Daniel 6:1-9 Video Devotional

Posted on Dec 10, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: , ,

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”
Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction. – Daniel 6:1-9

Of all the situations Daniel found himself in as a result of his faithfulness and righteousness, this is the first we hear of intentional efforts to hurt him. We don’t know exactly why they made Daniel their enemy, but it is clear that it was not Daniel’s fault (hint: it never is). Because of his faith in God, Daniel again is being set up for destruction, this time by scheming from evil men. This is the beginning of perhaps Daniel’s most famous story, the one where he is thrown into the lion’s den, and I think it is interesting that the setup for this story is decidedly different. With the other situations, Daniel either “fell into” them or deliberately stepped. This is the only one where he is singled out and attacked for his faith.

And this is the one that “almost” kills him. Of course, it doesn’t (as we will see in a forthcoming devotional), but it does show us that a life lived in the Spirit stood Daniel out from the crowd. In this case, the response was certainly not pleasant, but there is still great value in mimicking this attitude of Daniel. If we choose to live our lives in the Spirit, we will stand out as well. Thankfully, that is not as big as a risk in our day and culture. It is, however, a fantastic way to build influence for the Kingdom of God. When He leads our lives, people will notice. And when people notice true, genuine faith in Jesus, lives will be changed. We will most likely suffer in some way as a result, but that is nothing compared to the surpassing glory of knowing Christ our Savior (Philippians 3:8).

Let’s take that risk and stand together in the Spirit. Who’s with me?


Daniel 4:34-37 Video Devotional

Posted on Nov 24, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: , , ,

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,

for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
and he does according to his will among the host of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth;
and none can stay his hand
or say to him, “What have you done?”

At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble. – Daniel 4:34-37

Nebuchadnezzar’s story ends with him praising God after his ordeal in the wilderness. His was a journey with lots to overcome, but as far as we can read, through Daniel’s account, Nebuchadnezzar finished his life praising and extolling the God of Heaven. We don’t know for sure if this was a full-on salvation experience for him, but I think it is safe to assume that.

The Babylonian king’s salvation means a few things for us today. First, if the guy who destroyed Jerusalem and the temple can be saved, then anyone can! Think of all the death and destruction he brought to the Jews when he sacked the city. Not only that, but with his own people, he was an arrogant tyrant of a king who wanted people to only bow down to him!

But God is in the business of saving people just like that. People who are ruled by their sin; completely helpless without God, are some of God’s favorite salvation circumstances. Whether it is the thief on the cross next to Jesus, Peter (a bumbler in his own right) or Paul (murderer of Christians), the Bible gives many accounts of people being saved who would not pass a par role hearing. God saves the lost.

Next, in the process of saving, He chooses to use people who are willing to invest and even sacrifice for those that may never appreciate it. Daniel suffered greatly in his efforts to be a good influence on Nebuchadnezzar. It took a long time to get these results, but Daniel never gave up. Has anyone ever told you to give up sharing your faith? That it’ll never work on them? Never give up praying for them and loving them! No one ever knows what God will do – and He likes to surprise. Stay tuned to God’s marvelous work and allow yourself to be amazed at His creativity in saving His creation!


Daniel 2:46-49 Video Devotional

Posted on Nov 5, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: , , , , , ,

Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him. The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king’s court. – Daniel 2:46-49

Here we have the payoff to Daniel’s suffering over the dream and its interpretation. Daniel’s direct and respectful response to Arioch, prayer and trust in God, and boldness in front of Nebuchadnezzar was met with nothing else than spiritual fruit!

I am sure Daniel was much happier about it than Jonah, but just as surprised. Nebuchadnezzar repented! Though it initially seems like the king was giving glory to Daniel, he recognized Daniel’s God as the One with the power and Daniel as the recipient. This led to Daniel being given real influence and leadership over the kingdom, which would be huge, but lead to more opportunities to suffer. Daniel’s trust in God and obedience saved the day and put a target on his back.

This ending to the story tells us a few things: 1) Daniel’s way of interacting with non-believers is correct, and 2) influence leads to opportunity and suffering. We can learn today from how Daniel treated those who could be considered enemies. This matches with 1 Corinthians 13 – without love, our truth is useless. We have got to put that back at the forefront of our actions; everything we do must be filtered through loving actions and a respectful attitude! If we do that, our opportunities will only increase.

What Daniel did accomplished a lot for the kingdom of God. People were saved and influence was gained. But we need to be prepared as we work (or rush) for our chances to gain that kind of leadership; it will lead to suffering. I have had a few experiences lately of opportunities to have influence and lead, but they both quickly lead to me suffering emotional pain over the outcome of those circumstances. It was great to experience God using me, but in the end it hurt. That’s ok – even good, but we need to be ready for it. Again, obey God and trust Him to take care of the consequences – that’s our only chance for real success.


Acts 2:42-47 Video Devotional

Posted on May 21, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: , , , ,

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:42-47)

The formula for effective church ministry is simple. Acts 2:42 has been the key since they were first practicing it in real-time. The results speak for themselves. So what’s different? Why haven’t results like that happened…at all since? Was it a special time in that God wanted to get the numbers up quick? Or is there something to this formula that churches today are missing?

Again, the answer is simple. But the implementation is immensely difficult. The trick is that they weren’t working for growth – or for money – or for power. They were simply, in intent and heart, following the Holy Spirit and living day by day doing what He asked and being who He wanted them to be. Would we be ok living for God if we lost all our money, influence and saw no visible response? Something tells me that libraries full of books on church growth tell another story.

Evidence tells us that we are concerned with earthly success instead of simply devoting ourselves to God and study of the scriptures. What should all of our effort lead to? If people only grow in their faith, but no more money comes to the church, is that successful?

The problem is in the motives, not necessarily the actions. If we choose to focus on doing our job as a church (see Acts 2:42) purely from the motivation to seek God as a community of individuals and leave it fully up to Him the consequences, I think we might get back towards the original intent. If our focus is purely following the Spirit, then we are not responsible for what happens – He is.

And that’s the point. He will bring other people to where He wants them to be. If we are who He wants us to be, then we will never have to try to grow; it will happen purely organically at the will and work of the Spirit. Who knows how many or how fast – again, that is not our worry. Simply follow Him and let what happens, happen. Don’t try to be a big church or an influential member. Simply be – enjoy His presence and listen to His voice. Or, as Acts 2 puts it, devote yourself to the apostles’ teaching (scripture) and fellowship with your church family (care about the relationships), break bread and pray. Make it about your relationship with God, not your popularity, fame, or the church’s benefit.


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