Wed.’s Devo - Power Over Sin

Read: Daniel 9:1-11:1; 1 John 2:18-3:6; Psalm 121:1-8; Proverbs 28:27-28 Darius the Mede came to the throne of Babylon. During his first year, Daniel was sitting reading the prophecies of Jeremiah and learned from them that Israel would be in captivity for seventy years. Daniel clothed himself in sackcloth and ashes and prayed the prayer of repentance for his nation and himself. He confessed their sins and prayed for mercy. He was visited by the angel Gabriel who was sent to give him understanding. Seventy sets of seven had been decreed for his people and Jerusalem and then it would be the end of the sin and the time of atonement. From the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One comes into Jerusalem to be killed will be seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven. When the Anointed One dies it will look like he accomplished nothing and a ruler will arise and destroy the city and the Temple. (This was the exact time from when Cyrus decreed the rebuilding of the Temple to Ezra till Jesus died on the cross.) The end will come with a flood and war and miseries will be from that time to the very end. The ruler will make a treaty with the people for seven years but after half of this time, he will put an end to sacrifices and offerings. He will set up an idol that will desecrate the Temple and it will remain till his time is up. After Darius died, Cyrus the Persian came to power. Daniel had been fasting for three weeks when he had a vision of the future wars and hardship. It was the month of Passover and Daniel saw a man dressed in linen with a gold belt. His body looked like a precious gem and his face like lightning. His eyes famed like fire and his feet shone like bronze. His voice roared. There were men with Daniel, but he was the only one who saw it. Daniel went weak and pale and fell face to the ground. A hand touched him and lifted him up praising Daniel for being so special to God. He was sent to tell Daniel that God had heard his prayers and he was sent to answer them. He had been held up by the prince of Persia who was the spiritual prince over Persia and it took Micheal to help him break through. Michael was Israel’s prince. The next prince that will reign will be the prince of Greece. I would guess this was Gabriel talking, and he was sent to tell Daniel what was written in the Book of Truth. We will read what he said tomorrow. John reminds us that there have been many antichrists in the world but the one that comes in the end will be the Antichrist who embodies them all. An antichrist is anyone who believes lies and denies the Father and the Son. You can’t have one without the other. To believe in God’s son is to believe in God but you can’t believe in God without believing in Jesus. John gives us a clear teaching on sin. To live in Christ is to live sinless. Sin is breaking God’s law and Jesus came to take our sin away. If we continue to live in Christ, we will not sin but if we keep on sinning we do not know or comprehend who he is. Lord, that we might know you and the power of your resurrection and the fellowship of your sufferings that we might be made conformable to your death.