Daily Bread – August 19, 2023 (The Seventh Day – Genesis 2:1-3) Luke 11:13 – If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? Jesus did not talk about “gifts of the Spirit” in the detail Paul did. Rather, Jesus referred to things like power, authority, and glory. The word ‘charismata’ was not used to describe the things Jesus referred to when talking about the realms of the Spirit that He had made available to the saints as Paul did in his letters. Jesus talked about gifts in context to the salvation that supplies each individual with the gift of the Holy Spirit (John 4:10, 7:38-39). What Jesus did give rather than a single charismata, was authority. He gave to each one the authority to be sons of God (John 1:12). Jesus gave authority over all unclean spirits to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness (Matthew 10:1; Mark 3:15, 6:7). Jesus provided authority to the believer, not in just one expression or dimension of the Kingdom of God, but all authority over all the power of the devil (Luke 10:19). Jesus came in the power of the Holy Spirit, and He gave that same power to those who would follow Him so they could represent the Kingdom of God just as He did (Luke 9:1, 24:49; Acts 10:38). This is a power given by the accompanying presence of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8; Luke 4:18). This is a power given to the believer so Jesus Himself might be revealed by those who preach in His Name (John 16:13-15; Galatians 1:16; Romans 15:19). It is a power that shows the supremacy of God over all the powers of darkness – the power of the Gospel – proving Jesus was raised from the dead and living in His disciples (Luke 10:19; Acts 10:38, 4:33; 1 John 3:8; Matthew 12:28, 28:18-20). He gave us the same glory the Father had given Him so we could be one in fellowship and purpose (John 17:21-23, 14:23). He gave to us the opportunity to receive of His fullness through the grace He so freely gave (John 1:16; Ephesians 3:19). Those who have received all of this through the act of God’s generous gift of the Holy Spirit are equipped to do whatever the Holy Spirit would lead us and inspire us to do (John 7:38-39; 1 Corinthians 12:7,11). When there is a need to cast out a devil, then the gift of the Holy Spirit supplies the power and authority to do so. When there is a need to reveal the secrets of the heart, then we discover the inspiration and insights of the miracle power of the Holy Spirit to do that as well. He is the One Who is in charge, and we are those who are to follow Him in total dependence and obedience to His will and direction. Let us now arise and shine with the splendor of the glory of the Only Begotten Son of God, Christ Jesus our Savior! Blessings, Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
Daily Bread 8/19/2023
