Daniel #9

Let us continue from Daniel 3:29-30 (KJV) 29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort. 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar was a king who served other gods, not the God of Israel. But if you speak against their god, you will be severely punished. This is because there is no other god who can save you from the fiery pit. In other words, the pagan gods they believe in cannot do that. But ironically they still believe in them. Nebuchadnezzar recognized that the God the Jews worship is the mightiest. Better than many religious people today. That is why God appointed Nebuchadnezzar in his generation as a king to rule over the entire world. God just used him as a servant. He chose Nebuchadnezzar to rule and chastise the Jews. God also uses the devil as a servant because the time has not yet come. Satan’s been judged, but he’s still serving God even today. However, while Nebuchadnezzar said this, he did not acknowledge the God of Israel was the true God and that the other gods were counterfeits. Obviously, Nebuchadnezzar praises the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, but he has no will to serve Him. Many people come to church and praise Jesus Christ and glorify the Heavenly Father, yet have no desire to serve Him. That is an unbeliever serving another God, another Jesus. If you truly believe that God manifested in flesh, Jesus Christ, is the One and only who can save you from death and deliver you from hell, then you can serve Him. Serving God means being able to go out with gratitude no matter what circumstances He allows. Unfortunately, people today worship other gods. Another Jesus conjured up from within their own hearts who only blesses them via another gospel. Pastors serve Jesus who only revives their churches. Nebuchadnezzar knelt down and bowed down to Daniel and gave him many gifts, a simple gesture which was better than today’s Christians. Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged God as another god, but not as THE absolute Almighty Creator. There is no other god who can rescue them like this. He did lay down a decree to never speak against God. This just shows that God of Israel is the greatest, does it not? And yet the king himself did not turn from serving his pagan gods. Korean ministers who did not worship at Shinto shrines during the Japanese colonial era truly believed in Jesus Christ. The faithful few who lived according to the words our Lord asked Martha even if it meant their death; John 11:25-26 (KJV) 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Do you really believe in these words Martha? When she acknowledged, he called and resurrected Lazarus. Why don’t Christians today experience God’s saving power in their lives? Why can’t we experience God who saves us not only from hell, but also from death and hardship in life? It’s because we don’t trust Him. God has led you to such a place and want you to experience how will lead you from there. But people just don’t want to. When there is trouble, it is just resentment and anger. Apostle Paul said: Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10 KJV)  When he was thankful, God saved him because Paul fully trusted in the Lord. Many typically fear over physical, carnal issues, not believing in the scripture though he were dead, yet shall he live and yet claim to be a Christian. Such times we are living. Think about it for a second. Babylon is where everybody serves many other pagan gods, except for Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. These are a model of the Jewish remnant during the Great Tribulation, and at the same time a model of the true Christians remaining in the end times. Since the majority today is not like this, it is just a religious act to worship on Sunday. There is not much difference between modern day Christians and the people of the world once they go outside the church. There is one thing that Nebuchadnezzar clearly gets wrong here. He didn’t understand the greatest proof that makes God THE God. A God must have the ability to save. Salvation from death and hell. Fast forward to (Daniel 6:27 KJV) He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. This is what Darius says when Daniel comes out of the lions’ den. Darius, Cyrus and Nebuchadnezzar are much better people than those who claim to be Christian presidents. A true God delivers and rescues. (Psalm 50:15 KJV) says: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. Glorifying God is not done by dressed in expensive luxury goods and singing hallelujah only when all is well and everyone in my family are in good health. What glorifies God is when I rely on the Lord in the midst of difficulties, trusting Him completely and believing in God who saves me from the mouth of the lion and the mouth of the devil in the midst of death, ultimately experiencing Him saving me as I am grateful to the end. This is what glorifies God. If God puts people into some stressful events to gain a little glory from them, they can’t or won’t withstand it and fall into temptation being deceived. Then you can’t experience God. We must experience God who saves us from distresses, trials, and persecutions now, while we are living on this earth. Only then can we overcome the various trials that are thrown at us. If we believe that Jesus Christ, the Creator and God we believe in, is the only true God, then we must believe that He can save us from all suffering, pain, sin, and hell. If not, He is of no use. For those who go to church, including us, Are you really happy when you say that you go to church? Second question, are you sure that your sins are forgiven? Third, are you sure you won’t go to hell if you die today? If you cannot answer “YES” to these questions, that is proof that you are not yet saved. It’s simple.

 In other words, all of us are already dead. Since the body is dead and when you accept Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit comes in only when your sins are forgiven, and the Spirit of Jesus, who is God, is the Spirit of Prophecy. And anyone who does so can see their future clearly. Today, people do not receive the true Spirit of prophecy, but rather receive another spirit and they like to receive prophecies about how well their business and children will do in the future. The real prophecy is that when I am forgiven, the Spirit of God comes in, otherwise you’ll die. “I’m 100% sure I’m not going to hell. I’m going to meet the Lord when He returns.” If you have this certainty, you have received the Spirit of prophecy, the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, people who go to church to solve the problems of the corruptible world while still serving other gods. It’s a pity how churches across the world are filled with these sort of people. That’s why we all need to examine ourselves. Is the God I really believe in Jesus Christ or some other god? Is Jesus Christ, the God I believe in, really the God who can deliver me from death, hell, and all suffering? Do I really believe in Him? Happy is he who believes in him. People who are doing well on earth are rather unfortunate. Truly happy are those who have experienced God’s hand of deliverance at unthinkable moments. When we call on the Lord, he hears us and saves us no matter how difficult our situations may be. That’s when the Lord is glorified. The Lord received glory through Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. If they hadn’t been thrown into the lions’ den or the fiery furnace, they wouldn’t have experienced deliverance. When the three men went into the furnace, another man appeared and Nebuchadnezzar said, the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. (Daniel 3:25 KJV) But the NIV or other Revised Bible translations say a son of the gods. Not only the translators did not recognize Jesus Christ, but they do not believe in Him either. Rather, Nebuchadnezzar said: like the Son of God, with capital letters S& G while theologians and perverted Bible translators believed it to be a son of the gods. Unregenerate theologians altered the Bible because that was a son of the many gods they worshipped. What happens when pastors learn from and teach such a Bible? The problem of serving and worshiping other gods arises in the church. The apostle Paul served the true God, Jesus Christ who he constantly testified, which upset many during that time, labeling him as a heretic and imprisoning him. The reason being: many testified about Christ, but they also preached other gods as well in those days. The apostle Paul said, he rejoice that Christ is preached, whether for good or evil. Even if He is preached with evil intent, when the Holy Spirit works, He works as the true Christ for them, as it is recorded in the Bible through Nebuchadnezzar that God of Israel is the One and only Almighty God. Nebuchadnezzar probably did not know that his words were r