#CST - The Furnace Is Getting Hotter - Part 1 - (#CST135)

The Furnace Is Getting Hotter: Standing Firm When Faith Is Tested | Christian StraightTalk (CST)

In this episode of Christian StraightTalk (CST), Ben and Simon confront a sobering spiritual reality: the furnace is getting hotter. Across culture, politics, churches, and personal lives, pressure is intensifying—and this message asks a direct question: are believers prepared to stand when the heat is turned up? Anchored in Daniel 3:19–27, this episode calls listeners to resilient, uncompromising faith in the midst of testing.

Drawing from the account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the conversation exposes the truth that the fire was never meant to destroy God’s people, but to reveal God’s presence. When the furnace was heated seven times hotter, it killed the strongest soldiers—but it could not touch those who refused to bow. No burns. No smoke. No damage. And in the fire stood a Fourth Man, confirming that God does not abandon His people in affliction—He walks with them through it.

Ben and Simon connect this furnace experience to the wider biblical pattern of refinement and endurance, referencing Isaiah 48, James 1, 2 Timothy 3, Matthew 24, and Revelation 3. The episode challenges shallow, performance-driven Christianity and warns against ministries shaped more by worldview than Scripture. It calls believers back to the Word of God, the Cross of Christ, and the furnace of prayer—the safest place to be in unstable times.

This is not a message of fear, but of preparation. We are not in revival—we are in the refiner’s fire. God is forming a remnant: tested, purified, and unmoved.

Key Points

• The fire exposes faith, it does not destroy it
• God’s presence is revealed in the furnace
• Endurance is required for the last days
• The Word and prayer are essential for survival
• Refinement produces spiritual authority and maturity

Stay in the fire. Do not bow. God is with you.

Transcript

Speaker: 0:16

We're in, it's us, it's back. It is Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, whatever day it is today, wherever you are today. We just pray that the love of God will just sweep over you. It's hashtag Christian StraightTalk. Simon and myself, we're gathering across the other side of the mics. Simon's got a great title that he's bringing to the mics today, and the Lord is with you wherever you are today. Never give up, never give in. You know, the Lord is moving. We are living in the last days, we're living in the end days, and this is a time to follow Jesus like never before. Simon, we're back. Is that day again?

Speaker 1: 0:47

Come by all, Ben. Come by R. We're back. We're back in the Lord's room, and uh we're off the Sun Lounges. And uh oh no, in this country, we have ponchos umbrellas and ponchos, yeah, you're right, yeah, yeah, at the moment. So well, that's why the title of this uh today's talks is really, really important. And the title is Ben, the furnace is getting hotter. And and I just I don't know if you're out there, if you're out there, whatever you're doing in the in this world, in this Christian world, uh, or maybe not even in the Christian world, in the secular world, even, but things are heating up, Ben, ain't they? Things are heating up, the furnace is getting hotter. We had um the Labour Party in the UK win a massive landslide victory. Uh and Ben, they're um they're not following Jesus, so they're not.

Speaker: 1:43

I thought they were. I thought they was uh I thought it was all about Jesus. I thought, whoa, this is gonna be great. Hang on, come on a minute. We've got the biggest antichrist government we've ever seen in our life. It doesn't matter who gets in at number 10, it's who's sitting at the throne. It doesn't matter who you vote for, what goes on, because it's never, ever, ever gonna change. Because why the scriptures have been written and they are just puppets dancing to the word of God. We know what's gonna happen. Christ is coming for the church, God is preparing the bride of Christ, and are we prepared for his return? Do you know?

Speaker 1: 2:21

That makes me smile because we we we're not, Ben, and we're we will come on to that because the We're far from it. The church is not and we're banging banging the old church again, but it deserves a kick in every now and again because they're not equipping, they're not equipping, they're not encouraging, and they're not empowering men and women to be equipped for these these days, Ben.

Speaker: 2:45

Because it's hot out there, it's hot out there. Yeah, it's hot spiritually, it's hot, it's exhausting, people are tired, people are not sleeping right, finances are low, food is scarce, the church is jumping around doing crazy things, the government is just beefing itself up, you know, and we've got to get stuck into the wood, we've got to be like never before. Get to the cross, get to the scriptures, you know, lay on the floor, call out to God and say, God, the furnace, Lord, do you want to go? Would you be prepared to go through the fiery furnace for Jesus, like Shamrach, Meshach? Where are we going? Look at this scripture we've got here.

Speaker 1: 3:25

Yeah, scripture's uh amazing, isn't it? And Ben, to be honest with you, and I was when I was doing a bit of research on this, and yeah, research? What's that? Ben, there is so many scriptures about being like we did a script we did a podcast on it a couple of few weeks ago about the refiners fire, but there's so many scriptures on being tested, Ben. There's so many scriptures and stretched the w the Bible is full of it. And the one thing they all say is hang in there. Stay in five. Don't give up. Don't give up, stay in the furnace. And that's the message today. If you're in the furnace, don't try and get out of it. Stay in it, but don't stay in it alone. And this is a a great there's only one place to go, Ben, in this. Daniel 3. Put Daniel 3, 19 to 27.

Speaker: 4:22

Look what it says. It's a junk, Ben, but it's a fair old read. You know, it's about our good friend Shamrak, Meshach, and Abendy go. It's that amazing biblical fact, you know, about the fourth in the in the fire and all that. But would I be prepared? Would I be like one of these guys that go, do you know what? You can throw me in the fire, and I'm not worried.

Speaker 1: 4:43

Well, they were so much worried. They were they were going against the the laws and rules of the king of the land. The most powerful king, Nebuchadnezzar.

Speaker: 4:54

But what's interesting in that though, Simon, you're going against the law of the land, it was it's like it was only brought in. It was only brought it, they were signed. And what's interesting, what's happening across the world, is these politicians are signing us up for all this crazy stuff. And this is what happened here when they decreed it, when the law was decreed, when it was rubber stamped, bang. So whatever the king said, and the king was almost entrapped as well by the satraps, by the governors, by the judges, you know, he was he was taken off his peg, sort of thing, to a degree, because it's like if you do not like you think King Nebuchadnezzar, if you do not bow down and worship me, Daniel in in his prayer room. Have you heard? Do you know about you know, have you your servant Daniel?

Speaker 1: 5:41

It was a backdoor, wasn't it? A backdoor to get the to to get these uh Jewish guys that had found favour with the king. Yes, and it's the back door to try and try and get him out or get and kill him or whatever. So we've got all that going on today: deceit, backstabbing, all that sort of stuff, wherever you are, you've felt it, even in Christian ministries. I was speaking to a good mate this week from across the pond, and he's he's been absolutely hammered and hurt by by a Christian ministry. It's happening in the Light.

Speaker: 6:13

So, what we got is this character that we were talking about a moment ago that you said off air, it's happening in the UK. We've we've we've experienced it time and time again. Isn't it interesting? The ones that you thought were for you, when jealousy comes in the arena and they suddenly start to see that you won't conform to the pattern of their ministry, they want you out, you're out, you're on your own.

Speaker 1: 6:38

So they then Ben, I would suggest are adopting a worldview rather than a biblical view.

Speaker: 6:45

A worldview ministry. It's completely the opposite. Because a real brother or sister, when you've got a vision or a dream, they will put their arm around you, go, do you know what? We're gonna walk with you. If it's of God, we're gonna stand with you. If it's not, we haven't lost anything. But what have we got to lose? Nothing.

Speaker 1: 7:01

Or if or if it's not the way that that you know they think, believe that ministry's going, they'll just go, well, let's let's have a look, let's park that for a moment, and let's just pray over. We'll just pray over it and we'll see where it lands. Not, oh I'm sorry, you're not moving with us, then if you're not with us, then you're not for us, you're out the door.

Speaker: 7:22

You're out the door.

Speaker 1: 7:23

Because there is sign this NDA before you go, you know.

Speaker: 7:27

There's so much business. It's so secular, isn't it? It's so secular and the church is very secular, isn't it? Ministries are so secular. Think about this. Was Jesus a CEO of the world? Was G was G was he was he a was did he have a uh did he have a charity number? Did Jesus a trustee of the ministry?

Speaker 1: 7:50

Well what is interesting, exactly the same thing happened to my mate in the States as happened to me. When he said he when they said he was to go, they they drafted an email saying it was his idea and and and well thank you for everything you've done and and you're moving on to better stuff. And that is that was exactly what happened to me. Yes, and I went, hold on a minute, and he's gone, hold on a minute, this is not this is not what I said, this is not what I said, what I said. And then the Lord said to me, and then I think probably then the Lord said to my mate, give them what they want, just give them what they want and move on. I've got greater things for you to do.

Speaker: 8:26

And that's so true, because to what we're looking at actually, yeah. There are many people that want to throw us in the fire. There are many people want to see us not achieve what God has for you. And if you are in that area and you feel that someone has thrown you in the in the in the fiery ring of trouble, don't worry. Because guess who's walking with you? Guess who showed up? All you've got to do is be faithful. We are not bowing and we are not gonna worship you as a human being. We are not gonna lift you up as soon as you start lifting man up, the ministry up, Mary up, you know, Catholicism, all that sort of stuff. When man starts getting propelled, when man is propelled, and when people start saying, Oh, they're a legend, they're this, they're that, I tell you what, sickness will fall on you. Watch out. Watch out. You are you are you are in serious trouble. God is a God that is a jealous God.

Speaker 1: 9:22

Shall we read this out, Bethness? Come on, let's read it. Do you want to read it? Let me read it.

Speaker: 9:26

We're coming, reference today is glasses on, ain't you?

Speaker 1: 9:28

Yeah.

Speaker: 9:29

I've got my glasses on. I've got me uh air swept back like Donald Trump. I'm ready for it today. Daniel 3, 19 to 27. Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shamrach, Meshach, and Abendigo. And his this is key, his attitude changed towards them. He ordered the furnace to be turned up seven times hotter than usual. Wow. Dangerous number he chose there. Verse 20. And he commanded some of the strongest soldiers of his army to tie up Shamrach, Meshach, and Abendigo to throw them into the blazing furnace.

Speaker 1: 10:04

In my I've got uh New King James, and it says he commanded certain mighty men, mighty men of valor, yeah, who were his army to bind up these guys.

Speaker: 10:15

Look what it says. Verse 21. So these men wearing their robes, their trousers, their turbans, and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing fire. The king's command was so urgent and so uh the furnace was turned up hotter than the flames have ever been. And it says there the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took Shamrach, Meshach, and the Bendigo. These these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. Then uh King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and he asked his advisers very interesting, it says advisors there. Were there three men only that were tied up and thrown into the fire? Yes, certainly, your majesty. He said, Look, I tell you what, whoever you are across the world, look. Because I see a fourth, there's someone walking with you. I see a fourth walking around in the fire, unbound, unharmed. And the fourth looks like a son of the gods. Wow. King Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, Shamrach, Meshach, and Abendigo, servants of the most high God, come out here now. So Shamrach, Meshach, and Abendigo came out of the fire, uh, and the satraps, the prefects, the governors, the royal advisors crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair on their head singed, their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. What a text. That is a show stopping one.

Speaker 1: 12:03

So the old king had a touch of the seconds, didn't he? When he's Hang on a minute. When he saw, hold on a minute. These are walking around and this this one like the son of God.

Speaker: 12:13

There's a time to repent. Wow. There's a time to repent. I've made a mistake. Come to the cross. Who is that? Who is walking around in that fire? Who is that fourth person? I thought we only put three in there. Listen, when the world throws you under the bus, when your family kicks you into touch, when the ministries kick you into touch, when pastors launch you into touch, just remember that God's with you. God's with you. The Son, the Son of the Most High, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. And I was saying to Simon off air, you know, it's interesting that the number that's here, number seven, that they chose, the king chose to get this even hotter was seven. Very biblical, very interesting. The number seven. He chose the wrong number, Simon. He was he he was on a loser from the beginning.

Speaker 1: 13:08

And these guys, Ben, they could have quite easily gone, okay, we'll we'll uh we'll give in. We'll give in. It saves our lives. They could have quite easily done that. Easy. Thousands of miles away from their homeland. Uh and they could have but they didn't, they stood firm. And this is why it's in the Bible, this, Ben. It stood firm as an example to us that w when we're in the heat, when we're in the furnace, and it's getting turned up, whether we're in the eye of the storm, we're to stand still, and the Lord will fight for us.

Speaker: 13:42

He's in he's in your life.

Speaker 1: 13:44

He's in our lives. And uh I heard something very interesting the other day that um that when you get these like hurricanes or monsoons or whatever it is out in the ocean, if you get an inexperienced uh captain of a of a vessel, he'll try and skirt around the outside of it, but it's the worst thing you can do because that then you get just propelled everywhere and you you you you smash to pieces. The experienced man will sail into the eye of the storm and he'll stay there because the eye of the storm makes land and he will he will make you will make land. So we're in the eye of the storm. You might come out of it. Yeah, you might think everything is coming down, it's getting hotter. You we're getting squeezed from every angle, but you know, you're not doing it alone. Don't do it alone.

Speaker: 14:36

Because you're never alone. The Bible says, I will never leave you nor forsake you. I will be with you to the very end of this age. And it doesn't matter who throws you in the lion's den, who throws you in the fiery furnace, it doesn't matter who is trying to trip you, you know. God have mercy on them because whoever's coming against you, the Bible says in the Old Testament very clearly that God says, I will be an enemy to your enemies.

Speaker 1: 15:00

And that's what a scripture that is. That's made me so I will be an enemy to your enemies. And and when you come out of that fiery furnace, you'll come out like these fellas, stronger, you'll be more bold, you'll be more experienced, you'll be more mature, you you won't have any your clothes won't be bad.

Speaker: 15:21

You won't even smell a trouble, you won't even smell a fire. It's interesting, isn't it? The world fire, the world, this is the world's fire. But when you get touched by the fire of God, Acts chapter 2, when the spirit of the living God fell, it seemed to be like tongues of fire, separated and sat on each and every one of them. That fire lifted them, that fire carried them.

Speaker 1: 15:44

It lifted them, it encouraged them and empowered them, Ben.

Speaker: 15:48

As the spirit enabled them.

Speaker 1: 15:49

And look what it says, Ben, in uh Isaiah 48, 10, and 11. It says, Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver. I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. I've tested you in the furnace of affliction. My Bible, I don't want that in my Bible, Jesus. For my own sake, for my own sake I will do it. For how should my name be profound, profaned, and I will not give my glory to another. Very interesting words, Ben, isn't it?

Speaker: 16:23

Very interesting.

Speaker 1: 16:24

I will not give my glory to another.

Speaker: 16:26

I will not share the throne, I will not share. It's not your ministry, it's yours, but it's not of me. It's your church, it's not my church. I will refine you through the fire. I will stretch you beyond human understanding, I will shape you on the potter's will. There's nothing finer than being in the in the furnace. Lord, keep me in the furnace, because in the furnace I'm safe. Because it's interesting, isn't it? No other human being can survive the furnace. Because the Bible says that the strongest soldiers died, no one could get near them. Please, Lord, keep us, keep me, whoever you are, Lord, keep us in the furnace, in the fire that was meant to kill us. The fire will save you. The fire that cannot touch you, you're not even going to smell a smoke. You're not your clothes are not even going to be singed. You know, God has a greater plan for you, and it doesn't matter what the dead the devil tries to do. He can increase the temperature, he can do this, he can do that. You know, he can throw everything he wants at you. But when, when you are called, when you are saved, and when the enemy comes at you, God will lift up a standard.

Speaker 1: 17:40

Oh yeah, no, it's the great scripture. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Lord will lift up a standard. And we believe that he's lifting up a standard right now. He's lifting up a remnant, whether it's in the church or out of church, or people just fed up with church. He's lifting people up and he'll link people together, and he'll he'll he'll um put people to encourage, empower, and and equip to to be his end time army in these last of the days. And and we are in perilous times, Ben. You know, 2 Timothy 3, 1 to 9. We we've we s we've said this scripture many times, you know, but he says, but know this in the last days, perilous times will come for men will be lovers of themselves.

Speaker: 18:24

Lovers of self? I haven't watched none of that. I can't see none of that anywhere. You see it all a lot in. I see it. We see it. You've got to be careful that I don't step into it. Well got Lord give us, humble us.

Speaker 1: 18:36

You see, I mean, if you you know, you've only got to be on Facebook and you see it.

Speaker: 18:40

Lovers of self.

Speaker 1: 18:42

Mate, or Instagram. That's what I think because all you're taking is pictures of yourself. Lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents. Lovers of money bang. That's not in a church, is it? They love does a church love? Not in this church, no. I mean, could do with a shekel, couldn't we? I'd love to have a tenor. Unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers without self-control, brutal despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Having a form of godliness, there you go. It's powerful. There you are. But denying its power, and from such people turn away. I think he's got everything down there, and he doesn't know.

Speaker: 19:24

What does it mean having a form of godliness and deny that's simple, innit? Elevating self, pretending to be like, you know, what the what the scripture says, but actually, I'm so self-absorbed with myself. You know, I I've got I want to big myself up on social media. I've got to tell the world what what I'm doing for Jesus. Why don't you tell the world what Jesus is doing for you? You know, I'm gonna tell the world what I've done, Jesus. Like you you have a rest, Lord, and Jesus. Look at this, look what I've done for you today. Look what I'm doing today. Jesus, look, Lord, Lord, this is what I'm gonna do. The Bible says in Jeremiah, for I know the plans I have for you. But the Pentecostal movement and certain evangelical ministries and and stuff is changed that scripture around and gone, God, I've got plans for you. You're gonna move when I tell you to move, you're gonna do what I tell you to do. But the Bible is so clear, for I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. And there are many of us that don't even know what the plan of God is for us. What do you have for me, Lord? Simple. Follow Jesus. Follow Jesus.

Speaker 1: 20:34

And when you follow Jesus, the toughest thing you'll have to do.

Speaker: 20:37

Follow me, and you'll be in the furnace. Hang on a minute. But Lord, I didn't I didn't sign up for this. Lord, I I need to. That's a bit much, Jesus, in it. Keep me on the potter's will.

Speaker 1: 20:50

Where's the lazy poor chair?

Speaker: 20:52

There's three places I think that we need to make sure we're at. And we all need to experience these places: the Garden of Gethsemane, the fiery furnace, and the symbol area, the symbol area of loneliness. When you're lonely, you really seek God. When you've got a crowd around you, you're seeking the validation of the crowd. The Garden of Gethsemane, the fiery furnace, even the lion's den, you know, it's time. Lord, are we brave enough to say, Lord, keep me, keep me on the potter's wheel, keep me in the fire, keep me in the furnace. Because in the furnace, it is it is burns away all the dross. In the furnace, it is.

Speaker 1: 21:38

Nothing of self, mate. Nothing of self.

Speaker: 21:40

Everything burns away. Everything is gone. Look at these. I mean, look in Revelation, bro. I love don't you don't turn to that book.

Speaker 1: 21:48

It's he can't, Simon. Look at this. Look, you know, you've got you've got they talk about a loveless church. He talks about the persecuted church, the compromising church, the corrupt church, the dead church, the faithful church, and this is what it said to the faithful church, which is Revelation 3, uh 10 to 12. It says, Because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial, which shall come upon the whole world. The hour of trial. To test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly. Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and I will write on him my new name. Well, as you just you what is scary. You just said it, and you just stay. Stay there.

Speaker: 22:54

Stay in Stay in the Word. Stay in the Word, because the Word will take you to the cross, the cross to take you to Christ, Christ to take you to the Father in the Father's presence. Who is out there that is just tired of ministry in church and going, this is boring.

Speaker 1: 23:10

Well, we Ben, I honestly, I don't, you know, I think I think a lot of churches are operating like ostriches who just keep their heads in the sand, then they're not realizing the times of the day of the of what's going on around us. And so men and women are not being equipped, they're not being encouraged, they're not empowered really to be the men and women that so when it comes, when the test comes, when they're in, when the fiery furnace comes, they they know they don't know how to cope with it, Ben. And and an interesting thing, I don't know if any of you are out there, we and we love you all out there, love you that that you've downloaded our stuff and listened to it, and we know it encourages a lot of people. So, you know, praise the Lord for that. We thank you so much for for supporting us um with the downloads. But if you had a look at our our website, and Ben just pointed this out to me, uh, we have a a section on there uh for prayer, and what's it called, Ben?

Speaker: 24:11

The prayer furnace.

Speaker 1: 24:12

It's called the prayer furnace. Now it's not we haven't just done that, that has been done many months ago, isn't it?

Speaker: 24:18

Yeah, that was done a while back, yeah. And uh I just felt God was prompting us, you know, prayer furnace. It's it's that simple, you know. Because in the furnace, in the furnace of prayer, in the furnace is the safest place you'll ever breathe be. You know, prayer is powerful. We never give up in prayer. We've got to be persistent, we've got to stand on the rock of all ages. The Bible is so clear, be patient in affliction. Hang on. Patient in affliction. Three times I pleaded with the Lord in the Pentecostal movement. Remove it, gone. My grace. Are you going through the valley of the shadow of death? Are you thrown into the fiery furnace by the world or by family, church?

Speaker 1: 25:02

It's it's coming for us, Ben, and and we have to be prepared, and we have to have people around us that uh that also prepared. Uh look at this, Matthew 24, 24, Ben. For false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

Speaker: 25:23

Hang on. This is getting serious, this end day stuff. It's getting serious. False prophets, false Christs, false preachers, teachers. We've had generation after generation of them. It's nothing, this is nothing new under the sun. It just shows you how close we are to that scripture that says there'll be two in the field, one will be taken. There'd be there'll be church churches filled with people praising God, and when the Lord comes, some will be taken. There'll be people at work, people in the shops, the stores. God is preparing his church. God is God, we are in the refiner's fire. We're not in revival, we're in the refiner's fire. God is preparing, he's preparing the bride for the coming of the King Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. Are you ready? I'm not ready. Can we get ready? No. What do we do? We just say, Lord, keep me in the fire, because in the fire, God, you're with me in the fire. You know, we we've got to make sure that we're in the fire or in the garden of Gethsemane. We've got to make sure that we're we're we're we're kept under the master's voice. Powerful.

Speaker 1: 26:32

But just have a look at in there's some great scriptures about all this stuff, and and please get them down, write them down as we speak them, write them down and put them on the tablet of your heart. And James 1, 2 to 4, and then 12, it says, My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Speaker: 27:06

Lacking nothing.

Speaker 1: 27:08

So count it as all joy if you're in the thermostat. Is that so?

Speaker: 27:12

Consider it all joy, brothers and sisters, when you're stretched, when it feels hot, when it's full tiring. You know, look at Paul, the the great, you know, the great theologian, the great evangelist, like when he said we came into Macedonia and we was pressed on the outside, fears within, scared, this and that. He said, but we couldn't give up. We could you don't you can't give up.

Speaker 1: 27:37

Well, look what it says, Ben, further down in James, which is a great book. And we it's it's a favorite scripture of ours. It says in 12, James 1, 12, Blessed is the man who endures temptation. For when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those that love him.

Speaker: 27:54

There you go. Bang, look at that.

Speaker 1: 27:56

Keep in there, keep going because you'll come out the other end, but you'll come out stronger.

Speaker: 28:02

Come on, and you come out free with Jesus. Because he is the way, he is the truth, and there is no other way. Simon, what does the word of God do? How does the word what does it do in that that fantastic scripture?

Speaker 1: 28:16

Well, you you know the word, and the word will set you free, man.

unknown: 28:20

We're out of it.