By Apostle Frank Baio
Published in the 7000More Magazine
October 2013 Issue
With all that hasbeen going on in
the United States in the last year, we can see that our youth have come under a
massive attack from the devil .The devil (enemy) comes forth to kill, steal and
destroy (John 10:10.)
We have seen many
crimes, white on white, black on black, black on white and white on blacks. It
would seem that the world in bent on destroying itself. ….the earth is the Lords and the fullness
thereof. ( 1 Cor. 10:28)The reason for this happening
is that our youth have no idea of who they are. In many cases, we raise them in
our churches only to lose them when they become teenagers. That is because the
enemy has taken them captive. When this happens, several things will take place
such as in the case of Daniel.Let us examine Daniel of the Old Testament.We see that King Nebuchadnezzar
attacked Judah and took many captives. Many of the captives were of the royal
family. King Nebuchadnezzar took the children of the royal family as to keep
the other captives in line. When Daniel and the other members of the royal
family arrived in Babylon, they were treatedas royalty with many privileges, the best clothes, food and drink.
Daniel had make choices: to accept or reject with death being a potential
consequence. Daniel had three other friends Hananiah, Misha'el, Azariah.These four young men were faced
with several issues which were:
1.Redefine who they were (their religion) to the religion of the world. 2.Retrained tobecome like others
(like the world)to think and operate like the world 3.Renamed to make them (like the world) to take the worldly identity.
New
Identity - designed to mark their new relation, that so they might forget
their former religion and country (Gen. 41:45).
But as in Joseph's case (whom Pharaoh called Zaphnath-paaneah), so in Daniel's,
the name indicative of his relation to a heathen court
("Belteshazzar," that is, "Bel's prince"), however
flattering to him, is not the one retained by Scripture, but the name marking
his relation to God ("Daniel," God my Judge, the theme of his
prophecies being God's judgment on the heathen world powers). Hananiah--that is, "whom Jehovah hath favored." Was Changed to- Shadrach--from Rak, in Babylonian, "the King," that is,
"the Sun"; the same root as in Abrech (Ge 41:43, Margin), inspired or
illumined by the Sun-god." Misha’el--that is, "who is what God is?" Who is comparable
to God? Was changed to- Meshach--The Babylonians retained the first syllable of Mishael, the Hebrew
name; but for El, that is, GOD, substituted Shak, the
Babylonian goddess, called Sheshach (Jer 25:26; 51:41), answering to the Earth,
or else Venus, the goddess of love and mirth; it was during her feast that
Cyrus took Babylon. Azariah--that is, "whom Jehovah helps." Was changed to- Abed-nego--that is, "servant of the shining fire." Thus,
instead of to Jehovah, these His servants were dedicated by the heathen to
their four leading gods [HERODOTUS, Clio]; Bel, the
Chief-god, the Sun-god, Earth-god, and Fire-god. To the last the three youths
were consigned when refusing to worship the golden image (Da 3:12). The Chaldee version
translates "Lucifer," in Isa 14:12, Nogea, the same as Nego.
The names thus at the outset are significant of the seeming triumph, but
sure downfall, of the heathen powers before Jehovah and His people.
When the young men were confronted with the king’s
food that were offered to idols (the world system), they immediately rejected
it because it violated The Torah (The Word of God). As a result of this stand,
God honored them for not compromising. God made them smarter, wiser and
healthier looking than all of the others that compromised and ate of the king’s
table.
The moral of this illustration is that we need to
start raising worriers not wimps, young men and women that will not compromise
to the world.
Let us remind them
who and whose they are.
Genesis 1:26-27(AMP)26 God said, Let Us [Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit] make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have
complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the [tame]
beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the
earth.
27 So God created man in His own
image, in the image and
likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Jeremiah 1:5(AMP)5 Before I formed you in the
womb I knew [and] approved of you [as My chosen instrument], and before you
were born I separated and set
you apart, consecrating you; [and] I appointed you as a prophet to the nations
Who and Whose are they?
Our youth have the DNA of God
(Gen 1:26-27)
God new them before they formed
in the belly (Jer. 1:5)
God separated them for a special
purpose (Jer. 1:5)
God Gave them a destiny –Their callings (Jer. 1:5)
God Gave them their assignment-That only they can
fulfill (Jer.1:5)
Romans 11:29 (AMP)29 For God’s gifts and His
call are irrevocable. [He never withdraws them when once they are given, and He
does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He
sends His call.]
As we consider this Daniel generation,
let us declare, decree and proclaim this generation for our King of Kings and
Lord of Lords with NO compromise. Let us decree the Blood of Jesus over around
and through them with the blood line of Christ. This generation will not go
down in defeat, but will rise and do great exploits for our God.