1 00:00:01,159 --> 00:00:05,519 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 manner the word of God to keep 4 00:00:15,439 --> 00:00:20,079 us through today's challenges. On this program, we are going to change all 5 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:25,120 of that. Let's experience God's words today and receive the power we need to 6 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:30,800 live healthy, vibrant lives. Welcome to your Daily Portion with your host, 7 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:34,799 author speaker L. David Harris. Good morning, Good morning, Good morning. 8 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:40,200 It is Wednesday, July twelve, two twenty three. Hello, my 9 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:42,880 name is L. David Harris. I am your host, and this is 10 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:47,240 your Daily Portion where we give you God's word every single day, and today 11 00:00:47,359 --> 00:00:52,119 is no exception. We are continuing in our Lesson study series through the Book 12 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:59,920 of Ephesians. Our caption for today is Christ above all Powers, Christ above 13 00:01:00,039 --> 00:01:04,920 of all Powers. I need you to get that deep into your core. 14 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:07,879 We'll talk about that in just a moment, but first I like to say 15 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:11,480 welcome, Welcome everybody, Welcome one, Welcome all, and ask you, 16 00:01:11,519 --> 00:01:15,599 if you've not already done so, to go over to your Daily Portion dot 17 00:01:15,599 --> 00:01:22,439 com click the online Community link like Join and also click the link to pick 18 00:01:22,519 --> 00:01:26,519 up the Your Daily Portion book. It's a special book that leads us closer 19 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:30,040 to Christ and the community is a place where we build faith and fellowship. 20 00:01:30,359 --> 00:01:37,719 I can promise you that no believers can grow without community. This is why 21 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:41,159 we are a church, right, and so I thank God for us to 22 00:01:41,239 --> 00:01:46,079 continue to build and grow together Your Daily Portion dot com. Let's go ahead 23 00:01:46,079 --> 00:01:49,159 and pray, and then we will get underway. Father in Heaven, thank 24 00:01:49,159 --> 00:01:53,680 you for giving us this new day and for the privilege of getting us into 25 00:01:53,719 --> 00:01:57,599 the week thus far. Father, I ask you now to help us to 26 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:01,000 take the name of Jesus with us. That it won't just be something we 27 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:08,159 say, but let us live with your mindset and be holy in Jesus name. 28 00:02:08,199 --> 00:02:14,599 I pray, Amen, and a man again. I am always tempted 29 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:17,560 to sing a song. Take the name of Jesus with you is on my 30 00:02:17,599 --> 00:02:23,120 mind here, but I will resist. But let me just say that we 31 00:02:23,319 --> 00:02:27,759 must not. Let me say it in all caps, underscore, emboldened, 32 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:30,919 highlighted and in red letters. Right, do not take the name of God 33 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:37,879 our Father lightly. Don't take his name in vain, don't take the name 34 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:43,560 of Jesus Christ, God the Son lightly. Don't take his name in vain. 35 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:49,639 Do not take the name of the Holy Ghost, God, the Holy 36 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:54,400 Ghost in vain. Do not take those names lightly. Don't take the name 37 00:02:55,199 --> 00:03:00,479 lightly. Now we are focusing on Jesus Christ in articular, God the Son 38 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:06,759 and the Son of God. And we're going to talk about spiritual powers during 39 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:10,759 the time of ephesis. Right, So we're going to begin with ephesis. 40 00:03:12,199 --> 00:03:15,759 I mean, if ephesis that's not a book in the Bible. If Asians 41 00:03:15,879 --> 00:03:20,280 chapter one, and I will read verses twenty and twenty one, and then 42 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:23,520 I'll say what I'm going to read as we go along, Okay, and 43 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:28,479 the Bible reads which He wrought in Christ. So we're talking about Christ when 44 00:03:28,479 --> 00:03:34,199 he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in 45 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:38,240 the heavenly places. So we're looking at the power. We're looking at the 46 00:03:38,319 --> 00:03:43,319 supremacy of Christ. We'll talk about that on Friday, if the Lord spares 47 00:03:43,439 --> 00:03:47,960 life. Right, we're talking about power in Christ and how God bestowed our 48 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:57,000 father, God bestowed extra authority, like he's showing the authority and supremacy of 49 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:02,400 Christ right verse twenty one, far above all principal and power, and might 50 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:09,120 and dominion, and every name that is named. Not only in this world. 51 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:12,879 I need you to get this, brothers and sisters, but also in 52 00:04:13,039 --> 00:04:18,519 that which is to come right. So his name is supreme in the universe 53 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:25,959 Verse two of Ephesians chapter two. And the Bible reads wherein time past ye 54 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:29,240 walked according to the course of this world, according to the Prince of the 55 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:32,279 Power of the Air. So there is another power. There is another category 56 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:39,480 of power that also is in the world and the universe. What is that 57 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:45,120 power, oh boy, that power according to the Prince of the Power of 58 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:48,240 the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. So 59 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:53,319 we're talking about the devil. I don't want to make it any more complicated, 60 00:04:53,439 --> 00:04:57,600 right, And in verse twelve of Ephesians chapter six, we see this 61 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:03,040 again verse twelve. For he wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against 62 00:05:03,079 --> 00:05:10,000 principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, 63 00:05:10,399 --> 00:05:16,000 against spiritual wickedness in high places. And then God through Paul and joins us 64 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:23,000 with seven implements of spiritual warfare to take on the entire armor of God, 65 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:26,600 that we may be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one, 66 00:05:27,079 --> 00:05:30,480 that we can surrender our will to God. And he says in another place, 67 00:05:31,199 --> 00:05:35,439 I think it is in Romans chapter thirteen and verse fourteen. But put 68 00:05:35,519 --> 00:05:42,120 ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh to 69 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:46,519 fulfill the lusts thereof. And so now we see there is a line of 70 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:50,120 demarcation, there is a line in the sand. You can take the name 71 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:55,319 of Jesus with you, that is the power of God. Unto salvation or 72 00:05:55,959 --> 00:05:59,879 God forbid. You can join forces with the Prince of the power of the 73 00:06:00,079 --> 00:06:04,240 air. Make a decision. Make it now. This is not something that 74 00:06:04,319 --> 00:06:09,279 we need to be dealing with by default. If you're on the Lord's side, 75 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:15,720 stand up and proclaim that you're on the Lord's side. Joshua said, 76 00:06:15,639 --> 00:06:20,040 choose you this day whom ye will serve. But as for me and my 77 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:25,279 house, we will serve the Lord. Elijah, as he was on the 78 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:30,439 mount Carmel told the people, how long halt ye between two the opinions. 79 00:06:30,519 --> 00:06:35,000 If God be God, then serve him hmm. And then of course, 80 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:39,839 if the enemy and all of his cohorts, then serve him. But we 81 00:06:39,879 --> 00:06:43,279 already know that there is a name that is above every name, that at 82 00:06:43,319 --> 00:06:46,959 the name of Jesus, every niche shall bow, every tongue shall confess that 83 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:51,879 Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Now in Acts 84 00:06:51,959 --> 00:06:57,519 nineteen, I'm running here, Acts Chapter nineteen, Verses eleven through twenty, 85 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:03,519 there was a story of the seventh Scheva, and it illustrates that Ephesis at 86 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:08,560 the time of Paul was the center of magical arts. Let me read a 87 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:15,560 quote from Power of Magic, The Concept of Power and Ephesians, page what 88 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:20,199 pages this page eighteen. The overriding characteristic of the practice of magic throughout the 89 00:07:20,199 --> 00:07:29,879 Hellenistic world was the cognizance of a spirit world, exercising influence over virtually every 90 00:07:29,959 --> 00:07:33,720 aspect of life. The goal of the magician was to discern the helpful spirits 91 00:07:33,759 --> 00:07:39,639 from the harmful ones, and to learn the distinct operations and relative strengths and 92 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:44,680 authority of spirits. Through this knowledge, means could be, according to them, 93 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:50,199 constructed and written formulas, spoken formulas, amulets, etc. For manipulation 94 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:55,240 of the spirits and the interests of the individual person. But the formula a 95 00:07:55,319 --> 00:08:00,160 spirit induced sickness could be cured or a chariot race could be won. This 96 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:03,120 is what they were dealing with, and that's the end of the quote. 97 00:08:03,399 --> 00:08:09,879 There were names that they would invoke. They would invoke these names, powers 98 00:08:09,879 --> 00:08:13,839 of spells and all kinds of stuff. And the sons of Skeeva felt like 99 00:08:15,399 --> 00:08:18,839 that they were going to cash in. It was always about money, it 100 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:24,160 was always about perceived power. They figured they were going to cash in. 101 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:28,240 And they said, when there was some devilment going on, they figured, 102 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:33,399 well, we saw where Paul was so powerful, Like the people of God 103 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:37,039 were so powerful that even some of the things that they had in their I 104 00:08:37,039 --> 00:08:41,360 don't know if it was pockets or whatever way they had it, handkerchiefs and 105 00:08:41,399 --> 00:08:46,039 all kinds of other things. Like, we could see God's power at work 106 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:50,120 in these men's lives to the point that people were being delivered from the enemy. 107 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:54,320 So these dudes figured they were going to step up to the devil and 108 00:08:54,399 --> 00:08:58,879 say, in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preached, we command that 109 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:03,840 these spirits come out of fill in the blank. Well, the devils said, 110 00:09:03,879 --> 00:09:09,039 wait a minute, now, Jesus, we know Paul, we know 111 00:09:09,759 --> 00:09:16,440 remember we're talking about names. Ah, but who are you? The Bible 112 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:22,919 says that these men were just terribly, just terribly treated and nearly destroyed, 113 00:09:24,159 --> 00:09:28,919 like they were beaten and stripped naked, because they took the name in vain. 114 00:09:30,279 --> 00:09:33,919 They did not live according to the name of Jesus. They took it 115 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:39,039 in vain. We must not live in vanity. But when we take the 116 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:45,279 name of Jesus with us, that means we are taking his worship. Says 117 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:50,440 for joining us. Always remember we cannot live by bread alone, but by 118 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:54,679 every word that comes from the mouth of God. This has been your daily 119 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:58,799 portion with l David Harris, make it a great day.