Only One Life to Live — Keith Daniel

I am very grateful to God in his mercy on me, in allowing me to come back to your country and especially to this particular church building. I am very grateful and I don't have words that are fitting to thank you enough for allowing me to come back and I have no words fitting enough to thank our dear brother Denny and his dear wife and family for loving us and trusting us so often and opening so much of your country to this very unworthy man.

But I do bless God for them and for all of you and thank you so much for letting my wife and my son be with me. I haven't been with them most of this year, for some reason this year particularly separated us and you would be shamed of me if I had to tell you how much time we were actually together as a family.

But we didn't plan it all together that way, but I do remember when I was thinking of the finer details of coming here how I did say Lord it would have been so nice for Jenny and Samuel just this year to have come because we've been so much separated.

And it was so lovely that that day our brother Denny said that Jenny must come with Samuel and he didn't know it how I was on my face before God after that phone call to thank him for his tender mercy and love.

I think it was Livingston, the great godly, holy David Livingston that said no, nothing we have done or could ever do could be termed a sacrifice when you look at what Jesus did on the cross for us. And I agree with all my heart and nothing we've ever done is a sacrifice.

But I do know this, he makes up in a billion ways that one would never dare to say of how the hand of God comes in the most amazing way to honour you if you are willing to serve him. And though all hell comes against you, you're always conscious every step of the way Christ is right beside you and what more do we want?

And his love and tenderness. I doubt that there is a man alive on this earth that God has been so tender with and so good to as me. I will be stunned if God would show me any other man in heaven as that in my lifetime and I say that from my heart I will be staggered and I love him for that and I thank him for such people as you.

I honestly thank you for coming here tonight and for loving God enough and his word as to be willing to come to hear a very base and weak and despised man as me. I honestly thank you for that. Oh God in mercy on me, wash me now deeply in the blood of Jesus thy son.

I have no right to preach this holy book apart from the blood cleansing me. I have nothing to commend, nothing to point to, to give me the right to preach outside of the blood of Jesus my saviour. I want nothing but the blood to show thee God and I ask thee to wash me now and fill me with the Holy Spirit that in weakness thy strength may be made perfect.

For thou didst choose the weak and the base and the despised things of the world deliberately that no flesh could glory in thy presence and we are wondered at thy wisdom Lord in choosing such base men but we agree Lord no flesh dare glory in thy presence.

Come in mercy on me, have mercy on all of us for this night is nothing but sacrilege if God himself does not come in grace and mercy. We have nothing even in ourselves to change ourselves outside of the grace and the love of God and just a willingness to want God to have his way thou can't work.

O God make us willing take down into the hearts of every man woman and child here tonight every prejudice, every fear, every doubt, every work of the devil to harden the heart to close the mind wipe it away by the power of the risen and resurrected Christ and the Holy Spirit and protect us now under the blood of Christ from our only enemy the devil.

Come now visit us through thy word thy holy word turn our lives God turn every life God to something they've never been before. No man can do that especially the weakest and the basest as I but God can and in faith because of the motives of our heart that thou art looking at answer this prayer above that we're asking for believing in Jesus the Christ's name amen.

Christ’s Death and the Principle of Fruitfulness

In the holy book there is word Christ said in John chapter 12 that are very staggering if one takes every word God has uttered as vital necessity for you and I to walk with him he says in chapter 12 of John in verse 23 Jesus answered them saying the hour is come that the son of man should be glorified.

He's speaking now here about himself the reason he came from all his glory to become a man. This moment now has arrived the hour has come that the son of man should be glorified. You see he was about to face Calvary and die for all flesh for all men he takes the death for every man don't ever doubt it.

The hour has come that the son of man should be glorified. Then he says a strange thing concerning his death that he was speaking about. Verily verily I say unto you except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit.

If it die it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it. Oh what a tragedy that you could do that. And he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto it life eternal. If any man serve me let him follow me.

Amazing words here. Except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone. But if it die it bringeth forth much fruit. Can I read at the outset of the sermon please what shall I say unto you.

Could make a man desperately seek God. What could make a man desperately seek God for vital reality in Christianity before he dies. Before he dies. One profound statement caused me to seek God in such a way.

Only one life to live to a soon be passed. Only what's done for Christ will last. I never recovered from that moment to this. When I read those words on a wall in a building after having laid that statement before you I would like us now very very carefully and prayerfully to look again at these verses.

Christ said verse 24. Except the corn of wheat unless the corn of wheat falls into the ground and die it abideth alone it just remains one corn of wheat. That's all it is. But if it die if it die it bringeth forth much fruit.

Now in its context. In its context it initially speaks of Christ's death that would result in the salvation of millions. That is what he's saying as he says these words in its context it initially speaks of Christ's death that would result in the salvation of millions but beloved.

It also applies in principle in its context to us who would follow Christ. And he's so careful when he speaks now as he's about to face death to throw death upon us who he saves for fruit. The whole principle is to turn to you and I not just to tell them he's about to face death.

And what would happen the millions and millions and millions that would be reached if one died. He turns to us with the same principle in its context. And he staggers you and me almost in the same breath.

Christ goes on and he looks to you and I now concerning this principle of what he had to do to bring forth fruit that would stagger the powers of hell and the world for eternity. You see the next verse is not about him.

He that loveth his life he says so lose it. Oh my. You want to hold on to your rights and to everything that you have in life and can hold on to that will waste everything God could ever have done to you.

You have a choice though. You're saved. He that hateth his life oh gives up the right has no rights demands no rights expects no rights. Oh he shall keep it unto eternal life. To lose our lives not physically not physically but to lay down our lives no matter what it costs us in such a way in such a way for God to be able to bring forth fruit through us while we live.

To lose our lives not physically but to lay down our life no matter what the cost. In such a way as for God to bring forth much fruit through us while we live. In this little moment called life. I'm writing books one book I for one day hope God will let me publish this moment called life.

It's all you've got. It's gone in one moment friend for God's sake. Don't hold on to it. You'll never have another moment called life. It's almost gone before it started. Beloved. I have come to believe with all my heart that in Christianity a life of fruitfulness is born through a moment of death.

Can I repeat that I have come to believe with all my heart that in Christianity a life of fruitfulness is born through a moment of death. I have come to believe that a Christian must have a personal calvary to find vital reality with God and to ever be greatly used by God.

There are only two types of Christians. You will never find three. Don't look for them. You will only find two types of Christians. Beloved those who have had a personal calvary and those who have not.

And within moments you know which group they belong to. You cannot cannot hide a man who has had a personal calvary. My son Samuel who's here tonight with us at the beginning of this year he was 11 years old and he came through on this farm his grandpa's farm where we have our annual leave.

I won't tell you how many days I managed to find but I was there for those few days and I was alone with Jesus. And Samuel opened the door waiting to see if I would beckon him to come in. He had his Bible in his hand and I said come in.

So he came and stood and looked at me with his Bible in hand and said daddy do you want to know how to be able to win many many many people to Christ. So I looked at him and I said yes. I would he said then listen to this preach this and many many people will come to Christ.

And he took what he had been doing obviously in his devotions along with Jesus in the other bedroom marked passages where he had little pieces of paper and he began to read these little verses in that little passage in that all linking up comparing scripture with scripture and eventually his train of thought leading up to how to make people seek God and go through with God and get saved what they must do step and how God will assure them giving them witness that they are saved if they do that.

Then he ended closed the Bible and said now do that daddy and you'll win many to Christ. And I said thank you. I was quite stunned. I looked at him and I said Samuel it looks to me like you're going to be a preacher also.

And he said no daddy I'm not. I don't want to be a preacher. I want to be a prayer warrior. I want to be able to be someone before I die that can go on his knees and ask God concerning souls to be saved.

And whenever I pray God will immediately answer that prayer. Whatever I cry out to God that God would answer that prayer immediately. I want that daddy far more could be done to win souls if I was a prayer warrior in truth daddy than if I was a preacher.

When I looked at him feeling quite rebuked and I tried to justify myself and I said well Samuel you can't be a preacher of any worth unless you're a prayer warrior first to the degree that your life is soaked and consumed in prayer.

To that degree only will you be anointed by God when you preach. To the degree that your life is consumed in prayer to that degree only that you pray. Will God anoint your ministry. Forgive me. Tragically beloved.

Prayer, Obedience, and Vital Reality with God

Most Christians in this world will never ever be able to testify that God answered their prayers immediately before they die. Ever. Now that is tragic. Most Christians will never be able to testify that God answered their prayers immediately before they die.

You see such fruit is born through vital reality with God only. There's no such a promise in the Bible of answering any prayer you've ever prayed or ever will pray in your life without a condition. And I could give you thirty minutes to an hour of the scripture upon scripture of those promises with the conditions such fruit as my son said is the thing needed more than preachers.

A life like that it is born. It is born only through vital reality with God. 1 John 3 verse 20. For if our heart condemn us God is greater than our heart. And if our heart condemn us God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things beloved.

If our heart condemn us not then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. That's fruit beloved as my son saw is the greater need is born only through vital reality with God.

And you will not find one verse in the entire Bible that will disagree with that in its context concerning prayer being answered. A number of years ago I was in this building at your Bible school. A young man was in the meeting who God began to smite him with such conviction of the grief he was to God though he was saved.

I want to repeat that being saved doesn't make you a joy to God. Sir you can grieve the spirit you can quench. This boy was so smitten by the Holy Ghost as he sat in meeting upon meeting through that week of Bible school that I was so privileged.

I will never cease to thank God for eternity. You trust me with that. He went home grieving no joy. Grieving his parents. His family saw this boy was in a terrible state of grief and sorrow smitten by God the Holy Ghost.

They heard him that night sobbing. The father said I couldn't sleep. Keith I listened to that boy crying oh God oh God listening to his son groaning before God in desperation about his condition though he was saved.

The consciousness suddenly of the grief he was to God just went on until the house came to a hush listening a hush watching him try to survive through the day when all he wanted to be was alone with God.

His mother said the little waste bin was filled with these little tissues wet through as he was sobbing before God in desperation about his condition though he was saved. One morning he came out and everyone looked again but this boy came out with a glow on his face and he said words that made heaven rejoice louder than you and I can shout hallelujah brother.

Don't doubt mother surrendered my all to God. I am absolutely surrendered to God. My life is laid fully on the altar of God. His life was so changed that that house was shaken into silence. He was so transformed that home was in a staggered stunned silence at how God could so transform a man who sought him like that and would not let him go till he found what he wanted God having his way.

A Family’s Prayer for Salvation

But then the dear father who was driving me from the airport to preach a man you all know and love as I've come to love he said at the table at family prayers at the devotion. The son asked that night why is it that our family never comes near us.

Our grandfather's grandmama. How is it that the cousins the uncles the aunties so many they've never come. They want nothing to do with us. Why is it they've never come to the house of God to hear daddy preaching.

The father said carefully how they had been ostracized and thrown out and forbidden to make contact with the others when they had got saved because his parents and his mother's parents were deeply religious but in such darkness and they were so fearful of coming to life.

Because when you're in religion how do you say you're wrong. It's a billion times harder for a man to come to light and to God than for a drunk who has no argument. Oh. The father looked and said when we came to Christ we were forbidden to make contact and they keep us at bay.

That is why this boy for the first time he'd heard things but for the first time tears came down his face at the consciousness of his when he said. But surely there must be something that we can do. There must be something to get them to come to the house of God just once to hear the truth being preached before they go to hell.

There must be something God can do. And he prayed. If I can remember rightly the father said no one really could pray after that prayer as he wept the way he'd never wept before praying. Oh God it doesn't matter what the cost I would be willing for anything.

I would be willing to do anything. God if thou would just be able to bring them all to the house of God I would be willing God to hear the gospel being preached in truth just once before they all die and go to hell.

God it doesn't matter what the cost God answer this prayer. That boy was in a car days later with his two brothers sitting in the front and he was in the back in the car lost control went down and down and down and the brothers were alive in the front but they turned.

This boy was dead. If I rightly remember they had a cell phone and somehow contacted the mummy and the daddy who were driving the opposite direction and told him he's dead. Daddy and mummy pulled off the road weeping.

And then he said wait mummy. Isn't God good. Isn't God good. That he so met with this boy before he took him. He was so right with God. And they began to thank God and worship him for his goodness. That's godliness.

But then the father said to me the day of the funeral came Keith and I was preparing in the church. I think his brother Roman was to give the sermon itself. But the father was the minister of that church the pastor and he was preparing the things as the people were streaming in and streaming in.

And he looked up and he was shaken as he suddenly saw father and his mother coming through the door. And his brothers sisters and their husbands and the children the cousins every single relative on earth to that family walked through that door into that church.

Days after that boy had prayed that prayer that father broke to a boy praying when he's right with God. Listen beloved. Listen carefully. God will resort to anything to answer the prayer immediately fully of any man who has vital reality with him.

I want to repeat that carefully. There is nothing God will not to resort to to immediately fully answer any prayer. Any man who has vital reality with him prays. That boy had found vital reality with God in the first prayer.

He really cried out to God. The only way God knew to answer that prayer fully and immediately in integrity and obligation to answer that prayer toward his promises to that boy was to do what he did. And God will resort to anything to not fail his word.

Or the person who fulfills the condition to answer anything whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. Oh beloved John Knox.

Radical Intercession for the Lost

He cried words that the church will never recover from. Give me Scotland or I die now. I want you to think about that God gave him Scotland. When he prayed that prayer God gave him a land because God knew that man would die.

No sacrifice was too great to him for God to answer his prayer. Have you ever prayed like that in your life. For anyone in compassion let alone for a Moses cried out. Blot me out of my book. Eternally think of it but save this people that God was about to destroy.

No sacrifice was too great for Moses for God to answer that prayer. Don't have to answer it. Paul cried out. I would wish myself cursed of God. A curse of Christ not just to be blotted out but curse. He had such compassion for those who would seem couldn't be reached for his own people older but that Israel could be saved.

I could wish myself cursed of Christ. Do you know the gravity of the meaninglessness. He had no regard in eternity for his own soul when it came to. If God would just answer that prayer have you ever come near the cup.

The standard the capacity of the depth of what God would want a man a woman to pray for his life make you unable to pray anything for anyone in a way that could move heaven to stagger this world. Here was the heart beloved when men prayed in such a way that God saw they were willing to die.

Here was the heart of Christ beloved when men prayed in such a way that God saw they were willing to die that others may live. Have you ever. Will you ever ever ever pray like that before you die having held on to life not willing for any real sacrifice that would make you lose anything life really held out to you.

When I heard that boy's testimony from his father who is a godly preacher I thought of these words as I said looking at this father driving listening. I thought of these words. You shall seek me. He shall find me when he shall search for me with all your heart.

God said that there's no other way to find vital reality with God outside of that. I want to ask each one of you here tonight. When will you seek God with all your heart. When will you seek God in the way that you will find vital reality that will stagger this world beginning in your home.

When will you lay down everything in life brother sister to find a true walk with God that will bring forth fruit every step you take every prayer you pray. When will you become desperate. When will you become desperate that you will not seek.

You will not cease to seek God like that boy until you find him. I will not let me go except I'll bless me unless you have your full way. Oh God I will not let me go. When will you like Jacob have a personal Calvary.

What would you have been for the world Jacob if there had not been a Penea where you died to self and would not let God go until he had his full work done in your heart and stop fighting. A crucified man is not evidenced by forsaking all and going to the mission field.

The Call to Prayer Is Not the Call to Go

I want you to listen carefully. That's not a crucified man. A crucified man is not evidenced by forsaking all and going to the mission field. We had a young boy when I was first a preacher coming to big youth conventions and he had this desire to always serve God to go out as a missionary to preach.

He grew up he went out he came into our mission and God used him. But he had this longing to go further into deeper Africa where it wasn't so westernized and he said so gospelized. Well it were few workers not all these churches everywhere preaching the gospel the privilege of this country that I want to go with him.

He had this and I said to him one day as he was having this more and more in his heart and determined to learn the language of the land and determined to start deputation work to get supporters to the mission he was going to go with.

I said to him are you sure this is God. The need is not the call. You must be called by God. You must know you're in the center of the will of God or you cannot blame God. What happens to you if you go.

The need is not the call. He looked at me for a while before he answered. That hesitation made me tremble. Eventually after all the preparation and the sacrifice and everything he his wife his children went to this land very third world and cut off this mission sent them to a place where they were ready cut off where no missionaries had been for a long long time.

And the rains came the weather came all and disease came and the radio couldn't reach anybody and their child got the sickness and they tried to get in this van and the van couldn't go in all the water and so they walked and the child died in their arms.

And then while trying to bury the child the husband the same disease getting hold of him and this woman dragging him pulling him. We think through the rain and the mud and the slough. Eventually some natives there they found him and took them.

Somehow radio contact was made helicopters and they were somehow he survived. And she Ron got the same Oh child dead. He nearly died. He just somehow scraped through and they got him back. So they doubted he could ever live.

He was in such a state when he got there but he got through. He came to see me and my wife and he said I'm going back. The devil's not keeping me from the will of God no matter what he's done. And I said no you're not going back.

You're not going back unless God writes on the wall with his finger go don't dare go. The need is not the call but doesn't do that. Be careful. The need is not the call to go but the need is the call to pray.

If you never ever remember a word this man has ever said in this nation in your life. Please just remember this Christian. The need is not the call to go but the need is the call to pray. The need is the call to pray.

There was a missionary family from America that a man wrote to me a little while ago about a year ago and he said in our church this family stood in the front of the prayer meeting and said we are going but you must pray.

We will not survive without your prayers. We will be destroyed without your prayers. You're we're going. You must pray. He begged us. I think he said it was two years later Jesus man came back and it was last week.

I think when he was writing he said this church was staggered at the end of the prayer meeting. A very weak sickly man staggered up in the front of the meeting and he said these words. I am dying. My wife is dead all my children are dead.

I am dying. But I managed to get back and I asked God to let me live to get to this meeting. And I waited. You didn't know. I was here. I waited to see if anyone had prayed for us. Anyone. Just one word.

No one prayed for us. You failed. That is why we were just we went. But you forgot to pray for us. In truth as you are there the need is not the call to go but the need is the call to pray. The call for prayer warriors is a far greater need than the call for preachers.

Can I repeat that the call for prayer warriors is a far greater need than the call for preachers. Because no preacher will survive without the prayer warriors. Oh for crucified lives that will go to their knees for missionaries to survive and not to return devastated.

Oh for crucified lives that will go to their knees for missionaries to survive and not to return devastated. Only a crucified life will be willing to spend their life consumed by prayer like wreath house and praying hide.

Only a crucified life will be willing to spend their life consumed by prayer. But without them the world will stagger. It is as the they pray that the world is affected. The missionaries survive and advance.

Prayer Warriors and the Mission of the Church

And souls are one only as the church prays. But only the crucified lives in the church will pray in a way that will keep the missions open and advancing and the souls being one around this world. You wonder why so few are one throughout the world.

Because the church has so few crucified lives consumed by prayer. And the missionaries are far and sparse between and battling. And so in every aspect of life the ranks are so thin. It is tragic is that the will of God.

But it is because there's so few pray. Don't doubt that beloved. Don't doubt that a crucified life does not necessarily result in forsaking all to preach. But a crucified life does result in forsaking all that is not essential in life to pray in losing your life to be consumed in a life of prayer.

We are all called beloved but can only fulfill that calling properly when we've had a personal Calvary. The preacher does not have to prove he's called by always being busy with things. He proves he's called by giving himself to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.

In that order the disciples cried out in despair we will give our. We will give ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word in that order always. But those who are not to preach prove they are fulfilling God's purposes for their lives by praying and deeply conscious that it is as is as vital a ministry as preaching for the preacher will die.

The preacher will die disillusioned. If they don't they become deeply conscious that their ministry is as vital as any preacher that ever went and as costly. Do you honestly believe that if you stay home God expects less of a sacrifice from your life for the world than the missionary who forsakes his job his work his home his family his land.

Do you honestly believe God is so unjust to single out some with their sacrifice. And you are bypassed to live in such pleasures and hold on to all life luxuries and joys and know nothing of dying yourself.

Do you honestly believe that is God's way beloved. The crucified preacher is nailed to the cross because of love for the lost. He loses his life to win the loss for Christ. He denies himself what others call their legal rights.

He dies daily to things other people regard as the normal legitimate rightful things that we have to have. This world is not his home. He sets his affection on things above not on things on the earth.

He lives to lay up for himself treasures in heaven for him to live as Christ. But to die is gain for his treasures are only in heaven so he has no treasure on us. If he's a preacher that his affection is attached to that would keep him from anything God sends him to.

Don't doubt that beloved. Only a man crucified of self who has had a personal Calvary will find himself able to spend his life denying himself of all else so that he can be consumed in a life of prayer.

But without the wreath houses and the praying hides the church will stagger across the world. The mission field will become empty of workers spas of workers. And those workers will battle to survive because there's no praying height and wreath house.

The prayer warrior who is called to pray praise for the mission field. He sacrifices his life as much as the missionary who forsakes all to fulfill that. Calling the prayer warrior is the reason the mission field have workers.

We do not send people to the field. God does we pray for the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborers. None of us can. Only God can truly call a man who will survive who will truly be called of God anointed of God equipped by God and who will be fruitful.

But God waits for us to pray. Listen in case you missed it pray. God waits for that. Do you as we ought. Do you not think the world would have be filled with rags of missionaries who will survive and bring the world to Christ ten times over in our lifetime if we had done all but as we ought to have and not held on to life church of Christ.

Do you honestly think God stood back and let so many be unreached of his personal will. I cannot blame God through doctrine and sit back and say I have no responsibility. Not with the Bible. I read the prayer warrior is the reason men will go to the mission field and the prayer warrior is the reason missionaries will stay in the mission field.

Take the prayer warrior away and no missionary will survive or go. That's God's order. According to the book I have called the Holy Bible. This world beloved waits for Christians. This world beloved waits for Christians.

This world beloved waits for Christians who like the seed will fall into the ground and die to become fruitful before they have physical death. This world is waiting for nothing else. In case you're waiting for something else politically to happen financially to happen economically to happen before we do our things.

This world beloved waits for one thing. Only for Christians who like the seed will fall into the ground and die. To be able to become to bring forth much fruit is not only Christ death. It's ours why we live.

David Livingston said I will place no value on anything in this life that does not pertain to the kingdom of Christ. Have you ever heard another man on earth utter such words. No wonder God had to use him and let the whole church just look on.

I will place no value on anything in this life that does not pertain to the kingdom of Christ. This is the language of the crucified Christian. Only one to live to soon be passed. Only what's done for Christ will last.

The Personal Calvary and Total Surrender

Everything else will be forgotten in eternity. When did you have a personal Calvary child of God. When did you like Jacob give up the fight and cling to God desperately until he met with you to make you holy and not a grief to God and man as he was with all God had done in visions and dreams and trying to protect and honor him.

All he was is a grief to God and man. Don't doubt it until Peniel. When will you have a personal Calvary. I call on you with all of my heart to find that place now or very soon before this moment life is gone.

Come lay your life on the altar of God for God's sake and for the world's sake and for your own sake. Because you lose it. If you're gonna hold on to it any longer you lose everything God could have done and would have done and waits to do but will never force you to give me your all.

For your every priority will change your every value will change and your every minute will be redeemed when you do that and not waste it on folly even legitimate folly. Oh come lay your life on the altar of God.

Become the instrument of the revival the world waits for. Come lay your life on the altar of God. Become the instrument of the revival. The world waits for or get to heaven just the corn wheat alone though you could have borne much if you just were willing to lay your life on the altar of God and desperation and cling to him till he has his full way with all that's wrong in you our heads.