Daniel’s name was changed to Belteshazzar. Hananiah’s name was changed to Shadrach. Mishael’s name was changed to Meshach. Azariah’s name was changed to Abenego. During Judah’s time in Babylonian captivity, Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon ordered these name changes in an effort to strip these noble men of their identity as members of the tribe of Judah (Daniel 1:7). Their new names suggested a change in status. Nebuchadnezzar’s ultimate goal was to shift the religious loyalty of Continue Reading
It’s The Fall
When my daughter was a baby, she used to throw herself flat on the floor at the sound of the word “no.” This was an attempt to persuade authority figures to give her her way. It seemed to come out of nowhere! She’d literally fall to the floor, have her fit, then, when she was done, the “no” would still be there waiting for her embrace. In scripture we read about another person who, one day, out of nowhere, just fell. Turns out, his motive was a wee bit different than my daughter's. Mark Continue Reading
That Part Right There
When God is ready to allow you to experience Him in a new way He will oftentimes put you in a situation out of which only he can get you. Trial after trial; “no” after “no;” one disappointment after another. Before you give up, consider the children of Israel at the Red Sea. In Exodus chapter 14, we read that God himself led them to the Red Sea. God himself hardened Pharaoh’s heart. This tells us that WHILE they were in His will He chose to lead them right to a dead end: Continue Reading