Spoken by the Lord, “You and Three Others”
Daniel 3:16-18
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
I am entitling this today: “Spoken by the Lord, “You and Three Others”
King Nebuchadnezzar had just made an image made out of gold, according to Daniel 3:1.
It was commanded to all the people that when the music played, no matter when, all people, everywhere, were to fall down and worship this idol.
It was warned that anyone who did not bow down to the golden idol would be thrown into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
The music, at different times, played but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the three Hebrew children refused to bow to the golden idol that had been set up.
Daniel 3:12-15
12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? {true: or, of purpose}
15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
These three Hebrew children had been chosen to be set up in places of authority, and would not give in to the fear and threats that the King was making.
They knew who the true God was and they knew that they were to have no other gods set up in their lives.
Even though they faced with death, they were going to be the examples to the people God wanted them to be.
King Nebuchadnezzar was giving these three one last chance to bow down to the image that he had set up.
In verse 15, he asked a question to them, who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
The King was about ready to find out as to whom exactly “that God was.”
These three Hebrew children had an understanding of what it meant to pray and trust the Word of the Lord.
Even when faced with adversity they knew whom they believed in and were not going to be moved from their faith in the One true God.
Daniel 3:16-18
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
These three did not want to say the wrong thing, so they put it in that way in case they did die.
God can but we don’t know if He will deliver us from the fire but He will deliver us from your hands.
They understood what it meant to trust in God.
Mathew 18:19-20
19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
The prayer of agreement
According to Ephesians 6:18 there are all kinds of prayers.
Not one type of prayer will work in all situations.
In our opening text, we see a prayer that has an incredible promise.
That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
That is an incredible promise, anything!
If we would be in disagreement then pray alone.
Your prayer has a certain amount of power; if you get the right prayer partner it will increase your power.
Why? Because you are agreeing on the same thing,
You have more power together than if you were praying for the same thing separately.
Jesus knew this secret!
Le 26:8 And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.
Five chase 100, one hundred chase ten thousand.
The more that they got together, the more that they increased each others effectiveness.
If you do the math each increases the effectiveness fivefold.
The more people that you get together into agreement that God is going to do a certain thing, the greater the power that is available.
That’s why it says in Deuteronomy 32:30 one can put a thousand to flight and two can put ten thousand to flight.
Each one by themselves one thousand but working together ten thousand to flight,
If we get into agreement then we will see greater power and greater wisdom as we begin to pray together.
What will the prayer of agreement work on? Anything!
Look at your neighbor and say “anything”!
Don’t put limitations on this verse, if it says it then that is what it means.
Do you believe if you ask God something, that He will do it?
Let’s agree for our families to be saved and watch God work.
We need to take this literally,
We need to pray for the lost
Are you deathly ill?
Are you behind on your mortgage?
Do you need a job desperately?
Have there been demons plaguing you?
What is it that you need God to do for you?
Find for yourself three or four people to agree together with you in prayer and you will multiply your power and effectiveness.
God will work in a way that He would not have if you would have prayed alone.
The three Hebrew children knew how to be in agreement with God!
They would not bow down to the image and because of this according to verses 19-23 they were thrown into the fiery furnace.
The furnace was turned up seven times hotter and they were bound and thrown in the fire.
Daniel 3:24-25
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
Nebuchadnezzar saw Jesus in the midst of the three walking through the fire.
Because Jesus was with them there was no hurt on the three children of Israel.
I have entitled this today: Spoken by the Lord, “You and Three Others”
1-27-11- I heard the Lord speak to me, when I say speak He spoke,
He said you and three others.
It all goes back what the lord showed me in August.
Dream 8-2-10
I dreamed there was a drought in the valley. The Lord showed me four people, including me, gathering together to tell them that the valley was going to be full of water again. We were then sitting at a table. I told them God told me that the rain is coming and the valley will be full of water. I told them that we were in a drought because someone had put a curse on the valley. As I told them this, I literally saw a lady drying up the water in a big gulf, garrison around the valley. This was in the past. I said again, “God said the rain is coming.” I took the four people and we took hands and I prayed for water to be restored in the valley. I felt the Presence of God. I said to Jay, “You know that I am right, the rain is coming.” Jay said, “When it comes, put me in rehab. I told Jay that the number four in my dreams means four men God is going to put together for this purpose. I knew that a couple of the men did not know what to think. One of the men said, “The rain is coming today.” I said it could but it might be a few days. I said it is coming soon. I walked outside and I saw rain clouds, the rain was about there.
Interpretation
A drought in the valley is where this church has been.
You need to understand that the number four has always been important to my ministry.
We were sitting at a table:
Table means a place of agreement or covenant. To iron issues out.
I then told them God told me that the rain is coming and the valley will be full of water.
Look at your neighbor and say “this valley will be full of water again”!
I told them we were in a drought because someone had put a curse on the valley.
God then showed me a vision in the dream; I saw a woman drying up all the water in a big gulf.
Church, we need to be in agreement!
The rain is here and it’s time for us to receive our showers of blessing.
Maybe some of you are in a valley in your life, maybe you’re going through something that you don’t understand.
How many know God understands what we do not?
On Sunday nights, we have been talking about how Isaac was in the valley and kept finding his father’s old wells and there would be opposition.
He just kept going on even when opposition came and finally he got to the place of God’s perfect will.
We are on a journey in this valley, there will be things happen that we do not understand, but don’t be a quitter.
God is going to rise up four intercessors for this valley and I am pretty sure that I know who one is going to be.
Me and three others,
We will be bringing together an intercessory team together and there will be men and women both on it.
These people will be totally committed to this valley and this church.
God is starting to give me dreams about the people that He is going to put on this team of warriors.
Mathew 18:19-20
19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
God is going to rise up a generation of Daniels that will be committed to praying.
Daniel 3:28-30
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the kings word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.
Some of us are about to be promoted.
Closing
“You and Three Others”
I don’t know for sure where God is taking us to, but we are going somewhere in Him.
If you’re here today, and you have a need, come up around the altars and let’s pray.
God can still do it!
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
