In a move that made no sense, three men stood up for the only God who could save them.

Daniel 3 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.  17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.  18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

This is the greatest example of bullying that you can cite.  A King with all the power is simply giving two choices:

Life or Death

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego chose the latter.  And that’s because life without God is no life at all.  Only God has the keys to the Kingdom.  John tells us in John 1 “to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children … ” and the greatest story of all time became narrated from an eyewitness with a front row seat.

Back to Daniel.  Different era.  SAME God.

The three men are Honorable.  They will HONOR a King … but they won’t worship him.

The three men stood Together.  To stand alone is nearly impossible.  But to have those beside you holding your arm and saying “I got you” is something that you will never forget.

The three men Weighed The Cost.  All of us would be wise to do this.

Jesus is not the enemy of mankind.

And anyone who thinks He is is deceived.

His rules are not to restrict us or to shame us … they are for our benefit.

The real enemy is the voice that tells us to “not honor your parents” or “go try it and if you like it–try it again” or the voice that tells us to live in “my truth” or all of the other theories that have run rampant through our culture.

We have lost our way … and the King who stands before us and threatens us like Nebuchadnezzar did the three men is no king at all.  He is a hateful, vengeance filled, passive aggressive heathen.  And his doom is coming.  Get away from him.  Repent.  And bring others with you … the fiery furnace was meant to be for him—not for us.

Jesus Christ said, very simply, 

John 3 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  

What a message.

It’s a message for three men standing in front of a tyrant and a message for you and me.

And it’s the best deal we’re going to get.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J