practical theology

October 26, 2015

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Luke 2.1-21

Mary had a little Lamb…what a simple story with life-changing implications! Mary’s little Lamb is none other than the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus is not only the long-awaited Jewish Messiah who came to save His people from their enemies…both physical and spiritual, but He’s also Lord who is worthy of all worship and praise and honor…and obedience.

The heavens erupt in praise at His coming, and the shepherds catch the excitement. The people are amazed, and Mary ponders. So what will you do? Do you know Jesus as both Savior and Lord? If so, are you experiencing the joy that salvation brings? Do you have a sense of excitement about the Word you’ve heard? Do you have the desire to tell others the good news? If so, good. Keep proclaiming the good news. If not, why not? Have the cares of this world and your present circumstances robbed you of your joy and excitement? Spend some time this week, like Mary, pondering the truth of God’s Word and the amazing realization of your rescue. It really is good news. Ask God to reignite that fire in your belly, that excitement about following Him.

If you don’t know Jesus as Savior and Lord today, I want to invite you to take that first step. Jesus came as Savior, the Hero and only one who could rescue us. Unlike the kings of this world who may be able to save from mortal enemies, King Jesus came to save us from our real enemies, both sin and death. Unlike earthly kings who promise peace through force of arms, King Jesus brings peace that invades every aspect of our being…peace with God, peace with men, peace with creation and peace with ourselves. Jesus came not just as Savior, but also as Lord. He is our Sovereign and deserves our allegiance. But unlike the kings of this world who force subjugation and seek only their own good, King Jesus is a benevolent Ruler who invites submission and seeks the good of His subjects.

 

 May we experience afresh and anew the uncontainable joy and excitement that salvation brings, and may we share that joy with others as we tell them about Jesus.

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on our Luke series entitled Redefining the Family. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster

October 5, 2015

Happy Birthday John!

Luke 1.57-80

Zechariah has learned to trust God in a bigger way. While he was an OT saint who was eagerly awaiting the Messiah…he was a believer…he was not yet willing or able to trust God to do the impossible. But now that God has fulfilled His promise, Zechariah can’t help but praise Him and trust Him in a bigger way to fulfill His promises to Abraham and David, providing rescue to His people.

Sometimes we’re like Zechariah…we’ve crossed the line from death to life. We’re followers of God, we’ve trusted in Jesus for eternal life. But we still don’t believe that God can do the seemingly impossible in our own lives. Somehow we see our situation as different. Maybe we don’t doubt that God can…but why would He? Zechariah is a great reminder that God is still actively involved in the lives of His people…He works through ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. And He wants to work through us…you and me.

We were saved to serve God fearlessly…Paul says it this way, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not as a result of works lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” As we will see later in Luke, John is a great example of this. His ministry was to prepare the way…he served God (and others) by giving them the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of sins. Guess what? That’s our job description too. We’re to share the good news of the gospel…to bring folks one step closer to Jesus. Are you doing that? The Impact List is a great way to get started.

Can you see the first rays of the Sun rising? Has “the Sunrise from on high” shined on your life? Do you have “the knowledge of salvation”? Is Jesus your mighty “horn of salvation”? Do you know that you have “the forgiveness of sins”? Have you been saved from “the shadow of death”? Are you fearlessly serving Him? Are your feet treading “the path of peace”? If not, you need the Sunrise—you need Jesus who came to rescue you.

“May we trust God to do the impossible, fearlessly serving Him, and sharing with those in darkness the good news of the gospel.”

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on our Luke series entitled Redefining the Family. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster

September 21, 2015

Divine Pronouncement

Luke 1.26-38

Mary’s obedience…her submission to the Lord’s will reminds me of a contrast that Soren Kierkegaard made when he was wrestling with Genesis 22 in his essay, Fear and Trembling, between the knight of faith and the knight of infinite resignation. The knight of infinite resignation obeys God purely out of a sense of duty and obligation. He does what’s required, but only because it’s required. The knight of faith also obeys and does what’s required, but he or she does so with joy and expectancy. We will see next week…Mary is definitely the knight of faith.

This is the greatest news ever…since the time of the fall, the people of God have been looking for the promised Head-crushing Seed of the woman. The Hero who would come to rescue them and lead them back to the garden and restore their relationship with Creator God. And now He’s here!

Mary is an unlikely candidate to be the mother of the Messiah from an earthly perspective…in this age of celebrity we might have expected someone more prestigious, someone more connected, a little more flash or a bigger deal, not a young, poor small town girl. I’m glad God’s not caught up in the things that we are. I’m glad that He always redefines our view of family and grace. He sees her humble heart, that she’s poor in spirit…she’s desperately craving His grace. She was reflective…pondering the angel’s words, believing and submissive. She’s a great example for us.

God is fulfilling His promise to David, and not just to David, but to all His people from the time of the fall…we can trust God to fulfill promises today. Promises of everlasting life and an eternal kingdom, of His presence with us. Only God can accomplish these things…He can do great things and use whomever He chooses to accomplish His purpose however He wishes. You are not insignificant in God’s design…in His plan to reach the valley. From an earthly perspective, Mary was a nobody from a nothing town in the middle of nowhere, but not so from the heavenly perspective. She had a significant role to play in God’s plan of redemption, so do you. He wants to use you to impact the folks around you for His kingdom.

Jesus came to seek and save the lost … He comes to a needy people…those who recognize their spiritual bankruptcy and need for a Rescuer, not the proud and self-sufficient. Do you recognize your desperate need for Him?

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on our Luke series entitled Redefining the Family. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster

September 14, 2015

Unexpected Promise

Luke 1.5-25

Zechariah is unexpectedly surprised…opportunity to offer incense for the people, appearance of Gabriel, and the news that he’s going to be a daddy…and not just of any son, but a son with an amazing prophetic ministry, integral to God’s plan of redemption for His people.

Everything that God has promised in the OT is coming to pass. The plan is in motion, the stage is set. The showdown will be quickly underway. God cares about the salvation of His people…but as we said last week, He also cares about the salvation of the nations. He will rescue those who turn to Him in faith. He will reconcile heaven and earth. His plan has cosmic repercussions.

But this story reminds us that in the midst of the bigness of God’s plan for reaching all peoples, He is still concerned about the lives of individuals. He cared about Zechariah and Elizabeth’s pain. He knew the questions and sideways glances that others gave them. And while He could have answered their prayer for a son much earlier in life when it was more convenient and they had more energy, in His perfect timing He chose to bless them with an incredible son in their old age. God doesn’t conform Himself to our wishes or dreams for ourselves… God is not a genie in a bottle, and prayer is not a divine vending machine. He is actively involved in the lives of His people to bring about His purposes…His glory and our good.

God was actively involved in the lives of Zechariah and Elizabeth, and He’s actively involved in our lives as well. On the macro level, He wants to see this valley impacted for His kingdom. On the micro level, that happens as each one of us seeks to impact one or two around us, bringing them one step closer to Jesus. I love the fact that Zechariah and Elizabeth still trusted God in the midst of their pain…that they walked blamelessly. They weren’t perfect…we see Zechariah’s, doubt, even though he should have known better. But nevertheless they were committed to following God.

So what about you? What prayer are you waiting to have answered? Are you trusting God in the midst of it? How has He surprised you in unexpected ways? Who can you impact, bringing them one step closer to Jesus?

If you are not a follower of God today, the first step is trusting in Jesus. He’s the long-awaited Hero we’ve been longing for…the only One who can rescue us. He wants to give you life today. Don’t wait.

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on our Luke series entitled Redefining the Family. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster

September 7, 2015

Setting the Stage

Luke 1.1-4

Who is Jesus, and why is He a big deal…why is He important? He’s the long awaited Jewish Messiah…He didn’t just show up one day on a dusty Jewish road and say, “I think I’ll die for the world today.” He’s the long-awaited Jewish Messiah…the Head-crushing Seed of the woman from Genesis 3.15. He’s the long-awaited Jewish Messiah…the Descendant of Abraham, the One through whom ultimately all the families of the earth will be blessed from Genesis 12. He’s the anticipated Lion of the tribe of Judah from Genesis 49, the One from whom the scepter will not depart. He’s the Greater Prophet than Moses from Deuteronomy 18. He’s the long-awaited Jewish Messiah, the Son of David and the expected King from 2 Samuel 7. He’s Isaiah’s Suffering Servant from Isaiah 53. He’s Daniel’s Son of Man who rides the clouds and receives an everlasting kingdom from the Ancient of Days from Daniel 7. He’s the long-awaited Jewish Messiah…the Perfect Son of Man and the Son of God. He IS God. He’s our Hero, our Savior, our only hope of rescue and reconciliation with our Creator God. Through His life, death and resurrection He has not only defeated sin and death, but He’s also given us life…eternal life. Luke, writing to a guy named Theophilus, endeavors to answer these questions. Luke challenges Theophilus to examine the evidence and draw his own conclusions. But it doesn’t stop there. Having examined the evidence, Luke wants Theophilus to be changed…to be transformed to live and love like Jesus. As we go through this series, I’m going to challenge us to do the same thing…examine the evidence. Who is Jesus, and why is He important to me? What impact is He having on my life? How is He transforming me to live and love like Him?

I hope that we spend time personally reflecting on the passage each week, praying through and examining the evidence for ourselves. Ask and answer the question: What difference is Jesus making in my life? How do I live my life as I follow Jesus?

I’m excited about our time together examining the evidence to learn more about who Jesus is and the revolution He came to bring. I’m excited to be a part of His revolution…a rescue mission to seek and save the lost, to reconcile heaven and earth, to bring life from the dead, to storm the gates of hell and rescue the captives held there. To share a gospel not only with spiritual ramifications, but one that works itself out on the physical plane in love for our neighbor in unexpected, radical and generous ways.

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on our Luke series entitled Redefining the Family. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster

August 31, 2015

Transforming Families Part 2

Acts 2.41-47

What do you do with 3,000 new believers? These new believers were committing themselves to learning more about Jesus, praying, worshiping, and enjoying a vibrant community life. They were also committed to proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah to others and God was powerfully at work through their testimony. Every day more people were joining their new family.

Inspiring a fervent love for Jesus through a lifestyle of worship, renewing hearts and minds through biblical teaching, intentionally building Christ-centered relationships, and strategically creating opportunities for families to impact their world for Jesus. Values that inform both our mission, Transforming families to live and love like Jesus, and our strategy, Gather. Grow. Impact.

Like this early group of new disciples, we too are called to be a vibrant community, a family, here at Central. And as a family, each of us has a part to play, and each of us must play his or her part. I hope you are as excited as we, the elders and staff, are about our vision. We want you to be all in.

I want to end with this…our new logo.

Stained glass windows have been around for centuries, and while their history is rooted in church tradition, they remain a timeless staple of beauty for future generations. As we move into the future we want to continue to be faithful to God, and to also remember how he has been faithful to our church for almost 60 years.

Regarding our Mission statement: Transforming families to live and love like Jesus…A defining attribute of stained glass is its ability to transform light into any color of its choice, much like how the Holy Spirit transforms our life as we are obedient to his will.

The church is one body made of many members with Jesus as the head. In a stained glass story, hundreds even thousands of unique pieces join together to create one image that conveys a story far greater than any individual piece can do alone. Even seemingly obtuse shapes have a place in the story, and if that piece is missing, the story is incomplete.

God is at work. I want to invite you to join us on this journey of Transforming families to live and love like Jesus as we seek to impact this valley for the kingdom in significant ways. As part of the family, we all have a part to play in the life of our church. The Holy Spirit is ready and willing to empower us to accomplish the mission. How about you? Are you in?

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on our Vision series entitled Transforming Families. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster

August 24, 2015

Transforming Families Part 1

Matthew 28.18-20

This is part one of our two-part vision series. Enjoy

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Our marching orders haven’t changed in last 2,000 years…we are still called to make disciples, but how are we uniquely equipped to do that?

Over the past 18 months, a group of elders, staff and lay leaders have been involved in the process of discovering Central’s singular DNA and how God has uniquely equipped us as a church to make disciples. We spent time looking at the demographics of the particular community that God has placed in, our own history as a church, and the gifts and passions of the leaders that God has brought to Central. And after much prayer and discussion, we came up with Central’s own mission statement…Transforming families to live and love like Jesus.

Each word is deliberate. Transforming…discipleship is an intentional process. It’s not about making a few changes here and there, a few tweaks if you will, becoming nicer people. It’s nothing less than moving from death to life, from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of the beloved Son…Paul says we are a new creation. It’s a total change in perspective…developing a biblical worldview, becoming like the Master.

Transforming families…Why families? Genesis 2, God creates Adam and puts him in a garden…everything is perfect, it’s good…except for one thing. God says, “It’s not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helpmate suitable for him.” And He fashions a woman from the man’s rib. The first family. Abraham is promised, “through you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” Israel was arranged in tribes, clans and families. The Great Shema in Deuteronomy 6 “4 “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!  You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” Joshua’s memorable statement, “…as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” The Hebrew nation was known as the children of Israel. The family was the basic building block of ancient Hebrew society.

In the New Testament, Jesus is the Son of God, right? And throughout the Gospels, Jesus refers to God as His Father. Same is true throughout the New Testament. In the book of Acts, we see a number of times that whole households come to faith (10, 11, 16, 18). Believers are a part of the household of faith or household of God. Family is built-in to the DNA of the early church. Paul’s instructions to Timothy in relating to folks in the church…older men as fathers, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters. These are just a few of the many examples throughout the Bible. In fact, household or its equivalent is used 302x.

While family is the basic building block of society and even of the early church, family has rarely, if ever, looked like Leave It to Beaver. Adam and Eve’s older son kills his younger brother. Abraham…blended family with multiple wives and half-siblings competing for the promise. Jacob…even worse. David…same story different day. Family was messy in biblical times…that’s why in both the Old Testament and New Testament the people of God were charged with caring for the widow and the orphan and the stranger…James 1.27. They were to be brought into the family.

Today, family is just as messy. There has been a dangerous undermining of families in society … abortion, same-sex marriage, pornography, divorce, absentee parents. These things tear at the very fabric of what God intended the family to be. We want to be a part of God’s counter-revolution of transforming families…not just the traditional ones, but every family in all the wonderful and sometimes heartbreaking implications of that word. When we have healthy families, we have a healthy church. When we have a healthy church, we have a healthy community…the ripple effects can have a huge kingdom impact.

Transforming families to live and love like Jesus. It’s Central’s lifelong, intentional process, it’s our DNA, it’s…believing what Jesus believed, living like Jesus lived, loving like Jesus loved.

Our mission statement, Transforming families to live and love like Jesus, answers the question, “What are we doing?” Our marching orders haven’t changed in 2,000 years. We are still called to be disciples who make disciples. But how will we go about doing that? What’s our strategy for accomplishing the mission?

It’s pretty straightforward. I have 3 words for you…Gather. Grow. Impact.

Gather. We believe that everyone who calls Central home should participate in our weekend “Family Gatherings” aka our weekend services as we worship the God who has rescued us through singing, praise, Biblical teaching, communion, baptism, giving and prayer. Notice I said “participate” and not simply “attend”. Discipleship is intentional, and being a part of the family means that each family member has a part to play. We want you to move beyond thinking of Christianity as an event and church as a location to seeing it as a relationship of daily worship. Church isn’t a place where we come to be entertained, it’s a place where we come to engage, to worship and learn about Jesus; where we encourage one another to fight the good fight. Where we pray over and for one another; where we may be blessed by others kind words and caring hearts, where we can laugh at jokes, and even share joy through tears. Its a place where we see life transformation happen, and we want you to be all in.

Grow. Not only do we feel like Gathering is important, but we also believe that, as a disciple, Growing is imperative. And for us that looks like regular participation in a Community Group or various other groups that meet for ongoing discipleship…studying the Bible, prayer and accountability.

Impact. Gather and Grow are the “making disciples” of the Great Commission. Impact is “go”…it’s outward. It’s about influencing our world for Jesus by leveraging our spiritual gifts for kingdom work in the lives of those folks God has placed around us. Impact is intentional. We’ve been talking about our 8-15 for over a year now, but now we want to expand that concept. So we’re changing it to our Impact list. The Impact List is a way for us to identify folks in our lives whom we can intentionally love, disciple, pray for, reach out to and connect with. Who can you help bring one step closer to Jesus? Whether they are believers or unbelievers. The key is intentionally bringing them one step closer to Jesus. If you are a parent, your kids should be on your list. If you are married, your spouse should be on your list. If you are a teacher, your students should be on your list. If a student, your friends, teachers and coaches should be on your list.  In other words, every relationship is an opportunity for impact…an opportunity to bring someone one step closer to Jesus.

God is at work. I want to invite you to join us on this journey of Transforming families to live and love like Jesus as we seek to revolutionize this valley for the kingdom in significant ways. As part of the family, we all have a part to play in the life of our church. The Holy Spirit is ready and willing to empower us to accomplish the mission. How about you? Are you in?

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on our Vision series entitled Transforming Families. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster

August 10, 2015

Our Reclaimed Hope

Daniel 12

What a ride! Fourteen weeks in the book of Daniel. Terrifying visions, steadfast faith, incredible courage, uncompromising commitment, a new chapter. The rules have changed during the Time of the Gentiles. Where doing the right thing once brought blessing, it now brings a curse (ex. fiery furnace and lions’  den). Conforming to the surrounding culture brings comfort. Good is called evil, and evil good. Right and wrong are a matter of public opinion. Following God will not be easy, but for those with insight and the courage to persevere, their inheritance is secure. As the divine messenger says, “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.” In the midst of a world seemingly out of control, Daniel is reminded (and reminds us) that God is still in control… “For wisdom and power belong to Him. It is He who changes the times and the ages; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men And knowledge to men of understanding. It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the light dwells with Him.” So don’t give up, don’t give in…God wins.

The first six chapters of Daniel are story…the adventures of Daniel and his three friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah in the kingdoms of Babylon and Persia. Daniel receives his first two visions while Belshazzar is king…still under the dominion of the first beast, Babylon. He receives these visions before the “handwriting on the wall” of Daniel 5. Daniel’s prayer and the last two visions are during the time of Darius/Cyrus. Why is that important? Because Daniel’s experience in the lions’ den (Daniel 6) could very well have come after this final vision. His response to persecution/suffering should inform our response…God can, God will, but even if He doesn’t, He is still sovereign and actively involved in the events of my life and is working for my good and His glory. And just as prayer was an indispensable part of Daniel’s life, it should be of ours as well.

God’s faithfulness to deliver the fantastic four…His faithfulness to deliver His people throughout history … should cause God’s people to want to be faithful in the face of tribulation and oppression. The Daniel’s visions are given within a context of persecution…there was tremendous pressure for him to compromise and even abandon his faith. Daniel writes to persuade folks who are suffering persecution to hold fast their faith and endure because God will rescue them even through death by resurrection (many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake…to everlasting life). Like the fantastic four, we too are tempted to compromise and abandon our faith, but don’t do it. We are called to live out our faith in a hostile world no matter the cost, being available to be used by God to boldly, yet compassionately point those on our impact list to Jesus, knowing that good triumphs in the end. Don’t give up, don’t give in…Jesus wins.

Is your name written in the book? Only those whose name is written in the book will be rescued and resurrected to everlasting life. And the only way to have your name written in the book…trusting in Jesus to rescue you. Then you too, like Daniel, will receive your allotted inheritance in the eternal kingdom. If your name is not in the book, or if you’re not sure…if you don’t know the God that Daniel speaks of today, the God of heaven, the Creator and Sustainer of all that exists, the Revealer of Mysteries, the Rescuer of our souls, please don’t wait. Only those who have insight, whose names are in the book…who have trusted in Jesus for everlasting life will be a part of His eternal kingdom. The rest will spend an eternity apart from Him. Lack of understanding will be no excuse.

May God give us the courage and steadfastness of Daniel to face life in the fourth kingdom, and may we do it with an undying hope.

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on our Daniel series entitled Reclaimed. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster

July 27, 2015

The Abomination of Desolation

Daniel 11

History and prophecy. This passage gives us hope for the future. Understanding how God fulfilled the now historical aspects of Daniel’s vision in the past gives us confidence…it strengthens our faith and hope that He will do the same with those aspects that are yet future. God is sovereign over, and is actively involved in, the events on the world stage…past, present and future; and He’s also sovereign over, and actively involved in, the events of our lives as well. Don’t give up, don’t give in, God wins.

The description of the political and military intrigue of this passage is a kind of blueprint of history…folks fighting back and forth, trying to expand their kingdoms by any means necessary, whether by deceit or treachery or outright war. It’s true of both nations and individuals. As Solomon famously said, “There is nothing new under the sun.” But even more fascinating is the battle that has raged for millennia over this one piece of real estate…Israel. We see it even today. And no doubt that current events are playing somehow into Daniel’s vision of the future.

We are reminded once again that evil will not ultimately triumph. Good overcomes evil. The Seed of the woman crushes the head of the serpent. God wins in the end. Jesus defeated Satan at the cross, but we await the final working out of his defeat. In the meantime, we live under the dominion of the beasts, where evil is called and good is called evil. We should expect this to be a time of suffering and opposition from the enemy, as we are called to follow God and to oppose wickedness. And like the martyrs under the altar in Revelation 6, we may wonder, “How long, O Lord…?”

Though “evil does not reign supreme, neither will it ever cease altogether until God reigns supreme.” The road is not an easy one, and our determination to follow the Lord will be tested again and again. Sadly, many of the Jews living at the time of Antiochus IV gave up on the faith of their fathers and gave in to the culture. But there were those who refused to give up or give in…those who had insight, who relied on their God, gave understanding to the many. The answer to “how long?” is, “not forever.” And the good news is…we are not alone in the struggle. Jesus promises never to leave us or forsake us. He’s also placed us in a body of believers so that we can bear one another’s burdens and take up arms for the spiritual battle together. We look forward to the day when God, who has rescued us from sin and death through the life, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus, will one day bring us into His glorious kingdom. Our hope is resurrection…Daniel 12. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. God wins.

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on our Daniel series entitled Reclaimed. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster

July 20, 2015

A Renewed Spirit

Daniel 10

This is probably the clearest reference that we have to spiritual conflict in the OT. Spiritual warfare…angels fighting demons. The fate of the ancient world in the balance…sounds like it would make for a great movie. But this is no movie. What was happening to Daniel was real. And the spiritual conflict is no less real today, although we, the church in the West, have all but convinced ourselves it doesn’t exist. Not so in many places around the world. Last spring I took a trip to Nepal where spiritual warfare is more palpable. Much like many 2nd and 3rd world countries, temples and idols are everywhere and the spiritual oppression can be felt.

While the church in the West may be turning a blind eye to spiritual opposition, the American culture at large is not. There is a dangerous fascination and preoccupation with the occult and the demonic. They’re considered entertainment…they’re seen as cool, trendy, edgy, no big deal, cute or even laughable (Sabrina the teenage witch, Supernatural, The Secret Circle, Charmed, Hocus Pocus, tattoos depicting death or demons, tacos named El Diablo, Twilight). Hollywood seems to be fascinated with it. Horror movies in general.

When it comes to the spiritual realm, we have strayed away from biblical truths. What we learn from Daniel in this passage is this: Daniel’s prayer is somehow a part of this process. An angel was sent in response to Daniel’s prayer, the angel battled the prince of Persia, this dark angel, this demon, to deliver Daniel the message, and Daniel’s vision into the spiritual realm was so disturbing that he was terrified. There are powerful forces of evil at work in the kings and nations of the world to defeat and overthrow the people and the work of God…but there are also more powerful forces of good working harmoniously together who will overcome the wicked opponents…good triumphs over evil, the kingdom is in good hands, its success is assured.

Just as there was a “prince” of Persia and of Greece, there are “princes” behind the earthly kings and kingdoms of the world today who actively oppose God and His people. Terrorists attacks around the world. The ferocious violence of ISIS. The recent Supreme Court decisions…all are clear examples of that opposition where evil is called good, and good evil…where truth is determined by public opinion. And just as Daniel fasted, mourned and prayed, so should we. Prayer is a bloody battleground, where violent and decisive conflicts are fought over the souls of men and women, boys and girls in time and eternity…

C.S. Lewis saw 2 errors…basically ignoring the reality of devils or becoming overly consumed with them. We tend towards the former. In some ways, I think it’s easier to believe in God than the devil, even though a great deal of Jesus’ ministry was casting out demons. Most of us are functioning atheists when it comes to the dark side and its minions. And I believe that’s why many of us are defeated and enslaved by sin so easily. We are totally unaware that we are in a battle. Not fun to think about, but…the good news is, if you have trusted in Jesus, you, like Daniel, are highly esteemed (greatly beloved). Jesus has already won the day. At the cross, He conquered sin, death, and all the forces of darkness. Jesus promised, “Greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world.” Jesus has already defeated the strong man and plundered his house. So when spiritual warfare comes, and it will, we are not to fear, but to pray, like Daniel, to the One who has already rescued us, Jesus, the Head-crushing Seed of the woman. And now we wait, as Daniel did, for Jesus’ return.

If you have not trusted in Jesus, know that only He can rescue you from the spiritual forces of wickedness that are fighting for your soul and are holding you in bondage. And He longs to rescue you if you will simply believe in Him…that He died in your place as a substitute for your sin, your rebellion against God. When you believe in Him, He rescues you from sin and death and gives you life eternal with Him in His kingdom. Don’t wait. Trust in Jesus today.

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on our Daniel series entitled Reclaimed. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster