mrtonyfrench

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  Isaiah 9:6

Christ has come. In the form of a human, a baby no less, perfect humanity is revealed in the flesh. Christ identifies with us in our earthly condition. Why? Because He has been here. He endured it all without a hint of sin or rebellion. Jesus has come for us.

Christ has come. The Son of God comes to earth to save us, redeem us, and reveal the Father to us. A Son is given on our behalf. His name us Jesus, the Savior of the world.

Christ has come. He rules and reigns upon the earth. It may not always seem as if that is the case. It is true nonetheless. The government is upon His shoulders and His kingdom is eternal.

Christ has come. The Wonderful Counselor was sent to us. The Mighty God who is eternal wrapped Himself in flesh to reveal Himself to men. In His love, the eternal Son of God came to us that we may believe and be saved. He is the Prince of Peace and He gives peace that no one can take away. He has come indeed!

Will you trust in Him? He came to save and redeem you. We are accountable to Him and we stand before Him guilty in our sinfulness. But, Jesus endured our punishment, our pain, and our shame by dying on the cross for us. Those who believe in Him shall never perish but shall have everlasting life. (John 3:16-17) Believe in Him through faith today. He is your only hope.

Tony French

“Come now, and let us reason together,”Says the Lord,”Though your sins are as scarlet,They will be as white as snow;Though they are red like crimson,They will be like wool.”   Isaiah 1:18

Our sins are forgiven. We are cleansed through the blood of Jesus! Though we were guilty and our sins were dark and ugly, they have been made white like wool. Our sin which defiled us has been made erased and made white as snow. In the words of  Horatio Spafford who penned “It Is Well With My Soul”…

​My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, o my soul.

Let us give thanks  today for God’s forgiveness, His Mercy, and His grace.

Tony French

18 Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law. 19 A servant will not be corrected by mere words; For though he understands, he will not respond. 20 Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Proverbs 29:18-20

God will correct His children. The author of these proverbs uses negative examples to amplify what will take place in the lives of those who will not heed Godly correction. In short, those who ignore God’s directives are described as slow of understanding, hasty, and foolish. Those who refuse to be corrected are without hope and their ways will end badly.

Believers should accept God’s discipline realizing that the Lord’s correction is working a greater purpose in us (Hebrews 12:5-10)  The Lord admonishes His own and He chastens those He loves (Revelation 3:19).  God never disciplines us to destroy us. He uses it to shape our lives and make us more like Jesus. The Almighty chastens us for our good, not our worse.

No correction is enjoyable in the moment. (Hebrews 11:5-11) Yet, God’s discipline is part of the process of sanctification in the life of a Christian. Dear Christian, learn from correction and be willing to change. You won’t regret it.

Tony French

As Christians, we seem to be living in a foreign land. Our values and beliefs are considered out of step with post-modern society. What was once considered right and good is now thought of as hateful and bigoted. We live in an upside down world. What the Bible teaches as “right” is wrong, and what the Scriptures consider “wrong” is right in our world. (Isaiah 5:20) How are we to respond to all of this?

The book of Daniel tells the account of someone who lived under similar circumstances. Daniel lived in a decadent, pagan world. Yet, he stood strong and was able to live a holy life despite his circumstances. He provides a model for us as we face an unknown future in a society that is growing increasingly hostile to the truth of God’s Word.

Holy living is still possible at this point in history. It is not only possible, it is commanded by Scripture. The way will not be easy and the cost will be high at times. But, the Bible does not change because of God’s immutable nature.

Daniel was empowered by God to obey and we are as well through the power of the Holy Spirit. I pray that God will richly bless us in our study of God’s Word. Thank you for reading this post.

Tony French

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

…We should resolve to live righteously.

The first principle that we see from Daniel’s life is simple yet profound. He purposes in his heart to live a holy, righteous life. Such a resolution should seem to be self-evident. But, often-times we fail to take this vital step as believers.

Daniel has been forcibly taken to foreign land. His name has been changed and he will now spend his life serving pagan kings in their administrations. Daniel is an older teenager at most and yet he faces a difficult decision.

Daniel is being asked to defile himself with the offered food. More than likely, the food being served did not conform to the standards of the Torah and it probably was not prepared correctly to meet kosher standards. It is at this point that Daniel has a choice to make. Either compromise and eat the food or take a stand for holiness. Daniel chooses to take a stand.

He ask that he and his friends only be served vegetables and water. The steward in charge reluctantly agrees and Daniel and the others fare well and perform brilliantly when tested. Daniel consumes this diet from this point forward and is found worthy to serve at the highest levels of government.

Daniel made a decision to do what is right before he was tempted. We must determine beforehand to live righteously as well. We cannot wait until temptation is upon us and then try to decide. We must begin every day resolving to live righteously before a lost world. We will be tested each day and we must purpose in our heart to fight against the evil that surrounds us and would consume us.

As Believers, the Holy Spirit lives in us and is with us. (1 Corinthians 3:16) We can be holy and we do not have to go it alone. Holy Spirit will empower us to follow God and be obedient. It is not easy all the time, but, we must make a decision to see God work in us and live holy lives. Daniel was able to be used mightily by God because He sought to live a God-fearing life. We can be used in the same way if we will face our temptations head on through the power of Christ.

Being obedient doesn’t always work out well as it did for Daniel in this situation. Even if it doesn’t, you won’t regret living for Christ. Resolve to be holy, righteous, and Christ-like each day. Do it and see what God will do in you and through you!

Tony French

Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.

Joshua 21:45

Our Lord is a promise-keeping God. Nothing that God decreed concerning Israel was left unfulfilled. The Almighty keeps His Word.

The Lord makes promises to His people. In our day, Christ has promised salvation to all who believe. (Romans 10:9-13) The Savior has promised His presence forever. (Matthew 28:19-20) And He has guaranteed to bring us safely to Heaven in His time. (John 14:13) Awesome and mighty are His promises.

The Lord keeps His promises and always does what He says He will do. God’s power enables Him to keep His Word forever. No Word of the Lord will fail. All will come to pass.

Christian, are you trusting in the Word of God day by day? Every promise He makes will take place. Trust in the Lord!

Tony French

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

Believers can trust in God’s presence.

An abiding belief in the unwavering presence of God was inherent in Daniel’s courage and obedience. While this facet of Daniel’s faith is not mentioned implicitly in this verse, Daniel’s trust that God was with him allowed him to follow God and obey God’s law. He knew that Yahweh was with him and that made all the difference.

As New Covenant believers, we have the same promise from God. Jesus declared He would be with us until the very end (Matthew 28:20). The letter of Hebrews reminds that God “will never leave us or forsake us.” (Hebrews 13:5)  We can live by this promise just as Daniel did so long ago.

I would add one caution today.  While we know that God is with us, it will not always FEEL like God is with us. We will not always have the ability to sense His presence. But, even when don’t feel it, we know that God’s Word is true and that His promises never fail. We can press forward in obedience knowing God’s eternal presence is with us each step of the way.

Be encouraged, dear Christian. You are never alone. Christ is with us and will be forevermore. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Tony French

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

Believers can trust in God’s presence.

An abiding belief in the unwavering presence of God was inherent in Daniel’s courage and obedience. While this facet of Daniel’s faith is not mentioned implicitly in this verse, Daniel’s trust that God was with him allowed him to follow God and obey God’s law. He knew that Yahweh was with him and that made all the difference.

As New Covenant believers, we have the same promise from God. Jesus declared He would be with us until the very end (Matthew 28:20). The letter of Hebrews reminds that God “will never leave us or forsake us.” (Hebrews 13:5)  We can live by this promise just as Daniel did so long ago.

I would add one caution today.  While we know that God is with us, it will not always FEEL like God is with us. We will not always have the ability to sense His presence. But, even when don’t feel it, we know that God’s Word is true and that His promises never fail. We can press forward in obedience knowing God’s eternal presence is with us each step of the way.

Be encouraged, dear Christian. You are never alone. Christ is with us and will be forevermore. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Tony French

Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s personal service. As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm. And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king.

Daniel 1:18-21

Believers must trust God for the future.

After Daniel and his friends refused to compromise their convictions, they were ultimately rewarded. They entered into the service of the King as trusted advisors and leaders. Scripture tells us that Daniel would serve at the highest levels of government for the entirety of his adult life. God was good to them.

However, before the accolades arrived, there were many long and difficult days. They were forced to learn a new culture and they were pushed into a new society. It was not an easy transition. They had to trust the Word of God day by day. These faithful Jews held fast to the belief that God was in control of their future—even when it didn’t appear to be the case.

Most assuredly, believers today must have the same faith and trust in God. We are having to learn a whole new culture and our society is changing rapidly. Many of these changes are not for the better. Therefore, supreme trust in God’s Word will be imperative as we seek to navigate the challenges that await us as we serve the Lord and follow Him each day.

Be encouraged, dear believer. God is faithful to all of His promises. God’s Word does not change. Jesus paved the way for us. And the Spirit of God is with us each step of the way.

Trust God for the future. This trust will enable us to finish our course.  We will never be ashamed of trusting God!

Tony French

“He has risen!” (Luke 24:6)  That simple, powerful phrase changed the course of history and eternity at once. Jesus death, burial, and resurrection had been predicted throughout His ministry. And now it was fulfilled just as He had said. He was no longer dead, but alive forevermore.

The resurrection is the heart of the Christian faith. Without it, Paul tells us our “faith is vain and we are yet (still) in our sins.” (1^st Corinthians 15:17)  The resurrection, though an audacious claim, proved the veracity and truthfulness of the Messiah. It serves as verifiable evidence that everything He said was truth and that He was indeed the very Son of God.

What a difference the resurrection of Christ makes in our lives. Without it, we are lost and hopeless. Through the finished work of Christ, we are brought near to God through the wonder of reconciliation. (2^nd Corinthians 5:18-19) The resurrection gives us “the hope that our sins are paid for (Romans 4:25), death has been defeated (Hebrews 2:14), and the hope of eternal life when we repent and turn to Christ, accepting what He has done for us.”[1]

How should we as believers respond to this hope? I would imagine that there would be many responses, but praise and sharing are two that come to mind. Our worship and praise should be centered on all that Christ has accomplished for us and in us through His completed work of sacrifice and resurrection.

Given that we have received so much, how can we not share it? Those early disciples centered their witness on Christ’s death and resurrection. We should do no less today.

He has risen indeed!

Tony French

[1] http://billygraham.org/decision-magazine/april-2011/the-resurrection-myth-or-history/