Heroism in Daniel
 
And the herald proclaimed aloud, "You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.  And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace." (Daniel 3:4-6)<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
 
Imagine receiving this message over the evening news.  Perhaps in our lifetime this will indeed happen.  How would you feel?  Would you be scared?  I believe it would be silly to say otherwise and yet I have no doubt that almost all the Christians I know would indeed be willing to go to the fire for their faith.  Why would I say this?  Does it not seem reasonable that many would be cowards, denying their God for the sake of life?  Though by the world's standards it would statistically make sense by biblical standards I believe that every man woman and child would in the strength of the Holy Spirit go into the flames of the fire.  Some would sing and some would cry but I believe that such is the true Christian faith that every true believer would not even hesitate to announce their faith. 
            In the Old Testament we see this very thing happen and we see true believers respond with true faith. 
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."  (Daniel 3:16-18)
 
Christians have always faced persecution.  When the state realizes that these peculiar people do not give first allegiance to their earthly home but rather to their heavenly one they are a perceived threat.  I believe that the language being used in our government should be indicative of what the future holds for believers.  Recently, President Obama referred to the war in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Afghanistan as a war on extremism.  When we hear news reports on Muslim terrorists it is always extremists and fundamentalists that are the threat.  It should come as no surprise that this same language will include Christian extremists as well.  If the problem is extremism than the solution is global moderation.  This is the seed, I believe, for the one world government' religion, the great harlot  of New Babylon.  The very problem with terrorism is not extremism but with the Koran being simply wrong.  The amount of adherence to this faith is not the problem but that in the marketplace of ideas it does not hold water.  If the premise is wrong than the whole thing is wrong.  For example, socialism is the most glorious image of heaven on earth that man can come up with.  It really is the greatest picture of how society ought to be and yet it has consistently led to more death and misery than almost any idea.  Why?  Simply put, it relies on the false premise that man is inherently good.  Capitalism on the other hand works because it relies on the true premise the man is not inherently good but selfish…and so it works.    All of this to say that one day in the future we Christians should expect to be singled out for our extremist and narrow view of God and man.  We will one day be enemies of the state and may face similar persecution to Daniel's friends. 
            Courage is a commodity that we will have to have; nay we do have IN Christ.  We today are indwelt with the Holy Spirit.  As you read Daniels account you may wonder, "where was God?"  It seems that God should have kept them from this trial and yet we see them get thrown into the fire.  Watching this happen would have been much like watching God in the flesh strung up on a cross.  It does not fit with our version of power, that is until we get to Sunday. 
Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. Because the king's order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king." He answered and said, "But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods." (Daniel 3:19-25)
 
God did not keep them out of the fire but rather He walked with them through the fire.  Biblical courage is simply faith taking its natural place in a hostile world.  Lord, give us the faith to face the trials that are coming upon us.  Come quickly Lord Amen.