Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Inauguration Sermon

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual…
Dan 3:16-19 (NIV)


We experienced a momentous moment in our nation’s history this week. One of the little known events was a church service just prior to the inauguration at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington which the Obama’s and Biden’s attended. The sermon was shared by T.D. Jakes. I wanted to share with you his powerful four points from Daniel 3:16-20.
  • "In time of crisis, good men must stand up. God always sends the best men into the worst times."
  • "You cannot change what you will not confront. This is a moment of confrontation in this country. There's no way around it. ... This is not a time for politeness or correctness, this is a time for people to confront issues and bring about change."
  • "You cannot enjoy the light without enduring the heat. The reality is the more brilliant, the more glorious, the more essential the light, the more intense the heat. We cannot separate one from the other."
  • "Extraordinary times require extraordinary methods. This is a historical moment for us and our nation and our country, and we enjoy it and are inspired by it and motivated by it."