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 manner 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 L. David Harris. Good morning, Good morning, Good morning.
It is Wednesday, July twelve, two twenty three. Hello, my
name is L. 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 through the Book
of Ephesians. Our caption for today is Christ above all Powers, Christ above
of all Powers. I need you to get that deep into your core.
We'll talk about that in just a moment, but first I like to say
welcome, Welcome everybody, Welcome one, Welcome all, and ask you,
if you've not already done so, to go over to your Daily Portion dot
com click the online Community link like Join and also click the link to pick
up the Your Daily Portion book. It's a special book that leads us closer
to Christ and the community is a place where we build faith and fellowship.
I can promise you that no believers can grow without community. This is why
we are a church, right, and so I thank God for us to
continue to build and grow together Your Daily Portion dot com. Let's go ahead
and pray, and then we will get underway. Father in Heaven, thank
you for giving us this new day and for the privilege of getting us into
the week thus far. Father, I ask you now to help us to
take the name of Jesus with us. That it won't just be something we
say, but let us live with your mindset and be holy in Jesus name.
I pray, Amen, and a man again. I am always tempted
to sing a song. Take the name of Jesus with you is on my
mind here, but I will resist. But let me just say that we
must not. Let me say it in all caps, underscore, emboldened,
highlighted and in red letters. Right, do not take the name of God
our Father lightly. Don't take his name in vain, don't take the name
of Jesus Christ, God the Son lightly. Don't take his name in vain.
Do not take the name of the Holy Ghost, God, the Holy
Ghost in vain. Do not take those names lightly. Don't take the name
lightly. Now we are focusing on Jesus Christ in articular, God the Son
and the Son of God. And we're going to talk about spiritual powers during
the time of ephesis. Right, So we're going to begin with ephesis.
I mean, if ephesis that's not a book in the Bible. If Asians
chapter one, and I will read verses twenty and twenty one, and then
I'll say what I'm going to read as we go along, Okay, and
the Bible reads which He wrought in Christ. So we're talking about Christ when
he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in
the heavenly places. So we're looking at the power. We're looking at the
supremacy of Christ. We'll talk about that on Friday, if the Lord spares
life. Right, we're talking about power in Christ and how God bestowed our
father, God bestowed extra authority, like he's showing the authority and supremacy of
Christ right verse twenty one, far above all principal and power, and might
and dominion, and every name that is named. Not only in this world.
I need you to get this, brothers and sisters, but also in
that which is to come right. So his name is supreme in the universe
Verse two of Ephesians chapter two. And the Bible reads wherein time past ye
walked according to the course of this world, according to the Prince of the
Power of the Air. So there is another power. There is another category
of power that also is in the world and the universe. What is that
power, oh boy, that power according to the Prince of the Power of
the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. So
we're talking about the devil. I don't want to make it any more complicated,
right, And in verse twelve of Ephesians chapter six, we see this
again verse twelve. For he wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
against spiritual wickedness in high places. And then God through Paul and joins us
with seven implements of spiritual warfare to take on the entire armor of God,
that we may be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one,
that we can surrender our will to God. And he says in another place,
I think it is in Romans chapter thirteen and verse fourteen. But put
ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh to
fulfill the lusts thereof. And so now we see there is a line of
demarcation, there is a line in the sand. You can take the name
of Jesus with you, that is the power of God. Unto salvation or
God forbid. You can join forces with the Prince of the power of the
air. Make a decision. Make it now. This is not something that
we need to be dealing with by default. If you're on the Lord's side,
stand up and proclaim that you're on the Lord's side. Joshua said,
choose you this day whom ye will serve. But as for me and my
house, we will serve the Lord. Elijah, as he was on the
mount Carmel told the people, how long halt ye between two the opinions.
If God be God, then serve him hmm. And then of course,
if the enemy and all of his cohorts, then serve him. But we
already know that there is a name that is above every name, that at
the name of Jesus, every niche shall bow, every tongue shall confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Now in Acts
nineteen, I'm running here, Acts Chapter nineteen, Verses eleven through twenty,
there was a story of the seventh Scheva, and it illustrates that Ephesis at
the time of Paul was the center of magical arts. Let me read a
quote from Power of Magic, The Concept of Power and Ephesians, page what
pages this page eighteen. The overriding characteristic of the practice of magic throughout the
Hellenistic world was the cognizance of a spirit world, exercising influence over virtually every
aspect of life. The goal of the magician was to discern the helpful spirits
from the harmful ones, and to learn the distinct operations and relative strengths and
authority of spirits. Through this knowledge, means could be, according to them,
constructed and written formulas, spoken formulas, amulets, etc. For manipulation
of the spirits and the interests of the individual person. But the formula a
spirit induced sickness could be cured or a chariot race could be won. This
is what they were dealing with, and that's the end of the quote.
There were names that they would invoke. They would invoke these names, powers
of spells and all kinds of stuff. And the sons of Skeeva felt like
that they were going to cash in. It was always about money, it
was always about perceived power. They figured they were going to cash in.
And they said, when there was some devilment going on, they figured,
well, we saw where Paul was so powerful, Like the people of God
were so powerful that even some of the things that they had in their I
don't know if it was pockets or whatever way they had it, handkerchiefs and
all kinds of other things. Like, we could see God's power at work
in these men's lives to the point that people were being delivered from the enemy.
So these dudes figured they were going to step up to the devil and
say, in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preached, we command that
these spirits come out of fill in the blank. Well, the devils said,
wait a minute, now, Jesus, we know Paul, we know
remember we're talking about names. Ah, but who are you? The Bible
says that these men were just terribly, just terribly treated and nearly destroyed,
like they were beaten and stripped naked, because they took the name in vain.
They did not live according to the name of Jesus. They took it
in vain. We must not live in vanity. But when we take the
name of Jesus with us, that means we are taking his worship. Says
for joining us. 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 l David Harris, make it a great day.