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 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 Sunday, July sixteen, twenty 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,
and our caption for today is once dead and deceived by Satan. Once
Dead. We're going to talk about that in the past tense I hope and
deceived by Satan. We'll get into that in just a moment, but first
I'd like to say welcome one, Welcome all, and ask you to please
go over to your Daily Portion dot com. If you have not done so
already, join our online community. Also, you can click into that little
form and tell us where you are in the world. That's a blessing,
so we can see where you are. And also pick up pick up the
Your Daily Portion Christian Living book. It's a book that will help all of
us, that helps all of us get closer to God as we await the
coming of Jesus Christ. Go to your Daily Portion dot com. Let's go
ahead and pray and then get underway. Father in Heaven, thank you for
giving us the privilege of awakening today beginning our new work week. And I
pray God that you will give us your Holy Spirit, teach us how to
love and to serve You, and let the deception of the enemy be in
the past tense in our rear view mirror. In Jesus name, I pray
Amen and Amen again once dead and deceived by Satan. We're going to begin
reading in the Book of Ephesians, chapter two. Ephesians chapter two, and
you'll note that as we go through this book, we'll be reading things over
and over again, turning it around, turning it around, asking God,
what is it that you would have me to know and learn? Daily new
things, even from the same passages. So we begin in chapter two today,
and the Bible reads, and you hath he quickened that means to be
made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins. I think everybody here can
identify with the reality that we have been dead in trespasses and sins. God
forbid. Somebody listening, somebody watching may still be. But if it's your
case, today is the day that you can be transformed by the renewing of
your mind. Keep listening and praying right here verse two, wherein in time
past ye walked according to the course of this world. So you did that
in time past. He's speaking to the people at Ephesus right according to the
Prince of the power of the air and spirit. Now that now walketh in
the children of disobedience. So you know what it's like to live in contrary,
live contrary to God's will, to be hostile toward God. You know
what it's like. Let me just give you a cheat code right here.
Let me give you a quick secret. If you want to build rapport with
youth, be honest and genuine, live according to principle consistently, but don't
hide like don't act like you don't know what it's like to be tempted and
to also fall and jump into sin. Youth are into genuineness, regardless of
anything else you perceive in their way of moving in social media and peer pressure
and all of that. Listen, if you're genuine and you're loving and consistent,
but show the reality that you know what it's like to live a disobedient
lifestyle, and you're there with them. They will ride with you until the
wheels fall off, because they will sense your genuine love for them. But
that I will move from like I digress. Okay, verse three, among
whom also we all had our conversation that is conduct in times pasts past,
in lusts of our flesh. Yes, m fulfilling the desires of the flesh
and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even
as others. So you know what it's like. Yeah, but God,
I said it yesterday. I won't go into it again today. But just
this is a moment to praise God. But God right, who is rich
in mercy for his great love, wherewith he loved us even when we were
dead and sins, he did what he quickened us together with Christ by grace
are you saved. Oh, we'll come back to that. And hath raised
us up together and made us to sit together in heavenly places. In Christ
Jesus. There are places that you have sat in time past. You have
sat in the seat of the scornful. You have sat in on meetings where
people were castigating and disrespecting people and you said nothing. You did nothing.
You have sat in discussions with people who were gossiping and did nothing. You
have sat in uh in in places where exotic dancers were showing things that we
should never see. Unmentionable sins we have committed. God is saying that you
have you have done that. But now because of God's great love toward us,
now, because of his grace, his power to make us holy and
to live according to His principle. But now we can be seated together in
heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in times or in the ages to come,
he might show us the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward
us. In Christ Jesus, I hath not seen. Pause right here and
give God a praise like I have not seen nor ear heard. Neither hath
it enter into the heart of human beings, the things that God has prepared
for us. So He is transforming your characters, my character, so that
one day we will be able to see that we will finally experience the exceeding
riches of His grace verse eight four. By grace are ye saved through faith?
And that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not
of works, lest any man should boast. I hope you are experiencing the
joy of the Lord by just listening to and contemplating and meditating upon these words
in Holy Scripture verse ten. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus, unto good works. That is why you're here. That is why
I'm here. He created us unto good works. We're gonna go into Isaiah
in just a moment which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
God never intended for you to go down that slippery slope of sin.
He never intended to you that you should ever be bound to anything except bound
by the golden chord of love in a relationship with Him. But God is
so kind, How kind is he that he would take us back to basics.
He would just like his children who were in Babylonian captivity, just like
believers who are now in spiritual Babylon. And in the Spirit of John chapter
ten. His sheep here his voice. He is making the call, just
like he does in the Book of Revelation, to come out out of her,
my people, Come out of Babylon, spiritual Babylon. Come out of
confusion, Come out of those false pathways toward a false God. Come out
of her, and come in to basics. Like back to basics, and
the Bible reads. But now Isaiah forty three in verse one. But now
thus set the Lord that created THEE O Jacob, and he that formed THEE.
I'm running, oh Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed THEE.
I have called THEE by name. Thou art mine. When thou passest
through the waters, I will be with THEE, and through the rivers,
they shall not overflow THEE. When thou walkest through the fire, it shall
not be kindled upon THEE. I need to fast forward and get to at
the end of it. It says that he is with us verse five.
I will bring the seed from the east and gather them from everywhere around the
world. Verse seven, Even everyone that is called by my name. For
I have created him. I have created her for my glory. I have
formed him. I have formed her. Yea, I have made him.
God is so good? How good is he? He's so good that you
were once bound in sin. Yes, you were once deceived by Satan.
But God, in his great mercy towards you, is calling all of us,
calling me, calling you out of darkness into this marvelous light. Yes
there is a great controversy between good and evil, but listen, when you
worship God and he's the captain of your soul, you cannot lose. Have
a 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 l David Harris.
Make it a great day.