Flip-Flopping Christians 2 - Part 1

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.

You know, forgetting the works of God is a serious misdemeanor. It's kind of very offensive to me. When I see people whom I helped for years, in their sickness, I prayed for them.

And when I see them turn out, you know, kind of very shaky, with their old nature showing, I feel very sad. That's the saddest part of my life. Saddest part of my life.

But I try to cast that sorrow upon the Lord. Oh, these people have received so much, Lord. They have seen love and concern poured into their lives.

And I did everything for them. But, alas, how ungrateful. The Lord must be so grieved also, isn't it? When he cannot see a shout, Hosanna! Thou Savior, you saved me before you're able to save me in this crisis, in this hardship, in this trial, in this setback.

Yes, friends, you would think when they praise the Lord Jesus in this manner, saying, 38th verse, Blessed be the King which cometh in the name of the Lord. It almost appeared like coronation time. Blessed be the King.

You know, that should be the expectation of our hearts. And yet, the voices that were involved in this triumphal entry, I have wondered why were they so still when the crowd cried out, crucify him. See, Jesus was condemned and the judge could only say, Now, listen, what must I do with Jesus? What shall I do with Jesus? Shall I release him? I find no fault in him.

The answer came, crucify him. Crucify him. What? Were they mere flip-floppers, some of these people? One moment saying, here's our King.

He is the Lord of all. He is my Lord. Can it be? Or were they muffled? Frightened? Muted? Silenced? What happened to this great crowd? That's a question that grieves me, bothers me.

So I'm only going to follow the Lord as long as he appears triumphant. Is that the conclusion of the matter? I will follow the Lord when everything is fine and I can just think of his great works. I have never tried, no trials, no temptations.

I'm fine. And, you know, we have got it in our heads so strongly today that success is everything. You know, when I was examined again this week, my doctor asked me, or I told my doctor, Doctor, you know, I have been working hard under all kinds of circumstances and all weathers.

Oh, he said, was your trip a success? I don't know what he really meant. To me, success is not in money. Success is not in personal comfort.

Success is not in recognition. Everybody applauding. Everybody is saying, oh, you made it.

No, to me, that's not success. Is every eye on Jesus? Have they made Jesus Lord over their lives? That's all the success I want. These people have looked only at the donkey.

Oh, total failure, total failure. That's all they have learned. They have looked only at the donkey.

Failure. My dear friends, so we would say, now what is this? This seems like a real anomaly, contradiction, paradox. What happened to all this crowd? They put their clothes before the donkey, the colt.

They praised the Lord. They shouted, Hosanna. You know, there is a scripture, they all forsook him and fled.

They all forsook him and fled. So when the tough times came, when Jesus was being spat at, when the Lord Jesus was being betrayed and denied, I don't know the man. Were there not a few of these people who had shouted Hosanna there to say, no, this is an unjust thing that is taking place.

You cannot reject my Lord.