We spoke at length last time about the dual nature of the book of Daniel, a hybrid work that emerges from exile and speaks the word of God in the language of Babylon just as it speaks the word of God in the language of Judah. How is such a thing possible? We have been acclimated to the hyphenated-Americans for many years now, just as God's people eventually became Babylonian Jews not too long after the days of Daniel. But before that, no one had heard of Babylonian Jews. No one had heard the word of God written in Aramaic by Nebuchadnezzar himself, the great anti-Christ temple destroyer. How can we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land? Daniel is the first stab at answering that question from Ps 137, and boy does it hit the mark. We can sing the Lord's song in a strange land when we remember that God is still God of that strange land, and that in fact, it's His providence which has brought us to the strange land in the first place and told us to serve Him there. And thus, even in Babylon, defilement is optional. Purity is possible. Daniel, who has elements of prophet, priest, and king written all over him, proves it.

HELL DIDN'T DISAPPEAR BECAUSE WE QUIT PREACHING IT. [THE ETERNITY NOBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT] Luke 16:19–31; Revelation 20:15KJV Jesus Christ spoke plainly about eternal judgment because souls matter. Luke chapter 16 records the rich man and Lazarus. Both men died, but death did not end their existence. The rich man became consciously aware of judgment, remembered his earthly life, and discovered a great gulf that could not be crossed. Revelation chapter 20 describes the final judgment before the great white throne and warns that those whose names are not found in the book of life are cast into the lake of fire. Hell reveals the seriousness of sin and the holiness and justice of God. But judgment is not the end of the Gospel message. God loved the world and gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus Christ bore our sins at Calvary, shed His blood, died, and rose again. Therefore, no sinner has to face eternal judgment without hope. Salvation is available through Jesus Christ. The rich man became concerned about his five brothers only after it was too late for him to warn them personally. His concern reminds Christians to pray for and witness to the lost while there is still time.

What time is at hand? The time of reckoning, of great trouble, of deliverance, of resurrection, and of reward. Are you ready for the Great Tribulation? Or, will you be raptured with the church (believers in Jesus) before it comes? If you die what resurrection will bring you from your grave? The resurrection to eternal life or the resurrection of damnation as you go before the Great White Throne Judgment. Are you living for eternity? Or, are you living for things that will burn up when they are tried at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Friends, we implore you to be ready - for the time is at hand.

Hypocrisy is rampant in the church in our day, it was also a great problem in the day James lived in. We have a whole host of people today living a do as I say not as I do life. We are quick to tell everyone around us what to do, how to live, what to say, but then when it comes time to put it into action we are not willing to do it ourselves. Heavenly wisdom, when it fills the believer, makes honest people out of us, people of integrity, and desires to make us a people that can be trusted. Hypocrisy creates many issues within the church and the lives of the believer, but it creates more problems with those who are watching us, those that we are supposed to be living Christ in front of. We will examine some problems found in hypocrisy.