Follow my example

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11: 1

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4: 12

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 1 Peter 2: 21

In a previous blog (Catch me if you can), I wrote about passing on a spiritual inheritance to the next generation so they can lay hold of what others may have taken much effort and paid a great price to obtain. 

If we are to pass on this spiritual inheritance which can spur those younger in the faith to take the baton and run with it, we need to be those living a life that provides an example to follow and be inspirational. This comes first from an authentic, passionate relationship with Jesus. This is based not on our love for Jesus but on his for us. If it is based on our love it will be a fragile affair but if based on Christ’s powerful, unconditional love it will hold us in the good and bad times.

Everyone’s example can be an inspiration if it mirrors a faith based on a genuine relationship with God. Our daughter-in-law said in her baptismal testimony that she was inspired by a couple: ‘Seeing two people who really gave their lives for their faith resonated with me. It wasn’t something you just say but something you live.’ Another inspirational lady was ‘strong and passionate in her friendship with the Lord.’

A passionate relationship with Jesus is not enough though. It has to flow into a lifestyle that is markedly different to others. It is not enough to be ‘nice’ or ‘kind’. The world is full of people who are not Christians but who are very nice and genuinely kind who do all sorts of amazing things for others.

What should mark out the Christian is a different attitude to every aspect of life – a life that does not take on the world’s values or lifestyles but Christians whose lives are based on a Godly set of values and morals, not spending everything on themselves or pleasure but investing in every way to see God’s Kingdom come. J John says ‘We have not been saved to live as we want to live; we have been saved to live like Christ’.

If we truly want the next generation to follow Jesus more passionately than ourselves, to become people who desire to see his Kingdom come then we must show that our lives are radically different in the way we spend our time, our money and our attitude to others especially when others don’t deal well with us.

Joseph and Daniel both had trouble with those who were their ‘bosses’. Joseph paid a heavy price for refusing Mrs Potiphar’s advances but maintained his moral integrity and ended up in prison. Daniel would not give up his daily prayer schedule and ended up in the lions’ den. Today many Christians face great persecution in their faith. Lions’ dens may have gone out of fashion but being ostracised from family, losing jobs, facing prison, torture and even death are an increasing reality for many Christians.

Learning to follow Jesus example of grace and forgiveness whilst never condoning sin is a wonderful model. I have been inspired to follow the example of both those facing genuine persecution as well as Christians treated shamefully by others. These Christians have maintained their dignity and integrity and have never given up their faith or their determination to do the right thing despite strong provocation. That is authentic Christianity because it follows the example of Jesus.

We all need Godly examples to follow and we all need to be Godly examples. Both those younger in the faith and the world need to see a sincere Christianity that actually works in faith, in deeds and in words. Something that models love, grace, mercy, forgiveness and sacrifice.  Something in fact that looks a bit like Jesus.

An excellent spirit

The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favour in his eyes and became his attendant.  Potiphar put him in charge of his household and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. Genesis 39: 2 – 4

Joseph like Daniel was a man with an ‘excellent spirit’. He too was taken off into captivity as a young man to a country heavily demonised and into idolatry big time. He had every opportunity to turn his back on God and be angry, resentful, bitter and unforgiving and yet three times in this chapter it says the Lord was with Joseph. In fact it was so obvious to his master that the Lord was with him and prospering him that Potiphar entrusted his entire household to Joseph. Later Joseph was promoted to be second in the land to Pharaoh.

This sounds very similar to Daniel who also rose to great service in Babylon. Both of these young men could have just done the minimum required, kept a low profile and taken the attitude that since their masters were ungodly, idol worshipping pagans they would have as little to do with them as possible. Instead they sought to bless their masters by their excellent service and Godly witness.

Nobody in either Egypt or Babylon was under any illusions who Daniel or Joseph served. There was no keeping their faith private for fear of ridicule or persecution. Both Daniel’s and Joseph’s faith was right out there blessing those over them. It also stood the test of false accusation, imprisonment and threat of death. 

We can make such a difference in our situations with Godly, kind, loving, reliable and honest service to those over and around us. We can bless the most ungodly people with our excellent service and be such a wonderful light in dark situations. Resentfulness and bitterness breed a grudging attitude but God’s love can shine out in the darkest places. The Lord is with us and we do not need to fear. He will prosper us as we seek to serve him and bless those around us and he will never leave us or forsake us in the midst of difficulties and persecutions.

A holy nation

Now Daniel so distinguished himself amongst the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom Daniel 6:3

Daniel lived a holy life – a life separated from everything of the ungodly world that surrounded him and separated unto Almighty God. Daniel was taken into captivity with his three friends Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego from Judah to Babylon in 609 BC and Daniel died there in 534 BC. He served under many kings but from an early age he sought to be a man of God no matter what. It almost cost him his life but he would not be deterred.

Though Daniel lived a long and prayer filled life we only read about the high points. In the first six chapters of the book we hear about Daniel’s amazing gift of revelatory discernment to interpret signs and dreams. We hear of Daniel and his three friends’ uncompromising stand against the devil’s schemes which led the three friends into the fiery furnace and Daniel into the lion’s den.  God delivered these Godly young men from all of it.

In between these times though there are many years when we know nothing of what Daniel was doing other than he was a man of prayer and ‘exceptional qualities’. He was in administrative charge of large parts of the Babylonian and later the Persian Empire but he never held back from his prayer life despite his extremely responsible and demanding career.

 Daniel prayed Jeremiah’s prophecy of the Jewish nation being in exile for 70 years to fulfilment. Prophecy is amazing but just prophecy until it is prayed into being. Daniel fasted and prayed for the nation to be released according to the word given to Jeremiah. Gabriel was sent to instruct him (Daniel 9) and Daniel and his companions continued to pray and seek God until a mighty angel again came to strengthen him (Daniel 10: 18 – 19). These angels gave Daniel amazing revelations of what was to come which have subsequently been incredibly fulfilled.

Daniel’s life was a life of service and prayer. Through his prayers the Jewish nation returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple and it was a pagan king, Cyrus, who sent the Jews back and even paid for the work. He even returned the holy objects taken from the temple by Nebuchadnezzar.

Daniel’s uncompromising life is such a source of huge encouragement for all of us. He determined to live for God from an early age no matter the cost. His amazing prayer life led him to be able to interpret dreams and signs at the highest level in the land. His exceptional qualities were used to serve in a pagan empire again at the highest level. He had the most amazing visions and dreams and all coming from a determination to live a holy life; a life separated to God and to his service.

Today our nations need as many Daniels as are willing to pay the price to be the shining lights that our countries are desperate for. Imagine Godly and God fearing men and women serving the nation at the highest levels and imagine a passionate church bringing the Kingdom of God to every area of our lands. It doesn’t take many to pray this into being but it does take determination. We are a holy people (I Peter 2: 9) – let’s live holy lives.

God reveals mysteries

There is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. Daniel 2: 28

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had had a bad dream and demanded that his wise men and magicians not only interpret the dream but tell him what the dream was about. Otherwise they would be put to death. When Daniel heard of this he asked for more time and he and his three friends went and sought God who revealed the dream and its interpretation. Daniel went to the king and was quick to ensure the King knew it was not because he was wise that he knew the dream and interpretation but because God reveals mysteries.

Never has there been a greater need today for the wisdom of God to come and reveal mysteries and God wants to use his people to do this. Individuals and society face intractable problems and the wisdom of God is needed as never before to find Godly solutions to these problems.

God gave me this word last October and I would like to share it with you today:

I rejoice over my children.  I embrace you and breathe my life and identity into you.  As I do this you become like me.  My life and presence will shine from you and you will take it wherever you go.  You will bring my presence into business meetings, schools, governments, media, health care, commerce and homes. You will bring my presence there and if you will yield yourselves to me, you will bring my wisdom into intractable situations. You will bring Godly solutions to ungodly messes.  The breathtaking simplicity of my answers will stun others. 

I am wisdom and as you embrace me and let me saturate you, my wisdom will flow from you.  I have an answer to every situation.  There is nothing I cannot and will not restore to those who love me and seek to serve me.  Let my presence dwell richly and deeply in you.  Take it to the world.  Share my love wherever you go.  Love cannot be force fed, it must be imparted and I will use every one of you who lets me.  Trust me, ask me and I will show you.  Make yourselves available and I will use each one, young or old, clever, rich, poor, disadvantaged, disabled, disaffected, discouraged, every wonderful one of you that is mine I will use because your difficulties are not a problem to me but an opportunity, an opportunity for you to serve me and discover how much I truly love you.

The Bible is quite clear that wisdom is given to anyone who asks (James 1:5). God wants to confide in us (Psalm 25:14).  Let us ask today and make ourselves available to give that Godly wisdom as the Lord opens doors to us.

Shutting the mouths of the lions

I am sure we are all familiar with the story of Daniel in the lions’ den found in Daniel chapter 6.   Daniel had been taken into exile by the Babylonians. He and some other exiles had found favour and risen to prominence in the land both under King Nebuchadnezzar and King Belshazzar.   When the Persians invaded Babylon Daniel continued to play a prominent role in the administration of the country.  King Darius had appointed 120 satraps to rule over the kingdom with three administrators over them to make sure there were no financial irregularities. Daniel was one of these administrators. 

Daniel did so well that the King Darius planned to put him over the whole kingdom.  How did Daniel get to such a position?

In chapter 1 we read that all Daniel and his friends did was separate themselves from the chosen others by their Godly living. God then caused the officials to show them favour (1: 9) and God gave them knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning (1:17).    God asks that everyone of us does what we know to do to the best of our ability and he will bless our lives abundantly.  Having got to the highest position in the land, Daniel did not sit back and relax but continued to seek and serve God even when it got him into trouble.

The satraps and other administrators were not happy about Daniel’s promotion and tried to find grounds for charges to be brought against him without success. They then sought to discredit him by using his greatest strength, his relationship with God, as the means of his downfall.  

All the royal officials persuaded the king that anyone who prayed to any god except the king for the next 30 days should be thrown into the lions’ den.  The laws of the Medes and Persians that the king made were written down and were unbreakable and applied to everyone, with no exceptions.  

When Daniel learned of this, he continued to do what he had always done, prayed (giving thanks) to God three times a day from his window facing towards Jerusalem.  Daniel did not panic or run to the king, he took his case to the courts of heaven.  

This is such a wonderful lesson for us. When things go badly awry and especially when we have done nothing wrong we need to take it to God not complain to anyone who will listen.

Daniel’s accusers knew his routine and a group of them went and found him praying. They then ran to the king to tell him that Daniel was breaking this new law.  The king was greatly distressed and did all he could to save Daniel but his own law was irreversible and irrevocable. The king had to agree to Daniel being thrown into the lions’ den but he said to Daniel, ‘May your God whom you serve continually, rescue you.’   He even had to seal the stone of the lions’ den so there could be no rescue bid.  

If the king had been able to rescue Daniel, everyone would have praised the king but through God's amazing miracle of deliverance, the whole nation turned to God. 

The king was so distressed that he did not eat or have entertainment that night nor could he sleep. At first light he was down at the lions’ den calling out to Daniel to ask him if God had saved him.  Daniel’s answering call must have been the greatest relief to the king. ‘O king live forever. My God sent his angel and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I done any wrong before you. O king.’  The king was overjoyed and when they lifted Daniel out they found no wounds on him.  

Like Daniel we can trust God with our situations not just when we have no choice but in our everyday lives.  Daniel lived in a godless and violent nation and yet he served God faithfully and trusted him to rescue him when no one, not even the king, could save him.  His trust was not misplaced.  As a result of God’s deliverance from certain death, the king ordered the whole empire to ‘fear and reverence the God of Daniel (6:26).  The king was amazingly transformed and came to faith as a result of the miraculous deliverance of Daniel.  

Hopefully you are not facing a lions’ den in your life but take heart that God will answer your faith filled prayers and will shut the mouth of any lions sent to devour you.  You can trust God completely – he is able to bring deliverance from any situation – even the ones that no one else can fix – and his favour rests on you today