(Daniel 6:1-5) It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 

At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel...” 


(2 Corinthians 3:17-18) Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 


(Revelation 4:6-7) In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.


(Ezekiel 1:10) Their faces looked like this: each of the four had the face of a man, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.


1. The Ox – the face of a servant.

(1 Corinthians 9:19) Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.


2. The Man – the face of love.

(John 13:34-35) “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

3. The Eagle – the face of excellence.

(Matthew 5:13-16) “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. 


4. The Lion – the face of boldness. 


(Proverbs 28:1) ...the righteous are as bold as a lion.


(Matthew 16:17-18) Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” 


(John 1:14) The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 


(Daniel 5:1-5) King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.

Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale and he was frightened that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way. The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners to be brought and he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made third highest ruler in the kingdom."

Vs 13 - So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles that my father the king brought from Judah?” I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you have insight, intelligence, and outstanding wisdom. The wise men and enchanters were brought before to read this writing and to tell me what it means, and they could not explain it. Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in my kingdom.

Instead you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You have the goblets from the temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or heart or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. Therefore, He sent the hand that wrote the inscription.

(Daniel 5:25-26) “This is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. This is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.”

√ We forget that our days are numbered.

(Daniel 5:27) “Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.”

√ We allow our lives to get out of balance.

(Daniel 5:28) “Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” 


√ We ignore the warning signs.

· You have been tempted more in sinful choices 


· My emotions are inconsistent

· We are less productive

· 
I can’t hear God

(Daniel 5:29-31) Then at Belshazzar's command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom. That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.

1. Live with a sense of purpose and urgency.

• Psalm 39:4-5 NLT

2. Put first things first.

• Matthew 6:33

3. Get close to Jesus - Do it now.

• 2 Corinthians 6:2

Pride

(Daniel 4:1-3) King Nebuchadnezzar, To the peoples, nations and men of every language, who live in all the world: May you prosper (in your soul, peace, contentment that God always wanted you to have) 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.

(Daniel 4:4) I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous.

#1 - Depend on ourselves instead of God.

(Daniel 4:22-25) You, O king, are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth. You, O king, saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, “Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live like the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.” This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king. You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes.


#2 - Take the credit instead of thanking God.


1 Corinthians 4:7 LB

Daniel 4:26

#3 - We know best instead of acknowledging that Heaven rules.

Vs 27 - Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.


Vs. 28 - All this happened to King Nebu. Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?"


The words were still on his lips when a voice came form heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebu: Your royal authority has been taken from you. You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals: you will eat great like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes."


Immediately what had been said about Nebu was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and nails like the claws of a bird.


(Daniel 4:34-37) 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. 


√ Exalt the King of heaven.


√ Acknowledge that God does everything right and all His ways are just.


√ Walk in humility.


Daniel 3:1-6

Daniel 6:5-9

The Battle is Over Worship


Isaiah 14:12-14 --- How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!

You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

Revelation 13:14-17

1. Exalt man above God.

Daniel 3:16-18

2. Stop the worship of God.


Daniel 6:10-12

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.


· Heart and soul – Affections

· Mind – Attention

· Strength - Abilities

√ Thank Him with my sincere affection.

(2 Chronicles 16:9) For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

√ Who you will worship?

(John 4:23) Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

(Daniel 1:1-6) In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god. Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility-- young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service. Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.


(Daniel 1:7) The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.

#1 – Culture will try to rename you.


· Daniel (hebrew) - God is my Judge

· Belteshazzar - “Lady, protect the King”

· Hannah (hebrew) - Yahweh has been gracious

· Shadrach - “I am fearful of God”


· Mishael (hebrew) - Who is what God is

· Meshach - “I am despised, contemptible, & humiliated”

· Azariah (hebrew) - Yahweh has helped

· Abendego - “Servant of Nebo”

(Daniel 1:8) But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.

#2 – Culture will try to change you.


(Daniel 1:11-14) Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.

#3 – It will try to claim you.


At the end of the ten days, they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.


(Daniel 1:20) In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.


When Things are Unpredictable…God Does Not Change.

(2 Thessalonians 3:3) --- But the Lord is faithful and will strengthen you and protect you against the evil one.

(Psalm 18:30-32) --- As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect.

When we face Uncertainty --- the Path of Trust or the Path of Fear?

√ Will I change the world or will the world change me?

√ Will my identity come from God or from the world?

(Romans 6:3 TLB) For sin’s power over us was broken when we became Christians and were baptized to become a part of Jesus Christ.

Daniel 4

1. Daniel teaches us HOW to love people.

Customize Love Without Compromising.

2. Daniel pointes to the WHO that we are called to.

We look away from the natural realm and we fasten our gaze onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection.

His example is this: Because His heart was focused on the joy of knowing that YOU (that’s His WHO) would be His, He endured the agony of the cross, conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God!

3. It shows us WHAT the path is.

“FREEDOM PATH”!

Daniel 4:28-37

4. It tells us our ASSIGNMENT

STAND FRIM AND LOVE WELL

GET FREE AND FREE PEOPLE

(Psalm 92:13 NKJV) Those who are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.


FIND YOUR TRIBE.

(Hebrews 10:25, NLT) And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.


Get in THE HOUSE.

· The church is like a flock of sheep.


(Matthew 9:36, NLT) When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 


· The church is like a family.


(Galatians 6:10, NKJV) Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. 


· The church is like a hospital.


(2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NLT) All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.


· The church is like a gas station.


(Hebrews 10:25, MSG) Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps His word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching. 


· The church is like an army.


(2 Timothy 2:3-4, NKJV) You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.


· The church is like a team.


(Philippians 2:2-4, NLT) Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.


Jesus said, “...upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” Matthew 16:18. 


LET LOVE HAVE THE FINAL WORD.

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS A FAITH ADVENTURE
.

(Hebrews 11:6, NKJV) ...without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.


(Numbers 23:19, NIV) God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? 


YOU HAVE A SUPERNATURAL GUIDE
.

(John 7:37-39, NKJV) If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive...

FAITH is NOT FOR THE FAINT
.

(Matthew 13:18-23, NLT) Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”


Faith Requires Us to Stretch.

Hebrews 11:1 in the AMP says – “NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].

So God says to Moses - “Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

But Moses said “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” Exodus 3:11

#1 – God Believes in You

#2 – Believe What God Says

#3 – Believe the Positive Over Any Negative

(Colossians 1:29) - We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less.

(2 Corinthians 2:14 TPT) God always makes his grace visible in Christ, who includes us as partners of his endless triumph. Through our yielded lives he spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere we go.

YOU ARE A THREE-PART PERSON

(1 Thessalonians 5:23, NKJV) Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.


· You Are a Spirit

(Ezekiel 36:26, NKJV) I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 


· You Have a Soul

· You Live in a Body

(1 Corinthians 6:19, NKJV) Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, Whom you have from God, and you are not your own.


(3 John 2, NKJV) Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.


THE BATTLEFIELD OF THE MIND


Enemy #1: The devil.

(James 4:7-8, NKJV) Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.


Enemy #2: The temptations of the world.

(Romans 12:2, NLT) Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.


(1 John 2:15-17, NKJV) Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.


Enemy #3: Our fallen flesh.

√ Get God Thoughts

√ Fight for Them

√ Build Momentum

Prayer is simply talking to the Lord from your heart.

What you pray for reflects what you believe about God.

#1 - How often should I pray?

(Psalm 55:17, NKJV) Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice.

(Matthew 5:5, NLT) But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

#2 - What Should I Pray About?

#3 - How Should I Pray?

(Matthew 6:7-8, NKJV) “...when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them.

(James 5:16 AMP) describes this type of prayer, “...The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].

· Brag on God

(Psalm 100:1-4, MSG) “On your feet now—applaud GOD! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence. Know this: GOD is God, and God, GOD. He made us; we didn’t make him. We’re his people, his well-tended sheep. Enter with the password: ‘Thank you!’ Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him!”

· Admit Your Dependence on God

(Hebrews 11:6, NKJV) “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him."

(James 4:10, NLT ) When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor.

· Make Your Requests Known

(Luke 11:9, NKJV) So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

(1 John 5:14-15, NKJV) Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

One of the most fulfilling ways to pray is through singing!

(Ephesians 5:18-20, NLT) Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.