Lessons in Political Correctness from Daniel Chapter 3

Daniel 3:

Verse 1 - Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
Verse 2 - Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Verse 3 - Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Verse 4 - Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,
Verse 5 - That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
Verse 6 - And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
Verse 7 - Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Verse 8 - Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.
Verse 9 - They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.
Verse 10 - Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:
Verse 11 - And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
Verse 12 - There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Verse 13 - Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
Verse 14 - Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
Verse 15 - Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
Verse 16 - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
Verse 17 - If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
Verse 18 - But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Verse 19 - Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
Verse 20 - And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
Verse 21 - Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Verse 22 - Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Verse 23 -  And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Verse 24 - Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. 
Verse 25 - He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
Verse 26 - Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
Verse 27 - And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
Verse 28 - Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
Verse 29 - Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.
Verse 30 - Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.

I. Nebuchadnezzer wanted the people to respond with political correctness. Verses 4, 5. 
II. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to respond that way. Verse 12.
III. They were accused by the politically correct crowd. Verse 12.
IV. Nebuchadnezzer thought he was bigger than God. Verse 14, 15.
    So does the politically correct crowd today. 
V. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused the political correctness of the day to obey God. Verses 16-18. 
VI. They knew that stand may cost them something. Verse 18. 
VII. They made no excuse for obeying God and were willing to die for Him. Verse 18. 
VIII. Three men were bound by man. Those same three men were loosed by God. Verses 20, 21, 23, and 25.
IX. Even a lost man recognized Jesus. Verse 25. 
     If lost men are honest about it many of them recognize God. They may not  acknowledge Him but the recognize Him. 
X. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego still obeyed a lost king as long as his request did not interfere with their obedience to God. Verse 26. 
 XI. The politically correct crowd saw the victory and the protection and the power of God. 
XII. The lost king recognized God's power and was converted in, at least, his thinking. Verse 28.
XIII. A godly testimony points other toward Him. Verses 28, 29. 
XIV. The king thought he promoted Daniel and the others but God honored their obedience. Verse 30

Lessons from a Ceramic Monkey Bank

Hi, 
My name is Wayne. I know you're probably thinking, Wayne. Wayne is a weird name for a monkey. But, actually, I was made in the United States so why not a name like Wayne? I was made in 1956 by a company that was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the time. 

One day I was purchased by a lady named Peggy Hull. She took me home and mostly just sat me on the shelf. Same as happens to most ceramic banks, I suppose. I wasn't used much. Oh, now and then someone would put a few coins in me but they didn't stay long before they would be shaken out again. Peggy, my owner, had two children and whenever my coins were removed they would try to shake them out through the slot in the back of my head where they had been inserted. Peggy didn't want me broken, you see. 

In time, Peggy passed and I fell into the hands of  her son, Richard. He has tried to take care of me and make sure nothing happened to me over the years. Again, mostly I have just sat on the shelf. Once in a while he looks at me and thinks about his mom, Peggy. 

Richard just recently realized that, since I am almost as old as him, just two years younger in fact. That I might just have a couple of lessons he could learn from me. So he decided a good place to put them would be here in his blog so that maybe someone else could, also, benefit from them. 

I was thrilled the day Peggy brought me home. And even more thrilled to meet "Richard" and his sister, Pam. I put Richard in quotes there because that is not what his family calls him but he doesn't like anyone but his family calling him by that name so out of respect for his wishes I will not tell you what it is. Just know that I very much consider "Richard" family and would call him by the family name if I could talk. But, wait, I do talk! Oh, not with words but with those life lessons that one can only learn by paying attention. You see, some things that never use words speak the loudest if we listen. 

The first lesson that I have to share is that I have been a part of "Richard's" family for sixty years and I have never told anything about what I have seen. I wouldn't even if I could talk. You see, that's the way it is with close friends and family. They see things, they know things, but they don't share things. They don't gossip, spread rumors, or reveal secrets. Perhaps sometimes it would be better if humans didn't talk. A lot of pain is sometimes caused by people who talk too much. I know that often times it is not intentional but it hurts just the same. I have known "Richard" and his family all this time and have sat on the shelf and seen and heard things but you'll never get them out of me. I know how to be a close friend and a good family member. Not that my family has any deep, dark secrets. No, I don't mean anything like that! But they are family and their business is private business only to be shared with whomever they decide to share it with. Same as your business should be. 

In the old days, remember I am sixty years old, people just didn't put their family business out there for all to know about it. That's just that way it was. Now, with the invention of "social media" it seems like others know more about someone than they know about themselves. At least that's my opinion. 

Well, part of being wise, and I hope I've learned some things over the years, is knowing when to shut up. I think now is that time for me. You have my first lesson. If "Richard" allows there may be more to come but that is for another day. I sure hope I can be of help to some of you. I hope to talk to all of you again, soon. 

For now I'll just sign off. Have a great day, or night wherever you may be. 

Lovingly,
Wayne