Brian’s Quiet Time Thoughts.

​ Jesus at the temple This is the only story we have of Jesus’ childhood years. At the age of 12, Jewish boys completed their formal education. And now a Rabbi would be choosing them to follow him as his disciples. And then at the age of 30, they could then have their own disciples. So Joseph and Mary take Jesus to Jerusalem for the Passover and being that he is 12 he joins with the other 12-year-olds, including His cousin John, to be selected by a rabbi. But after much talking no one chooses Jesus. So he heads back home with his family and begins to learn the trade of His father, carpentry. But Jesus knew He was different. He knew his real dad was God. He was not half man half God but he was fully God and fully man only lacking one point, His dad’s sinful nature. We all inherit our dad’s sinful nature. Our moms do not pass it down just our dads. The normal term for this is generational sin. Jesus was spending time in His Father’s house, with the people who were to be about His Father’

​ An old man looking for salvation and an old woman looking to serve. Simeon and Anna were both present when Jesus was eight days old and brought into the temple to be given to God and named. Simeon had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he saw The Savior. No doubt he knew of people who claimed to be that. But in walks a young girl and her husband with an eight-day-old baby and the Holy Spirit speaks to his heart to tell him this is The Savior. Anna was a prophetess who had been living as a widow in the temple since her husband died 84 years ago. And she served God with her prayers and fastings. She too came up to Mary and Joseph and began glorifying God for what she heard in her spirit. We often look to the saints in the church with great respect and hope someday that we too can be like them when we get up in years like they are. But here is their secret. They started when they were young! Look at Anna if she was 18 when she got married then she would have been 2

​ The First Gospel Act of Jesus. We will be starting a new series in Luke called the Acts and Stories of Jesus. We just finished the People Around Jesus in Mark series. To read that series start  here .  What is the first act of Jesus in the gospel? Filling His older cousin John with the Holy Spirit, while they were both still in the womb. But to this justice, we have to back up six months. John’s dad is serving God as high priest and applying incense to the incense altar. Then an angel appears to him standing on the right side and says, ”But the angel said to him: Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. There will be joy and delight for you, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and will never drink wine or beer. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb.“ ‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭HCSB ‬‬ Zachariah is in unbelief but God

​ The Great Commission in Acts. The other four Great Commissions have been about doing; go preach, proclaim forgiveness of sins, receive the Holy Spirit, forgive, go make disciples, baptize, and teach. But Luke finishes his Great Commission with “Be a witness”. This is less about doing and more about being. It is about living the Christian life that when you act in public you are representing Jesus and also when you are alone. For our actions tell God and the devil whom we are willing to obey. The more you try to obey God the more He will ask you to do and the more the devil will continue to hinder and hamper you. For some, this is enough to just give up, but do not. The hour is too late to do that.  What we forget is that we do not have to do it in our own power. But by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is where all 5 Great Commissions agree. Mark tells us what will happen in the power of His name by the Spirit. Luke tells us He was promised by The Father. John told us to receive Him

​ The Great Commission by Matthew The most well-known of the five but also the most underutilized. We must back up to verse 18. ”Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.“ ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭18‬ ‭HCSB ‬‬ 1st underutilized aspect is the authority of the believer. Jesus has been given all authority. He then transfers our portion down to us. Do you remember the authority we have in Mark’s Great Commission? ”Then He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages; they will pick up snakes; if they should drink anything deadly, it will never harm them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭15‬-‭18‬ ‭HCSB ‬‬ We have authority over forgiveness, demons, snake