Take Time With God #110 – Witnessing for Christ while suffering

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Take Time With God #110 – Witnessing for Christ while suffering

Acts 16:16–30

¹⁶ It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you ^[a]the way of salvation.” ¹⁸ She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very ^[b]moment.

²² The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their ^[d]robes off them and proceeded to order ^[e]them to be beaten with rods. ²³ When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; ^24 [f]and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the ^[g]stocks.

²⁵ But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; ²⁶ and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. ²⁷ When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸ But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” ²⁹ And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, ³⁰ and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

Footnotes:

1. 
   

   Acts 16:17 Lit a way

   
   


2. 
   

   Acts 16:18 Lit hour

   
   
   1. 
      

      Acts 16:19 Lit gone out

      
      
   
   

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Paul’s Ministry

2 For you yourselves know, brethren, that our [a]coming to you was not in vain, 2 but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much [b]opposition. 3 For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or [c]by way of deceit; 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who [d]examines our hearts. 5 For we never came [e]with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness— 6 nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ [f]we might have [g]asserted our authority. 7 But we [h]proved to be [i]gentle [j]among you, as a nursing mother [k]tenderly cares for her own children. 8 Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own [l]lives, because you had become [m]very dear to us.

Footnotes:

1 Thessalonians 2:1–8

1. 1 Thessalonians 2:1 Lit entrance


2. 1 Thessalonians 2:2 Or struggle, conflict


3. 1 Thessalonians 2:3 Lit in deceit


4. 1 Thessalonians 2:4 Or approves


5. 1 Thessalonians 2:5 Lit in a word of flattery


6. 1 Thessalonians 2:6 Lit being able to


7. 1 Thessalonians 2:6 Or be burdensome


8. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Or became gentle


9. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Three early mss read babes


10. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Lit in the midst of you


11. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Or cherishes


12. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 Or souls


13. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 Lit beloved

1. Acts 16:22 Lit to beat with rods


2. Acts 16:24 Lit who


3. Acts 16:24 Lit wood

 

Take Time With God #110 – Witnessing for Christ while suffering

Take Time With God #110 – Witnessing for Christ while suffering

Take Time With God #109 – An introduction to Thessalonians

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Take Time With God #109 – An introduction to Thessalonians

Ray begins First Thessalonians with a challenge from the apostle Paul. Join Ray to be part of the challenge and learn about the city Paul was writing to.

First Thessalonians 1

1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

² We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; ³ constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and ^[a]steadfastness of hope ^[b]in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, ⁴ knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; ⁵ for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we ^[c]proved to be among you for your sake. ⁶ You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, ⁷ so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. ⁸ For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only inMacedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.

Footnotes:

1. 1 Thessalonians 1:3 Or perseverance


2. 1 Thessalonians 1:3 Lit of


3. 1 Thessalonians 1:5 Or became

In Thessalonica it’s hard to find any footsteps of Paul in a couple of senses. First, the new city has been built on top of the old so there has been little archeological exploration, and second, there are no memorial churches or places commemorating Paul’s sojourn there. But Alexander the Great is alive and well and living in Thessalonica. Our Hotel was just across the street from Aristotle Park at the end of Aristotle Street. Aristotle was from Macedonia and taught Alexander and Alexander’s father, Phillip. Just beyond the park across Nikis Street is the beautiful waterfront promenade which seemed to extend for several miles past tour boats and marinas. As we began our walk on the Sunday afternoon we arrived, it was crowded up near the park, but it thinned out after we strolled past the monument to Alexander and the White Tower. A lone sailboat cruised the harbor.  Thessalonica was founded in 315 BC E by Cassandra, Alexander’s general and brother-in-law, and named for his wife, Alexander’s step-sister, Thessaloniki. Since 168 B.C.E., it had been under control of the Romans, who deported the local population. Built around a natural harbor, the city thrived as the only port on the Via Egnatia, outstripped Athens during the Byzantine period, and even today is the second largest city in Greece after Athens. When Paul arrived he found a walled city of about 65,000 people, the largest city in and capital of Macedonia, and one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire. He would have entered the city through a gate on the Via Egnatia, still one of the main streets of the modern city, but he would not have passed under the Arch of Galerius, a triple Roman arch built about 305 C.E. by the Emperor Galerius.

According to Acts 17:1-9, Paul visited a Synagogue and engaged the congregation in discussions about Jesus as the Messiah. This meant there was probably a large Jewish community here at the time. Even in 1936, the British travel writer, H. V. Morton, could write, “A feature of [Thes]Salonica that impresses the visitor are newspapers and advertisements printed in Hebrew characters. There is an enormous Jewish colony in the port, but I am told that it has decreased since the Greek occupation. In Turkish times Solonica was often called a Jewish city.” (In the Steps of St. Paul, p. 283) By 1956, however, another travel writer, Robert Kinsey, wrote, “If Paul were to return to Salonica, he would find today very few Jews; during the German occupation of the Second World War, most of the Jews fled and have never returned.” (With Paul in Greece, p. 55) Actually, our guide told us, the Nazi’s deported the Jews to concentrations camps.

As a result of Paul’s preaching, a few of the Jewish men, many of the leading women and numerous “god-fearing” Greeks were persuaded by Paul’s message. Gaining adherents made the established community jealous so they recruited some local thugs to make trouble. They couldn’t find Paul and his companions, so the mob dragged some of his followers before the authorities and accused them of “turning the world upside down . . . acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king, Jesus.” (17:7). To avoid the trouble, Paul’s friends helped him slip away in the night after only about three weeks in town.

From reading Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, written in 51 from Corinth, not long after leaving Thessalonica, it seems that he must have been there longer than three weeks and that most of his converts were working class pagans. He settled in and found work, “For you remember our labor and toil, brethren; we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you, while we preached to you the gospel of God ( I Thess. 2:9).” He congratulates the assembly on their “work of faith, labor of love and steadfastness of hope (1:3)” and reminds them of their pagan past, how they “turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God. (1:9).”

Thessalonica was the site of many cults, reflecting the cosmopolitan mix of the population. Archeology has uncovered places for worship of the Greek Pantheon, the Emperor, and cults such as those of Isis, Serapis, Osiris or Mithra. Adherence to the belief systems and ritual practices of these cults gave people identity, meaning and value. Shifting their allegiance “to serve a living and true God” meant, according to Neil Elliott, refusing “to participate in the intricate web of local cults that gave sacred legitimization to the empire.” (Liberating Paul, p. 196) It seems like it would have taken an extended stay to establish a permanent community with deep commitments in such a social and religious environment.

We toured the city by bus and made several stops. One stop was at the beautiful Basilica of St. Demetrius, the patron saint of the city, who was a Roman officer martyred in 4th Century. We also visited the Monastery of Vlatadon, founded by two brothers from Crete in the 13th century, and rode along a stretch of the well preserved Medieval Wall of the city.

Take Time With God #109 – An introduction to Thessalonians

Take Time With God #109 – An introduction to Thessalonians

Mark 3 Audio Bible

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Mark 3 Audio Bible

 He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. ² They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. ³ He *said to the man with the withered hand, “^[a]Get up and come forward!” ⁴ And He *said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent. ⁵ After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He *said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. ⁶ The Pharisees went out and immediately began ^[b]conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.

⁷ Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and also from Judea, ⁸ and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard of all that He was doing and came to Him. ⁹ And He told His disciples that a boat should stand ready for Him because of the crowd, so that they would not crowd Him; ¹⁰ for He had healed many, with the result that all those who had afflictions pressed around Him in order to touch Him.¹¹ Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are the Son of God!” ¹² And He earnestly warned them not to ^[c]tell who He was.

¹³ And He *went up on the mountain and *summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. ¹⁴ And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, ¹⁵ and to have authority to cast out the demons. ¹⁶ And He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter), ¹⁷ and ^[d]James, the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of ^[e]James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means, “Sons of Thunder”); ¹⁸ and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and ^[f]James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the^[g]Zealot; ¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.

²⁰ And He *came ^[h]home, and the crowd *gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat ^[i]a meal. ²¹ When His own ^[j]people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “He has lost His senses.” ²² The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by ^[k]Beelzebul,” and “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.” ²³ And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them inparables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? ²⁴ If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵ If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. ²⁶ If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but ^[l]he is finished! ²⁷ But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.

²⁸ “Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; ²⁹ but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— ³⁰ because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

³¹ Then His mother and His brothers *arrived, and standing outside they sentword to Him and called Him. ³² A crowd was sitting around Him, and they *said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.”³³ Answering them, He *said, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” ³⁴ Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He *said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! ³⁵ For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.”

Footnotes:

1. Mark 3:3 Lit Arise into the midst


2. Mark 3:6 Lit giving counsel


3. Mark 3:12 Lit make Him known


4. Mark 3:17 Or Jacob


5. Mark 3:17 Or Jacob


6. Mark 3:18 Or Jacob


7. Mark 3:18 Or Cananaean


8. Mark 3:20 Lit into a house


9. Mark 3:20 Lit bread


10. Mark 3:21 Or kinsmen


11. Mark 3:22 Or Beezebul; others read Beelzebub


12. Mark 3:26 Lit he has an end

Mark 3 Audio Bible

Mark 3 Audio Bible

Take Time With God #106 - How to share Christ with your friends

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Take Time With God #106 – How to share Christ with your friends


Ray says leading people to Christ is a lot easier than it might seem. Right now he will give you some great tips from Colossians 4:2-6.

 

 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; ³ praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; ⁴ that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.

^5 [a]Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, ^[b]making the most of the opportunity. ⁶ Let your speech always be ^[c]with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.

Footnotes:

1. Colossians 4:5 Lit Walk


2. Colossians 4:5 Lit redeeming the time


3. Colossians 4:6 Or gracious

Take Time With God #106 – How to share Christ with your friends

Take Time With God #106 - How to share Christ with your friends

Take Time With God #105: Can a person really pray without ceasing?

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Take Time With God #105: Can a person really pray without ceasing?

1 Thessalonians 5:17  pray without ceasing;

Colossians 4:2  Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving

Take Time With God #105: Can a person really pray without ceasing?.

Take Time With God #105: Can a person really pray without ceasing?

Take Time With God #104 – Why did God allow slavery in the New Testament?

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Take Time With God #104 – Why did God allow slavery in the New Testament? Colossians 4:1 Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.


Take Time With God #104 – Why did God allow slavery in the New Testament?

Take Time With God #104 – Why did God allow slavery in the New Testament?

TTWG 102: How to find the half full cup of Tea

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TTWG 102: How to find the half full cup of Tea

Colossians 3:12-14

¹² So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and ^[a]patience; ¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. ¹⁴ Beyond all these things put on love, which is ^[b]the perfect bond of unity.

Footnotes:

1. Colossians 3:12 I.e. forbearance toward others


2. Colossians 3:14 Lit the uniting bond of perfection With God #102 – How to find the half full cup of tea

TTWG 102: How to find the half full cup of Tea

Take Time With God #99: The secret to constant joy

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Take Time With God #99: The secret to constant joy

The apostle Paul is in prison chained between two guards. If anyone knows the secret of constant joy it is Paul who twice wrote in Philippians also while in prison “Rejoice always and again I say rejoice”.  Ray has found that same secret for his life and will share it on this edition of Take Time With God.

Take Time With God #99: The secret to constant joy

Take Time With God #99: The secret to constant joy

Take Time With God # 98 – Which Bible should you use?

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Take Time With God # 98 – Which Bible should you use?

 ^{In a recent survey among Christians of all denominations it concluded that nearly half of Bible readers read from the King James Bible. But is that really the best Bible for you to read? How would you know which one is the best one for you? Ray will answer that for you right now.}

If you have died with Christ ^[a]to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as,²¹ “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” ²² (which all refer to things destined to perish ^[b]with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? ²³ These are matters which have, to be sure, the^[c]appearance of wisdom in ^[d]self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

Footnotes:

1. Colossians 2:20 Lit from


2. Colossians 2:22 Or by being consumed


3. Colossians 2:23 Lit report; Gr logos


4. Colossians 2:23 Or would-be religion

Take Time With God # 98 – Which Bible should you use?

Take Time With God # 98 – Which Bible should you use?

Take Time With God #96 – Why did Jesus have to die cruelly?

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Take Time With God #96 – Why did Jesus have to die cruelly?

Jesus Christ died for you, conquered death, and lives to set you free. But why the cross? What specifically did Jesus do there that couldn’t have been done some other way? Ray will share Colossians 2:8-15 with you and give you the answer.

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, ^[a]rather than according to Christ. ⁹ For in Him all thefullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Him you have been made^[b]complete, and He is the head ^[c]over all rule and authority; ¹¹ and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; ¹² having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. ¹³ When you were dead ^[d]in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, ¹⁴ having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. ¹⁵ When He had ^[e]disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through ^[f]Him.

Footnotes:

1. Colossians 2:8 Lit and not


2. Colossians 2:10 Lit full


3. Colossians 2:10 Lit of


4. Colossians 2:13 Or by reason of


5. Colossians 2:15 Or divested Himself of


6. Colossians 2:15 Or it; i.e. the cross

Take Time With God #96 – What did Jesus really do on that cross?

Take Time With God #96 – Why did Jesus have to die cruelly?

Take Time With God #95 - Every day should be Thanksgiving

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Take Time With God #95 –  Every day should be Thanksgiving

Ray shares Colossians 2:1–7 and shows you why thankfulness should be a constant part of your life no matter what is happening. Real praise pays!

 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not ^[a]personally seen my face, ² that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth ^[b]that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, ³ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ⁴ I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. ⁵ For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing ^[c]to see ^[d]your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.

⁶ Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so ^[e]walk in Him,⁷ having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established ^[f]in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing ^[g]with gratitude.

Footnotes:

1. Colossians 2:1 Lit in the flesh


2. Colossians 2:2 Lit of the full assurance


3. Colossians 2:5 Lit and seeing


4. Colossians 2:5 Or your good order


5. Colossians 2:6 Or lead your life


6. Colossians 2:7 Or by


7. Colossians 2:7 One early ms reads in it with

Take Time With God #95 –  Every day should be Thanksgiving

Take Time With God #95 - Every day should be Thanksgiving

Take Time With God #94: The kind of church you should be in

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Take Time With God #94 – The kind of church you  should be in

Churches, like people, come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Which one should you be in? Let the apostle Paul tell you through Ray in Colossians 2:1-2 and Revelation 3:14-22

 

 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not ^[a]personally seen my face, ² that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth ^[b]that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, ChristHimself,

Footnotes:

1. Colossians 2:1 Lit in the flesh


2. Colossians 2:2 Lit of the full assurance

¹⁴ “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the ^[a]Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

¹⁵ ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. ¹⁶ So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will^[b]spit you out of My mouth. ¹⁷ Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, ¹⁸ I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. ¹⁹ Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. ²¹ He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. ²² He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Footnotes:

1. Revelation 3:14 I.e. Origin or Source


2. Revelation 3:16 Lit vomit

Take Time With God #94 – The kind of church you  should be in

Take Time With God #94: The kind of church you should be in

Take Time With God #91: Is "Once saved always saved" true?

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Take Time With God #91: Is “Once saved always saved” true?

Colossians 1:13-14 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

^13 [a]For He rescued us from the ^[b]domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of ^[c]His beloved Son, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Footnotes:

1. Colossians 1:13 Lit Who rescued


2. Colossians 1:13 Lit authority


3. Colossians 1:13 Lit the Son of His love

1 Corinthians 5:1-5 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

5 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. ^2 [a]You have become ^[b]arrogant and ^[c]have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.

³ For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. ⁴ In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and ^[d]I with you in spirit,with the power of our Lord Jesus, ⁵ I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord ^[e]Jesus.

Footnotes:

1. 1 Corinthians 5:2 Or have you…?


2. 1 Corinthians 5:2 Lit puffed up


3. 1 Corinthians 5:2 Or have you…?


4. 1 Corinthians 5:4 Lit my spirit, with the power


5. 1 Corinthians 5:5 Two early mss do not contain Jesus

Romans 8:1-3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

8 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.² For the law of the Spirit of life ^[a]in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. ³ For what the Law could not do, ^[b]weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of ^[c]sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,

Footnotes:

1. Romans 8:2 Or has set you free in Christ Jesus


2. Romans 8:3 Lit in which it was weak


3. Romans 8:3 Lit flesh of sin

Romans 8:31-39 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?³² He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? ³³ Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; ³⁴ who is the one whocondemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was ^[a]raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. ³⁵ Who will separate us fromthe love of ^[b]Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, ornakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ Just as it is written,

“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Footnotes:

1. Romans 8:34 One early ms reads raised from the dead


2. Romans 8:35 Two early mss read God

Take Time With God #91: Is “Once saved always saved” true?

Take Time With God #91: Is "Once saved always saved" true?

Take Time With God #90 - The best ways to use your mouth

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Take Time With God #90 – The best way to use your mouth

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ ^[a]by the will of God, and Timothy ^[b]our brother,

² To the ^[c]saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

³ We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, ⁴ since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have^[d]for all the ^[e]saints; ⁵ because of the hope laid up for you in ^[f]heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, ^[g]the gospel ⁶ which has come to you, just as ^[h]in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and ^[i]increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and^[j]understood the grace of God in truth; ⁷ just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, ⁸ and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.

⁹ For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the ^[k]knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰ so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, ^[l]to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and^[m]increasing in the ^[n]knowledge of God; ¹¹ strengthened with all power, according to ^[o]His glorious might, ^[p]for the attaining of all steadfastness and^[q]patience; joyously ¹² giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us ^[r]to share in the inheritance of the ^[s]saints in Light.

Footnotes:

1. Colossians 1:1 Lit through


2. Colossians 1:1 Lit the


3. Colossians 1:2 Or holy ones


4. Colossians 1:4 Or toward


5. Colossians 1:4 Or holy ones


6. Colossians 1:5 Lit the heavens


7. Colossians 1:5 Or of the gospel


8. Colossians 1:6 Or it is in the world


9. Colossians 1:6 Or spreading abroad


10. Colossians 1:6 Or came really to know


11. Colossians 1:9 Or real knowledge


12. Colossians 1:10 Lit unto all pleasing


13. Colossians 1:10 Or growing by the knowledge


14. Colossians 1:10 Or real knowledge


15. Colossians 1:11 Lit the might of His glory


16. Colossians 1:11 Lit unto all


17. Colossians 1:11 Or patience with joy


18. Colossians 1:12 Lit unto the portion of


19. Colossians 1:12 Or holy ones

Take Time With God #90 – The best way to use your mouth

Take Time With God #90 - The best ways to use your mouth

Take Time With God #87: What is knowing Christ worth?

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Take Time With God #87: What is knowing Christ worth?

Philippians 3:1-11 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.

² Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the ^[a]false circumcision; ³ for we are the true ^[b]circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, ⁴ although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: ⁵ circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law,a Pharisee; ⁶ as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

⁷ But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ More than that, I count all things to be loss ^[c]in view of the surpassing value of ^[d]knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, ^[e]for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, ⁹ and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and ^[f]the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; ^11 [g]in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Footnotes:

1. Philippians 3:2 Lit mutilation; Gr katatome


2. Philippians 3:3 Gr peritome


3. Philippians 3:8 Lit because of


4. Philippians 3:8 Lit the knowledge of


5. Philippians 3:8 Lit because of


6. Philippians 3:10 Or participation in


7. Philippians 3:11 Lit if somehow

Take Time With God #87: What is knowing Christ worth?

Take Time With God #87: What is knowing Christ worth?