FAITH UNDER FIRE

They are in the Provence of Babylon.

Their in this place where they had been elevated to positions of authority.

Although they had come to Babylon as slaves and captives, God has His hand on them.

I have to let you know this morning that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are not their real names.

They have changed their names, their culture, and their surroundings in an effort to try and get them to change their God. It does not matter what people call you if you know who you are!

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were their Babylonian names , their real names Hananiah, Misha'el, and Azariah.

Their in a strange land and they are lifted to positions of prominence and on day King Nebuchadnezzar decides to build an image of Gold and place it on the plains of dura.

‘He says that at the sound of the music everyone is to bow and worship this golden image.

This image is setup and can be seen from all areas of Babylon and when the band begins to play everybody bows accept Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

this is nothing but a microcosm look at what we experience today when people have rejected the only true and living God and have began to worship what they call the universe,

there is no comparison when it comes to God the father, all others are simply little “g” Gods and cannot be compared as the hebrews say to ABBA FATHER, THE MOST HIGH, ELOHIM, EL-SHADDAI, YAHWEH, JEHOVAH, ADONAI,

IF ITS NOT HIM WE WILL NOT BOW!!!!!

When you are a Child of God I don’t care how you try to deny it, you are different!

What do you mean Reverend?

Children of God Approach Adversity Differently than unbelievers

Children of God don’t operate in fear, we operate in faith.

Children of God don’t give in to opposition because we’ve been designed to reposition

We have the tools and the know how to let the enemy know that

I HAVE THE FAITH THAT SEES THE INVISIBLE!

EXPECTS TE INCREDIBLE!

RECEIVES THE IMPOSSIBLE!

AND THAT CAN CONQUER ANYTHING!

FAITH, THAT UPROOTS MY PROBLEMS!

FAITH, TO KNOW GOD CAN SOLVE THEM!

FAITH, TO VISION MY FREEDOM!

I HAVE FAITH, THAT CAN CONQUER ANYTHING!

King say now look, maybe yall missed it the when the first songs came on. ill let you have that one, but when track #2 of the CD plays this time I’m looking for the 3 of you to bow,

you aint gotta stay down they long, bent get up and we can move on;

But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego could not be swayed by Insinuation They could not be detoured by Interrogation and They were not bothered with intimidation.

He heated the fire 7x hotter than it was normally heated and said to them if you do not bow this is whats gonna happen to you.

Their determination goes beyond Insinuation, beyond interrogation, beyond intimidation they were determined that in spite of the level of fire they were determined not to bow.

When your faith is under fire as a Child of God you have to know that you will be delivered.

Don’t miss this, You will be delivered to the fire, You will not miss the fire.

You are not going to avoid the furnace of affliction ,

I which I had a nice cliche, or something cute or pretty to tell you but I don’t

You are not going to go around sickness

You are not going to go around trouble

You are not going to go around trials’

You are not going to go around tribulations

You might lose everything you got

Your kids might end up in jail

Your boo might walk out

You might get sick

You might get delivered to the FIRE!!!!!

GOD DID NOT KEEP THEM FROM GOING IN THE FIRE AND HE DID NOT TAKE THEM OUT OF THE FIRE, HE DELIVERED THEM TO THE FIRE..

HERE’S THE SHOUT!!!!

King gave them another chance, they say we don’t need another chance, we made up our mind when you wrote the decree, we ain’t scared of you, BECAUSE THE GOD WE SERVE IS ABLE

IF HE DON’T SHOW UP UNTIL NEXT WEEK - HE’S ABLE.

IF HE DON’T GET HERE UNTIL LABOR DAY -HE’S ABLE.

IF HE DON’T SHOW UP UNTIL THANKSGIVING - HE’S ABLE

IF HE DON’T IT UNTIL CHRISTMAS - HE’S ABLE!!!

King its cool, do what you gonna do and we gonna do what we gone do. We already made up in our mind that we are not gonna bow.

Are God is able, BUT!!! That’s the kind of faith i’m talking about, when you can throw a conjunction into your testimony

IF I DON’T GET THE JOB -I’M GOING TO CHURCH ANYWAY

IF I DON’T GET THE HOUSE -I’M GONNA SHOUT ANYWAY

IF I DON’T GET THE LOAN - IM GONNA STILL PAY MY TITHES BECAUSE I KNOW HE HAS SOMETHING BETTER FOR ME

IF GOD DOES’NT OPEN A DOOR HE’S GONNA OPEN UP A WINDOW

BUT! BUT! BUT! BUT! BUT! IF HE DOES’NT HE’S STILL THE GOD THAT SITS HIGH AND LOOKS LOW AND HE’S STILL THE GOD THAT CAN MAKE AWAY OUT OF NO WAY....

WATCH THIS;

Their determination not to bow delivered them to the fire...

But there determination to trust God delivered them in the FIRE....

THE FIRE WAS SO HOT THAT THE MEN WHO SET IT TO BLAZE WERE KILLED INSTANTLY.

1. They Were Living—

V.26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.

2. They Were Loosed—

V.27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

3. They Were Lifted—

V.30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.