Brothers and sisters, while I was considering before the Lord what to share, I had a strong feeling within that I should let the young people realize the importance of turning the age, and should show the young brothers and sisters the kind of persons God uses to turn the age. This kind of people are those who consecrate themselves voluntarily. While everyone else is going downward, a few persons are standing as an anti-testimony.
The whole book of Daniel was an anti-testimony against that age. All of the others were eating the king‘s meat and drinking the king‘s wine, but these four were not. All of the others worshipped idols, but these three would not do it. The others had stopped praying because of the king‘s decree, but Daniel still prayed three times a day toward Jerusalem on his knees before God! This is the anti-testimony.
Brothers and sisters, let me say it again. What kind of persons can be used by God to withstand the age? They are the voluntarily consecrated ones! We can see this basic principle in both Samuel and Daniel. We must say, “I cannot do the things that the world does. I cannot take the way that the world takes. The world may follow the tide of this age, but I cannot follow it.”
Young people, you must realize that God’s testimony, including the authority and glory, has been destroyed in the tide of the world. Everyone who is used by God to turn the age must be one who consecrates himself voluntarily in the midst of this tide. He can stand up and declare to everyone, “I cannot follow this tide. I will be one who stands against the tide.” If you do this, God’s authority and God’s glory will be expressed through you.
If we read the book of Daniel, we will realize that God’s authority and God’s glory were both with Daniel. Daniel truly became God’s throne and God’s temple. In Daniel we see God’s ruling and God’s expression. Even the idol-worshipping Gentiles saw God’s glory and ruling in Daniel. No wonder that through this one person, Daniel, God was eventually able to bring the Israelites back to Jerusalem and to recover His authority and His temple among them. That turning point was totally because of Daniel. He was able to be such a one because he was a voluntarily consecrated one. He was willing to stand against the tide and be a testimony for God. This was a young man who could be used by God to turn the age. May God raise up young men like Daniel for the need of this age!
(Men Who Turn the Age, Chapter 1, by Witness Lee)