Daily Bread| Daily Bread FEB/04/12 |
| Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen |
| Saturday, 04 February 2012 10:46 |
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1 Timothy 4:8 - For bodily exercise has a little profit, but godliness is profitable in every way: having a promise of life now and of that which is to come. Paul encouraged Timothy to give himself to the vigorous training of godliness, rather than to bodily exercise. Doing the things that are written in scripture and described as the nature and ways of God is godliness. The mixture of men's ideas with scripture, and all the other notions of right and wrong - are empty words that should be regarded as foolish chatter from the ignorant; God alone defines godliness. The discipline of the saints is the consecration to walk in the Holy Spirit, for which the fruits of the Spirit are proof. Our focus should be on the spiritual man becoming strong enough to withstand all sin and iniquity. It is our responsibility to testify of the life of Christ in us, and of the beauty and splendor of salvation. The power of godliness in our lives springs up as living water, and pours out in faith and power. The mystery of godliness resulted in God manifested in the flesh; and a commitment to godliness develops faith and power in our lives (1 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:8-10; Acts 6:8). True godliness is only possible through one's willingness and commitment to being under a strict obedience to the leadership of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16; Romans 8:14,16). In keeping with the metaphor that Paul used, an athlete not only gives himself to a rigorous physical training to succeed (in the event that he desires to win), but the athlete also has a strict diet and discipline in every aspect of his life; so that he may become the best at what he is training for. So then, if we are going to enter into training for godly living, there will also need to be strict disciplines of what we allow in our lives and set before our eyes. Unfortunately, many in the Christian community today have become so confused that they would consider practicing godliness to be religious or legalistic. They have lost all sense of direction, and are unable to discern the demarcation between the things of the Spirit and of the world. They have no understanding of God's demand to not be conformed to the world. The world has been mixed together with their relationship with Christ Jesus, and therefore they have no ability or understanding how to refuse all that is in the world (Romans 12:2; 1 John 2:16-17). In such a state, training to walk in godliness has no meaning - because they have been deceived to believe that all things are lawful. The notion that all things are lawful ultimately is equivalent to being lawless, which is a synonym for iniquity and the opposite of godliness. If an athlete would take a similar position, they would never achieve their goal; for there would be no rules by which to train. It would not be possible to sit around on the couch eating junk food and drinking lots of sugar, and then win the race. If we are going to succeed then we must be consecrated to our training. If there is going to be spiritual advancement in our lives, then we have to give ourselves unreservedly to spiritual training in godliness (the ways of God). Training in godliness will perfect obedience and holiness. Instead of developing physical stamina and vigor, we will perfect a spiritual vigor that is strong in the Lord and the power of His might. What we must understand is that godliness not only enables us to fully benefit from the abundant life now, but also leads to life everlasting. Train in godliness and give yourself to the lovely nature of God and to the wonderful realm of the Spirit. Make a list of the fruits of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23, and those things named by Peter in 2 Peter 1:5-7; and be careful to conduct yourself in that manner. The Holy Spirit has committed Himself to revealing to us all the depths of the life and nature of God, and will fill us with these good things as we apply ourselves to the ways of God. Be warned the only alternative is ungodliness - which will lead to eternal damnation (1 Corinthians 6:9; Psalm 1:4-7; 1 Peter 4:18; 2 Peter 3:7; Jude 1:15; Galatians 6:7-8). |
| Daily Bread FEB/03/12 |
| Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen |
| Friday, 03 February 2012 13:36 |
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1 Timothy 6:3 - If anyone teaches something different, and not conforming to the sound word of the Lord Jesus Christ that is according to godliness. Salvation brought into our lives everything that pertains unto the life and godliness of God (2 Peter 1:3). The life and godliness of God are expressed through our lives by the divine nature that we have received (2 Peter 1:4). Our lives are to be conducted in all holiness and godliness, having been set apart by the Holy Spirit to walk in every dimension of God's own glory and virtue (2 Peter 1:5). Godliness refers to the behavior of the godly, those who through obedience conduct themselves in the ways of God. In keeping the word of the Lord and obeying His commands, a person would be imitating God - for His commands describe to us how to walk and conduct ourselves after His own character and nature (Ephesians 5:1; John 16:13-15; 1 John 2:6). To be godly is to behave like God (Titus 2:11-12). We are commanded to follow after godliness, and we are to give all diligence to having it expressed in our lives (1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Peter 1:6). The godly are the saints (the holy ones) in contrast to the ungodly: who are the wicked ('resha') and who behave opposite to God's character. Whether we are talking about the godly or the wicked, both are described by the actions of their conduct. The godly are those who are faithful to God and also faithful to the relationships that they have with people. Those who have been deceived to believe that righteousness is a state of grace other than a change of life - in which the Spirit of Holiness is expressed through our lives with proofs and evidence of a changed heart - might be convinced when they examine God's demand for godliness, which can only be expressed through the actions and conduct of our lives. These things are living proof of who we are, even as the fruit on a tree is living proof of what a tree is (Matthew 3:10; 7:17-19; 12:33; James 3:10-12; Matthew 13:23). Now if we have been born of the Spirit, then the Spirit bears witness of our lives with the fruits of the Spirit; which are in all goodness, righteousness, and truth (Ephesians 5:9). A description of those who are born of God and who walk in the Spirit is given in different places in the New Testament. Four of the more popular lists are found in Galatians 5:22-23; 2 Peter 1:5-8; Colossians 3:12-15; 1 Timothy 6:11. The people of God are described by the character manifested in their lives, which is the character and nature of God. Those who have been born of the Holy Spirit also walk in the Holy Spirit; and in so doing they follow after righteousness through the expressions of godliness, faith, love, joy, peace, patience, meekness, longsuffering, virtue, temperance, gentleness, goodness, knowledge of God, mercy, humility, forgiveness, and brotherly kindness. Now, when we expand the conduct of godliness to include all of those things denoted in the word itself, we also include loyalty, faithfulness, and covenant-keeping. The Hebrew word for godly is 'chasid', and is found in many scriptures like Psalm 4:3-4; "But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: The Lord will hear when I call unto him. Stand in awe, and sin not." In the New Testament, "godly" is translated from the Greek word used for God Himself (Theos). And like the Hebrew word of godliness, the Greek word ('eusebeia') is used as a synonym for holiness, and stands as the opposite of sin and iniquity (Acts 3:12; 2 Peter 3:11). Equally there are many lists that describe the wicked and the ungodly, which once again are a classification of people based upon nothing other than the conduct of their lives (1 Timothy 6:4-5; Galatians 5:19-21; Mark 7:21-23; Colossians 3:5-9; Matthew 12:35). The truth of God is only testified in our lives through godliness (Titus 1:1). There are those who have a form of godliness, but they deny the power of godliness (2 Timothy 3:5). The power of godliness is the new birth, the new man, the new creation, the divine nature, the regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, Christ in us; and it is revealed through us by the actions of His nature and the demonstration of His authority and power in our lives (1 John 3:24; Titus 2:12; 3:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:24; 2 Peter 1:4; Colossians 1:27; Galatians 2:20; Romans 8:14,16). To live a life of relationship with Christ Jesus and not be mindful of our responsibilities in respect to the conduct and character of our lives is naive at best. It is time to be responsible before God and men as the witnesses of God's great salvation and the goodness of this abundant life. We are living epistles, written by God and read by men. We must be careful that we are not living testimony of a false witness of Him - preaching another gospel through the conduct of our lives. We must be serious about this so great a salvation, and therefore be serious about giving ourselves diligently to the conduct of our lives. |
| Daily Bread FEB/02/12 |
| Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen |
| Thursday, 02 February 2012 17:04 |
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1 John 3:6 - Everyone who abides in Him does not sin; everyone that sins has not seen Him nor known Him. The one thing that God's people should be more interested in than anything else is the ability to live free from sin. After all, it is sin that started the whole problem in the first place. It is sin that brought about death and destruction (Romans 5:12-19). Jesus Christ, the eternal God, came into the world to destroy sin - and He did not fail. He suffered on the cross so that we would be cut off from sin and be empowered to live unto righteousness. Sin is the spirit of disobedience. It is the foremost enemy of God and man. If we will harken unto the voice of God, then we will count sin as the enemy of our souls, and realize that God has given us everything that we need to defeat spiritual wickedness and every fleshly lust that wars against our souls. There is nothing that offends and grieves the heart of our Heavenly Father more than sin. Sin carries with it the absolute penalty of death: as much now as ever before. Therefore we must learn to effectively deal with sin at every point that we encounter it. There are those who talk of sin's great power, and tell us that we must sin everyday. The power of sin is blown up to be greater than the power of the cross, the Word, and the Holy Spirit. Spiritual wickedness is by inference given greater authority than the strength of the Lord and the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10-11; 1 Corinthians 10:13). Theologians and preachers alike will tell us that there is still something about our nature that needs to be fixed before we can consistently say no to sin and the demonic influences that inspire it. When they attempt to explain just what needs to be fixed and how it will be fixed, they are found tripping over scriptures and contradicting what Christ Jesus said He finished at Calvary. The subject of sin is the foremost subject of scripture. The Bible focuses from cover cover on how hideous sin is to God, and what He will do to destroy it and redeem men from its power. Sin is so evil to God that He made a Hell to contain it. If we agree with God, then we should feel the same way about it too. When we begin in Genesis, in the first few chapters we discover that the wages of sin is death. God made it clear to Adam that disobedience to His will would only result in death. Then when Adam disobeyed, the earth and all mankind suffered the consequences. Death entered into the world by sin, and the dominion and reign of it came upon all men (Genesis 3:6-23; Ephesians 2:2; Romans 5:12-19). As soon as man disobeyed and opened the door to death through sin, God made an immediate plan for the overthrow of sin. He made plans for the redemption of men by bringing forth Christ Jesus, the seed of a woman, who would crush the head of serpent (Genesis 3:15; Matthew 1:18; Galatians 4:4; Revelation 12:9). Then when we come to the last prophet and book of the Old Testament, Malachi, we still hear of God's testimony against sin and His pronouncement of judgment against it: "'For behold the day comes that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yes, and all who do wickedly shall be stubble; and the day that comes shall burn them up,' says the Lord of hosts, 'So that it shall leave them neither root nor branch'" (Malachi 4:1). God's war on sin will not come to an end until the last enemy, Death, is destroyed. God's war against sin and His commitment to its destruction is personified in Christ Jesus. The introduction to the the New Covenant begins by announcing the birth of the redeemer, the seed of the woman, "that will save His people from their sin" (Matthew 1:21; 1 John 3:8; Hebrews 2:14; 2 Timothy 1:10). Zachariah, the father of the prophet John, upon hearing of the ministry of his son and the coming of the Messiah, said: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed His people," and "that He would grant unto us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear: in holiness and and righteousness" (Luke 1:68,74-75). Then at the end of the Bible in Revelation 22, the final judgment on sin is pronounced: "He that is unrighteous let him be unrighteous still, and he that is filthy let him be filthy still, and he that is righteous let him be righteous still, and he that is holy let him be holy still" (Revelation 22:11). All those who died in their sins were cast out of God's presence and into the lake of fire, which is the second death (Revelation 21:8). It does not matter where we turn in the scripture, God's judgment against sin and disobedience is the focus. His plan to rid the world of sin and its iniquity, and to create a new heaven and a new earth in which only righteousness exists, is revealed in every generation of man. Whether we look at the gospels or the epistles, the doctrine of God and his judgment against sin and disobedience is found. Peter had a radical testimony regarding the doctrine of holiness and a life purified from all sin. He demanded that everyone who had received the divine nature give all diligence to making their calling and election sure. He demanded that diligent attention be given to faith, virtue, knowledge, self control, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and divine love (2 Peter 1:4-11). In His doctrine of holiness, he placed the same demand that God had placed upon the children of Israel in the first covenant, saying "be holy for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16; 3:11,14). Peter made it a requirement that God's people be obedient to the word of God if salvation were to be a reality in their lives (2 Peter 1:19). Yet the testimony of John was even that much more intense. For John, sin was removed by the redemption, that is Christ Jesus; and could not exist in those who were born of Him (1 John 1:6,9; 2:1,4,6,10,13-14,17,29; 3:3,5-10,24; 4:4; 5:18). God, who worked for us the miracle of salvation, demands that we now become obedient children who walk in the Spirit and live by His word. Are you willing to risk your eternity in order to continue in sin, still expecting to be acceptable to God? A man may say, "Well, I believe in the love and mercy of God." Well, that is good. However as soon as someone teaches or believes that they can continue in sin and then die in the practice of sin and still be called righteous, holy, and acceptable by God - then that is heresy; because there is nothing in the Bible which suggests that will be the case. Instead, God reveals just the opposite: God commands all men everywhere to turn from their sin and live in righteousness and godliness. He brought to pass the miracle of salvation through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, and now demands righteousness and true holiness in our lives. |
| Daily Bread FEB/01/12 |
| Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen |
| Wednesday, 01 February 2012 14:28 |
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Isaiah 2:17 - And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness shall be made low; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. Men behave themselves as though the judgments of the Lord are not in the earth. Many of those who are supposed to represent the Kingdom of God have altogether abolished the absolutisms of the word of God. Few take the stand of an unwavering and immovable God who calls all men to repentance. It is easier to take the position of tolerance and acceptance of all other religions, and remove the message of "repent or perish." We find ourselves in such a time of great peril, and those who know their God cry out, "Oh God, they have made void your law - it is time for you to work." We cry out that God in His mercy will humble the hearts of men, that they might possibly repent and turn from their wickedness. We ask God to bring an awakening that is always accompanied by a time of humbling, so that the deceptions and lies that have stolen truth might be revealed. The same God who will give grace to the humble will also fight against the proud (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5; Proverbs 18:12; Psalm 18:27). The pride of life, which arrogantly refuses to walk in the right way and justifies the cause of each man in his own eyes, is a great evil. The mind-blinding spirits of this world have these as their chief allies: pride and haughtiness. Every day, men live in the blessing and the mercy of God; eating His food only to rise up from His table and curse Him and defile His ways of life. The One who is high and lofty, who dwells on High - He set the boundaries and limits for the mighty waves of the sea, and they obey. Yet men, who were also commanded by God to walk in the boundaries and rules of His laws of life, have defiantly crossed over God's commands. Those nations who received the blessings of God because of the prayers of the fathers, they now arrogantly cry out, "My own hand has gotten me this wealth." However there is a day that the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the chiefs and the mighty men, the slaves and free men, will all flee to the caves and crevices of the rocks to hide themselves from the One who sits upon the throne (Revelation 6:15-16). In their day of fear, they will totally abandon those things that they refused to give up in obedience to God. There is a day coming when the Lord will not allow the rebellion and haughtiness of men to defile His earth any longer. It is certain that God in His mercy comes to humble men, but He will also one day come in His anger and wrath to destroy men for their arrogance. The last days are understood by all as relating to the days of the Messiah. In the New Testament, the last days began with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:17; Joel 2:28). The last days will culminate in the judgments described in the of book of Revelation during the days of a great apostasy (2 Thessalonians 2:3; 2 Timothy 3:1). As those final days approach, a greater deception will increase - and many church leaders will lose their way. They will forget how the gospel is to be preached, and what the purpose of the gospel is. They will compromise with other religions and even with sin, to the point that there will be little distinction between those who represent the church and those of the world; even to the point where those representing the church preach that Jesus is not the only means of salvation (2 Peter 2:1). Today we cry out, "Come let us walk in the light of the Lord, let's walk in the truth of His word and of the Holy Spirit. There is no compromise in the light, there is no variableness nor shadow of turning. The darkness has passed, and the true light now shines. The Day Star has arisen in our hearts, and the Dayspring from on high has come! We now stand with unveiled faces and stare into that glorious light, and behold His image. And because we are in this light and walk in this light, we have this fellowship of holiness with each other - we are washed in the blood of the Lamb!" There is a complete distinction from all that is in the world, and an uncompromising message to all mankind spoken through His church. Everyone who believes and is baptized shall be saved, and those who refuse to believe shall perish (Mark 16:16; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:38,41). If this witness does not shine, then there is no light in a dark world. When men forsake the word that is a light unto our path, then the way is only dark and disastrous. Unless Jesus, the light of life, is allowed to shine through a surrendered and consecrated church - there is no evidence of the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. Over the past two thousand years since these last days began, many changes have taken place. Kingdoms have arisen and kingdoms have fallen. There have been great days of mercy and great days of judgment. There have been times of extended peace, and also cruel and unbearable war and famine. There have been great revivals and then periods of falling away. Yet, today it is different: never before has there been such a unified voice of pride and arrogance coming up from those who represent the Lord. Christian nations no longer humble themselves and ask God for His mercy and guidance; but in the arrogance of their own hearts, they declare that they are the creators of their own destiny and that they will build their own future stronger and better. Even the church has lost its light and has accepted sin within its ranks. Those nations which are recognized as "Christian Nations" have become as arrogant as Sodom, and they declare their sin openly and do not hide it (Isaiah 3:9). They call out that anyone who opposes their iniquity and tolerance of evil be destroyed. They would break off every threat of moral restraint and abuse, painting everyone who stands for holiness and truth as criminals and hate-mongers. Rise up oh church of God and begin to pray, for the hour is late - and the witness of the kingdom must be given. Consecrate yourself to coming out from among them and being separate, that the glorious church of Jesus Christ and the authority of our God might been seen in these last days. |
| Daily Bread JAN/31/12 |
| Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen |
| Tuesday, 31 January 2012 15:42 |
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2 Corinthians 5:16 - Therefore from now on we know no one after the flesh; even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know Him no more. Do you believe in the new you? Your new life in which you no longer live, but Christ Jesus lives? God described what He has made you to be and what he has given you to do; now all you need to do to have it is to believe it. It is only God's description of us that should count. If we agree with God and accept the miracle of His love, we will have all that the gospel declares. God has given us this holy calling and heavenly vision; we must not reduce ourselves to what we may believe about ourselves or what others say about us. To function in the grace that God has given, we must believe that we are the sons of God - filled with the Holy Spirit and living the life of Christ. We must allow the Holy Spirit to give us the spiritual eyes and spiritual understanding to see things as the word of God describes. Paul had fully believed and received what Christ Jesus had done for Him, and he accepted that His life had come to an end, and that He now no longer lived. Paul was what He had become by the grace of God, and that grace had made him a Jesus-man of signs, wonders, and miracles; living the life of a new creation. He had become a witness of the heavenly life of the redeemed, whose earthly life was the life of Christ. He was a typical man who believed the report of the Lord and became what God had made Him to be through the power of the Holy Ghost. He was crucified with Christ; and just as importantly, he was raised up with Christ and was living as a new man (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 1:21; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Colossians 3:10; Ephesians 4:24). We must see what the Holy Spirit would cause us to see, and hear and understand what only He can reveal through the spirit of wisdom and revelation. We cannot continue to view things through natural eyes, and on the basis of a temporal and earthly perspective. Simply knowing a person on the basis of their accomplishments and natural appearance should have little value. All men are either redeemed and have the life of Christ, or they are lost in their trespasses and sins. Any consideration of the natural dimensions of a person at any level has no real value. In Christ, there is no significance in the nationality or ethnicity or status or even gender of a person. There is neither Greek nor Jew, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female (Galatians 3:28). What God demands is a new creation; and that should be our demand too. Those born of God must take up the responsibility of standing in the place of Christ Jesus and representing Him (2 Corinthians 5:19-20). As living epistles, we must understand that we could be guilty of preaching a false gospel with our lives - unless we are willing to be conformed to the life of Christ. Those who have been born of God must change their perspective of themselves, and have the confession that faith in Christ demands: "For me to live is Christ" (Philippians 1:21; Galatians 2:20; 3:27; 2 Corinthians 3:3; 5:14-15). To regard yourself as anything less than seated in a heavenly realm will limit the faith and boldness that God demands, as well as the truth of the gospel revealed through your life (Romans 8:16-17; Galatians 3:7; Ephesians 2:6; Hebrews 2:11; John 17:21-22). The most important thing that a minister of the gospel has to do is to help each person understand their responsibilities in Christ, and how the call of God will be fulfilled upon their life. We must hold forth the Word, and help each person come to recognize the divine life of Jesus that is ready to be fully expressed in each of our lives! (Ephesians 4:13; 2 Timothy 2:21; Romans 8:29). |
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