A Religion Without Righteousness — Joshua Daniel

Welcome to the Lord's Challenge with Joshua Daniel. The Layman's Evangelical Fellowship International is a ministry reaching people from all walks of life since 1935. After a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ at the age of 16, Joshua Daniel has been declaring the marvelous deliverance from sin, which is freely given to all those who turn to the loving Savior.

From small villages to large cities, in many parts of the globe through revival meetings, literature, radio, internet, and television, Joshua Daniel has been tirelessly laboring, trusting God to supply all that is needed.

Wherever this message has gone out, broken relationships have been restored, sickness healed, ill-gotten money returned, and thieves turn into givers. We now invite you to watch and receive the invaluable blessing that God has for you.

The Sower and the Word of God

So very briefly, I will bring you in the 8th chapter of Luke, the sower and the Word of God which he sowed. And the 5th verse, A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside.

My goodness, how correctly our Lord analyzes the situation. Think of all the people that sit in Sunday church pews. So many people. On Monday, can you recognize them for truth and righteousness? Can you recognize them?

No. Very often, in most cases, no. So what has happened in the meantime? Between Sunday and Monday, what has happened? The enemy came. 11th verse, The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are they that hear.

Then cometh the devil and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. So no salvation is the result. Salvation is not the result. Now what is the purpose then? To have religious entertainment?

What is the purpose? The word of God was taken away by the devil, says Jesus, lest the person should cling to the word of God and get salvation. So, back to square one. Right after the service, the fight begins.

The arguments begin. You know, Sunday morning's arguments can be very violent. And Sunday dinner table arguments can become very dangerous for the well-being of the family. And we call that religion.

Materialism and the Lost Word

Think of that. So, Jesus says, The devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts. See, take one word of scripture. The love of money is the root of all evil. All right. The love of money is the root of all evil.

The Lord has given to us the commission to take the good news to every creature. And I find that if Christians... You see, I saw my own parents. They didn't have very much. But they were moderately well-to-do.

My father had some lands. Well, if he had held on to some of those lands, they would have cost a fortune now. He did not do so. He sold them and gave them to the Lord. Instead, he had retreats like this, selling off.

I didn't care for that property. I only just saw it as a little boy. I did not even know that it belonged to us. I didn't care. I never regretted it. But my father was doing what Jesus commanded. He said, Give the good news to every creature.

Dowry, Wealth, and Religious Hypocrisy

Now, you know, in certain parts of the world, when it comes to a marriage, Oh dear, how much money flows. Somehow or some reason or another. In Europe, they told me, We have a custom here that the father-in-law gives all the furniture.

What a bill for a father-in-law to carry. Father-in-law gives all the furniture and sets up the couple. So they're good for nothing, you know. They can't buy their own chairs or their own something.

So the father-in-law pitches in with a lot of money. What an unnecessary burden for a poor father-in-law. In other parts of the world, you want to get your daughter married? Come on, come forward with seven figures, six figures.

And they call it religion. I asked somebody recently, Is it not a habit? You know, we were opening. I went to preach at a wedding in our church building in Cochin. Well, that building is almost ready.

And I asked somebody, Doesn't a part of this dowry money go to the church? You rob a man. You see? And then you give a little part of it to the church. So the church also must take part in the robbery.

Good. My dear friends, I can't understand how people can be so dead in their conscience and call it religion. So take a word, just simple truth. The love of money is the root of all evil. What has the devil done with that scripture?

Just carried it out. End of the story. It's not there in the Bible as far as many people go. It's not there. The love of money guides their whole outlook. You see? It's money. Money drives them. Money makes them.

The thought of money makes them work so hard. Money will take them to any corner of the globe. And to the moon also. If there are commercial prospects there. You know, friends? Gone. The word of God has no impact.

Has made no impact. What a sad state. Think of that. So Jesus says, the devil comes and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. Now, when I was preaching in a very religious place, the center of that township, and it was quite a big township, was at the big church there.

Three times the bell would ring for matins, morning prayer. And at noon. And even song, evening prayer. But the caretaker of the church said to me, 70 of these people go to a sorcerer here. What kind of religion is that?

Superstition and the Authority of Scripture

The church is there. People go in and out. And they also go to the magician or sorcerer. And what did God say about this? Now, you have to remember, friends, it's not enough to know these things in your own heads.

But you must be able to talk when there is a conversation. And rarely is there a conversation anywhere without some big challenging situation being spoken of. Or something to do with a money fight. Or something to do with a divorce.

Something to do with, you know, some sickness. All right. Now, are you able to talk something? Is the seed there in your heart so that you talk something? Hey, this is what God says. And the people wouldn't have a clue.

They would not know. Are you able to say? Or are you just going to say, I think? There are a million people who say, I think. But are your thoughts valid? Have your thoughts the same authority as the authority of the word of God?

Of course not. So what Joshua Daniel thinks has no weight. What God says has weight. You see, God sent his people amongst idolaters. Idolaters. I do not know how this business of superstition is impacting all areas of life.

When did this? You know, it appears that the Chinese, to the Chinese, eight is an auspicious number. And therefore the Olympics, the next Olympics, are going to start on August the 8th. What at 8 .08 in the evening.

It's all eights, you see? All eights. Now, it's absurd, isn't it? We generally start anything on the hour. But I was amazed. Why is it starting on eight minutes past eight? Or something like that. Oh, eight is an auspicious number.

So the poor fellows would have said, you know, I don't know. If there was some way of putting in another eight into this instead of a zero, and if an hour had 88 minutes, they would have gladly put 88 there.

Eight, 88. But of course we don't have that number in the hour. But you see how superstition gets in. Himalayan climbers have a habit of making some donations or giving a gift to some of those spirits, shrines, little temples, on their way to the summit of Everest.

It appears it is a tradition to do so. See, we want protection as we climb. It is also said that many bodies lie around Mount Everest. Many dead bodies. They just didn't make it to the top. Anyway, in spite of all these superstitions, many people die in that attempt.

Deuteronomy's Warning Against Occult Practices

Here, God says from the ninth verse, 18th chapter of Deuteronomy, ninth verse, When you are come into the land which the Lord your God giveth you, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

The abominations of those nations. I wonder who brought this devilish festival into America. When I was preaching many years ago, when I began preaching in Europe, I found so many occult practices in Europe, which I had never heard of in eastern lands.

And then when I came to the United States and began to preach, I heard of other occult practices by which some incantations could be said or made, bringing some healing also prevalent amongst certain communities where I began to preach.

Look at this. These superstitions, you know, they are continuing and escalating. And what are we doing? He was manifested to destroy the works of the devil. Let me tell you, on the other side of the picture, some of our people who have met the Lord, you know, in travel, you're going by train or by bus, they encounter people who are on their pilgrimage, who are on their way to some pilgrim place.

Well, in future you may have to give a ribbon or two as a birthday gift to certain men who have such flowing locks these days. They have got to put it up in a nice bun, which will make any woman envious.

You know? And some of these people, as a religious practice, they give those long locks, which they grow, to their gods. But on their pilgrimage, they come across one of our people, converted people, who tell them, Hey, what are you doing?

I'm going on pilgrimage to worship this particular god. And then when they tell them of what Jesus Christ did, actually I call one of those preachers, one of our preachers, Bearded Samson. That's how I call him.

Bearded Samson. Because he had grown a long beard and was going to offer the dirty hair of that beard to his god. When he met somebody who told him about the Lord Jesus, so off went his beard and all.

And he cleaned up, inside and outside, and became not only a converted person, but a preacher. So, he has a permanent name by which I identify him. Bearded Samson. Of course, the beard is not there now.

Proclaiming Christ to Those Bound by Idolatry

So, friends, so when I hear of people who were on their way to a heathen temple, when they heard somebody on the bus or on the train speak of the Lord and were converted, how happy I am. I'm just thrilled.

But, you know, when people know these things and just keep silent, what good does it do to anybody? No good. So here, when you go into the land which I will give you, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

There shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that use a divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Folks, you can imagine my surprise when one day I had just arrived to preach at a convention on the west coast of India.

Southern West Coast. And I saw a calendar on the wall. And the calendar signified propitious times, good days and bad days and bad times and good times. I said, boy, I am living in a house where these heathen customs are observed.

And I preached about it in the big convention. It was like throwing a spanner into the works because it was widespread in that place. And that is God called religion. Let us pray. Holy Father, we do not want to do things which are an abomination in your sight.

Prayer for Righteousness and Faithful Witness

What is this talk of religion without righteousness? Of course, I cannot think of putting down a false figure to save a little money, but to see whole offices involved in this kind of corrupt activity.

How sad, Lord, how sad. As we are standing against this in public and against the big people. Lord, we beg you and ask you, don't allow the seed to be carried away by the devil from the hearts of these dear people.

They have got to proclaim your word. They have got to stand for righteousness. Where it counts. Their religion cannot be just hot air, empty gestures. Oh, my Father, bring righteousness. Even into America, bring righteousness.

Hear our humble prayer. In Jesus' holy name, amen.

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