Thursday 7/12/12 Hot Heat 4

Daniel 3:19 - Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and his attitude toward them changed.  He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego 23 and these three men firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?"  They replied, "certainly, O king." 25 He said, "Look!  I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods." 26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!"  So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisors crowded around them.  They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.  (NIV)

Good Thursday Morning, my dear brothers and sisters.  Last evening, we got a tad of rain, but still I had to water the plants.  Praise God for the water in our wells.  Thursday, the day we pray for churches, Vacation Bible Schools, schools, and families.  Pray for Pastor Larry and Glenvale Church of God Vacation Bible School.  Let's get to the message ...

Hot Heat (Day 4).  So we see today that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who had been brought before the king who, when finding out they would not bow down to his false god, the alter of gold, was really upset, the Bible says furious, so the furnace was ordered to be seven times hotter than normal.  Now that is done by the number of bellows forcing air into the fire box.  Now while we know the "HOT HEAT" was on, we do not know the degrees of that heat.  We do know this, the fire was that hot that the soldiers who took Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to the furnace were fried and died and they were not in the fire pit.  So the three were in the fire, and then the king saw it, four men walking around in the fire ... FOUR MEN, NOT JUST Shadrach, Meshach and ABednego, but there was another.  And we know who that was.

Put yourself in the shows of the king for a minute or two and think about all he went through to kill these men.  Even if you had not put them in the fire, think about it.  How could this happen, the fire so hot, and yet these men got out.  So do you think these things happen today?  I do not want you to go and jump into a fire because we are not to test God, but think back in your life, did you have an event where you know, really know that the only way you got through it was by the grace of God?  I could write three times in my life where I know it was only by the grace of God that got people through.  Once when I was run over on my cycle, once when our granddaughter was in a bad crash and God had someone right there to help her.  Also our grandson hit a deer on his motorcycle and it was said he was over 100 MPH when he hit that deer.  I am sure you could all think of a time when God helped you "out of the fire" so to speak.

So this Amazing happening, this life saving event, could only be done by God, and God was right in the heat of the fire with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.  However, it gets better, it really doe.  So many folks stop the story right here.  We know that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had faith, they had the faith of the mustard seed.

Matthew 13:31 - He told them another parable:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.  32 Though it is the smallest of your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so the birds of the air come and perch on it."  (NIV)

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had that great faith, and they were even in the presence of God, in person, so what then could be better than this?  Oh yes, there is something better, in my opinion, anyway.  But guess what?  You need to come back tomorrow and we will put it to bed (so to speak).  No, it will wake you up.

Dear Father in Heaven, thanks again for the message this day, and please, dear God, forgive us of our sins.  Hear our prayers today for our churches and the Vacation Bible Schools, and please take care of the Bible school up there in the valley.  Thy will be done, dear Jesus, in all things we pray, for Your will is always better than ours.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Now go forth and share your blessings, and please remember Jesus is your greatest blessing, just having Him in your heart, so you can share Him is a good thing.  We do not to always think about sharing your material blessings, sharing the love of Jesus is ALWAYS A GOOD THING.  Love ya, Pastor Dan.