Are you a Daniel?

     I hear people say, "We can't allow people to remove God from this and that."  I do agree.  The problem is that there has always been people trying to remove God from things.  There always will be people who will attempt to remove God. The problem is God's people run around throwing fits and complaining.  They click "LIKE" on Facebook to these things.  They even forward emails that say these things.  That sounds great.  We take action into our own hands.  Everyone says, "We can fix this.  Our country is going down the tubes and it is all this particular political parties fault.  We can fix it by voting the other way!"  Sure, people voted the other way and things may slowly get better, but are we missing the point?

     In the Old Testament God used others to accomplish things with his people.  It is all through our Bibles that we lay on the counter after a service and pick it up in that same spot for the next service.  Read the Bible, you will see what I mean.  God sent struggles not to punish his people, but to call them to repentance!  (Amos 4:10)  God sent pestilence and war as a call to repentance!  Maybe, this country needs to repent. 

     Are we repenting to God or striking out at those who threaten our way of life?  Some guy says we can't do this or that because it has to do with God so we plan an attack on we can stop them.  God says he will avenge us when we suffer for him!  (Rom 12:19)

     Consider Daniel, he was told by man not to pray. (Dan 6:6-9)  This sounds similar to us being told not to pray in schools and court proceedings, does it not?  Daniel didn't fight the injunction.  He didn't rally all his friends together and cry about what was done.  He just kept doing what he always had done.  He prayed! (Dan 6:10)  Take special notice that Daniel DID NOT open the window.  Thus, the window of prayer is always open!  Daniel remained obedient no matter what man said.  He continued to pray.  God used that obedient man in a mighty way.  We all know about the miracle of Daniel and the lion's den.  The thing that is never mentioned is Daniel's willingness to pay a price prior to this miracle ever taking place.  Today, we want the miracles, but we are not willing to pay a price.  

     We must turn to God in repentance and prayer.  We must remain faithful.  God, will heal this country not a new political party!  People will always be trying to remove God from his people.  The question is will his people trust God and remain obedient?  Do you witness to others when you are told not to?  Do you confess Christ when people ask you not to?  Do you take God with you all week or leave him wherever you worshiped him on the Lord's Day?  Are you a Daniel?

     Everyone wants to be saved.  So many men say, "This is what the Bible says to be saved."  For the most part they are partly correct and you must remember this saying, "A HALF TRUTH IS A WHOLE LIE."  The Bible is a complete work.  We must look at the entire body of work to see what we must do to be saved, not just one or two parts.  Consider the following illustration.

     You want to be a mechanic so you buy a book called, "Be A Mechanic."  Does just owning that book make you a mechanic?  No, certainly not.  The first section says you must have tools.  The second section says you must have a shop to use the tools.  The final section teaches you how to use the tools. You then go out and buy tools.  Are you now a mechanic?  No, just doing part of what that book says does not make you a mechanic.  You must do what the rest of the book says right?  The same thought applies to our salvation and the Bible.  Just owning a Bible doesn't save you.  Having a place to worship(shop) doesn't save you.  You must do everything the Bible says in order to be saved.

    Let's look at the phrase "be saved."  The Bible says the following:

BELIEVE:              Jn 3:16,17

REPENT:                  Acts 2:38-40

CONFESS:               Rom 10:9

BAPTISM:               Mk 16:16

FAITHFULNESS:    Mt 24:13

     Now, if you must to everything a mechanic book says to be a mechanic. Wouldn't you have to do everything the Bible says to be saved?  Yes, you sure would.  Remember the quote, "A half truth is a whole lie."  

     Today, I ask you to be a Daniel.  Today, turn to God and allow him to heal you and this country!

Have a red letter day,

Chad