Daniel chapter one Daniel chapter one will read the first eight verses here in just a moment. From Daniel one. So, I've entitled the sermon today, Brightly Shining in the Darkness. This is part of a series on being a light in an increasingly post Christian culture. We used to say we live in a what kind of nation?

A Christian nation. I hear that said less and less today because sadly, it is less and less true as time goes along. We seem to drift further and further away from the Lord in our country, away from his word, away from the values that are taught in Christ away from the preaching and teaching and of the gospel and people having interest in it. People often through this time as we're getting starting to start businesses back up. They're they're flooding into businesses.

They're flooding into restaurants. They have to keep people. I don't know how many times you've gone past a store and you've seen a line outside the store. We went to Joanne Fabrics, last week. Not on my account, but I went with my wife to get something.

And we had to stand in line for about fifteen minutes before we could get into Joanne Fabrics because you know they can only have 25% or 50% whatever the case may be and so we see quite a bit of that sadly you didn't have to stand in line to get into our our church building today. I mean, I'm glad you didn't but at the same time, it would be nice to have so many people come out that that the numbers was an issue. Thankfully, it it we didn't have that issue but but people are not flocking back to churches we're not even back up to where we were now I understand that there are some who don't feel comfortable coming out yet and and that is very understandable but but I would love to see at least every other pew packed every six feet apart. That would be that would be nice to see but the interest in the gospel in our country is waning. The interest in God's word is waning.

We are living more and more in a post Christian society and it is important as that is the case. As that is the day in which we live such a time as this, that we be a light in our present place and time and commitment to Christ to God is above all paramount. If we are to be a light and a testimony to Christ, it begins with a commitment on our part. Christ already made the commitment on his part. Christ came.

He died on the cross for our sins. He rose again from the dead. He went back to heaven. He's prepared a place for us. He is interceding in our behalf and inviting all to come to him by faith.

He did all that work already in our behalf. It is our opportunity now to receive that gift by faith but also as children of God to commit ourselves to the mission that God has given us to be salt and light in the earth in the day in which we live and that takes something called commitment and we see that here in the life of Daniel and his friends. In Daniel one, we learn how Daniel and his friends deal with the attempt of the Babylonian culture and king to erase their traditions and faith via reeducation and so let's read Daniel chapter one and verses one through eight. In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, came Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his God, and he brought the vessels into the treasury house of his God and the king spake unto Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs that he should bring certain of the children of Israel and of the king's seed and of the princes, children in whom was no blemish but well favored and skillful in all wisdom and cunning in knowledge and understanding science and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace and whom they might teach the learning and tongue of the Chaldeans and the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat and of the wine which he drank.

So, nourishing them three years that at the end thereof, they might stand before the king. This is a three year reeducation in Babylon. Verse six, now among these were of the children of Judah, therefore, named here, Daniel, Hananiah, Michel, and Azariah. Unto whom the prince, the eunuchs gave names, for he gave unto Daniel, the name Belteshazzar, and to Hananiah of Shadrach, and to Hananiah of Shadrach and to Mishael of Meshach and to Azariah of Abednego but Daniel, what's the next word? Purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself which with the portion of the king's meat nor with the wine which he drank.

Therefore, he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more before we continue. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for this day. Thank you for your word and the example of Daniel that you've recorded and preserved here for us as an example of the kind of commitment that we should have also as children of God. As an example of how we can shine our light in the dark world in which we live.

Lord, we thank you for Jesus Christ, our savior, and for coming to this dark world to die on the cross for our sins, that we through faith in you might be saved and Lord we pray that you'd help us to be a bright and shining light today give us understanding as we look into your word and may Christ be glorified and magnified and all that said and done in this place today. In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen. Amen. The Babylonian culture was built upon a foundation of polytheism that's the worship of many different gods and superstition and so called science as is mentioned here in the passage.

Like many other ancient cultures, the Babylonians were not particularly interested in assimilating other cultural ideas. They assimilated people but not their cultures. So, when they brought people to Babylon, they they weren't interested in learning from them. They were interested in changing them to make them fit into their culture, their beliefs, and their learning. So was the case with Daniel and his friends.

They were carried away from their homes and their families. Their families were sadly likely killed and they were taken captive to serve in Babylon, the home of their captors. As they were of appropriate age, physique, and intelligence, they were brought into the palace where reeducation in Babylonian ways commenced that they might serve the king in the palace. You can only imagine what was going on in the minds of these young men as they are stripped from their homes, as they are placed in the palace in a culture and a tongue that was foreign to them. I I I cannot imagine.

These young men were probably about Joshua's age. My son, when 15 years old or about, when they were taken captive and put into this very difficult situation and so our story begins with four young men groomed for service in the palace of the king, a process begun to strip them of their former heritage and mold them into good Babylonians. And do not be deceived. There are many in this world and there's much of this world system today that is trying to do the very same thing. To us.

The devil wants to use the system around us to mold us into his image and not into the image of Jesus Christ. The system is trying to mold the minds of our children to conform them to its belief system and not to the word of God and that is what is happening with this young man. First of all, we see their pagan education. They were to be taught the learning and the tongue of the what? The Chaldeans, the Babylonians.

They were brought to the palace for three years of education to be reeducated in the ways of Babylon. In Colossians two eight, think I have this on the screen for you here. Colossians two eight, it says this, beware, lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of man, after the rudiments of the world, and not after who? And not after Christ. Paul writes to the Christians, the newborn Christians at the Church of Colossians says to them, the devil is out to get you.

The world, the sinful world, unsaved world that you live in, wants to pull you back in, wants to bring you back into its its image from what, from whence you were saved. So, beware that you not be confused or spoiled by these teachings of the world around you and this is the case with Daniel and his friends. They were brought into this taken out of their Hebrew culture. These were young men who it would seem were brought up in God fearing homes, okay? Based upon their actions here and now placed into a place that is anything but true God fearing.

To be remade. This means undoubtedly they were taught many things which were contrary to their Hebrew upbringing and they had no choice but to sit there and listen. They were slaves. They were captives. But they did not have to what?

They could be forced to listen but they didn't have to do what? They didn't have to believe. They didn't have to accept those things taught them that were contrary to what? They were contrary to the law of the Lord, to the word of God. At times, you may have to listen to what the world has to say but you can stay true to God by choosing his truth over the lies of the world.

Just because somebody says a lie over and over again does not make it the what? Does not make it the truth, okay? And we must stand on the truth. We must not accept the lies just because the majority of people are saying them or because the people that are talking the loudest in the world in which we live are saying these things. We must stand for the truth.

Now, not all secular education is bad by any means. There is much we can learn from even unsafe professors and teachers on a great many subjects. I had a psychology in college, Christian college, Christian professor and he said this when we started psychology's class. He said, all truth is God's truth and so it is. All truth is God's truth.

No matter where that truth comes from, it is if it is true, it it comes from God, okay? All truth is God's truth and there are truths that are not found in scripture. For instance, you don't learn about electrons in scripture. You don't learn about electricity. You don't learn how to fix a car.

You don't learn how to cook a cake. There's certain things you don't learn about in scripture, okay? Scripture teaches us the things of mainly of spiritual things that we must know in order to serve who? To serve God. If you want to learn how to fix a car, then you need to look in a manual on how to fix a car, okay?

Not everything a professor teaches in school is bad. Many things are good. Many things are necessary. Many things are true. But we need discernment as Christians to know the truth from the lies.

We need discernment to know the truth from the lies. What is going to help us to determine the truth from the lies? Well, first of all, the scripture. The scripture is going to help us. The things that are taught that are contrary to the scripture must not be what?

They must not be true because this is whose word. God's word and God does not what? And God is not a lie. So, therefore, I use the scriptures to help me especially when I'm sitting in psychology class, okay? To know the truth from the lie.

Also, God has given to us a tool and actually a person who lives inside of our heart to help us discern the truth from the lie and he is called who? The Holy Spirit. He has given to us his Holy Spirit to guide us into all what? To guide us in all truth. So, has given us his word to help us to discern the truth.

He has given us his spirit to help us to discern the truth and he and also, We need to use a little due diligence and study on our part. He has given to us a lot, a mind. Use it, okay? Use it and a little due diligence may be required on our part to figure out that which is true and that which is a a lie and I'm afraid that often times, one or all of these areas are lacking in the lives of Christians today. They either don't know God's word like they should so they have a hard time discerning or they're not listening to the spirit.

They pushed him away by all the junk we've pushed in our mind. Or we just are not willing to commit ourselves to the time necessary to find out that which is true and that which is false and so what happens is we gobble up the what? We gobble up the lies because we are not being discerning. We need to be. We need to be careful to be circumspect.

Be vigilant, the Bible says in Peter, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, as a roaming lion, as a roaring lion roams about seeking whom he what? He may devour. Be, don't be, don't be deceived. Satan is out there. His minions are out there.

His tools are out there in humanity that he is using to try to deceive mankind to destroy our faith. He will lose in the end but that doesn't mean he's not going to try, okay? And if we try to defeat him in the flesh, we're going to lose. We need to walk in the what? To walk in the spirit.

And Satan has many in the world in his back pocket. The world does have an agenda beyond teaching you the electron shells in an atom. So, be vigilant because there's a lot of error mixed in with the what? Mixed in with the truth and we need to be able to see the truth from the error and recognize that this is the case. So, we see here the worlds or the Babylonians attempt to reeducate Daniel and his friends.

In the things of the world. Contrary to the things of the Lord. Their worship was denied. Now, it doesn't say that specifically but there can be no doubt that these young men were not allowed freedom of religion in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar. Praise God.

We still have freedom of religion here but there are definitely those who would like to take it from us in our media, in our universities, and in our government. If we take our freedom for granted, what will happen? We will lose it and I'm afraid we are. Little by little, inch by inch. We're losing our freedoms and the sad reality is we're not really taking advantage of them while we have them and I think sometimes God allows things to be taken away from us which we see of little value.

I'm afraid it's true of even Christians today. We see of little value, the freedom we have to worship Christ and to tell others about him and to be a light and a testimony in this dark world. Praise God. We still have that but beware, there are those who want to take it away. Not only did they deny them, I'm sure elements of their worship but they actually tried to break them from their former identities to embrace new identities as servants of the king by changing their what?

By changing their names, okay? One of the first things they did when they came into the palace is they changed their names. Daniel means God is my judge was changed to Belteshazzar. Baal protect his life. Baal is one of the Babylonian gods.

Hananiah means the Lord is gracious. His name was changed to Shadrach, command of the moon God. Mishael means who is like God, changed to Meshach, who is like a coup, another Babylonian God. Azariah, meaning the Lord is my helper, was changed to Abednego, meaning the servant of Nego, another Babylonian God. As you can see from the change in their names, it was also an attempt to disconnect them from their God and to reconnect them to the gods of Babylon.

Cults and other religions still do that today with their converts to help them forget their former lives and beliefs and heritage. Anybody know Cassius Clay? Who's Cassius Clay? Muhammad Ali. His name was Cassius Clay.

He changed it to Muhammad Ali. Well, why in the world would he do that? He became a what? He became a Muslim and he changed his name to reflect his new religion and his new belief. From Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali.

And while the world may not try to change our names, it will try to change at least one name. Jesus Christ. Either by removing it from our vocabulary or from our hearts and minds. Sad to say, some people today, Jesus Christ is a cuss word. Is a swear word and that's the only time they use his name And to other people, they don't even know it and to others, they know nothing about him.

Just a little over a hundred years ago and I had a copy. I don't have it with me this morning. The New England primer or primer used in public schools in New England used bible verses to teach the alphabet. Each letter of the alphabet was connected to a verse of scripture and that's how they learned the alphabet one hundred years ago in The United States Of America. The Bible was a textbook in our schools.

Prayers made in the name of Jesus Christ were part of the daily routine. Look how far we've come. You can't hardly mention the name. Jesus or carry a Bible today. In many of our public schools.

It is frowned upon if not denied. How sad that is? Trying to strip us of the name Jesus Christ and his name from our memory. That's what the king of Babylon was hoping to do to Daniel and his friends. The last thing mentioned here that they changed was their diet.

They changed their diet. They gave them the king's meat. These were forbidden meats offered to idols. These were meats that the Jews were not allowed to eat. These were meats that had been offered likely unto idols and they were forbidden of the Jews.

Also, the king's drink being wine or what's referred to in Proverbs as strong drink. Food was placed before them to eat which was contrary to the Hebrew dietary laws. These young men could not stop people from calling them by their new names. They could not make their teachers teach them the truth but they could resist putting pagan food in their mouth and so that's what they did and we'll come to that a little more in just a second. But as the world try to defile these young men and change them by these methods, the world strives to take God's children today and conform them back to the image of the world and the Lord and the Lord warns us that this is happening and to resist it.

Romans chapter 12 verse two. Paul speaking to Christians says and be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is a good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Satan wants to conform us back to the image of the world, to the image of our former selves without Christ. We need to resist that. We need to recognize that and resist it as these young men did.

They saw this attempt to change their diet as an attempt to change them and to conform them into Babylonians and not Jews and not God fearing by God fearing believers. First John two fifteen says this, 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. You have to make a choice. Are you going to choose to cave to the world and to its pressures, to the love of things of the world that you're not willing to let go or are you going to choose to love Christ and let those things go, to take a stand for him and against the things of the world.

In James four four, it says, friendship with the world is enmity with God. You cannot serve two masters, Jesus said. You must choose one or the other. We need to use Christ. In a post Christian culture where God is no longer recognized as the creator and his word is the truth.

Some in positions of authority and influence will do their best to try to erase the beliefs and our beliefs and morals and cram theirs down our throats. Sad to say in many instances and in many ways, they are the enemies of God. Three things here. They're on a mission to educate our children in the ways of the world. To persuade them and us that the old ways, values, and beliefs are not merely obsolete but evil and must be discarded.

That's what you hear from the world today often times. The morals that we hold to that are taught in the scripture are not merely obsolete in their mind. They are evil. And that's what they are trying to teach our children. It is evil to spank your child.

That's what they teach us but God's word says, he that spareth his rod hateth his son. They tell us it is evil to teach our children that God created the world but the Bible says in the beginning, what? God created the heaven and the earth. They teach us that it is evil for us to teach people, to tell people that they must repent and trust Christ that he is the only way. Yet, Jesus said, I am the only way, the truth, and the life.

No man comes to the father but by me. They say it is evil to tell people right from wrong and to choose our companions based upon it. But we must stand for the truth. And it is not wrong to teach people right from wrong. Truth from error.

That which pleases God. In contrast to that which is not. They're on a mission to educate our children this way. They are on a mission through entertainment to attempt to convince the next generation that morality be it honesty or purity are holding them back from the pleasures that they should enjoy without restriction. That's what their music's about.

That's what much of their their films and TV is about. Anything goes. Gratify the flesh. Have fun. Don't let anybody tell you.

That you can't do this or you can't do that. It's like Satan in the Garden of Eden telling Eve, you know, God doesn't want you to, God isn't restricting you from that fruit because it's going to kill you. God's restricting you from that fruit because he doesn't want you to have any fun. He doesn't want you to be like him. That's why God is restricting you from that and that's what they teach today through our entertainment system.

They use their power to rewrite our past to exclude God and to erase him from the public form and threaten our right to freedom religion based on the basis that the exercise of our freedom to worship and serve Christ is a danger to our society and if you listen close, you will hear that. Telling people that Jesus Christ is the only way. To many in our society, they see as a danger to it. To tell people that homosexuality is a sin. To many people in our society is a danger to it.

To tell people that God created the world and their mind is dangerous and therefore, it must be what? It must be stopped and there are many even in our country that are trying to pass legislation to stop us from speaking the truth of God's word. Sadly, the Bible is ignored, ridiculed, and declared to be nothing but outdated myth and believe in God particularly a holy God that has expectations for his creation is met with venom and derision. Today calling good evil and evil good. Professing themselves wise wise, they have become what?

Fools. Romans chapter one. How does one deal with this situation? Well, how did Daniel deal with this situation? How did Daniel do it?

Well, let's look at how Daniel did it. From Daniel chapter one. First of all, we'll see that Daniel purposed in his what? Heart. He purposed in his heart.

He made up his mind. He was resolute, dedicated, committed in his decision. Can't possibly mention Daniel and his commitment without thinking about Joseph. A slave in Potiphar's house in Egypt sold there by his brothers being enticed by Potiphar's wife who was probably threatening to ruin him if he did not lie with her and he said, how can I do this and sin against who? And sin against God.

I cannot do this thing. It doesn't matter what it cost me. I cannot do this thing and sin against my God. The same commitment we see in Daniel here as he purposed in his heart not to number one, defile himself with the king's meat. In Leviticus eleven forty four, oops, I have that up there.

There it is. In Leviticus eleven forty four, it says this, for I am the Lord your God, you shall therefore sanctify yourselves and you shall be holy for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves within any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. This is taken from the Old Testament law that was pertinent specifically to who? To the nation of Israel, to the Jews of which Daniel was one, okay?

And under the Old Testament law for the Jews, Daniel was not allowed to eat certain things. What was being set before him was defiling to him because it was contrary to God's law for him but Daniel purposed not to defile himself, not to abandon his God, or be robbed of God's blessing or power by participating in sin. That's that's the big word here. Why? Sin, okay?

Now, as a member of the body of Christ, the church of the New Testament, it is not a sin for me to eat pork. But for the Jews under the Old Testament, it was, okay? And Daniel purposed not to defile himself in sin. God warns Christians today to to avoid the defilement of sin in our life. Second Timothy two, Imma read this to you.

Second Timothy two and verses 19 through 22. Second Timothy two nineteen to 22 says this, it says, nevertheless, the foundation, yeah, the foundation of God standeth sure having the seal. The Lord knoweth them that are his and let everyone that name it the name of Christ depart from iniquity or sin but in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and of silver but also of wood and of earth and some to honor and some to dishonor. If any man therefore purge himself from these, the things of dishonor, iniquity, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet or readied for the master's use and prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lust but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Now, those are words to our to Christians today. God uses a metaphor of vessels. There are some vessels that are beautiful and clean and prepared or vessels of honor to be used mightily in the house of Lord and there are those that are not so clean or beautiful that are not to the honor of of and use greatly in the house and Paul says, if you're going to be a vessel to honor, you need to do what? You need to keep yourself pure. You need to avoid those things which are defiling, those things which are sin in your life.

If we do them, we need to confess them. But we need to do our best by God's grace not to do them, to participate in them because they defile us. They make us unusable. Like the salt that has lost its what? Savor and is good for nothing to be dethroned out and trodden under the foot of man because it has no flavor left.

We as Christians must take a stand with Daniel. We must be committed to be a bright and shining light for Christ, to be dedicated to the truth, and not to be conformed to this world. Unfortunately, today, we often cry, we are under grace not under law. We justify caving to the world in the flesh. Certainly, God will understand.

God may show mercy but it does not mean that God condones our sin. The Bible says, be sure your sin will find you out. The soul that sinneth it shall die. The wages of sin is death. Sin has consequence.

Be say, I've been saved by grace. I am no more bear the consequences. No, not in light of eternal judgment but you do bear them where? Right here. And it does take away from your opportunity to be a light for Jesus.

So, take it seriously. Daniel did not take the course of least resistance fortunately. He chose instead to do right and let God take it from there. He chose not to be the he purposed in his heart not to be defiled. He purposed in his heart not to be conformed to this world like Romans twelve two says, or Excuse me.

Or first Peter one fourteen and fifteen that says, as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lust and your ignorance but as he which hath called you as holy so be you holy in all manner conversation. Don't go back to that old way before you got saved. There's a new way in Christ Jesus. There's a better way in Christ Jesus. There's a blessed way in Christ Jesus.

There's a powerful way in Christ Jesus. If you will choose to walk in the spirit and according to the word of God and not to be conformed, resist it. That's what Daniel was doing. We must again recognize the world's attempt to change our values to match theirs. You might say, what's the big deal about food?

If you give the devil an inch, he's going to take a lot. He's going to take a mile. It begins. It always begins with the small things and then it gets easier along the way and pretty soon you don't even recognize who you are anymore. That's why the Bible says, when you sin, confess it.

Don't don't don't waller in it. Confess it. Get it behind you. Move forward. You know, you may say, well, it's it they're not, it's not really bad language.

It's just sort of bad language. No. If it's vile language, it should never come out of the mouth of a child of God. May say, well, it's it's not really a bad place I'm going. Not not all that bad.

You give an inch, the devil's going to take a while. Take a mile. It's not really strong drink. It's just a little bit of alcohol in it. I'm not really going to get drunk.

Yeah. It's not the immodest. It's not really that immodest of attire. Clothing. It's not really that bad of music or entertainment.

That's what we say. Sometimes, do we not? And then, the devil gets in. Sin gets in. It starts to work.

If you give an inch, you take some mile. Daniel and his friends could have said, well, it's just food. We're slaves. We don't have a choice. It's just a small thing.

But no, they said, we're not going to let the small thing go. Here is a place where we can take a stand. The devil's always going to take mourn. He's almost always going to start out small or give you a good excuse and Daniel and his friends had the best excuse. They were slaves to the mercy of their captors but they did not choose the easy way or the safe way but chose the way of faith and wisdom.

Look in verses eight through 16. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of king's meat nor with the wine which he drank. Therefore, he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now, God had brought Daniel into favor with tender love with the prince of the eunuchs and the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my Lord, the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink. For why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort?

Then shall you make me in danger my head to the king. In other words, the person over them said, if if if I don't, if you don't eat this stuff and you show up before him and you look frail, guess who's going to lose his head? And he wasn't kidding. He was being serious. He said, I'm going to lose my head because I didn't make you follow the orders.

So, verse 11, Daniel said to Melzar, person over him, prince of the eunuchs. He said, prove thy servants verse 12, I beseech thee ten days and let them give us pulse for vegetables, seed, and water to drink. Then, let our countenances be looked upon before thee in the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat and as thou seest deal with thy servants. So, he consented to them in this matter and proved them ten days and at the end of ten days, their countenance appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat. Thus, Melzar took away the portion of their meat and the wine that they should drink and gave them pulse.

After ten days of testing, guess what? Daniel and his friends were in better health than all the other people. And So, the one over him said, okay. Well, I'll take the king's meat away from them and they'll they'll all have to eat what you eat. And it brought glory to who?

Brought glory to God. You know, God knows what he's talking about. God honors those who honor who, who honor him but you have to be committed and you have to take a stand. You have to choose the way of faith and not just the way the easy path. You have to choose to take a stand instead of grasp and say, okay, I'll take the excuse.

Daniel showed courage, Joshua one nine. Have not I commanded thee be strong and of a good courage. Be not afraid nor be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. That was the promise God made to Joshua. Did it apply to Daniel?

Yes, it did. Even in the culture in which he found himself, it still applied to him. Does it apply to you? Yes, it does and if we'll take a stand for Christ, he will honor it and he will bless it. So many times we we miss out on those blessings because we don't take a stand because we're not committed.

We don't purpose in our heart as Daniel and his friends did And who loses because of it, we do but also the world around us does because they don't see the what? They don't see the light and they need the light. They need to see Jesus. They need to see God. They need to see his love, his mercy, his holiness, his justice.

They need to see it all. If they don't see it in you, who are they going to see it in? No one. God rewarded Daniel. God rewarded.

The king rewarded him. Because he took a stand What about you? Maybe you're here today and you've never received the gift of the one who took a stand for you. Jesus stood for you. Jesus hung for you on a cross that he might save you from sin.

Will you accept his offer of salvation? Will you repent and come to him? There really is only one way. And if you haven't come to God through faith in Christ, I beg, I plead with you, accept him today. But if you have accepted him and if you are a child of God, you have the privilege to be a light for your God in heaven, for your savior Jesus Christ but we must follow David, Daniel's example and purpose in our heart.

To not be defiled, to not be conformed, to take a stand in faith and in wisdom. And represent our God well. So that others may see our good works and glorify our father which is in heaven. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for this day and for your word and for the example of Daniel and his friends.

Thank you Lord for what you did in their behalf when they honored you. Lord, help us to see if we will take a stand for the Lord and do what's right that you will honor us and Lord, I pray if there's one here today that's never trusted Christ. That you will help them to see how much you love them and how much you want them to be part of your family and what you have done and will do for them and it is so so much better than anything the world has to offer and I pray they would come as we sing this hymn of invitation. We might show them today how to be saved and know it and I pray Lord for we that know you as our father in heaven that we would deal with you during this time and thereafter. Not let this message fall on deaf ears.

That we might purpose in our hearts to be a light for Jesus Christ in Jesus name we pray amen