Daily Bread - Feb 02 07
Revelation 1:19: "Write therefore what you have seen and the things that are and the things that are about to take place after these things."
The Gospel of John is organized as a chronology giving us the necessary information that allows us to understand the length of the ministry of Jesus. Without the gospel of John we would not have the evidence to support that Jesus' ministry was any more than a year and a half in length. The book of Revelation is also organized in a logical chronology of events. The first indication of the chronology of the book of Revelation is given in this verse which is also the key to understanding the way that this book of prophecy is organized.
The book of Revelation is organized into three sections:
First: "What you have seen," which was the vision of the Son of Man and is recorded in chapter 1.
Second: "The things which are," concerning the church recorded in chapters 2-3.
Third: "The things that are about to take place after these things," which begins in chapter 4.
One obvious fact that underscores these three divisions is that, in chapters 2 through 3, the word church occurs seven times. However, from Revelation 4:1 to 22:21, the word church totally disappears. The chronological order of the book of Revelation is further served by the fact that there are seven seals, seven trumpets, and the seven vials that are dealt with sequentially through the events of this book.
Other than a few obvious parenthetical statements, the chronological sequence is uninterrupted. The Greek phrase "meta tauta" - which means "after these things" and marks the final section of the book of Revelation - appears in chapter 4 verse 1 where it opens and closes with these words "meta tauta" (after these things) underscoring the transition that has been outlined here in verse 19.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
Friday, February 02, 2007
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Daily Bread - Feb 01 07
2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 - "And now you know what holds back the revealing of him in his time. The mystery of lawlessness is already at work only right now He holds it back from the midst until He comes."
The antichrist cannot be revealed until the time of the administration of the church is complete. Jesus is the one who is now holding back the ultimate deception and rebellion of iniquity which cannot be revealed until He comes: "The mystery of lawlessness is already at work - only right now He holds it back from our midst until He comes. At that time, the lawless one shall be revealed whom the Lord shall return and destroy with the spirit of his mouth and wipe out with the appearance of His coming."(2:7-8).
Jesus first comes to finalize the administration of the church age by receiving the church unto Himself, and then the lawless one shall be revealed. Jesus will then return with His saints (which includes the church) to fight against the antichrist and his armies (Revelation 19:11-14; Jude 14-15).
Paul had already revealed to the church at Thessalonica that there would be a catching away of the church and made it unique from the Second Coming of Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). Paul makes the catching away event equivalent to the resurrection from the dead. When Jesus comes, the dead in Christ will rise first, and those who are alive will be caught up together into the clouds to meet Jesus in the air according to His promise that He would return and receive us unto Himself (John 14:2-3).
It is at this time that Jesus comes with a shout of an archangel and with the sound of the trumpet of God. Paul also describes the catching away in the context of the first resurrection to the church at Corinth. He revealed that not everyone would die, but some would immediately be changed from the corruptible and earthly into the immortal and heavenly - an event that would take place at the last trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).
We know from the words of Jesus that it will be an event that He personally initiates as suggested by 1 Thessalonians 4:16. Jesus said, "With absolute certainty I tell you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live." This is the one event that no one knows the timing of except for the Father (Matthew 24:36). As far as the Second coming goes, when we overlay the book of Daniel with the Book of Revelation we can calculate the exact time of the Second Coming of Christ from the day that the antichrist desecrates the Temple (Daniel 11:31; 12:11; Matthew 24:15).
When we look for this most important event in the book of Revelation it is only discovered in the words "after these things" which refers to the time after the church age as John wrote the things which he had seen, Chapter 1, the things which are, chapters 2-3, and the things which shall be after the things which are, chapters 4-18. (Revelation 1:19; 4:1). The only event in the book of Revelation that describes a catching away is found in Revelation 12:5 which speaks of a man child that was born to a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars which is an Old Testament symbol for Israel (Genesis 37:9-10). The most appropriate understanding of this man child born of Israel is the 144,000 that is first mentioned as being sealed in Revelation 7:4 and then seen in heaven in Revelation 14:1 with the seal of the Father's name written in their forehead. To attempt to make the church fit into this symbolism is a violation of the fact the church is symbolized as a man in that the church is the body of Christ.
When we examine the book of Revelation for the Trump of God or the last trump the only thing that can be found is in Revelation 10:7; 11:15-18. However, this does not concur with the fact that it is Jesus Himself who descends, neither is there any mention of those who are alive in Christ being caught up. In fact, the only way that anyone during the Tribulation makes the company of the resurrected saints is through death.
Jesus spoke of the time at the end of the Tribulation when He would send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet who will gather together His elect, but by context this is associated with His return to the earth with His saints in Revelation 19:11-21. The reason that the events of 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 1 Corinthians 15:51 are not found in the book of Revelation is because they occur before the Tribulation of Revelation 4-19. The very simple fact is that the church is not one time mentioned in these chapters.
Daniel speaks of the time of the resurrection of the just, and even though it is mentioned in association with the time of the Tribulation it is also grouped with the resurrection of the unjust which we know to be separated by 1000 years (Daniel 12:2; Revelation 20:5). The warning that all of us should take heed to is that Jesus said that if anyone adds to the words of this book then the plagues of this book will be added to them. It is very unwise to add the word church to Revelation 4 through 19 which takes in the whole of the Tribulation period.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 - "And now you know what holds back the revealing of him in his time. The mystery of lawlessness is already at work only right now He holds it back from the midst until He comes."
The antichrist cannot be revealed until the time of the administration of the church is complete. Jesus is the one who is now holding back the ultimate deception and rebellion of iniquity which cannot be revealed until He comes: "The mystery of lawlessness is already at work - only right now He holds it back from our midst until He comes. At that time, the lawless one shall be revealed whom the Lord shall return and destroy with the spirit of his mouth and wipe out with the appearance of His coming."(2:7-8).
Jesus first comes to finalize the administration of the church age by receiving the church unto Himself, and then the lawless one shall be revealed. Jesus will then return with His saints (which includes the church) to fight against the antichrist and his armies (Revelation 19:11-14; Jude 14-15).
Paul had already revealed to the church at Thessalonica that there would be a catching away of the church and made it unique from the Second Coming of Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). Paul makes the catching away event equivalent to the resurrection from the dead. When Jesus comes, the dead in Christ will rise first, and those who are alive will be caught up together into the clouds to meet Jesus in the air according to His promise that He would return and receive us unto Himself (John 14:2-3).
It is at this time that Jesus comes with a shout of an archangel and with the sound of the trumpet of God. Paul also describes the catching away in the context of the first resurrection to the church at Corinth. He revealed that not everyone would die, but some would immediately be changed from the corruptible and earthly into the immortal and heavenly - an event that would take place at the last trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).
We know from the words of Jesus that it will be an event that He personally initiates as suggested by 1 Thessalonians 4:16. Jesus said, "With absolute certainty I tell you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live." This is the one event that no one knows the timing of except for the Father (Matthew 24:36). As far as the Second coming goes, when we overlay the book of Daniel with the Book of Revelation we can calculate the exact time of the Second Coming of Christ from the day that the antichrist desecrates the Temple (Daniel 11:31; 12:11; Matthew 24:15).
When we look for this most important event in the book of Revelation it is only discovered in the words "after these things" which refers to the time after the church age as John wrote the things which he had seen, Chapter 1, the things which are, chapters 2-3, and the things which shall be after the things which are, chapters 4-18. (Revelation 1:19; 4:1). The only event in the book of Revelation that describes a catching away is found in Revelation 12:5 which speaks of a man child that was born to a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars which is an Old Testament symbol for Israel (Genesis 37:9-10). The most appropriate understanding of this man child born of Israel is the 144,000 that is first mentioned as being sealed in Revelation 7:4 and then seen in heaven in Revelation 14:1 with the seal of the Father's name written in their forehead. To attempt to make the church fit into this symbolism is a violation of the fact the church is symbolized as a man in that the church is the body of Christ.
When we examine the book of Revelation for the Trump of God or the last trump the only thing that can be found is in Revelation 10:7; 11:15-18. However, this does not concur with the fact that it is Jesus Himself who descends, neither is there any mention of those who are alive in Christ being caught up. In fact, the only way that anyone during the Tribulation makes the company of the resurrected saints is through death.
Jesus spoke of the time at the end of the Tribulation when He would send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet who will gather together His elect, but by context this is associated with His return to the earth with His saints in Revelation 19:11-21. The reason that the events of 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 1 Corinthians 15:51 are not found in the book of Revelation is because they occur before the Tribulation of Revelation 4-19. The very simple fact is that the church is not one time mentioned in these chapters.
Daniel speaks of the time of the resurrection of the just, and even though it is mentioned in association with the time of the Tribulation it is also grouped with the resurrection of the unjust which we know to be separated by 1000 years (Daniel 12:2; Revelation 20:5). The warning that all of us should take heed to is that Jesus said that if anyone adds to the words of this book then the plagues of this book will be added to them. It is very unwise to add the word church to Revelation 4 through 19 which takes in the whole of the Tribulation period.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Daily Bread - Jan 31 07
1 Peter 5:3 - "Neither as exercising dominion over the heritage but being examples to the flock."
Those who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ and, thereby, born of the Spirit are part of the family of God, and thus referred to as God’s heirs (Romans 8:17; Galatians 3;29;4:7; Titus 3:17; James 2:5; 1Peter 3:7). The responsibility of every minister and every saint is to realize that the people of God - whom they interact with - are joint heirs with Jesus Christ and, therefore, God’s heritage or lot. This awareness should cause us to treat one another with the utmost respect and love. Jesus said that whatever we do to the least of the brethren (family of God) we also do to Him (Matthew 25:40).
We have all been taught directly by God that we are to love one another (1 Thessalonians 4:9). The love and the respect that we have been instructed in by the Holy Spirit should result in the deepest honor and appreciation for one another. At the moment that we see each other's shortcomings and faults we should not despise each other but encourage and assist one another with the help that we need.
Be blessed,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
1 Peter 5:3 - "Neither as exercising dominion over the heritage but being examples to the flock."
Those who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ and, thereby, born of the Spirit are part of the family of God, and thus referred to as God’s heirs (Romans 8:17; Galatians 3;29;4:7; Titus 3:17; James 2:5; 1Peter 3:7). The responsibility of every minister and every saint is to realize that the people of God - whom they interact with - are joint heirs with Jesus Christ and, therefore, God’s heritage or lot. This awareness should cause us to treat one another with the utmost respect and love. Jesus said that whatever we do to the least of the brethren (family of God) we also do to Him (Matthew 25:40).
We have all been taught directly by God that we are to love one another (1 Thessalonians 4:9). The love and the respect that we have been instructed in by the Holy Spirit should result in the deepest honor and appreciation for one another. At the moment that we see each other's shortcomings and faults we should not despise each other but encourage and assist one another with the help that we need.
Be blessed,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Daily Bread - Jan 30 07
Acts 13: 2 - And while they performed the service of the Lord and fasted the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart now Barnabas and Saul unto the work which I have called them."
Although Jesus is the head of the church, it is the Holy Spirit who speaks on His behalf (Acts 15:28; 16:6; 20:28). The Holy Spirit was sent to lead and to guide both the Church and the individual. He is the One who is to instruct us in everything that we are to do (John 14:26).
When men are called into the ministry it is by a special work of the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:4). Such men should be as distinctive to us as they are to God. We should view the ministry as having been separated from all that is ordinary in the church and endowed with a special divine grace to equip and lead us (Ephesians 4:11-16).
The Holy Spirit is the one who teaches the church everything it is supposed to do. One of the primary ways that He speaks is through those who have been separated unto Him for this purpose (John 14:26). The position of authority that God endowed His ministers with to speak on His behalf made them the representatives of God to the church insomuch that whatever was spoken by them was actually being spoken by the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3).
God ordained that those things which were spoken and ministered in His church were to be done expressly by the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:23; 21:11; 1 Corinthins 14:16; 1 Peter 4:11). When men refused to listen to the gospel they were, in fact, refusing to listen to the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51). It was the Holy Spirit who spoke the word of God through the prophets of old such as Isaiah, and it is the Holy Spirit that speaks through His servants today (Acts 28:25; 1 Thessalonians 2:14). If we are going to learn to walk in the realms of God's anointing and blessing then we must learn to walk in His love that produces servitude and submission to one anothe - and especially to the leadership that the Holy Spirit has called and demanded the church to view as separate and unique.
Be blessed,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
Acts 13: 2 - And while they performed the service of the Lord and fasted the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart now Barnabas and Saul unto the work which I have called them."
Although Jesus is the head of the church, it is the Holy Spirit who speaks on His behalf (Acts 15:28; 16:6; 20:28). The Holy Spirit was sent to lead and to guide both the Church and the individual. He is the One who is to instruct us in everything that we are to do (John 14:26).
When men are called into the ministry it is by a special work of the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:4). Such men should be as distinctive to us as they are to God. We should view the ministry as having been separated from all that is ordinary in the church and endowed with a special divine grace to equip and lead us (Ephesians 4:11-16).
The Holy Spirit is the one who teaches the church everything it is supposed to do. One of the primary ways that He speaks is through those who have been separated unto Him for this purpose (John 14:26). The position of authority that God endowed His ministers with to speak on His behalf made them the representatives of God to the church insomuch that whatever was spoken by them was actually being spoken by the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3).
God ordained that those things which were spoken and ministered in His church were to be done expressly by the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:23; 21:11; 1 Corinthins 14:16; 1 Peter 4:11). When men refused to listen to the gospel they were, in fact, refusing to listen to the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51). It was the Holy Spirit who spoke the word of God through the prophets of old such as Isaiah, and it is the Holy Spirit that speaks through His servants today (Acts 28:25; 1 Thessalonians 2:14). If we are going to learn to walk in the realms of God's anointing and blessing then we must learn to walk in His love that produces servitude and submission to one anothe - and especially to the leadership that the Holy Spirit has called and demanded the church to view as separate and unique.
Be blessed,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
Monday, January 29, 2007
Daily Bread - Jan 29 07
Acts 16:6 - "And they went through Phrygia and the country of the Galatians being hindered by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia."
Surely the success and the power of those in the first century church was due to their submission to divine authority. Paul - who had received abundance of revelation and in fact in many ways was ahead of all the other ministries that were around him - deferred to the judgments of the leadership in Jerusalem (Acts 15:2; Galatians 2:1-2).
His walk with God was exemplified by humility and servitude as a true follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. As a result, he had a relationship with the Holy Spirit that afforded him specific direction about what he was supposed to do and when he was to do it. Furthermore, this is again clear evidence that God the Holy Spirit had come to lead the disciples and was in charge of the affairs of the church (Acts 5:32; 13:2,4; 15:28).
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
Acts 16:6 - "And they went through Phrygia and the country of the Galatians being hindered by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia."
Surely the success and the power of those in the first century church was due to their submission to divine authority. Paul - who had received abundance of revelation and in fact in many ways was ahead of all the other ministries that were around him - deferred to the judgments of the leadership in Jerusalem (Acts 15:2; Galatians 2:1-2).
His walk with God was exemplified by humility and servitude as a true follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. As a result, he had a relationship with the Holy Spirit that afforded him specific direction about what he was supposed to do and when he was to do it. Furthermore, this is again clear evidence that God the Holy Spirit had come to lead the disciples and was in charge of the affairs of the church (Acts 5:32; 13:2,4; 15:28).
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
Daily Bread - Jan 27 07
Romans 8:26 - "And in like manner also the Spirit helps our frailty; for we do not know what we need to pray for, but the Spirit intercedes with inexpressible groanings."
The intercession of the Spirit is described as inexpressible groanings. The expressions of the Spirit were first manifested in the Bible as prophecy: God speaking His word through man’s mouth under the inspiration of the Spirit. In the New Testament when the Holy Spirit came upon the believer, other languages came forth as rivers of living water (Acts 2:3; John 7:38-39). The necessity of praying in the Spirit is repeated often throughout the New Testament.
The Holy Spirit is the One who has come to lead us and guide us into all truth. He is the one who is making things known to us that Jesus was unable to communicate (John 16:12-15). His coming and subsequent intercession was the sound of other languages or the languages of men and angels (Acts 2:8-11; 1 Corinthians 13:1). The command to pray in the Spirit extends from 1 Corinthians to Jude 20.
Although praying in the Spirit may extend to speaking by the Spirit or prophesying it certainly excludes much of what Christians today would have us believe is prayer which, in fact, is little more than their own minds expressing frustration, anxiety, and remorse. The prayer of the Spirit has a sound and an inspiration that is produced by the Holy Spirit Himself (Acts 2:4; 10:45-46; Acts 19:6; Romans 8:26; 1 Corinthians 14:1, 14; Ephesians 5:18; 6:18).
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
Romans 8:26 - "And in like manner also the Spirit helps our frailty; for we do not know what we need to pray for, but the Spirit intercedes with inexpressible groanings."
The intercession of the Spirit is described as inexpressible groanings. The expressions of the Spirit were first manifested in the Bible as prophecy: God speaking His word through man’s mouth under the inspiration of the Spirit. In the New Testament when the Holy Spirit came upon the believer, other languages came forth as rivers of living water (Acts 2:3; John 7:38-39). The necessity of praying in the Spirit is repeated often throughout the New Testament.
The Holy Spirit is the One who has come to lead us and guide us into all truth. He is the one who is making things known to us that Jesus was unable to communicate (John 16:12-15). His coming and subsequent intercession was the sound of other languages or the languages of men and angels (Acts 2:8-11; 1 Corinthians 13:1). The command to pray in the Spirit extends from 1 Corinthians to Jude 20.
Although praying in the Spirit may extend to speaking by the Spirit or prophesying it certainly excludes much of what Christians today would have us believe is prayer which, in fact, is little more than their own minds expressing frustration, anxiety, and remorse. The prayer of the Spirit has a sound and an inspiration that is produced by the Holy Spirit Himself (Acts 2:4; 10:45-46; Acts 19:6; Romans 8:26; 1 Corinthians 14:1, 14; Ephesians 5:18; 6:18).
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
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