Purpose in your heart
A story of four men Jeffrey S. Lynn
Daniel 1:1-4 Here the nation of Judah has fallen to Babylon, it's capitol Jerusalem was under siege for over a year, then the food ran out, the city panicked, the king and the army fled in the night, the king is captured, his sons killed and his eyes put out! Those who were abandoned in the city were captured, killed, or made servants to Babylon.
Who are you trusting in? Who do you look to for help? If God does not top that list you will be let down, the people looked to the king and his army and were forsaken, the king when captured was forsaken by the army, and the kings sons who looked to their father for protection were killed as he watched helplessly. If you look to alcohol it will destroy you, if you trust in money, it will corrupt you, if you lean on drug you will be brought low. ONLY GOD will always be there when needed! Psalm 115:3-11. Trust God!
Notice the king chose young people, ones that he saw potential in. At what point in your life did Satan start whispering in your ear, there is no God, that bibles sent true, that preachers a fool.... It wasn't at age 40! Satan early on saw your potential for God, he saw the potential missionary, evangelist, preacher, witness, etc. it is a shame when the devil has more faith in what we can potentially accomplish for God than we do. Acts 17:6, Acts 19:15, What a testimony that the devils knew Paul by name!
Now the captives are carried to Babylon.
Daniel 1:7 The name Daniel means "God is my judge" the Babylonians changed Daniels name to Belteshazzar, which means "bel's prince" (bel was a Babylonian god), Hananiah which meant "Yahweh is gracious" was changed to Shadrach which means "command of aku" (a Babylonian god), Misheal which meant "who is like Yahweh", was changed to Meshach, which means "who is what aku is?" (aku was a Babylonian god), and Azariah which meant "Yahweh has helped", was changed to Abednego which means "servant of nebo" (yet another Babylonian god).As we will see, those around these four men may have changed their names, but they could not change their hearts. Today those around us may attempt to change our names, bible thumper, old fashioned, stupid Christian, fool, uneducated, hypocrite, etc, etc, the question is, will you let that change you heart?
Daniel 1:8 This is the only way to not let those around you change you; if you live for God you are warned that the world around you will hate you, not because your fat, ugly, skinny, or smart but because if your living for God, if your saved, you are the light of their world, perhaps even the only spiritual light they have, look at what Christ Himself said concerning this world.
John 15:18-20 "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also."
1st John 3:13 "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you."
John 3:19-21 "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."
Matthew 5:14-16 "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
We will have rough times, we will have peer pressure, we will always have the desire to fit in, and unless you purpose in your heart the things of God, plant your feet on the rock that is Christ Jesus The Lord, commit your time to reading His word, loving His people, spreading His gospel, if you do not purpose in your heart to stand up for Jesus Christ all day every day, YOU WILL FALL. You must purpose in your heart to love, serve, honor, obey, learn from, respect, hold to, and cherish God and His word, it is the only way to stand for Christ in the world today.
Well I'll just live my life and not cause a fuss, Proverbs 17:15 "He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD." Revelation 3:15-16, if you are a closet Christian, you are not pleasing God!
In today's society much like the Babylonians we are constantly exposed to immorality, drunkenness, Idolatry, fornication, filthy communication, lust, greed, and more; but it is still possible to be pure.
Note: there were hundreds, if not thousands of captives from Judah who knew Gods law concerning meats and wine, yet only these four refused to defile themselves. Away from their parents, synagogs, and priests the other young men didn't care to obey God, but even with the vast majority of their countrymen falling to sin, these four remained pure.
I try but I cave under pressure every time, I doubt, I break my promises to God, etc. Perhaps the reason you are not able to purpose in your heart to serve, love, honor, and obey God....is because God isn't actually in your heart.
If your saved I do not want to cause you to doubt your salvation, but if not, or if your not sure, I said a prayer, I got baptized etc... This is what the bible says.
Matthew 7:21-23 "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
Romans 10:9-11 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."
2nd Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
Are you ashamed of Christ, or living right, or loving God? Was there ever a change in you? Yes we will still sin yes we will be tempted to keep quiet about Jesus but if you've been saved then at some point there was a change, at some point you were not ashamed to say, "I won't do that because I'm a Christian!" If you've been saved but are no longer on fire for God, purpose in your heart to get back to that point, if your not sure, you've tried before, etc Trust in Jesus Christ! He will save you from sin and death and Hell.
John 20:31 "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."
John 3:16-18 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
Do you have eternal life?
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