parkerslope

What is Daniel’s demeanor as he prays? Humility, surrender, talking to a greater power. How does he prepare? By putting on sackcloth - by drenching his body with ashes - by focusing his mind on the love of God. Why is this so important in this case? God is the creator - we are the created, God is all powerful and can do anything for one who is humble. In what ways might you and I prepare for intercession? By getting on our knees and bowing our head - by reading scripture - by focusing our minds on the love of God

What encourages Daniel to seek God for the forgiveness and restoration of Israel to its homeland? The vision that Daniel saw was the destruction of many nations with Israel in the middle. They were to suffer for their time of false worship and leaning on other nations instead of God Himself. What practice on Daniel’s part leads him to pray? ​Daniel prayed daily. So it was not a hard decision to make to make intercession for the nation of Israel.

Three times the angel assures Daniel that “the saints of the Most High” will ultimately receive the kingdom and possess it forever (Daniel 7:18, 22, and 27). In what circumstances is this truth most precious to God’s people? In our time of vicious, evil people being indiscriminate about who they kill, we need this hope! As history passes on the the "end times" seem to never come, our faith stands in the hope of the coming of Jesus to take us home. Though there may have been partial fulfillments, when do you expect the ultimate fulfillment? When God says that the time is right, the end will come and not before. Man loves to predict when these things will be, but have no clue. Like This Quote MultiQuote

How do these verses describe “one like a son of man”? They describe Him as: He came from Heaven He is to judge all people He is to be glorified He is to be lifted up He is to save as the atoning sacrifice He is to return in glory What makes us think he is a divine figure? Because, as He is addressed as the son of man, He has taken on Himself the substance of a man and He can approach the throne of "the Ancient of Days", as only deity can do. What authority and glory does he receive? He receives the authority from "the ancient of Days" and receives glory as the atonement, the sacrifice for all sin, becoming the payment required of God. Why do you think Jesus called himself “the Son of Man”? Yes, He did because He want to really show that He was of human substance. Like This Quote MultiQuote

What is the relationship of the Ancient of Days (God) to the various beastly nations that rage against each other and against him and his people? God gives direction to nations as He sees fit to allow the rulers to rule. What happens to these beast-nations? Each one will be conquered by another nation, as the previous one will be destroyed. Why is it sometimes so difficult to believe that God is in charge of the world we live in? Humans have the mind-set that what we see is the only reality. But one only has to see the creation around him to learn of the invisible God, who rules over all.

What must Nebuchadnezzar do to demonstrate that he renounces and repents of his sins? Daniel is telling the king that to demonstrate his repentance, he must look after the poor, by feeding them and taking care of their needs. What must you do to demonstrate that you repent of your sins? My sins are already forgiven, but I must change my lifestyle to conform to what pleases God. For us, what does it mean to be kind to the poor? By giving them food and shelter. By giving them rides to doctors or food stores. That was certainly within Nebuchadnezzar’s ability to accomplish. Is it within your ability? YES! We can do it. In what way can God’s decrees be conditional? As long as we are in the repentance state and change our lifestyle we see God's conditional work.

What does it mean to “acknowledge that Heaven rules”? It means that God will set up who is king not man. In what ways is this hard for a king? A king thinks of themselves as the absolute ruler to do what he wants. He believes that he will choose who will follow him as king. In what ways is this hard for us? God has given us "free will" to choose for ourselves. But God still is the absolute ruler over all, even us. How do we sometimes deny by our actions that God is in charge of all? We sometimes choose to do things that God is not pleased with, even-tho we want to do it.

Is Daniel actually afraid to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream? I believe that he was afraid if he told the truth. Why? In that day when someone brought bad news to the king he would be killed and Daniel did not want to die. Why are we afraid to say the hard things that must be said to help our brothers and sisters? We are afraid to tell the truth, because we might lose a friend or make them angry. They may even try to put the guilt trip back on you. What can we do about it? We can pray about what to do and seek God's guidance. But we need to help and speak the truth that the person doing the wrong might seek correction.

How does Daniel use his experience in the lions’ den to testify about God? God, through an angel, closed the lion's mouth and Daniel said that he was innocent and had done nothing wrong to the king. What might have happened if, in his response to the king, Daniel had focused on the injustice done to him? He would not have been innocent, but guilty of pride for himself, shutting the lions up. What experience in your life might you use as a testimony of God’s mercy to you? I have severe pulmonary hypertension that has restricted me to siting most of the time. PH does not let the blood be cleaned of carbon dioxide and then filled with oxygen. The right side of my heart tries to pump blood into my lungs, but backs up, enlarging the heart. I am on 12 liters of oxygen 24 hours a day. I cannot walk to the bathroom without struggling to breath.

How would you characterize Daniel’s prayer practices? Very devotional and regular. Daniel prayed with his whole being - heart - mind - body. Which of these have you adopted? Praying regular and devotional with my whole being. Which might help your prayers if you adopted them? Lifting up my hands toward heaven, God's throne.

What do we learn about Daniel’s character qualities as a government official from verse 4? There was no corruption in his duties, as well as him being trustworthy. He was not negligent in his duties. How do such qualities reflect on Daniel’s God? These are characteristics of God, who bestowed them on Daniel. Does your employer or supervisor see those qualities in you? When I did work, yes, I show forth honesty and trustworthiness in all my dealings with customers.

How does Nebuchadnezzar sum up their faith and commitment? The king sums up their faith by saying that they were willing to give up their lives to serve the Living God only! Their trust in God was displayed very vividly for all to see. Are you willing to disobey a command or law to be faithful to God? Yes! I believe so. Are you willing to lay down your life to be faithful to God? I have died to this world. There is nothing here that is so important that I would die for it. I believe that I can stand strong and faithful to lay down my life for the sake of God. What might hold you back? Nothing!

What effect does their deliverance have on their government official colleagues? It was unbelievable that nothing happened to them. They were full of fear and respect for Jehovah the God of the Jews. Fear comes in when the unknown is presented. What effect does it have on the king? The king must have remembered something about his visions being revealed and exalts the God of the Jewish men. What kind of glory does God receive? God receives all the glory for saving the three men from a fiery death. But the Jewish men were content to accept whatever God planned for them.

How do the Jews answer Nebuchadnezzar? They answer with firmness, being bold in their answer - we will not bow down to the golden statue. What is their attitude? They have an attitude of confidence in God. God will take care of them in the best way. How do they witness about their God? They say, " our God will save us, but even if He doesn't, we will not obey you". Do they face death with resignation or defiance? Resignation - they desire what God desires. Characterize their faith. They will live with what God has planned out for them - to die or to live - Praise God!

Why do the Jews’ fellow government officials report them to Nebuchadnezzar? Their fellow officials were Babylonians and the Jewish men were different. They were probably Jealous of the Jewish men and their wisdom. Why is the king so angry? The king is the top guy in the kingdom and he wants everyone to worship him and his idol. It is a matter of control, that is, he is in control of all things. What is his motivation to have people bow to the statue? He wants to make sure that all of his people in high places were loyal to him.

What does verse 44 teach us about the kingdom that the God of heaven will set up? That this kingdom will never be destroyed nor will it be given to another people. This kingdom will last forever. What kingdom is this? The church of Jesus Christ - church of God - assembly of the first born. When does this kingdom come? It comes and destroys the physical kingdom of Rome at the set time of the Day of Pentecost, How is this related to Mark 1:15? The time is at hand - coming soon to destroy the Roman empire. When will it destroy all other kingdoms? When it is establish it will grow strong and destroy other physical kingdoms and empires of Jesus' day.

How does Daniel show humility in this situation? Daniel keeps a calm attitude as he speaks to his guard and then when he speaks to the king he is honoring the king before he speaks his message. Also after he receives the dream from God, he gives God credit for the knowledge. How does he use this situation as an opportunity to witness before the king to his faith in God? He lets the king know that only the God of the heavens knows all things. No human does. According to 1 Peter 5:5-6, should we try to exalt ourselves? NO! God opposes the proud. If we do so, what will happen? If we humble ourselves, at the right time God will raise us up to do His work.

Why does Daniel ask his friends to "plead for mercy"? The King had issued a law, saying that all "magician" were to be killed. Even Daniel and his friends were included in the roundup of people to die. Daniel wanted God to give them mercy to live and help others. According to Scripture, is intercessory prayer important? Yes, intercessory prayer is important because it is issued on behalf of important events, asking for God's guidance in the decisions that are made. Is it effective? Yes, it shows that we are God's people and that we trust His judgment. How can we implement intercessory prayer in our churches? By teaching that intercessory prayer is necessary to get God involved with the decisions made. We need intercessory prayer in presidential elections and the setting aside of church leaders.

What is Daniel’s first approach to eat a different diet? He asked the guard over him if he could refuse the royal food and wine. What does he do when his first attempt failed? He doesn't give up, but suggests a different approach, eating just vegetables and water. What is his demeanor towards those over him? Daniel has great respect for those over him and does not want the guard to come under judgement. In what ways do you think God affects the outcome of Daniel’s request? The Bible says that God gave the guard a sense to be kind to Daniel and his friends.

Why do you think Daniel took a stand concerning being defiled by the king’s food and wine? The Jewish people had a Law that gave instruction on what to eat and not eat, how food was prepared. How do you think eating the king’s food would cause defilement to Daniel’s conscience? The Jews were not to eat blood, which was common in most cultures. And probably the Babylonians ate all kinds of food that the Jews were told not to eat. What does this tell you about Daniel? Daniel felt that he could make some compromises, but when it came to food, he felt that he needed to follow God's law on what to eat and not eat. Daniel wanted to stand firm with the standard that God had laid out for the Jews to follow.

What changes did Daniel and his friends experience? 1. Landscape and weather 2. A different culture and language 3. Different customs and worship practices What was their status in Jerusalem? They all belonged to the royal family in some way. What was their status in Babylon? They were put into a separate place to live, given different food, given different clothing and instruction. What do you think was the effect of changing their names to Babylonian names? To some groups of people, names mean much, but to others it does not have much meaning. To the Hebrew people, names meant something, but to the Babylonians, it did not. What impact might it have on them to be made eunuchs? It meant that they could not have families or descendants Did they Make compromises? I am sure they did, but not any that was very important. If so, why? Being involved with the royal family, they had to fit a certain status, making some compromises

Have you ever made a rapid transition between your customary culture and a new and radically different culture? I have not lived outside the U.S., or lived with any other culture in this country. What did it feel like? Were you able to take your faith with you, or did it fade to the background during this time?

What was the difference between the Twelve and the crowd of "disciples" that turned away from Jesus? The disciples were looking at His teaching in a purely physical sense, while the Twelve knew what Jesus had said before, that He spoke so that only those really wanted to know, did. While the Twelve confessed that Jesus was the only one that had the words of Life. Where else could they go. What is the mark of true disciples according to John 8:31 - 32? Jesus said that His true disciples would abide in Him and that would set them "truly" free.

What is "eating the Bread of Life" a metaphor of? Believing in Jesus as Savior. Participating in His life with your life. Living each day with Jesus as your mediator and guide in doing the Master's will. What is "eating Jesus' flesh and drinking his blood" a metaphor of? To me, as of first importance, is to be fully engulfed in the "Christian lifestyle". Next, I believe He is talking about the event we call, "the Lord's Supper". Participation in the Lord's Supper is essential to obedience. The more we do, the more our connection to God the Father. How are these metaphors similar to each other? God is a Spirit, and we must worship in the spirit. Jesus' physical body bore our sins and the shedding of His blood washed away our sins and declared us to be righteous. "Eating the Bread" and "Eating Jesus' Flesh" are the same, in that they both point to our belief in Jesus as Savior. Why do you think Jesus used such a vivid and repugnant metaphor? He wanted to get their attention away from their bellies. We have to remember that about 20 years after the church began, there was a church conference in Jerusalem concerning what Gentile Christians should keep of the Law. One was, that of not eating (or drinking) blood. So how could the church think that the bread and juice should be literally the body and blood of Jesus.

What does the metaphor of "eating the Bread of Life" mean in practical terms? Bread in the physical sense means that bread does sustain life. But spiritually, it means that I participate in the belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. My faith is in Jesus, my trust is in Him, so that my "spiritual" life is nourished and grows stronger. To extend the same metaphor, what do you think might be the difference between nibbling the Bread of Life rather than actually making a meal of it? Nibbling is small eating. Therefore, nibbling the Bread of Life is a person who believes, but does not fully trust Jesus. He will not step out is faith for any reason. Rather the person making a meal of the Bread of Life is passionate about following Jesus and obeying His will.