Daily Bread - August 17, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Friday, 17 August 2018 10:15

Philemon 1:6 - So that the communication of your faith may be effectual by acknowledging every good thing in you by Christ Jesus. Acknowledging The Holiness God Has Given (Part 1): The unique description of God's holiness in the New Testament is that we have received it in all of His fullness when we received the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Holiness. The holiness of God still hates sin, and is at war against all wickedness and iniquity. The holiness God has displayed from the beginning is the holiness He has given to us (1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 5:17-18; Colossians 1:22; 2 Peter 1:4). We must not waver in the life and identity we have been given in God. We are His holy people, and we cannot for a moment allow the slanderer and accuser to take it away (Colossians 1:22; 1 Peter 2:9). As God's people, we are "sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy ones" (1 Corinthians 1:2). We are to yield the entirety of our lives as servants of righteousness unto holiness (Romans 6:19). We are in the school of the Spirit, and must be willing to be mentored and trained by Him continually. We are not of this world, but have been translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of the dear Son (John 17:14-17; Colossians 1:13). Our citizenship is in Heaven, and we are seated in the Heavenly realm with Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6; Philippians 3:20). All we must do is believe in the radical change and miracle provision God has given to us and contend for the faith that was once delivered unto the saints (Jude 1:3). The glory that was on the tabernacle in the wilderness is the glory that has come into our lives and rests upon the holy temple of our lives today (Exodus 29:43; 1 Corinthians 6:19). Acknowledge and yield to the holiness God has bestowed!

 

Daily Bread - August 16, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Thursday, 16 August 2018 09:58

Colossians 3:3-5a - For you died, and your life is hid together with Christ in God. When Christ, Who is your life, shall appear, then we shall also appear together with Him in Glory. Therefore, put to death your members which are upon earth: Perfecting Holiness And The Life of God: The life that we have received is the life of God. There can be no separation between His life and holiness, because the essence of His life is holiness. When we read verses of Scripture like, "Mortify your members that are upon the Earth" (Colossians 3:5 KJV), we must not think that somehow we are ridding ourselves of something; but instead keeping ourselves from the uncleanness of this world. We are a new man, a new creation filled with the abundant life of God; and as such we must not allow anything of the old way of life that dominated us before to have place in our lives (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15; Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10; John 10:10). The most important point is that when things of our former lifestyle present themselves to us, we must not allow them in the most radical of terms -"put it to death." When the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life would come to overthrow us and attempt to steal our hearts from this sacred consecration, we must rise in the strength of the Lord and the power of His might and cast it down (2 Corinthians 10:4-5; Ephesians 6:10; 1 John 2:16). These things belonging to the world and the spirit of disobedience must not be allowed to work in our members (Ephesians 2:1-10). Satan will do everything within his craft and power to convince us that his desires are ours; but we must stand fast in the Word of God and know we are what God says we are, and all of our desires are holy. The knowledge of good and evil that remains with us after we are born again can only be properly handled by the Spirit of Holiness. The memory of former things and fleshly lusts that war against our soul will be properly handled by a life surrendered to live and walk in the Spirit. Therefore, perfect holiness in the fear of God by yielding to the Spirit of Holiness! (2 Corinthians 7:1; Romans 8:9; Galatians 5:16, 25)

 

Daily Bread - August 15, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Wednesday, 15 August 2018 10:29

1 Corinthians 12:7 - Now to everyone is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit. Can you imagine what it would be like if all of God's people began to serve God as He ordained, and everyone functioned in the gifts of the Spirit as described in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11? What would happen if we all began to lift up our voice and petition God to glorify His Son Jesus as only He can in our midst? If we vowed ourselves to stand aside so that only Jesus would be seen and glorified? If we would lay aside all merchandizing and the pursuit of riches and fame? Surely America would begin to shake and every person would bend under Holy Ghost conviction! If we would only return to the place of being separated wholly unto the Kingdom of God and of His Christ, the Lord would strengthen us yet once more! Lord, cause Your people to be willing in the day of Your power with the beauty of holiness and consecration! (Psalm 110:3)

 

Daily Bread - August 14, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Tuesday, 14 August 2018 08:31

2 Peter 1:3 - As His Divine Power has given us all things pertaining to life and godliness through the knowledge of the One calling us through glory and virtue. Holiness and Revival: When we look at the history of the Church and the great revivals and awakenings of the past, we see that they were preceded by an awakened awareness of the value of holiness. Each time a sleepy Church, that had allowed the world and the cares of this life to enter in, were aroused to live the life that God had given, the great movings of God were seen. The cries expressed in the holiness songs ring out with the truth of the unspeakable gift, "Take my life and make it Thine, it shall be no longer mine. Take my heart, it is Thine own, it shall be thy Royal throne." God raised up leaders that called men to holiness such as the Moravians, the Wesleys, George Whitefield, Charles Finney, A. B. Simpson, Maria Woodworth-Etter, and many others. All these leaders, and more, were used to call the Church to the proper place of consecration to the ways of God. Each time, a fresh wind of the Spirit breathed life into the message of holiness, and caused those who would hear to realize a deeper meaning of the life of consecration God had willed for each person. The free gift of holiness defines salvation. This unspeakable gift of holiness enables each saint to interact with God and mature in His holiness. The will of our hearts must be dedicated to cleaving unto the Lord and continually giving ourselves to walking in His ways. Holiness, which is the sharing of the life of God, is also a commitment to every dimension of His nature: joy instead of sadness, love instead of hate, humility instead of pride, and morality instead of iniquity (Galatians 5:22-26; Colossians 3:8-17). Walking in the Holy Spirit, and living under His blessed rulership, brings to us the ultimate definition of holiness. We are given everything we need to live His life and walk in His godliness (2 Peter 1:3-4). We were made Holy by God, for holiness can come by no other means. Now our response to His love is to love God, obey Him, walk as He walks, and live His life that we have been renewed with (John 14:21-23; 1 John 2:6; 2 Peter 1:3-11). Thank God for His unspeakable gift of holiness we are invited to live in!

 

Daily Bread - August 13, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Monday, 13 August 2018 11:15

Paul's Doctrine of Holiness (Part 2): •Those who have given themselves over to the rulership of Jesus Christ and having received the Holy Ghost are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit (Romans 8:9). •As those who are alive from the dead we are: to walk in the Spirit, and we shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). •Anyone who walks in those things that are opposed to the Spirit of God shall not inherit the Kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21) •For they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts (Galatians 5:24). •The line of consecration is absolutely drawn by the Spirit of the Lord: Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting (Galatians 6:7-8). •We are to live separated from everything worldly: Therefore, "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you." (2 Corinthians 6:17). •The plan of God from the beginning, which has not changed is that that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love (Ephesians 1:4). •Now being brought into the family of God and made alive in Christ Jesus we are to: put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24) Consecrate yourself unto God's way of living! (1 Chronicles 29:5; 2 Peter 1:10-11)