Brian’s Quiet Time Thoughts.

Any time Jesus was walking, teaching, or trying to get alone time there was a crowd. Here in Mark, we find that The disciples were astonished but the crowd was afraid. Other times the crowd was pressing against Jesus (Mark 5:31). There was a time where Jesus was teaching and the crowd was so close that He had to teach from Peter’s boat (Luke 5:1-3). The crowd had walked all night to beat Jesus to his next spot (Matthew 13:13-14). Very rarely was Jesus alone, but even having the crowd behind him, I think, Jesus was feeling alone. He knew what was getting ready to happen. So now, for the third time, He is telling His disciples. “Then He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, be killed, and rise after three days. He was openly talking about this. So Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭8:31-32‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ https://www.bible.com/72/mrk.8.31-32.hcsb  “Then they left that place and made

Jesus starts this sentence with “but” so it is opposite of the previous sentence. “I assure you,” Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house, brothers or sisters, mother or father, children, or fields because of Me and the gospel, who will not receive 100 times more, now at this time — houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions — and eternal life in the age to come.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭10:29-30‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ https://www.bible.com/72/mrk.10.29-30.hcsb Not opposite as to contradict but opposite to what we may think. So I think that Jesus might mean, “But many who appear to have it all together will be last, and those who appear to have no clue will be first.” We tend to look at the outward appearance and think that what we see is what is really happening in their life. But we don’t have the full story. And God does not judge on the outward appearance of life but the condition of the heart. The prophet and judge Samuel had it all wrong when he was anointing a

 “I assure you,” Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house, brothers or sisters, mother or father, children, orJesus is promising those who leave something for His kingdom will receive 100 times more now and eternal life in His kingdom. But what are the things we are to leave? 1. Houses 2. Brothers 3. Sisters 4. Mothers 5. Fathers 6. Children 7. Fields I do not see wives or husbands. I also believe that children are to be left until they are old enough to be out of our care. But everything else is leave-able. The marriage covenant is a death do us part covenant and God is not wanting us to leave it for His kingdom. And Children are trainable to be mighty in His Kingdom. So then we will have to leave those relationships that hinder us from walking forward in His kingdom. So what will we gain if we leave these seven things? 1. Houses 2. Brothers 3. Sisters 4. Mothers 5. Children 6. Fields 7. Eternal life Notice that Jesus left off Fathers. Why? God is to be our only Father. We will

What are the things we know Peter left to follow Jesus?  “When Jesus went into Peter’s house, He saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭8:14‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ https://www.bible.com/72/mat.8.14.hcsb Peter left His house, wife, and mother-in-law and began traveling around with Jesus. “As He was walking along the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen. “Follow Me,” He told them, “and I will make you fish for people! ” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭4:18-20‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ https://www.bible.com/72/mat.4.18-20.hcsb Peter left boats, nets, and a fishing business to follow Jesus so that He could learn to fish for people instead. “Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭8:20‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ https://www.bible.com/72/mat.8.20.hcsb Peter left all the comforts of li

Who can be saved? This is the question everyone should be asking. With man, salvation is impossible but with God all things are possible. Nicodemus was talking to Jesus one night wrestling with the same question in John chapter 3.m “Jesus replied, “I assure you: Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” “But how can anyone be born when he is old? ” Nicodemus asked Him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born? ” “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God.” ‭‭John‬ ‭3:3-4, 16-18‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ https://www.bible.com/72/jhn.3.3-4,16-18.hcsb This is the same question t

There is a big discussion about this verse. People are trying to understand what Jesus is talking about the eye of the needle. Some people propose that camel should be changed to rope because this would make more sense. After all, camel and rope are only one letter apart in the Hebrew and Aramaic. They suppose that the earlier manuscripts missed this letter and it became camel instead of rope. But the New Testament was written in Greek and camel and rope are two different words. I find this argument to have no foundation. I think Jesus meant camel.  Then the discussion is the eye of the needle just that or is it a gate in Israel? During my study, I kept seeing that there is no archeological evidence of a smaller gate beside the main gate. But that may not be enough to discredit this theory. What if the smaller gate was set one course high in the bricks? Then during excavations of this sight would leave the wall intact at the foundation but the gates would be missing.  The biggest clue

Can you hear the disciples talking to each other? “Wait, Jesus,” said Peter, “His wealth could help us in supplying meals and paying our taxes.” “You would not have to work so hard feeding the 5,000 next time Jesus,” said James. “The money bag would be full if he was to join our caravan,” chimed in Judas. “Yes but we have no need of his money,” interrupted Jesus! The disciples were still too busy marveling at the fact that Jesus just let this rich young ruler walk away and they missed Jesus' next statement.  “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭10:23‬b ‭ESV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/59/mrk.10.23.esv Everyone looks around to others for those who are rich, the poor look the middle class, the middle class looks up to the rich class. the rich look to the super-rich and the super-rich look to the very super-rich. But in the end, it will boil down to who the bible says is rich. “Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be a

Jesus’ command to sell all he had and give to the poor did not sit well for this rich young ruler. At this point, he would not put down his baggage and make Jesus Lord of his life. Because he could not let go of His wealth he could not follow Christ and therefore could not inherit eternal life. Jesus has His reasons to ask us to let go of our stuff, but the biggest reasons are to free our hands to embrace Him and work for Him. “But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭9:62‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ https://www.bible.com/72/luk.9.62.hcsb “Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.”

Jesus did not see this man coming and roll His eyes and think, “Oh boy what does this guy want now.” I am sure He already knew that this was going to happen and the heart of the one who would approach Him. But Jesus turned to him and with love in His eyes said, “you lack one thing.” Jesus was not judgmental toward him but was kind. Jesus was not pointing fingers but was welcoming him in.  After going through the 10 commandments Jesus had revealed to this young man that he was on the right path, but one thing stood between him and Jesus. And that was His money. His wealth had become a god to him. Maybe he had acquired his wealth in a nonethical way. Jesus never corrected him on this but He does command him to sell all that he had and follow Him.  This is not a command to all Christians Christians to be poor because in verses 27 and 28 we discover that Jesus promises that whatever we leave behind we will gain 100 times more in this life, more on that in a few days. But it is a command of

This rich young ruler was a good Jewish man. He learned his Torah along with all the other Jewish boys.  Ray Vander Laan teaches in “The Dust of the Rabbi” that Jewish boys would learn the Torah by memory by the age of 12 and after this could be handpicked by a Rabbi to follow them until they are 30 and at that point, they would become a Rabbi and began to pick young disciples to follow them. Somewhere in this training is where the rich young ruler left the formal training and began to work and earn his living. My guess he was never picked by a Rabbi. He left his teaching having learned the Torah by memory at the age of 12 and began to work in his father’s business as his apprentice. But he never left his teaching and followed the writings of Moses throughout his young life. Now He meets Jesus and askes how do I inherit eternal life? And this Rabbi is challenging him to Love People. And he replies that He has kept all these commands since his youth.  “But as for you, continue in what y

“Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.  Do not murder.  Do not commit adultery.  Do not steal.  Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.  Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20:12-17‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ https://www.bible.com/72/exo.20.12-17.hcsb Jesus was now challenging this rich young ruler’s relationship with people. These six commands are the last six that have to do with his, and our, relationship with people.  “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest? ”  He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22:36-40‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ https://www.bi

‬‬Good is ”agathos” in the original Greek. Agathos is translated in the Bible as: of good constitution or nature, useful, salutary, good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy, excellent, distinguished, upright, honorable.  Was the rich young ruler addressing Jesus in a distinguished manner or an honorable manner? He did kneel before him. I see him kneeling like a knight would before the king on one knee. I do not think he knelt down in full honor of Jesus as being the son of God. The Bible would say he threw himself at Jesus' feet (or something like that. He knelt down in respect but not in full submission. So now Jesus is challenging his motives. Why do you call me good but not respect me as God for only God is good. Jesus knew this man was a devoted Jew. He did not challenge his obedience to God but was just challenging him to believe in Jesus as his Messiah and not just a good teacher.  I have heard many times do not put all your trust in people for at some point in time they wi f

Why did this man wait till Jesus was packing up for a trip? Was this man watching Jesus and wondered if this was the last time he would see Jesus? Or did He have a burning question the whole time Jesus was in town and thought he better ask it before Jesus leaves town? Thank God He asked his question without it we would never know that it is hard for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God. But what about his question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Is that the question we should be asking?  Jesus did not correct him on doing works to inherit eternal life! So are there works to guarantee us eternal life while salvation is not of works? There is a big division between the churches because of works. Some churches hold on to a false hope that if they do all these extra things they will find salvation. And then there are the churches that teach that works are useless and you can live like the world Monday through Saturday and on Sunday you can get salvation and you are good for a we