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 --> 00:00:15,599 of us expect yesterday's portion of heavenly manna the word of God to keep us 4 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:20,320 through today's challenges. On this program, we are going to change all that. 5 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:26,120 Let's experience God's words today and receive the power we need to live healthy, 6 00:00:26,199 --> 00:00:31,800 vibrant lives. Welcome to your Daily Portion with your host, author speaker 7 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:34,960 L. David Harris. Good morning, good morning, Good morning. It 8 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:40,560 is Sabbath, September twenty three, twenty twenty three. Hello, my name 9 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:43,359 is L. David Harris. I am your host, and this is your 10 00:00:43,439 --> 00:00:47,560 Daily Portion where we give you God's Word every single day and today is no 11 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:52,880 exception. We are continuing in our lesson study series through the Book of Ephesians. 12 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:57,840 This is our final week this time we did fourteen weeks, yes, 13 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:03,679 and our caption for today is Ephesians in the Heart. We want to learn 14 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:10,680 from the lessons in the Book of Ephesians right and instill it in our hearts 15 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:14,719 through the Holy Spirit. Before we begin, I'd like to just say welcome 16 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:18,200 to you in a great, big, happy Sabbath to the first time viewers 17 00:01:18,359 --> 00:01:22,159 and listeners. And if it's your first time and you're in social media or 18 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:23,760 on YouTube, please go ahead and type in a chat, this is my 19 00:01:23,879 --> 00:01:27,879 first time. Or if you're on a podcasting aggregator site and you write a 20 00:01:27,879 --> 00:01:33,439 review, go ahead and say this is your first time and share what your 21 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:36,959 thoughts were. All right, yes, and please go over to your Daily 22 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:41,439 portion dot com join our online community, and then also let me know where 23 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:45,840 you are in the world. This way we can continue to build faith and 24 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:51,480 fellowship. Let's go ahead and pray and then we will get underway. Father 25 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:53,599 in Heaven, thank you for giving us this new Sabbath morning, and for 26 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:57,920 the privilege you havn't trusted to us to open up your word and then round 27 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:02,760 the corner in particular Lesson study series. Please give us the fullness of your 28 00:02:02,799 --> 00:02:07,520 Holy Spirit. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen and Amen again. 29 00:02:08,039 --> 00:02:12,680 So let me just share with you that the passage we are going to read, 30 00:02:12,879 --> 00:02:15,840 and let me be honest while I'm saying it, but yeah, the 31 00:02:15,879 --> 00:02:22,879 passage we are about to read is one of the most critical passages of scripture 32 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:27,159 that we can experience in all of the Bible. Now. Of course I 33 00:02:27,199 --> 00:02:30,360 may say something different in two days, But right now this one is hitten 34 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:36,919 really strong in my spirit. And it reads from Ephesians chapter two, Versus 35 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:43,759 eight through ten. Four. By grace you have been saved through faith. 36 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:47,479 Did you get that? For by grace you have been saved through faith, 37 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:53,520 and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of 38 00:02:53,599 --> 00:03:04,240 works, lest any one should boast aha, For we are His workmanship created 39 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:10,759 in Christ Jesus, unto good works which God prepared beforehand, that we should 40 00:03:10,879 --> 00:03:15,360 walk in them. Can we just begin with the early part of the text. 41 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:20,479 For by grace you have been saved through faith. See, it is 42 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:24,120 the power of God. It is by the power of God that we are 43 00:03:24,199 --> 00:03:30,360 saved. Grace is the power of God to do his will. Grace is 44 00:03:30,479 --> 00:03:37,240 also unmerited favor. It is a mix between mercy and power to do God's 45 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:42,639 will. It's a mix between mercy and the power of God to do his 46 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:46,639 will. Well, how do we access that power, Brother Paul? We 47 00:03:46,759 --> 00:03:53,759 access that power through faith. What is the outcome, brother Paul? Salvation? 48 00:03:53,840 --> 00:04:00,800 Because it says by the power of God you have been saved through faith. 49 00:04:00,919 --> 00:04:05,159 So faith lays hold upon God's power, and then we are saved. 50 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:09,599 And by the way, if you ever get confused and say, well, 51 00:04:09,639 --> 00:04:14,520 it is because of my filling the blank that I am able to be positive, 52 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:17,680 filling the blank saved. No, it says not of your selves. 53 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:21,759 Not of your selves. It is not about your strength, it is not 54 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:28,000 about your abilities. It's not about your obedience. And yes, we are 55 00:04:28,199 --> 00:04:33,079 enjoined to be obedient to God. But that obedience only comes because God is 56 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:38,199 living in our lives. That comes after we submit to him. Right, 57 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:43,399 So it's not from our own works. It is not from our own ability 58 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:47,959 to do God's will. It is not because of our response to God's love. 59 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:56,319 No, it is about God first coming to us with his gift of 60 00:04:56,360 --> 00:05:00,000 salvation. Well, where does it come from? Where does it come from 61 00:05:00,079 --> 00:05:04,720 from? We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works. And 62 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:09,279 Isaiah chapter forty three and verse seven, the Bible says that God created us 63 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:13,040 for his glory. And of course, now in our context, we understand 64 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:17,560 that salvation comes through Christ because Adam sold us down the river. Like Adam 65 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:23,759 is the reason why you struggle with addiction, Like Adam is the reason why 66 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:29,480 you struggle with pride, or any of us struggle with any temptation and any 67 00:05:29,639 --> 00:05:34,240 sins. Like the reason why we need repentance, the reason we need power 68 00:05:34,399 --> 00:05:40,639 to do God's will is because Adam messed up and we inherit, inherited the 69 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:46,319 messed up gene. We inherited the sinfulness gene from Adam. And therefore therefore 70 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:53,160 now we have Christ, who, in the mind of God, from before 71 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:59,560 there was a beginning, was the fixer in the situation. So it is 72 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:06,160 because of Christ that we can do good works, which again God prepared beforehand 73 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:11,879 that we should walk in them. So it was always God's goal and intention 74 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:16,160 for all of us to live according to holy principles. We were never intended 75 00:06:16,199 --> 00:06:20,920 to sin, but since we did, God of course and his wisdom provided 76 00:06:20,959 --> 00:06:25,279 a way of escape. There was so much I could say, but let 77 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:28,519 me call you to action. Now. What I want you to do. 78 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:32,879 Number one is embrace grace. Remember I did say that grace is God's power 79 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:39,360 to do his will and of course unmerited favor. Have you truly accepted God's 80 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:46,240 gift of grace? Take a moment and reflect and receive his unmerited favor. 81 00:06:46,399 --> 00:06:49,519 Today, you don't have to earn it. In fact, you can't earn 82 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:55,839 it. Embrace it. Embrace it. Number two, I want you to 83 00:06:56,199 --> 00:07:00,160 live by faith. Remember, faith is the kind do it through which it 84 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:08,240 is. It is what we use in order to get to get access to 85 00:07:08,319 --> 00:07:11,839 the power of God. Right, So, so this is what we need. 86 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:15,480 We need to live by faith. Are you trusting God in every area 87 00:07:15,519 --> 00:07:20,600 of your life? Step out of step out in faith today? Trust that 88 00:07:20,639 --> 00:07:28,160 He has your best interest at heart, and let him guide your footsteps. 89 00:07:28,959 --> 00:07:32,079 Number three, I want you to engage in good works. Notice all of 90 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:38,759 this comes after we have received this power of God. After we are enacting 91 00:07:38,839 --> 00:07:43,120 the faith that God has put in us. Now, when we do good 92 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:46,720 works, we're doing it through the power of the Holy Ghost. We're not 93 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:48,920 trying to do it on our own. We're not coming up with our own 94 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:54,959 plans. No, the Bible says that we are saved by grace but called 95 00:07:55,399 --> 00:08:00,319 for a purpose. Find one way. This is an action step, Find 96 00:08:00,399 --> 00:08:05,519 one way to show God's love through a practical act of kindness. Today. 97 00:08:05,839 --> 00:08:09,959 I know it's the Sabbath that's good, it's even better even more so today. 98 00:08:09,079 --> 00:08:16,720 Remember you are His masterpiece, created to make a difference. Now discover 99 00:08:16,839 --> 00:08:22,600 your purpose. Number four, God has pre planned good works for you. 100 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:28,040 Invest some time in prayer, Invest some time in looking through the scriptures to 101 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:33,519 discover what he has called you to do. What unique role will you play 102 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:37,600 in His grand design? And then finally number five, share the gift. 103 00:08:39,399 --> 00:08:43,480 Know someone struggling with self worth or purpose. And some people are concerned, 104 00:08:43,519 --> 00:08:46,399 like, why would you say self worth? Preacher like, because there are 105 00:08:46,399 --> 00:08:52,120 people who really are down on themselves because somebody lied to them and told them 106 00:08:52,159 --> 00:08:56,960 that they were worth less. So people who don't have any confidence, as 107 00:08:56,960 --> 00:09:03,320 we receive God confidence, are self worth prooves. So share the message from 108 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:11,159 this same passage with them and remind them that they are God's Workmen's ship crafted 109 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:16,559 for a purpose. That is really the message, the message of the Book 110 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:20,759 of Ephesians. That is the message of the Book of Ephesians. When we 111 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:26,519 are victorious by having on the full armor of God, as we are overcoming 112 00:09:26,519 --> 00:09:31,360 our challenges and temptations with immorality and all kinds of other things. That is 113 00:09:31,399 --> 00:09:35,960 the message to the Ephesians that we live by grace through faith, and then 114 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:39,840 we share it with other people. It's our privilege of a wonderful rest of 115 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:48,080 your sabbath peace. Thanks for joining us listening to friends. Always remember we 116 00:09:48,159 --> 00:09:52,159 cannot live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth 117 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:56,360 of God. This has been your daily portion with L. David Harris. 118 00:09:56,000 --> 00:10:00,320 Make it a great day.