As usual we ran out of time this morning...and didn't get to spend time talking about what we're learning on a personal level. I loved Emile's insights at the end of the class! Thanks, Emile!!
I thought maybe we could use the blog to share our personal thoughts about the various lessons.
For example:
-What kinds of insights about God did you see this week?
-Did you get any insights into Daniel from chapter 8?
-How does chapter 8 relate to us today? Why study it?
-What can this vision about the ram and goat teach us?
You may still have questions about some of the more technical parts of Chapter 8...but what about how it's touching you personally? Don't worry...you don't have to have some deep, uniquely profound thing to say! It'd be good to just share our thoughts with one another, don't you think?
So...let's talk!
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Yes! Thanks to Emile for bringing our discussion time to an appropriate end - application. To me, Bible study means nothing unless I take what has been studied and do the "heart work". Not easy for me as I really enjoy the head knowledge! I'm getting that God doesn't want me to be uninformed about what is happening now and in the future nor does He want me to remain in a state of fear. Our culture seems to thrive on fear - Daniel appears to keep his head on straight while in the midst of an evil culture of his own. OK - that was brief :)
ReplyDeleteAmen, Betty! One thing I've been thinking about is the fact that because the prophecies in Dan that have been fulfilled are so precisely accurate, we have a nice foothold for our faith when we think about the future prophecies. I don't think God has called us to a totally blind faith, ie, faith without reason. The fulfilled prophecies that we've been studying make our faith in God's word as it pertains to the future very reasonable and I for one feel a lot more peace about it knowing how His word has proven true in the past. Just some thoughts.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I didn't really know where to put this. It pertains to our discussion in class today about Ch 9. We had a great dialogue about God's character and I have spent the afternoon in prayer and the Word trying to settle a few things in my heart...and here is what I have.
ReplyDeleteGod is the same yesterday, today and forever. He and His character are unchanging.
He does however deal with us differently than He did in the OT. According to the Word, there were only a few chosen ones in the OT "filled with the Holy Spirit". (kings, judges and prophets, etc) Because of this, God could not deal with his people in the spirit, he dealt with them in the flesh. Hence you have all the desolation and destruction we see because of their disobedience. The law was never kept and although the Bible defines some as Holy, none were free from sin nature and could only look forward to the One that would fulfill the law.
When Jesus was in ministry here on Earth He made it very clear that He was the picture of the Father's character (John 14:7-11). His nature was loving, full of grace and mercy, as God is described throughout the OT. BUT, from the time of Jesus until the end, God has and will continue to deal with us, believers and unbelievers alike, differently. No longer do we see His wrath.
Let me support this. In II Kings 1:9-16 Elijah calls down the "fire of God" on his enemies. This is a man of God and it is recorded in Holy Scripture. When the disciples are walking with Jesus in Luke 9:54-56 they encountered Samaritans that would not accept Jesus. Using Elijah as their precedence, they asked Jesus if they should call down fire upon the Samaritans. Depending on your translation you may read where He said "of course not!" or that "He rebuked them and told them they don't know what spirit they are of". In essence, He told them that even though they had scriptural evidence to thinkn they were in the right and that God would do such a thing, they were in fact very wrong. Jesus made it clear in v56, NASB, that "the Son of Man came not to destroy mans lives, but to save them"! and these were unbelievers! How much more does He love and have mercy on His children!?!? Hallelujah!
We serve the same God as Daniel, but we don't have to experience His wrath because Jesus took it all upon Himself at the Cross. He deals with us in our spirit as we are all filled with the Holy Spirit according to the Gospels.
And as a side note, the Word is very clear that the devil came to kill, steal and destroy and that Jesus came that we might have abundant life. There is a good God and a bad devil. It's frustrating for me to hear Christians give God credit for something bad that He didn't do, like making them sick or harming their loved ones. If Jesus died to fulfill the law and take all the effects of sin (including sickness & calamity) upon himself, and someone says God is causing sickness and calamity to teach them something or bring Glory to himself, then God would owe Jesus an apology, because His death at the Cross was a waste. The devil is the author of sin and all its ill effects, Jesus forgave sin and became those things for us. God can be glorified through our trials that come as a result of our living in this world if we allow Him to do so...by overcoming adversity and fighting the good fight of Faith!
I feel compelled to respond to a few things that some are struggling with. First, we cannot equate painful circumstances with the wrath of God, it is
ReplyDeleteinstead from His LOVE that HE works through circumstances and trials to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ. We are not here (on earth) to live comfortable pain free lives but to become more like Christ. There are loads of verses in the NT which reference how God works in our lives through painful
circumstances and it is vital that we understand this truth. I Peter 4:12 "BELOVED do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you...that tests
you as tho it were some strange thing but to the degree that you share in the sufferings of Christ...keep on rejoicing. James 1:2-4 Consider it all joy MY BRETHREN when you encounter trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance..." I Pet.1:6-7 "Greatly REJOICE even though for a little while you endure various trials that the proof of your faith..more precious than gold...result in praise and glory and honor at the resurrection of Jesus Christ." I Cor. 11:28-30 (Lords Supper) "Let a man examine himself...for he
who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgement to himself if he does not judge rightly. For this reason many among you are weak & sick and a number sleep". (who judges the believer? Not Satan- God does) While it is true that OT believers lived under the Law and we live under grace, you cannot dismiss the fact that God has always used trials, and yes even sickness sometimes (not always) as purification, to see the true heart of a man, and to humble us and rid us of pride. 2 Cor. 4:11 "For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death...that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh." verse 17 "For momentary light affliction is producing in us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison"
God may not cause all sickness or calamity but He certainly allows it to deal with pride and test faith. John 15 "pruning"!! God is the same now &
then.