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King of Kings
“The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret” (Daniel 2:47).
Each ancient nation had its own god. These gods were territorial gods who ruled the land in which their worshipers lived. Jehovah is unique. He is not a god; He is the God of gods. He is the creator of the heavens and the earth. The Babylonians considered Marduk as supreme in the pantheon of gods. However, when Nebuchadnezzar saw the power of Daniel’s God, he exclaimed, “Of a truth, your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings.”
In the ancient world, the status of a god gave status to his worshipers. The Jewish people were captives, but they were worshipers of the King of kings. How they must have rejoiced when even Nebuchadnezzar recognized the power and majesty of their God.
Today, Christians face scorn from society’s elites. But never forget that you serve the King of kings. Someday, every knee will bow before Him. Regardless of the opposition of this world, our Lord reigns forever and ever. (Randall McElwain)
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
King of Kings! And Lord of Lords!
And He shall reign forever and ever. Hallelujah!
(Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus: Public Domain)
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p style="text-align:center;font-style:italic;">Do not live in defeat and discouragement.
You are a child of the God of gods and King of kings.
This devotional is the Saturday, September 3, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.
Can we be sure of God's answer to our prayer?
In "Biblical Perspective" Gordon Snider writes:
David called for God to exert His power against David's enemies not only because of the rightness of his case, but also in judgment of their evil deeds. (The Hebrew grammar here allows us to understand verses 5 and 6 either as a request for God's action or that David was so sure that God would answer his prayer that he put the verbs in past tense although the event was still future.) In effect, David was saying, “Act in defense of your great name, as well as for my benefit.” Put out their name for ever.
Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 5.
Unnecessary Barriers
"Our Church subculture has erected dozens of barriers that separate many people from the possibility of becoming disciples. Virtually all of those barriers are essentially cultural barriers, and have little or nothing to do with ‘faith once delivered to the saints.'" 1
There is a difference between maintaining holiness standards as a church and erecting unnecessary barriers in front of the unchurched. Simply, we can insist on the former while removing the latter.
If our holiness is an excuse for making the unbeliever uncomfortable, causing him or her to feel unwelcome, or viewing them as less loved or valuable to God... there is a problem with our holiness. Such "holiness" is old-time Phariseeism.
In this series of Tips for Teachers, we will consider a number of unnecessary barriers that may hinder your Sunday school's growth. Right now, stop and spend five minutes visualizing your typical Sunday school hour. What are some unnecessary barriers for unchurched people?
- George Hunter III, Church for the Unchurched, pp. 62-64 ↩
How to Worship in Crises
Lesson 1 - September 4, 2016
Focus Text: Psalm 9:1-17
Central Truth: The faithful respond to crisis by expressing faith in God.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to describe how they can worship God in the crisis moments of life.
Lesson Outline:
- Rejoice in God's Praise (Psalm 9:1, 2)
- Recount God's Deeds (Psalm 9:3-6)
- Remember God's Character (Psalm 9:7-10)
- Request God's Intervention (Psalm 9:11-14)
- Rest in God's Provision (Psalm 9:15-20)
Prayer – Lesson 13, Forever with Christ
Heavenly Father, as our classes study about living in Heaven forever with you, fill each person with hope and anticipation for eternity. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.
What does it mean for Christ to come like a thief in the night?
In "Word Focus" Darrell Grim writes:
Paul wrote that “the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night” (1 Thess. 5:2). John Gill writes, “Respect is had not to the character of the thief, nor to the end of his coming; but to the manner of it, in the dark, indiscernibly, suddenly, and when not thought of and looked for; and such will be the coming of Christ, it will be sudden, and unknown beforehand, and when least thought of and expected.” In 1 Thessalonians 5:3, Paul used the analogy of a pregnant woman whose labor pains come upon her suddenly. It seems that he was indicating the coming of the Lord will be sudden and quite painful to those who are not ready to meet Him. A pregnant woman may have a general idea when she is due to give birth, but the exact time can be a surprise. Paul's message to the Thessalonians was the same as Christ's message to John in The Revelation. He will come back suddenly and without warning, especially to those who are not prepared and watching for Him.
Source: Christ, the Triumphant Lord: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 75.