¤[music ends]¤¤
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¤[reflective music]¤
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>>John Bradshaw: In the third
chapter of the book of Daniel
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we find a story,
an historical account
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that's also prophetic in nature,
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and it speaks
directly to earth's last days.
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The book of Daniel was
written 2,500 years ago,
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600 years before Revelation.
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It was written to reveal
events that would take place
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in the latter days and
at the time of the end.
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As Amos wrote, "Surely
the Lord God does nothing,
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unless He reveals His secret[s]
to His servants the prophets."
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The young man Daniel
who wrote the book of Daniel
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was a slave in Babylon.
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Babylon was located
in the Fertile Crescent,
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a region that stretches
north from Israel and Jordan,
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up to Lebanon,
Syria, and southern Turkey,
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and down through Iraq and
Iran to about the Persian Gulf.
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Egypt, Lydia,
and Medea were also
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significant
Middle-Eastern powers.
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But Babylon was by
far the dominant nation.
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Nebuchadnezzar came
against Jerusalem three times.
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On the first occasion in 605 BC,
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he forced King Jehoiakim
of Judah to break with Egypt
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and sign a treaty with Babylon.
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Jehoiakim didn't honor
his end of the bargain,
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and things didn't turn
out well for him or for Judah.
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"The Lord sent against him
raiding bands of Chaldeans,
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"bands of
Syrians, bands of Moabites,
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"and bands of
the people of Ammon;
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"He sent them
against Judah to destroy it,
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"according to the word of
the Lord which He had spoken
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by His servants the prophets."
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You find that in
2 Kings, chapter 24.
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God told Judah they
would be under Babylonian rule
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for 70 years.
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"After seventy years
are completed at Babylon,
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I will visit you and
perform my good word toward you,
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and cause you to
return to this place."
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And then we read a
well-known Bible verse. [whoosh]
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"For I know the thoughts that I
think toward you, says the Lord,
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"thoughts of
peace and not of evil,
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to give you a
future and a hope."
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Jeremiah 29:11.
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That was said in the context of
God assuring a rebellious people
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that the trial,
as severe as it was,
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was intended to lead
them to a better future,
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to a place of faith.
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The trials God allows to come
to you are for the same purpose.
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There might seem to
be nothing redemptive
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in a challenging diagnosis or a
financial scrape or a job loss,
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but anything God permits
He permits to encourage you
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to come closer to Him.
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Too often people
allow their trials
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to push them away from
God. It shouldn't be that way.
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Hardships are a
time to lean in to God,
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not to get angry with
God or harden your heart.
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Judah was going into
70 years of captivity.
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God was permitting
that for their good.
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[whoosh]
¤[orchestral 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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Without a doubt, one of
the most remarkable stories
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in the entire Bible is
found in Daniel, chapter 3.
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First, let's recap.
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While a teenager, Daniel was
taken from his home in Judah,
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forcibly relocated to Babylon,
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and pressed into the
service of the king of Babylon.
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In chapter 1, when
beginning their training,
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Daniel and his friends
refused to eat the food
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provided by the king, choosing
instead of follow a simple diet
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that honored God. They excelled.
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And when the king
himself examined them,
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they were found to
be "ten times better"
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than all of their colleagues.
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Then in Daniel 2,
Daniel interpreted the king's
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remarkable dream of a
statue made from gold, silver,
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brass, and iron, standing
on feet of iron and clay.
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A stone, cut out without
hands, not of human origin,
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crashed into the image
and broke it to pieces,
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and the entire
thing was swept away,
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while the stone became a great
mountain that filled the earth.
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That's the return of Jesus.
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Daniel interpreted this dream to
mean that kingdoms would arise,
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first Babylon, then Medo-Persia,
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then Greece and Rome,
and then Rome would divide.
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Daniel
predicted in around 600 BC
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what would take
place in the world
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over the next
2,500 years and beyond.
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Daniel's predictions have proven
to be stunningly accurate.
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Clearly, the Word of God
can be trusted and believed.
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And now the
incredible Daniel, chapter 3,
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a life-and-death
story that prefigures events
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in the end of time.
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It's a story
with big implications,
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and if you consider it
carefully, it will shine a light
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on the prophecies
of earth's final days.
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After the dream of Daniel 2,
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the image made
from different metals,
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King Nebuchadnezzar had
his artisans construct an image
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made entirely out of gold.
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His dream had made clear that
Babylon would not last forever,
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but here, he shook
his fist in God's face,
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making it clear that in his mind
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things were going to
work out differently.
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The story starts bluntly:
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"Nebuchadnezzar the
king made an image of gold."
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And it was like nothing
that had ever been seen.
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Its "height was sixty
cubits and its width six cubits.
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"He set it up in
the plain of Dura,
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in the province of Babylon."
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Sixty cubits high is around 90
to 100 feet, around 30 meters.
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Now, Babylon used
the sexagesimal system
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of numbering, a system
based on the number six.
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Most nations today
use the decimal system,
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based on the number 10.
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The Babylonian system
gave us 60 seconds in a minute,
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60 minutes in an hour, 360
degrees in a circle, and so on.
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And if you're wondering about
666 in the book of Revelation,
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you're making a
good connection--
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with that number
connecting directly to Babylon.
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So, this image was roughly the
height of a nine-story building.
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Whether that was all
statue or if the height
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included a pedestal,
we really don't know,
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but either way it was tall.
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And being as it
was erected on a plain,
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it would have
been visible for miles.
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Solid gold, gleaming in the
shining Middle-Eastern sun--
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the king was making a statement.
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He summoned anyone
who was anyone to come
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to the dedication of the image,
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something Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abed-Nego did.
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While they knew this was
going in a bad direction,
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they did everything
they could to comply.
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They were
obedient to civil authority
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as far as they were able.
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But then, [whoosh]
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"Then a herald cried
aloud: 'To you it is commanded,
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"'O peoples, nations, and
languages, that at the time
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"'you hear the sound of
the horn, flute, harp, lyre,
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"'and psaltery, in symphony
with all kinds of music,
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"'you shall fall down and
worship the gold[en] image
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that King
Nebuchadnezzar has set up."
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They knew what God had said:
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"Don't make graven
images. Don't worship them."
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The king had commanded,
but God had forbidden.
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So, what do you do in
a situation like this?
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The herald continued:
"And whoever does not fall down
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"and worship shall be
cast immediately into the midst
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of a burning fiery furnace."
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Now, that upped
the ante considerably.
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The passage says that when
the people heard the music play,
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they all bowed down and
worshiped the golden image.
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Couldn't Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abed-Nego
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have found a workaround?
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Couldn't they have bent
down to tie their sandals
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or to scratch their ankles
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or to, to look at
something on the ground?
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No. They wouldn't
even give the impression
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that they were compromising.
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They didn't want
it to even look like
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they were
worshiping that statue.
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At that time, someone in
the crowd approached the king
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and informed him that
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego
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did not bow down.
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They were brought before
the king, who was furious.
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He told them that if they
cooperated, all would be well.
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"But if you do not
worship, you shall be cast
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"immediately into the midst
of a burning fiery furnace.
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And who is the god who
will deliver you from my hands?"
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They were facing certain death,
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caught between
courage and compromise,
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caught between what they knew to
be right and saving their lives,
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between obeying God and
paying the ultimate price.
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¤[somber music]¤
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What do you do
when you're a young man,
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you're in proximity
to wealth and position,
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you've got a great job
in the king's inner circle,
00:09:27.60\00:09:30.63
and the most powerful
man on the planet says,
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"Worship an idol or else,"
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and when
everyone else is doing it?
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Peer pressure is nothing new.
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Whether it's teenagers
experimenting with drugs,
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alcohol, or
immorality, the culture at work
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and the pressure to
go along with the crowd,
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the pressure to lie to get ahead
or to misrepresent the facts
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to get more sales, it's real.
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The eyes of a nation were on
three foreigners who didn't eat
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the same food or drink the same
wine or worship the same gods
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as everyone else there that day.
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What would they do?
00:10:10.64\00:10:12.74
You know, God is
looking for people who will dare
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to live their faith, who'll take
their cue not from other people
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but from heaven, who rely on the
Bible as their guide for life,
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even when other people don't.
00:10:26.65\00:10:29.39
God is looking for people
who've looked at the cross
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and decided they
want to honor Jesus.
00:10:32.43\00:10:34.73
And if you've ever
wondered how that works out,
00:10:34.73\00:10:37.33
watch and see what happens next.
00:10:37.37\00:10:40.67
The boys
responded, "O Nebuchadnezzar,
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"we have no need to
answer you in this matter.
00:10:43.30\00:10:46.17
"If that is the
case, our God whom we serve
00:10:46.21\00:10:49.04
"is able to deliver us
from the burning fiery furnace,
00:10:49.08\00:10:52.75
and He will deliver us
from your hand, O King."
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Was this bold?
Was it courageous?
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No. It's what
people of faith do.
00:10:58.75\00:11:03.79
The king asked, "Who is the
god who [is able to] deliver you
00:11:03.83\00:11:06.53
from my hands?"
00:11:06.56\00:11:07.76
Well, Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abed-Nego knew who that God was.
00:11:07.76\00:11:12.70
Keep this in mind--when
another pagan ruler had sought
00:11:12.73\00:11:17.17
to kill God's people,
God opened up the Red Sea.
00:11:17.21\00:11:21.01
Israel escaped, and
the pharaoh lost his life.
00:11:21.04\00:11:25.01
They knew that story.
00:11:25.05\00:11:26.51
Only 100 years or so
before this, an angel slew
00:11:26.55\00:11:30.35
185,000 Assyrian soldiers
00:11:30.39\00:11:35.02
as they were
positioned to attack Jerusalem.
00:11:35.06\00:11:37.53
The boys knew that story.
00:11:37.56\00:11:39.83
Only a couple of
years before this,
00:11:39.86\00:11:41.96
they'd been faithful to God
when they just arrived in town,
00:11:42.00\00:11:44.27
and subsequently God revealed
to Daniel the king's dream
00:11:44.30\00:11:48.54
and what it meant.
00:11:48.57\00:11:50.71
God had come through for the
Hebrew boys and for His people
00:11:50.74\00:11:54.51
again and again,
and they knew this.
00:11:54.54\00:11:57.01
So they had
reason to be confident
00:11:57.05\00:11:58.51
in God's providence now.
00:11:58.55\00:12:01.18
And that's true for you.
00:12:01.22\00:12:03.18
You have the entire history of
the Bible demonstrating to you
00:12:03.22\00:12:07.59
that God is faithful.
00:12:07.62\00:12:08.76
You have your own experience
of how God time and again
00:12:08.79\00:12:12.76
has come through for
you, provided for you,
00:12:12.79\00:12:14.46
done wonders for you.
00:12:14.46\00:12:16.77
When a friend of mine
was visiting a prison,
00:12:16.80\00:12:19.43
he spoke to a
rough inmate about God.
00:12:19.47\00:12:21.54
The man said he
wasn't interested.
00:12:21.57\00:12:23.41
He said God wasn't real.
00:12:23.44\00:12:24.64
So my friend asked him, "Was
there ever a time in your life
00:12:24.67\00:12:30.98
when God did something for you?"
00:12:31.01\00:12:32.35
The man thought about that.
00:12:32.38\00:12:34.25
He said, "You know,
there was a time, one time."
00:12:34.28\00:12:37.72
He said, "I was
fleeing the police
00:12:37.75\00:12:40.99
"when I lost control of
the stolen car I was driving.
00:12:41.02\00:12:44.33
"It went up a bank, launched
into the air; it flipped
00:12:44.36\00:12:47.93
"and was going to
land right on its roof.
00:12:47.96\00:12:49.83
I called out, 'God, save me!'"
00:12:49.86\00:12:52.37
He said, "Everyone who saw
the car afterwards was convinced
00:12:52.40\00:12:55.00
there's no way anyone could have
made it out of there alive."
00:12:55.04\00:12:58.61
The man walked
away without a scratch.
00:12:58.64\00:13:01.41
A week later,
after reflecting on that,
00:13:01.44\00:13:03.45
that man gave
his heart to Jesus,
00:13:03.48\00:13:06.35
and he's a Christian today.
00:13:06.38\00:13:08.18
You don't want to
forget what God has done.
00:13:08.22\00:13:11.85
A friend of mine
texted to let me know
00:13:11.89\00:13:13.72
that wildfires were
heading towards his house.
00:13:13.76\00:13:16.69
His neighborhood was
burning street by street,
00:13:16.73\00:13:20.10
and the flames were now
at the top of his street.
00:13:20.13\00:13:23.57
Now, my wife and I, we prayed.
00:13:23.60\00:13:25.13
No doubt others
were praying as well.
00:13:25.17\00:13:27.27
We prayed specifically that
God would change the direction
00:13:27.30\00:13:30.27
of the wind and
spare our friend's home
00:13:30.31\00:13:32.74
and the other
houses on his street.
00:13:32.77\00:13:35.48
He got back to me later.
The wind changed direction.
00:13:35.51\00:13:39.91
His house and the other houses
on that street were spared,
00:13:39.95\00:13:44.55
even though all around them
00:13:44.59\00:13:46.92
houses were
completely destroyed.
00:13:46.96\00:13:48.82
Now, come on.
How good is our God?
00:13:48.86\00:13:51.53
So when you hear
stories like that
00:13:51.56\00:13:53.03
or you experience
something like that,
00:13:53.06\00:13:55.00
remember those stories
and let them grow your faith
00:13:55.03\00:13:58.33
and strengthen
your confidence in God.
00:13:58.37\00:14:00.87
That's what Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abed-Nego did.
00:14:00.90\00:14:04.54
They remembered God's greatness.
00:14:04.57\00:14:08.41
And notice what they said:
00:14:08.44\00:14:10.08
"Our God whom we
serve is able to deliver us
00:14:10.11\00:14:14.22
"from the burning fiery
furnace, and He will deliver us
00:14:14.25\00:14:18.25
"from you hand, O king.
00:14:18.29\00:14:20.29
"But if not, let it
be known to you, O king,
00:14:20.32\00:14:23.86
"that we do not serve your gods,
00:14:23.89\00:14:26.66
nor will we worship the gold
image which you have set up."
00:14:26.70\00:14:30.63
That is faith!
00:14:30.67\00:14:34.77
"God can deliver us. We
believe God will deliver us.
00:14:34.80\00:14:38.21
"But if He doesn't,
00:14:38.24\00:14:39.44
we're still not going
to worship your image."
00:14:39.47\00:14:42.01
That's one of the greatest
stands made in the entire Bible.
00:14:42.04\00:14:46.61
It's like Joseph: I'm
not sinning against God.
00:14:46.65\00:14:49.58
It's like Jacob:
00:14:49.62\00:14:51.02
"I will not let You
go unless You bless me!"
00:14:51.05\00:14:53.76
It's like Abraham:
00:14:53.79\00:14:55.42
"God [shall] provide Himself
a lamb for a burnt offering."
00:14:55.46\00:15:00.43
God is able.
00:15:00.46\00:15:04.20
"But if He chooses
not to, if we burn,
00:15:04.23\00:15:08.54
we're still not bowing down."
00:15:08.57\00:15:10.97
What an example!
00:15:11.01\00:15:12.64
Anyone can have faith
when things are going smoothly.
00:15:12.67\00:15:15.18
The test of your
faith is what you do
00:15:15.21\00:15:17.81
when you don't
get what you ask for.
00:15:17.85\00:15:21.15
Does the fact that
someone was not healed
00:15:21.18\00:15:22.85
mean that God isn't God?
00:15:22.88\00:15:24.62
You didn't get the job, and,
and now God stopped being God?
00:15:24.65\00:15:27.76
Your spouse leaves you,
your kids make poor decisions,
00:15:27.79\00:15:30.36
you were victimized somehow,
and God is no longer God?
00:15:30.39\00:15:34.83
That cannot be true.
00:15:34.86\00:15:35.86
Even when things are
rough, God is still God.
00:15:35.90\00:15:41.37
So what does the most
powerful man in the world do
00:15:41.40\00:15:44.67
when three teenagers defy him?
00:15:44.71\00:15:48.14
And what does God do?
00:15:48.18\00:15:49.64
Nebuchadnezzar was so mad the
expression on his face changed,
00:15:49.68\00:15:53.21
and he gave the command
00:15:53.25\00:15:54.28
to heat the furnace
seven times higher than usual.
00:15:54.32\00:15:58.65
Now, whether that's
actual seven literal times high
00:15:58.69\00:16:02.42
or symbolic
doesn't really matter.
00:16:02.46\00:16:04.23
He made it hotter, and in Iraq,
with its abundant resources
00:16:04.26\00:16:08.90
of oil and so forth,
he had the means to do so.
00:16:08.93\00:16:12.00
He gave the
order for the young men
00:16:12.03\00:16:13.23
to be cast into a fiery furnace.
00:16:13.27\00:16:15.57
And the heat was so
intense that the soldiers,
00:16:15.60\00:16:19.21
who threw those
young men into the flames,
00:16:19.24\00:16:21.51
were themselves killed.
00:16:21.54\00:16:23.88
In those boys went.
00:16:23.91\00:16:26.55
Three young men,
likely still teenagers,
00:16:26.58\00:16:30.39
cast into a furnace
like garbage might have been.
00:16:30.42\00:16:33.99
Their lives sacrificed because
of the arrogance and pride,
00:16:34.02\00:16:39.19
because of the
rebellion in the heart of a man
00:16:39.23\00:16:41.30
who one chapter
earlier had said,
00:16:41.33\00:16:44.33
"Truly your God
is the God of gods,
00:16:44.37\00:16:46.90
the Lord of kings, and
a revealer of secrets."
00:16:46.94\00:16:50.37
But none of that is what's most
fascinating about this story.
00:16:50.41\00:16:54.28
As I said earlier, this
story is history--and prophecy.
00:16:54.31\00:16:59.55
It's a story about what
happened about 600 years
00:16:59.58\00:17:01.82
before Jesus was born.
00:17:01.85\00:17:03.35
And it's a story about
what is going to happen
00:17:03.39\00:17:06.76
in the end of time
before Jesus returns.
00:17:06.79\00:17:10.16
As we've learned, the
book of Revelation is built
00:17:10.19\00:17:12.99
upon the book of Daniel,
and because history repeats,
00:17:13.03\00:17:18.00
we're going to
see the same scenario
00:17:18.03\00:17:20.00
repeated in the close of time.
00:17:20.04\00:17:22.74
In Daniel 3, a king makes
an image and commands people
00:17:22.77\00:17:27.61
to worship it,
contrary to the Word of God.
00:17:27.64\00:17:30.68
In Revelation 13, in the heart
of the global end-time conflict,
00:17:30.71\00:17:36.02
there's another
image, an image to the beast.
00:17:36.05\00:17:40.19
Verse 15 says, [whoosh]
00:17:40.22\00:17:42.02
"He was granted
power to give breath
00:17:42.06\00:17:43.76
"to the image of the beast,
that the image of the beast
00:17:43.79\00:17:46.16
"should both
speak and cause as many
00:17:46.19\00:17:48.83
as would not worship the image
of the beast to be killed."
00:17:48.86\00:17:53.84
An image again--this
time, not an actual statue
00:17:53.87\00:17:58.97
but an image of a likeness
to the beast of Revelation 13,
00:17:59.01\00:18:04.51
combining the
trappings of religion
00:18:04.55\00:18:07.92
and the might of the state.
00:18:07.95\00:18:09.75
just as we see in Daniel 3.
00:18:09.78\00:18:13.56
Just as Nebuchadnezzar
compelled the conscience of all,
00:18:13.59\00:18:16.06
the same will happen again.
00:18:16.09\00:18:18.06
And just as the king of Babylon
threatened the faithful ones
00:18:18.09\00:18:21.43
with death, Revelation 13 says
00:18:21.46\00:18:23.80
the same scenario
will play out once more.
00:18:23.83\00:18:26.97
Those who won't
worship the image of the beast
00:18:27.00\00:18:29.97
will be threatened with death.
00:18:30.01\00:18:31.57
No, God's not trying to scare
anyone--that's the devil's MO.
00:18:31.61\00:18:35.78
God's trying to
prepare everyone.
00:18:35.81\00:18:39.88
Christianity is
surrendering your heart to Jesus
00:18:39.91\00:18:42.52
so that when
things are going well,
00:18:42.55\00:18:44.32
you're turning to Him like a
flower turns to face the sun.
00:18:44.35\00:18:47.06
And when things are not going
so great, you'll do the same.
00:18:47.09\00:18:52.19
And in all things,
you'll be faithful,
00:18:52.23\00:18:54.10
according to God's Word.
00:18:54.13\00:18:56.43
But this story
that overshadows events
00:18:56.46\00:18:59.20
to take place in the
world at the end of time,
00:18:59.23\00:19:02.37
how did this story turn out?
00:19:02.40\00:19:04.87
What became of the three
young men thrown into a kiln
00:19:04.91\00:19:09.71
heated seven
times hotter than usual?
00:19:09.74\00:19:14.18
"These three men, Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abed-Nego,
00:19:14.22\00:19:18.35
"fell down bound into the midst
of the burning fiery furnace.
00:19:18.39\00:19:23.76
"Then King
Nebuchadnezzar was astonished;
00:19:23.79\00:19:26.56
"and he rose in haste and
spoke, saying to his counselors,
00:19:26.59\00:19:30.90
"'Did we not cast three
men bound into the midst
00:19:30.93\00:19:34.57
"of the fire?' They
answered and said to the king,
00:19:34.60\00:19:36.81
"'True, O king.'
'Look!' he answered,
00:19:36.84\00:19:41.01
"'I see four men loose, walking
in the midst of the fire;
00:19:41.04\00:19:46.21
"'and they are not hurt,
00:19:46.25\00:19:48.25
and the form of the
fourth is like the Son of God.'"
00:19:48.28\00:19:54.62
The three worthies,
as they're often called,
00:19:54.66\00:19:57.73
weren't harmed by the
flames of that furnace
00:19:57.76\00:20:00.86
or troubled by the intense heat.
00:20:00.90\00:20:03.43
Instead, when
they stood for God,
00:20:03.47\00:20:06.07
Jesus appeared
and stood for them.
00:20:06.10\00:20:09.34
The pagan king was able
to say he saw a fourth person
00:20:09.37\00:20:12.94
who was like the Son of God
00:20:12.97\00:20:15.38
because he had
seen Jesus in them.
00:20:15.41\00:20:18.45
He called to them to
come out of the furnace,
00:20:18.48\00:20:20.15
"these men on whose
bodies the fire had no power;
00:20:20.18\00:20:23.79
"the hair of their
head was not singed
00:20:23.82\00:20:25.85
"nor were their
garments affected,
00:20:25.89\00:20:27.56
and the smell of
fire was not on them."
00:20:27.59\00:20:31.13
All that was damaged by the fire
00:20:31.16\00:20:34.20
were the Babylonian
ropes that bound them.
00:20:34.20\00:20:36.90
See, when God allows you to step
into the furnace of affliction,
00:20:36.93\00:20:40.14
it's to burn out of your
life whatever is Babylonian.
00:20:40.17\00:20:44.57
As Malachi wrote, "He shall
purify the sons of Levi...,
00:20:44.61\00:20:48.24
"that they may
offer unto the Lord
00:20:48.28\00:20:50.55
an offering in righteousness."
00:20:50.58\00:20:53.48
Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying,
00:20:53.52\00:20:55.42
"'Blessed be the God
of Shadrach, Meshach,
00:20:55.45\00:20:58.95
"'and Abed-Nego, who sent His
Angel and delivered His servants
00:20:58.99\00:21:01.66
"'who trusted in Him, and they
have frustrated the king's word,
00:21:01.69\00:21:05.16
"'and yielded their bodies,
00:21:05.19\00:21:06.83
"'that they should not
serve nor worship any god
00:21:06.86\00:21:10.57
"'except their own God!
00:21:10.60\00:21:12.27
"'Therefore I make a
decree that any people, nation,
00:21:12.30\00:21:16.04
"'or language which speaks
anything amiss against the God
00:21:16.07\00:21:19.77
"'of Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abed-Nego
00:21:19.81\00:21:21.98
"'shall be cut in pieces,
00:21:22.01\00:21:24.45
"'and their houses
shall be made an ash heap;
00:21:24.48\00:21:27.65
"because there is no other
God who can deliver like this.'
00:21:27.68\00:21:31.55
"Then the king promoted
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego
00:21:31.59\00:21:36.12
in the province of Babylon."
00:21:36.16\00:21:38.86
Looking ahead to earth's last
days, we can say with the king,
00:21:38.89\00:21:42.83
"There is no other God
who can deliver like this."
00:21:42.86\00:21:45.70
That's 100
percent undeniably true.
00:21:45.73\00:21:50.21
With an eye on the end of
time, Daniel 3 reveals that God
00:21:50.24\00:21:53.38
is faithful, He is able,
and that He's a great deliverer.
00:21:53.41\00:21:58.08
Three captives
revealed to the world,
00:21:58.11\00:22:00.05
in a story that
survived more than 2,500 years,
00:22:00.08\00:22:04.95
that when you make a stand
for God, Jesus stands with you.
00:22:04.99\00:22:11.69
Are you willing to
make a stand today?
00:22:11.73\00:22:14.73
Is there an area of your life
00:22:14.76\00:22:16.16
you need to
surrender more fully to God?
00:22:16.20\00:22:18.57
Maybe it's a matter of making
a decision for the first time.
00:22:18.60\00:22:21.74
Amidst the prophecies and
the symbols and the stories,
00:22:21.77\00:22:24.57
we see that Daniel
is a book of salvation.
00:22:24.61\00:22:28.28
Three chapters in and we
see that God is doing all He can
00:22:28.31\00:22:31.85
to reach a pagan king.
00:22:31.88\00:22:34.45
This idolater
was special to God,
00:22:34.48\00:22:37.25
as are all the
sinners of the world.
00:22:37.29\00:22:41.59
Judah was in Babylon
so God could get through
00:22:41.62\00:22:43.79
to their hard hearts,
and while they were there,
00:22:43.83\00:22:46.86
God wanted to use
them to reach this hardened
00:22:46.90\00:22:51.50
Middle-Eastern monarch.
00:22:51.53\00:22:54.30
What would become
of King Nebuchadnezzar?
00:22:54.34\00:22:57.77
Would he give his
heart to the God of heaven?
00:22:57.81\00:22:59.61
We'll find that out next time.
00:22:59.64\00:23:01.78
But what will become of you?
00:23:01.81\00:23:04.25
Jesus died for you.
00:23:04.28\00:23:05.81
God wants for
you to be in heaven.
00:23:05.85\00:23:10.05
The Spirit of God is
speaking to your heart,
00:23:10.09\00:23:13.66
inviting you to make
a decision for Jesus.
00:23:13.69\00:23:18.49
Why don't you make
that decision for Jesus now?
00:23:18.53\00:23:21.23
Invite Him to take your
sins and give you the gift
00:23:21.26\00:23:25.40
of everlasting life,
knowing that He will.
00:23:25.43\00:23:28.90
Jesus died for
you. God loves you.
00:23:28.94\00:23:32.14
And if you'll make
the decision right now,
00:23:32.17\00:23:34.68
you can become a
saved child of God.
00:23:34.71\00:23:39.05
Now, there's
something I want you to see,
00:23:39.08\00:23:40.65
something I'd like to give you.
00:23:40.68\00:23:41.85
It's a little book that
I've written to go along
00:23:41.88\00:23:43.59
with this very
series of programs.
00:23:43.62\00:23:45.82
It's absolutely free, and I'd
love you to get it right now.
00:23:45.85\00:23:50.13
>>announcer: To
get today's free offer,
00:23:50.16\00:23:52.03
"The Stories of Daniel,"
00:23:52.06\00:23:53.53
call 800-253-3000.
00:23:53.56\00:23:56.20
That's 800-253-3000.
00:23:56.23\00:23:59.43
You can request
"The Stories of Daniel"
00:23:59.47\00:24:01.34
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:24:01.37\00:24:05.14
You can write to the
address on your screen
00:24:05.17\00:24:06.81
or text "freedaniel" to 71392.
00:24:06.84\00:24:10.95
"The Stories of
Daniel," faith-building stories
00:24:10.98\00:24:14.25
given by God to prepare you
00:24:14.28\00:24:15.82
for the major events
of earth's last days.
00:24:15.85\00:24:18.92
"The Stories of Daniel,"
00:24:18.95\00:24:20.86
call 800-253-3000.
00:24:20.89\00:24:23.69
Go to iiwoffer.com
00:24:23.73\00:24:26.36
or text "freedaniel" to 71392.
00:24:26.39\00:24:30.17
Grow your faith as you
prepare for the return of Jesus.
00:24:30.20\00:24:33.70
>>John: He was a troubled
child and a troublemaker,
00:24:36.04\00:24:39.27
but when he
gave his life to God,
00:24:39.31\00:24:41.78
George Müller
became a global sensation
00:24:41.81\00:24:44.95
whose life of faith in God
00:24:44.98\00:24:46.75
has been an example to
people all over the world.
00:24:46.78\00:24:50.39
Don't miss "Men of
Faith: George Müller."
00:24:50.42\00:24:53.29
We'll visit Bristol in England
where Müller was a church pastor
00:24:53.32\00:24:57.39
before building orphanages
which raised, educated,
00:24:57.43\00:25:00.50
and provided vocational training
for thousands of children
00:25:00.53\00:25:04.43
without Müller ever
asking anyone for money.
00:25:04.47\00:25:07.84
He was the man who
relied on God for everything,
00:25:07.87\00:25:11.07
the man whose father begged
him not to be a missionary.
00:25:11.11\00:25:14.51
We'll visit the museum dedicated
to his life and ministry
00:25:14.54\00:25:17.85
and speak to those responsible
for preserving his legacy today.
00:25:17.88\00:25:21.78
Learn how you can have faith in
all circumstances at any time.
00:25:21.82\00:25:26.49
Don't miss "Men of
Faith: George Müller,"
00:25:26.52\00:25:29.62
brought to you
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00:25:29.66\00:25:32.66
>>John: Thank you for
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00:25:35.36\00:25:37.40
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00:25:37.43\00:25:41.20
To support this international
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00:25:51.31\00:25:55.35
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Our number
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00:25:57.59\00:26:01.22
or you can visit us
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00:26:01.26\00:26:04.93
>>John: Let's pray together now.
00:26:06.06\00:26:07.86
Our Father in heaven, in
Jesus' name we come to You,
00:26:07.86\00:26:10.10
thanking You that You
are a great deliverer,
00:26:10.13\00:26:12.83
thanking You that You
would even go after the heart
00:26:12.87\00:26:14.94
of a hardened
Middle-Eastern monarch,
00:26:14.97\00:26:17.94
and grateful that in
time of huge distress,
00:26:17.97\00:26:21.48
You delivered the three
young men who were faithful.
00:26:21.51\00:26:25.35
We are grateful
that You deliver us.
00:26:25.38\00:26:28.42
And right now
there's somebody in the midst
00:26:28.45\00:26:30.25
of a, a fiery
furnace experience.
00:26:30.29\00:26:33.52
Deliver that one right now,
00:26:33.56\00:26:35.52
or keep that
person's faith strong,
00:26:35.56\00:26:39.29
even in the midst of difficulty.
00:26:39.33\00:26:41.96
Lord, we look forward to
the day when Jesus returns.
00:26:42.00\00:26:45.43
We're thankful that one
day gravity will lose its hold
00:26:45.47\00:26:48.27
on the soles of our feet,
00:26:48.30\00:26:49.94
and we will go up
to be with You forever.
00:26:49.97\00:26:54.88
So now take our
hearts, make us Yours.
00:26:54.91\00:26:58.15
We believe You're
coming back for Your own.
00:26:58.18\00:27:00.35
Friend, would you make that
decision to Jesus right now?
00:27:00.38\00:27:03.42
Would you say,
"Jesus, be my Lord and Savior.
00:27:03.45\00:27:05.75
I trust You with my
life. Change my heart.
00:27:05.79\00:27:08.36
I give it to You now."
If you pray that prayer,
00:27:08.39\00:27:10.13
you know that God will
do what only God can do.
00:27:10.16\00:27:13.56
Then when we say "amen,"
you can know that your burden
00:27:13.60\00:27:15.73
has been taken, your sins
have been assumed by Jesus,
00:27:15.76\00:27:20.57
and they were borne
to the cross for you.
00:27:20.60\00:27:23.20
We thank You, dear Lord.
00:27:23.24\00:27:24.51
Keep us, we
pray. We trust in You.
00:27:24.54\00:27:27.31
And we believe that the God
who saved Shadrach, Meshach,
00:27:27.34\00:27:30.91
and Abed-Nego saves us
now through faith in Jesus.
00:27:30.95\00:27:34.42
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
00:27:34.45\00:27:38.12
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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