Daily Bread – January 12, 2024 (The Sixth Day – Genesis 1:24-31) Luke 18:8 – I tell you that he will execute vengeance for them quickly. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith upon the Earth? In the context of why men ought to always pray and not to weary, Jesus remarks, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the Earth?” Will there continue to be faith that expects miracles and believes in the absolute power of God to heal, save, and deliver – when the Son of Man, Christ Jesus, comes? Is there faith and expectation in your heart today that God will supply all of your needs? Today, men edit our Bibles making every attempt to dilute the Word of God, and remove the power of faith from our lips and from our hearts. They falsely tell us things like Mark 16:17-18 does not belong to the oldest manuscripts, while all the time, some of the oldest existing manuscripts not only contain the passage, but the oldest Church writers also refer to it. Listen to the faith of one preacher, Peter Chrysologus, who was Bishop of Ravenna in 433 A.D. – “In addition to this, the greatest indication of firm faith consists in the following signs. The devils, that is, the ancient foes, get exorcized from human bodies. One language intelligible in many others comes forth from one mouth. Serpents grasped in the Name of Christ lose the power of their venom. Through Christ, cups of poison have no power to harm those who drink them. Bodily diseases are cured at the touch of one who preaches Christ. ‘These signs,’ He says, ‘will attend those who believe: in my Name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak in new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands upon the sick and they shall get well.’ Therefore, O man, be a physician to yourself through your faith, to keep from being forced to employ other physicians at your expense and to buy at great prices what you already have free of charge. Pray, brethren, that in the present life we may always be aware of the medicine of faith. Pray that when we are awaiting Christ and He is on the point of coming, we may be free from anxiety and exult because of our good conscience.” Blessings, Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
Daily Bread 1/12/2024
