<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><div><br>Ephesians 1;16-19<div><br></div><div><b>16. &nbsp;I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,</b></div><div><b>17. &nbsp;that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, </b>(Jesus Christ)</div><div><b>18. &nbsp;having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,</b></div><div><b>19. &nbsp;and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe, according to the working of his great might</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><i>“A spirit of wisdom and revelation” </i>is not naturally a part of us, nor do we gain it through our own efforts of education. &nbsp;Receiving a spirit of wisdom and revelation is given us <u>as</u>&nbsp;we by faith believe we are in Christ, and that he is <u>in</u>&nbsp;us. &nbsp;Further, it means we receive the very mind of Christ, which means a will to do his will, which is the Father’s will, (not our own). &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>It is not the death of self, but it is the death <u>to self.</u>&nbsp; It means we live to do the Father’s will. &nbsp;It is the <u>denial</u>&nbsp;of self. &nbsp;Such living is not loss, it is gain. &nbsp;Like emptying a sack filled with&nbsp;rocks, and filling it with seeds. &nbsp;Rocks can not create fruitful&nbsp;life, only seeds can, of course, the ‘Seed’ is the living Word, (made flesh for us to live <u>in</u>.)<i></i></div><div><br></div><div>This past spring, I harvested some Sycamore seeds. &nbsp;They are tiny, like miniature dandelion seeds but still smaller, with tiny fluff&nbsp;sails that the wind can carry for miles. &nbsp;I planted them, now they are more than&nbsp;three feet tall, about to enjoy their first winter’s sleep. &nbsp;Next spring they&nbsp;will be set out in the yard and can grow to incredible height and beauty.</div><div><br></div><div>So also is the faith the Father has given you <u>in</u>&nbsp;Jesus. &nbsp;It begins by believing God in Christ forgives us, but contained in that faith which believes in Jesus is an entirely new you, who can grow to incredible strength&nbsp;and beauty, able to produce the seed of the Word and send it forth on the winds of the Spirit.</div><div><br></div><div>Do the eyes of your heart see it?</div><div><span><br></span></div><div>Any<span>one who saw the Sycamore seed, (not knowing what it was), would think it was nothing but&nbsp;a piece of dirt. &nbsp;Yet, the amount of power and creative beauty hidden in that tiny thing is profoundly amazing!</span></div><div><span>In order for that seed to begin to grow, it must fall into the dirt and die. &nbsp;This death is given us in our burial with Christ in baptism. &nbsp;The new life springs up in us as we are raised up in Christ to newness of life. &nbsp;Life lived to God’s glory, not our own.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span><b>Trees</b></span></div><div><span>BY <u>JOYCE KILMER</u></span></div><div><span><u><br></u></span></div><div><span>I think that I shall never see</span></div><div><span>A poem as lovely as a tree.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed&nbsp;</span></div><div><span>Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>A tree that looks at God all day,</span></div><div><span>And lifts her leafy arms to pray;</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>A tree that may&nbsp;in Summer wear</span></div><div><span>A nest of robins in her hair;</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Upon whose bosom snow has lain;</span></div><div><span>Who intimately lives with rain,</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Poems are made by fools like me,</span></div><div><span>But only God can make a tree.</span></div><div><br></div><div><i>“…that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.” &nbsp;</i>(Isaiah 61;3b)</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, grant that our faith embrace Christ the Word, the seed of life&nbsp;beyond temporal reason, growing and transforming us. &nbsp;That you may be glorified. &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. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”</div><div><u><br></u></div><div><br><div><a></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Ephesians 1;16-19
16.  I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,17.  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, (Jesus Christ)18.  having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,19.  and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe, according to the working of his great might
“A spirit of wisdom and revelation” is not naturally a part of us, nor do we gain it through our own efforts of education.  Receiving a spirit of wisdom and revelation is given us as we by faith believe we are in Christ, and that he is in us.  Further, it means we receive the very mind of Christ, which means a will to do his will, which is the Father’s will, (not our own).  
It is not the death of self, but it is the death to self.  It means we live to do the Father’s will.  It is the denial of self.  Such living is not loss, it is gain.  Like emptying a sack filled with rocks, and filling it with seeds.  Rocks can not create fruitful life, only seeds can, of course, the ‘Seed’ is the living Word, (made flesh for us to live in.)
This past spring, I harvested some Sycamore seeds.  They are tiny, like miniature dandelion seeds but still smaller, with tiny fluff sails that the wind can carry for miles.  I planted them, now they are more than three feet tall, about to enjoy their first winter’s sleep.  Next spring they will be set out in the yard and can grow to incredible height and beauty.
So also is the faith the Father has given you in Jesus.  It begins by believing God in Christ forgives us, but contained in that faith which believes in Jesus is an entirely new you, who can grow to incredible strength and beauty, able to produce the seed of the Word and send it forth on the winds of the Spirit.
Do the eyes of your heart see it?
Anyone who saw the Sycamore seed, (not knowing what it was), would think it was nothing but a piece of dirt.  Yet, the amount of power and creative beauty hidden in that tiny thing is profoundly amazing!In order for that seed to begin to grow, it must fall into the dirt and die.  This death is given us in our burial with Christ in baptism.  The new life springs up in us as we are raised up in Christ to newness of life.  Life lived to God’s glory, not our own.
TreesBY JOYCE KILMER
I think that I shall never seeA poem as lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wearA nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;Who intimately lives with rain,
Poems are made by fools like me,But only God can make a tree.
“…that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.”  (Isaiah 61;3b)
Prayer:  Merciful Father, grant that our faith embrace Christ the Word, the seed of life beyond temporal reason, growing and transforming us.  That you may be glorified.  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.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”

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