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This was the day that the faithful had waited for since Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden - and it is the day the faithful today look back to as the beginning of hope. This is the day that our Lord arose from the grave, proclaiming for all time that He had secured victory over death.

Lot had a problem. It's obvious that he had attained a position of some importance in Sodom. That is why the angels found him sitting by the gates to the city, the primary meeting place for city officials and other important people. That was where much of the city's business would be conducted.

The question of character has come up a lot in recent years, especially where it concerns our national leaders. But have you ever taken a good, hard look at your own character? Have you ever thought about what it takes to develop that thing - we call character? Have you ever considered what it means to be "mature and complete, not lacking anything?"

The people who followed Jesus to the other side of the lake were not unusual. In fact, their mindset was just like that of most people today. They wanted to know what they needed to do to be doing "God's work".

Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Feast was near.

Picture this scene: A courtroom somewhere in America. The air is alive with tension as the defendant, who is guilty as sin, stands before the Judge for his verdict. Without hesitating, the judge says, "Not guilty," slamming his gavel down with a boom. The defendant leaps for joy and says, "I KNEW I was going to get off!!" Doesn't really present a pretty picture, does it? Or does it.....

You are a Christian. You're active in church, playing a leadership role. You teach Sunday School, and work on one of the church's committees. Or you help with the youth group. Perhaps, in your spare time, you write lyrics for a Christian musical group. You actively tithe, giving more than ten percent to the church and to other ministries. You volunteer your time to a local ministry a few hours a week. You talk about the Lord a lot, telling everyone you can about Him. You are the epitome of what the world and the church think a Christian should be.

As we near the time of Christmas, we see the decorations going up. the people madly shopping for gifts. the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season. Now is the time to stop and reflect just why we really celebrate this time.

The sixth of the Ten Commandments is rendered like this in the King James Version of the Bible: "Thou shalt not kill." However, in modern translations, we find that verse to read, "You shall not murder." Does this mean the modern translators have changed God's Word?

"Blessed" means more than happiness. Happiness is fleeting. It is controlled by circumstances. Blessedness is unaffected by circumstance. Happiness comes from laughter, pleasure, earthly prosperity. Blessedness comes from God. Happiness can drive you crazy seeking it. Blessedness brings you peace and hope and joy. Happiness lasts only briefly. Blessedness is eternal.

Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, "Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?"

Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, "Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him."

By human terms, what Nebuchadnezzar was asking was irrational. It was not humanly possible to do what he was demanding that the astrologers do. Nebuchadnezzar became so angry that he ordered that every astrologer and wise man in Babylon be executed. This included Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The astrologers stalled, they argued, they got angry at the king. Daniel, on the other hand, dealt with the situation wisely. Faced with an irrational demand, Daniel requested time to accomplish the task the king had demanded. Granted time to pray, Daniel - through God's help - was able to accomplish the impossible.

Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were faced with a problem. They were determined to stick by their resolve, but one thing stood in their way. The chief official who had been placed in authority over them by Nebuchadnezzar was a man loyal to his king.

How many times have you heard it said, "Kids today are bound to get into more trouble than we did. There's so much more out there to tempt them." Or "Christian or not, I have to have a social life.