<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Acts 8;36-40<div><br></div><div><b>36. &nbsp;And as they went along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! &nbsp;What is to prevent my being baptized?”</b></div><div>37. And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” &nbsp;And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”</div><div><b>38. &nbsp;And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he was baptized.</b></div><div><b>39. &nbsp;And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught up Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, and he went on his way rejoicing.</b></div><div><b>40. &nbsp;But Philip was found at Azotus, and passing on he preached the gospel to all the towns till he came to Caesarea.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>Verse 37, is what is called a variant reading. &nbsp;This means some ancient texts do not include verse 37 while others do.</div><div><br></div><div>If we are to preach Christ, we must preach Baptism. &nbsp;Knowing we are sinners, forgiven by the blood of the crucified and resurrected Jesus is not the entire gospel. &nbsp;The Gospel must include the teaching that we are not simply to repent and believe in Jesus, but that we are to LIVE in him and HE in us. &nbsp;Philip preached the whole gospel.</div><div><br></div><div>Notice in Romans six how Paul speaks of Baptism, <i>“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized INTO Christ, have been baptized INTO his death? &nbsp;We were buried therefore WITH&nbsp;him&nbsp;by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, WE TOO MIGHT WALK IN <u>NEWNESS OF LIFE.”</u>&nbsp; (vss 3&amp;4)</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>In our Baptism INTO Christ, we were joined with him on the cross on&nbsp;Good Friday, and we died with Jesus to all sin. &nbsp;We rested in the tomb in&nbsp;Jesus, and we were raised in&nbsp;Jesus to newness of life in him&nbsp;on Easter.</div><div><br></div><div>When people ask you, “How are you?” &nbsp;You can tell them, “I am living in my Baptismal death with Christ, I am resting with Jesus in his finished work, and now&nbsp;I am walking in newness of life in&nbsp;Jesus.</div><div><br></div><div>That is why the eunuch went on his way rejoicing, and so do we! &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Notice how both the eunuch and Philip continued in motion, <i>“Going”.</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, deliver us&nbsp;from the&nbsp;thinking which limits us&nbsp;to just ourselves! &nbsp;Bless us&nbsp;to find&nbsp;our&nbsp;new identity in&nbsp;Christ, and <i>“walk” </i>with him in joyous&nbsp;newness of life. &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!”</div><div><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Acts 8;36-40
36.  And as they went along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water!  What is to prevent my being baptized?”37. And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”  And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”38.  And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he was baptized.39.  And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught up Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, and he went on his way rejoicing.40.  But Philip was found at Azotus, and passing on he preached the gospel to all the towns till he came to Caesarea.
Verse 37, is what is called a variant reading.  This means some ancient texts do not include verse 37 while others do.
If we are to preach Christ, we must preach Baptism.  Knowing we are sinners, forgiven by the blood of the crucified and resurrected Jesus is not the entire gospel.  The Gospel must include the teaching that we are not simply to repent and believe in Jesus, but that we are to LIVE in him and HE in us.  Philip preached the whole gospel.
Notice in Romans six how Paul speaks of Baptism, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized INTO Christ, have been baptized INTO his death?  We were buried therefore WITH him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, WE TOO MIGHT WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE.”  (vss 3&4)
In our Baptism INTO Christ, we were joined with him on the cross on Good Friday, and we died with Jesus to all sin.  We rested in the tomb in Jesus, and we were raised in Jesus to newness of life in him on Easter.
When people ask you, “How are you?”  You can tell them, “I am living in my Baptismal death with Christ, I am resting with Jesus in his finished work, and now I am walking in newness of life in Jesus.
That is why the eunuch went on his way rejoicing, and so do we!  
Notice how both the eunuch and Philip continued in motion, “Going”.
Prayer:  Merciful Father, deliver us from the thinking which limits us to just ourselves!  Bless us to find our new identity in Christ, and “walk” with him in joyous newness of life.  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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