Daniel 1
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.
2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.
3 And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes;
4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
6 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:
7 Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.
8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.
11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.
13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.
14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.
15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.
16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.
***
(Comments by Joan Boney)
We must not defile ourselves in church groups by doing things which we see as "wrong" according to the Bible.
We must not defile ourselves in church groups by doing things which we see as "wrong" according to the Bible.
People will say, "But you have to attend church. You have to be fed also."
They do not realize that we cannot sit in a church group and be "fed" while that church group sets aside certain instruction of the New Testament Bible and sets up another doctrine opposite to the instruction of the Bible. To sit among them will bring condemnation upon us.
So we go forward trusting God to feed us ... often God will put us with another true believer ...
But we cannot stay in a church group when we know there is wrong doing in that church group.
We will not grow there in things of God but we will lose reward there.
My favorite aunt was Church of Christ. Before she died she told me she knew things were wrong at the church. But she stayed there anyway.
Later I had the following dream: I walked into a room where there was a row of baby bassinetes. I looked down into each of the bassinetes to see the babies. I was shocked to see the horribly deformed babies. At the end of the row, I saw my aunt standing there as a grown woman. But she had horrible spots and blemishes on her face.
I believe God is showing me that my aunt, who is no longer living, will be saved but lose reward. The deformed "babies" were church members who never grew up but remained babies and they were deformed, living in wrong doctrines, being deformed in spirit by these wrong doctrines.
II John
9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
***
We must not stay in a church where there is wrong doing for to do so is to approve that wrong doer and to set ourselves in a position to deny portions of the scripture.
*****