<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Ephesians 1;9&amp;10<div><br></div><div><b>9. &nbsp;For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ</b></div><div><b>10. &nbsp;as a plan for the fulness of time, &nbsp; to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>It is always good to understand <u>why</u>&nbsp;someone does or says what they do.</div><div><br></div><div>There are times when the actions and words of others shock us, confuse us, mystify us, even frighten us. &nbsp;Those are the times when we need to understand the ‘Why?’.</div><div><br></div><div>Often when faced with sickness, death, fire, flood, war, and famine, we cast a questioning eye&nbsp;toward heaven and cry out in prayer, “Lord, why?!” &nbsp;Are we innocent? &nbsp;Are we guiltless? &nbsp;Do we have the right to claim innocence, of course not. &nbsp;Why do we say, “Why?”</div><div><br></div><div>We know the answer. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Our Heavenly Father allows all manner of tribulation into our lives for only one reason. &nbsp;He does it because he loves us. &nbsp;He does it to give us repentance and to&nbsp;bring us <u>into Christ.</u></div><div><br></div><div>Whatever sufferings God allows into our lives, he allows them in order to unite is <u>in Christ</u>.</div><div><br></div><div>Like the serpent on the bronze pole, God allowed the children of a Israel to be bitten, so that they would know they were sick and dying from their own sin. &nbsp;Their&nbsp;only hope for life was to simply look at the bronze serpent, and they were healed. &nbsp;That bronze serpent was Christ.</div><div><br></div><div>The serpent on the pole was an image to remind them of their sin. &nbsp;They had to face their sin. &nbsp;Without repentance, there is no forgiveness of sin. (see, Luke 13;3). We all have sin which our Father desires that we face, confess, and be forgiven.</div><div><br></div><div>Jesus said,&nbsp;</div><div><i><br></i></div><div><i>“</i><i>And &nbsp;as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” &nbsp; </i>(John 3;14&amp;15)</div><div><br></div><div><i>“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto myself.” &nbsp; </i>(John 12;32)</div><div><br></div><div>When we look to Jesus lifted up on the cross, we see and confess&nbsp;our own sin, and we receive life and&nbsp;forgiveness. &nbsp;The holy suffering and death Christ endured, was for us. &nbsp;He committed no sin. &nbsp;<i>“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” &nbsp;</i><u>(</u>2 Corinthians 5;21)<u></u></div><div><br></div><div>All the tribulations, pain, and sufferings we endure on this earth are allowed by our loving Father in order to unite us&nbsp;in Christ. &nbsp;<i>“We know that in everything, God works for good for those who love him who are called to his purpose. &nbsp;For those whom he foreknew, he did predestine to be conformed to the image of his Son.” &nbsp; </i>(Romans 8;28&amp;29)</div><div><br></div><div>When we are overwhelmed with sorrow and doubt, guilt and shame,&nbsp;when we cry out “Why?” The answer is always the same. &nbsp;To show us our sin and&nbsp;bring us <u>into Christ</u>. To teach us to confess our sin, see Christ crucified for us, and be saved, united with him and each other.</div><div><br></div><div>In Christ and in the resurrection, all sorrow, suffering, tears, and death itself will forever be removed from us. &nbsp;We will be perfected in Christ, in his own peace and joy in his victory over sin and death, in his resurrection to life eternal.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, deliver us from doubting your love and goodness toward us, for we know the answer to all our “Why’s?” &nbsp; Grant us grace to confess our guilt before you, be forgiven, and live <u>in Christ</u>. &nbsp;Bless us now in faith,&nbsp;to walk in newness of life <u>in Christ</u>, and with him to suffer innocently&nbsp;for his glory, showing the world your love. &nbsp;It is <u>in Jesus,</u>&nbsp;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. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”<br><br><div><a></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Ephesians 1;9&10
9.  For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ10.  as a plan for the fulness of time,   to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
It is always good to understand why someone does or says what they do.
There are times when the actions and words of others shock us, confuse us, mystify us, even frighten us.  Those are the times when we need to understand the ‘Why?’.
Often when faced with sickness, death, fire, flood, war, and famine, we cast a questioning eye toward heaven and cry out in prayer, “Lord, why?!”  Are we innocent?  Are we guiltless?  Do we have the right to claim innocence, of course not.  Why do we say, “Why?”
We know the answer.  
Our Heavenly Father allows all manner of tribulation into our lives for only one reason.  He does it because he loves us.  He does it to give us repentance and to bring us into Christ.
Whatever sufferings God allows into our lives, he allows them in order to unite is in Christ.
Like the serpent on the bronze pole, God allowed the children of a Israel to be bitten, so that they would know they were sick and dying from their own sin.  Their only hope for life was to simply look at the bronze serpent, and they were healed.  That bronze serpent was Christ.
The serpent on the pole was an image to remind them of their sin.  They had to face their sin.  Without repentance, there is no forgiveness of sin. (see, Luke 13;3). We all have sin which our Father desires that we face, confess, and be forgiven.
Jesus said, 
“And  as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”   (John 3;14&15)
“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto myself.”   (John 12;32)
When we look to Jesus lifted up on the cross, we see and confess our own sin, and we receive life and forgiveness.  The holy suffering and death Christ endured, was for us.  He committed no sin.  “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”  (2 Corinthians 5;21)
All the tribulations, pain, and sufferings we endure on this earth are allowed by our loving Father in order to unite us in Christ.  “We know that in everything, God works for good for those who love him who are called to his purpose.  For those whom he foreknew, he did predestine to be conformed to the image of his Son.”   (Romans 8;28&29)
When we are overwhelmed with sorrow and doubt, guilt and shame, when we cry out “Why?” The answer is always the same.  To show us our sin and bring us into Christ. To teach us to confess our sin, see Christ crucified for us, and be saved, united with him and each other.
In Christ and in the resurrection, all sorrow, suffering, tears, and death itself will forever be removed from us.  We will be perfected in Christ, in his own peace and joy in his victory over sin and death, in his resurrection to life eternal.
Prayer:  Merciful Father, deliver us from doubting your love and goodness toward us, for we know the answer to all our “Why’s?”   Grant us grace to confess our guilt before you, be forgiven, and live in Christ.  Bless us now in faith, to walk in newness of life in Christ, and with him to suffer innocently for his glory, showing the world your love.  It is in Jesus, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”

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