I love a good magical illusion.  And when someone pulls off a trick with great skill, I always enjoy it.  I’ve seen so many tricks, that I know how many of them work, but it’s still fun to see somebody else do a good job of it.  But it’s even more fun when somebody shows me a trick that I can’t figure out.  It gets my brain working trying to figure out how they did that.

It’s interesting though when people fool themselves with their own illusions.  They think they can somehow live an immoral life without any consequences.  So they lie and cheat and steal and deceive others and themselves.  And they might be able to fool some of the people some of the time, but there is one who is never fooled.  God knows the hearts and minds of people.  So as much as someone might pretend they don’t have to account for their behavior, they’re only fooling themselves.  So when you’re dealing with God, let me give you one piece of advice.  Be honest.  He knows more than you can imagine.  There is only one way to keep your life, and that’s living it God’s way.  And there’s no fooling God.

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It’s sad enough when you hear about a tragedy like a school shooting.  But then people seem to turn it into an opportunity to promote their favorite politics.  And that turns a bad situation into a worse one.  Lately people having been arguing for and against things like gun control and armed security in schools and medicating children and various other things that deal with the symptoms of of the problem.  But I don’t hear anybody talking about teaching basic morality to children–or even adults.  We’ve left the training of our children to a public school system that has a hard time producing kids who can read and do math, much less kids who follow the Golden Rule.

I think our society has abdicated its responsibility of raising children who can be a benefit to society.  If you want to have less crime and a better economy and a better world all around, one thing we need is fathers with moral character who will model integrity and excellence for their children to follow.

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This chapter gets us into the famous dream that King Nebuchadnezzar had.  And it’s the purity of Daniel’s faith displayed in Chapter 1 that opened the door for him to demonstrate the power of God to the king.

What I hope you’ll think about is that Daniel is just a young man with no real power or amazing skills.  What makes him special is his faith.  That means if you have a pure heart and true faith, you can see amazing miracles too.

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POP QUIZ!

Those words are usually only scary when you’re not prepared.  But if you have studied prepared, then test time is a little easier to deal with.  And it’s the same with real life.  If you prepare yourself for challenges, then when hardships hit, they are much less stressful.

Daniel was obviously pretty well prepared for the challenges he would face in Babylonian captivity.  You can tell by the way he handled himself even when it came to the seemingly small things like what he ate–or rather what he chose not to eat.

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There are all sorts of pressures in life.  And it seems a lot of people use those pressures as excuses for not doing their best–or even worse–for doing bad things.  But the truth is, how you react to the difficult situations that life can throw at us is what really defines you as a person.

So, are you the kind of person who rises to the occasion?  Or do you fall apart under the pressure is on.  Take a listen to how young Daniel dealt with difficulty.

Click the link to listen.

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What’s it like to live as a hero?  I don’t mean to do one great thing and then be lauded as a hero for one act.  I mean living day in and day out according to principles that take dedication and perseverance to follow through on your convictions and not give up when it’s hard.  Is there somebody you look up to because they live a life worthy of respect?  That’s the kind of hero Daniel was–a nobody who became famous simply for doing the right thing in every circumstance, and God used him because of his faithfulness.

Click the Podcast link to listen.

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What makes a mom?  Is it just the fact that a woman gets pregnant and has a kid?  Or is there more to it?  I think there’s something to be said for all those qualities that are worthy of honor; the willingness to sacrifice her own wants to care for her kids, fighting to protect her children from people and things that she knows will harm them, constantly making opportunities to teach her kids the things that will help them become better people.  I think all moms should be encouraged to be good moms and should be respected and honored for their dedication to their children.

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After a long time looking forward to it, I’ve finally started a series on the Book of Daniel.  It should be lots of fun because on the one hand it’s very well known for its stories about Daniel in the Lion’s Den and Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego in the fiery furnace.  But at the same time, a lot of people have never dug into the prophecy in the second half of the book, which is so interwoven with many of the other Old Testament prophets in scripture, and New Testament writings,  including the Book of Revelation, which has intricate connections with Daniel.

So this first part is an introduction that sets up the book, and gives a little taste of the history and political environment leading up to Daniel’s life.  I hope you enjoy it!

Click the Podcast link to listen.

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1^st Corinthians 15:55-58 “Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?”  ⁵⁶For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. ⁵⁷But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.  ⁵⁸So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

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Psalm 96 ¹Sing a new song to the Lord!  Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! ²Sing to the Lord; praise his name.  Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. ³Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.  Tell everyone about the amazing things he does. ⁴Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!  He is to be feared above all gods. ⁵The gods of other nations are mere idols, but the Lord made the heavens! ⁶Honor and majesty surround him; strength and beauty fill his sanctuary.

⁷O nations of the world, recognize the Lord; recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong. ⁸Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!  Bring your offering and come into his courts. ⁹Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.  Let all the earth tremble before him. ¹⁰Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!”  The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.  He will judge all peoples fairly.

¹¹Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!  Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! ¹²Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!  Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise ¹³before the Lord, for he is coming!  He is coming to judge the earth.  He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with his truth.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:01 — 16.0MB)