Video Transcript: Faith Under Fire (David Feddes)

Video Transcript: Faith Under Fire (David Feddes)

Starting in the early 1930s, Adolf Hitler came to power. And Hitler was a master manipulator. One who was an expert at controlling people and controlling a whole nation. And here were some of the ways in which Hitler manipulated the people of Germany. 

When he took power, he took over the schools. He wanted the schools to be controlled by the government, he wanted the universities to be controlled by the government. He wanted all professors in those universities to be loyal to government authority, because he thought that if he could control the educational system that would take him a long ways towards controlling the way the people of the nation thought. He also was a master, he and those who worked with him among the Nazis of visuals. And you would have these great rallies with the swastika, and pictures of Hitler. And there is visual images, as well as propaganda films and very skilled use of photographs to picture Hitler and the Nazis and the whole idea of the Aryan race as superior. He knew how to use a group mentality, to get people into groupthink. And to use peer pressure to get people to go along with him. He organized the Hitler Youth where a young people would pressure each other, and it would be the in thing to be one of the Hitler Youth. If you were really one of the important people among the young people, you're going to be one of those Hitler Youth. And, of course, when he had his rallies, there would be organized these vast, vast crowds so that people would get swept up into all cheering together for him. 

And he especially focused on key opinion leaders and prominent figures in the country. And any of them who didn't say anything good about him would quietly disappear or not so quietly, but he made sure that everybody who was important and had a voice was going to be praising the Nazi Party. He also knew the power of music, and so did his propagandists. They knew that the great composer Rijkaard Wagner was supremacist for the white race. And they also knew that he was a very good composer, and have great music. And they would often use his military music, and other ways of using music to promote the Nazi agenda. And just in case, all the other stuff didn't work, there were always the death ovens waiting for those who wouldn't get with the program, there was always the threat of torture, and death. And so Hitler used all of these means together to take what was in many ways the most educated and civilized and organized nation in the world, and within a few years, have them all goose stepping to what he wanted them to do. Now, he was not an original. If you look at Nebuchadnezzar and his methods, he used these same methods long before Hitler ever conceived of doing so.

He knew how to use education. And if you read Daniel chapter one, you see that the king ordered Ashpenaz chief of his court officials to teach various exiles who had been brought to Babylon to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. He wanted them to think Babylonian, he gave them Babylonian names. And the king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the Kings table. They were to be trained for three years. And after that they were to enter the king's service. So one foundation stone of Nebuchadnezzar manipulation was to educate, and to get young people to think his way that works pretty well with some but not quite all. As we'll see. He knew how to use visuals. And he knew how to impress people with very expensive visuals. In his case, he made an image of gold 90 feet high and nine feet wide, they didn't have TV back then. and certain other forms of media but a 90 foot gold statue is a mighty impressive start. And so he used the power of visuals to get people to go along with his agenda. He knew how to use the group mentality. He summon to say trap three facts governors advisors, treasures, judges, magistrates, and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. Everybody who was somebody had to show up and bow down to that image. 

And if you could get all of these opinion leaders representing the various nations from which they came, and all of these important folks, everybody who is somebody to do it, then nobody would really want to be separated from that not just because of the possible threat of death, although that's a big one. But a lot of us just plain like to fit in, who wants to stick out, even if they're not going to kill you who wants to be the freak or the geek or the nerd of the dark, or the weirdo or the oddball or whatever the label of the day is for those who won't get with the program, and do what the rest of the group is doing. And you undoubtedly notice in the reading of this passage, that it's quite different from the way that story is retold. When we shorten up these Bible passages again and again and again, you hear the horn flute, zither, Lionheart, pipe, and all kinds of music, the horn flute did the wire, heart pipe and all kinds of music, the horn, wire, heart pipe, and all kinds of music. And it goes on and on and on almost hypnotically. And sometimes that's how music will work. And so they're using music, to create the mood and to move people and to trigger the action that the king wants them to do to make people feel and to behave alike. And then of course there is that old standby. If you don't, I will burn you. 

This is an excellent motivator, whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace. Now, Nebuchadnezzar was the master manipulator in all of these ways. And we'll find that old Babylon does not go away. When you read the last book of the Bible, you're still reading about Babylon. Babylon, by that point, had been in total ruins for centuries. But Babylon takes on different faces in different places over the centuries. And the basic playbook remains pretty much the same. How are we manipulated? Well, the worldly power may change its name, but the methods or similar education in our own time, our schools, our universities, over the last century, or century and a half have become increasingly government controlled entities. It used to be that even what was called public schools were public because anybody from the public could attend. But they were usually funded and operated more by private entities, or just by local communities running the school. 

Now schools all have to abide by a secular government. And by its increasingly pagan standards, the power of visuals, of course, in our age has never been so great. Nobody is away from visuals for more than a few minutes, we can carry our little phones with us that now aren't just for talking. But for looking as well. We have our pads that we can carry with us wherever we go, or our laptops. And of course, there are the huge screens and the theaters, there are the screens in our own houses that keep getting bigger and bigger. And so the power of visual is probably larger in our lives than it has ever been in any previous age. And one of the important questions then is how is that power of visual, shaping your life education in itself is not a bad thing. 

And a visual in and of itself is not a horrible thing, but just realize that always Babylon, and Satan, the power who stands behind every Babylon will use certain methods of impressing and manipulating and swaying our minds. Group pressure is still as important and as powerful as ever. People want to fit in with the kids their own age. And at a wider, wider society, the pundits function in a certain way, the people who are prominent spokesman on TV tell you how you ought to think. And more and more people take their news from the comedian who delivers the news from his own angle, rather than actually knowing what's going on. 

Stars tell us what we ought to buy, and how we ought to behave. Music, sometimes it's the music that has a promotion of the sexual agenda of drugs and and partying of rebellion against parents. The music has been that way pretty prominently. Ever since the 60s, there's been a lot of that music every new generation has its shock Rockers, then it's kind of perverted and disgusting ways of manipulating people. Now, it's not just though, that kind of stuff that's leading people into blatant sin. Consider advertising, advertising is really skilled at using those three middle things visual, group and music. Every ad almost that you see will have very fast moving images, very attractive images. It will have music and the kind of jingle that goes with it. And it will have people who are having a great time. Yeah, you know, if you drink that correct beer, all the babes will be flocking after you. And you will be having fun with all your buds. But if you're the dweeb, or the geek of the group, you're the one who gets to the wrong beer. Sometimes they'll show that right in the commercial, or, you know, whoever is really out of it. If you ever watch commercials, the funny commercials are the best at doing that. 

They show somebody who's really just tense and out of it. And this is super cool friends, you know, kind of laughing at him because he doesn't get the joke. And he also didn't get the beer. Now the advertising world knows how to use that sense of group pressure, they also know how to use the the prominent spokesman, they'll get somebody famous, or a superstar athlete to recommend the product. And those who are opinion leaders are the ones who are using it. So of course, why wouldn't you as well, this happens all the time. And people who understand marketing and advertising specialize in just how to use music, exactly how to use certain visuals, how to make that burger from McDonald's look like one of the great gourmet delicacies in the history of the world, when actually, you know, doesn't always look quite so good when you actually pull that thing out of the box and McDonald's. So they, they're really good at making visuals that will sell things to you. And even in a society, there are many societies still today, where death is the penalty for standing out as a Christian in our society, not so often, but to be mocked to be shunned by those who really want to be accepted by to get sued for doing the right thing, or to get fired for doing the right thing. Intimidation and fear of what might happen if I do what I know is right, is still very prominent with us today. 

So don't just read the story of Nebuchadnezzar and the three friends in the fiery furnace and say, well, there was a big meanie old king back then and three brave boys back then, and they almost got roasted, but God rescued them. Well, that's true. It's not quite the whole story, you got to think about the horn flew through their Lionheart pipes and all kinds of music and the same track three sex advisors and provincial officials, yada yada, yada. You know, everybody who was somebody the long list of the music or the people because it's showing us how Babylon operated back then, and how old Babylon still operates today. In the New Testament, the apostle Paul says, We are not ignorant of the devil schemes. Are we not ignorant of the devil schemes, we have to know how minds are shaped and how entire groups and crowds of people can be moved to go along with what they in better moments would know is hooey. Just because some guy makes a 90 foot image of goal doesn't turn that thing into God. And yet, you can get nearly everybody to go along with it. And here's what happened in the story. 

Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horns, Luke did Li harpin all kinds of music, all the people, nations and men of every language, fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 

When the signal was given, down they went, well. Romans 12 verse two says, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing, you may discern what is the will of God. Those who are simply things to be manipulated. And that's what we reduce ourselves to, when we allow Babylon to call the shots rather than God we become things that just are, are calculated that the that the experts analyze, they do their behavioral analysis, and then they find out what buttons to push to make you do what they want you to do. Well, do not be conformed to this world, dare to be different. And Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. When everybody else fell down, these three young men stood out. And they were reported for standing out some of the astrologers and most of you will know what astrologers are, but astrologers are people who look at the stars and think they can find out from the stars, what events are going to happen. And so they're basically horoscope folks, and they are not very fond of people who stand against Babylon program because Babylon was heavily into astrology. And they report on these young man who wouldn't bow down and worship the image. 

Now, I do want to point out, I said, A moment ago that we're afraid of being labeled odd or weird, or geeks or dorks, or what have you. But these young men stood out. It was not really for being such bizarre persons. They didn't stand for being oddballs or for being obnoxious, but for their commitment, for their confidence, and for their competence. Now, I do want to emphasize this sentence for just a moment, because there can be Christians who take it almost as a badge of honor to be kind of weird. They dress really strangely, for no noble and sanctified purpose. But again, feel free to dress however you wish. But it is not a godly and Christian thing just to be wearing clothing that would fit you know, better 120 years ago, you know, now, canons of modesty and the like, are fine. And if you have 120 year old tastes fine, but this is not what makes people godly, or to just be behave weird, or pick your nose in public, this is not suffering for the cause of Christ. 

You know, there's a lot of things that you can do, they're just a little odd are not considered acceptable social behavior. When you're hanging out with other people. There's nothing great about being socially maladjusted. But there are times to stand out. And that is standing out for your commitment, for your confidence. For your competence. Commitment means that these young men had faith and obedience greater than those around them. Confidence means they had a bravery and a boldness greater than those around them. And competence means that they had ability and achievement greater than those around them. That's how you want to stand out. And so let's look at those a little more closely. Back in Daniel, chapter one, we see commitment, Daniel resolved, that involves commitment you resolve, he was committed to God. And so he resolved not to be file himself with the Royal food and wine. It may have been that this food and wine didn't meet Jewish standards that God had given in Old Testament times of what you ought not to eat or ought not to drink. Or it may have been that this was all dedicated to the gods of Babylon, and Daniel didn't want to send any signal nor his three friends of going along with the gods of Babylon. 

So he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself in this way. You see that same kind of commandment. In Daniel three, verse 28, Nebuchadnezzar in the aftermath says they were willing to give up their lives, rather than serve or worship any god, except their own God, that's commitment. Give up your life, rather than worship any God, but the living and true God, and they had confidence, they weren't just committed to God, they had confidence that God would take care of them. In chapter one, Daniel proposed the test, he says, Well, just give us 10 days, let us eat the alternate diet and see what happens. Give us nothing but vegetables to eat water to drink, then compare our appearance without of the young men who eat the Royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.

So Daniel says, Hey, just give it a shot and see how it turns out. And of course, it turned out that they looked healthier than all the rest, and they remained on that diet. The same challenge comes up in Daniel chapter three. And again, they said, the God we serve is able to save us. They have confidence in God, they have faith, that he can rescue them, they had confidence that if they were faithful in the earlier test, God would work it out for them. They had confidence here, even the face of a fiery furnace, that God could save them. And just on that note of competence of ability, these men were outstanding. Let me just say again, that sometimes among Christians who are involved in education, or even Christians, who are in home education, I sometimes hear the rhetoric of, we don't really worry too much about academics or excelling. What we really want is character. Well now, agreed that character and commitment and faith in God is of ultimate importance. But these are not either ours. God wants his children to excel, to have their personalities flourish, and to have their talents be developed to their maximum potential. 

And so you read of Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego that they were Israelites from the royal family in the nobility, young men without any physical defect handsome showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed quick to understand and qualified to serve in the king's palace. To these four young men, God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And after that first test, the king talked to them and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, and Azariah, the Hebrew names of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So the entered the king service in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king question them, he found them 10 times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. In fact, it's because they were so skilled because they were so competent. That's why they were rounded up to be among those who were supposed to bow. They were the cream of the crop from their particular people group. And the king had rounded up the leaders from every people group to try to get them to go along with his agenda. And so it's their competence and their stature as leaders, which is why they're in this pickle in the first place, in a sense, because they have stood out, and they've been targeted. 

Now, again, just to note on that, if the Lord does give you extraordinary ability, and opportunity, also expect extraordinary attacks. The devil attacks everybody. But he is especially focused on those whose ability and stature makes them influential on others as well. So that is not me now. Therefore, in order to avoid the the devil's hardest hits, I'm going to remain as much a dummy as I can, and reduce my influence to as low a level as I can. That's not the way to think of it become as talented and as influential as you can. But make sure to keep your eyes focused on the Lord because the devil is going to be coming after you. Daniel, we read a little later in the book of Daniel, Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators in the state traps via his exceptional qualities, that the king plans to set him over the whole kingdom. This is King Darius at this point. At this time, the administrators in the safe travels tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel and his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so they could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 

So again, he's standing out for his integrity, for his excellent conduct, but also just for being better at this than anybody else in the kingdom. And less successful people. Sometimes they're against you, because they have an anti God attitude. Sometimes they're against you, because they don't like being made to look bad. Sometimes, if you're a part of an office, or a factory or other work environment, and you work hard. And there are others who kind of want to skate along as lazy as they can just kind of put in their time barely. And you work hard, and maybe even go beyond the call of duty, they won't like you very much, because they don't look so good compared to a hard worker, and to a trustworthy worker. And so when people succeed, sometimes that alone can also be a magnet for attacks. Jesus Himself, by the way, was attacked by his enemies. In large part because of envy, the Bible says that the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the high priest came after Jesus, out of envy, because he was doing better than they were in attracting the people and in blessing the people and in bringing salvation to the people. 

So, again, these guys didn't stand out just for being oddballs or for being obnoxious. In the New Testament to it says, Hey, if you suffer for doing what's wrong, or for being a dump, there's nothing noble about that. But when you suffer for Christ's sake for doing what's right now, that's something worth suffering for. And they faced these hard times with confidence, with commitment with competence. And so they stood out when everybody else is flat on their face before Nebuchadnezzar's idle. They are standing up. Now, Daniel, we don't know where he is at the time, undoubtedly, he's just somewhere else. So the three friends are the ones who are standing up for the cause of God in this case. And in all of that, just one question that is worth asking yourself, and asking it from time to time. If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Think about that. If you were on trial, for being a follower of Jesus, for being devoted to the one true God, would people be able to bring out evidence to prove their case and to convict you of those charges? 

What about you is different from the world around you? What about you, is better than the world around you what is noticeably different? Where are those times in life where something is called for and the followers of Christ are going to be standing and others are going to be falling on their faces? Before that idol in each of our lives that may be somewhat different, the kinds of challenges that we face. But if you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? I suggest that as a worthwhile meditation to do every so often, is there enough evidence to get me convicted of following Jesus? Well, there was enough evidence against them. There were lots and lots of eyewitnesses who came to the king and said, You gave this decree. And when the horns blew the Lionheart pipe, and all kinds of music went off. And when all of us good, say two or three sex advisors and all the other officials fell down, they didn't. And King Nebuchadnezzar, the Bible says, was furious. And his temper got hot, and his furnace got hot. And the young men were not intimidated. They remained confident in God, and they remained committed to God. And in the face of the kings fury the king says to them, okay, here's what I've heard, and I believe it, but I'm giving you another chance. And they stand before him. 

They have this confidence. They have this commitment, and that just tells us what faith is, by the way, faith is full confidence that God can rescue us from anything. Heroes of faith, know that nothing can kill them, if God wants them to go on living. And faith has that full confidence, but it also is full commitment to God, even if he chooses not to rescue us. Heroes of faith would rather lay down their lives, then deny God. That's why Scripture says this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. These young men were not intimidated by the Kings original decree, they were not intimidated, even when they were dragged right in front of King Nebuchadnezzar nose, and saw how angry he was firsthand, and knew that with one motion of his finger, he can have all of these soldiers seize them and throw them into the fire. And still, they remain confident, still, they remain committed to the Lord. And they answered, oh, Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we're 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. But if 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. So they don't need to defend themselves. God is their defender. And if for some reason he decides not to rescue them, in this case, he's still God, and they will still remain loyal to him. Well, Nebuchadnezzar, of course, his temper gets even hotter.

And he says, I don't think those flames are hot enough, please pile on seven times more fuel, I want that furnace hotter and hotter and hotter and hotter. So that's his reaction to the young man's courage. Now, you notice they're confident that God will rescue them. But then come those three words. But if not, back, when Hitler was running Russia over all of Europe, he would have cut off, an allied army of British and French troops in Belgium, and his tanks, had them completely pinned down. And there were more than 350,000 Allied troops who had no way of winning and little chance of escape, because Hitler could close in at any moment. He had them trapped already. And they did not have enough vessels to rescue those troops and get them out of there. And across the English Channel back to England, and the commander of the Allied forces got off a three word message back to Britain. But if not, well, people in Britain knew their Bible better than some of us do nowadays. And they understood exactly what was being said. They knew what had been said just before those three little words, the God we serve is able to deliver us but if not, we are not going to bow down to this tyrant. 

He's going to have a fight on his hands. And the people of Britain heard of that, and that the Prime Minister, of course, sent over as many military ships as he could. But he also just asked the people in Britain, anybody who could just cross the channel with whatever they had the people who had luxury yachts. Send them over those web fishing boats, send them over those letter rowboats send them over. And for some reason, Hitler decided to hold off on his final attack for one day, two days, three days. Finally, nine days went by and all those robots and yachts and various vessels rescued 350,000 people so that they were able to fight another day. It is interesting to read history of world war two sometimes how Hitler, just when he had it in his hands would make a decision. And the people would escape. Maybe it had something to do with someone who said, but if not, and Hitler's other big decision was to invade Russia. And for some strange reason, the Russian winter came a month early that year. We shouldn't realize that even when somebody has all the tanks in the world and the greatest military machine the world has ever seen. There is somebody else who is still there. And Hitler was going to have 1000 year right. 

He was going to have his empire rain for 1000 years, it lasted 12. At any rate back to Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter. He's had the young men thrown in those who threw them in, were burned up and killed by the flames because the furnace had been made. So raging hot, and the young man are tossed in. And then Nebuchadnezzar leaps to his feet in astonishment, and he says, What is going on here? Didn't we throw in three guys. And then we have all tied up, I see four, and they're walking around freely. And the fourth one looks like a son of the gods, or the Son of God, as some translations have it? Undoubtedly. It's God sending the angel of the Lord. And the angel of the Lord in the Old Testament is the pre-Christmas appearances of Jesus himself in a human form, though he hadn't yet taken on human nature. 

And so Nebuchadnezzar had this great furnace. But some things don't burn. And the Son of God did not burn and those protected by the Son of God did not burn. And this gives us a snapshot not just of the ancient past, and of God's power to rescue in the ancient past, but it's also a revelation of the ultimate truth about reality. Notice what happened in the story, the people who followed the Kings orders, and took the young men and threw them into the fire, were the ones who were destroyed by the fire. Those who served Babylons king and his idol, perished in the flames. And these unarmed believer who had as their only protection, the Son of God, were saved by the Son of God, whenever you read the Bible, you need to read it not just as an interesting story, but what is it saying about Jesus?

And what is it revealing about eternity? And that is what this passage reveals, that Jesus saves, and that eternity, and eternal life belongs to those who are faithful to him. Now, before this event ever happened, the prophet Isaiah back in the year around 700, or so, so this would have been about 100 years before the fiery furnace event God had given Isaiah prophecies of what would happen when Babylon came, and he gave them prophecies to encourage them in the face of the oppression that was going to be coming, 100 years later, one of the things he said was this, fear not for I have redeemed you, when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, the flames will not set you ablaze. Maybe those young men knew the prophecy of Isaiah, maybe that was one reason why they entered that fiery furnace with considerable confidence that God was going to rescue them. And when they're brought out of the fire, they do kind of a sniff check. They look at them, they sniff and they say what in the world, they saw the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed, their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. They could these guys have even been in a fire. They came out of it totally untouched. 

Now, Jesus says something very interesting. Jesus does not promise that all of his followers are going to be rescued. And in fact, many of Jesus first followers weren't. They were made torches in the gardens of the Emperor Nero. And they went through some terrible things, and they were not always rescued. Instead of being rescued from the fire, some of them were burned. Instead of being rescued from the lions as Daniel was. Some of them were devoured by lions in the arena. What comfort did Jesus have for them? Well, he said ahead of time, they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you. Because of me, but not a hair of your head will perish by standing firm, you will gain life. That's an interesting statement, they will put some of you to death, and not a hair of your head will perish. The young man didn't have a hair singed, and they emerged from the flames unharmed. Jesus says even if they kill you, they are not going to hurt one hair of your head. That's what God reveals in the coming of Jesus, and the gift of eternal life, that those who belong to Christ can never be truly harmed. We are indeed fireproof. And, as sometimes the bullies and monarchs of this world do, they switch their tune. And Nebuchadnezzar did, he said, any people nation or language that speaks anything against the Goddess Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins. 

Always a nice guy, whatever side he's on, he's wiping out the other side. There are houses laid in ruins, for there is no other God who is able to rescue in this way. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon, and in the promises that God gives, in light of the coming of the final Babylon, the Lord Jesus says to His Church, the last letter to the seven churches, He says to him overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were promoted, there are bigger promotions, still coming from a greater King, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, Revelation three, verse 21. Now, in Daniel chapter two, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. And Daniel was told by God what the dream was. And he interpreted the dream for the king, and Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach. And Abednego understood what this dream was. And so that was one of the things that no doubt gave the three young men tremendous courage, when their faith was under fire. 

Daniel had this interpretation for Nebuchadnezzar, he said, King in your dream, you saw this great image with a head of gold, and body of silver and legs of bronze and, and feet of iron. And those represent four great kingdoms or empires. The Babylonian Empire was the head of gold, that middle Persian Empire was the body of silver, that Macedonian empire of Alexander the Great was the legs of silver, and the Roman Empire, were the feet of iron. And so you have the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, and then there's this rock that's cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands. And this rock comes in smashes that whole statue of empires to smithereens. And the wind blows that all away like chaff, and the rock grows and grows and grows and fills the whole earth. And Daniel says, The meaning is that the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, it will crush all those kingdoms, and bring them to an end. And long after those kingdoms are distant memories. 

That Rock of Ages, who came during the time of the Roman Empire has more and more people in more and more nations serving him, and his kingdom is victorious. Now, these young men knew that all of the kingdoms of this world are going down. And there's one kingdom that last forever. And so they were going to live as citizens of that kingdom no matter what the challenge, because they saw the end, it's always important to know how things turn out, not just what it feels like right now. But how it turns out, let's say you observe two people who are on a river. And the first is going with the flow. They are very comfortable on a raft just lying back, enjoying the sunshine, floating along with the current. And the second person is trying to go the opposite direction. They're rolling like crazy and battling upstream against the current. Now I asked you which of those two is more peaceful? And you're like, well, that's pretty obvious. I like that one is just gotta lay in there were the toes up in the air floating along and enjoying the ride. I really you know that that hard work and just battling upward, that that's not very peaceful at all. 

Well, now, let's just say that the streams lead in somewhat different directions that downstream goes over a high waterfall onto rocks, and the person on the raft is smashed on the rocks below. And the person battling and paddling their way up. stream is headed for a splendid mansion up the river away, then you might have a little different perspective on who's got it better, and who has more peace. And the fact of the matter is the Bible says, don't love the world or anything in the world, the world in its desires passed away, but the one who does the will of God lives forever. We have the warnings of what happens to those who simply go with the flow. There is an enormous and deadly waterfall downstream. And there is a great mansion upstream. So there to be different. Jesus said to his followers on the night before he was killed, I have told you these things, so that in me You may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. He didn't say you might. He said you will have trouble. But take heart. I have overcome the world. 

Let's pray together. Dear Lord, we thank you for your great acts of salvation. Throughout history. We praise you that you are the king of kings, the Lord of lords, the one who can save from anything and turn the hearts of kings and change the affairs of battles and control the outcome of history. We pray, Lord, that these realities may encourage and comfort us in our own situations, that when we face difficulty, when we face trial and challenge, we will take confidence encouraging you that even if we were to die, not a hair of our head can perish. And we pray, Lord, that when we are challenged, to go along with this world, to just go along with the flow, rather than live for You, Lord, give us the confidence and the courage and the commitment to be different, to stand up, no matter who else is falling down. Lord help each one of us, in our own situations help those who are young people right now maybe are facing elements of an education that are hostile to you, who are maybe moving out into a circle of friends who don't always want to serve you. We know, Lord, that there are many different kinds of challenges at that age. Lord, help all of us as we face the challenges that come from various kinds of advertising that are meant to arouse our greed or our loss or our sense of dissatisfaction, or our focus and fixation on things of this world. Help us Lord, in the area of our political life where we're often manipulated by those who try to buy loyalty or threaten or or use government force to bring us in a direction other than what you want, Lord, whatever these may be, in many more situations help us to have the courage to always live and to stand for you. We thank You, Lord, that You promise to rescue that you promise to promote us to give us throne forever that you will cast Satan into the lake of fire, and that you will rescue us from every flame and bring us home to you. For Jesus sake, Amen.