Fresh Bread - 5/18

Daily Bread

Acts 1:2 "Until the day He was taken up, having given commandments by the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen."

Those things which Jesus did He did through complete submission to the Holy Spirit who empowered Him with the divine ability to do the works. Everything that Jesus did and said He attributed to the Father who was doing the work. Jesus came not to do His own will but the will of the Father who had sentHim. He never said anything unless He heard the Father say it. The Father showed Him what works He was supposed to do and He did them in total submission and obedience. The commands that Jesus gave to the disciples hinged upon their being empowered with the same divine power that He had received (Acts 10:38). His commandments to them demanded that they have the same obedience and submission that He had. Before Jesus began His ministry it was necessary for Him to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. It was therefore essential that those who would represent Him be endued with the same power. The commandments that Jesus gave to His apostles focused on their responsibility to represent Him and to advance the Kingdom of God after His departure. He said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that does not believe shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." (Mark 16:15-18). "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. You shall go therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:18-20). In summation, Luke writes an overview of the commandments that Jesus gave underscoring their need to "wait" until they were empowered with the same divine ability, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but wait in the city of Jerusalem, until you are endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:46-49).

Blessings

Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org