<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Mark 1;4&amp;5<div><br></div><div><b>4. &nbsp;John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.</b></div><div><b>5. &nbsp;And there went out to him all the country of Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>Repentance means ‘a change of mind/heart’. &nbsp;Only God can change our mind and heart. &nbsp;He does this by his Spirit and Word. &nbsp; Repentance is God’s <u>gift</u>&nbsp;to us. &nbsp;(Acts 5;31) &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In our Divine Service Liturgies, we begin in the name of our Triune God, and then go directly&nbsp;to&nbsp;the versicles (meaning a verse or verses quoted back and forth between the pastor and the congregation),&nbsp;these come directly&nbsp;before the general Confession of Sins and Absolution.&nbsp; &nbsp;In between the versicles and Confession of sin, there is a very important pause. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>This pause is intended to give the congregation 10 seconds or so to personally reflect, to search their souls and conscience for guilt over specific sins, and make confession specifically of that or those personal sins, joined with a silent plea for mercy, coupled with prayer for strength to either&nbsp;turn away&nbsp;from the evil we are guilty of,&nbsp;OR, for grace to be faithful to do what we have been failing to do according to the will of God.</div><div><br></div><div>That is a lot to try and accomplish in a brief 10 or even 15 seconds. &nbsp;I confess I am not a big fan of this practice. &nbsp;Basically for two reasons. &nbsp;First we need more time. &nbsp;A good 10&nbsp;minutes at least, 15 minutes would be even better. &nbsp;Second, we should be confessing them aloud, like those who came to John the Baptist. &nbsp;Secret confessions are easily concealed and we fail to encourage others by making our hearts known to our fellow Believers. &nbsp;No one knows what God the Holy Spirit is revealing to us and inspiring in us. &nbsp; No one is supporting us with their specific prayers in our struggles with sin.</div><div><br></div><div>This sort of out loud repentance would make people think we were a bunch of&nbsp;Pentecostals speaking in tongues. &nbsp;Plus those people who are clock&nbsp;watchers, will no doubt be saying to themselves, “Come on preacher, let’s get er movin. &nbsp;You are wasting our time!”<i></i></div><div><br></div><div>So what is the solution?….well, scripture says, <i>“Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. &nbsp;The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.” &nbsp;</i>(James 5;16) &nbsp; &nbsp;I think this is why the Lord puts us in families, so that we have others to confess to and who will pray for us. &nbsp;Believe me, they won’t be very surprised….they know our&nbsp;sins pretty well already! &nbsp;It would encourage them to know we by God’s Grace know our sin and are actually seeking his mercy and our prayers, to by faith in the indwelling Christ, really change.</div><div><br></div><div>Galatians 2;20 is a powerhouse of a verse for change, worked in us by God. &nbsp;Memorize it, meditate on it, believe it, it is true.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, there is so much in us which should not be, and we are neglecting to do&nbsp;so much which is your will. &nbsp;Have mercy on us we pray, in Jesus, Amen.</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>DadBabaEric</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><i><br></i></div><div><b><br></b>Consider this: &nbsp;What did so many of those who went out to John from Jerusalem (to be baptized),&nbsp;do, just three years later? &nbsp;Why do you think that was?<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>


Mark 1;4&5
4.  John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.5.  And there went out to him all the country of Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins.
Repentance means ‘a change of mind/heart’.  Only God can change our mind and heart.  He does this by his Spirit and Word.   Repentance is God’s gift to us.  (Acts 5;31)  
In our Divine Service Liturgies, we begin in the name of our Triune God, and then go directly to the versicles (meaning a verse or verses quoted back and forth between the pastor and the congregation), these come directly before the general Confession of Sins and Absolution.   In between the versicles and Confession of sin, there is a very important pause.  
This pause is intended to give the congregation 10 seconds or so to personally reflect, to search their souls and conscience for guilt over specific sins, and make confession specifically of that or those personal sins, joined with a silent plea for mercy, coupled with prayer for strength to either turn away from the evil we are guilty of, OR, for grace to be faithful to do what we have been failing to do according to the will of God.
That is a lot to try and accomplish in a brief 10 or even 15 seconds.  I confess I am not a big fan of this practice.  Basically for two reasons.  First we need more time.  A good 10 minutes at least, 15 minutes would be even better.  Second, we should be confessing them aloud, like those who came to John the Baptist.  Secret confessions are easily concealed and we fail to encourage others by making our hearts known to our fellow Believers.  No one knows what God the Holy Spirit is revealing to us and inspiring in us.   No one is supporting us with their specific prayers in our struggles with sin.
This sort of out loud repentance would make people think we were a bunch of Pentecostals speaking in tongues.  Plus those people who are clock watchers, will no doubt be saying to themselves, “Come on preacher, let’s get er movin.  You are wasting our time!”
So what is the solution?….well, scripture says, “Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.”  (James 5;16)    I think this is why the Lord puts us in families, so that we have others to confess to and who will pray for us.  Believe me, they won’t be very surprised….they know our sins pretty well already!  It would encourage them to know we by God’s Grace know our sin and are actually seeking his mercy and our prayers, to by faith in the indwelling Christ, really change.
Galatians 2;20 is a powerhouse of a verse for change, worked in us by God.  Memorize it, meditate on it, believe it, it is true.
Prayer:  Merciful Father, there is so much in us which should not be, and we are neglecting to do so much which is your will.  Have mercy on us we pray, in Jesus, Amen.
Love,DadBabaEricGrandpa 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.”

Consider this:  What did so many of those who went out to John from Jerusalem (to be baptized), do, just three years later?  Why do you think that was?

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