Brian’s Quiet Time Thoughts.

I find it interesting that Jesus had lit a charcoal fire because that is the same type of fire that was lit about a week earlier.   “Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself.” ‭‭John‬ ‭18:18‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/2692/jhn.18.18.NASB2020 This was the same night as Peter’s three denials. And now Jesus has lit the same kind of fire and is getting ready to restore Peter three times. I think that the smell of the fire took Peter back to that night but this time the smell was different it was mixed with cooked fish and bread. But the smell of the fire was the same. His mind might have been taken back and regrets set in. But Jesus knowing all this kindly let the fire rebuke Peter and then He began to kindly restore Peter.  “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to sift you men like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your f

​ “But Thomas, one of the twelve, who was called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!”   But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”  Eight days later His disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus *came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be to you.” Then He *said to Thomas, “Place your finger here, and see My hands; and take your hand and put it into My side, and do not continue in disbelief, but be a believer.” ‭‭John‬ ‭20:24-27‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/2692/jhn.20.24-27.NASB2020 Thomas is often referred to as Doubting Thomas. But I see him as Unbelieving Thomas. Thank God, Jesus is there for our unbelief. Thomas was willing to believe only if he got to see the holes in His hands and side. “Unless I see in His hands the

‬‬ Jesus is saying, “I have been obedient to your word and set Myself apart from the world so that My disciples may be also set apart from the world by Your word.”  “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” ‭‭John‬ ‭17:17‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/2692/jhn.17.17.NASB2020 “Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:1-2‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/2692/rom.12.1-2.NASB2020 First, we must be willing to offer ourselves unto God for His work. Second, we must set ourselves apart from the world. Third, God will prove to us what His good, acceptable, and perfect will is. The Christian life is about setting apart from the world and tow

‬ Who is the Helper? We know now that He is the Holy Spirit.  “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you].” ‭‭John‬ ‭16:7‬ ‭AMP‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/1588/jhn.16.7.AMP So not only is He the Helper He is the Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor, Counselor, Strengthener, and Standby. I am not sure why the AMP includes that the Holy Spirit is the Standby. To me, this implies that He is just waiting to assist us with whatever we want like a gene in a bottle. But then again He is here to help us into all truth if we are to ask Him. “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” ‭‭John‬ ‭16:13‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬ h

​ ‬‬ Not only is love and obedience connected but the friendship of Jesus is also connected to obedience and love. So what has he commanded that we are to obey? “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another.” ‭‭John‬ ‭15:12-17‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/2692/jhn.15.13-17.NASB2020 That we love one another! That's the easy part but Jesus adds a qualifier, “as I have loved you.” W

​ ‬‬ “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and follow His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. For whoever has been born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭5:2-4‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/2692/1jn.5.2-4.NASB2020 How does God know that we love Him? He watches our obedience! How do we know we love God? We measure our obedience to Him! How can we know who loves God? We watch their obedience! How do we know are obedient to God? We watch their love for God!  Love = obedience  Obedience = love When we obey God we make Jesus Lord of our lives. When we love God he becomes our Abba Father! “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:15‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬ https://bible.com/bible