Dare to Win!

SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO ENDURED TRIALS BY OVERCOMING THEM!

An excellent example of somebody enduring trials, temptations, and problems is given in the third chapter of Daniel. These three young Hebrew men had the kind of endurance that brings glory to God. When they came out of that fiery furnace, they were not burned, beate down, beggarly, or helpless. In reality, the trial of their Faith had no power over them. There wasn’t even a single hair on their heads. And they did not have the smell of smoke on them. They came out of there bringing honor and glory of God.

WHY?

Because they went into that furnace with a right mental attitude. They did not go in there saying, “Oh, dear God, why is this happening to me? It seems like every time I make a decision to go for God, I get burned.”

Before they were ever shoved into the furnace, they said, “We will not bow our knee; we will not serve your god. Our God will deliver us. He is able. And if we go into the furnace, He is able to deliver us” (paraphrased).

They were so positive about this that they knew God would deliver them regardless of the circumstances.

They left the door wide open to God. God could do it any way He wanted. They were saying, “It makes no difference whether or not we go into the furnace; We will not serve your god. We will not bow our knee; our God will deliver us. It makes no difference how we approach this trial; Out God will deliver us.”

They had a right mental attitude, praise God!

THE WORD THEY SPOKE WERE SPAWNED FROM FAITH.

You should realize that the words Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego spoke were the product of their faith - faith in the Covenant; Faith in their God to deliver them. As they spoke words of faith, they also expressed that they had a right mental attitude.

They right mental attitude played an important part in their deliverance.

When Peter was talking about the trial of your faith, he said that the thing that would bring glory and honor to God is that you come out of the trial of a winner - Not beaten down and beggarly, but a winner. The way that you can come out of a trial a winner is by having faith in your heart, confidence in the Word of God, and a right mental attitude. In Peter 113, he was saying, “When you are in the midst of a trial, you must gird up the loins of your mind; be sober, and develop a right mental attitude” (Paraphrased).

THE WORST TIME TO HAVE A WRONG OR NEGATIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE IS WHEN YOU ARE UNDER PRESSURE. As long as everything is going well, anyone can have a right mental attitude about life.

If you are not experiencing a problem or are not under pressure, then it is easy for you to make strong statements of Faith. But when a problem comes along, then you find out what is in your heart and if your attitude is right.

Somebody said, “Well, God must use those things to find out where we really stand.” NO, God doesn’t have to use tests and trials to find out where you really stand. You are not hiding anything from Him. He knows where you stand without any kind of pressure on you.

The Bible says, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, pircing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight; But all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with, whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:12-13)

God knows your heart; He knows what you believe. And He doesn’t have to send some kind of test or trial to find out whether or not you believe Him.

He knows how you will respond; He knows how you will act, and He knows what you are going to say.

The Devil is the one who doesn’t always know where you stand. He is the one who wants to send you through the fiery furnace to see how you will respond. He doesn’t know what you will do until he puts pressure on you.

And even then, thank God, you do not have to yeld to his pressure. You can keep the devil guessing all the time. Instead of you being the one who is always  under pressure, you can put the pressure on him.

HOW?

By resisting him with the Word, your Faith, and a right mental attitude.

1 Corinthians 2:14-15 Says: But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritually judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

Paul is saying that a spiritual man is judged of no one. Again, God does not have to send you through any test or trial to find out what you believe. He knows the intents of your heart.

But the devil does not - Not until you Act; Not until you Talk; Not until you respond to the pressure he brings against you.

KEEP SATAN IN THE DARK; THEN, WHEN IT IS TIME TO FIGHT, FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH AND WIN!

I pray that these Truths will help you in attaining the right perspective on Tests and Trials, and how you can come out in Victory, Every Time!

I ALSO WANT TO TAKE THIS TIME TO THANK YOU, FOR ALL YOU’VE DONE IN SUPPORTING Caly Ferreira Ministries throughout 2010, and we look forward to Greater and Better things together in 2011.

MY FAMILY AND I, PRAY THAT YOU’LL HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!