What is it that keeps you awake at night? What is it that makes you want to run away and hide? What has terrified you and become a burden that you haven't been able to shake off? Take and cast your burden upon the Lord...Who came and bore your biggest burden in His flesh, that you might be in eternity burden free!…

A mechanical and perfunctory approach to God and to His promises is a terrible thing! The Living God would have His people approach Him in truth, recognizing Who He is, what we have done and deserve, knowing that our only hope is the mercy of God.Kirjoittanut Philip B. Strong

What is your Boast? In what is your confidence placed for judgment day? Too frequently many Christians have placed their confidence in the things of the flesh such as Homeschooling, conservative values, politics, things of this nature, thinking that these things make us acceptable to God. Only one thing makes us right with God, the righteousness of…

Judah suffered in exile because of their sin. Daniel's visions (Chapters 7,8) were given to encourage them, however they should not think that they suffered in an unwarranted manner. It was because of their sin that they suffered. Daniel recognized the fulfillment of the Lord's Word, was reminded of the Lord's promise of restoration for His people …

During this Election season, worldviews are rising to the surface. Tensions are running high, and the temptation is there to fight with the "Fool". In these two seemingly conflicting proverbs the Lord's people are instructed how to answer the fool, namely, not according to his folly, and after a manner that his folly deserves, the goal being ultima…

All suffering in this world is the result of our sin or another's sin. Suffering causes the heart to cry out, "How long O LORD?". Daniel's vision in chapter 8 reveals the suffering that would come upon God's people under this little horn, Antiochus Epiphanes, causing them to wonder, "How long O LORD?". Our times of suffering are in the Lord's hand,…

When we follow vanity we become vain, empty, devoid of what is truly life. The remedy of to such vanity is the light of revelation, the created real around us, (natural revelation) and the Scriptures of God (special revelation)...these bring us back to who God is, all that He has done for the sinner and that He requires of us.…

Many people claim to be followers of Jesus Christ, but when persecution comes to them, they fall away. Others because the World overwhelms them with its cares or because they are deceived by its riches, put the things of the Lord on the back seat. Yet others or more than mere gawkers, they look to the Lord and believe, and the belief, being genuine…

The Fourth Beast is the final Kingdom, the kingdom that is now in motion. It is different than all previous kingdoms as it is "Exceedingly dreadful and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it." The last king will be the man of lawlessness. He will be arrogant and blasphemous and will wage war against the Christian, but take heart…

The Gospel goes out to the nations. What do you do with it? Do you love it? Heed its message? Do you turn from sin in faith to Jesus Christ? Or do you hate it, despise it and pursue your fleshly desires? A day comes when God holds people responsible for how they respond to the Gospel. Love it or hate it...God will not be mocked.…

What do we need to know about the end of time? That we are in the last days, and during these days the Christian will suffer under the last and final beast. "But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.'"Kirjoittanut Philip B. Strong

How will we know the man of lawlessness? One of his characteristics is that he will oppose and exalt himself "Above every so called god or object of worship so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God." Be alert Christian and be assured, our God reigns!Kirjoittanut Philip B. Strong

For good reason Daniel's vision refers to the kingdoms of man as Beasts! Men are wicked and have evil in their hearts. The Christian is bound to suffer at the hands of these "Beasts" and many even today do! But the Christian has a hope that none other's have, that our God reigns and His Son has come and established a Kingdom that will never be shak…

Who is the man of lawlessness? For what are you to be looking for in him? Know that he won't come onto the world scene until before the return of the Lord. Knowing these things in advance helps us understand what to expect and will help us not grow discouraged in the face of growing darkness.Kirjoittanut Philip B. Strong

We are living in the last days, living under the last and ultimate kingdom of men, a Kingdom, "terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong". The Christian should expect persecution for a time, but he is not to be without hope as, in Christ, he has a kingdom which shall not pass away nor shall it ever be destroyed!…

When is the Lord going to return? We don't know, but the Apostle Paul tells us that there are two things that will be evident before the Lord returns again. These are a rebellion and the man of lawlessness being revealed. Pay attention and be on guard!Kirjoittanut Philip B. Strong

Man is so prone to believe that he can be made holy before God by what he does (or doesn't) do, as if certain behaviors or disciplines make him right before God. Defilement does not come to us from what we eat, but comes forth from the heart of man. "What can wash away my sin?...Nothing but the blood of Jesus."…

Does washing one's hands make one more holy? How about not drinking? How about Homeschooling? Often Christians fall prey to a mindset that by doing or not doing certain things we become more holy than others and our confidence is no longer in Christ but in ourselves! Beware Christian, our righteousness is found in Christ alone.…

Daniel walked in obedience to God, sought for the peace of Jerusalem, was cast into the lions' den and given up for dead, and was delivered because he trusted in the Lord .While persecution of the Christian is a certainty in this world, of greater certainty is the fact that the Christian will be vindicated! Those who rest in Christ will be vindicat…

Often we think we know better than God; We think we know where we should start a church, whom would be a good candidate for salvation, expecting the Lord to work according to our agenda. This passage reminds us that the Lord works how and when He wants to work! He directed the Apostle and his companions to a situation that may have looked unfavorab…

It is the task of the Church to advance the Kingdom of God through the preaching of the Gospel, however, it is not a task that may be mechanically performed. Rather the Church may not, and must not move ahead of the Lord, but must fulfill out calling as the Lord directs us. We labor only after we pray and wait for His direction.…

The Christian is hated by the World as a follower of Christ and will suffer hardship no matter the circumstances in which he finds himself. A new king was reigning over Babylon, however, it did not mean less hardship for Daniel and the other exiles from Judah. Daniel did what was right before the Lord regardless of the unjust decree of the King. A …

We must learn from those who have gone before us or we will suffer the same consequences of those who have gone before us. The last king of Babylon refused to learn from the lesson that Nebuchadnezzar was taught, that pride will be judged. There is only One who is Sovereign and only One Who should be worshipped. We must as individuals and as a Nati…

The Apostle was in the midst of his second missionary journey. Mark was not the right fit for this ministry, but Timothy would be. To strengthen the church we must put to use those who are the right fit, with the proper preparations bringing the right doctrine.Kirjoittanut Philip B. Strong

The proud will be destroyed! Belshazzar, the acting King in Babylon, thought himself and his people untouchable. Yet the walls of Babylon, the "Best and brightest" of his kingdom could not bring help. In his pride he would not seek the help of the one who could help him. He would perish in his pride. Likewise, those who in their pride neglect the O…

Pride is a killer! Pride keeps us from looking to the Lord. Pride keeps us from seeing our sin for what it truly is. Pride keeps us living in rebellion against God. Pride will be our undoing as individuals and as a Nation! It was not until Nebuchadnezzar had come to an end of himself and recognized Who the Most High is that he became sane and was r…

"The most important person in the whole wide world is you! You are special!" This mindset, so prevalent in our culture today, has bred an attitude of entitlement in the Church. Entitlement and the "Me first" mindset hurts the worship, work and witness of the Church. In Philippians 2:5-8 we are commanded to have in ourselves the attitude of Christ J…

The pride of man is so strong, that we think we are something when we are not! Those the Lord loves He chastens. It is not until we come to an end of ourselves that we see truly who the Lord is, and this is what we begin to see in the first half of Daniel 4 with Nebuchadnezzar.Kirjoittanut Philip B. Strong

A faithful church can be hurt terribly by selfishness and empty conceit. More than one church has been rendered ineffective in her work and witness because its members came to blows over coffee creamer and carpet! Rather, like our Savior, we are called to regard one another as more important than ourselves, looking out for the interests of others.…

Pride Month! Bow to our Idol! The Christian must not. The World pressures the Christian to accept what God has forbidden. We serve a God Who remains with His people. Faith doesn't change our circumstances, but keeps us focused upon the One Who can and will deliver.Kirjoittanut Philip B. Strong

Many conflicts in the church are for bad reasons; coffee creamer and carpet! Some, however, are necessary. The conflict between Paul and Barnabas was not petty. Both men were motivated out of a love for their Savior and His kingdom. Their love for the Lord was applied in different ways and was used by the Lord to multiply the work of the Church. Co…

Discouragement and despair often hit the Christian, who feels overwhelmed with the World around them. There is a temptation to "Join with them" because it is believed there is no way to "Beat them". We learn from this passage of Scripture that the God of the Bible is greater than the gods and gurus of this world! And that the Lord honors those who …

The world and the kingdoms of men will all come to an end, but the kingdom of God, which was inaugurated at the coming of Christ, will endure forever. Therefore don't place your confidence in the kingdoms of men, but in Christ Who is winning and has already won!Kirjoittanut Philip B. Strong

The Writer of Proverbs warns of the Troublemaker! He is the man who disregards the LORD in lieu of what he wants, and will hurt whoever it takes to get it! Beware of him O Christian as his life will suffer calamity and so will all who follow him!Kirjoittanut Philip B. Strong

The most profound and hidden answers to questions like; Who am I? Why am I here? From where did all creation come? Where is history going? come not from the World. This World cannot answer these so we must stop looking to it for answers. Rather, it is the God of Heaven Who alone can answer these questions. Look to Him and find your peace!…

When troubles effect the local church, it is the task of the broader church to come alongside of the troubled church and minister to her, to give guidance and encouragement to her that she may weather the storms that she has been through. We see this demonstrated for us in the aftermath of the Jerusalem Council in how they cared for the church in A…

The government has its place, but it is incapable of doing for men what they need most! We see in the beginning of Daniel 2 that man can only go so far in its help. Only God, however, can reveal mysteries. Only in God can we be shown what we need most to be delivered from what troubles us. Don't look to this world for answers!…

It seemed as though God had lost to Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. At times it seems this evil World is winning. The reader is to understand, that we must not judge by feeble sense the happenings in this World. By the end of Daniel 1, we see that the LORD indeed wins, as He is even to this day.Kirjoittanut Philip B. Strong

When the Church has a major issue that is to be settled in her courts, it is not enough to merely answer the question at hand. The goal of the higher courts must be to strengthen the local church and to care for the people in her midst. It was the church in Antioch that suffered because of false brethren, ministry must be given to the local assembl…

The tyrannical government is set upon making itself a success. Dissidents must either be silenced or "converted". Nebuchadnezzar had control over the exiles who were brought from Judah. He had control over their bodies, minds and souls. Again it appears that the deplorable state has won, but it has not. God remains faithful to His own!…

There is a crisis of integrity in our land! Marriages, Church members, politicians...who can we trust! It seems many can't be trusted as there is so little integrity. Solomon is writing so that his son chooses to live a life of integrity as it brings with it security, however the perverse will be exposed!…

As Christians we look at the world around us changing, and are tempted to think that God must be losing! Abortion, perversion, persecution of the Church etc. etc. At times throughout history God would appear to lose, but it is only that He may be magnified all the greater! Judah, Daniel and his friends, and the articles of the Temple are conquered …

Old heresies always resurface! Since the beginning, one of those heresies is that a man can save himself from the wrath to come. The Jerusalem Council settled this error. A man is saved by grace alone through the instrument of faith alone. Nothing more. Those who teach otherwise are teaching a false Gospel. Say "No" to those who would add to the Go…

The Gospel is not failing. The Lord is saving His people, and He will not lose a single one. Are you one of them? If so, you will not ignore His call to come to the feast, and you will not take pride in what you are, your works and deeds, but will be clothed in the righteous garments provided by His Son.…

The Gospel is based upon historic events. Christ died for our sins, was buried and was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures and He appeared, not to one or two people, but up to five hundred people at one time. What do you do with the Gospel?Kirjoittanut Philip B. Strong

The Church must guard the Gospel. Ask yourself, what does the Lord require in order for a man or a woman to escape the wrath to come? Many would place the burden upon the individual to perform right for God. However, God says to the sinner, "Sinner, look in faith to My Son and you will be saved!".Kirjoittanut Philip B. Strong

As accomplished, gifted and fine a man as the Apostle Paul was, he urges the church to pray for him. Why? Because our best efforts, apart from prayer amount to nothing! To advance the kingdom of God the church must be a people of prayer. Christian, pray!Kirjoittanut Philip B. Strong

When judging an issue, the Church has an obligation to be unbiased in its judgment. The Church, the Apostles and the Elders of the Jerusalem church received the men from Antioch, demonstrating that whatever they may have heard, they did not judge them on hearsay or biased opinion, but upon facts. God had blessed the Gentiles through faith and not t…

In our spiritual warfare, we are told to, "Take up the full armor of God,". How often the Lord's people think that to fight effectively it is just a matter of knowing the right apologetic, being smarter than the opponent. The Apostle instructs the Lord's people, beside putting on the full armor, we must couple this with prayer. Christian, do you go…

"Do you promise to participate faithfully in this Church's Worship and service, to submit in the Lord to its government, and to heed its discipline, even in case you should be found delinquent in doctrine or life?"Kirjoittanut Philip B. Strong