THE CONSECRATED MINDSET: IS THE MEDIA REALLY TO BLAME FOR THE DEFILEMENT OF SOCIETAL MORALS?
Daniel 1:5-20 New International Version (NIV)
5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.
6 Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, 10 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.”
11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 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.” 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.
15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
17 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.
18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. 20 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.
Introduction
God desires that we be pure before Him. It is in becoming pure that we are able to access godly dimensions because God is holy and therefore only associates with holiness. (1 Peter 1:16…for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”)
We are living in a time when everything around us is pure chaos and havoc. We are in an age where even vices pass as acceptable because of the dynamic trend of environmental parameters.
Looking around, one can be amazed at how incredibly obvious and “NORMAL” some sins have become. For instance where I come from, society has with time accepted fornication. Most of the young people believe that one of the activities meant to happen in a boy-girl relationship, regardless of the age bracket is SEX! In fact it is considered hilarious to suggest that a boy and a girl can be in a platonic relationship of friendship.
Parents blame the young people, and the young people find something else to blame (media, lifestyle, peer pressure, the list is endless)…from where I stand, It is a simple case of LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY OR IDENTITY! We will approach this topic in several angles, beginning with God’s word with regard to purity
What does the Bible say about purity?
Matthew 5:8
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Philippians 2:14-15
14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation."
2 Timothy 2:21-22
21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. 22Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
1 John 3:2-3
2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
What does it mean to be pure?
It simply means to be Holy and acceptable before God. This means that you get detached from the law of sin and death and get synchronized to the law of the Spirit and life.
For us to have a fulfilling walk with God, He demands purity of us 2nd Timothy 2:19 (Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”). Otherwise we become hypocrites in His sight, and God despises hypocrites! The Bible says in Revelation 3:16 that those that are lukewarm will be spat out!
Purity is about realizing that you are a temple of the Holy Spirit; a sanctuary prepared by Him, for Himself. It is about getting an identity in God by realizing that we have been upgraded from slaves to sons (Galatians 4:7) {distinguish between being a friend of God and a son of God}
What purity avails to the believer
There is a blessing behind being pure
God adopts us into His kingdom as His children who are justified from fault
We get assimilated into hope
We begin to bear the likeness of Christ
Media influences on purity: half-truths we would like to believe
Whenever humanity is confronted with a dilemma, we often run away rather than stay and fight. It is in this running away that we get entangled in the precipice of “it is the fault of…”
One of the greatly blamed entity for most of the social mishaps we have is media!
Some of the blames we lay on the media today with regard to moral and spiritual decadence is:
ü The rise and spread of pornography
ü Lifestyle diseases
ü The affinity towards getting engaged with drugs and other substances
ü Misinformation and misrepresentation
ü Propaganda and partiality and many more things
My take… It is a simple case of LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY OR IDENTITY!
Nobody holds a gun to your head to watch a dirty television programme or to take a bottle of beer you saw advertised on television. It is all a matter of CHOICE!
So how do we remain pure in a largely impure world?
1. Reject the king’s portion. Daniel, Shardack, Meshack and Abednego had to reject the king’s portion so that they could show that what is of God needs not be contaminated!
2. Keep your focus on the source. A blessing can be made yet a made blessing cannot outlast the blessing that comes from the source. When the blessing takes you away from the blesser you miss out! Daniel had favour in the eyes of the Chief eunuch but he still went through the proper channels without taking shortcuts
3. Refuse to budge to pressure that you re-consider the king’s portion. When the chief eunuch tried to dissuade Daniel from his stand, he refused to back down and insisted on what God had set for him.
4. Pay the price. Do not take a shortcut. Daniel was already good with ALL dreams yet he waited for God to place him in the limelight! Unplanned for success is disastrous. Let God establish you before you can begin to jump the gun. It is not everything that is for you to be on; or every situation you are meant to be attending to; not every phone call or sms is to be answered to.
5. Work hard so that you can get the best results. Daniel, Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego worked extra hard despite the fact that they had the blessing of God. God cannot bless a vacuum so get to doing something so that God can begin to use the work of your hands to bless you.
Conclusion: Insights to the Daniel story
Nothing impure, no matter how good, can exceed what is pure. It might appear to be the best at first, but it is just but a mirage. When the final tally is done, purity will outlast and outdo impurity by a landslide
Final remarks
A peacemaker is a person who goes to war with EVERYTHING that disturbs their peace! What is it that is messing up your peace today? Begin to go to war with it and declare the year of the Lord
You learn the faithfulness of God when you get through the unfaithfulness of men
The Kingdom that God has given us is an unshakable one for which we need sufficient grace. Claim the grace of an overcomer because only then can you be able to hold on tightly and work it to the end!
God desires today you move from the post of "village champion" to the next level...move from your comfort zone at the shores and begin to venture into the deeps! Only then can you manifest your full potential!
Believers have quickly turned their relationships with God to necessity ones where they relate to God in times of crisis. God does not want an issue-based walk with Him. Begin to align yourself with a proper and pure walk with God this day
For we are not called to fit in but rather to take over! The word of God today says in Daniel 9:23 "At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision." Hear this child of the Most High God...today God issued command that as you speak to it, it begins to move! God has favoured you among men and has laid a table for you with kings and other people of influence. Now here's what you gotta do...take a step of faith and begin to walk into your release (heed the message) and walk in revelation, vision and purpose (gain understanding of the vision). Begin to align yourself in this word!
5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.
6 Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, 10 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.”
11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 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.” 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.
15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
17 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.
18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. 20 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.
Introduction
God desires that we be pure before Him. It is in becoming pure that we are able to access godly dimensions because God is holy and therefore only associates with holiness. (1 Peter 1:16…for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”)
We are living in a time when everything around us is pure chaos and havoc. We are in an age where even vices pass as acceptable because of the dynamic trend of environmental parameters.
Looking around, one can be amazed at how incredibly obvious and “NORMAL” some sins have become. For instance where I come from, society has with time accepted fornication. Most of the young people believe that one of the activities meant to happen in a boy-girl relationship, regardless of the age bracket is SEX! In fact it is considered hilarious to suggest that a boy and a girl can be in a platonic relationship of friendship.
Parents blame the young people, and the young people find something else to blame (media, lifestyle, peer pressure, the list is endless)…from where I stand, It is a simple case of LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY OR IDENTITY! We will approach this topic in several angles, beginning with God’s word with regard to purity
What does the Bible say about purity?
Matthew 5:8
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Philippians 2:14-15
14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation."
2 Timothy 2:21-22
21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. 22Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
1 John 3:2-3
2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
What does it mean to be pure?
It simply means to be Holy and acceptable before God. This means that you get detached from the law of sin and death and get synchronized to the law of the Spirit and life.
For us to have a fulfilling walk with God, He demands purity of us 2nd Timothy 2:19 (Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”). Otherwise we become hypocrites in His sight, and God despises hypocrites! The Bible says in Revelation 3:16 that those that are lukewarm will be spat out!
Purity is about realizing that you are a temple of the Holy Spirit; a sanctuary prepared by Him, for Himself. It is about getting an identity in God by realizing that we have been upgraded from slaves to sons (Galatians 4:7) {distinguish between being a friend of God and a son of God}
What purity avails to the believer
There is a blessing behind being pure
God adopts us into His kingdom as His children who are justified from fault
We get assimilated into hope
We begin to bear the likeness of Christ
Media influences on purity: half-truths we would like to believe
Whenever humanity is confronted with a dilemma, we often run away rather than stay and fight. It is in this running away that we get entangled in the precipice of “it is the fault of…”
One of the greatly blamed entity for most of the social mishaps we have is media!
Some of the blames we lay on the media today with regard to moral and spiritual decadence is:
ü The rise and spread of pornography
ü Lifestyle diseases
ü The affinity towards getting engaged with drugs and other substances
ü Misinformation and misrepresentation
ü Propaganda and partiality and many more things
My take… It is a simple case of LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY OR IDENTITY!
Nobody holds a gun to your head to watch a dirty television programme or to take a bottle of beer you saw advertised on television. It is all a matter of CHOICE!
So how do we remain pure in a largely impure world?
1. Reject the king’s portion. Daniel, Shardack, Meshack and Abednego had to reject the king’s portion so that they could show that what is of God needs not be contaminated!
2. Keep your focus on the source. A blessing can be made yet a made blessing cannot outlast the blessing that comes from the source. When the blessing takes you away from the blesser you miss out! Daniel had favour in the eyes of the Chief eunuch but he still went through the proper channels without taking shortcuts
3. Refuse to budge to pressure that you re-consider the king’s portion. When the chief eunuch tried to dissuade Daniel from his stand, he refused to back down and insisted on what God had set for him.
4. Pay the price. Do not take a shortcut. Daniel was already good with ALL dreams yet he waited for God to place him in the limelight! Unplanned for success is disastrous. Let God establish you before you can begin to jump the gun. It is not everything that is for you to be on; or every situation you are meant to be attending to; not every phone call or sms is to be answered to.
5. Work hard so that you can get the best results. Daniel, Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego worked extra hard despite the fact that they had the blessing of God. God cannot bless a vacuum so get to doing something so that God can begin to use the work of your hands to bless you.
Conclusion: Insights to the Daniel story
Nothing impure, no matter how good, can exceed what is pure. It might appear to be the best at first, but it is just but a mirage. When the final tally is done, purity will outlast and outdo impurity by a landslide
Final remarks
A peacemaker is a person who goes to war with EVERYTHING that disturbs their peace! What is it that is messing up your peace today? Begin to go to war with it and declare the year of the Lord
You learn the faithfulness of God when you get through the unfaithfulness of men
The Kingdom that God has given us is an unshakable one for which we need sufficient grace. Claim the grace of an overcomer because only then can you be able to hold on tightly and work it to the end!
God desires today you move from the post of "village champion" to the next level...move from your comfort zone at the shores and begin to venture into the deeps! Only then can you manifest your full potential!
Believers have quickly turned their relationships with God to necessity ones where they relate to God in times of crisis. God does not want an issue-based walk with Him. Begin to align yourself with a proper and pure walk with God this day
For we are not called to fit in but rather to take over! The word of God today says in Daniel 9:23 "At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision." Hear this child of the Most High God...today God issued command that as you speak to it, it begins to move! God has favoured you among men and has laid a table for you with kings and other people of influence. Now here's what you gotta do...take a step of faith and begin to walk into your release (heed the message) and walk in revelation, vision and purpose (gain understanding of the vision). Begin to align yourself in this word!
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