Participants: Lisa Wellington (Host), Abraham Jules
Series Code: POH
Program Code: POH000014
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00:03 Where can you find hope for the hopeless,
00:07 opportunity for transformation, 00:11 peace amid life's storms? 00:15 Only in God's free gift of eternal life. 00:20 From New York, join us on the Pathway of Hope. 00:30 Some time ago, 00:32 a Christian was caught reading his Bible 00:34 in a country where this was prohibited. 00:38 He was beaten and dragged into the street. 00:42 With guns pointed to his head, 00:45 he was asked to renounce his faith in God. 00:49 The Christian responded, 00:52 "Put your hands over my heart, 00:54 and if it is beating faster than normal, 00:57 then you know that I am afraid and God is not real to me. 01:02 But if it is beating normally 01:06 then you should know that I am not afraid 01:08 and God is real to me." 01:13 The three Hebrew boys 01:14 were faced with a similar test of faith. 01:18 They would either bow down to an image 01:21 or be thrown into a furnace. 01:23 Their decision, we're not afraid of the fire. 01:28 One of a writer says, 01:30 "If the cross of truth is to be carried to victory, 01:34 it will be by men and women who are not afraid." 01:40 Dr. Abraham Jules will now inspire us 01:43 with the message, 01:45 "Don't Be Afraid." 02:05 And can it be 02:10 That I should gain 02:15 An interest 02:17 In 02:19 The Savior's blood? 02:25 Died He for me 02:29 Who caused His pain? 02:34 For me 02:36 Who Him 02:38 To death pursued? 02:44 Amazing love! 02:47 How can it be 02:53 That Thou 02:55 My God 02:58 Shouldst die for me? 03:05 Amazing love! 03:10 How can it be 03:17 That Thou 03:19 My God Shouldst die 03:26 For me? 03:37 He left His Father's throne 03:43 Above 03:46 So free 03:47 So infinite 03:52 His grace 03:56 Emptied Himself 04:00 Of all but love 04:05 And bled 04:07 For 04:08 Adam's helpless race 04:15 'Tis mercy all 04:19 Immense and free 04:24 For, O my God 04:29 It found out me 04:42 No condemnation now 04:47 I dread Jesus 04:52 And all in Him 04:57 Is mine! 05:01 Alive in Him 05:04 My living Head 05:10 And clothed in righteousness 05:16 Divine 05:20 Bold I approach 05:23 the eternal throne 05:29 And claim the crown 05:34 Through Christ my own 05:45 Amazing love! 05:49 How can it be 05:57 That Thou, my God 06:01 Should die for me! 06:12 Amazing love! 06:17 Amazing love! 06:29 How can it be that Thou 06:35 My God, should die for me! 06:47 How can it be that Thou 06:50 My God, should die for me! 06:59 Amazing love! 07:05 Love! 07:16 Please bow your heads with me as we pray. 07:21 Father of love 07:22 who reigns in the heavens above. 07:26 We know that You're the one who sets up kings 07:28 and takes down kings. 07:32 We recognize 07:33 that You are ultimately in charge 07:35 of this universe, 07:37 and that Your will will be done 07:39 not only in heaven but on earth. 07:42 We tonight pray that as this word goes forth 07:45 that those who would listen and hear 07:48 would feel the impulse and impress of Your Spirit 07:51 to surrender to Your mighty lordship. 07:56 We pray for Your Holy Spirit's aid 07:57 and guidance. 08:00 We pray that Your will may be done 08:01 even now through the speech word, 08:04 in the name of Jesus our Lord and Savior, 08:07 amen. 08:10 This message this evening is entitled, Don't Be Afraid, 08:16 comes out of the Book of Daniel Chapter 3. 08:20 When we read the books of Daniel 08:23 and Revelation, 08:26 we are a little bit scared 08:28 and put off by the strange beasts, 08:30 the fearsome animals, 08:33 large numbers 08:34 and things that we don't readily recognize 08:38 or understand. 08:41 Now, these tend to decrease our desire 08:44 for the study of those books, 08:47 but we must not be afraid of them. 08:51 Indeed, there are two factors that are constant 08:55 in these works, 08:57 conflict and triumph. 09:00 Wherever you turn in the pages of these books, 09:03 you will find the great controversy 09:06 in full force. 09:09 The people of God are being offended 09:11 and attacked by Satan and his cohorts. 09:15 Sometimes the saints may appear to be beaten back 09:19 and knocked down, 09:20 but always they emerge triumphantly. 09:26 Today I bring you just such a message of triumph 09:29 in the face of apparent tragedy. 09:32 Let us focus our attention 09:34 on Daniel Chapter 2 first of all. 09:37 Let me first set the historical tone 09:40 of this passage 09:42 by briefly canvassing events of Chapter 2. 09:46 Scripture tells us that Nebuchadnezzar, 09:49 the king of Babylon, 09:51 he had a dream 09:52 which he was unable to remember, 09:54 let alone understand. 09:57 His wise men, sorcerers and magicians 10:00 weren't able to help him. 10:02 So in anger, he decided to decimate 10:04 and destroy them all. 10:07 But Daniel, an exile from Judah, 10:10 begged for time to intervene with God. 10:13 God heard Daniel's prayer, 10:15 and provided both the dream and the interpretation. 10:20 When both were revealed, 10:23 it was clear to him that the God of heaven 10:26 is indeed the sovereign God, 10:29 filled with conviction. 10:30 Scripture says, "In humility and awe, 10:34 he fell upon his face and worship, saying, 10:37 'Surely your God is a God of gods, 10:41 and the Lord of kings, 10:43 and a real villa of mysteries, 10:46 because you are able to reveal this mystery.'" 10:51 Nebuchadnezzar recognized 10:53 that in the play and counterplay 10:56 of human relations 10:57 and the rise and fall of empires 11:00 and the demise and growth of nations, 11:04 that these are not dependent on the will 11:07 or purpose of frail human beings. 11:10 He had an opportunity to see the curtain of history 11:13 being drawn aside 11:15 and to understand that above, behind 11:18 and through all of human interest, 11:20 and power, and passions 11:22 that the agencies of the all merciful 11:24 one silently, patiently 11:27 works out the councils of his own will. 11:31 So for a time, 11:33 Nebuchadnezzar was repentant and attempted 11:37 to follow the dictates of our conscience now 11:40 awakened by the Spirit of God. 11:42 But worldly ambition and a desire 11:45 for self exaltation filled his heart, 11:48 prosperity and pride 11:50 took him to the heights of hubris, 11:53 and in time, 11:54 he ceased honoring God and reverted 11:56 to the practice of idolatry, 11:59 surrounded by men of pompous sermon, 12:02 who flooded with evil and fraternize with idolatry. 12:06 Nebuchadnezzar was induced to attempt 12:08 to change the course of history. 12:11 Daniel too had indicated forcefully 12:14 that the kingdom of Babylon was only the head of gold. 12:19 In time this kingdom will pass away. 12:22 But Nebuchadnezzar purposed 12:24 that his kingdom should be everlasting. 12:27 Now we get to Chapter 3, 12:30 which points to Nebuchadnezzar's attempt 12:33 to carry out his intentions of eternity. 12:36 He arrogated to himself power and prowess 12:39 beyond the limits of human potential 12:42 and they built an image made entirely of gold, 12:48 standard only the head being fashion from gold. 12:51 He made the entire image of this precious metal 12:56 and by using this resplendent metal 12:59 throughout he was tacitly proclaiming 13:01 that his empire would last forever. 13:05 It was a beautiful and radiant statue, 13:08 some 90 feet high and 9 feet wide. 13:12 Though it was certainly spindly in appearance, 13:15 it conformed to the norms of statue building 13:18 in those days, 13:20 but it was beautiful and priceless. 13:23 Standing on the open plain of Dura, 13:26 representatives of Babylon's vast Babylonians, 13:30 Babylon's vast government came from the wide riches 13:33 of the then known world to worship before this idol. 13:37 This was not merely a dedication of the statue, 13:41 it was a show of loyalty to the Babylonian potentate, 13:45 and his decree for religious uniformity. 13:49 The effect of bowing down to this image 13:52 really points to religious allegiance. 13:55 Sacred history reveals that on the appointed day, 14:01 the orchestra play, 14:03 the vast sea of people fell down in unison, 14:06 and worshiped. 14:09 However, when the music sounded to the signal 14:15 that this act of obedience should take place, 14:19 we are told that three erect figures 14:22 stood out in the midst of that vast concourse. 14:26 They were Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. 14:30 Their allegiance was solely for God. 14:35 The narrative now unfolds itself 14:37 in the actions of these principal figures. 14:41 First, we see the deviousness of the courtiers. 14:45 In Chapter 2, 14:47 we discover that the wise men of Babylon 14:49 had failed to meet the king's request. 14:52 Daniel however, 14:53 following divine guidance had not failed the king. 14:57 Because of this, 14:59 the king promoted Daniel and upon his request, 15:02 the King also promoted Daniel's three companions. 15:06 Now the Babylonian wise men 15:08 had become jealous of the honors, 15:10 which had been bestowed upon the faithful Judeans. 15:14 As they noticed these three young men 15:16 standing erect, 15:18 they stroll to the king and deviously reported, 15:20 "O king! Live forever. 15:24 There are certain Jews whom you have sent 15:27 over the affairs of the province of Babylon, 15:30 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. 15:34 These men, O king, have no regard for you. 15:37 They do not serve your God, 15:39 nor worship the golden image that you have set up. 15:44 That even reminded the king 15:46 that he had made an irrefutable decree 15:49 that was punishable by death. 15:53 In fact, 15:54 they were saying these three men 15:57 consider the king 15:59 as only a lightweight in the ring of champions. 16:02 This will arouse the king's sense of pride. 16:07 Make him feel like a PR. 16:10 There's someone disobey the monarch's edict surely, 16:14 and notice how devious they are. 16:16 In their denunciation, 16:17 they deliberately called them Jews 16:20 whom you have set over the affairs of Babylon. 16:24 They wanted the king to recognize 16:26 that these were not real subjects, 16:29 but in reality just scornful Jewish exiles. 16:33 It was a tested way of arousing the king's anger 16:36 because they were intimating 16:37 that the king had made a huge error. 16:40 He had invested in these men, made them attaches of state, 16:44 and now the king needed a show of loyalty 16:47 and they were definitely incalcitrant. 16:51 If the king ignored 16:53 this refusal of his fear to worship, 16:56 then a fiasco of anarchy would result. 17:01 Certainly, 17:03 a wise monarch would never allow this 17:05 to happen, 17:06 and especially not by non citizens. 17:11 This is a treachery of the highest order. 17:14 And it was carried out in broad daylight 17:18 and in open defiance. 17:20 They certainly could not be allowed 17:22 to advance one step. 17:25 Immediate and swift, 17:26 deadly intervention was the only way 17:29 for the monarch to protect his kingdom 17:31 and maintain his iron grip. 17:33 Hence, the remainder of the roaring furnaces nearby, 17:38 that deepness deviousness goes even further. 17:43 They knew that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego 17:46 were worshipers of the only true God, 17:49 yet they pushed their claim. 17:52 They said, "They do not serve your God 17:54 nor worship the golden image." 17:57 Making the king feels somewhat marginalized. 18:01 These wise men 18:03 rightly predicted that this statement 18:05 would lead the king 18:07 to make a rash and impetuous decision. 18:10 After all, his pre-eminence was being questioned, 18:13 people will start saying, 18:15 "Who is in control? 18:17 Perhaps the king is getting soft. 18:20 This could not be, it simply could not work." 18:24 Hebrews therefore were immediately summoned 18:28 to the presence of their great king. 18:30 The worship must have stopped, 18:32 as the king had to deal with this matter 18:34 with immediate urgency. 18:37 He pointed to the fiery furnace nearby 18:40 and demanded that allegiance be given to this image, 18:44 but these young men could do no such thing. 18:49 They knew that unflinching obedience 18:51 to the word and the will of God 18:53 was the only condition for good relationship with God. 18:58 They were prepared to die for God! 19:03 But the king briefly withheld his death decree, why? 19:09 Listen to the words of Ellen White. 19:10 She says, 19:12 "As the three Hebrews stood before the king, 19:17 he was convinced that they possessed something 19:20 that the other wise men of his kingdom did not have. 19:24 They had been faithful 19:26 in the performance of every duty. 19:28 He would give them another trial." 19:31 Prophets and Kings, page 507. 19:33 Now this is really psychological warfare. 19:37 If the king had immediately set forth 19:40 his command of execution, 19:42 then the young men 19:43 had nothing further to worry about. 19:47 But by giving them another opportunity 19:49 to show allegiance to his idol and to his form of worship, 19:53 he was making it easy to say no to God. 19:58 He was giving them the opportunity 20:01 to think of the possibility of distress and death. 20:05 The basic human developmental need 20:07 for self preservation was now stimulated. 20:11 Then to make matters worse, he added, 20:13 if you do not worship, 20:15 you shall be cast this same hour 20:19 into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 20:24 The king was calling for an immediate answer 20:28 with immediate consequences. 20:31 For the young men, 20:32 it was a double negative situation. 20:36 If they say yes to the king, they would dishonor God. 20:39 If they say yes to God, 20:41 and no to the king, they would die. 20:44 But the proud monarch went too far. 20:48 He cried out, 20:50 "Who is that God 20:52 that shall deliver you out of my hands." 20:56 It is in these words 20:57 that we note the defiance of the king. 21:00 Who is that God? 21:03 He had exalted himself above the throne of God. 21:09 Perhaps Nebuchadnezzar was not aware of world history. 21:13 You see, several centuries before his time, 21:16 the Egyptian potentate 21:18 had issued a similar declaration, 21:20 only to discover 21:22 that Yahweh God is the only God, 21:25 the one who made the heavens and the earth, 21:27 and who controls everything. 21:34 In a series of 10 stinging plagues, 21:37 God effectively decimated Egypt, 21:41 His possessions and wealth 21:44 and liberated His people from bondage. 21:47 Now, the same defiance 21:49 is found in this king's rhetoric. 21:52 Who is that God? 21:54 Who shall deliver you out of my hands? 21:59 Babylonian culture, 22:01 the monarch himself was considered as God. 22:04 Further this was no vain threat of Nebuchadnezzar 22:08 because he had ruled in unbroken fashion 22:11 for about 44 years. 22:13 This was just about two thirds of the 66 years 22:17 of Babylonian domination on the world scene. 22:21 As a despot, 22:22 Nebuchadnezzar was a tyrant 22:25 who had conquered many people and many lands. 22:28 He had diffused races throughout his vast kingdom. 22:31 He had ruled with power and authority. 22:34 So when he threatened death, it was nothing to take lightly. 22:41 Furnaces fueled by natural oil deposit 22:45 in the Babylonian desert, 22:47 modern day Iraq were ready 22:51 and roaring for the destruction of anyone 22:53 who dared to go against the king's order. 22:55 However, the king in his defiance 22:58 had not taken the Hebrew faith seriously. 23:02 It is their determination now that takes our attention. 23:06 These Hebrews have learned that disobedience to God 23:09 result in dishonor, disaster and death. 23:12 So in faith 23:13 that is determined to follow God 23:16 and not Nebuchadnezzar. 23:18 Is it not true 23:19 that it is better to serve God than men? 23:23 Listen to their reply 23:24 in the face of the king's defined word. 23:27 "O king! 23:29 We are not careful to answer you in this matter. 23:32 If it be so, 23:34 our God whom we serve is able to deliver us 23:39 from this burning fiery furnace 23:41 and He will deliver us out of your hand, 23:44 O king, but if not, be it known unto you, 23:48 O king, that we will not serve your god, 23:52 no worship your golden image, which you have set up. 23:57 Our God is able." 24:03 This is a tremendous lesson 24:08 for God's children. 24:11 Devious people and defiant leaders 24:13 will come against us. 24:16 But in such times and on such occasions, 24:21 we must face them with determined faith. 24:27 The time is coming, 24:29 when we will be induced to make compromises 24:32 in terms of worship. 24:35 Human beings will desecrate the Sabbath 24:37 and inflict wounds on those 24:39 who refuse their forward movement. 24:43 To be certain those who are loyal to God, 24:48 we can expect imprisonment, exile, distress and death. 24:53 In the midst of all of these, 24:55 understand that our God is dependable. 25:00 He will walk with us 25:02 just as He walked with those Hebrews 25:05 in the fiery furnace. 25:08 His presence will comfort and it will sustain us. 25:12 He can stand unmoved because of His power. 25:16 Listen again to the words of the prophet. 25:20 She says, "Satan with all of the hosts of evil 25:23 cannot destroy the weakest of God's saints. 25:27 For angels that excel in strength will protect them. 25:31 And in their behalf, 25:32 Jehovah will reveal Himself as a God of gods, 25:36 able to save to the uttermost 25:38 those who have put their trust in Him." 25:41 God is able to take apparent defeat 25:44 and turn it into a resounding victory. 25:47 Not even prison walls nor martyr's stake 25:50 will be able to swerve us 25:53 from the purpose of worshiping only God. 25:58 I know tonight that somebody is been convinced 26:02 that there is a power in this world 26:06 that cannot be rivaled and cannot be matched. 26:10 God has all power. 26:12 Do you want to yoke up with God's power tonight? 26:16 Do you sometimes feel weak and discouraged? 26:19 And you need a little power for living? 26:21 God says, I will give it to you. 26:24 You will not only be a conqueror, 26:27 but you'll be much more than that! 26:32 Tonight, would you bow your heads with me 26:35 as we surrender and commit our hearts 26:37 and lives to God tonight anew. 26:40 Father, in the name of Jesus, 26:45 grant to Your people some of that power 26:48 we talked about tonight. 26:51 Bless us abundantly and, please Lord, 26:53 bless us eternally we pray 26:55 in the name of Jesus our Lord and Savior 26:58 that the people of God say amen. 27:02 Thanks for watching Pathway of Hope. 27:05 If you would like to be prayed for 27:07 or would like to learn more about God's word, 27:10 please call 1 (877) 520-HOPE 27:16 or 1 (877) 520 4673. 27:24 You may also watch more of our programs online 27:27 at www.pathwayofhope.TV. 27:34 If you would like to make a tax deductable love gift, 27:38 please send your gifts to Pathway of Hope 27:41 at P.O. Box 280704, 27:47 Queens Village, New York 11428. 27:52 Thanks for watching Pathway of Hope 27:54 and may God's blessings be yours today. |
Revised 2020-06-22