Daily Bread

Monday, September 10, 2012

A Psalm Written Especially for You

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

What the Bible says seems such fantastic good news that it's almost impossible to believe it: "The gospel [good news] of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation to every one who believes" (Rom 1:16; that "salvation" is for now as well as for eternity). This means that the 23rd Psalm was written especially for you as if you were the only person on earth.

It also means that the promises God made to Abraham (Gen. 12:2, 3) are to you, for you are his descendant "in Christ." What did the promises include? Not just the land of Canaan (Israelis and Palestinians fight over that), but "the promise [is] that he should be the heir of the world" (Rom. 4:13). Further, it's to be "an everlasting possession" (Gen. 17:8). And no one can inherit the earth forever unless it is made "new" (2 Peter 3:13); and, still further, only "righteousness dwells" there. That is, all who inherit it are made "righteous." Starting today.

Therefore as surely as day follows night, the 23rd Psalm and the promises to Abraham are the Good News because they include salvation from sin now. Not only forgiveness for sins, but also the gift of a new heart. That includes the original promise made to Adam and Eve in Eden--God Himself will put into your heart an "enmity" against sin (Gen. 3:15), and of course a love for righteousness. All this is included in the New Covenant promises to Abraham.

"But," you say, "I am not worthy of any of this; why should the Lord make any promise of any kind to me, for I am 'less than the least of all saints' (Eph. 3:8)"? The answer is that the promises weren't actually made to you, they were made to Christ, for He alone is "the seed." The Lord "does not say, 'And to seeds,' as of many; but as of one, 'And to your Seed,' who is Christ" (Gal. 3:16). But that's exactly where you come in: the Father "so loved the world that He GAVE" Christ to you as a Gift. "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God" (Rom. 8:14). The moment you stop resisting, stop fighting against the Holy Spirit of God, and you LET Him "lead" you, you "receive the Spirit of adoption." Your lonely heart begins to cry, "Father ..." "The Spirit Himself bears witness with your spirit" that you are a child of God "in Christ," and that means you are an "heir of God and a joint-heir with Christ" (see vss. 13-17).

I don't know how you'd feel if you won a jackpot of millions of dollars; but it couldn't begin to compare with the joy you now realize: you are a "joint-heir of God" with Christ. You can recite the 23rd Psalm as 100 percent yours. You will "dwell in the house of the Lord forever"--because you are "in Christ," by adoption in Him and also by your day-by-day choice.

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: April 30, 2004.

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Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.

Sunday, September 09, 2012

The Path of Life

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

"Conventional wisdom" says that if you follow Christ, your path is difficult; and if you follow the world, your path is easy. But the Lord Jesus Himself says, "My yoke is easy, and My burden is light" (Matt. 11:30). And for those who think they have a hard time in trying to follow Jesus or had to suffer opposition and persecution, He adds, "I will put upon you none other burden" (Rev. 2:24). He doesn't want us to suffer torture!

Granted, He doesn't force anyone to "take up [a] cross and follow [Him]" (cf. Luke 9:23), but He invites us to choose to follow Him into eternal life in the kingdom of God. He knows that we have inherited from Adam a sinful nature and how sin is contagious and habit forming; He knows that when His Father says that He "so loved the world that He gave" Him to be our Savior that we have an inward battle in learning to "believe in Him" (John 3:16). Unbelief (or dis-belief) is natural for us; we were born that way. We can learn to believe.

The distraught father of the possessed boy in Mark 9 gives us a lesson. When Jesus told him frankly, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes," he broke down in tears and said, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief" (vss. 23, 24). Steeped in your natural unbelief, you can choose to believe. Then you will learn.

A new birth is needed every step of our way, but the Good News is that He loves us so much that He actually makes the path to eternal ruin a "hard" one. This again is contrary to "conventional wisdom" that says it's easy to just slide down hill into hell. An example of truth is what the Lord Jesus said to Saul of Tarsus as he was indulging his natural hatred of righteousness in persecuting the church. In love for his soul, the Lord confronted him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads" (Acts 26:14). It was a miserable life Saul was leading!

The Old Testament also teaches that God loves us so much that He has put obstacles in the downward path to ruin: "Behold, I will hedge up your way with thorns" (Hosea 2:6), "He has fenced up my way that I cannot pass" (Job 19:8), "A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps" (Prov. 16:9), "He has blocked my way with hewn stone" (Lam. 3:9).

None of these Good News texts says that the Lord forces anyone to be saved against his will; but taken together they assure us that He continually tries His best to direct us into the path of life. Let's believe Him!

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: March 1, 2007.

Friday, September 07, 2012

"Adopted" Into a Close Divine Famil

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

How does God want you to think of Himself? As some infinitely large and complicated divine Organization designated by a third person pronoun "the ..."?The Bible reveals Him, but the larger part of it is the "Old Testament" wherein the revelation is not as clear as in the New--at least ancient Israel did not understand "God" very clearly, or they would not have crucified "the Lord of glory," the very Son of God, when He came.Over and over again we find the Messiah in the New Testament presenting God to us as "our Father who is in heaven." Simplest designation possible for humans to grasp! Our first syllable is "Baba" or "Abba, Father," and the apostle tells us that the Holy Spirit impresses upon us (sinners as we are!) the conviction that we have been "adopted" by this "heavenly Father" (Rom. 8:15)! The Messiah is the Son of God, and He is intimately close to us as the One who "sticketh closer than a brother" (Prov. 18:24), and He delights over and over in calling us His "brethren," as His Father delights in calling us His adopted children. It's family! As we think of God as our "Father in heaven," His Son wants us to think of Him as "Brother."Rare and deeply fortunate you are if you had an earthly elder brother who loved you tenderly (this unworthy writer had such). He made it easier for me to think of Jesus in an intimate way, and I owe an enormous debt to him; but many people have been deprived of that "gift."More rare and even more deeply fortunate you are if you had an earthly father who interpreted for you the faithful lovingkindness of the heavenly Father. But if you were bereft of that earthly blessing, or thought you were, and you need "Elijah" to "turn [your] heart" in reconciliation to him (Mal. 4:5, 6), then look again at Romans 8 above.It's a positive, rock-bottom-truth stated in a double negative: "You did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you received the [Holy] Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out 'Abba, Father.' The [Holy] Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8:15, 16).The double negative means you have received the conviction of the Holy Spirit that you have been "adopted," not only into some celestial third person Establishment, but into an intimately close divine family wherein you are a loved child--a sibling, yes, of Christ's.

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: October 25, 2006.

Wednesday, September 05, 2012

"If You Want to Be Perfect ..."

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

This young man came running up to Jesus almost out of breath: "What good thing shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" A wonderful new-convert-to-be! Jesus caught his word "do," and proceeded to give him a thoroughly legalist answer: "Keep the commandments," and He cited the Ten. On the surface, His answer thrills legalists today.

The young man was fishing for more: he told Jesus he had done everything specified since he was a child. "What do I still lack?" What he meant was, he wanted to achieve perfection--the goal of every legalist.

Then Jesus zeroes in on the real thing: "If you want to be perfect, sell what you have and give to the poor." Don't think He wanted to discourage the youth: "you will have treasure in heaven." That should satisfy any acquisitive nature cultivated "from ... youth." But Jesus couldn't do any "evangelism" without telling about the cross: "And come, follow Me" (Matt. 19:16-22). The youth could have had first chance at becoming an Apostle Paul!

But the poor fellow had a terrific problem. It was worse than leprosy or being blind. He was rich, "he had great possessions." So he walked away. Jesus later conceded to the disciples: "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" Then He repeated it with a slight difference--"who trust in riches … !" (Mark 10:23-25). He appears to contradict what He said in Matthew 11 about His yoke being "easy" and His burden "light" (28-30; again legalists may be delighted for they don't like that "easy" or "light" idea).

If you are rich (and everybody who gets this message is, in some way), you can solve your problem by confessing that you don't deserve a whit of the "wealth" you possess: what is yourright is that second death that Jesus died in your place, and for you.

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: November 4, 2005.

Tuesday, September 04, 2012

"Whosoever Will"

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

Just before His crucifixion, the Son of God made a promise: He will "draw" all men to Himself, that is, He will reconcile all men to the Father, He will give all who are thirsty to drink of the water of life, and He will give all who are hungry to eat of the bread of life, IF ... His people will lift Him up to be seen crucified for all men and crucified by all men (cf. John 12:32, 33).

Christ died for the world, the death that "every man" would die were it not that He gave Himselffor every man, and yes, to every man.

All that the fallen Adam did to bring a condemnation upon every man, Christ as our second or "last Adam" did to bring a verdict of acquittal to the same every man. He reversed what Adam did; Adam cursed, Christ blessed; Adam brought us eternal death, Christ brought us eternal life. Adam brought darkness, Christ brought us light.

Adam alienated us all from God, brought us into the world separated from Him; Christ brought us into the world reconciled to Him IF we will receive His message of atonement. (He has already done the reconciling in principle.) He will force no one against his free will, but He says, "Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Rev. 22:17).

"Whosoever will." That includes every Muslim who "will" let his heart "come." They may have been taught to deny He died on His cross; but their conscience cannot deny that love for every man in that He died his second death. This truth of life only in Christ is free for all to believe. Those who choose to disbelieve, bring eternal separation upon themselves, while those who believe the News of His love already receive the gift of eternal life in Him.

The much more abounding grace of the Lord is stronger than mistaken information imbibed in childhood and youth; when the angel of Revelation 18 lightens the earth with glory, truth will cut through long held prejudice; God knows how to speak to His "other sheep ... which are not of this fold" (John 10:16), and they will hear His voice and their prejudices will disappear like morning dew. He will have a people who can lift up "Christ and Him crucified" and can reach those hearts.

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: March 4, 2007.

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Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.

Saturday, September 01, 2012

"Purpose in Your Heart"

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

Can you find the gospel in the Bible book of Daniel? Or is it all about "beasts" and world empires?

The first chapter packs a powerful gospel punch: here are four young men in university training where their scholarships provide them access to the elitist dining rooms or cafeterias. They will be served the same gourmet bill of fare from the same kitchens that serve royalty.

The delicacies set before them arouse the envy of wealthy Babylonians. The meats come from the fabled outreaches of the empire, and the desserts are super mouthwatering. But Good News saved them from health disaster.

These four young servants of the God of Israel petition the authorities for a simple, low-fat, low-sugar vegetarian diet. With the hearty appetite of all teens, these four "purpose" in their hearts to deny their natural cravings for rich food and choose the simple diet. They will not patronize the McDonalds, Burger Kings, pancake houses, or steak houses of their day. Their goal is not merely to live seven years longer and take more holiday trips; they want to keep their minds clear to comprehend the teaching of the Holy Spirit in an era of solemn significance.

We're in that kind of era today, on a world scale. It's great Good News that the same world Savior who blessed Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will give (not merely offer) you and me the victory over runaway appetite. The Holy Spirit will be your teacher; you won't be able to transgress without His convicting you of truth: now don't silence His voice, don't deny His loving reminders of truth. "Purpose in your heart" to follow the Savior on this great Day of Atonement.

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: August 20, 2004.

Friday, August 31, 2012

What Are You Choosing?

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

The Bible clearly says something that some theologians haven't wanted to believe: "Jesus Christ the righteous ... is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1, 2). Our dear brother John Calvin couldn't see what it says; he maintained that it meant only that it's just "the elect" in "all the world" who are meant; not everybody (Calvin's Commentaries, 16th century).

This seems still to be the greatest hurdle that many Christians have--to understand who Jesus is. But He is "the Saviour of the world" (John 4:42); He was sent to "give eternal life" to "all flesh" (17:2), to "give life unto the world" (6:33, 51), He died the death which is the punishment for sin for "every man" (Heb. 2:9), He became the second Adam of the human race, reversing all the "condemnation" that the first Adam brought upon the race (Rom. 5:15-18).

Why couldn't John Calvin see the Good News? What blinded his eyes? He was living still in the "wilderness" of the Dark Ages, before the full light of the gospel was to be seen clearly after the 1260 years (Rev. 12:6). He was bound by the unbiblical idea that God's grace is "irresistible," that if God "wills" that a person be saved, that person's perverse "will" cannot "frustrate the grace of God." It means logically that one's going to be saved even if he disbelieves to the bitter end.

But two great truths are being clearly seen in these last days: (a) the extent of the length, and breadth, and depth, and height of the love (agape) of Christ that "constrains" an honest-hearted person to serve Christ forever; (b) the terrible unbelief of people who want to "crucify Christ afresh, and put Him to an open shame" and reject the "gift" that He has already given them "in Himself." They are lost not because of any arbitrary decree on the part of God, but because of their own perverse will, their unfitness for the companionship of heaven. Nobody who "loves darkness rather than light" could be happy in heaven even if he was admitted (see John 3:18-20). So, in the end, God simply gives everybody what he or she has wanted, and has persistently chosen.

What are you choosing day by day, moment by moment? Self? Or Christ? Think deeply; the judgment is now on; today could register your final choice.

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: December 18, 1999.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Don't Ever Forget "the Day" When You "Died'

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

There was a day when the whole world died, and we need to understand how and why it happened. We usually don't see it that way: we think only One man died on that Friday. Here's the story: "We judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died" (2 Cor. 5:14). How could this be?

(1) The Son of God became man, "Immanuel, ... God with us" (Matt. 1:23).

(2) He took upon Himself our humanity, became one with us, even to the point of being "not ashamed to call [us] brethren, ... My brethren" (Heb. 2:11, 12).

(3) Back up a bit: the former head of the human race was Adam; his name is our name; we were all "in him" for he is the common ancestor of every human being in the world (1 Cor. 15:22); no one of us was born on the planet Mars, or of a non-human race. Because Adam sinned, "all have sinned [past tense of the Greek verb] and fall short [present tense] of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). "There is none righteous, no, not one" (vs. 10).

(4) When the Son of God became incarnate, He fired Adam from his job of being head of the human race, and took over as the new Head of the human race. Paul describes the transaction as "the first man Adam" being in contrast with "the last Adam, ... the first man was of the earth, made of dust: the second man is the Lord from heaven" (1 Cor. 15:45-47).

(5) Thus when Christ died on His cross, He died as the "last Adam," the second Adam. He died the same death that God had warned Adam he would die, "In the day that you eat of it [the wrong tree] you shall surely die" (Gen. 2:17). That was not merely the sleep we all know--it was the real death, "the second death" (see Rev. 2:11). Christ didn't go to sleep for our sins, He "died for our sins" (1 Cor. 15:3).

(6) As by nature we are all "in Adam," so now because our second Adam became one of us and died our death, we are "in Him" by virtue of His identity with us. This is why Paul could say that when "One died," then "all died."

(7) You and I don't even begin to "live" in the truest joyous sense until we realize, appreciate, sense the gratitude, of how "I [am] crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith [of] the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2:20).

Don't ever forget "the day" when you "died," for it is also the day when you began to live "in Him."

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: May 12, 2000.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Expressing Genuine Thanksgiving

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

The very idea of saying "Thank you!" is not pagan. Animals don't know how to say "Thank you!" Give them some food, and they proceed immediately to gobble it up. Some of us who have traveled in undeveloped lands (that's what we call them!) which are heathen or pagan have observed that pagan children also grab food you give them and rush off to gobble it up without so much as a glance, let alone a word, not even a smile, indicating thanks.

How do you and I appear before the throne of God? Do we grab all the blessings the Lord has already given us, gobble up our food, enjoy the pleasure of life, without expressing genuine thanksgiving?

The truth is that it's impossible for anyone, Christian or heathen, to feel genuine thanksgiving unless he has at least some appreciation of what it cost the giver to give. For example, I have observed pagan children gather around us while we were having a picnic; they saw us as being virtually multimillionaires in contrast to their poverty, so whatever we gave them cost us nothing, they felt. So, why say thanks for something that didn't cost the giver anything to give you?

And that precisely is our spiritual problem. We don't realize what it cost the Giver to give us the gift of eternal life. So, why FEEL very deep thanksgiving? If a billionaire gives you a dime, do you get ecstatic in expressing thanks?

Actually, we are very much like those pagan children watching us eat our picnic lunch; we have only a childish concept of what it cost the Son of God to rescue us from hell itself. To understand what it cost Him, to appreciate the dimensions of His sacrifice--this is what the New Testament means by the word "believe." And not to believe in that sense is what the Bible calls "unbelief." And that ... turns out to be the sin of sins. The remedy? Contemplate that cross where the Son of God died for you.

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: November 27, 1997.

dailybread@1888message.org

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Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.

Monday, August 27, 2012

One of the Greatest Treasures of All Time

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

One of the greatest treasures of all time is more valuable than the gold in King Tut's pyramid tomb, and for most Christian people it remains unexcavated: the Book of Hebrews. The reason its message is almost unknown is that sincere translators have unwittingly twisted one of its central truths that in effect covers up its message to modern readers.

Chapter 1 proves Christ is divine, eternally pre-existent; His name is "God" (vs. 8). Chapter 2 proves Christ is fully human, "in all things ... made like unto his brethren," "partakers of flesh and blood" as are all the fallen children of Adam, so that by means of this education He might be fitted to be "a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God" (2:14, 17, 18; 4:15; 5:8, 9). So far, good; all is clear. Chapters 7-10 emphasize how the Levitical priesthood and sanctuary ministry failed miserably in that they could not "year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect." But the useless ritual went on continually for centuries! (10:1, 2).

Therefore there must be an entirely new priesthood, that of Christ Himself, and the old must cease for its failure. But the old was a type, a pattern, a kindergarten lesson to illustrate the nature of the new priesthood that resembled the new as a shadow represents the object that created it. And here is where the translation difficulties begin. Chapter 9:1-10 details a significant feature of the "shadow" Levitical ministry: there were two phases to the high priest's ancient ministry: every day in the year he would go into the first apartment where the seven golden candlesticks were and the table where twelve freshly baked loaves of bread were displayed every Sabbath morning, there to minister forgiveness to repentant sinners (but they kept on sinning!).

But once a year he would enter into the second apartment where the golden ark was with the two tables of stone with the ten commandments written thereon by the finger of God. That second-apartment ministry was to "cleanse" the sanctuary and put an end to on-going sinning. But it never worked!

So, says Hebrews, there must be a second apartment ministry of the great High Priest in the true heavenly sanctuary, to solve forever this on-going sin in the lives of His people. The problem: most translations confuse the two apartments, which in Greek are ta hagia and hagia hagion. At His ascension, Christ entered ta hagia; at a period before His second coming, He leaves ta hagia and enters hagia hagion, there to complete His work of preparing a people for His second coming. Read Hebrews with this in mind: it will come alive for you.

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: March 14, 2000.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

"Just As I Am"

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

The Book of Hebrews is the only place in the New Testament where Christ is identified as our great High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary. We are thankful it was included in our Bibles! "But what does Christ do there as High Priest?" is a question many are asking. As our Intercessor, is He trying to persuade the Father to be nice to us? That idea (which many hold) just won't fly; it was the Father who "so loved the world that He gave His only Son" for us.

Is there any difference of attitude or opinion between the Father and the Son? No, they are totally one. Then is Christ trying to intercede with Satan to back off and leave us alone? That idea won't fly either, because the devil is totally, irrevocably hostile. The devil's mind CAN'T be changed, and the Father's mind DOESN'T NEED to be changed. Where then is there somebody whose mind NEEDS to be changed? Could it be that our great High Priest is pleading with us, to change OUR minds? Hebrews seems to say so: "Consider the ... High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; ... [and] harden not your hearts" (3:1, 15). "He ever lives to make intercession FOR [US]" (7:25).

"The blood of Christ ... will cleanse our conscience from the deadness of our former ways and fit us for the service of the living God" (9:14, NEB). This is why a very apt name for Him as our High Priest is "Divine Psychiatrist," "the Great Physician" of our souls. Nobody can benefit from His high priestly ministry unless he realizes his need of such a "Psychiatrist." "They that are whole need not a physician," said Jesus, "but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:31, 32).

Charlotte Elliott sensed this need when she wrote "Just As I Am" in 1835. A helpless invalid, she felt depressed at her inability to "do anything" to help in the cause of God. She felt bitter, alienated, unhappy. Left alone one day at home in her misery, she remembered the counsel a sympathetic pastor had given her years before: "Come to Jesus just as you are; He will not cast you out!" So, on that day of lonely discouragement she wrote the words: "Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind [Rev. 3:17?]; Sight, riches, healing of the mind; Yes, all I need, in Thee to find, O Lamb of God, I come, I come!" She found her Divine Psychiatrist! And the "healing of her mind" was permanent--the start of a lifetime of joyous service for Jesus. Let her faith inspire you to receive that healing from Him! (Incidentally, Charlotte did more to bless the world with that little poem than if she had been in perfect health all her life and kept on writing funny verses, as she had been doing).

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: March 6, 2000.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Read! Understand!" the Prophecies of Daniel

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

Did the apostle Paul preach the prophecies of Daniel? Did Jesus do so in His ministry? We know that the angel had told Daniel to "shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end" (12:4). Why then did Jesus tell His disciples to "read" the prophecies of Daniel and "understand" them (Matt. 24:15) if the book was "sealed"?

And why did Paul remind the believers in Thessalonica of Daniel's prophecies about the great apostasy ("falling away") and the coming of "the man of sin, ... the son of perdition," the "little horn" power of Daniel 7, 8?

Although the full understanding of Daniel's prophecies could not be known until these last days in which we live now, it is clear that the apostolic church understood that Christ's second coming could not take place until Daniel's prophecies of the great "falling away" came first (2 Thess. 2:1-5). Jesus knew, and Paul knew, that the church needed that information!

Although Jesus picked out of the Bible the prophecies of that one book of Daniel and emphasized them for Christians to "read" and "understand," most priests, pastors, and teachers never preach about them. The promise that the Lord has made in Daniel 12 is that in the time of the end, "many" will heed the Lord's command and will ponder those prophecies, and will "increase" the "knowledge" of them before the world (12:4).

And now to every one living in this tumultuous world comes Jesus' solemn command: "Read, understand!" the prophecies of Daniel. That means, "Study! Read!" Let a hunger and thirst for righteousness crowd out your obsession with the amusements of this present evil world (cf. Matt. 5:6).

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: October 2, 2005.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

What Is "Baal Worship" Today?

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

When the Lord "sent Elijah" to the "scribes and Pharisees," they "knew him not." John the Baptist's message was "Elijah"! (Matt. 17:10-13). Could the dear Lord in His great mercy send "Elijah" to us and we "know him not"? Could the Lord send us a message designed to prepare us for the coming of Christ and we treat it as the Jews treated John the Baptist? God has promised to "send" him (Mal. 4:5, 6); could anything be more important than learning what that "message" is and how "we" have treated it? Maybe we need to repent!

When "Elijah" comes, will he overthrow Baal worship as he did long ago? Ancient Baal worship was the worship of self disguised as the worship of God. The 450 "prophets of Baal" made Elijah sick at heart. What is "Baal worship" today? As of old:

It is professing to serve the Lord when in fact your agenda is to promote self. A pastor glorifies himself, attracts the people to himself, turns their attention to himself, panders the worldly-minded people in the church, climbs the ladder of his career. He professes to worship Christ but in fact he is serving self. Is he not a "prophet of Baal"? His career is to build for himself a comfortable living; unconsciously he directs the youth to any or all careers except to prepare a people to stand in the day of God. He is not preparing a people to be translated as Elijah was, to "follow the Lamb [the crucified Christ] wherever He goes." Instead, he is preparing a people to accept the "mark of the beast" when it comes.

When "Elijah" is "sent" by the Lord, he will not be easy on modern Baal worship. But his will not be a ministry of denunciation; he will build up, not tear down. The "word" will do the job. Proclaiming Christ and Him crucified will melt hardened, worldly hearts, and Baal worship will be renounced. "When I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of glory died, my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride."

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: August 9, 2002.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Enjoy a Nourishing Square Meal!

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

Is your soul famished for spiritual nourishment? If you are a modern person, the answer is very likely Yes, for you are extremely busy (aren't the credit card payments due next week??). Sometimes even when we go to church we leave as hungry as we entered.

One evening when we had our family worship, it was late and we were tired. Instead of going to the trouble to fetch the inspired Book, we read from a good Christian book nearby that sincere as the author was, is not inspired. We tried to sleep, couldn't; fears began to oppress. We had eaten some "straw." What a contrast when later we did fetch the inspired Book and read from it; encouragement, hope, confidence, were strengthened.

The naked Bible, free of commentators' insertions, is still the greatest Source of food for your soul. Its literary form is a masterpiece of terse language--not a wasted word. Read it reverently, unhurriedly; as surely as day follows night, you will sense an ingestion of spiritual nourishment. It will be the Holy Spirit speaking to you in a language you will recognize. A wise writer has said that in thus reading the Bible, we "hold converse with the noblest and best of the human race."

You may try to pray to myriads of "saints" who will supposedly "intercede" with God and persuade Him to be nice to you, but there is a better way. In reading the Bible itself you may "converse" with Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Jeremiah, and David, through their messages recorded there. Thus your heart will be strengthened and encouraged to pray to the great High Priest Himself directly, because you will be reassured that "this man receiveth sinners" (Luke 15:2).

Choose the version of the Bible that for you is most readable. Enjoy a nourishing square meal!

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: January 7, 1999.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Let Us Choose Life!

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

Adam was a great man but he plunged the world into rebellion against God through sin. Sin brought death, not only the death that we call “sleep,” but the real thing--the total eternal end of life, what the Bible describes as “the second death.”

The Good News of the gospel declares that a “last Adam” or second Adam has entered our dark, doomed world, and has taken over the headship of the human race (1 Cor. 15:45). As we are all by nature “in Adam” with a verdict of condemnation hanging over our heads, so now “in Christ” we have a verdict of acquittal pronounced over us. Instead of a sentence of death, we have a sentence of life!

But all through the ages during these two millennia there have been some dear souls who thought that this Good News means that everybody will be saved eternally at last; this is known as “Universalism.” But the Bible does not teach Universalism.

God would like for “all men” to be saved eternally (1 Tim. 2:3-6).

(a) He takes no pleasure “in the death of the wicked” (Ezek. 18:23). In fact, their final ruin is terribly painful for Him to have to endure (cf. Rev. 8:1). Even today He is in agony when human beings, the creation of His love, endure it (Isa. 63:9). He repented in behalf of humans who repent because He became “the Lamb of God” and was baptized in John the Baptist’s baptism of repentance (Matt. 3:11).

(b) When humans choose irrevocably to reject the message of His much more abounding grace, they bring upon themselves the final ruin of the death that is the inevitable result of sin.

(c) To His great pain of heart, those who choose at last to be lost are in number “as the sand of the sea” (Rev. 20:8). The Bible does not teach the popular doctrine that God Himself has predestined them to be lost while He predestines other fortunate ones to be saved; the Bible is clear as sunlight--He predestines ALL to be saved; and Christ gave His blood for “ALL.” He will save all who do not frustrate or reject Him.

(d) But those in number “as the sand of the sea” have at last chosen to “frustrate the grace of God” (cf. Gal. 2:21), down to the last bitter end. Along with life and liberty and salvation the dear Lord has given us all the freedom of choice; all the angels in heaven cannot interfere with that or force us either way.

Oh, let us today choose life!

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: April 13, 2007.