“Behind Bondi” | Daniel 10 | Pastor Keith

Daniel Chapter 10. Please turn there.

Daniel 10 · chapter mention

The title of this morning's message is Behind Bondi.

We have Daniel from Menorah, the reef at Bondi and Bondi Beach.

Let's read Daniel 10 in the third year of Cyrus, King of

Persia. A message was revealed to

Daniel. His name was called

Belthashazzar. The message was true but the

appointed time was long. He understood the message and an

understanding of the vision. In those days I, Daniel was

mourning 3-4 weeks. Question, why was Daniel

mourning? First thing we want to know why

was he mourning? I ate no pleasant food, no meat

or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all till

three whole weeks were fulfilled.

He was mourning, praying and fasting.

Question is, why now? On the 24th day of the first

month, as I was by the side of the great river that is the

Tigris, I lifted my eyes and looked.

Behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded

gold of euphaz. His body was like Beryl, his

face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches

of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in colour, and

the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.

It sounds like Jesus, but it's not.

And I, Daniel alone saw the vision.

For the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great

terror fell upon them, so they fled to hide themselves.

So there's a vision. The men that were with Daniel

took off. They ran.

Only Daniel was left. Therefore, I was left alone.

When I saw this great vision, no strength remained in me.

He's hit with shock for my vigour was turned to frailty in

me. I retain no strength, yet I

heard the sound of his words. That is the messenger.

While I heard the sound of his words, I was in a deep sleep on

my face with my face to the ground.

So he's kind of knocked out by the presence of this.

This being. Suddenly a hand touched me,

which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my

hand. So he, he's trying to get up and

he said to me, Oh, Daniel, man, first thing, notice greatly

beloved. That's the first thing that God

always wants to remind you, beloved, greatly under.

Now secondly, why the messenger understand the words that I

speak to you? I'm not just going to give you

things that you won't. Well, what's that all about?

I've got no idea. Prophecy is given to us to

understand and to know. Stand upright Daniel, for I've

now been sent to you. So who sent him?

God sent this messenger while he was speaking this word to me.

I stood but his knees and knocking.

Then the messenger said to me, Do not fear, Daniel.

For from the first day that you set your heart to understand, to

humble yourself before your God, your words were heard.

From the first moment you began to pray, from the first word,

your words were heard. And I have, and I have come.

Why? Because of your words, I am here

because of your prayer. But the Prince of the Kingdom of

Persia, remember Babylonian rule.

What was to follow? The needs in the Persians who

followed them? The Grecians, all part of God's

plan. We know that.

But the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia, someone trying to stop

God's plan, withstood me. How many days?

21 days? The battle raged in heaven, in

the heavenlies. And then behold, Michael.

Michael. Who's Michael?

The Archangel, One of the chief Princess came to help me.

That's why this is not the Lord. Because the Lord doesn't need an

Angel to come and help. It's a messenger under the rank

of an Archangel because Michael came to help this messenger, for

I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.

Notice plural. Now he's fighting on many

fronts. Now I have come to make you why?

Why is the Angel come to understand?

You have your Bible open. You're here today.

Why? God wants you to understand

what's going on and what will happen to your people, the Jews,

Israel, when? In the latter days, in the last

days, the time in which you and I live.

For the vision refers to many days yet to come.

When he had spoken such words to me, I turned my face toward the

ground and became speechless. It seems as if Daniel's gone.

He's overwhelmed. Suddenly one having the likeness

of the sons of men touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and

spoke, saying to him who stood before me, My Lord, because of

the vision my sorrows have overwhelming.

What's he sorrowful about Daniel?

Why is he? Why is he mourning?

And I have retained no strength. The sorrow has burnt out his

strength. Well, how can the servant of my

Lord talk with you, my Lord? As for me, no strength remains

in me now, nor is any breath left in me.

Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me,

strengthened me, and said, Oh man greatly beloved, fear not

notice. He said that before, didn't he?

You're loved. Don't fear peace.

Peace is the answer to mourning. Peace is the answer to grieving.

Peace be to you now be strong. Yes, he repeats it.

Be strong, Daniel. So when he spoke to me, I was

strengthened and said, let my Lord speak, for you have

strengthened me. God's word when spoken to you

strengthens you. If you're weak in the things of

the Lord, it's because you're not in the Word.

When you in the Word, God strengthens your inner man.

Then he said, do you know why I've come to you?

And now I must return, what to do to fight with the Prince of

Persia again. And I, when I've gone forth,

indeed the Prince of Greece will come.

But I'll tell you what is noted in the scripture of truth.

No one upholds me against these except Michael, your Prince.

Michael is the Archangel over Israel.

He's the Angel in charge of the battles of Israel.

The messenger came. Daniel, I want you to understand

the words that I speak to you. That's why you have your Bible

open in front of you. The Prince of the Kingdom of

Persia withstood me. But from the first day, the

first word that you spoke 3 weeks ago, I was sent the

vision. It's for the latter days.

You and I are living in the latter days.

Be strong, but I've got to go and fight another battle on the

way back. It's not over.

It's the third year of Cyrus, King of Persia's rule.

Daniel is now 90 years of age. Daniel is mourning.

He's burdened. Why Daniel is fasting, Why he is

serious in this time of prayer, man, he's gone to pray and he's

set aside eating and he's mourning and that's what's

driven him to pray. Daniel needs an answer.

That's why you fast and pray. You're seeking God.

God help me, and I want to. I want you to answer me now.

For three weeks so far, Daniel has been seeking praying,

fasting, not washing, and it's been a battle for him

spiritually, and it's taken its toll on him physically as well.

He's weak. You and I live in a world that

has another dimension besides that which we see with our

physical eyes. There's a spiritual world.

Australians at the moment are grasping at straws to somehow

try and deal with the massacre and that's what it was.

The murders that what they were, the cold blooded assassinations

that occurred last Sunday at Bondi Beach as Jewish believers

gathered together, as Jewish families gathered together to

celebrate Hanukkah. We had discussed Hanukkah

before, remember, Remember what it was about.

Remember Antiochus Epiphanes desecrated the temple.

Then the Maccabeans LED to revolt, overthrow Antiochus, but

Antiochus had slaughtered a a pig in the temple and spread the

blood everywhere around it, stopped all worship.

The Temple was denigrated, and under the Maccabees came the

revolt. The Temple was cleansed and they

lit a candle, the menorah, but they only had enough oil and

there's needs to be a special oil to light the menorah.

There only can be enough. There was only enough prepared

oil for one day and the menorah kept on burning.

Miraculously, the festival of lights, Hanukkah, it's still

underway and they light a candle each day.

In Australia it's from the 14th of December to the 22nd of

December. That's what they were

celebrating, the restoration of the temple in Israel.

Politicians and rulers have since ducked, weaved and sought

not to mention the elephant in the room, anti Semitism for two

years. And back in August, Benjamin

Netanyahu wrote to our Prime Minister and said trouble,

there's going to be real trouble.

The Mossad, they have, they have the Intel, they know what's

going on. There's trouble.

And our government ignored and in fact in that time recognised

Palestine. We've received 3000 visas, more

than any other country from Gaza.

We've spent $25 million, sent it to Gaza.

Radical Islam is the problem. And instead they came out and

said ban guns. Guns are the problem.

It's a political deflection to draw the attention away from the

elephant in the room this morning.

We're not as the church to follow our politicians lead.

The Bible says we are to pray for our leaders.

We must do that. It commands us to do that, but

it does not tell us to look to them for redemption.

And many of us are going well. What we need, this is what we

need. Whatever changes they seek to

bring in. And the gun buyback is going to

be one of those. Whatever changes they seek to

bring in after those 15 innocent lives that have been viciously

taken, it's too late for these families.

Too late. I said to Helen yesterday,

because this Bondi thing has really troubled me.

I said if we were a Jewish family living in Australia, I

would now seriously consider gathering all our family, paying

for all of our kids, all of our grandkids, to do what?

To go to Israel, to leave Australia.

Why? Because at least we can defend

ourselves in Israel, and at least in Israel we can be

assured that our government and our leaders will protect us

making new laws, for example, on hate speech.

Watch this space. Do you think this will really be

accepted and adhered to by those whose religious belief sees the

death of a non believer as the path to heaven?

Oh yeah, of course we won't say anything.

What new hate speech laws will do?

They will seek to strangle the preaching of the word of God.

Watch, Watch. Changing and bringing in new

laws are only applying band aid solutions to what are in fact

gaping wounds. In Proverbs 11/14 it says

without wise leadership a nation falls as believers, as those who

take the word of God seriously, literally as we have read in

Daniel chapter 10. Can you and I see the real

Daniel 10 · chapter mention

issue? The Who?

The PM has come out and started mentioning ISIS, who is the real

who? That really sits behind the

Bondi massacre, the murder of innocent Jewish families.

The same who was behind the Bondi massacre have done this

before. In verse 13, Daniel is told by

the messenger sent from God. But the Prince of the Kingdom of

Persia withstood me 21 days. And behold, Michael, one of the

chief Princess, came to help me, for I had been left alone there

with the kings of Persia. The Prince of the King Kingdom

of Persia. Who or what is this Prince?

There are fallen angels who Satan has designated to specific

countries. This powerful fallen Angel from

Persia over Persia did not want Daniel to hear or know God's

plan for his people of Israel. There would be the Babylonians,

the Medes and the Persians, the Grecians, the Romans, and then

later a revived Roman Empire, all involving what's going to

happen to the nation Israel. The powerful Angel did not want

Daniel to hear or know God's plan for Israel because this is

what had driven Daniel to mourning, praying, and fasting

his people. Why specifically?

We'll get to that. I believe according to the

Scriptures there is one of those powerful fallen angels placed by

Satan over this nation, over Australia, powerful ones over

NSW, over Sydney and this Angel has a host of lower ranking

fallen angels in their army. There are demonic spirits today

who do not want anyone to know God's plan for Israel, the

church, the nation's, or for you or for your children.

God has a plan for your child, you know that.

Train up a child the way he should go and not depart from

it. We see that Michael the

Archangel, one of the chief Princess, verse 21, has been a

sign to protect and fight for Israel.

By the way, that's more proof to you and I that God has not

rejected the Jews. Many churches today, sadly

meeting this morning are saying God's finished with Israel

because they've done this and done that.

That makes me a little bit angry, this great spiritual

battle in another dimension that you and I can't see.

Was the reason for the delay to Daniel's prayers three weeks

Daniel had fasted and prayed and sought the Lord. 3 weeks as

Daniel is praying, there in another dimension is a massive

battle going on. A fight.

And the battle had raged. We read that from the very first

day of Daniel's prayer that God sent his Angel to answer him.

Verse 12 Do not fear Daniel, for from the first day that you set

your heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God,

your words were heard. And I have come because of your

words. It was Michael who came and the

battle was won. Sadly I see the church today and

I can only speak of Australia. Sadly, I see the church today

powerless. I mean, what do churches talk

about now? Look at the advertising.

What what, what we have what churches advertise.

Now I see the church today, powerless, beaten, subdued and

as a result the same ravages that are tearing non believing

Australian homes, marriages, families, relationships tearing

them apart are happening to those who name the name of

Christ as well. Same rate of divorce outside the

church is now the same inside the church.

This should not be Our nation is suffering because of a weak

church that has been missing in action.

In Amos chapter 8 verse 11, the prophet said behold the days are

Amos 8:11

coming, says the Lord God, that I'll send a famine on the land,

not a famine of bread. We have everything in this

country. We're the third most wealthiest

people in the world in Australia, not a famine of bread

nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.

You know we have kids now in classes that have never ever

heard of Jesus Christ never heard of him back when I went to

school, we had religious education during school wasn't

banned then prayed on Friday the Lord's Prayer as we had our

assembly stood up and sang God save the Queen went to we've

we've been to pastors have been to 4 graduations were presented

awards on behalf the church and the schools went to one the

other day. It was the same I senior

students stood up to sing the national anthem.

You know who sang it? Me and two politicians.

Our nation is lost. Our nation is lost.

Why was Daniel morning? Daniel was fasting and praying

because two years had now passed since the 70 year period of

exile spoken of by Jeremiah. The prophet had passed for the

children of Israel and their captivity in Babylon to be over.

Cyrus, the Persian ruler has issued A decree permitting the

Israelites to return home. Remember the 14th March, 445 BC?

But out of all the 12 tribes, the thousands taken captive,

marched off that weren't slaughtered, marched off the

Babylon, only 49,697 had returned to Israel.

The others didn't want to go. Zeke, Ezra chapter 2.

Ezra 2 · chapter mention

Why were they staying? Yeah, Babylon's.

Babylon's all right. You can live in Babylon.

You don't have to do the temple stuff.

You don't have to do any God stuff.

You can do what you like. We're making money in Babylon.

Besides, we go back to Israel, go back to Jerusalem.

What's going to happen again? Unbelief.

So they stayed to Daniel. This was heartbreaking, so much

so that he is overwhelmed with grief for his people and their

lack of desire to return back to their home.

You can be sure that over our nation, Australia, over our

states, over our communities and down to our families, there are

designated powers, fallen angels whose job is to dare tear down

and destroy that which God seeks to save and redeem.

Ranks of angels from the most powerful, those over nations

like the Prince of Persia and on down.

But there was a second reason for Daniel's grief.

Those faithful servants had returned to Jerusalem.

The 49,000 were struggling, struggling under the opposition

that we're getting there. Their adversaries, the people in

opposition to the returning exiles, Pastor Israel's teaching

on at a Nehemiah, have even written a letter to the king

saying all these Jews that have come back, they're just going to

rebel. They're not going to pay taxes.

You watch, there's going to be trouble.

Ezra chapter 4 says that prayer is not something God makes you

Ezra 4 · chapter mention

do. Prayer is a battleground.

The Living Bible says this Ephesians 6, verse 10.

Ephesians 6:10

Last of all, Paul says, I want to remind you that your strength

must come from the Lord's mighty power within you.

Put on all of God's armour so that you will be able to stand

safe against all strategies and tricks of Satan.

For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood,

but against persons without bodies, the evil rulers of the

unseen world, those mighty satanic beings, great evil

Princess of darkness, who rule this world, and against huge

numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world.

Verse 10. Last of all, I want to remind

you that your strength must come from the Lord's mighty power

within you. Many of you and I understand are

struggling with what happened at Bondi.

It's really hit me you are saddened, you're angry, but many

are looking to politicians, laws, frail humanity to fix the

problem. Psalm 121 says verse 2.

From whence comes my help? Where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 42, verse 5 David says to himself, Why my soul are you

Psalms 42:5

cast down? Why you down?

Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, Daniel

tells himself, For I will yet praise him, my Saviour, Oh my

God, your strength must come from the Lord's mighty power

within you. In Ephesians chapter 3 verse 20,

Ephesians 3:20

Paul wrote now to him who is able to do exceedingly

abundantly above all that we ask or think.

That covers everything, doesn't it?

And beyond, according to the power that works in US, what is

this power? This is the same power that

raised Jesus from the dead. And that power is now available

to you and I as Christians. How the Holy Spirit has come to

take residency within you. And he, the power of the Holy

Spirit within you, releases this power to us.

You will keep. Well, what's the problem then?

How come we're not seeing that? OK, good question.

But many Christians in Australia have been cut off from this

power. How's that happened?

Through unbelief. We don't go to God.

We don't look to God. We're running our families.

We're sorting our problems out. We're raising our kids our way.

We fit in God when we can. But you know, I go, oh, I'm

busy, I have things to do today. Sunday churches should be packed

with believers, don't you think? Throughout Australia, everyone

who names the name of Christ should be in church today.

That's my opinion. We cut off, we have unbelief,

we've unconfessed sin. Remember when Daniel began to

pray in Daniel 9? Now we look at Daniel's life and

go, man, I like to be like Daniel.

How godly is he? Man prays 3 times a day, stands

up for the Lord and Daniel says and he clues himself, God

forgive me for my sins and my people.

He puts himself in there. When was the last time you as a

believer came to God and said, God, forgive me, God, cleanse

me, Lord, search my heart, see if there'd be any wickedness

within me. God, I need to repent today

before you. What was the last time you did

that? If you haven't done that, you'll

cut off from the power of God. Why?

Because any sin separates us from the love of God, separates

us from the power of God. Careless living.

That's all right. It doesn't really matter.

Worldliness 1. John tells us you cannot love

the world and love the Lord. Jesus says you can only serve

one of two masters. You'll hate 1 and love the

other. There's no such thing of sitting

on the fence. Jesus said you're either with me

or you're against me. Worldliness in our actions.

Oh yeah, but I'm pretty worldliness in our attitudes.

And a Christian robbed of power cannot be used by God.

A Christian robbed of power cannot be used by God.

John chapter 15, verse 5, Jesus said I am the vine, you are the

John 15:5

branches. He who abides in me and I am

him, that's fellowship bears much fruit, for without me you

can do nothing. Many of us are busy doing stuff.

You know what you're doing? Nothing.

Nothing. What I'm doing when I do it

myself, I'm doing nothing this morning.

You can get your hands on your spiritual wealth by opening your

heart to the Holy Spirit and praying with Paul for strength,

for the inner man, for a new depth of love.

James says you have not. Why?

You haven't even asked for it. How often parents do we say that

to kids? You know, I would have paid for

that. I would have covered that.

You have not because you have not asked.

You know we, many of us have no answers.

You know why we have no answers? We simply haven't asked at all.

We are wasting our time and our emotions, being upset with

people and I, I've been through that, upset with our government,

upset with our political leaders, upset with this, upset

with that, wasting my time, wasting my emotions when we

ought to be fighting the real enemy, the real enemy of our

souls and of our nation who seeks to control people and make

them oppose the work of God. We only have to ask Job how

powerful Satan is. He's pretty powerful and what he

can do to a family. Ask Job.

A very real spiritual battle is going on in our world and in the

sphere of the heavenlies. It's funny how people get busy

at Christmas, so busy they miss Christ at Christmas.

A very real spiritual battle is going on in our world and in the

sphere of the heavenlies, and you and I are part of the

struggle of this battle. Even if you don't think you are,

you are. We're in a fight. 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 10:4

10, verse 4, Paul tells us for the weapons of our warfare.

You know what that means? We're in a fight.

The weapons of our warfare, not carnal, Almighty in God.

What for? For pulling down strongholds,

For pulling down those powers that seek to tear your marriage

apart, that seek to break your relationship with your son, with

your daughter. You're fighting the wrong battle

and you're losing when your weapons are carnal.

In Ephesians 6, Paul commands us to put on our spiritual armour.

Why? We're soldiers, we're in a

battle, you know, it's a one off command.

It means when you put on your armour, you never take it off.

When Daniel Day Lewis trained for one of my favourite movies,

The Last the Mohicans, the musket that he carried during

his training for that movie, he carried that musket with him

wherever he went for the whole duration of that film and the

making of when he wasn't filming he was still carrying the

musket. Paul says put on the armour,

don't ever take it off. The Bible tells us we who are

followers of Christ are soldiers.

We are in a constant battle to Timothy 2 verse three.

You therefore must endure hardship.

Paul wrote to Timothy what how as a good soldier of Jesus

Christ, the next verse, no one engaged in warfare that's us

entangles himself with the affairs of this life.

Would you to really note that busy parents, busy believers

entangled in the affairs of this life.

Jesus said that that seed of the when the seed falls into that

heart, it gets choked by the cares of the world that he may

please him who enlisted him as a soldier, You know, enlisted as

as as as anything but a soldier. There's a him and I love this

him as like as a kid Onward Christian soldiers marching as

to war with the cross of Jesus going on before Christ the royal

master leads against the foe forward into battle.

See his banner go on with Christian soldiers marching as

to war with the cross of Jesus going on before.

What a great song. That's the truth of our life.

A soldier, Paul says, and avoids entanglement in non military

matters in seeking financial gain.

But Christ's soldier has his or her heart set on rather pleasing

their commanding officer. There'd been resistance to

Daniel's prayer. The Prince of Persia battled

against the messenger sent by God, and the Angel had another

battle waiting for him. The Prince of Grecia, the Medo

Persian Empire, had 200 years yet to run before the rise of

Greece. I think that Satan was out to

fight what God wanted to do. God had given the plan.

This is what's going to happen. And no, the Angel said, no,

we're not getting the Grecians, the no, the Medes and the

Persians, they're not. They're not.

And and that's where this conflict was on, because the

enemy wants to stop God's plan. He wants to deny His word and

deny His will being done on earth as it is in heaven.

These are words that speak of battle.

Conflict and prayer is where we go to battle.

It's the place where we fight, and it's the only place where

you win. It's the only place where you

win. But fighting in a battle?

Is wearying. I've been praying for my son,

been praying for my brother, praying for my dad, been praying

for my husband for so long, even for Daniel.

Our nation is dying before the eyes of the church and we are

watching. Oh yes, we are heartbroken.

Absolutely. We're angry.

My, my word, we're angry, but we're not praying, so we do

nothing in one Samuel 12 verse 23, Samuel said, moreover, is

for me. Far be it from me that I should

sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you.

Our human weakness is something that often causes us to give up.

Our lack of perseverance in prayer, our waiting on God to

answer. Many times people just give up

in prayer. Well, I, I pray nothing

happened. No, when we pray something

always happens. It's a battle.

God is listening and hearing our praying and God will answer your

prayer. Don't give up.

Daniel Chapter 9. Hear Daniel's words through that

Daniel 9 · chapter mention

prayer, that wonderful prayer. Learn it.

Daniel Chapter 9, verse 17 Now therefore our God, hear the

Daniel 9:17

prayer of your servant. I do that, God, hear me verse 18

Oh my God, incline your ear. Listen to me.

Come close and hear me. Verse 19.

Oh Lord, hear. Oh Lord, forgive.

Oh Lord, listen and act. Do not deny for your own sake,

my God, That's how you pray. God sent an Angel to help Daniel

and he came to strengthen him, to tell him not to quit.

God is in control still. The things in Bondi, yes, but

you know what? God's still ruling.

This touch that Daniel received is available for all, for every

believer in Christ who like Daniel, you set your heart to

understand, to seek God. You want to know your turn

within your heart. Your kids want to know mums,

dads, your teenagers, especially a younger one.

They want to know what's going on.

How dangerous is it? Why do these people get killed?

Tell them, take them to the word, talk to them, let pray

about it. Let their energies, their their

anguish, their, their fears and drive them into prayers to

heaven. Paul prayed in Ephesians 3 verse

Ephesians 3:14

14. These wonderful words for you

and I, he said for this reason I bow my knees to the Father of

our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and

earth is named, that he would grant you according to the

riches of his glory to be strengthened with might through

his Spirit in the inner man. Don't be weak.

But Keith, I'm fearful about the future for the one I'm praying

for you remember back in the book of Genesis on the very same

day it says Noah and Noah's sons, Shem Ham and Japheth and

Noah's wife, 3 wives of his sons and with them they entered the

ark. God said go in 120 years, Noah

had preached 120 years. They'd seen a symbol of a family

that loved God building, soaring, hammering. 120 years to

you who are struggling today, as I have been all this week since

the Bondi news broke, as we read and we study God's word even now

this morning, God's goal as it is with this Angel, as it was

with the Angel to Daniel by the Tigris River is to help you

today, help you understand. So you can't I know what's going

on. No, you, you can understand

today. I can know what will happen to

your people. He said to Daniel in the latter

days for the vision refers to many days to come.

Verse 14 what's going to happen in Australia?

I know what's going to happen to Australia.

God knows our weaknesses. He knows what I'm going to

struggle with. This is why this morning He's

reaching out to you to touch you with His Word, to strengthen you

with His word and redirect your emotions, your grief, your

anger, your mourning, to pray like you've never prayed before.

I would like to tell you that the events in Bondi are a one

off. I'd like to say that my opinion,

they already had seven men. They pulled over.

They let them go. Watch Christmas, watch Jesus

says the rumours. Watch.

We're in a war front. Garden Island.

What's happening there? U.S. troops coming here.

Hey, wake up. The world is ready for war.

Russia, NATO, the US 70 attacks just yesterday in Syria.

If you can just go about your business and roll on to the

coffee shop and, and just carry on and think your kids are going

to grow up and everything's going to be fine.

Oh my goodness. Because when Noah and his family

went into the door and went into the ark, God shut the door.

It's the Lord shut the door because the events are only

going to get worse. Daniel says Daniel 10 verse 20

Daniel 10:20

tells us, do you know I've come to you and now I must return.

What for? Everything's good now, No, to

fight with the Prince of Persia. And when I've gone forth and

indeed the Prince of Greece will come.

The Angel was going back to battle once again, again with

the Prince of Persia and also with the Prince of Greece.

The battle is not yet over. We're living in the last days,

Paul wrote in One Corinthians 15.

Brethren, flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, nor

does corruption inherit incorruption.

Behold, I tell you a mystery, something that's now revealed.

We shall not all sleep, in other words, we shall not all die, but

we shall all be changed. How quickly, in a moment, how

fast. In the twinkling.

Not the not the blinking, the twinkling of an eye at the last

trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the

dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be

changed. Genesis 713.

On the same day Noah and Noah's son, Shem, Ham and Japheth,

Noah's wife, and three wives of his sons, then entered the ark.

The 16th. So those that entered, male and

female of all flesh went in as God had commanded them, and the

Lord shut him in. Jesus said Matthew 2438.

For as in the days before the flood, they were eating,

drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah

entered the ark. You watch the day of the

rapture. People will be in the coffee

shop, people will be running, walking their dogs, going about

their business, attending weddings, going about their

thing. And you know what?

A thief will come. Keith, you really believe all

this? Really.

There was a guy who died. He was in hell, and opposite him

was Abraham. And the dead guy said you got to

send someone back to tell my brothers the truth so they don't

come where I am. And here's what he said.

If they don't hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they

persuaded, although one come back from the dead.

You want to sign 2000 years ago on a cross, a man died three

days later, he writes. Well, Keith, do you believe all

this other stuff Jesus said? The guy who died, the guy who

rose said Daniel was a prophet. He said these things are going

to happen. These are the last days.

Your prayers matter. God sent an Angel.

Why? Because the pause of Daniel's

prayer, Daniel's prayer, genuinely made a difference.

If Daniel had not prayed, the Angel would not have been sent.

We're going to celebrate Christmas.

We're going to gather. We're going to pray for our

unsaved loved ones, for our families.

When a problem comes our way, we're going to pray and seek

God. When we're angry and anxious

about our country, we're going to pray and seek God.

We're going to call on God. We're going to say, God, hear

me, God, listen to me, answer my prayer.

And you know what God's going to do?

He'll do all that you ask.