In His Presence Radio

Episode 191 “What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears." Hosea 6: 4 The love of God's people is described like dew in the morning, beautiful, pleasant for the moment but also not substantial, it is fleeting and temporary. When the heat of any stress is applied to the situation the love simply evaporates.

Episode 190 The LORD said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulterous. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.” Hosea 3:1 Hosea was directed by God to show love to Gomer despite the fact she was loved by another. Would anyone condemn him if he just walked away from the marriage? probably not. But God wanted this relationship to show to the people His love for them in a way they could understand. The Lord would purchased them back and love them. He would in due time fully restore every aspect of the relationship with His people. Hosea chose to not only purchase his wife back he chose to love her.

Episode 189 My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge..." Hosea 4;6a The people perish for lack of knowledge. Was it knowledge of the culture, days and seasons? Was it the knowledge of the natural world? No, this knowledge was all about knowing God, the discernment that comes from being close to God and hearing or heeding his words and his teaching.

Episode 188 When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the LORD.” Hosea 1:2 Are you seeking God for an opportunity for greater service to him? Remember Hosea. Understand that great service walks hand in hand with great sacrifice. Great blessing and spiritual intimacy with God come at a great cost.

Episode 187 (Image courtesy of Bing.com) Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.” Daniel 10: 12-14 God lifted the curtain of time and revealed to Daniel events of the future in a vision. It was unbelievable and yet undeniable. God is indeed the God of history and all time.

Episode 186 Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. ..Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.Daniel 5: 5;17 (Rembrandt’s version of handwriting on the wall courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belshezzar) The King offered Daniel prestige and recognition if he would interpret the writing. Surely this would be a fitting reward for such a task. Daniel was not interested in the the offer of prestige but simply wanted to do God’s will and speak truth.

Episode 185 “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.” Daniel 4:18 Open your heart and dream again. Allow that dream to grow and develop Ask God to bring your dream to fruition. Dream big, Dream faithfully Dream with God and watch your dream come true.

Episode 184 There are choices to be made. Daniel was faced with the choice of a lifetime. His job was high profile in the kingdom but his faith was not just talk, it was a life style reflected in how he lived and worked every day.

Episode 183 Again, someone has set a date for Christ’s return and the day has come and gone. The earth and its people are still here. 89 year old Harold Camping, founder of Family Radio, which airs on 66 U.S. stations, was in his own words, “flabbergasted.”

Episode 182 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise is to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.” Daniel 3:28-29 Nebuchadnezzar’s failure to submit himself to a God he acknowledged and respected might have saved him from some of the experiences to come but now he comes face to face with the reality of God and will not ask the critical question, what must I do? How can I become a servant to this great God?

Episode 181 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”Luke 23:39-43 (New Living Translation) The voice of the second criminal was softer and kinder. He did not deny his guilt. This repentant criminal knew in his heart that this Jesus was different. And Jesus stopped and saw what no man could see, a repentant soul ready for the kingdom. (image courtesy of http://clipart.ochristian.com/)

Episode 180 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18(New Living Translation) Three young men respectfully and without hesitation refused to bow down to an idol god and were sent to what should have been certain destruction. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego teach us much about faith and courage. (Image courtesy of the La Vista Church of Christ)

Episode 179 (Photo courtesy of Joys of Christian Meditation) Daniel went and asked the king to give him some time so that he could explain the dream’s meaning. Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah about this matter. He told them to ask the God of heaven to be merciful and to explain this secret to them so that they would not be destroyed with the rest of the wise advisers in Babylon. Daniel 2:16-18. Drinking buddies are a type of friendship. Some use a euphemism, friends with benefits to describe a relationship that exist only for mutual convenience and gratification. We have shopping friends, workplace friends, and sports buddies but in times like these we all need praying friends.

Episode 178 (image courtesy of http://karenswhimsy.com/) The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.” Daniel 2:47 God revealed the dream and the interpretation to Daniel. When he shares this with the king the king willingly acknowledges the greatness of Daniel’s God. Daniel was promoted and at Daniel’s request the king also elevated Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

Episode 177 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. Daniel 1:15-16 Nebuchadnezzar understood the importance of surrounding himself with the best and brightest. He also understood that if he could win the allegiance of the youth they would be a powerful addition in his government. The captive Hebrew youth would be taught everything they needed to know to be successful but would they remember their God or take on the gods of the Babylonians?