<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>John 21;20-22<div><br></div><div><b>20. &nbsp;Peter turned and saw following them the disciple whom Jesus loved, who had lain close to his breast at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?”</b></div><div><b>21. &nbsp;When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this mam?”</b></div><div><b>22. &nbsp;Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? &nbsp;Follow me!”</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>Our sinful human nature wants to know that God is asking nothing more from us than he is from all others. &nbsp;We want equality, what all others have,&nbsp;our sinful nature wants us to have too. &nbsp;If we suffer, our sinful nature wants all to suffer as we do. &nbsp;If others are entrusted with certain blessings and gifts, our sinful nature wants the same for ourselves.</div><div><br></div><div>Even though&nbsp;no two of us are alike. &nbsp;We are each unique,&nbsp;God has his perfect unique&nbsp;plan for each of us which is designed to form each of us into the image of Christ.&nbsp;&nbsp;Still our sinful nature is constantly comparing our lot with others. &nbsp;We don’t mind so much if we have a little more than others, but we certainly do care if others have more than we. &nbsp;We judge God, and are offended at him for how&nbsp;his perfect plan for others&nbsp;is different than our own.</div><div><br></div><div>This sinful comparing leads us to resentment, envy, anger, and doubt of&nbsp;God’s goodness.</div><div><br></div><div>Jesus clears away all this fog of discontent, and reminds us that&nbsp;we are not God. &nbsp;Why should we set ourselves up as his judge?</div><div><br></div><div>Walking humbly with Jesus means keeping our eye of faith on him, his suffering, death, and victory for us, each one of us, <u>and</u>&nbsp;not look at others,&nbsp;except with the desire to love and&nbsp;serve them. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Even here in this truth&nbsp;lives&nbsp;wickedness. &nbsp;We look at those whom God has put into our lives and think, “Why has God given me this bunch to love and serve…? I am sure I should be somewhere else, with other, different, better people&nbsp;than this present&nbsp;place and these&nbsp;people!”</div><div><br></div><div>As Paul teaches, <i>“I know that nothing&nbsp;good dwells&nbsp;me, that is, in my flesh. &nbsp;I can will what is right, but I can not do it.” </i>(Romans 7;18) &nbsp;If this were all there is to the human condition for Believers who remain sinners, then our lives would truly be wretched! &nbsp;But God in his perfect plans for each of us has brought us into his Son through Holy Baptism. &nbsp;By our dwelling in Christ and him in us another law is also at work in us as new-born children of God. &nbsp;It is the <i>“law of the Spirit of life <u>in</u>&nbsp;Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death.” &nbsp;</i>(Romans 8;2) &nbsp;This law has the power to over rule the sinful nature, as by faith we live believing in Christ at work in us fulfilling God’s own unique and perfect plan for us to be fruitful and conformed to Christ’s image. &nbsp;<i>“Sin shall no longer have dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” &nbsp;</i>(Romans 6;14)<i><u></u></i></div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, thank you that the <i>“law of the Spirit of&nbsp;life in Christ in Christ Jesus, <u>has</u>&nbsp;set us free” &nbsp;</i>&nbsp;to by faith,&nbsp;be content with your&nbsp;own perfect unique plan for us, the exact&nbsp;place and the people you surround us&nbsp;with. &nbsp;Strengthen your love in me to keep my eye of faith only on my Savior. &nbsp;In Jesus I pray, Amen.</div><div><br></div><div>Love,&nbsp;</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric</div><div>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.”</div><div><br><br><a href="https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/?.src=iOS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></body></html>


John 21;20-22
20.  Peter turned and saw following them the disciple whom Jesus loved, who had lain close to his breast at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?”21.  When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this mam?”22.  Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?  Follow me!”
Our sinful human nature wants to know that God is asking nothing more from us than he is from all others.  We want equality, what all others have, our sinful nature wants us to have too.  If we suffer, our sinful nature wants all to suffer as we do.  If others are entrusted with certain blessings and gifts, our sinful nature wants the same for ourselves.
Even though no two of us are alike.  We are each unique, God has his perfect unique plan for each of us which is designed to form each of us into the image of Christ.  Still our sinful nature is constantly comparing our lot with others.  We don’t mind so much if we have a little more than others, but we certainly do care if others have more than we.  We judge God, and are offended at him for how his perfect plan for others is different than our own.
This sinful comparing leads us to resentment, envy, anger, and doubt of God’s goodness.
Jesus clears away all this fog of discontent, and reminds us that we are not God.  Why should we set ourselves up as his judge?
Walking humbly with Jesus means keeping our eye of faith on him, his suffering, death, and victory for us, each one of us, and not look at others, except with the desire to love and serve them.  
Even here in this truth lives wickedness.  We look at those whom God has put into our lives and think, “Why has God given me this bunch to love and serve…? I am sure I should be somewhere else, with other, different, better people than this present place and these people!”
As Paul teaches, “I know that nothing good dwells me, that is, in my flesh.  I can will what is right, but I can not do it.” (Romans 7;18)  If this were all there is to the human condition for Believers who remain sinners, then our lives would truly be wretched!  But God in his perfect plans for each of us has brought us into his Son through Holy Baptism.  By our dwelling in Christ and him in us another law is also at work in us as new-born children of God.  It is the “law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death.”  (Romans 8;2)  This law has the power to over rule the sinful nature, as by faith we live believing in Christ at work in us fulfilling God’s own unique and perfect plan for us to be fruitful and conformed to Christ’s image.  “Sin shall no longer have dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”  (Romans 6;14)
Prayer:  Merciful Father, thank you that the “law of the Spirit of life in Christ in Christ Jesus, has set us free”   to by faith, be content with your own perfect unique plan for us, the exact place and the people you surround us with.  Strengthen your love in me to keep my eye of faith only on my Savior.  In Jesus I pray, Amen.
Love, Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.”

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