'The Lamb of God' Part 1 — 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 a marvelous deliverance from sin, which is freely given to all those who turn to the loving Savior.

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

The Lamb of God Takes Away the Sin of the World

If you turn to John, the first chapter, 29th verse, here John the Baptist, who had been sent before Jesus to preach righteousness and repentance, sees Jesus coming, 29th verse, the next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him and saith, Behold, look, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.

The Lamb of God. You know, my friends, from the beginnings of human history, people have been trying to find a suitable offering for their sins. You know, some have taken, betaken themselves to rivers and oceans, and said, well, if we wash ourselves on an auspicious day, we will find forgiveness.

You know, others there are who suddenly felt that some spirit was telling them, slay your son. And so they slew their children, thinking that thereby they are going to appease God. They're going to do something for their salvation.

The Ten Commandments and the Definition of Sin

But we are living at a time when people don't know what to call sin. You know, we have got a lot of education, but as some people say, if things get worse, there may be even food riots. And already the police report that some thieves are breaking into houses, not to steal stuff, but they proceed straight to the larder or the fridge.

They want the food. Well, thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt have no other God before me. Thou shalt make no image or worship it. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not covet. Well, I have quoted a few of the commandments, the ten commandments.

Now, my dear friends, if you can show me any civilization which takes upon itself the way of transgressing these commandments, which has continued to prosper. Well, I wouldn't know history at all. There is no such civilization.

Civilizations have risen, and at the peak of their power, they have transgressed God's commandments. And no fear of evil. You see, it seems to be today that fornication and adultery are so rampant that someone sent to me the ruling of a Supreme Court.

Societal Moral Decay and the Consequences of Breaking God's Law

I am referring here to the Supreme Court of India. As a matter of fact, the laws of that country, which was ruled by Britain for a long span of time, are derived from the laws of England, largely. And the laws of England go back to the time when Alfred the Great established his laws and made the Bible as the foundation.

Now, when this country was formed, it was the same. And, you know, till the middle of the last century, you could not easily lose anything in London. If you dropped some money, it would still be there.

Or if you lost some article in a railway station, you could always recover it. You see, there was some fear of God. There was the law of God. Today, the biggest thieves are at the top, tax evasion. And a whole country goes down when you make a habit of breaking the laws of God.

Now, that makes us wonder, is there no remedy for the human heart? You give them education. And, you know, I was reading a letter which somebody wrote to me. I think he said he was a lecturer. And it said, I put things right with the university.

Saying that I cheated in my examinations. You know, many years ago, a teacher from Michigan was at some of my meetings. And he said to me, I was amazed that so many people were cheating in their exams.

I know that there is a heavy penalty if you are caught cheating. But, how would you like a surgeon to perform an intricate operation on you who got his degree by cheating? I wouldn't want such a surgeon.

Confessing Sin and the Need for a Saviour

So, the very definition of what is sin. You see, when you don't have a definition of sin, then where do you need a saviour? What for? Just to fix a cross right here as a decoration. Why do you need a saviour?

Why do I need a saviour? If I can be a truthful man, faithful to my wife, and to my marriage vows, and no woman needs to be afraid of a divorce court. You know, you just need to say, I can't live with this woman.

I don't like her. That is enough grounds for a divorce. So, you go and destroy any number of women. Destroy their future. Now, I do not know how a country can support all these unwed mothers who by choice want to have children outside marriage.

That is a status symbol. Now, why do you want a saviour? Why do you want a church? Why do you need Jesus? You don't need Jesus. If you are not prepared to call sin, sin. That's the problem. Our churches are full of people who will not call sin, sin.

They won't call a lie, a lie. And when you don't do that, you will not ask your wife's pardon. You know, yesterday I was talking to an official in one of the offices. And I saw an injury on her face that I suspected could have been the result of a domestic quarrel.

Of course, I didn't ask her how she got that terrible injury. You know, in one sense, it would be very polite to say, Oh, I'm so sorry that you have been injured. But people don't like to tell you my own husband injured me.

As someone told me a few days ago, my husband says he will cut me up in pieces and put me in a suitcase and parcel me off like some other computer engineer did right here. Shocking. No awareness of God.

Then why do you need the cross? Why do you need Jesus? Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Why did my grandfather turn from all his idols and come to Jesus? Because he found that Jesus became the propitiation, the sin bearer, the sacrifice for sin.

He who never knew sin. You see, if one of us offers to become a sacrifice for sin, or if, let us say, one of these great prophets, you know, you're not allowed to say anything about even a prophet who had 15 or 15 to 19 wives.

Does not the question arise? Why does a prophet want 15 wives? It does not even seem to strike the minds of people. Here is a contradiction. You see, Europe is an embattled part of the globe today because so much of the people from Turkey, so many of them have immigrated.

Religious Practice Without Deliverance from Sin

North Africa and other parts have immigrated to the cities of Europe. And so, some of them may be, in terms of religious observances, very godly people. That is, they will go to their mosques three times a day.

Businessmen, how do they manage to go and say their prayers? You ask a Christian fellow, a church member, to do that. He says, no, I have no time. So, they have their practices. They have some of those good points.

But, no proper definition or deliverance from sin. What is it that saves you from sin? That's the chief question. That is a very personal question too. When a mother is very hot-tempered, generally, some of the children at least tend to become like that.

When a father is foul-mouthed and abusing, then the children somehow seem to become just like that. So, we do pass on our qualities to our children. If we are liars, be sure your children are going to be liars.

Abraham, Isaac, and God's Provision of the Lamb

No question about it. So, we come to the definition of sin. And, who needs a lamb for the sacrifice? You know, this question was first asked in Genesis chapter 22. In Genesis chapter 22, Abraham and the promised son, Isaac, were going to the place of offering which God was going to show them.

And, in the 7th verse, the son asked the father this question. Isaac spoke unto Abraham and his father and said, My father. And he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood. Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?

Now, the answer of Abraham is prophetic. My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. God will provide. You know, I am sure who could have struck upon this idea that God himself should become a person, be born of a virgin.

The Virgin Birth and Mary's Willing Submission

You see? No one was ever born of a virgin. No one. That it was prophesied. A virgin shall bring forth a son. And it's amazing. All over the world you will see Marys, Marys, Marys, Marys, Maria, Marianne.

Oh, any number of Marie. The French Marie. And all over the world you will see Marys. But do you see purity? Do you see the virginity? Treasured? As Mary treasured it? No, we don't see that. I say, what did these people get from the Christmas story?

What did they get? What are the cardinal things that you learned from the Christmas story? The purity of Mary. The virginity of Mary. The willingness of Mary to say, behold your handmaid. Here I am. Do with me whatever you please.

Prayer for Deliverance Through the Lamb of God

You see, we haven't learned the basic things. And you can have a church where nobody cares for virginity. Is that the church of Jesus? Of course not. It's the church of the devil. Let us pray. O God, when there is no distinction between right and wrong, sin and righteousness, at such a time we look at the Lamb of God who takes away our sin and brings love and peace into our hearts.

Lord Jesus, we thank you for your cross. That you died for a sinner like me. To take away my fears. To deliver me from my chains. The deep evil in my heart. Lord Jesus, I look at you. Look at the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

We look at you, Lord Jesus. O Lamb of God, set us free from this evil nature which is deeply entrenched in our hearts. We ask in Jesus' almighty name. Amen.

To become God's ally in changing his or her corner of the world, please write. And if you have a problem or prayer request, please do let us know. You can email us at post at lefi .org or visit our website at lefi .org.

Our mailing address is The Lord's Challenge. P .O. Box 14, South Lyon, Michigan 48178. Until we meet again next week, may God bless you.