.Read the Bible in a Year (18SEP19)

DAILY REMINDER – Today, September 18’s Bible reading is Daniel 10-12.

NEXT DAY REMINDER – Tomorrow, September 19’s Bible reading is Daniel Hosea 1-7. May God bless you with the reading of His WORD.

DANIEL MOMENT – (18SEP19) “But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia” (Daniel 10:13). Daniel had gone on a fast to intercede and pray on behalf of his people. He understood from the words of Jeremiah that they were supposed to be freed from captivity after having served seventy-years. During this fast, Daniel saw a vision of the Lord and his description of him is very similar to Apostle John’s description later written in the book of Revelation. A messenger of the Lord was sent to Daniel to give him insight as to the future of his people, kingdoms to come, and the end times. The messenger begins by telling him that he had encountered a roadblock with the Persian kingdom and had to call on Michael, the chief of princes, to help him. He was not strong enough by himself to go up against the forces that were trying to prevent him from accomplishing his mission, so he needed reinforcements and then his mission was complete. God’s will cannot be stopped regardless of the devil’s attempts to block it from happening. The enemy did not want Israel to be free to return to their land, but whatever God has promised shall be fulfilled.

Just as the messenger had to call for reinforcements to help accomplish his mission, we too must call on our Reinforcement to help us in life. When the devil know that the Lord has a blessing for us, he will do whatever he can to prevent that blessing from being manifested. He tries to block our blessings to keep us from receiving them because he does not want us to take delight in the Lord; therefore, we are constantly fighting a battle of spiritual warfare when it comes to the enemy. The Bible says: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:10-12). We can sometimes make the mistake of looking at the individual or situation as being the problem in our lives when it is actually dark forces that are pulling the strings. For some people, the Lord has made promises concerning their lives, but they do not understand that their wait is not always the Lord withholding His hand, but the enemy using his agents of evil to block the blessings from coming forth. Therefore, whatever you may be believing God for, as Him to rebuke all demons of hell who would try to keep your blessings on hold. If the messenger of God had to get reinforcements to accomplish his mission, then we should not think that we do not have to follow suit. When we know our enemy, then we know how to fight the battle spiritually by putting on the Lord’s armor correctly. Something to ponder….

QUESTION OF THE DAY - (18SEP19) Are we ever to stumble as a Christian? The Bible says: “Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time” (Daniel 11:35). Many Christians may make the mistake of thinking that just because we are believers in Christ, we are not prone to fall. During Daniel’s vision, however, he was shone that some of the saints would encounter persecution and hardships so that they may be purified. He saw the future of many kingdoms rising and falling, but the Lord’s people, though they stumble, would be purified through Him.

We have often heard of metals having to go through the fire in order to remove the impurities that they contain. Well, it is the same way for believers who go through many trials, but in the end, we will come forth as pure gold. The Bible says: “For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes” (Proverbs 24:16). God knew that we would be imperfect creatures trying to do His perfect will; therefore, He sent His Son so that we may be made perfect through Him. We could not nor can we ever be perfect within ourselves.  The Bible says: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). Because we were born into sin, we are prone to sin, but because of what Jesus did on the cross for us, we do not have to be bound by sin any longer.

As followers of Christ, it does not mean that we will never stumble, mess up, yell at the kids, say an unkind word to your spouse, etc., but it does mean that when we do such things, we can go on our knees and repent. Messing up is not what causes a person to be lost when they repent. Staying in sin and open rebellion does. God loves you; therefore, you can love yourself as a child of the Most High. Something to ponder….

DANIEL MOMENT – (18SEP19) “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered” (Daniel 12:1). Daniel had been given a vision of the end times where he saw the distress of nations as Jesus later prophesied in Matthew 24. Yet, he was shown the hope of those whose names would be found in the book of Life. Believers who had died would be awakened to eternal life, but the unbeliever to eternal damnation. The things that Daniel had seen was for a much later time in the future, so he was told to seal up the words to the scroll, but we are living out much of his vision with more to come.  

We are living in the last days where many of us may witness the events that Daniel saw unfold during our lifetime. We are witnessing the distress of nations and sin running rampant throughout the earth. Nevertheless, we have a blessed hope that those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of Life, though they may sleep, will rise to an eternity with Christ. There will be no more sickness, death, sorrow, pain, sin, or grief. The Bible says: “Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:1-5). John the Revelator was shown what the end will be for those who are saved just as Daniel did. We have a lot to look forward to, and even though there will be an increase in wickedness on the earth, we know that it is a sign of the Lord’s soon return which will be sooner than many may think. Something to ponder….