Be a Daniel (Children of GOD Not Children of Babylon)
(Part 2)

In today’s world, our cultures are much like that of Babylon.  It seems so many people in today’s world are serving as their own god.  Satan would have us believe that we must make a name for ourselves in order to succeed in this life.  He would have us to blend in with this world instead of being separate.  In today’s lesson, I hope you ask yourself this question.  When others look at me, can they tell that I am a child of The Most High…or do they just believe that I am a child of “Babylon”?  Do they know the difference?

Handout: Be A Daniel (Children of GOD Not Children of Babylon)

Teacher's Guide for this lesson

In the first part of this series, we studied Daniel chapter one.  We learned that we all have choices in this modern world/Babylon.  Will we choose to just accept this world and go along with it, or will be choose to take a stand and be Daniels of our time in this day and age that we live in. 

In the last lesson we learned that the same ways of the Babylonians in Daniel’s day are much of the same ways of people in our world today.  The ways of the world:

  1. Are interested in making a name for oneself
  2. Extremely Self Indulgent
  3. Over stimulated and must be entertained at all times.
  4. Self – Centered (me, me, me wanting more, more, more)

 

We are placed in this world but we are to come out from among them and be separate. 
(2 Corinthians 6:17)

Keeping these things in mind, we will start today’s reading in GOD’S Word in Daniel chapter 2. 
Daniel 2:1-13 “1And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. 2Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
 3And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. 4Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation. 5The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
 6But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof. 7They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it. 8The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. 9But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof. 
10The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. 11And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
12For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.
In the verses we just read, we can see that King Nebuchadnezzar has had a dream that has upset him but he cannot remember the dream and he does not understand what it means.  So he has called all the magicians, astrologers, and sorcerers together and told them to tell him his dream and to interpret it for him.  Of course these men are astounded that he would expect such a thing from them and they tell him that there isn’t a man alive that can tell him what he dreamed.  At this King Nebuchadnezzar is so furious that he demands all the wise men of the kingdom be killed and cut into pieces, this included Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego even though they had not done anything wrong.  Harsh isn’t it!  Have you ever been minding your own business and the devil pounced on you and tried to tear you into bits?  That’s his way.  Let’s read on.
Daniel 2:14-25 “  14Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon: 15He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
 16Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation. 17Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: 18That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
 19Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
 20Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: 21And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: 22He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
 23I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter. 24Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation. 25Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.”
Daniel has found out that the king is angry and has sent his soldiers out on a killing spree and he knows that their lives are in danger as well.  He goes to Arioch the captain of the guard and says please wait just a minute, don’t kill everyone, take me to the king and I will tell him his dream and interpret it for him.  Notice that Daniel was exercising his faith because he had not idea what the dream was either, but he knew that GOD would be with him.  Daniel goes back to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and they begin to pray!   They knew that prayer was their lifeline and beloved it is our lifeline too! So they begin to see GOD and ask HIM for answers to questions that only He could answer.  Are you in a place today where you have questions and you don’t understand why something has happened?  Dear One know, that GOD has all answers and there is a reason.  If you will do as Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did and get on your knees before GOD and seek His face by faith...HE will NEVER let you down! 
So in a dream at night, GOD gave Daniel the answers he had been seeking.  Then Daniel went to King Nebuchadnezzar and begins to talk to him. 
Daniel 2: 26-35 “ 26The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?
 27Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king;
 28But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;
(Praise THE LORD…There is A GOD in Heaven!)
 29As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. 30But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.
 31Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. 32This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,33His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
 34Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 35Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.”
Daniel then told the king the dream and now he will go on to tell him the interpretation of that dream.  Reading on.
Daniel 2:36-49 “ 36This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. 37Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 38And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
 39And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. 40And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
 41And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.42And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
 43And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
 44And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
 45Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
 46Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him. 47The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. 48Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. 49Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.”
That’s finishing up chapter 2 of Daniel.  Now this dream that GOD gave to Nebuchadnezzar is so interesting and we can see that most of everything Daniel said has already happened and history proves it.  The rest is yet to come.  As we go further let’s take apart this dream and see just how it happened down through the ages through history.  The dream that GOD gave Nebuchadnezzar covered the prophetic panorama of Gentile history from his reign until the forth coming reign of Jesus Christ, The Messiah.  We know that GOD turned to the gentiles after the Jews turned him away and in the book of Luke when the disciples asked Jesus what the signs would be at the end of days that Jesus said:
Luke 21:24 “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”
The times of the Gentiles is exactly what is being prophesied in Daniel 2.  Nebuchadnezzar was a gentile and he had led the jews into captivity.  Let’s look further into this dream and compare it to what has already happened in history.  We will see that history has unfolded over the centuries EXACTLY as GOD said it would in this dream.  GOD IS AMAZING!
We know by reading this chapter, that each portion of the statue in the dream represents a world empire and there have already been four.  Let’s look at each of them briefly.  We know by reading verse 38 that the head of gold on the image referred to King Nebuchadnezzar so it was The Babylonian Empire.

  1. Head of Gold - The Babylonian Empire lasted from about 626 to 539 B.C.

History proved the next part of the dream as well.  This was represented by Chest and Arms of Silver, or the second empire.  The two arms would be representative of two nations coming together as one to overthrow the Babylonians and it came to pass.

  1. Chest and Arms of Silver - The Medo-Persian Empire from 539 to 331 B.C. 

From this empire came Cyrus the great.  There were other rulers but we want to focus on him because he was called by GOD to free the Jewish captives.  We know this by reading in the book of Isaiah.  About 150 years before Cyrus was every even thought about, the prophet Isaiah wrote these words about him. 
Isaiah 44:24 “ 24Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

Isaiah 44:28 “ 28That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.”

Keep in mind that Cyrus was a Gentile Ruler…
Isaiah 45:1-5 “1Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;
 2I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:
 3And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.
 4For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
 5I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
GOD called Cyrus The Great in order to free His captives, even though Cyrus did not know GOD!  This shows us that GOD can use anyone or anything!  Praise HIS HOLY Name!  He is know as Cyrus The Great because GOD ordained it so!  The ALMIGHTY can do as HE pleases and there aren’t enough devils in hell to stop HIM!  Praise THE NAME OF THE LORD!  GOD is whether or not we believe or acknowledge HIM or not!  Isn’t that thrilling?!  Let every atheist in the world protest all they want, we know THERE IS A GOD IN HEAVEN!  Praise HIM! 
Here is something interesting.  Cyrus The Great was the very king that freed the captives of Babylon, however when he did this, there were some who did not leave, they did not go home!  They stayed in Babylon.  They had prospered so much financially in their Babylon, that they could not let it go and return to their homeland.  It’s called, Friendly Captivity. 
Doesn’t that happen so much in the world today?  There are sadly so many Christians…Children of GOD, who have prospered so much and gained the world’s pleasures that they cannot let it go.  They have accepted their captivity and they have adapted and blended in so that no one can tell that they belong to GOD.  They have become just like the children of Babylon.  Have you allowed this world/Babylon to influence you, or have you been an influence to this world, “your Babylon” for the glory of GOD your Father?  Jesus commanded that we separate ourselves. 
2 Corinthians 6:17-18 “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith The LORD, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith The LORD Almighty.”
1 John 2:15-17 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.  If any man love the world, the love of The Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of The Father, but is of the world.  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of GOD abideth for ever.”
Beloved search your heart right now.  Have you just absorbed and adapted so much to your Babylon that no one knows that you have been chosen by GOD?  Yes we have to live in the world, we live in this culture, but we do not have to take part in their ways.  Are you just a Christian on Sundays?  Can those around you see that there is something different about you.  Do you live a life of integrity and to lift up the name of JESUS.  Do you allow HIS light to shine through you to a lost and dying world?  Do you ever mention Him at all?  If you are different, then Praise The LORD, but if you are not, come out from among them.  Let HIM shine through you. 
1 Peter 2:9-12 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people: that ye should shew forth the praises of HIM who hath called you out of darkness into HIS marvelous light:  Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of GOD: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.  Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.  Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas, they speak against you as evil doers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify GOD in the day of visitation.”
Yes I understand that we must be culturally acceptable, in that we wear the same clothing that is now, and we live and work in this world and those are not bad, but we can live in this culture and be part of the culture but not partake in the sin and the evil ways. 
No one can see your heart but The LORD GOD, so how do others know if you are a child of GOD or a child of “Babylon”?  The see by your works and how you live every day!
Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

James 1:22 “But be ye doers of The Word, and not hearers only , deceiving your own selves.”

Trust me my friends, you and I do not want to be children of darkness, children of this world, children of our “Babylon.”  No we want to stand out as Children of Almighty GOD!  In the end just blending in like the others in Daniels day isn’t worth it!  We want to be Daniel’s of our generation!  Praise The LORD!  Yes we do!  We have to keep remembering where our true home is.  Our true Home is with The LORD.  It reminds me of an old hymn we sing at church. 

“This world is not my home, I’m just passing through, my treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue.  The angels beckon me, from Heaven’s open door and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore!”

When this life is over, all that will matter is what you did for The LORD JESUS CHRIST! 

Now, our third empire in history, that came after the Medo-Persian Empire, represented on the statue in King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream as the belly and thighs of brass was the Grecian Empire.

  1. Belly and Thighs of Brass - Grecian Empire – The Greek Empire ruled from about 331 to 63 B.C.

 

This brings us to the fourth empire represented on the statue by the legs of Iron.

This fourth empire to arise after the Grecian Empire was the Roman Empire.

  1. Legs of Iron - Roman Empire – The Roman Empire ruled from about 63 B.C. to A.D. 476

 

This empire went well into the time of the New Testament Church.  In fact they believed that JESUS would come and set up His Kingdom then and overthrow the Roman empire.  We know now that was not His plan at all.  I read this in a commentary that a Pastor wrote on this subject.  His name is Pastor Ray Stedmon.  Pastor Stedmon writes this:

Pastor Ray Stedmon
The Roman Empire was soon divided into two portions, corresponding to the two legs of iron of this image. One division was in the West, centered in Rome; the other was in the East, with Constantinople its capital, and became the Byzantine empire which colonized toward the north, into Russia, and into the east, to Persia, Iran and Iraq, and spread Byzantine culture all through the area.
In the West the empire centered on Rome. It first mastered the whole of the Mediterranean area and Western Europe and even after the fall of Rome itself continued to dominate as the kingdoms of Europe, the monarchies of France, of Germany, Spain, Great Britain and Portugal. These, in turn, began to reach into the western hemisphere after Christopher Columbus discovered the New World.

  1. In other words, if this Roman empire is represented by the two legs, east and west…we came from the west side of the Roman Empire
  2. Every single nation of this western hemisphere was begun by one of the nations of the Roman empire.

The entire Western world is Roman to the core.

    1. We have a Senate which is one of the fundamental bases of our government, and which we copied directly from the Roman senate.
    2. The very republican form of the United States government is based upon the republic of Rome.
    3. Our courts, our laws, our military, all reflect forms of the Roman Empire.
    4. our national symbol from Rome. The American eagle is known throughout the world as were the Roman eagles in the days of Rome's power.

Food for Thought
When we were told in Daniel that this Roman Empire, the legs of Iron on the statue,  would have effects on down through the legs and through the toes…we are seeing this happen now and even more so with these 10 nations to come. You can read more about this in Revelation and in the later chapters in Daniel.  Ten toes are representative of a 10 nation confederacy that will form and rule the world. 
It came to pass…and the REST WILL TOO!  
Daniel 2: 34-37  “ 34Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
 35Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
Interpretation Daniel 2:44-45 “44And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
 45Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
UnCut Stone 
Let’s look further into the representation of this uncut Stone.  We understand by reading more in GOD’S Word about what is to come that this unhewn Stone represents the Kingdom of JESUS CHRIST that is coming.  He will set up His throne in Jerusalem and the whole earth will praise Him!  He will smash every other Kingdom and to His throne there will be no end!  Let’s go further on how we seen that JESUS CHRIST is this uncut stone.
Joshua 8:30-31 “ 30Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal, 31As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.”
The Alter of Sacrifice to GOD had to be made from uncut stones.  It had to be of stones that were naturally cut…they could not cut the stones themselves.  We find this in Exodus 20, GOD said this:

Exodus 20:25 “And if thou wilt make Me an alter of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.”

The Kingdom of GOD is from an uncut stone, no man has put his hand upon this.  It is of GOD not man. We understand that is representive of GOD about JESUS saying No man cut the hands and feet of My SON.  The stone was cut by The FATHER HIMSELF so that men and women boy and girl could be saved…Praise The LORD!  Jesus said:

John 10:14-18 “I am the Good Shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.  As The Father knoweth me, even so know I The Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.  And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd.  Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself.  I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.  This commandment have I received of My Father.”

Now let’s go to Psalms.  Psalm 118 is a group of songs called Hallel by the Jews and they are said at every Passover meal.  The Father of the family tells the story of Passover and the exit of captivity out of Egypt and they go through these Psalms 113 to 118.

The father has the most significant role and at the last supper of the disciples and Jesus they went through these Psalms.  So JESUS at the Passover before HE was crucified, would have acted as Father to the disciples and these Psalms would have been said and some of the last words at this Passover from JESUS would have been the last verses of Psalm 118.  Keep in mind HE knew what was about to happen to HIM as HE  said these words to HIS disciples.
Psalm 118:22-29 “22The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner 23This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. 24This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. 25Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. 26Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD. 27God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. 28Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee. 29O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
Verse 22. The stone which the builders rejected is become the head stone of the corner.
Now at the time, the disciples were unaware that JESUS was referring to Himself and what was about to happen in a few hours.  How amazing that Jesus was joyful and said those words, this is the day that The LORD has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it when He knew what agony was waiting for Him in the hours that followed.  What an amazing Savior we serve!  Later after these things came to pass, the disciples understood what He was talking about and we see Peter repeating this in his book.
1 Peter 2:7 “ 7Unto you therefore which believe He is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,”
Peter understood!  He got it!
The temple of the LORD that Solomon built, the stones had to be cut at another location because they could not be cut on the premises, so that the sound of iron could not be heard. 1 Kings 6:7
“The story goes that while building Solomon’s temple one day the workmen from the quarry sent to the Temple site an oddly carved stone. The Temple workmen did not know its purpose and set it to the side because it did not fit. Time goes by. The building progresses and the Temple is near completion. The key arch for the Temple is about to be finished and the workmen at the Temple send to the quarry the request for the capstone. A capstone, as you know, is the key stone in an arch. It is the stone that sits in the center of the arch and by its shape and placement, is the keystone enabling all the other stones of the arch to stand together. The guys at the quarry receive the request for the capstone and they in turn send back a message saying that the Temple workmen had already received the capstone, that they had sent it to them some time previously. The workmen at the Temple are puzzled. They do not have the missing stone: nothing extra is lying around at the work site. Then one remembers the odd shaped stone sent earlier, forgotten, discarded and covered in the valley. They send workers to retrieve the rejected stone and discover that it is in fact the keystone, the capstone, the stone that will hold the archway of the Temple in place” 
1 Peter 2:3-6 “If so be ye have tasted that The LORD is gracious.  To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of GOD, and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a Spiritual house, an Holy Priesthood, to offer up Spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to GOD by JESUS CHRIST.  Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a Chief Corner Stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded.”
This tells us that we are living stones built up a Spiritual house or Temple of GOD.  We understand that Jesus Christ is our very foundation and He is what holds us together.  He came as a baby in a manger, and then He was crucified on a cross.  He didn’t fit to them. As the Messiah, He just didn’t fit they thought, but praise HIM the next time He comes…they will see, that He indeed was who He said He was and they will see that He did fit all along.  Praise The LORD
The first time HE came HE was the stone rejected…the next time He comes as  MIGHTY stone smashing the kingdoms of this world…The MIGHTY ROCK OF AGES!
TRUST HIM…PRAISE HIM!  HE is coming…and His Kingdom will be FOREVER! 
Lastly, I want you to notice something with me.  In the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar.  Notice that as we go down the image, the material that it is made up of increases in strength, but it decreases in value. 

  1. The Head - Gold
  2. The Chest and Arms- Silver
  3. Belly and Thighs – Brass
  4. Leg – Iron
  5. Feet and Toes – Iron and Clay

Isn’t this right on the mark of how our world and our society has become?  We have grown more and more in our strength and power.  We have grown in our military, our technology, and in our wealth, but at what cost?  Our strength went up, but our moral value went way down.  We have traded our moral value for popularity and power and strength and now we are going down down down.  It isn’t worth it!
Dear Children of GOD, I  plead with you today, don’t sell out.  Don’t trade your integrity for popularity.  At your places of business don’t trade your morals for a higher job.  Young people don’t trade your morals for popularity and acceptance from your peers.  Hold on to the treasures that GOD has given you, because what you gain is not worth what you have to pay for it!  IT’S NOT WORTH IT! 
I challenge you all today, be a Daniel in this generation that GOD has placed you in.  Bloom where you have been planted.  No matter how hard it is or how much it may hurt, know that GOD will always be faithful to you and if you will stand for what is right, and come out from among the world and be a Daniel, HE WILL LIFT YOU UP IN DUE TIME! 
I leave you with this promise in GOD’S Word
Galatians 6:9 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
Dare to be a Daniel, do not give up for The LORD your GOD is with you wherever you go!
Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The LORD shall be saved.”
Dear Righteous, Heavenly Father,
Father we come to You once again thanking You for what You have done.  Thanking You for Your Word.  We know that every thing You say is true and it will come to pass.  Father we are asking today that You help us to become Daniels of our generation.  That we will not adapt and absorb into this world but that we will come out from among them and allow Your light and Your truth to shine through us to a dark world dying in sin.  Thank You LORD that YOU are Father to us and that You will lead us in the right paths.  Help us to not sell our Moral values and our integrity for the strength and the pleasures of this world no matter how it may appeal to our flesh nature.  Help us to remember that this is not our real home and that what You have in store for those who love You cannot even begin to be imagined by our feeble minds.  Thank You for making us worthy through Your Lovely Son JESUS CHRIST.  I ask You to strengthen and bless each and every one that is reading today, and we thank You for supplying every need because You promised you would for Your children.  I ask that You convict the hearts of those who do not know Your SON JESUS by Your Precious Holy Spirit, that they would believe and call out to HIM and be saved before it is ever lasting to late.  In the mighty name of Your Son JESUS we ask and pray…Amen!
 

~*cindygirl*~
April, 2015