Most of us eat every day, some of us too much because yesterday's food
is not enough to supply energy for today's needs. Why then, do some
of us expect yesterday's portion of heavenly manna, the word of God to keep
us through today's challenges. On this program, we are going to change all
of that. Let's experience God's words today and receive the power we need to
live healthy, vibrant lives. Welcome to your Daily Portion with your host,
author speaker, Elle David Harris. Good morning, good morning, Good morning.
It is Thursday, December eighth, fourteen, twenty twenty three. Hello,
my name is Elle David Harris. I am your host, and this
is your Daily Portion where we give you God's Word every single day, and
today is no exception. We are continuing in our Lesson study series. God's
mission, my mission, and our caption for today is faith on the Earth.
I'm here reading that I'm about to read from Luke eighteen, and my
brain said it it's December eighteen, But yeah, it's not. It's the
four. You know what I'm saying, right, That's one of those things.
I am so happy to be with you this morning, and I'm asking
you to please go over to your Daily Portion dot com join our online community.
Please please also let us know where you are in the world. There's
a box there with a little form that says where are you in the world.
And also pick up the your Daily Portion book at your Daily Portion dot
com. This is a way we build faith and fellowship. Let's go ahead
and pray, and then we will get underway. Father and Heaven, thank
you for giving us this new day and for the privilege that we have to
open your word. And I'm asking you to please fill us with your holy
spirit. Give us the opportunity, Lord to help somebody today and help us
to capitalize on it. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen, and
a man again faith on earth. Now I am a firm believer in God
ordering our footsteps. Right, put it one in the chat if you believe
that God orders our footsteps, even the minor details. And so you know
initially, as you can see in the lesson study, you're supposed to read
from Luke chapter eighteen and verse eight But I inadvertently, if you want to
say in air quotes, I looked at verse eighteen, and then two very
important questions arose. Okay, looking at what I was supposed to read versus
what God had shown me right here as I was making a mistake. Right,
So, so here are the questions. I'm going to read verse eighteen,
which was not what we were supposed to read for today. And it
reads and a certain ruler asked him, saying, good Master, what shall
I do to inherit eternal life? Right? So we've read about this before.
Now here is the passage that we were supposed to read, verse eight
I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the son
of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? Now, what
am I gonna do? I'm gonna put it in a bowl, mix it
up, and give it right back to you. Right, So there are
two there are two different perspectives that are happening right here, right now.
Right. Should not the man who said, good Master, what shall I
do to inherit eternal life? Like? Should not that question have been more
like what Jesus said? Jesus said, will I find faith on the earth?
Could it be that the man should have asked Jesus, Lord, what
will it take? What will it take to have faith? What will it
take to have the kind of faith that lays hold on you, on your
power? What kind of faith does it take to connect with you? How
can I increase my faith? You see? You see, sometimes humans are
into a paycheck. And I don't mean like a paycheck at work, because
really and truly we do need to get a paycheck, like if you work,
you should get paid, got it? But then sometimes we superimpose that
on our spiritual lives, like what can I do in order to earn a
paycheck? Very interesting discussion, and I'm wondering about that question for myself.
Am I asking God what do I do to inherit eternal life? And I
know, technically, of course I'm not, But in my actions like am
I looking for brownie points? Am I looking for a way to connect in
order to be rewarded? Or am I really just wanting to be in God's
presence? Like am I satisfied with the presence of God to the point that
as I grow in that experience with Him than anything else that happens is a
bonus. You see what's happening here. So I'm thankful that God allowed me
to read the passage wrong if you want to say in air quotes and then
come back around, and now I have these two questions with which I will
contend every day of my life. What shall I do to inherit eternal life?
Or what kind of faith? What kind of faith? God? Are
you? Are you planting in my bosom so I can lay hold upon your
power? And then, of course, now Jesus is saying, well,
will I find faith in the earth? And that's for us to answer.
Will he find faith in me? Will he find faith in you? There
are multiple stories here, from Matthew chapter eight, Matthew chapter nine, Chapter
twenty, Mark chapter two, Mark chapter ten, Luke chapter eighteen. Of
course, we cannot read through all of those passages, but there are some
lessons that we need to be gleaning from them. Let's begin with the one
from Matthew chapter eight, verses ten and thirteen, and they reads when Jesus
heard it, he marveled and said to them that followed, Verily, I
say, unto you, I have not found so great faith, No,
not in Israel, meaning among God's people. And Jesus said, unto the
centurion, go thy way as it as thou hast believed, so be it
done unto thee. This shows us that there are people who have genuine faith,
and these people can be found in unexpected places like these people can be
unexpected people. Sometimes among the people of God, we don't have enough faith.
And I just say that sometimes the people of God don't have enough faith.
And then people that come from outside, if you want to call it
in air quotes, outside of the family of God, they demonstrate, they
demonstrate the kind of faith that Jesus admires and he sees coming and he rewards
and he says, Wow, I've never seen anything like this, because the
man was in the supposed to be that kind of faithful. But I think
again, in Isaiah chapter fifty six, we see verses one through seven that
anybody who who keeps covenant with God, right, it doesn't matter from what
kindred nation, tongue, tribe, or people a person comes. If you
have faith in God and you are a person who will keep covenant with Him
by faith, then he says, don't call yourself a eunuch. That was
a person who ceremonially would have been considered torn and not acceptable. It's a
long story. It's more than that, but that's what it would mean.
H don't say you're a dry tree. Don't say you're a gentile, don't
say you come from outside Ah. But if you will keep my holy seventh
day Sabbath, if you will keep covenant with me, I will give you
a name that is greater, that is better than of sons and of daughters.
It is a name that will remain forever. Can you imagine God is
writing his new name in the foreheads of people who are least kindly, the
likely candidates for spiritual success. Yeah, Samaritans, right, people who come
from among people who are not necessarily worships of worshippers of God. And so
I'm thankful that God has shown us in this man's story who just really wanted
to have healing for his servant. And Jesus is saying, because you have
given me this kind of faith, I'm going to give you the power through
that vehicle, and I'm going to answer your prayer in the affirmative. And
so faith transcends cultural and religious boundaries. I said all of that to just
say that now, faith also in Christ opens doors of grace. In Mark
chapter ten and verse fifty two, Jesus in answer to the kind of faith
that lays hold upon God's power, he said, go thy way thy faith
hath made the whole meaning. Bartimaeus, he was blind, he could not
see. And then he gave Jesus the little faith that he had, and
Jesus turned that faith into into into healing. And so faith opens the doors
to power. I said, grace. That's what power. That's what grace
is. Grace is is is unmerited favor. Yes, and it's also power,
power from God to do his will, power to be transformed by God.
And then let me just give you one more, one more. Faith
is recognized and honored by Jesus Christ. Faith is recognized and honored by Jesus
Christ. He is pleased to say yes to people who have faith in him.
Have a wonderful day. Thanks for joining us listening to friends. Always
remember we cannot live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from
the mouth of God. This has been your daily portion with el David Harris.
Make it a great day. Yeah,