Daniel_1

Scripture   Daniel 1:1&6   

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it...Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. Observation-What does it say?   The beginning of Daniel places us at the time of the siege of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezer of Babylon.  In 2 Kings 23 & 24, the story of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah, kings of Jerusalem, is given to us, explaining the siege was a result of both these men doing evil in the sight of the Lord.  When Nebuchadnezer took the land, he also ordered some young men be taken to Babylon to be trained in their ways.  Most likely this was done to implant the men back into Jerusalem and change the Jewish culture from within.  Among the men taken were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, whose Hebrew names mean “God is my judge,” “Jehovah is Gracious,” “Who Belongs to God,” and “Jehovah Helps.”  They are given the new Babylonian names, which carried importance to the Babylonian gods of the moon and sun.  The names were given to them to encourage them to forget their heritage, who they are in God’s eyes. Understanding-What does it mean?   Naming our three boys was very important to my wife and I.  The meaning in their names, to us, is a reminder of their God given identity.  We named them Jedidiah, “loved by God,” Ezekiel, “God’s strength,” and Matthias, “gift of God.”  Matthias, with the twinkle in his eye, great smile, and his ability to win over anyone is quite the charmer.  So, we decided it probably is best not to tell him his name means “God’s gift” until he is mature enough to understand it.  He’s too likely to try and use that information to his advantage. As Christians, we become adopted sons and daughters of God.  We now assume a life of sojourners in a foreign land.  Much like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, we are living in a place that is not our home, and the world is trying to distract us from our identity in Christ.  All around us are messages of slavery to this world.  It’s in advertisements, in music and movies, Satan is waging a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:12) on our new identity in Christ.  Just like these four young men, we also need to cling to our identity in Jesus during our sojourning on this earth. To the Romans, Paul wrote, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”  This transformation is done through the continual dependence on God’s word, through worship, and through fellowship with the body of Christ.
Life Application  

 

Jesus, help me to remember my new identity in you (2 Corinthians 5:17).  As I make my way in this life, help me to encourage and remind those around me of their new identity in you.  Help me to sharpen others, as others help to sharpen me.      

 

-Tyler Galloway

Ezekiel_48

Scripture - What stood out?Ezekiel 48: 35…“And the name of the city from that time on will be:the Lord is there.”Observation - What does it say?

A new temple and a new city to close out the book of Ezekiel in chapters 47 and 48. A new temple with a river flowing out of it that would bring a dead sea to life. And a new city that would reunite the fractured people/tribal groups of Israel. Understanding - What does it mean?While biblical scholars debate the literal and figurative meanings of the final two chapters of Ezekiel, my mind can’t help but imagine what the figurative interpretation of this new city would be like. That last line of Ezekiel is just so...inspiring. What if that was the name of the city that we lived in today?! “Hi my name is ken, i live in the city of “the Lord is There”. Where are you from?”And the other person responds, “Oh, I have lived in California my whole life and I have never heard of that city before!” No but seriously, I daydream about what heaven is like, what is eden is like, but I have never dreamed of what it would be like to live in a city where God was there. That just sounds so intense and amazing to think about God living and ruling within the framework of...Santa Clarita! We could all drive by His home during his 5am walks...and pester Him with life’s hardest questions! What would our city look like, feel like, be like, if we were the city of “the Lord is there.” Life Application - How can I apply this to my life today?Lord whether we resembled eden, or heaven, or none of the above, I would love for our city...really all of our cities to be named “the Lord is there”. Help your servants here on earth to make that statement a reality. I pray for the city that I live in today. I pray for the city of Santa Clarita, that we would all desire that precious mantle and reality- to live in a place where You are There. In the name of Jesus do I pray. Amen-kenneth lee 

Matthew__1

Scripture

Matthew 1:1 and 5

This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham… Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth...

 

Observation

In this chapter we are introduced to Jesus’ lineage which not only seems pretty self-explanatory but also very daunting. The first few many remember, but as the family tree extends all the connections get even more messy, but they all are key to Jesus’ arrival.

 

Understanding

Alright… I have to be honest… I don’t think I have ever read the full genealogy of Jesus before. It just seemed like too much, and those names… geez I’d hate to be a teacher doing that roll call. However, this time I decided I would read through it and I am so glad that I did! Jesus came from a line of some pretty unperfect people. All of them seem to have flaws, but I had to stop on Rahab. For those who do not know her, here is some quick background on Rahab:

• This woman was a prostitute
• She lived in this place called Jericho (during the time of its invasion)
• She houses two Israelite spies, and lies to the Jericho authorities when questioned about them
• Frequently they come to her house where she gives them protection
• Because of this, her home is not destroyed

Here’s what I am getting at: God doesn’t care about your past that may not have been aligned with His. Not only was Rahab’s house not destroyed when all the rest of Jericho was, but she was added to the lineage of arguably the most awaited person in human history. The same applies to us! God doesn’t care what you may have done in the past, He’s concerned with whether or not you wish to be added to His story. Jesus comes from a long line of prostitutes, liars, murderers, and some extremely flawed people… but that’s why He came.

 

Life Application

Here’s a reminder that I think is very important here:

The enemy will tell you that sinning is not that big of a deal… until you do it… then he’ll tell you that you don’t deserve to be forgiven… but again, THAT’S WHY JESUS CAME!

I’m sure Rehab struggled some days with this fact, but she still was a part of ushering in the King of Kings. God not only forgave Rahab by protecting her home, but He rewarded her ten-fold by adding her to His family tree. God is asking us to be obedient! Not only are the rewards far greater than we can imagine, but others take notice and wish to be added to the “family tree” too. Let’s be purposeful in how we live, and let’s grow our big happy family even further.

-Allison Khan