 wanta us to turn to the message that we have today thriving in crisis and transitions. This sabath is a sabath dedicated to golden ages, a beautiful name coined for those of us who have retired and above 65 years old who are quite a number in our congregation. May I ask that they turn wherever they are and wave to us this wonderful servants of the Lord. Please turn the golden ages 65 and above led by my elder Mitoko who prayed please rise look at them these soldiers of the cross please let's wave let's wave to them what do we say to them amen praise the Lord thank you so much um at this juncture allow me to take you to an illustration i picked it from the book by C.S. Lewis the horse and the boy chronicles of C.S. Lewis the horse and the boy this story tells of a land that is called Nanya a land where even beasts talk a land where peace prevail a land of beautiful mountains and midos but between this land and the place where Abadash who is a prince who fell in love with a princess in Nanya and desired to marry her by pretending to be good while he was in Nanya but when he went back into his homeland he changed completely and behaved in Dashban just like any common person in Dashban or people outside Nanya this princess who had been flattered discovered that Abadash was just lying and she decided to plan to escape and she escaped because of this escape Abadash persuaded his father to allow him go to Nanya and to fight so that he could get back this girl whom she loved and fell that he could not continue living without her Abadash took 200 horsemen on their horse and they crossed a huge desert luckily the boy and the horse and then a girl who also was a princess who was running away from first marriage together joined in this journey and the donkeys happened to be the talking donkeys of of Nanya now when this team got to Dashban they discovered that there was this princess was held hostage and they wanted to run away and they discovered the plan and discovered that Abadash was going to retaliate and fight in Nanya they hurried quickly through the desert and managed to get to one the first the first city in Nanya where Abadash was going to stage a fight so by the time Abadash reached there people were prepared and the gates were closed fight ensued and within no time Abadash and his team were defeated and Abadash was taken captive but because Nanyans were people of decency even this captive was not executed and they wanted to release him but he was daring anyone to fight him and then Aslan who happened to be the king in Nanya was enraged and turned Abadash into a donkey and sent him back and with his donkey like nature he was sent as quickly as possible through a ship and he got to the shore of Dashban and he was told you will be able to be a king one time but in case after you become a king and you be turned into your former image if you dare cross the boundary you are going to be turned into a donkey again it is because of this warning and the experience he had as a donkey that Dashban had the most peaceful king in Abadash when he ascended to be king friends we live in this world the world of many changes transitions and crisis we move and the only thing that we can say is constant is change in our life and so in this world of crisis and transitions somehow men forget that they live but for a short time that their confined men is still in this world and with pride they seem to want to live and try to conquer even other outer spaces in their pursuit of making a name and like this Rabadash most of us are full of ourselves but today I want to let us know that despite the changes that we have in this world as the faithful men and women who believe in a better world where people are treated with dignity we can thrive even despite the transition and the crisis in this world we have God with us and we have the testimony such as we read in the book of Daniel which I invite you to come with me to think about it friend to thrive is to excel is to be able to dominate is to be able to flourish to do well and how can we thrive how can we be well carry on peacefully be at our best state despite the transition and the crisis that are all around us this is the question that pavals many when those who have been hit and hit again those who have suffered pain those who are sick those who have many infamities continue to praise the Lord despite what is going on in their life it is these that give testament that there is a power that keeps the ship stable despite the storms that are around it and with Jesus in the vessel we can smile at the storm my friend my brother my follow my fellow audience who are following from many forums when life seemed to be giving us a lemon when we expected the best with all the struggles that we have made educating our children only for them to turn our backs and to follow their own ways when we struggle and pray and we hope that our loved ones will grow to their full age only to lose them when even like in this beginning of this year one of us gave a testimony of how the Lord sustained and healed her only a few weeks a few weeks before the month and we were told of adimais how heart wrenching how painful how sorrowful that is imagine of elder elder dano sorrow who a few days ago could tell or even preach the gospel preach his hope to the pastors when he was visited this man who was full of life singing in the choir having lost his wife a year later he has to follow yet in this crisis and the transitions that come in life the man who trust in god can thrive those who remain to surgeon on the families of those whose loved ones rest in the dust can rise up from grief and continue to sing and witness to the faithfulness of the living god this is the resilience that come from the Lord who himself give those keep those who are faithful in perfect peace it is this that we see in daniel 6 i invite you to the text daniel 6 and allow me to read from verse one to 11 it plays Darius to set over the kingdom 120 setraps to be over the whole kingdom and over these three governors of whom daniel was one that the setraps might give account to them so that the king would suffer no loss then this daniel distinguished him serve above the governors and setraps because an excellent spirit was in him and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm so the governors and the setraps sought to find some charge against daniel concerning the kingdom but they could find no charge of fault because he was faithful no was there any error or fault found in him then this man said we shall not find any charge against this daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his god so these governors and setraps thronged before the king and said this to him kindarius live forever all the governors of the kingdom the administrators and setraps the counselors and advisors have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree that whoever petitions any god or man for 30 days except you o king shall be cast into the den of lions now o king establish the degree and sign the writing so that it can be it can be changed according to the law of the mids and passions which does not alter therefore king daria sign the written degree sign the written degree friends this world like dashban like rabadash who could at will want to wage war with another kingdom this world with men who are full of jealousy envy and all sorts of ambition trying to use whatever means at times use flattery to win their way where they want to trap those whom they cannot find with yet the text tell us in vasten that now when daniel knew that the writing was signed he went home and in his upper room with his windows open to one jerusalem he knelt down on his knees three times that day and prayed and gave thanks before his god as was his custom since his early days praise the lord those who are faithful those who worship god are not afraid of what men may scheme or plan or try to do because they know when they cry to god the lord hears and he can deliver and even if he may allow that his believers those who love him his sins may enter even in the furnace the lord will be with them in the furnace and so we can thrive even through and in crisis and the transitions of life that may be in your life now the lord knows and when we despite the plans to make decrease against our worship of the true god when we continue worshiping and counting the praises and the worship of the lord to be more than life the lord will honor and fight our battles it is this that daniel tells us crisis are defined as time of intense difficulty or danger it might be demonstrated in matters health economy economy catastrophes or calamities this word crisis is also crisis or crisis in greek and it comes from the word kren name which krenain which means to judge or to decide or kreno which means judging and so crisis requires decisive actions it calls for proper thinking so that you choose the best which can bring the best results no wonder god allows crisis in the life of his saints because in this crisis when they are beset their prayers are more favend and more ardent before the lord at this moment when death is a reality when daniel faced this he did not cow but he became bald and moved forward he did exactly what was decreed against he could not accept to worship a human being however high and lofty the person is placed by human laws and constitution they are still human the lord is god and is only one to be worshiped those who know the truth friends man may be good they may do us all things that we enjoy they may be so so good helping us in many ways but when it comes to matters that can severe your relationship with god you better choose god even if they will take away whatever they have given you this is what daniel is teaching us and this is why daniel could thrive daniel had come through transition transition is defined as the process a process or a period of changing from one state to another it is it could be physical or biological changes which come as a result of growth and development but they are still transitions transition can also come in terms of jobs when you apply and you you move from one job to another or if you are promoted or maybe transferred from one station to another transitions happen others are natural biological at times it comes when after we have prepared ourselves for life we have served our terms we must be bead farewell into retirement from whichever positions we held in government tears will roll as you live friends and colleagues and go into another face of your life transitions are constant changes and crisis are part of life and any believer is not deceived that things will remain constant simply because I trust in God God allows them God allows them the Lord our God who loved and who had blessed daniel and his three colleagues three friends in Jerusalem maybe they started in one school under one rabai maybe they were in the royal palace prepared to take up roles but with a bank the Babylonians came and overthrew Jerusalem and with that overthrow of Jerusalem breaking the walls they took daniel and his three friends away from family away from the temple away from the royal palaces where they were being trained daniel shadrach meshak and abednego were taken captive kut up in first transition from freedom in Judah to captivity in Babylon daniel became a servant in a foreign king palace daniel's journey afforded as valuable tips for success in transition by observing what he did not only to survive but to thrive we can face our transition and change our crisis with confidence and also succeed my friend we have new situation we have things that change in our life on on constant basis we adopt new cultures when we move and so we see in the life of daniel that even as they went they did not keep quiet among their captas but they spoke out even in this foreign land as captives in Babylon the background of this story is that in 539 to around 530 BC Darius and Cyrus overthrew the Babylonian king and these maids and patients had rules which they could not be changed but human rules however much will lift them and say it cannot be altered there is a god who can alter them despite their degree god can degree against human made rules that are against god in this we see that daniel who served in the times of nabukadnesa daniel who served in the time of belchaza who became foolish as a young man and started you know lavishing and indulging in drinking to a time that he fell that his their gods were greater than the gods of israel the creator of heaven and earth and commanded that these vessels of the holy temple although broken in Jerusalem the god of israel was still alive and his commandments that those vessels were to be used by priests could not be overruled not by any power however powerful that kingdom is they cannot change the rules and the commandments of god the bible remains and the things that are holy are holy because god commands that they are holy it doesn't matter who holds them if they have abused god will judge and he judged belchaza and belchaza died and Darius and Cyrus ruled over the world it was in this moment with this transition from Jerusalem to Babylon to learning being faithful to completing his studies after three years being ten times better than the the the the students that were together in training these four were elected and given higher positions in these higher positions as Daniel and his friends became faithful as Daniel and his friends obeyed god and served him even when they were casting the furnace this transition prepared them for other crisis that would face them in life it is for that reason my friend that indeed when we study the life of David we can believe that you and I when we believe in the god of Daniel in the god of Israel in Yahweh the lord who is lord god king of heaven and earth who rules even over the hearts of men and kings we can be saved in gods hands you know Daniel in this hostile environment in this bekan people we see him not with weavering not weakening in his relationship with god he trusted in the lord he became a man who was the one who encouraged his friends friends in Daniel one because of obeying god because of choosing to remain with their culture in a foreign land eating the food that god allowed not allowing to be intoxicated in their minds they became the blessing of the world in chapter three despite being thrown into the furnace the three became the witnesses of god and so i want to let you know my brother that if god allows any crisis in your life if god allows that there be changes in anything even in your workplace be it a promotion a transfer how you handle it as you go to god will determine whether you are his witness or you are afraid of men and conniving and trying to avoid being a witness wherever god wants to send you don't resist stand firm even in crisis the lord will only use that crisis to glorify his name and so we see that there is crisis in movement and transition in culture yes most of us especially in this time approached for a hand in marriage by a community that is so distant you have not learned the language you will have culture shock you may move to countries away but those who are faithful they will do expectations and the lord will be with them wherever they go fear not fear not cultures that are there and so as christians or believers we should expect crisis as youth in their formative years daniel and his friends were separated from family they were taken captive yet in this foreign country with the captors he served he declared the prophecies he gave advice he did not advise contrary to what god was revealing we remain faithful even in trials we remain faithful even in crisis the lord expects us not to do anything that is contrary to good but even in this world where we may be suffering even after being left without a promotion for a long time don't change your character remain faithful because in serving faithfully you are serving your lord brother i want to encourage you you that when there is transition when there is movement that when you have crisis in life remain steadfast daniel and his friends did not indulge themselves in the intoxicating drinks of the king even if they were given permission they said no we will eat our food as we have been eating and drink water not wine you do better or young men you do better to remain faithful and to be a temperate young man who knows that this intoxicating liga or drinks will make your mind perform dismally keep your mind and body at its best let your body be used for the glory of god don't be like belshasa who indulge in wine and women and only lived his life and as a king for the shortest period you only demean yourself you only cut your influence by engaging and indulging in these things your parents worked hard saved gave you this education made sure that you become someone of substance in this world not for you to use these god given prayerfully blessings that your parents give to make yourself a halot to dance almost naked in these parties to slip around young people we have a god who watches every step of our life has gracious and unmaskful as he is he is a judge let's choose and dare to be like daniel let's choose and dare to remain faithful despite the transitions they were faithful even when god had let them down thank god for the psalms lesson that we can sing the songs of zion in a strange land yes we can sing i want to let you know that when transitions happen when transitions happen and you move into a new environment and you get into new neighborhood and you are there with new workers fellow workers the best you can do like the best you can do like daniel and his friends the best you can do is to learn and learn fast daniel and his friends though they had around their own system of education in Jerusalem when they go to Babylon they do not close their minds their attitude was readiness to learn acquire knowledge and skills as they prayed to god and god bless them in that learning and they were the best in this wall my friend my young daughter my son fill your mind with all the knowledge you can acquire you will use that knowledge to be a blessing because all truth is god's truth no matter where it is found and god is a god of truth all science and true science are a blessing and when we apply them we can solve man's greatest challenges and we can become a blessing like daniel and his friends take the best of it this is how to thrive in crisis and transition there is a unique crisis that comes with position that comes with power that comes with money this is the position and the crisis of power or position if we are not under god if we are not humble if we are not patient and humble under the rule of god this may turn to be a curse daniel and his friends when they were favored their colleagues were envious and they tried to malign them but they remain faithful and told the king in chapter three all king be it known to you that even if you have said no one will set us free and even if god will let us burn in your furnace we will not worship your image nor this or king you do not need to bleed with us to for the musician to sing again no there's no need we will not bow down and worship your image fidelity in the lord despite position is the safest way to travel the journeys of this world being faithful and trusting god as this Hebrew boys is what will make us succeed and leave an impact leave a legacy that is worth copying i want to say that Darius was flattened he was fooled by the praises of this corrupt man by telling him leave forever when he knew that all the kings that were before him died but you know men when they are at their best when they are enjoying at times they forget that they are men and they may want to be worshiped there is peril in power and the only gravity is to know that there is a higher power and to subject ourselves to that higher power Daniel discovered Ali and he used his power his position with his friends for the blessing of the nation of Israel and god was worshiped even in moment of crisis that endanger their life they were ready to be killed so that the name of the lord would be glorified the lord is calling us to be his witnesses despite our own parents despite the crisis we have to endure despite the pain that we have to go through if we are humble and dependent on the lord the lord shall be glorified even in our pain in our laws in our crisis and in this transition the name of the lord shall be glorified the jealousy and the envy of these evil colleagues of Daniel this is a common thing in this world this is in every corridor and politics exist everywhere but you know when faith and values are incalkated in our life when we live this faith it will affect how we work because ethics and productivity and not accidental they are products of decisive actions by those who want to be moral and to be people of integrity no wonder those who trust god are given positions of responsibility when the nation want to have people who will guide the nation in the proper way they will look for those who are men of integrity are you one we see Daniel being declared that he distinguished himself he was a man of honesty he was a man who had trust trustworthness he had these trades and with these trades he was distinguished because the nation did not lose but the nation flourished and the king gained oh for men who can stand like Daniel when our economy is crumbling oh for men who as governors will appoint those who can give account and protect the wealth of the nation oh may god give us and make our our leaders our president our governors to be people who will manage resources for the blessing of the nation i want to let you know whoever you are whatever position you occupy like these governors who came to destroy Daniel god is a god of judge is a judge is a god of fairness and he will bring retribution he will repay back even if you may still you better begin to be honest because even if you still as much as you still even if in your corruption you may want your children to acquire whatever whatever you will live may be what will destroy your family how many have turned to be derelicts useless people because of money cheap easy money corrupts and corrupts absolutely because it was gotten corrupt in a corrupt way and so be warned whoever you are that if you are in a position and you had an arm those who have done the work in the tenders that are given in the counties which have impoverished most of many families because of people in position asking for bribes so that people can be paid i am telling you there is a god in heaven in as much as these people may be suffering and their business is folding because of you as you pay tender prunuas who have not done any job the lord will repay full at your labs and the lord will give another way to those who have done the work faithfully as they cry the lord will hear their prayers and he will lift them up through the crisis that you have caused them but you will rip my friend you will rip let me conclude by asking this question why does god allow evil things to happen to his faithful i want to recap and tell you my friend in this chapter the king who had esteemed Daniel as a distinguishable man this king who declared to Daniel that his faith was not a crime this king who was happy to have Daniel and therefore here we see that he told Daniel that the god you have served faithfully may he protect you ultimately when god saved Daniel from the fears joes of the lives when he went in the morning he called and he somehow trusted that because Daniel was faithful and faultless a honest man he called and said Daniel has the god you serve protected you from the ravenous beast and when Daniel answered and said long live the king indeed the lord kept and closed the mouths of the lion and i am saying the king jubilantly commanded that Daniel be brought out of the den and then with that because god is a judge the schemas the plotters were cast in the den friends whatever we do whatever plans we make be sure that if it is not good if it is not god intended you will rip it may i request the choristers to come so that we can sing the song i need the every hour and let me conclude by stating this that when god allows us to suffer when god allows crisis in our life it is evangelistic in intention god intends that the experience we have had even when he allows whatever comes we can have new experience with him and know that his power is still as efficacious as before god again allows us to go through whatever we go through and even in transitions that we have in this world when we are faithful god allows us to go through it for future encouragement of the saints finally god delivers and judges it is a faithful god another lesson that we learn is that accept transition and crisis whatever it way it comes it is the only way we can be said remain faithful and learn whatever lessons you can wherever you have been blessed and become a blessing lesson number three god allows crisis for us to be instruments of witnessing to his power and glory and finally glorification and judgment follows any crisis doesn't matter what we are going through when we are faithful the lord will finally glorify us and judge those who have been wicked and evil