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Lowell Brueckner

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A Kingly Conversion

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The Book of the Prophet Daniel

“… some stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire!” Hebrews 11:33, 34

Chapter 4:19-37                               A Kingly Conversion

19.  Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, "Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you." Belteshazzar answered and said, "My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies! 
20.  The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, 
21.  whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived— 
22.  it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. 
23.  And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, 'Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,' 
24.  this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, 
25.  that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. 
26.  And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. 
27. Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity."

God’s providential ways are unique and not according to the patterns of men. He sent Daniel as His ambassador to Babylon and to King Nebuchadnezzar, as a captive, supernaturally equipped with wisdom and a gift for interpreting spiritual messages. The enemy tried desperately to thwart the Lord’s purpose and neutralize His elected vessel in this godless society.

Samples of Dave's photography

I wanted to give a few examples of our son, Dave's,  photography this past year or so. Some of his work has been placed in a 2018 calendar, but don't you think they should find their place in a magazine? If any of you have connections with some kind of publication, please put in a good word. Contact me at loelmarga@telefonica.net and I will pass it on to him. Dave is also hired to do weddings. (For larger view, click on any photo)
























The Tree Dream

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The Book of the Prophet Daniel

“… some stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire!” Hebrews 11:33, 34

Chapter 4:1-18                                       The Tree Dream

1.  King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! 
2.  It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. 
3.  How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation. 
4.  I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. 
5.  I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me. 
6.  So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 
7.  Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation. 

This chapter tells one of the most amazing testimonies in all of Scripture and there are few that surpass it, in all the centuries of church history. It is the first person account of a world emperor, which he sent to his kingdom throughout the earth. In it, he praises God and relates his experience of conversion in the common Aramaic language. The writing is worthy of the quotes of a couple commentators:

Adam Clarke: This is a regular decree, and one of the most ancient extant (voc. note: still in existence); and no doubt contains the exact words of Nebuchadnezzar, copied out by Daniel from the state papers of Babylon, and preserved in the original language.”

Matthew Henry: The royal style which Nebuchadnezzar makes use of has nothing in it of pomp or fancy, but is plain, short, and unaffected. If at other times he made use of great swelling words of vanity in his title, now he laid them all aside; for he was old, he had lately recovered from a distraction which had humbled and mortified him, and was now in the actual contemplation of God's greatness and sovereignty. The declaration is directed not only to his own subjects, but to all to whom this present writing shall come - to all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth. He is not only willing that they should all hear of it, though it carry the account of his own infamy (which perhaps none durst have published if he had not done it himself, and therefore Daniel published the original paper), but he strictly charges and commands all manner of persons to take notice of it; for all are concerned, and it may be profitable to all.

The God Who Overrules

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The Book of the Prophet Daniel

“… some stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire!” Hebrews 11:33, 34

Chapter 3:13-30                               The God Who Overrules

13.  Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. 
14.  Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, "Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? 
15.  Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?" 
16.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 
17.  If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 
18.  But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." 
19.  Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. 
20.  And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 
21.  Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 
22.  Because the king's order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 
23.  And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. 

Nebuchadnezzar has constructed a costly and impressive idol and, from his high position over the population, he expects immediate and total consecration to it. This is not just an imaginative invention construed in the mind of the emperor; its construction was inspired by a religious experience that shook him to the core of his being. He is serious about this.

The Golden Superman Image

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 “some stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire!”   Hebrews 11:33, 34


                         Chapter 3:1-12  
              
1. King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 
2.  Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 
3. Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 
4.  And the herald proclaimed aloud, "You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 
5.  that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 
6.  And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace." 
7.  Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 
  

The Fourfold Image

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The Book of the Prophet Daniel

“… some stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire!” 
Hebrews 11:33, 34

Chapter 2:24-49  The Fourfold Image

24.  Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: "Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation." 
25.  Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said thus to him: "I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation." 
26.  The king declared to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?" 
27.  Daniel answered the king and said, "No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, 
28.  but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these: 
29.  To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. 
30.  But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind. 

Who, but God himself, could single out exceptional prayer warriors, among all the great men of the Old Testament, who particularly had power before His throne in prayer? Through Ezekiel, He mentioned only three… Noah, Job and Daniel (Ezek.14:14,20). We have already learned of some of the amazing spiritual qualities of this young man, Daniel. In the last lesson, we read of his prudence and discretion.

The God Who Dwells with Flesh

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The Book of the Prophet Daniel

“… some stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire!” Hebrews 11:33, 34

Chapter 2:1-23                      The God Who Dwells with Flesh   

1.   In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. 
2.   Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 
3.   And the king said to them, "I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream." 
4.   Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation." 
5.   The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, "The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. 
6.   But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation." 
7.   They answered a second time and said, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation." 
8.   The king answered and said, "I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm— 
9.    if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation." 
10.  The Chaldeans answered the king and said, "There is not a man on earth who can meet the king's demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. 
11.  The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh." 
12.  Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed.