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 Sabbath, April thirteen, twenty twenty four. 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 the Great Controversy,
and we are going through the caption light Shines in the Darkness. Light Shines
in the darkness. We'll get into that in just a moment, but before
we do, I'd like to say again Happy Sabbath to everyone joining us,
especially those joining us for the very first time. I'm asking you to please
go over to your Daily Portion dot com. Please join our online community,
and let's pick up your Daily Portion book at the appropriate time and also let
us know where you are in the world at your Daily Portion dot com.
This is a way that we continue to build faith and fellowship. Let's go
ahead and pray and then we will get underway. Father and Heaven, thank
you for this day and for the blessing of the Sabbath hours that you've entrusted
to us to connect with you in a special way, and beyond that,
Lord, to be able to go from your presence and be of service to
other people. Please, Father, fill us with your Holy spirit. In
Jesus' name, I pray, Amen and Amen again. Okay, so we're
looking at the light that shines, that shines in the darkness. Yes,
okay, did you notice I added the word the it's a definite article.
Well, why does that matter. We're not just talking about any light.
We're not talking about the sunlight. We're not talking about me switching on my
lights in the studio so that you can see me. Well, when we
are having this engagement, we're talking about the Jesus Christ, the light that
shines in the darkness. Well, the darkness of where right does Jesus the
light shine in the darkness of my life, my heart. See, when
we were born, we were born in sin and shape and in iniquity.
The question is, do we believe that Jesus Christ shines in our hearts?
And if we do believe and have allowed Him into our lives right our minds,
then that means our lives will become light to others, because Jesus said
that we should let our light so shine before people, that when they see
our good works, they will glorify our Father, which is in heaven.
And so if people are being transformed, people are being guided toward God in
a right relationship with Him through our lives, then that means that the light
of Christ is in fact and indeed shining in the darkness of our former lives.
How about in this world the herald angels sing Jesus the Light of the
world. Well, we know that he is lighting the world right because every
human being who is born has a measure of faith just enough to reach out
to God in the moments that we finally realize, not remember, but finally
realize through the power of the Holy Spirit, that we cannot continue along life's
pathway the way that it is we need something different than the way that we
are, and we're like, well, what is that? We're in the
darkness like, we're groping around trying to figure it out, and then the
light comes on. We hear the invitation from the Holy Spirit, whether it
be through an individual who says something directly to us, someone's kind gestures.
Right, something happens and we open up the Bible or some inspired writings and
we see, wait a minute, this is the way, and we hear
from God this is the way. Walking in it, or we happen to
go to church or some other Christian fellowship in God opens up our minds and
in that moment we become transformed. In that moment, we decide that we're
going to serve Him, no matter what happens, We're going to serve him.
Jesus the Light of the world. And so when Jesus shines in me,
how will I live? That's the question that I have to think about
today. When Jesus shines in me, how will I live? I have
a decision to make all day every day. Is this action? Is this
in action? Is it reflective of the light that Jesus is? And what
impact will it have on those around me, okay, and so we have
laying the foundation. Now we're going to go into the Book of Exodus,
chapter thirty four. It's a place that some of you may have anticipated.
But let me just share a little bit here, beginning at verse twenty nine.
Now, when Moses came down from the Mount Sinai with the two tables
of the Testimony, that is, the ten Commandment stones, the Sapphires Tables
of Stone in his hand. When he came down from the mountain, Moses
did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
And when Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his
face shone, and they were afraid to approach him. It was as if
it was as if the light of God rubbed off on him, and they
were like, whoa, that is too bright verse thirty one. But Moses
called to them, So Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back
to him, and Moses spoke to them verse thirty two. After this,
all the Israelites approached, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken
to him at Sinai. And when Moses finished speaking with them, he would
put a veil on his face. But when Moses went in before the Lord
to speak with him, he would remove the veil until he came out.
Then he would come out and tell the Israelites what had been communed, or
communicated what he had been commanded Verse thirty five. When the Israelites would see
the face of Moses and the skin of Moses's face shone, Moses would put
on the veil on his face again until he went in to speak unto the
Lord. Now, Paul said he needed to do that because the people did
not they it was because of unbelief. It was because the people themselves were
not being impacted fully by the light and power of God, and they wanted
to hide from the presence rather than to race the presence like Moses had been
doing. And so we see a real life example, living color example of
what happens when an individual or a community of believers come into the presence of
God with our hearts fully fully yielded to him, with the desire and commitment
to communicate his word and his will his love to other people. This is
the way that we will appear. Now, I know this was literal in
this case. Sometimes it's spiritual. For us. Sometimes it may be literal
for all I know. But when we come out of the presence of God
and reach out into the world in our communities, at our workplaces, yes,
at the places where we exercise, even in the fellowship among believers,
somebody will notice and say, but listen, he or she have obviously been
in the presence of God. And I am attracted to this if they are
willing to yield their will to God. Lesson. Writer used the Book of
John, chapter twelve and verse thirty five as a focal point, and the
Bible reads, then Jesus said to them a little while longer, the light
is with you. So of course Jesus is the light. Yes, walk
while you have the light. So God has promised us that he will be
a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. And you would
say, but Dave, the text said that thy word is a lamp unto
thy feet and the light unto thy path. Well, I think the Bible
says in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God,
and the word was God, meaning Jesus. So Jesus is the light.
Jesus is the word that lights our path. So walk while you have the
light less, darkness overtake you. You see, He's giving us all the
opportunity to receive the light thankfully, yes, with gratefulness, yes, willingly,
while he's lighting our path. If we will walk along the journey,
we will find our way with the power of the Holy Spirit, into righteousness,
into right relationship with God, and into eternity with God. But if
we choose to close our eyes and play peekaboo with God, we choose to
push away the light and shut it off and find a way to get away
from the light, and the darkness will overtake us. He who walks in
darkness does not know where he is going. And so we see in the
Bible's Last book, Revelation, the devil is pictured as a dragon, a
serpent who wants to deceive and cause people to go away from the light.
God is saying, walk in the light while it is still shining. Of
a wonderful day. 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 el David Harris, make
it a great day. Yeah,