The Daniel Discipline vii

I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever Daniel 7:16-18

Daniel’s discipline and devotion has reserved him from defilement in chapter 1, saved him from death in chapter 2, brought him to distinction in chapter 4, rewarded him with his due in chapter 5, brought about his deliverance in chapter 6, and now rewards his devotion with divine insight here in chapter 7… Literally, the rest of time is revealed to Daniel In dreams and visions.

“DANIEL DISCERNMENTS” are a result of personal study, fasting, prayer, meditation, fellowship, confession, and serving… as a result of such devotion, God rewards one with stewardship over divine information and insight that can only be experienced and embraced by FAITH and PURITY.

Any dedicated Christian will tell you that the more purified and closer your walk is with God, the less you can be fooled by men and the more you know them. Hebrews 4:12 declares, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” But there is still a greater benefit and bonus in your nearness to God. Great Christian discipline leads to great insight not only about the affairs of men but the future and the end of the world. As Paul puts it in 1Co 2:9-10 …Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. BUT God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

It is our nearness to God that gives us an increased measure of His Spirit. The fact of the matter is the more I can think like daddy thinks, the more I can see what daddy sees. When you suffer with all diligence to scale the mountain of godliness when you get up high you can see all the way to the end of the world. I’m not talking about merely pharisaical study of the bible; I’m talking about sitting at the feet of Jesus like Mary. I’m talking about laying your head on his breast like John. To know and see this kind of stuff, you’ve got to really know Him. Jesus said, “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” (John 15:15)

Daniel Discernments requires maturity because such wisdom and insight brings about tremendous sorrow for the people of God. It bears the reward of Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” It is an insight that cannot be shared with the masses or by the masses, for they cannot receive it.

In today’s grand confusion of eschatology, the answer is not in the speculation over the unchangeable complexity of details but in the simplicity of the big idea that our unconquerable, conquering King is coming to crush all of the enemies of the cross.

It seems here that the issue is not the details or what “will happen,” for such cannot be change, altered, nor thwarted in any way. It is but information, and for the devout saint, requires no adjustment in his normal devotion routine. Devotion brought about Daniel’s revelation and continued devotion will bring about ultimate salvation. The beauty and bounty of the revelatory reward granted to Daniel is a great surety in knowing, “We have a champion that is stronger than loin-like Babylon, and that will consume more than bear-like Persia, and will move swifter than leopard-like Greece, and will be fiercer than ferocious Rome – a fifth and final kingdom, the last emperor, Jesus Christ.

The Daniel Discipline vi

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. (Daniel 6:10)

Daniel is in the second empire and under his third administration since being led captive from Judah, and he always rises to the top, not because he smart, wise, or gifted, but simply for one reason: “because he believed His God”. Daniel gets all the favor of the world by taking none of the world: No packs, no compromises, no angles and backroom bargaining; He did not buy his way to the top… He didn’t play the “it’s-who-you-know” game… He didn’t make any back-scratching deals. Whenever a Christian reaches for what he wants he will lose what he has. It is ours to wait on God to place what we are due in our hand.

Daniel has the favor of God, the heart of the King, and a position of authority. Yet he had another key indicator of God’s favor: he was targeted by his enemies. You can’t have the favor of God and freedom from tests and trials. I’ve heard people say “I’m blessed and highly favored” as a type of colloquialism. Well I don’t know what they meant by that, but I do know what blessed and highly favored meant for the Virgin Mary; it meant that she was disoriented about the message, distressed about the situation, displaced from her home, distrusted about her purity, and almost divorced from her husband. Favor is a prescription for fiery trials.

His enemies first examined Daniel’s doings and only found an excellent spirit and a blameless life. Thus they decided to design a law against the law of Daniel’s God. Abiding in the character of Christ will ensure and assure that your enemies are always fighting God and never fighting you.

Constant and consistent devotion to God is indeed to live in preparation for every situation. The fact of the matter is if you are not devoted to God before the Lion’s den, you cannot be devoted despite the Lion’s den. Daniel shows us that deliverance is foster by devotion to God: devotion is how you win against your enemies every single time.

The conspiracy of his enemies did not distract Daniel. This enormous weight, intense trouble and severe threat, required no adjustment in his normal routine. What more in life does one need then devotion to God? What more can be done then absolute reliance and hope in God alone? Daniel, three times a day he went down on his knees in prayer and praise before his God, as he had done before.

Let me tell you why Daniel prayed anyway… because his time, his relationship and his history with God was more pressing, dictatorial, important, assuring, and securing than anything going on around him. The paradox is that while the threat of the Lion’s Den was meant to restrict prayer, for Daniel it demanded prayer.

The answer to every problem is devotion to God. The only thing that the enemy wants to do is distract you from devotion to God. I’ve been there, where the counsel was, “Doc you better watch her” or “Man, you better keep your eye on him; because, he does not mean you any good.” And thank God, the Holy Ghost said to me in that moment, “You better keep your eye on God.” You can’t take your eye off of God to watch your enemy. You’ve got to keep your enemy behind you and your eye on the prize before you. Your enemies are God’s business and not your business.

Daniel was in a crisis, but he did not pray a crisis prayer. When Daniel was praying about this law that had been passed, let me tell you what God told Daniel that day, (and I am not using my spiritual imagination either). He said, “Daniel you’ve been with me long enough; you’ve talk to me every day -- three times a day. Listen, Daniel don’t worry about those guys down there in administration. Don’t worry about that lion’s den. If they want you to go on in it, just walk on in. You know I can handle all of this; so just let me handle it. You’ll be alright!”