Stand Firm

Stand Firm

Daniel 1.1-8

vv. 4-5, Daniel and his friends got a three-year crash course in the ways of the Chaldeans.

--New Teachings, new language, pagan religion

--They were faced with adversity in their education—they would be taught things that went totally against their beliefs.

--They would be tempted with new foods and wine that were forbidden in their homeland.

What did Daniel and his friends do? When he was faced with adversity, He stood firm. Verse 8 says that he purposed in his heart. He made up his mind ahead of time that no matter what, he was going to stand firm in his faith and his belief in God.

Do Christians stand firm today? For those who are graduating high school and are going on to college or are in college, they will face or are facing things very similar to what Daniel and his friends faced thousands of years ago.

I want to ask the graduates and those that are already in college or still in high school a question—Are you standing firm in your beliefs in spite of the secular and tainted education that you have or will receive.

Do you stand up for what is right or do you bow down?

The Hebrew children stood up for what was right. They never backed down. Now I am not advocating defying everything presented to our children in school today.

Sometimes we have to learn about certain things in order to know what we face.

We have to know other beliefs and theories in order to be able to combat them spiritually.

Paul tells us in 2 Cor 10.3, For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh.

Again in Eph 6.12, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

This tells me that just as Daniel and His friends faced the forces of Satan in their education we face the same forces today.

The taking of prayer out of the schools, the taking of the ten commandments out of the schools, the teaching of evolution and the moral decay in our society that has infiltrated the schools of today.

The teaching of evolution and the removal of prayer from our schools are not man made. They are Satan made.

Satan is known as the father of lies and we can see these lies permeating our society, homes and schools.

We may not be able to accomplish much against these false teachings in our schools, but we can combat them in our homes, our church and our Sunday School.

We can combat these things through our prayer lives as well.

I do disagree with the teaching of evil-ution and acceptance of homosexuality to our young children.

Young children who are easily persuaded and confused and who look up to the authority figure of the teacher.

A part of a $24 billion educational initiative started a few years ago, pushed for the hiring of homosexual teachers and assistants.

It also pushed teaching homosexual practices in our schools.

Folks, as parents we need to be intricately involved in the education of our children. We need to insure that the proper values are taught to our children especially in the primary and elementary years.

These are the years when they are most impressionable. In middle and high school, years if we have taught our children correctly they should be able and ready for any values that go against their Christian upbringing.

We may not agree with all the material that is being taught in the school, but we can present our children with the truth to help them.

Let your child’s teacher know where you stand on these issues. Many times the teacher has no choice but to teach what they are told, but it never hurts to let them know where you stand.

They may have to face tests where they have to answer the questions the way the school requires, but with your guidance in the early years and up, they will know right from wrong.

We can teach them Biblical truths. We need to teach our children the truths upon which to stand firm.

What was God’s response to Daniel’s stance? Let us read Dan 1.17.

He blessed them. He gave them knowledge and skill in ALL learning and wisdom.

We see that God blessed them with the ability to learn and excel at everything they were taught.

The old saying is knowledge is power. Let us look at what God’s blessing did for these four young men.

It comes to graduation time; 1.18-19.

The king found none like them. They had stood firm in the face of adversity and were blessed. They did not allow these new and false doctrines to sway their faith in God.