Dr. David Jeremiah Presents
Living inthe Ageof Signs
Online Destination
Living in the Age of Signs
Online Destination
Sign 2
Following
Today’s Devotion:
Following
An adult and a four-year-old child go for a walk outdoors. They begin their walk on a sidewalk or path, with the adult carrying on a lively conversation with the little one. Pretty soon, the adult realizes the conversation has become one-sided. The child has stopped responding to questions and has stopped contributing verbally. The adult turns around, only to discover the child has stopped following. He is way behind, looking at rocks, flowers, and bugs, and wandering into a neighbor’s yard. For the conversation to resume and be meaningful, the child needs to follow the adult more closely.
“Following” is a central theme of life with Jesus Christ. He identifies Himself as the Good Shepherd; His sheep follow Him so closely and so consistently that they know the sound of His voice. That means they can immediately detect a stranger’s (possibly dangerous) voice and then hear the Good Shepherd’s voice of safety and direction.
If you want to hear God’s voice, make sure to stay close to the Good Shepherd through prayer, worship, and the Word.
It costs to follow Jesus Christ, but it costs more not to.
Greg Laurie
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Some 2,600 years ago, God gave King Nebuchadnezzar a dream. In this dream, the king saw a five–part statue made of five different metals (see Daniel 2). Each section represented an empire, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon. Four of these empires have already risen and fallen in history—a clear fulfillment of Daniel's prophetic interpretation. The fifth and final empire indicates a future Europe—a ten nation coalition that will unite under the Antichrist's rule.
You can read about the King's dream and Daniel's interpretation in Daniel 2, but let's take a quick visual look at what you will find:
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King Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon
Daniel's words to the king are clear. "You are this head of gold" (Daniel 2:37–38).
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Medo–Persian Empire
The Medo–Persian Empire conquered Babylon in 539 BC and remained in power for approximately two hundred years (Daniel 5:28).
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Grecian Empire
Greece's Empire succeeded the Medo–Persians (Daniel 8:21).
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Roman Empire
When the Grecian empire was conquered by Rome, all the lands and peoples of the previous kingdoms were assimilated into the Roman Empire through the strengths of the "iron legions of Rome" (Daniel 2:40).
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Future European Coalition
This empire has not yet risen. Daniel foretells a time when the Roman Empire—Europe—will consist of ten kingdoms or leaders. The future Roman Empire will be present on the earth when God sets up His earthly kingdom (Daniel 2:44).