On our recent trip to North Dakota, we discovered another attempt to change the narrative of American History. To change the narrative they of course have to change the names as they did Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Read it for yourself:
Daniel 1:6-7 Four young men from Judah—Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah—were among those selected. The head of the palace staff gave them Babylonian names: Daniel was named Belteshazzar, Hananiah was named Shadrach, Mishael was named Meshach, Azariah was named Abednego.
Each name Daniel and his friends were given carried a meaning associated with a different Babylonian deity.
The suffix of Daniel’s name (and Mishael’s) is -el, which refers to Elohim, one of the names of the God of Israel. The suffix of Daniel’s name (and Mishael’s) is -el, which refers to Elohim, one of the names of the God of Israel.
Belteshazzar, the name given to Daniel, means “Bel protects his life.” The meaning of the name Daniel is “God is my judge.”
Azariah and Hananiah carry the suffix -iah or -yah, which is short for Yahweh, the covenant name of God.
Abednego means “servant of Nebo,”
Their names have beautiful meanings:
These names mean respectively, "God is gracious," "Who is like God?" Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego could mean, respectively: "Command of the Moon God," "Who is what Aku is?" and "Servant of Nabu" (Nabu is the Babylonian god of Wisdom and Nebuchadnezzar's favorite god). We're assuming that the answer to the question "Who is what Aku is?" It was the Babylonian strategy to cause them to forget their God.
Do you remember that history records the attempt of Adolf Hitler to erase history by burning history books? I read in a TIMES MAGAZINE article about this very thing. In 1933, this was exactly what happened and as they burned them their motto was, “the old goes up in flames.” Not everyone understood just how much the distribution of knowledge could change world events. Although books had always been (and still are) incidentally destroyed or stolen in times of conflict, it was only later that their destruction gained greater symbolism, even as they became easier to replace. (What TIME MAGAZINE, called a “bibliocaust” Knuth has called “libricide,” which she uses to describe the 20th-century phenomenon of “large-scale, regime-sanctioned destruction of books and libraries” within “a framework of genocide and ethnocide.”) I would think it strange that those involved would become “BOOK BURNERS”, BUT THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE CALLED.
Back to the trip to our FIRST NATIONS FRIENDS, THE AMERICAN INDIANS, and what we heard is this, they are now attempting to change the narrative by going so far as to change the American Indians names to SETTLED PEOPLE. When a people or a nation or a group denies their roots, they deny their destiny and there is no longer for any reason for them to exist. IT IS CANCEL CULTURE AT WORK IN GRASS ROOTS AMERICA. Fast-forward until today, with the destruction of statues of men from the past? It is an attempt once again to change the narrative. What is behind this curious rampage? It is a spirit of anti-Christ and it did not start in this century or the last.
Do you remember what happened after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Savior, from the borrowed tomb? What is happening today is akin to what happened immediately after the Resurrection of Christ from the dead. Scope this out:
28 1-4 After the Sabbath, as the first light of the new week, dawned, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to keep vigil at the tomb. Suddenly the earth reeled and rocked under their feet as God’s angel came down from heaven, came right up to where they were standing. He rolled back the stone and then sat on it. Shafts of lightning blazed from him. His garments shimmered snow-white. The guards at the tomb were scared to death. They were so frightened, they couldn’t move.
5-6 The angel spoke to the women: “There is nothing to fear here. I know you’re looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. He is not here. He was raised, just as he said. Come and look at the place where he was placed.
7 “Now, get on your way quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He is risen from the dead. He is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.’ That’s the message.”
8-10 The women, deep in wonder and full of joy, lost no time in leaving the tomb. They ran to tell the disciples. Then Jesus met them, stopping them in their tracks. “Good morning!” he said. They fell to their knees, embraced his feet, and worshiped him. Jesus said, “You’re holding on to me for dear life! Don’t be frightened like that. Go tell my brothers that they are to go to Galilee and that I’ll meet them there.”
11-15 Meanwhile, the guards had scattered, but a few of them went into the city and told the high priests everything that had happened. They called a meeting of the religious leaders and came up with a plan: They took a large sum of money and gave it to the soldiers, bribing them to say, “His disciples came in the night and stole the body while we were sleeping.” They assured them, “If the governor hears about your sleeping on duty, we will make sure you don’t get blamed.” The soldiers took the bribe and did as they were told. That story, cooked up in the Jewish High Council, is still going around.
This is what I would call CANCEL CULTURE AT THE APEX and of course, you understand that this was the anti-Christ spirit that we are seeing manifest today. American culture is trying to change our language so that it can control our thinking. Certain things have become forbidden to say or think. Secularists have eradicated the Bible from the public square. The hope is that Christianity will soon be extinguished. In this context, it is easy for Christians to lose heart. But the stories of Daniel and his friends will help us to see that God is always present and will reward those who remain faithful. Don’t believe the lie. It starts with compromise and half-truths. We are to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints.
That is our providential assignment in this hour.
Thank God for Easter and Thank God He is Risen!!! The message is still the same today. Resurrection,
BECAUSE HE LIVES WE CAN FACE TOMORROW.
YOUR LOVING PASTOR, GAYNELL AND STAFF WISH YOU ETERNAL VICTORY AND RESURRECTION JOY, KNOWING THAT DEATH NEVER HAS THE FINAL WORD.
Your's for Souls.
Pastor Cleddie and GayNell