Brian’s Quiet Time Thoughts.

What is the mystery that Paul wrote above? But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us,  made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens,  so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift — not from works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:4‭-‬9 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/eph.2.4-9.HCSB Salvation! But to explain it more it is the process that God went through to execute the reconciliation of us back to Him as it was back in The Garden with Adam and Eve.  Through God's grace, He sent Jesus to be born of women, live a perfect life in flesh like us, beaten, crucified on the cross of Calvery, buried in a borrowed tomb, risen from the dead, and to sit at the r

No, Paul, please explain how God has given you grace for me. Well, actually Luke will do it for us. As he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”  “Who are You, Lord? ” he said.  “I am Jesus, the One you are persecuting,” He replied. “But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Acts 9:3‭-‬6 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/act.9.3-6.HCSB There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. And the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias! ”  “Here I am, Lord!” he said.  “Get up and go to the street called Straight,” the Lord said to him, “to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, since he is praying there. In a vision   he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him so he can regain his sight.”   “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard from many people about this man, how much har

For what reason? The unity of the Body of Christ including the Gentiles. At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. Ephesians 2:12 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/eph.2.12.HCSB Why does Paul use "the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles" as a title of himself? Would you put that on a business card? He at least addresses himself in this way in this letter. He is trying to make a point of himself and letting others know it as an example to follow. He is letting them know that he is in the chains of bondage in the physical to free those who are bound in the spiritual. To declare to the captive the freeing work of Jesus. He is saying that because He is bound in the chains of the Romans that those who are in Christ are free.  “I wish before God,” replied Paul, “that whether easily or with difficulty, not only you but all who listen to me

Our momentary light affliction is not to be our focus, but rather our absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory should be. However even this should not take our eyes off of God! Because God is the one who provides us with the glory. We look to God the maker of heaven and earth, Jesus the author of our faith, and the Holy Spirit who is the other counselor promised by Jesus. My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalms 121:2 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/psa.121.2.HCSB 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. Hebrews 12:2 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/heb.12.2.HCSB My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalms 121:2 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/psa.121.2.HCSB All three are God and are unseen along with heaven, angels, our eternal glory, our home built in heaven. All too often we forg

Only God can live out and make absolute definitive comments. Because He is all-knowing, all-power, and ever-present.  For God to say that our affliction is momentary and light is a good reminder to us that it is truly momentary and light. God knows that there is a new season changing soon. And all too often we forget that. We forget that a season of struggle will only last a season and will change into a season of blessing in God's timing. But our affliction will produce for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. God uses our afflictions to bring out the good in us He desires. It is not His desire to keep everyone in bondage but to bring Heaven to them and their situations. But He does use it to bring us to a point in our lives where we trust Him to bring us through it. We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/rom.8.28.HCSB All things including

Why do we not give up? We know that the One who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and present us with you. Indeed, everything is for your benefit, so that grace, extended through more and more people, may cause thanksgiving to increase to God’s glory. 2 Corinthians 4:14‭-‬15 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/2co.4.14-15.HCSB So what is happening for those who do not give up? We are being renewed day by day! Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.  Everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 2 Corinthians 5:17‭-‬18 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/2co.5.17-18.HCSB For through the law I have died to the law, so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians

“Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be brought under the control of anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/1co.6.12.HCSB “Everything is permissible,”  but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything builds up. 1 Corinthians 10:23 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/1co.10.23.HCSB This is not a license to sin, but know that God's rules and activities are for our benefit. Why should we waste our time on things that are not helpful, but are hurting us? The grace of God is there to help us into thanksgiving for God's glory, not for sin.  Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise — dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/php.4.8.HCSB There is an occasion for everythin

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,  with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:16‭-‬18 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/1th.4.16-18.HCSB To be raised up whether still alive or dead is a good thing. We will be rid of this body and be free from this sinful nature called our flesh. And we will be given a new body one that is purified. We will be free from physical and emotional ailments. We will be with all the saints who have gone before us. We will finally see our Savoir and Lord, Jesus and our Father. It will be a good place to be.  So then if heaven is our home and our hope, why do we live for the short-term pleasures of the world? Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world. If a

Paul is quoting Psalms 116:10 I believed, even when I said, “I am severely afflicted.” Psalms 116:10 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/psa.116.10.HCSB The things we believe are the things we talk about. If we believe that which is contrary to the Word of God then we are not speaking the truth. Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. John 17:17 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/jhn.17.17.HCSB Therefore I am informing you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:3 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/1co.12.3.HCSB So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ. Romans 10:17 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/rom.10.17.HCSB The trinity always works together. Jesus --the Word of God, the Holy Spirit --the spirit of God, and God -- the Father are always working in us to perfect us into the image of Jesus. When we are in alinement w

3:16 movie To everyone who might know me. Several of my favorite 📖 Bible verses are 3:16. So I decided to make a movie of all the 3:16 verses in the Bible. For those who are curious, there are 49. Please enjoy and pass on the 3:16's on this the 3/16 in the year of our Lord.

What does Paul mean when he said death works in us, but life in you? Is there something different about Paul and his traveling companions and the people of Corinth so that death works in Paul but not in others?  “I wish before God,” replied Paul, “that whether easily or with difficulty, not only you but all who listen to me today might become as I am — except for these chains.” Acts 26:29 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/act.26.29.HCSB Paul desired everyone to come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but not with the chains of persecution that he experienced, but with the freedom to worship in the world.  A man who endures trials is blessed because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/jas.1.12.HCSB But then trials bring out good things in our lives like faith, hope, love, and a crown of life. so then death working in us will produce life in us. Most of the brothers in the Lor

When was the last time you lived to die so that another person's death was able to give you their life? This is exactly what Jesus expects from us and in-turn gives us. Jesus gave up all his divine comforts to live the life of us. After his 33 years he, being perfect, died. But on the third day, He walked out of His tomb so that through His death we can live. He then returned to heaven and took up His divine comforts again with the experience of life as we know it. But He does not stop there, but now He extends His life to us so that the life we live is filled with Him!  There are times I do not like Paul's writing. He makes it hard to read and hard to understand. What does he mean by always given over to death? "Always" means always.  "Given over" is paradidomi (Strongs G3860) means to surrender, yield up, intrust, transmit:—betray, bring forth, cast, commit, deliver up, give over, hazard, put in prison, recommend.  "to" means to.  "Death&quo

There is a difference between carrying the death of Jesus in our body and carrying it on our body. Just because we carry a cross on our neck does not make us a Christian. But when we carry a cross in our heart, soul, mind, and strength this is what makes us a Christian. The death of Jesus is the example of the life we are to live for God. Jesus did not get on the cross because Pilot, the guards, or the Jewish leaders put Him three. Jesus got on the cross because God put Him there to be the once for all sacrificial offering for all the sins of humanity.  We need to be dying daily to the will of God and putting to death the desires of the sinful flesh which wars against the desires God has for us. No one is exempt from this. Peter, James, John, Paul. Martin Luther, Billy Graham, our pastors, and we all had to or still need to die to sinful desires to live for Jesus. Are we sold out for Jesus as these men of old were? Or have we sold out for the world and let them decide how we should lov

We all face pressure, perplexity, persecution, and striking blows, but if we are abiding in Christ then we will not be crushed, despaired, abandoned, and destroyed. So then why are we not seeing the manifested glory of God in our everyday lives? Could it be we are not in Christ as we should be? Or has all that power left the church because we no longer need it? To those who would say that the manifested presence of Jesus has left the church because we no longer need it, I would say they are wrong. To go a step farther I would say we need it more now than Paul did. Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different activities, but the same God activates each gift in each person.  A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial: to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, to another, faith by the same Spirit, to

What treasure do we have? What extraordinary power do we have? Paul only uses treasure in 2 Corinthians once. So like therefore we have to look back to previous, paragraphs and chapters to find it. I think our treasure is found in verse five of this fourth chapter. For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves because of Jesus. 2 Corinthians 4:5 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/2co.4.5.HCSB Our treasure is Jesus Christ as Lord. The excitement of finding this treasure is that we get to proclaim Him crucified, dead, and raised on the third day. Which is the gospel of the kingdom of God. Jesus even compared this to finding treasure. “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field." Matthew 13:44 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/mat.13.44.HCSB The kingdom of God is only found in Jesus as Lord! Here is a shocker to m

Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and He called the darkness “night.” Evening came and then morning: the first day. Genesis 1:3‭-‬5 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/gen.1.3-5.HCSB Light is very important to God. In the beginning, He created light on the first day. He then started His important work in creation. God does not work in the dark hiding what he is doing. And He does not want His kids, children, and followers walking in the dark. Instead, He shines His light into our lives to illuminate the dark places where sin continues to live in our lives. For godly grief produces a repentance not to be regretted and leading to salvation, but worldly grief produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/2co.7.10.HCSB Part of God's light is His Godly grief to produce repentance in us. But the light of the world produces regret i

One major way that the god of this age has blinded people is to get them to focus on themselves. The devil wants to get us to focus on ourselves and make us think that it is all on me or all about me. But it is not it is all about Jesus. Paul did not come to build Paul's ministry, but rather build the Kingdom of Jesus. It was Paul's mission to be a bondservant toward Jesus and His call which includes being a bondservant toward the people who would be or is part of His Church.  For you yourselves know how you must imitate us: We were not irresponsible among you; we did not eat anyone’s food free of charge; instead, we labored and struggled, working night and day, so that we would not be a burden to any of you. It is not that we don’t have the right to support, but we did it to make ourselves an example to you so that you would imitate us. 2 Thessalonians 3:7‭-‬9 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/2th.3.7-9.HCSB Paul made his money working during the day and speaking at night. In hi

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/jhn.6.44.HCSB Is coming to Christ our choice? We see that if we have not then the devil has blinded our eyes so that we cannot see the light of the gospel. But then no one can come to the father unless the Father draws us. So we are either blinded or drawn. But once the blinders have come off then it is up to us to choose for ourselves if we accept Jesus' offer to be saved.  God's desire is for everyone to be saved. So then is He always drawing them unto Himself?  “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

God does not work in secrete, but His works are evident to those who will look for them. But the Devil wants and tries his best to keep it all under wraps. The wise men in the Christmas story are an illustrated point of this. There they are hanging out somewhere near Babylon. Having been taught all the ways of God until Daniel. But as they were watching and studying the night sky Something happened that made them realize that God was bringing about His Son, the true king of the Jews. It was so significant that they started their Jurney west to Jerusalem the capital of Isreal to find the one who was born King of the Jews. Now Herod being the king of Jews was unaware of all these things until they showed up. He had to have the Jewish leaders search the scriptures to find out where the King of the Jews would be born. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem,  saying, “Where is He who has been born King