Wednesday Night Bible Study

praise the Lord everyone praise the lord we greet you tonight in that wonderful name of the Lord Jesus Christ The Only Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved and I too want to welcome brother Gard to the service and uh all the if there's any other guest if you're here for your first time or the first few times we want you to feel right at home but we certainly want you to feel like you are appreciated and I also would uh concur with Pastor mul that we want to pray for sister Kathy Williams she has she's having very serious um uh medical procedures T taking place and we want to be in prayer for her and we want to pray for sister Patterson uh sister Patterson had a automobile accident here a few days ago and got banged up pretty good and we want to pray for her and uh also we don't want to forget brother Jack ruford he's been in in poor health for quite some time and we want to remember him and um I'd like everyone to pray for my younger twin brother Lanny brother Spencer mou's twin brother about everybody knows brother Spencer but because he's a a preacher and traveled all over the country through the years and but his twin is in very poor health and we're going to have special prayer for all these folks that I'm talking about right now and uh every time I pray I ask God to uh touch all those that's requested my prayer I can't remember every name but thank God God forgets nobody's name he even knows uh how many hairs on your head they're numbered and um of course the last few years I've kept him busy counting those hairs a fall for my head and I'll see some more he that he's been busy helping Count Their hairs falling from their head but that's the God we have he's so miraculous and and and so powerful that he can do all things and we want to pray for them we got a great lesson tonight I'm excited about this lesson and we want to pray for that also Father we thank you tonight for your goodness and mercy we thank you Lord for the great service we had this weekend for the great choir singing the blessing that we all received we give you honor and glory and thanks and Lord I pray for all those whose names I've called and those whose names I've been unable to remember but you remember each one of them I pray for brother Mike and sister Kathy tonight that you will be with them there in the hospital and and give her a speedy uh recovery as she continues with this uh a trail of trying to get her health straightened out she's been so faithful down through the years and I pray for her pray for sister Patterson pray for brother Jack rord and all those in in the church whose names I cannot remember but you know them all pray for Lanny M touch his body tonight father I pray that you'll anoint the lips of clay with the spirit of God for this Bible study tonight give what you would have spoken in Jesus name we pray amen and amen will uh do you love to study the word of the lord it's quite different to a Evangelistic service Sunday uh we had such a service uh Sunday morning and Sunday night uh I haven't I I don't I'm not trying to confess my lack of being touched by the Lord but I feel God in every service and every time I pray but Sunday morning when when uh brother Dominic started leading out on the song and the choir started or the praise sings whichever it was I literally I literally had cold chill bumps to go all over my body and somebody come zipping around here running and and and and uh for a minute I like to took off after but I had a second second thought and but anyway it was an absolute fantastic service that that choir and and seemed like the uh the the electronics was just right the tone and and and it was just such a beautiful service and I praise God for it but tonight is Bible study we see we just settled down and and we study the word of God and that's what we're doing do him and we're actually behind a few weeks uh in our uh uh study of of our of our what's normally called the Sunday School lesson this is actually was for January the 21st and series two God is faithful lesson 2.3 and it's entitled Standing Tall on his knees and we will be studying about Daniel and uh we're going to read the focus verse first the editors they line the lesson I I like to uh I it's very very easy to study the word of God and get inspired on what you read but I also like to read what others have written a and and if all you know is what you know you don't know too much but if you know what you know and what somebody else knows too you're adding to your knowledge and that's why I like a Sunday School curriculum because I I like uh the other points of view and I have a laptop computer and a a Bible soft a program that uh I've got a whole page of of different uh commentaries and then even different versions of the Bible and and many other things that that I enjoy studying I don't always agree with all of them but uh uh I I I like to study them and I'll be I'll be commenting on some of this tonight but the focus verse now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed he went into his house and his windows being opened in his chamber now uh I like to I like to analyze every line and and I'm seeing something in this one verse and I'll show you what I'm seeing now Daniel knew the writing was signed now uh we'll get to that later on in the lesson that uh there was a lot of other officials in the Kingdom that was jealous of Daniel they'd gone to the king and and buttered up the king and and and told the king that uh we want you make a law that if anybody prays to any other God or or ask anything of anybody body else including except you that that that person will be cast into the den of lions and um well this uh this kind of appealed to Cyrus the king and now first of all uh I want to take note Daniel of course we first find track of Daniel with the three Hebrew children we call them Shadrach mesach and Abednego when uh they they they were cast into the fire now I I don't know where Daniel was but he was not with them at that time that's when they defied the king when the king put up that big image and U when the king said is they had the same thing to happen to them now they first of all they were Jews and the Babylonians neb under Nebuchadnezzar had had attacked Jerusalem and had conquered Jerusalem and had taken many of the Jewish uh people into to in captivity and took them down to Babylon and the first thing he said I want to the the the Nebuchadnezzar said to the prince of Unix the man over all the the other servants I want you to get the very best of the Jews and those that are highly intelligent those that are skilled in the way of science those that understand science and I want the very best and and I want you to give them I want you to give them a diet of the same thing that the that King eats and the King's Wine and of course that uh Encompass a food that they were forbidden they did not eat the Jews and so they Daniel told the servant said uh do this said uh with withdraw that from us and the the unic said no said if I do that the king will have my head he said give us give us 10 days and give us pulse and just you go ahead and feed the rest of the the officials the king's uh diet and said if we don't look better than them then we'll go on for well in 10 days they look much better than the rest and so they and another thing the king said we want you to want you to teach them the Babylonian the Cy's language give them a new diet give them a new language we're going to and and I thought about that that's exactly what this world is trying to do to us right now he wants to give us another diet he wants to give us another language he wants us to to be made over into His Image well that's why the word of God says come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord so now getting back to this Focus verse Daniel knew the writing that was signed well uh after five different uh administrations and this is highly unlikely and and very noteworthy in those days when uh one king was deposed and another the first thing they did they they would slay all the the relatives of the the former King and they would do away with his advisors because they was afraid that they would come back and would undermine the new Administration but Daniel had had been so influential and had had such uh behavior that he had survived five different administrations uh there there was there was uh two separate Nebuchadnezzar and then it went on to belshazzar and then to tarus and five all told and now then they made him uh the the the number one president and these other Fells the king chose 120 of his best advisors this was the new Administration under Cyrus of the of the m and Persians and and that he he had put Daniel over all the rest of them he was the number one advisor everybody had to answer to Daniel now I'm telling you this to say this we we can conduct ourselves in such a manner that we can have influence in our present world we have uh uh we have political officials right here in our church we have attorneys in our church we have uh influential people in in the in this church in in uh in the business World contractors and and men that are that are highly respected and women that are highly respected and that's great but Daniel he said knowing that this petition had been signed that if you call on any other entity within 30 days you're going to be thrown in the Lion's Den and now when Daniel knew the writing was signed he went into his house and his windows being opened in his chamber toward Jerusalem now he didn't do this to defy these 20 princes he didn't do this out of spite the Bible said his windows being open they were there the windows were already open and then it said he kneeled down upon he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God and I've got this in bold letters in my notes as he did a four time he didn't start this just when he knew that the law had been signed if we're not careful we'll do things only in the time of Crisis but if you really want to get your prayer answered you need to have your window your prayer window open all the time and you need to pray and God will be there listening I heard the story of the new pastor visiting the the uh members of his church and uh getting acquainted and went to this one home and and um was talking to this lady and and uh he asked her if she if she had a Bible and she said yes and she told her little grandson said Son go in the backro and get get that precious old book that your grandmother reads so much and so he went back in the backro and brought out the Sears robot catalog and well he he did that wasn't what she meant him to do but what I'm getting across right now we don't need to just get consecrated To God In Time Of Crisis our window needs to be open our prayer window our prayer of intercession our intercessory room it needs to be constantly used and the Bible say as he did a four time he didn't just start praying he had been praying if we want God to answer we need to be constantly in tune with him and pray every day now let's go in I'm going to go the to the last verse in this chapter the sixth chapter there's one more chapter but uh the the six the 28th verse is the last verse in chapter 6 and this is what it said so this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyprus the Persian so this Daniel prospered he had served five Kings Nebuchadnezzar 1 Nebuchadnezzar two belshazzar Darius and Cyrus few have served So Many Masters without flattering and been as successful in their management of public affairs be so faithful to the states where they were in office or have been so obedient to God or have left such an example of posterity I thought that was a great comment uh and an example of what we can do what we can be we're not just negative about everything we need to be a an asset to our community uh I heard them announcing uh putting these uh backpacks together visiting the poor visiting give it help help out and and and what a great thing it was and and I was asked to to speak before the County Commissioners and sister M went with me and uh Pastor M and sister Jamie M and um after I finished I got one of the I I think one of the most complimentary things I've ever received and I've had all kind of of certificates been given to me by different ones through the years and I'm not Bo single bragging that's more of a I think a formality but he was so impressed by what I had said and it was at a time of Crisis and I gave credit and honor I called sister mol up and told the the Commissioners this is the one that really deserves this honor that y'all are bestowing upon me and he was impressed well we need to and I'm not putting myself up as a shining example because God knows I fall so far uh so far short of what I need to be few ministers like Samuel and Daniel none so wise so holy so useful have appeared in the nations of the Earth right now we need we need some spiritual leadership in this country if there was ever time we need a Daniel if there was ever time we need a spiritual voice that could have some influence because we are under severe attack now then it pleased Darius to send over the kingdom 120 princes which should be over the whole Kingdom verse two of chapter 6 and over these three presidents of whom Daniel was first that the princes might give accounts unto them and the King should have no damage uh he was able to be an advisor to the king give the king no damage and was constantly giving wise advice you will remember in the early part of the Book of Daniel when Nebuchadnezzar had this dream and he couldn't even remember the dream uh but he knew he was so troubled by The Dream he called all of his suers all of his magicians all of his wise men and told them I want you to interpret my dream and if you don't I'm going to have your houses tore down your family is all killed and and he has a terrible threat and they wise men said all right well we'll interpret your dream said what did you dream he said I don't know you got to tell me what I dreamed and they said well nobody could do that nobody and he was given orders that all of his wise men be killed but the word got to Daniel and Daniel was one of his wise men and Daniel said let me talk to the he and he went to Shadrach mesach and abedo and said I want you to pray with me we've got to pray we we've got to hear from God that God give us the answer and God gave Daniel a dream to show him what Nebuchadnezzar had dreamed and they went before the the king and pleaded for the life of his other wise men and interpreted the dream and I'll not go back into that but that was when the king built this golden and his 90 ft tall and and was such a huge thing uh and to fulfill his dream well he was a such a valuable man and what I'm saying is you and I if we'll seek God I've seen people witness and witness in and and and such a Negative manner that folks turned them off you know uh I've seen I've seen bumper stickers of Acts 238 or hell and that's a poor way to put acts 238 and and we need to show the Bible says preaching the truth in love all right and over these three princes whom Daniel was first and Prince might give account to them uh that the king should have no damage this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes because an excellent Spirit now I've got that that that three words in bold type and Daniel because he had an excellent Spirit was in him and the King thought to set him over the whole realm and this one line stood out to me in this lesson that Daniel had an excellent spirit in him and I I see folks they've got they may have the truth but they don't have the right spirit with it they need to have a better Spirit than than what they've got you and I need to be Apostolic from head to toe we need to be Hol head to toe but we don't need to go around presenting it in a in a uh negative uh a sarcastic or abrasive way preaching the truth in love Daniel had an excellent Spirit 1 Corinthians 14:32 says and the spirit of the prophets are subject to the prophets now that means that that you have control and actually Paul was talking about uh people giving messages in tongues in church and he said if one is prophesying a and somebody else start somebody else gets a word from God God the first one hold his peace because now somebody said that uh I can't control the Holy Ghost is moving and and I don't believe you're supposed to put your hand on the power of God there's a time that you can be quiet even though you feel the spirit of God and and years ago the the churches used especially in the Deep South we used to uh have revivals and and that have every night they had a testimony meeting praise service and nobody waited on anybody this one would be testified and two or three be testified at the same time which that's out of order and and if one is speaking uh then something else is showed to another the first one hold his peace and the spirit of the prophets are subject to the prophets but now this goes even further if you don't if I I need to say if I don't have an excellent spirit it's because I have not cultivated an excellent spirit and sometimes we take great pride and boasting about how how harsh we can be um I believe in saying just what I believe I I I believe in shelling down the corn Plain Talk makes plain understanding and and get in get out or get run over and I've heard that uh uttered and many times and that's not an excellent Spirit that's not the spirit and folks dealing with one another in a in a church you get you get more than two people together you're going to get more than one View and we need to to develop a spirit o of of cooperation and a spirit of listening and not try to cross I've I've seen people that they they they're not looking to talk about something that you can agree on they're looking for something they can disagree own now here's what Proverbs 25:28 says he that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that's broken down and Without Walls now get this he that hath no rule over his own Spirit now what did we say Daniel had an excellent Spirit now he had 120 fellow uh uh advisors to come against him and to create a crisis in his life but he continued to have an excellent spirit and Proverbs said if you don't have rule over your own Spirit then you're like a city that's broken down and Without Walls um how can I say this um we was in Revival in one church and and the the the lady of the house the pastor's wife she referred to her son he's a fi G HT R he's a fighter and and he he he he took up on that and he PR a well demonstrated what she said about him well we can listen to other people now and and being a minister I've sat around the conference table I've sat around the eating table the restaurants and so forth and I've heard preachers tell about how they operate their church and how they do this and how they do that and how they do something else and and and the younger preachers if you're not careful they listen and and that sounds so big uh the way they run their Church bless God I mean they're the and and that's not the way Jesus ruled the church he he had compassion and love and we need to cultivate a an excellent Spirit now here's what James said in James 31 13-18 who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you if you're wise he said show it let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom there's a few people that I have known down through the years that just seems like it's their it's their second nature they have a Meek and kind and gentle and soft Spirit about them and and that's the kind of person I'd like to be my model Lord please help me to know how and and don't take exception to every little thing that's said don't don't don't take and run with it uh be very patient but if you have bitter ening and strife in your hearts Glory not and lie not against truth if you're bitter at somebody and you're you're always want to tell somebody else about what they did Bitter don't brag about it it it said but if ye have bitter ending and strife in your hearts Glory not and lie not against the truth this wisdom descendeth not from above but it's Earthly sensual and it is devilish one of the one of the most influential uh elements that's come along in the last in my lifetime uh you used to be the telephone uh but now it's the uh uh internet you can get on that and and you can I hear I I have a hard time I don't know how to get on it and I wouldn't know how to get off of it uh one one day I got a call from Pastor said Dad are you on did you know you're on the internet well I didn't know it he recognized a picture of my house and and he said turn that thing off you I didn't even know I was on it don't know how I got on it don't know how I got off of it I still don't know but I do know this much that I do know that has become what they call the social media and so many people are on people are on that and no matter what you come on and say somebody else is going to contradict it criticize it or agree with it and you're going to get a that's bitterness and the Bible said that this this bitterness is not from above it says for where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work if you can't read something and and let it pass over and you've got to get leave it alone run from it but the wisdom that is from above now listen to this now I'm I'm dealing with Daniel's excellent Spirit but the wisdom that is from above is first pure it's not diluted it's not uh used uh hypocritically it's first pure then it's Peaceable now we're talking about wisdom from above it's Peaceable it brings peace it don't dist people up it don't make people mad it don't make people angry and it's gentle uh not harsh and well I told him this and I I here's what I told here's what I'd have told him if I if that heard if this what I'd have said if we're not careful we'll plant seeds of bitterness unwittingly the wisdom that's from above is first pure Peaceable gentle and easy to be intreated some folks you you have to approach them so gentle because they're so uh ready to flare up at you but the wisdom that's from above we're talking about Daniel's excellent Spirit now is easy to be entreated you you don't have to be afraid to approach someone and and speak to them and think they're going to take the the wrong impression uh is it to be int treed full of Mercy good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisy and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace isn't that beautiful isn't that beautiful and the fruits of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace isn't that great that that is so precious and sometimes you have to work at this you the new preacher asked the little boy son is your dad a Christian said yeah but said he's not working at it right now well some of us we're church members and but we don't work at it all the time but sometime we set it on on on the shelf and the fruit of righteousness ass s in peace of them that make peace now I want to show you how not only Daniel but there were other great men that were tested and passed the test and God elevated them in a great way God can Elevate you in your community he can Elevate you on your job or you can stay into a fuss with somebody on your job and did did did you know that any company prefer someone that's easy to get along with than someone that's hoty and stiff necked and hard to get along with here's what Genesis 41 says about Joseph and Pharaoh said unto his servant can we find such a one as this what what kind are we talking about Pharaoh said can we find such a one as this what what is such an outstanding man to Pharaoh what's Pharaoh seeing in this man whoever he is we don't name him yet I've already let his name slip but here's what Pharaoh said can we find such a one as this a man in whom the spirit of God is I want to tell you something if the spirit of God is in you it's going to be seen on your job it's going to seen when you go to school it's going to be seen when you go to the Ball Game you're not going to yell and holler and fuss and carry on you're you're you're going to have a gentle kind Spirit oh God help us and Pharaoh said unto Joseph for as much as God ha showed thee all these all this there's none so discreet and wise as Thou Art I'm talking about the excellent spirit that Daniel had and the spirit that we need to develop in us you know the end of Daniel's story because we'll get to that later if we have time but you you know but I'm I'm feeling in some blanks now thou he said to uh Pharaoh said to Joseph for as much as God ha showed thee all this there's none so discreet wise as Thou Art Thou shalt be over my house and according to Thy word shall all my people be ruled only in the throne only in the throne will I be greater than thou and Pharaoh said unto Joseph see I have set thee over all the land of Egypt and Pharaoh took took off his ring and from his hand and put it upon Joseph's hand and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck and he made him to ride in the second Chariot which he had and they cried before him bow the knee and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt Joseph first of all he had a coat of many colors that was given to him by his father he lost that coat by jealous brothers who were going to kill him and dip that coat in animal blood and take it back to Jacob and say your son's been killed by an evil beast but they found a better idea to throw him in a pit the pit was dry and and didn't drown him so you know the rest of the story how he later was taken from the pit sold to some ishite Traders and went down in into Egypt and he became the the ruler of of Piper's house I mean he was the first man in this man's house evident the man traveled a lot and his wife kept making her advances toward Joseph and and and finally when she tried to seduce him he rejected her advances until one day now he had already lost one coat but he kept his character now he had another coat and she grabbed the hold of his coat to dress D him into her bedroom and he stripped himself of that coat and fled and she screamed and hollered this uh this Jewish boy has accosted me lied on him well he lost his coat but he kept his character and it caused him to be sent to a a a dungeon to a prison but through it all God put him in the prison where there other prisoners he interpreted dreams and I'm not going to go how everything that happened but it finally brought him before pharaoh and Pharaoh made him the the prime minister of all Egypt over all the food and everything because and you know that story well what I'm telling you now is this excellent Spirit God needs people today that can be led of the Lord and and we're we're easy to get along with in church we're easy to get along with in the community we're easy to get along with wherever we because we've got an excellent in spirit and Pharaoh said can we find such a one as this a man in whom the spirit of God is how wonderful it is and and I'm going to have to hurry I see that right now all right uh you'll be over my house Proverbs 16:32 he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he that ruleth his Spirit than he that taketh a city now now notice what this is saying I'm what I'm teaching now he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty just this week Tuesday of this week there was over here on middle Rook Pike I've been in the place many times the uh uh it's a parch Place uh I forget the name of the the company now the but anyway it's a parch place two men got into a argument one shot the other one dead the other one's captured one's family will miss him the rest of their life their life and this will probably go to what happens when we don't learn to control our spirit when we haven't learned to control our attitude now this goes on in the church I've seen it on the conference floor I've seen men that can't control their attitude in their spirit now you now he that can't control his spirit is like a city that's broken down with no walls and and this means that you will have to make an effort but you can create an excellent spirit and behave with an excellent Spirit or you can be very quick to anger and very quick to speak up and stay in trouble he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he that ruleth his Spirit than he that taketh a city now uh this verse uh 40 verse 31 of Proverbs 16 uh we just read 32 but Proverbs uh 16:31 says the Hy head that's the gray head is a Crown of Glory if it be found in the way of righteousness now we like to say now house I've I've been down that road and this gray hair you see what that that that shows how that don't necessarily mean how smart you are it might mean that that you're pretty dumb you have if you haven't learned something through those years the gry head is a Crown of Glory if it be found in the way of righteousness and um I thought this uh as I told you all the commentaries I have I I begin to study on that scripture and u Matthew Henry uh has a has a a whole big book on commentary and uh I thought it noteworthy to read this to you what Matthew Henry said about this verse the gry head is a Crown of Glory if it be found the way of righteousness now I'm old and we got some more folks there know spring chickens here too so I can speak to all of us it ought to be the great care of old people to be found in the way of righteousness the way of religion and serious godliness both God and man will look for him in that way it will be expected that those that are old should be good that the multitude of their years should teach them the best wisdom let them therefore be found in that way death will come the judge is coming the Lord is at hand that they may be found of him in peace let them be found in the way of righteousness now Matthew Henry gives second Peter 3:14 as a as a scripture wherefore beloved seeing that you look for such things be diligent that you may be found of him in peace without spot and wrinkle Matthew 24:46 blessed is that servant Matthew Henry is still talking about the elderly now blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he come find him so doing let old people be old disciples let them persevere to the end in the way of righteousness which they long since out in that they may then be found in it now we elderly folks this is good for us and you that can say to yourself young you better listen because you're going to face it one day and now is a good time for you to start if all people be found in the way of right righteousness their age will be their honor old age as such is Honorable and commands respect Leviticus 19:32 says Thou shalt rise up before the gry head and honor the face of the old it's called a Hy head that's a grayhead and and honor the face of the old men and and fear thy God I am the Lord end of quote but if it be found in the way of wickedness its honor is forfeited it's Crown profane and laid in the dust old people therefore if they would if they would preserve their honor must still hold fast their integrity and then their gray hairs will indeed uh are indeed a crown to them they are worthy of double honor Grace is the glory of old age Proverbs 1632 he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he that rues with his spirit that he that taketh the city this recommends the grace of meekness to us which will well become us all particularly the gray head the nature of it it is to be slow to anger uh not easy put to Passion or apt to resent provocations taking time considered before we suffer our passion to break out that may not transgress due bounds so SL slow in our emotions toward anger that we may be quickly stopped and pacified and now I'm still reading Matthew Henry's commentary I thought this was worthy to be read to the congregation it is to have the rule of our own Spirit our appetites and affections and all our inclinations but particularly our passions our anger keep that under Direction and check the strict government of religion and right reason we must be Lords of our own anger as God is NM 1 and3 says the Lord is slow to anger and great in power will not all acquit the Wicked the Lord hath his way in the Whirlwind and in the storm and in the clouds are the dust of his feet rule your passion as God rules the wind the honor honor of it he that gets and keeps the Mastery of his passion is better than the mighty better than he that by long Siege takes a city or by a long War subdued a country Behold a greater than Alexander or Cesar is here the conquest of ourselves and our own unruly passion requires more true wisdom and a and a more steady constant and regular management than the obtaining of a victory over the forces of an enemy I this brought to my mind something that I wrote and I went back and I found an article I wrote in 1969 and let me read it to you the Reckless age of Youth is called Fool's Hill but in later life it should be called Fool's Mountain for when a person loses his grip on God he eventually finds himself at the summit of Mount fol looking back on green valleys far below and now Out Of Reach Solomon looked back on a life of luxury and extravagance and sadly declared quote I hated life all is Vanity and vacation you see a wise young man became an old fool a man so wealthy yet so morally impoverished Solomon had many regrets he wished to be able to erase or alter The Ledger but in the words of pilot that which is written is written Mister a loving wife may forgive and a permissive neighborhood May Overlook but can you forgive yourself or Overlook the fact that you blundered the grand finale of your life what a shame to end life Symphony on a sour or know oh people listen to me long is the list of Bible greats who should have ended up in h the Hall of Fame but instead ended up in rogue's gallery David Saul Samson and Solomon could all easily qualify for stupidity Awards Saul and Samson were perfect specimens of heroic masculinity but both died a suicide when David was stricken in years they brought to him a a young and beautiful virgin to lie in his bosom a disgraceful attempt to rekindle a fire that had gone out the record says quote but the king knew her not a once proud and Valiant man now only an empty shell and a shadow of his former self Solomon starts out uh Solomon's start was like the cloudless dawn of a summer's morning and could have finished in a picturesque golden and sunset but instead ended in dismal disappointment thus a life beginning magnificently ended miserably the man who pinned and preached a thousand wise things failed to practice the wisdom he taught now let's look at young intellectual Saul of Tarsus who gave up a brilliant career in law and politics to pursue Heaven's light which beamed across his path on the demand Asus Road from that day on nothing else mattered to Paul the Apostle born out of due season after spending years searching for Souls While others sought his life Paul carries the scars of public scourgings his face is pale from the almost constant imprisonment of his last years listen as this old man broken in body but not in spirit performs his swan song his his them theator is a dingy gray prison he has no supporting actors still standing in the beam of Heaven's Spotlight he occupies the stage alone Paul is about to hang up his uniform about to pass the torch to a younger man look over his beaten back and his weled shoulders as he the chained hand pin his last letter to Young Timothy watch Paul bring the audience to their feet with the grand performance of his life quote preach the word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke with exort with all longsuffering and Doctrine watch thou in all things endure afflictions do the work of an evangelist make full proof of thy Ministry for I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand I've fought a good fight I've finished my course I've kept the faith henceforth there's laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge shall give to me at that day and not to me only but to all them that love his appearing let me bring this to a close tonight uh I I hope that you are getting what I'm trying to get across um give me just a minute to find my place and I'll find the place to back to the lesson then the presidents and princes were look at verse four of chapter 6 then the president and the princes sought to find occasion against Daniel according are concerning the kingdom but they could find none occasion nor fault for as much as he was faithful neither was there any error or fault found in him then now may this be said of us the Beware of the man that old man speaks well of uh you're you're going to be falsely accused you can't keep that from happening but you can make sure that it isn't true when the they tell bad things about you then said these men we shall not find an occasion against Daniel except we find it against him concerning the laws of his God then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king and said unto him King Darius live forever all the presidents of the kingdom and governors and the princes and counselors and captains have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm degree that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for 30 days save of thee O King he shall be cast into the Den of Lions now oh King establish the decree and signed the writing that it be not changed according to the law of the mes and Persians which alter not wherefore King Darius signed the writing and the decree and when Daniel knew the writing was signed he went into his house and his wisdom being open his windows being open his chamber toward Jerusalem he kneeled upon his knees three times a day prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did a four time we've already commented on this then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God I'll never forget uh something I I heard U an old preacher make a statement he said men of prayer they will never pray to be seen but they will certainly be seen praying and I thought how true that is a person of Prayer Will Not pray to be seen but you will be seen praying then they came and spake before the king concerning the king's decree hast thou not signed it every man shall asked a petition of any and the the king answered and said the thing is true according to the law of the mes and Persians which alter not then answered they and said before the King Daniel which is of the children of the Captivity of Judah regardeth not the O King nor the decree that has signed that thou signed but make his petition three times a day then the King when he heard these words was so displeased with himself as set his heart on Daniel to to deliver him and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him then these men assembled to the king and said to the king now oh King the law of the Ms and the Persians that no decree nor statute which the king established may be changed then the king commanded and they brought Daniel and cast him into the Den of Lions now the king spake and said unto Daniel thy God whom thou servest continually will deliver thee and a stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den and the King singled it with his own Signet and with the signant of his Lord and the Lords and the purpose that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel then the king went to his Palace and passed the night fasting neither were instruments of Music brought before for him and his sleep went from him then the king arose very early in the morning and went and hastened to The Den of Lions and when he came to the den he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel and the King spake and said to Daniel oh Daniel servant of the Living God is thy God whom thou servest continually able to deliver thee from the Lions then Daniel said to the king oh King live forever my God has sent his Angel and it shut the lion's mouth that they have not hurt me for as much as before him innocence was found in me and also before thee Oh King have I done no hurt then was the king exceeding glad for him and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no manner of hurt was found upon him because he believed in his God would you stand to your feet with me please I have one minute left to myself appointed quitting time yes as we pray Ken's son surgery today remember him pray yes brother Kennedy's son Brother Brad Kennedy Brad Kennedy was scheduled for surgery today and let's let's let's pray for uh brother Kennedy's son Brad Kennedy and we have I've already given several names that we need to pray for and let's pray for all of these and right now especially let's pray for Brother Brad Kennedy God be with him and take care of him and see him through this surgery father you know our hearts and you see what we are facing in the the great multitude of illnesses and sickness and problems we pray for each one of them we pray for brother Kennedy's son God as goes to surgery you're able to direct the hands of the surgeons and direct the technicians that the things they do will be be be accomplished that which is intended father we put this in your hands God we ask you to take what's been spoken tonight and let it sink deep into our hearts and may it charge us and Inspire us to develop uh the right spirit in us and an example Spirit God I pray that you will touch us tonight dismiss us from this place but not from your presence bring us back in the next appointed time in jesus' name we pray amen and amen God bless you you're dismissed in Jesus name