In this sermon, Joshua Daniel discusses the topic of persecution faced by Christians and the challenges they encounter. He highlights the subtle forms of persecution, such as being cold-shouldered or mocked, as well as more severe forms, like being cut off from support and resources. Daniel also addresses the influence of media, particularly television, and the negative impact it can have on our thoughts and actions. He emphasizes the need to guard our minds against immoral practices and encourages listeners to seek improvement in their families by removing negative influences. The sermon references the Bible, specifically Mark 4 and Jeremiah 23, to support the message of the corrupt nature of man's heart and the consequences of sinful behavior.

Welcome to the Lord's Challenge, our weekly quarter-hour broadcast, bringing the reality of God's Word to all people everywhere. Stay tuned as Joshua Daniel challenges us to a walk with God and the corresponding impact that will have on our lives, families, and society today. Let us turn to Mark 4, chapter please. We see here when persecution arises. Of course, there isn't that outward persecution. Perhaps you're cold-shouldered and people look askance at you, or they poke fun about you. He's soft in the head, you know, or some such thing. Apart from that, you don't face severe persecution. But what about the people? As soon as their parents know, here's my boy, here's my girl, going to a place of Christian worship, we cut off your supplies, we'll not pay your fees anymore, we have nothing to do with you, you're dead and gone. And in the face of that, I see so many people standing for Jesus. You don't have that kind of persecution. But Jesus said, when persecution arises, for the Word's sake, immediately they are offended. They back off. They sulk away. They don't stand. Now, let us turn to Mark 7, chapter. Now, stony soil we were seeing, what are these stones in the heart? The Lord Jesus Christ names them from verse 20. That which cometh out of the man, that defiled the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders. For from within the heart, proceed evil thoughts. You know, my dear friends, why are we not more creative? It's because we are so negative. We are commenting about this person. We are commenting about that person. Oh, we are so busy looking at the moat in our brother's eye. And we don't care about the beam in our own eye. With the result that we are simply not creative. To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, it shall be counted sin. Let me tell you something. Folks, I was a very foolish boy. Never was I brilliant. Never. Some of my friends were. But God has chosen the foolish things of this world. So there's room with Jesus, even for Joshua Daniel. Some of you may be highly intelligent, thoughtful people. I don't know, but I expect that you are. But what is the leakage? Why is it that you're hemorrhaging usefulness and fruitfulness? What is all this? No creativity, no power coming out of you. Now that's serious. That is serious. And the Lord Jesus Christ puts his finger on the first sin of the heart. Evil thoughts. Evil thoughts. You know, today we tend to be very selfish. I still see some very gracious people on the roads. But generally, that's not the rule anywhere in the world. Get out of my way is the more general rule that prevents. But friends, evil thoughts. What does the television viewing? My goodness, all the rubbish that comes through the television. You want your head to be full of that stuff? My dear friends, sometimes I've had people say to me, brother, take away my television. A pastor in New York State told me that. And in some families, actually, they removed the television. And the children began to study so well. There was such general improvement in the family. All right, television is just one of the media. And you can't really. What is it? Dispense with it altogether. Okay. At least you want to find the weather. You go to the radio or the television to know the weather and so on and so forth. Whatever it is, evil thoughts. Now I find the most wicked, unimaginable and immoral practices have come into vogue. What is that? Such immorality is sweeping over the nation. It's inundating the place. Sex slaves. That's what our society is producing today. And let me tell you, that's the worst kind of slavery. Sex slaves. That's all they can think of. That's all. Oh, what a tragedy. Everything to do with sex, all the advertisements, everything almost. And when you go to the church, you see such immodestly dressed women exposing the cleavage has become the fashion today. What's that? Back to the jungle. When one goes to church, there should be a certain decorum, respect for God, respect for holiness. Nothing. Folks, out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murder. You know, I have also found in certain quarters, spirits of adultery and take one young man ruining unnumbered women, ruining them. What have we trained in our schools and universities? Such marauding sex animals, predators. Take the newspaper. You will find the highest class of people transgressing. We used to say, oh, that is being slummy, slummy. This slumminess has hit the highest circles of the country. Now that's the heart of man. Jesus says that's the heart of man. How many abandoned women there are? Take one city. Today, some of the biggest cities and some other cities are not able to balance their budget. They are going into heavy debts, heavy borrowing. Why? Too many teenage mothers, unwed mother, too many. And the country is not able to support them. Oh, my dear people, out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, adulteries. As a matter of fact, if you turn to 23rd chapter of Jeremiah and the 10th verse, you will see this. For the land is full of adulterers. For because of swearing, the land mourneth. The pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up. Their course is evil. Their force is not right. Both prophet and priest are profane. My dear friends, have we come to such a state when God says both prophet and priest are profane? How sad. You know, when I finished preaching in one place, a young pastor came to me and said, this message is for me. I've been ruining the women in my congregation. How sad. Oh, my dear people. Both the preacher, the priest and the prophet are profane. Yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, said the Lord. The land is full of adulterers. That's what the word of God says. Are we going to cleanse the land? The Lord says, if my people humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear and forgive their sins and heal their land. What is happening? Some farmers are selling away their cattle. Why? No feed. Horrible drought. Those curses that used to accompany idolatry, some of those very plagues or droughts or famines are hitting these countries, which had the open Bible for centuries. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications. Let's pray. Loving Father, let not any hidden sin keep the blessing from us or from our families. Thy word says, and you went on to say in the same chapter, for there is nothing hid which will not be revealed. Forgive us, good Father. Hear our humble prayer in Jesus' holy name. Amen. The speaker on this program was Joshua Daniel. He would like to know what your response has been to the Lord's challenge and would be delighted to hear from you. Please write and if you have burdens you want to share and want prayer, do let us know. You can reach us on the world wide web at lefi.org or else you can mail us at The Lord's Challenge P.O. Box 14 South Lyon, Michigan 48178 or in Canada P.O. Box 31002 Windsor, Ontario N9G2Y2. We are continually reaching out to millions in many countries and we appreciate and we need your continuing prayerful support.