When Your Faith Faces the Fire | Part 4: New Orders

Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”
So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. ²⁷Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!
²⁸Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. ²⁹Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!”
³⁰Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon.
Daniel 3:26-30

Pride Crushed By Faith

When our actions are driven by our faith, God’s power is able to perform wonders on our behalf and for His glory. Today we are faced with many challenges and opposition, but “God’s weakness is stronger than man’s strength.” We really need to be covered in prayer in these last days, so that we may receive direction and God’s vision for the decision that we need to make.

The pride of this generation seems strong on the outside, but it’s really fragile. I believe Jesus is ready to crush the pride of our society, but there just isn’t enough faith. The Bible tells us,

“Then Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. 19Afterward the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20“Because you have so little faith,” He answered. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Matthew 17:19

If our faith is little collectively, as the church, then we will do little things here and there to advance the kingdom, but what if even half of us put our faith to work; preaching the gospel, laying hands on people to be delivered from sickness and demonic oppression; speaking up for the children being sexualized in public schools, against laws that promote perversion, and against agenda’s that promote satanism.

What if, instead of isolating ourselves from each other in the four walls of our churches, we unite with one voice, as one body for the cause of advancing God’s kingdom? The world needs us to be Christians. The world needs us to be on fire for Jesus Christ. They don’t need the church to be like the world. They need the church to be the church.

God Demands Respect

The king had no respect for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as men of God, until God delivered them, then he had to respect the power of the true and living God being displayed right before his eyes. These men refuse to be sellouts and they refused to allow their God to be disrespected by mere human beings. They stood up and put their lives in God’s hands and in turn they were able to see their enemies put to shame. The king himself had to glorify the Lord as the only God who could deliver.

The king said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.” God’s plan was to use their persecution, to give the king revelation, and to bring rest to his people in the land of Babylon.

New Orders

The king gave new orders to destroy any person and their family if anyone even spoke the wrong way about our God. The king was a violent man, but God turned the king’s wrath away from His people.

Jesus told His brothers, “The world can’t hate you, but it does hate me because I accuse it of doing evil (John 7:7).” This is true for Christians as well. If you never buck against the culture of society, you will be loved. If you do, then they have many names to call you and enough hate to go around.

The world needs us to say, “No,” whether they like it or not, to expose evil for what it is, to stand for righteousness, and to reject every form of evil, even inside of the church. Yes. The Bible says,

“For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News?”
1 Peter 4:17

When the world hates you because of Jesus Christ and the word of God, it’s not a bad thing. In fact, Paul says, “Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. 29For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him (Philippians 1:28-29).”

So when your faith faces the fire, walk through it because your God goes before you and if God is for you, who can be against you (Deuteronomy 31:8, Romans 8:31)?

Salvation Plan

Today, if you have not received Salvation or you would like to rededicate your life back to Christ, say this prayer:

God, I know that I am a sinner. Right now, Lord, I turn from my sins, and I ask you to forgive me. Jesus, I believe that you died on the cross and rose from the grave, for me. I open my heart and life for You to come in, and I receive You as my Lord and Savior. Thank You, God for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Read the Book of John in the Bible. Find out who Christ is, and how He loves you, yes you!

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Love,

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