Dr. David Jeremiah Presents
Living inthe Ageof Signs
Online Destination
Living in the Age of Signs
Online Destination
Sign 2
Imitate God
Today’s Audio Devotion:
Imitate God
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus corrected a faulty reading of Leviticus 19:18. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Jewish scribes had added these words to that verse: “and hate your enemy.” But Jesus corrected that tradition by saying, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you.”
When God chose to withhold judgment on the city of Nineveh, the demonstrated enemy of Israel, Jonah became angry. He had readily received grace and forgiveness from God for his own disobedience but could not reconcile the idea of God forgiving the Assyrian people. Jonah was violating the eventual New Testament principle of grace: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God” (Ephesians 4:32–5:1). What God has done for us, we are to do for others.
Is there someone to whom you can extend the same grace that God has extended to you?
True forgiveness breaks a man, and he must forgive.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
For Your Phone or Tablet
Official Mobile App and Lock Screens
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:
-
King Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon
Daniel's words to the king are clear. "You are this head of gold" (Daniel 2:37–38).
-
Medo–Persian Empire
The Medo–Persian Empire conquered Babylon in 539 BC and remained in power for approximately two hundred years (Daniel 5:28).
-
Grecian Empire
Greece's Empire succeeded the Medo–Persians (Daniel 8:21).
-
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).
-
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).