Remember the gift of exhortation? Encouragement with a call to action that leads to change, growth...an embrace and a hand up. These are characteristic of Jude's last words in his brief letter (Jude 20-25): take responsibility to do your part in your own spiritual formation; pray always with the Holy Spirit's guidance; live in God's love - presence with God matters; look to Jesus and for Jesus - o...  Read More

Daniel's conversation at the end of the book reminds me of the disciples' conversation with Jesus before He ascends to heaven. Daniel in essence asks: "How will this end?" (Daniel 12:8), while the disciples ask: "When will you be back?" (Acts 1:6). They both basically get the same answer: "It's not for you to know...go about your [My] business" (Daniel 12:9; Acts 1:7). Once again, they are all tol...  Read More

"Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and act! My God, for your own sake, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your name." (Daniel 9:19, CSB)Daniel's prayer of confession, repentance and petition (intercession) deserves indepth study (Daniel 9:4-19). It is a model of prayer that moves the heart of God to transform the heart of a nation and bring about restoration. It is the kind...  Read More

"This is the confidence we have before him: If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked of him." (1 John 5:14-15, CSB)"Christ is such," writes Hallesby, "that we need only 'see' Him and prayer will rise from our hearts. Voluntary prayer, confident prayer. We know that Christ can answer prayer. We know ...  Read More

"There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of divine] punishment, so the one who is afraid [of God’s judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God’s love]. We love, because He first loved us." (1 John 4:18-19, AMP)Love's nature is giving. Twice in 1 John...  Read More

"Dear friends, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive whatever we ask from him because we keep his commands and do what is pleasing in his sight." (1 John 3:21-22, CSB)As I reread the story of the fiery furnace (Daniel 3), I was struck by the vast gulf between Nebuchadnezzar's view of God and Who God really is. If anyone defied God, Nebuchadnezzar would have them...  Read More