Participants:
Series Code: SISS
Program Code: SISS000076S
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00:01 Music...
00:30 James: Okay, so we're ready to start, 00:32 we've done an introduction and we've done two overviews, 00:35 so, we've moved through the book of Daniel... 00:37 we've given a pretty good picture of what it looks like 00:40 a lot of themes that are in here... 00:42 a lot of great insights concerning preparation 00:45 and how the book of Daniel connects with Revelation, 00:48 and moves us through end-time events 00:51 and also an emphasis on the gospel 00:53 and covenant relationship with God 00:55 and how He fulfills His new Covenant with His power 00:59 in our lives 01:01 and how these earthly powers try to come against that 01:04 and dethrone God and upset His covenant. 01:06 They have anger and indignation against the covenant 01:09 but ultimately, 01:10 the Prince of the Covenant is broken for us... 01:12 that's Calvary... Daniel 11 verse 22 01:14 and that's the center of the book. 01:15 The center of the book is Jesus... 01:17 the center of the book is Calvary. 01:18 Yvonne: Hmmm... 01:20 James: So, we're going to go back now to chapter 1 01:22 and we're just going to begin again right from here... 01:24 we're just going to go through it verse by verse... 01:26 we'll start with a little bit of history, 01:27 we'll talk about, What led to this? 01:29 What were the things that were in place 01:31 that caused God to hand His people over 01:33 to Babylonian captivity 01:35 and allow that all to take place 01:37 and was it a good thing or was it not a good thing. 01:39 So, Jason, would you have a word for us as we step in? 01:42 Jason: Sure... "Dear heavenly Father, 01:44 we thank you so much for the opportunity to study Your Word. 01:47 We just ask that as we study the book of Daniel 01:50 that you would help us to see Christ on the pages, Father. 01:54 Please lead and guide our conversation, 01:57 in Jesus' name we pray, amen. " 01:59 All: Amen. 02:01 James: All right, so, Daniel chapter 1, 02:03 Yvonne, let's read verses 1 and 2 again, can we? 02:06 Yvonne: Sure, "In the third year of the reign 02:09 of Jehoiakim king of Judah, 02:11 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem 02:14 and besieged it. 02:15 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, 02:19 with some of the articles of the house of God, 02:22 which he carried into the land of Shinar 02:24 to the house of his god; 02:26 and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god. " 02:30 James: All right, so we've talked about this a little bit, 02:32 but we want to go back now 02:34 and look at a little bit of the history. 02:35 So, here we have Nebuchadnezzar, a heathen king... heathen power, 02:41 Babylon... coming in and surrounding God's people. 02:44 Now, again and again and again in the Old Testament 02:47 when God's people are surrounded... they're delivered. 02:50 Surrounded... delivered... 02:52 2nd Corinthians chapter 20 I believe it is, 02:54 you have the Moabites and the Amorites... all of the... 02:57 surrounding God's people... they pray... 02:59 they flip their souls... they're delivered. 03:02 Why doesn't it happen this time? 03:03 Yvonne: Chronicles or...? 03:05 James: 2nd Chronicles chapter 20 Chronicles... yeah... 03:07 it talks about... that was just one example... 03:09 Hezekiah... there are a number of examples 03:11 where God delivers... God delivers... God delivers 03:13 and all of a sudden, now God isn't delivering. 03:15 Why isn't he delivering? 03:16 What's going on here? What's the history? 03:18 What's the history of behind this? 03:19 There are three books we want to look at. 03:22 One of them is Isaiah and also Jeremiah 03:25 and then, Ezekiel 03:27 and we would refer to Isaiah 03:30 as foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem without seeing it. 03:34 So, he was a few years before 03:37 the destruction actually took place 03:39 and then you have Jeremiah and Ezekiel 03:41 who are writing about it as it's happening. 03:44 Jeremiah is taking a posture toward the leaders in Judah 03:49 and through God's inspiration 03:51 telling them what you need to do, 03:53 "This is what you should do, 03:54 this is what God wants you to do. " 03:55 Yvonne: Hmmm... 03:57 James: And they treat him as though he is speaking treason. 04:00 They believe that God's going to deliver them no matter what. 04:04 They don't take an account of their sin, 04:07 they don't take account of how they've turned away from God, 04:10 they expect God to step in for them 04:11 even though they're not following Him... obeying Him... 04:13 and believing His prophets. 04:15 Jason: So, like a sense of entitlement... 04:16 James: They have a sense of entitlement... 04:18 they have a sense of entitlement 04:19 and Jeremiah says, "It's not going to work that way. " 04:21 Yvonne: Hmmm... 04:23 James: And the reason it's not going to work that way 04:24 is because when God covenanted with His people, 04:27 the whole point of that covenant agreement 04:29 was that God was going to work through them 04:32 to bring His name... His glory... to the nations 04:35 so that everyone could see that you know what? 04:38 the true Creator of heaven and earth 04:40 doesn't want you sacrificing your children in the fire... 04:43 doesn't want you committing all of the abominations 04:46 that sin has brought to your lives... 04:48 the true King and Creator of heaven and earth 04:51 wants you to live a life that's filled 04:53 with the fruit of the Spirit... joy, peace, love... 04:55 these are the things that God wanted to.. 04:57 to pour out upon the Gentiles 04:59 and He's going to do it through His people 05:01 but His people got lackadaisy. 05:02 Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm... 05:04 James: They just started being content... sitting back... 05:05 doing nothing for the heathen nations... 05:08 thinking about themselves... becoming self-satisfied... 05:10 they were better than other nations... 05:11 and bit by bit, the people of the world were neglected. 05:16 Yvonne: And they also began to follow other gods didn't they? 05:18 I mean, worshipping the heavens and the... you know, all of that 05:22 and they... and they began to take on 05:26 the characteristics of the cultures around them 05:29 to the point where they... they were committing idolatry. 05:33 James: Hmmm... hmmm... 05:34 Jason: It's interesting how you see that coming into play 05:36 in today's society. 05:37 Yvonne: Exactly. 05:39 Jason: How people within churches... they're taking on... 05:41 they're going with the culture. 05:42 Yvonne: Right. 05:44 Jason: Whether it goes against God's principles or not... 05:46 you know, they go with that. 05:48 James: And that's been an age-long thing 05:51 because some of the prophecies we're talking about here... 05:53 in here... for worship for example 05:56 you know, the worship that God has outlined in His Word... 06:00 in the Law... is definitely different than the culture. 06:03 The culture says, "No, this is how you worship God... " 06:06 and the Word of God says, 06:07 "No, this is actually how you worship God. " 06:09 So, this is an age-long thing 06:11 that we're still experiencing to this day. 06:12 Yvonne: Right... right. 06:14 James: So, do you want to look at a couple of verses in... 06:16 in Jeremiah... Isaiah? 06:18 Ivor: Let's go to those verses now. 06:19 James: Okay, so we've got, we've got, for example, 06:21 the first one I'd like us to look at 06:22 that we talked about it a little bit 06:24 off Set is Isaiah 37 verse 7. 06:28 Now, you can imagine... 06:29 and I'm going to have Jason read this for us 06:31 because this is his verse, almost... Isaiah 37 verse 7. 06:35 Jason: Oh boy! I've got to read this. 06:37 James: It's your present verse, it's not your future verse. 06:40 Jason: Okay. 06:41 James: You can imagine Daniel and... 06:46 Did I say 37:7 or 39:7? 06:48 Yvonne: You said, 37:7... 06:50 James: It's 39 verse 7. 06:52 You can imagine Daniel and his friends... 06:54 now, we know that Daniel was just a young kid 06:57 when he went into captivity in Babylon 06:59 so, his parents are probably raising him 07:01 around the worship table... they were raising him on... 07:04 of course, the Old Testament but the book of Isaiah. 07:07 Isaiah is talking again... 07:09 it's doing the same thing we're doing in Daniel, 07:11 it's talking about the Prince of the Covenant... 07:13 it's talking about Jesus and it's talking about prophecy, 07:15 Jesus and prophecy... 07:17 Jesus and prophecy, 07:18 so, you got Isaiah 53 for example, 07:19 it talks about how He was wounded for our transgressions 07:22 and bruised for our iniquities and... 07:23 and then, you've got Isaiah 39 07:25 which talks about what's going to happen to us 07:28 in the context of prophecy and the future. 07:30 So, let's look at verse... 07:32 Jason: All right, "And they shall take away 07:35 some of your sons... " 07:36 James: Hey, wait a minute, I'm sorry to interrupt you... 07:37 can you start with verse 6? 07:40 That will give us some context there. 07:42 Jason: Sure, "Behold, the days are coming 07:45 when all that is in your house, 07:46 and what your fathers have accumulated 07:50 until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; 07:53 'nothing shall be left,' says the Lord. 07:56 And they shall take away some of your sons 07:58 who will descend from you, whom you will beget; 08:01 and they shall be eunuchs in the palace 08:04 of the king of Babylon. " 08:05 Yvonne: My! 08:06 James: Okay, so, what's interesting about this is, 08:09 when you go back to Daniel chapter 1 08:12 and you read verse 3, 08:14 "And the king spake unto Ashpenaz 08:16 the master of the eunuchs, 08:17 that he should bring certain children of Israel, 08:19 and of the king's seed and of the princes; 08:22 children in whom there was no blemish, 08:25 well favored, and skillful in wisdom, 08:27 and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science... " 08:29 et cetera... 08:31 so, Hezekiah was told, 08:34 "Your sons that shall come from you... " 08:36 and Jeremiah told Ashpenaz, 08:41 "I want you to bring some of the king's seed. " 08:43 Ivor: Nebuchadnezzar... James: Excuse me... 08:45 Nebuchadnezzar told Ashpenaz, what did I say? 08:46 Ivor: I think you said, "Jeremiah... " 08:48 James: Nebuchadnezzar tells Ashpenaz, 08:50 "I want you to bring some of the king's seed... the princes... 08:53 and they're going to be eunuchs. " 08:55 So, it's interesting... and I'm just going to say this 08:59 because we talked about it earlier how God inspires Isaiah 09:04 with this prophecy... 09:05 God inspires Nebuchadnezzar to fulfill the prophecy. 09:09 James: I mean, we have a hard time as "Christians" 09:15 maybe as Adventists... 09:17 thinking that God can speak through anyone but us. 09:19 All: Hmmm... hmmm... Yvonne: That's true. 09:21 James: If God can speak through a donkey, 09:23 God can speak through rocks if He has to, 09:25 God can speak through... 09:26 and He will choose whom He will choose. 09:27 And in this point in time... 09:29 at this point in history, God would rather have... 09:32 God would rather use someone who's cold 09:34 than someone who's lukewarm. 09:36 Ivor: Hmmm... hmmm... Yvonne: Hmmm... 09:37 So, He's using Nebuchadnezzar... not His people. 09:40 Nebuchadnezzar is in a place 09:43 where he's able to fulfill God's will... 09:45 and we weren't... God's people weren't. 09:47 All: Hmmm... hmmm... 09:48 James: This is... this is hard though isn't it, Jason? 09:50 I'm thinking about this in relation to you 09:51 because I'm thinking, "Wow, you're... you're... 09:53 you're not a eunuch, of course, but you're single, right? 09:56 Jason: No, I've got a... I've got a girlfriend. 09:58 James: You've got a girlfriend but you're not married. 09:59 Jason: Not married, yeah. 10:00 James: So, you think about Daniel... his situation here... 10:04 he's going to be single permanently... 10:08 permanently. 10:10 Yvonne: He had no choice of his own. 10:12 Jason: Yeah. James: No choice of his own. 10:13 Jesus talks about this in the New Testament. 10:15 I think it is in Matthew 19. 10:16 He said, "Some men are eunuchs by birth 10:19 and some men make themselves eunuchs for God's... 10:21 kingdom of God's sake 10:22 or others are made eunuchs by other men 10:23 and that's what happens with Daniel. 10:25 Jason: Hmmm... Yvonne: Hmmm... 10:26 James: And you wonder, how did he... 10:28 how was he able not to get bitter over this? 10:30 Yvonne: Hmmm... 10:31 James: And I think... and I'm just going to say this, 10:33 I don't know... I don't read the verses 10:34 but I think there probably were a lot of God's people 10:37 who did get bitter over this whole process. 10:39 Jason: Oh, yeah. Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm... 10:41 James: But Daniel doesn't and... 10:43 how do we get ready for that? 10:45 Jason: Yeah, that would take a lot of prayer, I mean, I don't.. 10:50 I don't know how he didn't get bitter from that standpoint, 10:55 like, just... from me speaking... being real, 10:58 like, I think I would be very bitter in that situation. 11:01 James: Hmmm... so... and I love that real talk, Jason 11:05 so, let's think about this now because we're talking about... 11:09 in a sense... end-time prophecy 11:10 and what's going to happen in the end of time 11:13 and some people are really afraid, you know, 11:15 "Man, I don't know if I'm going to get through the end of time, 11:18 like, that's going to be tough, like, you know, 11:19 I'm going to probably capitulate 11:21 and how am I going to be able to stand... 11:23 and overcome temptation?" 11:24 And I tell young people especially 11:27 because we do a lot of ministry with young people 11:29 we deal with a couple of schools 11:30 and we have a lot of young people we talk to, 11:32 and I tell them, I say, 11:34 "You know, when the crisis comes, 11:36 and you can't buy or sell, 11:38 there's not going to be a lot of stuff 11:40 that's going to matter anymore at that time. " 11:41 Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm... that's true. 11:43 James: "I mean, you're not going to have your cell phone... 11:44 you're not going to have your car... 11:46 you're not going get gas, 11:47 you're not going to be doing a lot of stuff 11:48 because you just can't 11:50 and not only that but you're going to realize 11:52 in that moment of time... 11:53 you're going to realize that Jesus is coming very soon, 11:57 like, prophecy is at an end... 11:59 like, we're almost ready for probation to close, 12:01 and so, all these plans that we've been having for life, 12:05 well, they kind of... 12:07 they diminish in the context of the fact 12:10 that the imminent return... Christ's return is imminent... 12:13 there it is, right there, it's coming. " 12:15 Now, I don't... we don't think that way right now, 12:17 because we have the prophecies and by faith we believe that 12:21 but we've not like, seeing them actually fulfill, 12:23 like, "Right now, here we go, it's over... " 12:25 You know what I'm saying? All: Hmmm... hmmm... 12:26 James: So, we live as though Christ were coming tomorrow 12:30 and we plan as though He weren't coming for a 100 years, 12:32 got a girlfriend... going to get married... 12:35 going to have a family, right? 12:37 Jason: Hmmm... hmmm... 12:39 James: But, when this process comes to be put in place, 12:42 all of our plans are going to change... 12:43 and God is going to give us a completely different spirit 12:46 and that's why it says here 12:48 and I... and I'm... we haven't gotten there yet 12:49 but that's why I believe it says here 12:51 that there was an excellent spirit in Daniel. 12:52 It wasn't his spirit, it was the Spirit of God. 12:55 Yvonne: Hmmm... 12:56 James: And it changed everything for Daniel. 12:57 I think it's going to change everything for us. 12:59 Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm... 13:00 Ivor: Um... I would add here, 13:03 we were talking about this actually before we came on 13:07 but... in Isaiah 65... 13:11 or Isaiah 66... 13:12 in fact, why don't we go there really quickly if we can 13:16 Isaiah 66... 13:17 because Jason, this kind of goes to your... 13:20 you know, your question, just that whole idea 13:23 of how he was able to... and kind of jumps a little bit 13:28 ahead into the story of Daniel chapter 1 13:34 but if you look at verse 15... remember Isaiah... 13:38 he's prophesying not only about end-time events, 13:43 he's also prophesying in a more immediate context 13:47 what's going to happen to Jerusalem 13:49 and it says here in Isaiah 66:15, 13:51 "For behold, the LORD will come, 13:53 His chariots like a whirlwind to render His anger with fury 13:57 and His rebuke with flames of fire. 13:59 For by fire and by His sword 14:02 will the LORD plead with all flesh: 14:05 and the slain of the LORD shall be many. " 14:07 And now, look at verse 17, "They that sanctify themselves 14:11 and purify themselves in the garden, 14:14 behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh 14:17 and the abomination and the mouse, 14:18 shall be consumed together, saith the LORD." 14:20 All: Hmmm... 14:21 Ivor: Now, Daniel chapter one... 14:25 Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego 14:27 are invited to eat the king's meat. 14:30 All: Hmmm... hmmm... Ivor: Swine's flesh... 14:32 Ivor: And all the stuff... 14:34 Yvonne: Oh... 14:36 Ivor: They don't do it. Yvonne: Right. 14:38 Ivor: But the other Hebrews do it. 14:39 James: Hmmm... hmmm... Yvonne: Hmmm... 14:41 Ivor: Without much of a problem. 14:42 James: Hmmm... 14:44 Ivor: Why? 14:46 Well, I believe that crisis doesn't reveal... 14:52 or crisis doesn't produce character... it reveals it. 14:56 James: Hmmm... hmmm... All: Hmmm... 14:58 Ivor: The reason why those Hebrews in Daniel 1 were so able 15:00 like, "Oh, yeah... king's meat... not a problem" 15:02 king's wine... not a problem... " 15:04 is most likely because they had been doing that already. 15:10 Yvonne: Oh! 15:11 Ivor: They had been doing that all along. 15:13 Daniel had been preparing all along... 15:15 Daniel had been living that life all along 15:18 so when the crisis hit, character is revealed, 15:20 right, here's... here's Daniel, 15:23 they're like, "Whoa! we don't do that... " 15:25 James: Hmmm... Hmmm... 15:27 Ivor: The others... Ivor showing how they ate. 15:29 Right, so this lesson for us really... 15:34 really speaks to the fact that you can't prepare for crisis 15:39 in the midst of a crisis. 15:41 All: Hmmm... hmmm... hmmm... 15:42 Ivor: You prepare for the crisis before the crisis hits 15:45 and I believe that's what Daniel and the Hebrews did 15:48 and his friends did. 15:49 They were preparing for the crisis... before it hit 15:52 and that is going to be key... you know, 15:56 when we talk about end-time events for God's people. 15:58 Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm... that's good. 16:00 James: Let's look at some more verses on this, 16:02 Yvonne, would you read for us in Jeremiah 24, 16:05 and I think it would be really good for us to read 16:08 all seven verses Jeremiah 24... 16:11 not all seven verses but the first seven verses. 16:13 Yvonne: Sure... sure. 16:15 "The Lord showed me, and there were two baskets of figs 16:19 set before the temple of the Lord, 16:21 after Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon 16:23 had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, 16:27 king of Judah, 16:29 and the princes of Judah with the craftsmen and smiths, 16:31 from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon. 16:34 One basket had very good figs, 16:36 like the figs that are first ripe; 16:38 and the other basket had very bad figs 16:41 which could not be eaten, they were so bad. 16:43 Then the Lord said to me, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" 16:46 And I said, 'Figs, the good figs, very good; 16:49 and the bad, very bad, 16:51 which cannot be eaten, they are so bad. ' 16:53 Again the word of the Lord came to me saying, 16:56 'Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: 16:58 Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge those 17:02 who are carried away captive from Judah, 17:04 whom I have sent out of this place for their own good, 17:07 into the land of the Chaldeans. 17:10 For I will set My eyes on them for good, 17:12 and I will bring them back to this land; 17:15 I will build them and not pull them down, 17:18 and I will plant them and not pluck them up. 17:21 Then I will give them a heart to know Me, 17:23 that I am the Lord; and they shall be My people, 17:27 and I will be their God, 17:28 for they shall return to Me with their whole heart. " 17:32 James: So, this is the picture 17:34 that Ivor is painting for us right here. 17:38 Yvonne: Yes... 17:39 James: And this last verse... this covenantal language... 17:41 they're going to return to me with their whole heart... 17:44 I'm going to be their God, they're going to be my people. 17:46 That's the new-covenant language 17:47 and God had that experience with Nebuchadnezzar 17:50 and He has that experience with Daniel and his friends. 17:53 God is looking for His people. 17:54 Some of these people are in His "church. " 17:56 Okay, some of His people are 17:59 scattered throughout all these different folds. 18:01 Jesus says in John chapter 10, "I have many folds... 18:06 many sheep in many folds 18:07 and they're going to hear My voice... 18:09 I'm going to call them and they're going to hear My voice 18:12 and there will be one fold and one shepherd. " 18:13 That's what we see in this prophecy 18:17 moving through Daniel through Revelation... 18:19 that's what God's ultimate goal is for all of His people 18:22 and so, what Ivor was saying here, 18:24 I think is really powerful, 18:25 there are good figs and there are bad figs. 18:27 There is wheat and there are tares 18:29 and there is gold and silver and precious stones 18:32 and there's wood and there's hay and there's stubble 18:35 and how do we know? 18:37 We don't... only God knows 18:38 but what God does is, 18:40 He allows trials and tests to come to us 18:42 to reveal what we are... not to make us what we... 18:45 well, I shouldn't say it doesn't make us what we are 18:47 because tests actually do develop character 18:49 but the ultimate test... 18:51 the... the... the ultimate hour of temptation 18:54 is talked about in Revelation's churches... 18:56 is a test of revelation more than it's a test of 18:59 our product and development. 19:01 Yvonne: Hmmm... interesting. 19:04 Could I... can we look at verse 2 for a second 19:07 because I wanted to bring out something. 19:09 James: Verse 2 of Daniel? 19:10 Yvonne: Yes, um, sorry, Daniel 1 verse 2, 19:13 and... when it said that Jehoiakim 19:16 took some of the articles of the house of God 19:18 into the house of his god 19:21 and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god. 19:25 So, you have this scene... 19:27 James and Ivor: You mean Nebuchadnezzar... 19:29 James: Nebuchadnezzar took some of the articles... 19:31 Yvonne: "Then the Lord gave Jehoiakim... 19:33 with some of the articles... " 19:35 James: Right, so, Nebuchadnezzar comes to besiege Jerusalem, 19:40 and the Lord gives Jehoiakim as captive to him. 19:42 Yvonne: Oh, oh, oh, my bad, sorry, thank you, thank you. 19:44 Okay, so you have this situation where... 19:47 where the articles are brought into the temple 19:51 and... and nothing really... 19:55 you were saying earlier before in our previous program 19:58 that God humbled Himself basically in this 20:01 but it's interesting, I think it's 1st Samuel 5 20:04 or 2nd Samuel 5 where the... 20:07 the Ark of the Covenant is taken in before Dagon 20:11 and Dagon falls prostrate before the Ark, 20:15 it's... God lets us know that His allowing this is not 20:21 because He can't do something, 20:24 it's because He chooses not to do something 20:27 and so, it's not that He... 20:29 that this other "god" was so powerful, 20:33 that he could take in the things of our God... 20:38 no, it's that God just allowed it for His own purposes 20:41 and I think sometimes people misunderstand 20:45 and don't realize how powerful and sovereign God is 20:49 but He... I mean... He just allowed it, 20:52 He didn't... it wasn't... 20:54 it wasn't because He couldn't do anything about it. 20:57 Ivor: That's a very good point because God... 20:59 what you see here is... and just what we read before 21:04 "I will bring them there for their good... " 21:07 it's a very interesting phrase, 21:09 like, God is allowing this to happen 21:11 for the good of His people. 21:13 For the revelation of His character in them, 21:18 right, talking about the good... the good fix, 21:22 right, so, in the same way, 21:24 we can look at what's going to happen at the end of time, 21:28 because we know that Babylon is going to make a move... 21:31 spiritual Babylon is going to make a move against God's people 21:34 and God's going to allow certain things to happen 21:37 but those things are for our good. 21:40 Yvonne: Hmmm... 21:41 Ivor: Right, they're going to somehow or another benefit... 21:45 God is not saying, "I don't care about you. " 21:47 He's saying, "I'm going to allow these things to happen, 21:49 I'm going to... I don't know... let the winds blow... " 21:52 or "I'm going to allow these things to occur for your good. " 21:56 What's about to happen is for your good 21:59 in light of the big picture... 22:00 in light of eternity, this is for your good. 22:02 Ivor: Yeah... yeah. Yvonne: That's good. 22:04 Jason: Another interesting thing is that 22:07 when people are going through trials, 22:09 how they react during those trials 22:11 is a witness to other people. 22:13 So, when people are being persecuted and all that stuff... 22:16 I forgot where this was, 22:18 but there was persecution taking place 22:22 and Christianity just continued to grow 22:25 rather than... 22:27 James: Early church... Yvonne: Like with Nero... 22:29 James: The early church, 1,000s were added to the church, 22:32 people were being crucified left, right and center, 22:35 I mean... persecuted left, right and center, 22:38 and yet the church continued to grow. 22:39 Jason: Yes, yes. 22:41 James: Yeah, definitely... a couple more verses 22:42 I wanted to read just to summarize this 22:45 a little bit more in John chapter 10. 22:46 Now, we referenced John chapter 10 22:48 but I think the connection here is really interesting 22:50 in relationship to what Yvonne just brought up 22:53 so, John chapter 10... 22:54 and let's just start with verse 14 22:57 and then read to verse 18. 22:59 Jason: "I am the good shepherd; and I know my sheep, 23:01 and am known by My own. 23:03 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; 23:07 and I lay down My life for the sheep. 23:09 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; 23:12 them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; 23:16 and there will be one flock and one shepherd. 23:18 Therefore, My Father loves Me, 23:20 because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 23:24 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. 23:28 I have power to lay it down, 23:30 and I have power to take it again. 23:33 This command I have received from My Father. " 23:36 James: See how those two thoughts 23:37 are coming together here. 23:38 So, what Yvonne was saying was, 23:40 He didn't have to humble Himself... 23:42 He didn't have to go to Babylon... 23:43 He didn't have to let them take those goods... 23:45 God didn't have to do that but He chose to do it. 23:48 He chose to lay down His life just like Calvary, 23:50 He chose to lay it down... why? 23:52 "Because I have other sheep that are not of this fold. 23:54 I want Nebuchadnezzar in heaven. 23:56 Daniel, Daniel, I want Nebuchadnezzar in heaven, 23:59 Daniel, I want you to do some Captive Evangelism. " 24:01 That's what we talked about, "Captive Evangelism... " 24:04 "I want you to get in there 24:05 and I want to use you in a powerful way 24:08 to reach that king's heart. 24:09 I want to use you to reach all of Babylon... 24:13 I want that king to be so impacted 24:15 by this dream I'm going to give him 24:17 and the way I'm going to work through you 24:20 that the whole world hears about this 24:22 and that the prophecies I'm going to give you... 24:24 they're going to be... 24:25 they're going to be preaching these prophecies 24:27 till the end of time. " 24:29 Yvonne: Hmmm... wow! 24:30 Was it worth being a eunuch? 24:32 Oh man! 24:33 Daniel's like, "Really me? Wow!" 24:36 I think at the end of his life he'd look back 24:38 and he'd go, "Wow! you know, 24:40 I wouldn't have it any other way. " 24:41 Yvonne: Hmmm... James: The privilege they have, 24:43 when Daniel gets to heaven, he's like... 24:44 looks at the way God used him to speak to us... 24:49 I mean, when I came into the church, 24:51 Daniel 2 was like, foundational for me, 24:53 like, Daniel's prophecies were like, "Wow! 24:55 Yvonne: Hmmm... Ivor: Hmmm... 24:56 James: For Daniel to be able to see the impact 24:59 that his life had and the way God used him, 25:02 I think it would be the same with us. 25:04 So, what it comes down to Jason is, just trust in Him, 25:07 like, trusting that God knows 25:09 ultimately what's going to make us happy and fulfill us 25:11 in this life as we go forward. 25:14 Jason: Sounds like Daniel found his purpose. 25:16 James: Oh! that's it! you're taking us in now, 25:18 what are you doing? You're taking us right in for it, 25:20 right, you know how that goes, right? 25:23 That's... that's Daniel chapter 1 and verse 8, 25:26 yeah, that's Daniel 1 verse 8, let's jump in there real quick, 25:29 Daniel 1 verse 8, read that verse for us Jason. 25:31 Jason: "But Daniel purposed in his heart... " 25:33 James: Oh... he what? Jason: He purposed in his heart. 25:35 James: Oh... 25:36 Jason: "that he would not defile himself 25:38 with the portion of the king's delicacies, 25:40 nor with the wine which he drank; 25:41 therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs 25:44 that he might not defile himself. " 25:46 James: Okay, I got a new rendition of this verse 25:49 from Jason... inspired from Jason... 25:51 All: Laughter. 25:52 James: But Daniel found purpose in his heart. 25:55 Daniel found his purpose in his heart, 25:59 Daniel found God's purpose for him in his heart. 26:01 Because he found that purpose, he made a decision, 26:04 "I'm not defiling myself, I've got a purpose... 26:06 what's my purpose? 26:07 My purpose is to be God's instrument right here 26:10 and God is going to use me in a very powerful way. " 26:12 Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm... Ivor: Yeah. 26:13 James: "I'm going to have this wisdom... 26:15 I'm going to be a channel for God to use. " 26:16 Ivor: You know, it's interesting, 26:18 John would often write, "My children... my children... " 26:20 Paul would write, "My children... " 26:23 and every time he... he won someone to the Lord, 26:26 that was like his child... 26:27 like, "I've begotten you... " 26:29 so, while Daniel had no kids, 26:31 he's going to have a lot of kids in heaven. 26:32 Yvonne: Wow! come on... come on... 26:34 Ivor: So, there's a whole new family tree in heaven. 26:36 You know, and the family tree is... 26:37 your family tree in heaven is, "Who did you win to the Lord?" 26:41 "Yeah, well, you know... " and 26:42 "Yeah, those are my offspring right there... " 26:44 yes, you know, and it's a whole new... 26:48 new thing so, while Daniel was a eunuch 26:51 and while he was not able to have children in that sense, 26:57 in a spiritual context, 26:59 "Wow! he has got a lot of children. " 27:02 Yvonne: Yes, that's good. 27:04 Ivor: Because Daniel has done so much 27:06 to convert so many people... 27:08 you know, it is just... it's just amazing! 27:10 Yvonne: Amen. 27:11 James: And that's how it's going to work for us 27:12 and I want our... us to know 27:14 and I want our Viewers to know that 27:15 when we find God's purpose in our heart, 27:17 when we know what His purpose is for our lives, 27:20 oooh... it's just going to explode. 27:22 Yvonne: That's true. 27:23 James: There's going to be fire. Yvonne: Very true. 27:25 James: It's going to be a whole mentality that we have, 27:27 and you know that, we all know that, 27:29 because... because we're here on this Set 27:31 and we know this is part of God's purpose 27:33 and that's what's brought us together again 27:36 from our different places and those long hours 27:38 and this time and et cetera... 27:40 and we're just like, "No, no, no... 27:41 this is exciting... we want to do this, you know. " 27:43 Yvonne: Yes. 27:44 James: Oh, how can they sit at that table time after time? 27:46 Because we found purpose. 27:47 Yvonne: That's right... amen. James: We found purpose. 27:48 Praise God. |
Revised 2020-03-23