✿What happens when we take a bold stand?

Hi....

Greetings from India.

There is a moral and spiritual decline all around us. It's at a time like this we who are called the 'children of the Most High God' are to stand up to be seen, speak up to be heard and take an uncompromising stand.

This is what I learnt when reading Daniel chapter 3 .

Hope this blesses you.

When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were asked to bow before an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet of King Nebuchadnezzar, they refused. When the King questioned them why they refused

to bow down they replied,

Daniel 3: 16"O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

The moment we take an uncompromising stand, God will surely move on our behalf.

With all the persecution we see and hear of against people who refuse to compromise and take a bold stand for what they believe in, some people wonder if God's watching all this and what He is doing. But God is still in control and He sure is setting up a stage for the greatest revival ever.

What happens when we take a bold stand??

 1) We are Noticed:

The people around notice us when we stand.

Daniel 3:12 "But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, O king.

They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up."

2) The world gets irritated and hates us:

The World will surely react when we stand up for our Savior. The reaction may be positive or negative.

Daniel 3: 13 :Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king,"

WE may be hated and despised for our stand. But this should not turn us back or force us to quit.

And we need to continue to love those who hate us and pray for those who persecute us. For vengeance is not ours.

3)They will question our commitment.

Daniel 3: 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?

When we are questioned we need to be able to give them clear and wise answers. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to put the right words in our mouths. He will come to our aid.

Mark 13: 11 "Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit."

4) The world will test our commitment:

Daniel 3:  19 "Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace."

Should times of testing turn us away? NO!

It is a time to make a personal commitment.

1) A commitment to serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, no matter what the cost. We may loose some friends, somethings close to us but the commitment is worth the cost.

2) God's pleased with our commitment. He moves on our behalf,

so that others take note of our commitment.

Daniel 3: 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?"

      They replied, "Certainly, O king."

25 He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."

3) Our commitment brings Glory to God.

4) Our commitment to stand up for our Lord Jesus Christ, it will result in many turning to the truth and acknowledging the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Daniel 3: 28 "Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God."

5) God will deal with those who persecute us in His own time because He is a righteous judge.

Daniel 3: 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way."

Hebrews 10: 30 For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

6) Commitment to take a bold stand always ends with promotion. 

Daniel 3:30 "Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon."

Let's not be afraid or ashamed to stand up to be seen for who we believe in and speak up to be heard.

Stay blessed,

YSIC,

Julia

Dare to be a Daniel....

  Hi...
Greetings from India.
I really look up to Daniel for his courage and his bold stand for righteousness.
The BIBLE says he choose not to defile himself!
That too as a young boy he makes that choice!
Daniel 1:8 "But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way."
1 Thessalonians 5: 21-23, "Test everything. Hold on to what is good. Avoid every kind of evil, May your whole Spirit, Soul and Body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ"Do not compromise, dare to be like Daniel, who chose not to defile himself and though he lived among people who did not honor God, he still chose to obey God.
Let's flee temptation like Joseph did.
Joseph found favor in Potipar's eyes and made him in charge of his house and all that he owned. 
Genesis 39:2 The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. 5 From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. 6 So he left in Joseph's care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.
      Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!"
 8 But he refused. "With me in charge," he told her, "my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?"

10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.

 11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.

Let's be careful who we walk and fellowship with.
Let's not let unbelieving friends lead us away from the Lord and cause our faith to waver.
1 COR 15:33 " Bad company corrupts good character"
After we come to he Lord, we still  face temptations but with God's help we can overcome it!! And when we fall we need to cry out to God and ask Him to lift us up!! We will be surrounded by sin and will face temptations as long as we walk on this earth and cannot avoid every kind of evil because we live in a sinful world.  But we can make sure that we don't give evil a foothold by avoiding and resisting sinful situations and choosing to obey God.  
2 Tim 2: 22,23 " Flee youthful desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace....Do not have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments because you know they produce quarrels....."
Sometimes like Daniel God strategically places us in a hostile camp. This is because we learn valuable lessons and truths we do not learn anywhere else.
We sometimes need to go to the enemy's camp to get back what he stole from us..
And we sometimes may find ourselves in a situation like Daniel was ..'in  a Lion's den' surrounded by hungry lions (trials)out to devour us.

What do we do??
Just sing praises to God, worship Him, pray, hold on.
How long can the enemy scare us by his lies and tricks??
He's a sore looser!!
Resist the enemy and he will flee.
The one who lives in us IS MUCH GREATER THAN THE ENEMY!
Dare to BE A DANIEL!!
Let's choose not to defile ourselves,
Let's be BOLD and COURAGEOUS and PATIENT when we face trials.
Through trials we are perfected.
James 1: 10 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.Malachi 3: 2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiners fire or a launderer's soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,Let's pray like Daniel, he diligently prayed 3 times a day. Though there was a threat to his life he did not fear and quit praying.
Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
We too are not quitters because quitters never win and winners never quit.
PRAISE GOD!
Good Night.
YSIC,
Julia