PHOTO | Screwed Up

Feel too screwed up to ever climb out of the hole of your life and triumph? There is a way out!

- T. Grant Acker, Defeat Your Saboteurs

DANIEL 10:5

Daniel 10:5 paraphrase

Daniel lifted up his eyes and looked and saw a man dressed in linen, gold around his waist, voice like the sound of a crowd, shining body, face like lightening, eyes like lanterns, his arms and legs like burnished bronze.  Size not given, but he had to lift up his eyes.  Another spirit that looked like a man touched Daniel and gave him strength.  The spirit tells him that the prince of Persia detained him and that he would go back and fight him.  A giant spirit fight in the heavens – two huge transformer type giants battling each other so their influence not felt and their plans not fulfilled.  God’s plan vs Satan’s plan.  There is a giant fight in an unseen dimension to keep the serpent and evil from getting their own ways.

GOD REVEALED

Reading Daniel

God inserting himself into the affairs of men seems to be the theme.  There is the king's forgotten dream that God reveals to Daniel, the oven of fire that does not burn the three Israelites, the judgment of insanity on Nebuchadnezzar, the hand writing on the wall – counted, weighed and ripped.  Of special note are intense dreams that drove the king to seek answers and thus revealed God.  He was telling Babylon that he is God, and he judges and acts in human affairs!  Pride against the real God will be judged is a key message.  The dreams for Daniel revealed that God knows the future, he rules, and he also tells men things along the way.

PHOTO | He Who Awaits on the Lord

He who awaits on the Lord will be surrounded by mercy and loving-kindness. Therefore be happy in the Lord, enjoy yourselves, sing with rejoicing all you who want to do right.

- Defeat Your Saboteurs - 

JESUS IS THE LOVE WE LONG FOR

John Lennon sang about love, and many others point to it in songs and writing and speech. Through meditation, thought, and spiritual awareness, it is clear that love is essential.  No one ever can prosper without love.  Lack of love is death. 

A governmental/social system is built upon cooperation – which when based upon caring – shows a kind of love.  The system can show that the government cares…rather, the people behind it care.  There is a measure of rest in that; however, the world is not a loving place in general.  There are many wars at this moment, random killings, millions of people hungry, more millions suffering some illness or disease and/or disability or want.  All of us, no matter how rich, have worries at least of illness and disease and potential physical or social catastrophes – even if not suffering from physical hunger. 

It can be hard to see love and often hard to imagine that if there is a God that he or she or it could be loving.  You can only understand that God is love, and love is by God, through understanding that this world has been and is invaded by evil – a false God (the devil) who has destroyed the original plan for this world together with the help and participation of the world itself by deciding to let him (the devil) in.

Living inside this mess, Jesus comes for us and is available everyday if we open our hearts to him, let him ever deeper inside, and will spend time with him so we can live easily inside him and trust him…letting our worries and fears go.

In Ephesians 3:14-19, Paul prays (paraphrased):  “…that God may give you strength inside by the power of his Spirt, that Jesus may live in your heart, to be rooted and cemented in love, able to understand with other people who have Jesus – the length, depth, height and depth of his love, and to truly KNOW his love personally....”

There is hope, peace, provision and life through Jesus.  I have lived long enough to learn that outside of him there is no reliable source, but that he is reliable.  That does not mean you will not be subject to this fallen world, but that Jesus will help and be there, and will love and help you.  When young and hurt, I ran to my parents for help and comfort.  Even though they couldn’t always fix it, their love and care made a way for me to go on.  And at the end, I didn’t blame them.  The hurt was not their fault, it was part of life on this fallen planet.  As an adult, we will still be hurt – it is life here -- in those difficulties don’t doubt the love and care of God, go to him for help and comfort.  Know this, in spite of the failures, losses and heartbreak you have suffered or caused, Jesus will not desert you.  You will not suffer more rejection, hurt and loss from Jesus.

PHOTO | Free From Fear

Your heart must be freed from fear. Knowing and receiving the love of God and trusting Him in all things frees you from the bondage of fear.

- T. Grant Acker, Defeat Your Saboteurs