1 00:00:01,159 --> 00:00:05,559 Most of us eat every day, some of us too much, because yesterday's 2 00:00:05,599 --> 00:00:10,400 food is not enough to supply energy for today's needs. Why then, do 3 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:15,359 some 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 00:00:20,199 --> 00:00:25,399 that. Let's experience God's words today and receive the power we need to live 6 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:31,320 healthy, vibrant lives. Welcome to your Daily Portion with your host, author 7 00:00:31,399 --> 00:00:34,880 speaker L. David Harris. Good morning, good morning, good morning. 8 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:39,520 It is Friday, August eighteen, twenty twenty three. Hello, my name 9 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:42,079 is L. David Harris. I am your host, and this is your 10 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:46,439 Daily Portion where we give you God's word every single day, and today is 11 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:51,280 no exception. We are continuing in our Lesson study series through the Book of 12 00:00:51,399 --> 00:00:58,479 Ephesians, and our caption for today is live with a Clear Conscience. Live 13 00:00:59,039 --> 00:01:03,200 with a clear Conscience. We'll get into that in just a moment, but 14 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:06,040 first I'd like to say welcome to you and ask you to go over to 15 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:10,760 your Daily Portion dot com, join our online community, and of course we 16 00:01:10,879 --> 00:01:15,079 want you to share where you are in the world and pick up your Daily 17 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:19,760 Portion book this preparation day, and that way we can continue to build faith 18 00:01:19,799 --> 00:01:23,519 and fellowship and of course hasten the coming of our Lord and savior, Jesus 19 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:27,719 Christ. Please again go over to your Daily Portion dot com and of course 20 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:32,840 share with your friends. Let's go ahead and pray, and then we will 21 00:01:32,879 --> 00:01:37,040 get underway. Father and Heaven, thank you for giving us this new day 22 00:01:37,079 --> 00:01:41,400 and for the privilege that you have entrusted to us to serve you. Father, 23 00:01:41,519 --> 00:01:45,439 Please give us understanding and wisdom. Teach us how to live with a 24 00:01:45,519 --> 00:01:52,159 clear conscience. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen and amen again live 25 00:01:52,519 --> 00:01:57,000 with a clear conscience. Now, there are so many ways to take this. 26 00:01:57,439 --> 00:02:00,680 I know that the Bible teaches us very clearly that because God loves us 27 00:02:00,719 --> 00:02:05,359 so much, he gave us Jesus Christ in order to save us, to 28 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:09,000 save his people from our sins. We know this. We also know that 29 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:14,800 there hath no temptation taken us, but such as is common to all human 30 00:02:14,879 --> 00:02:19,520 beings. But God is faithful who will with the temptation provide a way of 31 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:23,080 escape that we may be able to bear it. But sometimes people don't take 32 00:02:23,159 --> 00:02:29,240 that pathway like we don't see the door and run through it and escape, 33 00:02:29,439 --> 00:02:34,479 and we don't bear under that load of temptation, and we do sin God 34 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:38,280 forbid, But it happens, and the Bible says, my little children, 35 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:43,400 these things right, I unto you that she sin not. And if anyone 36 00:02:43,599 --> 00:02:47,080 sins, right, if anybody doesn't take that door where we can escape the 37 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:53,400 temptation. Right, if anyone sins, you have an advocate with the Father 38 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:57,680 Jesus Christ, the righteous one. Right, He's the one who is our 39 00:02:57,719 --> 00:03:02,759 propitiation. He's the mercy seat, the substitute, the substitute for our sins. 40 00:03:02,759 --> 00:03:07,240 So if we sin God forbid, and then we confess, we agree 41 00:03:07,319 --> 00:03:14,280 with God and repent. Then on Jesus now lays that burden and we can 42 00:03:14,319 --> 00:03:19,520 be forgiven and then empowered to do the right thing. Right, so that 43 00:03:19,599 --> 00:03:23,159 she's sin not. And if anyone does sin, you have an advocate with 44 00:03:23,199 --> 00:03:27,840 the Father Jesus Christ, the righteous right. So that is a part of 45 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:32,000 having a clear conscience. Now let's look at how we begin to live. 46 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:37,080 So we spoke about it spiritually. We see that the power of God is 47 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:42,520 available to reside and abide in us. And if we confess our sins, 48 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:47,039 we are in a right standing right, a right position with God right. 49 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:52,159 But how does it look? How does it look? Now? I'm reading 50 00:03:52,199 --> 00:03:58,319 from the Advent Review and Sabbath Harold an old article from I should say classic. 51 00:03:58,439 --> 00:04:01,120 Maybe that's a better way of saying it right, A classic article from 52 00:04:01,159 --> 00:04:06,879 June five, eighteen eighty eight. I said, June five, eighteen eighty 53 00:04:06,919 --> 00:04:14,319 eight. Let's see what is here. I quote. Let your conversation that 54 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:18,439 means, that means the things that we speak and the way in which we 55 00:04:18,519 --> 00:04:25,959 behave right. Let your conversation be of such a nature that you will have 56 00:04:26,079 --> 00:04:32,360 no need of repentance. And then she invokes the passage I believe it is 57 00:04:32,399 --> 00:04:36,879 in Ephesians four in verse thirty. Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, 58 00:04:38,079 --> 00:04:45,120 whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. If you have love in 59 00:04:45,199 --> 00:04:50,439 your heart, you will seek to establish and build up your brother in the 60 00:04:50,519 --> 00:04:57,120 most holy faith. If a word, now we're speaking about what actually comes 61 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:00,720 out of our mouths. If a word is dropped that is detrimental to the 62 00:05:00,959 --> 00:05:08,079 character or of your friend or brother, do not encourage this evil speaking. 63 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:12,399 Can I just pause right here for a moment. There are times that people 64 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:17,360 gossip. There are times that people say that they are helping people by sharing 65 00:05:17,399 --> 00:05:23,600 their personal business, and that personal business is disparaging. And you might say, 66 00:05:23,639 --> 00:05:27,680 oh, well, but maybe everybody already knew about this, so I 67 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:30,839 can talk to you about this, and then all that they're doing is just 68 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:36,279 rehashing things that are not like in a good way. Right, Yeah, 69 00:05:36,399 --> 00:05:42,199 don't do that. We need to learn how to simply say I'm not talking 70 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:47,800 about that. I can't speak on that, and be as dry I don't 71 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:57,000 want to say dismissive, but be as dry and non entertaining of this conversation 72 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:00,680 as possible. Now, if people are pressing you in an evil way, 73 00:06:00,959 --> 00:06:05,480 then yeah, dismiss them full stop. I've already said to you I'm not 74 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:12,680 speaking on that. That is unholy. I'm not having this conversation. And 75 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:15,959 if that's not good enough for them, then simply walk away. You break 76 00:06:15,959 --> 00:06:17,360 contact, use the phone. If you're on the phone, hang up the 77 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:21,560 phone. I'm gonna have to go now. If you're in a virtual meeting, 78 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:26,160 remove yourself. If it's your virtual meeting, I'm gonna need to end 79 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:29,639 this meeting now. Okay, all right, click and that's the end of 80 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:34,079 the conversation. We have to even rehearse in the spirit, how we will 81 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:40,120 separate ourselves from these kinds of things. Your friend, your brother, someone 82 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:44,879 who's in the faith, or whatever, who has been caught in the very 83 00:06:44,959 --> 00:06:49,639 act of filling the blank sin like entertaining conversations that are not edifying about that 84 00:06:49,759 --> 00:06:56,160 individual's sins is not holy. Okay, So I'll go back to it. 85 00:06:56,560 --> 00:07:00,040 If a word is dropped that is detrimental to the character of your friend or 86 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:04,560 brother, do not encourage this evil speaking. It is the work of the 87 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:08,639 enemy. That's what she said. I'll just call him who he is, 88 00:07:08,639 --> 00:07:15,759 the devil. Kindly remind the speaker that the word of God forbids that kind 89 00:07:15,319 --> 00:07:19,879 of conversation. It's simple. That's the end of the quote. It's very 90 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:24,560 simple. It's simple. Now, let me ask you a question. I'm 91 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:30,040 reading directly from the lesson. How would your congregation change if you and each 92 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:38,160 member were to take and live a pledge consisting of such statements of as like 93 00:07:38,319 --> 00:07:44,240 the following Number one, I wish for my influence within the church family and 94 00:07:44,399 --> 00:07:51,519 beyond to be positive and uplifting, faith building and morale boosting. How would 95 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:57,959 that change the congregation? Number two, recalling Christ's calls for unity and love. 96 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:03,439 I will expend more energy I would say invest. I wouldn't say expend. 97 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:09,800 I would invest more energy affirming those doing and saying things I believe to 98 00:08:09,879 --> 00:08:15,360 be good than in pointing out the failings of those I believe to be wrong. 99 00:08:15,399 --> 00:08:20,720 That sounds very very good. It sounds sterile because it's written down, 100 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:22,879 But I want you to break it down into your own language. Right. 101 00:08:24,199 --> 00:08:28,319 I invest energy in affirming people. I do not tear people down. How 102 00:08:28,360 --> 00:08:33,200 about this one? Number three? When I do disagree with someone, I 103 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:39,360 will make my respect for my fellow believer clear. I will assume his or 104 00:08:39,399 --> 00:08:45,200 her integrity and commitment in Christ or to Christ. I will offer my differing 105 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:50,840 opinion gently, not stridently. There's a way. There's a way to share 106 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:54,480 an alternate view, an alternate opinion right, giving people the benefit of the 107 00:08:54,519 --> 00:09:01,159 doubt. Number four, I will joyfully be looking. I will joyfully looking 108 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:07,320 for every opportunity to build up and affirm my fellow brother or sister church member 109 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:11,080 as I await the coming of Christ. Isn't that good? Like we're looking 110 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:16,840 for ways to build unity. We're looking for ways to live like Jesus lived. 111 00:09:16,879 --> 00:09:20,799 We're looking for ways to please, Not that God would owe us anything, 112 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:26,559 but to please God is what I'm saying, is what I'm doing at 113 00:09:26,639 --> 00:09:30,879 deifying. Does it uplift or does it tear down? And if it tears 114 00:09:30,919 --> 00:09:33,879 down, I don't care what kind of holy sounding language, sanctified language. 115 00:09:33,919 --> 00:09:37,120 I'm just doing this to hell. It doesn't matter how you want to color 116 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:43,080 it. We want to live with a clear conscience and live like Jesus lived 117 00:09:43,399 --> 00:09:46,720 of a wonderful day. Peace. Thanks for joining us listening. Friends, 118 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:50,600 Always remember we cannot live by bread alone, but by every word that comes 119 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:54,519 from the mouth of God. This has been your daily portion with L. 120 00:09:54,679 --> 00:10:00,320 David Harris. Make it a great day.