DANIEL AND GOD’S KINGDOM

Time with Jesus - Sunday, 24 March 2013

Phyllida in Wales

 Hi all,

Today’s meditation looks at Daniel and the Kingdom of God. Most Christians have heard of Daniel. One of our early Sunday school lessons was all about Daniel in the lion’s den. In brief, we remember he spent the night with them. Those hungry lions didn’t bother him. While we were growing up, many of us remember trying to reason out why?  The lions left him alone but devoured those who “replaced” him the next morning.

Daniel explaining the King's Vision

My thought is that he spent the night in the Kingdom of God! He was filled with righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Let’s not get too pedantic about the Holy Spirit’s presence in the Old Testament. Remember that God is not confined within our time/space dimension. In other words, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit may be manifest at any point in time without being subject to time’s constraints! So there is no reason why Daniel could not have been in the Kingdom of God at that time. Certainly Daniel’s behaviour was consistent with righteousness, peace and joy. So, why not in the Holy Spirit?

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland 

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Sunday, 24 March 2013			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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INTRODUCTION			DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	Daniel and God’s Kingdom
When Phyllida and I went through today’s meditation, she asked me a good question. “Where did the “Daniel” content originate? I went back through it and had to agree she had a point. So where in today’s Scriptures did it come from? To quote John Hagee, “Mmmmm” We read through the poem and asked that question again. I really didn’t have an answer. I’m told that originality is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. So I had to find the 1%. Eventually, in Rev 20:4 it was found. The “beast and his statue” reminded me of the story of Daniel. So the connection, although somewhat vague, became apparent. The Scriptures also referred to the Kingdom of God. That was the point of origin. How to put them together wasn’t obvious. So the meditation was written. Where is the Kingdom of God? We all struggle with the concept. For you and me, a Kingdom is a place. It’s all we know. But Paul tells us 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Rom 14:17 ESV Let’s have a look at the three “qualities referred to in this Scripture. Righteous is what God is. He is perfect in all respects. He always does what is correct in terms of the highest moral code. His behaviour is always an expression of what we call the ten commandments. He is eternally good, moral, just, blameless, upright, honourable, honest and respectable. He is sin-free and cannot be tempted by sin. Peace is not an absence of war, although this cannot be excluded. It is serenity, harmony, tranquillity and calmness despite anything happening around you. It’s a deep inward knowledge that God is real and that He is in control of each and every situation. It’s a sense of being reconciled and safe in the hands of a loving creator. It is walking through life with Jesus. Joy is the deep knowledge of pleasure, delight and .well-being which transcends happiness. David in Psalm 16 gives a picture of joy. 11 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11 TNIV As Paul describes in Romans 14, the Kingdom of God is a combination of these “qualities” in and through the Holy Spirit. They are not man generated but “qualities” or fruit as a result of His indwelling presence. Paul describes them in his epistle to the Galatians. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Gal 5:22-23 TNIV So, how can we recognise that someone is in God’s Kingdom? My guess is that if we find somewhere or someone who displays these qualities in spite of circumstances, we are looking at God’s Kingdom in action in an individual. No doubt there are a number of people in the New Testament who display them. But, the one who really springs to mind is Daniel in the lion’s den. Is my assumption that He was “in God’s Kingdom” correct? Perhaps so? But He was being protected by God in that den of lions. If that’s not being in His Kingdom, what is? Jim & Phyllida Strickland			12 We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For He called you to share in His Kingdom and glory. 1 Thess. 2:12 NLT 36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." John 18:36 ESV 13 There He waits until His enemies are humbled and made a footstool under His feet. Heb. 10:12 NLT 15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever." Rev 11:15 TNIV 1 You have made them members of a royal family. You have made them priests to serve our God. They will rule on earth." Rev 5:10 NIrV 4 Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their forehead or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. Rev 20:4 NLT 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand! Mat 13:43 NLT 32 "Little flock, do not be afraid. Your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32 NIrV 29 So as my Father has given me a kingdom, I'm giving it to you. 30 You will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. You will also sit on thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel." Luke 22:29-30 GW 9 Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may Your name be kept holy. 10 May Your Kingdom come soon. May Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today the food we need, 12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. 13 And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one Mat 6:9-13 NLT	The Kingdom is within us. That’s what the Master said. But will you kindly tell me, if that is in my head? I don’t think I can see it, although I’ve really tried. Just a little hint will do, for me to check inside. It isn’t a location? No one has told me that! So when I try to find it, is it underneath my hat? It isn’t in my tummy, although I’m overweight. And trying to get into it, is surely tempting fate. There’s no place I can think of that’s suitable at all. To try and get the Nations in! I’m sorry, it’s too small. So what was Jesus meaning? How can we all get there? If it’s inside each one of us, will there be room to spare? It can‘t be a location. I think that’s fairly clear. Perhaps some sort of “cyberspace” is how it might appear. But Jesus Christ has told us it’s righteousness and peace; And joy which He has told us that will not ever cease. Exactly how this functions and why it will be great, Has yet to be expounded. So we will have to wait, Until the Lord has shown us the way it ought to be. And that is more than adequate for people just like me. We know it must be tangible. The book of Daniel shows, That even in the Lion’s den, God’s Kingdom somehow goes! They weren’t aware that Daniel was sitting in their pit. They somehow looked right through him; or thought he was unfit, To feed a hungry lion. But surely that’s not true. A little taste of anyone for each of them would do! Perhaps He’d found God’s Kingdom and so he wasn’t there? Don’t tell me hungry lions were thinking it’s not fair, To bring their favourite diet and not to care a jot. If you think lions do such things, I tell you they do not! The next day after Daniel, had exited their den, We know they had a special taste of Babylonian men. A couple were thrown down for them. Their breakfast had been served, Those wicked Babylonians got just what they deserved. Was Daniel in God’s Kingdom? I think he had to be. Righteousness and joy and peace were shown abundantly. The lions got the message, for them, he wasn’t there. He stayed within God’s Kingdom in an attitude of prayer! So next time you’re confronted with a thing you can’t control; Take a tip from Daniel and it will keep you whole. Focus upon Jesus, His love and righteousness. So what if you get eaten? With Him you can’t care less! Jim Strickland Written 24th March 2012