Rick Henderson

Turn the Tables

Re:Verse passage – Mark 11:11-19 (day seven)

Let’s do a crash course of post-exilic Israel; Persians conquer Babylon (remember Daniel?) and they allow a remnant of Israel to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. The work is impressive, but the new temple does not live up to the expectations set by the previous temple. Something is missing. The people of Israel believe that it is the ornateness of the temple (see Ezra and Haggai). The people begin weeping and mourning over the temple, but God sends encouragement, “My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!” (Haggai 2:5). It was not the architecture or grandiose of the building that made it beautiful. It was the presence of the Spirit of the Lord.

Fast forward 500+ years. Jesus stands and looks around at the same temple. Something is missing again. The Spirit had been neglected for monetary profit. The Incarnate presence of the Lord has come to turn the tables, both literally and metaphorically, and return the focus of the temple back to the presence of the Spirit of the Lord.

Outward/Inward

Re:Verse passage – Mark 1:1-8 (day seven)

^”I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

When I am explaining baptism to our young people who have expressed interest in taking that next step, I often show them my wedding ring. I ask them some simple questions, “What does this ring mean?” Usually that question is answered correctly, “It means you are married!” Then I proceed to take my ring off and ask a set up question that usually gets mixed answers, “What does it mean if I am not wearing my ring?” Sometimes they answer in confusion and say I am not married anymore. Sometimes they get it right. Either way they answer, I lead them down the same trail of thought: The ring is an outward profession of an inward commitment to my wife. If I take that ring off, I am still very much married to my wife. I made that commitment to her and nothing can take that away. I want the world to know my love for her, so that is why I wear my ring!

Baptism is the same way, it is an outward profession of an inward commitment to the Lord. We are baptized by the Holy Spirit inwardly, and we proclaim our decision to follow Jesus outwardly through water baptism. I pray that we have many of these conversations and we fill our baptistries with public proclamations of the work of the Holy Spirit in the coming days!

Shine

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 12:1-13 (day seven)

“Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” Daniel 12:3

“You are the light of the world […]Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14a, 16

This prophecy of Daniel, perfected by Jesus, puts an enormous task on the people of God: to become the light. It is nothing of our own doing though. This prophecy becomes true when we willingly hand over our life into the hands of The Light and His Holy Spirit fills us. Our light is not produced by us but by an overflow of His glory in us. So how can this little light of mine shine into the darkest parts of the world? Light becomes brighter when it is surrounded by other lights. Let us shine a bright light in downtown San Antonio!

Stronger

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 11:1-45 (day seven)

“Some of those who have insight will fall, in order to refine, purge and make them pure until the end time.” vs 35

Daniel was given a word that would shape the future of God’s people. It wasn’t a word of fear but of hope. It was a word that would influence the events surrounding the Maccabean Revolt. Those who remain faithful to God may fall, but their persecution will make them stronger. This word would influence first century Christians as they encouraged the early church, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” (James 1:2-3) These words would shape millions of Christians in the next 2,000 years, many of whom did fall, but God’s people always came out stronger. From the words of Joseph in Genesis 50:20, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result.” From the beginning of time, God has taken what others meant for evil and refines, purges, and purifies it for His good. That is hope!

Not Safe

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 10:1-21 (day seven)

Do you feel the tension here? Daniel starts out nervous and afraid, “And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling.” (vs 11b) Then he is touched by “one that resembled a human” (vs 16), and Daniel is strengthened and encouraged (vs 19). This tension reminds me of one of my favorite childhood (and adult) stories…

“Ooh” said Susan. “I’d thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion”…”Safe?” said Mr Beaver …”Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”― C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

You cannot see the true beauty of His goodness until you rightly fear Him. In fear, you realize the greatness of the chasm between you and God, but this fear doesn’t push you away, it draws you in. In drawing near to God, you see Him bridge the chasm to meet you where you are at. In fear, you are drawn to His goodness.

He isn’t safe. He’s Good. He’s the King!

Plan A

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 9:23-27 (day seven)

“to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness” vs 24.

There was no Plan B.

From the beginning of time, God had a plan: to end sin and bring righteousness. We get glimpses of this plan throughout the Old Testament. God would forgive the sins of His people, they would be restored to righteousness, but the righteousness would not last. The people would always turn back into their sinful ways. This was not the solution, but it pointed us towards the problem. Man cannot make an end of sin. Man cannot bring righteousness. Only God can, so God became man and ended sin, atoned iniquity, and brought an everlasting righteousness, but He wasn’t done yet! He gave us His Spirit that we might be emissaries for Him. He has equipped man to bring everlasting righteousness to other men through the Spirit living in us.

Repent, Witness, Disciple. This is the church. This was His plan from the very beginning. This is Plan A. There is no Plan B.

You are Loved

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 9:1-23 (day seven)

“for you are highly esteemed” 9:23 NASB

or In the ESV, “for you are greatly loved.”

Isn’t that what we all want to know and feel? That we are greatly loved? We desire that! We desire to hear that from family. We desire to hear that from friends. We desire to hear those words in a similar capacity from employers and peers. We desire to hear that from God. We may look at Daniel in admiration and say, “God could never say that about me.” But there is nothing further from the truth!

God says that to all of us. We are His creation and He has created us perfectly. We are greatly loved. The reason we don’t believe that is because this sinful broken world has infiltrated our mind and convinced us we aren’t perfect and are incapable of being loved, but the truth is the closer you get to God, the more time you spend dwelling in Him, the more clearly you will hear the words of our Lord saying, “You are greatly loved!”

Hope of Restoration

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 8:1-27 (day seven)

“then the holy place will be properly restored.” vs 14

Abandoned. Neglected. Ignored. Generation after generation of Israelites had perpetually turned their back on God. Had God finally turned His back on them? Had the mercy of God finally reached His capacity for forgiveness?They were in captivity, in a foreign land, under the control of a powerful regime and hope was fleeting.

It was a bleak time in Israel’s history, but Daniel reinstates hope. Hope that restoration is coming. Hope that the tribulation will end. Daniel is assured in this apocalyptic vision of the sovereignty of God. God is working through all these things. He has not abandoned His people. He has not ignored nor neglected them. He is bringing restoration. He is bringing hope through the tribulation.

“And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint,” Romans 5:3-5.

Son of Man

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 7:1-28 (day seven)

“One like a Son of Man was coming […] And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom,” Daniel 7:13-14.

“The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.” Mark 9:31

You can hear the disciples’ thoughts as Jesus says these words. This isn’t how Daniel said it was going to go! He was supposed to come on clouds and restore Israel back into prevalence. You can see the frustration of the Pharisees. This can’t be the “Son of Man” who is given dominion over the Earth.

He is not what was expected, but He is what was needed. Even today, Jesus doesn’t always work in the way we expect Him to work, but He always works in the way that is needed. It is easy to get caught into our own wants and desires, but if we truly learn from Daniel we will begin to think and pray differently. No longer will we ask for God to change our circumstances, rather we will ask God to use our circumstances to show His glory.

Christ is Risen

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 6:1-28 (day seven)

He is Risen!

Daniel 6:17 “A stone was brought and laid over the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing would be changed in regard to Daniel.”

Darius and the satraps thought they had sealed Daniel’s fate. They made sure that no one was going in or out of the lions den. But God had other plans!

Matthew 27:66 “And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone.”

Pilate and the pharisees thought they had sealed Jesus’ fate. They made sure that no one was going in or out of the tomb. But God had other plans!

Ephesians 2:1 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.”

Satan and the demons thought they had sealed our fate. They made sure that we could not reach heaven. But God had other plans!

The same Power that saved Daniel from the mouth of the lions and raised Christ from the dead, is the same Power that personally gives each of us new life!

He is Risen Indeed!!