<html><head></head><body><div><div><div>John 21;23-25<div><br></div><div><b>23. &nbsp;The saying spread abroad among the brethren&nbsp;that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”</b></div><div><b>24. &nbsp;This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and we know that his testimony is true.</b></div><div><b>25. &nbsp;But there are also many other things Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world could not contain the books that would be written.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>Conflicts in understanding the Words of Jesus are not the fault of Him who speaks, but rather those who hear.</div><div><br></div><div>Understanding holy Scripture requires wise and&nbsp;humble hearts which ever pray for the Holy Spirit to open and enlighten our hearts, minds, souls, and spirits and to <i>“guide you into all the truth;” &nbsp;</i></div><div>(John 16;13a) &nbsp; Sinful human nature never stops trying to ‘spin’ God’s Word to serving man’s sinful desires. &nbsp;Satan also interferes with our&nbsp;right understanding, with worldly distractions and (falsely)&nbsp;urgent demands. &nbsp;The flesh ever opposes the Spirit.</div><div><br></div><div>The Word of God is given us not simply to teach us that:&nbsp;&nbsp;“We are sinners and that Jesus’ death and resurrection forgives us and promises us eternal life once we die.” &nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>To think of the Christian faith and Gospel in that&nbsp;restricted way is most pleasing to Satan and our own sinful nature. &nbsp;It ignores the present transforming, sanctified,&nbsp;and <span>eternal life Christ came to win for us now, today.&nbsp;</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>&nbsp;&nbsp;We by the Holy Spirit are called to live out by faith, a life of repentance, which means ‘ever-changing into Christ’s image, ever increasingly&nbsp;being conformed to the Father’s will.’ &nbsp;Ever, <i>“Denying ourselves, carrying our cross and following Jesus.”</i>&nbsp; In short to, <i>“walk by the Spirit” </i>in newness of life as born-anew children of God who think meta-physically about Christ indwelling them and they actually living <u>in Christ.</u><i>&nbsp; </i>Children of God can do this!</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Human reason and rationality get in the way of fully embracing the truth. &nbsp;We are not just forgiven sinners. &nbsp;We are born-anew, cleansed vessels, in whom and through whom God <u>is</u>&nbsp;working.</span></div><div><span>As Jesus teaches in John 15, (Vine and Branches) this fruitful living only happens as we allow the Holy Spirit,&nbsp;(given us in Baptism) to draw us to <u>and</u>&nbsp;keep us daily in the living Word, with humble, contrite broken, rejoicing hearts which are seeking first the kingdom.</span></div><div><br></div><div>An incomplete gospel is a false-gospel. We must not allow Romans 7 to be the end of our theology, we are redeemed and&nbsp;called to be Romans 6 &amp; 8 Believers.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, grant that the whole of our lives of faith be that of repentance, abiding in the Word, that your will be done in and through us, that you be glorified and the joy of Jesus overflow in and through us, no matter the pain to our flesh. &nbsp;&nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen. &nbsp;</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><b><br></b></div><div><b><br></b><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;23-25
23.  The saying spread abroad among the brethren that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”24.  This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and we know that his testimony is true.25.  But there are also many other things Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world could not contain the books that would be written.
Conflicts in understanding the Words of Jesus are not the fault of Him who speaks, but rather those who hear.
Understanding holy Scripture requires wise and humble hearts which ever pray for the Holy Spirit to open and enlighten our hearts, minds, souls, and spirits and to “guide you into all the truth;”  (John 16;13a)   Sinful human nature never stops trying to ‘spin’ God’s Word to serving man’s sinful desires.  Satan also interferes with our right understanding, with worldly distractions and (falsely) urgent demands.  The flesh ever opposes the Spirit.
The Word of God is given us not simply to teach us that:  “We are sinners and that Jesus’ death and resurrection forgives us and promises us eternal life once we die.”    
To think of the Christian faith and Gospel in that restricted way is most pleasing to Satan and our own sinful nature.  It ignores the present transforming, sanctified, and eternal life Christ came to win for us now, today. 
  We by the Holy Spirit are called to live out by faith, a life of repentance, which means ‘ever-changing into Christ’s image, ever increasingly being conformed to the Father’s will.’  Ever, “Denying ourselves, carrying our cross and following Jesus.”  In short to, “walk by the Spirit” in newness of life as born-anew children of God who think meta-physically about Christ indwelling them and they actually living in Christ.  Children of God can do this!
Human reason and rationality get in the way of fully embracing the truth.  We are not just forgiven sinners.  We are born-anew, cleansed vessels, in whom and through whom God is working.As Jesus teaches in John 15, (Vine and Branches) this fruitful living only happens as we allow the Holy Spirit, (given us in Baptism) to draw us to and keep us daily in the living Word, with humble, contrite broken, rejoicing hearts which are seeking first the kingdom.
An incomplete gospel is a false-gospel. We must not allow Romans 7 to be the end of our theology, we are redeemed and called to be Romans 6 & 8 Believers.
Prayer:  Merciful Father, grant that the whole of our lives of faith be that of repentance, abiding in the Word, that your will be done in and through us, that you be glorified and the joy of Jesus overflow in and through us, no matter the pain to our flesh.   In Jesus we pray, Amen.  
Love, Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.”



Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPad
