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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida, clearly declaring the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, and that today’s concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family.

But now here in the book of Daniel, I want you to see what God says about this man, this man a little bit about his character. Look what he said in verse 14 of chapter 2. There’s no way we can cover the whole book of Daniel in two lessons. So we’re just hitting the highlights of the man. So in verse 14 then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom. And he says to Ariak, the captain of the Kingsguard which was gone forth to slay the wise men of He answered and says to Ariath the king’s captain, why is the decree so hasty from the king?

Then Ariath made the thing known the dangle because the king was going to kill everybody who could not tell him the dream that he had. They said, tell us the dream and we’ll tell you what it means. He says, no, you tell me what I dreamed. Then I’ll know that you got the interpretation right. Well, he saw through that. So he says here, give me some time. And he says that he desire of the Lord.” den was the secret revealed under Daniel in avernment vision.

Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said, blessed be the name of God forever and ever for wisdom and might or his. And he changed the times and the seasons. He removed kings and seteth up king. He give wisdom unto the wise and knowledge to them that no understanding. He revealed it the deep and the secret things. He knows what is in the darkness and light dwelt with him. So the Bible is telling us, look what Daniel thought about God.

And then maybe you’ll understand why God thought about Daniel and God used him in a great way. And he allowed these different people to have visions didn’t have to go to Daniel to find out what it meant. And in all these cases it kept elevating Daniel in the kingdom and next thing you know he got to be ruler over and over again and keep places, keep positions. So he was moving right along doing a real good job. Now notice what he says here I want you to look there in Daniel chapter 6.

Daniel chapter 6. This is the one that we have over there in the book of Daniel in chapter 11 verse 33, when it talks about stop the mouths of lions and this is where this story comes from Daniel chapter 6. Now is it possible for people in place of leadership to pass laws for the specific purpose of taking down God’s children because they wanted this law to be passed where you couldn’t pray to anybody unless you prayed to the king.

Well Daniel wouldn’t pray to no king. So if he didn’t pray to the king then he would be thrown into the lions den. So you notice what she said in verse 1 chapter 6, it pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 princes which should be over the whole kingdom. Because she now you didn’t move from the Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, now you’re up into the Medes and the Persians and where you have a different one that was Cyrus and Darius.

And he says in verse 2, and over these three presidents of whom Daniel was first, that the princes might give a count unto them and the king should have no damage. In other words, you had key people in place of leadership. They were like shock absorbers on a car. You know, you want the car to run smooth, so you’ve got wheels that come into contact with the road. Well, if you’ve got shock absorbers, it absorbs the shock so that it gives the car still a smooth ride.

Well, in a ministry you want that. In a home, you want that. You want the dad to be able to absorb the shock so that the family runs smooth. And when the family’s not running smooth, something’s wrong and you don’t have the shock absorbers that you like to have. And sometimes a shock can go bad. Do you ever have a shock go bad? It seems like they really want to charge an awful lot for a shock. But it all depends on just how smooth a variety you want.

Well, in a family you need shock absorbers. People like a dad and a mom that know how to absorb pressure, but not let it destroy the home. In a church, you want to have shock absorbers. You’ve got elders and deacons that are like shock absorbers because you’re dealing with people of all walks of life. And so not everybody is spiritually minded and sees everything the same way and on the same page. And people got problems. So you want people who who can help solve a problem.

So like in a church, people of leadership are supposed to be problem solvers. If it wasn’t for you being able to solve a problem, you couldn’t get a job. Everybody who has a job is solving somebody else’s problem. That’s why they pay you. They pay you to solve a problem. True? And if you don’t have any skills in solving a problem, you probably won’t get a high-paying job. So if you go to McDonald’s, you have sometimes younger kids that are just trying to find a way to make a little bit of money.

They don’t make a lot, but they make a little bit. But they have to have supply and demand. Somebody has to come in there and demand some food and they have to supply it. Somebody has to serve that somebody has to take the money. So it’s supply and demand. And if nobody demands the food, they don’t have any food to supply. So they don’t need each other. Now, when you develop more skills, there’s somebody who wants to pay you for that skill.

Serving the Lord, you learn more about the Word of God. And a lot of people have a lot of spiritual problems. The more you know the more you can resolve some of their questions and problems. So you’re able to be used by the Lord because you are a problem-solver. You help solve problems. And so whenever somebody finds out that you can solve problems because you have some wisdom and understanding, then more people will come to you for counseling, for advice.

Now this is why if you give them advice, wouldn’t it be a shame if they took it and it was wrong advice? That’s why you want to say, well, God says, God says, always keep between them and God. And you help solve the problem by getting them to the Lord. If somebody ever comes to see me, I do the first thing I can try to get him to the Lord. I had a man come to see me yesterday. So he was checking my heart and I was checking his heart.

before he got out of here, he trusts the Lord. But he had a problem, but he didn’t even know he had the problem. But I knew he had a problem. He had a spiritual problem. He didn’t know where he was going when he dies. When he left he did. So you solve a person’s problem. And this is what we do. This is why God uses certain people who put them in place of leadership so that they can solve a problem.

But look what he says. In verse 4, then the presidents and the princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom. Now there was nothing wrong with his leadership, there was nothing wrong with Daniel’s character. It’s just that they didn’t like his God and it looks like, well, if he was made to be first, hey, this guy come from someplace else. He’s not even from us. He’s not even from us. He’s not one of us. But the king was looking for somebody that would do the job.

So Daniel, who had this wisdom that God had given to him, was able to meet needs, solve problems. So they wanted to get rid of this problem solver so that they can get, so greed is a terrible thing. Jealousy is an ugly sin. Envyen, they would do whatever it took to get rid of him. they had the king pass a law saying that he can’t do something according to his religion. So that’s how they got him. Now we finally got rid of this man.

Well, he says in verse 4. They were looking for an occasion for as much as he was faithful. See that verse? Part of the verse and verse 4. For as much as he was faithful, neither was there any heir or fault found him. They couldn’t find anything against this guy. They could, you know, paddle on him. In verse 5, then said they, these men, we shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.

So now you know there’s a reason why they were doing, they didn’t like Daniel. He was in place of leadership, they got to bring them down. And this is what a lot of people are doing today. They’re passing laws that targets believers, targets Christians. So if they can just get us to compromise, well see then we’ll just sink into the woodwork and nobody will even know and will not say anything against them anymore because we don’t want to suffer the consequences.

Are there consequences that if I keep doing like I do and preaching what I believe is right, is there a possibility that there could be consequences? Yeah. But if I compromise, given just a little bit, well then maybe they’ll let us alone. But then when the next thing comes down to road, I’m gonna have to give in a little bit more, right? and then a little bit more, and then a little bit more. Then you have no influence, you didn’t stand for anything, and they win.

And you won’t tell them what God says because you’re afraid it’s gonna cost you something. Here’s a man, and all he did was pray. And all the law said was, you can’t do it for 30 days. Well, I can compromise for 30 days. Do you think that’s where it would have ended? They knew Daniel’s character. They knew he was faithful. And they knew if they can get this law passed, Daniel is going to pray anyway. He’s not going to stop, not going to quit.

So he says here, except we find it against him and his God, then verse 6, then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king and said unto him, King Darius, live forever. All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors and the princes, the counselors and the captains have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for 30 days save of thee, O King, he shall be cast into a den of(), lions.

That sounds like a very harmless little thing. So I believe they got the king side-tracked and didn’t give him hands to really think it through because the king liked Daniel. Now, O king established the decree, signed the writing that it be not changed. According to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which altered none. In other words, once you make a law of the Medes and the Persians, you couldn’t change it. Wherefore the king signed the writing and the decree.

Now, the war is on the test. Now, nobody says in verse Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he compromised. He wouldn’t pray the way he’d been praying. He ran and he had so nobody could see him. Is that what he did? Hmm? That ain’t what he did. The writing was that he went into his house and his windows being opened in his chamber toward Jerusalem. He kneeled upon his knees three times a the day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did before.

He didn’t change, didn’t stop anything. It would have been so easy. All he had to do is just close the doors and the windows so nobody could see him. That would have been just a little compromise, right? But Daniel would not compromise one eye-oater. And did he know the consequences? Did he know the consequences before he did this. Daniel knew verse 10 that the writing was signed. He knew it. He didn’t change it. Verse 10 or 11, then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

Then they came near and spake before the king concerning the king’s decree, asked thou not signed to decree that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within 30 days, save of thee, O King, shall be cast into the den of lions.” The king answered and says, the thing is true. According to the law of the Medes and the Persians. Which altar of not? Then answered day and said before the king that Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regarded not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but makeeth his petition three times a day.

Boy, he’s one bad dude. You ought to get this guy. He doesn’t honor you or respect you. You see how they can make it sound? You’d be surprised how people can make a Christian sound in this world. And I’ve heard one time that a man was going to run for the president, but because he had talked about the Lord. And because he talked about the Lord, they said the last thing we need is some believer, a Christian trying to cram their religious beliefs down our throat.

But what is a human is going to do? What is an atheist going to do? crammed their religion down the throat of everybody else in the world in America. That’s what they do. But anyway, so he says here in verse 13, then answered they and said before the king that Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity, regardless not thee, and verse 14, then the king, when he heard these words was sword is pleased with himself, set his heart on Daniel to deliver him.

And he labored to the going down of the sun to deliver him. He didn’t want him to die. He liked this guy. He put him in place of leadership. Then these men assembled onto the king, said unto the king, no O king that the law of the maids and the persons is that no decree or stature which the king established may be changed. They knew that the king was trying to find a way how not to do this to Daniel.

So the king had to do it. In verse 16, then the king commanded and they brought Daniel, cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, thy God whom thou serveeth continually, he will deliver thee. Isn’t that good? He’s going to pray also, and He’s asking God. They want to put Him in there. He knew that He has been tricked NOTICE by these people because of jealousy. And his thumb was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den.

And the King sealed it with his own signal and with the signal of his lords that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace, passed the night fasting. Neither were instruments of music brought before him, and his sleep went from him. So evidently he prayed all night. Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste unto the den of lions. When he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel.

the king’s spake and said to Daniel, oh Daniel’s servant of the living God is thy God whom thou serveth continually able to deliver thee from the lions. That’s an awesome statement, but this is what it’s about. It’s your testimony before the Lord. Remember the three Hebrew children that was going to be thrown into the burning fiery furnace, they said to the king, know this O king, whether our God delivers us or not, we will not bend, bow, and they should have said we won’t burn either.

But they said we will not bend, we will not bow unto the O king. Even they didn’t know they would be delivered. Daniel, before he went in the line then, he did not know he was going to be delivered BELOW to be delivered in advance. Sometimes you have to be willing to Monstrous to be delivered in advance. Sometimes you have to be willing to step out on the limb and have a reckless abandonment to faith, trusting God that if God allows you to die, so be it.

And if God spares you, so be it. Blessed be the name of the Lord. But sometimes we want to dictate to God the way it’s God of Bea and God said, just trust me. And knowing that His decision will be the best. Daniel could have changed all of this. He could have compromised. But if He’s serving God, how do you compromise with God? If God wants you to do certain things a certain way and you obey Him. And so Daniel did what He was supposed to do.

Look in verse 21, then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live forever. my God have sent His angel and have shut them lion’s mouth. That they have not hurt me for as much as before him, innocency was found in me. And also before thee, oh King, have I done no harm? Then said the King, exceeding glad, was exceeding glad for him and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no manner of hurt was found upon him because he believed in his God.

You know, whenever you study the Bible, this is really what it’s about. We often think this is about Daniel and the lion’s den, but it’s about Daniel and God. And the Bible talks about Daniel, or I should say, you know, David. It’s David and God, not David and Kaleiah. That’s one of the stories. But it’s a story about David walking with God. Even in the Old Testament, when you go all the way back into the sixth chapter or the fifth chapter of the book of Genesis, Enoch walked with God.

True doesn’t say that Enoch walked with God and was not for God took him. So the point was he walked with God. Then in chapter 6 it’s talking about Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah walked with God. See the story is always always about the man and God is you and God. Your whole life is not because of all the things you’ve done or haven’t done, it’s you and your walk with God. What does God mean to you?

It’s determined by your walk, but it’s about you and God. And you, how you live, how you think, what you talk about, your goals in life, it’s all about you and God. about what does God mean to you? All of your worries, you ever worry? All of your worries only reveals what’s going on between you and God. Your hopes, your joys, your happiness, it’s all about how is things going between you and God. If things aren’t right spiritually, things can fall apart in every area of life.

So that’s why whenever I try to help people, always, I got to find out, how are you between you and God? If you already know the Lord, then I got to find out what’s wrong in your life spiritually, because all problems become spiritual problems. All problems become spiritual problems. But anyway, now look what he says here in this verse. In verse 24, and the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel and that cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, their wives, the lion had the mastery of them.

In other words, they didn’t have lock-jaw anymore and break all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den. Well, did they get away with it? They didn’t get away with They planned with this just the like in the book of Esther and Haman had built a gallows to hang Mordecai. He was a Jew and he would not bow to Haman and that made him so mad because everybody else did, but one guy wouldn’t bow and he wanted to destroy not only Mordecai but all the Jews So gone through the same thing again.

And who wind up dying on the gallows? Haman and his family. God has a good sense of humor. You know, God lets things ride for a while. God lets people get right in the middle of a problem. Here’s Moses with all the children of Israel. They come right up to the Red Sea. army behind them, desert on the side. They come up to the Dead Sea. Who led them into that dead end?

Who led them into the dead end? All they were doing is following God’s men and God’s man was following God. And look what God did to him. Did God know where he was leading them? Yeah. Did God know the problem that was going to be there? Yes. And God allowed it to happen. Do you think God allows you to come right up to an impossible situation? He didn’t to everybody else. To the place where you come totally to the place where you’re frustratedodox and you’re in despair and then faith is born in despair.

When you give up and say, I can’t do it, I don’t know what I’m going to do, and all I know to do is just draw the law. That’s where God’s been trying to get you all along. Where you trust the Lord. And so there’s things in your life that will seem to be totally impossible. But God works all things out. If Daniel had not prayed, we wouldn’t have this story in the Bible. If the three Hebrew children had bowed, they would have never known that experience of going into a burning fiery furnace.

Heated seven times and lived in the time of the day. about it, where they didn’t even have no burn on them, no smell on them, nothing sins, nothing. God delivered them. See there we wouldn’t have these stories in the Bible and David with Goliath if David wasn’t willing to take on Goliath. You see sometimes we want the metals but we don’t want the battles and we would like to have a six foot splash in a six-inch mud puddle. You want something great to be done in your life, but you’re afraid to step out because you really don’t trust the Lord to come through.

So you live in fear instead of faith. This is so important. Look up here. Let in this hand represent you and me. The wall of represents sin. We all have sin on us. God loves us. Now he hates our sin, but He loves us. And the reason He came into the world was to pay for sin. Because see, to go to heaven, we have to be perfect and we’re not. We got all the sin. And God says, you cannot save yourself.

There’s nothing you can do to pay for the sin. It’s up death. So Christ, this hand represents Christ, came into the world because He loves us, hates our sin. So He took the sin, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead, and said that if we would believe that He did it for us, He would put this payment to our account and we go to heaven on what Jesus Christ did for us. And that’s the best news in the world.

It’s a free gift. God offers you eternal life if you accept it, you have eternal life. And the reason I can’t go to hell today or tomorrow is because I don’t have any sins to pay for. He paid for all of my sins. The penalty for my sins are paid and He has forgiven me. This is why it’s so very important. Let’s pray, shall we? with his bow nice clothes and no one looking around. If you hear and have never trusted Christ as your Savior, would you just talk to the Lord and say, Lord, I know I’m a sinner.

I believe Christ died, paid for my sins. And I’m gonna trust him right now as my only hope of going to heaven. And friend, if you will, God says he would save you and give eternal life. Would you believe it? And I’m not gonna have you forward. I just wanna make sure that you understand what I’ve said. And I like to know and I like to have prayer for you. Is there anyone all this morning? And so yes, I will trust Christ and I like for you to pray for me.

Would you just slip it up very quickly and put it right back down? Just slip you in it very quickly. Anyone at all? So that made sense to me. I will trust Christ as my Savior. If you’re watching by internet, just trust Christ as Savior. Right where you are. All you have to do is believe it. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Father, we thank you so much for this time together. Bless each one.

Give us a good service to follow Christ’s name we pray. Hello, this is Peter Amato with Bibleline, and we hope that you’ve enjoyed today’s program. We’re so thankful your support of Bibleline, and we would like to offer you a free gift. During this month, for a gift in any amount, we’re going to send you Dr. Arnold’s teaching series on the Book of Colossians. Paul writes to a concerned pastor about false teachings that are entering his church, Some were teaching that one could find additional and greater knowledge outside of Jesus Christ, which is not true.

Paul teaches that Christ is the head and we are complete in him. This teaching series is certain to help you in your spiritual growth. So email, call or write to us today to receive your CD series on the book of Colossians. Our mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634, And don’t forget to include your mailing address as well. Well, God bless you and thank you again for supporting Bibleline. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us.

The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound and we will be changed. Cut up to meet the l- the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believe in that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep looking up.