Daily Bread – August 21, 2021 (The Seventh Day – Genesis 2:1-3) 2 Corinthians 1:24 – We cannot have control over your faith, but are helpers of your joy – for by faith you stand. It is essential for God’s people to realize how they must allow faith to grow and be strengthened in their lives (2 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 10:15; Philippians 1:25). Every dimension of the life in the Spirit is to mature and increase; but this growth will be stunted unless we learn a dependence upon God, and not ministers. If the anointing, the love of God, or any other expression of the Holy Spirit is going to increase – then we must learn how to yield to the Holy Spirit, and be confident the grace of God will flow to us and through us to meet whatever need we may encounter. If we are constantly turning to someone else who has matured in the Spirit to do the work for us, then we will remain dependent upon the anointing they have received. We cannot allow our confidence to be misdirected and attempt to ride on another person’s faith; in fact, God will not allow it. We are all in need of being helped by those God has placed in the Church, but the goal must always be kept in sight: to help each individual mature into the fullness of the ministry of Jesus (Ephesians 4:11-13). With our every move, we are to teach others total dependence on God, and not on us. We are to model the things of the Spirit and be examples of faith, love, and confidence; but it is always for the purpose of helping others step into that same relationship. As we learn a dependency upon the Holy Spirit and give ourselves to praying in the Spirit, we will be strengthened in our faith (Jude 1:20). As we walk through fiery trials holding fast to the authority we have been given, we will be strengthened – and through the process, find an authority we did not have before (1 Peter 1:7, 4:12). Remember, faith is far more than a set of beliefs – it is the means by which we move mountains and see the impossible things of the Kingdom of God manifested in the Earth (Galatians 3:5; Matthew 17:20; Hebrews 11). There are times when we shout to the mountains and it does not seem they are moving, but faith is moving and increasing as we refuse to bend or bow to the opposing circumstances (Zechariah 4:7). Joy and confidence are key components and partners of faith. Through the Holy Spirit, we learn to abound in confidence, and one of the responsibilities of ministers is to assist in keeping the believers full of joy (Romans 15:13; 1 John 1:4; 1 Peter 1:8; John 15:11; Philippians 1:25; Nehemiah 8:10). The men and women of God who are blessed to help others cannot be another person’s faith. They cannot control or rule over another person’s faith; they can only minister the Word and the Spirit, then it is up to each person to decide if they will participate. A preacher of the Word can say, “Go shout to the mountain until it moves;” but it is up to the individual to obey and not grow weary. Simply put, those who have grown the most did not have a pastor to call all the time. They did not have someone else to believe God for them that the finances would come in or that the sickness would go out. They stepped up and believed what they had been taught from the Word, and began to put it into action. Each person must learn to stand on their own two feet in faith and in a personal relationship with the Holy Ghost! We have all been anointed together with Jesus and God’s ministers are here to show you how, yet not always do it for you (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). Blessings, Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
Daily Bread 8/21/2021
