TRUE WITNESS

InSpired

TRUE WITNESS (Part Three (3))

THE ENEMY SET A TRAP FOR DANIEL

" Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him" Daniel 2:46

"In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: Acts 14:8-17

Nebuchadnezzar was worshipped as a god in Babylon and the Enemy tried to use the king to set a trap for Daniel. Although Daniel openly and boldly made the king and his people understand that there is a God in Heaven, who knows all things, the King still invited his people to offer incense and an offering to Daniel, he showed the intent of his heart by first felling down on his face, prostrating before Daniel in worship and then commanded his people to offer sacrifices.

Everyman and woman truly used by God must watch out for this subtile trap of the Enemy. Naturally, beneficiaries of the anointing on the Man of God will want to show appreciation and some go too far by seeing the anointed Servant of God as the miracle worker instead of giving the glory to God.. Though Daniel witnessed to the King that there is a God in heaven, the king's attention was focused on Daniel as a god. Because he, Nebuchadnezzar was worshipped as a.king, he was ready to worship.any other man like himself who shows superior powers than him or that of his idols.

But Daniel took the right stance by first giving an answer which obviously changed the King opinions as stated by some Bible commentaries on this story and then asked the promotion intended for him be transferred to his friends who are obviously his prayer partners then Daniel returned to his duty post at the gate in the palace .

This same scenario unfolded with Paul and Barnabas in Lustra when they healed a lame man. The people of the city moved to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas as they did to their gods Zeus and Hermes but these Apostles took a drastic step to correct the people and made them understand that they were only representatives of Christ, anointed to.continue with the Jesus mandate on earth and should not be elevated as gods or worshipped.

Every man and woman is created with the capacity to worship God. The Book of Revelation 4 states :" the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Every man and woman is created with a capacity to worship the only one and true God and intends to fill this hunger for worship with things we can see if they refused to.accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. We must also be careful to strongly point the actions of men to Christ at all.times and ensure they never see us as the worker of the miracles or the signs and wonders.

Daniel by his action of returning to the gate showed the king that he was not ready to take the glory due to the Alnighty- the revealer of secrets to himself. Then King Nebuchadnezzar made the following statement "The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery. ” Daniel 2:44-45

God again witnessed to Nebuchadnezzar. through Meshach, Shadrach and Abed-Nego: The King said again" Blessed be God.of Meshach, Shadrach and AbedNego who.sent His Angel and delivered His Servants who trusted in Him and they have frustrated the King's word and yielded their bodies that they should not serve nor worship any God excerpt their own God. Therefore, l make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and AbedNego shall be cut in pieces and their houses shall be made as ash heap, because there is NO OTHER GOD WHO CAN DELIVER LIKE THIS. Daniel 3:29-30

God's desire and plan is for every man and woman to come to the saving knowledge of the Almighty and He has ordained that Children of Light should be the agent of change to those who does not believe in Christ. He said in Matthew 5 " Ye are the Salt of the Earth..., The Light of the earth......"

God wanted to judge the pride of King Nebuchadnezzar but our everlasting Father will not do that without giving the King an opportunity to repent through knowledge of Him because God ultimate desire is for all men to be saved ; "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying —and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles." 1 Timothy 2:1-7. 

 God's plan is to station Believers in strategic positions in Society through their training in the ADAMIC and JESUS mandate so that at the right time, their godly lifestyles and inert spiritual strenght and power will witness Christ to their superiors and subordinates. The City of Nineveh was filled with sin yet God gave them an opportunity to repent by sending Jonah to them with a message of repentance and that whole city was saved by God mercy. God ' s first option for the sinner, no matter how grievous their sin are is not judgement but repentance.

Daniel.and his three Hebrew friends were from the ruling class yet they were trained in the Status and commandments of the Most High God and knew they must not bow to any other Law or commandments that are contrary to the Words of their God, the Almighty even if a death threat is attached to their refusal. They were also trained in the knowledge of the Chaldeans and were top of their Class/set, so that when they were tested, they were ten times better than their colleagues in that field 

In contemporary setting and language: Daniel would have attended Harvard School of Law and top the class in his set or year of study; he would be the best student that Harvard ever produced because the Spirit of the Holy God was on Him and he had been trained from his childhood in the ways of the Almighty.

 Daniel would openly confess his faith as a follower and disciple of Christ, Daniel will also act, speaks in all matter as the Bible stipulates, Daniel will not practise Law as practised by lawyers who do not have Christ. If Daniel was a Nigerian, Daniel will openly practised Law according to the principles of Christ, even though there is a myth in Nigeria that no citizen can do business and practise any career without bowing to the god of Bribery and Corruption. And that no one can become a successful SAN without becoming a member of one cult or the other.

Daniel will ultimately become the best SAN that Nigeria Law Society ever produced and about five different presidents will depend on the counsel and the gifts of Daniel. Though all.of these presidents don't believe in Christ or know CHRIST, one after the other, each of them will come to know the wonder workings of the God of our Lord Jesus Christ and will ultimately bow before this TRUE God and declare like King Nebuchadnezzar, King Darius and King Cyrus declared :At the end of that time,

" I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble. Daniel 4:34-37

Shadrach may be a Minister of Finance , who was elected on the basis of his integrity with money. He came to the Limelight as Commissioner of Finance in his State., though the government of his State was not a believer, yet he could testify that Shadrach as a commissioner will never falsified one wrong account, he will never add an extra zero to any digit and will never give out contract on the basis of a cut back. He will not speak to his friends, Meshach, AbedNegi to set up Companies and come and collect government contracts at exorbitant inflated prices so that they can give him his own share or cut as gifts after his tenure as Commissioner.

He will be a Minister of Finance, that the President will know that if he wants to tell the citizens of his country lies and spread false financial statement, Shadrach will never participate even if a gun is put to his head, the president will come to know that the God of Shadrach is the Almighty who is able to save and deliver and the President of the nation will be forced to proclaim in the country this statement. 

" Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon. Daniel 3:29-30

Meshach could be a Man of God who received the Jesus mandate and made up his mind against all odds to stay with His mandate. He may not be perfect yet he does all.within his power to follow the Master and deliver the undiluted truth even if it made him unpopular with some of his colleagues in the same Preaching Ministry.

. He stays true with the message of Christ; knowing he is accountable to Christ at the end of age and he will surely give an account for how he tended and care for flock under his care.

You must know that because something is popular does not mean it is right, ( A popular quotation l heard over and over at the School of Calling 2019 by Rev Olushola Areogun, a General in the Kingdom that l truly respect because of his deep commitment to his sons and daughters in the ministry) and l realised from the various teaching that popularity does not mean accuracy and rightness. 

Let every minister stay with that God has given them to preach; Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians. 4:1-5 " This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God."

I am not qualified to judge any man's works because to his master he either stand or fall but every man should kindly ascertain what he or she has been called to do and such should ensure that the fruit in the lives of his flock is Christ-like.

 A Shadrach would ensure that he or she stays true to the calling by which they have been called. They will ensure that there is no error in their ministry to the people. They will examine themselves daily to ensure they remain in the calling. Because a man may be in error and not know because he is surrounded by prosperity and popularity that may blind his eyes to where he or she has missed it.

An AbedNego may just be that Christian, who has made up his mind that he will follow Christ in His business ethics, till he gets to the very top. He will believe God for finance to attend the best training in Business and then he will practise business under the leading and control of the Holy Ghost. 

I have read of Christian Business owner in the past and even presently who made their billions from buying and selling of goods and services. It is not just those who are in ministries that are attaining the status of millionaires and billionaire in the Kingdom of God..

There are Christian men and women who are inspired and empowered by the Holy Ghost and are taking gaint strides in the Business world. And more will emerge in the future.

, Christ Jesus is coming for a glorious and powerful Church and that does not just refer to a popular denomination. Rather it refers to men and women who have been bought by the blood and given eternal life by the Spirit of Christ and now are showing the splendour of the Almighty the Possessor of heaven and earth in their various endeavours. They are men and women who must also be well trained in the way of the Truth., yielded to the Holy Spirit and anointed with the Holy Ghost and power. Such men must understand that it is not by power nor by might but by the Spirit of Life which they received when they accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour 

Brethren, it is possible. We serve a mighty God and we are not ordained as Children of Light to serve our God in hiding. Though the world will persecute us. Thought they will do all they can to stop us,, though we may not arrive at once at the gloriius state that God has ordained for us: Though some of our fellow christians will judge our motives for serving, though they may view our lives as a failure in certain areas where we are still learning what we should learn to become all that the master ordained and programmed for us, but we must keep on pursuing Christ, we must keep learning from men and women who have made up their mind to preach Christ and Christ only,( other men may give such men names and term their ministries as errors but the Holy Spirit is given to Evey child of God to be able to discern right from wrong and as the Holy Spirit always tell me " Time is a prophet greatest friend and companion because it is in a span of time that always prove if what a prophet said is truly from God or not. Because at that time the prophet spoke, it may seem to have spoken wrongly or not have heard from God but give it time. Time will show each man's fruit and tell who has heard from God or not.'

Now, after, the witnessing of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and AbedNego, Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4:1-3 had this to say about the Almighty "King Nebuchadnezzar, To the nations and peoples of every language, who live in all the earth: May you prosper greatly! It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.

A king began testifying about the dominion of the Almighty because Daniel and his three Hebrew friends knew their God and therefore received strenght and power to do exploits. These men were trained in both the ADAMIC and Jehovah mandate and refused to bow to any other gods excerpt Jehovah. They stood as uncompromising witness that there is a God in the Heaven., the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob whom Isreal is his portion on earth. And step by step, precept by precept, process upon process, witnessing after witnessing they introduced the Almighty to the world reigning powers.

They were in his very palace and ten times better than the men helped and raised by the idols of King Nebuchadnezzar; trials after trials,they refused to change their testimony and godly lifestyle that witness that the God of our Lord Jesus who sent His eternal Spirit to dwell in every man and woman who believes in Christ is the King of kings and Lord of lords, far bigger and greater than any other gods.

A.L. Hephzibah