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 L David Harris. Good morning, Good morning, Good morning.
It is Sabbath, September nine, two 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 with lesson number twelve in
the Book of Ephesians, and our caption for today is the Call to Stand.
Pardon me, the Call to Stand. We'll get into that in just
a moment, but first I like to say welcome to you and ask you
to go over to your Daily Portion dot com, join our online community,
and also please share where you are in the world so we can continue to
see that the gospel is being spread from your vantage point into all the world
for a witness, so that we can usher in the coming of our Lord
and savior, Jesus Christ, your daily portion dot com. Let's go ahead
and pray, and then we will get underway. Father in Heaven, thank
you for giving us this new Sabbath morning and for the privilege we have to
stand to stand. Father, please help us to stand in Jesus name.
I pray, Amen and amen. Again. Let me just ask you while
I look for this passage of scripture, like, how often do you ask
God to help you to stand, to stand, and to do and to
live according to His will? Do you ask Him to help you to stand?
You know? The Bible reads here in the Book of Ephesians, chapter
six, pardon me, Verses ten and eleven. Finally, my brethren,
be strong in the Lord, Thank God, be strong in the Lord.
I want you to be encouraged by this and in the power of His might.
Put on the whole armor of God. For what reason, Paul,
So that you will be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
There are so many people, and I shouldn't say so many people. Everyone
has fallen or jumped into sin at some point in our lives. I said,
everyone has fallen or jumped into sin at some point of our lives.
That doesn't mean that we must do it continually. It doesn't mean that we
are still doing it. Most are. But God is saying to us,
in order to stand so you're not falling or jumping into sin, you have
to put on the entire armor of God. What does falling into sin look
like? Eve was deceived at the tree. She went for the bait that
the devil gave her through this wily serpent. Right, he was the wily
foe disguised as a serpent. She was deceived. She fell into sin.
Adam was not deceived. Adam saw exactly what happened to Eve, and when
she offered him the fruit. When I say saw, he could see when
she had come to him, and they experienced this moment together, and she
offered him the fruit, that forbidden fruit. He knew exactly what was going
on, and yet he still ate of the tree that God said don't eat.
In that case, he jumped. You know that lying is wrong.
If you lie, you jumped David King. David knew that it was sin.
To what have intercourse with Bathsheba that was not his wife, to conspire
and then to actually murder, to murder her husband. He knew that was
wrong. He jumped into sin and he let others into sin with him.
Yeah, so there is a difference between falling into sin and jumping into sin.
But even still, when we encounter those God is saying, we need
to learn how to agree with him, that is, confess yes, and
to forsake, that is, to what repent, forsake those sins, and
put on the entire armor of God so we can stand against the schemes of
the devil. Now, let me read from today's lesson. Bleary eyed,
the servant stumbles out of his lodgings and sees an alarming sight, large well
equipped and hostile army with troops, horses, chariots everywhere. Speaking with the
prophet Elisha, he stammers out the news along with his harried question, Oh,
sir, what will we do now? Elisha responds, do not be
afraid, for there are more on our side than on theirs, a response
that fails to register in the face of his servant, and so Elisha,
pulling him close, praise for him, Lord open his eyes and let him
see. Can I just say this, there are times that we need our
eyes open. We need to have the eye of faith that sees things as
God sees them. We need the eye equipped with faith and the Holy Spirit
to see things as God sees them. And so, continuing the prophets,
prayer is answered. Immediately, the servant steps into the ramparts again, but
this time the veil between the seen and unseen lifts. He now sees not
one army, but two. The Lord opened the young man's eyes, and
when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with
horses and chariots of fire. According to Second Kings, Chapter six, verses
fifteen through seventeen, all that we would have eyes to see as God sees,
we would face the day with courage. Can I just say that?
There are times that we are bound by our own limiting beliefs, bound by
our own inability to grasp God through faith. We have chosen many times to
close our eyes to the vantage point of God. We have not been willing
to see as God sees. And so what God wants us to do here
when we are preparing to stand against the wily foe the devil is to stand
with God's vision, stand with his power, Stand knowing that those who are
with us are more than those who are against us, knowing that greater is
he that is in me than he that is in the world. And so
we will do this even in more detail. I won't give away my thoughts
for the next couple of days here, but I do want to read the
whole armor of God concept right here from verse twelve beginning at verse twelve of
Ephesians chapter six, and then I will drill it in the next coming days.
If the Lord spares life for we wrestle not against flesh and blood.
You thought that your trials were based on that worker at that co worker that's
annoying to you doing evil towards you were We wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore, take unto you
the whole armor of God. How much of the armor, the entire armor
of God? Why should we take on the whole armor that ye may be
able to withstand in the evil day? And having done all to stand.
God is giving us, through brother Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, to do what stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth.
So what is important here that we are protected with truth? Let's keep
going and having on the breastplate of righteousness, what else righteousness? And your
feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace? What else our feet
shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. I think the Bible writers
said, how glorious or beautiful are the feet of those who run and take
the good news of God to others? Our feet will take us there above
all taking the shield of faith. What else do we need? We need
faith in order to do what, brother Paul, wherewith ye shall be able
to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, and take the helmet of
salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
So we have our heads covered with salvation. We have the sword of the
Spirit, which is the Word of God. And many people think that this
is the end of the armor. But God says also that we need to
be praying always in the spirit. Seven implements of war covered with God,
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 L. David Harris. Make it
a great day.