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, preparation Day, November seventeen, 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 purity in action. Purity in
action. Okay, before we get into that, I'd just like to say
welcome to you and ask you to go over to your Daily Portion dot com
if you have not already done so, let us know where you are in
the world. Also pick up the book, Your Daily Portion Book, and
also join our online community at your Daily Portion dot com. Let's go ahead
and pray and then get underway. Father, thank you for getting us thus
far into our week, and I pray that you will help us to yield
our will to you and live pure purity. Let it be our action in
Jesus' name. I pray, Amen and amen again. Well, as you
often see when we are on Friday's lesson study, we read a passage from
Ellen White's writings, and this is no exception. We're reading from the book
Testimonies for the Church, Volume two, page twenty five. See if you
can get anything or glean let me put that way, glean anything that is
useful for you today. And as you see and experience something that is useful
for you, I want you to type it in the chat. What is
useful to you? Okay? Beginning the quote here pure religion and undefiled before
the Father. Is this that's right out of the Bible. By the way
to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted
from the world. Good deeds are the fruit that Jesus requires us to bear.
Hmm, kind words, deeds of benevolence, of tender regard for the
poor, needy, and afflicted. We realize that these are many of the
invisible people in society and air quotes the people we just drive on by,
right, the people who are in our church communities and the communities in which
we live that need us. There are people I am an orphan now right.
I'm not using me as an example. I just kind of had to
say it out loud because there are so many people like me. Some of
you are widows and widow words. You have lost your spouses, some God
forbid, but some of you, unfortunately, have lost more than one spouse
to death. Yes, there are people who, even though you have your
nice cars and your nice homes, are having difficulty finding money for food.
That's a different discussion how we get into those situations. But the fact is,
during the pandemic, we saw the so called middle class in a strange
predicament, having these things that looked like assets, but they were really liabilities.
To many people, big house, big car, but the resources were
not coming in in the way that they were accustomed. And then they had
to, unfortunately or maybe fortunately, I don't know, join lines where they
could get food and other needs met. From benevolent societies and churches and other
faith communities you see, and so anybody who has needs, whoever has needs,
God's people should be helpful toward those needs. Let me continue when hearts
sympathize with hearts burdened with discouragement and grief, When the hand dispenses to the
needy, when the naked are clothed, the stranger made welcome to a seat
in your parlor and a place in your heart. Angels are coming very near.
So when you are helpful to others, God comes near to you through
the ministry of angels. Angels are coming near, and an answering strain is
responded to in heaven. Every act of justice and mercy and benevolence makes melody
in heaven. Can you imagine you want to become a singer? Ha,
You want to be a to have the attention of God. Not just that
he loved you, but now He is smiling over you. He is hearing
rich melodies that come from your life to those who are experiential, like people
who love to experience. Now you can sense how you can give God.
Ooh, you can give God a rich experience based on how you live.
Okay, let me continue. I got a little bit in my feelings right
there. The Father, from his throne beholds those who do these acts of
mercy and numbers them with his most precious treasures. Oh God, continuing,
and they shall be mine, said the Lord of Hosts. In that day
when I make up my jewels, every merciful act to the needy the suffering
is regarded as through as though done to who Jesus. Remember, Jesus said,
as you have done it unto the least of these, my brethren,
you have done it also unto me. Have ye as ye have not done
it unto the least of these, my brethren, You have not done it
unto me. So Jesus so identifies with those who are in need, that
when we respond to them, verily, it is registered in heaven as responding
to Jesus Christ himself. What would you do if the person in need that
crosss your path was clearly identified as Jesus himself. Huh. Something that's something
to think about. Okay, When you succor the poor, sympathize with the
afflicted and oppressed, and befriend the orphan, you bring yourselves into a closer
relationship to Jesus. That is the end of the quote. Remember our caption
for today purity in action. All right, so let's do a few more
actions here. We want to go to James chapter one and verse twenty seven
again and look at the last part It says, and to keep himself unspotted
from the world. So God wants us to live holy lives. So we
see the activity, the action, the way that our hearts go out to
people, and our actions to be of service. But there are a number
of benevolent individuals who don't love God, and so what God wants us to
do is also as we become benevolent, as we are continuing to become the
hands and feet of God. If you want to say in air quotes,
in order to give people what they are in need of, the principal thing
that they need is godly life. The principle need that they have is to
be led into a right relationship with Him or encouraged in that relationship if they
already have one, and only people who are surrendered to God can do that.
So become unspotted from the world. Guard to guard your spiritual and moral
life by avoiding worldly things and influences that lead to sin regularly, engage in
self examination. You know, the Holy Spirit of Truth is come to guide
us into all truth about God, that He's wholly just and good, all
truth about us that is, we are miserable, poor, blind, naked
and don't even know it. And so we can now through the Holy Ghost.
Engage in self examination, also in prayer and Bible study, to ensure
as we ask God to give us strength, that we are pure, unspotted
from the world. This is God's calling on us. In fact, the
Bible says, purify yourselves even as He is pure, right as you await
the coming of Jesus, and do you help others to get closer to him?
Remember purity. Okay, every act of justice, I'm coming back to
that saying quote that we read a moment ago. Every act of justice,
mercy and benevolence makes melody in Heaven. Remember practice acts of mercy. I
think I will stop right there. Really, what we need in terms of
purity and action is to simply yield our will to God, and wherever God
leads us, we simply follow with the strength of the Holy Ghost, without
thinking of ourselves first or thinking of God first. 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,