Daily Bread - April 18, 2019 (The Fifth Day - Genesis 1:20-23)

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Thursday, 18 April 2019 08:21

1 John 2:6 - He that says he abides in Him ought himself to walk also just as He walks. Part 3: Living Like He Lives Christ Jesus has given all men everywhere the invitation to come and abide in Him (John 15:1-5). There is no salvation outside of abiding in Christ Jesus (John 6:56, 14:17, 15:4, 6; 1 John 2:27-28, 4:13). If we have responded to His call and are abiding in Christ Jesus, then we will live like He lives. We will walk in the light just like He walks in the light; for if we abide in Him, then we are even as He is in this world today (1 John 1:7, 4:17; Romans 5:17; Ephesians 1:17-23). If we have been born of God, we don't need anyone to teach us this, because the anointing we have received teaches us that we must abide in Him -and furthermore, we delight to dwell in Him (1 John 2:27; 1 Peter 1:8; John 15:11). Keep yourselves from idols. Amen. (1 John 5:21)

 

Daily Bread - April 17, 2019 (The Fourth Day - Genesis 1:14-19)

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Wednesday, 17 April 2019 08:23

1 John 2:6 - He that says he abides in Him ought himself to walk also just as He walks. Part 2: Living the Life of Jesus The ability to abide in Him, which is the same as saying "to live the life of Jesus" or to "behave just like Jesus," comes to us by the anointing we have received from Him. In fact, "abiding in Him" and having "the anointing" are inseparably linked (1 John 2:27). The promise God gave to anyone who would believe was that we would be born of the Spirit, and subsequently, Jesus would baptize us with the Holy Spirit (John 3:5; Acts 1:8, 8:15-16). He promised us the same Spirit and the same anointing He was baptized with (Luke 4:18). The idea of abiding in Him is communicated in a unique way in John 15 to help us understand how the supply of His divine life flows into our lives. We learn that we can depend on Jesus for everything we need, and that without Him we can do nothing (John 15:4-5). The life of God supplied to us by the Holy Spirit flows as the sap of the vine; and through our intimate union with Christ Jesus, the fruit of His life is manifested in us. The interdependency which exists between a vine and a branch is astounding to consider! In like manner, the life of Jesus is revealed through us to the world around us as we abide in Him. In fact, when Jesus said, "Abide in me, and I in you," He was saying, "Live My life, and I will live in you." As we abide in Jesus, the glory of His divine life and love flows into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5; Ephesians 3:19; 1 Thessalonians 3:12). The miracle of salvation has supplied us with an inseparable union with the Lord Jesus (John 15:1-6, 17:22-23; 2 Peter 3:18; 1 John 3:23). Keep yourselves from idols. Amen. (1 John 5:21)

 

Daily Bread - April 16, 2019 (The Third Day - Genesis 1:9-13)

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Tuesday, 16 April 2019 07:55

1 John 2:6 - He that says he abides in Him ought himself to walk also just as He walks. Part 1: Abiding in Christ Jesus The Gospel message of "being in Him," is one of the most important in the New Testament and is the chief theme of John 15. The two phrases "to be in" (Greek: 'einai en'/είναι ἐν) and "to abide in" (Greek: 'menein en'/μένειν ἐν) are for the most part interchangeable as in John 14:10. The importance of being "in Him" is highlighted by verses of Scripture such as: "If any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature" (2 Corinthians 5:17); and also John 15:4, 5, 7, 10; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 1:4; Philippians 3:9; Colossians 2:6, 7, 10; 1 John 2:27, 28, 3:5, 6, 24, 4:16, 5:20. Similarly, we know we are crucified with Christ, yet we still live -but not us, it's Christ Who lives (Galatians 2:20). Also, we know that if One died for all, then all were dead that we should no longer live unto ourselves, but unto Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). We have lost our lives that we might find them in Him (Matthew 10:39, 16:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24, 17:33; John 12:25; Philippians 3:3, 7-11; Colossians 3:1-4). Keep yourselves from idols. Amen. (1 John 5:21)

 

Daily Bread - April 15, 2019 (The Second Day - Genesis 1:6-8)

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Monday, 15 April 2019 06:47

1 John 2:5 - But whoever keeps His Word, truly in him is the love of God perfected. This is how we know that we are in Him. Part 3: God's Love Perfected in the Believer The love of God is perfected in the sense that the believer has come to a place of complete surrender to the Holy Spirit and has yielded to Him without reservation. God's love does not need to be perfected for it is already perfect. However, the Christian becoming totally obedient to the love of God is the key to knowing the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:17-19). The perfect love of the Father has been given to us by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. As we learn to yield to the Holy Spirit and walk in love, we find ourselves always doing those things which please the Father. Keeping His word and walking in love results in maturing in love; and as a result, we say that our love is perfected in us. The Greek word for "perfected" is the past tense of 'teleioun' (τέλειον/"complete," "perfect"). The concept of being perfect in the New Testament is first mentioned in Matthew 5:48: "Be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect." Also 1 Corinthians 2:6, 14:20, Ephesians 4:13 and Colossians 1:28 say similar things. In the book of Hebrews, "perfection" or "being made complete" was said not to be possible by the Law, but now has been supplied through Jesus Christ, the One who perfects (Hebrews 7:11, 19, 9:9, 10:1, 10:14, 12:2, 23-24). The idea of walking in love and being perfect are closely related in 1 John. In fact, one may also understand walking in the light as He is in the Light as being equivalent to both walking in love and perfect obedience to the Word, thus walking in righteousness absent of sin and darkness. Keep yourselves from idols. Amen. (1 John 5:21)

 

Daily Bread - April 13, 2019 (The Seventh Day - Genesis 2:1-3)

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Saturday, 13 April 2019 11:20

1 John 2:5 - But whoever keeps His Word, truly in him is the love of God perfected. This is how we know that we are in Him. Part 2: The Need to Experience the Unfailing Love of God Although, the Hebrew word for love is 'ahav' and is translated in the Septuagint exclusively by 'agapan' (ἀγαπαν), another Hebrew word that expresses the New Testament meaning of 'agape' is found in the Hebrew word 'chesed' in Exodus 34:6. The Hebrew word 'chesed' can mean both "lovingkindness" and "covenant love," or "loyal unfailing love." When God Almighty revealed to Moses Who He was, He said I am "full of covenant love and truth." The reading would be similar to that found in John 1:14, but instead of "full of grace and truth" it would be "full of covenant love and truth" (Exodus 34:6). I believe the biggest problem many of God's people face today is they do not know how to experience the Presence of God, which is fundamental to the love of God flowing into them. The burden is upon the pastors and leaders to teach people how to yield to the Holy Spirit so they may enjoy the wonderful and all-consuming Divine Presence of God! (Psalms 16:11, 34:8, 36:7-10, 63:3-5; John 17:3, 13-25; Ephesians 4:11-16, 5:8-20; Colossians 3:14-17; Philippians 4:4-9; Hebrews 12:29; 1 Peter 1:8; Jude 24) Keep yourselves from idols. Amen. (1 John 5:21)