idols. I shall give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I shall take the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I shall put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My requirements, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

Encouraging Words

Through the words of Ezekiel, our Lord prophetically spoke of the coming of the Savior, the Messiah. Jesus is that Savior and Messiah. He has sprinkled the water of baptism upon us to cleanse us from our sinful uncleanness. He has smashed the idols in our lives and given us the image of the one, true God in Himself. He gives us a new heart and makes us new, as we were meant to be in the beginning. He has filled us with the Holy Spirit so that we could walk in His ways on His path of righteousness. He has made us into new creations. Glory be to God!

Ephesians 6:10-18

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

Personal Challenge

We are told to be strong and to stand up to the wiles of the devil. Sometimes he seems like such a formidable foe and that we have no way of standing up to him. The truth is that if we do try to stand up to him and the rest of the world on our own accord, then we will not be able to do it. That is why this passage lays out an entire arsenal of weaponry that our Lord makes available to us to resist the evil around us. We are not in this struggle alone, God is our protector and provider. He equips us with everything that we will ever need to live a life that will glorify Him. We, however, must do our part by putting on His armor and using His tools to defeat the enemy and be strong in the process. Glory be to God!

Ezekiel 34:15-16

“I shall feed My sheep and refresh them; and they will know that I am the Lord,” thus says the Lord and Master. “I shall seek the lost, bring back the misled, bind up the broken, strengthen the fallen, protect the strong, and feed them with judgment.”

Encouraging Words

Have you ever been hungry beyond what food would satisfy? Have you ever been weary beyond what a good night sleep would refresh? Have you ever been lost and off of the straight and narrow path of life that you have chosen to follow? Have you ever been broken, fallen, and weak? We all have. Some to greater levels than others. Ezekiel reminds us that our Lord, Jesus Christ, is our great and loving Shepherd, here to recover us from all of the maladies of life and hold us in His loving arms. Thank You, Sweet Jesus for loving us so much!