Daily Bread - September 28, 2019 (The Seventh Day - Genesis 2:1-3)

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Saturday, 28 September 2019 08:14

1 John 4:15 - Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in Him and he dwells in God. Once again, John makes one of the most repeated statements in his writings, "God dwells (or lives) in you, and you dwell (or live) in God." The mutual indwelling of God and His children is repeated four times in this first epistle (1 John 3:24, 4:13, 15, 16). John has labored to provide the proofs of what it means to be born of God and to have God dwelling in our lives. He now connects this to a true confession and acknowledgment that Jesus is the Son of God. To confess that God sent His Son to be the Savior of the world, and that Jesus is the Son of God, is also to confess that God lives in you and that you live in God. Even as it was in the days of John, so it is today where many want to confess only part of the truth and remain in the error of the spirit of the world. God has given us great assurance through the ministry of John, and John demands proofs. We can be confident that if we have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, we are empowered to fully live His life, which is also to be part of our confession (1 John 2:5-6, 24, 27-28, 3:6, 24, and 1 John 4:12-13, 15-16, 5:20).

 

Daily Bread - September 27, 2019 (The Sixth Day - Genesis 1:24-31)

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Friday, 27 September 2019 08:09

1 John 4:14 - And we have looked upon and bear witness that the Father sent the Son as the Savior of the world. Part 2 ~ The Father Sent Jesus as the Savior John also moves from speaking of God sending his Son, to making the intimate connection that He is referring to God as the Father (1 John 4:9, 10). Although no one has seen God the Father in all of His radiant glory, John said we have seen God the Son, full of grace and truth (John 1:14, 34; 1 John 1:1-4). He is the One sent from the Father to be the Savior, and as Peter said that day in the company of John, "there is salvation in no other Name" (Acts 4:10-12). God has exalted Jesus as the Prince and Savior, that through Him He might give repentance and forgiveness of sins (Acts 5:31).

 

Daily Bread - September 26, 2019 (The Fifth Day - Genesis 1:20-23)

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Thursday, 26 September 2019 05:02

1 John 4:14 - And we have looked upon and bear witness that the Father sent the Son as the Savior of the world. Part 1 ~ The Savior of the World Once again, John draws our attention to his authority as one who was an eyewitness to all of these things Jesus did and taught (1 John 1:1-4). God was made flesh as the Only Begotten Son for one reason: to be the Savior of the world. This phrase, "Savior of the world," is only found here and in John 4:42. Those Samaritans who heard the testimony of the woman and then went to see and hear Jesus for themselves said, "...it is no longer because of what you have said that we believe, for we ourselves hear, and we have seen that this is truly the Savior." The discovery that He is not the Savior of the Jews only, but of the whole world, was first witnessed by those disdained by the Jews -who themselves had become eyewitnesses. Many in the days of John refused to believe that the sacrifice made upon the cross was necessary for salvation, but John stands on the highest authority as an eyewitness and proclaims Who Jesus is: the One Who cleanses from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

 

Daily Bread - September 25, 2019 (The Fourth Day - Genesis 1:14-19)

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Wednesday, 25 September 2019 05:17

1 John 4:13 - By this we know that we dwell in Him and He dwells in us: because of the Spirit that He has given us. Part 3 ~ Christ Jesus' Life Is In Us The more we depend upon Jesus to minister the things of the Spirit, the more we become aware of His presence in us! If we live our own life and pursue our own interests, then the reality of this great grace and this unspeakable gift will rarely be realized, if at all. Fundamental to the faith is that Christ is in us, and that He is also our confidence that the glory of God will be revealed through our lives (John 17:22; Romans 8:17-18; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Colossians 1:27). Christ Jesus is God's inheritance in us, and we must be willing in every way to be conformed to His image (Romans 8:29). What an honor it is to be empowered to live the life of Jesus (Ephesians 1:18)! His life so fills us that we no longer live, but it is Christ Who lives instead (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 1:20). Christ Jesus speaks through us, acts through us, and reveals that we are the sons of God -all we need to do is dwell in Him and give ourselves to doing those things He has required of us. As we do, His glorious life and anointing are revealed.

 

Daily Bread - September 24, 2019 (The Third Day - Genesis 1:9-13)

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Tuesday, 24 September 2019 05:10

1 John 4:13 - By this we know that we dwell in Him and He dwells in us: because of the Spirit that He has given us. Part 2 ~ The Proof of Fruit Our union with Christ Jesus is revealed through every fruit of the Spirit and gift of the Holy Ghost. If we are going to have the kind of love that Jesus revealed, then we must learn to allow the Holy Spirit to have full control over our actions. When we are hated, persecuted, or mistreated, and refuse any act of retaliation or disobedience, we discover how obedience results in a yielded life that allows the river of God's love to flow through us by the Holy Spirit. Every time the Holy Spirit acts, Jesus is revealed. When we acknowledge God the Holy Ghost and yield ourselves in obedience to His ways, then all that the Father gave to Jesus flows from Him through us as an expression of our union with the Lord. By His love, we have the proof we are His disciples; and by His acts of power, the proof that we are His witnesses (John 13:34-35; Acts 1:8). Authority over all the power of Satan and the world is proof the greater One, Christ Jesus, abides in us -and that we abide in Him (1 John 4:4, 5:4). As His witnesses, we yield to the same Holy Spirit and cast out devils, lay hands on the sick, and do the works of Jesus -proofs that Christ the Miracle-Worker lives in us.