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, July nineteen, twenty twenty four. Hello, my name
is El 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 through the Book of Mark,
and our caption for today is God Loves People. I want you to
emphasize that in your mind. God loves peace people, and I guess really
I need to be asking the question do we We'll get into that in just
a moment, but first I like to say yes again, Happy Preparation day,
and welcome everyone joining us, especially those joining us for the very first
time, I'm asking you to please go over 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 one of the ways that we continue to pardon me to
build faith and fellowship. Let's get into this prayer. Let's pray now,
and then we'll get underway. Father, thank you for giving us this morning
and for preparation time to connect with you in a special way, in a
unique way for the Sabbath hours that are approaching. In the meantime, God,
teach us how to love you. Teach us, please how to love
people. In Jesus's name, I pray, Amen and Amen again. So
this is a principle I would like to share with you as we develop our
thought for today, that when we accept people, it doesn't necessarily mean that
we agree with their behavior. It doesn't necessarily mean that we agree with how
these individuals live. That's besides the point. Like when Jesus opens up his
arms and welcomes us into the opportunity, into the opportunity, this is before
an individual says yes to him into an opportunity to be in right relationship with
God. It's because he accepts us. It doesn't mean he agrees with everything
that we do. It means that he's accepting us. And now, once
we yield our will to God, holiness is agreement with God. And so
he opens up his arms and he's welcoming us into a right relationship with God.
And as we accept this right relationship invitation with God, then we are
in agreement with God. And so I said, God loves people, And
the Bible reads in John chapter three and verse sixteen, beginning at verse sixteen,
God, for God's soul, loved the world that he gave his only
begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world through him might be saved. And I'm so thankful that
God made himself clear how much he loves us. And you want to know,
well, how much does God love us? He loves us so much
that he gave us all of heaven and one gift, the best gift that
we could possibly receive, in the person and work and ministry of Jesus Christ.
So God loves people, And again I ask the question do we sometimes
people love Sometimes people who claim to be God's people love procedures more than we
love people. Sometimes we love problems more than we love people. And God
is saying no, But I gave I gave you my son so that so
that you could be saved. People could be saved, not things could be
saved. Well, let me get off my soapbox and jump in to what
we have to talk about today. So straight out of the lesson, when
questioned, is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days? See, Jesus
is about to heal a person. Jesus answered, what man? What man
shall there be among you that shall have one sheep? If it fall into
a pit on the Sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it and
lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep?
Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath day. This is coming
out of Matthew chapter twelve, verses ten through twelve. So the spies dared
not answer Christ in the presence of the multitude, for the fear of involving
themselves in difficulty. They knew that he had spoken the truth rather than violate
their traditions, they would leave a man to suffer. See, they would
rather see a man suffer. Human another human who bleeds like we bleed,
another human who for whom God gave his son, another human who needs cleansing
and forgiveness, another human who upon whom we should show compassion. They would
rather based on traditions, based on protocol, they would rather leave that person
to suffer, while while they would relieve a brute beast because of the loss
to the owner if it were neglected. Thus, greater care is given for
an animal than for a human who was made in the image of God.
Did you get that? So God created male and female in the image of
God. He made us in his own image. He breathed his life into
our nostrils, and we became animated. We became living beings. And we
are to represent God in the earth. We are to represent God to the
universe. We're the only ones that Jesus came in the form of in order
to save us from our sins. Can you imagine? And so there are
other people who claim to be God's people who would rather save and bend over
backwards for an animal that was not created in the image of God. And
I'm not saying anything negative about animals, but there is a difference. Like
we have the intelligence that God has placed in us, we have the creativity
that God has placed in us. He has told us and commanded that we
should be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it, have dominion
over it. And David, being so amazed at how incredible God's view of
humanity is, he says, what is man that thou art mindful of him?
And the son of man that thou visitest him? Thou hast crowned him
with glory and honor. Can you imagine and put under our care and dominion
all of the works of your hands, and the land and the sea,
and everything that is on the planet you have put into our care. What
is man that thou art mindful of him? The man that thou visitest him?
For Thou's created us a little lower than the angels and crowned us with
glory and honor. And these people who say that they're God's people would neglect
the man that God created? Can you imagine? God loves people? Let
me continue, Let me continue, And it says this illustrates the working of
all false religions. They originate in man's desire to exalt himself above God,
but they result in degrading man, meaning humans, below the animals. Every
religion that wars against the sovereignty of God defrauds man of the glory which was
his at the creation and which is to be restored to him in Christ.
Every false religion teaches its adherents to be careless of human needs and sufferings and
rights. The Gospel places a high value upon humanity as the purchase of the
blood of Christ, and it teaches a tender regard for the wants and woes
of man. The Lord says, I will make a man more precious than
find gold, even a man than the golden wedge of o fear. And
that's coming from the book Desire of Ages, pages eighty six and two eighty
seven. And so I'm thankful that God has given us the clear example that
he loves humans that are in His image, that were created in His image.
Although we have made a lot of mistakes, although we have decided to
walk away from Him and dig great and demean ourselves, yes, we still
have a level of God's image and what he wants to do is restore us
to the fullness that he intended from before there was a beginning. And the
only way that we will be that way is if we yield our will to
Him. And by the way, while you're yielding your will to God,
please esteem other humans like Jesus does. 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,