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 Friday, April nineteen, twenty twenty four. 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 aren't continuing in our Lesson study series the Great Controversy,
and our caption for today is be Vigilant. Be Vigilant. We'll get into
that in just a moment, but first I'd like to just say happy Happy
Preparation Day and ask you to please go over to your Daily Portion dot com.
Please join our online community, pick up your Daily Portion book. Let
us also know where you are in the world. This is one of the
ways that we continue to build faith and fellowship. I need to actually look
at the map now and see how many more places you are coming in from,
because our son and I have not been able to do it recently.
So we're gonna go ahead and take that back up and see where are God's
people in the world while you are listening and watching and sharing the great news
of Jesus Christ. Now, let's go ahead and pray, and then we
will get underway. Father in Heaven, thank you for giving us this new
day and for the privilege you have entrusted to us for us to focus on
you. Please, Lord, give us holiness today. Help us to be
aware, aware of your protection and your presence, and also be ready and
vigilant to do your will against all odds. In Jesus' name, I pray,
amen, and amen again, be vigilant, y'all, be vigilant.
So what we're going to do now is read from the book Great Controversy.
The Great Controversy, pages fifty six and fifty seven, and it reads the
same spirit of hatred and opposition to the truth has inspired the enemies of God
in every age. So I just want to begin here and say that the
devil has not really changed how he does what he does, like a leopard
cannot change its spots. And yes, you can see that there is different
and more crafty methods, but the fact is that the human heart is the
same as it's always been, and so you can predictably know that the enemy
is going to take pot shots in the same ways. Yes, we have
new technologies, Yes there are new styles of temptation, but really and truly,
lust of the flesh is always it has always been the lust of the
flesh. The lust of the eyes have always been the lust of the eyes.
The pride of life has always been the pride of life, no matter
what era we live in what era we live, And so the hatred and
opposition to the truth is also the same. Because God has truth as a
focal point. The devil is the father of lies, so of course there
is an antagonism for the enemy toward God. And also there's no place found
for the devil again in heaven, and so he's going to do all that
he needs to do to get people on the side of lies and error and
hatred and fear, when God is all about truth and holiness, love,
eternal life, with him, as you can understand here. Let me continue
the quote, and the same vigilance and fidelity have been required in God's servants.
The words of Christ to the first disciples are applicable to his followers to
the close of time. Are we not brothers and sisters living at the end
of time? You see? So if Christ gave his disciples some truths and
principles and guidelines, and he is saying through inspiration here that we can follow
and must follow these to the end of time, then we need to follow
here. It is what I say unto you, I say unto all.
Watch. And that's from the Book of Mark, chapter thirteen and verse thirty
seven. You're like, Okay, is that it Yes, that's the end
of the quote right now, but what does that even mean? Watch?
Listen, there are people who have been in the military, and you have
been on watch, people who have been security officers and police officers. You
have been standing guard or watching for crimes that may happen, and you are
there to make sure that they don't happen if possible. You see, the
worst case scenario is not supposed to happen under your what watch? When Josiah
our Son was a little bitty guy, and he was able to creep and
crawl, and then he was a toddler and he was able to get up
and bounce and do whatever it is that he liked to do at that age.
Yeah, I saw myself as the safety mechanism. So we didn't put
the little things in the plugs right to keep him from sticking stuff in the
plug, because my thing is I'm daddy, that is that is my priority.
I didn't put the little bumpers on the edge of tables and all of
that kind of a thing because I'm daddy and that is my priority. You
see, I was with him all the time, and so I needed to
make sure that I was watchful and vigilant. Why because the priority for me
was to keep Josiah safe. So in the last days, what is your
priority in terms of your relationship with God? Yes, the truth is God's
word, The truth is Jesus Christ. The truth is his holy ten Commandments
law. And so when we are being watchful and vigilant, that means that
whatever it takes to be holy, that is our priority. Whatever it takes
to be on the same page with God, that is our priority. You
see, whatever it takes to lead other people into a right relationship with God.
That brothers and sisters is our priority. And so here are some action
items, some action items that will assist us along this journey of spiritual I'll
call it vigilance. And so in the Book of First Thessalonians, chapter five
and verse twenty one, the Bible reads, but examine all things, hold
fast to that which is good. Yes, so there are people who teach
all kinds of things from the Bible, and or at least they purport that
it's from the Bible. And so what God is saying here is that we
need to be clear that while we are studying the Bible, we need to
let the Bible interpret itself, and we understand based on the power of the
Holy Spirit, what is actually there, What is actually there? There is
context, There is historical context, There is immediate context. And to whom
was God speaking when he had his pen men penning these words in scripture,
when he was inspiring them. And so with all of those things taken into
account, and now how these things apply to my salvation. We examine all
things and hold fast to that which is good. And that means we're not
going to allow anyone to mix up what the scriptures is teaching us, but
to hold fast to what God is teaching. Also in tewod Peter, chapter
one and verse twenty, the Bible reads, knowing this first, that no
prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. And so what we need
to do is educate ourselves and others about what God is actually saying, not
made up things, not things that people have chosen for their own denominational context.
Whatever the Bible is actually teaching, that is what we embrace. So
if somebody pops up in some city or country or some island of the sea
and has come up with a quote new understanding, it's like, well,
wait a minute, the scriptures have interpreted themselves. We test the profits by
the prophets, and so there is agreement throughout the scriptures, all of those
sixty six blessed books. And so if something does not jive or line up
with what God has already said, what do we do? We let it
go? We reject it. Why because we are being vigilant, we are
being watchful, and we're embracing only what is true. And then the Bible
says here in the Book of Two Timothy, chapter two and verse fifteen.
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed. Rightly dividing the word of truth, God has given us the prescription
to vigilance, that is, submit to God and hold fast to his word
Peace. Thanks for joining us listening. 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,