Daring Defiance | Dr Daniel Kong

You're listening to a message to go from acts church. We hope this message

will light up your day. My name is Daniel just in case you do

not know who I am. Yeah, I'm the also the one of the

leaders of the church over here. So welcome, welcome, go to see

you some of you back here, uh you know for the second time as

well. But yeah, I just wanted to quickly send greetings from Pastor Kenneth,

who is not with us today, but you know he always say,

you know, whenever you can get a chance to remember to send his greetings

and also his blessings. Right, So he's Donne that he's now based in

Quarta Kamuni, and he just got back from Indonesia, I believe, and

he also had a conference yesterday and he stands his greetings. The reason why

sometimes we are a little bit more clued into where he is because we often

send our draft message before just to get an approval a tick. So I

got the blue ticks from Pastor Canneth, so ready to go at this kidding

anyway, so that he usually says, do do send mary us to the

rest of the church. So yeah, welcome. How many of you guys

were here last week, right, what an awesome word from doctor Jill right

about radical obedience and just echoing that as well. It's not just sometimes the

word radical is always the big things, right, the you the grand kind

of thing. But no radical obedience happened every day, even at home,

wherever you are. It has to happen within the insight, not just in

the you know, the large larger events or seasons. Right, So I

encourage you if you did not catch the word. There's a copy of the

MTG. There's lots to digest in there. Pick it up or even bless

somebody with it. All right, cool? Now, today's word is taken

from Daniel. Some of you who may be journeying with, you know,

the one thirty service team. We're going to almost chapter by chapter from Daniel

one all the way to the last book in twelve, or at least that's

some intend to do. So today's Daniel six. So I'm halfway there,

all right, six? You guys like, actually, it will be here

time if you think about it, because it's only May so so doing well,

doing well. But yeah, today's story is actually quite simple. It

is the story the infamous or the very famous story of Daniel and the Lions.

Then all right, so it's almost like, if you've been a Christian

long enough, you would have even heard of this as early as the Sunday

Schools. And this is the very simplistic story, but there's also a lot

of power in the story, and hopefully today I'll do it a bit more

justice than just the simple fact of, you know, the miracle that he

wasn't eaten alive. But let's just go with it all right now. How

many of you are people pleasers? I am one. I'm sorry, just

be very honest here. When I say people pleaser, it can be a

lot of levels and how you interpret people pleaser. Some of us just do

things, you know, so that you know, we don't we're a friend,

friend, we're buddy, buddy, and then we we don't get outcast.

Okay, but sometimes the challenge really is to examine, you know,

what it actually means to be people pleasers. Okay, um and um.

As I was preparing this, h you know, some of our show later

share a video later on something something. I always feel that you know,

Instagram and all this Facebook and social media that sort of monitors what you are

looking at, what you are viewing, what you're searching, etc. And

I've also got a video feed that came in to talk about people pleasing,

which I'll share in a little while. Okay, But um, so the

big challenge for us today is actually examine really where we trust, where our

trust lies rather okay, because we are to trust in God. And if

you don't know the team for today, that's the main theme for today,

Okay, cool? All right? Now, um, why do I start

with this is because if we really believe, uh you know where or who

the ultimate I guess, ultimate force, ultimate being, uh you know God,

where God lies and who God is, your posture or even pleasing would

actually be diverted to the greater being, not just the earthly contexts. All

right. And sometimes if we believe, for example, if earthly people or

governments, or even in the workplaces, bosses and all that rule organization,

then sometimes how we behave is to please those earthly entities. Does it make

sense? Okay? I'm not saying that you don't go. I'm not saying

that you go and challenge your bosses or challenge your government. I'm just saying

that we need to always remember there is a higher kingdom right, and that's

why in this year, just in case you're not where this part of the

Heaven Rules series. Yeah, like I said, halfway there, and this

again is echoing that thing, not to fear man, but to fear God

and to obey God no matter what, to to the extent what the laws

tells you even and what culture tells you. And this is exactly what the

story of Daniel is. Okay, And I put up that photograph up there.

Actually I'm very bad titles, as you all know. I call it

daring defiance, Okay, good title or unshakable trust that rescue is near.

And sometimes it's like this, right, we hang on a while longer when

we know help is coming or rescue is coming, and I believe to as

I say, as simple as the story is, there's a lot that goes

into what is happening in Daniel's mind when he knows that help is here.

So it's not just what we say last week, the radical defiance, but

it's really understanding where the trust is so far? All right. So now,

even though as you can tell from that picture you look at it,

take away that the cartoonisha if you just imagine, if you'll fall into uh,

you know it is what this cannot be walked from Sunway University to Sunway

Pyramid. I always joke, use this joke. You know, you walk

past the white tigers, take your photo, but don't drop your phone into

the into the enclosure. Otherwise nobody's going to retrieve it. And you know

exactly what that means, right when if you go in there, there is

a lot of things that you cannot control, right, right, from the

behavior of some of these um uh you know animal behavior, right, So

that is to it's an extent um uh, the odds are not in your

favor if you do fall in there. Pretty much everybody knows that to an

extent. Right. Maybe maybe you might get away still alive, but definitely

there'll be some injuries, right if you do fall into that. Right,

So today's story is on bad odds, is it Daniel's position? Okay?

First of moological standpoint, right, the outcome seem very dire. So even

looking at that picture, I hope you can immerse yourself with what's happening there

and understand what is going through his mind. Okay, seems dire. Okay,

but God, of course you know the story God came to the rescue,

and then we all know the happy ending as early as the Bible,

sorry, the the the Sunday School stories. Okay, but there's something very

powerful as we explore Daniel's trust in the Lord. Okay, and before I

go even deeper, just to rewind back some of the chapters that I've covered

before Daniel one, the two all the way to five. We started off

hearing you know in chapter two all right, talks about King King Nebuganizer had

a dream. Remember their dream with the with the the statue of different different

materials, right, the hit was made of goal and then the others.

As you go down, the materials become cheaper and cheaper or even less and

less valuable in that sense, okay, or less stable even now, from

that the dream, the interpretation when Daniel came and he was a young boy.

Back to remind everybody was a teenager back then, right, But the

prophecy back then was that the hit itself made a goal, represents the king

and also the fall of the Babylonian Empire. Okay, And this story continues

to that stage where the Babylonian Empire has fallen. Okay, So just give

some contexts, all right, So it's not just detached stories. They're all

continuous. Okay. So we learned in that story that it was overthrown and

then of course succeeded by a few one more king before then. Right,

we did that last time around chapter five. Right, And but what unfolds

here is that the prophecy has come true now Daniel, just so that you're

aware, he's about eighty years old right now, maybe even older, whole

man a day from teenager, a bit like my son's age. He's twelve

this year. Now, imagine eighty, even older than I am, probably

even double my age. Okay. So that's the timeline, even though it's

just in a span of a few chapters. And the last session will be

when I covered Daniel chapter five. The last verse, which I put up

in a little while, says this that very night Bell Chaza okay, which

is the other king between King Nap and the current king. Okay, Bell

Chazza, the king of the Chaldeans or Chaldeans, whichever country you come from.

It's another word for Babylonian king. Okay. He was slain, means

he's defeated. La. If you remember that story that I shared the last

time when I came. That all happened in almost one particular day. Right

one moment he's king, he was celebrating, and then the next moment he

was slain in that same twenty four hours. So for those of you who

watch some series like twenty four you know that that clock ticking thing that pretty

much clicked ticked down all the way till his death, very very quickly.

And once he was slain, the ending death says this, right, and

Darius the Meat received the kingdom at the age of sixty two. So this

is where the new king comes in. So you may ask, who's this

new king? Who's King Darius? Such a cool name, actually, so

I give you me a backdrop of the king. So in chapter six is

where we begin, and I put up a slide. Who was Darius or

who is Darius depending on what you look at. So he appears in a

few books, obviously Daniel, the Book of Daniel as right himaya, okay,

And this and this story connects, of course, the death of Sorry

the Belhaze. Once he's done, this is the ascension of the new king.

Okay. But in uh, this is uh, there is the Median

Okay, it's what he's called But in Ezra the book go too deeply,

there's also another mention of another king called there is one, which they presume

is the same king. Uh, there's a bit of history there that he's

the son of I can't pronounce that word highest piece maybe, okay, but

this is the part of the Persian ruling. You can see that the timeline

of his the empire. Okay. And finally in Nihimaya there's another reference of

another ruler called there is. The Persian and Bible scholars believe that all three

are the same person. Okay, but go look up yourself. This is,

just, like I said, a simple snapshot. We always believe that

messages are not paid to be complex. But go and go deeper if you

can at home. All right, So this is just the backdrop. But

you know, he's a power king, needless to say, very strong,

a lot of strong lineage. He's in charge right now, taking over the

kingdom. He if he will high and fire as he please, and if

he's not happy, the firing probably also ends up with some death involved.

Okay. So that is the type of I guess, the type of culture

that they live in during those times. Not happy, not just your fired

like Donald Trump, but really you are, you know, chopped off,

lopped off. Ok And and the king also makes decrease or edicts in some

translations. Okay, and what decrease? These are official orders of authority.

And just to give you a background, they used to believe that kings during

that time, to a certain extent, immortal as well. You know,

the Egyptian kind of perception is the same thing. They believe that kings are

God's earthly kings are God's. So that's why when they do a decree,

it stands because it's like God's saying something, okay, and when God say

something small gear it cannot be changed. Okay. So that's the back,

backdrop and the background. Okay, But of course we know to fight the

happy ending story, we also know the gods in authority. And just in

case you don't know what I'm talking about, we're talking about God rules and

kingdom actually rules, okay, our godly kingdoms. And we're gonna go through

this entire thing through this chapter. Everybody so far with this quick snapshot background,

Okay, let me pray before I begin. All good, all right,

let's go, let's go. Okay, let's pray, Father, as

we dive into Daniel chapter sixth. Lord, I want to pray that you'll

give us all the understanding Lord, for the eyes to see and the ears

to hear, and for more importantly, Father, for hearts to be open

Lord to what your spirit has in store for us today. Lord. So

thank you Lord that having rules today and forevermore. And we want to look

into this chapter with your perspective, Lord, and we ask all this in

Jesus name me pray Amen. All right, So, as per usual,

I go through worse, per worse, Okay, so bear with me.

I've got much time today because he just handed the time to me quite early.

But I'll promise I end at three pm. Okay, that's the usual

kind of time that people sort of us say to do. I will try

my best, okay. So then chapter six verse one, okay, So

even at the very start here you can see the language being used. I've

hired some of the key points and key words over here. It says it

is it please Darius to set over the kingdom. So it actually already shows

that the authority is day to set over the kingdom. Me to say to

to to today who's in chargela okay, and it please please team a lot.

So there's probably a bit an ego in Wolf as well to that for

that king okay, and to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty set

traps okay. Now, these are little governors of different problems instans back then.

Actually I had a video, but I didn't manage to upload it on

time. It was a kids video. But they show the empire back then

with a lot of different people than they, and he cannot be he's not

really omnipresent, so he can be in every place at every one time.

So he has a lot of governors that sort of takes care of the entire

or the provinces, but over the whole kingdom. Over these governors are three

other higher ranking officials or higher ranking governors, of whom Daniel was one.

Okay, So the Saturats might give an account to them so that the king

would suffer no loss. Now, when I first read them, I'm like,

what do you mean by suffer no loss? Any ideas what the suffer

no loss actually means? Yeah, yeah, So basically no rugila. If

you understand financials are don't ruguila. Now, of course, the context is

probably they are in summer transition. They say that they one the king to

be defrauded or the kingdom to be defrauded. Okay. So remember, if

you're governing a lot of small little townships and states and all that, sometimes

the collection and all that might be a bit of effect that depending on the

person or the governor that runs it. So Daniel was put in charge to

ensure that people pay the Texas line shot to the king. Okay, okay,

yeah, okay, okay. Then number three verse three. Then this

Daniel distinguished himself a birth governess and a birth the governors and the set traps

because because an excellent spirit, and in some other transition they used the word

extraordinary spirit. Okay, was in him, and the king gave thought to

setting him over the whole realm. And it's very pi kingdom, by the

way, just in case you do not realize, it's a very bikingdom.

So the governors, the governors and the set traps sought to find some charge

against Daniel concerning the kingdom. But they could find no charge or fault because

he was faithful. He was because he was faithful, nor was there any

error or found in him I'm jumping ahead a little bit, but let's just

look at Daniel for a moment. Okay, this guy, like I said,

it's no longer a teen. He is already I think, probably eighty

years old. Okay. So if you know of a company, ever been

in a company that you have a long service or what now a day's long

service? How many years? Feel? I think it's even less the last

time he used to be ten. Right in the olden days, maybe my

parents' generation, people used to come to a company and do not leave the

company, and that's why long services or thirty years or whatever. Okay,

But nowadays I think even five is considered long service. Maybe it's the culture

of people. Progression is when they moved to some other places. I'm not

sure. Not not knocking, but this is just maybe the way the culture

is. Okay, So this guy long service life for him is seventy years,

you know, teenager, he stepped in in his first role. He's

still doing what he's doing. In fact, he's in the top, second

to the king. Right, So long series of what are seventy years?

I don't know whether we can live this long or not anyway, but but

but I don't know even how many in his room is you know, at

that age, but you know he's really really uh well a birth and beyond

his retirement age. I'm trying to say, Okay, but he still kept

doing what he does. Why because God has caught him to do what he

does. Okay. So that's just the background, the context. So he's

served, he's served under different kings, different different administrations, but still the

same God or the same Lord. Okay. So it's something that he hasn't

forgotten. And the Bible is very clear he's there because of his gifting right,

and also he is extraordinary okay, and that's why the king also even

caught his attention. Every king that has rule caught attention of him. And

so he's placed in this very good high rather position and responsibly just because of

his character or his consistency, even at the very old age. Okay.

So, like I said, trying to paying this picture hip list times people

just jumped the Daniel in the in the dense story. But forget now what

he's established so far, okay, so far all right? So um,

so it's no surprises that people are jealous, right, and who are these

people? The one hundred and twenty perhaps a big majority of them, right,

because this guy, you know, his honor is favored, has influence.

So as with any drama, TVB series, HBO series, etc.

You always see that people will scheme to take down the guy who is you

know up there, right, So this is exactly what's happening in chapter or

rather verse four. So they sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the

Kingdom finding faul. They're determin to bring him down. In short, no

matter what, I want to bring him down. Uh, though the Bible

is so very clear there is no fault of his own. So Daniel lives

in a very hostile environment. So it's not a bit of roses. The

whole hostility is not because of the lions, you know, it's even before

he was throwing the lions pit, right, there's already a hostile environment.

Those that think that office has bad politics, discern is not just a regular

bad day in the office. It's probably worse because they're out to take his

life, not just out to take him down and take him down from the

position or gaming fired. Okay, all right, cool, cool, all

right, So the worst goes on, so there's no fault, so they

look at a deadline shot. Right, I don't know what's the translation in

China, feel like breaking out into Cantonese. I don't know why. I

don't know, but I don't know why anyway. Anyway, So here's Daniel,

the man who's most integrity. Uh. You know, his opponents are

trying to put his life under the microscope and finally find something dirt in him

la and we are, of course, we know that nothing is wrong.

You can't find anything but even into this culture, right, if someone is

in a higher place in government, official government capacities, in in in politics,

even people always like to find again dirt in these why because they want

to take them down. So again, it's not very foreign. Sometimes,

how could this happen during a time? It happens today even right, you

can see how politics, you know, the law to say so much again

in the last few years. So we often look for financial scandals, you

know, moral scandals, things that are not meant to be right, so

that the person's integrity is in question, and then the person can then be

brought down. And this is exactly what's happening. There may be some hypocricy,

there, there might be some brivery involved and then the moment that happens,

okay, it's not clean, bring him down, and this is what's

happening in Daniel's time. So but nothing could be found. And it makes

me pause for a while because I have been meditating on this word as well.

If somebody would have put me under microscope like debt, will they find

anything in me or not? And that's a heart check, you know,

not just because in a position, a position of power or influence, but

just as a Christian, someone who calls herself a christ follow Okay, So

what could it be said of us that if people are looking for dirt and

finding accutions, can they find anything? Okay? So I put it this

slide, the one that says nothing could be used against Daniel. But could

this be said of us no dirt on earth on him? Rather in this

context that could support the accusations or go against even his God because his God

is in the line as well. Right. So I was having these conversation

in Jess a few times, and we always say this, there's complete trust

between the two of us. We were saying that even if you take my

phone and I take a phone, you am I am I gonna be comfortable

with her taking my phone. Sometimes they say the phone has a lot of

hidden secrets in there, right, And some people I refuse to even share

their phone the spouse because I don't know what they'll find in the kind of

thing. But Jess and I said that, you know, we complete trust,

right, But sometimes it's more like, are there any confidential things in

their work wise and all that. But even then as I'm like open bookman

can see whatever you want to see. There's no secrets, there's no scoutings

the closet. Uh. In fact, I think she knows my password anyway.

So but but but coming back to this, that is not to say

that it is God likes favorite moll. It's like a Daniel like spirit.

He's confidn't even though it's concidentally my name is Daniel. But yeah, confident

that there's nothing to find. And that's what exactly happened in that time as

well, and hopefully we're all like that, right. The testimony is that

even even to find something, there's nothing to find, Okay. But in

having said that, we also understand that we're all sinners because sometimes we think

or you find something dead means you find sin. Now, finding sin is

not an issue whether you can live with that sin because of repentance. It's

a different thing altogether. I'm talking about more. Can you be comfortable even

if somebody finding something because you've already repented. I've already reconcile, and therefore

it is still okay for you to find it again. With dramas and movies

that you think it's a politician, Yeah, everything is clean, But I

declare everything in my ES or declared any word, So what's the big deal.

I may have cheated the past, but I come clean. So that's

why I'm in We're all born sinners, but if we're exposed, are we

comfortable being exposed? Is probably how I want to frame this, Okay,

all right, So I put up the effect we're all sin us. We

all have sins that we couldn't We wouldn't want to be exposed. But if

we have come to the next level, which is to repent, no matter

how hard or how how far they find and dick, it will still be

okay because it's already out there. It wouldn't impact us. They cannot accuse

us. And that's what I meant by living life to the full. And

that's what liberty actually is, that no matter what your past has been,

it is okay. And I believe Daniel's like this because we all know that

beyond Adam, everybody has sin, all right, So he's probably also got

some dead in him, Mosola, but he's okay with it. Okay.

Context is giving me a context. All right. Now let's move on Chapter

five. Sorry, Verse five I titled this thing it's a trap. Down

to put it out first, It's a trap, okay? Why because in

this verse over here then these men said, we shall not find any charge

against Daniel, this Daniel, rather unless we find it against him concerning the

law of his God. Okay. So they thought they could trap him,

in short, finding something. And whenever I hear the word trap, I

think of this Tom and Jerry Ka, I think. But I'll come to

that in a bit, all right. So they are trying to trap him

because they're trying to use his loyalty to his God to trap him, all

right. And we read on of how this would affect. So they in

verse six days says, so these governors and set traps trunk before the king

or goldmen before the king, and said King Darius live forever. It's all

right, rub it up. Boost his ego a little bit, boost the

king's ego, that is. And then what is this? All the governors

and of the kingdom and theirs uses that set traps. The counselors the advisors

has consulted together to establish the Royal Statute to make firm a firm decree and

that whoever petitions any god or man for the for thirty days, except you,

o king, shall be cast into the dendolanes. So they basically coherest

the king to prepare this new ruling or decree. And they went in groups,

in a big group. And is this relatable even sometimes we go to

somebody in a group, right we boss, we thought this true, all

of us ninety percent people believe there's there's a survey. They thought to say

this as well, before you go up to the upper management. Right again,

not in the bad way, but sometimes we are like this. It

is a hurt mentality whenever we want to bring something in there to make a

change. Okay, but they're appealing to his ego for society, say we

honor you, king of the king, and then this is what you need

to do. All right. So now in versus eight, now old King

established the decree, signed the writings, so that it cannot be changed.

And that's what decreation she means. Because as I mentioned earlier, the people

during the time, they believe God. Sorry, the king is a small

g God. And therefore whatever that it is already said stays on. That

is the culture of that time, so it will not alter, it will

not change. So when therefore chapter verse nine, when therefore King Darius signed

the written decree, it's already set in stone, okay. So as I

said, it's a trap, okay, I put up that that that that

photograph because I know Joe will love this, quoting from Admiral Akbar. Okay,

it's a trap okay. And and so it's binding. Whatever it is

already there is binding because people believe that he is God. Right, it's

God like in that sense. In that sense, So back to Daniel again,

all his enemies sometimes even call God's enemies capital gait. God's enemies are

there to deny Daniel his faith and also there to threaten his life. And

there too, uh you know, um, you know, make sure that

the this decree is signed. It's almost like a death warrant essentially is what's

happening. It's a it's a win win situation for him either way because if

he if he bows down to the king, then they win. If he

doesn't, he gets strong the lines, then he dies also they win,

win win situation. Right. So, like I said, super super drama,

and there's a lot that goes into this planning trap before the trap actually

happens. Okay, it's irreversible. It cannot be overruled because it is set

in stone by the king. But sometimes I wonder what is our response whenever

we say things are impossible? Are God things are cannot? You don't understand

the situation that I'm in. H you know, it's it's it's it's a

dire need. I'm shooting uphill and there's no way I can get out of

this rut. You have you ever been like this before? I mean I

have always put on my hands very high. I always feel that you know,

um, I've been like that. But you know, even though the

odds against him, it's still okay. And I believe that God is also

reminding us that sometimes we forget this, that He is the over ruler of

all rules that are made here on God's kingdom. And that's why I say

the team is Heaven's heaven rules. Okay, But in case you don't remember,

that is what we're talking about. So what's our response. I put

in this funny thing as well as Star Wars arena related when they saw the

ship the battle's coming again, I'm wearing Daniel this case. It's not Daniel's

teimer. Uh. You know the faces they were like, it's really a

trap. How I'm gonna do. Everybody's panicking. But let's look at what

Daniel's response is, okay. Verse ten. Now, when Daniel knew that

the writing was signed, he went home, Ah, back then the office,

going viz la Monday, I don't know, have a meal and then

maybe figure it outlaw, Okay. But he didn't do that, and he

went up straight the upper room. Okay. His windows were opened towards Jerusalem.

He knelt down on his knees three times that day, not just once,

three times that they okay. He prayed, gave thanks before the God,

before his God, as was his as was his customs in since early

days. So here's the question. When I was meditating towards this this passage,

you know sometimes when you go in prayer whenever there is calamities or there's

troubles or there's something they need God to step in. Right, this guy

the passage is saying, right, he's going to God, not because of

pannic or not because there is a problem to solve. It is because he's

doing any anyway. So it's part of his schedule. Okay, So trying

to highlight this it because just in case people think that he's going straight up

because of the need. No, he's going there because it's oh travel a

lot of time to go home to pray, as he says there, right,

because he's been doing it every time. Now, the question I have

when I was convicted, you know, the time when we were having this

MCO and all that where our lives are transformed upside down as grown adults.

As I shared you guys, you know we have the liberty to do anything

we can. And then after that we were staring at the TV screen to

tell us or because the announcements will be telling us what we cannot do or

can do, right, and then we're like, hey, how can I

will challenge this in all like how can I be a grown out? And

I cannot be even stepping out of my house and do the guy things.

And this is exactly the context I was happening back then as well, because

suddenly a rule came that was counterculture, that was not normal. They were

saying that I'm banning prayer in the very simply sixth sense. Now if I

put out a picture over here, Um if if back then the MCO and

you remember these pictures, right famous PM was a PM nine at loose count

now PM nine right? Yeah? Back that he wasn't PM yellow Okay,

he was making all this announcements and all that. What if they say something

like this, what if the practices that you always be accustomed to is suddenly

illegal, which is what happened last night, right, Suddenly it's not so

legal for you step about the house anymore. How many these I can't remember

you right? And back then when announcement happened during that time? Is dead?

Sorry, bro, you cannot pray anymore? Hey? How lah?

I mean pray every day for three times a day. Suddenly cannot pray?

How just like last time? Right? Hey, I used to go on

there and cheer. We don't go and go to the shops or I cannot

anymore, how right, So the question is really how much of our practices

and habits do we actually change whenever sometimes the law comes in earthly laws and

again, and it's not about challenging government. Uh okay, Just in case

you are thinking that, No, it's more on what Daniel did, Okay.

But in the case of Daniel, his answer was I'll still practice it.

I'll still practice what I'm used to. In fact, I've put some

points here the next slide game. He was very purposeful in what he did.

Not to say, he actually went in hiding latter us the next tent,

okay, because it's not like he go to a public space to do

it. He's still his own home. That what he normally do it in

the tree three times a day, nothing different, But of course people follow

him. Lah. So that's why from the private it became public lah.

Kind of a scenario. Okay. So it's not showing off, that's one.

But what he did was purposeful, mean to say, he was prying

anyway. So Minus saw he bring this petition because this is something that he

needs to talk to God anyway. Since there's an appointment, you know,

like your appointment, the bossons is slipping. Oh, by the way,

boss, you know this problem like going to fix helped me, you know,

the kind of thing. So that is the content and the focus of

his prayer. Okay. Now, some things that we can see from Daniel's

approach and his prayer's habitual. Like I said, it's custom. He used

to do it every day anyway, it's not because he heard the decree.

That's what he prayed is by the way, there's a decree God, you

know that kind of a thing. Okay, And it's a private prayer,

as I mentioned, but it's just a very bold prayer. Even though he

knew that it was illegal. You know, his mouth sare came up and

say that's illegal. He still had to go and do it, but not

purposely going you know to people. Are you just do it his own private

space? Lat just like what we do. It's a sometimes we know to

say totally do things. It's a bad thing to do, but we still

do what we practice as long as we do not outwardly defile the laws of

the land. Okay, all right, So he wasn't trying to hide his

faith. He's I'm trying to say, he was still prayerful and if you

look at the verse before, right, he was facing towards Jerusalem. So

this guy, at the age of eighty, he still hasn't forgotten his roots.

You know, he's been in the foreign land for quite some time.

Those of you who sometimes live abroad, after a while, five months abroader,

you've suddenly become the culturity you talk like that. I have friends.

Last time I visited me in Australia, three months in Australia, I've been

there for nine years. Started talking to all the excent like, bro,

how long have you here? But people like that, they immersed themselves very

quickly. But he hasn't forgotten his roots. He still faces Jerusalem too,

because he understands that is his birth land, that it's his homeland. He

never forgotten his true home, his true enough, okay, he never forgotten

the god of his fathers, all right, his forefathers. So it was

very direction. So sometimes you know, our majority friends, they also face

a certain direction. Sometimes it is because a similar kind of conviction in that

sense, okay, all right. So for him is a regularity, it's

a custom, it's a rhythm. Every place, bracket spots or any sports.

In the fact, we call it muscle memory, right, because after

a while, you know, you know, you don't think anymore. That's

that's what he's doing the three times a day. It's just muscle memory,

all right, cool squash people, A man, there's a squash group here.

If you want to play squash, join them at chelcc's amazing. Yeah.

So it's just a regular prayer. It's not because a crisis is praying,

and it's also a humble prayer. He got on his knees. You

no, bro, eighty years old? You know, hey, who is

this link problem? I remember? Somebody has this problem, even I myself

sometimes you know, like at the age of half his age, getting out

the bit sometimes I can feel a bit, you know. Now, getting

down your ns is not the difficult thing. You know, you must understand

this. It's always getting up. But because this guy is doing it three

times a day, I think he's okay, lah, I think it's okay,

okay. Contextsa contexta. But coming back to this is humility. That's

why he knelt down. Okay. He could not live a day, you

know, not not praying. And of course he made the request, but

before that, he gave thanks to God. Before he prayed, again,

Uh, how many of us are Whenever the problems are, the first thing

that comes out of the mouth is like, problem, God helped me solve

it. Maybe sometimes forget to say thank you God for whatever. Amen,

he said thank you God first. Oh by the way, all right,

okay, So he was praying, hiss, interceding, and then he's giving

thanks in the midst of crisis. So, like I said, his prayer

life explains a lot. It's a lot of wisdom in his prayer life.

And like I said, the message to you today, right, is just

about having this personal relationship with God. It's the main thing, not so

much of America or the lions, but building this culture. We talked about

quiet time I think at homes a few weeks ago, and this is what

it means really to build a habit out of it, not just once a

week and once once a week, once once a day. There's already bad

minimum and this is really three times kind of a thing. And it gets

easier, right, it gets easier. So it's very powerful. It's also

very powerful. Where was I lost my train of thought? Yeah, humility.

It enabled him to basically rest any pressure that was trowing. In fact,

I think to see the extent he sort of shielded from what's about to

happen because his eyes was on God. His eyes are fixated on God,

and that's the main thing I wanted to share him. And this is I

would like to use the word typical behavior of a guy who has an alignment

of Heaven rules. Like I said, it's not natural. Right. Often

we are a team guy and always kind of things right, we first asked,

But this is really eyes on eyes on the Lord. And it's not

even his prayer. I'm quite sure he's expecting some answer, but he's not

saying that you have to answer me kind of a prayer as well. Okay,

So he went to the safe place that he's very used to and this

is what we can learn from it. Now, if back to my first

question, if we believe that earthly government's earthly kingdom's earthly companies, bosses,

etc. Rule, we will do things a bit differently. Okay. So

this guy, even at eighteen, after many many kings, he's still consistent.

He still know who God is, who his forefathers, still looking in

the right direction even though he's in another place, because he really has the

conviction that Heaven rules okay that no matter what the law says, no matter

what culture dictates, or new decrease by the king, the currency thing King,

I will still do what I because I know of the higher order.

So I will stop here for a while. Remember I mentioned to you I

promise you a video, right, I put this slight up first, the

next light game one most light Sorry, okay, every disc right, No,

maybe not never mine, but I put it out first. If you

really believe having rules, we are liberated from the fear of men. And

I say, fear men and men, you know, the earthly kind of

focus, because to really to fear God is to obey God, no matter

what the circumstance is. Okay, And I know this video is not really

higher percent related to Daniel chapter. I mean the verses I'm talking about,

but I think it's something that popped out my feet. I don't think it's

a coincidence. So I'm going to share with you guys. All right,

So how many minutes are two minutes? I think? Yeah? Thanks?

One minute? And some of you have been wrongly told that to be a

Christian you should never have anyone dislike you, and then you give in to

the spirit of fear of man. You should only and always say nice things

that you should only and always make friends. Elijah's a man of God,

and he's the most hated man in his nation because he's the one who will

not bend his knee to bail. And I think it's really curious about Elijah.

There's one hundred other prophets. What do they say, oven Like,

we agree, get him, brother, will pray for you from the cave.

He's in the fight. He leads with the chin. What I love

about Elijah, man, it's just you know, hands up, chin down,

feed forward. The report in our day would be Elijah is so mean?

What kind of believer is this? It didn't rain for three and a

half years. Look at the economy, Look at the crops, look at

the livestock. People are dying, Our nation is struggling, Our king is

crying. What kind of Christian are you? An anointed one? Repent and

then they'll be rained. No repentance, no rain, pap Who isn't it

like I said, no points it is. They cant my feet though,

but it's absolutely Sometimes we do change our ways based on what we see.

This is happening. Are always okay? We win back cool or everything is

you know, you know that our perspective change, but it's also a reminder

what we need to focus on so that we are not blinded by what's happening

around you too much. Okay, and that's what Daniel did. Okay,

Now let's come back to the verses, and I'll have to run right now.

In chapter eleven. That sorry, verse eleven. Then these men assembled

and found Daniel praying and then made this application before his God. Yeah,

it didn't affect him. He is still carry on prayer. Verse twelve.

And they went before the king, and they spoke concerning the king's decree.

Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god, small

g or man within thirty days, except you, oh King, shall be

cast into the lions? Then? Okay, So they're watching very closely,

finding again, finding that they're finding for Okay. Then the King of course

answered, this is true, or reminded, I cannot go back eadie,

right, I reset the thing ready that the thing is true according to the

law of the Medes and also Persians, which does not alter. Let me

say, it's alady set in stone. Right. So they answer it and

sit before the King that Daniel, the guy who is one of the captives

of Judah, does not does not show due regard for you, O,

King, or for the decree that you've signed, but makes his petition three

times a day. Not just once he broke the law, he broke it

three times, so deserving of three punishments kind of a thing. All right,

So they're watching and people watches us, you know, like I said,

it's as a Christian, people observe what you do, and that's so

we have to be very mindful of what we portray as well. What is

your testimony? What is his testimony? He still continues to prey three times

a day? Right, Like I said, the worst accusation that they could

make is that he prey three times is illegal. That's as much as of

game. Fine, okay, and then fourteen and the King when he heard

these words, he was greatly displeased with himself. That means he's actually a

little bit conflicted, you know, because he knows Daniel right and set his

heart on Daniel to deliver him, and he labored till the going down of

the sun to deliver him. It means I know, I started to get

him. That was what is already in the law, So Daniel, the

trustworthy servant that the king has, which has done absolutely nothing wrong. The

only thing that he did wrong is because a decree came out. You know

that cannot be reversed. Okay, okay. So fifteen then these men approached

the king and said to the king, no, sorry, no old king,

that it is the law of meadies and persians, that no decree or

statute which the king established maybe changed. So again a repetition of what was

read earlier, to say that, okay, yes, he had to punish

him no matter what. And sometimes we feel like this, right, God

is not in control anymore, sometimes because things are already set in stone,

or things are like this, it's hopeless. Why bother fighting the system?

Is how Sometimes we say it is the law, it can't change, right.

There are times on earth it actually does feel like this, that Heaven

no longer rules. And I'm quite sure to a certain extent, if then

it wasn't the man he is, then he would have felt that too.

Okay, it seems that ungodly law rule at that time, at least for

that splace, a cand ungodly politician rule over earth. Ungodly bosses rule over

that time, that period and these situation sometimes you can feel that there's no

way out. But you know, as much as we feel there's no there

is a way out. Okay, Now, one may argue, God can

just take it out of the situation, right, God can protect him from

being thrown their lions. Then then back, then, of course it can,

But it's a I maybe had this conversation just a few days ago.

If that didn't happen, now, then what story are we here to tell?

Oh, God spared Daniel from going to the lions. Then also can

see a man, you know, and sometimes you pray for that. Right,

God helped me get out that, right, don't throw me in their

lions? Then equivalent, Right, but because God let it happen in his

wisdom is an infinite wisdom allowed to happen because he wanted to show that,

you know, his servant is one that could submit to this whole concept of

heaven rules. Okay, so he cast him in the lions. Then this

is a sixteen. Sorry we're rushing here, but the King spoke saying,

Daniel, your God, whom you still continue, he will deliver you.

Hey, who's this saying? The pagan king is like saying, you know,

I hope your God can can can can jalana. Effectively, this is

a god. No, it means it's in the king himself, a small

god. Now hope that the bigger God can can can deliver. Right,

So even the king at hope, I would dare say, faith of a

master seiler, maybe a small, small hoper. But there is a testimony,

isn't it that even your enemies so to speak, can believe for something

of America to happen. And sometimes like this, right, we see people

that are faithfully doing what they do. They've seen their God deliver, you

know, deliver in them time and time again. Then they sometimes want to

ask what is that, what's so special? Or they sometimes say oh this,

yeah, I know they wouldn't do this because their God don't allow it

or whatever, but they've seen their God, as in our God, faithfully

deliver time and time again. And this is a testimony I hope that we

can give our fellow peers wherever we are place. Okay, So coming back

to this, where was I Yeah? Okay? So seventeen the stone was

brought laid on the mouth of the den the King's sealed with his own signet

ring. That means chop mohoa sign Okay, you cannot release this guy anymore

because he has to follow true his faith to the extent was sealed Daniel's faith.

So so it seems like okay, so fast forward, you know,

uh, you know in eighteen now the king went to the palace spend the

night fasting. Oh the king was so you know, we went through a

period of fleeing fasting. The king also believes, no, it's fasting.

You know, he can't eat. He also took a way od entertainment.

The musicians were sent away. He couldn't sleep even right. The king was

in distress. Why because he really cares for this guy. He admires this

guy. Sometimes your enemy feels sympathizes with you. What that means you're doing

a good job, lab bro or sister. All right, no doubt,

I have no doubt that when Dane was truine and then he also prayed la

he did. It wasn't really uh you know, mentioned too much, but

I'm quite sure because it's accustomed to it, he would have done his three

times a day kind of think. Okay, and if you jump to sumtny

too. I don't know what it's like, but now mine it says that

I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will sorry save

me from the lions mouth. I will proclaim your name to my brothers and

sisters. I will praise you in the assembly. I wonder whether that was

the same Sam say, it's actually this same context here, because he talks

about the lions mouth. Okay, nineteen. Then the king rose very early

in the morning next day. Oh, we're eager to find out what's happened.

Okay, he went to the den, and then he came to the

den. Uh if he cried out, and if the lamenting voice. And

then he said to Daniel, Daniel servant of the Living God. Again proof

that he believes he has your god capitol G whom you serve continually. So

it also understands the relationship been able to deliver it from the lions. So

extra motto. Having to believe this guy actually believed, you know, Okay,

did the king thing is possible. I believe, Sola. The question

to the answer, did he assume Daniel was dead? I don't think,

Sola, because he did ask a question, right otherwise why call out and

very especially nowise it's like Daniel, Okay, he asked a lot of questions

even after that, right do you think twice that Daniel lived? I don't

know, maybe maybe, but of course we know the miracle is that he

stepped out. Daniel responded by saying, oh, King live forever. Or

even then he said, King, bless you, King, God bless our

king King, not King Charles, but King Darius. My God sent his

angel to shut the lion's mouth so that he have not hurt me because I

was found innocent before him. And also, o King, I've done no

wrong before you. Now this is the part went to pause while because God

cleared his name in this shot one or two verses. And sometimes when you're

going through different things, calamities and all that, we always feel that,

hey, how come the righteous people are? Now? All these things are.

But here's a reminder, all persevere on. God will right the wrong

eventually. And this is how God came in and cleared his just God so

excited and through a phone. Now side story, Jess has been known by

her I T department to be a very good stress tester for different devices.

So this is her contributing to the stress testing her phone. Anyway, I

digress, I forgot where Okay, So he cleared his servants name. Okay,

God cleared servants name. Okay, and God came Rescus. And some

people believe, right, you know, we talk about angels. Right before

that we heard of the story about the three guys, the three I mean

goes in the fiery furnace. And then there's the fourth person that we're saying

about earlier, right, some people believe that's the that's the I guess the

preincarnation of it's the word preincarnation. Before Jesus came, there was like a

representative of Jesus before Jesus came later in life. Okay. The fourth angel

is God, that's what people believe. Some people believe that this angel in

this Daniel story where they close lives, could also be Jesus or God.

Okay, so again look it up if you want. But one just could

we say he's Palm study seven. The fourth seven says the Angel of the

Lord and camps around those who fear him and rescue them. So it's a

God's promise that always he'll send help your way. So that's why I started

off very early on. He's okay, he's daring because he knows the people

are coming, the chopper is coming. I'm not strengded on this island alone.

Okay, all right, so let me just quickly rush h Yeah,

Emanuel, is what I'm trying to say here. God is with us in

the King's palace, in the fiery furnace from before, the stories from before,

in the lions. Then he's always there because it's his promise. Right

now. A few more verses and then we're done. Twenty three Now.

The King was exceedingly glad for him and commanded that they should take Daniel up

out of the then and then it was taken out. I was right up

and out, and then no injury was found him okay, because he believe

also simple you or just believing you know, or some other transition. We

used the word trust. That's how he sung trust in the Lord, right,

and that's all it requires, just trust, right. Trust. The

King of course was overjoyed because you know, he's still alive. And sometimes

the I'm just gonna positive a war sometimes the greatest witness to your friends,

right, It's just how you continue to trust your Lord in every situation,

whatever you're going through, right, Sometimes you go through together in different situations,

but continue to trust the Lord and he will come eventually to overcome the

ordeal with you, okay. And the word trust or even believer is sometimes

tied to the word amen. Not Sometimes you pray, you say amen.

That is simply saying God, I trust your idea or God, I believe,

and that's why I say amen. So by you simply declaring a prayer

and saying amen, right, that is every time you do that is saying

God, I trust you. Okay. So don't use the word amen to

like leah okay, all right, So okay, So that's a power that

testimony game out twenty four and the Gate. This is the twists in the

story. They gave sorry, the king gave the command. They brought those

men who accused Daniel. They cast them down to the lions, then them

their children and their wives also know that means not just the people that are

guilty enough. And then the lions overpowered them, broke all the bones in

pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den. And I really

believe it was an extent the reason why this particular verse talks about the details,

not just the extended family, but also saying, you know how even

before reaching the bottom of the pit, the lions were sort of attacking them.

Lady is to assure Earth's right to an extent that the lions were not

hungry. It's sorry, we're not We're actually hungry. That's what I'm trying

to say, right because some people maybe the time when Daniel was down there,

they were already fed the full meal. No they weren't. They We're

definitely hungry, okay, and they were ready to break the bones. Okay,

it was really God, La, Okay, they're not sleepy. It

was really God. God rescued his servant and brought no rescue servant, but

brought judgment to the enemies. Okay. I'm gonna end with Versus study four,

and I get the extreme team to come up now, Sam. Study

four, it says many are the afflictions of the righteous. That means those

who walk in line with God's will, in accordance to his will. Basically,

Christians are just doing what you do. Sometimes there will be afflictions,

there will be adversities, La, You will go through different things. But

God, but the Lord delivers him out of them all, he guards all

his bones, not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked,

and those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. And this is exactly

what has happened. Yeah, the Lord redeems the soul of his servants,

and none of those who trust him shall be condemned. So sometimes when we

go through different calamities, like I said, we often question the timeline of

God's swooping in and saving the day. But I want us to move away

from focusing on the timeline, but rather focus on the fact that he will

still come in eventually, because that's a promise. Don't question the timeline,

just question what he's supposed to be doing till he comes. Okay, And

and again I'm not suggesting that you pray for the unrighteous people to be punished.

There's not a very good approach. We often like the worse here says

just because they're we're also even earth and them right, we want to pray

for them. We're want to pray for them to repent. We're want to

pray for them to be redeemed, rather for them to be punished. Although

God sometimes says that they will be judge eventually. But let's not come with

that heart of like vengefulness and pray for them to be judged. But rather,

I know they're going to be judged. How can I soop in to

help my friend, help somebody, even help my enemies, even though they

wronged you, to come and draw closer to God. And it's what kingdom

rules or heaven minded is like. Okay, So the tables have turned,

and in the end in Daniel six five he reads here, then King Darius

wrote to all the people, all the nations languages, that dwell in all

the earth. Peace be multiplied to you. I make a degree that in

every dominion of Miking, the men must tremble and fear before the God of

Daniel. It's a new ruling, you know, for he is the living

God, and the steadfast and sorry and steadfast forever. His kingdom is the

one which shall not be destroyed. It means, you say, you will

last on forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever.

Right. His dominion shall endure till the end. And he delivers and

rescues, and he works signs and wonders in heaven on earth. Who delivered

Daniel from the power of the lions. Now, this is not a pastor

saying this, you know, this is a pagan king who thinks is God

is saying something that will come out from you know, a past his mouth.

So something has changed, right, And I believe, like I said,

aside from the miracle of the story that we've just seen that Daniel's life

was spared, I think the bigger miracle is that this hardened heart has come

full circle and even made a ruling to say that this God is rual.

I mean, imagine this like today's world, in the last in a country

that we live in, if the current ruling person or even the king say

something of that kind of a magnitude, right, it's definitely a miracle.

No, it's definitely not something that we can I mean we can do it.

We can't influence by just being what we're supposed to be doing and really

just putting our trust in him. So Daniel's experience just now we say there's

a short cut. If you just allow him to leave or not good to

then it didn't happen the way it happened, because that allowed this king to

experience his own break true true Daniel's experience and even forced the king to an

extent to acknowledge that Heaven capital h rules. And again, this story is

a Bible story, I mean a Sunday school story. It's not just meant

for children. I think there's a lot of power in some of the simplicity

of this story. And it's for all people of all stages of life,

even you know, grown ups, because it's a timely reminder of Heaven's position.

He's merciful, he's kind, he's eternal, and he will always come

in and deliver. All we have to do is to just hang in there,

hanging there. So last verse, so Daniel prospered in the reign of

Darius, in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. So again I just put

up the next light. All earthly kings as a reminder, earthly rulers,

all earthly laws, all earthly decrease are still subjected to God's authority, to

Heaven's authority, or simply putting it, Heaven rules. So you know,

I'm a broken tape recorder every single time I come up here to talk about

this. But this is the team from Daniel one to Daniel twelve, and

that's why we don't want to just rush it because there's so much evidences of

this in every single Daniel continue to outlive different kings, and it serves yet

the King. So what I'm trying to say is that put your trust in

the Lord. Trust that he will carry you true, trust that he will

write your story wherever you are, and trust that will he will r ight

your story if you things so turn out your way, okay, And all

we have to do is just put our trust in him. Can I just

get extreme to just sing the song that we sound a little about trust.

I think that I'll come back and I'll pray and i will close