The Effects of Taking a Stand
Friday, October 9, 2009
by Dr. Paul Chappell

"So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat. Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse. As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm."

Daniel 1:14-20

Taking a stand always results in greater influence.

Daniel had taken his stand. He refused to eat the king's meat, the meat that was offered to the gods of Babylon. What would happen? He had just defied the king of the greatest empire of that day. The prince of the eunuchs, one of the king's advisors, feared the king's wrath. Seeking to downplay the situation, he begged Daniel to reconsider his comments, accept the food, and step back in line with the rest of the young captives of Israel. But Daniel refused to comply.

When one of Daniel's supervisors heard of this insurrection, he called for Daniel and the three Israelites who stood with him. "What is this I hear? Why do you refuse the meat?" This was the real test. How would Daniel respond? "Sir, I ask a favor of you. Put us to the test. Let us prove whether or not our statements are true. Let us eat greens and drink water while the rest of the captives eat your meat. Then, at the end of ten days, compare us to them and see if we are not healthier." Thinking this proposal over, the supervisor finally agreed to the deal.

Ten days came and went, and Daniel and his friends again stood before the supervisor, only this time they were healthier, stronger, and wiser than the other young men. The supervisor couldn't believe it. Soon Daniel and his friends were known as the wisest, most gifted young people in the kingdom. Even the king knew of their wisdom and consulted them on different matters.

What took Daniel from being one of many captives to one of the king's advisors? What set him apart? Daniel's stand against the meat offered to idols led him to prominence. His stand wasn't a self-centered attempt to create a name for himself; but Daniel chose to do what was right.

Yesterday we learned that God desires us to take a stand in this sin-filled world, and refuse to fall into the devil's temptations. While we are only human beings and may sin, God desires that we would fight temptation. Today, we see the effect of taking a stand for Christ.

Daniel's stand didn't merely affect him; it affected his friends, fellow captives, supervisors, and ultimately the king. Because Daniel did what was right, he was given the opportunity, by God, to minister to people he would have never been near had he not done what was right.

Taking a stand always results in greater influence. Simply going along with society and following the flow of the world has no affect, but standing for Christ and swimming against the corruption of the culture will bring blessing and opportunity to witness for God.

What would happen if you took a stand at work and decided not to waste time, partake in office gossip, or tell jokes with the rest of the guys? What would happen if rather than listening to the gossip of friends you decided to talk of God's work in your life? Yes, some people may ostracize you and label you as "fanatic," but God will be able to use you to influence others like He used Daniel.

As you take a stand against sin again today, submit to God's plan to use you to influence others for Him. Just as Daniel was used to influence the king, God desires to use you to influence others, but you first must take a stand!
 
Friday, October 9

Growth Depends on God

“…He knoweth not how...but when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.” -- Mark 4:27b, 29

We have all lived through a great age of scientific discovery. We have see the inventions of the microchip, the laser, the x-ray, the satellite all in the last 100 years or so; where would we be without them? (Some would say we’d be better off!). There are folks out there who call themselves skeptics who have put their faith in what they call science. They deny the supernatural and believe their “god” of science can explain everything with the real God.

Unfortunately for them, there are still many things that science cannot, and never will be able to, explain. Why is there so much hatred, sin, murder and cruelty? Science cannot explain that! Scientists have broken down the process of every stage of plant and animal growth, yet still cannot explain why there is death and aging. What is the “missing link” to all of this? It is God – and He is not missing!

Remember, the context of this parable in Mark 4:26-29 is the kingdom of God. One way we could describe God’s kingdom is that it is the vehicle through which He works. Do we know why growth occurs? We can list many observations, but ultimately it depends on God. If many people spent the amount of time seeking God that they spend on trying to explain Him away, they would be astonished at what they would find: The Creator and Sustainer of the Universe! Are you depending on Him today? In Proverbs 8:17, God tells us: “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.”

Have you spent more time trying to explain God’s working than simply obeying and doing what He has said?

Thank God today for the wonders of His creation and His working in your life.
 
Proverbs 8:4 "Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man."

Wisdom calls to all men. As much as all are invited by folly and sin to do the wrong thing, and shake their figurative fists in the face of God, wisdom calls to love God, obey God, and follow God's paths of righteousness. Calvinism is rearing it's ugly head once again, and some people are left wondering if God has indeed a "call" on their soul. Know that God calls all men to repentance, as wisdom calls all men to learn of truth, and forsake wickedness.

"For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips."

The wisdom of the world is foolishness with God; but the wisdom of God, is foolishness to a wicked world, who run after folly, and are blinded to it's end: destruction.
 
 
What is a Parable?

“All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:” -- Matthew 13:34

It has been said that a parable is ”an earthly saying with a heavenly meaning.” What the word parable (Grk. parabolé) means is “placing one thing by the side of another,” to have a parallel case used as an illustration. One way to state this is that what is known and common is used to explain that which is unknown and unfamiliar. Spiritual truth is illustrated by earthly examples.

In today’s text (Matt. 13:34) the Lord Jesus Christ had spoken to “great multitudes” (Matt. 13:1-2) from a boat on the sea. “He spake many things unto them in parables,” (Matt. 13:3) during this discourse. The Lord Jesus did teach using a variety of methods, but in this passage (Matthew chapter 13) everything that He taught was given parabolically.

For the next few weeks, we are going to be studying the parables of our Lord. We need to understand what parables are so that we can learn what God wants us to know through them and subsequently apply them to our lives. “And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.” (Luke 8:10) A parable is generally a lesson to believers based upon what is commonly known that is used to illustrate and explain spiritual truth. To truly understand what God has for us in His Word requires that we understand the parables.

Are you willing to dig, think, study and meditate on God’s Word to discover His truth?
 
Taking a Stand
Thursday, October 8, 2009
by Dr. Paul Chappell

"And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself."

Daniel 1:5-8

Fighting against sin is easier than paying the consequences of a life of sin.

The story is told of a young American soldier during World War I that accepted Christ while on the battlefield. Afterwards, he was faithful to attend chapel services and study his Bible. The war soon ended and he was scheduled to return to his family. Because his family was wealthy, he was well-known in town and had many friends, many of whom were not Christians. Fearing his return to his old life, he asked his chaplain how he could avoid falling back into the old sin. His chaplain replied, "Determine to tell the first ten people you meet about your acceptance of Christ as your Saviour. As soon as word gets around of your decision, you won't have to break ties with your old friends-they'll break ties with you first."

Taking the chaplain's advice to heart, the young man accepted the challenge and returned home soon after. Sure enough, a girl he had known in high school was at the train station when he got off. She approached him and excitedly stated, "It's so good to have you home!" He replied, "One of the greatest things happened to me while I was away. I accepted Christ as my Saviour!" Shocked, the girl muttered a few more words of greeting then walked away. "Well, that's one," the young man thought. Then, another one of his friends approached him and said, "Hey you're home! Wait until we have some more parties like the old days!" "I found Jesus while I was away and He is now the center of my life" the young man replied. Yet again, shock overtook the man and he quickly left. After he had fulfilled his commitment to spread the good news to ten people, he noticed that none of his old friends frequented his house. They had gotten the message and he had avoided the temptation to return to a life of sin.

As Christians, we are well-aware that our world doesn't appreciate the Christian life. Movies mock it, people scorn it, and temptation seems to abound. It can be difficult for a new Christian to avoid falling back into a pattern of sin, but it can also be difficult for those of us who have been saved for years.

Notice a young man who had the strength to take a stand in the midst of a corrupt and pagan land: "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank." Daniel knew what was right and through God's strength, he determined to not give in to the king's demands. The meat the king served the young men had been offered to idols, and Daniel didn't want to defile himself with the meat. Rather than giving in, like so many of the young Israelites did, Daniel took a stand and chose to obey God.

Whether you're eighteen or eighty-one, you will be faced with the temptation to give in to sin. The devil is quick to subtly tempt and coerce Christians to sin. But rather than sinning, God desires that we would, like Daniel, choose to take a stand.

Taking a stand against sin won't be easy. It may mean giving up some friends, spending less time at the water cooler at work, or safeguarding your computer; but fighting against sin is easier than paying the consequences of a life of sin.

What sin has been consistently tempting you? In what area of your life are you weak? The devil knows these places and will do everything he can to exploit them. Choose right now to take a stand against sin. Choose to, through God's help, resist temptation and fight the devil's attempts to ensnare you in sin. As you take your stand against sin, seek God's help every morning (and throughout the day), and purpose to serve Him rather than the devil.
 
Luke 10

“But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (v. 42)

I can’t imagine anything more precious and beneficial than sitting at the feet of Jesus. Mary desired the good thing; the best thing; the necessary thing, while Martha was “encumbered” with the things of this world. I wonder how often we find ourselves in Martha’s position? Sure, some tings are important in this life, but what could be more important, or more practical than listening to Jesus, and adoring Him? This brings to mind a similar thought taught from the mouth of our Savior; in Mt. 8:22, Jesus told a disciple “But Jesus said unto him, “Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.” This man wanted to go and bury his dead father, an important thing one would suppose, but Jesus taught him that there are greater responsibilities to a greater cause. Martha, it seems, never did get the help she wanted! How important we think the things of this world to be. We too often forget that we are pilgrims and sojourners here, and we try to “run the house.” Let’s practice what Jesus taught, and “Let the dead bury their dead”, let them take care of their world, and we are to see to our Heavenly world. “One thing is needful” let us desire that “one thing”.

As we go through life, even custom, as seen here, needs to take a back seat to that “good part”. It was customary, and still is, to be a good host, or hostess, but how important is it really? How important is that job that occupies all your time, or that hobby, or even the daily chores of life, as seen here? We easily get so caught up in doing good, that we fail to do right. The unnamed disciple in Mt. 8 discovered that the things in this life do not even compare in importance to the things in the spiritual realm. It must have seemed cruel to him that Christ thought something more important than his dead father, but Jesus is teaching priorities. If there is anything we need in America today, it is the right priorities. We need to “seek ye first the kingdom of Heaven, and His righteousness” and put everything else beneath that. Let us learn from this lowly woman, Mary, and humble ourselves before the Lord, and sit at His feet to learn of Him.
 
 
Have You Separated?

Acts 13:2
“As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.”

As the work of God flourished in the early days of the church, God wanted to send Barnabas and Saul to other cities to bring the Gospel to the Gentile world. God told the church to separate Barnabas and Saul for this work. It is interesting that God told the church to separate these men for, without a person being separated, they will never accomplish anything great for God.

Too many times in a person's life we see they want to serve God, but don't want to separate from those things which will hold them back from serving God to their fullest potential. In fact, sometimes the things from which a person must separate are not bad, but will hold them back from doing the work God wants them to do. God will never use you to the extent which He desires to use you without you separating yourself as Barnabas and Saul were separated.

If we are going to be used of God in a great way, we must first separate ourselves from the world. When I say from the world, I am not just talking about the world’s lifestyle, though we must do this, I am talking about the world meaning the affairs of this world which we are tied into. Let me explain, several years ago when I stepped out to go into full-time evangelism, I realized that God could never use me until I left my job and worked full-time as an evangelist trusting God to take care of my needs. When I stepped out into full-time evangelism, I quit my job and served God full-time. Many people want to have the world and service to God, but if we are ever going to be used by God, we must not be entangled in the affairs of this life.

There is a second area from which we must separate ourselves if we are going to be used by God and this is our personal desires. There are many times when our personal desires get in the way of God's will for our lives. If you want God to use you then you must burn your personal desires and let God have His desires.

Do you want God to use you? If you do then you must separate yourself from the world. You must not be so entangled in the affairs of the world that God's work takes second place in your life. Also, if you want to be used, you must set your personal desires aside for the sake of His desires to be fulfilled. Without separation in these areas, you will never reach the potential in God's will for your life.