A Test of Faith — Joshua Daniel

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 it will have on our lives, families and society today.

Tests of Faith in the Kingdom of God

When Jesus Christ came down from the mountain, there was this case, this epileptic boy, and the disciples had been unable to cast out those spirits from him. And therefore, the Lord Jesus stepped in and when the Father cried out, If thou canst help us, help us.

And the Lord healed him. So there is always a period of testing. And you know that in every field you're tested. And you have to pass your tests. So in the kingdom of God, there are tests. Now, I'm going to bring you to one of the early tests, Acts 5th chapter, early tests in the young church.

Voluntary Giving in the Early Church

And now they were full of the glow of the resurrection, our Lord is risen. Let's begin with the fourth chapter and from verse 34. Neither was there any among them that lacked, for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them and brought the prices of the things that were sold and laid them down at the apostles' feet.

And distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. And Joseph, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, which is being interpreted the son of consolation, a Levite and of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.

Don't forget that everything in the Christian life is never forced out of us. It's voluntary. You give yourself gladly and whatever you give, you say, Lord, that this is so small. I can never repay you for the debt of love which I owe you.

So, I regard myself as a great debtor, a debtor to many around me or to all around me. And that's how I have operated. I have never operated as a donor. I have operated as a debtor, paying my debts, gladly trying to pay up as much as I can.

You know, these are two different attitudes and you know how it is in modern life. When you go shopping, you take the big notes. And when you go to give to the Lord, you take the small change. And you call him the great God whom I love and serve, bunkum, untruth.

Calvary and Deliverance from Covetousness

We see in the early church, there was a great outflow of love. Nobody forced them. It was an outflow of love. And Calvary begets love, love out of a dry fountain. If there is a dry fountain in you, it is love.

It doesn't come automatically from the human heart. It's only when Calvary releases the flow, there will never be that flow of love. When you come to the cross, you see a wonderful release from covetousness.

You know, the Lord Jesus Christ said, beware of covetousness. Now, take the newspaper today. What is there prominently displayed? It's money. Money is lacking here. Money is lacking there. And then the bank interest here is higher than the bank interest in your building society.

Or some such thing. It's all about money. And the Lord Jesus Christ says, no man can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one or love the other. No man. So money, love, and the love of God never go together.

Trusting the Heavenly Father for Every Need

You know, I've had my temptations to find some shortcuts for the expanding work and the mounting bills, which are in seven and eight figures, sums. Where can I find them? Are you all millionaires now, by the way?

Hardly. It's very ordinary people who are at my meetings. And I have been the friend of the poor. But we have a rich father, rich heavenly father. And he says, your heavenly father knoweth that you have need of these things.

So we very often imagine that we know and the heavenly father does not know. What do you mean? Your heavenly father knoweth not a sparrow falls to the ground without your heavenly father. Are you not more precious than many sparrows?

Sure. We are so precious to God. Now, my dear friends, we have everywhere people are talking about money. And I am slowly beginning to realize that because I never talk about money, people are beginning to suffer and people are getting to be covetous.

In other words, I am promoting sin by refraining to talk of what the Bible teaches. There is a feeling outside in the world outside. Hey, these preachers, they go around with a begging bowl. They can get money easily.

But we fellows out in business, we have to work hard. My dear friends, I find doctors and busy men who try to keep a part of my schedule and they just can't keep it. Three, four days, if they can last, it would be a big thing.

But I have kept this schedule now for 60 years by the grace of God. Now, not that I am strong or anything of the sort. Here was the early church. You know, one of the emperors of Rome who hated Christianity, he said, look at these followers of the Galilean.

They take care of our poor and we are not able to take care of them. That was the admission of one of those last of those emperors who wanted to destroy Christianity. They saw what these people, what people are this.

Ananias, Sapphira, and the Deceitful Heart

So we come to the fifth chapter now. It begins with but. But a certain man named Ananias with Sapphira, his wife, sold a possession and kept back part of the prize. His wife also being in the secret and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostle's feet.

Well, if he had come and said to them, listen, I have certain needs and I feel that I am not able to give like the rest. Here is what I sold the land for and here is what I want to give. That would have been very simple.

But he was using deception. What does Jeremiah 17 9 say? The heart is desperately wicked and deceitful about all things. Deceitful heart. So you have got a thief inside of you. And if you let down your guard, then the thief will get the better of you.

A deceitful heart. How many people flatter themselves thinking, oh, I'm a great Christian. I'm a wonderful person doing a great deal of service. You know, I am a student of some of these old missionaries that went out.

What sacrifice, what love? Let us pray. Let's tell God, Lord, I don't want to be a crybaby. I want to decrease that Christ might increase. Oh, God, how can I bring and integrate into your body even half a dozen of my friends?

Oh, Lord, teach me. Let not my heart be preoccupied with my covetousness. So bless these dear people. 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.

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