SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-Ode to Joy-Beethoven's Ninth

An Overview Study in Daniel-Week 06

(Get your Bible out and read the verses as we study.)

Daniel Chapters 9-12 –

Chapter 9

This chapter reflects that the 70-year captivity predicted by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:11-12) was coming to an end (from 606 B.C. to the Decree of Cyrus in 536 B.C. - Ezra 1:1-4). Daniel was moved to prayer.

Consider carefully his prayer, as it is one of the greatest prayers in the Old Testament. It was a prayer of confession and need for restoration.

Verses 3-4 – Daniel demonstrated a purposeful persistence in prayer. He approached God with fear, reverence and humility. That’s the way we should always come to God. It is good to praise God through Christ, but we must never neglect the kind of worship that causes us to fall on our face before Him in fearful submission.

Verses 5-14 – Here is Daniel’s confession of sin, both personal and corporate. Confession is a vital part of prayer. We confess not for God’s benefit, He already knows. We confess as an act of submission. Daniel’s prayer contrasts God’s goodness with Israel’s sin. God was righteous in sending Israel into captivity. Sin always has consequences, even for the Christian. For the Christian, sin is forgiven, but it still has consequences. We must take responsibility for the consequences of our sin.

Verses 15-19 – Daniel asks God to forgive his sin and the sin of Israel. He realizes that only God can forgive sin. We must recognize God’s righteousness and seek His mercy. We have no record of the actual sins Daniel committed, but we know he did sin. If he didn’t, he sinned by saying he sinned when he didn’t.

Verses 20-24 – Gabriel approached Daniel to explain the vision. He revealed to Daniel that the kingdom of heaven would not be set up at the end of the 70 years but that 70 weeks more were to pass in respect to the nation Israel (v. 24). By context we know that the 70 weeks are to be considered as weeks of years. The 70 years is up but before all is finished, 490 years concerning Israel will take place. Daniel had thought that the end of the 70 years would bring the Messiah.

1 week = 7 years - 70 weeks = 490 years - 70 weeks divided into 3 periods: 7 weeks — 62 weeks — 1 week

In that 490 years, six things had to be accomplished: 

1. “To finish the transgression” of Israel. From Israel will come the Christ. 
2. “To make an end of sins,” Ezekiel 37:23, Zechariah 12:10—13:1. Israel’s national sin will end with the second coming of Christ.  
3. “To make reconciliation for iniquity.” In the 70 weeks, God will provide a redemption: the death and resurrection of Christ. 
4. “To bring in everlasting righteousness,” Jeremiah 33:14- 16, 31:31-34, Isaiah 1:26. This is the return of Christ after 490 years to establish the kingdom.  
5. “Seal up the vision and prophecy.” Vindicate the truth of this vision. 
6. “To anoint the Most Holy” in the millennial temple, Ezekiel 40 — 48, Acts 15:16.

It works out like about like this:  7 Weeks – Jerusalem Rebuilt; 62 Weeks – Triumphal Entry; Crucifixion of Jesus; 70 AD – Jerusalem Destroyed; 70 Week – Great Tribulation; At the end of that time, Christ comes to establish His Kingdom.

Chapters 10-12 – These three chapters constitute one vision. Some Bible scholars count this last vision as the most important in the Book of Daniel. This section is remarkable from several view- points.

Chapter 10

The seriousness and sincerity of Daniel is obvious here. For three weeks he observed a time of partial fasting. Note the use of the qualifier, “choice.” The delay in the answer to Daniel’s prayer was caused by a satanic hindrance. The angel sent to answer his prayer was blocked by one of Satan’s emissaries of higher rank and greater power labeled “the prince of the kingdom of Persia” (verse 13). Michael, the archangel, came to remove the blockade. This reveals the spiritual warfare in which we all are engaged (see Ephesians 6:10-18; 2 Corinthians 10:3-6). There seem to be different ranks of both good and bad angels. Daniel needed to be strengthened.

Chapter 11

This chapter is a prophetic preview of the period between the Testaments. This gives an accurate account of the war- fare between two divisions of the Grecian Empire — Syria and Egypt.

Verse 21 – The “vile person” (little horn) is Antiochus Epiphanes of the Syrian kingdom.

Verse 36 –The eschatological section (future) begins here. This little horn appears in the latter days and is the little horn of Daniel 7 (the Antichrist), see Gaebelein’s The Prophet Daniel.

Chapter 12 

Verse 1 – This is a prophecy concerning the Great Tribulation to which the Lord referred in Matthew 24:21 & 22: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”

Verse 2 – The resurrections referred to here are of the people of the Old Testament. Those “to everlasting life” evidently are the Old Testament saints who are raised at the end of the Great Tribulation in order to participate in the Millennium. The lost are raised at the Great White Throne. The Old Testament saints are not raised with the church, as they were not baptized with the Holy Spirit and are not in the body of believers (1 Corinthians 12:13).

Verse 4 – These are signs that are in our day.

Verses 5-9 – The period designated “the time of the end” is not the end of time but refers to the Great Tribulation. Many of the features of this book will not be unfolded until then.

Verse 11 – Evidently this is what our Lord had reference to in Matthew 24:15, and the number of days here and in verse 13 project time beyond the actual Tribulation Period when adjustments will have to be made which will usher in the millennial day - then “shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings” (Malachi 4:2).

(Note: This lesson is patterned after the teachings of Dr. J. Vernon Mcgee)

Reading by Narrative

Sometimes well meaning people fall prey to the artificial subject titles of Scripture. It's as though the subject titles themselves are equal in inspiration to the words of Scripture. That inevitably leads to a misunderstanding of the Bible.

Even the division by chapter are verse have nothing to do with divine inspiration. They were placed in the Bible by a translator or a transcriber to help us find our place, that's all. That is absolutely all.

Let me give you an example

I cannot count the times I have heard preachers preach from Ephesians 5:23 and thought it was a good beginning place. That's because some scribe put the words "Wives and Husbands" (NIV) just before it. Actually, it is a totally rotten starting place, because if you start there you think wives are supposed to submit to their husbands and that's that.

What if you take the "Wives and Husbands" part out and just read the flow of the text? Then the complete passage reads: "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives...to your husbands as to the Lord...Husbands (to) love your wives just as Christ loves the church."

As a matter of fact, if we complete the thought Paul is expressing, we find out that he is not even talking about husbands and wives!

"What's that?" you ask. "He's not talking about husbands and wives? Joe, have you lost your mind? What do you think he is talking about?"

I don't have to guess. Paul tells us clearly. He says, "...but I am talking about Christ and the church."

"Well, yes...mumble, mumble, mumble, he's talking about the church, but he mentions husbands and wives." Yes, he does, and if you want to pretend that's the subject, go ahead, but beware! You will be teaching heresy. If you think there's some righteous application there, OK. But be aware that you will be misusing the text. Is that what you think God wants you to do?

Paul does write those words, but if you use these verses to prove something about how husbands and wives should behave toward each other, you are too soft headed to really be reading Scripture.

Immediately following his "...love your wives..." phrase, Paul makes clear that he is using the perfect relationship between husband and wives originally intended in Genesis (that they become one flesh) to illustrate the relationship of the Bride of Christ to the Bridegroom.

I just recently heard another use of Scripture based on the afore mentioned scribe's putting the words "Overseers and Deacons" before 1 Timothy 3:1.

To begin with, most preachers, deacons and teachers skip right over verse 1, which very, very clearly says, "If anyone sets his heart on being and overseer..." It seems that inviting a person to be an "overseer" is not initiated by the church, but by their burning desire to serve in that capacity. The person "sets his heart on being..."

Secondly, the passage is not even about the overseers and deacons as prospects, it is about being very careful to place only those whose doctrine is sound into leadership positions.

The issue in Timothy's church, as revealed in the narrative, was leaders who subscribed to weird and heretical doctrines (check it out in Chapters 1 and 2). Paul addressed this topic (sound doctrine) four times in the narrative of the book, each time urging Timothy to remain steadfast in the doctrine of the birth, life, death, burial, resurrection and second coming of Christ...and nothing else...period.

Timothy is urged to remain faithful to the message that there is one God and one mediator (Christ) and that a teacher chosen must be someone committed to the "true faith" (verse 7). He is told that there would be those who were never committed to Christ and would fall by the wayside and teach things taught by demons! (Any of those teachers in your church? There have been in every church I've ever served in.)

Paul instructs Timothy to point out false doctrines (4:6ff). We are simply not to allow false doctrine to be preached or taught in the church...period. It must be called out and corrected. That might mean exposing some false teacher's teachings in order to demonstrate how and why they are false. That might mean showing how some revered conference leader is teaching false doctrines and urging our members not to associate themselves with such a conference leader.

Just because someone writes a book, that is no reason to believe or follow what they write. Many contemporary writers present their knuckle headed ideas and then go searching for some Bible verse that proves their position.

Do you remember the "Prayer of Jabez?" What a farce! What a stupid, asinine, heretical use of one part of one verse to form a doctrine of getting God to do what you want Him to do! Yet many, many preachers and other Christians fell for it, hook, line and sinker. There was not even a pretense of seeking a context of the verse, let alone substantiating it with other Scripture.

Come on, Christians! (The bold letters mean I'm yelling) Get with God's program! Let the Holy Spirit put God's Law of love and grace in your hearts, and stop this silly business of using Scripture to prove what you want it to prove!

STOP IT! (The bold capitalized letters mean I'm yelling even louder.) READ THE BIBLE AS A NARRATIVE AND FIND OUT WHAT IT REALLY MEANS (The underline means I'm just about screaming.)

Use the chapters, verses and section topics as aids. Don't think they are part of God's inspiration.

Matthew 7:15 "Beware of false prophets. They come in sheep's clothing, but...are ferocious wolves"

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-Oh, What a Savior-Ernie Haase & Signature Sound

An Overview Study in Daniel-Week 05

(Get your Bible out and read the verses as we study.)

Daniel Chapters 7-8 – As in the whole Bible, the challenge (and the point) is to discover how the passages relate to the character of God, His love of His creation and His plan for its redemption.

Chapter 7 – Here we read about Daniel’s dreams; Daniel’s vision of four beasts concerning four kingdoms of “the times of the Gentiles. God sent messages to Daniel in dreams. He told Daniel what would happen in the future. Sometimes Daniel had his dreams when he was asleep. At other times he seemed to have been awake. These events happened before the events of chapter 5. Belshazzar was still King of Babylon.

Verses 1-8 – In his dream, Daniel saw a lion with eagle wings, a bear with bones in its mouth, a leopard with four wings and four heads and a unique animal with 10 horns joined by a little horn with eyes and a mouth. Many scholars believe the beasts represented Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. Their respective kings seem to be Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus the Great, Alexander the Great, and perhaps Ceasar Augustus.

Daniel believed these “kingdoms” would rise to power and then crumble. Certainly there were none of these kingdoms that rose to power and did not crumble. The last of the kingdoms, though seems to relate to the book of the Revelation, 13:3. John "saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death: and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." This wounded head was the pagan Roman Empire.

The Roman Empire became the headquarters of the most massive, heretical cult ever. From that cult (which claims to be Christian) will arise the forces of the anti-Christ. The cult already has well established outposts in every country of the world.

But there is a Kingdom that will never fail: the Kingdom of God.

Verses 9-12 – Here is the picture of the Ancient of Days, who has always lived, lives now and will forever live. The books were open, and the court began. God’s royal seat had wheels and it burned like a fire. Flames from the fire came out in front of him.

Verses 13-14 – Then Then I saw someone who seemed like a man, in fact, like the son of a father. (Is this a picture of Christ?) He came on the clouds of heaven. He approached God, who is always God. And he came close to him. Then God, who is always God, gave him authority, honor and royal power. The only one to whom God has given all of that is Christ. His kingdom will last always and it will never disappear. Nobody can destroy it.’

Verses 15-18 Daniel, was anxious. The dream frightened him. So he approached someone who was standing near what all this meant. Then he explained: “The four great animals are four kings. They will rule with power on the earth. But the real God will give the kingdom to his holy people. Those are not the Jews (except for the Jews who accept Messiah, Jesus), they are those who trust in, and only in, the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary.

Verses 19-27 – Daniel wanted to know more about the fourth animal. The horns represent power. The 10 horns are the 10 kings who will come from that final kingdom.  There will be another king. He will defeat three of the kings. This is what the little horn means. He will be a terrible king. He will speak against God. He will oppose God’s people and he will have power over them. He will try to stop them from serving God. But God will only allow this for a short time, many say three and a half years. What is important is that God will stop his power after a certain time. Then God will make a new kingdom. This will be a kingdom of his people and it will never end.

Verse 1-2 – This Daniel wants his readers to know that the context of chapter 8 is the reign of Belshazzar. He explains the relationship between this vision and the vision of chapter 7. The chapter 8 vision takes Daniel to Persia, where Nehemiah and Esther will later dwell.

Verses 3-4 – Here we see a ram on the rampage. The ram’s two horns represent Media and Persia, which is more powerful than Media. The ram is powerful and represents a government unrestrained. This government can be likened to those of Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar.

Verses 5-8 – When the Medo-Persian kingdom had served its purpose, it was overcome by Greece, represented by the male goat. Many scholars believe this represents Alexander the Great. Coming to an early end, this “horn” (kingdom) was broken. Eventually four kingdoms took control of the empire.

Verses 9-14 – The focus of chapter 8, as in chapter 7, is the little horn. The little horn represents a ruler who thinks of himself as greater than God. He directly opposed God. His attitude was that God had no place in the public forum of the land. Do you see any parallels between the little horn and our country today? This horn seems to succeed at everything it tries. An angel reveals that after 2,300 years the holy place will be restored.

Verses 15-18 – The angel, Gabriel (the first named angel in Scripture) explains the meaning of the vision to Daniel. Three times in the chapter (verses 17, 18 and 26) the angel states that the vision refers to the end times…still future for us (not the end of all things), but it is the time preceding the first coming of Christ.  While the little horn takes place under Antiochus Epiphanes, it is a prototype of another “horn” in the last days, who brings about tribulation such as the world has never seen.

Verses 19-26 – Gabriel reveals that the “final period of the indignation” precedes the “appointed time of the end.”  The final period of indignation seems to lead to the time of the end. God’s indignation is poured out on mankind through this wicked “horn.” The ram represented Medo-Persia; the goat, Greece. Nothing is mysterious or debatable about this part of the vision. The difficulty comes with the interpretation of the “little horn” in verses 22-26, which receive the greatest emphasis and attention in Gabriel’s interpretation of the vision.

From the divine point of view, the “little horn” is raised up and given power because the “transgressors have run their course” (verse 23). As the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full and the Israelites would have to wait over 400 years to possess the land of Canaan (Genesis 15:16), so the “little horn” was not allowed to rise to power until sin had run its full course, and the time for God’s indignation to be poured out through this king had come.

The sins of the Jews are in view here, for it is against the Jews and against Jerusalem that this king pours out his wrath. Through this king, God gives His people what they deserve, in full measure.

Verse 27 – Daniel paid a high price for receiving this vision. He received a revelation he could not understand, a vision he must keep to himself. If this were not enough, the experience so drained his strength that he lay sick and exhausted for days.

Why reveal a vision to a prophet who cannot understand, even with the help of an angel? Why reveal a vision which caused such physical and emotional distress—and then instruct him not to tell anyone?

Remember, prophecy is given not so we will understand all that the infinitely wise God is doing. Prophecy is given to remind us that God is in control and that we should place our trust in the fulfillment of His plan in Christ Jesus. 

For a more exhaustive study visit HERE.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-I Know a Man-AVB

An Overview Study in Daniel-Week 04

(Get your Bible out and read the verses as we study.)

Daniel Chapters 6 - Remember that the Bible is God’s revelation of His character, His love for His redemption and His plan for its redemption. Let’s find those three things in Daniel 6.

Verses 1-5 – Darius was king of Babylonia. He appointed 120 rulers (governors) to work with him. He also appointed a cabinet of 3 who would supervise the rulers. Daniel was one of the latter, and did his job better than the others. (Christians ought to be better in the business world than anybody else.) The other rulers tried to “get the goods” on Daniel, but could not. They plotted to use his faithfulness to God against him.

Verses 6-9 – They buttered up King Darius and lied to him saying all the other officials were with them on the idea of making a law that all people were to pray only to Darius. If they didn't they were to be thrown into the cage with the lions. King Darius thought this was cool, so he signed it into law.

Verses 10-15 – Daniel heard of the new law, but continued to worship and pray to God. The cabinet and the other rulers squealed to Darius about Daniel, but Darius wanted to keep Daniel. He was his best leader. The rulers sidled up to Darius and reminded him of his immutable law.

Verses 16-18 – Somewhat reluctantly, King Darius had Daniel arrested and threw him into the cage with the lions. He challenged (or perhaps hoped) that Daniel would pray to his God for rescue. He marked a stone with his seal, signifying that no one could move the stone, trapping Daniel in the lions’ cage. (Does this remind you of the Roman seal placed over the tomb where Christ had been laid?) King Darius hoped God would rescue Daniel, but was so nervous about it that he could not sleep.

Verses 19-23 – The next morning, King Darius ran to the cage (just as the disciples had run to Jesus’ tomb). He called out to Daniel whether his God had saved him. Daniel called back, “My God sent His angel (whom I believe to have been the pre-incarnate Christ) who shut the lions’ mouths. The lions have not hurt me. God knows that I am innocent of doing anything to hurt you.” At this, the king had Daniel lifted from the lions’ cage. All of this because Daniel had trusted in, and only in, God, his Savior.

Verse 24 – Darius ordered the cabinet and rulers thrown into the same cage. The lions killed them before they hit the bottom of the cage.

Verses 25-28 – Darius realized that Daniel’s God was the real God who saves and rescues his people. He realized that the Kingdom of God would never end. Is that not what Isaiah had said? Is that not what the New Testament teaches?

Daniel was cast into the den of lions. His subsequent deliverance and exaltation is another premier of God’s preservation of the remnant during the Great Tribulation when they shall be hated by all nations (Matthew 24:9) and persecuted by the devil who will seek to destroy them (Revelation 12:13-17).  But they will be miraculously preserved by God (Revelation 7:4-8).

This whole chapter should remind us of the total, unequivocal continuity of the Word of God. God’s character is the same yesterday, today and forever. He loves mankind and will provide salvation to absolutely anybody who will turn to Him in faith, believing.

God made a New Covenant with us that whoever would place their trust in, and only in, the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary would receive the gift of eternal life.

God and Depression

On Monday, August 11th, Robin Williams took his own life in his ocean side home in Tiburon, California, by hanging.  Asphyxia. He had been suffering from deep depression, for which he had sought treatment in the past.

Depression is a terrible condition. I use the word "condition," even though most psychologists and psychiatrists call it a disease, just like the common cold.

I did my undergraduate work in psychology. I am by no means a scholar on the subject, nor have I practiced psychology outside of the routine kinds of things people tend to engage in. I do have some opinions on the matter based on what I learned in school and what I have studied since then.

There are some very, very cruel Christians who try to tell people that if they just had enough faith, no ailments would befall them. Every one of them is totally, insufferably wrong. Please don't come at me with some conglomeration of Scriptures to try to "prove" otherwise. I have read and considered them all. I know what is in Scripture and I know how Scripture should be interpreted and applied.

Depression is a condition that has its roots in a person's response to certain stimuli. Perhaps a bad relationship with a parent, an emotional trauma, or a drastic change in the person's "status quo." There are literally hundreds of things that can bring on depression.

It usually starts mildly, resembling "the blues." Everybody (even totally committed Christians) experiences "the blues" from time to time, one or more times in his/her lifetime. On occasion, "the blues" persist and a small, hardly detectable change in brain chemistry occurs. That, in and of itself, may or may not lead to depression. 

Sometimes series of negative happenings occur in a person's life that are depressive in nature and that add to those hardly detectable brain chemistry changes, multiplying their effect. Then those changes begin to be detectable. At this point, if the symptoms are recognized and dealt with through effective behavior modification training and/or medical intervention, they might be overcome and not become an issue.

At other times, they tend to pile on and the sufferer is unable to receive relief through simple intervention. Then a more aggressive approach is called for, medically. If the person's treatment is adequate, there should be improvement, if not, the depression may increase until it reaches a sort of "critical mass," from which it is very difficult to recover.

At this point I do not want to be misunderstood. The root of depression is the same as the root of every condition that afflicts people, whether they are Christians or not: the sinful state of a fallen world. As much as that seems to be a simplistic evaluation, it is nonetheless true. All of the world's evils are caused by the thing we call "original sin." That does not mean that every negative condition is directly caused by a particular sin. A given condition might or might not be the result of a given sin. The Bible is very clear, front to back, about those two statements.

Most, if not all, depression results from a self oriented response to circumstances, whether that response is deliberate, sub-conscious or the result of things like not getting one's way. Habitually responding to those conditions in a negative way contributes to the increasing of one's depression. It results in an increase of the changes to brain chemistry that are responsible for the feelings of depression. 

Depression is not a lack of faith. Many great Christian thinkers have suffered from it.CS Lewis was a famous Christian who suffered from depression. Just like any other condition or disease, God can choose to heal depression or He can give the sufferer the grace to endure it. That is His choice if He is sovereign. 

Clinical depression is very treatable with proper counsel and drug therapy. Just like one would take penicillin for strep throat, one would take certain drugs to control depression. That is neither something to be embarrassed about nor to be ashamed of. It is not always easy to treat, and it requires the cooperation of the patient to control it, just as would the taking of penicillin for strep throat.

Dr. Keith Russell Ablow is a psychiatrist and author educated at Johns Hopkins University and Brown University. He sheds this light on depression: "Depression is the grand impostor - posing as all powerful. It can be defeated, every time, if you or the person you care about confronts it like the grand impostor that it is."

Robin Williams had an issue beyond depression that he had not spoken about in public. He was suffering from early onset Parkinson's Disease. That the same condition that Michael J. Fox has. It is a debilitating condition for which there is no current cure.

I cannot say when the last time Robin Williams sought help for his depression and I don't know what he and his doctor spoke about concerning the Parkinson's Disease. I do know this: If you have never battled true clinical depression, you have no idea how it steals reality, replacing it with a world of doubts about one's successes, one's abilities, ones friends and doubts of God. 

There are some things we Christians need to learn about Robin Williams and others who suffer depression. People who suffer from depression need a solid, caring, hopeful and dedicated circle of friends who will help them understand their need for treatment and who will support them through it. If we are to claim to be followers of Christ, we must stand by any of our Christian friends (or any other friends for that matter) who suffer from this devastating disorder. We need to help them, pray with them and stay by their side to the greatest degree possible. They need constant reassurance, not condemnation. They need encouragement, not judgement. 

If you know someone who is clinically depressed, help them live bathed in God's grace and sufficiency.

Learn more about depression HERE.

Are You a Christian Mystic?

Sometimes I am at a loss for words to express how much superstitious mysticism has invaded our churches and our faith. It is so pervasive as to almost have taken the place of Christ and His redemptive purpose. People think this way: "I am a Christian. I had this experience. The experience must have come from God." Or they think: "I am a Christian. I thought of such-and-such. The such-and-such I thought of must be from God."

What a total perversion of what Truth is and how it is presented to God's followers in Christ!

Over the years people have come to me to "enlighten" me about how God works. Once, when I was suffering a physical condition, a pastor type came to me and proclaimed that I was in that condition because I had "confessed it," and that I had "failed to accept God's offered healing." To back his position he quoted to me Isaiah 53:3, "...But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." He leaned very heavily on the "...with his stripes we are healed" part. 

When this (I guess well meaning) pastor recited those words to me, I suppose he thought I had never read them before. In over 57 years of studying and teaching the Bible, I have never read Isaiah 53:3? Is that what he thought? How does he think I missed that part? Does he think I just ignored it? Perhaps he thinks I just skipped over it.

Actually, I have read and taught Isaiah many, many times and I have always included Isaiah 53:3. I am not ignorant of it, I just think beyond any shadow of a doubt that this pastor was totally miss-applying it, as do many, many Christians.

The idea that this passage refers to Christ's being whipped brought physical healing to us requires us to believe that God is capricious and disorderly in His revelation through His word. It requires us to think that the beginning of the passage (rightly) refers to spiritual things, but then God arbitrarily threw in a short physical reference before continuing His spiritual discourse.

Folks, there are no instances in all of Scripture where the revelation proceeds in this manner. Sometimes Paul is accused of being "stream of consciousness" in his presentation, but properly read and understood, nothing could be further from the truth.

What that pastor was actually guilty of (as are far too many Bible expositors) was having an idea (whether on his own or taught), considering himself a Christian, and concluding that the idea must, therefore, be from God. That is the essence of the error of Christian superstition and mysticism.

Another way of considering the thought processes that lead to superstition and mysticism goes like this: “I saw/experienced/heard X, therefore, X is true and should be pursued as a practice of our faith.” 

But true biblical reasoning must go: “Though I saw/experienced/heard X, I must rigorously test it up against a hermeneutically sound interpretation of Scripture. If Xconflicts with Scripture, it is X that is abandoned as a practice of our faith, not Scripture. 

Scripture alone is the authority.” Put another way for the sake of argument: “I think I saw a unicorn. Scripture says that unicorns do not exist. Therefore, I saw something, but it was not a unicorn.”

Though we may experience interesting spiritual phenomena, if the phenomenon is not supported by a sound interpretation of Scripture, then it is not to be pursued as something of the Christian faith. It would dissolve into superstition and mysticism.

There is another issue that leads to superstition and mysticism. It is correctly quoting Scripture but doing so out of the context of the word used in the original language, the verse it is in, the chapter it is in, the book it is in, the Testament it is in, the Covenant to which it applies and the Bible as a whole. All of those must come into play in order to correctly interpret and apply Scripture.

What often leads to bad theology and heresy is connecting Scriptures that are unrelated and from them establishing a theology or theosophy. For example, the following Scriptures are word-for-word what the Bible says:

Matthew 27:5 "So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself."

Luke 10:27 "Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise."

John 13:27 "What you do, do quickly."

Put them all together and you can use the passages to conclude that Jesus justifies suicide! Nonsense, of course.

Sadly, that is how Christians establish their doctrines and theosophies. The end result is superstition and mysticism.

There is at least one more approach to Scripture that leads to superstition and mysticism. That is to totally misunderstand how Scripture is to be applied. There is a saying, "Scripture has one interpretation, but many applications.” That is patently false.

The problem with that approach is that it reduces Scripture to a form of Christian behaviorism. But that is not what Scripture is about in any way, shape or form. Some present this idea under the guise of Scripture being “designed for application, not just for spirituality.”

As long as that is totally understood in light of Scripture, that can be true. But the Bible is not a guide for living. If you need a guide for living, there is none better, but that’s not what it is about. Nor is it a book of history. If you need a history of the beginning through the end, there is no better book, but that’s not what the Bible is about. The Bible is not about correcting social injustice. If you need guidance as to what social ills need attention, there is no better source than the Bible, but that is not what it is about.

The Bible is God’s revelation of His character, His love of His creation and His plan for its redemption. The purpose of any Bible study must be to determine what the passage reveals about God’s character. Miss that, and you miss the meaning. The purpose of any Bible study must be to discover how much He loves His creation. Miss that, and you miss the meaning. The purpose of any Bible study must be to uncover anew God’s plan for man’s redemption. Miss that, and you miss the meaning.

The Word of God is rooted in Truth (Jesus Christ). That Truth has nothing to do with what we wish God was like. It has nothing to do with coincidental events in our lives. God’s Truth is totally removed from any hint of superstition or mysticism. His Truth finds its absolute sufficiency in Christ, without added experiences, pretentions or imaginations.

Discerning Right Doctrine in Prayer Part 1

A Mixture of Christianity
and Eastern Religions

Have you ever heard the phrase "contemplative prayer?"

Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-1816 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Corinthians 14:15, Paul instructs us to pray with our minds. So, clearly, prayer does involve contemplation.

Unfortunately, there has arisen a part of the so-called "emergent church" movement a meditative process where the practitioner focuses on a single word and repeats that word over and over for the entire "prayer." Supposedly, one can clear one's mind so that God's voice may more easily be heard. Following the vocal part of the "prayer," the practitioner is to sit still and to listen for direct guidance from God.

Contemplative prayer, is essentially Eastern/New Age meditation disguised with Christian terminology. You'll hear such things as "empty oneself and be in God's presence," or "The silence is there within us. What we have to do is to enter into it...to become the silence...Silence is the language of the spirit." Contemplative prayer might sound like an innocent or sincere exercise but contemplative prayer is anti-Biblical; it has no Scriptural support. Instead, it focuses on some mystical interaction with God.

God is indeed mysterious. But He is not mystical. He has given us His Word upon which we are to base our faith. The Bible presents to us the essence of Truth, which is a who, not a what. His name is Jesus.

What we know about God is based on Biblical fact. Trusting in experiential knowledge over the Biblical record takes a person outside of the standard that is the Bible.

Contemplative prayer is no different from the meditative exercises used in Eastern religions and New Age cults. It has no basis in Christianity and Christians should have no part in it.

If someone in your sphere of influence (a church friend, a neighbor, a TV preacher, a pastor or any other entity) tries to introduce you to or encourages you to practice contemplative prayer, do not walk away from them; run away from them as fast as you can. They are spreading the word of Satan, not of God.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-In the Presence of Jehovah-Damaris Carbaugh

An Overview Study in Daniel-Week 03

(Get your Bible out and read the verses as we study.)

Daniel Chapters 4 -5

Chapter 4 – The dream of Nebuchadnezzar about a great tree hewn down to a stump. The dream was fulfilled in subsequent period of madness of the king

Verses 1-3 – King Nebuchadnezzar seemed to have been a changed man. Many people who profess to have turned to God have not really. Like Nebuchadnezzar, they think going through the motions without dying to self is enough.

Verses 4-5 – The king was comfortable in himself, as though self-image is what is important. He was satisfied until this dream.

Verses 6-9 – For some reason, Nebuchadnezzar still believed his entourage could tell him his dream and what it meant. They could not. They certainly didn't want to be the ones to give Nebuchadnezzar bad news. We too often place our confidence in things of this world. They cannot perform as advertised.

Verses 10-18 – So, Nebuchadnezzar told Daniel the dream. In his dream, he saw a tree. The tree was tall and it grew taller. The tree gave food to all people and animals. It was a shelter for the animals and birds. The angel of the dream told Nebuchadnezzar about downing the tree, his coming insanity and that all kingdoms are authorized by God.

Verses 19-27 – Daniel interpreted the dream for Nebuchadnezzar. He advised the king to stop doing evil things. He advised him to do good things. As it does for us, this proved unpalatable and impossible for Nebuchadnezzar.

Verses 28-37 – In his pride, Nebuchadnezzar didn't see it coming. The insanity of Nebuchadnezzar was evidently what modern psychology labels hysteria. This chapter reveals the character of gentile ruler-ship of this world.

Chapter 5 – The downfall of Babylon is foretold by Daniel as he read the handwriting on the wall at the feast of Belshazzar.

Verses 1-4 – King Nebuchadnezzar had died and Belshazzar was king. He held a party. At the party Belshazzar decided to drink from God’s gold and silver cups. The banquet of Belshazzar is a foregleam of the manner in which the times of the Gentiles will end. They go out in a blaze of human glory. 

Verses 5-9 – Belshazzar suddenly saw fingers write on the wall. He knew they were probably bad news. Like Nebuchadnezzar before him, Belshazzar thought his worldly entourage could interpret the handwriting for him. Of course, they could not, even though there were only three words, one of them written twice.

Verses 10-17 – At his wife’s urging, Belshazzar sent for Daniel to interpret the words. He promised Daniel position and wealth if he could interpret the dream correctly. We often let the influence and wealth of the world guide what we “do for God.” Daniel would have none of it. He chose to do what God wanted him to do.

Verses 18-28 – Daniel reminded Belshazzar about Nebuchadnezzar and warned him that believing oneself to be more important than God yields bad results. Then he interpreted the handwriting on the wall.

Therefore he sent the hand that wrote these words. And these are the words: Mene, Mene, Tekel and Peres. This is what the words mean:

Mene means that God has counted the days of your kingdom. Now these days are complete and he has finished your kingdom.
Tekel means that God has tested you. He has tested you as a merchant checks a weight. But you have failed God’s test.
Peres means that God has divided your kingdom. He has given it to the people from Media and Persia.’

Daniel’s interpretation of the handwriting on the wall is God’s estimation of the entire period of the Gentiles and their final judgment (Matthew 25:31-46). He equated God with the false gods he worshiped.

Verses 29-30 – Daniel was rewarded in hopes that his interpretation would not come true. But it did anyway. The army from Media and Persia defeated Babylonia, killed Belshazzar and installed Darius as king.

It might seem valiant to want to be like Daniel. Remember: He was taken captive from his homeland; forcibly given a new home, new name, new diet, new education, and a new job in a brutal pagan empire. He was arrested, convicted, imprisoned, and sentenced to death. In Matthew 24:15, Jesus calls Daniel “the prophet”….for that is what he was.


God has no fresh messages for us. His message is, always has been and always will be that natural man is a sinner, the wages of sin is death, we must repent of sin and turn to Christ, trusting in, and only in, His finished work at the cross of Calvary.