A DARE SAINT

“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” (Dan. 1:8 NKJV).

Daniel is what we would call a “dare saint” and the words of the song, “Dare to be a Daniel,” emphasizes this truth. Our verse state that Daniel did a very daring thing: he made a holy resolve in his heart. Thus, we want to note the calendar in the resolve, the character of the resolve, and the courage in the resolve.

Calendar in the resolve - We often make resolution early in the year. Daniel made this resolve early in his life; he was no older than a teenager. A person does not have to be old before they start living for God. It is better to start living for God even when one is old than never to live for Him at all. However, to start living for God in the early years of life, gives a lifetime for God and prevent many wasted and sin-scarred years.

Character of the resolve - “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself.” There are two important things to note about the character of Daniel’s resolve.

Firstly, the resolve was made in his heart. It was not just words to impress people, but it was in his heart which gave it strength. Secondly, the resolve had to do with purity. Daniel would not “defile” himself with the king’s food and drink. Many folk resolve to do a lot of things, but few resolve to live a holy life. The resolve to live a life of holiness is needed more than anything else today.

Courage in the resolve – Being in captivity meant that Daniel had to have much courage when he made this resolve. Not only that, but he was also going against the king’s wishes. To live a pure life, will take courage. It will not be popular, and many will protest and mock. But we need to stick with our holy resolve; it will bring Divine blessings.

(Adapted from Analytical Biblical Expositor)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“When you use your life for God’s glory, everything you do can become an act of worship!”

Rick Warren (1954 –)

Baptist Pastor and Author

Word Study

Empty talkers

In Titus 1:10 we read, “For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision!” (NASB).

Empty talkers is the Greek word ματαιολόγος (mataiológos = mat-ah-yol-og'-os). It is made up of two words: “mataios” which means vain, empty, profitless, fruitless, aimless, and “lego” which means to talk. Thus, the word means an idle talker, one who utters empty senseless things. The root “mataios” described heathen worship, specifically worship which produces no goodness of life and nothing of eternal value. The people in Crete could talk glibly but all their talk was ineffective and produced no spiritual benefits. In fact, it robbed the hearers of the truth which led them into error.

“Fear Nots” Found in the Bible

“When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt” (Deut. 20:1 KJV).

Did You Know…

Abram was a descendant of Noah’s son Shem (Gen. 11:10-26). All Near Eastern people are descendants of Shem (Gen. 10:21-31). The word Semitic is derived from the name Shem.

Bible Quiz

What did Elisha ask Elijah to leave him before he was to be taken to Heaven?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: Whom did the Lord Jesus call “brood of vipers?” The Pharisees (Matt. 12:24-34).

Names For God Found in the Bible

“MIGHTY ONE”

"You shall drink the milk of the Gentiles, and milk the breast of kings; You shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob” (Isa. 60:16 NKJV).

1. Meaning – MIGHTY ONE refers to God's power to accomplish anything.

2. Insights – – Isaiah uses the metaphor of the milk of the nations and of kings to mean they will all nourish Zion with loving, personal care. When this happens the people of Zion will once again recognize, accept, and acknowledge that Yahweh their God is truly their Savior. The Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Holy One of Israel, and the Almighty God of Jacob will have once again demonstrated that He is their Redeemer. When God acts and reveals His redemptive power, people cannot help but realize that He truly is God.

Did You Know...Christian History

Mary Webb was born in 1779 in Boston, MA. She was the founder of the Boston Female Society for Missionary Purposes.

Mary was just five when disaster struck. A severe sickness paralyzed her. She survived but was unable to move her legs. From then on, she had to be carried or push herself around in a wheelchair. Sadly, Mary’s father died when she was 13, leaving the family in a dire financial state. It was at this time that a neighbor, Thomas Baldwin, pastor of Second Baptist Church, took a special interest in the Webb family, especially little Mary.

As a result of Pastor Baldwin’s compassion and witness, Mary made a public confession of her faith and was baptized. Pastor Baldwin was also an ardent supporter of home and foreign missions, and Mary caught her pastor’s vision. After reading a missionary sermon she approached him with a plan she believed would aid the missionary cause. Mary may have been crippled, but she possessed a brilliant mind and the determination to implement her dream. She convinced 13 women to join her, and in 1800 they organized the Women’s Foreign Missionary Society.

Initially, the society’s goal was to contribute funds for the distribution of Bibles and gospel literature. However, Mary and her ladies, seeing the enormous need of Boston’s neglected poor and discarded women and children, employed a missionary to visit and to minister to Boston’s poor. In 1803, Mary and her ladies assisted in establishing the Female Cent Society and the Children’s Cent Society in 1811.

In 1811 Mary assisted in founding the Corban Society that raised money to help educate worthy but poor young ministers. In 1812 they established the Fragment Society that collected clothing and bedding for needy children. The society also provided a day care for the children of work­ing mothers. In 1818 Mary led in the founding of a female refuge to help rescue women who were enslaved by alcohol and immorality. In 1825 she established a free school for girls whose parents were too poor to pay for their education.

Although engaged in all of these activities, Mary still had time for her local church, being chose as a Sunday school superintendent in 1611. But perhaps her greatest contribution was the impact she and her ladies had upon Baptist women as hundreds of female societies sprung up all over America. These ladies looked to Mary Webb for advice and counsel in duplicating her work in Boston. Mary could not travel, but she wrote thousands of letters of encouragement and counsel. Mary Webb faithfully served her master for over 50 years and in 1861, at the age of 82, went home to her Lord.

A Little Humor

Religion is generally a forbidden topic for everyone at work, except for Larry. Recently, after he steered yet another conversation toward the subject, a coworker whispered, “That Larry - he always has to put his two saints in.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Christ was lifted up on the cross that we might be lifted out of our sin!”