Time with Jesus - Sunday, 24 March 2013
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| Phyllida in Wales |
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.
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| 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
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – Sunday, 24 March 2013
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
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These
devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright
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©
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INTRODUCTION
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DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES
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Daniel and God’s Kingdom
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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
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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
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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
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