One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus’ claims by asking him to show them a miraculous sign from heaven. He replied, “You know the saying, `Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow, red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You are good at reading the weather signs in the sky, but you can’t read the obvious

of the times!
“Matthew 16:1-3 (NLT)”

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god. Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the

and

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of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king. Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
“Daniel 1:1-6 (NKJ)”

Three marks of a shifting culture

The chief official gave them

: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
“Daniel 1:7 (NIV)”

1) Confuse our

.

Daniel: “God is my

”

Belteshazzar: “Lady, protect the King”

Hananiah: “Yahweh has been

”

Shadrach: “I am fearful of God”

Mishael: “Who is what God is?”

Meshach: “I am despised, contemptible &

.”

Azariah: “Yahweh has

”

Abednego: “Servant of Nebo”

When culture shifts, we must know

.

“Before I

you in the womb I knew you, before you were

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I set you apart…”
“Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV)”

And the king appointed for them a daily

of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank,…
“Daniel 1:5(a) (NKJ)”

But Daniel purposed in his

that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.\
“Daniel 1:8 (NKJ)”

2) Compromise our

.

When culture shifts, we must know what we

.

“Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD,

for yourselves this day whom you will

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, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
“Joshua 24:14-15 (NKJ)”

Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.” Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please test your

for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” So he agreed to this and

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them for ten days.
“Daniel 1:9-14 (NIV)”

3) Test our

.

When culture shifts, we must stand

.

Be on your guard; stand firm in the

; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in

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.
“1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NIV)”

1) Stand in

.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to

against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to

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in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
“Ephesians 6:11-13 (NKJ)”

2) Stand for the

of the Lord.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be

(steadfast), immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord [always being superior, excelling, doing more than enough in the service of the Lord], knowing and being continually aware that your

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in the Lord is not futile [it is never wasted or to no purpose].
“1 Corinthians 15:58 (AMP)”

3) Stand for

.

“Sir, my

is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” Abraham Lincoln

“If you

and

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acknowledge me, I will freely and openly acknowledge you before my heavenly Father.
“Matthew 10:32 (TPT)”

“Stand up for me against world opinion and I’ll

up for you before my Father in heaven.”
“Matthew 10:32 (MSG)”

…where Christ is,

at the right hand of God.
“Colossians 3:1 (NIV)”

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus

at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man

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at the right hand of God.”
“Acts 7:55-56 (NIV)”

When I stand,

stands with me.

At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard

their choice food and the wine they were to drink and

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vegetables instead. To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.
“Daniel 1:15-20 (NIV)”