Full Transcript for What if God Doesn't Answer? // Hala Zananiri

the heart of God. 00:02:43.950 --> 00:02:52.110 I mean, even like I was trying to get like even how many years God actually warned them, and Pastor David talked about this last week. 00:02:52.350 --> 00:02:58.350 I mean, Jeremiah for 40 years, he was just warning the people, don't worship any other God. 00:02:58.510 --> 00:03:07.870 It was, you know, idolatry is worshiping another God other than the living God, which that word sometimes we think, oh, well, we don't worship another idol. 00:03:08.030 --> 00:03:25.310 But idolatry can be anything that's uh worshiping that that takes our heart, and you know, could be money, could be job, could be career, could be sex, could be relationship, could be all sorts of ways where it's it takes a priority over worshiping him. 00:03:25.870 --> 00:03:34.350 So the Jeremiah warned for 40 years, then we had Zephaniah, all these prophets, you see them in the books in the Old Testament. 00:03:34.510 --> 00:03:36.830 Some of them, their mission, that was their whole mission. 00:03:36.990 --> 00:03:38.750 Can you imagine having a job like that? 00:03:38.990 --> 00:03:44.670 We're like, that's your mission for 40 years, just to warn the people, to give them a chance. 00:03:44.830 --> 00:03:56.110 And then before that, we had Isaiah, and then many, many centuries before that, is like we go all the way back to Moses and Deuteronomy 28. 00:03:56.270 --> 00:04:00.430 So I'm always like, wow, why do people keep saying that the Old Testament is harsh? 00:04:00.590 --> 00:04:01.950 God is so merciful. 00:04:02.110 --> 00:04:06.350 Like, you know, if if we were God, we probably like, you know, three times you're out. 00:04:06.510 --> 00:04:08.510 Like we wouldn't give them any chances. 00:04:08.670 --> 00:04:10.670 Nobody really gives them many chances. 00:04:10.830 --> 00:04:17.629 Um, so that to me, like, always a background in in my understanding to this, because it's just ministers to me a lot. 00:04:17.709 --> 00:04:19.230 I'm like, thank you, Lord. 00:04:19.469 --> 00:04:33.789 Because his heart was even when they were sent to captivity, so the north, which is Israel, Assyria came and took over, took them away, and then the south, which is Judah, the Babylonian came and took them to Babylon. 00:04:33.949 --> 00:04:37.629 And that's where the story lands today at the book of Daniel. 00:04:37.789 --> 00:04:42.909 So Daniel was one of the ones who was taken to Babylon because of that. 00:04:43.069 --> 00:04:55.949 So, you know, one thing I thought of, I mean, Daniel may have been innocent and like, well, he was young, like so, you know, sometimes I think sometimes we like we don't think of a community thinking. 00:04:56.109 --> 00:04:58.589 We think, well, my decisions affect me only. 00:04:58.829 --> 00:05:04.430 I feel like the decisions of a nation, of people, of families, many times affect many people. 00:05:04.509 --> 00:05:09.870 So these were young men uh that were taken captive to Babylon. 00:05:10.029 --> 00:05:16.829 So there were three um, you're like, well, I don't want to know all this history, but that helps you lay kind of the background to the story. 00:05:16.990 --> 00:05:22.029 There were three invasions by Babylon, and Daniel was taken in the first one. 00:05:22.189 --> 00:05:28.189 Um, so if we can go to Daniel chapter 1, um verse 5. 00:05:29.149 --> 00:05:39.629 So they they took these young men and they they were supposed to eat and drink the food of the king for three years, then show themselves before the king. 00:05:39.870 --> 00:05:49.949 Um so the Daniel 1, 5, it says the king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate and of the wine that he drank. 00:05:50.189 --> 00:05:56.509 They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. 00:05:56.750 --> 00:06:02.990 Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. 00:06:03.549 --> 00:06:05.149 So verse 8. 00:06:05.870 --> 00:06:13.629 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food or with the wine that he drank. 00:06:13.870 --> 00:06:19.229 Therefore, he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. 00:06:19.389 --> 00:06:24.669 And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs. 00:06:24.829 --> 00:06:26.750 I love that word resolved. 00:06:26.909 --> 00:06:30.029 Actually, this morning when I woke up, I was thinking even more about it. 00:06:30.189 --> 00:06:40.349 So the word resolved, and it could be different words in your in your different translations, but in the Hebrew it means to purpose in your mind and your heart. 00:06:40.589 --> 00:06:43.949 So he made up his mind, he won't be defiled. 00:06:44.109 --> 00:06:51.870 Do do we make up our mind when we go into situations, or we just wait and kind of go with whatever happens? 00:06:52.029 --> 00:06:55.069 Because that's how he could, that's how he did not compromise. 00:06:55.229 --> 00:06:56.829 He actually made up his mind. 00:06:57.069 --> 00:07:00.029 He purposed, he will not be defiled. 00:07:00.189 --> 00:07:04.029 And so you might think, well, what's the big deal with the king's food and wine? 00:07:04.189 --> 00:07:05.789 What's what was that about? 00:07:06.189 --> 00:07:20.269 So there's different reasons why he wouldn't eat it, but one thing in history, it tells you that the Babylonian, any food that was given to the kings uh and from the king's table actually was first uh given to idols. 00:07:20.430 --> 00:07:25.149 So that food was was kind of placed to worship idols and was given to them. 00:07:25.310 --> 00:07:27.310 So he would not defile himself. 00:07:27.549 --> 00:07:31.310 And I and that decision, but the Lord gave him favor. 00:07:31.949 --> 00:07:38.349 You know, you have to make up your mind first, not like go in a situation, then decide if you're gonna compromise or not. 00:07:38.589 --> 00:07:39.709 He made up his mind.

00:07:39.870 --> 00:07:43.229 He was and he didn't even know what the outcome could be. 00:07:43.469 --> 00:07:50.829 Like many times we want to see what the outcome is before we decide, well, if I can get away with it or not get away with it. 00:07:50.990 --> 00:07:55.149 I mean, here he's in Babylon, he could really, nobody knows him there. 00:07:55.310 --> 00:08:00.430 I mean, do we compromise when nobody sees us, or we think, well, nobody will know. 00:08:00.669 --> 00:08:04.669 I mean, no, like nobody will know what I do, but actually God does. 00:08:04.750 --> 00:08:11.389 And here, I feel like every turn, wherever he took a stand, God actually blessed him. 00:08:11.469 --> 00:08:12.829 Like here, he gives them favor. 00:08:13.149 --> 00:08:19.229 He said, Okay, he told them, uh, eat your food and your drink, and we'll check in 10 days. 00:08:19.389 --> 00:08:27.870 So they checked back in 10 days, and they were healthier than all the other people who were eating the king's food and wine. 00:08:28.109 --> 00:08:36.029 Um, so it he it was it was more about, it wasn't even if you think about it, it wasn't about the food and drink, it's about his stance not to compromise. 00:08:36.190 --> 00:08:37.549 Like he's in Babylon. 00:08:37.629 --> 00:08:43.470 Like I was when I think of that, I'm like, he's in a foreign land, they're young, they're 15, 17, maybe, age. 00:08:43.629 --> 00:08:48.909 That's a very young, young man to actually kind of take that stance. 00:08:49.149 --> 00:08:52.269 But that's that's just a blessing how he did that. 00:08:52.429 --> 00:08:57.309 And the result was um Daniel 1.20. 00:08:57.870 --> 00:09:10.669 It says they were found 10 times better than all the magicians and the enchanters that were in all his kingdom, and God, you know, that so it's just wonderful when he took a stance. 00:09:10.829 --> 00:09:18.669 I always wonder, um, I don't know if you go back to times in your life where you felt like um you were pushed to compromise. 00:09:18.750 --> 00:09:26.350 And and the one thing I like, Daniel had friends that were like him, that actually stood like him. 00:09:26.509 --> 00:09:34.590 I think it's important the company we keep, because many times we um we're just in the wrong group of people. 00:09:34.909 --> 00:09:37.069 Those people don't want to honor God. 00:09:37.309 --> 00:09:41.789 And they're actually, and even if you're trying to resolve, you have that pressure. 00:09:41.949 --> 00:09:45.069 I mean, peer pressure is real now, social media, all that. 00:09:45.230 --> 00:09:53.069 We, you know, I I um always think that sometimes we because we want to, we're in a culture where we have to please people. 00:09:53.230 --> 00:10:01.789 But when it comes to our life and eternity and and being in right relationship with God, some things we have to cut off our out of our life. 00:10:01.949 --> 00:10:05.309 They may be hard, but to me, I want to have friends like that. 00:10:05.470 --> 00:10:12.110 I want to have

friends actually that would tell me when I'm trying to veer off, oh, hold up, no, no, you're making the wrong decision. 00:10:12.269 --> 00:10:19.549 Or if I don't have that strength like Daniel to resolve that word, like I woke up at five thinking about that word. 00:10:19.629 --> 00:10:22.429 I'm like, he resolved, he just made up his mind. 00:10:22.669 --> 00:10:28.029 He like, it wasn't like, oh, change me, convince me, influence me, you know. 00:10:28.110 --> 00:10:36.429 And we've all been there, we've been places maybe we did not have that resolve, but this is what God is inviting us to this morning. 00:10:37.069 --> 00:10:47.870 Um, and then you know, the story, one thing about the when you read the Bible and all in actually in the whole Bible, when you go from a chapter to another, it doesn't mean immediately it happened. 00:10:48.029 --> 00:10:55.549 This and it helps you to know, like sometimes years happen between a chapter and another, because we think they happened in sequence, and that's not the case. 00:10:55.710 --> 00:11:11.470 And I was actually even trying to figure out how much time passed between an event and another, and I thought, wow, like that speaks more to me because I realized this person still continued to be the same way they were, like 10 years ago, then 15. 00:11:11.549 --> 00:11:18.669 It's like somehow that faithfulness was was continuous in their life, and I want I want to be that way. 00:11:18.829 --> 00:11:23.309 I really want uh that so um so then then we move on. 00:11:23.470 --> 00:11:28.669 Um so the second chapter talks about the dream of Nebuchadnezzar Nazar. 00:11:29.069 --> 00:11:39.629 Uh so two main um, they were uh in the Bible, they were kind of two big dreams, and the thing about it, God gave them to heathen rulers. 00:11:39.789 --> 00:11:44.189 The first one was a big one, was uh you remember the Pharaoh and Joseph? 00:11:44.350 --> 00:11:52.909 That was a big dream, and God, in even in that opportunity, he invited uh Joseph to be instrumental in that to bring glory. 00:11:53.069 --> 00:11:55.230 And then here we have Daniel. 00:11:55.629 --> 00:12:03.069 So Nebuchadnezzar Nazar, he was like, somebody needs to tell me what the dream is and the interpretation, both. 00:12:03.230 --> 00:12:06.829 Can you imagine somebody to tell you, read my mind and translate it? 00:12:07.629 --> 00:12:14.189 So these magicians really have no power, so they were like scared, they couldn't do it. 00:12:14.669 --> 00:12:19.470 And uh Daniel chapter 2, verse 16. 00:12:20.269 --> 00:12:24.909 Um, I'll I I mean he kind of Daniel here we see Daniel stepping in boldness. 00:12:24.990 --> 00:12:33.389 So it says, and Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time that he might show the interpretation to the king. 00:12:33.629 --> 00:12:38.669 He stepped in boldness, said, Well, just give me time so I can tell you what the dream is. 00:12:38.909 --> 00:12:40.029 Well, that's bold. 00:12:40.110 --> 00:12:41.549 What if he doesn't get it? 00:12:42.189 --> 00:12:51.470 You know, you know, in our Christian walk, I think we need to come out of that uh place of um being not scared, maybe that's not the right word, being timid. 00:12:52.269 --> 00:12:57.789 We're timid to step out, we're timid to serve God, we're afraid to talk to people on the job. 00:12:58.029 --> 00:13:04.029 We somehow we we're we're living under these rules of the word, not God's rules. 00:13:04.269 --> 00:13:07.949 Because the rules of the word, like don't offend somebody, don't tell somebody the truth. 00:13:08.110 --> 00:13:14.509 If you're telling the truth, you know, just fix it, make it like sound like applicable to everybody, change the wording. 00:13:14.669 --> 00:13:15.710 This is not God. 00:13:15.949 --> 00:13:26.829 Here, I mean, we see in the word of God, I mean, obviously everything has to be done with love, but here we see a man who steps out in boldness, say, just give me time, I'm gonna tell you what it is. 00:13:26.990 --> 00:13:29.629 Can you imagine if he comes with the wrong thing? 00:13:29.870 --> 00:13:32.750 I'm thinking his head will be chopped off for real. 00:13:32.909 --> 00:13:34.509 He was gonna kill them all. 00:13:34.750 --> 00:13:37.389 So he goes, what does he do? 00:13:37.789 --> 00:13:44.909 He asks his buddies, the buddies we talk about that you need to have in your life, to pray about it. 00:13:45.149 --> 00:13:50.829 That's why I love life groups, that we can, you know, have a community to pray together. 00:13:51.389 --> 00:13:55.230 You know, we we have to the church is the community. 00:13:55.470 --> 00:14:03.470 That's why I mean I talk to people sometimes, even at work, and when I find out like they they don't have that, and I'm like, well, that's what we need the church. 00:14:03.549 --> 00:14:08.429 There's people who don't go to church, but that's where you are not lonely because you have that community. 00:14:08.590 --> 00:14:11.309 You have people who can pray with you, pray for you. 00:14:11.549 --> 00:14:15.389 Uh, we have text groups that we pray for each other throughout the week. 00:14:15.549 --> 00:14:16.429 I mean, it's beautiful. 00:14:16.590 --> 00:14:28.269 And here he goes to the house and made the matter known to his friends and told them to seek mercy from the Lord so that nobody will be destroyed because the the king was gonna destroy everybody. 00:14:28.509 --> 00:14:30.590 So, God, what does God do? 00:14:30.829 --> 00:14:34.590 He gives him the dream, he tells him what the dream and what it meant. 00:14:34.829 --> 00:14:41.149 So he goes back to Nebuchadnezzar Nazar, and um I'm probably saying that word wrong. 00:14:41.309 --> 00:14:48.429 Um, but uh you know these names are not English, so you can say them, you know, kind of anyway. 00:14:48.590 --> 00:15:02.350 Sometimes I listen to the Bible on on tape because I want to make sure I'm saying the words wrong right, but then I could read in another language and

they're different, so you know, so so Daniel chapter 2, verse 27. 00:15:02.750 --> 00:15:15.069 Daniel answered the king and said, he said, No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers, astrologers can show to the king the mystery uh that the king has asked. 00:15:15.149 --> 00:15:22.669 But there's a God in heaven who reveals mysteries and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. 00:15:22.829 --> 00:15:31.069 Honestly, to even say, like he comes in boldness and he gives the glory to God to even acknowledge that it's another God, not you. 00:15:31.230 --> 00:15:32.750 That's a big step. 00:15:33.069 --> 00:15:34.429 But he's like, you know what? 00:15:34.590 --> 00:15:42.110 And in I to me, like when you live, one thing that the Bible says that eunuchs were in charge of them. 00:15:42.350 --> 00:15:50.590 And it doesn't say that in the Bible, but in history, anybody who served in the Babylonian kingdoms, they had to be eunuchs. 00:15:50.750 --> 00:15:57.629 And there was a prophecy uh by Ezekiel that eunuchs would be taken from Judah, but we don't know that for sure. 00:15:57.789 --> 00:16:07.309 But then I thought about it, if Daniel was made eunuch to serve in Babylon, that means he wouldn't have prospect of marriage or children, but we don't know that for sure. 00:16:07.389 --> 00:16:17.309 But if he did, like he he still was faithful to God, no matter that he couldn't have this and this and that, a normal even life like any other person. 00:16:17.549 --> 00:16:30.269 So, but he he's like like he kind of set his face like the Bible says when you set your face like a flint, like you just determine this is the life I want to live, this is the faithfulness, I want to be faithful to you. 00:16:30.509 --> 00:16:38.829 So he interprets a dream and uh he gives him, he tells him the dream and interprets the dream, and it was accurate. 00:16:39.149 --> 00:16:43.549 And at the end, what's a good result from his obedience? 00:16:43.789 --> 00:16:47.470 The king said, Your God is definitely the God of. 00:16:47.949 --> 00:16:54.110 I love how the king says, Truly, your God is the God of gods and Lord of kings. 00:16:54.429 --> 00:16:59.309 I mean, he's he's a heathen, but he's professing that truly your God is the God. 00:16:59.710 --> 00:17:05.870 And then he gave him high honors and many gifts and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon. 00:17:06.029 --> 00:17:08.590 And then Daniel's like, what about my friends? 00:17:08.829 --> 00:17:11.069 And the friends were also given positions. 00:17:11.230 --> 00:17:13.230 I like that he didn't forget about his friends. 00:17:13.470 --> 00:17:23.549 Can you imagine what a wonderful thing to have him and his friend ruling in a heathen nation where they can make an influence and be godly example? 00:17:23.869 --> 00:17:34.670 So sometimes we we shy away from um from being in places of influence when that is the very good place to be in, you know. 00:17:34.910 --> 00:17:37.950 We don't because we're not meant to be hiding in the corners. 00:17:38.109 --> 00:17:40.190 Jesus said, You are the light of the world. 00:17:40.349 --> 00:17:46.109 So I'm not sure the light only lights when it's you know not under cover. 00:17:46.509 --> 00:17:50.509 You know, so sometimes I don't know why we think we have to hide. 00:17:50.670 --> 00:18:00.509 I remember a few years ago, I forget what was going on, and people were building banks to go hide somewhere, uh, you know, because of end times or fear. 00:18:00.589 --> 00:18:03.470 And and I when I thought of that, I'm like, we're supposed to be the light. 00:18:03.549 --> 00:18:09.309 We're supposed, the word needs to be to be in contact with us, not us hiding. 00:18:09.470 --> 00:18:14.589 If it's at the work job, if it's at the school, like you know, our light needs to shine. 00:18:14.670 --> 00:18:20.829 And here Daniel was was truly shining his light and uh everywhere he went. 00:18:21.069 --> 00:18:27.069 Um, and then he like you know, we kind of move on uh in the in the story. 00:18:27.309 --> 00:18:34.190 So chapter three, um actually, believe it or not, it's like 15 years later, or me even more. 00:18:34.430 --> 00:18:44.829 So, see the time is going on, and then we have Nebuchadnezzar, he builds a huge golden image made out of gold. 00:18:44.990 --> 00:18:48.109 Can you imagine with today's gold how much that cost? 00:18:48.589 --> 00:18:49.309 It's a lot. 00:18:49.629 --> 00:18:55.950 So, and then they but they said everybody has to bow down and worship that idol. 00:18:56.190 --> 00:18:59.950 So then now we have the three friends, which they have Babylonian names. 00:19:00.029 --> 00:19:11.470 They gave them Babylonian names, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo, and they refused to bow down to that image because they said they know that they will not bow down to any other god. 00:19:11.950 --> 00:19:28.349 Um so if we go to Daniel chapter 3, verse 13, then Nebuchadnezzar, in furious rage, commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo be brought, and they brought these men before the king, and he's still giving them another chance. 00:19:28.509 --> 00:19:32.029 He said, When you hear the music, you know, bow down to me. 00:19:32.190 --> 00:19:34.990 You know, have you have you felt like, oh no, I won't do that? 00:19:35.069 --> 00:19:40.750 But then the pressure kept getting on, and you're like, okay, I'm gonna, I'll bow down. 00:19:40.910 --> 00:19:46.589 Because he give he's giving them another chance to basically, you know, deny their faith. 00:19:46.829 --> 00:19:49.710 And verse 16 is like so amazing. 00:19:50.109 --> 00:19:58.990 Uh, it says, Chadrach, Meshach Abindigo answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 00:19:59.150 --> 00:20:09.470 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 00:20:10.029 --> 00:20:19.629

But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. 00:20:19.950 --> 00:20:24.509 Wow! And the word that here stands out to me, if not. 00:20:24.670 --> 00:20:29.309 So they believe God can deliver them, but what if he doesn't? 00:20:30.029 --> 00:20:36.990 I mean, would you would you stay faithful if you don't get the answer from the Lord that you expect? 00:20:37.710 --> 00:20:44.589 And does that affect you know why you're faithful, or are we faithful because we think this is gonna be the outcome? 00:20:44.910 --> 00:20:58.990 See, I mean I love that if not, and one thing that uh trials and um hardship and um crisis actually it doesn't actually make our character, it kind of reveals it. 00:20:59.230 --> 00:21:05.150 So when we're under the fire and under crisis and under the heat, first of all, it's because it's like a mirror. 00:21:05.309 --> 00:21:07.629 A mirror doesn't change how we look. 00:21:07.710 --> 00:21:09.470 You we wish sometimes it does. 00:21:09.629 --> 00:21:11.950 You know, we're like, oh, can you make me thinner? 00:21:12.109 --> 00:21:15.069 Uh now it's scary, AI can do that. 00:21:15.629 --> 00:21:23.629 I actually loaded a picture of mine and I told AI to make me 25 pounds less, and it was kind of scary. 00:21:24.670 --> 00:21:26.589 It was like, goodness, it does that. 00:21:26.670 --> 00:21:29.470 It's you know, it's like what people do with this stuff. 00:21:29.549 --> 00:21:39.389 So, but I mean, in mirror, a mirror you look and you are who you are, and it's Ryal many times kind of reveal things that we don't realize they're there. 00:21:39.549 --> 00:21:44.269 Maybe it's an old um trauma you never dealt with, and it's like, where'd that come from? 00:21:44.430 --> 00:21:55.549 I thought I am healed from this, I thought I'm uh free from this, but it kind of you know reels its ugly head, and that's an opportunity when you see something like this. 00:21:55.789 --> 00:22:02.750 What you the decisions you make during crisis or hardship is what makes your character, not by itself. 00:22:02.990 --> 00:22:09.389 Everybody goes through hardship, but you see the difference how people turn out is what decisions they made during that time. 00:22:09.549 --> 00:22:10.589 And what do you choose? 00:22:10.670 --> 00:22:12.269 Do you choose faithfulness to the Lord? 00:22:12.349 --> 00:22:15.950 You're like, Lord, you didn't answer my prayers, you didn't do what I thought. 00:22:16.430 --> 00:22:28.029 You would do, and I've honestly I've been there where I had expectations from the Lord that didn't come out the way I thought, and I had disappointment, like unmet expectation. 00:22:28.109 --> 00:22:36.349 You're like, Lord, I thought you're gonna do this, you're gonna do that, and that for a while kind of like you know throws me in a place, but then you have to decide again. 00:22:36.430 --> 00:22:39.869 No, I'm gonna continue to be faithful, and God is God. 00:22:40.190 --> 00:22:45.549 I mean, if if a heathen king can say he's the Lord of Lords, he is a true God. 00:22:45.789 --> 00:22:56.269 So I believe, even no matter what, even if not, even if you don't deliver me from the fiery furnace, then I'm still gonna serve you, I'm still gonna be faithful. 00:22:56.750 --> 00:23:01.950 And uh one thing about that fire, I can't imagine honestly, like you know, you hear a lot about house fires. 00:23:02.029 --> 00:23:13.710 They tell you a house fire, uh, like the temperature of a house fire is like 1,100 degrees, and they tell you kind of can last with that temperature for 27 minutes. 00:23:14.029 --> 00:23:27.069 But here it was heated seven times, and they say it's possible this fiery furnace where he threw they threw them is where they made that huge golden idol. 00:23:27.629 --> 00:23:37.309 So that means it's even much, much hotter to actually the temperature you put to actually melt gold is much higher than an average temperature. 00:23:37.549 --> 00:23:44.509 And on top of that, this is Babylon, which is present-day Iraq, which they have a lot of uh the black pitch. 00:23:44.829 --> 00:23:47.629 That means this fire was outrageous. 00:23:47.869 --> 00:23:53.869 So the people the people who actually threw them in, they they they they died from the flame of the fire. 00:23:53.950 --> 00:23:57.869 Just the people who were coming close, they were killed. 00:23:58.190 --> 00:24:02.670 Um, so while they were in this fire, um, I love that. 00:24:02.750 --> 00:24:15.150 So King Nabu Gad Nasser, he gets up and he looks and I'm like, wait a minute, we put three people there and they put them bound, and I see four people in the fire walking, unbound. 00:24:15.549 --> 00:24:20.750 They were not um that's uh Daniel 3 um25. 00:24:21.470 --> 00:24:28.990 Uh he answered and said, But I see four men unbound walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt. 00:24:29.069 --> 00:24:33.069 And the appearance of the fourth is like the son of the gods. 00:24:33.629 --> 00:24:35.789 You know, that's the difference in life. 00:24:36.109 --> 00:24:37.869 We all will go through trouble. 00:24:38.029 --> 00:24:50.349 If you believe in Jesus, if you don't believe in Jesus, life is not rosy, and if you've been alive long enough, you know that you will go through trouble, you'll go through hardship, you'll go through hard situations. 00:24:50.509 --> 00:24:54.750 If the difference is, first of all, who's on your side, who's on your team? 00:24:54.990 --> 00:25:02.990 You know, I had to go to games to watch uh my kids playing up, and you know, it was so nice when you had a good group of team. 00:25:03.150 --> 00:25:10.509 I remember one game, the whole game was defense because the team was not great, you know, and you're just defending your goals. 00:25:10.670 --> 00:25:14.349 But I mean, we need we need a team that can be offensive too, you know. 00:25:14.509 --> 00:25:16.029 So who's on your team? 00:25:16.269 -->

00:25:23.869 If we have him on our team, imagine here they were in the fire, and even if they didn't come out, wow, he was with them in the fire. 00:25:24.029 --> 00:25:26.670 They were they were walking freely, unbound. 00:25:26.990 --> 00:25:27.470 Wow. 00:25:27.629 --> 00:25:28.750 Like it doesn't matter. 00:25:28.829 --> 00:25:30.750 That that's the difference, honestly, in life. 00:25:30.910 --> 00:25:41.710 I I I got saved when I was 10, and I think at the age of 14, when I completely dedicated my life to the Lord, and um I actually did ministry back in my country. 00:25:41.950 --> 00:25:49.950 And um I mean, I remember life since then has, you know, there were so much different situations and hardship. 00:25:50.109 --> 00:25:55.150 But the one thing, because I invited him in my life and he was walking with me. 00:25:55.389 --> 00:25:57.470 There were times, you know, I was discouraged. 00:25:57.549 --> 00:26:07.470 There were times like, you know, I didn't know what my resolve was, but then I would always say, okay, I I definitely did not want him not to be on my side. 00:26:07.629 --> 00:26:14.829 I definitely didn't want to walk alone, and that that helped a lot because then in those times when I didn't understand, he was with me. 00:26:15.069 --> 00:26:26.750 And even to me, I feel like understanding that the outcome, many times we don't know what the outcome of our life, what the answers of prayers will be, what's tomorrow gonna look like. 00:26:26.910 --> 00:26:29.629 And maybe we should spend less time thinking about that. 00:26:29.789 --> 00:26:32.670 I think we spend so much time, okay, God, you didn't do this. 00:26:32.910 --> 00:26:33.629 What about this? 00:26:33.789 --> 00:26:34.269 What about this? 00:26:34.509 --> 00:26:36.670 If we what if we just stay faithful? 00:26:36.910 --> 00:26:40.910 What if we say, Lord, I trust you, I want to be faithful today? 00:26:41.150 --> 00:26:55.389 And as we do, I mean, I see every, even every chapter of this book, they made that decision and God showed up greatly, and somehow the outcome was much better than they thought. 00:26:55.629 --> 00:26:59.789 Because they said, Well, if not, hey, we're still gonna serve you. 00:26:59.950 --> 00:27:05.230 You know, the um the first century Christians, they went through so much. 00:27:05.470 --> 00:27:13.230 I mean, they literally, many of them, if they denied, if they would, if they don't deny their faith, they were throwing them to the arenas. 00:27:13.789 --> 00:27:18.589 Um, when I read, you know, in the past some of that history, it's like amazing. 00:27:18.750 --> 00:27:20.670 They would throw the Christians in the arenas. 00:27:20.990 --> 00:27:22.670 These these people did not deny Christ. 00:27:22.990 --> 00:27:27.629 Some did, but some did not deny him and were willing to go to the end. 00:27:27.789 --> 00:27:34.190 Now, God may not ask that of you, but I feel like a life, a life without him is not worth living, really. 00:27:34.430 --> 00:27:39.389 Because you're on your own fighting all this stuff, and we don't know, we don't know what to do. 00:27:39.470 --> 00:27:41.549 We don't have answers to all our problems. 00:27:41.789 --> 00:27:48.509 Um, I um one thing that when I first moved uh into our house, we had an issue. 00:27:48.589 --> 00:27:51.309 Every once in a while, the laundry room would flood. 00:27:51.710 --> 00:27:53.150 And I'm like, what is going on? 00:27:53.309 --> 00:27:59.150 We didn't, we couldn't figure it out, and then we did some stuff, and we thought, oh, this is good, it's fixed. 00:27:59.470 --> 00:28:06.109 Then a few years later, we talk a few years later, it flooded again, and I'm like, oh no, why is that? 00:28:06.190 --> 00:28:09.950 Like, you know, flooding is not fun when you have water everywhere. 00:28:10.109 --> 00:28:20.109 Uh, but then we realized something that every time the temperatures were very low, that's when it flooded because something would freeze behind the wall. 00:28:20.349 --> 00:28:23.470 So then somebody gave us a good idea of cutting a hole and all that. 00:28:23.629 --> 00:28:36.029 But that I remember at the time it taught me something that many times when we're in stressful conditions or hardship, it actually reveals things, it brings things up to the surface. 00:28:36.349 --> 00:28:42.750 And that's when that's when the opportunity is sometimes we get the temptation to bury it back up. 00:28:42.910 --> 00:28:44.430 We're like, well, I don't want to deal with it. 00:28:44.509 --> 00:28:52.109 I liked even that we had to cut a hole in the wall and expose that area to the heat of the house because then it doesn't freeze up like that. 00:28:52.190 --> 00:28:54.029 It actually hasn't since then. 00:28:54.190 --> 00:29:03.230 Um, but you know, when when that's opportunity, when you see things rise up out of your life, that's when the opportunities say, okay, something is off here. 00:29:03.389 --> 00:29:04.269 What can I do? 00:29:04.430 --> 00:29:13.150 And again, I would say that's why when we are in a church community and we're in life groups, uh, we cannot fix ourselves by ourselves. 00:29:13.309 --> 00:29:18.910 We need, we need, we need the Lord, we need the word, we need the body, we need the community. 00:29:19.230 --> 00:29:27.069 Like, you know, I sometimes when people come where I work and tell me how they live alone and don't see anybody, I really get so stressed hearing that. 00:29:27.150 --> 00:29:27.950 I'm like, why? 00:29:28.029 --> 00:29:28.349 Why? 00:29:28.430 --> 00:29:30.670 You know, we're not supposed to live like that. 00:29:30.910 --> 00:29:38.589 And here um they um, you know, verse, if you go back to chapter Daniel, verse uh, where are we? 00:29:38.750 --> 00:29:52.190 Verse 27, he saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men, the hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. 00:29:52.589 --> 00:29:53.230 Nothing.

00:29:53.389 --> 00:30:03.869 If I cook just a little meal with, you know, if you barbecue or something, we stink from top to, you know, you kind of smell like the fire here, nothing, nothing. 00:30:04.109 --> 00:30:09.549 And honestly, to me, they were willing to be killed, to die for this. 00:30:09.789 --> 00:30:12.269 Like they said, if not, doesn't matter. 00:30:12.430 --> 00:30:16.589 But God honors, it kind of reminds me of the story of Abraham and Isaac. 00:30:16.750 --> 00:30:24.509 You know, I Abraham was willing to offer Isaac, and that's you know, his obedience, faithfulness, and then God spared him. 00:30:24.750 --> 00:30:30.430 And then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, Abindigo in the province of Babylon. 00:30:30.589 --> 00:30:31.549 Again, promotion. 00:30:31.710 --> 00:30:40.990 Somehow, somehow, when people we somehow, when we um, I think we actually get worse income outcome for our life when we compromise. 00:30:41.309 --> 00:30:45.789 Because here, every time they're faithful, God actually blesses them. 00:30:46.029 --> 00:30:53.710 Because when we compromise, first of all, sometimes those friends you compromise for in two years they might not be your friends anymore. 00:30:53.950 --> 00:31:00.190 Have you ever noticed that even friends from high school, sometimes we think we're gonna be friends and buddies for life? 00:31:00.430 --> 00:31:02.750 A few years down the road, people don't see each other. 00:31:02.829 --> 00:31:04.269 I mean, I don't know if you have that experience. 00:31:04.430 --> 00:31:07.789 I know some of my boys don't see their high school friends ever. 00:31:08.029 --> 00:31:20.910 So it's like, you know, those kind of relationships, I feel like that's why the right relationship, the friendships that the Lord brings through us, through his body, people who have, you know, the same values, people who want to grow in him. 00:31:21.230 --> 00:31:26.509 And you know, growth of character is honestly something we need to really work on. 00:31:26.589 --> 00:31:32.670 If what are you what situation are you going through right now, and what decisions are you making in those situations? 00:31:33.069 --> 00:31:35.470 Are you choosing to be faithful to the Lord? 00:31:35.710 --> 00:31:43.230 Um, are we choosing to say, to know that God is a good God, no matter how the situation looks like? 00:31:43.470 --> 00:31:49.470 I mean, these people, I really believe these people were sent to Babylon to be a testimony for him. 00:31:49.950 --> 00:32:10.430 Because I mean, um, even when we move on, and actually years now go by, many, many years, probably another 50 years goes by for another story that we're gonna go to, and we see that these same people, but then God does a different thing. 00:32:10.750 --> 00:32:15.230 So uh Daniel chapter 4, actually chapter 6. 00:32:15.470 --> 00:32:17.470 Um, so then what happens? 00:32:17.629 --> 00:32:29.549 Uh God God still has a the plan for Israel because so now they went to captivity, but I think next week we'll be talking about uh when they actually be restored back to Jerusalem. 00:32:29.710 --> 00:32:50.589 But one thing, so the Babylonians were taken over by the Medes and Persians, and so Daniel chapter 6, we have Darius, who was the king of the Medes and Persian, and somehow in in a time period less than a year, he he actually respects Daniel so much. 00:32:51.069 --> 00:33:00.269 And I was just even when I was reading that chapter, I'm like, and I was looking at the timeline, I'm like, how did he make an influence on this guy in less than a year? 00:33:00.589 --> 00:33:03.150 You know, sometimes we think we need a lot of time. 00:33:03.309 --> 00:33:04.269 I guess not. 00:33:04.509 --> 00:33:15.389 He made he made um that they actually call him with an excellent spirit, like Daniel had an excellent spirit, and it's mentioned both in chapter 5 and chapter 6. 00:33:15.549 --> 00:33:17.069 What's an excellent spirit? 00:33:17.230 --> 00:33:23.069 It's a spirit who, you know, where God is in him, where when people see his life, he's a testimony. 00:33:23.389 --> 00:33:26.990 Um so then um people were jealous. 00:33:27.150 --> 00:33:32.190 You know, people can be jealous, and they they're not always gonna want us to walk with God. 00:33:32.430 --> 00:33:41.629 So just a heads up when you tell your friends, and if you have friends like that or people that don't want to walk with God, definitely cut them out. 00:33:41.789 --> 00:33:45.629 You can still love people, but you don't need those in your close circle. 00:33:45.869 --> 00:33:50.349 Um, you know, Dave Ramsey always talks about cutting credit cards with a scissor. 00:33:50.670 --> 00:33:52.430 Kind of you can do the same. 00:33:52.589 --> 00:33:54.029 Like, you know, cut them. 00:33:54.190 --> 00:34:04.349 The reason is because if we and we we it's hard for us to minister to other people if we don't separate our lives and our stance from them. 00:34:04.509 --> 00:34:06.829 Because that's what you can minister back to them. 00:34:06.910 --> 00:34:11.789 You know, if you're doing the same stuff they're doing, they're not gonna listen to anything you have to say. 00:34:11.869 --> 00:34:12.829 Is that true? 00:34:12.990 --> 00:34:17.950 But I feel like we we love people and we need to separate our lifestyle. 00:34:18.110 --> 00:34:20.349 You know, we're in the word, but we're not of the word. 00:34:20.510 --> 00:34:21.789 That's what the Bible says. 00:34:21.869 --> 00:34:24.829 Uh, and we can still be a testimony to everyone. 00:34:24.989 --> 00:34:35.389 Um, so here, those jealous people, they went to the king because they told him you need to write a degree that anybody who doesn't worship you will be thrown in the lion's den. 00:34:35.869 --> 00:34:45.630 I mean, they have all these people every time, like, okay, they're trying to um actually, you know how when people try to do things against God, God brings it for his glory. 00:34:45.949 --> 00:34:49.710

These people, they meant one thing, but it turned out something good. 00:34:50.030 --> 00:34:52.590 So then he said, Oh, okay, sure, sure. 00:34:52.750 --> 00:34:59.230 And then he they write a degree that anybody who doesn't worship him will be thrown in the lion's den. 00:34:59.710 --> 00:35:06.909 So then he um Daniel, when he heard the degree, immediately went to his house and opened the windows and started praying. 00:35:07.150 --> 00:35:08.190 Like, who does that? 00:35:08.269 --> 00:35:13.869 Like, you know, maybe when you hear something like that, you're like, Oh, I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go to my house and just close the doors. 00:35:14.030 --> 00:35:19.389 So, but he goes on purpose to his house, opened the windows, and starts praying. 00:35:19.550 --> 00:35:23.949 It's like he's trying to tell them, I'm not gonna bow down to this degree. 00:35:24.269 --> 00:35:32.909 And uh he opens a window, prays, and of course they go tell on him, and then they they take him to throw him in the lion's den. 00:35:33.230 --> 00:35:38.590 But one verse really caught my eye, uh, Daniel 6, 16. 00:35:39.230 --> 00:35:45.389 Here Darius says, May your God whom you serve continually deliver you. 00:35:45.550 --> 00:35:46.030 Wow. 00:35:46.269 --> 00:35:50.269 Basically, he kind of believed that your God can deliver you. 00:35:50.590 --> 00:35:53.389 And then he went and started fasting for Daniel. 00:35:53.550 --> 00:35:57.869 Wow, that's a good that's an interesting, like um kind of backward thing. 00:35:58.030 --> 00:36:04.909 He's going to, because he didn't want him to die, but he already signed that decree and it cannot be uh revoked. 00:36:05.230 --> 00:36:10.509 So then um, of course, the Lord seals the lion's mouth. 00:36:10.670 --> 00:36:12.110 Isn't that amazing? 00:36:12.349 --> 00:36:18.110 Of course, you know, I I read something in the book of Josephus, it's like a Jewish historian. 00:36:18.349 --> 00:36:28.030 He says that at the time, these people who were against Daniel, they went back and said that, well, the lions were not hungry, that's why they didn't eat Daniel. 00:36:28.429 --> 00:36:43.230 They literally, that's written in history, but then here uh after they Daniel came out of the den, they he threw those those people who came against Daniel in the lion's den, and the lions ate them up right away. 00:36:43.309 --> 00:36:44.590 So I guess they were hungry. 00:36:44.750 --> 00:36:49.710 So that prediction, it's the same when people try to say that Jesus wasn't resurrected. 00:36:49.869 --> 00:36:52.269 Oh, his disciples stole his body. 00:36:52.429 --> 00:36:58.829 It's like it's it's like, but I mean it's it's just backfires, those kind of thoughts and ideas. 00:36:59.070 --> 00:37:08.509 So then what happened that after this, King Darius declares in all the kingdom that everybody will be worshiping the living God. 00:37:08.909 --> 00:37:18.349 So, you know, this to me like is such an encouraging when I think of the faithfulness of Daniel and his friends and how the Lord blessed him in his life. 00:37:18.429 --> 00:37:36.110 And and I was thinking today, maybe you're sitting there and you say, Well, I have not been faithful, I haven't resolved, I I messed up, I I kind of made the wrong decisions, but that's today like it's an invitation to first of all to invite him on this journey of your life. 00:37:36.269 --> 00:37:38.909 Is is he with you where you're in this difficult place? 00:37:39.070 --> 00:37:41.150 Have you invited him in this difficult place? 00:37:41.389 --> 00:37:49.550 I know um one of the verses in uh Revelation 3.21, uh, when Jesus said, I stand at the door and knock. 00:37:49.789 --> 00:37:54.829 Years ago when I was younger, I used to think that was actually for people who didn't know God. 00:37:55.150 --> 00:38:00.750 And then one day I'm like, wait a minute, this is actually when I start studying, I'm like, this is the same to the churches. 00:38:00.989 --> 00:38:02.670 So why is he outside the door? 00:38:02.750 --> 00:38:04.829 And why isn't he's he not coming in? 00:38:04.909 --> 00:38:17.389 And that always speaks to me that you know he could be, you know, maybe you come here, maybe you you feel like you know him or you're saying, but he still hasn't been invited to sit at your table. 00:38:17.550 --> 00:38:22.829 He hasn't been invited to, you know, when you eat with people, that's a form of communication and fellowship. 00:38:22.989 --> 00:38:26.750 And actually, in Old Testament time, eating with people also can be a covenant. 00:38:26.909 --> 00:38:34.909 So when you when you haven't invited him to come into your circle, to sit at your table, um, to be there with you. 00:38:35.070 --> 00:38:41.949 Like here, they invited him because they declared them, and he was with them in the fire, he was with Daniel in the lion's den. 00:38:42.269 --> 00:38:45.070 And that that's who I want to be in my whole life. 00:38:45.230 --> 00:38:47.309 And I just want to encourage you today. 00:38:47.469 --> 00:39:03.630 Um, if we can stand and uh and just um I feel like some of you maybe you're kind of feeling beating yourself, maybe, and feeling like, well, I haven't been faithful, like I I hear Daniel is. 00:39:03.869 --> 00:39:08.989 Um, maybe you know, you're there was the areas of compromise when you knew better. 00:39:09.150 --> 00:39:16.750 Um maybe there's um just relationships that's in your life that needs to be, that you need to make the hard decision. 00:39:16.909 --> 00:39:26.989 You know, making hard decisions is one of the the kind of greater things to develop character when we make those hard decisions that actually will free us. 00:39:27.309 --> 00:39:29.230 And um, I just want us to pray. 00:39:29.309 --> 00:39:44.989 I don't know if you if that resonates with anybody, but if you can start today, but resolving, determining in your heart, you know what, even though I haven't been faithful in areas in my life, I kind of gave the towel because I was

disappointed. 00:39:45.150 --> 00:39:47.309 I've been disappointed many times in life. 00:39:47.469 --> 00:39:56.509 I've I can tell you stories after, but I've learned to come back from them, and I know God is still good, God, and He has great plans for my life. 00:39:56.670 --> 00:40:04.429 And maybe I thought it was gonna be this way, but I'm still gonna trust him that he says he worked all things for our good. 00:40:04.590 --> 00:40:12.030 Even here, when you read the story, every situation worked for the good, and somehow promotion and elevation came out of it. 00:40:12.269 --> 00:40:14.670 So I just want to invite you to that. 00:40:14.989 --> 00:40:22.030 Um, maybe there's some situation that's like uh it's been like a mirror, and you don't like what you see. 00:40:22.190 --> 00:40:31.230 You're like, hmm, I don't like what I see about myself, I don't like how I've been acting, I don't like how I've been talking to people, I don't like that anger I see in me. 00:40:31.389 --> 00:40:36.190 And I just want to invite you, you know, we start with one simple word, repentance. 00:40:36.429 --> 00:40:39.070 Just say, Lord, I forgive me. 00:40:39.230 --> 00:40:48.590 I just want to, you know, we can recommit our lives to the Lord, even though if you already know Him, you can recommit your life and say, Lord, I want to be faithful. 00:40:48.750 --> 00:40:55.230 Um, I want my character to grow, I want what's going in my life to to bring me closer to you. 00:40:55.389 --> 00:41:00.989 You know, I want to use, I want to say this sentence, maybe it's inaccurate in English, but don't waste your sufferings. 00:41:01.150 --> 00:41:08.829 If you're going through stuff, don't let them be wasted because you're not really just using that to allow the Lord to grow you. 00:41:09.070 --> 00:41:16.750 You know, when we surrender those sufferings and hard things and hard questions in our life, he's gonna turn them around. 00:41:17.070 --> 00:41:18.429 And thank you, Lord. 00:41:18.509 --> 00:41:19.630 Let's pray. 00:41:20.030 --> 00:41:21.949 Father God, we thank you today. 00:41:22.110 --> 00:41:24.269 We thank you, Lord, because you're a good God. 00:41:24.750 --> 00:41:25.789 We thank you, Lord. 00:41:25.869 --> 00:41:31.789 We see your hand of mercy, we see your hand, we see when we invite you, Lord, we thank you, Lord. 00:41:31.869 --> 00:41:42.349 We want you to be the one on our side when we walk through the fire, when we're in the lines, then, or when we're just walking on campus, period, Lord. 00:41:42.509 --> 00:41:43.630 And I thank you, Lord. 00:41:43.789 --> 00:41:47.710 I thank you, Lord, I thank you, Lord, that you will touch our hearts today. 00:41:47.869 --> 00:42:06.349 Um, and if those of you that need to just uh repent from being unfaithful, repent for compromising, feeling the pressure, and and help us, Lord, to resolve, to make it make up our minds that we will not defile ourselves. 00:42:07.070 --> 00:42:08.829 We thank you, Lord. 00:42:10.110 --> 00:42:10.989 Thank you, Lord.