Trusting God

Jim Jamieson

Split Sermon – FOT 2014

Welcome, family, to another day of God's 2014 Fall Feast season.

As we move forward in this present evil world, who or what are we going to put our trust in? Are we going to trust our food stores? Our job? Are we going to trust in ourselves? So where are we going to put our trust as we move forward to the return of Jesus Christ?

The title of today's sermon is Trusting God.

In a post that was posted June 15, 2012 [God's Time] under the subtitle of "Moving Forward," Mr. Weinland said this:

“Moving forward. We have entered a final time of prophecy before Jesus Christ returns. We have found ourselves with our backs to the Red Sea, and when that happens we have tended to draw much closer to God.”

And we always do when we go through trials.

"We then become more deeply humbled as we cry out to God to lead us in His way..."

Not our way, His way.

"...since we cannot move in any direction until He opens up His way before us. And that is what faith is all about."

And you know, with that, we've just had some posts come out on "Christ's Return" and God's showing us the direction we're going in. So, continuing on here with this excerpt from a post....

"Our trials, struggles, and battles in life are beyond price..."

Because they help us grow, and God is here for us, so we can grow. Continuing....

"...as they help to mold and fashion God’s righteous character in us, if we simply yield ourselves to the process. Such things can sometimes carry great pain and stress in this physical life, but the lessons learned are invaluable. And often as we go through these things together it strengthens our resolve, makes us stronger spiritually, and binds us much closer together in God’s spiritual Family. What price can be placed on that value and such experience that help to transform our minds into greater unity and oneness with God?"

All right, we want to look at the definition of "mistrust" because we're going to look at some examples of people that mistrusted God. Definition of "mistrust": "Lack of trust or confidence arising from suspicion; to regard without trust or confidence; to be wary, suspicious, or doubtful."

So we're going to look at some examples of people who mistrusted God, and those who have put their trust in God and the outcome.

Well, let's start with Adam and Eve, if you want to turn to Genesis 2:15-17—Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in that day that you eat you shall surely die.

So let's turn on to Genesis 3:1-6, and see how Adam and Eve didn't trust God, that they just trusted on their own understanding. Yes, Satan was in the picture and deceived them, but still, they didn't trust God, to go by what He told them and what to do and how to live their life in the garden. So starting in verse 1 of Genesis 3, we're going to read through verse 6. Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made, and he said to the woman, (Satan), Has God indeed said you shall not eat of the tree of the garden? In other words, putting doubt in her mind. And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden but the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden God has said, You shall not eat or touch it lest you die. And then the serpent said to the woman, putting more doubt, causing mistrust, You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day that you eat of it your eyes will be open and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. So there again, Satan just casting more doubt, causing mistrust.

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and it was pleasant to the eyes, and the tree desirable to make one wise, she took of the fruit and ate, and also gave to her husband and he ate. So they mistrusted God and put their trust in Satan. So what'd they get for their mistrust in God? Well, let's turn to Genesis 3 and we'll read... well we're right there, Genesis 3 and we'll read verse 7 through 19.

All right, Genesis  3:7—Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the LORD walking in the garden, in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD among the trees of the garden

Then the LORD called to Adam and said to him, Where are you? So he said, I heard Your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself. And God said to him, Who told you, you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat? Of course, God knew that he had. And the man said, The woman You gave to me, to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I ate. And the LORD said to the woman, What is this you have done? And the woman said, The serpent deceived me. In other words, passing the guilt on to somebody else. The serpent deceived me and I ate. And the LORD God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle and more than every beast of the field. On your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed, and he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel.

And to the woman He said, I will greatly multiply you in sorrow and your conception. In pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you. And there are several sermons talking about just what these curses are about.

And to Adam He said, Because you have heeded the voice of your wife... and not trusted God. He listened to his wife who listened to the serpent, Satan. ...and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat it. Cursed is the ground for your sake. In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Instead, in other words, they're going to be thrown out of the garden where they could just tend it. It sounded like a pretty nice place to live, and now they're going to have to go out and work for it. Both thorns and thistles shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the dust of the ground. In other words, he's going to have to pull weeds for the rest of his life so he can have sustenance to live. For out of it you were taken, and dust you are, and to dust you shall return.

All right, so we can see that that didn't really work out well for Adam and Eve. You know, they were put in that beautiful garden where they could have a very nice way of living. And because of their mistrust in God they were thrown out of the garden and they had to work for it.

So let's look at another example of someone who didn't trust God, and how it worked out for him. We're not going to go through the whole story of Jonah, but if you want to turn to Jonah 1:1, we're going to read through verse 17 and see what happened when he didn't trust God, to do what God had instructed him to do. So Jonah 1:1—Now, the word of the LORD came to Jonah, the son of... (I'm not even going to try it) ...saying, Arise, Go to Nineveh, the great city, and cry out against it. In other words, prophecy against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me. And, I mean, we're in verse 3 and Jonah is already mistrusting God. But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish, from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish, so he paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

Verse 4—But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea so that the ship was about to be broken up. When the mariners were afraid and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down to the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.

Verse 6—So the captain came to him, and said to him, What do you mean, sleeper? You know, everybody else is up there trying to save everybody's lives, working together, and he's down there sleeping. Arise, call on your God. Perhaps your God will consider us so that we may not perish. And they said to one another, Come, let us cast lots that we may know from who this cause of this trouble has come upon us. So they cast lots and the lots fell on Jonah.

Verse 8—Then they said to him, Please tell us, for who's cause is this trouble upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you? And he said to them, I am a Hebrew and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven who has made this sea and the dry land. And if he trusted God that would have been the fear, is to trust God and do what he'd been told to do. Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, Why have you done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them. Then he said to them, What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us, for the sea was growing more tempest. In other words, it was getting bad.

And he said to them, Pick me up and throw me into the sea; in other words, he'd rather be thrown into the sea than do what God told him to do, to trust God. Then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.

Verse 13—Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to return to land. They were trying to save his life! I mean, these people, while he's down sleeping, and these people are up trying to save each other's lives, and now that they know he's the cause, they're still trying to save his life. But they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempest against them. Therefore, they cried out to the LORD and said, We pray, O LORD, please do not let us perish for this man's life, and do not charge us with innocent blood. For You, O LORD, have done as it pleased You. So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea and the sea ceased from raging. Then the men feared the LORD and offered a sacrifice to the LORD and took vows. Now, the LORD prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

All right, we can see right now that things aren't working out well for Jonah because he didn't trust God. As soon as God told him to do something, he immediately went the opposite direction. And that's what we have to not do in this day and age, when God shows us where He's leading us and what He wants us to do. And you know, if we've got more time and have to move forward, and God's showing us now in the recent posts that when Christ's return is going to be, and we have to move forward towards that and just keep our eyes fixed on doing God's works.

So let's go to Jonah 2:1, and we're going to read verses 1-10. So, starting in verse 1—Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish. I can't imagine being in the belly of a fish for three days and three nights, but anyway, And he said, I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction… you think of those acids in the stomach of the fish, probably doing some damage. ...and as He answered me out of the belly of sheol I cried, and You heard my voice and You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the floods surrounded me, and Your billows and Your waves passed over me. Then I said, I have been cast out of Your sight, yet I will look again toward Your holy temple. The waters surrounded me, even to my soul. The deep closed around me, weeds were wrapped around my head. I went down to the murrains of the mountains, in other words, the bottom of the sea. The pressure had to have been incredible! The earth, with its bars, closed behind me forever; and You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD, my God.

Verse 7—When my soul fainted with me I remembered the LORD, in other words, he's come down to the point of he knows it's out of his control. And my prayer went up to You, unto Your holy temple. Those who regard worthless idols forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; and will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. So the LORD spoke to the fish, and the fish vomited Jonah out on the dry land. And we all know the rest of the story, how he finally did what he was told after...after having to go through this ordeal.

So we can see by these examples that not trusting God doesn't work out well for mankind. And as we go forward in this end-time we have to put our total trust in God, rely on Him for everything. It'll be some scary times ahead of us, and trust in God and obeying Him and moving forward as He directs us is the only way we're going to get through this. And we have to stay close to each other, stay close to God and Jesus Christ. We need to support Mr. and Mrs. Weinland, and the ministry, and we have to stay close to the Family. So, anyway, moving on.

All right, now let's look at the definition of "trust": “Firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing." In other words, we've got to rely on God's character and the example He sets for us, and we have to grow, and as it says, "to let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus," so that we grow and trust God. And it also is "something committed into the care of another charge." We're putting our lives in God's hands and He's the one that's going to take us through this. And, "the condition of resulting obligation of having confidence placed in one, one of which confidence is placed, reliance on something in the future – hope." And that's what our trust is, is that God, He is going to send His Son and this evil world is going to come to an end. But it's going to be very horrific before it does.

So let us turn to Proverbs 3, and we're going to read verse 5 through 8. All right, Proverbs 3:5—Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; Jonah leaned on his own understanding and he ended up at the bottom of the sea in a fish. So, "trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding."  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. In other words, trust Him to lead us where we're going. And we've just got to do that. I can't emphasize that enough.

Do not be wise in your own eyes, in other words, what we think, what we think should happen. God's going to show us. And I can remember back in May of 2007, that Mr. Weinland made the comment that He thought it would be a while before God showed us again where  we were going, and now, He just recently in the past two posts has given us another date to move forward towards. So anyway, verse 7 again...Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. In other words, continue to use God's holy spirit, get sin out of our lives, and trust God so that He and His son can live in us. And there again, we can continue to move forward.

Verse 8—And it will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.

All right, for our next verse let's turn to Micah 7:5-7. I'll give you a minute to get there, minor prophets. All right, let's start in verse 5—Do not trust in a friend; Do not put your confidence in a companion; Guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your bosom. For son dishonors father, daughter rises against her mother, daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are of a man's own household. Therefore, I will look to the LORD; and I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. So there again, we need to put our trust in God, not in other people. I mean, how many people have been pulled away by putting their trust in a "friend." We've got to look to what God's giving us through Mr. and Mrs. Weinland and how He's working through them, and everything He's given us on the website. That's what we need to put our trust in. That's where the truth's at and that's what we have to put our trust in, is God and the truth that He's given to us.

All right, one more short verse. Let's go to 1 Timothy 4:10—For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially to those who believe. And there again, we've been told that, that we turn, a lot of us, reading the booklets that came out and reacted to them and stayed loyal and trusted God and gone through this past two plus years that we're going through in this sixth of seven 1260 days. Only God can save us and we must trust Him. We have got to just every day think about putting our trust in God. When we're going through... people are going through some horrific trials right now, and we've got to trust God that He's going to get us through it. So just, again, trust God and move forward.

All right, for our next example of someone that put their trust in God and followed Him and the instructions that God gave him, let's turn to the story of Noah back in Genesis 6, and we're going to read verses 12-22. Genesis 6:12-22. All right, starting in verse 12—So God looked out upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt—same way it is today. This world is in sad, sad shape. …for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. He's going to use the earth to destroy mankind. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch, in other words, to waterproof it. And this is how you shall make it: the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, in width fifty cubits, in height thirty cubits. And you shall make a window in the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door on the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. So a three deck ship.

Verse 17—And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. There's going to be a lot of death coming in the next few years on this earth, especially with the technology that...that we have.

Verse 18—But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, your daughters, wives with you. And every living thing of all flesh you shall bring, two of every sort into the ark, and keep them alive with you; and shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, and the animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing on the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. And you should take yourself all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food to you and for them. Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him to do so. You know, you just... you think of the logistics. Not only building this ship...and there again, he didn't know the date that this horrific thing was going to happen to the earth, he just had to start doing God's work and build this ship. He probably knew as he was getting closer, and probably knew when the animals starting showing up, especially when they went in. But anyway, even after they got in, the ark was sealed up, there was seven days before the flood waters came. But because Noah trusted God and did what God said, he preserved his family.

And let's move on down to Genesis 8 and read verse 15 and 17 and see exactly what happened after the flood. Then God spoke to Noah, saying, (Genesis 8:15-17) Go out of the ark, you and your wife, your sons and your sons' wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing of all the flesh that is with you: birds and cattle and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, so that you may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth. So because of his trust in God (and it was just Noah's trust) he preserved his wife and his sons, and his son's wives. And there again, they were the only ones left on earth when they walked out of that ark. But because of trust in God, his family was preserved.

All right, for our next example let's turn to the story of Abraham. And we know that Noah was alive for some bit of time and knew Abraham and taught him. But let's turn to Genesis 22, and we're going to read verses 1-18, the story of Isaac. Genesis 22:1-18—Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and God tests all of us. It just builds the character. And you know, all the people that are a part of the 144,000, He's tested each and every one of them and knows that they will stay loyal to Him and loyal to His government and His way of life.

So in verse 1—Now, it came to pass after these things, that God tested Abraham and said to him, Abraham! And he said, Here I am. Then He said, Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you. He waited, what, I think he was a hundred years old and I mean, Sarah was in her nineties waiting for this son, and now God says to take him and sacrifice him. So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you. I can't imagine what's going through Abraham’s mind at this time, where he's headed. Isaac doesn't know at this time, that he is the one intended to be sacrificed. But it had to have been a pretty sobering walk up to the spot where they were going to build this altar and do the sacrifice.

Verse 6—So Abraham took the wood and the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, My father! And he said, Here I am, my son. Then he said, Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering. So that the two of them went together. And we know that Isaac is a physical depiction of Jesus Christ and what God did for us, that He did offer up His only Son.

Verse 9—Then they came to the place which God had told them. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called on him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham! And so he said, Here I am. And he said, Do not lay a hand on the lad, nor do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, for Me.

Verse 13. There again, at that point in time God knew him, that he would obey him to the point of taking his own son's life. Verse 13—Then Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of this place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; and it is said to this day, In the Mountain of the LORD it shall be provided. Then the angel of the LORD called on Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sands which are on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gates of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed, and that's through Jesus Christ, because you have obeyed My voice. He trusted God.

All right, for our next example of people trusting God let's go to the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and that's in Daniel 3. And we're going to read that story and see how three young teenagers, again, trusted God. So Daniel 3:1— Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. And he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. And the king, Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, and administrators, and governors, and counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of his province, to come to the dedication of the image which king Nebuchadnezzar had set up. In other words, he had all his government show up there.

So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that king Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then a herald cried aloud: To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and language, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the golden image that king Nebuchadnezzar has set up…

All right, verse 6—and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, and harp, the symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image which king Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Therefore, at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. They spoke and said to the king, Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn...  in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of the fiery furnace.

Verse 12—There are certain Jews among you whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.

All right, verse 13—Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, I mean, this king had power over life and death. He was the authority. ...gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image which I have set up? Well, they trusted their God, who is God.

Verse 15—Now, if you are ready at this time to hear the sound of the horn... in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands? Well, they knew who the God was, because they put their trust in Him. These are young men, teenagers, and they're putting their trust in God in front of the king, who has power over live and death.

Verse 16—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, O king, Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. In other words, their mind was made up. They were going to trust God and obey Him.

Verse 17—If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. That had to really light King Nebuchadnezzar up, when you got these three teenagers standing their ground.

Verse 18—But if not, let it be known, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the golden image which you have set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was already heated. And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king's command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flames of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. That had to have been quite a sight.

And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound in the midst of the fiery furnace. The king was astonished; and he arose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said to the king, True, O king. Look! he answered, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came out from the midst of the fire. And the satraps, administrators, governors, and king's counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; their hair on their head was not singed, nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them. They trusted in God and God brought them through a very scary situation, but their commitment to God and trust in Him was that strong. And that's where we need to be as we go forward in this present end-time, is just to put our trust in God.

Verse 28—Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His angels and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! Therefore, I will make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut to pieces, their houses shall be made as ash heap; because there is no god who can deliver like this. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon. So there again, these three young men put their trust in God, and not only were their lives spared, but then they were rewarded because of their trust in God.

All right, for our next example we're going to stay in the book of Daniel, and we're going to go to Daniel 6 and read verse 7 through 24, the story of Daniel, again, putting his trust in God and showing his loyalty to God. Daniel 6:7-24—All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators, and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast in the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, in other words, they were doing the old political game, setting things up to get at Daniel, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which does not alter. Therefore, king Darius signed the written decree. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his window open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks to God, as was his custom since early days. Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. And they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king's decree: Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any other god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the lion's den? And the king answered, Yes, this thing is true, and according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.

Verse 13—So they answered and said before the king, That Daniel, who is one of the captives from Judah, does not show due regard to you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day. And the king, when he heard these words, was greatly displeased… He'd been set up, and he had an affection for Daniel. …within himself, and set his heart on Daniel to be delivered; and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him. Then these men approached the king, and said, O king, know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes can be changed. So he couldn't even change his own law.

Verse 16—So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of the lions. But the king spoke, saying, O Daniel, Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you. So even the king knew Daniel's God. Probably knew of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.

Verse 17—Then a stone was brought and laid at the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, and the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed. Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musician was brought before him. Also his sleep went from him. He was up all night, you know. He was worried about Daniel. Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the lion's den. And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel, expecting him to be torn to shreds. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions? And Daniel said to the king, O king, live forever! My God has sent His angel to shut the mouths of the lions and so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.

Verse 23—And the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that he should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den with no injury; he trusted in God and God came through and protected him...and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had believed in his God. He trusted God. And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions—them, their children, their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones to pieces before they came to the bottom of the den. So anyway, Daniel, again, another servant of God that trusted God to go forward. And again, it's just what we have to do, is we have to continually trust in God, and more so since the 27th of May, 2012. And now, again, here recently we're being shown a new date and we're moving towards it and why and how perfectly it's set up. We've just got to trust God.

All right, for our next example we're going to go to the example of Christ, God's Son, and we'll start in Matthew 4. Matthew 4, and we're going to read verses 1 through 10. And this is the story of when Christ was tempted.

All right, Matthew 4, beginning in verse 1—Then Jesus was led up by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. I can imagine. Now when the tempter (Satan) came to Him, he said, If You are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread. But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. He trusted God. God could provide. Then the devil took Him up unto the holy city and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to Him, If You are the Son of God, casting doubt again, throw Yourself down. For it is written: He shall give His angels charge over you, and, In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against the stone. And Jesus said to him, It is written, You shall not tempt the LORD your God.

Again (verse 8) Again the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and said to Him, All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me. In other words, Satan was wanting Jesus Christ to put His trust in him, but Christ was putting His trust in His Father, God. And Jesus said to him, Away with you, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only shall you serve.

All right, let's look at Luke 22:41-42, just another example of Christ putting trust in His Father when He's going through the most horrific thing anybody in the world has ever gone through. Luke 22:41-42—And He was drawn from them about a stone's throw, this is when they're in the garden after the Passover supper and whatnot, and they've gone out to the garden where He could pray, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, Father, if it is Your will, take this cup from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Your will, be done. Christ put His trust in God and went through a very horrific thing for each and every one of us so that we could be where we are today (God's holy spirit living in us), so that we can follow His example and trust God, that God's going to get us through this.

So as we move forward to the return of Jesus Christ as King of kings, we must continue to put our trust in God, His two servants, the government of His Church. And there are some hard times ahead of us. We must trust God and not ourselves.

All right, let's turn to John 16:24-33—Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be fulfilled. These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming will I no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say that you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from God. I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, leave the world and go to the Father. In other words, put our trust in God.

His disciples said to Him, See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figurative speech! Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God. And Jesus answered them, Do you now believe? Indeed the hour is coming, yes, and has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. And both God and Jesus Christ are living in us as long as we continue to fight against our carnal nature and repent of the sins in our lives.

Verse 33—These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulations; be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. So there again, Christ is admonishing us to put our trust in God and to rely on Him for all things.

All right, in closing let's turn to Psalm 71:1-5—In You, O LORD, I put my trust; Let me never be put to shame. Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape; Incline Your ear to me, and save me. Be my strong refuge, to which I may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, And You are my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, O God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. For You are my hope, O LORD God; You are my trust from my youth.

So brethren, as we go forward, let us trust in our God and Jesus Christ. Let us stay close to the present truth that God's given us, and let us go forward...but always trust God.□

Table of Contents

Chapter 1