¤ ¤
00:00:02.63\00:00:26.22
In the year 605 B.C. a
great warrior king named
00:00:26.25\00:00:31.16
Nebuchadnezzar led his army
through the grand Ishtar gate
00:00:31.19\00:00:34.43
of Babylon and struck
out westward on a mission of
00:00:34.46\00:00:38.40
conquest. After defeating
the Egyptian army at Carchemish
00:00:38.43\00:00:41.74
Nebuchadnezzar turned his
attention to Jerusalem. The
00:00:41.77\00:00:47.34
Babylonians besieged and
plundered the city looting the
00:00:47.38\00:00:51.15
temple and carrying off many
of the sacred golden vessels.
00:00:51.18\00:00:57.25
Daniel a young prince was
captured and with the cream of
00:00:57.29\00:00:59.65
the city's youth he was carried
off to Babylon as a war hostage
00:00:59.69\00:01:03.53
where he remained in exile for
the rest of his life. The life
00:01:03.56\00:01:09.53
a hostage isn't easy. It's
fraught with danger. There were
00:01:09.56\00:01:13.64
trials, tests, and persecution.
He was threatened by death at
00:01:13.67\00:01:18.34
every turn. But for 70 years
Daniel not only survived but
00:01:18.37\00:01:23.98
thrived in the most difficult
circumstances through an
00:01:24.01\00:01:28.12
adventure of faith, intrigue,
tyranny and miracles. By a
00:01:28.15\00:01:33.96
remarkable turn of events Daniel
the hostage became Daniel the
00:01:33.99\00:01:39.46
prime minister for Babylon and
the king's most trusted advisor.
00:01:39.49\00:01:44.13
In fact, he prospered under the
reign of four kings. How did he
00:01:44.17\00:01:48.50
do it? How did he survive? And
what's the secret of his inner
00:01:48.54\00:01:54.08
courage? What kept him going
year after year separated from
00:01:54.11\00:01:58.78
his home and family? Well today
we're going to take a closer
00:01:58.81\00:02:03.45
look at this young hostage in
the middle east who managed to
00:02:03.49\00:02:06.86
survive 70 years of captivity
and his secret of inner
00:02:06.89\00:02:10.99
spiritual strength will provide
us with the key to surviving the
00:02:11.03\00:02:15.93
challenges of modern life and
more importantly the end time.
00:02:15.96\00:02:22.80
¤ ¤
00:02:22.84\00:02:52.33
On the 7th of March 1984 Jeremy
Levin's world was turned upside
00:02:52.37\00:02:57.41
down. He was kidnapped by
Shiite Muslims walking to work
00:02:57.44\00:03:01.94
in Beirut, Lebanon. A gun was
shoved into his waist and he was
00:03:01.98\00:03:05.58
forced into a car. He was
threatened with instant death
00:03:05.61\00:03:09.25
if he opened his eyes. Jeremy
was the Beirut bureau chief for
00:03:09.28\00:03:14.62
CNN. He was blindfolded, beaten
and interrogated in a local
00:03:14.66\00:03:19.69
apartment. Then he was gagged,
wrapped from head to foot in
00:03:19.73\00:03:23.83
packing tape and driven
from Beirut to the Bekka Valley
00:03:23.87\00:03:27.30
several hours away. There he was
kept blindfolded and chained to
00:03:27.34\00:03:32.71
a wall in a tiny unheated room.
He never saw another human face
00:03:32.74\00:03:38.01
for 343 days and the only
time he had contact with another
00:03:38.05\00:03:43.08
human being was when he
was escorted blindfolded to the
00:03:43.12\00:03:47.29
bathroom once a day. He felt
isolated, helpless and afraid.
00:03:47.32\00:03:54.13
Crouched in the corner or a
windowless room hour after hour
00:03:54.16\00:03:57.97
month after month, Jeremy
desperately needed to talk but
00:03:58.00\00:04:03.24
he was afraid that if he
just talked with himself he'd go
00:04:03.27\00:04:06.51
crazy. So he considered the idea
of talking to God. At first this
00:04:06.54\00:04:11.81
made him feel uncomfortable.
Although he was the grandson of
00:04:11.85\00:04:15.45
a rabbi Jeremy had decided long
before that he would believe
00:04:15.48\00:04:20.12
only in concrete things, things
he could touch and feel. He had
00:04:20.16\00:04:25.03
rejected his Jewish religious
heritage. But there was so
00:04:25.06\00:04:28.96
little to touch and feel in
that lonely cell that Jeremy
00:04:29.00\00:04:33.03
eventually reached out to God
and he began talking. Soon he
00:04:33.07\00:04:39.04
realized that he was having a
meaningful two-way conversation.
00:04:39.07\00:04:43.11
He tried hard to remember
the bit of religious instruction
00:04:43.14\00:04:47.18
he'd picked up in his youth.
He also remembered hearing about
00:04:47.22\00:04:50.49
the teachings of Jesus. And
finally everything began to fit
00:04:50.52\00:04:55.66
together and make sense. He
realized that Jesus Christ was
00:04:55.69\00:05:01.23
truly exceptional and that's
when Jeremy faced a big choice.
00:05:01.26\00:05:05.80
He'd made the leap of faith.
Now how was going to live? Well
00:05:05.83\00:05:11.84
Jeremy decided
as he later wrote:
00:05:11.87\00:05:14.41
This tough newsman,
a former atheist, said:
00:05:21.05\00:05:25.75
And it was all for Jeremy Levin.
His life was changed. Eventually
00:05:32.63\00:05:39.47
he managed to escape his
captors and was reunited with
00:05:39.50\00:05:43.07
his family. But he'd
already experienced an even more
00:05:43.10\00:05:47.81
significant reunion. Jeremy
didn't just survive the ordeal.
00:05:47.84\00:05:53.55
He came out a new man, a new
man in Jesus Christ. Now you and
00:05:53.58\00:05:59.19
I may never be held hostage like
Jeremy Levin was but each of us
00:05:59.22\00:06:04.59
faces difficult and discouraging
situations of our own. How can
00:06:04.63\00:06:09.96
we successfully endure the
challenges we face? Well to
00:06:10.00\00:06:16.47
understand more specifically how
we can survive and even thrive
00:06:16.50\00:06:20.61
in the midst of trials let's go
back and take a look at another
00:06:20.64\00:06:24.98
Hebrew hostage, a young man
held captive in Babylon. The
00:06:25.01\00:06:29.28
challenge this hostage faced was
rather different from Levin's
00:06:29.32\00:06:34.22
experience. It wasn't a
meager diet or primitive living
00:06:34.26\00:06:38.26
conditions that threatened to
wear him down. It was the very
00:06:38.29\00:06:42.16
opposite. A table absolutely
loaded with the best Babylon
00:06:42.20\00:06:45.87
could offer. Daniel's captors
were trying to win him over to
00:06:45.90\00:06:50.87
their side. This is how it
all began. When the young Hebrew
00:06:50.91\00:06:59.11
walked through the splendid
gages of Babylon as one of the
00:06:59.15\00:07:02.05
trail of captives
following behind victorious king
00:07:02.08\00:07:06.15
Nebuchadnezzar he heard this
kind of mockery: If your God's
00:07:06.19\00:07:09.99
the true God why is Jerusalem in
ruins? Why couldn't he protect
00:07:10.03\00:07:14.56
you from us? Why did he allow
you to go into captivity anyway?
00:07:14.60\00:07:20.50
These must have been extremely
difficult questions to answer.
00:07:20.54\00:07:24.81
After all the Babylonians had
sacked Jehovah's sacred temple
00:07:24.84\00:07:29.64
and brought its precious vessels
to this heathen city. It seemed
00:07:29.68\00:07:33.82
as if the God of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob couldn't even defend
00:07:33.85\00:07:37.95
his own city Jerusalem. I
believe these questions are very
00:07:37.99\00:07:43.99
relevant for us today.
We're living in a world in which
00:07:44.03\00:07:47.23
religious values and secular
values increasingly clash and
00:07:47.26\00:07:52.00
all too often the secular values
are winning. The spiritual seems
00:07:52.03\00:07:57.81
more and more crowded out by
other voices, other images. It's
00:07:57.84\00:08:01.68
my conviction that this tension,
this conflict will increase not
00:08:01.71\00:08:06.51
decrease as time goes along. In
fact I believe it will soon come
00:08:06.55\00:08:11.25
to a tremendous climax as we
near the end of earth's history.
00:08:11.29\00:08:15.96
The astounding Biblical
prophecies of Daniel and
00:08:15.99\00:08:20.26
Revelation predict that God's
people will face captivity and
00:08:20.30\00:08:25.10
even imprisonment in earth's
last hours. So the question of
00:08:25.13\00:08:29.97
how to survive as a hostage
is very relevant to anyone
00:08:30.01\00:08:34.64
interested in surviving in the
time of the end. Everyone will
00:08:34.68\00:08:39.51
have to face that challenge.
Where is your God? If he's so
00:08:39.55\00:08:43.49
powerful, how come you're in
so much trouble? Why can't he
00:08:43.52\00:08:47.86
defend his people in the
real world? The book of Daniel
00:08:47.89\00:08:53.76
contains some remarkable
prophecies about how history
00:08:53.80\00:08:57.70
will come to a climax. It gives
us a picture of last day events.
00:08:57.73\00:09:01.97
But it does more. I believe this
book shows us how to live in the
00:09:02.00\00:09:07.41
end times. The stories of
the book of Daniel reveal the
00:09:07.44\00:09:11.71
character qualities of faith,
courage, prayer and perseverance
00:09:11.75\00:09:17.12
necessary for living just
before the coming of Christ.
00:09:17.15\00:09:24.09
Nebuchadnezzar had a special
strategy to win the allegiance
00:09:24.13\00:09:28.23
of these Hebrew captives.
It included a process of
00:09:28.26\00:09:31.63
reeducation or brainwashing. We
read about it in Daniel chapter
00:09:31.67\00:09:36.60
one verses 3-5. Here the
scriptures state it succinctly.
00:09:36.64\00:09:41.28
Listen to this in Daniel
chapter one and verses 3-5:
00:09:41.31\00:09:45.91
Nebuchadnezzar wanted to turn
the best of the Hebrew young men
00:10:03.00\00:10:08.30
from hostages into civil
servants. They were to be
00:10:08.34\00:10:12.57
educated in the customs,
practices and principles of
00:10:12.61\00:10:15.58
Babylon. They were to study
its science, its religion, its
00:10:15.61\00:10:19.41
philosophy and finally
when they'd been thoroughly
00:10:19.45\00:10:23.42
indoctrinated and brainwashed
they were to be sent back to
00:10:23.45\00:10:27.02
their nation to rule for Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar didn't place
00:10:27.06\00:10:32.26
Babylonians as rulers over
conquered territories. That
00:10:32.29\00:10:36.40
would only encourage rebellion.
Instead he selected native
00:10:36.43\00:10:41.30
peoples from these places to
be trained and brainwashed in
00:10:41.34\00:10:45.74
Babylon so they would rule
their own captive cities as
00:10:45.77\00:10:48.71
his puppets of course.
Surprisingly enough this is the
00:10:48.74\00:10:53.25
situation many of God's people
will find themselves in as we
00:10:53.28\00:10:57.32
near the close of time. Satan
the enemy of God is bent on
00:10:57.35\00:11:02.46
world conquest. His kingdom
is in mortal combat with the
00:11:02.49\00:11:07.06
kingdom of God. It's a war
between the forces of good and
00:11:07.10\00:11:10.87
the forces of evil. In an
attempt to destroy our inner
00:11:10.90\00:11:14.84
longings for God Satan attempts
to capture our thoughts through
00:11:14.87\00:11:20.91
the senses. He's working
to submerge our world in a
00:11:20.94\00:11:24.31
thoroughly secular culture.
We see it everywhere, from the
00:11:24.35\00:11:28.32
agnosticism of much of Europe to
the growing materialism of Asia
00:11:28.35\00:11:33.15
and to the erosion of spiritual
values in the western world
00:11:33.19\00:11:36.49
including Australia and
New Zealand. We are being
00:11:36.52\00:11:40.20
indoctrinated in a secular world
view, a secular philosophy, a
00:11:40.23\00:11:45.37
secular way of life. So
how do we resist this pervasive
00:11:45.40\00:11:49.97
influence? How do we stand for
the kingdom of God in the midst
00:11:50.01\00:11:54.21
of a culture that's often
hostile to it? Well amazingly
00:11:54.24\00:11:58.11
enough Daniel succeeded in doing
exactly that against all the
00:11:58.15\00:12:03.75
odds. He thrived in a hostile
and secular environment. After
00:12:03.79\00:12:08.86
all the attempts to reprogram
him his faith was still standing
00:12:08.89\00:12:13.19
his values were still standing
tall. And I believe that this
00:12:13.23\00:12:18.50
young Hebrew has a lot to tell
us about succeeding spiritually
00:12:18.53\00:12:22.77
in a secular environment.
Watch as Daniel, a captive in a
00:12:22.80\00:12:29.08
strange land gives us the
important first clue. As soon as
00:12:29.11\00:12:33.78
Daniel and his companions
reached Babylon the pressure
00:12:33.82\00:12:37.29
to conform began to build.
We can see that in the new names
00:12:37.32\00:12:42.49
given to these Hebrew captives.
When a Hebrew mother named her
00:12:42.52\00:12:46.53
child the name most often stood
for character qualities she
00:12:46.56\00:12:51.10
desired the child to have
or some significant aspect of
00:12:51.13\00:12:54.80
Hebrew history. The name
constantly reminded the child
00:12:54.84\00:12:59.41
of his allegiance to the true
God. Daniel's name in Hebrew
00:12:59.44\00:13:04.41
means God is my judge.
This young man was continually
00:13:04.45\00:13:09.28
reminded that he lived before
the God who sees all things.
00:13:09.32\00:13:13.02
But the head of the eunuchs
in Babylon gave him a new name -
00:13:13.05\00:13:18.73
Belteshazzar. This name means
may the god himself protect the
00:13:18.76\00:13:23.53
king. His friend Hananiah whose
name means the Lord is gracious
00:13:23.57\00:13:28.50
was given the new name Shadrach
meaning inspiration of the sun.
00:13:28.54\00:13:35.44
Mishael whose name means Godlike
was now called Meshach meaning
00:13:35.48\00:13:39.48
like the god Artu and Azariah
whose name means God is my
00:13:39.51\00:13:45.49
helper was given the name Abed
Nego meaning servant of Nebo.
00:13:45.52\00:13:52.26
Nebuchadnezzar wanted the
Israelites to forget their God
00:13:52.29\00:13:56.13
and their Hebrew heritage so
he gave them names representing
00:13:56.16\00:14:00.30
the gods of Babylon. We can see
from this that Nebuchadnezzar
00:14:00.34\00:14:05.04
was bent on fashioning
loyal Babylonians from those
00:14:05.07\00:14:09.04
vulnerable young hostages.
Now we come to the first great
00:14:09.08\00:14:14.45
challenge. Daniel and his
companions were ushered into the
00:14:14.48\00:14:18.79
banquet hall of Nebuchadnezzar.
The table was spread with a rich
00:14:18.82\00:14:22.69
variety of Babylonian delicacies
Candle light shimmered and
00:14:22.72\00:14:27.20
danced off the golden bowls. The
guests were seated and invited
00:14:27.23\00:14:31.87
to partake. That's when Daniel
faced the choice. There were two
00:14:31.90\00:14:36.60
problems with the food. First
it has been offered to idols and
00:14:36.64\00:14:41.81
Daniel believed that to eat it
would be to participate in the
00:14:41.84\00:14:45.15
worship of those
idols, something that he was
00:14:45.18\00:14:48.88
continually being pressured to
do. Secondly according to God's
00:14:48.92\00:14:53.29
clear instructions much of the
food was unclean. It was not to
00:14:53.32\00:14:57.76
be eaten. Staring at this
tempting food Daniel must have
00:14:57.79\00:15:03.43
felt a tremendous urge to just
go along with the crowd. The
00:15:03.47\00:15:06.94
glories of Babylon dazzled his
senses. The finest wines of the
00:15:06.97\00:15:11.27
land beckoned him. Why
keep hanging onto his religious
00:15:11.31\00:15:15.88
scruples. Surely a few rules
could be just winked at in this
00:15:15.91\00:15:20.22
foreign culture. For a hostage
who'd seen the land of the true
00:15:20.25\00:15:24.35
God desolated it would have been
very easy to cast his lot with
00:15:24.39\00:15:28.76
the new power, the new dominant
culture of Babylon. But this
00:15:28.79\00:15:33.03
young captive made a remarkable
decision. It's recorded in
00:15:33.06\00:15:37.03
Daniel chapter 1 and verse 8:
00:15:37.07\00:15:40.87
Daniel resolved. What a story is
contained in these words. Here
00:15:54.25\00:15:58.95
is a decision that would
reverberate through history.
00:15:58.99\00:16:02.29
Its lessons would echo and
reecho throughout the centuries.
00:16:02.32\00:16:07.33
Daniel made his choice. He
would be faithful to the Lord of
00:16:07.36\00:16:13.87
heaven and earth even as a
captive to another monarch. He
00:16:13.90\00:16:16.71
would honor God in all
the details of life even while
00:16:16.74\00:16:21.34
surrounded by a heathen culture.
It might cost him his life but
00:16:21.38\00:16:25.45
nevertheless he would be
faithful to God. Remember Daniel
00:16:25.48\00:16:33.02
resolved. He determined to
be faithful to God long before
00:16:33.05\00:16:36.36
the test of the banquet. He
resolved ahead of time. He had
00:16:36.39\00:16:41.96
made up his mind that he wasn't
going to sell out in order to
00:16:42.00\00:16:46.07
have it easy in Babylon. He
wasn't going to sell out his
00:16:46.10\00:16:50.51
conscience cheap. He was going
to remain a child of the living
00:16:50.54\00:16:55.31
God. He was not going to let
this heathen culture take away
00:16:55.34\00:16:58.61
his faith piece by piece. That's
how it usually happens you know.
00:16:58.65\00:17:04.15
The enemy typically doesn't
try to overwhelm us all at once.
00:17:04.19\00:17:08.66
He just tries to chip away
at our faith a little at a time.
00:17:08.69\00:17:14.00
This practice isn't so important
he says. Or you can live without
00:17:14.03\00:17:19.80
that belief. Listen I think it
boils down to this. People who
00:17:19.83\00:17:24.64
flourish in the end time will
be people who know who they are.
00:17:24.67\00:17:28.18
People who are secure in their
relationship with God. If Daniel
00:17:28.21\00:17:33.01
had been embarrassed about his
identity was a Hebrew, he'd be
00:17:33.05\00:17:36.62
trying to hide his religious
scruples and he probably would
00:17:36.65\00:17:40.29
have given in and disappeared
into Babylonian history. But he
00:17:40.32\00:17:45.43
wasn't embarrassed. Far from it.
Daniel was confident that his
00:17:45.46\00:17:50.17
Lord knew best. People who
survive at the end time will be
00:17:50.20\00:17:55.40
people who know and love God's
truth. They would rather than
00:17:55.44\00:17:59.77
die than bring dishonor to God.
When Daniel voiced his objection
00:17:59.81\00:18:05.81
to the food at the banquet, the
official was worried about what
00:18:05.85\00:18:08.92
King Nebuchadnezzar would say.
He feared that Daniel and his
00:18:08.95\00:18:13.39
companions would start looking
rather scrawny if they didn't
00:18:13.42\00:18:16.62
eat the delicacies spread before
them. But here's where Daniel
00:18:16.66\00:18:20.80
shows his confidence. He made
the following proposal recorded
00:18:20.83\00:18:25.23
in Daniel chapter
1 verses 12 and 13:
00:18:25.27\00:18:28.67
Daniel believed that the
principles God had laid out in
00:18:47.32\00:18:51.23
scripture were for the benefit
of mankind and he was bold
00:18:51.26\00:18:55.10
enough to propose an experiment,
a 10-day test. He and his Hebrew
00:18:55.13\00:19:01.34
friends would be fed the simple
Judean diet, probable of fruit,
00:19:01.37\00:19:06.31
nuts, grains and vegetables. The
others would have the rich spicy
00:19:06.34\00:19:12.21
diet heavy with meat. This
must have been the world's first
00:19:12.25\00:19:16.95
comparative dietary study and
scripture records the result.
00:19:16.99\00:19:20.42
It says that at the end
of 10 days the Hebrews looked
00:19:20.46\00:19:25.46
healthier and better nourished
than any of the young men who
00:19:25.49\00:19:29.56
ate the royal food. And so
Daniel was able to continue
00:19:29.60\00:19:34.17
abiding by the principles of
God's word. He continued being
00:19:34.20\00:19:38.84
faithful in the details.
Why? Well not because he had
00:19:38.87\00:19:43.31
compromised but because he
had boldly issued a challenge.
00:19:43.35\00:19:47.58
He offered to demonstrate
that God's way was best. He was
00:19:47.62\00:19:53.25
confident in the principles
of his faith. That's the kind of
00:19:53.29\00:19:58.16
Godly boldness we need in our
time. Are you committed to God's
00:19:58.19\00:20:02.50
truth? Are you convinced that
there's no better way to live?
00:20:02.53\00:20:05.63
How is it in your life right
now with the little things. When
00:20:05.67\00:20:10.31
someone makes a racist slur or
an obscene joke. Do you just go
00:20:10.34\00:20:14.74
along? When you're offered
alcohol or maybe some drugs do
00:20:14.78\00:20:19.81
you just try to conform? What's
filling your computer screen?
00:20:19.85\00:20:23.99
What are you feeding your mind?
You cannot develop spiritual
00:20:24.02\00:20:29.29
thoughts if you feed your mind
with the world's agenda. Daniel
00:20:29.32\00:20:34.60
was a hostage with a mission,
not just to survive but to be
00:20:34.63\00:20:38.47
faithful to God. Daniel resolved
Daniel decided it ahead of time.
00:20:38.50\00:20:44.87
No matter where, no matter when
God's way is best. You know in
00:20:44.91\00:20:50.88
the time of the end great
pressure will be brought to bear
00:20:50.91\00:20:54.32
on every man, woman and child
who attempts to serve the true
00:20:54.35\00:20:59.65
God. Have you decided in your
heart that the only thing that
00:20:59.69\00:21:03.69
really matters is not what
other people think, but what God
00:21:03.73\00:21:08.13
thinks. Have you resolved to be
faithful to him unconditionally?
00:21:08.16\00:21:12.60
Daniel make that decision
and for him that turned disaster
00:21:12.63\00:21:17.87
into triumph. The book of Daniel
opens with a great disaster, the
00:21:17.91\00:21:24.55
destruction of Jerusalem, the
defeat of God's people. But soon
00:21:24.58\00:21:29.45
through the faithfulness of
a few Hebrews we see a hint of
00:21:29.48\00:21:33.72
God's triumph. Listen to what
happened when they were brought
00:21:33.76\00:21:37.59
before Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel chapter 1 verses 19-20:
00:21:37.63\00:21:44.13
The four Hebrews were still
held in Babylon. They were still
00:22:06.39\00:22:10.16
surrounded by an alien and
secular culture and they were
00:22:10.19\00:22:14.10
called into the king's service.
But here's the difference.
00:22:14.13\00:22:19.40
They didn't go in as Babylonians
they didn't go in as idol
00:22:19.43\00:22:22.34
worshipers. They went in as
representatives of the God of
00:22:22.37\00:22:27.98
heaven and earth and as such
they would have a tremendous
00:22:28.01\00:22:32.31
influence in that great kingdom.
They retained unique wisdom that
00:22:32.35\00:22:37.19
had as its source the fear of
God. These men could never have
00:22:37.22\00:22:42.29
been used for good if they
started discarding their faith
00:22:42.32\00:22:45.86
piece by piece. They would never
have stood head and shoulders
00:22:45.89\00:22:50.17
above all the magicians and
enchanters of the whole kingdom.
00:22:50.20\00:22:56.94
Daniel and his companions show
us how to stand in the end time.
00:22:56.97\00:23:01.24
They resolved ahead of time
to be faithful to God no matter
00:23:01.28\00:23:06.51
what. Daniel chose not to
indulge in the king's delicacies
00:23:06.55\00:23:12.22
because he was looking forward
to another table, another
00:23:12.25\00:23:15.69
banquet. The book of Revelation
tells us about the marriage
00:23:15.72\00:23:21.03
supper of the Lamb which will
be celebrated when God's people
00:23:21.06\00:23:25.13
are welcomed into heaven. All
God's faithful children will sit
00:23:25.17\00:23:30.41
down with him to a great
feast. It will be like a family
00:23:30.44\00:23:33.61
reunited at last gathered
around a table of love. Will you
00:23:33.64\00:23:40.55
determine in your heart to be
there for that banquet no matter
00:23:40.58\00:23:44.12
what? It's so important to have
a strong purpose, to be able to
00:23:44.15\00:23:49.22
stand alone. Forces are building
in our world that will soon bear
00:23:49.26\00:23:55.16
down on all those who want
to be loyal to God. We need to
00:23:55.20\00:23:59.70
determine in our heart ahead of
time to be faithful to him. To
00:23:59.73\00:24:04.51
demonstrate that his way
is indeed the best. And we can
00:24:04.54\00:24:09.31
have confidence that he will
make us Daniels. He will help
00:24:09.34\00:24:13.52
us to be overcomers instead of
just conformers. He will enable
00:24:13.55\00:24:18.49
us to stand. Will you dare to
be a Daniel? Why not make that
00:24:18.52\00:24:24.39
decision right now as we pray?
00:24:24.43\00:24:27.63
Dear Heavenly Father, thank
you for giving us the example of
00:24:27.66\00:24:33.07
Daniel in the courts of Babylon.
Thank you for your promise to
00:24:33.10\00:24:36.91
stand by us as we face the
challenges of life. We want to
00:24:36.94\00:24:41.48
trust you more completely today.
Our aim is to please you and
00:24:41.51\00:24:45.75
always stand true for you.
Accept our commitment now in the
00:24:45.78\00:24:50.62
name of our
Savior, Jesus Christ Amen.
00:24:50.65\00:24:56.62
The story of Daniel the captive
has encouraged and inspired
00:24:56.66\00:25:02.46
people all over the world.
He lived in a high pressure
00:25:02.50\00:25:05.30
environment, a hostile, very
secular world. Yet he rose to
00:25:05.33\00:25:10.61
incredible heights in an alien
land and he did it by remaining
00:25:10.64\00:25:15.38
faithful to his values
and principles and above all
00:25:15.41\00:25:19.25
faithful to God. We can feel
overwhelmed when struggling with
00:25:19.28\00:25:23.82
the challenges of life in
a hostile and secular world.
00:25:23.85\00:25:27.26
But if you're looking ways
to live a better life and find
00:25:27.29\00:25:31.19
inner peace and true happiness,
if you'd like to get closer to
00:25:31.23\00:25:35.10
God, then I'd like to recommend
a free give we have for all our
00:25:35.13\00:25:39.83
viewers today. It's the free
Bible reading guide on the Bible
00:25:39.87\00:25:44.44
book of Daniel. This is our gift
to you and is absolutely free.
00:25:44.47\00:25:49.11
There are no costs or
obligations whatsoever. So make
00:25:49.14\00:25:54.12
the most of this wonderful
opportunity to receive the gift
00:25:54.15\00:25:57.25
we have for you today.
Here's the information you need:
00:25:57.29\00:26:03.22
Phone or text us at 0436-333-555
in Australia or 020-422-2042 in
00:26:03.26\00:26:12.53
New Zealand or visit our website
www.tij.tv to request today's
00:26:12.57\00:26:19.61
free offer and we'll send it to
you totally free of charge and
00:26:19.64\00:26:23.51
with no obligation. So don't
delay. Call or text 0436-333-555
00:26:23.55\00:26:30.59
in Australia or 020-422-2042 in
New Zealand or visit our website
00:26:30.62\00:26:38.26
to request today's
offer. Write to us at:
00:26:38.29\00:26:54.88
Don't delay.
Call or text us now.
00:26:54.91\00:26:56.81
The Incredible Journey and
Pastor Gary Kent with Pastor
00:26:56.85\00:27:02.05
Louis Torres and Carol Torres
as the principal trainers are
00:27:02.08\00:27:06.45
opening a Bible college in
Sydney in February of 2020.
00:27:06.49\00:27:09.96
This 14-week program will give
you the skills you need to be an
00:27:09.99\00:27:13.90
effective co-laborer with
Christ to carry the message of a
00:27:13.93\00:27:17.70
crucified, risen, and
soon coming Savior to the whole
00:27:17.73\00:27:21.97
world. For more information and
to register phone or text us at
00:27:22.00\00:27:28.28
0481-315-101 Email us at
info@TiJ.tv or visit our website
00:27:28.31\00:27:38.99
at TiJ.tv/events. If you've
enjoyed today's journey to
ancient Babylon and
00:27:39.02\00:27:42.79
our reflections on the life and
times of Daniel, then be sure to
00:27:42.82\00:27:47.40
join us again next week when
we will share another of life's
00:27:47.43\00:27:50.23
journey's together. Until
then remember the ultimate
00:27:50.27\00:27:54.30
destination of life's journey.
Now I saw a new heaven and a new
00:27:54.34\00:27:59.11
earth. And God will wipe
away every tear from their eyes.
00:27:59.14\00:28:02.71
There shall be no more death nor
sorrow nor crying. There shall
00:28:02.74\00:28:07.15
be no more pain for the
former things have passed away.
00:28:07.18\00:28:13.69
¤ ¤
00:28:13.72\00:28:27.54