This week we concluded our series, “Small Steps” by talking about what God’s Word desires for us when it conflicts or clashes with what the world wants from us. I referenced a pod cast by Pastor Francis Chan – “Excitement Over the Movement of God” dated November 23, 2022. Francis talks about the passage from 2 Peter 3 – “(8) “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day”.
Francis goes on to say that the time span between Adam and Abraham was 2,000 years roughly and the span between Abraham and Jesus was 2,000 years roughly. He then references us to the 1,000 year reign of Christ. God’s number for completion has been 7 – just look at the original creation. In that, on the 7th day He rested. The 1,000 reign will be a rest from the chaos and turmoil that sin has brought this world. If 1,000 years is like a day and day like 1,000 years – then perhaps we are living in the last 2,000 period. If so, 33AD to 2033 would be 2,000 years. I am not saying that the world will end in 2023, but his point does make sense from a biblical perspective.
In light of this, we transitioned to Daniel chapter three – the story of the three young Hebrew men. They were commanded by the King of Babylon to bow to a golden statue of him and they quietly and boldly refused to bow. They then found themselves thrown into a fiery pit. The rest of the story is that when the king took a look to see what was happening, he didn’t see three but four people. The fourth being the pre-incarnate Christ. Perhaps you know the song – There’s another in the fire, standing next to me”.
Upon seeing this, the king removes the young men, examines them and then elevates them because of the God they serve. Three things we learned from this story – When you find yourself between what God’s Word teaches that we should do and what the world demands of us and it conflicts – then we imitate these three young men. We do not bow, we do not bend because we will not burn.
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