As he got nearer to the mall, suddenly a loud noise startled him.
It was a deep voice chanting, "OOMMMMM." It went on none-stop.
When he got to the mall he could see what that noise was.
A huge idol of a Buddha was standing right in the centre of the mall.
The noise was coming from an overhead microphone
turned up to the highest!  "OMMMMM"  was a religious chant!
Lots of children and adults were around the big wooden idol,
examining it and talking to men with shaved heads, who had orange robes on.
Then Danny saw Reverent Smithers from the Uniting Church,
he knew him from Religious Education classes at school.
"Hello' Danny," he said,
"what a interesting demonstration this is to be sure.
These Hari Krishna people are showing us how they worship God."

Well, Danny was a bit amazed when Rev.Smithers said that.
The wooden idol didn't look like the God the Bible talked about.
Then the orange robed men began to chant themselves,
and they bowed down to the idol,
and danced around it shaking little silver bells and playing drums.
"Come on, lad, "said Rev. Smithers, smiling,
"let's join in with the others."
And he went off with the other people who were dancing
around with the orange robed men, having a great time too.
The loud "OMMMM" keep sounding out above them.
Danny pulled his hand out of Rev. Smithers' hand,
and ran back down the streets to his parents.

Danny knew that it was wrong to worship any other gods.
He knew that God alone was worthy to be worshipped and adored.
He also could see that the Buddha idol was just a lump of wood,
and was certainly not God!
It took courage for him to pull away from Rev. Smithers,
but he did because he loved the Lord Jesus Christ.
And he knew God had said,

That story is true!
There was a huge idol and everything I described
in the mall at Surfers Paradise.
There was a Uniting Church minister who said those things,
but I have changed his name!
Sometimes people who say they are Christians
do things that are disobedient to the Lord.
Lots of ministers say that we should worship with other religions,
but the Bible says we mustn't!
So, we must follow God for He is the Lord of our lives.
Would you have been as brave as Danny, if you had been there?

Who was the "Son of God" in the fiery furnace with the three young men?
He was the Lord Jesus Christ.
Do you know that when they came out of the furnace
their clothes didn't even smell of smoke or fire!
What a miracle God caused to happen.
Who was with Danny when he refused to worship that idol?
It was the Lord Jesus who gave him the courage to stand strong!
The Lord will be with His children always,
in every decision and problem. Shadrah,  Meshach and Abed-nego said: