1 00:00:01,159 --> 00:00:05,879 Most of us eat every day, some of us too much because yesterday's food 2 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:10,679 is not enough to supply energy for today's needs. Why then, do some 3 00:00:10,759 --> 00:00:15,359 of us expect yesterday's portion of heavenly manna, the word of God to keep 4 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:20,079 us through today's challenges. On this program, we are going to change all 5 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:25,120 of that. Let's experience God's words today and receive the power we need to 6 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:30,800 live healthy, vibrant lives. Welcome to Your Daily Portion with your host, 7 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:34,679 author speaker L. David Harris. Good morning, Good morning, Good morning. 8 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:39,119 It is Tuesday, September twelve, twenty twenty three. Hello, my 9 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:41,640 name is L. David Harris. I am your host, and this is 10 00:00:41,679 --> 00:00:46,240 your Daily Portion where we give you God's Word every single day, and today 11 00:00:46,439 --> 00:00:51,039 is no exception. We are continuing in our Lesson study series through the Book 12 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:57,719 of Ephesians. Our caption for today is the Great Controversy in Paul's Letters, 13 00:00:57,759 --> 00:01:03,359 The Great Controversy in Paul Letters. Before we get into that, I'd like 14 00:01:03,439 --> 00:01:06,920 to just say welcome to you and ask you to go over to your Daily 15 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:11,159 Portion dot com. I want you to join our online community. Also, 16 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,959 also pick up the Your Daily Portion book. It's a small book. One 17 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:18,840 of many that I've published, but it's a small book that helps us to 18 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:23,599 continue to stay on track in terms of our connection with God. At your 19 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,159 Daily Portion dot com. Let's go ahead and pray and then we will get 20 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:32,480 underway. Father in Heaven, thank you for the privilege you have given to 21 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:37,359 us to open your word again. And yesterday you gave us the strength the 22 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:42,640 strength in Christ. And we want to still understand the arm the war that 23 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:47,519 is going on and why we need to be armored with Jesus Christ. Thank 24 00:01:47,519 --> 00:01:52,959 you for your righteousness. Father, Please give us the tenacity to continue in 25 00:01:53,079 --> 00:01:59,519 Jesus name. I pray, Amen and Amen again. The great controversy in 26 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:06,359 Paul letters. We have been focusing largely, largely over the last eleven weeks 27 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:09,840 plus in the Book of Ephesians. Yes, we touched other places in the 28 00:02:09,879 --> 00:02:15,280 scriptures, but we want to talk about some more of what Paul would have 29 00:02:15,319 --> 00:02:20,280 written and begin I made allusion to this yesterday. I didn't even realize that 30 00:02:20,319 --> 00:02:25,199 this was coming today, So it's it's providence. Here Romans chapter thirteen. 31 00:02:25,479 --> 00:02:30,919 Romans Chapter thirteen. I'd like to read beginning at verse eleven, and the 32 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:38,360 Bible reads here and do this because we know the time that it is already. 33 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:43,639 What word did he use? It is already the hour for us to 34 00:02:43,879 --> 00:02:49,520 awake from sleep, and we're talking about spiritual sleep. There are people who 35 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:54,159 are in a drunken stupor right now on this day, in September twenty twenty 36 00:02:54,199 --> 00:03:00,400 three. There are even believers in air quotes who for some reason have lost 37 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:05,080 focus. And what God is saying to us is wake up, wake up, 38 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:09,919 wake up. It is already the hour for us to wake up, 39 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:16,240 for our salvation is now nearer than when we became believers. Let's keep going 40 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:22,960 verse twelve. The night is advanced toward dawn, the day is near. 41 00:03:23,439 --> 00:03:28,960 So then we must lay aside the works of darkness and put on the weapons 42 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:36,080 of light or armor of light. Let us live decently as in the daytime, 43 00:03:37,039 --> 00:03:43,520 not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality. Do we need 44 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:49,159 to even explain this? This is clear, It's clear right and sensuality. 45 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:55,680 Do not in discord and jealousy, But instead, somebody type in the chat. 46 00:03:55,879 --> 00:04:00,479 Instead, instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no 47 00:04:00,599 --> 00:04:06,599 provision for the flesh to arouse its desires. I quoted this one yesterday put 48 00:04:06,639 --> 00:04:13,280 on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill 49 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:18,120 the lusts thereof God has something very special for us, and he wants us 50 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:25,839 to focus our minds, our will, our attention on him and to do 51 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:31,720 his will. Okay, We're going now to first Thessalonians. First Thessalonians, 52 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:36,480 chapter five, And can I just say that God's biddings are enablings. When 53 00:04:36,519 --> 00:04:41,199 God says that he wants us to do a thing, He's already provided the 54 00:04:41,199 --> 00:04:46,160 power for us to accomplish it because it's his will. He never leaves us 55 00:04:46,199 --> 00:04:49,519 without the ability to do his will. So when he says we can wake 56 00:04:49,639 --> 00:04:51,920 up, he has the power for us to wake up. When he says 57 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:58,279 to flee immorality and sensuality, yes, we have the power in our day 58 00:04:58,759 --> 00:05:03,879 to avoid and to and to be empowered to do his will. Yep, 59 00:05:04,079 --> 00:05:09,879 even if it's a TikTok video, even if it is a post on threads, 60 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:14,639 even if it is on YouTube or some other platform where the sensuality is 61 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:18,879 coming through, we can steadfastly resist. Why because God commanded it. And 62 00:05:18,959 --> 00:05:25,839 again his commands his biddings are enablings. Okay, First, Thessalonians. I 63 00:05:25,879 --> 00:05:28,480 said, why am I in First Timothy? It would help if I listened 64 00:05:28,519 --> 00:05:32,319 to me. I think there's a lesson in that First Thessalonians, chapter five, 65 00:05:32,519 --> 00:05:35,920 and I will read beginning at verse six, and the Bible reads, 66 00:05:35,959 --> 00:05:44,279 so then we must not sleep as the rest, but must stay alert and 67 00:05:44,399 --> 00:05:50,319 sober. For those who sleep sleep at night. But since we are of 68 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:58,279 the day, we must stay sober by putting on the breastplate of faith and 69 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:04,399 love as a hell of our hope for salvation. So we are still seeing 70 00:06:04,439 --> 00:06:10,959 that God, in this great controversy against the devil right between good and evil, 71 00:06:11,319 --> 00:06:15,720 has given us a breastplate for faith and love, right as a helmet 72 00:06:15,759 --> 00:06:21,040 and hope for salvation. For God did not DestinE us for wrath. There 73 00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:28,079 are people walking around wondering if we are trying to appease and angry God because 74 00:06:28,079 --> 00:06:32,040 they've watched too many videos or religious people have made it seem as if God 75 00:06:32,079 --> 00:06:35,839 is looking for someone to condemn. But the Bible says that He did not 76 00:06:35,959 --> 00:06:42,879 create us. He did not DestinE us for wrath, but for gaining salvation 77 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:46,879 through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us, so that whether we 78 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:53,399 are alert or asleep, we will come to life together with him. So 79 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:58,879 those who go to their graves in death he can He can awaken those, 80 00:06:58,959 --> 00:07:03,160 and will indeed awaken those, as in the previous chapter, from the grave, 81 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:08,480 and those who are alive and remain at the second coming of Jesus Christ. 82 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:12,360 He will do what lift us all up. He will catch us up 83 00:07:12,399 --> 00:07:16,639 into heaven. And I am thankful for that. And it says here therefore 84 00:07:16,839 --> 00:07:23,040 verse eleven, encourage one another and build up each other, just as you 85 00:07:23,199 --> 00:07:27,560 are in fact doing. And let's see we do have enough time. We'll 86 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:34,800 go to Second Corinthians. Second Corinthians, Chapter ten, Verses three through six 87 00:07:35,199 --> 00:07:39,920 in the Bible reads, for though we live as human beings, we do 88 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:44,759 not wage war to human standards. Remember we read that an Ephesian six yesterday. 89 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:48,319 We're not wrestling against flesh and blood like We're not using implements of human 90 00:07:48,399 --> 00:07:53,079 war no guns, no tanks, no cannons, no bombs. We're not 91 00:07:53,199 --> 00:07:57,800 using chemical warfare. We're not using what do they call it, cyber warfare. 92 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:03,240 Those are the implements of human war right verse four For the weapons of 93 00:08:03,399 --> 00:08:09,920 our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing 94 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:18,319 down strongholds. We tear down arguments and every arrogant obstacle, every arrogant obstacle 95 00:08:18,759 --> 00:08:22,920 that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought 96 00:08:22,959 --> 00:08:28,720 to captive to make it obey Christ verse six and final. We are also 97 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:35,840 ready to punish every act of disobedience. Whenever are your disobedient, Your obedience, 98 00:08:35,879 --> 00:08:41,120 excuse me, is complete. Ah. This is good because God is 99 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:45,919 again letting us know that in this warfare we are not alone, because we 100 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:52,799 are not able to fight a supernatural foe in our human ingenuity. There was 101 00:08:52,919 --> 00:08:56,120 no button or key on your keyboard that can fight against the enemy. Right. 102 00:08:56,440 --> 00:09:01,360 There is no app on your telephone, your cell phone, excuse me, 103 00:09:01,759 --> 00:09:07,320 there is no app on your tablet. There is no armament or implement 104 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:13,679 of war that you can deploy against the enemy except in the spirit realm. 105 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:18,919 And in that spirit realm we are literally at the mercy of God. He 106 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:22,480 has given us the weapons of our warfare, first to submit to him, 107 00:09:22,519 --> 00:09:28,399 and then as He empowers us day to day, we are able to put 108 00:09:28,399 --> 00:09:33,639 on that entire armor. In Ephesians chapter six, verses ten through twenty, 109 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:37,679 I'm thankful that the Great controversy or the battle is not ours, It is 110 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:43,159 the Lord's, and he has promised to protect us. Have a wonderful day, 111 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:48,519 peace. Thanks for joining us listening. Friends. Always remember we cannot 112 00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:52,320 live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of 113 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:56,200 God. This has been your daily portion with L. David Harris. Make 114 00:09:56,240 --> 00:10:00,320 it a great day.