DANIEL & HOSEA

It is Friday today and we have a Valentine Banquet this evening at Church along with a lovely play put on by a dozen or more members.  It will be a great blessing and a prime rib dinner as well.  I'm in Daniel and Hosea.  Just finished reading them both.  Here are a few thoughts: 1) THE DANGER OF ACHIEVEMENT- Nebuchadnezzar was called by God to conquer nations that had forsaken the LORD.  He is called God's servant.  But now that he has achieved much of the conquest, the ugly thing called pride raises it's ugly head and causes him much grief.  In chapter three, he has a statue that is 90 feet tall erected for all to worship.  It is the image of him!  (pride, vanity, etc.)  But, after three Hebrew children take their stand and find Christ in the furnace with them, he changes his tune for a while.  In Chapter 4:3 it says:  "How great are his signs!  and how mighty are his wonders!  his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation."  (notice the his, his, his, his?)  Later in chapter four, Daniel shows him the vision of the great tree chopped down and tells him that this is the king... so Daniel's advice is to "break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor..."   But, once again pride steps in.  Now he does not build another image of himself, but he starts boasting about his accomplishments: Daniel 4:30  "The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?" (Notice pride takes you from his, his, his, to I, my, my!)  God does not like it when any human gets full of himself!!!  Please learn that lesson!!  God will attack pride, but respond quickly to humility.  **Learn this please!  Now, after seven years in the wild as an animal, he comes to his senses again and says: Daniel 4:34-35  "And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:  35  And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?"   Now, once again, it is all about God.  See the lesson God wanted him to learn?  See the lesson God wants us to learn? 2) IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT- Want to see God up close and personal?  In the heat of the moment, Christ shines through.  Daniel 3:25,26 shows us that once they were in the furnace, Jesus was seen with them.  But, if you want that type of intimacy with God.... you got to get into the heat! 3) THE PATH DOES THE PROVING-Hosea 6:3 "Then shall we know if we follow on to know the LORD:"  How do you prove that God's ways are the best ways?  Well, you stay on the path, and the path does the proving!  If we follow the LORD, then we shall know!!  Sadly, most people want to know before they travel down the path, and it does not work that way.  This is a journey of faith and only as we pass down that path, does it get proved to us.  By faith... stay on course... keep on the path... and we will know because God will then prove it to us!  Have a blessed day, and happy Valentine.  Hope my dear mother has a blessed day.  Love you Mom!  Love my dear wife, Mrs. Vicky!  Pastor Mike Mutchler