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 Tuesday, June four, 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 are continuing in our Lesson study series the Great Controversy.
Our caption for today is death in the New Testament. Death in the New
Testament. We'll get some hope out of this in just a moment, but
be before we do. I'd like to welcome you to your Daily Portion dot
com. Please join our online community, pick up the Your Daily Portion book,
and let us know where you are in the world. At your Daily
Portion dot Com. This is a way that we continue to build faith and
fellowship. Let's go ahead and pray, and then we will get underway.
Father, Thank you for giving us hope, hope beyond the grave. Thank
you for giving us an opportunity in our lives today to live according to your
principles. Thank you for loving us so much that we don't have to worry
about what happens when we die. We can just know that if we die,
we'll rest and then one day we will be raised into everlasting life.
Help us to maximize our time with you today. In Jesus' name, I
pray, Amen and Amen again death in the New Testament. Okay, And
so I wanted to give you some encouragement based on what the lesson writer pointed
out here from the Book of John chapter eleven. So listen here the story.
Lazarus was very sick. That's a friend of we could say, a
friend of Jesus's right, So he was very close to Lazarus. Lazarus and
his two sisters Mary and Martha, and they sent a message to Jesus and
said, Jesus, your friend is sick. Jesus, your friend is sick.
And of course they expected that Jesus would drop whatever he was doing and
go to where Lazarus was, because they didn't want Lazarus to die, like
whoever wants our loved ones to die? And so they went to where Lazarus
was, or he went eventually to where Lazarus was. But it was days
later. It wasn't the first day, it wasn't the second day, it
wasn't the third day. It wasn't. Oh wait a minute, it was
after three days, after three days. And so now Lazarus has already died,
and he's starting his body, excuse me, is starting to decompoey.
And so now we enter into the conversation here from the Book of John,
chapter eleven, and we'll read beginning at verse eleven. These things said he,
And after he said, unto them, our friend Lazarus sleepeth. He's
speaking to his disciples. But I go that I may awake him out of
sleep. So he said, what, I'm going to awake him out of
sleep? So the Bible teaches that he was dead, but Jesus called it
a sleep, and he, Jesus has the power to do what wake people
up. Okay, Then his disciples said, well, Lord, if he
is sleeping, he shall do well. See, they thought that he meant
like like I went to bed last night, like I went to bed Monday
night, and now it's Tuesday. They were talking about, like, well,
if he was sleeping Monday night, just leave him alone, if he's
resting, And Jesus is like, okay, let me explain it to you.
How beit Jesus spake of is what death? But they thought he had
been speaking of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them,
plainly, just so you understand, brothers and brothers, Lazarus is dead.
Then the Bible continues. Then said Martha, unto Jesus, Lord, if
thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. Now she's in distress,
like, Jesus, you're late, Like why are you so late?
We sent a message that our brother Lazarus was dying and sick, and I
know that you love him. That's why we sent the message that said,
you, like Jesus, the one whom you love is sick. But it
says here, it says here. But I know that even now, whatsoever
thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee Jesus said, unto
her, your brother shall rise again. And then she thought she understood.
She was just like, yeah, I know, I know in the future,
in the future. But Jesus gave her something fresh. Martha said,
unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the
last day. But Jesus gave her something that I need you, brothers and
sisters, to hold on. To hold on to it now when you have
lost someone that you love, you've lost another brother or sister in the faith,
and you are discouraged. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection.
You see. He didn't say you have to wait until sometime in the
future to recognize my power. You understand, he said, I am the
resurrection and the life he that believeth in me, though he were dead,
yet shall he live. Let me say something to you right now, brothers
and sisters. Jesus wasn't saying to her that every single individual who passes away,
He's going to raise them immediately. But I can say to you on
this day in twenty twenty four that if your faith is dead, Jesus can
raise that faith today. Man, say that again, if your faith is
dead, Jesus can raise that faith today. If you yield your will to
him. Ah. If you are having so much discouragement in your relationships and
you're willing to work with God, you know God can raise your broken relationships
from the dead. Ah. If there are people in your church fellowship who
have lost their way, Jesus is able today. Jesus is able today if
they yield their will to him to raise them from spiritual death, today,
not tomorrow, not the next day. As he is standing here today spiritually
speaking. Because he did say, whether two or three are gathered together in
his name, there he is in the midst of us. The Bible says
that He inhabiteth the praises of his people. So if you praise the Lord,
if you're gathered together, even virtually, in the presence for the purposes
of worshiping God he promised his presence, he can raise all of these things.
Right now, we know that in the story of Lazarus, he actually
raised Lazarus from the dead. He told them to go roll away the stone.
They gave him reasons why they shouldn't. He said, roll you away
the stone, and then he called unto Lazarus by name, Lazarus, come
forth. And Lazarus, still bound still mummified, he came forward. And
then the Bible says Jesus speaking, loose him and let him go. He
wants to loose you today, brothers and sisters, anything, any doubts,
any worry, He wants to loose you from that, anything that has bound
binded you in terms of sin and reckless living. He wants to deliver you,
unbind you, loose you and let you go. If your mindset is
broken and dying, he wants to loose you today and let you go.
So by faith, I want you to look at that story in John chapter
eleven, and some spare time today and see how God is able to raise
those who are even dead, even dead. And first Thessalonian chapter four,
let's get back to the direct thing that we're talking about, Verses sixteen and
seventeen. The Lord himself shall descend from heaven. This is at the second
coming of Jesus Christ with a shout yes, with the voice of the archangel,
with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall what rise
first. This is the resurrection of holiness, like of eternal life. This
is that resurrection for people who love God. The Bible continues, Then we
which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them, caught up
when together with them. So that means that nobody who died is already up
in heaven unless God raised them from the dead. You understand. So your
sister, your mommy, your auntie, your friend, your uncle, some
person you've never met but you heard of that was holy. None of them
are in heath right now unless God raise them from the dead. That's what
happens. For people to get to heaven who have passed away. Jesus has
to raise them from the dead. And this is the resurrection at the last
Day. We're reading about now in particular, and it says that we which
are alive and remain shall be caught up together. Thank God, it's going
to be a reunion with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air, and we shall be ever with the Lord. In One Corinthians,
chapter fifteen, the Bible teaches us and the closing verses beginning at just about
verse fifty, that at the second coming, the same time, God's people
will be raised incorruptible, and we will be immortal then and only then.
Thank 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,