A Visit with the Joneses

Carol Jones Saint: Hello, hello there. Come right in to visit at Home Sweet Home, and you will not want to miss one word of the radio visit. It will be so helpful in your spiritual life.

Guest (Male): Oh, it's a great song of victory! That sounds like someone who's established on the rock and is not going to be moved. Do you remember, Ruth? Maybe you can remember, too, a chorus we used to sing haven't done for a long, long time—something about "I Shall Not Be Moved." Maybe we could remember that. I think you used to sing it in Sunday school.

Guest (Female): Oh, yeah.

Guest (Male): It goes like this. Taken from Psalm number one.

I think that chorus needs revived. We need Christian people who are saying, "I will not be moved no matter what happens." No matter who ridicules, no matter who makes fun, no matter who forgets to shake hands with me or smile at me at church.

Guest (Female): No matter what trial comes.

Guest (Male): Right. No matter if the doctor says your husband has a heart attack and you've got cancer. We need Christians who will say, "I will not be moved, I will not be moved." And you see, that's exactly what the Apostle Paul said.

In Acts chapter 20, verse 24, the Apostle Paul recites a lot of things that had happened in his life. There had been many hard places and disappointments and people who had forsaken him. But in verse 24 of Acts chapter 20, the Apostle Paul reaches a great plateau where he says, "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself so that I might finish my course with joy and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus."

None of these things of life are going to move me. None of the circumstances of life are going to move me. Mother Jones set it to music, and it goes like this.

I hear of people being moved in their Christian faith over such little insignificant things. Now, if they really had something to be disturbed about—if the doctor had said you did have cancer, maybe for a little while there's a chance that you could say, "I'm just going to give up my faith."

Guest (Female): Or maybe if you lost all of your possessions in a horrible fire or disaster, like those people in California.

Guest (Male): Or maybe if the doctor said, like the doctor said to Ruth in October of 1991, "You're going to have to have your right kidney removed." It wasn't very nice to go to the hospital and have to have your right kidney out, was it, Ruth?

Guest (Female): No, it wasn't. But that did not move me in my faith.

Guest (Male): Never once. And the Lord has brought you through beautifully, and you can sing it with all of us, this triumphant song of faith.

I'm thinking of a friend who lives in the Philadelphia area and another friend who lives in the Indianapolis, Indiana area. And they have told us that song has helped us so much during some very difficult times of life to say, "None of the things move me."

I believe, my friend, that you can be a victorious Christian, and you don't have to give up your faith for every little whim or wind that blows your way, every little hurt that seems to come around.

Guest (Female): You know, sometimes people get their eyes on others and on other preachers and evangelists, and then you can be moved from your faith if they fail.

Guest (Male): You hear on the radio about some TV preacher who was caught in sin, and you give up your faith. No, don't lose your faith. Keep it, use it, for none of these things need to move you from your faith in Jesus Christ.

I told you earlier in the visit that our Jones family trio had been singing a triumphant message for you. Now, for our family Bible reading in this radio visit, I'm going to read scripture for you about a triumphant trio.

Guest (Female): Oh, great. That sounds interesting.

Guest (Male): We were a trio, but you mean we weren't a triumphant trio. We weren't necessarily a triumphant trio. But I'm going to read in our family Bible reading about a triumphant trio whose song of triumph was the fact that our God is able to deliver.

Let us turn for our family Bible reading to Daniel chapter three. And if you pay attention and if you listen carefully, you will discover here the story of a triumphant trio who discovered and proclaimed, "Our God is able to deliver."

Daniel chapter three. "Then an herald cried aloud, 'To you it is commanded, oh people, nations, and languages, that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, the flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye shall fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up. And whoso falleth not down and worshipeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning and fiery furnace.'"

"Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near and accused the Jews. They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, 'Oh king, live forever. Thou, oh king, hast made a decree that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, the flute, the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery and the dulcimer, and all kinds of music shall then fall down and worship the golden image. And whoso falleth not down and worshipeth that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.'"

"'Now, oh king, there are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, oh king, have not regarded thee. They serve not thy gods nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.'"

"Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, 'Is it true, oh Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods nor worship the golden image which I have set up?'"

"And then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, 'Oh Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. We would not make any defense. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, oh king. But if not—be it known unto thee, oh king, that we will not serve thy gods nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.'"

Notice they said, "We are convinced that the God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and will deliver us out of thine hand, oh king. But if not, be it known unto thee, oh king, that we will not serve thy gods nor worship thy golden image which thou hast set up."

I like that kind of a spirit. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Therefore he spoke and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. And he commanded the mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

Then these men were bound in their coats and garments and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore because of the king's command, because it was urgent and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire even slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to throw them in.

And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar was astonished, and he rose up in haste and spake and said unto his counselors, "Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said unto the king, "True, oh king."

And he answered and said, "But lo, I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace. He spake and said, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, come hither."

Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came forth out of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains and the king's counselors, being gathered together, saw these men upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of the fire passed on them.

Then Nebuchadnezzar spake and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angels and hath delivered his servants that trusted in him and hath changed the king's words and yielded their bodies that they might not serve or worship any god except their own true God. Therefore I make a decree that every people, nation, and language which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be cut in pieces and their houses shall be made a dunghill, because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort." And then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Guest (Female): What thrilling scripture, Bert! Tremendous. That should inspire all of us.

Guest (Male): Now do you see why I said this was going to be about a triumphant trio? For that trio Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were a triumphant trio. They were first of all a true trio, true to the Lord, determined in their purpose. Second, they were a timid trio. We would not make any defense, oh king.

They were an attested trio when he said, "Is it true?" He was testing them. And they were a truthful trio. Yes, they said. They didn't try to get out of it. They admitted their faith was in the true God, Jehovah. And they were a testifying trio. "We believe our God is able to deliver us from the fiery furnace and will deliver us out of your hand." My, what a testimony they gave even to that famed king.

Guest (Female): And in spite of the fact they knew what would be their punishment if they gave the testimony. It certainly would have been easier to at that point back down a little bit.

Guest (Male): But not Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They stood true and testifying and witnessing, and they were a trusting trio because they said, "We believe our God is able to deliver us, but if not—but if not, be it known unto thee, we're still trusting God."

Guest (Female): That's a mature Christian.

Guest (Male): And they were a tried trio. Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and he commanded the heat of the furnace seven times more than usual. That was a trial, I'll tell you. And they were a tied trio. They were bound by the most mighty men in the army. And they were a tormented trio. They fell down bound to the burning furnace. But they were a triumphant trio because the presence of God was with them. The Son of God was with them. What triumph even in that fiery furnace!

Many years ago, I was inspired by a message on this text given by T.W. Willingham. And he pointed out that the triumph was not in the faith they had, but the triumph was in their devotion to the God they had. Now, isn't that different?

Guest (Female): Give us that again.

Guest (Male): You see, you hear a lot of people talking about, "Oh, I'm a believer, I believe, I believe, my faith is great." But their triumph was not in the faith they had. Their triumph was in the devotion to the God they had, who enabled them to say, "But if not, we are serving a God who is able." He is able to save and protect and heal. He's able to know and guide and deliver. He's an omnipotent God.

But we do not have faith in God's abilities to deliver or his acts of power. We have faith first of all in God himself. Our faith is not in circumstances, not in situations, but our faith is in God. God is not controlled by his power or his wisdom. He is he. God is God.

And thus, you and I rest our case in God to act as he sees fit on our behalf according to his will and according to his wisdom. Do you get that? We rest our case in God, who is able to act as he sees fit, and as we as his people are submissive to his will.

This triumphant trio had a faith which trusted God regardless. If he delivered them or didn't deliver them, they still trusted God. If he answered their prayer as they wanted or if not, they still said, "We will trust." If he put them out of the fire or if he let them burn in the fire, still they were going to trust.

If God took them out of the fire or if he stood with them in the fire, they still would trust. And note, they did have to go through the fire for a period of time before they found his presence with them and before they found his deliverance for them. He is able, my friend, for you. And in the difficulties of life, I hope you will learn to say with the triumphant trio Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

I hope you can learn to say, "We know he is able, but if not—but if not, be it known unto all that we will not serve the false gods nor worship them, but we will still keep trusting him." I would like you to be a "but if not" Christian.

It's easy to be a Christian on demand and a Christian who serves a God who is to be at your command. But my friend, I want you to remember, we as his disciples do not command him. We surrender our wills to him and his will for us. And that enables us to say, "We know he's able to deliver, but even if not, I still will trust him."

That's the kind of faith that allowed the Apostle Paul to say triumphantly, Acts 20:24, these words set to music by Mother Jones, and they meant so much in her life. Listen to them.

Guest (Female): And isn't it thrilling, Bert, to realize that after they went through that terrible trial, some good came out of it because the king declared that we're going to worship the God almighty?

Carol Jones Saint: What a very special joy it has been to have you visiting at Home Sweet Home, and it's so good to get together and to share some of the blessings of the Lord together. We hope that the thoughts that we have shared in this particular visit regarding the triumphant trio have been a great blessing to you.

I know that I have been refreshed and encouraged and uplifted spiritually myself, and I hope the same has been true for you. How exciting to hear about these three men who were a triumphant trio. I would like to remind you that you have been visiting with the Joneses.

This ministry started back in the year 1948, and we would love to hear from you. If you are writing by mail, the address is A Visit with the Joneses, Post Office Box 575, Erie, Pennsylvania, and the zip code 16512. We also have an email address.

It's very easy: one word, visitjoneses@aol.com. Visitjoneses@aol.com. And it would encourage us to know that this visit has been a blessing. Don't forget there are many expenses involved with such a ministry. All gifts are tax deductible.

Thanks so much for being here, and as we go, let's sing along together the song, "I Will Praise Him, I Will Praise Him." And you live that triumphant life for our Heavenly Father. Goodbye.