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 no it's Monday, November twenty, twenty twenty three. 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. God's mission,
my mission, and our caption for today is Christ's Method alone. Christ's
Method alone. That's ringing a bell and some of your minds. Yes,
we are going to get into that in just a moment, But first I'd
like to ask you to go over to your Daily Portion dot com join our
online community. Also, let us know where you are in the world.
There's a little form there that asks the question where are you in the world?
Yes, And I get the alerts, and I'm really excited when I
read where you are what your names are? Some of them I can't pronounce
because we come from different cultures, and I'm learning how to yes. So
I really am excited to see where God or from what vantage point God is
spreading the gospel through you. You are all over the world, every continent
on this planet. People are coming in and then also clicking share to spread
this great news of the Word of God into all the world. Let's go
ahead and pray, and then we will get underway. Father in Heaven,
thank you for this day and for giving us the privilege to come together.
Please teach us to live like Jesus lived, and then minister in the same
way. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen and Amen again. Okay,
Christ's method alone, I'm going to just jump right into it because you've
been waiting for it from the book The Ministry of Healing, page one hundred
forty three, one hundred forty three. And let me just say that Jesus
gave a five step process, or let me say, in his method of
reaching people, there is a five step process in the quote that we're going
to read, especially to those who are in need. And the quote is
Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people. So our gold
standard really platinum, titanium, like whatever the most valuable or strong mineral or
precious metal you can find. Yes, attached that right, So this is
the standard for true success in reaching peace. This is what he did.
The Savior mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed his
sympathy for him for them, excuse me, ministered to their needs, and
won their confidence, and ultimately, ultimately, I will add here, then
he bade them follow me. Can we go through that just one more time?
The Savior mingled with people as one who desired their good. When you
are in people's presence, why are you there? Are you just a taker?
Are you someone who wants to give and then shoo, disappear like some
kind of fictitious superhero, or are you mingling with them as one who desired
their good? Now, I'll say I know that there are people who are
like ah, but I'm an introvert, Dave, I'm somebody I don't really
like being around people. It's not that I hate people, but I just
kind of don't like that whole mix and mingle thing. And listen, I
get it. But what God is saying here is that Jesus fight any other
thing. When he was in the presence of people, all he wanted to
demonstrate was that he desired their good. Okay, he showed his sympathy for
them. There are times people are in need of a friend. They've been
going through some things, They've had challenges that are too heavy for them to
bear. They need someone to pray for them. They need some practical things
like going to the supermarket for them. They may need you to take care
of their children for just a moment, right may need you to go and
to clean up their yard, or to fix and steady things around the house
that seemed to be breaking down because they're in such a bad situation. He
showed sympathy for them. He ministered to their needs. He did not if
it's a guidance to us. It's not for us to determine what their needs
are and tell them that. It is for us to see and experience and
say, oh, based on this, I see that they need, and
they give them according to their needs. And he won their confidence. Of
course, that is self explanatory. And having done all of this, he
could say, now come follow me, Come follow me. Why because he
demonstrated that he had their best interest at heart. Now we have here in
the Lesson Study. And by the way, that's the end of the quote
in the Lesson Study, John chapter five, verses one through nine, and
Mark chapter one, verses twenty three through twenty eight. Let's see what we
can glean from these, if anything at all, because that's a lot to
read. Right, Let's go with the first passage and see how we're working
with time. And the Bible reads John chapter five and verse one. After
this, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to
Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem a sheep market and pool, which is
called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five and these lay a great multitude
of impotent folk, blind and halt withered, waiting for the moving of the
water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool.
This is what they were waiting for. This is what the individuals believed was
happening. And so Jesus is working with that belief of what was happening.
I wish I had the time, and he troubled the water. According to
this whosoever, then first after the troubling of the water, stepped in was
made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there which
had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie and knew
that he had been now a long time. In that case, he said,
unto him, wilt thou be made whole? See this is the question
that God is asking you. Even now. You may or may not have
a physical malady, may or may not have a disease. Ah, But
everybody has been sinking deep in sin, right far from the peaceful shore,
very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more. And so the master
of the sea he hears your despairing cry, and he from the waters he'll
lift you, huh, so that you can be safe. Asking you,
will you be made whole? Verse seven, the impotent man answered him,
sir, I have no man. So this is where the man is getting
himself mixed up. Jesus did not ask him if he had a man.
He did not ask him if he had a friend. He did not ask
him if he had a method in order to make his own needs be addressed.
He did not ask him for a prescription on how to heal him.
Jesus simply asked, wilt thou be made whole? Hmm? And then the
man is complaining. The impotent man answered him, so I have no man
when the water is troubled to put me in the pool. But while I
am coming, another step is down in before me. And so he's complaining
because he believes that the power is in some water. That he believes that
there is some angel that comes down and stirs up the water and people are
getting healed. He believes this stuff. And now he is lamenting the fact
that he cannot get his healing because other people get in before him. He
cannot get his healing because maybe his timing is off. He cannot get his
healing when the one who is life himself is right there and saying, wilt
thou be made whole? Why give excuses? So God is saying I am
here, I am here, and so and so verse eight, Jesus saith
unto him, rise, take up thy bed and walk, and guess what
happens verse nine, And immediately the man was made hole and took up his
bad and walked. And on the same day was the Sabbath. See Christ's
method alone in this moment was to see the man's need give him the power
he needed to overcome the challenge. Even though it was a thirty eight year
challenge, and despite the man's objections and excuses and broken mindset, Jesus pushed
through all of that and through his kind, sympathetic method, he healed the
man. Man was amazed and his life was changed forever. Christ's method alone
will bring true spiritual success of a wonderful day. 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,