Daily Bread
Acts 2:1 - "And in the day that Pentecost was fulfilled everyone had one passion before Him."
The Greek word 'homothumadon,' translated passion, is a compound of two words meaning to "rush along" and "in unison." This compound word literally means with the 'same passion' or 'same fierceness.' "The image is almost musical; a number of notes are sounded which, while different, harmonize in pitch and tone. As the instruments of a great concert under the direction of a concert master, so the Holy Spirit blends together the lives of members of the church of Christ" (James Strong). The intensity of this word serves to communicate both the commitment and excitement that united them as they waited for the Promise of the Father. Of the 12 times that this word is found in the New Testament, 11 of them are in the book of Acts. This word helps to communicate the dedication that those in the church had for one another. In their passion of love and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ, they were one. Through this scripture God has shown to us the model of what He expects if we are to be baptized with the Holy Spirit and Fire in our meetings.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Friday, September 08, 2006
Daily Bread
1 Peter1:22 - "Whom having purified your souls by the obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love, love one another fervently from a pure heart."
In order to cooperate with God we must know His will. His will is expressed to us by His word. However, if our hearts are hard and callous against God then we cannot be subject to His word. The unredeemed person has a stony and callous heart which is described by the prophet Ezekiel when he announced what God would do to change the heart: "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them" (36:26-27). When a person is born of the Spirit and of the Word they receive a new heart that is sensitive and yielded to God (Colossians 2:11; Romans 2:2). God writes His words on these fleshly tables of our heart so that we may know them, be inspired by them, and sensitive to them (2 Corinthians 3:3). It is His word that builds us up and give us an inheritance among all the saints (Acts 20:32). It is His word that strengthens, quickens, and causes us to grow (Hebrews 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 2:13). We must recognize that sin hardens the heart and makes it hard against the word of God. However, through an obedient and submissive heart to the Holy Spirit we are able to lay aside all of those things that oppose us. Through a new and sensitive heart toward God we are able to receive the fresh nourishment of the word that causes us to grow and mature (Hebrews 3:13; Psalms 66:18).
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
1 Peter1:22 - "Whom having purified your souls by the obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love, love one another fervently from a pure heart."
In order to cooperate with God we must know His will. His will is expressed to us by His word. However, if our hearts are hard and callous against God then we cannot be subject to His word. The unredeemed person has a stony and callous heart which is described by the prophet Ezekiel when he announced what God would do to change the heart: "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them" (36:26-27). When a person is born of the Spirit and of the Word they receive a new heart that is sensitive and yielded to God (Colossians 2:11; Romans 2:2). God writes His words on these fleshly tables of our heart so that we may know them, be inspired by them, and sensitive to them (2 Corinthians 3:3). It is His word that builds us up and give us an inheritance among all the saints (Acts 20:32). It is His word that strengthens, quickens, and causes us to grow (Hebrews 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 2:13). We must recognize that sin hardens the heart and makes it hard against the word of God. However, through an obedient and submissive heart to the Holy Spirit we are able to lay aside all of those things that oppose us. Through a new and sensitive heart toward God we are able to receive the fresh nourishment of the word that causes us to grow and mature (Hebrews 3:13; Psalms 66:18).
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Daily Bread
1 Peter 1:14-15 - "As obedient children not conforming to the former desires in your ignorance. But according to His holy calling you shall also be Holy in all conversation."
The former desires are those desires that ruled the passions before the new birth. The former desires are inspired by the god of this world, the spirit that works in the children of disobedience. Satan attacks the child of God and attempts to impose his desires upon them. The satanic desire is expressed by all that is in the world: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. However, the Holy Calling has not only called us to be totally separate from all these things, but has also empowered us with the desires of the Father. As we yield to the Holy Spirit, the joy and wellsprings of holiness flow out of us as rivers of living water. We find ourselves having only one desire, and that is to please the Father. His ways become our ways and His desires our desires. In this realm of Holy Spirit inspiration we are called to resist the devil steadfast in the faith and not allow those former desires to have any place in our lives.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
1 Peter 1:14-15 - "As obedient children not conforming to the former desires in your ignorance. But according to His holy calling you shall also be Holy in all conversation."
The former desires are those desires that ruled the passions before the new birth. The former desires are inspired by the god of this world, the spirit that works in the children of disobedience. Satan attacks the child of God and attempts to impose his desires upon them. The satanic desire is expressed by all that is in the world: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. However, the Holy Calling has not only called us to be totally separate from all these things, but has also empowered us with the desires of the Father. As we yield to the Holy Spirit, the joy and wellsprings of holiness flow out of us as rivers of living water. We find ourselves having only one desire, and that is to please the Father. His ways become our ways and His desires our desires. In this realm of Holy Spirit inspiration we are called to resist the devil steadfast in the faith and not allow those former desires to have any place in our lives.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Daily Bread
Ephesians 1:18 - "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened to know His calling which is your confidence and which is the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the holy ones."
The notion of "His calling" conveys a profound meaning; for we know from Hebrews 3:1 that His calling is a heavenly calling and from 2 Timothy 1:9 that it is a holy calling. The calling is to represent Jesus, to be His ambassadors, and to stand in His place. We have been called to be His witnesses which necessitates being endued with power from On High. His calling is a call for us to stand in the place of Jesus Christ and minister to mankind just as His only begotten Son Jesus did. We have been called to cast out devils, to lay hands on the sick, and proclaim the day of deliverance to all mankind. We are called not only to do the works that Jesus did but even greater works (John 14:12). This holy calling that we have been called unto is one that demonstrates that Jesus abolished death with all of its pain, sickness, sin, and suffering and has brought life and immortality into the brilliantly visible light of heaven so that all mankind might see that Jesus is Lord over all things and through His mighty redeeming power has destroyed the works of the devil (2 Timothy 1:9; 1 John 3:8). The Holy Spirit has come to make known to us all that Jesus has supplied to us (John 16:12-15). It is only by the revelation of the Spirit that we are able to know these things that eyes have not seen, nor ears heard, nor has entered into the heart of man (1 Corinthians 2: 9-10). I pray that you will be filled with this wisdom and revelation today!
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
Ephesians 1:18 - "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened to know His calling which is your confidence and which is the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the holy ones."
The notion of "His calling" conveys a profound meaning; for we know from Hebrews 3:1 that His calling is a heavenly calling and from 2 Timothy 1:9 that it is a holy calling. The calling is to represent Jesus, to be His ambassadors, and to stand in His place. We have been called to be His witnesses which necessitates being endued with power from On High. His calling is a call for us to stand in the place of Jesus Christ and minister to mankind just as His only begotten Son Jesus did. We have been called to cast out devils, to lay hands on the sick, and proclaim the day of deliverance to all mankind. We are called not only to do the works that Jesus did but even greater works (John 14:12). This holy calling that we have been called unto is one that demonstrates that Jesus abolished death with all of its pain, sickness, sin, and suffering and has brought life and immortality into the brilliantly visible light of heaven so that all mankind might see that Jesus is Lord over all things and through His mighty redeeming power has destroyed the works of the devil (2 Timothy 1:9; 1 John 3:8). The Holy Spirit has come to make known to us all that Jesus has supplied to us (John 16:12-15). It is only by the revelation of the Spirit that we are able to know these things that eyes have not seen, nor ears heard, nor has entered into the heart of man (1 Corinthians 2: 9-10). I pray that you will be filled with this wisdom and revelation today!
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Daily Bread
John 3:8 - "The Spirit breathes out where He wills and His voice you hear but you do not know where He comes from and where He is going, so are those who are begotten by the Spirit."
The Greek word, 'pneuma,' is found both at the beginning and at the end of this verse. One of the important issues under consideration is that as the Spirit is so are those begotten by the Spirit. Now it would make no sense at all if for the sake of consistency pneuma was translated wind for then as the wind is so are those begotten of the wind. Although 'pneuma' can be translated wind, of the 360 times that it occurs in the New Testament it never means wind. There is no reason to translate pneuma, wind even though it may be translated both wind and spirit. The Latin version also translates 'pneuma' as "Spirit" in this verse. The Holy Spirit is not only the subject of this passage He is the one who we are begotten by. The mystery surrounding the Spirit's activity also surrounds those begotten of Him, for as the world cannot know Him neither can the world know those begotten of Him (John 14:17; 17:14; 1 John 4:17). In support of this translation is Green's Literal Translation by JP Green Sr., "The Spirit breaths where he desires and you hear His voice; but you do not know from where He comes, and where he goes - so is everyone who has received birth from the Spirit."
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
John 3:8 - "The Spirit breathes out where He wills and His voice you hear but you do not know where He comes from and where He is going, so are those who are begotten by the Spirit."
The Greek word, 'pneuma,' is found both at the beginning and at the end of this verse. One of the important issues under consideration is that as the Spirit is so are those begotten by the Spirit. Now it would make no sense at all if for the sake of consistency pneuma was translated wind for then as the wind is so are those begotten of the wind. Although 'pneuma' can be translated wind, of the 360 times that it occurs in the New Testament it never means wind. There is no reason to translate pneuma, wind even though it may be translated both wind and spirit. The Latin version also translates 'pneuma' as "Spirit" in this verse. The Holy Spirit is not only the subject of this passage He is the one who we are begotten by. The mystery surrounding the Spirit's activity also surrounds those begotten of Him, for as the world cannot know Him neither can the world know those begotten of Him (John 14:17; 17:14; 1 John 4:17). In support of this translation is Green's Literal Translation by JP Green Sr., "The Spirit breaths where he desires and you hear His voice; but you do not know from where He comes, and where he goes - so is everyone who has received birth from the Spirit."
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
Daily Bread
1 John 3:9-10 - "Everyone who has been begotten of God does not sin because His seed abides in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God. In this is manifested the children of God and the children of the devi: everyone who does not act righteously is not of God, neither is he who loves not his brother."
The seed or word of God produces a new spirit and heart within the believer (Ezekiel 36:26; John 3:5,6). The new spirit and the new heart that we have received are joined unto the Lord Jesus. It is the Spirit and nature of Christ Jesus that is formed in us through the new birth (Colossians 1:27, Ephesians 3:17; 1 John 3:24, Romans 8:9,10; 13:14; Galatians 3:27; 4:19; Ephesians 2:10; 1 John 4:4). It is because of the new birth that the divine nature resides in us. It is His nature that produces the ability to please God and empowers us with the ability to escape the corruption that is in the world through lust (2 Peter 1:5; Ephesians 4:24). Paul makes a similar connection between Christ Jesus and the word proving that the word of God is in our heart and in our mouth (Romans 10:8). As those begotten of God and ruled by the Spirit of God, the word of God, and Christ Jesus, we cannot sin. As John previously said, the anointing that we have received of Him teaches us to abide in Him, and abiding in Him will only produce righteousness (1 John 2:27). So long as we remain submitted and yielded to His rulership we will find ourselves enjoying His abundant life of purity, joy, righteousness, and peace. In reality, abiding in the word and keeping the word are one in the same. Those who keep His word have the love of God perfected in them (1 John 2:5). Abiding in the word, doing righteousness, and loving the brethren are reemphasized in the following two verses. We may understand from both the preceding and following verses that those who are born of God cannot hate their brethren.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
1 John 3:9-10 - "Everyone who has been begotten of God does not sin because His seed abides in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God. In this is manifested the children of God and the children of the devi: everyone who does not act righteously is not of God, neither is he who loves not his brother."
The seed or word of God produces a new spirit and heart within the believer (Ezekiel 36:26; John 3:5,6). The new spirit and the new heart that we have received are joined unto the Lord Jesus. It is the Spirit and nature of Christ Jesus that is formed in us through the new birth (Colossians 1:27, Ephesians 3:17; 1 John 3:24, Romans 8:9,10; 13:14; Galatians 3:27; 4:19; Ephesians 2:10; 1 John 4:4). It is because of the new birth that the divine nature resides in us. It is His nature that produces the ability to please God and empowers us with the ability to escape the corruption that is in the world through lust (2 Peter 1:5; Ephesians 4:24). Paul makes a similar connection between Christ Jesus and the word proving that the word of God is in our heart and in our mouth (Romans 10:8). As those begotten of God and ruled by the Spirit of God, the word of God, and Christ Jesus, we cannot sin. As John previously said, the anointing that we have received of Him teaches us to abide in Him, and abiding in Him will only produce righteousness (1 John 2:27). So long as we remain submitted and yielded to His rulership we will find ourselves enjoying His abundant life of purity, joy, righteousness, and peace. In reality, abiding in the word and keeping the word are one in the same. Those who keep His word have the love of God perfected in them (1 John 2:5). Abiding in the word, doing righteousness, and loving the brethren are reemphasized in the following two verses. We may understand from both the preceding and following verses that those who are born of God cannot hate their brethren.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org
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