| Daniel 7:9-10 | The Dominion of the Son of Man | Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis | |
| | Pentecost | |
| In a vision from the LORD, Daniel saw a heavenly court sitting in judgment, with thrones placed, and the Ancient of Days in his fiery throne, his garments as white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool. A stream of fire came out from before him, and a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. In the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, who came and was presented before the Ancient of Days. To this Son of Man was given dominion and glory and a Kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his Kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. Jesus of Nazareth is this Son of Man. |
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| Daniel 12:1-3 | Shine Like Stars | Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis | |
| | Pentecost | |
| At the end of Daniel’s revelation, he sees that Michael, the angelic prince of the LORD, will deliver and defend Israel. At a time of unequaled oppression and distress, with Satanic attack being waged against God’s people, the Lord will defend his people and deliver them. God grants the promise that those who sleep will be resurrected, some to everlasting life and others to everlasting contempt. Those who are delivered and who will be glorified in the Kingdom will shine like the brightness of the heavens, like stars in the Kingdom of their Father. |
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| Hebrews 11:32-40 | The Just Shall Live By Faith: Concluding Word | Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis | |
| | Pentecost | |
| In this amazing chapter on faith, the writer suggests that time would fail him to write of all those worthy examples of old who walked by faith in God: Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets – those who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. He briefly listed the amazing feats of those who dared to trust in God – women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated – of whom the world was not worthy – wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
All of these saints, those whom he covered in detail and these whom he referred to quickly, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because “God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” All the believing are seen as one fold, one company, one communion, one family – all sojourning to the city whose maker and builder is God. |
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| Luke 7:1-10 | The Just Shall Live By Faith: Centurion | Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis | |
| | Pentecost | |
| On one occasion, at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, he entered Capernaum. A centurion had a sick and dying servant whom he highly valued. On hearing about Jesus, he sent Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. With the centurion lauded by all, Jesus went with the elders, but when he was close to the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Jesus, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” On hearing this, Jesus marveled at the centurion, turned to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” The centurion understood that all authority was given to Jesus, and only a word was sufficient for his will to be done. When the centurion’s friends returned to the house, they found the servant well. |
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| Mark 9:14-29 | The Just Shall Live By Faith: Father of the Demoniac Son | Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis | |
| | Pentecost | |
| Once, a father brought his son to Jesus who had a spirit that made him mute, seizing him, throwing him down, with the boy foaming at the mouth, grinding his teeth, and becoming rigid. Jesus’ disciples could not cast him out, and Jesus asked him to bring his son before him. When the spirit saw Jesus, he convulsed the boy, who fell on the ground, rolling about, and foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked how long the boy had suffered in this way, and the father replied that he had suffered since childhood. The dad asked Jesus, however, if he could do anything, to have compassion and help them both. Jesus retorted,“ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father cried out, saying, “I believe; help my unbelief!” Jesus rebuked the spirit, who came out of the boy, who was like a corpse, but Jesus took him by the hand and he arose. The strength of our faith is less important than the One in whom we place it. Jesus is sufficient, even when our faith is weak and worn. |
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| Mark 7:24-30 | The Just Shall Live By Faith: Syrophenician Woman | Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis | |
| | Pentecost | |
| When Jesus had gone into the region of Tyre and Sidon, he desired no one to know, but could not avoid being seen. A Gentile woman, a Syrophoenician by birth, fell at the feet of Jesus and asked him to cast an unclean spirit out of her little daughter. Jesus told her that it was right for the children to be fed first, and that it was not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs. On hearing this, she answered,“Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Jesus told her that for this statement she could go her way, for the demon had left her daughter. And the Gentile woman went home, and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone. Her persistent faith had led our Lord to be gracious to her. |
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| Luke 1:26-38 | The Just Shall Live By Faith: Mary and Gabriel | Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis | |
| | Pentecost | |
| In the sixth month, when Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth to Mary, a virgin. Gabriel said that God highly favored her as a recipient of his grace. He told her not to be afraid, and predicted that she would conceive and bear a son, and call him Jesus. He would be great, and called the Son of the Most High, receiving from him the throne of his father David, and reigning over the house of Jacob forever. Of the child’s kingdom there will be no end. When Mary asked how would this be, seeing she was a virgin, the angel told her that the Holy Spirit would come upon her, overshadowed by the power of the Most High, and therefore the child to be born would be called holy – the Son of God. Without hesitation or question, Mary replied in faith to Gabriel, saying, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” She accepted the angel's testimony as the truth, and believed in God’s power to grant his words to her. |
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| Esther 4:1-17 | The Just Shall Live By Faith: Esther | Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis | |
| | Pentecost | |
| With the plot to kill all the Jews of the empire at the hands of Haman about to be birthed, Esther understood well what the stakes were in her inadvertent crashing the audience of the king. If he failed to welcome her into his presence, she could lose her life. Mordecai was convinced that God would act on the behalf of the Jewish people, even if she did not intervene. But he reassured her that God’s entire intent in making her queen could have been this moment of intercession. Esther resolved to carry out Mordecai’s plan, even if it meant her death. She merely asked Mordecai to fast for three days, and she and her maids would do the same – and if she perished, she would perish. Her intercession led to the salvation of her people, all because of the courage of her conviction, and willingness to lose all for the sake of others. |
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| Daniel 6 | The Just Shall Live By Faith: Daniel and the Lion's Den | Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis | |
| | Pentecost | |
| During the reign of King Darius of Persia, the two administrators and 120 satraps tried to entrap Daniel on some basis in order to find an accusation against him. But finding Daniel above corruption and completely trustworthy in his duty, they devised a plot to ruin him on the basis of his devotion to God. They suggested to the king that for 30 days he should be the sole object of worship. Those seeking help from any other god, without the king’s express leave, was to be put to death by being thrown into a den of lions. Daniel, on hearing of this plot, continued to pray three times daily to God for the salvation of his people, praying toward Jerusalem. The leaders confronted Darius with the news of Daniel’s defiance, and demanded his death, as the king decreed. With no legal way to free Daniel, the king ordered Daniel’s death, in sync with the unchanging Medo-Persian custom. God delivered Daniel, closing the mouths of the lions, and the king rewarded the plotting leaders with the ignoble death they had planned for Daniel. By faith, Daniel was delivered by God, and refused to compromise his devotion to God, even on threat of death. |
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| Daniel 3 | The Just Shall Live By Faith: The Three Hebrew Boys | Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis | |
| | Pentecost | |
| Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were confronted with the inglorious option of either suffering death or bowing down and worshiping the golden image which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon had set up. With great courage and without hesitation, they affirmed to the king that they did not need to provide an answer to his wicked option. While admitting that the One whom they served was able to deliver them from the burning fiery furnace, they told him that even if he did not, they would not serve his gods or worship his golden image. In a fit of rage, he cast them into the oven, where they were joined by another, a fourth man – one who looked like a son of man, and they were not hurt in the least by the flame. Their testimony impacted the king greatly, proving that faith demands the determination not to bow in the face of intimidation and threat. |
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| Isaiah 37:14-38 | The Just Shall Live By Faith: Hezekiah and Sennacherib | Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis | |
| | Pentecost | |
| When threatened by the powerful and boastful Assyrian army, Hezekiah encouraged the people not to be afraid of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, and his continual reviling of the LORD and his people. Rather, Hezekiah went to Isaiah, the prophet of the Lord, requesting intercession and help from the Lord. He also prayed to the LORD for deliverance, affirming God as the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, and the God of all the kingdoms of the earth. He pleaded with God to save Judah from the hand of the king, in order that all the kingdoms of the earth might know that he alone was the LORD. God heard their prayers, and defeated the Assyrians with a single angel in a single night, showing himself to be the true God, and Lord of all. |
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| 2Chronicles 20:1-20 | The Just Shall Live By Faith: Jehoshaphat | Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis | |
| | Pentecost | |
| Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, when he was threatened by the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, did not rely on his own strength, military genius, or national resources to fight and defeat them. Rather, living by faith in the Lord’s promise, reminded God that he was the ruler of the kingdoms of the nations, the Lord of all. He affirmed his powerlessness against that great horde, and confessed his ignorance as to what to do. He placed his eyes squarely on God, and the Lord delivered Israel from the threat of annihilation. Jehoshaphat believed God, and praised God with the choir leading the army, even before the fight. We too should cling to his promise, and keep our eyes on God, from whom does all our help come. |
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| Hebrews 11:32 | The Just Shall Live By Faith: David and Goliath | Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis | |
| | Pentecost | |
| The young David, fortified by his faith in the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, was able to defeat the champion Goliath, who defied him openly in the presence of Saul and his army. David depended on the wisdom and power of God to deliver him, trusting not in sword, spear, or javelin, but in the name of the LORD. God granted to him a great victory, revealing that the LORD does not save with sword and spear, for the battle is not ours but the LORD’s. |
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| Hebrews 11:32 | The Just Shall Live By Faith: Samson | Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis | |
| | Pentecost | |
| As one of the judges, Samson is mentioned as an exemplar of faith. Even though his career was uneven, revealing moments of moral compromise, in the end God granted him great victory for he trusted in God for the deliverance of his soul and the defeat of God’s enemies. Samson teaches us that the faith walk may not necessarily be without its stumbles and speed bumps, but, to those who trust God, his promise will in fact come to pass. |
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| Hebrews 11:31 | The Just Shall Live By Faith: Rahab | Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis | |
| | Pentecost | |
| In the faith walk, it does not matter what your background is. As a Gentile, a woman, and an outcast, Rahab the prostitute seems an unlikely exemplar of the faith walk. Nevertheless, by clinging to the Word of God, she put her own life at risk, giving a friendly welcome to and harboring the spies from Joshua. Because of her faith, she did not perish with the inhabitants of Jericho, but saved herself and her family when it was conquered. Like her, we can take comfort that living by faith is open to any and all who will live by the Word of God, and trust him in the midst of trial. |
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| Hebrews 11:30-31 | The Just Shall Live By Faith: Jericho | Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis | |
| | Pentecost | |
| By faith we can have victory over our enemies, using God’s methods and working within his timing, even as the Israelites did when they encircled Jericho for seven days according to the Word of Lord. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, for God Almighty was with his people and fulfilled his promise to deliver their enemies into their hands. We too, like them, can experience God’s victory in our lives as we cling to his promise, acting on his Word, and obeying his unique way and trusting in his timing to provide. |
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| Hebrews 11:23-29 | The Just Shall Live By Faith: Moses | Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis | |
| | Pentecost | |
| The power of faith is illustrated plainly through Moses’ life and his experience in Egypt. His life begins with the faith of his parents, who hid him for three months, spurning the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when grown, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with God’s people than enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sinful Egypt. By faith he left Egypt, kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, and with the people crossed the Red Sea on dry ground, with Pharaoh’s army drowning within it. We, like Moses, can choose the reproaches of Christ rather than waste our lives with the pleasures of this world. |
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| Hebrews 11:17-19 | The Just Shall Live By Faith: Abraham and Isaac | Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis | |
| | Pentecost | |
| God tested the faith of the patriarch Abraham, who believed God, even when he was called on to make of his son Isaac a sacrifice. Although this seemed to contradict God’s own promise that Isaac would be the heir, Abraham clung faithfully to God’s word, and transcended his own feelings to hold fast to the God who could even raise his son from the dead. So too, we must learn to obey God in the midst of trials and difficulties, counting on God to fulfill his word even in the face of extraordinarily difficult moments of testing. God has not forgot, and will fulfill his word to those who trust in him. |
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| Hebrews 11:7 | The Just Shall Live By Faith: Noah | Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis | |
| | Pentecost | |
| We should strive to imitate the faith of Noah, who clung to God’s Word in the face of opposition and persecution. Having been warned by God concerning the Flood even as yet unseen, he constructed an ark in reverent fear for the saving of his household. Through his faith he thus condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. |
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| C.A.P. 2012 Session 4: Representing God | Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis | |
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