Tags
Related Posts
Share This
Are We Bowing To God Or The Pressures Of The World?
When I first received these verses from Alan, I panicked a little. I wasn’t sure how God would use these words but as always, He gave me something to work with.
How fortunate are we to live in a country that allows us to openly worship the way that we choose! We, as followers of Jesus, may get criticized or viewed as weird sometimes, but imagine if we were persecuted the way so many in other countries are. So then, why aren’t we more bold in standing up for our beliefs? Believers in China never hesitate to openly confess their faith, and there are serious consequences awaiting them, sometimes even death!
Are we that afraid of rejection or what others will think of us? Do we not trust God enough that He will protect us or that His plans will use our circumstances in an eternal way?
In this chapter, the officials wanted to trap Daniel so they manipulated the king into making a rule to worship only him and put it into writing. Anyone who didn’t obey this rule were much like those in China, they faced death. In this case, the lion’s den. In my mind, being in a den full of lions equals death. Imagine if our government and law officials wanted to put in place such a law for us to follow. How would you do? Does it depend on the type of punishment you would receive if you didn’t obey? I can’t honestly say that I would stand up for my beliefs if I knew I would be tortured or worse, put to death! If I already have a problem with speaking up now because of my fear of rejection or what others may think of me, I can pretty much say I would fail miserably with any such punishment in store. Philippians 4:13 tells us that we can do ALL THINGS through Christ who gives us strength. Not just a few things here and there, but ALL THINGS. Do you remember the girl from Columbine High? She didn’t hesitate in confessing her belief in Jesus with a gun pointed in her face. In the verses to come this week, you will read how Daniel chose to serve His God, and how God protected him while using his circumstance for the kingdom. I can only pray that I would try to model after Daniel and the girl from Columbine in my everyday life. Even if people will reject me, think I’m strange, or worse.
Mary Anthony, You hit the right question for me, What do I do when asked about Jesus? I like you don’t know how I would react if faced with sure death. If I would stand up for my faith? Things like I don’t want to leave John or the kids go through my mind. I have so much left to do here on earth before I die. The time is coming when we will all be tested. I know those days are coming just read Revelation to see what the end of the story will be. I will take it one day at a time and walk with God step by step. I hope everyone has a good day. Thanks again for the challenge of Daniel’s life.
M.A. — thanks for sharing this challenge with us. We talked about this on creative team some…if being a follower of Jesus was a crime, would there be enough evidence to convict us? It’s a humbling question, that’s for sure. I pray that each day that we walk with Jesus, we would care more and more about pleasing Him than pleasing man. As a self-confessed people pleaser, this is a toughie! But I have to keep the truth of Philippians in my heart — He will give me the strength to do that! And as my love for Him continues to grow, so will obedience come more and more naturally!
Any discussion with David Dodd invariably turns to the church in China. He has often said that the persecution of the church in China has only served to advance the Kingdom. The history of the church seems to support this growth dynamic. Personally, that’s a scary idea for me. But I have to remind myself that God spoons out grace in exact measures for every situation.
If/when the time comes for you and I to have to make the hard choice to stand for Jesus, I have to believe that the relationship that we are building today will give us unusual strength and love if the situation turns dire. The key, I’m thinking, is to be faithful in relationship with Jesus today through prayer and the word. Tomorrow will take care of itself.
Thanks Mary Anthony
Thanks MA for the great reminder that we can do all things through Him. Learning to live our lives through him is the journey. A journey that will lead us to Christ likeness. If we trust a day at a time His grace will be sufficient. I do wonder if I would be like Daniel when I live in a land of peace but if that changed I am confident His GRACE would kick in to overdrive. By the way MA I think you are strangely weird in such a great way.:)
Rob — that is just from the time I spent with you on staff!!!!!
Thanks Mary. It seems I don’t get to talk to you guys much, but I always enjoy the times I do. You’ve blessed CCC for years.
Paul talks about the “fellowship of His sufferings” in Philippians. The answer seems obvious to me because I know myself way too well, but why would we avoid persecutions if we have fellowship with Jesus in them? I know why I avoid them.
One other question, and I’ll ask to see if anyone else has noticed this, even in your conversations among Christians: Does it seem easier to talk about “God” and what He has done for us than to talk about “Jesus” and what He has done for us? And if you have noticed that, then why is it easier?
Every knee will eventually bow at the name of Jesus, but do I bow to His name now? Would I allow myself to be trapped by his enemies at the mention of his name?
Forgive me MA, for lapsing into the theoretical and missing the here-and-now…
As I was thinking about this verse I realized that it’s easy for me to theorize about how I would stand up in the face of life-threatening persecution. But that isn’t the challenge I face on a daily basis. You named the real challenge exactly when you wrote “If I already have a problem with speaking up now because of my fear of rejection or what others may think of me…”
The here-and-now challenge is exactly what as you have written. Fortunately, the remedy is the same for both the here-and-now challenge and the persecution that Daniel faced… knowing Jesus daily.
Yes, MA, you and Eddie are both weird! As a young, talented couple you take time to show genuine love and concern for old people! That is weird for the most part.
My thought is that perhaps the true test of faithfulness to Christ is in our actions. Perhaps our actions will speak louder than words – especially when we have no words. But is this my way of a cop out?
I fail miserably when it comes to speaking up for Christ in the face of ridicule, much less persecution . I appreciate your honesty. I makes me realize how much I need to seek Him to help me in this area.
Hi Mary. I don’t think we’ve met but I had the pleasure of meeting and sitting next to your husband at the poker event the other night. He was helpful at getting me started at my first poker tournament. Thanks for “seeing through the weeds” of those verses. Reading those lines made me think that not much has changed in this world since then. This world is broken and there is evil all around. That is why we must consider this verse daily; HEB 12: 1-3 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and loose heart.”
Be Blessed….
I am so proud of my wife. It is easy to say one thing and do another. As Christians, we struggle with the idea of having all the answers. The truth is….we do not.
Since we are human, we are flawed. None of us are perfect. It is only by the blood of our Savior that we are made whole. It is only by God’s perfect love that He sent his one and only Son to die for us. That we may have strength in Him!
When I think of my wife – I think of love. I think of the love that she has for me and our children. I know that God’s love is THE most important thing to her. I see the strength she gets from Him to carry her through good and bad times.
I also know the perfect love that John talks about in 1 John 4:14-19. “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgement because in this world we are like Him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because He loved us first.”
My wife is responsible for helping lead me to Christ. It is by her love that I was introduced to God’s perfect love. My fear is no more. For this I am forever grateful. I love you baby!!!
Mamphony! Thanks for your words my F4E friend! Sorry that I’m just now responding…playing catch-up after Disney. Anyhoo…from one people pleaser to another, I know exactly what you’re talking about. Thanks for challenging me/us to consider further the whole subject of persecution…it reveals quite a bit about our motives and personal challenges. Thank God for His grace and for giving us what we need when we need it…day by day we just have to lean closer to Him and trust. And I’m with Rob…I think you’re “weirder” than you think. Thanks again my friend.
“Mac Mac”,
I am late in responding, but wanted to thank you for your exposition of this great account recorded in Daniel. In this country, we have the privilege to worship openly and freely, without any threat of arrest or bodily harm.
However, like Peter on the night before Christ was crucified, we often times cave in for fear of being associated with a stereotype manufactured by the world. A stereotype that is based on a superficial understanding of something that can only be spiritually appraised. I find that when I am “confessing Christ” before a non-believing friend, that I am rushing through the “well I am a Christian…” in order to get to the clarification, so that I’m not “put in a box”. The box that the world has labelled “irrelevant” and stuck in some dark corner of the attic. And I admit that sometimes, I am weary of being “branded” with that incorrect stereotype – you know, the one where Christians are those people who have no discernment, are always happy, and turn their brain off and just believe whatever someone from a pulpit or on TV tells them. And they have a glazed look on their face. I’ve seen in hollywood too many times.
Nonetheless, we can not always obviate the opportunity for of being misunderstood. Daniel could have tried to rationalize what he was doing or that the satraps were trying to “satrap” him, but like Christ, he remained silent because he had nothing to defend. And God stepped in and “spoke” for him on his behalf in the lion’s den. He didn’t even let the lions have a say in it as we are told He “closed the mouth of the lions.”
It reminds me of a scene in a courtroom where an attorney is clearly articulating and making the case for his client, the defendant’s, innocence, except in our case, we are the defendant and the judge is the attorney’s father. And we KNOW Who the Attorney is…
)