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 Wednesday, December twenty seven, 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 the final week of our Lesson
study series, God's Mission, my mission, and our caption for today is
success in Mission. Success in Mission. We'll get into that in just a
moment, but first I'd like to just welcome you and ask you to go
over to your Daily Portion dot com, join our online community and make sure
you let us know where you are in the world, and also also please
pick up the your Daily Portion book at your Daily Portion dot com. This
is a way, as I say every single day, a way that we
build faith and fellowship at your Daily portion dot com. Let's go ahead and
pray and then get underway. Father and Heaven, thank you for giving us
this new day and for the privilege we have to open up your word.
I pray that you will open up my understanding here and I don't trust myself
while I'm sharing here with your people. Father, please teach us success your
way in Jesus' name, I pray, Amen and Amn again. Well,
how do you measure success? And of course that's something that I'm excited about
because I am a life and success coach. Yeah, how do you measure
success? And of course, in the context of our lesson, I want
you to drill it. How do you measure success? In mission? And
the lesson writer says, we might be tempted to think that it is many
baptisms. Uh oh, we got to get ourselves in trouble here, many
baptisms, big churches and rapid growth rates. Whoops. We might feel that
success consists of entering every tribe and people group on earth and with the truth,
and that we can speed it up by using radio, on the internet,
in television. Oh this is a plot twist. While all of this
can be good, we must remember that Paul wrote to the Community of Faith
at Corinth I planted Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. Did you
get that? In other words, our focus is to be on the process.
God's focus will be on the growth. Oh my goodness, I wish
I had the time. I have worked for God's Church at different times for
many many years, I mean in leadership and this discussion here. I am
really actually very happy that the that the church has put this out in its
official Bible Study guide, right, because we in different at different levels of
the organization, have had to contend with this and sometimes we come up with
the wrong answer. Can I just say that sometimes we come up with the
wrong answer. We may say the right words, but sometimes we come up
with the wrong answer. And yeah, I won't turn this into a soapbox,
but I am thankful that in the Lesson Study it says again, in
other words, our focus is to be on the process. God's focus is
to be on the growth. We have already seen that the object of God's
mission is saving lost people from every people group on earth by making loyal disciples
of Jesus who are involved in his mission. Okay, So we're going through
many passages here of scripture as a lesson writer would have prescribed, and see
what we can glean. And so from tewod Corinthians chapter eleven and verse two,
we're going to look at devotion for a moment, and the Bible reads,
for I am jealous over you with godly jealousy, for I have espoused
you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
And so Paul demonstrated his devotion to lead people to a perfect relationship with
God. And don't be afraid of the word perfect. We're talking about complete.
We're talking about the kind of relationship that God is after. So strive
for a devoted and faithful relationship with Jesus, just like a bride to her
groom. Okay. So in Isaiah chapter thirty and verse twenty one, we're
going to look at listening to God, and the Bible reads and thine ears
shall hear a word behind these saying this is the way walk ye in it?
How many know that this is the voice of God, the Holy Spirit
Ah when ye turn to the right hand, and even when ye turn to
the left, and so practice listening. I said, practice listening. This
is not something we take for granted. It's not something that we just say,
yeah, listen to God and move on. No, practice listening for
God's guidance in daily life, making decisions that align with his will. Now
we're going to John chapter ten and verse twenty seven. I hope you are
taking notes here recognizing God's voice. So the Bible reads my sheep here my
voice, and I know them and they follow me. So when we hear
the voice of God, meaning whatever he has called us to do through his
word, through providence, through the way that He orchestrates our lives, the
way that he leads us down the paths of righteousness from his Holy Bible,
these sixty six pleasant, pleasant and blessed books, we are then to follow
him, not just to hear, but to also follow. Remember to the
Hebrew mindset, the ancient Hebrew mindset Shamah Shamah from the Book of Drudonomy,
chapter six. Hearing and doing. Hearing God's voice, hearing what he has
commanded, and doing what he has commanded are synonymous. Okay, okay,
And now we move to Let's see which passage will we use. Let's go
to John chapter sixteen, Verses twelve and thirteen openness to the Holy Ghost,
and the Bible reads, I have yet many things to say to you,
but I cannot ye cannot excuse me bear them now. Howbeit, when he
the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guide you into all truth.
For he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that
shall he speak. And he will show you things to come. And so
God wants us to be open to learning and growing spiritually, allowing the Holy
Spirit to guide us into all truth, truth about God, truth about ourselves.
God is holy, just and good. We are unholy, right,
carnal, sold under sin and need God. We need God. And when
He begins to reveal the reality of that in the details of our lives,
when he has said, go this way to the left, and we've chosen
to go to the right, like times we have chosen addiction, and we
have gone back to our sin full patterns, when he has delivered us from
such patterns, and God is saying, when the Holy Spirit comes to guide
us into all truth, we should hear and do and that really just takes
us to the same concept with Second Thessalonians chapter two, beginning at verse nine,
where we are to embrace truth. Embrace I'm talking about hold on to
the Bible reads beginning at verse nine. Even him whose coming is after the
working of Satan, with all power and signs of lying and and lying wonders.
We're talking about the last of the last days, and with all deceivableness
of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth.
Did not Jesus say to the church at Fhesus in the Book of Revelation
to return, return to their first love because they had not received the love
of the truth, that they should be saved. And for this cause God
send will send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie. And so
God is saying, embrace the truth. Do not turn your back on the
truth, because if you have a habit, if I God forbid, we
have a habit of turning our backs on the truth, then we will believe
a lie. Let's go with this last one. Staying vigilant in faith.
Staying vigilant in faith, regularly check your faith and encourage others staying alert to
avoid spiritual complacency, and that is coming in from Hebrews Chapter three, verses
twelve and thirteen. I am so thankful that God has given us success and
success in his mission, and all we need to do is just follow him
every wonderful day. Peace. 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,