Kansas City, Missouri, United States - Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - “Integrity Before God” – Saturday, 28 June 2014 - Scripture: Daniel 6:1-14 & "God R

Kansas City, Missouri, United States - Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - “Integrity Before God” – Saturday, 28 June 2014 - Scripture: Daniel 6:1-14 & "God Revealed Through People" - Sunday, 29 June 2014 - Scripture: Daniel 6:15-28
Daniel 6:1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred twenty satraps, who should be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one; that these satraps might give account to them, and that the king should have no damage. 3 Then this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. 4 Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom; but they could find no occasion nor fault, because he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. 5 Then these men said, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. 6 Then these presidents and satraps assembled together to the king, and said thus to him, King Darius, live forever. 7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the counselors and the governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a strong decree, that whoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, except of you, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which doesn’t alter. 9 Therefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree. 10 When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his room toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before. 11 Then these men assembled together, and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. 12 Then they came near, and spoke before the king concerning the king’s decree: Haven’t you signed an decree, that every man who shall make petition to any god or man within thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which doesn’t alter. 13 Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, doesn’t respect you, O king, nor the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day. 14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was very displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored until the going down of the sun to rescue him
Daniel 6:15 Then these men assembled together to the king, and said to the king, Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians, that no decree nor statute which the king establishes may be changed. 16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. The king spoke and said to Daniel, Your God whom you serve continually, he will deliver you. 17 A stone was brought, and laid on the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting; neither were instruments of music brought before him: and his sleep fled from him. 19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 When he came near to the den to Daniel, he cried with a lamentable voice; the king spoke and said to Daniel, Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God, whom you serve continually, able to deliver you from the lions? 21 Then Daniel said to the king, O king, live forever. 22 My God has sent his angel, and has shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not hurt me; because as before him innocence was found in me; and also before you, O king, have I done no hurt. 23 Then was the king exceeding glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24 The king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions mauled them, and broke all their bones in pieces, before they came to the bottom of the den. 25 Then king Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages, who dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. 26 I make a decree, that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and steadfast forever, His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed; and his dominion shall be even to the end. 27 He delivers and rescues, and he works signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. 28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
“Integrity Before God” & "God Re vealed Through People" by Mark A. Hendrickson
As I write this, I’m sipping from a water bottle. It’s a good one with no unwanted holes in it. It’s whole and complete. It doesn’t leak. My bottle has watertight integrity.
Integrity means wholeness and completeness. For someone to live a life of integrity means God has made them whole. Their life holds water. Like my water bottle, they have been made to be complete.
Daniel was a person of integrity. He lived every day as the person God made him to be. We get a sense from Daniel 6 that he did not hesitate in his daily prayers, even though he knew his practice of faith might endanger his life.
I used to imagine Daniel as a highly courageous, rebellious, heroic person, making a bold, risky stand for his faith. Reading this story again, however, I think Daniel was simply living-out his integrity. Daniel was a person of prayer and faithfulness. Whether people were watching and whether it was legal according to human law didn't change that. He was who God had made him to be. His life held water, regardless of circumstance.

I wonder, does my life and faith exhibit that kind of integrity?
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Being thrown to the lions is not any fun at all. Some Christians living in dark places in the world know full-well what it means to literally lay their lives on the line for their faith. Most of us have no idea what that might be like.
Most of us, however, have experienced a lesser version of being thrown to the lions. We speak the truth in a difficult situation the most loving, faithful way we know and a friendship ends. Folks who claim to be our friends turn their backs on us. We’re offered no chance to defend ourselves?
There’s something more important happening here than God merely rewarding Daniel’s faithfulness: God is revealing himself through Daniel’s circumstance. On the other side of Daniel’s night with the lions, the king ends up professing faith and worshipping the Lord. In the midst of the pain, fear, and embarrassment of being thrown to the lions, the faithfulness, majesty, and reality of God may be revealed through us.

Today, remember the One who revealed the ultimate faithfulness of God through suffering: the Lord Jesus. Endure persecution at whatever level, and the God who shut the mouths of the lions to shine through you.
Hymn for Today:
“Hiding In Thee” by William O. Cushing
1. O safe to the Rock that is higher than I,
My soul in its conflicts and sorrows would fly;
Alone I would perish, undone would I be;
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.
Refrain:
Hiding in Thee, hiding in Thee,
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.
2. In the calm of the noontide, in sorrow’s lone hour,
In times when temptation casts o’er me its pow’r;
In the tempests of life, on its wide, heaving sea,
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.
Refrain:
Hiding in Thee, hiding in Thee,
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.
3. How oft in the conflict, when pressed by the foe,
I have fled to my Refuge and breathed out my woe;
How often, when trials like sea billows roll,
Have I hidden in Thee, O Thou Rock of my soul.
Refrain:
Hiding in Thee, hiding in Thee,
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.
"Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" by Charles Wesley
1. Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling;
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion;
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation;
enter every trembling heart.
2. Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit
into every troubled breast;
let us all in thee inherit;
let us find the promised rest.
Take away the love of sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
end of faith, as its beginning,
set our hearts at liberty.
3. Come, Almighty, to deliver;
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never,
nevermore thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
4. Finish then thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee:
changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,

lost in wonder, love, and praise.
Thought for Today:
“Righteousness guards the way of integrity,
    but wickedness overthrows the sinner.” (Proverbs 13:6)
Prayer Needs:
Many people in Kenya will come to know Jesus the Christ, Yeshua the Messiah, and receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
Developing Christian leaders in Kenya!
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