Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: Are You Prepared to Stand for the Lord, Even in the FURNACE?

Baruch Hashem, Shakad!

I pray blessings, protection, and the blood of Jesus over you all. Living in the last generations is a blessing; the Lord has sent His instructions and His Comforter. Today, that was the focus of our service. It is so important to have the posture of your heart in perfect alignment with the Scripture and the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ. I cannot say this enough, REPENT and TURN AWAY from this world and your involvement with it. One day, you will have to stand before a Just Judge who must hand down a righteous judgment. Confess all that you have done against our Lord so that those sins, those transgressions, can be drowned in the Sea of Forgetfulness. Walk before the Lord in righteousness. His mercies are everlasting, renewed everyday, and will cover you, if we place our faith in the perfect Master.

Though most people believe there will be a Rapture before the going gets tough, a pre-Tribulation Rapture, the Bible does not exactly say that. The Lord does have a track record of moving His people before the destruction. Some examples of this are Noah and the Flood, Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah, the Israelites and the Death Angel (in situ but passed over), and countless times in the lives of Christians and Jews needing a miracle. Our God is alive and all-powerful. Heaven forbid, we suffer, but the Lord has told us that if they did this to the Master, what worse will they do to us. But if you do suffer persecution for His sake, count it all a blessing. The Lord tells us in Matthew that He is with us even until the end of the world.

So let's just say, we aren't Raptured out of here pre-Tribulation. What do we do? We never ever under any circumstance accept the Mark of the Beast. This means even if you, your babies, your mother, your most precious person starve to death because you cannot buy or sell, then it is better for you to die, than to receive that mark. We posture our heart with the Lord. We, more than ever, forsake the world and walk in purity and righteousness. We repent and turn away from sin. We are wise and see through our Holy Spirit discerning spiritual eyes the truth. That means we see evil for evil and good for good. Even if in the last days the Lord has told us that the world will tell us what is right is wrong and what is wrong is right. As for us, we and our households will serve the Lord. And in the days of the antichrist, in the days of the beast, when an image is erected, we WILL NOT BOW. We only serve the LIVING GOD. Woe be it to you when all men love you. Because this world is evil; the heart is desperately wicked; and if all of the above are giving you a thumbs up, then either you have not been transformed by the renewing of your mind or you are keeping your light delicately hidden under a bushel. Time to shine, my friends!

In Daniel chapter three, we historically look at Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, erecting a golden image. He called all the leaders, counselors, captains, and basically all that were in charge to come together to hear his latest decree and to make it so for those under them. First and foremost, they were expected to worship the false gods that Nebuchadnezzar worshipped. Secondly, every time this special music played, it was an all call throughout Babylon to fall in worship to this graven image. Well, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego held a position within Babylon. Somehow undetected until that moment, they DID NOT worship the false god of Nebuchadnezzar, and they most certainly would not newly fall down to worship any graven image. This was finally brought to the attention of the king. He was enraged. He demanded these men to be brought to him at ONCE. Now these men knew why they were being summoned. They boldly entered the presence of the king. Now Nebuchadnezzar made a huge mistake, trying to call out the God they worshipped as powerless to protect them. Those three men proclaimed that they would not be careful with their words about this subject. They put a demand on the Spirit and told Nebuchadnezzar that their God would save them. Hallelujah! Nebuchadnezzar, beside himself with ire, ordered the furnace to be warmed seven times the normal heat. Now I like that multiplication, because seven in the number of God. As they bound those three men and tossed them into the blazing furnace, the very people throwing them into the fire perished when faced with this extreme heat. Nebuchadnezzar peered inside his furnace and was shocked to see not only Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walking freely and untethered and but also completely unharmed. Then Nebuchadnezzar noticed a fourth man, as he looked, he thought he looked like the Son of God. He then calls out only the three men he sent in. Notice glaringly, that he does not ask the fourth man to come out too. Afraid to face He who can protect even inside the fiery furnace. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out publicly before not only Nebuchadnezzar but all the captains, counselors, and people of authority who came to watch this public execution, all noticed that not a stitch of their clothes were burned, not a hair on them was singed, nor even the smell of smoke was on them. Truly the God of these three men was more powerful than the false god of Nebuchadnezzar. He decreed that these men did not have to worship his god, that no one could speak badly or hurt anyone serving their God, and the three got a promotion in their position within Babylon. Amen! Hallelujah!!

This, my friends, is how you respond to a king of this world asking you to bow to anyone or anything other than the ONE TRUE GOD. You walk and talk boldly. You don't cower. You don't choose words that will soften the reaction. You call upon the power of the One who made you. You rise. You declare you bow for no man. Your Father in heaven is to be your victorious battle cry. You rely on the Lord of Hosts.

One day, God forbid, this may be the path you walk. If you do, you will be blessed. Don't turn your eyes from your Redeemer. He is worthy. And remember, He suffered for you first.

JESUS WILL BE WITH YOU, EVEN UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD. I love Him so much! So should you. Remember be bold, know your Creator and be known by Him, and get comfortable using the Gifts of the Spirit. Let the fire of the Holy Ghost consume the old you and let the baptism of fire rage within you. We are not waiting for an attack from the adversary, but we are on the offense. Stay strong. Stay prayed up. Stay redeemed. Stay repented.

See you at the Shakad!

Selah