Dare to be a Daniel

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Episode Transcript

(00:29):
I grew up learning a song inSunday school and said this, there to
be a Daniel, there, tostand alone, there to have a purpose,
firm, dare to make it known, standing by a purpose true,
heeding God's command. Honored them thefaithful few all hail to Daniel's band.

(00:52):
Many giants gray and tall, stalkingthrough the land, headlong to the earth
would fall if met by Daniel's band. Hold the gospel banner high onto victory,
Grand Satan and his host if Iand shout for Daniel's band. And

(01:15):
Daniel lived in a time where hewas living under an ungodly form of government.
He was living under a Babylonian systemof government, and he was living
as a captive. So there wasDaniel, there was Shadrack, Meshak,
and the Bendigold, the three Hebrewchildren. And I'm going to get to

(01:38):
that in just a minute. ButI was thinking about in twenty twenty how
our lives drastically changed with the pandemic. And I remember in twenty twenty thinking
some of the things that would havenormally done I couldn't do no longer because
of the changes that were made.And so I remember the day that the

(02:00):
Lord spoke to me about putting outa podcast channel, and writing a newspaper
column, and developing a radio programand all this kind of stuff. God
began to change the way I didthings so I could reach more people.
I would encourage everyone listening to methis morning to read the Book of Daniel.

(02:23):
You know, it's a short bookin the Old Testament. And you
know, Daniel he lived in verychallenging times. He was in a living
in a Babylonian system, and hehad to deal with many on godly world
systems, and he faced many challengingsituations that he had to have God's wisdom

(02:46):
and understanding to be able to knowwhat to do and what not to do.
You know, Daniel was a veryinteresting man. He knew how to
honor ungodly leadership. He knew howto do many things. But in Daniel
chapter three we have the story ofthe fiery furnace. You know, Daniel

(03:07):
knew how to pick his battles inthe day in which he lived. He
didn't fight every rule he disagreed with, but when it came to things like
idolatry in idle worship and things likethat, he would not compromise and there
were three Hebrew children named Shadrack,Meshak, and the Bednigal. And they

(03:30):
were told, if you do notbow down at the sound of the music
and worship the statue that the kingis built, you will be thrown into
the fiery furnace. You know.When the music played, they did not
bow down, and the king wasso mad, and he threatened him again,
and he said, look, ifyou guys don't bow down, it's

(03:50):
it. You're going into the fieryfurnace. And they responded, oh,
King, live forever. They wererespectful, but they said, we will
not bow down to your statue ofgold or worship your graven image. And
basically they were saying, even ifit cost us our life, we will
not bow down and obey this law, because it goes against the law of

(04:15):
God. And you know the restof the story if you ever read the
Book of Daniel, little book inthe Old Testament. In Daniel chapter three,
they did not bow down. Sothe king had the furnace heated seven
times hotter than normal. He hadthem bound, and he had his most
strongest soldiers carry them to the mouthof the furnace and throw them in the

(04:43):
fire, and lo and behold,as the king watched, he leaped to
his feet, and he said,did we not throw three men in the
fire, But I see four,and one looks like the son of the
gods. And the king yelled out, Shatrak, Meshak and Nebenegal come out.

(05:03):
And they come out of the fieryfurnace without even the smell of smoke
on them. And the king madea decree that if anyone spoke against the
god of Shadrack Meshak and No Benegal, there would be a great penalty.
In that day the kingdom, thewhole kingdom saw the results of Shadrack Meshak

(05:30):
and No Benegal standing for something theytruly believed in and standing up to an
ungodly law that they could not obey. We have another example of this.
It's in Daniel chapter six, whereDaniel had been promoted in a very high
place in the Kingdom of Babylon,and so there were several people around Daniel

(06:00):
that didn't like him, and theykind of knew what his habit was.
They knew three times a day theywould he would go upstairs, open his
window toward Jerusalem, and he wouldget down and he would pray to his
God. Well, they set Danielup and they talked to the king and
they said, oh, King,you should make a decree that for the

(06:24):
next month, if they don't prayto you, they're going to be thrown
into the den of lions. Andthe king liked the idea. He was
an ungodly king, so he madethe decree and he sealed it with his
signet ring, and the law cameinto being well, and then those men

(06:44):
waited outside of Daniel's room, watching, and Daniel did it again. He
went to his room, he kneltdown, he opened up his window,
and he prayed to his God.He did not fear that law or that
decree. And when they told theking about it, the king was actually
sad because he liked Daniel. Hehad Daniel thrown into the den of lions.

(07:08):
And the next morning, really early, the King went back and he
yells out, oh, Daniel,was your God able to deliver you from
the mouth of the lion. AndDaniel said, O, King, live
forever. My God sent an angeland shut the mouth of the lion,
and Daniel was brought out of thelions. Then then the people that made

(07:31):
the underhanded law, the king grabbedthem and threw them into the lions then,
and they were dead before they evenhit the floor. I mean,
the lions ate him right up.So God spared Daniel. And you know,
there might be many of you thatare out there that feel like you're
facing a fiery furnace. I wantyou to know there's a fourth man in

(07:53):
the fire with you. You arenot alone. And maybe you feel like
you're in a dent of lions,Well you're not there alone. God is
very much aware of what you're goingthrough. And in the day in which
we live, we are living inan on godly world system, just like

(08:13):
the time of Babylon. You know, in the time of Babylon, they
wanted those shadrack Mishek and the Bendigoand the Jewish boys to eat, to
drink the wine from the king's tableand eat the food of Babylon. But
they refuse to do it because thatfood had been offered Idols. And Daniel
said to the steward, just feedus water and fruits and vegetables, and

(08:37):
if ten days we don't look tentimes better than the other men, we
will eat the king's food. Andten days later they looked ten times better,
and they did not have to eatthat food sacrifice the idols. You
know, I have some observations here. One they were living in an on
godly world system, and so arewe. Number two. They knew how

(09:03):
to honor on godly leadership. Youknow, I think it's key that when
you don't agree with leadership and youdon't agree with authorities, you can still
honor them and respect them. Numberthree. God had given them knowledge and
he had given them wisdom. Numberfour. They refused to compromise on the

(09:26):
things that were really important, especiallywhen it came to worshiping the One True
God of Heaven. Number five.They knew what to stand up and fight
for. It just wasn't anything theydisagreed with. So they knew what things

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they would not give into things theywould not agree with. Number six.
They trusted God with their very lives, even when they were being threatened with
death. They trusted the Lord.Number seven, they never held a grudge.
Man, I think about this.They could have held a grudge,

(10:09):
but they never did. They werealways loving, forgiving in kind. And
number eight. Many came to knowthe Lord because they watched what they were
going through, and they saw howtheir God had rescued them from life threatening
situations. Wow, you know whatI've got? I got some more thoughts

(10:33):
to go on. Number nine.When godly people are promoted and put in
key leadership positions in a worldly system, there will be many people around you
that don't like it and don't likewhat you stand for. You know,
you don't even have to say anything. You can just be you, letting

(10:54):
your light shine, and people wouldget around you and say, but you
make me feel condemned by how Ididn't say anything. Well, it's the
light that's coming from you. Ifyou're full of Jesus and you're high up
in a worldly system and you're agodly person, your light, the light
of Jesus shining on the inside ofyou, will have a mighty effect on

(11:16):
those around you. Number ten,your godly leadership will be tested, and
it will be tried. You cancount on it. You can take it
to the bank. That will happen. And number eleven stand for Jesus because

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there are many people watching you andthey will put the faith in the God
you serve as they see your Godmove on their behalf. And what must
have been alike to be there towatch Shadrack Mishak and a bend, a
goal thrown in the fiery furnace.I mean, you know, the fire's
hot, right, They go tothrow them in the furnace, and the

(12:01):
soldiers that are carrying them to throwthem in, they are killed by the
heat of the furnace. I meanthat furnace is heated seven times hotter than
normal. I mean the thing isglowing hot. So they throw Shadrack Mishack
in the bend to go in,and the only thing that burned on them
were the ropes that had them bound. And all of a sudden they look

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and there are the three Hebrew children. They're walking in the fire on armed
unheard of. Not only are theywalking in the fire, there is a
fourth person in there with them.Wow. And that fourth person is called
a Theophany. It's an appearance ofJesus in the Old Testament. And Jesus

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was walking with them in the fire. And man, what an impact it
had on the king and on thewhole kingdom, because they would not bow
down and worship the image of Gold, the ninety foot image of Gold.
I wonder what everybody else saw it. They all bowed down, but Shadrack

(13:13):
Meshack and no Bendigo absolutely refused tobow down and worship that statue. And
look how God delivered them. Sometimes, when you're standing up for something you
believe in, you don't know howGod's going to deliver you. You don't
know what that looks like until youstand and make your stand. It's like,

(13:35):
dare to be a Daniel, dareto stand there, and there to
be Shadrack, Meshack, and Bendigo. And then when you look into this,
the lions then was not a funplace where they kept lions, and
they kept them hungry. And occasionallypeople were thrown alive into the lions then,

(13:58):
and they were killed before they evenhit the floor. So Daniel knew
when that law was set up thathe would be found out and that he
would be thrown into that den oflions, but he refused to compromise.

(14:18):
And oh what that must have beenlike. They're approaching the opening of the
den and they throw Daniel in andthe king seals it with the signet ring
and he has to stay in thereall night long with those lions. But
then but God right sends an angelto shut the lion's mouth, and Daniel

(14:41):
stays the whole night with the lions, and in the morning, the king
yells out, oh, Daniel,was your God able to deliver you?
And Daniel yells out, yes,he was, O King, O King
left forever. My God sent anangel and shut the lion's mouth. It

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kind of reminds me of the timewhen Peter was put in prison and the
church was praying and he was guardedby four squads of soldiers because the next
day Herod had planned to bring himout and to kill him. But the
Lord sent an angel walked into thatprison and Peter's shackles fell off, and

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he walked out of that prison unharmed. And the next day the prison doors
were locked, the guards were stillon the inside and the outside, but
there was no Peter to be found. Wow, God is good. So
I don't know what you're going throughright now. I don't know what you're

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going through on your job or inyour home or whatever your situation is.
I don't know. I don't knowwhat your lions then is, or your
fiery furnaces, or what your testis. But I will tell you one
thing. You are not alone.Jesus is with you. He wants to
help you. He wants to bewith you. He wants to take you

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by the hand. Isaiah forty onethirteen says I the Lord will take you
by the right hand, and Iwill walk with you. Isaiah forty one
ten. Fear thou not, forI am with thee. Be not dismayed,
For I am thy God. Iwill strengthen thee Yeay. I will
help thee Yeay. I will upholdthee with my righteous right hand. So

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I want to pray for you.I want to pray that God would protect
you, that God would give youwisdom to know what to do in the
situations that you're facing. And Iwant you to know that you are not
alone. Heavenly Father, I prayfor those that are under the sound of
my voice this morning. I praythat your heavenly angels would go out to

(16:57):
each person. Maybe they're in theircar, maybe they're setting in their home
crying, maybe they're at work.I don't know where they're listening to this,
Lord, but you know exactly wherethey're at, and you desire to
help them. Lord, I praythat you would shut the mouths of the

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lions, and that you yourself wouldwalk in the fiery situation that they are
facing with them. I pray thatyou would be with them. I pray
that they would know they're not alone, and I pray that your angels would
minister to them. And Lord,just like when Jesus was in the garden
August Semente and he was sweating dropsof blood, you sent your angels to

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minister and to strengthen Jesus so hecould stand up under the terrible time that
he was about to go through.And Lord, I thank you that you
are the one that carries our burdens. You are the one that we give
our burdens to. But Lord,I pray in the name of Jesus today
for every person, Lord, thatyou would be with them in their situation.

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Lord, I also pray that you'dgive them the boldness of Daniel to
be able to stand up and becounted for God when the chips are down,
when things are rough, I praythat you would strengthen each person listening
and give them your peace. Lord. I thank you for what you're doing

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today. Lord. I don't knowhow many people are going to hear this,
but Lord, I pray that theywould know that you are with them,
and so, Father, help usto walk by faith and not by
sight. We don't always know Lord, the outcome of a situation that we're
going to be facing. Lord,when we stand up for something, Lord,

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just like when Stephen was being stonedin the Book of Acts, when
he was standing up for you andthe stones were hitting him and his face
was shining like an angel. Lord, when he was standing up for you,
you were standing up for him,and he committed his spirit into your

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hands, Lord, and you tookhim home to be with him. Lord,
when he stood up for you,you stood up for him. Let
us know that when we're standing weare not standing alone, that you are
standing by our side. Father,in the name of Jesus, I pray
for strength, I pray for peace. I pray for comfort for people that

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are just so struggling out there today. I pray for those that are struggling
with mental health issues. Lord,all they want is to get your peace
back into their life. Oh God, I pray right now that you would
come and you administer to those thatsuffer from mental torment. Father, in
the name of Jesus, we bindthe tormentor and command them to command him

(20:14):
away from those that are listening tothis program. In the name of Jesus
Father, and for those that aredealing with sickness and disease, and they've
been praying, and they've been seekingyou and asking for healing. I thank
you that it is by His stripesthat they were and they are healed.

(20:34):
Lord, let the virtue that flowsfrom the throne of Heaven go to everybody
that is struggling with sickness and diseasetonight in the name of Jesus. And
I pray for those I continue topray for those that are out of work
that need a financial miracle. Lord, I pray that you would show yourself

(20:56):
faithful to them as Jehovah Jihrah Godtheir provider. Lord, just let your
peace and your presence surround them andenvelop them now in the name of Jesus.
Lord, I thank you. Youare good. I thank you for

(21:21):
all that you've done and for allyou're going to do. In Jesus' name.
A meant I want to thank youfor joining me for healing begins.
And I just asked that you wouldshare this radio program with your friends and
your families. Wherever you're listening tothis, thank you for listening, and

(21:42):
may God bless you, and Iwant to end with this thought and it's
a blessing. May God keep you. May God, may God bless you.
May He keep you. May Hecause his face to shine upon you.
May He be merciful to you andgive you peace. Remember if you're

(22:03):
in the lions, then ask forGod to send the angels. If you're
in the fiery furnace, remember thereis always a fourth man in the fire
with you. His name is Jesus. Healing Begins is brought to you by

(24:03):
Spiritual Care Consultants located in Hastings,Michigan. At the Healing Center, we
see children and adults at no costs. We do virtual and in person sessions.
We invite you to learn more aboutus by going to www dot Spiritualcareconsultants
dot com. We also value yourfeedback and would like to hear from you.

(24:25):
You can email me at Gail G. A. L E. At
Spiritualcareconsultants dot com. We would liketo invite you and your family and friends
to go and listen to the pastprograms by going to wood Radio dot com
then click on podcast, then lookfor Healing Begins and click on that.

(24:47):
Thank you so much for being afaithful supporter. May God bless you,
keep you, cause us face toshine upon you and give you peace.
Thank you for listening.