I and My Father Are One — Joshua Daniel

Jesus’ Unity with the Father

Let us turn to John 10, and verse 30. We shall also read 29. Let us read 29. My Father, who gave them Me, is greater than all. And no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are one.

I and My Father are one. Now, when we see the humanity of our Lord Jesus, we see many people classifying Him as just a great teacher. They can't see Him as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. They don't see Him as the One without whom there was made nothing which was made.

As a matter of fact, I think we also understand that very feebly, very limited, with very limited understanding. The Lord Jesus said, if two or three are gathered in My name, I am there in the midst. I am with you always, even to the end of the world.

Living in Consciousness of Christ’s Presence

Now, if you are really aware and conscious that the Lord Jesus is right there, would you talk those words? Would you think those thoughts? No. If you realize that the King of kings and the Lord of lords is just there by you, you will not think those thoughts, you will not utter those words which you normally do.

So, we say the Lord is here, but we look at the columns, we look at the rafters of the big beams. We are amazed at the beams and the columns. We don't see Him. If we saw Him, we would despise this place.

We wouldn't think it worthy of a moment's notice. We will look at Him, we will be absorbed in Him. Look, my dear people, are we not then like those Jews that did not believe Jesus? Are we not like those that took up stones when He said, I and my father are one?

So, I am all the time conscious that our singing is shallow, our worship is hollow. I am all the time very conscious that my praise is not at all worthy of the King. And very often I say, do I really know the one whom I am declaring?

Do I really know the one whom I am declaring? I am not showing forth His glory. That's all, that's all my absorption, that's all my concern. But this man is saying, that man is saying, That's all, I don't stop to even think of those things.

Removing Hypocrisy and Judgmentalism

Now I see that many people who say they are Christians, All their worry is around what someone is saying or someone has said. What kind of Christianity is that? I got a letter from an evangelist before the retreat.

And it was put on my clipboard for my attention. This is about some other evangelist written by some evangelist. I said, no, I am not going to read it. People who write such letters should not come to the retreat.

People who see the beam in their brother's eyes should not come to the retreat. Look, if you can't see the beam in your own eyes, Listen, you can't see the Lord either. If you see the Lord, Oh, you won't see the beam in your brother's eyes.

See, everybody is becoming a specialist these days. What is their specialty? What is their specialty? Discovering the beam in the brother's eyes. What did the Lord Jesus say? Oh, thou hypocrite. Remove the beam in your own eyes.

One thing is certain, You won't advance and you will stop revival. Why? You see the beam in your brother's eyes. Listen, friends. Some of you are revival blockers. Your ways, your thoughts, your letters are revival blockers.

Hindering the work of God's spirit. Listen, The Lord Jesus said, I and my father are one. Now, If we truly recognize this, We would walk with a lot more humility, Fear and trembling. Because The Bible says Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith.

Christ’s Indwelling and Continual Revival

Is Christ dwelling in your heart? Do you mean to say that you would think those thoughts if Christ is dwelling in your heart? Do you mean to say that you would think those thoughts if Christ is dwelling in your heart?

No. Christ is nowhere in your thoughts. If Christ is dwelling in your heart, That is continual revival. That is continual revival. Then you would have brought revival with you to the retreat. You would have brought revival with you to the retreat.

I was seeing a letter this morning. My spirit is dry. I desperately need to come. Won't you permit me at the retreat? Wells without water. Clouds that bring no rain. Trees twice dead. Plucked up by the roots.

Suppose you have the retreat full of such people. The Bible says twice dead. You know, in Christian work, there is a lot of danger. Lot of danger. Lot of danger. It is professionalism. Professionalism.

Rejecting Empty Religious Professionalism

You see, we know the actions. You know the talk. You know the phrases. This is Sunday morning. I have to put on a Sunday smile. On Monday morning, you are not the same person. It is Sunday morning. So you wear a different look.

You wear a different maybe suit. Anyway, that is a kind of empty professionalism. This is a retreat. I must behave in this way. Christ dwelleth in me. Then, if He is dwelling in you, He does the appointing.

If you take a house, you go and live in it. You have to dwell in it. Then, what do you do? You say, I don't want this old chair. Put it in the put it in the you know the upper room where the old things are.

I want this light here. I want my bed here. You may say, this window is not properly placed. I want another window here. You will do the appointing. Now, if Jesus is dwelling there, He will do the appointing.

This broken chair must get out. This filth can't be here. This carpet and the dirt under the carpet must go. Christ dwelleth. I and my Father are one. See, some of these truths of the Bible are really somewhat beyond my head, anywhere.

Becoming the Dwelling Place and Instrument of God

Am I the vehicle of God? Am I the dwelling place of God? Am I the instrument of God? Am I the person through whom He gets His work done? No. No, my dear friends. Then, how should you be? If the Son and the Father are in you, See, I am afraid this fellowship has come to a very low level.

How can the Father and the Son dwell in us? I don't know. Some of you have not got Christ dwelling in you. So, I don't see the fire burning in you. Now, let me take you to another scenario. Some people in many parts of the world are made instant Christians.

Of course, when the Spirit works in you, you are transformed in a flash. Yes, that's how you and I were converted. But, mental conversion Well, there is something in mental conversion. Oh yes, I want to follow Jesus.

Mental Christianity Versus Spiritual Transformation

But, it's not done so easily in the mind, with your mind. You can't do it. And here is a pastor with a lot of mental Christians and he is breaking his heart preaching to them. Nothing happens. Now, that is generally the scenario in many western nations.

Very sad. The best message is shaken away on the doorsteps of the church. Now, when a fellowship like this becomes a backslidden fellowship, that's how you will become. Oh, some of the best messages are being preached today in the fellowship.

Sometimes, I say, what a wonderful mental sermon. Full of scripture. The preacher doesn't know that he is only at the mental level. Full of God's word. Go to some of our big centers. They are getting wonderful preaching.

But, very little spiritual Christianity. Today's accent is on the mind. But God says, not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit. That's spiritual illumination. My father used to universally ask one question.

What did God speak to you? And in many quarters of the globe, people will blink. They will say, what are you asking me? That was his question. What did God speak to you? Go and wait on God. God will speak to you.

Hearing God’s Voice with Fear and Trembling

Let me tell you one thing about God's voice. It will make you exceedingly quake and tremble. I don't see that today. But I see it in my spirit. I see it in my soul. My heart cries out. I am unworthy. Am I really walking with the king of kings?

Or is this some kind of trade? I tell you, to some of you it is a trade. It's a dreadful thing. We have to repent. If God's voice is heard in your heart, you will exceedingly fear and tremble. That's what Moses said.

I exceedingly quake and tremble. Now turn to the 17th chapter of John. John 17. 9 and 10. I pray for them. I pray not for the world for them but for them which thou has given me. For all are thine and all mine are thine and thine are mine.

Surrendering Thoughts, Ambitions, and Possessions to God

I am glorified in them. So what do we see here? All mine are thine. Thine are mine. Can you say that all your thoughts all your ambitions possessions are thine are his? Today we distinguish very clearly between these are mine and these are God's.

These are mine and these are God's. I heard a pastor say we shall now give to God the tithes which are his. They are his and our offerings. You know, listening I was quite struck by that way of presenting it.

What are his we shall give him we shall put into his offering what are his are not ours they are his and then we shall give him our offering and then we shall give him our offering. I said how correct that is alright but today we have made that distinction almost a water type distinction correctly we said yes but these are mine and sometimes in a family the wife says these are mine she doesn't say all mine or thine including my jewelry and thine or mine no that doesn't work in today's world then that itself is only half marriage.

Christian Marriage as Covenant Unity

What we have today is not Christian marriage. It's some kind of legal contract. In fact I heard highly reputed man reputed for evil in the United States what is marriage. It is a pure legal contract. What a terrible idea of marriage.

For this reason shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife and they shall be one flesh. And what God hath joined let no man put asunder. No court no judge no man. That's Christian marriage.

But the Christian church is making it more and more a legal contract. All mine or thine and thine or mine. We just sang Charles Wesley's hymn thou O Christ art all I want. We just sang Charles Wesley's hymn art all I want more than all in thee.

I find now what follows this next verse. 11th verse. Now I am no more in the world. But these are in the world. And I come to you holy father keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are.

The Prayer for Unity Among Believers

I tell you my dear friends when was Jesus Christ separated from the father. Only once only once when he cried on the cross. When my sin and your sin came between him and the father. When my sin and your sin came between him and the father.

What it must have been I don't know. I can never know. I and my father are one. How that sundering took place and how painful it must have been. I wish we could understand a little more of that. But then this crowning statement let them be one as we are one.

See all of us have our opinions. You know our prayer hall in madras by many people's standards is a very big hall. And there is an overflow hall on top. And one preacher said he didn't tell me why such a big hall.

Well he was used to small congregation small group. I don't know why he could have ever said such a thing. This is too small. This is too small for a country with a billion people and an asia with 3 to 4 billion people.

This is too small. I wish he had apologized for those words before he died. But I don't hold it against him. But there may be one or two of you who have the same opinion about this hall. Why such a big hall.

Listen friends nothing is too big for god but nothing is too worthy of god. But we are living in a world where everybody wants to talk. Everybody expresses their foolish views. Now you would have read in the newspapers america is doing this great atrocious thing in iraq.

This and that what did the government of gujarat do in gujarat released the fanatic crowds upon helpless people to kill them and to burn them. We won't say anything. But i'm in delhi won't say anything.

Humility and Servanthood in Leadership

But we talk about america. See. Anybody can talk today. Anybody can talk today. But are you talking according to god's holy spirit. Especially when it comes to leadership. I am more and more afraid of the leadership.

If they are not humble people. It's finished. It's finished. Anybody who thinks he is a leader unless he is a very humble person he will do much harm. And i think some of you leaders are doing that. Some leaders came to me.

See as the work increases some people have to be entrusted a few responsibilities. And some people were asked to come a little early to this retreat. And i am going to ask those people who came early.

Did you remove your shirt and do any work. No i am a big officer. I don't want such people. Do you know what the cry of my heart is. I must take a broom and clean this place. Some indians many indians don't see dust.

Many indians can't see dust. If you can't see outside dust you can't see inside dust. Look at this level of oneness which the bible speaks of. Look at this level of as you and i are one let they are one my.

Are we ever going to reach that. That they may be one as we are. And i don't know about some of you people about 60 and 65 years. People about 60 and 65 years. I don't know about you. I know myself. And i will tell you i am afraid of myself.

Not that i am going to fall dead on a platform or anything. That's not what i mean. No no no. I have never had that fear. But what is it i am afraid of. When you get older sometimes your thoughts get frozen.

They get fixed. I am afraid of that. No no no. I have got to change. Learn learn learn. And when you become weaker in your body you don't recognize your limitations. And you begin to do things which you ought not to do.

Faithfulness, Growth, and Personal Humility

Oh i am afraid. I am not afraid of anybody. But i am afraid of joshua daniel. Oh i must be faithful to the end. Listen friends when we began as a prayer group of 3 or 4 or 5 people we had the example of my dad and my mother.

We didn't have halls we didn't have facilities. Nothing. But we had the bible my dad preaching a word from god. And an example of my dad and mother working with one heart. And we young fellows we young fellows we began to work in unison pray with a united single mind.

This is my opinion. That is your opinion. Nothing of that nonsense. You know i see in the scriptures he made known his ways unto moses his acts unto the children of israel. See i have learnt in my christian life that you don't wait for all toms and dicks and harrys to agree.

Pursuing God’s Revealed Mission Together

Suppose i expected some of you young men to agree with me about a hall with a span of 140 feet with no columns between with no columns 140 feet. See all the upstairs all the balconies has one of the biggest spans that you can see in the world.

But many people can't even understand that concept. When i when we started with 104 and 108 span with the bottom it seemed enormous. Too big a span. Our engineers couldn't do it. They have no expertise.

But i said it must be done. It can be done. Alright it was done. Suppose i expected some of you girls and boys in the fellowship to say yes. Yes yes. Or some of you old engineers to say yes. Yes. This would never have been built.

When god makes known his ways a fellowship must be ready to pursue the way. A fellowship must be ready to pursue the way. I don't want every woman to begin to talk every young man to say. This is my view.

This is my opinion. This is my opinion. When god has revealed something it has to be done. When god asks paul to go to europe how many people would have understood that call it was mostly the church was mostly in judia.

And a little extension into samaria. A little extension but the uttermost parts of the world. Many. I suppose there would have been some people who says oh no. That's not a wise thing to attempt. Nowadays i hear some of your leaders telling me this man doesn't like this.

That woman doesn't like this. Listen. We do not want grumblers. If you think you know everything then you will never learn at the feet of jesus. And you will hinder oneness. What is the use of having several thousand people here.

If there is no oneness. If there isn't that understanding that love. This is a bazaar. This is not a fellowship. Some churches are bazaars. They are not church. The church of jesus. This is the prayer of jesus.

This is the prayer of jesus. Father even as we are one make them one to certain women. I wanted to write and say in one city don't come to this retreat. You will set up a contrary spirit. Don't come. But i said let me give one more chance.

Don't forget john wesley used to put out many people. A group has to be cleansed. A people who don't have a world wide vision and a sacrifice and a prayer to match it. They cannot be in this fellowship.

It's not possible. Many of you are only thinking of your little centers. Yes. Labor hard. But this is a changing world a smaller and smaller globe. And if our faith does not encircle the globe that's no faith at all.

That's no faith. Many of you have local vision. Some of you have a national a few national. Some of you have a national vision. But the lord jesus gives us a world wide vision. Let us pray. Let us tell god in our hearts.

Repentance, Humility, and Christlike Oneness

Lord take away my small vision. Give me true vision. Take away my small mind. Even as you and the father are one. Help me to be one with my brother. Oh lord. Have mercy on us. Our vision does not match the need today.

Our faith does not match the need today. Oh to whom shall we go. Thou has the words of eternal life. Take away proud words. Take away the long tongues. Take away the heart that only sees the beam in my brothers eyes.

Lord. We want that deep heart humility all of us. We need that heart humility unbroken. We need that heart humility unbroken. Do not allow us to talk all kinds of things in this compound. We don't want contrary spirits contrary currents.

We want to say i am one with my father. Christ dwelleth in me. Oh my father. Open our understanding. Let us not claim something which we don't really see in practice. Pour out the spirit of prayer upon us.

We pray for all the preachers and leaders. Oh lord. We want to walk with a trembling heart. Have mercy upon us. That oneness for which Jesus prayed. Bring it into our families. Bring it into our centers.

Leaders that are feet washers. Oh lord do it. We pray. Hear our prayer in Jesus holy name. Amen. And now may the grace of our lord Jesus and the love of God and the fellowship and power of the holy spirit be with you.

Amen.