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October 16, 2009
NO MATTER WHAT FAITH!
NO ONE CAN DENY THAT WE ARE LIVING IN TROUBLED AND UNCERTAIN TIMES!
We seem daily to be reminded that we are living in:
Increase in sicknesses and disease, earthquakes,
threats from world leaders,commitments that
our nation has always made and had with Israel,
seem to be uncertain now….. What should we do?
The Internet is filled with rumors and speculations; Become a survivalist, buy a
gun (incidentally since the presidential election enough guns have been purchased
to outfit 2 armies! We are told to “Get ready for the tribulation…Obama is the
Antichrist, no he is not the Antichrist, this other guy is….etc.” What should the
people of God do?
There seems to be an attitude of mistrust and weariness that has set in, and
some even have backed off in their commitment to the local New Testament
Church and the cause of Christ!
I like what I see in the Book of Daniel. “There Is a God in Heaven!” Dan 2:28
This guy Daniel had such faith in God!
Things could not have been worse for Daniel. If only he had just backed off just a
little; If only he had not been so stubborn about the times of day he prayed and
how he prayed and where he prayed. If only he had just closed the windows of the
balcony, went into a closet and shut the door, and just whispered a prayer, or
better yet, just prayed silently he would not be in all the trouble that he was in.
But because of his unwillingness to compromise, he would soon be cast into the
lions den.
Darius the king, because of the trickery of those who were jealous of Daniel had
signed a law stating that no prayers were to be made to any god except Darius
himself for the next 30 days. Daniels enemies did this because they were jealous
of Daniels authority, and of the fact that he was respected and honored above all
of them. They knew that the only way to get him in trouble was because of his
faith in God.
Ins't that amazing? I wonder how many of us this could be said of... That the only
thing that someone might find to accuse us of is our faith? Peter writes; “For it is
better if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing than for evil doing.”
Daniel knew the law, and he knew the consequences for violating the law, yet he
went to his room and as was his custom, he prayed! This is the attitude of the
early Apostles who said; “We ought to obey God, rather than men”
He did not just pray 1 time, but 3 times daily in plain view. And now, he was to
pay the penalty. Soon he would be thrown into the lions den; soon the weight of
the hungry lions would be upon him as they pounced on him; soon his bones would
snap, pop and break from the force of the jaws and teeth of the lions; soon his
blood would gush out and splatter on the walls, and floor, and drip from the
mouths of those lions. Soon what was left of him would be on the floor of the den
with the lions still licking up the blood! This was his fate; this was his punishment
for being unwilling to compromise just for a little while till everything calmed
down!
We might ask; why not compromise?
After all, life is full of compromises; You have to adjust, and give a little
sometimes just to get along with others;
You can’t have everything you want!
We see this in marriage and in a family;
We see this on the job/career
In traffic; In govt’ in school
In all areas of life we are called upon to make compromises and rightly so- So
why was Daniel being so hard nosed and as some might say; "Foolish about this
matter of prayer to His God?"
Because it was not just an adjustment to the wants or peculiarities of others; It
was not just to let his wife control the use of the remote; It was not just choosing
chicken over beef; It had to do with the direct obedience or disobedience to His
God; and in this Daniel would not give one inch!
The Bible tells us in Hebrews 10:38; Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man
draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him.”
God is looking for a people who will not compromise; A people who are not hot
one day; cold the next; a people who are not lukewarm; a people who have not
left their first love; a people who are not worldly minded; a people who will not
draw back or compromise!
How In the face of all this pressure did Daniel keep from compromise?
Look in the latter part of verse 23: “and no matter of hurt was found upon him,
because he believed in his God.”
Daniel would not compromise quite simply because He believed in God!
Jesus said; “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid; ye believe in
God, believe also in Me!”
The ability to face trial and hardship comes because of our faith in God! Daniel
believed in His God-The word of God was saturating him; “Thy Word have I hid in
my hearth, that I might not sin against God”
What kept Daniel from compromise and will also keep us, is Faith in God and
being focused on His Word!
We in our nation are indeed facing increasing pressures and it is tempting to find
any solution to find relief. Yet, we must not do anything contrary to the Word of
God! We must be bold in our God! We must speak out for righteousness-not a
political party or viewpoint, but speak only what our God calls righteous! We must
proclaim Christ and Him crucified! This is the only hope our nation has of survival!
We as the scripture says, have “sown the wind and reaped the whirlwind!” Do not
waste your time and efforts trying to solve things any other way than by the
proclamation of the Gospel! Anything else leads to compromise!
NO MATTER WHAT FAITH!
NO ONE CAN DENY THAT WE ARE LIVING IN TROUBLED AND UNCERTAIN TIMES!
We seem daily to be reminded that we are living in:
- Uncertain economic times
- Uncertain political times
- Uncertain health care solutions
- Uncertain world conditions
Increase in sicknesses and disease, earthquakes,
threats from world leaders,commitments that
our nation has always made and had with Israel,
seem to be uncertain now….. What should we do?
The Internet is filled with rumors and speculations; Become a survivalist, buy a
gun (incidentally since the presidential election enough guns have been purchased
to outfit 2 armies! We are told to “Get ready for the tribulation…Obama is the
Antichrist, no he is not the Antichrist, this other guy is….etc.” What should the
people of God do?
There seems to be an attitude of mistrust and weariness that has set in, and
some even have backed off in their commitment to the local New Testament
Church and the cause of Christ!
I like what I see in the Book of Daniel. “There Is a God in Heaven!” Dan 2:28
This guy Daniel had such faith in God!
Things could not have been worse for Daniel. If only he had just backed off just a
little; If only he had not been so stubborn about the times of day he prayed and
how he prayed and where he prayed. If only he had just closed the windows of the
balcony, went into a closet and shut the door, and just whispered a prayer, or
better yet, just prayed silently he would not be in all the trouble that he was in.
But because of his unwillingness to compromise, he would soon be cast into the
lions den.
Darius the king, because of the trickery of those who were jealous of Daniel had
signed a law stating that no prayers were to be made to any god except Darius
himself for the next 30 days. Daniels enemies did this because they were jealous
of Daniels authority, and of the fact that he was respected and honored above all
of them. They knew that the only way to get him in trouble was because of his
faith in God.
Ins't that amazing? I wonder how many of us this could be said of... That the only
thing that someone might find to accuse us of is our faith? Peter writes; “For it is
better if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing than for evil doing.”
Daniel knew the law, and he knew the consequences for violating the law, yet he
went to his room and as was his custom, he prayed! This is the attitude of the
early Apostles who said; “We ought to obey God, rather than men”
He did not just pray 1 time, but 3 times daily in plain view. And now, he was to
pay the penalty. Soon he would be thrown into the lions den; soon the weight of
the hungry lions would be upon him as they pounced on him; soon his bones would
snap, pop and break from the force of the jaws and teeth of the lions; soon his
blood would gush out and splatter on the walls, and floor, and drip from the
mouths of those lions. Soon what was left of him would be on the floor of the den
with the lions still licking up the blood! This was his fate; this was his punishment
for being unwilling to compromise just for a little while till everything calmed
down!
We might ask; why not compromise?
After all, life is full of compromises; You have to adjust, and give a little
sometimes just to get along with others;
You can’t have everything you want!
We see this in marriage and in a family;
We see this on the job/career
In traffic; In govt’ in school
In all areas of life we are called upon to make compromises and rightly so- So
why was Daniel being so hard nosed and as some might say; "Foolish about this
matter of prayer to His God?"
Because it was not just an adjustment to the wants or peculiarities of others; It
was not just to let his wife control the use of the remote; It was not just choosing
chicken over beef; It had to do with the direct obedience or disobedience to His
God; and in this Daniel would not give one inch!
The Bible tells us in Hebrews 10:38; Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man
draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him.”
God is looking for a people who will not compromise; A people who are not hot
one day; cold the next; a people who are not lukewarm; a people who have not
left their first love; a people who are not worldly minded; a people who will not
draw back or compromise!
How In the face of all this pressure did Daniel keep from compromise?
Look in the latter part of verse 23: “and no matter of hurt was found upon him,
because he believed in his God.”
Daniel would not compromise quite simply because He believed in God!
Jesus said; “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid; ye believe in
God, believe also in Me!”
The ability to face trial and hardship comes because of our faith in God! Daniel
believed in His God-The word of God was saturating him; “Thy Word have I hid in
my hearth, that I might not sin against God”
What kept Daniel from compromise and will also keep us, is Faith in God and
being focused on His Word!
We in our nation are indeed facing increasing pressures and it is tempting to find
any solution to find relief. Yet, we must not do anything contrary to the Word of
God! We must be bold in our God! We must speak out for righteousness-not a
political party or viewpoint, but speak only what our God calls righteous! We must
proclaim Christ and Him crucified! This is the only hope our nation has of survival!
We as the scripture says, have “sown the wind and reaped the whirlwind!” Do not
waste your time and efforts trying to solve things any other way than by the
proclamation of the Gospel! Anything else leads to compromise!
