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Abiding in God's Promise
Joshua Daniel

Joshua Daniel (1928 - 2014). Indian evangelist and president of Laymen’s Evangelical Fellowship International, born in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, to N. Daniel, a mathematics teacher turned revivalist. Saved at 15, he began preaching at 16 to students in Madras, earning a Master’s in English Literature from Madras University. Joining his father’s ministry in 1954, he led Laymen’s Evangelical Fellowship from 1963, headquartered in Chennai, growing it to hundreds of centers across India, Cyprus, Guyana, and London. Known as the “boy revivalist,” he authored Faith Is the Victory and delivered thousands of sermons, aired on TV and radio in multiple languages, focusing on salvation and revival. Married to Lily, they had three children, including John, who succeeded him. His annual retreats at Beulah Gardens drew 7,000-9,000, emphasizing prayer and holiness. Daniel’s ministry, marked by tentmaker missionaries, impacted millions despite later critiques of family-centric leadership.
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Sermon Summary
Joshua Daniel emphasizes the importance of abiding in God's promises, drawing from the example of David's charge to Solomon in 1 Chronicles 28. He highlights the necessity of being constant in faith and obedience to God's commandments, contrasting this with the Israelites' hesitation to enter the promised land due to fear and doubt. Daniel warns against the 'buts' in our lives that can hinder our faith and lead to spiritual stagnation, urging believers to stand firm on God's Word. He encourages listeners to trust in God's ability to overcome obstacles, just as He parted the sea for the Israelites. The sermon concludes with a call to prayer for courage and faith to embrace God's promises.
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Sermon Transcription
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. Now, if you turn to the Word of God at 1 Chronicles 28, and here we see David assembled all the princes of Israel, and now he was going to give a solemn charge to his son. Let's look at 6. And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. Moreover, I will establish his kingdom forever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgments, as at this day. I will be with him. I will establish his kingdom, if he will be constant. There are certain things which need to be affirmed constantly. You know, when sometimes mothers try to teach something which is not too appetizing to the child, you see a mother tell the child again and again and again, the same thing, the same thing. Mother, you have told me this 20 times. Why do you want to tell me this anymore? Because 20 times didn't do you any good. Obviously. There are the truths of God which must be affirmed constantly. It should be in our walk, it should be in our talk, it should be something which we stand by all the time. What is the reverse of this? You know, you see the reverse of this in Numbers 13. Numbers 13 brings us to a very important point in the lives, you know, of the people of Israel. Coming out of captivity, they were now poised on the final stage of entering the promised land. And so, when 12 people were sent out, they saw a bunch of grapes. Oh, they said, what huge grapes, what a mighty cluster. It would take two of us to carry just a bunch of these grapes along with us. Of course, they saw it. And when they returned, after spying the land, 12 people had been sent. 27th verse. And they told him and said, We came unto the land, whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey, and this is the fruit of it. My, such a fruitful land. But then the contradiction. Nevertheless, but. You know, there are too many buts in our lives. This is fine. Oh, the Christian walk is wonderful, but. What's that but about? Nevertheless, the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled and very great. What did they see? The high walls, and the giants, Anaks, were there. We saw the children of Anak there. So what is the conclusion? We saw the walls, said we can't get through these walls. We saw the mighty people, the giants. And they said, well, we cannot manage to overcome these people. Therefore, we will not do this and cross Jordan. We won't go into the land. You see, folks, everything seemed to be all right. It's a beautiful land. It's true. It's so inviting, flows with milk and honey. But what's that but about? What is that reservation? What is that stumbling block that is keeping us from breaking through? Just think of the outcome of this. The outcome of this unfaith was 39 years of wandering in the wilderness. Till every one of the unbelieving people perished. Just think of that. A whole generation perishing due to 10 people bringing a wrong message. Oh, how sad. So, folks, are we conveying in our words or actions anything outside God's will? You know, today there are many choices. People can run hither and thither and say, hey, we don't like your church. You don't jump and shout enough. We like the church where there is plenty of shouting and jumping. Listen, friends, do you see that in the early church? I don't. I simply don't. All right. There have been various experiences. Some people used to be smitten by God's word in Wesley's ministry. But some people used to rejoice and shout hallelujah. All right, we can have that. But that's no excuse for inconsistent behavior and lack of constancy. You have seen cows that break out of their fenced-in areas. I have a friend, the wife of a farmer, and the cows used to break out of their field and get onto the roads. Oh, they had to be corralled back. And it was very hard. And it was a very dangerous proceeding because the cows on the road can mean deaths on the road. You know, people are losing all control of themselves today. If they walked according to the word of God, we would see mighty things taking place. But instead of that, you know, they look this way and that way and say that would be better. This would be better. And they are not faithful to what God has given them. What did God give these people? The promise of entering this promised land. Now, when God has a promise for you, you can easily miss it. If you're not going to be constant, stand fast on the word of God. You know, today also we can have a situation where the children can run you off your feet. Because everybody has his opinion and there is freedom of speech. And so, you may be shouted down in your own house. But are you standing on the word of God is the question. If you are, then does not matter. You cannot be shouted down. But otherwise, you know, it is just a question of people acting on their whim. The will of God. What was God's will for these people? That they should conquer the land. Have we conquered the nation? Have we stood fast according to the word of God? We say, oh, there's no way. There's no way. You know, people have been saying that for a long time. If you turn to Isaiah chapter 51. Isaiah chapter 51 and the 10th verse. Art thou not it which has the arm of God here? Art thou not it which dried the sea, the waters of the great deep, that hath made the depths of the sea away? How do you make the depths of the sea away? But here God, our God, is one who makes in the depths of the sea a way for the ransom to pass over. Are we going to be constant in the promises of God? Trust the Lord to do it into another fresh chapter in our life. Another year. Let us pray. Holy Father, we are surrounded by our walls, tumbling blocks of all sorts, and we are filled with the spirit of fear. Take away that spirit of fear, Lord. Give us the spirit was in Caleb when he said, We are well able to take the land. Let thy word reach the nations. 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 PO Box 14 South Lyon, Michigan 48178 or in Canada PO 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.
Abiding in God's Promise
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Joshua Daniel (1928 - 2014). Indian evangelist and president of Laymen’s Evangelical Fellowship International, born in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, to N. Daniel, a mathematics teacher turned revivalist. Saved at 15, he began preaching at 16 to students in Madras, earning a Master’s in English Literature from Madras University. Joining his father’s ministry in 1954, he led Laymen’s Evangelical Fellowship from 1963, headquartered in Chennai, growing it to hundreds of centers across India, Cyprus, Guyana, and London. Known as the “boy revivalist,” he authored Faith Is the Victory and delivered thousands of sermons, aired on TV and radio in multiple languages, focusing on salvation and revival. Married to Lily, they had three children, including John, who succeeded him. His annual retreats at Beulah Gardens drew 7,000-9,000, emphasizing prayer and holiness. Daniel’s ministry, marked by tentmaker missionaries, impacted millions despite later critiques of family-centric leadership.