Monday, April 1, 2019

The Reversal of Pride

Daniel 1:21 NKJV
21 Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.




Daniel worked for 4 different kings.





Daniel 6:28 NKJV
28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.




Israel was in captivity for 70 years.




It is covered in the first 6 chapters of the book of Daniel. 






Daniel 7:1 NKJV
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts.




Chapters 7 to 12 are prophetic.  




Daniel recorded his prophesies by the  king that he served.  





Daniel 8:1 NKJV
In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me—to me, Daniel—after the one that appeared to me the first time.





Daniel 9:1-2 NKJV
In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— 



in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.






Daniel 10:1 NKJV
In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. 



The message was true, but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision.





Daniel 11:1 NKJV
1 “Also in the first year of Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him.)




Skeptics struggle with the book of Daniel because it is so accurate. 




He foretold the year that Jesus Christ would begin His ministry.  




He foretold the rise of the Greek empire, and it's division into 4 empires.   





Daniel 12:1-2 NKJV
1 “At that time Michael shall stand up,The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;


And there shall be a time of trouble,Such as never was since there was a nation,Even to that time.


And at that time your people shall be delivered,Every one who is found written in the book. 



2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,Some to everlasting life,Some to shame and everlasting contempt.




If you are seduced by pride, you are stubborn and easily deceived. 




Pride can be reversed.  




A prideful person can become a humble person.  




God humbles people.  




God humbles you to keep you from being destroyed.





1. God’s plans for you are for your good.








Deuteronomy 8:16 NKJV
16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, 




that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end—





Jeremiah 24:5 NKJV
5 “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: 


‘Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge those who are carried away captive from Judah, 


whom I have sent out of this place for their own good, into the land of the Chaldeans.




God sent Israel into captivity for their own good. 





Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, 


thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.




Jeremiah 29:10-11 NKJV
10 For thus says the Lord: 


After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place.



11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.




God sent Israel into captivity for their good in exile.  




II Chronicles 36:22-23 NKJV
22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, 



that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, 



the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, 




so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, 



23 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia:



All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. 



And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. 




Who is among you of all His people? 



May the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up!






These are the last two verses in the Hebrew Scriptures.  





There are 24 books in the Hebrew Scriptures.  5 books of Torah.  8 Books of the Prophets.  11 books are the writings.  






Some of the Hebrew books are divided into 2 books in the Christian Scriptures which total 39.    






Genesis 37:4-5 NKJV
4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. 



5 Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more.




There was pride in Joseph. 



What would cause you to tell older, stronger brothers a dream that they would bow down to him?  




Pride.   




2. God knows you before you know Him.






Isaiah 45:1 NKJV
“Thus says the Lord to His anointed,To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held




To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings,To open before him the double doors,So that the gates will not be shut:




We think Daniel showed Cyrus the writings. 





Isaiah 45:4 NKJV
4 For Jacob My servant’s sake,And Israel My elect,



I have even called you by your name (Cyrus) ;I have named you, though you have not known Me.






Cyrus's, grandfather the king, dreamed that his grandson would overthrow him.  




His grandfather gave his grandson over to be killed. 




The person responsible for killing him switched him out with a shepherd's still born baby.  




The shepherd named him Cyrus. 



Isaiah 44:28 NKJV
28 Who says of Cyrus, 


‘He is My shepherd,


And he shall perform all My pleasure,Saying to Jerusalem, 


“You shall be built,



”And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.” ’






Isaiah wrote these words 150 years before this.  



Isaiah gave his name, Cyrus, and foretold that he would be a shepherd.  




Daniel must have showed Cyrus these writings. 




That's what prompted Cyrus to rebuild the temple.





3. God’s plans for you include provision.






Ezra 1:4 NKJV
4 And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, 


let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, 



with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.








Ezra 3:7 NKJV
They also gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and food, drink, and oil 


to the people of Sidon and Tyre to bring cedar logs from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, 



according to the permission which they had from Cyrus king of Persia.








II Chronicles 7:14 NKJV
14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, 




and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, 




then I will hear from heaven, 




and will forgive their sin and heal their land.





We are to humble ourselves even before we pray.  Prayer without humility goes nowhere.   






II Chronicles 12:6 NKJV
6 So the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, “The Lord is righteous.”








II Chronicles 32:26 NKJV
26 Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.






II Chronicles 33:23 NKJV
23 And he did not humble himself before the Lord, as his father Manasseh had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more.








II Chronicles 34:27 NKJV
27 because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,” says the Lord.








II Chronicles 36:12 NKJV
12 He did evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the Lord.








James 4:10 NKJV
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.






I Peter 5:6 NKJV
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,




How do you humble yourself?  



Philippians 2:3  (ESV)
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, 


but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.



Rank yourself below others. 




Philippians 2:5-8 NLT
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
  


I consider you better than me.   




6 Though he was God,he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.




You must renew your mind.  Make it new again. 




7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.When he appeared in human form, 






8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.






Numbers 12:3 NKJV
3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)




Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV)
that if you... 


confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus... 


and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead


you will be saved. 



What is the Holy Spirit saying to me through this message?




Robert Morris, Gateway Church


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