Have you ever been tempted to compromise your values because 00:00:13.02\00:00:15.66 you're afraid of being embarrassed 00:00:15.69\00:00:17.16 or even the fear of making someone upset? 00:00:17.19\00:00:20.36 Throughout history peer pressure has caused many to stumble 00:00:20.39\00:00:23.25 and get off track. 00:00:23.28\00:00:24.25 And today's story, we find the importance 00:00:24.26\00:00:26.49 of staying true to principle even 00:00:26.52\00:00:28.49 at the risk of being popular. And in this case even if your 00:00:28.52\00:00:31.75 life is on the line. 00:00:31.78\00:00:32.92 Stick around for today's Bible Alive story, 00:00:32.95\00:00:35.25 Daniel in the Lion's Den. You won't want to miss it. 00:00:35.28\00:00:39.08 Welcome to another edition of Bible Alive. We got a great 00:00:45.83\00:00:49.21 story for you today and it's in the Book of Daniel 6. 00:00:49.24\00:00:52.96 But before we get started with that, I want to introduce a 00:00:52.99\00:00:55.29 couple of friends my co-host Mark, Pastor Mark Howard. 00:00:55.32\00:00:58.71 You're pastoring a church and you also have? 00:00:58.74\00:01:01.17 Emmanuel Institute of Evangelism 00:01:01.20\00:01:03.01 Which is? 00:01:03.04\00:01:04.01 Well, we train people to a share their faith more 00:01:04.02\00:01:06.96 effectively one of the key things in sharing your faith 00:01:06.99\00:01:09.03 is knowing your faith, and so just getting people into the 00:01:09.06\00:01:11.32 Bible and helping them to be confident about the message 00:01:11.35\00:01:13.41 and excited about the message so they can tell other people 00:01:13.44\00:01:15.71 about Jesus. 00:01:15.74\00:01:16.71 And it's a regular training session? 00:01:16.72\00:01:17.69 Yup 00:01:17.70\00:01:18.67 And if they wanted more information 00:01:18.68\00:01:20.38 they can get that? 00:01:20.41\00:01:21.38 And go to our website, 00:01:21.39\00:01:22.36 Okay, great. 00:01:24.51\00:01:25.73 You find that right on the screen. 00:01:25.76\00:01:26.96 Good! Dane 00:01:26.99\00:01:28.32 Hey Dwight, how are you doing? 00:01:28.35\00:01:29.32 Good! how are you? 00:01:29.33\00:01:30.30 I'm wonderful. 00:01:30.31\00:01:31.28 Good. And you have a ministry Lifestyle? 00:01:31.29\00:01:33.08 Matters. Lifestylematters. com 00:01:33.35\00:01:35.50 It really matters? 00:01:35.57\00:01:36.54 Oh yes! It really matters, 00:01:36.55\00:01:38.12 in many many ways physically and spiritually. 00:01:38.15\00:01:39.96 And you travel around the world speaking 00:01:39.99\00:01:41.65 about these very issues? 00:01:41.68\00:01:42.65 My wife and I are have it together. 00:01:42.66\00:01:44.18 And we have the privilege of working to see people's lives 00:01:44.49\00:01:48.06 radically transformed by simple Lifestyle principles. 00:01:48.09\00:01:51.47 It makes a difference. It makes a difference. 00:01:51.50\00:01:53.39 and they can know more if they need information? 00:01:53.42\00:01:54.91 Okay. Good! Well I'm glad that you're 00:01:57.36\00:02:00.70 both here and I'm glad that your watching today 00:02:00.73\00:02:03.06 Before we get started, I wanna make sure that 00:02:03.09\00:02:06.23 you've got your Bibles. 00:02:06.26\00:02:07.23 If not make sure that you do get them 00:02:07.24\00:02:08.63 We wanna get into the Bible make it alive. 00:02:08.66\00:02:10.96 But before we start, let's have a word of prayer 00:02:10.99\00:02:13.41 Father in heaven, You know that the One 00:02:13.44\00:02:17.43 that gives us wisdom is not ourselves but You. 00:02:17.46\00:02:19.80 We are asking You might 00:02:19.83\00:02:21.09 send the Holy Spirit not only on us here, 00:02:21.12\00:02:23.51 but for all the viewers that are watching. 00:02:23.54\00:02:26.07 I pray that You might open our hearts Father we may receive 00:02:26.10\00:02:28.62 the truth and the love of the truth. 00:02:28.65\00:02:30.66 It's not about our opinions, what we think, 00:02:30.69\00:02:33.45 but Father what Your Word says, hear little, there little 00:02:33.48\00:02:37.62 line upon line and precept after precept. 00:02:37.65\00:02:39.75 Pray Father that You might push the evil angels away right now. 00:02:40.02\00:02:42.89 And that our hearts might be open and surrendered, to know 00:02:42.92\00:02:45.92 the very things that You want to get across us today. 00:02:45.95\00:02:48.80 I thank You Father for hearing this prayer 'cuz I pray it in 00:02:48.83\00:02:51.67 faith and in the name of Jesus. Amen. 00:02:51.70\00:02:54.48 Okay, hope that you have your Bibles 00:02:54.51\00:02:56.45 and I'm going to get right on my computer here 00:02:56.48\00:02:59.21 and get to Daniel chapter 6 and you get into your Bibles 00:02:59.24\00:03:03.38 and let's go over this one chapter. 00:03:03.41\00:03:05.20 Its tremendous. Okay. 00:03:05.23\00:03:07.42 Pastor, give us a little synopsis... 00:03:07.45\00:03:10.73 Well, Daniel chapter 6 fascinating story, of course, 00:03:10.76\00:03:13.91 many people are familiar with the story of 00:03:13.94\00:03:15.27 Daniel in the Lion's Den in a general way. 00:03:15.30\00:03:17.80 But what happened here is that Daniel, 00:03:17.83\00:03:19.95 we talked about Daniel earlier being a, 00:03:19.98\00:03:21.85 as a young Hebrew boy who was taken captive to Babylon 00:03:21.88\00:03:25.16 Well, the Babylonians are conquered by the Persians and 00:03:25.19\00:03:27.87 we're now in the Persian empire. 00:03:27.90\00:03:29.32 And Daniel is nearing his 90th year of life, 00:03:29.35\00:03:33.21 And so he's lived a long life in the service of the Lord. 00:03:33.87\00:03:36.98 And as he comes into the land of Persia, immediately they 00:03:37.01\00:03:42.28 recognized something different in Daniel and the king Darius 00:03:42.31\00:03:46.46 decides that he wants to put Daniel in the 00:03:46.49\00:03:48.67 position of leadership. He's already in the 00:03:48.70\00:03:50.32 position of leadership if you read the 00:03:50.35\00:03:51.47 beginning of the chapter but he wants to put him 00:03:51.50\00:03:53.84 in as the head of overall his realm, overall the governors 00:03:53.87\00:03:57.93 and the satraps etc. and, of course, the Persians get 00:03:57.96\00:04:02.34 jealous of this Hebrew that would come in and be over them 00:04:02.37\00:04:07.08 and so they begin looking something in Daniel and find 00:04:07.11\00:04:09.61 fault with him to get him into trouble but the only thing 00:04:09.64\00:04:12.14 they can find... they can't anything except for the Bible 00:04:12.17\00:04:15.78 says in the way that he worshiped his God. 00:04:15.81\00:04:17.19 So they set a trap, so that they urged 00:04:17.22\00:04:20.99 the kingdom to make a decree and put into 00:04:21.02\00:04:24.04 law that nobody can pray to any other god except for the king. 00:04:24.07\00:04:27.51 Which many of these foreign countries view their king as 00:04:27.54\00:04:31.44 as deities or some kind of god. 00:04:31.47\00:04:34.21 and they said, "King, nobody can worship any other god or 00:04:34.24\00:04:37.84 pray to any god except you for 00:04:37.87\00:04:39.90 thirty days. And the king had in mind Daniel 00:04:39.93\00:04:44.23 or somebody who was have a different religion. 00:04:44.26\00:04:46.45 He thought, "Hey, this sounds a great thing to me" 00:04:46.48\00:04:48.44 and long behold it became, as I've said a snare to Daniel 00:04:48.47\00:04:51.76 And when the law was made Daniel had to determine 00:04:51.79\00:04:54.37 is he gonna worship God the way he always has or is he 00:04:54.40\00:04:57.28 gonna capitulate and we find Daniel faithful once again and 00:04:57.31\00:05:00.90 because of His faithfulness they decided they're gonna throw him 00:05:00.93\00:05:03.14 into the lion's den. They have him brought out one 00:05:03.17\00:05:06.16 charges before the king. And Daniel stood in the den 00:05:06.19\00:05:09.05 of lions and the Lord delivers Daniel from the den of lions. 00:05:09.08\00:05:15.72 And I think we will see a little bit more as we go into 00:05:15.75\00:05:17.80 the story, but that's the story in the nutshell. 00:05:17.83\00:05:20.02 You know as you were sharing this, think about this... 00:05:20.05\00:05:23.00 Daniel was in high command with 00:05:23.03\00:05:27.96 the Babylonian empire. I don't know about 00:05:27.99\00:05:30.40 you but there's not too many people 00:05:30.43\00:05:32.02 that can be so loyal to an empire 00:05:32.05\00:05:35.19 and this empire gets taken down and then brand new 00:05:35.22\00:05:38.62 empire set up. And here's this guy, 00:05:38.65\00:05:40.99 he's ninety, I mean this guy 00:05:41.02\00:05:41.99 ninety years old whatever his old... 00:05:42.00\00:05:43.75 ought to be put out to pasture 00:05:43.78\00:05:45.73 I mean his ready to die, I mean even back then ninety years old 00:05:45.77\00:05:48.64 was an old person and yet this Persian king saw something in 00:05:48.67\00:05:55.73 Daniel that he didn't have with the other ones. 00:05:55.76\00:05:58.20 There was a loyalty there not so much to the Babylon empire 00:05:58.23\00:06:01.84 or to the Persian empire but to God and because he was loyal 00:06:01.87\00:06:04.34 to this God of Heaven, he was loyal to the king? 00:06:04.37\00:06:07.24 And they could see that, I mean, think of that, how can anyone 00:06:07.27\00:06:10.34 normally when you have become this and they bring some 00:06:10.37\00:06:13.07 new leader in, many times the other leaders kind of get to 00:06:13.10\00:06:19.02 let go because they have their own ideas and you're trying to 00:06:19.05\00:06:21.72 make a name for yourself and whatever... 00:06:21.75\00:06:23.65 but here Daniel, he is so honourable and so honest 00:06:23.68\00:06:28.43 and truthful that the king sees it and makes him the highest. 00:06:28.46\00:06:32.46 And Dwight, probably make many decisions that Daniel made 00:06:33.11\00:06:37.64 were decisions that at the time look like they would cost him. 00:06:37.67\00:06:41.42 In other words, hey, I'm not gonna get a promotion 00:06:41.45\00:06:43.63 I'm gonna get a demotion if I don't lose my life. 00:06:43.66\00:06:46.15 You know we see this in Daniel's life. 00:06:46.18\00:06:47.62 There's seem other places the Bible but interesting how, 00:06:47.65\00:06:50.44 you know, the devil always makes it look like being faithful 00:06:50.47\00:06:53.67 to God is gonna cost you something. 00:06:53.70\00:06:55.05 And sometimes in this world we 00:06:55.08\00:06:58.76 never do gain what we could as for we're followers 00:06:58.79\00:07:03.07 of God, but you know, because this world is not our reward 00:07:03.10\00:07:08.03 as Christians. But the Bible also records many 00:07:08.06\00:07:11.40 occasions that, you know, Jesus Himself 00:07:11.43\00:07:13.25 said in John 10:10 that He came that we 00:07:13.29\00:07:15.08 might have life and have it more abundantly. 00:07:15.11\00:07:16.76 So it's not only as we look for a future reward 00:07:16.79\00:07:20.25 but God rewards his people in this life too 00:07:20.28\00:07:22.40 and we see that Daniel's life. 00:07:22.43\00:07:23.86 And you mention, Dane, in a show that we did with Lot and 00:07:23.89\00:07:28.64 Abraham that we're not on this Earth, like you said, we're not 00:07:28.67\00:07:32.24 on this earth to see how much money we can make, 00:07:32.27\00:07:34.09 or the prestige that we can have or how many degrees 00:07:34.64\00:07:37.24 that we can get. We're here to honor God. 00:07:37.27\00:07:40.51 And whether Daniel was in a high position 00:07:40.54\00:07:43.18 or low position or no position. 00:07:43.21\00:07:45.36 His, his whole character, his whole, his whole 00:07:45.39\00:07:50.23 body, his whole mind was burdened 00:07:50.26\00:07:54.22 it being right before God. And I think that is tremendous. 00:07:54.25\00:07:57.85 And I think that's why he was in the position He was in. 00:07:57.88\00:08:00.07 You know, the Bible says, 00:08:00.10\00:08:01.07 "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. " 00:08:01.08\00:08:02.96 But there are two men in the Bible besides Jesus, excuse me 00:08:03.02\00:08:06.66 besides Jesus that we see no record of anything ever been 00:08:06.69\00:08:09.31 done wrong and that's Daniel and Joseph. 00:08:09.34\00:08:10.94 And, Daniel 1 Daniel was brought into favor 00:08:11.51\00:08:15.45 with Nebuchadnezzar. 00:08:15.48\00:08:16.47 The Bible says because an excellent spirit was 00:08:16.50\00:08:18.99 found in him and then again in Daniel 6 00:08:19.02\00:08:21.87 He's again brought in favor and this tells us 00:08:21.90\00:08:25.06 something as Christians. 00:08:25.09\00:08:26.37 We should not be "bystanders" in the world. 00:08:26.40\00:08:30.70 We should be having an influence in our community. 00:08:30.73\00:08:33.38 We should be having an influence 00:08:33.41\00:08:34.66 in our church, we should be having an influence 00:08:34.69\00:08:36.33 in our family, why? 00:08:36.36\00:08:37.51 Because were great? NO! 00:08:37.54\00:08:39.14 Because God is living through us. 00:08:39.37\00:08:41.19 And when God is living through you and when you are 00:08:41.86\00:08:44.55 taking stands for God, God blesses you. 00:08:44.58\00:08:47.77 God blesses you and you make a difference in the world. 00:08:48.74\00:08:52.01 That's right, the Bible says, "I can do all things 00:08:52.38\00:08:54.87 through Christ who strengthens me. " 00:08:54.90\00:08:56.50 I think sometimes we make excuses we say, "Well I... 00:08:56.53\00:08:58.94 I don't know. " You know, we look at our 00:08:58.97\00:09:00.31 weaknesses and it's true. 00:09:00.34\00:09:01.52 We're weak as human beings but God 00:09:01.55\00:09:03.60 is strong. And one of the most fascinating 00:09:03.63\00:09:05.74 things about this story 00:09:05.77\00:09:06.92 is as you go into Daniel 6 its says, 00:09:06.95\00:09:09.47 Now if your enemies... 00:09:23.58\00:09:24.67 undertake to find some kind flaw in your life... 00:09:24.70\00:09:27.96 and I think of that. How long it would take? 00:09:28.00\00:09:30.73 I mean I would like to say that they could find nothing in me, 00:09:30.76\00:09:34.05 but the fact that the matters is there are probably things, 00:09:34.08\00:09:36.75 it probably wouldn't take to long to find some flaw. 00:09:36.78\00:09:38.53 Daniel, what a character is exhibited 00:09:38.56\00:09:40.93 here of somebody that they could scower 00:09:40.96\00:09:43.38 over his life and really find nothing to find fault with 00:09:43.41\00:09:50.33 except for verse 5, concerning the law of His God. 00:09:50.36\00:09:54.36 To put it into perspective... 00:09:54.39\00:09:55.96 Daniel's number 2 in the whole country. 00:09:55.99\00:09:58.65 That means he's dealing with politics, he's dealing with 00:09:58.68\00:10:01.16 state decision, he's dealing with the power and the prestige 00:10:01.19\00:10:06.04 and the temptations, 00:10:06.07\00:10:07.09 and yet even then the very people who work 00:10:07.12\00:10:09.70 with him on a daily basis, they're drafting 00:10:09.73\00:10:12.63 the laws with him. 00:10:12.66\00:10:13.81 They're enforcing the laws with him. 00:10:13.84\00:10:15.83 They're making decisions with him. 00:10:15.86\00:10:17.82 And they say, "We can't find a single chink 00:10:17.85\00:10:20.46 in his armor!" 00:10:20.49\00:10:21.46 Yes. So to put it in perceptive, like you he said, 00:10:21.47\00:10:23.33 think of one politician today. 00:10:23.36\00:10:25.17 Or you could scower over their whole 00:10:25.20\00:10:26.75 record and find nothing wrong with them. 00:10:26.78\00:10:28.44 Because, because Daniel wasn't a politician. 00:10:28.47\00:10:32.08 He was a states man. 00:10:32.11\00:10:33.08 He was a state man and he cared more about 00:10:33.09\00:10:35.03 the realm of the people, 00:10:35.06\00:10:37.35 what is best for the people, what is best for the king and 00:10:37.38\00:10:40.76 that's why it says here too, Dane, in verse 3 says, 00:10:40.79\00:10:44.00 I mean, the excellent spirit was that he cared more for the king 00:10:52.72\00:10:56.75 cared more for the people what was right than 00:10:56.78\00:10:59.22 what is best for him. 00:10:59.25\00:11:00.57 I always told my children when they were growing up. 00:11:00.60\00:11:02.33 I said, "If you're working life is to clean toilets, 00:11:02.36\00:11:05.14 be the best toilet cleaner the world's ever seen. 00:11:05.17\00:11:08.07 And God will bless you. 00:11:08.10\00:11:09.10 If your only job is to change dirty diapers in a laundry, 00:11:09.13\00:11:13.19 in a nursery all day long, be the best most faithful diaper 00:11:13.22\00:11:18.05 changer and you can hold your head high. " 00:11:18.08\00:11:20.09 It doesn't matter what position you have. 00:11:20.12\00:11:22.55 It's how you hold the position. 00:11:22.58\00:11:24.25 How you do your job? 00:11:25.19\00:11:26.31 Are you showing God in the marketplace? 00:11:26.34\00:11:29.09 Are you showing people, you can trust me 00:11:29.12\00:11:31.94 because I make choices that God tells me to make. 00:11:31.97\00:11:34.90 That's incredible! 00:11:34.93\00:11:36.32 It is. I like that. 00:11:36.35\00:11:37.99 And of course for you viewers think about that 00:11:38.02\00:11:40.40 that's an important principle here with Bible Alive to make 00:11:40.43\00:11:43.70 it come alive for you today. It doesn't matter in fact my dad 00:11:43.73\00:11:46.83 said the same thing to me when I was young. 00:11:46.86\00:11:48.10 He said, "Dwight I don't care if you're a garbage man. " 00:11:48.13\00:11:51.19 We don't call them that today 00:11:51.22\00:11:52.20 cause we want to be politically correct. 00:11:52.23\00:11:53.20 Now they are called sanitation engineers. 00:11:53.38\00:11:55.40 But back then, really, you call them garbage men. 00:11:55.43\00:11:57.20 It wasn't because their bad but that's what they were called. 00:11:57.23\00:11:59.27 And he said I don't care. I will be proud of you as long 00:11:59.30\00:12:02.33 as you, this garbage man in Coldwater Michigan 00:12:02.36\00:12:06.24 that they have, that you work your hardest. 00:12:06.27\00:12:07.86 I would be a proud father cause 00:12:07.89\00:12:09.62 you've done your best. And if you'll do that, 00:12:09.65\00:12:11.57 God will, you know, the Bible says he that is faithful in 00:12:11.60\00:12:14.51 that which is least then God will make faithful over much. 00:12:14.54\00:12:18.34 And if your faithful to little things in life you will be seen, 00:12:18.37\00:12:22.07 you will be noticed. 00:12:22.10\00:12:23.07 Without trying. 00:12:23.14\00:12:24.11 Daniel was living the principle in the Bible, what so ever your 00:12:24.12\00:12:26.37 hands finds to do, 00:12:26.40\00:12:27.42 do it with all your might as unto the Lord and not unto man. 00:12:28.03\00:12:31.92 Daniel realized he was not working for Darius 00:12:31.95\00:12:34.18 He was working for God. 00:12:34.21\00:12:35.91 Amen. That's right, that's right, very good. 00:12:35.94\00:12:37.95 And now let's bring out another thing here that 00:12:37.98\00:12:40.32 I think is very important. 00:12:40.36\00:12:41.33 The law that was made was a law regarding 00:12:41.34\00:12:44.06 worship and as Daniel is in apocalyptic book that's the 00:12:44.09\00:12:47.40 companion to the Book of Revelation. 00:12:47.43\00:12:48.52 We see the same thing in the 00:12:48.55\00:12:49.52 book of Revelation in the End Time scenario is 00:12:49.53\00:12:51.91 we see a law. In fact, 00:12:51.94\00:12:52.91 we've seen it twice in Daniel. 00:12:52.92\00:12:54.41 Earlier, last season, we talked about the three Hebrew Worthies 00:12:54.45\00:12:58.72 before the fire furnace. Same thing. 00:12:58.75\00:13:00.79 King Nebuchadnezzar made a law 00:13:00.82\00:13:02.42 concerning worship and compelling men against 00:13:02.45\00:13:05.08 their conscience and they had to take a stand and here we 00:13:05.11\00:13:07.76 we have Daniel, in Daniel 6 finding 00:13:07.79\00:13:09.62 the same situation a law that's commanded him to go contrary 00:13:09.65\00:13:13.49 to the worship of His God. 00:13:13.52\00:13:14.94 And so Daniel has a decision to make. 00:13:15.04\00:13:17.19 And it's interesting, you see the issue of worship 00:13:17.76\00:13:21.21 in Daniel 3, you see it in Daniel 6, 00:13:21.24\00:13:22.77 you see in Revelation 13 and 14. 00:13:22.80\00:13:25.12 That word worshipped, worship or worshiping is found 00:13:25.16\00:13:28.23 7 or 8 times on those two chapters of book of Revelation. 00:13:28.26\00:13:31.18 Which shows us, and it's interesting, 00:13:31.21\00:13:33.42 we're told that Babylon would be 00:13:33.45\00:13:35.48 major force, spiritual Babylon, at the end of time. 00:13:35.51\00:13:37.84 And it again will try to enforce false 00:13:37.87\00:13:40.61 worship and we've got to stand like Daniel, we've got to be... 00:13:40.64\00:13:44.06 but another important thing here. 00:13:44.09\00:13:46.14 Yeah, that's interesting you bring it up because we've just 00:13:46.17\00:13:49.79 Daniel 6 we're just coming after the 00:13:49.82\00:13:51.88 fall of literal of Babylon. 00:13:51.92\00:13:54.06 Babylon fell but Daniel escaped. 00:13:54.09\00:13:56.53 Yes! 00:13:56.56\00:13:57.53 Because of his faithfulness. We're talking about 00:13:57.54\00:13:58.71 End Time Babylon and who's gonna be.. 00:13:58.74\00:14:00.48 Who's gonna escape? Those who were 00:14:00.51\00:14:01.48 Those who are faithful like Daniel. 00:14:01.67\00:14:02.64 That's right! 00:14:02.65\00:14:03.62 Absolutely. So Daniel, the book of Daniel, 00:14:03.63\00:14:05.60 is put here, and the book of Revelation are 00:14:05.63\00:14:07.37 put there for God's people to learn lessons 00:14:07.40\00:14:10.01 about where they live now. This book... 00:14:10.04\00:14:12.14 This book is not written for the people 2000 years ago. 00:14:12.17\00:14:16.14 The Bible says in Romans, "It's written for us upon whom 00:14:16.17\00:14:19.50 the words to come. " And also in 1st Corinthians 10, 00:14:19.53\00:14:22.05 "It's written for us upon whom 00:14:22.08\00:14:23.93 the ends of the world are come. " 00:14:23.96\00:14:24.93 That's why we're looking for practical lessons. 00:14:24.94\00:14:26.98 The Bible calls this the Living Word. 00:14:27.01\00:14:29.18 Sharper than any two edged sword. 00:14:29.21\00:14:31.40 And that's the lesson we are looking at. 00:14:31.43\00:14:33.25 And Daniel, the Bible says here that in Daniel 6 00:14:33.28\00:14:40.26 when Mark, Pastor Mark, said that the president realized they 00:14:40.29\00:14:43.61 couldn't find anything wrong with Daniel's work ethic... 00:14:43.64\00:14:45.98 so now they gotta find him his worship. 00:14:46.01\00:14:49.05 That's should be the same with us. 00:14:49.08\00:14:51.07 And here's the thing, we've got to come to the understanding 00:14:51.91\00:14:55.39 that when you're a true Christian the world's 00:14:55.42\00:14:58.58 gonna be looking at you. 00:14:58.61\00:14:59.58 That's right. 00:14:59.59\00:15:00.56 I'll never forget one day we were, when I was a little kid 00:15:00.57\00:15:03.13 we were on a school bus going to a summer camp, 00:15:03.16\00:15:05.83 a Christian summer camp 00:15:05.86\00:15:06.98 and we got off the bus and walked into a gas station to 00:15:07.01\00:15:11.26 get something and a man said, "So your Christians, huh?" 00:15:11.29\00:15:14.52 And I said, "Yes. " He said, "We're watching you. " 00:15:14.55\00:15:17.29 That's stuck with me. I realized people are watching 00:15:18.31\00:15:20.44 to see if we Christians in name? or Christians in reality? 00:15:20.47\00:15:24.31 I've had people many times, I'm sure we've all and 00:15:24.34\00:15:26.99 I'm sure you've heard these too but I had people 00:15:27.06\00:15:30.51 come up to me and say, "You know what, I really don't 00:15:30.54\00:15:33.62 want to know about your beliefs. I want to see your life. 00:15:33.65\00:15:37.66 Do you cheat on your taxes? 00:15:37.69\00:15:39.21 If you're supposed to get to work in a 00:15:39.24\00:15:41.03 certain time are you late? Stealing the employers time. 00:15:41.06\00:15:44.20 Are you always complaining? 00:15:44.23\00:15:45.63 I mean, do you think Daniel complained? 00:15:45.79\00:15:48.04 No. 00:15:48.07\00:15:49.04 Would you think that Daniel was late? 00:15:49.05\00:15:50.29 I mean, do you think that Daniel 00:15:50.32\00:15:51.97 cheated one penny from that king? 00:15:52.00\00:15:53.91 If he did, they would have found it! 00:15:53.94\00:15:55.05 They wouldn't found it! So a real Christian, people want 00:15:55.08\00:15:58.08 to know what a Christian is all about. 00:15:58.11\00:15:59.48 It's our testimony. It's our everyday life. 00:15:59.51\00:16:01.90 He get his faithful in that which is least. 00:16:01.93\00:16:03.51 It's not about, you know, not the doctrine isn't important. 00:16:03.54\00:16:07.00 I believe the doctrine is very important. 00:16:07.03\00:16:09.27 Doctrines what makes us what we are. 00:16:09.30\00:16:10.68 Yes! There you go. 00:16:10.71\00:16:11.78 And what is the Bible say? Paul says to the 00:16:11.81\00:16:14.39 believers in the book he wrote to, 00:16:14.42\00:16:15.53 he said, "You are living epistles 00:16:15.56\00:16:18.05 read and known of all men. 00:16:18.08\00:16:20.52 People are watching, 00:16:20.55\00:16:22.19 And when we are not true to our principles either 00:16:22.22\00:16:25.47 disrespecting our family members or cheating on someway or just 00:16:25.50\00:16:29.81 being crude or nasty, 00:16:29.84\00:16:31.45 people say, "Christianity is nothing. " 00:16:31.48\00:16:34.95 They don't want it 00:16:34.98\00:16:35.95 No. 00:16:35.96\00:16:36.93 You know, why should I go... I've had people tell me. 00:16:36.94\00:16:38.32 "Why should I go to a club? 00:16:38.35\00:16:40.85 'Cuz I think the church is a club. " 00:16:41.39\00:16:42.36 Yeah. 00:16:42.37\00:16:43.34 And you want me to pay 10% of this tithe thing 00:16:43.35\00:16:45.34 and I don't make enough money as it is. Then you want me 00:16:45.37\00:16:48.40 to pay an offering and I don't make enough as it is? 00:16:48.43\00:16:51.00 Then you want me to donate my time to this club, 00:16:51.03\00:16:53.77 this church thing. Why would I do that 00:16:53.80\00:16:56.37 when I feel that I'm better than you. 00:16:56.40\00:16:58.09 I don't cheat on my tax. I don't go out of my wife. " 00:16:58.12\00:17:00.27 In other words people today... what's that statement? 00:17:00.30\00:17:03.16 "I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day. " 00:17:03.19\00:17:06.96 Now you know, the crux of the story starts in verse 11. 00:17:06.99\00:17:09.28 When it says, 00:17:09.31\00:17:10.28 you know Daniel could have gone into his house and pray three 00:17:24.65\00:17:28.77 times a day, with the close window. 00:17:28.80\00:17:30.17 God still would have heard him. 00:17:30.20\00:17:31.19 He still would've heard him. 00:17:31.22\00:17:32.76 But what's Daniel saying here? Daniel is saying here 00:17:33.50\00:17:36.54 if man is trying to tell me how to 00:17:36.57\00:17:40.34 worship God, it can't happen. 00:17:40.37\00:17:43.36 And I'm gonna show them that it can't happen. 00:17:43.39\00:17:45.29 It's almost like Daniel is thumbing his nose. 00:17:45.32\00:17:47.68 He wasn't but it's almost like he was challenging them, 00:17:47.71\00:17:50.36 saying,"You think you can change the way I worship God? 00:17:50.39\00:17:52.58 I've always open my window toward heaven. 00:17:52.61\00:17:54.57 I've never hold my religion back I'm not gonna start doing now. " 00:17:54.60\00:17:58.17 If he would have had his windows closed always, 00:17:58.48\00:18:01.42 not because he was scared, that's what it was. 00:18:01.45\00:18:03.38 He wouldn't have flaunted his religion 00:18:03.41\00:18:05.81 and thrown those windows open but... 00:18:05.84\00:18:07.88 the keyword, you said, they had always been open! 00:18:07.91\00:18:10.00 And he wasn't gonna now change that just for the 00:18:10.59\00:18:12.76 sake of his own life. 00:18:12.79\00:18:14.03 God was more important. 00:18:14.41\00:18:15.38 And why? Because I think, 00:18:15.39\00:18:16.53 I don't have any "thus saith the Lord" on this, 00:18:16.56\00:18:18.49 but I think that people walking 00:18:18.52\00:18:21.29 down that street at whatever time it was Daniel prayed. 00:18:21.32\00:18:24.48 it says three times a day. They saw him up there. 00:18:24.51\00:18:26.92 And this wasn't just to say grace... 00:18:26.95\00:18:28.39 over his meal me, right? 00:18:28.42\00:18:29.79 Daniel interceding for the nation, 00:18:29.82\00:18:31.46 Daniel interceding for the decisions he has to make, 00:18:31.49\00:18:33.33 and I think Daniel knew, "You know 00:18:33.36\00:18:34.61 if I close these windows I'm setting a wrong example. 00:18:34.64\00:18:37.98 I'm showing people that man can dictate how to worship God. " 00:18:38.66\00:18:41.79 but man can't dictate how to worship God. 00:18:42.57\00:18:44.43 "And that man is more powerful than God. " 00:18:44.46\00:18:45.43 Well, I think it's says there in verse, at the end of verse 10 00:18:45.75\00:18:48.84 as what's his custom since early days. 00:18:48.87\00:18:51.39 Dane you'd made this point during one of our breaks that 00:18:51.42\00:18:54.99 as it was his custom. 00:18:55.02\00:18:57.06 This is not something that Daniel waited for. 00:18:57.09\00:18:59.39 He didn't wait around for the crisis of his life 00:18:59.42\00:19:01.28 and then decide to get religious. 00:19:01.31\00:19:02.86 He didn't say, 00:19:02.89\00:19:04.29 "I'll wait till they make a law threatening my religion and 00:19:04.56\00:19:07.87 then I'm gonna get religious. " 00:19:07.90\00:19:09.03 You know, a lot of people do that 00:19:09.06\00:19:10.03 with their spiritual life today. They wait until some crisis. 00:19:10.04\00:19:12.35 They say, "Well I know how I oughta be living as a Christian. 00:19:12.38\00:19:15.01 And when things heat up a little bit then I'll, 00:19:15.04\00:19:18.74 I'll start doing what I know I'm supposed to be doing. " 00:19:18.77\00:19:21.01 It's too late then, isn't it? 00:19:21.04\00:19:22.24 So do you think that had Daniel 00:19:22.27\00:19:23.82 done that would he have the strength? 00:19:23.85\00:19:25.89 No. No way. 00:19:25.92\00:19:27.07 You know, the Bible says in Jeremiah 12:5 that if a man 00:19:27.11\00:19:30.34 can't, God puts it this way, that if can't keep up with the 00:19:30.37\00:19:33.89 foot man, how are you gonna contend with the horses? 00:19:33.92\00:19:36.97 You can't run with man on foot. 00:19:37.00\00:19:39.34 How are you gonna out run men in horseback? 00:19:39.37\00:19:41.14 And so the Lord is using that language to say, 00:19:41.17\00:19:43.89 if you can't trust in Me now, when you know maybe you 00:19:43.92\00:19:48.41 face some ridicules, some people making fun of you, 00:19:48.44\00:19:51.12 maybe even losing your job. 00:19:51.15\00:19:52.29 What you gonna do when they're threatening your life? 00:19:52.32\00:19:54.16 And there's a lot of people even left, you know, I heard 00:19:54.19\00:19:57.12 leave the church and say, "So and so it was so terrible 00:19:57.15\00:20:00.23 and I'll never step foot on that church. " 00:20:00.26\00:20:02.57 And I feel bad for that because 00:20:02.60\00:20:04.43 I've had things happen to me too. 00:20:04.46\00:20:05.96 But we can't allow anyone to take precedence over God. 00:20:05.99\00:20:10.88 Daniel did, I mean, even to the point of 00:20:10.91\00:20:12.53 getting thrown in the lion's den. 00:20:12.56\00:20:14.04 And that, I don't know about you, 00:20:14.07\00:20:15.75 but have any of you out there ever thought about what 00:20:15.78\00:20:18.21 might be like to go and get eaten up by lions? 00:20:18.24\00:20:21.94 It's not pleasant. 00:20:21.97\00:20:23.09 It couldn't be pleasant, and the thing of it is 00:20:23.12\00:20:25.54 it isn't like a gunshot that's seems bad enough 00:20:25.57\00:20:27.42 but at least it's one shot your dead. 00:20:27.45\00:20:29.08 But here you've got more than one lion and it's scary. 00:20:29.11\00:20:31.66 Just probably as it was bringing him in, 00:20:31.69\00:20:33.57 these lions are roaring, smelling food! 00:20:33.60\00:20:36.47 I mean, but Daniel wasn't concerned about that. 00:20:36.50\00:20:38.98 He was concerned about honoring his Father. 00:20:39.01\00:20:41.36 That's right. You know, 00:20:41.39\00:20:42.36 I think what's interesting here is, it says that, 00:20:42.37\00:20:45.07 when the spies, the other rulers, saw what he was doing, 00:20:45.10\00:20:48.92 they ran right for the king and said, "King, Daniel disobeyed. " 00:20:48.95\00:20:52.06 And then the king said, "I've been duped. They fooled me!" 00:20:52.09\00:20:55.30 And then, its say, the king goes to 00:20:55.33\00:20:58.47 Daniel in verse 14. 00:20:58.51\00:21:02.87 His trying to reverse but the guys keep saying, 00:21:10.40\00:21:12.24 "Hey king, rules and laws of persons can't be changed. 00:21:12.27\00:21:14.81 Daniel goes to the den. " So he says, 00:21:14.84\00:21:18.03 The king says now to verse 16. 00:21:18.06\00:21:20.61 Here's a pagan king reassuring Daniel. 00:21:31.38\00:21:34.38 May our lives be such. 00:21:34.42\00:21:36.40 That our enemies or those that we've work will say, 00:21:36.43\00:21:39.56 "Don't worry, Dwight, Gods gonna deliver you 00:21:39.59\00:21:41.66 cause you always serve Him. " 00:21:41.69\00:21:42.85 And what was the key? What's the key in this text? 00:21:42.88\00:21:45.25 The key in verse 16 of this, 00:21:45.28\00:21:48.25 I believe the king to Daniel. 00:21:48.28\00:21:52.07 It didn't say, 00:21:52.10\00:21:53.63 But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, "Your God, 00:21:53.66\00:21:56.70 whom you serve once in a while he will deliver you. " 00:21:56.73\00:21:59.68 It was your God whom you serve continually! 00:21:59.71\00:22:03.43 In other words, your actions have shown forth this. 00:22:03.47\00:22:06.29 Said, "You serve God out of habit. " 00:22:06.32\00:22:08.55 And you know, we've got to have set times for prayer. 00:22:08.58\00:22:11.25 We've got to have set times for worship 00:22:11.28\00:22:12.64 Morning and evening worship. 00:22:12.68\00:22:13.87 David says morning, evening and noon 00:22:13.91\00:22:15.62 while I raise my voice to You. 00:22:15.65\00:22:17.29 You know, how many times do we allow ourselves to be drawn 00:22:17.33\00:22:19.54 away from our worship. 00:22:19.57\00:22:20.54 Daniel wouldn't let a death decree 00:22:20.55\00:22:22.74 take him away from his daily worship. 00:22:22.78\00:22:25.13 What do we let take us away from our daily worship? 00:22:25.16\00:22:27.19 A lot les than a death decree. 00:22:27.23\00:22:29.41 You know I want to finish this off real quick. 00:22:29.44\00:22:30.79 Daniel gets thrown into the lion's den. 00:22:30.83\00:22:32.47 The king's worried all night long. 00:22:32.50\00:22:33.85 Goes back the next day and looks. 00:22:33.89\00:22:35.23 And says, "Daniel, were you delivered?" 00:22:35.26\00:22:37.12 Notice what Daniel says. He says in verse 28. 00:22:37.16\00:22:39.85 Verse 27, I'm sorry. Verse 22. 00:22:39.88\00:22:43.90 And Daniel says, "I've been delivered. " 00:22:43.93\00:22:46.72 Notice what it says. 00:22:46.75\00:22:48.03 Daniel had disobeyed the law. 00:22:54.52\00:22:56.44 But he says, "I'm innocent before you" 00:22:56.47\00:22:57.79 Why? Because there can be no law 00:22:57.82\00:23:00.25 telling us how to worship God. 00:23:00.28\00:23:01.92 And that's the proof from the Bible. 00:23:01.95\00:23:04.37 When man tries to legislate religion, God says, 00:23:04.40\00:23:07.20 "Break the law. You'll be innocent. " 00:23:07.23\00:23:08.80 I must obey God rather than man. 00:23:08.83\00:23:10.32 Amen! Acts 4. That's right. 00:23:10.36\00:23:11.78 Well, we need to take a break. Isn't this exciting? 00:23:11.82\00:23:14.55 Bible just comes alive. So don't go away 00:23:14.59\00:23:17.51 'cuz we'll be right back! 00:23:17.54\00:23:19.75 Be more efficient and organized with your Bible Studies and 00:23:21.80\00:23:24.52 homework with the new Pentel Pencil. 00:23:24.55\00:23:26.83 This incredible tool has eight bright non-bleed colors in just 00:23:26.86\00:23:30.30 one pen. When you're ready to change the color, turn the clip 00:23:30.33\00:23:33.96 and you're ready to go. 00:23:33.99\00:23:35.61 Just hear what these enthusiastic Bible students have 00:23:35.64\00:23:38.61 to say about the Pentel Pencil. 00:23:38.64\00:23:40.25 I love using the Pentel Pencil with my Remnant Study Bible. 00:23:40.28\00:23:43.92 But I also love using it for my school work. And as I study and 00:23:43.95\00:23:49.06 highlight the things that I need to remember, but if there's a 00:23:49.09\00:23:51.76 special word that I need, I go back and I change the color, 00:23:51.79\00:23:55.23 highlight it and it's sure to pop off the page. 00:23:55.26\00:23:58.97 For me, the Pencil comes in handy when I'm studying my 00:23:59.00\00:24:01.68 Sabbath School lesson. 00:24:01.71\00:24:02.90 This week's lesson is about faithfulness. 00:24:02.93\00:24:04.61 As I'm studying, I use the Pencil to highlight things that 00:24:04.64\00:24:07.79 I want to share on Sabbath. Another simple and practical way 00:24:07.82\00:24:11.45 to use my Pencil is here at home. It helps me to prioritize 00:24:11.48\00:24:15.20 things on my to-do list. The things that have to be done 00:24:15.23\00:24:18.08 right away are underlined red and I use blue for things that 00:24:18.11\00:24:21.66 can wait till later. 00:24:21.69\00:24:23.23 As a Minister, I have found the Pentel Marking Pen to be a great 00:24:23.26\00:24:26.65 help to me in my Ministry in both preparation of sermons 00:24:26.68\00:24:30.89 and Bible Study materials but also in the delivery of those 00:24:30.92\00:24:34.34 messages. Let me explain to you real quick, when I am studying 00:24:34.37\00:24:37.59 I'll come across a word that I'd like to highlight to pull 00:24:37.62\00:24:41.19 my mind to later on and I'll use a color like red if I'm dealing 00:24:41.22\00:24:44.84 with salvation and I'll mark that word so then when I'm 00:24:44.87\00:24:49.03 studying that passage with someone in their home or I'm 00:24:49.06\00:24:52.01 preaching from the pulpit it will help to remind me, I 00:24:52.04\00:24:54.94 need to focus on that word which triggers my mind to remember the 00:24:54.97\00:24:58.66 things I've studied on that. 00:24:58.69\00:25:00.21 I think you'll find it a help too in your Bible Studies or as 00:25:00.24\00:25:03.64 the Pastor asks you to preach from time to time. 00:25:03.67\00:25:05.89 To order your Pentel Pencil and start enhancing your 00:25:05.92\00:25:09.12 Bible Study experience, call Remnant Publications at 00:25:09.15\00:25:12.65 or visit our website at 00:25:16.84\00:25:18.29 Make the most of your time in 00:25:20.81\00:25:22.32 the Word with the Pentel Pencil. 00:25:22.35\00:25:24.77 Increasingly, many people are not studying the Bibles 00:25:27.66\00:25:30.59 and I'm so glad that finally, we have a Bible that is written for 00:25:30.62\00:25:36.07 lay people and it is simply done, it is user friendly, there 00:25:36.10\00:25:40.56 are chain references so that you can give Bible Studies from it. 00:25:40.59\00:25:44.04 The Remnant Study Bible is one of the best helps you'll find 00:25:44.07\00:25:49.10 especially in your devotional life as you're reading it 00:25:49.13\00:25:52.56 concerning the Spirit of Prophecy and as you go 00:25:52.59\00:25:55.37 from text to text, it helps you find or will 00:25:55.40\00:25:58.39 increase your relationship with Christ. 00:25:58.42\00:26:01.62 I love when I'm having worship in the morning, I love to be 00:26:01.65\00:26:06.29 able to read the Ellen G. White quotes by the different 00:26:06.32\00:26:09.73 Bible text. It just makes my worship so much more special. 00:26:09.76\00:26:14.47 Now the decision is in your hands. Will you accept the 00:26:14.50\00:26:18.85 challenge to become part of God's last day army? 00:26:18.88\00:26:21.62 Equip yourself today. 00:26:21.65\00:26:24.83 I'm glad that you stayed with us. 00:26:33.30\00:26:34.71 Let's recap here in the short time that we have 00:26:34.74\00:26:36.54 No. 1. God always come before man. 00:26:36.57\00:26:40.76 In the Bible it says that, "we would obey God 00:26:40.79\00:26:43.07 rather than the man. " And Daniel, as his custom was, 00:26:43.10\00:26:45.62 as he continually lived his life, 00:26:45.65\00:26:48.93 obeyed God first and then man second. 00:26:48.96\00:26:51.95 What you have mentioned, Dane, about where... 00:26:51.98\00:26:54.11 that he did not even did the King wrong, 00:26:54.14\00:26:57.67 even though he disobeyed because God comes first. 00:26:57.70\00:27:00.28 The 2nd thing is that we must be able to 00:27:00.31\00:27:03.54 worship as God has told us through the scriptures. 00:27:03.57\00:27:06.53 Man should never be able to be above that, never above God. 00:27:06.56\00:27:10.76 These man that put man above, 00:27:10.79\00:27:13.56 what happen to them when they got into the lion's den? 00:27:13.59\00:27:15.92 It says, them, their wives and their children before they even 00:27:15.95\00:27:19.64 hit the bottom all their bones were broke. 00:27:19.67\00:27:21.48 I'm not.. that's pretty heavy those, those lions were hungry. 00:27:21.51\00:27:24.59 Believe me. So you too can have this 00:27:24.62\00:27:28.87 very God that Daniel has. He's always been there. 00:27:28.90\00:27:31.56 His arm are not shorten. So for now remember 00:27:31.59\00:27:35.10 that you can have a better way of life. 00:27:35.13\00:27:36.58 Don't put it off. 00:27:36.61\00:27:39.43 By working together, 1.7 million copies of the 00:27:39.46\00:27:42.97 Passion of Love were distributed around the country 00:27:43.00\00:27:45.76 resulting in an unprecedented partnership with Wal-Mart that 00:27:45.79\00:27:49.40 led to over a thousand Bible studies. 00:27:49.43\00:27:51.85 By working together, over 6 million copies of the 00:27:51.88\00:27:55.72 Ten Commandments Twice Removed were shared around the world 00:27:55.75\00:27:59.15 resulting in more than 20 churches now keeping 00:27:59.18\00:28:02.11 the Bible Sabbath. By working together, 00:28:02.14\00:28:04.72 we have shipped almost a million Bibles to spiritually thirsty 00:28:04.75\00:28:08.43 Christians in Africa, touching the lives of 20 million 00:28:08.46\00:28:11.82 people for Christ. Working together is what allows 00:28:11.85\00:28:16.28 Remnant Publications to spread truth filled books around the 00:28:16.31\00:28:19.89 world to hasten the Lord's coming. 00:28:19.92\00:28:22.48 Will you join us in that mission? 00:28:22.51\00:28:24.62 Will you help us reach the world for Jesus, 00:28:24.65\00:28:27.89 one book at a time? 00:28:27.92\00:28:29.98