I am so richly blessed by God to be called to share His Word
and by each of you, thank you all, for the value you add to my life.
Heavenly Father,
I pray that as we're are gathered today, here in worship of You, that I begin to share Your message, that each of us hearing will listen not to my words, but Your message for us.
I pray that You will grant me, the ability, to recognize their needs of Your people, to hear what it is they are not saying. To humbly pray for them, with them. Encourage them. To always offer wise counsel to guide them and faithfully affirm Your love for them.
Father, You have always loved and cared for each of us, help us, that we would always remember to love and care for all Your children, especially, with whom we may disagree. Remind us that we are all Your children.
Amen
The Image of Gold
"Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then a herald cried aloud: “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”
So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Daniel’s Friends Disobey the King
Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.”Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
Saved in Fiery Trial
Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king’s command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”
They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”
“Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”
Nebuchadnezzar Praises God
Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.”
Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon."
Daniel 3:1-30
Today's message I have called The Fiery Furnace
I know I have been through some big messes in my life, I'm sure all of you, at some point, have too.
There have been times, I felt like, Lord... just give it all to me at once and let's get it over with,
instead of those situations or circumstances dragging on for what feels like an eternity.
And I can admit, there have been some times, I have felt, Lord, why don't You just kill me and get it over with. I can't take this any more!
I'm pretty sure some of you know what I'm speaking about, some of you may still be there now.
Watching a close friend or family member, slowly suffering, feeling like our hands are tied, we can do nothing to help their struggles or pain.
Watching their medical bills pile up, as they endure treatment after treatment.
And the only thing that changes is their condition worsens..
That, except for God stepping in, to either heal them or take them, they're going to painfully suffer.
Feeling helpless and watching, as everything thing they've worked for their entire life, being sold off, just to survive and in hopes of paying the mortgage or a utility bill.. or buy medication.
Being abandoned by a spouse, and left unemployed, with several children to provide for.
Suffering through the results of a bad relationship.
A child or family member, who refuses to live for God.
It's being thrown into a Fiery Furnace!
SO MANY TIMES IN LIFE WE FIND OURSELVES IN THE FURNACE SAYING:
This just can't possibly get any worse... and yet it does!
This can't get any more painful .... but it does!
You find out your son is hooked on drugs and attempt suicide.
And for some of you, your teenage daughter, just found out she's pregnant.
Your vehicle breaks down.. or is repossessed.
I'm here to tell this: It can and it does get worse!
IT'S THE FIERY FURNACE!!!
I know some of you are saying, it can't get any hotter...
It can!
And it does!!
How HOT can it get?
"But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner’s fire
And like launderers’ soap.
He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And purge them as gold and silver,
That they may offer to the Lord
An offering in righteousness."
Malachi 3:3-3
The thing about gold is:
No matter how hot the fire gets, you can't destroy it!
No matter how hot the fire gets, you can't burn it up!
The more you try, the more pure it gets!
The impurities are destroyed, but the gold still stands!
All the bad minerals and deposits are burnt off and all that's left is the gold!
When it fire finally burns out, all you see is pure gold, in all of it's brilliance!
"And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
'My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord.
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.'
If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?"
Hebrew 12:5-7
I know some of you may be asking,
"Why is God allowing me to go through this?
Doesn't He know I can't take it anymore!?"
The answer is simple..
Because He loves you!
Now I know that initially, that isn't going to make sense to some of you, please just hear me out,
How many of you have children?
Raise your hand..
Nearly all of you.. okay good!
Now how many of you have corrected your child or children, or by denying them of doing something they really wanted to do, because you knew it wasn't good for them?
All of you... okay,
So does that mean you did it because you love them or because you just hate them and want to hurt them?
Exactly!
God loves us so much, He wants to "burn off" the impurities in our lives! He wants to make of us what He created us for..
The brilliance and reflection of purity!
Just like when we renovate a kitchen, everything from the cabinets and counters must be ripped out, to install the beautiful new surfaces we have carefully chosen to be our dream kitchen!
Are we not worth more than old countertops and outdated cabinets to the God in heaven, the Creator of the entire universe?
He believes we are so much more so, that He gave His Son, that we may be saved!
How many of you would be willing to do that today, for someone who was doing everything you didn't want them to do?
Well, when God sent His Son, we were all in sin.
Not even one of use, or collectively were worth or such a sacrifice! And we still aren't!
But He did it anyway..
Because of His immeasurable, unconditional love for us!
For as many times as you may have rejected Him in the past, if you call out to Him right now... He will receive you!
He'll met you right in the middle of all your mess!
Let me be clear, He will accept you and meet you where you are, but He doesn't intend for you to stay that way.
He will leave you better than He found you..
How many of you would do that after you child or spouse was out all night, committing every sinful act known to mankind?
But God loves us so much, enough to say,
"I forgive you, welcome home!"
Embrace us in His loving arms.
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written:
“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
"For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.
So we may boldly say:
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”
Hebrews 13:5-6
Proverbs 18:24 tells us, "But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
"So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him."
Isaiah 59:19
I am here today, to proclaim the Word of God to somebody!
That God does not let His children walk through the fiery furnaces alone!
He does not allow His children to walk into the lion's den without The Angel of the Lord at their side!
He does not flood the earth, until they are safely in the ark and the door is shut up!
He does not allow them to be thrown into prison, without giving them a song!
And you know what else? He doesn't allow them to hear the diagnosis from a doctor by themselves, He IS standing at their side!
In Closing....
I'm here today, to testify to the fact that He does not ever leave you nor forsake you!
Just when you don't think things could get any hotter, He wrap His loving arms around you and whispers,
"Hold onto me my beloved child."
I promise you He didn't bring us this far, just to leave us!
Can we stand to our feet, raise our hands high and give God some praise?
I know that some of you asking yourselves,
"How did I get here?"
"My life is such a mess, that I don't even recognize it!"
"Why am I facing all these struggles?"
"Does God not know that I am here?"
He knows, and believe me, He is in that mess right along with you!
He is standing by your side!
"No weapon formed against us prosper"
Why?
Because God said so,
"Behold, I have created the blacksmith
Who blows the coals in the fire,
Who brings forth an instrument for his work;
And I have created the spoiler to destroy.
No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord."
Isaiah 54:16-17
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus name
Amen
Brian Monzon Ministries