Daily Bread - April 3, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Tuesday, 03 April 2018 15:00

2 Corinthians 10:5 - To destroy arguments and every great obstacle raised against the knowledge of God, and to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. The battlefield we are engaged upon is the battlefield of the thoughts. Thoughts are the inspiration behind our decisions, and our decisions set the course of our actions. Our actions will determine our success, or our failure, now and throughout eternity. God has not left us to depend on our own ability to deal with this complex matrix of reasoning and thinking; but He has given to us His thoughts (through His Word), and His divine assistance to destroy the influences of man and the demonic realm every time they arise in our thinking. We must be wise enough to take our position upon this battlefield with a resolve to stand against all those things that oppose the knowledge of God (Ephesians 6:10-11). If we do not sober up and realize how we are indeed in a real war, then we will constantly be overthrown by our own neglect. We must place God's Word in its rightful position as the supreme knowledge and insight for all things. If you want to be successful and have those things God has promised, then every opposing thought must become the enemy and must be destroyed. Both the Satanic forces and natural events around us attempt to act as a blockade between us and the promises God has given. These "high military works" that are thrown up to prevent us will not be able to stand against us as we move in the knowledge of God. Yet, at the same time, we must recognize that the knowledge of God will run contrary to what we have come to learn and believe about the world we live in. God's knowledge says to raise the dead; man's knowledge says impossible! God's knowledge tells us that whatever we ask, Father He will do it; whereas man's knowledge says, "God helps them that help themselves." God's knowledge says, "Give, and it shall be given to you"; man's knowledge says, "Save it, and you will have more." Imaginations that come out of a logic inspired by fear and self-preservation will always lead us in a direction opposite of faith. Imaginations begin where knowledge ends. Knowledge allows us to understand the situations and challenges that we are faced with, and then derive a plan of action to deal with them. Imaginations are never based upon truth, but upon fantasies; it is a kind of "false logic" that has no substance in reality. To be so naïve and ignorant as to think our imaginations are worth the time and meditation we give to them is self-destructive. When you lack truth and knowledge, imaginations set in. Therefore, turn to the source: the Word of God. If we are going to be obedient to God, then we are going to have to allow God's Word to dominate our thoughts. God's instructions must be the knowledge we base all of our decisions upon. There is no weapon like the sword of the Spirit, or the Word of God, because the knowledge of God will cut off every false thing. Those who walk in the knowledge that the Word of God gives will have those things God has described, and the blessing that its wisdom brings. The Truth sets free; and it is the power of God that overthrows every lie and deception! The Word is the means to discern good and evil, and the revealer of the thoughts and intents of the heart (2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Ephesians 6:17; John 8:32; Hebrews 4:12, 5:12-14). Be diligent to make your calling and election sure! (2 Peter 1:10-11)

 

Daily Bread - April 2, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Monday, 02 April 2018 10:05

Romans 6:4 - Therefore, we were buried with Him by baptism into death; that just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, in this way also we may walk in newness of life. Before we can ever have a resurrection there must first be a death. God in His great love for us experienced the sorrow of death so that we could experience the joy and the glory of the Resurrection. Being buried is the certification of death, and surely the Resurrection is the surety of a miraculous and supernatural life. The first part of the resurrection we receive is the spiritual resurrection, or the inward resurrection (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 2:12, 3:1). We were raised up by the glory of the Father when the Spirit of God came upon us and made us a new creature, and gave us a new heart and a new spirit, and put His Spirit within us. When we were born from above, we were given a fresh new life. The Greek word used here, 'kainoteti', (in combination with the kind of life Jesus had when He was raised from the dead) speaks of a new form of life. The life that was crucified with Christ and buried was entirely sinful, but the new one that is raised up together with Christ is to be entirely holy (Ephesians 2:1-5; 1 Peter 1:15-16, 2:5; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 1:21; Romans 6:22; 2 Peter 1:9-11; 1 John 3:6). We now live the life of the Spirit, or the life of the Heavenly realm, instead of a carnal and earthly life (Ephesians 2:6, 1:3; Romans 8:5-9; Philippians 3:20; John 3:5-6). Through living this Heavenly life, we are guaranteed that one day we will also have a physical resurrection. Whereas, we were once separated from God because of sin, we are now separated (dead) from sin because of the life we have received in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:6,11,18, 22; 1 John 3:6; 2 Peter 1:9-11). If we would only enjoy the full benefits of this life and allow the Holy Spirit to continually fill us with this realm, then we would be raptured into the Heavenly and not find it strange to be separate from the evil. We should give ourselves over completely to the ability to walk in this new sphere of life. If we take hold of everything God has said about us in His Word and accept it as ours, then faith will take us into the experience of what He has spoken (2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 Thessalonians 2:13). We may all now say in agreement with His Word: I am crucified with Christ, I am buried with Him by baptism into His death, I am raised up together with Him, I am alive together with Him, And I am seated together with Him in the Heavenlies! (Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:3-11; Ephesians 2:5-8; Colossians 2:12, 3:1-4)

 

Daily Bread - March 31, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Saturday, 31 March 2018 14:30

Daily Bread - March 31, 2018 Romans 6:4 - Therefore, we were buried with Him by baptism into death; that just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, in this way also we may walk in newness of life. Before we can ever have a resurrection there must first be a death. God in His great love for us experienced the sorrow of death so that we could experience the joy and the glory of the Resurrection. Being buried is the certification of death, and surely the Resurrection is the surety of a miraculous and supernatural life. The first part of the resurrection we receive is the spiritual resurrection, or the inward resurrection (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 2:12, 3:1). We were raised up by the glory of the Father when the Spirit of God came upon us and made us a new creature, and gave us a new heart and a new spirit, and put His Spirit within us. When we were born from above, we were given a fresh new life. The Greek word used here, 'kainoteti', (in combination with the kind of life Jesus had when He was raised from the dead) speaks of a new form of life. The life that was crucified with Christ and buried was entirely sinful, but the new one that is raised up together with Christ is to be entirely holy (Ephesians 2:1-5; 1 Peter 1:15-16, 2:5; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 1:21; Romans 6:22; 2 Peter 1:9-11; 1 John 3:6). We now live the life of the Spirit, or the life of the Heavenly realm, instead of a carnal and earthly life (Ephesians 2:6, 1:3; Romans 8:5-9; Philippians 3:20; John 3:5-6). Through living this Heavenly life, we are guaranteed that one day we will also have a physical resurrection. Whereas, we were once separated from God because of sin, we are now separated (dead) from sin because of the life we have received in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:6,11,18, 22; 1 John 3:6; 2 Peter 1:9-11). If we would only enjoy the full benefits of this life and allow the Holy Spirit to continually fill us with this realm, then we would be raptured into the Heavenly and not find it strange to be separate from the evil. We should give ourselves over completely to the ability to walk in this new sphere of life. If we take hold of everything God has said about us in His Word and accept it as ours, then faith will take us into the experience of what He has spoken (2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 Thessalonians 2:13). We may all now say in agreement with His Word: I am crucified with Christ, I am buried with Him by baptism into His death, I am raised up together with Him, I am alive together with Him, And I am seated together with Him in the Heavenlies! (Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:3-11; Ephesians 2:5-8; Colossians 2:12, 3:1-4)

 

Daily Bread - March 30, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Friday, 30 March 2018 17:54

Psalms 101:2 - I will behave myself wisely in a way that is blameless. When will you come to me? I will walk in the midst of my house with a perfect heart. The Hebrew text actually says, "I will set no thing of Belial before my eyes..." Belial is a synonym for Satan and lawlessness. Paul uses this word to describe everything that belongs to the satanic realm in 2 Corinthians 6:15, "What agreement does Christ have with Belial, or what does a believer share with an unbeliever?" The Septuagint translates Belial with the Greek word 'anomias' which is the word to describe the "man of iniquity" and the "mystery of iniquity" in 2 Thessalonians 2:3,7. Those who are of Belial have cast off the yoke of God, and they have become lawless (Psalms 2:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:7). Although, we are not under the law of Moses in the New Testament, we are still under the law of God and the righteousness of God (Romans 3:21,31, 8:2,4,7; 1 Corinthians 9:21; Hebrews 8:10). We are bound to the law of moral and ethical codes of godliness, righteousness, and holiness (Romans 8:4; 1 Peter 1:15-16; Titus 2:14; Romans 6:19; Hebrews 12:14; Ephesians 4:24; Romans 14:17; Isaiah 62:1; 2 Timothy 2:19,22). There are far too many people who are suppose to be the saints (holy ones) of God who both live and confess lawlessness, and by definition this is the apostasy; this is lawlessness and iniquity (Luke 13:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:3,7; Matthew 24:12; 2 Timothy 3:1-7; Hebrews 3:8). Therefore, we must recognize that just as there were sons of Belial among those of the First Covenant, there are now sons of Belial in the midst of the Church of the New Testament. Be certain that you are one who follows Jesus and are lead by the Spirit (1 Peter 2:21-22; Galatians 5:16; Romans 8:14; 1 Corinthians 5:11, 11:1; Ephesians 5:11). Walk in the Spirit with a blameless heart! (Romans 8:14; Psalms 101:2)

 

Daily Bread - March 29, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Thursday, 29 March 2018 11:14

Psalms 25:4 - Yahweh, cause me to know Your ways; teach me Your paths. Before we call, God has already answered. He has proactively sent the Holy Spirit to teach us His ways and to lead us in His paths of righteousness (John 14:15-18, 16:12-15; Psalms 23:1-3). If we would all allow God to give us a revelation of the majesty and splendor of the way in which He conducts Himself, we would be overwhelmed as was the Queen of Sheba in the presence of Solomon (1 Kings 10:1-13). We would be awe struck with desperation for a greater manifestation of His Person as was Moses; and we would find ourselves unwilling to depart from the place of His manifest presence as was Joshua (Exodus 33). It was by the desperation Moses had to know God's ways and to see His glory that He began to shine with the radiant glory of God's own presence (Exodus 34:29-35). God desires that we should arise and shine with His glory and be filled with the manifestation of His presence so all the world might see the Light and Life of God (Isaiah 60:1; Matthew 5:14; Ephesians 5:8; John 17:21-23; Romans 8:28; Hebrews 1:2). Teach us Your way, O Lord! (Psalms 86:11)