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,
and happy Sabbath. It is Sabbath, July twenty, 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
through the Book of Mark, and our caption for today is Parables. Parables.
We'll get into that in just a moment, but first I'd like to
say, well, welcome to you in 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, join our growing online community
and also let us know where you are in the world at your Daily Portion
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And let me just give you a clear understanding of what the community is
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Daily Portion dot com. I hope that you understand a little bit better.
Now let's go ahead and pray, and then we will get underway. Father
and Heaven, thank you for this new Sabbath morning, and for the privilege
that we have to listen for your voice in those parables. Father, help
us to love you and understand your will and then live according to those principles.
In Jesus name, I pray, Amen and Amen again. And so
I'm going to begin right here in the Book of Mark chapter four, Versus
twenty four and twenty five, and we'll just literally set the stage for the
coming day, because yeah, it makes sense the way that this is organized
will have to be very disciplined today and to hold hold fast. Okay,
So let's begin at verse twenty four, and the Bible reads then he said
to them, take heed what you hear with the same measure you use.
It will be measured to you, and to you who hear more will be
given. Can I just say to the Hebrew of Jesus's day and before right,
to hear and to do. We're synonymous. Sheamah may have heard that
terminology. It's a Hebrew term to hear, hear oh Israel. In the
Book of Deuteronomy, chapter six, hero Israel, the Lord, our God,
the Lord is one Lord, and thou shalt worship him basically with everything
that you have and everything that you are. So as you are hearing,
oh Israel, about the Lord, the one who should be, and we
should be thankful that he is the Lord of our lives, we are seeing
that they are one that is unified in every way, a Hebrew term echoed,
which means it's a compound unity. God, the Father, the Son,
the Holy Spirit are unified in every essential way. And we must love.
We have the privilege of loving God in everything that we have, everything
that we are. And so we hear, and then we love, because
to hear and to do go together. And so in this parable we or
this discussion we're seeing, for it says it will be measured unto you.
And who here now we know and do it will more will be given.
For whoever has to him more will be given. But whoever does not have,
even that which he has, will be taken from him. And so
God is saying that he is and I want to call him a steward because
he's the owner. But God is showing us the best level of stewardship for
those of us who are stewards to say that He's only going to give more
to those who maximize what he gives and entrusts. And so if we listen
to God and do his will, then he will entrust more understanding, he
will entrust more responsibility, he will entrust more power to individuals who listen and
do. And so we're grateful because He's given us the blueprint with the power
that he gives us. If we utilize that, then he will give us
and extend to us even more. I hope that makes sense to you.
And so, of course I said that we are going to look into multiple
parables this week. But what I want to do right now is is talk
about five reasons from my understanding. Of course, there are many more reasons,
but five reasons. And we're going to focus our mind on the Book
of Mark. Five reasons that Jesus used parables. Okay, five reasons,
and we're only focusing in the Book of Mark about why God might have used
parables, Okay, And so the first one is to reveal the mysteries of
the Kingdom of God. He wanted to reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom of
God, and we get that from the Book of Mark chapter four and verse
eleven, where it reads, and he said, unto them, unto you,
it is given to know the mystery of God, but unto them that
are without, these things are done in parables. And so let me say
it this way, because I may have made it a little bit confusing.
And so God speaks clearly to his people. He speaks clearly to his people.
He gives understanding concerning his parables to his people. His disciples said,
Jesus, we don't underst and what you're talking about. You keep speaking,
You're speaking these mysteries. I don't know what you're talking about. And Jesus
said, he said, well, I've done this in order that those that
don't love me, basically, those people who refuse to yield their will to
me, then they'll remain that way if they choose to serve me, if
they choose to yield their will to me, then the blessing of understanding will
come to them. And so it says here unto them who was given to
know the mystery of the Kingdom of God, but unto them that are without,
these are done in parables. And so many times the parables were confusing
to people because they would not yield their will to God. So he's leading
us into a direction that if we will yield our will to him, that
we wouldn't even need parables. I wish, I hope that that made sense.
Let's go to the Bible book of the next verse verse twelve of Mark
chapter four, and it reads that seeing they may see and not perceive,
and hearing they may hear and do not understand, lest at any time they
should be converted and their sins should be forgiven. And so it's confusing to
those who are unresponsive. It is confusing, and it filters out those individuals
who are not willing to yield their will to God. And so these parables
many times were used because those individuals were needing a test. It's a litmus
test of your willingness. My willingness to yield my will to God. I
will understand the parable of the sower. In due time. If I yield
my will to God, he will speak plainly to me, I will understand
the parable of the talents. If I yield my will to God, I
will understand in Revelation chapter one, will have these three blessings blessed to blessings
to those individuals who who hear read and do the prophecies of this book because
the time is at hand. In the same way, the servants of God
receive and understand the truth that we see in mysteries only if we yield our
will to God. Let me go to number three to encourage a deeper reflection
and personal discovery. From verse nine of Mark chapter four, and he said,
unto them he that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Are
you listening? Am I listening? And if I am listening and I have
ears that are educated by the power of the Holy Ghost, then these parables
are a way for me to understand. Listen and do make it a great
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,