{"id":1234,"date":"2023-05-02T00:14:32","date_gmt":"2023-05-02T00:14:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/puredesigns.link\/?page_id=1234"},"modified":"2023-05-27T16:23:27","modified_gmt":"2023-05-27T16:23:27","slug":"entering-the-lions-den","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/puredesigns.link\/?page_id=1234","title":{"rendered":"Entering the lions den"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"1234\" class=\"elementor elementor-1234\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-59bc039 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"59bc039\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-70f6058\" data-id=\"70f6058\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-852c5c7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"852c5c7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.7.8 - 02-10-2022 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Entering the Lions Den<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2316a8f elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2316a8f\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-0902d63\" data-id=\"0902d63\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70deb47 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"70deb47\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.7.8 - 02-10-2022 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#818a91;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#818a91;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<h6 id=\"blogH3\">March 24, 2023<\/h6><p>As a modern-day American Christian, I struggle with the idea of suffering for my faith in Christ. Suffering doesn\u2019t happen that often in \u201cfree\u201d America. I say \u201cfree\u201d because in the past few years (2020-2023) it seems like we are having less and less freedom when it comes to opinion, free speech, and the blatant right to life (concerning abortion). We are being pressured on so many sides, but actual suffering for our faith in Christ has not yet been established in the extreme cases (such as losing our jobs on a mass level).<\/p><p class=\"blogP\">There are people who we have heard, such as sports payers or cake bakers, who have been persecuted because of their stance for their Christian faith.<\/p><p class=\"blogP\">However, today I want to talk about entering into the lion den; standing up with Christ, proclaiming His name as truth in a world that is so taken with lies. The other day, I felt like I was headed into the lion\u2019s den, but then I remembered God was with Daniel in the lion\u2019s den. God kept him safe because Daniel was following God\u2019s will. Daniel didn\u2019t let man determine truth; instead, his biggest goal was staying faithful to God. Then I remembered Jesus went to the lions den. And He allowed them to touch Him, beat Him, and kill Him. He was following the will of His Father. The most important thing for us to remember is Who we\u2019re trying to please, God or man (Gal. 1:10).<\/p><p class=\"blogP\">I entered the lion\u2019s den, and the peace of God was present. There was no anxiety, there was no fear of what might happen; God was with me in that place. The key to having peace in the lion\u2019s den is preparation. So many Christians don\u2019t realize that the lack of time they spend with God, truly listening to Him, reading Scripture, praying, growing in love toward God, will leave you open to fear, weakness during temptation, and a dim light when you\u2019re around the people of the world.<\/p><p class=\"blogP\">The things that set us apart from the world are the fleshly things God has called us away from. The music, TV, movies, books, drinking (Not that there is anything wrong with drinking alcohol, but the world values it so highly and it is such a slippery slope to becoming addicted or becoming drunk that it might be better to abstain, so you and others don\u2019t fall [1 Cor. 10:23-11:1]. However, it is still a personal decision that you are free to make), witchcraft (such as mysticism, tarot cards, zodiac), sex outside of marriage, or standing with the LGBTQ community all are things that the world has no problem with. I\u2019m being totally serious. When we desire God alone, the things of this world appear as filth to us because \u201cGod is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.\u201d 1 John 1:5<\/p><p class=\"blogP\">\u201cThen there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be His waist up He looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down He looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around Him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.\u201d Ezekiel 1:26-28<\/p><p class=\"blogP\">When we\u2019re walking with God on a daily basis, eat, sleep, breath for Him, and following His will, we can have confidence that He is with us when we enter into the lion\u2019s den.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Entering the Lions Den March 24, 2023 As a modern-day American Christian, I struggle with the idea of suffering for my faith in Christ. Suffering doesn\u2019t happen that often in \u201cfree\u201d America. I say \u201cfree\u201d because in the past few years (2020-2023) it seems like we are having less and less freedom when it comes [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"page-builder","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/puredesigns.link\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1234"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/puredesigns.link\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/puredesigns.link\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/puredesigns.link\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/puredesigns.link\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1234"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/puredesigns.link\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1234\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1734,"href":"https:\/\/puredesigns.link\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1234\/revisions\/1734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/puredesigns.link\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}