<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Acts 1;15-20<div><br></div><div><b>15. &nbsp;In those days Peter stood up among the brethren (The company of persons was in all about a hundred and twenty), and said</b></div><div><b>16. &nbsp;“Brethren, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David, concerning Judas who was guide to those who arrested Jesus.</b></div><div><b>17. &nbsp;For he was numbered among us, and was allotted his share in this ministry.</b></div><div><b>18. &nbsp;(Now this man bought a field with the reward of his wickedness; and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out.</b></div><div><b>19. &nbsp;And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their language Akeildama, that is, Field of Blood,)</b></div><div><b>20. &nbsp;For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his habitation become desolate, and let there be no one to live in it’</b>&nbsp;(Psalm 69;25)<b>; &nbsp;and ‘His office let another take.’ </b>(Psalm 109;8)</div><div><b><br></b></div><div>I wonder;&nbsp;Did the Holy Spirit inspire David to write this prophecy about Judas Iscariot,&nbsp;before David had Uriah the Hittite&nbsp;killed and before he committed adultery with Bathsheba, or after?<br><br>In truth, it does not matter. &nbsp;The forgiveness of sin is total and complete. &nbsp;Even one as sinful as David, (or you or I)&nbsp;is able to be an instrument of the Holy Spirit. &nbsp;<i>“The Holy Spirit spoke beforehand&nbsp;by the mouth of David” </i>(v.16). &nbsp;God uses his forgiven children, he works in and through us.</div><div><br></div><div><i>“It is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail. &nbsp;The words that I speak to you are Spirit&nbsp;and life.”</i></div><div>(John 6;63) &nbsp;we have been cleansed, and we remain cleansed and useful to God. &nbsp;<i>“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.” </i>(Lamentations 3;22&amp;23)</div><div><br></div><div>It is the steadfast love of the Lord which&nbsp;makes us forgiven, cleansed, and useful for the Holy Spirit. &nbsp;Our past sins are forgotten by God and he is able to use us no matter what we have done in our past or how terrible we feel about ourselves presently. &nbsp;This is true newness of life, daily renewed.</div><div><br></div><div>Dying with Christ in baptism sets us free again&nbsp;today for the Holy&nbsp;Spirit to speak through us. <i>“It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me;&nbsp; and the life I now live in the flesh&nbsp;I live by faith&nbsp;in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” &nbsp;</i>(Galatians 2;20b)</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, bless us&nbsp;to let go of yesterday, and be new today in Christ, useful to you. &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</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.”<br><br><a href="https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/?.src=iOS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Acts 1;15-20
15.  In those days Peter stood up among the brethren (The company of persons was in all about a hundred and twenty), and said16.  “Brethren, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David, concerning Judas who was guide to those who arrested Jesus.17.  For he was numbered among us, and was allotted his share in this ministry.18.  (Now this man bought a field with the reward of his wickedness; and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out.19.  And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their language Akeildama, that is, Field of Blood,)20.  For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his habitation become desolate, and let there be no one to live in it’ (Psalm 69;25);  and ‘His office let another take.’ (Psalm 109;8)
I wonder; Did the Holy Spirit inspire David to write this prophecy about Judas Iscariot, before David had Uriah the Hittite killed and before he committed adultery with Bathsheba, or after?

In truth, it does not matter.  The forgiveness of sin is total and complete.  Even one as sinful as David, (or you or I) is able to be an instrument of the Holy Spirit.  “The Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David” (v.16).  God uses his forgiven children, he works in and through us.
“It is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail.  The words that I speak to you are Spirit and life.”(John 6;63)  we have been cleansed, and we remain cleansed and useful to God.  “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3;22&23)
It is the steadfast love of the Lord which makes us forgiven, cleansed, and useful for the Holy Spirit.  Our past sins are forgotten by God and he is able to use us no matter what we have done in our past or how terrible we feel about ourselves presently.  This is true newness of life, daily renewed.
Dying with Christ in baptism sets us free again today for the Holy Spirit to speak through us. “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me;  and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”  (Galatians 2;20b)
Prayer:  Merciful Father, bless us to let go of yesterday, and be new today in Christ, useful to you.  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.”

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