Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone. What an ordeal for a servant of God! He was known by everyone for his piety and for his faith in God, and in consequence he had many enemies. Because of that, they do not believe it was really written by Daniel but claim it is a pious fraud written in the 160s B.C. In Daniel's response to the collapse of his own circumstances, we will learn what faithfulness to God looks like when the bottom does fall out. - that principle has significant application to the growth process, or the sanctification process, or the biblical counseling process,,,, - the ideas you place in your heart are going to have a significant impact on your behavior. God, our rock, our refuge, our redeemer, you know our circumstances, our needs, our fears, ourhopes and our dreams before we say anything to you. It means nobody else is- not the government, the law of the land, the market,the family, church leaders, your employer or anyone else. Look at verses 20 to 23. That next morning, I had a little free time at work and so I decided to share the joy. Daniel's Holiness In Daniel 2 and 7 God reveals to Daniel that there will be four great world-ruling kingdoms that impact the people of God before the coming of Gods Kingdom. You might be enduring your own personal "den of lions" right now, but remember that your circumstances are never a reflection of how much God loves you. Let them bring forth and show us what will happen; let them show the former things, what they were, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare to us things to come. 1.2.1. What genuine faith looks like when the bottom falls out If the book of Daniel were a fraud, the Jews would not have accepted it as Scripture. What had Daniel predecided? But he knew more of the consequence compromising would have on all who esteemed him and the affect it would have on his Father in heaven. Daniel was more at rest in the prison with the lions than Darius was in his palace with all his comforts and luxuries. - friend, Id like to ask you a question this morning.Did you have any opportunities this week to take a stand for God? - its time to purpose in your heart.. - its impossible to live like Daniel until you have established a personal relationship with God through trusting in the shed blood of Christ. He went up to the upper room of his house and opened the windows that faced toward Jerusalem. It produces within the believer the experience of Isaiah 26:3. An amazing prophecy in the book of Daniel is found in Daniel 8. The Medes and Persians had a foolish custom that once a law was passedeven a bad lawit could not be repealed. Daniel in the lion's den is one of the most familiar stories in the Bible. God can deliver those who trust Him from all evil - from a guilty conscience (Hebrews 10:22); from a sinful, unbelieving heart (Hebrews 3:12); from this present evil age (Galatians 1:4); from slander (Ephesians 4:31); from bad company (1 Corinthians 15:33); and from every kind of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). - and you could feel the pressure of the mold - someone was trying to make a a Babylonian out of you. Sometimes, you would have some vacation you didnt, By Brenda Cannon Henley Many of us are blessed to attend good churches where we are taught the Word of God by people who put in the effort to study, prepare, and present lessons that encourage, enlighten, and educate. Daniel stayed true to his traditions and teachings. They inspire and challenge us to also stand strong for God's truth and righteousness. - fret, fume, struggle and complain? Others also give us this type of example to follow: Stephen, Peter, Paul, Antipas. Yet skeptics today are questioning its accuracy and validity. - Daniel was able to be Daniel because of his love for and obedience to Gods Word. - its like when Job said --- I have made a covenant with my eyes, I will not look upon a maid. For me, the key verse in the entire writing is Daniel 1:8. As their health improved, they were permitted to continue with their chosen diet. Indeed you are nothing, and your work is nothing; he who chooses you is an abomination (Isaiah 41:21-24). - If you are going to be the kind of person who seizes the opportunities God gives you to prove your love and devotion to Him.then you are going to have to decide in your heart ahead of time to do so. Daniel the Prophet - Life, Hope and Truth Daniel lived out this kind genuine holiness. Prophecy 1: Alexander the Great. - he was the one who took Jeremiahs scrolland because he didnt like Gods message, cut it up and threw it in the fire. Daniel's Faith And God's Providence At Work. Almost all of the great men and women of the Bible had glaring faults recorded. - in Daniel 1:8 --- this key verse weve been studying ---- this word purposed in his heart, or resolved in his heart.is that same word tithami - what Daniel was doing in Daniel 1:8 is exactly what NT believers in Jesus Christ need to do if we want to grow.and its exactly what God wants us to do if we have the privilege of helping someone else grow.. - a critical piece of the equation is ---- what are you placing in your heart? Lets look at what this means for the average SUP rider. UBF Resources : Daniel's Life of Prayer / Daniel 6:1-28 Christiansthroughout the world and through history have faced such persecution. This conflict broke into open rebellion in 167 B.C. June 8, 2023 by Saxone. Here is this man carrying on just as if his enemies were not against him and determined to bring about his downfall. - how, he didnt know. - Im not a passive victim, Im an active moral agent.and what I have chosen to place in my heart is whats going to make the difference between taking a right stand for God or not. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); By Georgia Osten The 4th of July fell at an unusual time this year. 12:2 - to prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach - Phil. 1) I believe that there are some who need to hear that because you need to make up your mind about trusting Jesus Christ. time in 605 BC (as proven by Daniel 1:1,2). In this article we will see that the book of Daniel is a very inspiring book because of its fulfilled prophecies as well as its announcement that in the end God will establish His wonderful Kingdom. - later on Saturday, he and his wife and their son were spending time together around the pool at the hotel where the team was staying. - Daniels faith was in the fact that if he obeyed the Scriptures, God would take care of him. 6:1-28. Daniel 6. Probably not the way Daniel thought his day would go, being placed inside a lions' den because of his refusal to bow down to anyone but God. His backbone and sense of loyalty to God earned him the position of leadership in a godless kingdom. And yet you invite us to share our deepestlongings with you and to trust you in all situations. - so counseling becomes whatever is the latest fad of the day..like the Athenians in Acts 17 who spent their time in other other than telling or hearing some new thing. What God, Quantum Mechanics and Consciousness Have in Common His faith in God enabled him to escape the lions' den and the consequences that Babylon brought him. 12:2 - to prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach - Phil. How would you react to persecution? - in other words, what did you put in your heart?.what kind of a heart did you bring to the equation? He was fervent in his beliefs and not wishy-washy. - whats the answer? 7 LESSONS FROM DANIEL ABOUT FAITH - I Need A Word However, there would be those few that would show up to worship and all who knew them would not be surprised because their lives have shown nothing short of determined faith and loyalty to the Lord. - so he been forcibly removed from his home. - he was being schooled in Babylonian ways and customs.. - his name was changed to one that honored a Babylonian god. - and he was offered food and wine from the kings table. - what was unique about the food that was not true of the other facets of this trial? - so youve got the king of Judah on the one hand, despising and rejecting Gods Word, and this young teenager Daniel, loving and obeying Gods Word.and at the risk of his popularity, and his future, and his career, and his own life..was willing to stand up for Gods Word. Daniel saw a vision of a powerful ram that had pushed westward, northward and southward. Daniel 2. Out of jealousy the leaders under the king devised to destroy Daniel but knew that the only way they could be successful was to "find occasion concerning the law of his God." - Last Saturday morning, a Christian group named Athletes in Action gave Eugene Robinson the Starr award, named after football great Bart Starr and presented to the athlete who especially exemplifies high moral standards in the sport. You might think he had earned a little rest and relaxation for those retirement years, but God still was using the faithful prophet. Chapter five of Daniel is the flipside of chapter four. And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. How Organic Chemistry Convinced Me of the Creator, A Science Teachers Arguments Against Evolution, The Duck-Billed Platypus: A Wonder of Gods Creation, How Darwins Theory of Evolution Changed the World. (Daniel 6:23, NIV). Daniel was in the lions den, under arrest and forced to pray to God. The obvious conclusion is that the book of Daniel was written by someone who had been given supernatural revelation of a framework of future events. I believe the key to his success if found in Verse 8 of Chapter 1. It contains prophecies that are so precise that some who do not believe that God foretells the future cannot believe it was written in the sixth century B.C. The laws of the new kingdom were brutal and discriminatory. Who Was King Nebuchadnezzar in the Bible? In some measure this must be true of every Christian who is determined to be faithful to the Lord. Daniel knew the consequences of violating the decree. He is the author "Hope for Hurting Singles: A Christian Guide to Overcoming Life's Challenges.". God hears the prayers of the faithful! In chapter four, Daniel used King Nebuchadnezzar's conversion to affirm that the repentant reap the rewards of grace, however bleak their pasts. Jack Zavada is a writer who covers the Bible, theology, and other Christianity topics. What we face in post-Christendom western societies is not active persecution and 90-foot statues, but the smotheringinfluence of various hidden idols. When we bow our knees to Him and decide that no matter what comes along, we will not abandon our God, then He rewards us richly. Imagine getting such a message from heaven, "You are dearly loved! Through a life of hard work and obedience to God, he had risen through the political ranks as an administrator of this pagan kingdom. Nebuchadnezzar gave orders to his servants and militia that they were to chose children in whom was no blemish (Daniel 1:4), but well-favored, and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand (or serve) in the kings palace and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. Daniel wakes up and a new day is streaming in through the open windows. One of those men was Daniel. 1) Maybe it was in the area of ethics. However, the last empire prophesied is widely understood to be the Roman Empire, and it is described as being more powerful and stronger than the others. The keeper of the dock would know that the Christian's boat would be idle, that the Christian's golf clubs would be neatly tucked in the trunk of the car, and relatives would not question where there folks were during the time of worship. Daniels integrity contributed to respect for God and Gods people. The doors of opportunity were obvious on every hand and Daniel used them all to glorify his Master. - Many times he has taken a stand for God and has earned the respect of his teammates for being willing to do so. What Is the Bible's Definition of Temptation? Daniel was one of the young men taken back to Babylon to be trained as a civil servant. Lysimachus was king of Asia, to which belonged Thrace, Bithynia, and other places; and Seleucus was king of Syria, and of the eastern countries.. - heres where you really have to hold on tight. In fact, the only times that we weren't in the minority were when Adam and Eve were created and then directly after the flood. Had Daniel been weak in the faith he would surely have given up his worship of God, his prayer habit of years, and he would have found some excuses for not obeying the dictates of his enemies, but he remained loyal in the hour of testing.

Santa Barbara Nature Camp, Central Baseball Team, Articles H