It being Fall, the nicest season of the year, we have beautiful flowers all around us. This morning, the Cosmos have been arranged so well that I can even appreciate them from the back. We can enjoy the natural beauty of flowers from every angle. This reminds me of a certain Japanese candy. Its name is Kin-taro, one of the most popular characters in our old fairy tales. Anyways, its shape is like this: a long roll that is arranged so that in every slice you can see Kin-taro's face. No matter where you cut, there is his face! Just like this candy, I always want to be a Christian who gives off a fragrance in my witness wherever I go.

The theme of today's reading is probably about dreams. Not every dream has a significant meaning, but sometimes one does. The other day, when I was in a different location giving a sermon, I was so tired. That night, I had a dream in which I was swimming in a river. Suddenly, I was drowning, and on waking up, I felt sick and dizzy -- well, I have a disease called Menuel (I don't know the English word for it) which is caused by fatigue. This disease is very common among pastors in Japan. True. One of my closest friends, a pastor in Fukuoka, had this one. He has overcome this and now looks much younger and is more energetic than I, though he is older. I think I need to go through this hardship both for my own and for God's sake. And, I need your prayers too, in this! Please pray for me.

Back to today's part, the king was puzzled by a dream he had. It drove him crazy that he had no one to interprete this dream for him. But, four Jewish boys, including Daniel were used to reveal the meaning of the dream. The revelation came as a result of God's might and help as they asked Him for support -- well, I had been wondering what kind of thing God is trying to tell us in this scripture.. and this is what was shown to me: Daniel and his three friends were given knowledge of what would happen in the future, but not directly! No. Instead, through someone else's dream, they learned the future. And from this, I can say that quite often we can get important things through indirect means! For example, the tapes of pastors who are not in your church, or the witness of other people, can definitely work through you to bring blessings and revelations from God!

The second thing that was revealed to me is found in verse 16: Daniel asked for spare time to pray. He didn't ask anyone, not experts in law, or friends, nor anyone else.. He asked God directly! Look at these verses:

Jn.4:39-42. First, they believed through the lady who testified about Jesus, but later they believed because they had heard Jesus themselves.

1 Co.2:9-14. God, the Holy Spirit, Himself, will reveal everything you need to have, and help you to believe in God.

Jn.14:26; Jn.16:13. The one who believes in Jesus receives His Holy Spirit inside of himself.

When I was a bible college student, I was sent to a middle-aged couple. The wife was a Christian, but her husband was not. One time, I was about to speak to him about the Gospel, but I felt very nervous because he was a professor at Kobe University. But, he said to me, "I may be talented in my own specialities, but you know much more about God than I do." I could be a good witness to him with the presence of God's Holy Spirit.

For the Holy Spirit to work strongly through you, you need to kneel down before God and keep fellowship with His Spirit. This is the definite basis of a Christian life! Daniel asked the king for some time to kneel down before God.

There are so many people today exactly like that king who are puzzled, suffering and even crying. We are to have time with God, and then go to them. Personally, for the church to be blessed, I, your pastor, need to be blessed. For your family to be blessed, you need to be blessed. You are the one who needs to be blessed first. Go to God for that blessing first[, and then use it to do God's will in serving others].

Translated by Junko Okamoto - Edited for the Net by Shido
For another sermon see: Oita Evangelical Christ Church
For all sermon indicies see: cHaPeL nOaH sErMoN iNdEx