<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Acts 9;23-25<div><br></div><div><b>23. &nbsp;When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him,</b></div><div><b>24. &nbsp; but&nbsp;their plot became known to Saul. &nbsp;They were watching the gates day and night, to kill him;</b></div><div><b>25. &nbsp;but his disciples took him by night and let him down over the wall, lowering him in a basket.</b></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Christian’s do not fear martyrdom, but neither do they seek it.&nbsp; Think of how the devil sought to kill Luther,&nbsp;he had to escape and he hid for a year or so. &nbsp;But even then, he was functioning as a teacher. He translated much of the Bible into German (the language of the people)&nbsp;during that time. &nbsp;He knew all discipleship is founded upon the Word.</div><div><br></div><div>Our enemy the devil is real. &nbsp;Murder is one of his weapons, although certainly not his only.</div><div><br></div><div>Most Christians can be neutralized, rendered fruitless and no threat to the kingdom of darkness by simply distracting us with the cares and pleasures of this world. &nbsp;The devil hunts&nbsp;for those who represent the&nbsp;most dangerous threat to him. &nbsp;Who are they? &nbsp;They are t<span>he ones who know the Word and are committed to wielding it. &nbsp;The Sword of the Spirit, the Word, in the heart and hands of a spiritual warrior, frightens&nbsp;him terribly. &nbsp;He cannot withstand the Truth of God’s Word. &nbsp;It burns him like&nbsp;sunlight burns a vampire.</span></div><div><br></div><div>In just a short time Saul had <i>“disciples”. &nbsp;</i>This means he immediately began&nbsp;functioning as a teacher, and&nbsp;evangelist. &nbsp;He would use the rest of his life proclaiming Christ, making disciples,&nbsp;planting churches, and nurturing them. &nbsp;No wonder Saul was at the top&nbsp;of “Hell’s most wanted” list. &nbsp;He had been a student of the Word his whole life. &nbsp;Once the Light of Christ as the long awaited Messiah, dawned in his heart, he was a deadly threat to the devil. &nbsp;The scriptures were unlocked and God’s treasures of eternal life were revealed for him to give freely&nbsp;to all. &nbsp;The wisdom of true life enlightened him.</div><div><br></div><div>We are to be students of the Word of God, enlightened with faith and the gifts of God, devoted in prayer,&nbsp;so that we all can be making disciples. &nbsp;Our first ‘mission field’ is our own heart, mind, soul, and spirit, next our wives and children, those whom God has given us. &nbsp;If we are faithful in this, we too should expect hell’s attention and hatred. &nbsp;Such living is inspired in each of us by the Holy Spirit. &nbsp;If we fail to become dangerous to the devil, it is because we allowed ourselves to be distracted. &nbsp;A terrible sorrow to God, who desires us all to know the joy,&nbsp;thrill, and glory&nbsp;of spiritual warfare. &nbsp;It is truly, walking by the Spirit.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, grant us self-discipline, make us life-long students of the Word. &nbsp;Make us dangerous. &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></div><div>Question: &nbsp;Could Saul/Paul be in some ways considered a New Testament Moses? &nbsp;Did he not proclaim the <i>“Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus”? &nbsp;</i>(Romans 8;2)&nbsp;They both needed ‘baskets’ for escape from death….&nbsp;Moses led the Jews to freedom from slavery, so also&nbsp;Saul/Paul proclaims the Word to set us free. &nbsp;Our ‘promised land’ IS&nbsp;<u>life in Christ through the Word.</u></div><div>&nbsp;</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 9;23-25
23.  When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him,24.   but their plot became known to Saul.  They were watching the gates day and night, to kill him;25.  but his disciples took him by night and let him down over the wall, lowering him in a basket.

Christian’s do not fear martyrdom, but neither do they seek it.  Think of how the devil sought to kill Luther, he had to escape and he hid for a year or so.  But even then, he was functioning as a teacher. He translated much of the Bible into German (the language of the people) during that time.  He knew all discipleship is founded upon the Word.
Our enemy the devil is real.  Murder is one of his weapons, although certainly not his only.
Most Christians can be neutralized, rendered fruitless and no threat to the kingdom of darkness by simply distracting us with the cares and pleasures of this world.  The devil hunts for those who represent the most dangerous threat to him.  Who are they?  They are the ones who know the Word and are committed to wielding it.  The Sword of the Spirit, the Word, in the heart and hands of a spiritual warrior, frightens him terribly.  He cannot withstand the Truth of God’s Word.  It burns him like sunlight burns a vampire.
In just a short time Saul had “disciples”.  This means he immediately began functioning as a teacher, and evangelist.  He would use the rest of his life proclaiming Christ, making disciples, planting churches, and nurturing them.  No wonder Saul was at the top of “Hell’s most wanted” list.  He had been a student of the Word his whole life.  Once the Light of Christ as the long awaited Messiah, dawned in his heart, he was a deadly threat to the devil.  The scriptures were unlocked and God’s treasures of eternal life were revealed for him to give freely to all.  The wisdom of true life enlightened him.
We are to be students of the Word of God, enlightened with faith and the gifts of God, devoted in prayer, so that we all can be making disciples.  Our first ‘mission field’ is our own heart, mind, soul, and spirit, next our wives and children, those whom God has given us.  If we are faithful in this, we too should expect hell’s attention and hatred.  Such living is inspired in each of us by the Holy Spirit.  If we fail to become dangerous to the devil, it is because we allowed ourselves to be distracted.  A terrible sorrow to God, who desires us all to know the joy, thrill, and glory of spiritual warfare.  It is truly, walking by the Spirit.
Prayer:  Merciful Father, grant us self-discipline, make us life-long students of the Word.  Make us dangerous.  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.”
Question:  Could Saul/Paul be in some ways considered a New Testament Moses?  Did he not proclaim the “Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus”?  (Romans 8;2) They both needed ‘baskets’ for escape from death…. Moses led the Jews to freedom from slavery, so also Saul/Paul proclaims the Word to set us free.  Our ‘promised land’ IS life in Christ through the Word. 

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