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 Monday, October twenty three, 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 Abraham's love for everyone.
We'll get into that in just a moment, but first i'd like to
say welcome to you. And if this is your first time and you are
in social media or on YouTube, but go ahead and type in the chat
first time. And for those who are watching, I want you to look
down there and say welcome type welcome to whoever says first time put their name
there welcome, and then put in the name of the person who says this
is their first time. We want to continue to build faith and fellowship.
And I know there are thousands and thousands of you who watch or listen every
day. And sorry to those on the radio and on television who are not
experiencing this, but maybe you could just go over to YouTube real quick and
check that out so that you can say, this is my first time and
then go back to your regularly scheduled program. Right, So, we're building
faith and fellowship even though you are all over the world. But isn't it
wonderful that technology has positioned us to be able to build in this way.
What a blessing? Yeah, what a blessing. Please go over to your
Daily Portion dot com and do what makes sense there and we will continue to
build together. Let's go ahead and pray and then get underwagh. Father in
Heaven, thank you for this new morning and for the privilege we have to
open your word again. Please teach us to love like Jesus loved, and
thank you for the example that Abraham showed us in Jesus' name, I pray
Amen and amen again Abraham's love for everyone. Now we do know that the
three messengers that came to Abraham at the time in question here in Genesis chapter
eighteen were heavenly messengers, two of whom were angels, created beings, and
then the other Jesus Christ before he was born of a woman. So we
called that experience pre incarnate, preincarnate Christ. So before he took on human
flesh through the womb of Mary. I wish I had the time, But
this is not a theological discussion. Yeah, we're connecting with God today.
So the pre incarnate Christ, two angels, they come, and we see,
as we said yesterday, that Abraham was hospitable, Abraham demonstrated holiness,
and then Abraham had a close encounter recognizing now wait a minute, these are
messengers from heaven, and the Bible teaches us that now the discussion is about
destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, And there's a big discussion that's happening that we'll break
into here in the book of Genesis chapter eighteen, beginning at verse sixteen,
And we're going to see the love and the calling of Abraham here but it's
really not about him. It's about what God can do in any of our
lives, Okay. And so the Bible reads, and the men rose up
from thence and looked towards Sodom, and Abraham went with them to bring them
on the way. And the Lord said, shall I hide from Abraham the
thing that I will do? Remember we read from the Book of Amos that
God will not do anything important except he reveal it to his servants the prophets
first. So God is doing that right here. Ah, So I will
not hide it from you. Basically, he's saying, seeing that Abraham shall
surely become a great and mighty nation, and all of the nations of the
earth show be blessed in him, for I know him that he will command
his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of
the Lord to do justice and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham
that which he hath spoken of him. And the Lord said, because of
the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very
grievous, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according
to the cry of it which has come unto me, and if not,
I will know. So he's saying, I'm gonna go down there. I'm
gonna go see what's going on down there, and if it's as wicked as
we keep saying it is, I'm burning it down. This is what's happening.
I'm just saying, this is what's happening in the text verse twenty two,
and the men turned their faces from thence and went towards Sodom. But
Abraham stood yet before the Lord. So now Abraham is standing before the Lord.
I hope you are getting the imagery here. These angels are about to
burn the place down. And angels are burning the place down because the people
were unrepentant and wicked. Now it's time to deal with it. And the
Bible says that Abraham is before the Lord. Now before we get philosophical and
super spiritual, that was literal, like he was there with Jesus right,
Yes, he was there actually having a conversation, but he's also standing in
the gap. Are you hearing what I'm saying to you right now? When
there is destruction looming, where there is judgment or condemnation on the horizon,
are you standing in the gap? Are you standing before the Lord, and
let's see what else happens here before I get too far afield Verse twenty three.
And Abraham drew near and said, wilt thou also destroy the righteous with
the wicked? Peradventure, there be fifty righteous within the city. Wilt thou
also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are Therein he's
talking about salt and light in the city. If there is salt, you
are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.
Jesus said, if there are fifty people like that who represent God, will
you destroy the city? Now we know that Jesus could easily have just rescued
fifty people out of there and then burn a city down. So it's not
just about like preserving the lives of the of the fifty people because that's easy.
The people that are associated with the fifty also could be part of Me
delivered. We see Noah's ark, we see in some other stories, So
it's about more than just them. Let me keep going verse twenty five.
That be far from thee to do after this manner, because he's saying that
like Lord, you are merciful, God, you are fair and just and
righteous, And he says, to slay the righteous with the wicked, and
that the righteous should be as the wicked that be far from thee. Shall
not the judge of all earth do right. And he's simply reminding God,
not that God forgot that. I know, I understand your character. This
seems out of character for you, God. Can we talk about this.
There are times that you have to reason with God. Brothers and sisters reason
with him. He loves to be reasoned with. And say, Lord,
you said, this is what you have manifest concerning your character, how you
will interact with people. Will you please make a request based on what he
said about himself. Let's keep going. And Abraham answered and said, behold,
now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am
but dust and ashes. Peradventure, there shall lack five. And of the
fifty righteous, wilt doubt destroy all this city for lack of five. He's
talking to forty five now, And he said, if I find there forty
five, I will not destroy it. And he spake unto him yet again
and said, peradventure there shall be forty found there. He said, I
will not do it for forty's sake, And he said unto him, Oh,
let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak God. I
want to talk some more. Can we talk some more? Jesus? Peradventure,
there shall be thirty found there? He said, I will not do
it if I find thirty. And he said, behold, now I have
taken upon me to speak unto the Lord. Peradventure. Shall there be twenty
found there? He said? And then he said, I will not destroy
it for twenty's sake. And he said, oh, let not the Lord
be angry, and I will speak yet, But this once, peradventure,
ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it
for ten's sake. And the Lord went his way as soon as he left
communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned unto his place. Well, the Bible
does teach us that ultimately Sodom and Gomora was destroyed. What does that say?
There were not that many people for God in that city, in those
cities? What if Abraham had said two? What if he had said just
one, God, one grain of salt? What would you do? God?
Yeah, sometimes we give up early. I wish I had the time.
But God is showing us through Abraham that he has a heart. He
had a heart for people, and he loved them. He loved his neighbors
as himself, and then manifest that in this engagement. Peace. Thanks for
joining us listening to 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,