Daniel 2:17-24 Video Devotional

Posted on Oct 29, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: , ,

Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said:

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”

Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation.” – Daniel 2:17-24

This is incredible. Daniel, in full confidence back in v16, tells Arioch to set time with him in front of the king. Catch that for what it is: Daniel scheduled time in front of the king before he had the answer to the dream and its interpretation! Talk about bold! Daniel knew, even though he didn’t have the answer yet, that he would get it, and fearlessly chose to step up. Then he went to pray about it. Pulling together the other three, they took it to God and asked for the answer. And God provided. Daniel responds in praise and thankfulness.  

What stands out to me in this passage is that more “ink” is spent describing Daniel’s response to the prayer rather than the time spent in the prayer. God provided the answer pretty quickly – no fasting, no agonizing over it, no drops of sweat – just prayer and trust for the answer. Now, Daniel was seeking a factual answer to a problem he needed to figure out – no “why” questions or “how” questions, just “what”. So this may not apply to all prayer, but I think there are a few things we could learn from this.

First, he wasn’t looking for a specific answer. I wonder how much time we spend in extra prayer because we don’t like the answer we receive? I think we spend a lot of time pushing back, because we aren’t getting the answer we want in prayer. Now, Daniel wasn’t emotionally invested in the dream or its interpretation, so he wasn’t looking for a specific type of response. He just wanted the answer and left everything else up to God. That would be good for us to practice as well, whether or not we are emotionally invested in prayer. His answer is more important than what we want (“Not my will, but yours be done.”)

Second, he prayed and went to bed. Once he got the answer, Daniel spent more time on being thankful for the answer. How often do we go back to God after getting the answer and actually thank Him for it – let alone coming up with a poem of praise? How much time do we spend being thankful to God? What do you thank Him for?

I am not saying prayer should be quick. I am saying that we tend to overemphasize the answer we want and forget the time we should spend afterwards in praise. Maybe we should turn that around – look for His answer and then thank Him for it (regardless of what the answer is). Try it out – experience the results for yourself. Then see what kind of boldness God might instill in you.


Daniel 2:12-16 Video Devotional

Posted on Oct 27, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: , , , , , , ,

Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. He declared to Arioch, the king’s captain, “Why is the decree of the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king. – Daniel 2:12-16

Right at the start of this story, we see Daniel thrown again into the fire, this time simply because he was part of a certain group of advisors! He had nothing to do with the situation, but was looped in and, as verse 13 states, was hunted for death. It is really just predicament after predicament.

Note here that again, this had absolutely nothing to do with Daniel or his actions (even positive action). He is merely an innocent person thrown into a life and death situation. None of this was or even could have been his fault. I can imagine anyone in these situations becoming increasingly frustrated or even angry over constantly being looped into things that he had nothing to do with; yet, Daniel chose to respond with prudence.

Again, respect and love were how Daniel chose to treat the man who was literally hunting him for death. He reached out to Arioch directly and asked for clarification and immediately offered to give the king what he is seeking – an interpretation to his dream. There is no hesitation, annoyance, or desire to seek revenge on the man sent to kill him. Simply business – Daniel learns of the problem and calmly offers to fix it.

This can be a challenge for me; not responding to actual threats to my safety but responding to one of my children when they constantly interrupt me with questions during a movie. It doesn’t have to be a life-threatening situation; only an opportunity disguised as an irritation. This is a very real-life problem.

How often do we respond to people that are a thorn in our flesh (for whatever reason) when they come around the corner? Are you mean to them? Do you ignore them? Do you simply just wish in your heart they weren’t there? Or, like Daniel, do you choose to show nothing but love and respect and seek to serve their needs. That’s Daniel’s example. That’s our challenge.


Daniel 1:17-21 Video Devotional

Posted on Oct 22, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: , , , , , ,

As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus. – Daniel 1:17-21

Daniel’s no compromise approach to the food from the king’s table was without a doubt a risky move, yet when handled with respect and love towards the chief of the eunuchs, it proved successful, with what were, I am sure, some unintended consequences.

It is important that we remember when studying Biblical texts not to assign super-human powers to the characters. Daniel is one of those who seems to be elevated more than others. For example, we have no record of Daniel having any foreknowledge of these events. It may be easy to assume that of him, especially because these stories are so commonplace, but on top of that, Daniel was given prophetic visions. But moving through his story, Daniel could still only put one foot in front of the other and God only lit his pathway for each subsequent step.

This is important to note because Daniel, during chapter one, was focused solely on obeying God’s food laws. That was it – that was his ambition and plan throughout the first chapter. He was figuring out how the exile was going to work and what his role in it would be, and this confrontation with the king’s table probably felt like a headache and a distraction. But from God’s perspective, it was a beginning of a career that would last a long time.

Developing in Daniel such steadfastness, visions, patience, and influence took time, but as scripture tells us, there was no one like those four. All because they obeyed God foremost, while also showing love and respect to other people. As a result, they were given wonderful opportunities to continue being faithful to God – to which, God put them on display and painted targets on their backs. That would mean incredible influence over the Babylon leadership (good things), but also heavy danger and risks (not so fun things), such as an appointment with a fiery furnace.

Daniel didn’t know what would happen – he could only be faithful in the moment and trust God with the outcomes of that faithfulness. And that’s all we can do. Obey in the moment and trust God with the consequences. Those consequences to God’s obedience are all blessings – though they may contain suffering and heartache as well. Be prepared. And then follow God anyway, because we all know that’s going to happen regardless; so why not experience the good and bad of life as a result of faithfulness and obedience – it’ll make for a much better journey on this earth…and the next.


Daniel 1:8-16 Video Devotional

Posted on Oct 20, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: , , , , , ,

But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.” Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. – Daniel 1:8-16

Right away we jump into the first of the numerous conflicts between the Jewish examples (Daniel and his friends) and the Babylon assimilators. They are invited to eat food off the king’s table as an enticement to like Babylon culture and appreciate the generosity of the leaders so as to begin to like them. If the Jewish examples like the Babylonians, then the rest of the exiles will begin to trend that way as well. At least that’s the plan.

The conflict begins because the food form the king’s table does not match the Jewish kosher laws; it is riddled with food they can’t eat without breaking their vows to God – something Daniel and his friends have no intention of doing. It is clear that God comes first in their hearts. On top of that, they are confident that God will provide a way for them to be faithful while also providing a way through this ordeal that He allowed them to be in. Thus, they confidently suggest to the leaders that they eat only vegetables, offering a ten-day trial to prove that this will work out in favor of the Babylonian intentions.

The test works and Daniel and his friends look great on vegetables and are thus allowed to continue their faithfulness to God through food. They also begin to earn trust and influence in the Babylonian court. Off the bat, these men suggest wise ideas, make good, faithful decisions and see positive fruit.

Here’s the key – Daniel and his friends were put into a precarious position that one could have easily justified eating off the king’s table.  A lax attitude under pressure is a common struggle people face. But this passage shows that faithfulness is the key to success here. Only by being completely faithful (albeit in a gentle and respectful way), were these young men able to produce the fruit they did. They trusted God completely and stayed the course, yet chose wisdom and gentleness in their dealings. This is the formula to spiritual success in our actions. Stay unwaveringly faithful to God no matter what and treat those you are dealing with respectfully and with love.

God will bless your work in that – guaranteed. That won’t always mean it will be pain-free (Daniel is about to spend the night with hungry lions), but it will lead to His glory. Never compromise and never act with anger towards another.


Daniel 1:1-7 Video Devotional

Posted on Oct 15, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: , , , , , ,

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego. – Daniel 1:1-7

Albeit quick, this introduction sets up the entire story of Daniel very well. We see the destruction of the southern kingdom of Israel with the deportation of the Israelites as exiles to Babylon. We then learn that Nebuchadnezzar has intention with the exiles, as he schemes to bring in leaders of the exiles to groom and turn them into people that will help him assimilate the rest of the exiles. To do that, he chooses leaders from the tribe of Judah, most likely members of the royal family. Who he picks for this is key: they have to be prominent members of the kingdom to be recognizable to everyone else, but it can’t be the royal family, as they are “examples” Nebuchadnezzar uses as a fear and control tactic.

Basically, these are important people form the southern kingdom, but (and here is the key) they are NOT the ones responsible for the downfall of Judah. These chosen were not the ones who led Israel’s southern kingdom astray. They are innocent—as much as they can be, at least. Why does this matter? Well, things do not go well for them. And it sets up an important premise for the book: these main characters that we are following through the story are good. Though sinful as human beings, in as much as we know about them, live a righteous lifestyle and we see that consistently through the book of Daniel. Everything that happens to them in this book happens because they are living well – a life lived in devotion to God and they stay faithful throughout.

It is easy to look at our lives from rose-colored glasses and see ourselves as righteous individuals, thus making the trials we face NOT our fault (no one ever wants to blame themselves). However, more often than not, if we are honest with ourselves, a lot of our trials (or suffering) can be drawn from consequences of our own actions. Whether directly or indirectly, its our fault. This is not the case with Daniel and his friends. What happens to them in this book is not their fault and it is key we keep that in mind. Their trials are going to come because they are living rightly.

That means a few things for us today; 1) trials are inevitable (regardless of how righteous you live), 2) the reasons for our trials are many, and 3) what God uses those trials in our lives for is important to understand. Consider some recent trials you have faced. Were they because of your actions? What was God doing either in or through your life? Was there spiritual fruit born from that trial?

As we continue, we are going to learn more about these trials and the reasons they happen. Stay tuned!


Daniel Overview Video Devotional

Posted on Oct 13, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: , , ,

In his days, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him. And the Lord sent against him bands of the Chaldeans and bands of the Syrians and bands of the Moabites and bands of the Ammonites, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by his servants the prophets. Surely this came upon Judah at the command of the Lord, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, and also for the innocent blood that he had shed. For he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord would not pardon. – 2 Kings 24:1-7

Many might skim past this book and see it as confusing futuristic prophecy, there is a rich meaning to Daniel’s writing that is much more than foresight into the end times. The message of the book speaks much more to daily life.

The book begins in the time of King Jehoiakim, when Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, laid siege to Jerusalem and began the process of exiling the Israelites. The southern kingdom of Judah was destroyed and the kingdom sent off to a faraway land. Daniel and his three friends as we will get to know them in the book, are from the tribe of Judah (possibly part of the royal family) and will have to learn how to live faithful to God while in exile.

There are a few interesting notes that may help us gain a better understanding of the book as we delve into it together. The layout of the book seemingly divides into to two simple sections: 1-6 (stories about Daniel and his friends) and 7-12 (visions of Daniel). But there is an interesting twist in that Daniel wrote the book in two languages: Hebrews (Chs 1, 8-12) and Aramaic (Chs 2-7). This suggests that the layout of the book is not as simple as we thought. While there are two main sections to the book, Ch 1 stands out more on its own as an introduction, presenting through its example the main idea of the book. Chs 2-7 then serve as symmetrical story-telling to reinforce those themes (2&7, 3&6, 4&5), then finishes off with Chs 8-12 using Daniel’s visions to give us a Heaven’s eye view of what we the readers need to understand.

As the main character in this book, it is also interesting to note that Daniel is one of the only biblical characters (other than Jesus) where they don’t show us any glaring character flaws. This helps to show the idea that righteous suffering is what is important here (not suffering for our own sins). Peter discusses this idea of suffering for good (as opposed to evil) and its importance in growing the Kingdom of God in 1 Peter 3.

As we go through the devotional series, we will go into much more detail, but simply by learning about the layout and basic characteristics of the book, we can be challenged to live a more righteous life and prepare ourselves to face suffering as a result; and that is all for God’s glory.


Acts Wrap-Up Video Devotional

Posted on Oct 8, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: , , , , ,

This brings us to the end of the book of Acts. Jesus proclaimed in Acts 1:8, you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea, in Samaria and to the ends of the earth, and here we are at the “partial” fulfillment of that. By partial fulfillment, we see that this is more of a now and not yet statement; it is applicable in the “now” because we watched through the book the gospel travel from Jerusalem at the point of Jesus’ ascension through Judea and Samaria and across the world, ending up in Rome. While Rome is not the end of the world, it is the explosion at the end of the wick, the catalyst point. Church history shows us that once the gospel takes seed in Rome, the movement explodes and takes root across the known world – this we can follow through well-researched church history. The “not yet” refers to the fact that the gospel has not yet reached every tribe, tongue, nation, and language. There is still more work to do.

This is where we come in. Jesus’ proclamation was not only meant for the disciples at the time, but His charge to the church as it moves and grows throughout history; a legacy that we today are a part of. This mission is currently ours, and it is our responsibility to handle that calling with serious effort. Matthew 24:14 tells us that Jesus won’t come back until every tribe and nation has had the chance to accept Him. Thus, our action (or inaction) today connect us to the legacy of people like Peter, Paul and Augustine (among many others) who gave all they had to this movement of Christianity.

What will you do? How can you be a part of such a legacy? Simple, by 1) connecting with people in your local community (whether or not they are similar to you) and loving them in the way Jesus did, and 2) putting your prayers and your dollars to work by supporting international workers reaching the unreached people groups. In all we do, we need to be looking for ways to make disciples. It’s a good thing we can trust that Jesus will be with us forever through the person of the Holy Spirit, leading the way as we follow in faith! I’ll see you on the front lines!


Acts 28:23-31 Video Devotional

Posted on Oct 6, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: , , ,

When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved. And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:

“‘Go to this people, and say, “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’

Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.” He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. (Acts 28:23-31)

Paul settled into Rome and enjoyed a mostly free lifestyle. He had his own place and was able to take in anyone who would listen to his message. Unfortunately for his Jewish brothers, they (for the most part) were not willing to accept the truth of Jesus and left after he quoted to them from Isaiah. That quote is a sad realization that they would not be turning towards Jesus.

It does, however, signal the turn to the Gentiles, opening up in the catalyst city of Rome and opportunity for all people to come near to Jesus and accept His free gift. Paul continued to preach boldly about Jesus – I see it in my mind like an assembly line standing outside Paul’s home for people going in, one-by-one and coming out saved. And with each one of them, as they head to different homes, neighborhoods, cities, regions, and nations being carried out by a person now filled with the Holy Spirit was the gospel of Jesus.

The message turned into a movement. That same movement is alive and well today, being carried on by people filled with the Holy Spirit and willing to take the Name of Jesus anywhere He will lead. Are you one of those carriers?


Acts 28:11-22 Video Devotional

Posted on Oct 1, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: , , ,

“After three months we set sail in a ship that had wintered in the island, a ship of Alexandria, with the twin gods as a figurehead. Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days. And from there we made a circuit and arrived at Rhegium. And after one day a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli. There we found brothers and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome. And the brothers there, when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage. And when we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who guarded him. After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews, and when they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. When they had examined me, they wished to set me at liberty, because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. But because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar—though I had no charge to bring against my nation. For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.” And they said to him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you. But we desire to hear from you what your views are, for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against.” (Acts 28:11-22)

Paul finally makes it to Rome – the purpose of the book. God uses Paul’s time in Rome as a catalyst to begin spreading the gospel across the world to the ends of the earth. Side note: can you imagine the spiritual warfare going on as Paul’s sandals crossed into the city? What a major milestone in the plan of God for the world!

Once there, as was his usual mode of operation, he connects with the local Jewish contingent and let’s them know what happened and what to expect as he moves forward with his appeal. And then something really interesting happens; the local Roman Jews share that they never heard any of this from the Judean brethren. Thus, after all the miles traveled, the death threats, the arguments in court, his accusers didn’t come to Rome! We don’t know if at some point they showed up, but they hadn’t yet and they did send word. That is incredible! As far as we know, Paul would go into his appeal to Caesar with no accuser and no competition as he shares the gospel! Only God could set this up.

There is no question that Paul faced a difficult journey, but if you ever want confirmation that God was behind the whole thing, then this is it. Once he gets to Rome, he has clear sailing to share the gospel with everyone with no opposition. Spiritual battle won by the Holy Spirit. And what’s more, not only have they not heard from the Judean cohort, but they are curious to learn more about Jesus! God set it up perfectly for Paul.

What can we learn from this? The journey may be difficult, but as He shows up with Paul’s journey, God is setting up our journeys just as perfectly – we just have to be patient as the masterpiece He does in our life unfolds.


Acts 28:1-10 Video Devotional

Posted on Sep 29, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: , , ,

“After we were brought safely through, we then learned that the island was called Malta. The native people showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and was cold. When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. When the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.” He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god. Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three days. It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him, healed him. And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured. They also honored us greatly, and when we were about to sail, they put on board whatever we needed.” (Acts 28:1-10) 

Paul’s visit on Malta was a strange one indeed. That visit, along with a verse in Mark, started its own offshoot of Christianity. It’s stories like this that show why it is so important to get a solid handle on our biblical exegesis (or interpretation). By looking at these statements alone, we can Jesus and Paul both championing this activity. But looking at single verses and statements alone will only lead us to errors. We must study and understand what the scriptures say in context with the verses around it, the book as a whole, along with the entirety of scripture before we can focus in on a meaning. 

In Mark, this statement is included as part of the Great Commission – Jesus final words to the disciples as he ascended in to Heaven. It was connected to a purpose – being His witnesses – and went along with other acts only accomplishable by the work of the Holy Spirit. In Acts, that’s exactly how the situation happened. Paul was looking for an inroad to share his faith with the people of Malta, and God brought this about in a way that would speak to those people. It’s all part of the purpose and included people getting healed and coming to faith in Christ. 

It’s important to know that Paul was not looking to show off here, or create a crazy situation that would show people what God was like. It was something the Holy Spirit brought to pass to use to encourage people to listen to Paul. In our mission, there are no gimmicks or tricks that the Holy Spirit uses (regularly or occasionally); there is no magic program or formula that will make the church grow or be successful in its purpose of winning the lost. The only thing the church can be sure of is that when they focus on Jesus alone and live their lives as His ambassadors, fully and genuinely, chances are good that He will bring others to a church like that.

What can we learn from this? Don’t try to grow or try to be successful. Be purposeful, focused on Jesus and the mission, and see whom He brings to your door. 


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