¤[music ends]¤¤
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>>John Bradshaw:
This is "It Is Written."
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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When something
truly devastating happens,
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a person's life can
be profoundly affected.
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[indistinct shouting]
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When a province in the
Middle East was invaded,
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a teenager was
captured, his family killed,
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and his home destroyed.
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You can imagine the
impact that would have
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on a young man's life.
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But the nightmare continued.
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Forcibly taken
from his homeland,
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he was pressed into
slavery in a foreign country,
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robbed of his dignity,
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immersed in paganism,
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and educated to
advance the interests
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of the country responsible
for destroying his own.
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Think about how you might
react in a situation like that.
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You might, you
might plot and scheme.
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You might attempt to escape.
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But not this young man.
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He remained
committed to his beliefs,
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steadfast in his
allegiance to his God,
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and he did the very best he
could in his new environment.
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There's a lot of
trauma in the world today.
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In 2022,
according to a Gallup poll,
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almost one in four
adults in the United States
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visited a mental
health professional.
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There are around
700,000 divorces a year
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in the United States,
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1.2 million violent
crimes, [siren wails]
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1.4 million emergency
room visits owing to assault,
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almost 25,000 homicides,
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and more than
3,000 burglaries a day.
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That's a lot of people
going through a lot of stuff,
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people dealing
with a lot of trauma,
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people going
through life dealing with
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a lot of hurt and a lot of pain.
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¤[reflective music]¤
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And as a result of
traumatic experiences,
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people can be tempted to believe
that God has abandoned them,
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that heaven's
promises are not real,
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that life is
hardly worth living.
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But, of course, that's not true.
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What we're about to see is that
tragedy need not be the end.
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It need not be the breaking,
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but it can be the
making of a person.
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We're going to see
that God can bring good
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out of even
devastating experiences.
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[whoosh] ¤[music swells]¤
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[tinkling sound
of wind-blown sand]
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[whoosh, distant bell rings]
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[wind blowing, sand swishing]
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We're beginning a series of
studies on the book of Daniel,
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a book that came out
of crisis and defeat.
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It was written by a Jewish man
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at a time when all
Israel was at its lowest point.
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The 10 northern
tribes had been dispersed,
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conquered by
Assyria and assimilated
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into the surrounding nations.
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And then, as God promised,
Judah was captured and taken
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into captivity for what
would turn out to be 70 years.
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Daniel rose up in the midst of
all of that, refusing to allow
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his own devastating personal
experience to derail him.
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Instead, he
leaned in towards God,
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and God used him in
such a powerful way,
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that more than
2,500 years later,
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people all over the world
are being encouraged and blessed
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and guided by his
life and ministry.
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His story is recorded in
the Bible and speaks to us today
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in this world of
conflict and uncertainty.
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Here's what the Bible
says as it recounts this story:
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"In the third year of the
reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah
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"came Nebuchadnezzar king
of Babylon unto Jerusalem,
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"and besieged it.
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"And the Lord gave Jehoiakim
king of Judah into his hand,
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"with part of the
vessels of the house of God:
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"which he carried
into the land of Shinar
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"to the house of his god;
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and he brought the vessels into
the treasure house of his god."
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Some scholars claim that the
book of Daniel was not written
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by Daniel but by someone later,
maybe hundreds of years later.
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But that simply
can't be possible.
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Much of the book is
written in the first person.
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It was obviously
written by someone
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very familiar with
Babylon in the 6th century B.C.
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Nobody writing after that time
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would have had
the insight of Daniel,
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a man who lived in
the midst of it all.
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And most importantly of all,
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Jesus stated that Daniel
wrote the book of Daniel.
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He said,
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"Therefore when you see the
'abomination of desolation,'
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"spoken of by Daniel
the prophet, standing
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in the holy place (whoever
reads, let him understand)."
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This is the beauty of
being able to read the text
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for yourself.
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The default reaction, I
think, is to respect scholars
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and researchers and academics,
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but some scholars and
researchers and academics--
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not all, I don't mean all--
some deny the virgin birth.
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They deny the Creation account,
deny the miracles of Jesus,
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deny that there was a
global flood in Noah's day.
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You might be surprised
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that there are numerous Bible
scholars who are not Christian.
00:05:07.94\00:05:11.74
So don't be surprised
when someone with a PhD
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doubts the plainest
statements in the Bible.
00:05:14.41\00:05:18.08
Just don't you
make that same mistake.
00:05:18.11\00:05:20.98
Judah was conquered
by Babylon in 605 B.C.,
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and that defeat suggests
that Judah's God had been bested
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by the gods of Babylon.
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But, of course,
God was not defeated,
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and nor will He
be, for that matter.
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It might seem that
down through the years
00:05:33.26\00:05:35.26
heaven has taken
some tough shots.
00:05:35.30\00:05:37.23
In many places the
church is shrinking.
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Fewer people than ever in North
America identify as Christian.
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The same is likely true
for the entire Western world.
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God is openly
mocked in the media.
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More and more people believe
the totally implausible idea
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that everything you
see came from...nothing,
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that long ago,
nothing at all exploded,
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and so everything from the
Himalayas to the Sahara Desert
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to the prairies of North America
all resulted from an explosion
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that occurred when nothing
exploded. [ringing of explosion]
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It seems that God
has been losing ground.
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But what we know is
that God is going to be okay.
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We know how the story ends.
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It ends gloriously, with
God being seen to be God.
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Nebuchadnezzar,
the king of Babylon,
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had big plans for
Daniel. But so did God.
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Nebuchadnezzar was looking for
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"children in whom was no
blemish, but well favored,
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"and skilful in all wisdom,
and cunning in knowledge,
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"and understanding science,
and such as had [the] ability
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"in them to stand in the king's
palace, and whom they might
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teach the learning of
the tongue of the Chaldeans."
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Daniel was destined
to become a Babylonian.
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In an attempt to have
him take on a new identity,
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even his name was changed
to honor a Babylonian god.
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And the intent was
that he would spend his life
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advancing the
kingdom of Babylon.
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But while Nebuchadnezzar
had big plans for Daniel,
00:07:02.65\00:07:05.05
God had bigger plans,
and Daniel was to learn
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that sometimes when
God has big plans for you,
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those plans come
disguised as challenges.
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It wasn't long and
Daniel found himself
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in an impossible situation:
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"And the king appointed
for them a daily provision
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"of the king's delicacies
and of the wine which he drank,
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"and three years of training
for them, so that at the end
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of that time they
might serve before the king."
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While he was earning a degree
at the university of Babylon,
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Daniel was being asked
to compromise his faith
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and eat the
cafeteria food, as it were.
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But Daniel and his
friends simply couldn't do that.
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The Babylonians ate unclean
food, and they would not.
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Some of that food was
likely offered to idols.
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The animals on the menu
hadn't been killed in the manner
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God said animals for
food should be killed.
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And it would have been
luxurious food, unhealthy food.
00:08:02.74\00:08:06.55
It was just plain bad for them.
00:08:06.58\00:08:09.02
And Daniel understood 600 years
before Paul put pen to paper
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that his body was "the
temple of the Holy Spirit."
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He knew that if he wanted to
excel physically, emotionally,
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academically, and spiritually,
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what he put in
his body mattered.
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Because he understood
his body was not his own
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but belonged to God,
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Daniel was committed to
looking after his health,
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and he didn't want to do
anything that would harm him
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or hinder his development.
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The wine he was served
would have been intoxicating,
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and there was no way
Daniel and his friends
00:08:41.08\00:08:43.62
were going to drink alcohol--
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even if their
lives depended on it.
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In around 600 B.C.,
00:08:48.82\00:08:50.39
Daniel was following
advanced medical ideas.
00:08:50.43\00:08:54.00
Many people
today, 2,600 years later,
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don't have any understanding
of principles of temperance,
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and they think they're fine
00:09:01.17\00:09:02.47
eating and drinking
just whatever they want.
00:09:02.50\00:09:05.07
And when the doctor
comes with bad news,
00:09:05.11\00:09:07.08
it's an overwhelming surprise,
00:09:07.11\00:09:09.01
as though it
never occurred to them
00:09:09.04\00:09:10.35
that it might be a
good idea to be careful
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about what you put in your body.
00:09:13.28\00:09:15.15
Recently, a host of
news outlets reported
00:09:15.18\00:09:17.49
that half of U.S.
cancer deaths are avoidable,
00:09:17.52\00:09:21.59
that alcohol is a driver
in several different types
00:09:21.62\00:09:24.89
of cancer, that
lifestyle factors are causing
00:09:24.93\00:09:28.10
a huge amount of
cancer in the United States
00:09:28.13\00:09:30.37
and certainly
throughout the world.
00:09:30.40\00:09:32.87
Daniel knew what the
American Cancer Society
00:09:32.90\00:09:35.30
is telling us today.
00:09:35.34\00:09:37.01
What you put into
your body matters.
00:09:37.04\00:09:40.51
In the New Testament,
Paul wrote to the Corinthians
00:09:40.54\00:09:44.01
and said, "Therefore,
whether you eat or drink,
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or whatever you do, do
all to the glory of God."
00:09:47.55\00:09:51.72
Daniel would honor God in
everything, even his diet.
00:09:51.75\00:09:57.43
For a lot of people, that's
going too far, but is it really?
00:09:57.46\00:10:01.80
After what Jesus
did on the cross?
00:10:01.83\00:10:04.67
Every Christian you know
has heard that Jesus said
00:10:04.70\00:10:06.97
we are to love God with
all our heart, soul, and mind.
00:10:07.00\00:10:10.41
Here's an example
of someone doing that:
00:10:10.44\00:10:13.41
Putting God
first, not compromising,
00:10:13.44\00:10:16.34
not taking shortcuts in faith,
00:10:16.38\00:10:18.98
not pretending it doesn't matter
if you don't give God all.
00:10:19.01\00:10:23.32
Daniel showed it matters.
00:10:23.35\00:10:25.69
His full-on commitment
to God was recognized,
00:10:25.72\00:10:28.49
as God then
blessed Daniel and used him
00:10:28.52\00:10:31.79
in a way He has never
used another human being.
00:10:31.83\00:10:36.00
¤[upbeat music
swells and ends]¤¤
00:10:36.03\00:10:41.04
>>John: It's one of the
most intriguing passages
00:10:45.61\00:10:48.68
in all of the Bible.
00:10:48.71\00:10:50.65
Jesus is asked a simple question
by some of his closest friends,
00:10:50.68\00:10:54.62
and the answer He gives points
them to the signs of His return.
00:10:54.65\00:11:00.36
John me for "Great
Chapters of the Bible:
00:11:00.39\00:11:03.02
Matthew [Chapter] 24."
00:11:03.06\00:11:05.03
It was Jesus Himself who
told us to watch for earthquakes
00:11:05.06\00:11:08.53
and pestilences and famines
and wars and rumors of wars.
00:11:08.56\00:11:13.80
He said, as we see
them, we could know that
00:11:13.84\00:11:16.27
His return "is
near, even at the doors."
00:11:16.30\00:11:19.74
He did not give us the
day or the hour of His return,
00:11:19.77\00:11:22.74
but Jesus encouraged
us in Matthew, chapter 24
00:11:22.78\00:11:26.31
again and again to
be ready for His coming.
00:11:26.35\00:11:30.39
Join me for "Great Chapters of
the Bible: Matthew [Chapter] 24"
00:11:30.42\00:11:34.72
and hear from Jesus about
the necessity of being ready
00:11:34.76\00:11:37.79
for His return.
00:11:37.83\00:11:39.06
"Great Chapters of
the Bible: Matthew 24,"
00:11:39.09\00:11:41.96
brought to you
by It Is Written TV.
00:11:42.00\00:11:44.50
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:11:45.50\00:11:47.60
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:11:47.64\00:11:51.37
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:11:51.41\00:11:53.94
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:11:53.98\00:11:58.35
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:11:58.38\00:11:59.95
to the address on your screen,
00:12:00.05\00:12:01.48
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:12:01.52\00:12:05.55
Thank you for your prayers
and your financial support.
00:12:05.59\00:12:07.76
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:12:07.79\00:12:11.49
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:12:11.53\00:12:15.00
>>John Bradshaw: It can
be challenging to honor God
00:12:16.73\00:12:19.23
when all of the people
around you are not doing so.
00:12:19.27\00:12:23.07
But when you're
the lone star of faith
00:12:23.10\00:12:25.31
in a galaxy of
unbelief, that's an opportunity.
00:12:25.34\00:12:28.84
It's an opportunity to shine,
00:12:28.88\00:12:30.85
an opportunity to let people
see what God can do in a life.
00:12:30.88\00:12:35.48
It's an opportunity to show
the world what faith looks like.
00:12:35.52\00:12:39.89
Don't be afraid
to live your faith,
00:12:39.92\00:12:42.52
even if it means being
the one who's different.
00:12:42.56\00:12:45.06
Let people see the difference
God can make in a life.
00:12:45.09\00:12:48.70
It might be that
when everyone at work
00:12:48.73\00:12:50.13
is drinking at the Christmas
party and you choose not to,
00:12:50.17\00:12:53.00
that someone will draw
strength from your example.
00:12:53.03\00:12:55.84
When everyone's laughing at
the dirty joke and you choose
00:12:55.87\00:12:58.11
not to engage, someone
will notice, and it'll matter.
00:12:58.14\00:13:02.04
The Holy Spirit
will speak to them.
00:13:02.08\00:13:04.38
Like Daniel, your
situation won't only be for you,
00:13:04.41\00:13:08.32
but for the others who will
notice and be drawn to Jesus.
00:13:08.35\00:13:12.19
And like Daniel, your
trial might simply be God's way
00:13:12.22\00:13:17.16
to lead you to something greater
for Him than you can imagine.
00:13:17.19\00:13:21.40
Daniel was a captive.
00:13:21.43\00:13:23.23
Nobody would want
to be in his situation.
00:13:23.26\00:13:26.20
But even in that
daunting situation,
00:13:26.23\00:13:28.10
God was preparing
Daniel to be one of
00:13:28.14\00:13:30.07
the most significant characters
in all of biblical history.
00:13:30.11\00:13:35.44
The book of Revelation
builds on the book of Daniel.
00:13:35.48\00:13:38.18
It's not a stretch to say that
if there was no book of Daniel,
00:13:38.21\00:13:41.52
there'd be no
Revelation as we know it today.
00:13:41.55\00:13:44.72
God could see the big picture.
00:13:44.75\00:13:47.59
Daniel was going to go
through some hardships,
00:13:47.62\00:13:50.13
but he went to
Babylon as a missionary.
00:13:50.16\00:13:53.33
God had huge plans.
00:13:53.36\00:13:55.76
He chose Daniel to be the
one who would go to Babylon
00:13:55.80\00:13:59.37
and not lose his
way and represent God
00:13:59.40\00:14:03.14
and let the
light of heaven shine.
00:14:03.17\00:14:05.84
Daniel's bold stand that day
could have cost him his life--
00:14:05.87\00:14:10.08
and the life of the
man with responsibility
00:14:10.11\00:14:11.88
over Daniel and his friends.
00:14:11.91\00:14:13.68
He said, "I fear
my lord the king,
00:14:13.72\00:14:15.88
"who has appointed
your food and drink.
00:14:15.92\00:14:18.39
"For why should he see
your faces looking worse
00:14:18.42\00:14:21.46
"than the young
men who are your age?
00:14:21.49\00:14:24.36
Then you would endanger
my head before the king."
00:14:24.39\00:14:28.33
But Daniel said, "Please
test your servants for ten days,
00:14:28.36\00:14:32.87
"and let them give us vegetables
to eat and water to drink.
00:14:32.90\00:14:37.37
"Then let our appearance
be examined before you,
00:14:37.41\00:14:39.97
"and the appearance of the
young men who eat the portion
00:14:40.01\00:14:42.84
"of the king's
delicacies; and as you see fit,
00:14:42.88\00:14:46.48
so deal with your servants."
00:14:46.51\00:14:48.65
"So he consented
with them in this matter,
00:14:48.68\00:14:51.45
and tested them ten days."
00:14:51.49\00:14:54.92
"Put us to the test,
just give us 10 days."
00:14:54.96\00:14:59.16
And Daniel's confidence
in God was vindicated.
00:14:59.19\00:15:03.50
We can learn from that.
00:15:03.53\00:15:04.93
You can stand for God
in those tough moments.
00:15:04.97\00:15:08.07
If you have a big God,
00:15:08.10\00:15:09.67
there's no need for
you to wilt or backtrack.
00:15:09.70\00:15:13.07
We'll never know what
Peter lost by denying Jesus.
00:15:13.11\00:15:16.04
How different might his
story have been if he'd said,
00:15:16.08\00:15:19.11
"Yes, I do know
Him. He's a close friend.
00:15:19.15\00:15:22.02
I'm one of His disciples."
00:15:22.05\00:15:23.99
When 400 prophets lied
to King Ahab and told him
00:15:24.02\00:15:26.89
what he wanted to hear, a lone
faithful prophet named Micaiah
00:15:26.92\00:15:31.66
told the king the truth.
00:15:31.69\00:15:33.70
If he'd wilted under pressure,
00:15:33.73\00:15:36.03
God would have
been robbed of glory.
00:15:36.06\00:15:38.50
God's ways bring results.
00:15:38.53\00:15:41.30
"And at the end of ten
days their features appeared
00:15:41.34\00:15:43.67
"better and fatter in
flesh than all the young men
00:15:43.71\00:15:46.78
who ate the portion of
the king's delicacies."
00:15:46.81\00:15:50.11
Daniel stood on God's
principles, and he excelled.
00:15:50.15\00:15:53.95
If you want an
edge, go God's way.
00:15:53.98\00:15:57.29
You want an edge
in the boardroom?
00:15:57.32\00:15:59.49
In the courtroom?
In the trading room?
00:15:59.52\00:16:01.66
In the lunch room?
In the weight room?
00:16:01.69\00:16:03.93
Follow God's path.
Even in the bedroom.
00:16:03.96\00:16:07.86
For years, research has
shown that married couples
00:16:07.93\00:16:11.13
have a more satisfying
physical relationship than those
00:16:11.17\00:16:14.70
who are in a relationship
without being married.
00:16:14.74\00:16:17.21
You thought playing the
field was where the fun was?
00:16:17.24\00:16:19.94
No, that's where you
got rejection, confusion,
00:16:19.97\00:16:22.91
frustration, and medication.
00:16:22.94\00:16:25.48
God's way is
proven to be the best way.
00:16:25.51\00:16:30.19
And it's interesting that
Daniel was thousands of years
00:16:30.22\00:16:32.82
ahead of his time.
00:16:32.85\00:16:34.19
He knew God had an optimal diet.
00:16:34.22\00:16:37.13
Diet fads come and go today.
00:16:37.16\00:16:39.29
Keto--eat tons of fat.
00:16:39.33\00:16:41.66
Tons of fat is
bad for your heart.
00:16:41.70\00:16:44.43
The carnivore diet--that's
better known as the "I hope
00:16:44.47\00:16:47.54
you have a good cardiologist
on speed dial" diet.
00:16:47.57\00:16:50.97
It excludes
everything that Daniel ate.
00:16:51.01\00:16:55.54
Instead of a fad, you
could look at the Daniel diet:
00:16:55.58\00:17:01.08
fruits, nuts,
grains, and vegetables--
00:17:01.12\00:17:04.12
the diet God gave Adam and Eve.
00:17:04.15\00:17:06.99
But wait, what did
Daniel do for protein?
00:17:07.02\00:17:10.19
Well, he got it from...fruits,
nuts, grains, and vegetables.
00:17:10.23\00:17:15.53
You know, no one seems to worry
00:17:15.56\00:17:17.23
about elephants not
getting enough protein.
00:17:17.27\00:17:20.07
And they don't eat meat.
00:17:20.10\00:17:21.60
You never did see a weak
elephant or a weak hippopotamus
00:17:21.64\00:17:25.34
or a weak rhino.
00:17:25.37\00:17:26.84
Rhinos somehow manage
to get plenty of protein.
00:17:26.88\00:17:30.81
And if you eat how Daniel
ate, you'll get plenty, too.
00:17:30.85\00:17:34.95
If you want something that
works, follow Daniel's example.
00:17:34.98\00:17:38.22
Now, of course, there's one
in a million or one in 10,000
00:17:38.25\00:17:41.66
who can't do that
for medical reasons.
00:17:41.69\00:17:43.49
So, if you're the
medical exception, don't do it.
00:17:43.53\00:17:47.10
But that's the
exception, not the rule.
00:17:47.13\00:17:51.37
Even when it seems
you're far from God, you're not.
00:17:51.40\00:17:55.97
¤[upbeat music
swells and ends]¤¤
00:17:56.00\00:18:01.01
¤[reflective music]¤
00:18:05.31\00:18:07.28
>>John: The Bible is
filled with stories of people
00:18:07.32\00:18:09.98
who took a leap of faith.
00:18:10.02\00:18:12.49
Gideon was asked by God
to lead an army of just 300
00:18:12.52\00:18:17.49
against an innumerable foe, and
he did, and he was triumphant.
00:18:17.53\00:18:22.46
Noah was asked by
God to build an ark,
00:18:22.50\00:18:25.03
a boat, so he and his
family could ride out a storm
00:18:25.07\00:18:28.40
in a world where rain
had never before fallen.
00:18:28.44\00:18:31.41
And he did, and he and his
family and the world was saved.
00:18:31.44\00:18:36.98
Life can be like that.
00:18:37.01\00:18:39.71
Sometimes you have
to take a leap of faith.
00:18:39.75\00:18:44.29
¤[dramatic music]¤
00:18:44.32\00:18:45.45
After you've received all
the necessary instructions,
00:18:45.49\00:18:48.82
after the
equipment has been checked,
00:18:48.86\00:18:51.66
you take a leap of faith.
00:18:51.69\00:18:54.46
Grow your faith in
God and in His Word.
00:18:54.50\00:18:58.47
Don't miss "The Leap of Faith,"
00:18:58.50\00:19:01.27
brought to you
by It Is Written TV.
00:19:01.30\00:19:03.94
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:19:03.97\00:19:04.97
>>John: Daniel and his
friends were in captivity,
00:19:06.21\00:19:08.78
hundreds of miles from home,
and God gave them knowledge
00:19:08.81\00:19:12.95
and skill in all
learning and wisdom.
00:19:12.98\00:19:16.32
And here's something interesting
about the story of Daniel.
00:19:16.35\00:19:19.15
As far as we know,
Daniel never gained his freedom,
00:19:19.19\00:19:23.49
and he died in that
foreign heathen land.
00:19:23.53\00:19:26.33
We don't read about
Daniel's riches or prosperity.
00:19:26.36\00:19:28.96
We read about
attempts on his life.
00:19:29.00\00:19:31.17
We read about envy.
We don't read about fame.
00:19:31.20\00:19:34.74
We read about a man
whose life wasn't lived
00:19:34.77\00:19:37.34
for his own self-aggrandizement.
00:19:37.37\00:19:39.81
His life was
lived for God's honor.
00:19:39.84\00:19:43.78
Can you live
your life like that?
00:19:43.81\00:19:45.78
What if God said, "I don't want
you playing professional sport;
00:19:45.81\00:19:49.62
I want you serving me instead"?
00:19:49.65\00:19:51.62
Or, "My plan isn't that
you earn millions of dollars;
00:19:51.65\00:19:55.16
my plan is that you become a
missionary or a gospel worker."
00:19:55.19\00:20:00.16
Would that be okay with you?
00:20:00.20\00:20:02.00
He, He might not say that.
00:20:02.03\00:20:04.37
But what if He did?
00:20:04.40\00:20:05.93
"You would honor me more
not by working as an actor,
00:20:05.97\00:20:08.54
but by doing
something faith oriented."
00:20:08.57\00:20:10.77
In fact, that very thing
happened to a young man I know.
00:20:10.81\00:20:13.54
He appeared in several movies.
00:20:13.58\00:20:14.78
He was primed to hit
the really big time--
00:20:14.81\00:20:17.28
and walked away from it all
to pursue a career in ministry.
00:20:17.31\00:20:21.25
He followed God's call.
00:20:21.28\00:20:23.79
Are you okay with your life
being lived for God's honor?
00:20:24.92\00:20:28.99
No one ever chose God's
path and ended up worse off.
00:20:29.02\00:20:33.83
Now, the devil will
tell you you'll be worse off.
00:20:33.86\00:20:36.77
That's how we
got into this mess.
00:20:36.80\00:20:38.53
Eve said, "We're not
allowed to eat that fruit."
00:20:38.57\00:20:41.07
The devil said, "Go
ahead, you'll be better off.
00:20:41.10\00:20:43.27
You'll be as gods."
00:20:43.30\00:20:44.91
And that got hold of Eve.
00:20:44.94\00:20:46.64
Wanting something
that sounded more grand
00:20:46.68\00:20:48.81
than God's plan for her,
00:20:48.84\00:20:50.15
she found out that
selfishness is not liberating,
00:20:50.18\00:20:53.82
but it's slavery to sin.
00:20:53.85\00:20:57.02
You don't lose when you
surrender your life to Jesus.
00:20:57.05\00:20:59.62
And we see that in
the book of Daniel.
00:20:59.65\00:21:01.72
We'll look at much more of
the rest of the book later.
00:21:01.76\00:21:04.36
In Daniel 1, a captive,
00:21:04.39\00:21:06.26
plucked from his
homeland, his manhood stolen,
00:21:06.29\00:21:10.13
forced to dwell in
the midst of raw paganism,
00:21:10.17\00:21:13.50
he stood up for God
while he was still a teenager
00:21:13.54\00:21:16.17
and saw God work miracles.
00:21:16.20\00:21:19.24
He risked insulting the most
powerful monarch on the planet,
00:21:19.27\00:21:24.25
but God blessed him.
00:21:24.28\00:21:25.61
He was streets ahead of
the other young men in Babylon,
00:21:25.65\00:21:28.72
miles ahead of those who
ate the king's fancy food.
00:21:28.75\00:21:33.09
Look how this concluded:
00:21:33.12\00:21:34.89
"Now at the end of the
days that the king had said
00:21:34.92\00:21:36.69
"he should bring them in,
then the prince of the eunuchs
00:21:36.73\00:21:39.83
"brought them in
before Nebuchadnezzar.
00:21:39.86\00:21:42.40
"And the king
communed with them;
00:21:42.43\00:21:44.53
"and among them all was found
none like Daniel, Hananiah,
00:21:44.57\00:21:48.60
"Mishael, and Azariah: therefore
stood they before the king.
00:21:48.64\00:21:53.98
"And in all matters of
wisdom and understanding, that
00:21:54.01\00:21:56.58
"the [lord] enquired of them,
he found them ten times better
00:21:56.61\00:22:02.15
"than all the
magicians and astrologers
00:22:02.18\00:22:04.65
that were in all his realm."
00:22:04.69\00:22:06.92
Ten times better.
00:22:06.96\00:22:10.53
And this was just
the setup for Daniel,
00:22:10.56\00:22:13.43
the preparation, the test.
00:22:13.46\00:22:16.13
If he passed this test,
what might the future hold?
00:22:16.16\00:22:21.14
In Daniel 2, faithful
Daniel interpreted the dream
00:22:21.17\00:22:23.84
of King Nebuchadnezzar.
00:22:23.87\00:22:25.31
Daniel's three
friends, encouraged by the way
00:22:25.34\00:22:27.88
God had blessed them, went into
a fiery furnace in chapter 3
00:22:27.91\00:22:31.65
rather than
compromise their faith.
00:22:31.68\00:22:34.05
And they survived.
00:22:34.08\00:22:35.15
In Daniel, chapter 4,
Daniel interprets another dream
00:22:35.18\00:22:38.55
for the king, and
the king is converted.
00:22:38.59\00:22:40.99
The mightiest monarch
on the planet was converted
00:22:41.02\00:22:44.16
through Daniel's ministry.
00:22:44.19\00:22:46.06
In Daniel 5, the
writing is on the wall,
00:22:46.09\00:22:49.26
and Daniel interpreted
that mysterious script.
00:22:49.30\00:22:53.37
In Daniel 6, King Darius
is tricked into writing a law
00:22:53.40\00:22:56.97
that leaves Daniel trapped.
00:22:57.01\00:22:59.14
He honors God
just like he always has
00:22:59.17\00:23:02.14
and ends up in a den of lions.
00:23:02.18\00:23:04.61
But God protects Daniel,
and he miraculously survives
00:23:04.65\00:23:07.95
his night with
the hungry big cats.
00:23:07.98\00:23:10.39
Go further. Daniel 7, where once
again Daniel is given a view
00:23:10.42\00:23:13.99
of the rise and fall of nations
00:23:14.02\00:23:16.22
and events that will
happen in the end of time.
00:23:16.26\00:23:18.86
He is given an outline of
the rise of the man of sin
00:23:18.89\00:23:21.53
and the great
conflict of earth's last days.
00:23:21.56\00:23:24.63
The rest of the book of Daniel
00:23:24.67\00:23:26.10
fills out that
picture even more.
00:23:26.13\00:23:29.17
And where did it begin?
00:23:29.20\00:23:30.84
With a teenager
abducted from his homeland
00:23:30.87\00:23:34.18
and taken as a slave into
a godless foreign country.
00:23:34.21\00:23:38.58
And because Daniel
chose to be faithful to God
00:23:38.61\00:23:40.85
in the first great
test that came to him,
00:23:40.88\00:23:43.49
God blessed him
again and again and again.
00:23:43.52\00:23:49.39
¤[reflective music]¤
00:23:49.42\00:23:50.89
The book of Daniel
is a remarkable book.
00:23:50.93\00:23:53.93
It contains what's
been called the master key
00:23:53.96\00:23:56.36
to Bible prophecy.
00:23:56.40\00:23:57.70
And we'll look at that in
the next program in the series.
00:23:57.73\00:24:01.44
It reveals a God
who knows the future.
00:24:01.47\00:24:03.37
In fact, this one chapter
of the Bible has enough in it
00:24:03.41\00:24:06.14
to challenge any atheist,
to shake up any agnostic,
00:24:06.17\00:24:09.78
and to strengthen the
faith of any Christian.
00:24:09.81\00:24:12.75
In Daniel, chapter 1, four young
men taken from their homes,
00:24:12.78\00:24:16.25
robbed of their future,
deprived of their independence,
00:24:16.28\00:24:19.62
and they trusted in God.
00:24:19.65\00:24:21.59
That trust set Daniel up to be
00:24:21.62\00:24:23.86
one of the most significant of
all Bible writers and therefore
00:24:23.89\00:24:28.16
one of the most influential
men in all of history.
00:24:28.20\00:24:33.17
Where are you struggling to
be faithful to God right now?
00:24:33.20\00:24:37.84
What can you surrender to God?
00:24:37.87\00:24:40.28
Is there a challenge in
your life at this moment
00:24:40.31\00:24:42.84
that's shaking your
faith or shaking your resolve?
00:24:42.88\00:24:46.21
It doesn't have to.
00:24:46.25\00:24:47.75
If you'll dare to be a Daniel,
00:24:47.78\00:24:49.78
if you'll ask God to
fill you with His Spirit,
00:24:49.82\00:24:52.52
if you'll trust God to
be God and to do for you
00:24:52.55\00:24:55.26
what you can't do for yourself,
00:24:55.29\00:24:57.73
you'll see heaven move in ways
you've never witnessed before.
00:24:57.76\00:25:04.67
There's something I
really want you to have.
00:25:04.70\00:25:07.50
It's a resource I've written
00:25:07.54\00:25:09.57
dealing with the very
subjects we are studying
00:25:09.60\00:25:12.44
in this series of
programs on the life of Daniel.
00:25:12.47\00:25:16.58
It's absolutely free. I
hope you'll get it right now.
00:25:16.61\00:25:20.25
The stories in the book of
Daniel are prophetic in nature,
00:25:20.28\00:25:23.89
revealing key events that
will take place in the world
00:25:23.92\00:25:26.89
in earth's last days.
00:25:26.92\00:25:28.96
"The Stories of
Daniel" speak to issues
00:25:28.99\00:25:31.09
that are now
unfolding before our eyes.
00:25:31.13\00:25:34.10
To get today's free
offer, "The Stories of Daniel,"
00:25:34.13\00:25:36.97
call 800-253-3000.
00:25:37.00\00:25:39.73
That's 800-253-3000.
00:25:39.77\00:25:43.04
You can request "The Stories of
Daniel" online at iiwoffer.com,
00:25:43.07\00:25:47.51
iiwoffer.com.
00:25:47.54\00:25:49.74
You can write to the
address on your screen
00:25:49.78\00:25:51.38
or text "freedaniel" to 71392.
00:25:51.41\00:25:55.22
Text "freedaniel" to 71392.
00:25:55.25\00:25:58.99
"The Stories of Daniel,"
00:25:59.02\00:26:00.46
faith-building stories
00:26:00.49\00:26:01.79
given by God to prepare you
00:26:01.82\00:26:03.46
for the major events
of earth's last days.
00:26:03.49\00:26:06.13
"The Stories of Daniel,"
00:26:06.16\00:26:07.73
call 800-253-3000,
00:26:07.76\00:26:09.96
go to iiwoffer.com,
00:26:10.00\00:26:12.17
or text "freedaniel" to 71392.
00:26:12.20\00:26:15.77
Grow your faith as you
prepare for the return of Jesus.
00:26:15.80\00:26:18.81
Let's pray together now.
00:26:21.58\00:26:23.11
Our Father in heaven, we thank
You for the example of Daniel,
00:26:23.14\00:26:26.21
this young man
who stood for You,
00:26:26.25\00:26:27.92
who was bold and
brave and decided,
00:26:27.95\00:26:31.75
this young man who surrendered,
00:26:31.79\00:26:33.32
giving us an example
of what people planning
00:26:33.36\00:26:36.96
to successfully navigate
earth's last days must do.
00:26:36.99\00:26:41.96
And I'm wondering about
your heart, friend, right now.
00:26:42.00\00:26:44.20
Where are you with Jesus?
00:26:44.23\00:26:45.37
Is it time to make a stand,
a commitment, a surrender,
00:26:45.40\00:26:49.54
a recommitment?
00:26:49.57\00:26:50.94
Is God calling to
you? I believe He is.
00:26:50.97\00:26:53.01
Are you resisting that call?
00:26:53.04\00:26:54.98
Only you know.
00:26:55.01\00:26:56.78
Would you say in your heart
right now, "God, take my heart;
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make my life Your own; prepare
me for now and for eternity"?
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Dear Father, You've
seen decisions made,
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and if someone
has hesitated, paused,
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decided not to move
forward in faith right now,
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I pray You'd go after that
person, speak to that heart,
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give that person opportunity
after opportunity while
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there is still time to be truly
Yours and ready for eternity.
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We thank You for Jesus,
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through whom we have
the gift of salvation.
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We thank You for the cross,
where Jesus bore our sins.
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We receive from You
now His righteousness.
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And we thank You for the
promise of everlasting life,
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in Jesus' name. Amen.
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Thank you so
much for joining me.
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I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
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Until then, remember:
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"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
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but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
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¤[dramatic,
triumphant theme music]¤
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¤[music ends]¤¤
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