Samuel Whitefield

We do our best to avoid the wilderness, but the man Jesus considered the greatest embraced an entire life in the wilderness.Are we too driven by non-biblical definitions of success to follow the ancient paths? If you are satisfied with influence, popularity, comfort, and success, you can avoid the wilderness. However, there are simply some encounters with God that are found only in the wilderness. Crowds are seducing, but the wilderness is where the fire burns, the burning bush appears, and God speaks.Many people use the words "wilderness season" only to describe a period of time that feels difficult or unproductive, so it has become common to call people to endure the wilderness and look forward to a time of greater fulfillment outside the wilderness. However, it is time to issue a new call: it is time to challenge a generation to embrace an entire life in the wilderness.The call to the wilderness is not a call to isolation. It is not a call to abandon our families or shirk our responsibilities, and for most, it is not a call to leave the place where the Lord has placed them. The call to the wilderness is an invitation to choose a life before the Lord that is not possible as long as we continue to give place and time to competing distractions and alternative affections.Jesus considered John the Baptist among the greatest of all human beings, but how many have carefully examined John's life to discover Jesus' definition of greatness? While many people avoid the wilderness, John's life will force you to answer a question: Will you choose the wilderness?

What is the message that turned the world upside down?In the first volume, we discovered Jesus referenced Daniel 7 more than any other passage. He used Son of Man as His primary title, and He used Daniel 7 as a concise summary of the gospel of the kingdom. We found that, if we miss the way Jesus used this one chapter, we can easily misinterpret His message. Furthermore, many of His statements become confusing.This raises a profound question: Did the apostles continue to use Daniel 7 as a foundation for their gospel?When we examine the New Testament carefully, we find something surprising: Daniel 7 was a framework the apostles repeatedly used to present the gospel of the kingdom. The main themes of the New Testament gospel are all found in this one Old Testament chapter.We have reduced the gospel to a individual decision to receive Jesus. This is part of the gospel, but it is incomplete. It is not the message the apostles died for. It is time to rediscover the apostles' gospel so we can boldly proclaim the same gospel they carried. Come, view the apostles' gospel through the lens of Daniel 7, and rediscover the message that turned the world upside down.

Jesus never used the title Messiah publicly and, instead, referred to Himself as the Son of Man 78 times. Why? The New Testament Gospels, as they are written, depend on Daniel 7. Jesus referenced this chapter far more than any other to reveal Himself as the divine Human and to declare His gospel. Jesus' first-century audience understood His message, but we have lost sight of the way Jesus presented His gospel. Our understanding of Jesus, our grasp of the biblical story, and our ability to clearly communicate the gospel have been seriously hindered by our not fully understanding one particular chapter in the Bible.Daniel 7 is not just an end-time chapter. Based on Jesus' words, Daniel 7 is a gospel-centered chapter and perhaps the premier summary of Jesus' majesty.If we do not know this chapter, we cannot fully grasp the gospel. Jesus commissioned us to carry the message found in this chapter to every people, but we cannot carry what we do not understand.Let Daniel open your eyes to the gospel as Jesus proclaimed it.

We live in a unique generation.For the first time in history, the church is facing two unprecedented challenges: Reaching every people group with the gospel; and Addressing a global controversy over Israel and its future. Most Christians read the Old Testament as a story about Israel and the New Testament as a radical shift from Israel's story to the story of the nations. However, Israel and the nations are deeply connected in both the Old and New Testament. The Great Commission is not a dramatic shift in God's plan, nor is it a new idea. It is the means of fulfilling God's promises to Israel and the nations. The New Testament is neither the beginning of God's purposes for the nations nor the end of Israel's story. In Israel and the Great Commission, discover: How the Old Testament lays the foundation for the Great Commission How Israel and the Great Commission are deeply connected How Israel's story continues in the New Testament How Paul understood God's plan to save Israel and the nations through the Great Commission How God's promise to Ishmael relates to Israel and the Great Commission How the Great Commission will be finished When we understand the overarching context of the Old Testament and Israel's story, we find God has a single redemptive plan for Israel and the nations. It is found in both testaments and ultimately fulfilled through the Great Commission.

For many believers the return of Jesus is a subject that seems confusing. When they hear someone speak about the end times, they can feel as if they've shown up for the last ten minutes of a movie without getting to see the first hour and a half.The end of a story always contains surprises, but It is a logical conclusion to the story. The key to understanding the end times is found in connecting the main themes of the end times with the overall redemptive story. Grasping these key points helps us make sense of the main themes of the end times.