Daily Bread – April 30, 2024 (The Third Day – Genesis 1:9-13) Galatians 3:2-3 – This one thing I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit through the works of the law or through hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now perfected by the flesh? Living And Walking By The Spirit One of the first principles of this relationship is that each person must recognize his/her life is over and is now to live the life of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23; Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Galatians 2:20). We, then, turn to the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of life – in order to live out the life of Christ. We recognize the spiritual food provided for us in the Word of God, and we depend upon it even as we do natural food (John 6:63; Luke 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25). Through a life of prayer that is both speaking by the Spirit and having conversation with the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, we drink of the living water that fills us up to overflowing (Luke 3:21; Ephesians 6:18; James 5:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; John 4:10, 7:37-39). Through prayer, we participate in a communion causing us to be continually filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18; Jude 1:20). We give ourselves to the Word and to prayer not out of a religious duty or as an act of piety, but from a desperate need to have communion with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 5:6). If we only pray for the sake of prayer, then that is nothing. But if we pray until we are touched by the glory of God and strengthened by the infilling of the power of God, then that is fellowship. If we read the Bible as a religious duty and do not realize the Spirit and life of the Word filling us with the power of God and the creative grace of the Almighty, then we do not yet realize the fellowship brought to us by the heavenly manna. We must recognize how we can do nothing of ourselves! Faith is joining together with God through obedience and purpose. It’s an intimate connection and cooperation with the Holy Spirit. God demands we live by the life of Christ Jesus that has been provided for us through the Holy Spirit. If we will walk in the Spirit, then we will find the power and authority entrusted to us by God to live in the glory of His Kingdom (Romans 8:1,4,11,14, 13:14, 14:17; and Galatians 2:20, 3:27, 5:16,25). Let us all remember that cursed is everyone that relies on the strength of man, but blessed is everyone who makes the Lord their trust (Jeremiah 17:5-8). Blessings, Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
Daily Bread 4/30/2024
