The job of the evangelist is not done until the evangelized becomes the evangelist.
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For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
John 3:16-17 KJVR

Evangelism is nothing more than one beggar telling another beggar where to find food.

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Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Brothers building Brothers - Daniel 1:8

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.  Daniel 1:8
 
Just how scared were Daniel and his three friends?  I don’t think I even have a clue as to what it was like for these young men to be ripped away from their homes and their families and everything that meant anything to them.   This must have been a truly frightening experience.  In Habakkuk we find a description of the kidnappers.  God says, “I am raising up the Chaldeans a bitter and hasty nation . . . they are terrible and dreadful . . . they come for violence.” Habakkuk 1:6-9
 
I believe that the action described in Daniel 1:8 explains for us the reason that Daniel and his friends were able to respond as they did to this difficult trial.  The verse says that, “Daniel purposed in his heart.”  The importance of being prepared for life’s challenges cannot be over stated.  I am convinced that the reason we so often fail when trials come is that we have never thought through the temptation possibilities.
 
Some might say that is a rather negative way to live.  After all, thinking of all the bad things that could happen and preparing your response sounds like a real downer.  Of course that is not what I am suggesting.  However there is a heart decision that we need to be making moment by moment; a decision not to defile ourselves with the king’s delicacies.  And delicacies they are.  Sin is so sweet for a season; and of course that is what makes it so difficult for us to be consistent in avoiding temptation.
 
Daniel had some time to make his decision.  It is a long march from Judea to Babylon.  You and I have time also, but the problem is we do not take advantage of it.  We tend to fill it up with mind numbing activities that do us no good when the time comes to resist the Devil.  As we march through our day we need to spend much time in scripture and at least a little time contemplating the approach of temptation and purposing in our heart not to defile ourselves.
 
Purposing today,
Your brother Jack