Don't throw in the towel!

Let's go to the book of Daniel, chapter 1. Little snow flowers in March, but brothers, don't be discouraged, spring will soon overcome winter. Don't throw in the towel. And in a way, brothers, that's what this message is about. Daniel, chapter 1. Daniel, chapter 1. Glory to God. Glory to God. Especially if you were raised in the Gospel, if you were raised in a Christian home, I have no doubt that sooner or later you have read this text, perhaps in a youth group. But recently I read it differently, the Lord broke me by revealing something to me and I take advantage of this morning to share that revelation with you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and besieged it. The Lord delivered into his hands” – into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, “Joakim king of Judah, and part of the utensils of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar,” –that is, Babylon– “to the house of his God, and he placed the utensils in the treasury house of his God. And the king said to Ashpenaz, chief of his eunuchs, to bring from the children of Israel, from the royal lineage of princes, boys in whom there was no blemish, of good appearance, taught in all wisdom, wise in science and of good understanding, and fit to be in the king's palace; and to teach them the letters and the language of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed them a ration for each day, from the provision of the king's food, and from the wine that he drank; and to raise them three years, so that at the end of them they would appear before the king. Among these were Daniel, Ananias, Misael, and Azariah, of the sons of Judah. To these the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel, Beltsasar; to Ananias, Sadrac; to Misael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-negotiated. And Daniel purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the portion of the king's food..."

How many have read this verse before? “Daniel purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the portion of the king's food, and with the wine that he drank; therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs not to force him to defile himself.” Brothers, let us reflect for a moment on this verse that you have perhaps read many times. And now in the context of how the book of Daniel opens, doesn't this verse, this attitude of Daniel seem absurd to you, brother? Think wisely. Don't you think it's crazy, something absurd? This book begins by describing what appears to be a total defeat for the people of Israel. There was an invasion, there was a conquest. Brothers, why insist on not being contaminated, on keeping the law of Moses, on keeping kosher as the Jews do today, if Jerusalem is already destroyed, if the war has been lost and if there is no hope of victory.

Why insist under that environment on not being contaminated... it seems crazy. And the answer, brothers? And this is the answer for all of you who may be in Babylon this morning. The answer, brothers, is that the war has not yet been lost, the answer is that hope has not yet been lost, the answer is that the enemy has not gotten away with it, even if everything around says otherwise. And brethren, that's a kind of faith. And I ask the Lord, that the Lord awaken that faith in you, this is a faith that does not allow itself to be defeated. Ask the Lord for this faith that assures you that you will win even if all the evidence around you tells you otherwise. Even if everything you see, even if your circumstances advise you, deny your God and die.

Brothers, this is the faith that assures you that your redeemer lives and that your eyes will see him even if everything around you tells you otherwise. Brethren, it is this kind of faith that has ensured that the kingdom of God has survived. Thank you. The kingdom of God has survived empires, armies, kings, dictators, governments, atheists, generals, invaders, like this, economic and moral crises, which the book of Hebrews declares, chapter 36, verse 33, when it declares, "that by faith conquered kingdoms, did justice, reached promises, covered lions' mouths, put out impetuous fires, avoided sword edges, drew strength from weakness, became strong in battles, put foreign armies to flight..." In a few words, it is a faith that it is safe in the center of the bones one lives sure that throughout the kingdom of God always wins. Whatever happens, call it Babylon, call it Persia, call it Greece, call it Rome, call it the Soviet Union, call it Cuba, call it whatever you call it… whatever it may seem. Throughout the kingdom of God wins and his children come out triumphant.

And brothers, I would call this a faith that does not give up. And there is a place for a short-term faith just to distinguish one species, so to speak, one faith from another. And what is a short-term faith, well, it's a decision, it's an emergency and you need a response right now. Father, provide me for this need, Lord heal me from this flow, from this headache, Lord I have to get to the gas station. Father, now and it's not a big deal. You can handle this, God, you can, this is little for you. And literally, little for you. But, that kind of faith, short-term faith is not much help to you in Babylon… when you are in Babylon. When you are in Babylon you need an invincible faith, a faith that will not be defeated. And brothers, sooner or later the Lord allows his children to confront a Babylon.

I do not know if you are in Babylon, you have experienced a Babylon, a Babylon has visited your families. Why don't we do a quick test here? When do we know we are in Babylon? Brothers, we are not talking about a hard day at work, we are not talking about having your car scratched in the parking lot, even though that bothers us. We are not talking about those challenges, we are talking brothers... one is in Babylon like Daniel when you face a situation and this can happen in a moment. A call, an e-mail, a text, for the moment your life changes. At the moment you are confronted with a situation so overwhelming that it puts to the test everything you have learned about God and everything you have learned about who God is to you and who you are to Him. It calls into question your entire relationship. with God and everything you have learned so far about God. It erases your spiritual boundaries for a moment, it damages your spiritual compass. That's what a Babylon does. You know if you are in Babylon, if like David in that situation, all the life you knew - in your case the temple, the priests, the vineyards of Judah, the faces of your family, your neighbors, in a moment they disappear, not we see it, a totally unknown life, totally other. Job is another example brothers, who in a moment in a couple of days loses children, provision, health.

Brethren, isn't the book of Job so exaggerated? In a moment, in the blink of an eye, your… –everything you know about your family, it's not even your family, this is what's powerful. It is the image that you have of your family is reconfigured in a moment. That husband that yesterday you knew as a responsible man, on whom your trust rested and your heart goes and runs with another, wow, your life is different from that moment on. Those children, those children that you were carrying, at one point it was an unexpected pregnancy, it was a call from the school, or worse from the barracks, and it is already another child. It is already another situation. Now this is another life, this is not what you expected. Your provision. In a moment, in a couple of days, this is the drama that the United States has been experiencing, fortunes can be lost in the blink of an eye… fortunes, houses disappear, careers of 20, 25 years, 30 years, disappear. A Babylon.

Your health, brothers, our bodies are the most fragile thing ever invented, and a diagnosis, a ball that comes out, a headache that cannot be explained and for now your life is different. Welcome to Babylon. Welcome to Babylon. And the thing about Babylon is this, when that cloud passes, when that initial shock passes and the initial emotional experience passes and you wipe away your tears, you're still left with the reality of the rubble of this new life. And this is the thing, brothers, one does not know that a crisis of this size can take place in one day, but rather one knows in advance that this will not happen in a day or two. When one is in Babylon one knows that we will be here perhaps months, perhaps years, perhaps all his life. Brothers, then, first of all, why does God allow something like this? A just God, a good God, a God who loves you, a God that you have confessed as your God, a God that you have adored, a God that you have faithfully served. Why would God allow such a thing over his life? Because?

Well brothers, I give you at least two reasons, first there are personal implications for your faith. There are personal implications. Frankly, brethren, any worthwhile faith will be tested sooner or later. Any faith worth having is a faith worth testing. Any faith worth long will be tested. As the word declares in the book of Santiago, faith without works is dead. And what does that mean? Your faith, before it is tested, before it goes through a Babylon... your faith is a profession, what you have is a profession of faith, that is important. What you have are declarations of faith, it is theology and that is precious. But, until you do not pass, until the Lord does not allow you to pass through the refining fire, that faith is not activated in a fervent and dynamic and powerful life in the Lord. Imagine… his life before he passes this test of faith is a collection of talents and gifts and promises from the Lord. Inert elements, there together that until the Lord lights the flame and begins to melt those talents in mixing them with tears and brokenness and now he is taking out the Word, and now he is beginning to exercise certain gifts, now you are a man, a woman of faith. And now you will shine because in that fire the Lord separates the impurities, the Lord separates the dross from the gold. And brothers when you go through this your faith will shine.

There are personal implications. But, brothers, I want to emphasize this other implication. Another type of refining and purifying fire, and it is the implications of his suffering and his trial on the kingdom of God. What do you mean by that? The Lord has invited you to an eternal drama. Don't lose sight of that. Brothers, while you are living your life, while you are walking on this earth, do not lose sight of your drama in relation to the spiritual drama that is taking place in invisible places. What I mean by this? Let us ask ourselves, what need did Nebuchadnezzar have to take the cream of Judah hostage? –these guys and take them there. He had already done what he wanted with Jerusalem, right? He destroyed its walls, burned the temple, killed the priests, to finish off he takes the instruments of worship from the temple of the Lord forged with gold from the offerings of the people, he takes these utensils from the temple of the Lord. How would you feel, brother? And for the time being he takes it to Babylon and hands it over to their pagan Gods as a graphic, climactic symbol of complete victory – of conquest.

What need did he have to take these boys hostage and incorporate them into his court, and indoctrinate them into his culture and his way of thinking and his politics. What need is there? Do you know why? And learn this well, learn this well. When you are in Babylon. Do you know why it was so necessary for me to do this? Because there is no… –the conquest is not complete until one voluntarily surrenders. The conquest is not complete until the enemy provokes you to say, until he hears from you, what for? There is no hope, the war is over, my God is dead and with my God his promises. As Paul declares in 2 Corinthians, see if Christ – in the context of the Lord's resurrection – if Christ has not risen, our faith is in vain, our faith is in vain. Let's eat, dance, live, what for? You see the absurdity of Daniel's declaration of not being contaminated against this background, if one is convinced that the war is already lost. But Lord knows, in this controversy with Satan, since ancient times, He has always maintained something. The Lord has kept. It's more me, –forgive me God–, He has bet that a minority, a remnant, perhaps even a soul is enough for God. A soul will refuse, refuse to surrender. Okay, come the test. The fire destroys all that is Holy, with all that is divine, with all religiosity, with all the devices, with everything. And He maintains that when that fire, those flames die, there will be at least one Noah left. There will be at least one Abraham left. There will be at least one Joshua, one Caleb. There will be at least one Job left. There will be at least one Daniel left.

The Lord allows this, allows these Babylons in this spiritual controversy because He says now in this context we will see who loves me, in this very negative context we will see who still calls me, who still looks for me... who still trusts me and that person , even if it is a soul, from that life I can create that nation. From that life I can create a whole unconquerable generation. Satan has no strategy with someone like that. And in this refining fire, the Lord is looking for souls with that spiritual DNA. That's you. This is what the Lord has called us to. So, brothers, don't forget, brother, that this is war. Not only is this war, but as Louis was saying, we are part of a resistance army. We live, as he declared, in territory occupied by the enemy, this is occupied territory. The enemy has usurped this land, this is not his. And you are part of the legitimate kingdom and we still live, although everything around us seems that the enemy has taken over everything, we live with hope… –moreover, the certainty, the certainty that soon there will be an invasion.

As in the second world war, you are in France, it is the year 1944, the Germans have withdrawn from Paris for more than four years and you are sure that any day your redeemer arrives, and there will be a liberation. Faith is the certainty of what is not seen, the certainty of what is expected, the conviction of what is not seen. And brothers, in this context, what is expected and not seen is victory, that victory and you embrace it, you wait for it, you kiss it... although everything around you tells you this is absurd – this is absurd. So how does he do it? How does he do it in Babylon, brothers? Are we going to make it out of Babylon, how do we form an army of resistance, weakening the enemy and opening the way for our king who comes to redeem us. You know what, three tips. Firstly, brothers, in Babylon he seeks the Lord, by decision and not emotion. In Babylon he seeks the Lord by decision and not emotion. What do I mean by that, you can reduce this point in this word: discipline, discipline... spiritual discipline.

What do I mean by this, brothers? This statement by Daniel, that he proposed the force of that word, propose, speaks of determination, that implies discipline. That implies come what may, see what I see, I propose as long as the Lord gives me life until the Lord restores Israel, I propose not to contaminate myself. And how does it do this? Brothers, in war camps, in war soldier prison camps or soldiers in a concentration camp, they have the habit of maintaining certain disciplines even while they are imprisoned, which seems a bit ridiculous. You have heard this, they greet each other like soldiers, they respect their rank even though for them it is assumed that the war is over because they are prisoners. What are they doing? Putting on his uniform. What are they doing? Fixing his uniform. What are they doing? Parading every morning. What are they doing? Exercising and keeping fit. What are they doing? Saluting the flag if you will. Because? These are disciplines that help them survive even when everything around them says, beat yourself up. And this is what Daniel did, we are not going to go into this text, but you know the story of Daniel and the den of lions, brothers. There he declares the word that he used to arrive before the presence of the Lord, three times a day, like clockwork for years. This was a watch, this is a discipline, willingly or not willingly he opened the windows towards Jerusalem and there he sought the face of God.

And brothers I am going to tell you, –I am going to warn you–, in Babylon, especially Babylon, you are going to lack the desire, you are going to lack the desire. You will lack the desire to praise the Lord, you will lack the desire to seek his face, you will lack the desire to hear from him. In Babylon that is especially dangerous, because as Daniel found out, he was surrounded. The kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon was wherever, wherever. He was surrounded by Babylonian food, rules, culture, and immorality. Brethren, he swam in conquering waters like a fish. And so is your life. If you allow yourself, brother, those waters of depression, those waters of looking, throw in the towel and negativity, those waters that perhaps you will still face on the way from home to work, from work to the hospital, or from the hospital to your home. That's going to wear you out. Sooner or later, unless you arrive before the Lord with discipline, and say Lord, maybe I don't understand this situation, maybe I don't know what I'm doing in Babylon or what I did to deserve that, but I declare even though my heart doesn't sorry, I confess that you are on your throne, that you are in control and Father, my heart seeks you and I ask Lord that your spirit, that spirit that intercedes with unspeakable groans... Father that your spirit came to my spirit, that I I am still unable to minister to you, I cannot even give you the adoration at this moment that you deserve, but you receive it.

Brothers, those are the prayers that honor God the most. Those sentences that come from decisions and not from emotion. Those prayers that are born of principles and discipline. He prayed three times a day. Brothers, do not let go at least once a day, before your first decision, before your first conversation, be before the presence of the Lord. Plug in with the Lord before he goes to Babylon, point number one. Point number two, brothers, I am going to ask you to move on to Jeremiah, chapter 29. Point number two. In Babylon, and this is more difficult than at the beginning, first of all it keeps spiritual disciplines; second, in Babylon brothers serve, in Babylon love, in Babylon build, in Babylon determine to be salt and light.

Young Daniel knew the book of Jeremiah. In Daniel chapter 9 there is this scene where Daniel opens this scroll and is reading the promises from the book of Jeremiah, specifically Jeremiah 25 and Jeremiah 29 which states that within 70 years the Lord would lift up the exile of Jerusalem – of Judah of Israel, and that the Lord's people would return from all the earth and they would return there. But, He also knew the context of that promise. Declare the word: "thus says the Lord," verse 4 my brothers, "thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all of the captivity that I have carried from Jerusalem to Babylon, build houses in Babylon, and inhabit them and plant gardens, and eat of their fruit. Marry, and beget sons and daughters; give wives to your sons, and give husbands to your daughters, that they may have sons, and that they may have daughters; and multiply there, in Babylon "Multiply and do not diminish. And seek peace in the city to which I have carried you away, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace."

Daniel took this to heart, he was… Daniel's book for a leader is essential, you have to read it because it speaks of a man free from corruption, it speaks of a man who served without negligence, he is a tremendous leader. A tremendous leader. And brothers, he served with all his heart, he blessed these men, he served king after king even when there were coups d'état, and there were a few in the 70 years that Daniel was there, next reign he served him with the same, with the same excellency that he served the previous one and brothers while he did that the Lord blessed him, while you do that on the go, you get up and you say well here it goes, I am in Babylon and I can give myself, I can give myself to depression, I can stay at home in my slippers and my robe and I can do… let my beard grow and I can become a hermit…

Or I can go out that door and declare that I am a child of God and it is here that the Lord will flourish my gifts, it is here that the Lord – it was in this context, without Babylon the revelations that the Lord gave Daniel would not have been possible. Without Babylon, the gifts that the Lord had given him… that were inert in him would not have flourished. This man became a prophet of the Lord, an instrument in the hands of the Lord. But, brothers, it came from a decision to first obey the word of the Lord, to pray for Shalom, peace all around. Brother, love still in Babylon, love still those who are responsible for your Babylon, love, serve, bless those who are still responsible for your captivity. It sounds radical, it sounds radical, but this is a resistance war. This is a resistance warfare, throughout your faith will only increase, and throughout as it did with Daniel, the name of the Lord will be exalted and glorified over your life.

Throughout pagan kings, this is what is going to happen to you, those who are witnesses of your life, those who are the people who are watching your drama from afar… I am talking about angels, yes, I am talking about demons, but your neighbors and so to speak pagan kings will be forced to declare there is no God who saves like the God of Daniel. There is no God who saves like the God of that boy. There is no God who saves like the God of that sister. I don't understand how she gets up in the morning, I don't understand how she dresses, I don't understand how she goes and does her things diligently, I don't understand that smile, I don't know, but I don't there is a God who saves like the God of that sister. Jehovah be glorified even in Babylon, my brothers. The enemy's resistance falls and he is corrupted even from the inside out.

Finally, brothers, do not leave this, live in Babylon, live in Babylon waiting for your redemption. Live in Babylon waiting for your redemption, live as a pilgrim, a foreigner, knowing where you came from. Brethren, and I believe this is Daniel's secret, he was able to walk into that court as a young man and face this reality and maintain his integrity and maintain his holiness and do whatever he was asked to do because behind him... he tied this promise to himself. In verse 10 of Jeremiah 19 the Lord promises him, "for thus says the Lord, when the 70 years are fulfilled in Babylon, I will visit you and awaken my good word upon you to bring you back to this place." Brothers, for free because we are already in that neighborhood, I love this verse, and you receive this too. Because in Babylon it is very difficult to believe this, more than in another place, your God promises you, brother. Even if everything around you tells you otherwise, even if all circumstances tell you otherwise. Even if you believe that your God has abandoned you, that there is no solution, that everything is lost, that there is no reason to wake up in the morning, the Lord promises you, I know the thoughts that you have within you, thoughts of peace, not of evil. to give you the end you expect. Daniel got up every morning and went to bed every night marking the days... marking the days. Embracing this promise.

Brothers, know the promises of the Lord. Know the promises of the Lord, inquire, swim in the promises of the Lord, drink them, digest them, write them, memorize them, tie them on your heart, write them, as the word says, on the tablets of your heart, write your name on them, personalize them. Brothers, dreams that have not come true, but mark the days. Promises of the Lord that have not yet been fulfilled, but mark the days. Prayers that the Lord has not yet answered, that a year has passed, five years have passed, ten years have passed, fifteen years have passed… mark the days, mark them –mark them. In this controversy the Lord is going to show you that He is faithful. At 80, 90 years old Daniel was still going before the Lord, and when he looks like a clock when he was 70 years old he came before the Lord and says Father, what now? now what? I have waited all my life, I have waited, I have trusted you, keep your promises. Hebrews, 11. It declares that in verse 13 of Hebrews 11, according to faith all these died without having received what was promised. The irony, brothers, is that Daniel - the tradition is that Daniel never returned to Jerusalem but that God used him to influence King Sido of Persia, because he was in his court... and that liberation - he was the vessel that the Lord used. And although he will not arrive there, he says there, "but by looking at him from afar and believing him and greeting him and confessing that they were foreigners and pilgrims on earth, because what they say certainly implies that they are looking for a homeland, well, if they had been thinking of those where they left, they certainly had time to return.” But declares the Lord, they longed for a better. They longed for a better one. They longed... this is heavenly, for which God, and brother receives this word, God is not ashamed to call himself their God, because he has prepared a city for them.

Brothers, even if we salute you, even if you salute your redemption from afar, take your... if you have children, take your children, if you have grandchildren, take them... put your hands on them, pass on the promise to them, pass on that inheritance to them, pass on that warrior eye to them. We believe, brothers, an invincible generation. Let's put it.

This faith that does not let itself be defeated, is a faith that even in Babylon declares 'great is our God, great is our King, hallelujah, Christ is alive' this is easy to do here in León de Judá with this team, it shines there, my brothers and it is super difficult to declare this in Babylon, without the temple, without everything you know. But I tell you this promise, brother, God is still on his throne. Heaven and earth will pass away, his word will never pass away. Brethren, there is no promise that the Lord has made to you that has fallen to earth, it is more Babylon only makes it more precious. Babylon only makes us yearn for it more, prepares us more for it.

Father, we come before your presence with the certainty, firstly, Lord, thanking you for making us members of your kingdom, which is a privilege that is countless, Lord, firstly, we affirm that. We wouldn't change it for nothing, we wouldn't change it for nothing, Lord. We would not change this salvation, we would not change knowing you, we would not change the privilege of being in your presence. Lord, we would not change even to gain a thousand years, we would not change a day in your courts, because that is precious. Lord, come what may, we cannot imagine the world without you. Lord, the sun will go out and you are still God, Lord heaven and earth will pass away, you are still God, you are still king, you are still sovereign, Father and we declare because we are your people and we are the people of your word and here Your word is law, Lord.

And here your word in this space, your word has authority, in this place and thus we declare to the one who died on a cross and was buried and even over death you won and came out a conqueror. Lord, throughout, throughout every tongue will confess that you are Lord. Throughout, Father, every knee shall bow before You, throughout, Father, all the kings of the earth, Lord, from the days of Abel and Adam, Lord, to this day all shall cast their crowns before You and they will declare, Lord, who you are. They will see who you are. What we have known within our hearts, with the eyes of faith...... Father, I bind those promises, I bind my brothers to those words now in the name of Jesus, I bind their lives to those promises now, Lord , in the name of Jesus. I tie your hearts, your economy, your friendships, your family, your generation, your hopes, your dreams to those promises, Father. I declare, Father, that there is no one who invokes you as God, there is no one here, there is no one in this space who invokes you as God and king who will still be ashamed. There is not one Lord who trusts in your promises that will be put to shame. There is not one, Lord, who confesses, my God lives and will be ashamed, Father. You are alive, your kingdom rules, it isn't over, it isn't over – it hasn't ended, Father, your kingdom is established for an eternity and throughout yours is the victory, yours is the honor. Yours is the glory.