Speaker 1: 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.
Speaker 2: Good morning, Good morning, Good morning. It is Friday, October
twenty five, 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 Gospel of John. Themes in
the Gospel of John, and our caption for today is Rebirth.
We'll get into that in just a moment, but first
I'd like to say welcome to you and ask you
to please go over to your Daily Portion dot com.
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let's go ahead and pray, and then we will get underway.
Father and Heaven. Thank you for giving us this new
morning and for the privilege that we have this morning
to be reborn. Thank you Father for your Holy Spirit
who is always active and ready to transform us by
the renewing of our minds. Please help us to surrender
in Jesus name. I pray, Amen and Amen again rebirth.
Now we started this discussion yesterday, well really got into
the throes of it yesterday, and there was so much
that we were not able to cover it. So we
continue today. I will give you some pointers, but I
want to read something from the book Desire of Ages,
pages one hundred seventy six and one hundred seventy seven,
and this is about the encounter that Nicodemus had with Jesus. Okay,
Jesus is teaching him that he must be born again,
and Nicodemus's life is being transformed in real time. And
I like the story because Nicodemus being transformed, experiencing the
metamorphosis instantly is starting to look for ways, if you
want to say, ways to be of service in the
Kingdom of Heaven. And we see it at the most
critical junctures that stuff doesn't happen unless God transforms us. Okay,
and so it reads in the interview with Nicodemus, Jesus
unfolded the plan of salvation and his mission to the world.
In none of his subsequent discourses. I want you to
get this. In none of Jesus's subsequent discourses did he
explain so fully, step by step, the work necessary to
be done in the hearts of all who would inherit
the Kingdom of Heaven. Did you get that?
Speaker 1: So?
Speaker 2: Jesus had taught so many times the truth, he had
transformed so many lies, But in none of the times
that he would speak and teach the truth did he
do it to the degree so comprehensively then at this moment,
and so if that's the case, and it is, then
we need to really glean from this experience, this encounter
what was important to Jesus. What was important to Jesus
is that we have to be reborn because the way
that we were born in the first place, we were
born with the genes spiritually speaking and practically of Adam.
And of course, of course you could say no, I understand,
like if you want to be very technical, right, But
what I'm saying is that we inherited the tendency to
do evil, We inherited the desire to do evil. And
it takes a supernatural work of God in order to
put us in a position where we would love to
do good, that we would have a mindset that is
like Jesus, where the Bible says, let this mind be
in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Okay. And
so this is a pivotal moment, and it continues. It
continues at the very beginning of his ministry. He opened
the truth to a member of the Sanhedron, to the
mind that was most receptive, and to an appointed teacher
of the people. But the leaders in Israel did not
welcome the light. Nicodemus hid the truth in his heart
for three years. For three years there was little apparent fruit, okay.
And so in his heart was planted the seed, the
seed of God's word, the seed of the truth that
Jesus Christ is the is the one that transforms us.
But he hid it in his heart for a while,
but Jesus was acquainted with the soil, did you get
that into which he cast the seed? The words spoken
at night to one listener, and the lonely mountain were
not lost for a time. Nicodemus did not publicly acknowledge Christ,
but he watched his life and pondered his teachings in
the Sanhedrin council. He repeatedly thwarted the schemes of the
priests to destroy him. When at last Jesus was lifted
up on the cross, Nicodemus remembered, Oh. Nicodemus remembered the
teaching upon Mount Olivit. As Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so must the son of Man
be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life. The light from that secret interview
illumined the Cross upon Calvary. Nicodemus saw in Christ the
world's redeemer. After the Lord's ascension, when the disciples were
scattered by persecution, guess who came to their aid. Nicodemus
boldly ah came to the front. He employed his wealth
in sustaining the infant church, that the people of God
who were now fallen. Huh had expected to be blotted
out by the death of Christ in the time of peril,
who had been so cautious and questioning, was firm as
a rock, encouraging the faith of the disciples and furnishing
means to carry forward the work of the Gospel. Can
I just say that, if God has entrusted financial resources
to you, put it into the work of God. This
is a classic example of what it's like for a
person who has means, who has wealth, to be able
to sustain the work of God. Let me continue, Let
me continue. Let me see in the beginning, let's see
night conference with Jesus. Okay, he was scorned and persecuted
by those who had paid him reverence in other days.
He became poor in this world's goods, Yet he faltered
not in the faith which had its beginning in that
night conference with Jesus. Here is the last paragraph Demus
related to John the story of that interview, and by
his pen it was recorded from for the instruction of millions.
The truths that were taught as important today as they
were on that solemn night in the shadowy mountain, when
this ruler of the people of God came to learn
the way of life from the lowly teacher of Galilee.
What an incredible story. And it's not just a story
it is it is a manifestation of God's power to
transform even the life of people who have means, even
the life of people who have influence. And then that
influence becomes an impediment in some ways because now you're
in the spotlight or what are you going to do
when you have influence and people are the ones who
seem to be giving you that influence, then it's like, ah,
if I do this, then they will remove my power.
If I do this, they may remove my money. If
I do this, they may remove my influence. But Jesus
showed that a person whose life is transformed has no
need to worry about political implications, have no need to
worry about socioeconomic implications. All we need to be concerned
about is whether we are yielding our will to God.
And so there is transformment. If there is transformation in
patience and persistence in Christ. Right, there is courage for
us to stand for the truth when we are in Christ. Yes,
there is power in our personal encounters with Jesus Christ.
When we yield our will to him Ultimately. You know what,
all of us have the privilege to be reborn. Today
could be the day for somebody.
Speaker 1: Thanks for joining us listening.
Speaker 2: Friends.
Speaker 1: 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,