It depends on whether I ever need forgiveness.
Reading:

Matthew 18:21-35

Jesus had said some things about confrontation, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Peter had a practical question about forgiveness. He even had what he seemed to think was a generous potential answer. Continue reading

Except the real trial happened before the fire!
Reading:

Daniel 3:19-29

Do you know what it feels like to face saucy uncooperativeness or defiant disobedience? No, I do not believe Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had such a spirit about them in this whole matter. But my question to you stands. Think about it… OK, now let’s move on here.

Here is what God had said, clearly and plainly, hundreds of years earlier (Exodus 20:3-5) and which these men took literally as to them personally in their time:

  1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
  2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
  3. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God…

What the king ordered them personally to do was just as plain and clear. So was their reply (Daniel 3:16-18): Continue reading