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[0:00] He shall come down like the rain upon the mowgrass, as showers that water the earth, as showers that water the earth.

[0:38] He shall deliver the needy when he cryeth, the poor also and him that hath no helper.

[0:53] Blessed be the Lord God, who only doeth wondrous things.

[1:05] Blessed be the Lord God, who only doeth wondrous things. Blessed be the Lord God, who only doeth wondrous things.

[1:24] And blessed be his glorious name forever. He shall come down like the rain upon the mowgrass, as showers that water the earth, as showers that water the earth.

[1:53] He shall deliver the needy when he cryeth, the poor also and him that hath no helper.

[2:10] And with that same type of quietness, there is a hymn on page 159, which...

[2:40] Savior, like a shepherd lead us, much we need thy tender care.

[3:07] In thy pleasant pastures feed us, for our use thy faults prepare. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, thou hast bought us, thine we are.

[3:31] Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, thou hast bought us, thine we are.

[3:45] Thou hast promised to receive us, poor and sinful though we be.

[4:07] Thou hast mercy to relieve us, Thou hast mercy to relieve us, grace to cleanse and power to free.

[4:19] Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, early let us turn to thee.

[4:32] Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, early let us turn to thee.

[4:46] We turn to Daniel chapter 10.

[5:01] I'm aware that it's difficult to keep continuity in a book such as Daniel. We are all interested in the prophecies of Daniel, the visions that Daniel interpreted of the heathen kings from chapter 1 through chapter 6.

[5:24] We certainly are interested in Daniel's own visions and prophecy of chapter 7, chapter 8, and his prayer of chapter 9, which is answered by an angel with four verses, which are probably the most foremost important verses from a prophetic revelation standpoint in your Bible.

[5:43] May I just take time again tonight to read and comment. The tenth chapter, by my own personal liking, is a chapter which anyone who enjoys studying the Bible would like to just stay in a week in and a week out and pick up a thought here and a thread there.

[6:03] But that's not entertaining enough for most Baptists, so you have to do a little more to keep them coming. But the tenth chapter is sort of an interlude.

[6:14] I told you that before. And basically, we've studied only one time, that was two weeks ago tonight, in this tenth chapter. It is unique in the fact that it's the only time in Daniel's history that we have that he didn't get prayer immediately answered.

[6:32] Before this time in chapter 2, and in chapter 4, and in chapter 9, Daniel prays, and sometimes while he prays the answer comes.

[6:44] But this time that is not true. I think it's well for us always, and we will not review that a great deal tonight, because I jumped from verse 3 to verse 12 the last time we were together.

[6:57] I personally believe that the tenth chapter of Daniel gives us a great deal of teaching latitude, not only about Daniel, but about persistent praying, a good instance and illustration in the Old Testament of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[7:13] Quite a bit of teaching about angels and demons. So the chapter is full of good biblical instruction.

[7:26] As well as good Bible practicality. Follow me as I get you to a couple of places tonight, and I'm being honest with what I'd like to do.

[7:37] I'd like to get you to the place tonight that next Sunday night I can study with you in its fullest simple content about the doctrine of angels. How many of them are there?

[7:50] What do they do? What's their ministry? How do we look at angels? Do demons have to have a body? And etc.

[8:02] Now I do not want to get into depth, but I do want to take you just briefly to the word of God, if I'm to that place tonight when we close. And even though I will use Daniel 10 as a takeoff next Sunday night, I will use your entire Bible for a simple study of the subject of angels.

[8:20] Daniel writes in the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, a thing was revealed unto Daniel, or a word was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belshazzar.

[8:31] And the word was true. But the time appointed was long. Your Bible says it's the word great. I personally believe that some place along the line Daniel received some confidence that the nation of Israel was going to be allowed to go back out of captivity to the place of Jerusalem.

[8:49] Now you are aware from chapter 9 he has read Jeremiah in its entirety. And Jeremiah literally says that 70 years after the children of Israel are taking captive, they would be allowed to release themselves and the kings would release themselves by decree, to go back to Jerusalem.

[9:08] That happened in the book of Nehemiah and Ezra. Daniel at the time that he wrote or revealed chapter 9 was close to having been 70 years in exile.

[9:19] He was close to 85 years of age. Whether this verse of chapter 10 verse 1 is connected to the vision of chapter 9 or his reading of Jeremiah, it would seem he had some confidence that what he saw and what was told him was going to take place very quickly and then it didn't.

[9:41] And Jeremiah as all people of God, and I didn't say men of God, should become very, very concerned when God isn't answering prayer directly connected to his word.

[10:00] Now I believe that's where Jeremiah is. You realize in chapter 11 you have the major prophecy of Daniel. Chapter 9 is a major prophecy, but chapter 11 is the major prophecy that deals with length with the Antichrist and the closing of the age before the millennial reign of Christ.

[10:23] So this little interlude is a practical lesson as well as a very theological lesson. And so I believe the time of the word was long and he understood the thing.

[10:34] Daniel had perfect consciousness of what God was saying and had understanding of the vision. In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three, four weeks. Now that's strange.

[10:46] Never before had he prayed three weeks to get an answer. And of course, as we go along, you'll again come to verse 12. Daniel found, tried to find out whether he was the problem of God not answering prayer.

[11:02] And that should always be our case. First of all, examination in the light of the word of God. Now kindly notice in verse 3. During this three weeks of time, basically human pleasure was laid aside.

[11:17] I assume from the context at least that Daniel was fasting. He was mourning. He was sorrowful. Food was not interesting to him.

[11:29] You have to get a Christian pretty miserable before he won't eat. That's what it says. I ate no pleasant bread. Neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth. Neither did I anoint myself or set myself apart for any godly mission.

[11:44] Until three whole weeks were fulfilled. Twenty-one days. And that's peculiar. He did not give up praying.

[11:55] Daniel always believed that you prayed until you got an answer. Even when the king said, you can't pray for thirty days, Daniel did what he normally did.

[12:07] He practiced his spiritual habit three times a day. And he believed that God by prayer could intervene even in a kingly command that was contrary to the freedom of spirituality.

[12:20] Now you are aware that at seventy years of age, God had to deliver Daniel out of the lion's den. But his prayer was answered.

[12:33] So you come to verse four. On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, I was by the side of the great river, which is Hetico. Now we've seen that before. Now I want to be technical with you for a little while, if you'll allow me.

[12:45] Then I lifted up mine eyes and looked and behold a... Now you have two words, class, that interest me. Now if you have a reference Bible, you have some reference to what I'm going to say. If you have commentaries at home, you're going to have debates on the next five verses.

[13:00] I think you have to accept the Bible in its specifics, first of all. And the fact that we have a full Bible and we can compare Scripture with Scripture. Now Daniel lifts up an eyes and looked, behold, a certain man.

[13:15] Now that is a specific phrase. A certain man. If you read some of your commentaries, there are those who say that in verse five, Daniel was introduced to an angel.

[13:28] And the conversation from verse five with any that Daniel has is an angel. Now I personally do not believe that. I believe that verse five, when he speaks of a certain man and then he describes something, is an Old Testament illustration again of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[13:49] Now look what he says. He saw a certain man. And you'll kindly notice something. I'm running ahead of myself. It seems to me when the Bible wants to speak specifically, it says so.

[14:02] When it speaks of angels, very often it speaks in a general term. Not certain or the, but a. Now I think that's good Bible. Now he describes the certain man he sees.

[14:15] Somebody says to me, well, why is that important? It must be important because all scripture is important to us. This certain man is clothed in linen. The Hebrew term is fine linen. Now immediately only one person in the Old Testament times ever wore fine linen.

[14:30] Who was it class? Who was it class? Oh, what a bunch of deadheads. Who wore fine linen in the Old Testament only?

[14:41] The high priest. When did he wear the fine linen class? Huh? On the day of atonement only.

[14:54] Now your Bible in the Old Testament very often speaks in type. Now I personally believe that Daniel has revealed to him prophetically and practically in the ages to come, the Lord Jesus Christ.

[15:09] The one whom he has seen before is taking over the kingdom of the Antichrist. He described him in one of the chapters as the Ancient of Days. So here we have a certain man pictured as the high priest on the day of atonement.

[15:23] Secondly, whose loins were girded with fine gold. Now girded loins always speak of the person being ready to work or able to work.

[15:34] He doesn't have the flowing robes that are going to get in his ways. He has his loins girded and ready for work. And kindly notice his loins are girded with the best material the Bible can describe, gold.

[15:45] Then you come to verse 6. Strange term and we do not understand it. His body also was like the barrel. In other words, this is the color of azure.

[15:57] It is the color of the sky, blue. Maybe a picture of heaven. But certainly a picture of what we know is serene and calm and blessed and appealing.

[16:10] Not someone to be afraid of. And his face as the appearance of lightning. Now that immediately gives you something that's the opposite of the azure.

[16:22] Lightning in the Bible always speaks of terror or fear. And the only fear that you connect with Christ is the fact that he has to deal with evil and sin.

[16:34] So here Daniel, concerned about the fact he does not get a prayer answered the way he usually does, is given the privilege of a new fresh vision of one who presents peace and is ready and is the atonement and also he will do evil.

[16:54] And then he says his eyes like the lamps of fire. In other words, his ability to see all. And his arms and feet like in color to polish brass. Prophetically speaking, that speaks of the brightness of the gospel.

[17:07] And a voice so much like his words was as the voice of multitude speaking. Now basically, when we look at this, we are concerned.

[17:22] If you drop down, you are aware that Daniel was so concerned with this vision of a certain man that he fell on his face.

[17:34] He even goes to fact to say he was in a deep sleep and my face was toward the ground. Now stop here for acceptance because you have a reference Bible and turn to Revelation 1. I personally believe that when Daniel introduces a certain man, which I believe is the illustration of the Lord Jesus Christ, Daniel falls down in some kind of a consternation.

[18:03] Now look at Revelation 1. I believe that the illustration of Daniel and the illustration of John and the Isle of Patmos in Revelation 1 connects the two books.

[18:15] So that whatever is going to take place in Daniel after this vision is highlighted in the very prophecy of the New Testament. What is going to take place that John describes after that vision?

[18:28] Therefore, Daniel's writing and the writing of Revelation can be compared and many places synonymous in what's going to take place. Now in Revelation 1, you all are ahead of me.

[18:42] But just read or follow along as I read as John comes through the introduction to the seven churches and come with me at verse 10. I was in the spirit on the Lord's day and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, and what thou seest write in a book and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia.

[19:04] Verse 12. Verse 12. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And when he turned, he did not see the voice immediately. Being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks, which are the seven churches and the ministers of the seven churches.

[19:18] And in the midst of the candlesticks, one light unto the Son of Man, a certain man. Now he describes him. Kindly notice the description of Revelation 1 is exactly except for one phrase the same as Daniel 10.

[19:35] What does he say? Clothed with a garment. There's the high priest picture again. A specific garment down to the foot. And gird about the paps or the loins with a golden girdle.

[19:47] Same thing as Daniel, ready for work. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. Now that phrase is not in Daniel 10, but it's in Daniel 7.

[19:58] So Daniel has already seen the ancient of days, pictured in the whiteness. He's already seen that. He does not have to see that again. Pick it up in verse 14. And his eyes were as a flame of fire, that piercing knowledge and ability of Christ to see all.

[20:15] Same as Daniel. And his feet like undefined brass, as if they burned in a furnace. And his voice like the sound of many waters.

[20:29] Now what I want you to see is, look at verse 17. And when I saw him, I fell as his feet as dead.

[20:40] The same experience that Daniel had. Now all we can do is conjecture. Why did John fall down as dead?

[20:51] Why did Daniel prostrate himself on his face in sleep? The only thing we can think is, that both men could not believe what God had revealed to them.

[21:08] Is it possible that this is going to take place? Is it possible that the very one Daniel saw is the very one John saw, already completed his ministry and waiting for his kingdom to be set up?

[21:27] He did not fall dead because of the person he saw. John was a follower of the Christ. And he has to find himself, for some reason, concerned of what he is told and what he is going to be told.

[21:44] Certainly John on the Isle of Patmos, by himself, and pay attention to that phrase, is concerned of why he's there. Exiled to Patmos.

[21:55] What can he do for God? What can a lone individual do who has no relationships or fellowships? If he had not been alone, he'd have never gotten a prophecy of revelation.

[22:12] It would be too startling. And Daniel has had revealed to him one startling prophecy after another. And basically he's physically exhausted in chapter 10.

[22:24] Go back to chapter 10. I'm saying to you that what Daniel sees in a certain man and John sees in the Son of God, or appears as the Son of God, connects the two books together in the relationship of doctrine and in the relationship of time.

[22:39] One is before the cross. And the other is after the cross. But both have the same message.

[22:50] Now look at verse 7. Verse 7. And I, Daniel, alone, saw the vision.

[23:02] For the men that were with me saw not the vision. In other words, he was with others at the river Hitticum. But a great quaking fell upon them, or around them, or something of nature caused them to be fearful, so that they fled to hide themselves.

[23:17] Therefore, I was left alone. We don't pay attention to these words in our Bible. Do you like to be alone? What's a practical application to this seemingly inapplicable picture of Daniel?

[23:34] Alone. I'll think of something for a second. Someone says that men are at their best, and they're the best men when they're alone with God.

[23:53] Character is what man is when he's alone. You see something here that's very interesting. You read about the lonely men of God in the Bible.

[24:04] Enoch. Walked with God. And the inference is by himself. And you have it here. You have it with Joseph.

[24:15] All by himself. Alone. You have it with Elijah on Mount Carmel. How many were there to help him? No one against the prophets of Baal. Just Elijah.

[24:26] Alone. Alone. You have it with Paul. Caught up into the third heaven. First Corinthians chapter 12. Second Corinthians chapter 12. Alone. You have John on the island of Patmos.

[24:39] Alone. I would remind you that the world tries to show you that being alone is bad. The world is afraid to be alone because then it has to think.

[24:53] And I believe that you know that Daniel was a loner, don't you? Other than Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we haven't heard from them for a number of years. Daniel is alone.

[25:05] I personally believe that every Hebrew boy that was taken captive apart from those four compromised with the heathens in the land in which they were slaves. Daniel was a loner. Daniel was a loner.

[25:17] And godly people are the best and more susceptible to God's leading when they're alone. And that's where you find Daniel.

[25:29] Let's go a little further. Now that's a very difficult verse. What vision? The vision that he was looking for in verse 1?

[25:42] No, that vision he had already understood. The great vision he had just seen was one that had been given in between the one he knew and the one he wanted to know.

[25:53] This was the vision of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's why I believe you destroy Daniel 10 if you say that beginning with verse 5, God has introduced an angel into Daniel's life.

[26:06] He saw a great vision and there remained no strength in me. I talked about this the last time. I would remind you something.

[26:17] The more knowledge you have of God and the more knowledge you have of his word, the greater is the burden and physically drained you. And I don't think anybody realizes this.

[26:33] And Daniel was physically drained. Twice we have this in this same chapter. You've had it before in other chapters. For my comeliness was turned in me into corruption. In other words, I look like I was going to die, perishing.

[26:46] And I retain no strength. Now, let me just keep going. Yet, in this weakened physical condition, I heard the voice of his words.

[26:58] And when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face and my face toward the ground, prostrate. But you can't serve God in that position. Now you come to verse 10.

[27:16] And I believe the reference Bible tells us here exactly what it should be. And behold, an hand touched me, not the hand of the certain man, a hand. Now Daniel is introduced to the angel that was supposed to bring the answer to his prayer, which had been waiting for 21 to 24 days.

[27:38] Behold, a hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. And he said unto me.

[27:49] Now I have to stop. I told you when I was in the other chapter that has this phrase. Every time you come to this phrase, you have to stop. He said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved.

[28:02] Notice verse 19. And said, O man greatly beloved. That sounds like Job. Chapter 1, verse 1.

[28:15] Job. Man after God's perfectness. Who walked after God and eschewed evil. Upright.

[28:28] Now you've had this once before in Daniel. If you look back in chapter 9 for a moment and look at verse 23, you seem to say the same thing. Here again, Gabriel, the angel, comes to answer Daniel's prayer of great length this time about the children of Israel and their sin.

[28:46] And in verse 23, he says to them again, at the beginning of thy supplications, the commandment came forth, and I am come forth to show thee, for thou art greatly beloved. Daniel wasn't sinning.

[28:59] That wasn't why he wasn't getting prayer answered. Again, let's stop for a second. How do you become greatly beloved by God? Do you ever ask yourself, and I have these crazy questions that come to my mind, why did Daniel have the privilege of becoming a prophet?

[29:18] Do you ever ask yourself that question? I have a conviction on it. In chapter 1, don't turn back to it.

[29:32] As a young fellow, no younger than 12 and no older than 18, we have that span to consider. Daniel stood up to the servant of the king, who had been told to give them the best food that come from the king's table, and said, in essence, I will not compromise.

[29:49] I have decided to trust God. I have decided to trust God. It was not because of the fact he had position in the land.

[30:02] The prophetic mission of Daniel grew out of his position of public life. He could interpret the dreams of the king. But that came because of his personal life. Did you ever wonder why God asked you to live a separated life?

[30:21] You ever question the New Testament situation of why God would have the gall who saves you by his grace to say, live by my word? Why would John write, love not the world, neither the things of the world.

[30:36] If the love of the world is in you, the love of the Father is not in you. You cannot serve God and mammon at the same time. That has nothing to do with your salvation. It has nothing to do with your eternal life.

[30:48] It basically has nothing to do with heaven. You accept heaven and eternal life by the grace of God. It's a free gift by faith. I believe. Daniel is a good example, I believe, of an uncompromising saint.

[31:06] And that's what brought Daniel to the place of being given power by God ten times greater than the astrologers of the heathen king. We somehow have not grasped what God wants us to do.

[31:23] There are a lot of us that are average Christians. We are not totally carnal. And we are not totally spiritual.

[31:35] We are in the middle. And certainly God would not define us as greatly beloved. Do you remember there is one New Testament saint that has that same thing.

[31:49] John is called the beloved disciple. Why? Did you ever read about John? Hmm?

[32:03] When they were at the table? Who was closest to Christ? John. Not trying to separate himself. Who stood at the foot of the cross?

[32:17] And accepted the responsibility for the mother of Christ? John. Who recognized Christ when Peter jumped out of the ship and walked towards the shore after the resurrection?

[32:29] Was John. It would seem to me that someday, whether we do it in beginning teaching to young people, we ought to say to ourselves and prove to ourselves from the word of God that not compromising is the basis to being used of God in an extraordinary way.

[32:50] And all of you sit and say, Pastor, but I have to work every day of my life. But that means you have a better opportunity not to compromise than somebody who's in the Lord's work.

[33:02] It's easy for a pastor not to compromise. He doesn't want to be touched by the world. He just doesn't go out in the world. He shuts himself in his little office.

[33:15] And he doesn't have to compromise. You do not have that choice. You walk in the world every day. There are days in my life I never see another individual beside my family. But you don't have that privilege.

[33:29] Here's that phrase, which I know we're probably harboring on too much, but it's twice in this paragraph. Daniel, you are a man that is greatly beloved, an uncompromising nature, beginning at childhood.

[33:48] You can see it in the physical. What do you do with a sinner who dissipates his body and then accepts Christ? Give him a new body.

[33:59] No, you take a youngster who is willing to dedicate himself to the Lord and not compromise with the world's gains and with the world's physical attraction and you keep him pure and his life probably will be lived for Christ a long time.

[34:13] Think about it. Here's a man greatly beloved because he didn't compromise. Here's a man greatly beloved, no doubt, because he was a man of prayer.

[34:28] He prayed regularly. He prayed specially. He prayed specifically. He was always concerned. Here's a man who never cheated on his duty.

[34:41] His everyday life was above reproach. Listen to me carefully. You can't read in the Bible. You can only imagine. How under the sun did he stay as being president of a land under four different kings if he wasn't above board?

[34:58] Because a heathen king could get a new president at the drop of a hat. How he stayed alive for 70 years is amazing. He must have been a genius when it came to business.

[35:15] The king must have trusted him explicitly. For example, when Belshazzar saw the handwriting on the wall, the new king came in that night, didn't he, and took over the castle and Daniel never missed a meal. Can you say that?

[35:33] Here's a man that lived 70 years and not just as a man of God, a man of politics. And kept in that position. I personally think he was totally faithful.

[35:47] Certainly we've seen this before. He was always interested in the welfare of others. He was interested in his land. Why did he pray in chapter 9? Because he wanted Israel back to the place of turning to God.

[35:58] Is it possible for a sinning nation to find atonement? He answered yes. He wasn't concerned about his own skin. He was concerned about others. He was concerned about his land.

[36:09] He was concerned about being a patriarch. I could go on with this. I'm not sure it's important. You know that Daniel always looked at life through the eyes of God. What does it mean to God?

[36:26] What will it do for God? During this last week as I was preaching in this little prayer conference, I made this statement. Do you live your life, no matter what you do, that you would be afraid to embarrass God?

[36:49] Are you always concerned that God is first? Are you always concerned that his word is not embarrassed? Are you always concerned that his testimony is not decreased? Are you always concerned that his testimony is not decreased? I've mentioned this before in this pulpit.

[37:01] Years ago, I had a man that came to my church. A lovely man. 55 or 60 years of age, but a heathen.

[37:13] Came regularly to church. All of a sudden, one day, I didn't see him there. So in the course of conversation, I talked to some folks who knew him, and they said, Pastor, he's not coming back to church.

[37:28] That was interesting to me. So I had occasion to talk to him once, and I said to him, just as a friend, why did you stop coming to church? He said to me, Pastor, do you know so and so?

[37:42] I said, yeah, he's a member of my church. He said, that's why I never came back. I said, I'd appreciate if you explained. He said, this was his word. That man has a more filthy mouth than anybody I've ever heard in my life.

[38:00] And he said, if that man goes to your church, I don't need your church. Now that scares us. But it also ought to put us in a position to realize that people look at us.

[38:15] They look at a pastor, and that is not the key, friends. I'm convinced that the key to witnessing and revival is the people that sit in a pew. Here was Daniel, who always looked at things through the eyes of God.

[38:30] And here he's prayed for three weeks. And he has consternation. Why haven't I got my prayer answered? Never had that before. Have I walked out of God's way?

[38:42] Have I walked out of God's will? Have I walked out of God's command? I better find out. You are now to verse 12. We studied it the last time. Look at verse 11 to start with. I wish I had time to go on that.

[38:53] You realize that Daniel's probably the most consistent spiritual Christian in the Bible? That's right. He's even better than Paul. At least in the history of Daniel, there are no ups and downs.

[39:06] He's consistently spiritual. Now he says to me, Daniel, man greatly beloved. This is the angel. Kindly notice, if you want to have some fun this week, go through your Bible and see how many times angels have answered prayers.

[39:19] I have been fascinated about that subject. I believe in angels. You believe in angels, right? Do you know why you should sit up and pay attention tonight and behave yourself in church?

[39:30] Because angels are here. I'll prove that to you next week. Not just one angel either. If each believer has a guardian angel, and he does. And I got 200 people here tonight that are Christians. I got 200 guardian angels listening to me preach. And Daniel said, I better be finding something else.

[39:46] Some of you are going to go home and try to argue with me that there are no angels here. and daniel said i better be finding something out now some of you are going to go home and try to argue with me that there's no angels here it happens to be in the new testament not in the old testament and it happens to be attached to a local church now read with me for a second our time is shortly drawing to a close he said to me oh daniel a man greatly bestowed understand the words that i speak unto thee and stand up you cannot listen laying down you cannot be ready to serve prostrate on the ground even though the vision has caused you some consternation that john had that same thing the son of god said to him john stand up and tell the church is what i want you to tell him same thing stand up all right for unto thee am i now sent all right an angel was sent to daniel now be careful of something this angel spoke to daniel it doesn't have to be that angel speak today to be any less useful and when he had spoken this word unto me i stood up trembling that's the first inclination of my bible i feel a little human weakness of daniel but i probably would tremble too then said he unto me now i'd study this all for you two weeks ago tonight i'm just reviewing it quickly to get you to a place fear not that's the result of what daniel got when he prayed no fear now i covered that a week ago sunday morning there is no gray areas in your bible the minute you walk out of the realm of faith you walk into the realm of fear you can't have half fear and half faith it's impossible in the word of god so that every time we as believers have fear we are not having faith and there is nothing in the bible to be contrary to that statement as far as i know and i've read now he says to daniel fear not for from the first day now look for 24 days at least 21 days he had prayed from the first day the answer was on the way right that's what he says now you have this little lesson that i gave you about how did daniel pray for three weeks how should we pray when prayer is not being answered he's examining himself this is how daniel prayed thou did set thine heart you were willing to be changed if that was necessary to get this prayer answered to understand to find out what the vision was to understand when it's going to come to pass you are willing to say god i have to know and he kept praying that and praying that and praying that for 21 days and to chasten thyself that's verse three willing not to eat willing not to set himself apart all he was concerned about is lord if i'm the person that's in the way to answer this prayer show me we don't pray that way i don't pray that way we do not like to humble ourself in the sight of the lord do not like to humble ourself in the sight of those who know us but daniel was willing to chasten himself and he did it before god then he says he prayed thy words were heard and i am come for thy words i've got the answer for you daniel well where you been well i got stopped between heaven and earth he got stopped yeah i got stopped

[43:48] who'd you get stopped by well i had a little fight with the demons while i was coming through the atmosphere may i remind you something there are three involved when you pray you and god and satan if daniel had stopped praying the answer would not have come this is not far out theology twice in this chapter and angel says to daniel i am having problems with the beings of satan read what he says when your words were first heard the first day i started out with the answer for you but that's verse 13 that's one of the biggest buts in the bible the prince of the kingdom of persia if we believe in guardian angels then the word of god also teaches us there is at least one angel of satan set to try to take care of national situations there was a demon an emissary of satan which was assigned to persia and this evil angel was appointed by satan to control persia do you see why god says pray for those in authority over you pray for the place in which you live there is a demon an angel servant who is after the united states if you don't believe me drop over to verse 20 then said he we have a problem who the he is but for tonight let's leave it knowest thou wherefore i come unto thee and now will i return to fight with the satanic prince of persia again to get back into heaven and when i am gone forth victorious there lo the prince of greece that come after me and i'll have to battle with him on behalf of the people again did you ever read that before daniel prayed one day two days three days seven days twelve days fifteen days twenty-one days the answer didn't come the angel was on his way he didn't make it the prince of the kingdom of persia withstood me one and twenty days i had to go through the sphere of satan now i'm just doing something off the top of my head i don't have any notes i don't have any notes in front of me but i don't have my original notes so if you were here this morning and heard mr greer say something that's very unique that i had never thought about you remember he talked about the canopy of moisture over the earth before the flood right and then he referred you to peter and said there is now a canopy of fire over the earth reserve the judgment of fire god is gathering fire that is not without comparison to the prince of the power of the air the principalities and the powers and that which is in the control of satan this angel had to go through that and he would have never made it first of all if daniel had stopped praying and for the prayers of daniel being lifted to heaven god sent michael to help that angel through that atmosphere that's what he says but lo michael one of the chief princes came to help me and i remained there with the kings of persia and we finally made it now i am come to make the understand which shall befall thy people in the latter days

[47:50] i'm come to give you more of the vision i know i've reviewed 15 minutes and talked for 25 but don't talk to me anymore about persistent praying it's necessary drop back to verse 19 as i close you realize again i personally believe that daniel saw christ again in verse 16 and behold one like the similitude of the sons of men touched me it wasn't the son of men but one like him touched my lips then i opened my mouth and spake and said unto him that stood before me oh my lord by the vision now kindly notice physically and mentally he's exhausted again i wish i'd get that across to you i'm not playing on your mercy there is none but once in a while your pastor gets tired you know i don't even have to reduce on sunday did you know that i lose five pounds every sunday from morning till night don't even have to try the more knowledge the more responsibility the more exhaustion if you're a sunday school teacher you know what i'm talking about if you've ever stood before a group of people and done everything from start to finish and try to make it honor christ and not honor yourself when you're done you're exhausted you can always do it on yourself if i could get up here to honor myself i could put a big show on real easy that's no problem at all that's like falling off a law but not to do it for christ and daniel is exhausted again and he says my lord by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me and i've retained no strength for how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord for as for me straightway there remaineth no strength in me neither is any breath left in me then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man that's different than one touched by the similitude of a man i personally think this is an angel again and he strengthened me and he said oh man greatly beloved you don't compromise you pray you're faithful you're intelligent you're willing you do your everyday job you look at everything through the eyes of the lord now he gives you three things that i want to send you home with fear not in that grave peace be unto thee now change the translation have faith you can't be strong without faith and when he had spoken unto me i was what class they that wait upon the lord shall renew their strength you know why some of you 20 year olds are always tired hmm it's because you don't wait on the lord you know why some 60 year olds have got more energy than anybody else it's because they put the lord first said fear not peace daniel have faith immediately when he spoke i was strengthened and said let my lord speak for thou has strengthened me let's stop there what about angels what about demons what about prayer most of you think i'm crazy i want you here on wednesday night to defeat the powers of the principality of the air and it's above us

[51:53] and every prayer that's answered's got to come through that fight with satan and sometimes it takes 21 days if daniel had stopped praying god might not have sent michael to help the angel and the angel would have been defeated in bringing the force to end now all of you are going to say well that couldn't be it could have been why didn't he just go back there if the angel was strong enough to get through by himself why didn't he just push the demons out of the way and say you guys can't do anything to me he didn't make it for 21 days and he says when i get back to go through the the princes of persia on behalf of the people then i have to come back and fight the prince of greece!

[52:41] that's a picture of a man greatly beloved here's a picture of answers to prayer based on our willingness to pray heavenly father thank you for the word you take it tonight and you use it we've come to this place now and daniel that maybe we can look at that which you give to us maybe tonight we can look again at the privilege of prayer and the privilege of a crucified buried risen ascended christ who says to us be of good courage be strong in the lord put on the armor of his might and stand our father as we read this passage and put it together with the armor where you said put on the whole armor of god that you maybe will stand against the wiles of the devil certainly one of his wiles is to stop answered prayer maybe that's true in this work maybe that's true with a building we really don't know but we've kept on praying close the service for the glory of christ amen i'd have you sing a stanza or two of our hymn of the month oh he's a wonderful savior it fits in with the high priest and the atonement and the girded girdle of gold and the eyes and the piercing brass and the voice of many waters he's a wonderful savior 41 shall we stand and close the day in the lord oh he's a wonderful savior glory to him we ascribe oh he's a wonderful savior who can his mercies describe going to dark calvary dying our death on that tree oh he's a wonderful savior wonderful savior is he now the last verse is all we're going to sing and then we're going to dismiss if you have a spiritual need a spiritual decision spiritual question i believe the holy spirit can use an invitation for you to step from your seat and do what he asked you to do not what we do the invitation is always open sing the third verse this closes our day in the lord if you'd like to meet me at the front please oh at the end so it it it it it it lip it lip lip lip at lip pat op lip lip lip lip lip lip lip lip lip lip lip lip lip

[56:06]  The End The End