Simple and Cheap Coffee Brewers

Many of us drink coffee, hopefully in moderation (I know, sometimes that's difficult).  I figure if you drink it, it might as well taste good.  However, I have found that good coffee can get expensive, especially if you think you have to go to a coffee shop to have a good tasting cup of coffee.  Thankfully, I have found ways to brew some really good cups of coffee at home for quite cheap.

My wife received a new coffee maker for her birthday, and I have been able to enjoy the benefits.  She was given a Chemex coffee maker, which is basically a simple, glass, pour over coffee maker and carafe in one. One of the perks of this coffee maker is that you have complete control over every aspect of how you brew your coffee.  For example, you can get the water hot enough to brew it correctly, pour a little water initially to let your coffee bloom, control how fast you pour your water, add as much ground coffee as you want, and grind your beans as course or fine as you want.  The only downside that I have found with this maker is that your coffee cools off pretty quickly unless you drink  it fast, place it on a warm stove-top, or transfer the coffee to a insulated mug.

Another great coffee brewing system that my wife and I like to use, much like this one but made for a single cup of coffee, is a pour over drip cone.  We have a Hario V60 and we are constantly pleased with how good the coffee ends up tasting.  There are also different brands of pour over drip cone coffee brewers out there to chose from that are really good.

The last method that is pretty cheap, simple and makes a good cup is a French Press.  Basically you measure and pour in the freshly ground coffee.  Pour in your boiling water, wait about 6 minutes.  Push down on the press, and then drink.  One note, just make sure you grind your beans kind of coarse or you might get some grinds in your cup.

If you are looking for a way to make some good strong coffee and are not super thrilled with your current brewing system, then check these out.  They are cheep, simple and make great coffee!  Plus you can save money by not brewing 10 cups of coffee at a time when all you need is one really good cup.

~Trev

Hario V60 

 

Here's a video that shows how to make coffee using the pour over method.

http://youtube/r6OdG39pfTU

How to Use a French Press | Coffee.coffee.gurus.net

Until Next Time...

In three weeks, Stephanie, Kinley, Zoe, and I, along with our trusty dog, Boone, will be leaving Casper – setting out on the next part of our adventure – following the Lord where He is leading us.  You have been an incredible blessing to me and to my family.  God has used many of you to minister to us, to teach us, to challenge us.  When I look back on the last two years, I can’t say it’s all been easy.  And it hasn't all been pretty – at least not the way we generally define “pretty.”  But I can say without a doubt that I have been blessed.  I have been stretched.  I have been challenged and changed.  And I have to say PRAISE GOD!  Because He is awesome, and His works are beautiful.

Since we announced the news of our upcoming transition we have had many people ask us what exactly we will be doing as we follow God in the next phase of our adventure, so I would like to take this opportunity to clarify and ask for your prayers. 

When we leave here June 24^th we will be driving to Madison, SD, where I have accepted a “Pastoral Apprentice Position” at West Center Baptist Church. This is a 3 to 4 year program where I will be mentored and trained by the leaders and pastor of the church and other pastors in a “Timothy Apprenticeship” in the surrounding community.   I will continue to build on my experience in various pastoral duties and in all aspects of church life.  (Check the church out @ westcenterbaptist.com)

As part of the pastoral apprentice position, I will also be starting seminary full time via a distance ed. program at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, pursing my Masters of Divinity - hopefully personally growing in pastoral care and biblical counseling. (Check out the seminary @ sebts.edu)

In addition to this I am also pursuing Air Force Reserve Chaplaincy.  If I am accepted (I’m currently still waiting on medical paperwork and approval) I will begin training in the Air Force Reserve Chaplain Candidate Program next summer and each summer until I complete my Masters of Divinity (3-4 yrs).  (Check out the program @ afreserve.com/?:Chaplain&sf=wschap).  A military Chaplain must have obtained a Masters of Divinity degree, so that’s a big reason why these three components seem to work together so well.

That’s it in a nutshell.  So how can you pray for us?  I’m glad you asked 

Pray that:

• God continues to work in our hearts through this process helping us know and love Him more and further equips us for ministry through this.
• Stephanie and I learn to be good stewards with our time and disciplined to faithfully accomplish all God has called us to.
• For our family to grow closer through this and have the strength to handle the busyness and separation of school and military training.
• That I will have the mental and emotional capacity to complete my studies and training while not neglecting to be a loving husband and father.  

The last two years here at FBC has been nothing less than an adventure.  We are truly thankful to God for giving us the opportunity to invest this time with you, and for giving us so much - specifically your love and friendship.  You have had a deep and lasting impact on me and my family, and it’s been so awesome to seek Jesus with you.  We serve such a great and awesome God! 

Because of the awesome hope we have in Christ, when my family and I leave at the end of June, it won’t be “goodbye” – it will be “until next time!”  Thanks for the Adventure!  It has been a blast to share the hope with you!

~Trev

Just in, “Parents are the #1 Influence in the Lives of Their Children”

Recently there have been ground-breaking studies in the field of youth and religion.  Since 2002, the National Study of Youth & Religion (NSYR) has been conducting mass surveys as well as other groups such as The Barna Group.  One of the findings that has been uncovered is that parents have the biggest influence in the lives of their adolescents.  What?  That’s right, if you are a parent, you have a bigger influence in the spiritual life of your child than their friends, their teachers, MTV, the internet, their youth pastor or leader, senior pastor, and so on. 

For some of you this may come as a huge surprise.  You may feel as a parent you are outnumbered and in a losing battle to influence your children, or you may feel like your voice isn't heard.  The studies show, on the other hand, among other influences you may have the loudest voice.

So what does this mean?  Obviously, this should impact the view we take on the task of parenting, and this should also influence other things we do as a church.  Parents, take heart, your kids do hear you; you are still influencing them, and it is not a lost cause.  However, this also has a sobering element in it as well – as a parent, it humbles and sometimes scares me to think about the incredible responsibility I have to live an honest, consistent, and God-honoring life before my daughters.  Because the way I live my life will have a critical influence on what they value and believe.

Over the last 11 years of youth ministry, I’ve come to realize that teens are very smart.  They are trying to figure out who they are.  They are filled with passion and are looking for a good purpose to commit their lives to.  They learn not only from formal education (being verbally instructed) but also from what they see in action.  They learn acceptable behaviors, they notice what we value, and they pick up on what we give our lives to and then make their own decision based upon what they have both been taught and, to be cliché, what they have “caught” from their parents and other lesser influences.    

           

Rightfully so, as a parent of two young girls this places the great responsibility of my girls’ spiritual wellbeing squarely upon my shoulders.  It gives me the responsibility to both teach them what is right as well as show them what is right and true and valuable.  I know that they are too smart for me to teach them one thing and then model to them with my life the exact opposite.  Honestly, this is a little frightening.  Amidst a culture that is going further and further away from God, and the reality of my own weak flesh, it is easy to lose hope.  However, I must continually remind myself that God is in control of the lives of my young girls and that I have a real responsibility to do everything in my power to help my daughters grow closer to Christ.  I must not forget that God desires my girls’ good, and it is by God’s grace and strength that he abundantly supplies me with the ability to teach and model a Christ-like life to them.

As a church body, let us not give up the fight for the hearts and minds of our young people.  There is a real and dark evil in this world trying to capture the hearts and minds of young men and women.  Satan does not want good things for our young people.  He desires nothing more than to turn them away from truth and light.  He strives to convince them to pursue things that won’t satisfy and that will only leave them empty and on the path to destruction.  We need to be active in this spiritual battle for their hearts with the gospel, grace, and truth - richly taught and lovingly lived. 

Men and women of God, are you up to the challenge?  Take a stand!   Start to show them what is valuable by your example.  Examine your own values and see if they line up with Christ’s.  If you feel like you have messed up or have led them off course, show them the power of God in action and that through His strength you can change. 

Oh God.  Please turn our hearts to our children and our children’s hearts to us – and all our hearts toward you.  As we parent, may we be the salt that gives flavor to our culture, and preserves what is pleasing to God for the sake of Christ and the good of our children.

~Trev      

The Legendary Ultimate Manliness Retreat

              Last weekend I had the privilege of embarking on an outdoor adventure with 11 other men (4 other adults and 7 students). Leading up to the trip, I had to fight my uneasiness from planning details and a forecasted upcoming winter storm.  The weather report for the weekend said something to the effect, “Special Weather Statement, Unsettled Colder Weather and Snow Showers.”  As far as I could tell, there seemed to be two big storms that were coming toward central Wyoming possibly going to affect Casper and the Bighorn Mountains, exactly where we were planning to go.

               Friday finally came; we loaded the church van and a suburban with all of our outdoor gear and left Casper that evening under sunny skies.  The weather soon changed.  Roughly at Kaycee, WY the sun hid behind the clouds and the snow began to fall.  The roads were soon packed with snow and the visibility was near white-out conditions as the windshield wipers struggled to clear the snow off the fast enough.

               Praise God, we finally made it to our destination, about 24 miles west of Buffalo, WY in the Bighorn Mountains.  We managed to park the vehicles off the side of the road having to plow our way through snow up to the axles.  From there, under light of the moon and our headlamps, we dawned our cold weather gear, snow shoes or XC Skies, piled all of our food, water and extra supplies for the weekend either on our backs or in sleds and set off to our cabin on foot.  After a couple trips back and forth we had all of our gear in the cabin for the weekend.

Once in the cabin we started a fire, and began to settle in.  Some of the students began to build a giant pile of snow in hopes of eventually building a snow cave to sleep in, while others of us laid out our sleeping bags inside or outside under the stars.   

Saturday morning rolled around and the snow again began to fly.  It snowed all day further deepening the powder all around us.  Some of the guys continued to build up their snow pile, and then they started to dig it out creating a quinzhee (commonly known as a snow cave).  For lunch on Saturday we decided to have a picnic, man style.  We strapped on our snow shoes and began hauling all of our food and supplies needed to build a fire and cook lunch.  We trudged through the snow a mile and a half down Crazy Woman Canyon, dug out a fire pit in the snow, built a fire, and cooked our red meat and veggies on the open fire.  After lunch we hiked back up the canyon to our cabin through blizzard like conditions.  That night three of the guys finished building the quinzhee, and then slept in it all night long.

Sunday Morning rolled around and we awoke to a beautiful day, clear skies, and below 0 temperatures.  We cleaned our cabin, loaded up our gear, packed it back to the vehicles, thawed out our beard and nose hair-sickles and came home.

To say the least this weekend was rugged, difficult, and there were unforeseen obstacles coming against us.  It took a lot of planning and thinking before hand to ensure we would be successful in our endeavors.  To be successful we also needed the right tools, clothing and gear in order to not freeze and to accomplish our goals.  If we were ready and had the right mindset, though it was hard, it was a great joy.  In many ways the physical difficulty of our weekend directly parallels the spiritual lessons we talked about throughout the weekend.  Our series was titled, “The War Within.”  Throughout the trip and while down in the Crazy Woman Canyon, we talked about the spiritual battles men struggle with specifically in the area of sexual temptation.  We talked about the enemy (Satan) that we are at war with, the preparation that is needed to engage in the battle, the dangers of falling into sexual sin, the tools and weapons we use in our struggle, the power that God has given us to overcome the enemy, and the joy that comes through living in purity and in relationships how God designed them. 

As we realized, we all struggle with temptations and we will until we go home to be with Jesus.  The question is what will you do when your big ugly temptations are staring you in the face?  Do you have a battle plan?  Do you know your enemies tactics?  Do you know your personal weaknesses?  Do you have the correct tools to endure the battle?  And do you know that there is hope for victory in the battles?  As we found out fighting the physical elements this weekend, all of these questions are vitally important.  However, we also realized that in our spiritual walk with the Lord we don’t often think about these questions.  

As the guys were challenged this weekend to think about these things, I will leave you with the same.  Do you realize there is an enemy?  Do you know his tactics?  Do you know your own weaknesses?  Do you know how to use your tools and are you using them?  Are you engaging in the battle? And lastly, do you know that there is hope for victory? 

May God make us men and women who fight in the battle and overcome by the grace of God.  

2 Corinthians 10:3-5   

  ³ For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. ⁴ The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:12-14

¹² So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! ¹³ No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. ¹⁴ Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.

      

Can I Glorify God When I'm Drinking Coffee?

Can I glorify God When I'm Drinking Coffee?


One of the great blessings from God is the coffee plant.  Isn't it wonderful that God has given us coffee to enjoy!  He could have just created the basics for life, but He didn't.  He also created special things for us to enjoy.  He created thousands of varieties of flowers, beautiful and amazing creatures, majestic mountain ranges, and the coffee  plant.  Not only did He create the coffee plant, but He made it so that coffee grown from different regions of the world would taste unique and wonderfully flavorful in their own special way.  There are two main types of coffee beans, Arabica and Robusta.  Within these two varieties of beans, there are uncountable varieties of tastes and flavors based upon where they are grown, what type of soil they are grown in, and how they are processed.  Isn't that wonderful!  So as you sip your (hopefully strong and fresh) cup of Joe, thank God for this little gift.  Also, if you are drinking a coffee from a particular region of the world you can take some time and pray for the people of that country.  These are a couple ways we can drink coffee to the glory of God.

 1 Corinthians 10:31
"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

~Trev

     
If you really enjoy drinking good tasting coffee, these simple tips found on www.sweetmarias.com may help you.

The 5 main factors that affect your brew:

1. Coffee-to-water ratio. Most people find that when 20% of soluble solids are extracted from the coffee grounds, the brew has the best flavors. Too much extraction (too fine grind, too long brew time, too hot water, too much ground coffee) and the brew tastes bitter. On the other hand, under-extraction results in a thin, weak, sour cup. Simply using more coffee grounds doesn’t correct under-extraction. It is a good idea to weigh your coffee or use an SCAA coffee scoop or a measuring device that you know will hold 10 grams of coffee. It is also a good idea, at least initially, to weigh or measure your water as well.

1. Coffee particle size. A finer grind means more surface area of the bean is exposed to the water. For a brew method that uses a longer dwell time such as French Press, a coarser grind is necessary. An even grind of any size is ideal, follow the directions on your grinder, it may take some experimentation to find the best grind for your brew method here is an illustration (photo of different grinds)

1. The Water Temperature. The ideal water temperature is 195-205 f, since water is a better solvent at near-boiling temperature. This is why it is always better to brew a full batch on an auto-drip machine, since they are built to get a full batch of water up to the proper temperature.

1. Contact time. How long the water and coffee are in contact with each other. See our brewing instructions below.

1. Agitation. Stirring the coffee-water infusion increases the extraction rate of soluble solids. Keep in mind that pouring water over the grounds causes agitation. In immersion brew methods it is important to agitate (stir) the brew again during the dwell time.

1. Heat Retention. Don’t let coffee sit on a hot plate or in a French Press transfer to a thermal carafe to avoid overcooking and over-extraction.

                                www.sweetmarias.com/grind.brew.php

There’s a Great Harvest?

There’s a Great Harvest?

I was recently talking with the students on a Sunday morning, and this verse came up, “[Jesus] said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest’” (Luke 10:2, ESV).  After reading this verse, I began to feel personally challenged and convicted.  Later in the study, we looked at a parallel passage in Matthew 9:35-38.  We noticed that Jesus tells His disciples to do this after he sees the helpless condition of the people:  “And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (ESV).  After talking about this verse with the students, and pondering its implications, I was left feeling a little uneasy.  I don’t often pray for God to send out workers to preach the gospel of the kingdom with lost people.  To be honest, and to my shame, I rarely think of people in other parts of the world who do not know Jesus.  I am more often more consumed with what is right in front of my face.  And even when I encounter people at the grocery store or in the line at Wendy’s, I rarely find myself thinking of them as “the Harvest.” 

As I thought about this more throughout the week, I was really bothered by the conflict between my beliefs and my actions.  I believe that God is the ultimate source of all joy and the great God who deserves all praise and Honor from all of creation, but I infrequently think about sharing the wonderful message of Him with people outside of my immediate influence.  I also believe that Jesus is the only source of eternal life for all mankind.  And because of this, any person who does not trust in Jesus, through the gospel, will be eternally separated from God and will have to bear the just wrath of God (Rom. 1:16-20; Matt. 25:46).  This is why, after reading these verses, I was left feeling a little disturbed.  I know the truth, but I often don’t allow it to affect and change me.  In one sense it was painful to be convicted by God, nonetheless, I have found it to be such a refreshing experience to be personally corrected and guided by God’s Word to change my thinking and my living!

How about you? How often do you think about those who are currently helpless and don’t know Christ? How often do you ask God to send out laborers to bring in the harvest?  Personally, this passage has begun to motivate me to analyze my life, asking these questions, 1. Do I care about the harvest? 2. Do I ask God to send workers into the harvest? 3. Am I using my gifts, experiences, and abilities to most effectively bring in the harvest?  I think these are all questions for those of us who follow Jesus and care about Him to consider.  This week let us consider how to think correctly about the true reality of life (God, heaven, hell, eternity), love people consistently with the message of Jesus, and begin to pray fervently that God would raise up laborers to preach the good news of the kingdom of God! 

Here are some passages to ponder in regards to the great harvest, and here is a great website that can act as a guide when praying for the nations of the world,  www.operationworld.org.  

Romans 10:14-15

“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?  And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” (ESV) 

Psalm 67

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.

May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
that your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!

The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, shall bless us.
God shall bless us;
let all the ends of the earth fear him! (ESV)

The State of the Youth

The State of the Youth 

This fall and winter, in my opinion, has been a great, fruitful and an extremely fun time for the youth ministry.  I have seen many students change, grow, and continue to deepen their roots in Christ.  Students have realized areas of bondage, un-forgiveness and other areas of personal sin and have surrendered them to Jesus.  We have had many new faces come, some of whom have stayed and some we hope will come back again.  And we have had a core group that has become strong, consistent and who has also demonstrated selfless leadership.  It is my prayer, for all of them, that the seeds that have been sown by Sunday school teachers, VBS volunteers, pastors, youth leaders, and especially parents, would take root in their hearts, would grow and bear fruit, so that they can go out and plant seeds of Gospel truth in the lives of their peers.

As a parent or other caring adult in our congregation you might have wondered what our young people are studying.  I wanted to take this opportunity to give a bit of a ministry report and let you all know what we've been learning.  Last fall, the senior high students did a study on Wednesday nights from Dare to Share.  This study walked us through the foundation and substance of the gospel and helped us become more comfortable telling our friends about the hope we have in Christ.  In Nov. and Dec. we talked about how to honor God in our relationships.  At Sunday Night Live (Jr. High youth group) we studied about the overarching themes of the Bible - from Creation, to Kingdom, to Captivity, to the Cross, and the Church, and we recently finished up a Francis Chan study about surrendering all aspects of our lives - our "stuff", relationships, plans, and even our very lives to Jesus.    For Sunday Morning Discipleship we are studying the parables of Jesus.  The senior highers just started a new series for Wednesday nights.  It's called Not a Fan and contrasts just being a fan of Jesus with actually picking up our cross daily and following Jesus.  And the junior highers just started a study about friendships.  Overall, I think God is doing a wonderful work in the lives of our young people.

The other day, as I was analyzing my ministry, I was thinking to myself, “What could I teach or impart to my students that will have the biggest and most lasting impact upon their lives?”  As I pondered this question, I began to look back upon my own life.  What impacted me?  What was the biggest influence in my own relationship with Jesus?  Looking back, I think what has continually had the biggest and most lasting impact on my life is what I saw modeled in the lives of a few of my Christian adults in my life.  As a child, I noticed my dad, getting up early and reading the Bible daily. I saw that my mom’s Bible worn from lots of reading, and its words had an impact on her daily life.  I heard my youth pastor repeat over and over how we need to habitually feed upon Gods Word, and I saw that he "practiced what he preached."  I also listened as the lead pastor of my church preached verse by verse through the Bible as if it had the final word regarding life and action.  I saw people striving to live like Jesus.  Through this, as well as other influences, God drew me into His Word - caused me to hunger for it and read it for myself.  I began to look at Jesus through the Gospels, particularly the Gospel of John.  It is then that God began to disturb me, to shake me up, and to awaken me to realize that I desperately needed Him.  Not only did feeding upon God’s Word start a change in my life, it has continually, through life’s ups and downs, challenged me, convicted me, and deepened my love for Jesus. 

It occurred to me that I knew what I needed to try to impart to the students - something big and powerful that would have a lasting impact on their lives.  I want to show them how to feed upon the scripture, listen to what God has to say through His Word and then allow His Spirit to conform their lives to that of Jesus Christ.  You know what’s cool?  It doesn't take a degree, or extensive Bible training, or super spirituality to impart this to our young people.  Just pick up a Bible read it, and let them know how important it is for them to do the same.  Paul encourages young Timothy in his second letter, “ You… know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance,  persecutions, sufferings….  …Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.   All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:10-11a - 3:14-17, NIV 1984).”     

~Trev 

• If you are looking for a Bible app for your computer or mobile device check out  https://www.youversion.com/ or the YouVersion Bible app on your device.  There you can find a ton of Bibles, Bible reading plans, devotions, video devotions and other great resources for free!
• If you want to learn more about how to read the Bible I would recommend a very easy to read and practical book called, Living By The Book  by Howard and William Hendricks.

Unyielding Trust

Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, Mobil Web Browser, Siri, Google Plus, Youtube, Itunes, Google Play, Craig’s List, Google Images, Skype, Face Time - just to name a few.  Many of us have these aps and more right at our finger tips. When we turn on the T.V., or watch HULU on our computers, we are bombarded with ads seeking to buy our attention and our allegiance.  Many of these apps and sources of media are filled with great content.  I personally enjoy having many of these resources available anytime I want.  They are great and powerful tools.  

While it may seem cliché to say it, I’ll quote Uncle Been: “with great power comes great responsibility.”  In this case, the great responsibility we have is to stand firm in our convictions, amidst a flood of persuasive voices.   I think as the power of the internet and the accessibility/influence of media become more and more available, the propensity of following the mindset of this world and the Prince of this world becomes more accepted as “normal”.  I mean come on; it is not easy to be radically different than our culture, even “rebels” like to fit in to the rebellious crowd. 

As Christians living in a world that is very different from heaven, we are constantly challenged in our Christian principles or “worldview”.  Sometimes these challenges are blatant, such as peer pressure from your friends to do drugs, or to have sex before you’re married.  However, I believe the more deceptive and confusing challenges are the “mild” ones that come from our own peers, maybe even Christian peers.  Lines that were at one point “black and white” can become blurred to grey.  And the choice to compromise or not compromise becomes more difficult because we are left questioning what is even right and wrong.

Let’s look at the story in the book of Daniel about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.  I was recently reading through Daniel, and I was amazed by the gumption both Daniel and his three friends have in this book, and I was also amazed by the pleasure God obviously takes in their actions.  (Side note: do you ever find yourself viewing the Bible through the lens of a fairy tale and not thinking about the actual historical event?  I know to my disadvantage I do this sometimes - when reading Daniel and the Lion’s Den the picture I get in my head is that of a cartoon I watched when I was a kid.)  In Daniel chapter 3, we come to this exciting story – quite a bit more exciting for the reader than Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego.  The story goes like this: King Nebuchadnezzar made a huge golden statue of himself, and told all the people in his kingdom to bow down and worship before it when a special song began to play.  If anyone didn’t bow they were to be burned alive (ouch).  As you may know, when the musicians began to toot their horns everyone bowed down and worshiped the golden image except for good old Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.  When King Nebuchadnezzar heard of their defiance, he called them before him and gave them a second chance to bow or die.

Now at this point, if I think about it, I am sure that the peer pressure and fear of death were pressing in on our three friends.  I mean, can you imagine?!  I can only speculate that they were not the only Jewish people in the crowd.  I am sure they had other country-men around them saying things like, “come on guys! Just kneel down, get back up and go through the motions.  Don’t worry about it!  You are going to make it worse for all of us.  Why do you have to be so strict?  God understands that this is a tough spot; certainly God does not want you to lose your life.  Besides, you have a high rank, and if you stay alive, you will have more ability to influence the king and the people for God.  If you think this does displease God, just go home and ask him to forgive you.  What’s the big deal?”

What happens next is what makes this story so remarkable.  The three men reverently feared God and his word, “worship idols, and you will die” (Ex. 20, Ezekiel 5:1-12) more than the king’s command “worship this image or die” (Dan. 3:13-18).  They did not bow down and give into the peer pressure, they trusted in God, they angered the king, and they were thrown into the fire.  Humanly this is where the story should end. But God, in his great power and love rescued them from the furnace and miraculously saved their lives (Dan. 3:19-17).  What a powerful story!

I want that kind of steadfast faith in God, don’t you?  This story makes me want to trust God, and fear Him more than I fear people.  In the midst of such a strong and persuasive call by the worldly influences around us to compromise, let us remember the story of these three young men, who stood up when the rest of the world followed the crowd and bowed their knee.  As we see in this story, their stand was pleasing to God (see also Phil. 1:27-30).

 Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV)

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 



~Trev

Here is a song about our three friends.  Check it out here:  Burn Us Up by Shane and Shane