Daily Bread - April 19, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Thursday, 19 April 2018 10:45

Ephesians 3:6 - That the Gentiles should be co-inheritors, and of the same body, and joint partakers of the promise in Christ through the Gospel. Part 1: The Mystery of Christ Revealed The mystery of the Gospel in now revealed to be more than just the incorporation of the Gentiles into the family of God. It also includes the indwelling of Christ in all those who would believe and be converted. Paul writes to the Colossians saying, "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you the confidence of glory" (Colossians 1:27). The indwelling of Christ is at the heart of the Gospel. It was in John Chapter 14 where Jesus announced the mystery of the indwelling (John 14:17-23). Jesus announced He and the Father would come and make Their dwelling in the obedient person through the 'Paraclete' (Holy Spirit). However, it was still a mystery to the Apostles that the Gentiles would also be included in this Grace. So when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the Gentiles at Cornelius' house, as He had been on the Jews at Pentecost, there was much amazement (Acts 10:45, 11:17). Paul had received of the Lord the grace to focus on the Gentiles and make known their incorporation as co-inheritors of all of the promises and blessings previously thought to belong only to Israel. The indwelling of Christ, which is a result of being baptized into Christ, does away with Jew and Gentile, and makes one 'new man' and one new family which all exist in Christ. The benefits and blessings of God are not a result of the family a person was born into, but of Christ Jesus, Who redeemed all men and by Whom we now exist. "For in Christ Jesus, you are all sons of God through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither free nor slave, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26-28). When an individual is classified among those who are part of the promises and blessings of God, they are not classified as either Jew or Gentile, but "in Christ" (1 Corinthians 3:23, 15:23; 2 Corinthians 10:7; Galatians 3:29, 5:24; Mark 9:41). The privilege of being "in Christ" is the result of the new birth that placed "Christ in us" (Galatians 2:20; Romans 8:10; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Colossians 1:27). The unity of all in Christ is further emphasized by the description of the Church as the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:23, 2:19, 4:4,12, 5:21-33; Colossians 1:18, 3:15; Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27). The unimaginable riches of God which have made us co-heirs with Jesus Christ is for everyone who believes, whether they are Jew or Gentile. God did not make a new covenant in which Gentiles were incorporated into the covenant of the Law or Judaism. God made a new covenant allowing all men, both Jew and Gentile, to be incorporated into the family of God through God's only begotten Son, Christ Jesus. The only possible way to become a part of this glorious promise is to be born of the Spirit. Therefore, what Jesus told Nicodemus, who was part of the covenant of the Law, he must do; was the same thing He told the Samaritan women, who was a Gentile and separated from the covenant and the promises, to do (John 3:3, 4:14). There is only one entrance into the presence of God, and that is Christ Jesus. He alone died to pay our debt of sin and arose again from the dead that we might be born again. When we were born of the Spirit, we were then made one with Jesus Christ. If a person has not been born of the Holy Spirit, then they are not part of the family of God -no matter who they say they are. Through the new birth, the Life of Jesus becomes our life, and our life becomes His -this is the faith! Whereas before, we bore the image of the earthly, we are now commanded to exist in Christ Jesus and be conformed to His image which is the image of the Heavenly (Romans 8:29, 13:14; Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10). The inheritance we have received is the inheritance which Christ Jesus received. God's promise to Abraham of how all the nations would be blessed through His seed is only comprehended in Christ Jesus, for there is no other name whereby men must be saved (Genesis 12:2-3; Romans 4:16, 8:17, 16:26; Colossians 1:27; Galatians 3:16-21, 4:1-7). May the eyes of our understanding be enlightened to see riches God has given us! (Ephesians 1:17-18)

 

Daily Bread - April 18, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Wednesday, 18 April 2018 10:25

Jeremiah 9:24 - For if he is going to boast, then let him boast in this: that he understands and knows Me. For I am Yahowah, Who exercises lovingkindness, judgement, and righteousness in the Earth; for in these things I delight, says Yahowah. There are many today who fail to realize how God is a God of judgment and righteousness, as much as a God of mercy and truth. We must understand that God saved us and delivered us, so we may live in His Presence. The Life of Jesus came into us through the shedding of His blood and the impartation of the Holy Spirit, and we will be held accountable for how we live this live of grace and glory. In this passage of Scripture, as God begins executing judgment on the house of Judah and upon Jerusalem because of their continued sin and rebellion, He reminds His people what He delights in: lovingkindness, righteousness, and judgment. They had forsaken the ways of God, and no longer desired to walk in lovingkindness, righteousness, and judgment. God had suffered long with them; and in His lovingkindness and tender mercies, allowed them to blaspheme and profane His Holy Name. However, their space of time to repent had come to an end, and the Almighty was stepping in to execute judgment upon them. Many of that day complained saying, "Wherein have we sinned?" They thought that covenant and ritual was all that they needed to guarantee their acceptance with God, but they were wrong. They failed to realize that they needed to repent and walk in obedience before the Lord if they were going to continue in the covenant. John the Baptist, Jesus, and Paul all faced the same kind of stubborn blindness from the Jews of their day (Matthew 3:7-10; John 8:33; Romans 2-4). The children of Israel would have to come under the judgment of God even though the rest of the world was not held accountable at that time. Why? Because much had been given. The Lord had chosen them from all of the families of the earth and given them the revelation and gift of His Presence, but they choose rather to give themselves to the lust that the Gentiles (all the other nations) had followed after; and as a result, their circumcision had become uncircumcision (Amos 3:2; Jeremiah 9:26; Romans 2:25; 1 Corinthians 7:19). God's people had forsaken the Fountain of Life, and had lost their boasting in His glory; and rather boasted in their own accomplishments. They boasted in their wisdom, their might, their skills, and in their riches; but they had forgotten altogether true spiritual understanding. They had forgotten the God of lovingkindness, righteousness, and judgment. They had forgotten how God had redeemed them so they could be a treasured people who were to be devoted to walking in lovingkindness, righteousness, and judgment. Instead, they became devoted to themselves and their own fame and prosperity. We must recognize the Kingdom of God is not about ritual, but is all about righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17). We must put life in its proper perspective, and labor for those things which pertain unto eternal life (John 6:27; Hebrews 4:11; Matthew 6:19-34; Romans 2:7, 10; Matthew 16:26; Mark 8:36; Luke 9:25; 2 Peter 1:3-11). Be diligent to make your calling and election sure showing forth that Christ is indeed in you! Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how! (2 Peter 1:10; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Colossians 1:27-29) And keep singing! Holy Spirit, take control of me, Come and rule every part for Your glory! Holy Spirit, take control of me, In You I delight! Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

 

Daily Bread - April 17, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Tuesday, 17 April 2018 06:52

Jeremiah 12:2 - You have planted them; they also took root; they also bare fruit. You are near in the their mouth, but far from what controls their conduct. The true evidence a person belongs to God is revealed by the conduct of life (Matthew 7:16-23; Titus 1:16; Romans 8:1, 14-16). God gave the children of Israel a covenant so He might plant them and build them as His people. Each person in Israel was blessed with the grace to come into this covenant. Many had become ritualistic with the covenant of God. They attended church, participated in all of the rituals, and had a real good story to tell about their trust in God; but it never came from their inward parts. It was always a show, and never the truth of what they were motivated to do inwardly. Inwardly, their desires and impulses were those of a ravenous wolf -a people whose eyes were full of adultery which could not cease from doing evil (Jeremiah 13:27, 23:14; Ezekiel 22:27; Zephaniah 3:3; Isaiah 1:21; Matthew 7:15, 23:27; 2 Peter 2:14). The people thought all they had to do was offer a sacrifice to God and all would be well, as though God was only interested in ritual. Then, without conviction, they continued on in their sin and rebellion, justifying their wickedness with no regard to the fact that God looks on the hidden man of the heart. People often do wrong and say, "Well, God knows my heart." These people did what seemed to be right, and God also knew their heart. If your heart is truly right, then your deeds will be right. Your walk with God will be far more than just lip service and ritual or legal obligation (Matthew 15:8; Mark 7:6; Isaiah 29:13). Rather, you will love God and love His ways and His presence, and will be unwilling to do anything to lose that blessed place of fellowship with Him. When people can worship God in His sanctuary, and then rejoice in sinning, their light has turned to darkness (Matthew 6:23-24). The greatest tragedy of all is the effect that the sin and iniquity of God's people have on the rest of humanity. When the people of God commit acts of sin and iniquity, they pollute the Name of the Lord (Jeremiah 34:16; Ezekiel 36:16-23, 39:7 ). Transgression among God's people causes the Name of the Lord to be blasphemed among the Gentiles, Jesus is brought to an open shame, the Spirit of Good is outraged, and the blood of the Covenant trampled under foot (Romans 2:24; Hebrews 10:29; 2 Timothy 2:19). Jeremiah was deeply concerned for the people of Israel who were being deceived by these false preachers. He wondered why their ministries seemed to prosper while he was left to be the sacrificial lamb, hated and rejected. He did not realize they were going to treat him in the same way they treated God Who had put His words in Jeremiah's mouth (Jeremiah 1:9). These unfaithful leaders had an outward show of being those who instructed the people of God in truth, but in reality they led the people astray. Why was it allowed? The ministry of an unfaithful priesthood brought a spirit of strong delusion upon the people. Because of this strong delusion and deception, the people had no ears to hear the words that came from the mouth of the true prophet Jeremiah. What everyone must understand is the reality of how sin hardens the heart against God. The people of Israel had developed itching ears through rebellious and disobedient hearts, and so God sent them a spirit of strong delusion (2 Timothy 4:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:10-11). Instead of giving themselves to know the voice of the Lord through obedience and submission to His will, they gave themselves to every form of lust. We must all remain sensitive to the Spirit of the Lord so our hearts may be governed by His righteousness and holiness. We must give ourselves to faithfully obeying His Word, lest we should be overcome by the spirit of disobedience. Let there be a witness that God controls your passions and emotions by turning away from the iniquity that opposes us and seeks to influence us. Let us not only love the Lord in word, but also in deeds, doing His will from our heart! (Colossians 3:1-3; 1 John 3:18; Ephesians 6:6-7) Sing continually: Not my will, Lord, but Your's be done, Only Your will lasts forever! Oh, the beauty and the majesty, When only Jesus Christ is seen! Oh, the glory and the honor, When the Holy Spirit takes control! Holy Spirit, take control of me, Come and rule every part for Your glory! Holy Spirit, take control of me, In You I delight!

 

Daily Bread - April 16, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Monday, 16 April 2018 10:33

Galatians 6:8 - If you sow to your flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap from the Spirit life eternal. In the midst of this passage on giving into the Kingdom of God, we find a very definitive statement on sowing to the flesh and Spirit. The law of sowing and reaping extends into every area of life -both natural and spiritual. Everyday we enjoy the blessings of this law of sowing and reaping. God's law of sowing and reaping demands that everything sown will be reaped, and there are no exceptions. We spend our money, time, thoughts, and talents on something; but perhaps we do not think as seriously as we should about what we are sowing into. If we accept the truth of God's Word that seeking first the Kingdom of God will result in all of God's provision and blessings in our lives, then surely we will be mindful to sow into this realm (Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:19). If we do, we will discover a continual increase in all that we possess, as well as health and strength to accomplish even more (2 Corinthians 9:6-11; Psalms 112:3-9; Proverbs 3:9-10; Haggai 2:19). If we will only obey God and take care of the things of the Heavenly and eternal realm, He will take care of all our earthly needs (this is an absolute; for God will not be cheated! (Galatians 6:7; Haggai 1:3-11) The law God blessed the earthly realm with is this: through sowing, we would reap a harvest of enormous blessing. God has revealed to us that this law is applicable to both the natural, as well as the spiritual realm. Therefore, if you will sow into reading the Bible, you will reap the revelation that it brings. If you sow into prayer, you will reap intimacy and conversation with God. If you sow into the assembly of the saints, you will reap the visitation of His glory for which Jesus established His church. If you sow your finances gained through natural means, then God will supernaturally multiply them beyond your human ability. In fact, God has promised to cause every aspect of Divine provision to abound toward you when you sow into the things of the Spirit (2 Corinthians 9:8). Now, we have escaped the corruption that is the result of lust and the selfish life; but we must be mindful we do not rebuild those things which God has destroyed (2 Peter 1:3-11; Ephesians 4:17-24). We must not allow our own selfish interest to dominate our lives! For the more we give ourselves to selfish interests, the more those interests will dominate us in every area. These things will choke the Word of God, and cause our lives to become barren and stagnant (Matthew 13:22; Mark 4:19). We could become so self absorbed that we run the risk of being in the midst of the glory of God and are unaware of anything but our own selfish interest. Furthermore, if we give ourselves to the fleshly realm of human interest and human ability -defined in Galatians chapters three and four- then something far more sinister will ensnare us. Paul reveals in Galatians chapter five that there is a spiritual realm of darkness that lurks behind the veil of self-interest and human ability that would ultimately claim those who trust in themselves (Galatians 5:13-21; Jeremiah 17:5-6). The realm of the Kingdom of God and the path of life the Holy Spirit desires to reveal to us is the one of serving and giving (Matthew 20:25-28; Luke 22:24-27; 1 Corinthians 13:13; 2 Corinthians 9:6). Let the Holy Spirit unlock every blessing of God and benefit of Heaven by teaching you to give yourself to the realms of the Spirit in every aspect of your life. In this constant state of giving and serving, you will find no spiritual, or physical, decay or lack; but rather a continual increase of everything that pertains unto life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3-11; 2 Corinthians 9:8-11; 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13; Mark 4:8-9)! Sow only to the Spirit, and reap the abundant life God intends for you! (Galatians 6:7; John 10:10)

 

Daily Bread - April 14, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Saturday, 14 April 2018 11:52

Ephesians 3:4 - Thus reading will enable you to perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ. The Greek word 'anaginosko', translated 'reading', is derived from two words 'ana' meaning 'by, amidst' and 'ginosko' which means 'know', and is commonly translated 'read' especially in the Authorized Version. The vast majority of people during Paul's time were illiterate, so this probably refers to the public reading of what Paul had written. Paul viewed what he had written as the direct commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul praised them at Thessalonica because they received the word which he spoke to them as the Word of God that worked with divine power on the inside of them (1 Thessalonians 2:13). The words Paul spoke, he spoke by Christ Jesus; Who not only revealed them to Paul, but actually spoke through him (2 Corinthians 13:3; Colossians 1:21-29). In fact, Paul curses anyone who would preach any other gospel than the one he had already ministered to them (Galatians 1:8-9). Additionally in this verse, the Greek word 'noeo' means 'to think' or 'to perceive'. It is derived from the word 'nous' which means 'mind', and is understood to mean "perceive with the mind". The Greek phrase 'sunesin mou en' literally means "my understanding in". The Greek word 'sunesis' is most commonly translated 'understanding', but could also be translated 'running together'. It is derived from the word 'suniemie' which means 'to understand' and refers to the connection that is made when information flows together in such a way as to give insight into a subject. Thus, in the public reading of the words of Paul, those who heard were able to perceive what Paul understood in the mystery of Christ. Take heed, therefore, how you hear. (Luke 8:18)