https://www.facebook.com/214681545393366/

Por Tu Gracia Fellowship, 701 Roland Lane, Kyle, TX (2026)

12/21/2022

The Difference Between Jesus and Religion

As we celebrate the coming of Jesus to the world as a baby, we may be tempted to assign a title to Jesus. The world would call Him the founder of Christianity, a religion, and would focus on His birth in Bethlehem, surrounded by barnyard animals and shepherds.

And then there were the wisemen from the east seeking the new born king of the Jews.

They are also a part of this accepted portrait, even though they didn’t arrive to see Jesus until He was living in a house with His parents much later.( but where do we put the Magi in our Nativity scene ?)

Mary knew why Jesus was born; the angel Gabriel had told her, “You will be with child and give birth to a son and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:31-33) “So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35)

So, the world we live in sees Jesus as a teacher, miracle worker, an itinerate rabbi, but the bible we read and believe in as the inspired word of God, says something totally different.

Yes, Jesus performed miracles as evidence that He was more than a teacher and rabbi.

If we are to believe the words spoken to Mary by Gabriel the archangel, then we can believe that Jesus was born for a specific reason and we can know Him as the Son of God!

We also see that He will have a kingdom that will never end. That would make Him a King.

John the Baptist, who also baptized Jesus in the Jordan river preached in the Desert of Judea saying, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matt. 3:2)

He didn’t say, “get ready for a man named Jesus will soon be here to lead and teach you and establish a world-wide religion.”

In fact, when Jesus began His public ministry, Jesus began to preach the same message as John did’ “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

In other words; change your minds from things of darkness to things of the light. Jesus is the source of the true light of the world.

Jesus didn’t come to start a religion; He came to save mankind from themselves. He came to die in the place of sinful mankind so they wouldn’t have to.

But they would have to realize their sinful life and seek forgiveness from the Son of God. Then He would forgive them and send the Holy Spirit to live within them granting them a NEW LIFE. Paul called it the BODY OF CHRIST. Included was the promise of eternal life in the kingdom of heaven that He was King of.

Jesus called this remarkable gift of forgiveness the, “good news.” It wasn’t just an offshoot of the religion of the Jews (Judaism), it was something entirely NEW!

Every organization has rules for its members to follow, but Jesus didn’t have rules for us to follow. He just said, “Follow Me” and your life will be better. We cannot follow the rules of our culture or any organized religion in order to impress Jesus. He gave us one simple thing to remember; “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If Jesus didn’t come to earth to die for us, we wouldn’t have any hope.

If we accept our sinful life as a reality then we should realize we need a Savior. (someone to forgive us and save us.)

When Jesus was born in that manger, our hope became real. Religion can’t save us, but Jesus can! After all, that’s why He came to us as a baby so He could relate to us on a human level. (yet He was without the inherited sin nature of Adam. He was born of the Holy Spirit.)

Are there any standards as to who can follow Jesus? Yes. You must be a sinner! No problem, we are all sinners. And all of us regardless of our nationality, language, or age are all invited to follow Jesus. The message is clear to all; “Repent, for the kingdom of God is near, believe this good news.”

The church talks of laws. What is permitted and what isn’t? Jesus says that the law was for the benefit of mankind. Was the law for the benefit of God? No. If the church uses the law to control the people, then Jesus becomes angry because He loves the people. He loves us.

So, let’s make it clear. When we celebrate the coming of Jesus to this earth as a baby, it is because we join the Magi in worshipping the coming King. A king whose kingdom will never end. Our King came to sacrifice Himself in our place so our sins could be forgiven.

He didn’t come to start a new religion or to add on to an existing one. He came to call out a people for His kingdom. Those of us who surrender ourselves to Him receive the gift of eternal life, and we will spend eternity with Jesus in heaven.

Don’t you want to accept that GOOD NEWS ?

You can right now. Ask Jesus to forgive you and He will!

Pastor John

12/21/2022

Daniel 3:13-27 — Go Along To Get Along

We know that Jesus said; “I will not leave you or forsake you.” In order to enjoy His promise, we have to believe His promise. We show our faith in Him by our words and actions.

Jesus, Himself said: “By their fruit you will know them.” (Matthew 7:20) This was how false prophets’ could be spotted. They say all the right things, but they were hypocrites (say one thing and do another). Of course, God knows what you believe.

The king was told of the disobedience of Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego. They refused to bow before the golden statue as the king had commanded. The astrologers had also mentioned that they didn’t worship the king’s gods! This, of course, enraged the king, to have open disobedience of is commands.

Next, the king had the three young men brought before him. (He wanted to hear from their own mouths) (V-13) In our court system we are told why we are there and then the question is put before us; “How do you plead; guilty or not guilty.”

The kind said; “Is it true….that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold?” (How do you plead?) (V-14) He then tells them what the punishment will be if their disobedience continues.

Then he gives them one last chance, “If you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good.” (But if not, the furnace awaits you.)

The question is one of FAITH. “should they go along just to get along?” Then the king challenges God. “Then what God will be able to rescue you from my hand?” When this act is over, and their faith has been tested, then he will know the true God of creation. (V-15). Now the defendants have their chance to speak, “O king, we don’t have to defend ourselves before you in this matter. (V-16)

Now here is a good object lesson for us today. Many times, we will be up against our own trials. We need to respond as those boys did; “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace the God we serve is able to save us from it., and He will rescue us from your hand, O King.” (V-17) But even if He does not we want you to know O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of Gold you have set up. (V-18) (right is right and wrong is wrong, we must do what is right)

In other words; if we are on the side of righteousness (Gods), then we have nothing to fear even if we don’t survive the physical trial, our God is always with us! “If God is with us, who can be against us.” (Rom. 8:31)

When an all-powerful king has his back up against the wall he will attack, and this is exactly what happened. The king blew up in anger and commanded that the furnace be made 7 times hotter. (V-19) He’d shown them just how powerful his gods were!

So, they were bound and thrown into the furnace. (However, the heat was so great the soldiers that bound the boys, were killed. (V-22,23)

The king’s expression went from anger to amazement when he looked in the furnace. He asked, “weren’t there three men that were put in the furnace?” (V-24) Certainly O king, came the answer. But now, I see four men walking around the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth man looks like a SON OF THE GODS. (V-25)

Then he approached the blazing furnace and shouted; “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.”

So, they came out of the fire without even a sign of smoke or fire on their clothing. (V-27) Did the king have a spiritual awakening?

We will see. No doubt God will have His will done and others will follow.

“Do not fear the person who can kill your body and cannot your soul, rather fear the one who can kill both body and soul in hell” (Matt. 10-28)

Brother John

12/04/2022

Daniel 3:1-12 — No Strange Gods Before Me

If you ever wondered what it would be like to live under the rule of a dictator who used fear and force to make the people conform to his wishes, be glad you haven’t experienced it. Many people have risked everything to escape from a country just like I have described.

They were seeking freedom and the ability to self-rule (a republic). This form of government was unheard of throughout the world. There have always been kings with armies that took whatever they wished by force.

King Nebuchadnezzar had reached the pinnacle of his stardom. He had everything and was the ruler of the known world. But he had a dream which caused him great anxiousness. Daniel, one of the youths taken from Judah, had prayed to God for wisdom to deliver to the king the meaning of his dream. When the king received the answer, he was very grateful, but he didn’t seem to see the big picture. He was full of pride and ordered the construction of a gold image NINETY feet tall by nine feet wide. (V-1)

So, what was the purpose of this statue? Did the king have some grand plan in mind?

Next he summoned all his officials; governors, advisors, judges and magistrates and many others to be present for the dedication of the image. (V-2) So they all assembled in front of the image. (V-3)

Next a herald came forward and made an announcement to everyone. It gave us the answer we were looking for. What was the reason for the golden image?

This is what the herald said; “This is what you are all to do. As soon as you hear the sound of many instruments playing, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar set up.” (V-5)
Where there is a law or command, there is usually a consequence for disobedience.

In this case it is very extreme! And how extreme was it; “whoever does not fall down and worship will IMMEDIATELY be thrown into a blazing furnace!” (V-6)

Fear has always been a great motivator. In world history we have seen it in dictatorships or communism. Leaders use fear to control the people under them and it works very well.

Now the king will see how the people respond to his command. So, “as soon as they heard the sound of the instruments and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshipped the image of gold…” (V-7)

You may have noticed that God’s people, the Jews, have always been hated, and it usually involved jealousy. Even in exile in a foreign land, they were singled out for abuse. They generally kept to themselves and were the only ones worshipping ONE God.

But it was jealously that caused the astrologers to come forward and denounce the Jews. (V-8) First the astrologers reminded the king of his decree concerning the worshipping of the golden statue. Of course, that also spoke of the punishment for disobeying, but their motive became very clear when they singled out Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. (V-8-11)

The astrologers had always been envious of their positions and power.

After all, they were foreigners!

The three Hebrews were accused of not paying attention to the kings commands. “They neither served his gods nor worshiped the image of gold he had set up.” (V-12)

They certainly knew how to push the king’s buttons to get what they wanted.

Brother John

12/04/2022

Daniel 2:36-49 — Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

In every generation there is at least one dictator that wishes that he would live forever and therefore, rule forever. The reason for this is that power corrupts the minds of men and they never have enough.

This is also why the founders of our country wouldn’t allow one person to be the president of our country for more than 8 years. They knew the nature of man and his desire to maintain his power over others.

I am sure that king Nebuchadnezzar wished to rule forever though he knew one day he would die.

Daniel was about to tell the king the meaning of his dream, but would he accept it?

Daniel was wise enough to approach this powerful king with diplomacy. He began with; “You O king are the king of kings.” (V-37) But then he told him from whom he had received this power, (I’m sure he attributed it to himself and his army.) He continues; “The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory.” (over mankind, animals and birds of the air.) He has made you ruler over all of them. (V-38)
You are the head of gold.

But be aware, after you another kingdom (of Silver) will rise, inferior to yours. Next a third kingdom, one of BRONZE, will rule over the whole earth. (V-39) “Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron; for iron breaks and smashes everything…” (V-40)

“It will crush and break all the other kingdoms.”

This kingdom of iron and clay will be a mixture of strength and brittleness. It will be strong and will last longer than the others, but the rulers will diminish in power and grandeur as they go from the absolute despotism of Nebuchadnezzar to the democratic system which characterized the Roman senate. (V-42)

The people of this kingdom will be a mixture and will not remain united. (Just as iron and clay separate) (V-43)

All of this is interesting but Daniel tells the king that during the time of these kingdoms, the God of heaven will set up one that will never be destroyed. In other words, the kingdoms of men will not endure, but God will. (V-44)

It is important that all earthly rulers recognize the source of their position and power. This will keep them humble. Unfortunately, most of them will not acknowledge God as their king.

Daniel says that; “This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands.” This rock broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold.” (V-45)

We know the gold was Babylon, the silver was the Medo-Persian empire, the bronze was the Greek empire established by Alexander the great, and the iron legs and feet mixed with clay was the Roman empire.

“The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy.” (V-45)

The king was so struck, that he fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor.

The king said; “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries…”(V-46,47)

Then the king place Daniel in a high position and lavished gifts on him.

He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all the wise men. (V-48)

Daniel then requested that his 3 friends be appointed administrators over the province of Babylon. Daniel remained at the court. (V-48,49)

Certainly, all four of these young men were in great positions to influence the people there, including the exiles from Judah.

God never stopped watching over His people. He never stops watching over His children also.

Brother John

11/01/2022

Daniel 2:14–23 — Praise Be To God

When do people usually pray to God? I mean, what becomes the motivation to cause self-centered individuals to communicate with an invisible deity instead of seeking human wisdom?

When the information we seek is beyond human knowledge, then we are tempted to ask God for His help. But He isn’t a genie in a bottle just waiting for us to receive three wishes.

He is all knowing, all powerful, as well as merciful and omni- present. And if we observe how faithful men of God have interacted with Him in times past, we can learn how to seek Him for ourselves. Let’s see what we can learn from Daniel and his three friends.

They are facing sure death if Daniel cannot give the king the meaning of his dream. Human wisdom can’t help. Only God revealing the meaning will do.

So, Daniel begged the king for time to obtain the interpretation of his dream. (V-16)

Daniel had spoken to Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard as to why the king had issued such a harsh decree. Daniel had no idea what had happened between the wise men and the king, but he knew that time was of the essence.

After returning home, he spoke to his friends and urged them to plead for mercy; not from the king; but from the God of heaven. (V-17-18) And it came as no surprise that during the night, God revealed the mystery to Daniel in a vision. (V-19)

And what was Daniel’s reaction? He gave credit where credit was due; “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever, wisdom and power are His.” (V-20) Daniel knew that only God was responsible for the wisdom with which He revealed the meaning of the king’s dream. We also need to understand that when God answers our prayers, we are to immediately THANK HIM!

Daniel also proclaims that nothing escapes His notice; “He sets up kings and deposes them.” He even changes times and seasons. In other words, these things are His creations and He has complete control over everything. (V-21)

“He reveals deep and hidden things. He knows what lies in darkness and light dwells with Him.” (V-22)

So, Daniel believed, as did his friends, that there was only ONE God who created all things. He believed and because of his faith in Him, he didn’t hesitate to come to Him in time of need. The Babylonians believed in many gods and did not have such faith.

It wasn’t just faith; it was the way these boys lived their lives.

We should learn from their example and acknowledge not only the Father, but His Son Jesus who has set us free from sin and death.

If we come to Jesus and ask Him anything, He is faithful to answer us.

Daniel ends his praise to God by being specific and saying; “You have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king. (V23)

In this case, it was crucial that they receive what they prayed for, but it was definitely their faith that God was using to accomplish His will.

And everyone around these boys, witnessed God’s answer and God received the glory.

Brother John

11/01/2022

Daniel 2:3–13 — I Had A Dream

Every president has a cabinet filled with people who are knowledgeable in their area. It would seem obvious that the president only has a certain amount of time in each day, and he must depend on his advisors to give him information from the area they are assigned to.

It would also seem logical that the president would have to have faith in these advisors. If he doesn’t trust them, then how can he make good choices and decisions with faulty information?

This is the position King Nebuchadnezzar found himself in! He had a troubling dream which had caused him much distress. He wanted answers and he wanted them NOW! (V-3)

And just as the president would seek advise from his advisors, the king turned to his magicians, sorcerers and astrologers for the answers he was seeking. Upon hearing this news, his advisors answered; “Tell your servants the dream and we will interpret it.” (V-4) (Maybe they needed some motivation).

The king replied to the astrologers; “If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble.” (V-5) Now that’s the bad news, but there is good news; “but if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive gifts and rewards from me.” So, tell me! (V-6)

Again, they had no answers, for their gods were false gods and could not tell them anything.

The king was wise to their game and told them so; “I am certain you are trying to gain time, (stall for time) because you realize my threat it real.” (V-8) They were playing a game of bluff with the king, which they most certainly would lose. “You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation would change.”

They most certainly were hoping that the king would weaken and tell them the dream, and then they cold make up an interpretation and no one would be the wiser. (The king knew this, but wanted the truth.) God was the only One who could reveal his dream and it’s meaning, but the king’s advisors knew nothing of the One, living and true God of the universe.

The astrologers answered the king; “There is not a man on earth who can do what you ask.” (V-10) And no king has ever asked such a thing from his advisors. “No man can reveal it to the king, except the gods and they do live among men!” (V-11) (They were not accessible) Not a great comment to the all-powerful king Nebuchadnezzar.

This made the king furious; for they had been warned! So, he ordered the ex*****on of all the wise men of Babylon. (V-12) And this included Daniel and his three friends.

At first glance it may seem that this story is about Daniel interpreting the king’s dream but God is good at multitasking.

Will the king witness God’s power and be convinced that He is the One and only God? Will the astrologers and magicians see what knowledge had been given to Daniel, and believe?

God is in the savings business, not just the miracle business. And Daniel’s faith is being tested. Will he continue to place God first in his life? If he does, then he will be used by God for His purposes and will be protected from harm.

What a great role model he is for us, and our older children. And they definitely need a model to follow.

Brother John

11/01/2022

Daniel 1:18 to 2:2 — School Is Out

At the end of every course of study, you can expect a final exam to show how much you have learned. As a result of your exam, you can reasonably expect a good position, if your exam went well.

It has been 3 years since Daniel and his friends had begun their schooling and now the time had arrived to be personally interviewed by the King himself. (No pressure) If he found you worthy, you would work directly for him.

This is how the interview went. “At the end of the time set by the king to them , the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.” (V-18) As the king talked with them, he found them ten times better than all his magicians, and enchanters in his whole kingdom. (V-20) The king talked with them and found none equal in matters of wisdom and understanding, so they entered the king’s service. (V-19)

Because they remained faithful to God, He could use them for His purpose. Let’s remember the big picture. Why were they captives in Babylon in the first place?

The people, including the king in Israel, had turned their backs on God and had worshipped false gods, and had even led their children in that same direction. They had also ignored the commands of God contained in the covenant He made with them.

It wasn’t a coincidence that the people of Israel were sent away for 70 years. These years were to make up for the sabbath years that the people had ignored by not letting the land rest. They were greedy and continuously planted their crops when they were commanded to not sow or reap on the seventh year. (Lev. 25:3)
This showed a lack of trust in God by the people. God had told them that He would provide for them by giving a blessing of an abundance of crops on the 6th year. In other words, there was no reason to fear!

Of course, God always provides a remnant of faithful servants when the rest are punished.

Daniel and his friends were to be used by God to restore the people of Judah to their homeland. It was never God’s intention to eliminate His people, but to punish them and bring them back into His family, through repentance and mercy.

Daniel remained in Babylon through the reign of Nebuchadnezzar and his grandson Belshazzar, and saw the downfall of Babylon by the Medes and Persians under King Cyrus. (V-21) (539 BC)

Some people have problems sleeping. I’m sure some of you toss and turn, thinking of what you have to do the next day, or perhaps you are, worried about the what ifs of life.

I can’t even imagine how a president can sleep at all, considering all of his responsibilities. But if there is one thing we can all agree on it is the wonderful feeling we have when we do have a great night’s sleep.

It seems that Nebuchadnezzar had a problem sleeping and it was connected with his dreams. His mind was troubled because he didn’t understand their meaning. This happened during his second year as king. (604 BC) (Ch 2:1)

So as all-powerful kings do, he summoned the magicians and enchanters as well as the sorcerers and astrologers, to tell him what he had dreamed. (V-2)

He didn’t ask them for the meaning only, for he didn’t trust them.

He thought that if they had power from their pagan god’s, they should be able to tell him the dream and the meaning.

As we will see, God is setting this up to bring Himself glory and Daniel, honor.

Brother John

10/13/2022

Daniel 1:8–17 -- Trust and Obey

Recently we have been taught that when we are faced with a hard decision to make, we should do what we know is right before God and leave the consequences to Him.

It seems that we occasionally are faced with tough situations that demand our full attention.

Our human nature tells us to react in a way that is beneficial to us, regardless of how it affects others, including God.

Now, lets look at a real-life example of a godly man’s reaction to a demand from a king who is over him.

Daniel is that man and he has been ordered to eat from a menu that will defile him, according to the teachings of God. Let’s see how he handles this situation. There is one thing for sure, and that is that he will obey God, not man.

It seems that the Israelites considered the king’s food to be contaminated because the first portion was offered to idols.

Also, ceremonially unclean animals were used which had not been prepared according to the law of Moses.

He knows what he must do, so he resolved not to defile himself with the king’s food and; “he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.” (V-8) Now let’s see how God will control the consequences. Verse 9 says that; “God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel…” (V-9)

But wait; there is more to the story. Now, the response of the official was one of fear, for he was afraid of the king. What if Daniel and his friends didn’t look as healthy as the other young men? The official would lose his head because of what Daniel was asking. (V-10)

God was granting Daniel wisdom in his dealings with the official, so Daniel approached the guard that was assigned to oversee the four young men. (V-11)

Now we will see Daniel putting his faith to the test. Speaking of a test, Daniel asked the guard to test the young men for ten days. This is what he proposed; “Give us nothing but vegetables to and water to drink.” (V-11,12) Daniel is risking everything, but he believes, God will deliver them from harm.

After ten days, compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the king’s food.

This is how strong Daniel’s faith was. He did what he ought to and didn’t worry about the consequences. That was God’s job.

Then when the test is complete, you can do with us as you see fit. (V-13)

And low and behold, the guard agreed with the test. (God’s influence) (V-14)

So, what was the outcome? At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his friends actually looked better than the others. (V-15) And so they continued to eat vegetables and drink water instead of the king’s food. (V-16)

As for their studies; “God gave the four of them knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning.” As for Daniel, God gave him the ability to understand visions and dreams of all kinds. (V-17)

There is great significance in the gifts that God gave Daniel. For God had plans for Daniel because of his great faith. Several times, the king would turn to him for answers when no one else could be of any help.

God wants servants that are faithful and true, and will empower them for the works He has in mind for them.

We can learn so much from the example Daniel has set. The hard things in life are usually not the easy ones, but what good is a servant that cuts and runs at the first sign of trouble.

Be a person of integrity, doing what is right even when there is a cost.

Brother John

10/03/2022

Daniel 1:1–7 — God’s Man

There isn’t a village or town or city that has remained under the control of the same people group. There have been many so-called rulers that thought they were going to rule the world through their own strength and power.

Positioned along the Euphrates river flowing into the Persian Gulf was once a small village that became the great city of Babylon.

Many different cultures had taken their turn at ruling this area but it took an Assyrian ruler to bring it to prominence.

They ruled for more than a century as the Neo-Assyrian Empire, but then came a ruler set at restoring the independence of Babylonian. His name was Nabopolassar, the founder and first king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, from 626 B.C. until his death in 605 B.C. His rebellion led to the complete destruction of the Assyrian Empire and the rise of the Neo-Babylonian Empire in its place. (After ten years of fighting.)

And guess who one of his sons was? Nebuchadnezzar II. (634 B.C.- 562 B.C.) (Neo means new.)

He became king at his father’s death and it was in 597 B.C. that he went to Jerusalem and besieged it. (V-1)

Jehoiakim was king of Judah then; in the third year of his reign, but the Lord delivered him into Nebuchadnezzar’s hand along with some articles from the temple of God. (V-2)

These articles, were carried off to Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god, Marduk. Judah was exiled to Babylonia (Through 3 separate deportations), because she disobeyed God’s word regarding covenant keeping, the sabbath years and idolatry.

It was during the first deportation (592 BC) that Daniel and his friends as well as members of the royal family were brought to Babylonia.

The king brought only the brightest and those without physical defects, and quick to learn. He had a plan.

He ordered his chief, Ashpenaz, to bring in some of these Israelites to prepare them for service in the king’s palace. (V-3,4)

He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. In other words, they were to become different people. This was a three-year program including modifying their diets so that at the end of their training, they would be suitable to enter the king’s service. (V-5)

Included in their education was a knowledge of the classical literature in Sumerian and Akkadian cuneiform (wedge shaped) a complicated syllabic writing system. However, the language of normal communication in multiracial Babylon was Aramaic.

To make the change complete, at least on the surface, each young man was given a new name.

Four of them from Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. (V-6) Their new names were Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Daniel means; “God is (my) judge.” Hananiah means “The LORD shows grace.” Mishael means, “who is what God is?” And Azariah means “The LORD helps.”

Their new names also had connections to Babylonian gods, “Bel protect his life.” “command of Aku” (Sumerian moon-god) “who is what Aku is? “and finally,” servant of Nego/Nebo.” (V-7)

Not only were these young men fine examples physically and mentally, but they were faithful to the one true God who created all things. In fact, they are such great examples of godly young men, that their story has been recorded for all to read and be encouraged by.

They had been given a great education and plenty to eat and were not worked as slaves. For all practical purposes, they had it made. They were living in the palace, had a free education, and never missed a meal. There was only one problem.

Brother John

Por Tu Gracia Fellowship

12/21/2022

12/21/2022

12/04/2022

12/04/2022

11/01/2022

11/01/2022

11/01/2022

10/13/2022

10/03/2022

Address

Opening Hours

Website

Alerts

Contact The Place Of Worship

Shortcuts

Share

Category