Daniel's Weapon| Frank Castrejon

I wanted to let you know that this word was

stirring in my heart. This word was stirring in my

heart recently when we started the fast, and I was

speaking to Pastor about it, and so I don't know,

like I feel like the Lord wanted to release this

word over the body of Jesus Christ. Of course, Pastor

also heard from the Lord that I was the one

to deliver it, and so.

I don't know. I don't know.

There is an impartation that's taking place today, and I

don't want you to miss it. That's that's what I'm

telling you. I don't want to I don't want you

to take the words lightly because I feel like if

you miss it, then you're going to miss a big

portion and in the future coming years of you could

have got it today. That's what I'm trying to tell you.

So don't miss it, Okay, get ready to grab it.

Okay.

So this this sermon message is called Daniel's weapon. We're

talking about the fast, right, we've been fasting. We are

in fasting. I'm in fasting, A bunch of you are

in fasting. But there is a special weapon that Daniel employs.

In the Book of Daniel that I think is not

actually spoken of or taught necessarily. And that's what revelation means.

Revelation knowledge of Jesus Christ, right, and the Lord just

bringing a new, fresh word and a new understanding to

the Book of Daniel, because a lot of the Old Testament.

Sometimes we end up we end up taking the Old

Testament for granted. We think, because it's in the past,

it no longer applies to the New Testament sometimes, you know,

and that's that's a fallacy sometimes, right. But but God

has granted to us access to this word today.

Amen. So it's the year six hundred and five BC.

Daniel as a teenage boy, he's about thirteen or fourteen

years old, and he's taken captive into Babylon. Okay, Daniel,

it says in the Word in chapter one of Daniel.

Let's go to verse three. Let's start at verse three.

Then the king instructed Ashpirnaz, the master of the eunuchs,

to bring some of the children of Israel and some

of the king's descendants and some of the nobles, young

men in whom there was no blemish, but good looking,

gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge, and quick to understand

who had ability to serve in the king's palace, and

whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans.

And the king appointed for them daily provision of the

king's delicacies and of the choice wine which he drank,

and three years training for them, so that at the

end of their time they might serve before the King.

Now from among the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Michael,

and Azariah.

To them the chief Unich gave names. He gave Daniel

the name.

Built Ti Jazar, and Hananiah Shaderaq, to Michel Mishak, and

to Azariah Abennigo. But Daniel purposed in his heart that

he would not defile himself with the portion of the

king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank. Therefore

he requested of the Chief of the eunuchs that he

might not defile himself.

Now, God, so he started. The last word started. But Daniel.

Now God had brought Daniel into the favor in the

goodwill of the Chief of the Eunuchs.

Pause.

Let's pause there. I want you to get this picture.

You're thirteen and fourteen years old, and you know the

scriptures it said in verse four that he was wise already.

He had known the scriptures, he had the Torah, he

had the prophets. He understood two things from the Old Testament.

He understood that Isaiah had prophesied one hundred and fifty

years ago. Well, it would have been at this point.

It would have been about eighty something years ago. Eighty

something years ago. Isaiah prophesies that there is coming a

king named Cyrus, who is to deliver the people of Judea,

which is Israel. Right at this moment, those that are

were taken captive. He is a son of Judah, He's

from the tribe of Judah. So himself being captured that

he prophesied that Tires would come and free them at

some point seventy years down.

The road, because he also knew.

About the prophet Jeremiah saying that their captivity would be

for seventy years. Imagine you're that old, and you know

you have a seventy year sentence saying in over your head, what.

Do you do? Now?

Do you forsake the Lord because you feel forsaken? Do

what Daniel does, which he says that he purposed within

himself verse eight again, but Daniel purposed in his heart

that he would not defile himself with the portion of

the king's delicacies.

What do you do at that point in time? Right,

It says.

That the reason why in the Old Testament, the reason

why they even went into captivity. It says that the

remnant would not escape this captivity, that even they would

be punished because they were drawn away by an.

Evil king named Vanessa.

Manessa even ended up sacrificing his own son and made

him pass through the fire.

It says he was wicked.

He built astra poles inside of the courts of the

Temple of Solomon, and they did heinous things, heinous acts.

They built and erected all kinds of idols inside of

the temple, and they desecrated the house of the Lord.

So he said, not even my remnant would escape. Sounds

sounds like they were in trouble, right, They were being

put in a position where Daniel he's like, he's probably

thinking in his head, He's like, I'm thirteen, fourteen years old,

I'm filled with wisdom. I know the Gospel, right, I

know the Torah, I know the prophets. And then all

of the sudden, at once, He's like, Okay, this is

that fulfillment of time. Now I got seven years to go.

What do I do? Purposes that he will not defile himself. Now,

I want you to look at this. This is where

he begins as fast. Right in verse seventeen. Let's go

to verse seventeen. As for these young men, God gave

them knowledge and skill in literature and all wisdom, and

Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Now, at

the end of the days, when the king had said

that they should be brought in, the chief of the

eunuchs brought them in before Nebuconezzer. Then the king interviewed them,

and among them all, among them all, none was found

like Daniel, Hannonaiah, Michel Azariah. Therefore they served before the king,

and in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which

the King examined them, he found them ten times better

than all the magicians astrologers who were in all his realm.

Thus Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus.

This is something that I found out, that means his

fast began at the beginning of Nebukanezer and ended at

the first year of King Cyrus. He fasted seventy years.

That takes faithfulness. He chose faithfulness that resulted.

In him in him leading.

A life that said, I have the favor of God

in my life, and therefore the king also recognizes the

favor that he has on me, and so he has

favor before the king. And it says that these men

served the king continually in the word. In other translations,

it says that they served before the king continually all

the time. This is the same kingdom, mind you. That

also the same kingdom that also made the law that

said that not even the queen could stand before the

king lest she be what killed for walking into his

presence without being first called. That's the type of favor

that God created.

For these four men. That's favor outwardly.

This king saw something amazing in these four young men,

because he said that not only were they beautiful, they

also saw wisdom in them, and that they had understanding

and were quick to learn. There was something outwardly recognizable

and different among all of the children who.

They took captive.

Because see, this king didn't just want the wealth of

this nation Israel, nor the gold out of the temple,

nor to destroy it, nor to make them serve him.

He also wanted.

The best of the best for himself, and he found

that in the wisdom of God through these young men.

He said, whatever you got, I need. And so he

thinks he's calling them in because they're special. But guess what,

God sent them there because it was his calling. In

Seven Mountain Theology, we're taught that we understand that everything

has a purpose, like there's the mountain of government, right

in this case, Daniel was sent to the mountain of

governance over Babylon that he would be the one who

influences and oversees all the kings that were coming after

nebukan Nezzer and Nebukanezzer all the way until King Cyrus.

See the writer Josephis actually tells us what that that

he believes that Daniel directly spoke with King Cyrus upon

his arrival, when he spoke to him and told him.

You have been prophesied over by Isaiah one hundred and

fifty years ago that you would come and that you

would free Jerusalem. Now is your opportunity to walk in

the manner that the Lord has already carved out for you.

It's your choice as a king to make the decision

that you need to make. That is what the body

of Jesus Christ should be doing continually before the leaders

of the nations, that we should tell them right now

there is a fullness of time that has come and

you have a decision to make, whether it is good

or evil.

Choose for yourself. But God has declared it over your life.

Where is the people of God in this time to

be able to speak to the leaders of the nations.

In the world. So he has to come station.

And suddenly Ezra writes, another prophet, another leader of Israel writes,

and he says, thus says King Cyrus, that he is

going to rebuild the temple of God, and he is

the only God, and he will make him his dwelling in.

Not Babylon, Jerusalem.

And so he hands them the papers, and then Ezra

and Nehemiah go to build.

Who stays behind.

The one who had the call originally that he would

be sent to a nation and to the mountain of government.

Daniel stayed behind to make sure that he oversaw the

kings of Babylon because they were still most likely I

believe some people say he might have been too old

to make the trek but I believe that that was

his call, so he remains. And then in chapter ten

he writes about the third year now of King Cyrus.

So between the first year of King Cyrus and the

third year of King Cyrus, I believe it says that

he continued his fast, but then he stopped right, So

he stops his fast for about two years. But in

chapter ten he does something interesting. He reignites the fast.

He starts it again, and then war breaks out in

the heavens because he is behind the lines of another

principality in Babylon.

Now he needs.

Gabriel to deliver the message. Gabriel shows up twenty one

days later. He tells him, Oh, Daniel, you're so highly esteemed.

He has favor before God. Remember this, you are highly esteemed.

I heard you from day one, but the Prince of

Persia withheld me for these days. And so then he said,

so Michael came to wrestle with the Prince of Persia

so that I could deliver to you the message. This

man's prayer, through his unwavering faith and dedication to the Lord,

he did not stop believing all the way until then

he said, I'm gonna reignite the thing that I know

that gets me all of these things answered, because his

vision is disturbing me, and I need to pray and

fast so that I know that I'm moving heaven and

earth on this earth, right here, right now, on earth,

as it is in heaven. So then he says, now, Daniel,

I must leave you, because I'm going to go and

take down what Prince of Persia, because the Prince of

Greece must surely come. He set in motion, through his

fasting and his praying the events that would eventually lead

to Xerxes and all of the other kings that were

coming after, including Alexander the Great, and then all of

what needed to take place till the Roman Empire shows

up on that place and thus brings what the time

of what the four hundred years of silence, and then

all of the sudden, the Spirit of Elijah proceeds in

fore runs.

The Messiah. There's a specific call.

And a reason for every single person in the body

of Jesus Christ, and you don't even yet know, like.

This is just the iceberg.

You're at the tip of the iceberg for your own life.

You don't know the events that are going to lead

up into the future or the million soul billion soul

harvests that we need to have in our nation to

bring about preparing the way of the Lord. Daniel gives

us an early picture of the church and the position

that it should be taking. Daniel gives us a great

depiction of what we are to be like. Even to

this day. You think Daniel's weapon is fasting. Some of

you perceived that Daniel's weapon is abstaining from things right now.

Some of you may think that Daniel's weapon may be prayer.

But there's something else that God wants to give us,

and we're gonna go into that. Outwardly, it looks like

he has a life of consecration. Outwardly, it looks like

he has a life of chastisement. Outwardly, it looks like

he has a life of sacrifice.

He just gave up all this bomb food, all these pastries,

all this sugar, the best wine.

And you know it was the best.

Nebuknezzar was at the apex of Neo Babylonion.

He was at the apex.

This man would have You wouldn't have made it long

or far had you brought bad food into the court,

or bad wine or bad anything into that court, you

wouldn't have made it far. Okay, So he gave up

the best of the best for something better.

And then the manner.

Of which he did it is what God wants us

to see, Okay, a life.

Of rest.

Through the Holy Spirit. We are actually able to walk

in obedience to God. We're able to do the works

of God through it. But what are the works of God?

Jesus painted it to us like this, They said, what

are the works of God?

That we may work? The works of God? Right?

He said, here's the work of God that you would

believe in, the one whom he sent. How how do

we go from working? But then it's just all about belief, right,

But there's a manner that God is unlocking to us

that he wants us to do that in that is beyond.

What we're We're always about work. We're always about toil.

We're always about moving and grooving, trying to get the

next dollar. We're trying to get this, we're trying to

get to that. We're trying to get the next item

that we want on our checklist, you know, And that's

you know what, that's that's in this world? We have needs, right,

But there's a manner in which God is opening up

to us that we should proceed moving forward in those

areas of influence in life that he wants us to do.

Okay, mm hmm.

Daniel partners with the call of God in his life.

This is what yields him the results that he gets. Okay,

the results are of course powerful, as I've already expressed

to you right that He's moving heaven and earth in

order to make God's will come to pass in that

nation and for the nation of Israel.

Right m hm.

He has an unwavering love of God. I pay attention

to this. He has an unwavering love of God, and

he desires to be intimate with the Father and be

brought and be brought into God's rest that God promises

to David, the writer of Hebrews, opens this up.

And this is what God again is desiring that we

should have today.

Because Jesus said, come to me, all you who are

what heavy laden, take my yoke upon you.

Right, My burden is what light. Okay, let's go to

verse eight and go from there.

I'm gonna just give you the meat of this one.

For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not

afterwards have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a

rest for the people of God. That's you and me

in Jesus Christ. For he who has entered his rest

has himself also ceased from his work, as God did

from his.

Let us therefore be diligent.

This word diligent means spidazzo, meaning to labor. We're gonna labor, okay,

We're laboring to enter into rest lest anyone fall according

to the same example of what disobedience for the Word

of God is living in powerful and sharper than any

two edged sword, peers even to the division of the

soul in the spirit and the joints in the marrow,

and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of

what the heart. And there is no creature hidden from

his sight, but all things are naked and open to

the eyes of Him, to whom we must give account

if we are to work at all or endeavor for

anything pertaining to holiness. In this season, it's going to

be to labor to enter into his rest. God is

bringing reformation to the church. God is bringing a new

discovery in his word to us right now, right sacrifice.

He did not ask for from the new bride.

Why, because the fullness of the sacrifice has already been

made in Jesus Christ.

Therefore, what is there left to do? For our great

high priest.

Said that after he had made the sacrifice, that he

walks in to what the throne, and he sits him

down at the.

Right hand of what the Father.

In the scriptures, we are told that we are to

what that we are actually what seated in heavenly places

in Christ Jesus. That sounds great if I express that

to you, But let me tell you something about that verse. See,

priests would have to sacrifice morning and evening, and the

fire could never go out once it was lit on

the altar and in the temple or on the lampstand.

It had to perpetually be fed all the time. But

Jesus made sacrifice once and for all, and has sat

down in the only seat available inside of the temple.

It is the mercy seat.

When you are seated in heavenly places, you're actually seated

in heavenly places. In the place that John saw the

same lamb that was slain, and Moses saw the vision

of what the tabernacle would look like, he saw the

same exact seats and said, oh wow.

And John goes, oh wow.

The Lamb of God, who was slain before the foundations

of the earth, is now seated right here on this throne,

and all the elders are bowing around him. And he

says to us, the Holy Spirit expresses to us, you

are seated in heavenly places, in Christ Jesus.

And there's only one place where he sits.

Therefore, it says in Hebrews, now we are able to

come to the throne of Grace boldly. So we make

our decrease from heaven, and we're seated in heavenly place.

And that that is where Daniel was living from.

Daniel's weapon was was rest in God. One thing David said,

I have desired.

One thing I've asked for that I would remain in

the presence of my God forever.

He knew this, and so.

When Daniel goes into Babylon, one thing I asked for

one thing I desire that I would be always in

your presence. And the only key, the key to rest,

and the only key that is found and the only

door that is found for Daniel was to walk through

the door of obedience. He didn't it says in the

Word that sacrifices he didn't ask for, and obedience is

greater than what sacrifice. He didn't ask Daniel to give

those up. He asked them to just follow him, no

matter where you go, no matter where you were going.

Mm hmm.

How do we know this? How can we make this argument?

How can we make this argument? Zach It says in

the Word, Paul tells us expressedly that we should make

our bodies a living sacrifice wholly and pleasing to God.

Did he not? So? Can two things be true in

the Word of God?

Certainly, even though they seemingly are opposites. I believe that yes,

it can, because we know that Christ has fulfilled the

perfect sacrifice already.

Right, we no longer have to make sacrifices. Right, Okay?

So can it also be true that we can make

a sacrifice of praise to God, much like David did

when he brings the Arc of the Covenant into Jerusalem

and it rests inside the tabernacle of David. Yes, Yes,

two things appear again to be opposite, but they are

all equally. Yes, and amen, we get to also make

sacrifices of praise. We get to we don't got to.

It used to be, we got to. Now we get to. Okay,

we don't do it from a place of needing to,

but getting to. And we no longer sacrifice because we

must out of a place of knowing that we are

already accepted in the Beloved. We do not sacrifice in

our fasting. We give it lovingly and wilfully because our

deepest desire, much like Daniels, to be in His presence,

continually seated in heavenly places, in Christ Jesus and resting

in His embrace.

That's what this fast is about.

Some of you guys are getting that free right now

if you feel that that's the Lord. God did not

intend Romans chapter twelve, verse one and two to be

used to only abstain from the works of the flesh,

but to have understanding that God's will for you is

beyond abstaining from food or drink or sin.

Let's go to Colossians two.

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so

walk in him. This gives a new depth of understanding

to a pastor preached last week. Last week he preached

on Isaiah thirty twenty one. It says your ears shall

hear a word behind you saying this is the way

walking it wherever you turn to the right hand, or

whenever you turn to the left, that's Isaiah thirty twenty one.

See you received Christ.

God did not intend his word for us to be

simply about abstaining, but to.

Teach us a way to walk in Him. And through

the power of.

The Holy Ghost, we are given the ability to walk

in obedience to God. Walk into the throne of Grace boldly,

and take a seat in the embrace of Jesus Christ,

and say, yes, my Lord, what shall we do to

whom shall we speak to? What shall we decree from

heaven on this earth? To make heaven tremble and shake,

and to have principalities brought down and low and bow

to the feet of Jesus Christ. Even what we prayed

about this morning having to do with the inauguration, every

single blay, blaspheming tongue will not prevail against the will

of God. We speak from heavenly places to this earth.

What else is there left for God to do? His

only answer to obedience is for that His word be

made manifest in your life. There is nothing left for

it to do. Did you catch that the only response

of God after you have completed obediences for that his

will to be completed through His word in your life.

Just like Daniel. That's why the lions couldn't even kill.

Him, because his obedience was the key to be in

heavenly places. An angel had to shut the mouth of

the lions because God is not forsaking his word over

Daniel's life.

That's favor. Man observed the favor on his life.

That is the picture of the new glorious church that

we are to be today to God.

He was esteemed of God. I tell you today that

could be you. That is you.

You're esteemed of the Lord in Christ. You have received Christ,

so walk in him. You are esteemed of God. Even

angels declared it, and I'm declaring to you to even

right now that that's the case.

Let's do a first closing you.

Guys ready, because guess what, we're running out of time

and I still got some more some more good stuff

to share with you.

Come on, we got some good stuff. Okay.

I'm gonna give you further points to observe because God

has always been the.

Same and he will never change. Okay.

First, Samuel fifteen twenty two through twenty three. So Samuel said,

has the Lord great delight and burnt offerings and sacrifices.

As in obeying the voice of the Lord.

Be Hold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to

heed than the fat of rams. For rebellions as the

sin of witchcraft and stubbornness, as iniquity and idolatry. Because

you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has

also rejected you from being king.

He's telling Saul, and observe here.

Saul was told basically this, you have the fear of

man which is holding you back, and God's breaking that.

Off of you. Okay, that applies, all right.

And rebellion is as the sin of witchft, rebellion to

what what he had already told him to do, and

that's being broken off your life. He even tries to

manipulate God by trying to tell him I did this

for you. He tries to use God as escapegoat for

his disobedience. Sometimes we want something so bad that we

try to twist God's arm. Even in what seemingly looks

like sacrifice, sacrificing and fasting, God's breaking that off of

you today.

God's breaking that off.

Today, Obedience is the key to rest. God doesn't want

you burdening yourself with without you knowing that you are

seated in heavenly places.

First.

Once we find that out, then fasting actually becomes a

position of resting, not giving things up, not abstaining from

certain things, understanding that obedience gets you there into the

rest of God, and He has no other option but

to bless you because he will not change, and he

has not changed, and he will not back down on

his own word. So when you choose to walk into

the Holy of Holies, and that thing that you desire

the most is that you be pleasing to Him and

that you walk in Christ just like you received Him,

and you just say, I'm gonna trust you, Lord. This

is not what you want from my life. Perfect, that's

what I won't do. This is what you do want

me to walk like? Great, this is what it looks like.

It's not about the don'ts, It's about the do.

Daniel's weapon is what God wants to equip his church

today with that you find rest, and the key to

that door is obedience. Despite your circumstance, despite what things

are from are are are are increasing in your life

that may be negative, or that you are in a

place or of work or influence that just seems to

be overwhelming for you. You're not there to be changed

by it. You're there to change it. If you have

felt like you're continually sacrificing for your faith, God is

talking to you. If you felt like you're being heavy

this fast, God's talking to you. If you felt like

you have done something to twist his arm. God's talking

to you if you felt like religion was about abstaining

from things rather than following the King of Kings and

the Lord of Lords and receiving his sacrifice that He

made for you to walk in purity, holiness, love, gentleness, kindness, meekness,

self control.

He's talking to you.

The next days of fasting may feel tough for you,

but I'm speaking to your spirit that it is being strengthened.

Right now, let's stand up to receive more of God.

I found out that when I'm asked to do something

from the Lord, if I'm complaining about it, then the

thing that I still do tends to feel heavy.

It still tends to be a heavy yoke.

I found out that when I do it joyfully, wilfully, lovingly.

Then the Lord graces me with his presence in that

thing that I'm doing, and suddenly it just feels slighter.

It feels so much lighter. I no longer in burdening

myself unnecessarily. I'm doing it. This thing that I'm doing,

I'm doing it from a place of rest because I

understand that He's there continually, and that he never left

me an orphan, that he saw me through my darkest times,

in my darkest hours. And if you hear the voice

of God today, do not harden your hearts like they

did in the rebellion.

Because He's bringing you into something beautiful and amazing, and

he's teaching you to walk again. He's bringing his beautiful

bride past religion, unnecessary burdens, and he's bringing it into

a place of glory. He's bringing his bride into a

place of strength, honor, dignity. He's bringing his bride his church.

He's bringing it to a place of real influence, through

the door of obedience, into his rest forever. If you

don't know what this rest feels like, if you don't

yet know what I'm talking about, this joke, this thing

that God wants to train you up in as his child,

and you want to receive the Lord today, we in

the congregation want to pray with you before I release

the Destiny team to come up. I also want you

to know if you will receive the Lord today to

find out what this rest is about. If you've been

living a life of religion, come up also. And if

that means all of you walk up here, that's fine,

I'm okay with that. The whole altar is open. But

I want you to know this and receive it fully.

Because God is breaking this off his church. You will

walk into your seven mountains of influence. You will overcome

the devil. Heaven will move on your behalf today.

So Lord, I just give you thanks.

God for all these souls. Father, we receive you afresh

in the new revelation of your son and what he

has actually paid for that we would walk as a

people in your rest, God, not having to do.

But living to be.

Yours, perpetually, continually.

Living for you. God Father. We just say, bless us.

God with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in

Christ Jesus, bless us, Lord, command your blessing on this

house God, because we are a house who is united

for one purpose.

This one thing we have asked.

For from you, O Lord, that we would be always

before you.

And be always in your presence. God. This one thing

we need is to dwell in.

Your courts forever and ever and ever and ever and ever. God,

in Jesus' mighty name, we seal this up today. God,

Thank you for your loving us.

Amen. If you're receiving the Lord today, please come forward.

We want to pray with you and make sure that

you're walking free, that you're walking in rest today.

Amen. Love you guys,