Daniel's Vision of the Four Beasts

 

Daniel 7: 1-8

 

March 27, 2024

 

Daniel's Vision of the Four Beasts

In the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter.  Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.  And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.  The first was like a lion and had eagles' wings. Then, as I looked, its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it.  And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth, and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’  After this, I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it.  After this, I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.  I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.

 

Much has been written on this vision of Daniel’s, and I believe most of it is man's best attempt to explain something that will take place in the future.  Shall we deal with what we see happening in our world?  An Evil man is the head of Russia, who is a fool in that he does not believe in God.  Now I’m just calling him what God calls him, “a fool says in his heart there is no God.” Many have called the bear Russia, and yes, Russia has killed a lot of people.  But I’m not saying they are the bear in the vision.

 

This we do know from the Scriptures, Jesus is coming back to rule for a thousand years, Satan will be bound during this period, and after the thousand-year reign he will steal the hearts of many, and we will see the great battle and evil destroy, and no more sin, and eternity with either the devil and his angels, that was not design for man, but many will by their rejection of Jesus will end up there.

 

Now, many believe the ten horns will be the beginning of a one-world government.  If that is true, then we have already seen those who believe in power and wealth trying to do so.  One nation has stood in the way, with a Constitution that tells us all men are created equal. Yes, some are born to rich parents, and others, like me, to not rich, or low middle class, but in that God is the creator, He has allowed us to be free to learn and become a wonderful leader.  

 

One of the best examples of such is George Washington Carver, born on a farm near Diamond, Missouri. The exact date of Carver’s birth is thought to be in January or June of 1864.  A white farmer, Moses Carver, bought his mother at the age of 13 because he needed help, but he was against slavery.  During the Civil War, a band of evil men stole George, a baby, his mother, and his sister.

 

Moses hired a neighbor to get them back, because George's father had died before he was born.  The neighbor found George and traded one of Moses' best horses for George.  You may want to see how living in a nation where all men were created equal, in the worst of times for a black man.  This was what God did; He used others to do that, so George Carver Washington could bless others.

 

George Washington Carver was an American agricultural scientist and inventor who promoted alternative crops to cotton and methods to prevent soil depletion. He was one of the most prominent black scientists of the early 20th century. Wikipedia

Born: Diamond, MO

Died: January 5, 1943, Tuskegee, AL

Parents: Mary Carver, Giles Carver

Siblings: James Carver

Place of burial: Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL

Education: Iowa State University (1894–1896),

 

We should understand one truth: our God is One, with three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  He Holy, He is the Creator of all that is or will be.  He loves you, and He desires you to have a personal relationship with Him by asking His Son to forgive you as a sinner, and He has promised to do so.

 

I see the sign of Daniel's dream taking place; it will be a hard time for those who are in Christ, but where God takes us out of this world or leaves us, we have this promise, I will never leave you nor forsake you.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

When God shows Himself in Your Life

 

Daniel 6:14-28

 

March 26, 2024

 

 

When God shows Himself in Your Life

Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him.  Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”

Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”  And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.  Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.

Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions.  As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”  Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever!  My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also, before you, O king, I have done no harm.” Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So, Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him because he had trusted in his God.  And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.

Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you.  I make a decree that in all my royal dominion, people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end.  He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”  So, this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

When a leader knows he has been had by those who are to be his counselors.  A Wise leader tries to correct. Can you see the best minds in his kingdom have had this foreigner, a Jew, in charge of them, and they were envious, jealous, and conspired to not just get him fired, but killed.   And I bet once the king signs the document, they claim victory.

But God, yes, Daniel was a man who feared and loved God, and God showed grace to that man.  What looked at the moment as a victory for them, not only backfired but caused the loss of life of all of them and their families.

We know God showed up and saved Daniel, but something great happened: Darius became a believer in the God of Daniel.

Do you know the God Daniel served?  Look at Romans 10:9-10. It is about declaring and believing “Jesus is Lord,” and that God raised Him from the dead; you have this promise; you will be saved.  Yes, you get to spend eternity with Jesus, and He will send His Holy Spirit to live in you.  The old man is dead; you are a new creation in Christ.

From the Back Porch, 

Bob Rice

Daniel and the Lions' Den

                                                             ​                                                                                                                     Daniel 6:1-13

 

March 25, 2024

 

Daniel and the Lions' Den

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account so that the king might suffer no loss.  Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.  Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him.  Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”

Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever!  All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors, and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.  Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.”  Therefore, King Darius signed the document and injunction.

When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house, where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.  Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God.  Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign an injunction that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.”  Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”

 

Are you glad we do not use lion’s dens as a form of punishment for people who break the rules?  Many of us in the USA have seen evil people who have schemed to remove a man or woman from office by lies. It happens often, just ask President Donald Trump.  

 

What was the source of this evil act that these men planned against Daniel?  Jealousy, based on fear and hate, he was not one of them; he had values and was honest, and they were sure he would honor his God over the king’s command.

 

We are approaching Easter, a time we celebrate our Lord’s victory over death and the grave.  For He has risen indeed and is sitting at the right hand of our Father, He is the one that Daniel loved and feared, not man.  Evil men were used because of fear and hate to have Jesus nailed to the Cross, so why should we be surprised at the actions of evil men in 2024?  And the jealousy we are seeing today at President Trump stems from the same source, the one that has come to kill, steal, and destroy, found in John 10:10, and the thief is none other than the devil.

 

My prayer is not that God will save President Trump because no fault can be found in him, but that our Nation was not built on jealousy, lies, and hate, but on truth and justice for all.  And if evil can destroy one who has served our nation, our nation has no future.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Daniel Interprets the Handwriting

 

Daniel 5:8-31

 

March 29, 2024

 

Daniel Interprets the Handwriting

Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah.  I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.  Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter.  But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now, if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation.  O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty.  And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled.  But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him.  He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will.  And you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this,  but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.

 “Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed.  And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin.  This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting;  Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” 

Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

That very night, Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed.  And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

 

Daniel has always been one of my heroes; it would be very hard to find a Daniel in 2024.  Daniel feared God, and Daniel trusted God with everything, including his life.  We do not have Scripture to tell us why Daniel did not leave with the other exiles.  In that he was a man under the total authority of God, it is my belief he was kept to be God’s voice to a king who had the power to have him killed.  As stated, Daniel knew who he served and that his God was able to keep the hungry lions from harming him; what could a pagan king do, unless it was God’s will?

 

Few men have that much faith and fear of God that they stand and say as Daniel's three friends said to Nebuchadnezzar, “our God can save us, but even if He does not, we will not worship your God.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

 

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The Handwriting on the Wall

 

Daniel 5:1-12

 

March 19, 2024

 

The Handwriting on the Wall

King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.  Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them.  Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.  They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

Immediately, the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote.  Then the king's color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.  The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”  Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation.  Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed.

The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, “O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change.  There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods.  In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.”

 

When God’s hand writes on the walls of your heart, whom do you seek to make clear the meaning of the words?  For me, it was back in my thirties, and I like King Belshazzar tried to use what God had set aside for His Temple, and use it.  I was being used by God in a movement called “The Lay Witness Mission.”  As one of many who were picked to lead, my job was to pray and ask God to show me whom to ask to go as witnesses of what He had done for them.

 

We would be invited by a pastor to a local Church and spend Friday through Sunday in the home of the member, and our lay people would share both in the home and lead out in small groups and some gave testimony in the main services, Unlike King Belshazzar I knew and worship the I Am, the God of heaven and Earth.  The God who is three in one, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  

 

But like the king's dad, I got full of myself and the praise of men, and I allowed lust and pride to enter my heart.  I did not see a human hand write on a wall, but I had God's Spirit send men who most told me what a low life I was, and I was fully aware of that.  I went to see a man whom I had read his books and was sure would give me wise counsel.  He told me to ignore what others were saying and follow my heart.  For some reason, I knew his words were empty and much later read in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”  I became aware that the man had left his wife and was having a relationship with a lady.  One can never be too careful about whom they seek counsel.

This and the conviction of Scripture began the writing on the walls of my heart, and God sent me to my Daniel, his name was Ted Anderson, a lawyer, a wise and quiet man, who, like me, knew and had a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  He was used to allow me to see into the future what my foolish heart was leading me to, not peace or joy, but loss of everything I valued and needed.

Do you have a Daniel that loves God and you enough to tell you the Truth?

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

 

From a Gardener’s View

 

 

From a Gardener’s View

 

Today, Pastor Ray Still uses a quote from 1820, by James Allen, from Allen's Book, “As a Man Thinketh”.  The quote: “A man's mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth." 

 

A quote, on what Allen said: “Allen uses the analogy of a garden to illustrate the power of thought in shaping a person's character and life. He explains that, like a garden requiring cultivation and weeding to produce desired plants, an individual must manage their mind by eliminating negative thoughts and fostering positive ones.”

 

Pastor Still reminded the point that social media has some positive, but many negative, aspects that make one not thankful for the blessing God has given.   Sixteen years ago, I wrote the following paper, and I edited it today in the area of years since Jan and I have been married.

 

Have you ever looked at life in the way you look at your garden?  If not, will you join me on a trip of life from a Gardener’s view on one aspect of life?  When one begins to entertain the thought of marriage, it’s much like planning a garden.  As a follower of Jesus Christ, let me define marriage as God defines it: a relationship between a man and a woman.  In Genesis 2:24, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”  It is absurd to use the word marriage in any other context.

 

In preparing to start a garden or thinking about a garden does not make one a Gardener, no more than leaving your father and mother makes you a husband, but it is a first step.  The goal of gardening is not to spend time and money working a plot of land, but to produce a product that you can eat and share with others.  The same is true with marriage; it is to produce a product called marriage, where you, as the husband, care for and provide a home that is secure, filled with love, kindness, and patience.  God has said this to the husband in Ephesians 5:25: “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”  You may find it interesting that God never told the wife to love her husband; he only told her to respect and honor him.  Men often make this a hard task for our wives.

 

The young want-a-be gardener and the want-a-be husband have much in common; both need to invest in some soul searching, for the task is not easy.    Help is needed from many sources, and a course on how to prepare the soil is of great value.  A wise person will make sure they have the resources to begin a successful process.   As both a successful gardener and husband of one wife for 60 years, I came across this tidbit in the book “Grow Vegetables” by Alan Buckingham and Jo Whittingham.  “The history of vegetable gardening is littered with unkempt, overgrown plots started with the best of intentions, but abandoned when the time to maintain them can’t be found.”  How easy it would be to say the history of marriage is littered with broken promises, broken covenants, all started with the best of intentions, but abandoned when the time to maintain them cannot be found.  

 

Both a garden and marriage require building in an appropriate location where the sun is in your garden, and the Son is in your marriage.  Only Jesus can shine the proper light to produce the result you are hoping for.  Then comes building the soil, for as you enrich the soil, so are you building the future.  The gardener is aware that conventional gardening practices will deplete the soil, so he begins a long-range outlook on soil preparation by adding compost and nutrients to enrich the soil.  The young husband needs to be aware that conventional marriage has a failure rate of over 50% in and out of the church, and like the gardener, must invest time and money to have rich soil where his marriage will flourish. 

 

You may not have given thought to weeds; they are sneaky, and I mean devious little rascals in your garden and in your marriage.  This is shocking about weeds, and it is taken from “Grow Vegetables” page 62; “Here’s an alarming statistic: it’s estimated that in every square yard of soil, there are probably 100,000 seeds.  This is why regular weddings are inescapable.  Resign yourself to the fact that it’s going to be a constant battle.  Weeds are invasive and competitive – they drink the water and absorb the nutrients you want your vegetables to have; they crowd them for space, hogging the light.  And they can be home to all kinds of pests and diseases.”  Both gardens and marriages have lots of weeds that want to invade your space, to steal the light you need to flourish; it could be said we live in a culture of weeds.  A few examples of weeds you can bring into your marriage are secrets, bad debt, untruths, past relationships, promiscuity, not leaving mother and dad, and the list keeps going; all are the culture of weeds.  

 

Sometimes, both gardeners and husbands do not take the time to remove the weeds by the roots; we just put off the part that is seen, and our marriage and garden look great, but the root cause of the problem is very much alive under the surface.  As both gardener and husband, I’ve come to this summation: God tells the truth, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”  (Galatians 6:7 ESV)  The world’s model is to remove the top of the weed and not to do the hard work of removing the roots.  Many a garden and marriage have been destroyed for lack of investment in time and resources. Both gardening and marriage require a man’s investment of time and resources, and a lot of hard work before you will see any positive results. 

 

My prayer for your garden and marriage is that you work to remove the weeds' root system, which will choke the life out of both; in marriage, it’s often deeply rooted anger and fear, which produces a root of distrust.  In your garden, those roots will steal the moisture and nutrients your plants must have; they have to be dealt with in the garden and marriage.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

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Nebuchadnezzar Restored

 

                                                                  ​                                                                                                                                         Daniel 4:34-37

 

March 18, 2024

 

Nebuchadnezzar Restored

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing.
And he does according to his will among the host of heaven  and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”

At the same time, my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me.  Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

This morning was cloudy day. It was early morning, and Jan and I once more were amazed at the Majesty of our God as the beauty of the sunrise.  Jan was overcome with how God had blessed us to have such a view of His handiwork.  

I asked her if she could go back in her mind to a time when a young couple was living in a 12X60 trailer in Oden, Texas, on 5.5 acres.  And I ask, did you dream of someday living in a home like this with the resources God has provided?  Her answer was no.

I went on to say that we never planned on this, but we did plan on being used by God in our understanding of a servant-to-master relationship.  We planned to keep the very nice home we lived in, in Spring, Texas, and go to volunteer at the Billy Graham Training Center, The Cove, in Asheville, NC.  Did I say that was our plan, but it was not God’s?

A friend whom I had gone to High School with and had not seen for 40 years worked for a very large oil company as a Vice President, and I called on him to try to get more of their business.  He invited Jan and me to come to his open house, where he said I would see many people from our time in Corpus Christi.  And that was all God’s doing; the call did not get me more business, but it did change our plans to God’s.  It reminded me once more that my ways or not His way, and that His thoughts are higher than mine by billions.

As His servants, we have been provided a beautiful home, resources, friends, and neighbors we love, but the greatest gift is a personal relationship with Jesus. 

When we lived in Spring, Texas, for a period, I became proud of all that I had accomplished. I did not have to eat grass like the king, but I came to a very clear understanding, like Nebuchadnezzar, of this truth.

“. . . my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”  Let me close with this: God loves you, and He desires that you know His Son, not just about Him, but seek Him, for He is not far from you.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

 

Note: Few men can acquire the power and wealth of Nebuchadnezzar and not become full of themselves.  Power and wealth often bring about pride, and that puts a man in the camp with the enemy.

 

Nebuchadnezzar's Humiliation

 

Daniel 4:28-33

 

March 16, 2024

 

Nebuchadnezzar's Humiliation

All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.  At the end of twelve months, he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”  While the words were still in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.”  Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles' feathers, and his nails were like birds' claws.

 

Pride is a five-letter word, it is very different from grateful, it is a long way from humble, but often we the followers of Christ, will encounter it in our lives.  It is a form of worship of one’s self, and we find God's thoughts on the proud in many places in Scripture.  James 4:5-6, ^“Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?  But he gives more grace. Therefore, it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  In Luke gospel chapter 1, and verses 51-53 “He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.”

 

God loves you too much to allow you to be arrogant and proud, so get ready for some time with eating grass.  King Nebuchadnezzar, spent seven years learning it was God who gave him all the power and riches, what will it require God to do to you before you humble yourself?

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Daniel Interprets the Second Dream

 

Daniel 4: 19-27

 

March 15, 2024

 

Daniel Interprets the Second Dream

Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies!  The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived—it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth.  And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,’ this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king,  that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.  And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules.  Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.”

 

Many of us who go by the name Christian need to grasp this truth; till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.    The Church is not a denomination, not a building, it the body of Christ coming together to worship the Lord, Jesus Christ.  It consists of many different personality, skin colors, and conviction.  But our identity should never be found in anything but being a follower of Jesus Christ.  If you put a political party as you identity and not that you’re an alien and earth is not home.  Many spend more time identifying with a political party, but never share what Jesus has done for them.

I would be willing to bet the farm that the king was not a nice man, but God called him a servant, and it is God that put men and women in the office they hold, and often it about judgement, but sometimes it a guy like President Trump that comes across as bully and yet keeps his promises and the country prospers under one we do not like his personally.

Let me end with a great quote: 

“Instead of saying Lord I Don’t know How I am Going to Do this

                                             Say

Lord, Can’t wait to See How You Do This.

From our Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Nebuchadnezzar's Second Dream

 

 

Daniel 4:4-18

 

March 14, 2024

 

Nebuchadnezzar's Second Dream

 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace.  I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed, the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me.  So, I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.  Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation.  At last, Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods—and I told him the dream, saying, “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation.  The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.  The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth.  Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.

“I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven.  He proclaimed aloud and said thus: ‘Chop down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches.  But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth.  Let his mind be changed from a man, and let a beast's mind be given to him, and let seven periods of time pass over him.  The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.’^, This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.

 

The magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and he told them the dream, but they could not make known to him its interpretation.   These men are a metaphor for a world system filled with educated, ignorant people who have no understanding of the ways of God.

 

Daniel feared, trusted, and listened to the voice of God, and that was the man the King needed to be calling on for wise counsel.  Our world will always run to the men who are well-educated and wise in business or other fields.  Our current president, who holds the title, has a lot of very ignorant educated people around him, and he or someone is listening to them, as they attempt to destroy the foundation our nation was built on.

 

We, the Church, were called to let others see Jesus in us, to talk with God, to listen to God's Spirit that lives in us, and to go and tell about all that Jesus has done for us.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

  

Daniel 4:1-2

 

March 13, 2026

 

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Highest God has done for me.  How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.

 

A pagan king to whom the Highest God calls His servant, and is it necessary to define servant? A servant is someone who carries out the will of the master.  We do understand that King Nebuchadnezzar had no understanding that it was God who was allowing him to be so successful.  

 

The king put three men in a burning fiery furnace; a heat seven times hotter than normal, and yet he witnessed 4 men, and the fourth looked like a son of the gods, his words.  He called the three young Jewish men who refused to bow to serve his god, and they came out untouched.

 

He had witnessed God's power that was unknown to him, and like him, many who go by the name Christian are in that same place.

 

Jan and I have been blessed to know Bob & Carmen Pate.  Jan volunteered as a counselor at the Pregnancy Assistance Center, where Carmen was the director.  They also went to the same church as us, and Bob is a very quiet and godly businessman with a degree in theology.  Carmen has been a voice on Christian radio for a number of years and is currently the Host for Saving Grace, a broadcast ministry for Grace School of Theology.  

 

Carmen was diagnosed with leukemia, and she battled it for six years. We saw both her faith and trust in God grow, even down to the wire of just weeks to live without a bone marrow transplant.  What Jan and I witnessed was just like that fiery furnace of King Nebuchadnezzar when God showed up. Carmen and Bob witnessed a young man from somewhere in the world giving his bone marrow that was a perfect match, and he, like the king, did not know why he did so.

 

When you witness something like this, it changes your understanding of how mighty our God is.  It also humbles you to better understand your role as a servant and His as a Master.

 

From our Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice