A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
Daily
Encouragement on
Friday, May 3,
2019
Note:
Today's message is a
bit longer than
most.
Message summary: Today we consider a powerful, vitally necessary type of faith expressed in the words "but if not".
Message summary: Today we consider a powerful, vitally necessary type of faith expressed in the words "but if not".
Listen to our
message on your
audio player.
"Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up" (Daniel 3:16-18).
We met
Tim Heitz about
five years ago
when he came on
board as the sales
manager for a
company we serve
as chaplains. Tim
had served as a
pastor and right
away expressed to
us his vibrant
faith in the Lord.
He was active as a
fill-in preacher
and several times
we went to hear
him preach. On one
occasion he and
his wife, Julie,
invited us to
their house for
dinner following
the worship
service.
This January Tim was diagnosed with ALS. We have been following his very candidly reported journey since then on his Facebook page. Last week when hospice was mentioned we knew we wanted to get over and visit Tim.
His disease has advanced quickly but his faith is not deterred. In fact it is more visible as his frequent utterances of faith stir the hearts of those with whom he engages. During our visit it was a blessing to see him receiving so much support from family and friends though it was not surprising, for Tim is highly esteemed and greatly loved by many. We visited for a little while and I told him I believed his story would bless others so he gave us permission to share it along with the photo we took in the lead photo. We made sure his big white pickup that he used to haul his camping trailer was in the background, as he and Julie often went camping in the past!
He has lost function in various parts of his body but is still able to text using his left hand. Early this week knowing we would be sharing his story, he sent me a text quoting the daily text and wrote, "I'd like to remind your readers of these verses. As I paraphrase it 'my God whom I serve is able to deliver me, but if not I will still praise Him'".
Today let us examine the three word phrase "but if not" which we believe is one of the great faith proclamations in the Bible. It was uttered by three courageous young men whose story is recorded in the book of Daniel. Their testimony is an extraordinary example of uncompromising allegiance to Almighty God in the face of our relentless enemy.
While in exile they were given the Babylonian names of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But in actuality their Hebrew names were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azzariah (Daniel 1:11). *
The account of these men of faith is surely one of the greatest stories of deliverance recorded in Scripture. It demonstrates to believers of all ages the incredible power of faith, courage and obedience. They got into serious trouble because they refused to compromise a core commandment of God in bowing down to the 90' golden image Nebuchadnezzar had set up. The consequence for failing to comply to the king’s command was being thrown into a fiery furnace.
They were brought before the king and given a final opportunity to submit to the king's edict. Their powerful response was, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."
Many of you have likely heard the story many times, perhaps even from childhood Sunday School, and you know it for the amazing deliverance that took place. But going into it they did not what know what the outcome would be and their faith stance was not dependent on the deliverance they experienced.
When pressed to comply with the king's edict to bow down to the idol they answered, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter". Their faith was completely in God and they knew ultimately that it was He Whom they needed to answer. Their training as earnest, faithful Jews clearly stipulated that bowing to an idol was forbidden.
"If this be so (being thrown into the fiery furnace), our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace." Notice the phrase, "our God whom we serve". This probably infuriated Nebuchadnezzer who was accustomed to demanding the service and even worship from his subjects. "Is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace". Indeed God is able to do all things, He is a supernatural God.
But what follows is that three word phrase that powerfully demonstrates their unconditional, unwavering faith, "But if not". Some versions word it, "But even if He does not" That is, even if our God who is able chooses to work in another way, "be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up".
Bible
readers are
familiar with the
events of
deliverance like
that which
happened in the
fiery furnace or
later with Daniel
in the lion's den.
These events are
recounted later in
the Book of
Hebrews in the
"Faith Chapter"
and specifically
alluded to in this
portion, "And
what more shall
I say? For time
will fail me if
I tell of
Gideon, Barak,
Samson,
Jephthah, of
David and Samuel
and the
prophets, who by
faith conquered
kingdoms,
performed acts
of
righteousness,
obtained
promises, shut
the mouths of
lions, quenched
the power of
fire, escaped
the edge of the
sword, from
weakness were
made strong,
became mighty in
war, put foreign
armies to
flight. Women
received back
their dead by
resurrection"
(Hebrews
12:32-35a). He's
summarizing here
how God worked in
the faithful in
providing
deliverance of
various sorts.
But midway through verse 35 the outcome, at least as it pertains to this earthly life, changes, "and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground" (Hebrews 35b-38).
The Bible also has this record with those such as John the Baptist, Stephen, and James who all died while faithfully serving God, not experiencing deliverance in the same sense that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did.
No matter the circumstances God is no less God and no less powerful, faithful, good, or merciful. Our narrow, temporal outlook may be "skewed" because we can only view from this side of heaven but as we consider God in the eternal realm we realize that He is working for our good, no matter what. As the oft repeated phrase from years ago states, "God is good all the time and all the time God is good".
Like these three men we need to demonstrate an attitude of "But if not" faith, and Tim is doing this. He knows God is able to deliver him and grant him a healing for additional years on this side; he along with his family and friends would surely joyfully welcome this. But Tim has declared, "but if not I will still praise Him". Indeed he will praise Him during the remainder of his days on this side of eternity however long that may be and he will then offer endless praise on the other side. May that be our testimony as well.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
"Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up" (Daniel 3:16-18).
We met
Tim Heitz about
five years ago
when he came on
board as the sales
manager for a
company we serve
as chaplains. Tim
had served as a
pastor and right
away expressed to
us his vibrant
faith in the Lord.
He was active as a
fill-in preacher
and several times
we went to hear
him preach. On one
occasion he and
his wife, Julie,
invited us to
their house for
dinner following
the worship
service.This January Tim was diagnosed with ALS. We have been following his very candidly reported journey since then on his Facebook page. Last week when hospice was mentioned we knew we wanted to get over and visit Tim.
His disease has advanced quickly but his faith is not deterred. In fact it is more visible as his frequent utterances of faith stir the hearts of those with whom he engages. During our visit it was a blessing to see him receiving so much support from family and friends though it was not surprising, for Tim is highly esteemed and greatly loved by many. We visited for a little while and I told him I believed his story would bless others so he gave us permission to share it along with the photo we took in the lead photo. We made sure his big white pickup that he used to haul his camping trailer was in the background, as he and Julie often went camping in the past!
He has lost function in various parts of his body but is still able to text using his left hand. Early this week knowing we would be sharing his story, he sent me a text quoting the daily text and wrote, "I'd like to remind your readers of these verses. As I paraphrase it 'my God whom I serve is able to deliver me, but if not I will still praise Him'".
Today let us examine the three word phrase "but if not" which we believe is one of the great faith proclamations in the Bible. It was uttered by three courageous young men whose story is recorded in the book of Daniel. Their testimony is an extraordinary example of uncompromising allegiance to Almighty God in the face of our relentless enemy.
While in exile they were given the Babylonian names of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But in actuality their Hebrew names were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azzariah (Daniel 1:11). *
The account of these men of faith is surely one of the greatest stories of deliverance recorded in Scripture. It demonstrates to believers of all ages the incredible power of faith, courage and obedience. They got into serious trouble because they refused to compromise a core commandment of God in bowing down to the 90' golden image Nebuchadnezzar had set up. The consequence for failing to comply to the king’s command was being thrown into a fiery furnace.
They were brought before the king and given a final opportunity to submit to the king's edict. Their powerful response was, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."
Many of you have likely heard the story many times, perhaps even from childhood Sunday School, and you know it for the amazing deliverance that took place. But going into it they did not what know what the outcome would be and their faith stance was not dependent on the deliverance they experienced.
When pressed to comply with the king's edict to bow down to the idol they answered, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter". Their faith was completely in God and they knew ultimately that it was He Whom they needed to answer. Their training as earnest, faithful Jews clearly stipulated that bowing to an idol was forbidden.
"If this be so (being thrown into the fiery furnace), our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace." Notice the phrase, "our God whom we serve". This probably infuriated Nebuchadnezzer who was accustomed to demanding the service and even worship from his subjects. "Is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace". Indeed God is able to do all things, He is a supernatural God.
But what follows is that three word phrase that powerfully demonstrates their unconditional, unwavering faith, "But if not". Some versions word it, "But even if He does not" That is, even if our God who is able chooses to work in another way, "be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up".
Bible
readers are
familiar with the
events of
deliverance like
that which
happened in the
fiery furnace or
later with Daniel
in the lion's den.
These events are
recounted later in
the Book of
Hebrews in the
"Faith Chapter"
and specifically
alluded to in this
portion, "And
what more shall
I say? For time
will fail me if
I tell of
Gideon, Barak,
Samson,
Jephthah, of
David and Samuel
and the
prophets, who by
faith conquered
kingdoms,
performed acts
of
righteousness,
obtained
promises, shut
the mouths of
lions, quenched
the power of
fire, escaped
the edge of the
sword, from
weakness were
made strong,
became mighty in
war, put foreign
armies to
flight. Women
received back
their dead by
resurrection"
(Hebrews
12:32-35a). He's
summarizing here
how God worked in
the faithful in
providing
deliverance of
various sorts.But midway through verse 35 the outcome, at least as it pertains to this earthly life, changes, "and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground" (Hebrews 35b-38).
The Bible also has this record with those such as John the Baptist, Stephen, and James who all died while faithfully serving God, not experiencing deliverance in the same sense that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did.
No matter the circumstances God is no less God and no less powerful, faithful, good, or merciful. Our narrow, temporal outlook may be "skewed" because we can only view from this side of heaven but as we consider God in the eternal realm we realize that He is working for our good, no matter what. As the oft repeated phrase from years ago states, "God is good all the time and all the time God is good".
Like these three men we need to demonstrate an attitude of "But if not" faith, and Tim is doing this. He knows God is able to deliver him and grant him a healing for additional years on this side; he along with his family and friends would surely joyfully welcome this. But Tim has declared, "but if not I will still praise Him". Indeed he will praise Him during the remainder of his days on this side of eternity however long that may be and he will then offer endless praise on the other side. May that be our testimony as well.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father,
the dynamic
story of the
three Hebrew
men speaks of
Your
miraculous
deliverance
for all ages
and throughout
all
generations.
Their
unyielding
devotion to
You is a
tremendous
model to those
of us who call
You our
Father. It is
by testing
that we are
strengthened
and conformed
into you
likeness.
Trials come
upon us to
produce
perseverance,
build
character, and
draw us closer
to Jesus. They
also enable us
to help others
in similar
situations.
Because of our
own personal
experience we
have a greater
sense of how
to reach out
to them, and
pray for
them in
their hour of
need. We want
to be found
faithful no
matter the
circumstance
so help us to
have a "but if
not" faith
that keeps us
steady and
trusting,
giving no room
for doubt and
fear. We pray
this in the
name of Jesus.
Amen."Let
your faith
roar so loud
that you can't
hear what
doubt is
saying."
(unknown
source)
Several
mutual friends
have shared a
tribute to
Tim:
"I
first met Tim
Heitz when he
was serving as
CEO of
Superior Walls
in New
Holland. He
joined and
contributed
significantly
to our Convene
team. I had
the
opportunity to
assist him in
obtaining a
leadership
position at
Lancaster
Bible College
where he
served
faithfully as
head of the
Development
Office. Tim's
strong
pastoral
background
coupled with
his corporate
experience
brought him
significant
success in
this role.
Upon returning
to corporate
life, Tim has
always found
ways to serve
and care for
his staff and
clients in a
Christ-like
fashion."
Chris
Leaman
is the owner
of JK
Mechanical
where we met
Tim.
"Tim joined
our team in
July 2014 and
for almost
four years, I
had the honor
of calling Tim
a co-worker
and team
member. Tim is
a great
servant
leader. He
exudes care
and kindness
for his direct
reports and
for his
coworkers
around him.
Tim
demonstrated
our core
values at the
highest level,
and he is a
strong
collaborator
and supporter
when working
with fellow
team members.
As a member of
our team, Tim
positively
impacted my
life and the
lives of many
other
coworkers. God
bless you,
Tim! Your
contributions
and impact on
our team will
not be
forgotten."
Casey Blackwell leads the plumbing department at JK Mechanical and was a member in one of the churches Tim pastored,
"I
began
attending Mt.
Zion UMC,
under the
pressure of my
younger
brother,
Keith, who had
asked me to
come and hear
Tim Heitz. At
the time, I
was struggling
spiritually
and was even
questioning my
faith.
A particular sermon hit me so hard, it brought me to tears. For those who know me, that’s not typical. Tim had such a powerful delivery, it lit a fire in my life that helped me get back on track. I will forever be grateful for the privilege of listening to Tim deliver Gods Word at Mt Zion. I want him to know the kind of impact he’s had on my life and I’m sure, countless others. Tim, you’re loved."
A particular sermon hit me so hard, it brought me to tears. For those who know me, that’s not typical. Tim had such a powerful delivery, it lit a fire in my life that helped me get back on track. I will forever be grateful for the privilege of listening to Tim deliver Gods Word at Mt Zion. I want him to know the kind of impact he’s had on my life and I’m sure, countless others. Tim, you’re loved."
Tim Heitz, with June Uhler, who is over 90 years of age. She was Tim's youth leader. He also sang duets with her on the local AM Ephrata radio broadcast their church aired for many years back in the 70's. Tim is considerably taller and is courteously kneeling beside her as we took this photo.
We first heard Tim speak at a rural congregation in eastern Lancaster County. Tim preached a sermon regarding listening for God's voice.
Today's
Suggested
Music and
Supplemental Resources
"Blessings"
Video Laura Story
Early yesterday
morning we attended the
National Day of Prayer
Breakfast at the Gathering
Place here in Mount Joy, PA.
Stephen was invited to pray
for area businesses along
with many other individuals
who prayed for our
government officials,
military, police, fire and
first responders, education,
churches, families and
media. It was nice to
participate in one of many
prayer gatherings that took
place yesterday all over the
country.
Friends who sat at
our table and participated
in the prayer service.
Senator Ryan Ament
led in prayer for our
government officials. He
also shared this beautiful
and humbling Puritan prayer
that touched our hearts from
the book he is holding, "The
Valley of Vision" (a
collection of Puritan
prayers and devotions) given
to him years earlier by his
father.
Finally today:
* When I was
pastoring in New England I
once shared a message about
the three men in today's
text and I asked a trivia
sort of question, "Does
anyone know their Hebrew
names?" Without hesitation 9
year old Garrison raised his
hand and with a knowing
smile confidently responded,
"Rack, Shak and Bennie." Now
if you have children or
grandchildren you're
probably laughing right now
as you might recognize these
are their nicknames based on
a popular Veggie Tales
video. I can understand why
a child (or others) might
guess these were the Hebrews
names!
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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