Fellow Church People

[cherrypotion27]

Pleased to meet you Marty. Have a wonderful week!

Patricia/cherrypotion27

 

[MartyMuppets]

Thanks Patricia,

 

[MartyMuppets]

Chapter 4 of the Book of Daniel tells how Nebuchadnezzar was finally won over to faith in God.
He had another strange dream which he told to Daniel requesting an interpretation. He saw an enormous tree at the center of the earth. Tall, strong, beautiful reaching to the heights of the sky. As he watched somebody cried out for the tree to be cut down completely except for its stump and roots so that it may grow again. Let him be bathed with the rains among the animals of the field. Let his mind be changed into that of an animal's until 7 times have passed.

 

[MartyMuppets]

Daniel was very sorry to have to give the interpretation saying he wished it rather applied to Nebuchadnezzar's enemies, but the king himself was the great tree. He had grown strong and powerful, but he would be cut down in his pride of heart. Because of his arrogant attitude God would take away his sanity, giving him an animal-like mind and he would spend 7 times meaning 7 years, in the field living like an animal with the rain pouring down upon him. His sanity would be restored to him at the end of the time period however. Just like the tree in his dream had its stump and roots left in the ground for regrowth.
Daniel urged the king to turn to God with all his heart to avoid this humiliating lesson but he brushed it aside though he respected Daniel highly.

 

[MartyMuppets]

We're finally told that the prophecy came upon Nebuchadnezzar 12 months afterwards when one day he was walking on the roof of his palace and said "Is not this magnificent Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power and for my own honour and glory?" While he was still speaking God's voice spoke from Heaven, "O King Nebuchadnezzar, it is declared: You shall be driven away from your kingdom and from human society and you shall dwell with the animals of the field. You shall live like an animal eating grass like the oxen, and seven years (times) shall pass until you realize that the Most High God has supreme authority over the kingdom of mortals and gives it to whosoever He desires."
And so for the next seven years Nebuchadnezzar lived among the animals eating grass, and being rained upon while his hair grew as long as eagle's feathers and his nails grew as long as bird's claws.
At the end of that time period Nebuchadnezzar returned to his own mind and his kingdom was restored to him. The king was a humbled man ever after that and officially made proclamation that he praised, worshipped and honoured no other God but the King of Heaven. He had found out the hard way that He was able to bring low all those who walk in pride, but it was a lesson learned to the good of him spiritually. I believe that Nebuchadnezzar became a genuine follower of the God of the Jewish people. God loves all people and He will do whatever it takes to lead them into His loving arms. Nebuchadnezzar could have even rebelled against this discipline. But he did not. I fully expect to meet him in Heaven one day.

 

[MartyMuppets]

That definitely has to be one of the most wonderful Bible Historical accounts in my opinion.

 

[abiraniriba]

Everybody knows

I think everyone on this board already knows that I'm a strong Christian and churchgoer. Lord knows, I've unintentionally offended a few non-believers by speaking my mind. For those of you who haven't heard though I'm a Bible-thumping non-denominational, YEC (Young Earth Creationist), and a member of Christ Tabernacle a sister church to the famous Brooklyn Tabernacle

 

[MartyMuppets]

Pleased to meet you abiraniriba. God bless you and your church family. I hope you like my thoughts on Scripture passages in my thread. May they do you some spiritual nourishment.

 

[Pork]

I"m with you. I believe in a young earth and I believe that God's word is truth. I think you already know that though. If you don't mind me asking...what is the Christ Tabernacle...and the Brooklyn Tabernacle. I am not familiar.

 

[MartyMuppets]

I am preparing some notes for a talk Major Colin has asked me to give in Salvation Army Church one Sunday morning.

I thought about how God doesn't necessarily always save people from being killed by others but he may have special purposes for doing so one out of every ten times.

In Second Samuel He protected David from his own wicked son Absalom because He planned to one day bring Jesus the Saviour into the world through David's family line.
In Daniel the three young men were delivered from the furnace and also though I didn't mention it before, Daniel himself was miraculously saved from a den of hungry lions. God used these miracles to demonstrate His power to the Kings involved on these separate occasions. Nebuchadnezzar and Darius respectively. He knew their hearts would be open and He brought them both to repentance and faith in Him and they in turn testified to their people of God's greatness.

God doesn't often have any reason to save people when they face death for their faith however. In most cases His servants really do lay their lives down for Him. But by the Grace of Jesus they are saved spiritually from the consequences of their sins even if they are not saved physically.

I will let you know how the talk goes and soon I'll also talk a little bit about the last book I finished studying for myself, Leviticus.