The Mountain Audio

Our Verse: John 4:24 “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”

The Mountain has a great pastor friend, Huck. His church family isn't large, but after many years, they have changed the world- first their town then...places around the world!

Through the years, Huck has come up with great sayings to help people understand God things. Here's one- “The truth usually is found in the middle between two extremes.”

Christians through the centuries have often ended up extreme- whether in how they express themselves or in what they believe. More intellectual or more devotional. Louder, quieter. More works or more faith.

We like extremes. It shows we're serious. Extremes make leaders look dynamic, and extremes draw attention. The problem is extremes can lead to error and pride.
A joyful noise can turn into yelling. A teaching can become a means to control people.
Middle ground, moderation, a balance, is always healthy.
Jesus explained this balance in our verse- “...true worshippers will worship God in spirit and truth.”

Spirit means emotion. We feel, we weep, we smile. God wires us so His Spirit and our spirit (more-http://bit.ly/me3parts) can communicate. It's rich, it's beautiful!

Truth is the objective facts of life. We have God's truth on paper and electronically. (More-http://bit.ly/DivineDatastream.) His words explain His ways. We study His words, we know the facts.

Let's seek balance between spirit and truth, emotion and facts.

If someone is extreme in what they emote, or what they teach, be careful. Maybe even find other friends to hang with. Don't buy in! Aim for the middle between 2 extremes. You are likely to be in balance, following God in a way that honors Him and helps everyone in your world.

Note: In our divided societies, reason and agreement happen easier between non-extreme, that's balanced, people. God will let you know, in every relationship, what to do, when to do it and how much. He really likes order. Mtn Team

Last time we learned about “the Books” , a permanent record in Heaven of everybody's deeds and thoughts. All things a man thinks and does are clearly entered, nothing will be secret any more. Sadly, it's also recorded when a person says, “No” or “I refuse” to Jesus and to God. God makes a record of those who desire to stand on their own works and those works will determine their eternal destiny.

Now let's consider the most important book in history- the Lamb's Book of Life. Jesus is the “Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world”, it's His book. It records the people who have eternal life with Him. It is not a book you read, like your Bible, it's one you get to be in, like God's family record. Every person who receives Jesus as Savior and Lord is entered. My name is there next to the other M's, and the thief who died next to Jesus is listed. And..new names are being entered until the end of time.

A curious process is involved- When a person surrenders his or her life to Jesus- says. “I belong to you, Lord”, 2 things happen.

First, all your bad acts and thoughts prior to that moment are erased, deleted from “the Books”. They are completely gone, washed away like a bright red stain to “whiter than snow” It's like the judge saying, ”All charges are dismissed, you are free to go.” This is why guilt is gone and a person is full of joy. The weight and record of sins is gone.

Second, your name is entered in the Lamb's Book of Life with millions of others!

This is the beautiful work of our Father in Heaven. Being in the Book of Life is the ultimate belonging and the ultimate freedom. It is what you were created for. It is the start of adventures both in this life and in the amazing life to come. Your name is important to God. You are listening or reading this because He wants your name in the Book of Life in Heaven's Library!
Read it all in Revelation 20:11-15

Our Verse: Isa 2:3 Come let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord.

A bit more on why we do The Mountain App and Podcast. Here it is....

Life is full of noise and stress, full of difficult situations and difficult people. Sometimes we slam into the walls of life- troubles, sickness, dangers... or the “moral wall” when we do wrong and just don't know which way to go! The world around us is changing at a frantic pace, much of it filled with fear of disaster and more war. All of us need a quiet place, a place to think, a place to find answers...

That place is The Mountain App and Podcast! It's like a mountain, a remote quiet place to think. We make a digital quiet place right on your device. Think through the big questions, and just maybe find help toward real answers. Deep questions, the hard questions of life, can weigh us down and affect our relationships. God cares about your questions and has answers that will satisfy.

He designed the ones and zeros of human communication, then sent us an immense data stream. More here- http://bit.ly/DivineDatastream. All the Mountain Team does is help you access that data! We share stories of all kinds, past, present and future that bring genuine hope in this noisy troubled world...a hope that can make you strong so you can help others and make the world a better place. That is a worthy goal! So, choose an episode, hit play and trek the Mountain for discovery and adventure. If you are new to the Mountain, click links below or 1 click back for more episodes. You can change your world and we'll help ya do it. Let's Go!

PS Share every episode you like with a friend, and help us make the Mountain Podcast/App grow!

Heaven's Library- http://bit.ly/Heavenlibrary
3 Courageous Girls- http://bit.ly/Mach3girls
The Jesus Stories- http://bit.ly/5JesusStories

This episode wraps the The Daniel Adventures. How about news you can really believe? 2017 real news!

Daniel 7:13 “I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds... He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence.”

Every day we see and hear “fake news”. Wouldn't it be great to have some facts, some trustworthy news? We have both from Daniel!

Daniel's adventures are great and teach us bravery and wisdom, but let's consider why we have this book.

God placed Daniel in Babylon. He gave him dreams, visions and a platform to communicate historic future news, God's future plan for mankind.

Genuine news fills this book. God has informed mankind, He has broadcast news about the future. Here's what Daniel wrote...God helping him:
“I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations..., so that all people would obey him. His rule is forever... His kingdom will never be destroyed.”

Here's how it happens-
Jesus, the “Son of man” mentioned above, will come before His Father and be given Kingship of the Earth. He will then appear to every person on the planet. He will have world-wide and absolute authority. Every city, every country, every continent will be His.

And...”His rule is forever- it will never end..”

This is not dusty old news, not “fake news”, it is genuine! There is an actual day, it's on God's calendar, when this will happen. Make sure you are ready for “That Day!”

Seven “Jesus Return Day” verses:
Matt 25:31- Jesus: “...when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence.”
Matt 25:13- Jesus: “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.”
Acts 1:11- Angel report as Jesus went up to Heaven: “Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go.”
1 Cor 1:8- Paul: “He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.”
Phil 1:6- Paul: “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
Titus 2:13- “we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.”
I Peter 1:7- Peter: “your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

Search the term “that day” for more verses. This is a widely taught, widely accepted truth in the Bible. You can believe it! Many blessings on you and yours! The Mountain Team

Daniel 5:27 “...the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have dishonored. The fingers of the hand were sent from Him”

Human fingers appeared out of thin air and began writing on the wall. What was happening? A thousand partiers had done the unspeakable.

Years before, the king's dad or granddad conquered Daniel's hometown, Jerusalem. He took holy objects from the temple there and carried them to Babylon.

Now, years later, the kid has become king and commands a servant to get the holy objects for his party. They drink and party with golden offering cups made for God- a BAD idea!

God stepped in. No one would desecrate His holy things. He wrote a terrible judgement right on the wall.

Here it is: MENE (may-nay), MENE, TEKEL, U'PHAR'SIN.

A woman in the crowd told the king, “I remember this guy who knows about secrets, Daniel.”

Daniel was called and interpreted the writing on the wall. Not good!

“King...God has weighed you. Your evil life, combined with trashing God's holy things, shows you weigh nothing. Tonight your life ends and this kingdom is over.”

That very night, enemy troops slipped into Babylon, captured the city, and executed the king; just as God said through Daniel just hours earlier.

Dishonoring God will cost. It can cost physical life as it did the young king. It can cost the eternal soul as well. Some will curse God and pay a terrible price like the king. But... you and I can honor God like Daniel. The result? A rich fulfilling life, meaningful work and good relationships. All the best of life!
Daniel's test- http://bit.ly/hungrylions

Backstory:
Babylon no long exists as a city. Its ruins now lie within modern day Baghdad. It has a long history. In our story, we see the brutal end of a brutal kingdom and a new kingdom rise- Medo-Persia led by King Darius. While the details vary with historians, the short and bitter of that terrible night goes like this.
Babylon was a strongly fortified city with gigantic walls. The Tigris River watered the areas around and through the city. It flowed thru gates under the walls. The surrounding armies were stymied by the imposing walls and the sharpshooter bowmen. But...Darius was not to be deprived. He and his commanders found an “outside the box” solution. “If we can't go over the walls, let's go under!” They waited until a party night (We don't know which celebration it was. Daniel 5 says there was an “event”.) When all the revelers were soused and sauced, the Medo-Persians struck. Commandos slipped through the gates or bars where the Tigris flowed under the walls. Deadly knives and swords finished off guards in the dark until they reached and opened the gates. Then it was a fait accompli. The victors poured into the city killing and conquering. The palace fell, Belshazzar fell before King Darius and the terrible prophecy “Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin” was fulfilled. Shake your fist in God's face and no one stands...judgement will come.
King Belshazzar mocked God and died brutally. Daniel honored God and his life continued. King Darius took over and Daniel became his prime minister. But... as you heard in Ep 7, there was a BIG test ahead!
Daniel's test- http://bit.ly/hungrylions

Our verse: Daniel 4:33 The king, “ate grass like a cow, lived this way until his hair was as long as eagle's feathers and his nails were like bird's claws.”

We've heard a lot about this king, we call him Nebb. (Nebuchadnezzar) Daniel and his friends served in his government. God was using Daniel to display His power in Babylon, since it remains the most powerful empire in history. God humbled the biggest, most powerful human- it's king, to show all humans that no one is immune to being brought low. He gave the king many warnings, even miraculously saving three Hebrew boys from fiery death before his eyes. Sadly, his pride won.

One year after God's warnings, Nebb stood on the roof of his palace and bragged. “By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city.” Instantly, his mind snapped. He became like an animal, eating grass and living in the forest. This went on for months or years. More here: http://bit.ly/kingcow

God wasn't done, He was making a point for all of us. A day came, he looked up to the sky and his mind returned. It was a different mind. Here is what he said, “I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, glorify and honor the King of heaven. All His acts are just and true, and He is able to humble the proud.”

This is the same process for us. God wants to give us a different mind- the mind of Christ. There's an easy way and a hard way. You can guess which is better! Let's humble ourselves before God.. We become the person He wants us to be. Daniel is full of good lessons for us!

Next episode: Hungry lions, violent death! On the Daniel Adventures!

Our verse: Daniel 6:16 “So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions.”

Welcome back to the Daniel adventures. We have experienced dreams, giant gold statues, a raging furnace and the fall of a world class city. This story is just as wild and crazy. There are four players in the action. Actually, two individuals and two groups-The king, Daniel the prophet, a group of bad guys, and a group of hungry lions!

A new king, Darius, had defeated the Babylonians and taken power. This king really liked Daniel. So much so, that he decided to make Daniel the prime minister of his kingdom. This didn't sit well with the king's other administrators... they were jealous! They hatched a scheme that got Daniel thrown to the lions.

Remember that God is using these stories to help us understand that He protects His people. Some might say the reason Daniel didn't get eaten is because the lions weren't hungry. If you read the end of the story, you'll find out, hungry they were!

Here's the tale- grudgingly, King Darius gave the order for Daniel to be thrown into the lion's den. So there was no funny business, he had the den mouth protected by his royal seal. The king spent a sleepless night worrying for his friend. Early in the morning he ran to the den and cried out, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from those lions?”

Daniel's reply is great- “Long live the king! My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in God's sight.”

Two lessons here for us- Be faithful and God will protect you and yours.
The other one- You will come to a bad end if you hurt God and His people.

Next time: Disembodied hand...and Death!
PS- Audio says King Cyrus. Oops! our bad...it's Darius!

Our verse: Daniel 3:19 “With fury burning in his eyes, Nebuchadnezzar ordered the furnace heated 7 times hotter than usual!”

Welcome back to the Daniel adventures!
This time our story changes direction. We learn about Daniel's friends- Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego.
In chapter 3, citizens of Babylon were required to bow down to a golden statue of the king- 90 feet tall!

Some jealous officials noticed Daniel's friends not bowing. “We got 'em”, they said. These three men honored the true God in heaven, so they would not bow down to a statue.

Well, the king was told, and things got hot quick!

Nebb asked our boys, “I hear you 3 refuse to serve my gods and do not bow down and worship the golden statue. Is that true?

What followed is one of the bravest statements ever!
Basically, they told the king, “We won't defend ourselves, we're ready. God can deliver us, but if He doesn't, we still won't bow down.” (Read the whole statement in Dan 3:16-18)

The king commanded them thrown into a giant furnace. Strong soldiers tied them up and threw them in. As they tossed them in, all the soldiers were incinerated. The three young men weren't even touched by the fire.. and their ropes disappeared! The king stared into the furnace and saw not three, but four people. And the fourth... looked like “a son of the gods!” More here- http://bit.ly/Sonheaven

The king called out to them, “Servants of God, Come out, right now, Come out!”

Out they came. Their clothes were not burned and they didn't even smell like smoke!

The king's final statement explains a lot. "...no god I have ever heard of is able to rescue as this God has rescued his servants today.”

God takes care of his servants no matter what. You can trust Him!

Next: Judgement Dream- Powerful king humbled!
***correction- The number of Bab soldiers is not in the text.***

Our verse: Daniel 2:28 “...there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future.”

Welcome back to the Daniel adventures! Here's what happened with the king's crazy dream...

When we left our 4 young men in Babylon, they were scheduled for execution! As part of the king's counselors, they were sentenced to death for not knowing (and interpreting) the king's scary dream. Only one man didn't freak out and prepare to die, our friend Daniel. As the executioner arrived, Daniel asked, “Why has the king issued such a harsh decree?” Give me some time to pray and maybe God will reveal the dream. Arioch, the one with the big axe, helped Daniel get an audience with the king.

Daniel was allowed time by King Nebb and during the night, “the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision.”

Here's the king's question, “Is this true Daniel? Can you tell me my dream and what it means?”

Daniel used this moment well. While he could have taken credit, Daniel made it very clear about how he knew. “...there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets” He gave God full credit for revealing the dream.

A couple take-aways for us:
Wise words well thought out can help you avoid terrible consequences. Daniel kept calm and reasoned with both the executioner and the king. “Give me time” he asked.
He asked his friends to pray for the answer to this life and death situation. God heard their prayers!
Daniel trusted God to reveal something totally unknown to any man...and He did!

Daniel entered the king's presence with full knowledge of the earth-shaking dream. He would explain the king's future and the future of mankind.

We will learn much more about Nebb's world history dream in a future episode!

Next on Daniel Adventures- Men Burnt to a Crisp and 3 Inflammable Men!

Our Verse: Daniel 2:5 “I'm serious. If you don’t tell me my dream, you die!”

Welcome back to the Daniel adventures! A young man serving God in an amazing one of a kind adventure..

Dream world is a crazy place. Sometimes you remember every detail, sometimes they disappear- Poof! soon as you're wake up. It's really hard to figure out!

This happened to a powerful king long ago. This particular dream was very important and he knew it. As a matter of fact, this dream would outline future world history. God sent the dream to a king named Nebuchadnezzar. (you met him in the earlier Mountain episode “King to Animal” http://bit.ly/kingcow) Then God placed Daniel near the king. God had decided to reveal political and spiritual world history for all to see- long before the events happened. Why? So all men would know that God knows all things and can reveal them whenever He wants.

The dream shook the king. He yelled for his Babylonian counselors, demanding they explain the dream. Being type “A” personalities, they said, “O Great King, tell us what you've dreamed and we'll will tell you what it means.”
King: No! you tell me!
Counsellors: Nobody can do that! Ya have to tell us!
King: Oh yeah? Off with your heads if you don't explain it!
Counsellors: Yikes, O, Great King, NO Man on earth can do this!
King: You are useless! Executioner! Bring the Axe!

Soon, Arioch, the chief executioner, was standing at Daniel's door, axe in hand. Daniel asked Arioch, “Why this harsh decree? While Arioch did his best to explain, Daniel got permission to visit the King. Humbly he asked for a little more time to see if God would reveal the dream. When Daniel got home, he asked his friends to “pray and plead for mercy so that God would “reveal the mystery.”

Next- Crazy Dream Part 2! God reveals the Dream!