|
Get the latest important news each day on our A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE A Young Man of Influence Whether the heathen king Nebuchadnezzar knew it or not, young Daniel, probably no more than seventeen years old at the time of his capture, was a teenager beyond reproach. No evil motives are ever attributed to Daniel in Scripture. Daniel had great influence on his three friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. His moral rectitude rubbed off on them, and they, too, began to demonstrate the purity that God desires for everyone, young or old. With wisdom well beyond his years, Daniel had become a mentor to his three friends. The Scripture tells us in Daniel 1:4 that Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were already intelligent fellows, but mere knowledge is a far cry from a mature understanding of how to apply that learning where it truly counts. But because of Daniel’s daily influence, the Hebrew boys demonstrated much more than the accumulation of facts; they knew how to rely on God and to use those facts because the Spirit of almighty God was upon them. They were also fulfilling a prophecy written in Isaiah 39:7, which revealed that the offspring of the royal family of Judah would be taken as prisoners to Babylon, where they would hold high offices in the palace of the king. And this is exactly what was happening. Can’t Have Those Jewish Names, Boys But Nebuchadnezzar had a problem. He had Jewish boys, with Jewish names, in a Babylonian palace, and he figured he’d better do something about it—especially since their very names shouted out their allegiance to their God. The name Daniel means "God is judge." When someone would call for Hananiah, that person would be shouting "Jehovah is gracious." Mishael’s name asked the provocative question, "Who is what God is?" And Azariah’s name was a constant reminder of God’s mercy, meaning "Jehovah has helped." Nebuchadnezzar couldn’t allow these names to be echoed in his great hall, so he changed their names to Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Nebuchadnezzar was the master of the quick fix. His kingly logic was, if he changed the name, he would change the person. What the king did not realize, however, was that you can change a person’s name as many times as you want, but you will not necessarily change that person’s heart. So the name changes were purely cosmetic, and I’ve got a feeling that when the boys were in their quarters, in the privacy of their conversation, they still called each other Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. These brilliant young Jews loved their God and, as we’ll look at in more detail later, boldly proclaimed His presence in their lives three times a day in prayer—with the windows wide open. They didn’t care who heard them pray. They didn’t care who saw them with their heads lifted to heaven. They loved their God, and they would honor Him at all costs. They remained respectful to the king, but they had a greater God to serve. In one of the great "passive resistance" protests in history, they agreed to remain unwavering in their beliefs, even if it meant taking certain life-threatening risks. Daniel 1:8-16
An Unlikely Training Food The first challenge was what to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Imagine the incredible feasts available to Daniel and his friends. Delicacies galore. Meat, fowl, wine, and fruit served in gold and silver vessels. The king’s best. Who would have refused that kind of lifestyle? Well, for starters, four young men with the names Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They determined in their hearts they would not eat the rich, fatty, high-cholesterol foods from the king’s table. But there was another reason they refused to defile their bodies: The king’s food had already been offered to the Babylonian god Marduk, and to eat the king’s food would be to break the second commandment. They knew what Exodus 20:4—5 said: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. But this conviction created a problem. These four boys were in training—and Nebuchadnezzar and his trainers were in charge. They were under strict orders to follow Babylonian rules, not Jewish rules. Nothing kosher here. But—and this is why I hope young people are reading this book, because this in so many ways is a young person’s book—Daniel still found favor with the prince of the eunuchs. Character is what counts. Sticking to your guns when everyone else says to do something that dishonors God is what wins the day. Now it was Melzar, the eunuch-in-charge, who had the problem. His job and his life were on the line. He had a specific assignment—to make his charges obey the rules, follow the instructions, color between the lines, do what they were told, and eat the king’s food like the other Jewish boys. What could be so bad about that! "Come on, guys, please," I can almost hear him say. "I like this job, and I really don’t need to get into any trouble with the head eunuch." I’m sure that Daniel and his buddies listened to their eunuch friend with hearts of compassion for the predicament he was in, but they still remained faithful to God’s agenda for their lives. Acting Like Gentlemen Now here’s a part I love. Rather than giving Melzar a tongue-lashing, Old Testament lecture on the evils of giving good food to bad gods like Marduk, Daniel did something much more effective: He provided an alternative. He presented the eunuch an option by suggesting, "Let’s just check this other idea out, and see what happens." Daniel came up with a "ten-day plan." And what was the essence of this plan? To eat only pulse—another word for beans. Beans. Not meat, fish, exotic game from the forest, rich desserts, wine flowing by the flagons—but beans . . . and water. I can just see Melzar’s face turn ghostly white as he gently touches the side of his neck, wondering how long it will remain attached to the rest of his head. "Beans! Surely you jest. We have beef, and you want beans?" Daniel and his friends confirmed their resolve, and the diet plan was approved. While the rest of Jewish captives were being wined and dined in the palace dining hall, Daniel and his three friends ate beans—and amazingly were growing stronger and healthier in mind and body day by day. They trusted their God to make them healthy and strong. They remained obedient to God when all the odds were stacked against them. And when the ten-day experiment came to an end, we read that "their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat. Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse" (vv. 15—16). And the palace scoreboard read: Daniel—1 King—O CHANGED LIVES-one at a time Dear Dr. Jack & Rexella I wish to thank you for your presence and anointing. Your show truly is of the Word of God, and I for one sincerely appreciate the opportunity to have the ability to watch and hear your show. It is one I really do look forward to each week. May the Lord continue to richly bless you both and your show. Yours in Him
Good day, My name is Landon, and I recently viewed Time Changer, and to be truly honest, it changed my outlook on life. I've never noticed how decayed our society has become, but this film allowed God to open my eyes and see how we have allowed sin to run rampant. This film is truly a wonder and I've already asked others to watch this film so they too, can see what we've done to ourselves. I've also been a man who supported the "Moral without Christ", but after seeing the results of our way of life I realize I was wrong. We need Jesus to guide us so we do not stray from the Father, and also to show others who have strayed that forgiveness is always possible. Thank you so much for this film. Peace be with you. Landon HIGHLIGHTED PRODUCT OFFERS Time Changer An exciting new movie starring:
The year is 1890 and Bible professor Russell Carlisle (D. David Moran) has written a new manuscript entitles "The Changing Times". His book is about to receive a unanimous endorsement from the board members of the Grace Bible Seminary until his colleague Dr. Norris Anderson (Gavin MacLeod) raises an objection. Dr. Anderson believes that what Carlisle has written could greatly affect the future of coming generations. Using a secret time machine, Anderson sends Carlisle 100 years into the future, offering him a glimpse of where his beliefs will lead.
Revelation Revealed: Verse by Verse
A tremendous value...now all 5 videos plus slipcase available WE ACCEPT PRAYER REQUESTS HERE We receive prayer requests from far and wide via the mail, fax, phone, email and now through the prayer section of our website. FEEDBACK: Please help us with your valuable input. Let us know if you enjoyed this electronic newsletter. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!! CONTACT INFORMATION: E-MAIL: jvimi@jvim.com PHONE: (248) 852-5225 (8am-4:30pm Eastern Time) FAX: (248) 852-2692 MAIL: Jack Van Impe Ministries JVIM FAMILY OF WEBSITES: JVIM PROPHECY PORTAL ON THE WEB Privacy Notice: Jack Van Impe Ministries is a non-profit, religious corporation registered in the state of Michigan in the U.S.A. and a registered charity in the province of Ontario in Canada. Our policy has been and will always be to never sell, rent, or barter the names and/or information about those who contact our international ministries. Stewardship: Independent CPA reporting confirms that only 5% of JVIM income is used for fundraising and only 7% is used for administrative costs, including all salaries. A full 88% or more of JVIM income is used directly to fulfill its non-profit mission to share the Good News of salvation and Christ's soon return with the world. |
Jack Van Impe Ministries International Newsletter