S4 Ep. 224 The Daniel Principle: Leadership Across Four Kings

Speaker 1: Okay, hello there. Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, good everything. Welcome to the Word Cafe live show. How are you? I will always ask that question . Yes, like I always say, it's not rhetorical, but it goes to show that I care, we care, within this space. Largely, why we're here is because you are there, listening , watching, you know you're part of this show, part of our story and all of that. So how are you? I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine. You know, before coming in today, I was just reminiscing on things that have been happening globally. Globally, yes, from the east to the west, north, south, global, north, global south. I'm in Abuja, nigeria, you know , and all of that, and this kind of comes around what we want to talk about today. I heard this quote from Jumoke Odenowo, the renowned architect, and in one of her teachings I came across, she said this you know, leadership is the thread that runs through everything. Leadership is so central, focal in every development. Any society that develops is very central. Focal in every development. Any society that develops is very central. Leadership is very central. We've had a lot of definitions, you know, from John Maxwell to Marcus Aurelius, socrates to Julius Caesar and all of that. But one thing is central when you look at leadership. It is people-centric and person-driven. It is what, people-centric and person-driven, every society kind of look for, that innately, look for that personalityately, look for that personality that will carry out something and all of a sudden he or she is the champion and is now like the standard, he's the leader, and we hear people make references and all of that. So I asked myself this question how do you develop that? So I came myself this question how do you develop that? So I came across this piece and I'm going to read it. It's not mine, but I saw it and I see we should have it on the show. It was done by Terry Jackson, a TEDx speaker. I'm going to read quickly. Then we jump into what we have for today. Leaders with elevated minds and spirits possess a rare ability to see beyond short-term gains, personal ambitions or fleeting success. They recognize the grand interconnectedness of time, purpose and human progress. Such leaders are not merely strategists. They are stewards of transformation driven by a vision that extends beyond their own lifetime. But how do we develop such leaders and how can they turn cultivate organizations that reflect their depth of wisdom and purpose? Food for thought? And when I saw this I said la, it more or less speaks to what we want to talk about today. Like I said, people-centric, person-driven, people-centric person-driven. So recently I was looking at the life of Daniel. Yes, from the scriptures Do you know that? A close look, or a closer look of the life of Daniel, you come to see that he was one person who really defined leadership. Daniel lived in a time when the world, in my opinion, still developing you know, we may call that from the ancient, as it were and that was when Daniel existed. But this is why I focused on Daniel. Daniel was under four kings. Daniel uplived four kings and I was like, how kings? And I was like, how, how would an individual outlive four kings ? He was so relevant that each dispensation more or less made reference, or what I say, refer to him, introduce him. So I had some things written down, I did a little bit of work and I'm going to read through it. Let us look at the life of Daniel. He represents that leadership that hinges on personality. So he started with Nebuchadnezzar, elshazer, darius the maid, cyrus the great. These were people, or rather dispensations, that he outlived. We start with Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar II, 605 to 562 BC . That was when he existed Timeline. Daniel was taken to Babylon as a young man around 605 BC, that's before Christ, during Nebuchadnezzar's first siege of Jerusalem. You find that in Daniel, chapter 1, verse 1 to 7. And the Babylonian court and rose to prominence after interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream about the statue Daniel 2. He witnessed Nebuchadnezzar's descent into madness and his eventual restoration Daniel, chapter 4. If you go through there, you will see that key role. He was an advisor, interpreter of dreams. He was an advisor, interpreter of dreams. 2. Belshazzar 553 to 539 BC the timeline here. Belshazzar was the co-regent with his father, nebodos Nabonidos I beg your pardon, that's his name and ruled Babylon in its later years. Daniel served in Belshazzar's court during his time. Let us look at the things that surrounded it. The famous writing on the wall. Writing on the wall yes, you remember that. Mene Mene Tekel Ophazin occurred during Belshazzar's feast, where Daniel interpreted the writing predicting the fall of Babylon. Daniel, chapter 5. The same night, babylon was conquered by the Medo-Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great and Belshazzar was killed. But Daniel was still there. His key role interpreter of God's judgment. Three Darius the Maid. There's a third king. He served on the 539 to 536 BC. That was the timeline. Darius is believed to have been the subordinate ruler or governor under Cyrus the Great. After the Persian conquest of. So you see now, from Babylon to Persia, daniel was still there. Conquest of Babylon Events. The events surrounding Daniel was appointed as one of the three administrators over the kingdom of. Over the kingdom, I beg your pardon. Daniel, chapter 6, verse 1 to 3 . The famous event in the lion's den occurred during Darius' reign, after Daniel's enemies, you know, plotted against him. Daniel, chapter 6, verse 4 to 24. His key role administrator and faithful servant of god. Cyrus the great. Timeline cyrus the great, the founder of the persian empire, issued the decree allowing the jewish exiles to return to jerusalem. You find this in exra, chapter 1, verse 1 to 4, and isaiah 44, verse 28. Events. While daniel's specific activities under Cyrus are less detailed, he likely served in an advisory capacity. Daniel received significant visions, including the prophecy of the 70 weeks during this time . Daniel, chapter 9, verse 1 to 27. His key role prophet and visionary. So when you look at the timelines, you saw it Four kings . So Daniel survived and served on the four kings over a period of approximately 70 years, beginning as a young man and continuing into his old age. He began as a teenager until his old age. Now the question is, what made him so different? What gave daniel a that edge was remarkable that today we refer to him. So now, when you look at the life of Daniel, you know approximately 70 years. It was remarkable considering the political instability, regime changes and hostile environments he encountered. You know, in Nigeria there's this word for those of us who are conversant with the Nigerian political climate ajib. Every government in power Some of us tend to like look down on this guy. He's always every, I mean each government. You see him. And all of that. Daniel was an ajib. He was in every government. But listen, he was not a sycophant. Why did he, or why was he so crucial to all of these kings, all of these civilizations, all of these changes? Let us see it One his unwavering faith and devotion to God. So Daniel remains steadfast in his faith, refusing to compromise his beliefs despite immense pressure. You know, sometimes we come to think that there's always a perfect situation for governance . It's not true. It is the individual who subjects those imperfections. He subjects, he or she subjects it. So Daniel was he faced that kind of, but he stood, he prayed three times a day. So see his devotion, if you see that in Daniel, chapter 6, verse 10. So he knew his sauce and he was consistent in seeking the face of God, his guidance, even at the risk of death, as we see in the lion's den. His prophetic vision and interpretation showed his close relationship with God. He gave wisdom beyond human understanding. That's Daniel. You know one of the stories, the story of Nebuchadnezzar. When he had the dream and he called his wise men the magicians. If you read somewhere in Daniel , chapter one or two I think, he said Daniel was the chief of the magicians. That's a discussion for another day. So they asked him to tell us the dream that we interpreted and he said no, I want you to tell me the dream and interpret it. It was like how are we going to tell you your dream? We were not in that dream with you, how do we? But daniel said no problem, I will tell you the dream. Daniel went to pray and god showed daniel the details, every detail, and daniel came, told the king word for word, and interpreted it. That was when the king knew that this guy was operating in another level. The way the word of God described it said he had the spirit of the gods Two excellence and integrity in service. Daniel distinguished himself with an excellent spirit. You see that word, daniel, chapter 6, verse 3. You see an excellent spirit, meaning he was diligent, competent and incorruptible in his duties. You know, we tend to see excellence as something esoteric . You know, it's just, it's not of this world. No, daniel operated within the framework of excellence. He said the spirit, the consciousness, the mind of excellence. So he was a definition. Righteousness, the mind of excellence, so he was a definition. Even under foreign rule he served loyally and effectively. Remember, he's a Jew or he was a Jew. He was a Jew. He was not in Jerusalem, he was in another, another country. Without betraying his principles. His integrity made it difficult for his enemies to find faults in his conduct. They found that difficult. It's like saying Daniel had a personal atmosphere. He subjected the environment to his atmosphere, more like terraforming. Everywhere he went to he changed it, and I'm not speaking above your head. Three wisdom and strategic diplomacy. He navigated court politics, yes, skillfully. Daniel was a politician, knowing when to speak and when to remain silent. He addressed kings with respect . He spoke to power Even when delivering difficult messages. Interpreting the book of Genesis , dream of judgment in Daniel 4. Imagine Daniel telling the king about his dream. Your dream is this you are judged. Imagine you standing in front of the strongest man in the world today telling them the truth. Okay, I leave that to your imagination. Instead of outright rebellion, he walked within the system, using wisdom to influence decisions, you know, requesting a dire change in Daniel 1. Like I said a while ago, some of us think we're going to see a perfect system. Not like until we have a perfect system. That's when we're going to operate. No, we subject the imperfection to our perfection. If you understand what I mean by that. Supernatural fever and divine protection. God granted Daniel fever in the eyes of kings, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar, who elevated him after interpreting his dreams. Even when feast with death the lion's den in Daniel 6, god miraculously intervened. His ability to interpret dreams and visions set him apart, showing God's supernatural guidance in his life. Can you imagine that For a minute? Just imagine that he operated in a supernatural favor. He was so aware of it, he was so conscious of it. Adaptability to change you know changing regimes. Unlike others who resisted new rulers I hope you're getting something from this, as I am, even, as I'm sharing this with you Unlike others who resisted new rulers. Daniel adapted to Each kingdom's administration While maintaining his faith, finding the will and the purpose of God In every situation. That's what I see here. When Babylon fell to the Persians, daniel seamlessly transitioned into a key role under Darius the maid and Cyrus the great. He understood times and seasons . We've spoken about that on this show. Knowing when to act and when to wait. About that on this show. Knowing when to act and when to wait we see that in Daniel, chapter 9, verse 2. Studying Jeremiah's prophecies on Israel's return, he was a good scholar. He read, yes, he engaged with text, so he wasn't just speaking from nonsense or unknown. You see, courage in the face of opposition. Dahlia never compromised his faith, even when it could cost him his life. Refusing to stop praying, he confronted kings with boldness, interpreting dreams and giving warnings without fear. Without fear, he was willing to stand alone, even when others conformed. His friends Shadrach, meshach and Abednego showed the same, you know, when they went into that fairy furnace. So Daniel's life and that of his friends became a platform for divinity to express himself. Truth. They became the standard long-term vision and prophetic insight. Daniel understood that his life was part of a bigger divine plan . He was not just surviving, but playing a role in God's unfolding purpose. His visions gave him a long-term perspective, helping him endure challenges with faith in God, ultimately winning, becoming the victor. He influenced kings and future generations, ensuring that God's message continued beyond his lifetime. Guys, daniel survived. He wasn't just a survivor, he survived. He wasn't just about the political skill. It was a combination of divine favor, integrity, wisdom, faith, adaptability and courage. He remained faithful to God while excelling in his early duties, making him indispensable to every ruler he served. Would you like, would you like to be like daniel? Obviously so. This is what I came to do on the show today, to point us. A lot of us have been complaining I'm speaking now specifically to my nation, my country, nigeria. A lot of us have been complaining. We're looking for the perfect situation. We're waiting, so to say, for the right condition. We're waiting, so to say, for the right condition. We're waiting. No, we created, just like Daniel. We created, we don't wait for it. True, we just saw all the characteristics, the quality. One thing made Daniel to stand out. What was that? He walked with God. He knew it beyond a shadow of doubt. His life was not just like anything. It wasn't meant for nothing. He knew it and he pursued it and he lived. I'm very sure even daniel yes, he saw, uh, alexander the great in his vision, if you read the scriptures carefully. He didn't live to see alexander physically speaking, but he saw it in his vision the leopard with four wings that flew the rise of the Greek empire. He was powerful, but his power came from God, his God. He knew it. He knew it beyond a shadow of doubt, and that is what we need as a people. That is what we need. I speak to this generation. I talk, I mean, what I'm saying is for you. In our nation, nigeria, we want to see that change. We want to see it. Hello, what's your life? Do you know why you're here now ? Yes, now, now, now, this very instant, today, now. Do you know why? Oh, you are not just here for no reason. You are here for a reason. Like I will always say, I was created for a purpose according to god's. With my eyes on Jesus, the author and the finisher, I am in contact with my destiny, I'm focused on it, I'm committed to the end. I'm stable as a rock. I'm restrained from beating the air. No opposition can break my focus. I'm fighting a good fight and I'm gaining the mastery daily. I'll win the crown and I'll fulfill, not mine but his purpose. What's your purpose? Just like Daniel, he knew his purpose and, within God's mind, he saw himself. He was a channel. He became a platform. Yes, that's what we came to do on the show today. I hope this has blessed you, as it has blessed me too. All right, guys, I will leave you now. You know how we do it on the show. We always come into the space to lean on one another's experience, to forge a positive path, and that is what we have come to do today. Yes, go ahead. We are available on all the social media platforms. Go ahead and follow us. We have tons and tons of amazing content for you. What do we have next? Don't worry, you will know we're in the month of celebration for the World Cafe Podcast. A lot coming your way. I got to go now, but you know how we say it on the show. My name is Amakri. Amakri Subway Till I come your way again. Bye for now.