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Today is Tuesday September 15, 2009 and we are beginning our studies in the book of Daniel, please read chapters 1-3 in your Bible or Click Here to read them. http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-september-15.php

Today's Message: Live For Christ
A Christian must be willing to die to self in order to live for Christ.

The book of Daniel is the twenty-seventh book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains twelve chapters. The author of the book is Daniel and it was written to the Jews that were captive in Babylon. The purpose of the book was to show how God rules the affairs of men. What we are to learn from the book is that God is sovereign and honors those who honor Him.

Daniel was of noble blood, if not one of the royal family of Judah. He was carried captive to Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiachin, B. C. 606, when he was a youth. Soon after his capture, Daniel and other selected Israelite captives were assigned new names which would hide their identity as children of God and identify them as citizens of Babylon. “Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.” - Daniel 1:6,7. Daniel means God is Judge, but his Babylonian name Belteshazzar means Prince of Baal. As Daniel heard his new name called day after day, it was intended to remind him that the comfort, self-esteem, and high position he enjoyed in his new society were all the result of his being the Prince of Baal. However, Daniel and his friends refused to blend in with society and remained faithful to God. The king's intent was that these select men would be taught to think and live like the Babylonians, slowly forgetting that they were children of God.

Ancient idolaters thought that each nation had its own gods, and that, in addition to these, foreign gods might be worshiped. Men will in times of trouble confess God, if they are allowed to retain their favorite heart-idols. Whatever the king approved of, they all approve of. There is no stability of principle in the ungodly. It was therefore all one to them, which way God would honor himself, they were resolved to suffer rather than sin, and leave the cause to God. “Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.” - Daniel 3:1-3. If the music was no help in preparing the people to worship the image, Nebuchadnezzar had furnaces in place to give a little more encouragement. Nebuchadnezzar was dictating to the people the way they were going to worship, what they were going to worship, and how they were going to worship. If they did not, it was punished by death.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down and worship the idol, when the king heard this reply he went into a rage of anger, so much so that his whole countenance was changed. Here was a man at the head of the world, full of power, yet unable to control the will of these young men. This was too much for him to take, for this was straight out wilful disobedience to his will. “And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” - Daniel 3:20-25. The Lord did not forget His own. As His witnesses were cast into the furnace, the Saviour revealed Himself to them in person, and together they walked in the midst of the fire. In the presence of the Lord of heat and cold, the flames lost their power to consume. So, how did that heathen king know what the Son of God was like? The Hebrew captives filling positions of trust in Babylon had in life and character represented before him the truth. When asked for a reason of their faith, they had given it without hesitation. Plainly and simply they had presented the principles of righteousness, thus teaching those around them of the God whom they worshiped. They had told of Christ, the Redeemer to come; and in the form of the fourth in the midst of the fire the king recognized the Son of God.

As Christian's, we are faced with lots of opposition, even more so because we choose to live our lives by following Jesus Christ. Take a person that believes in God and one can be accepted, but say that you believe in Jesus and that acceptance can utterly turn into hate. For this reason many fear telling people that they follow Jesus Christ. However, we can not allow the world or even our loved ones to keep us in the closet about our faith in Christ. We need to stand true to God even in the face of death, and obey God rather than man. If we do, God will honour us as He did the three worthies, and confess our names before the Father in heaven.

Have a wonderful and blessed day/night and
God Bless You,
Christina

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