<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Mark 1;40-42<div><br></div><div><b>40. &nbsp;And a leper came to him beseeching him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.”</b></div><div><b>41. &nbsp;Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I will; be clean.”</b></div><div><b>42. &nbsp;And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>This unnamed man afflicted with leprosy, is one of the great hero’s of the faith ever to be found in scripture.</div><div><br></div><div>He only desired to be clean of his leprosy, <u>if Jesus also desired him to be clean.</u>&nbsp; He was willing to go on living with his disease <u>if that was the will of Jesus.</u>&nbsp; Now we may say,&nbsp;‘of course Jesus wants everyone to be healed’, and we all will be in the resurrection. &nbsp;But in this life it is possible to be of greater service to God and give better glory to Him if we are afflicted in some way.<span>&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>When Jesus was asked about the man born blind, <i>“”Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” &nbsp;</i>(John 9;2) Jesus answered, <i>“It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be manifest in him.” &nbsp;</i>(v. 3) &nbsp;</span></div><div><span>Remember that the <i>“works of God” </i>are more than giving physical sight to a man born blind. &nbsp;Spiritual sight is the better vision.&nbsp;</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Knowing by faith who Jesus is, and what he can do for us, that as God he has&nbsp;come to us in flesh, AND&nbsp;that his will is better than our own, this is the work of God in us.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>The leper was trusting not in his own will but in Jesus’ will. &nbsp;AND, he was willing to remain a leper if Christ willed it. &nbsp;Jesus did not, he touched the man and his leprosy left him, he was made clean.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>But, what faith, humility, and trust that unnamed leper had. &nbsp;All our good heart’s desires will be fulfilled in the coming kingdom with the resurrection, but in this life a willingness to share in Christ’s sufferings through our own humility and patience with thanks giving to God in spite of our suffering, THAT is the work of God.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father in heaven, grant us the faith of the leper. &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Love,</span></div><div><span>Dad/Baba/Eric</span></div><div><span>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</span></div><div><span>“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.”&nbsp;</span></div><div><u></u></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>


Mark 1;40-42
40.  And a leper came to him beseeching him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.”41.  Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I will; be clean.”42.  And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.

This unnamed man afflicted with leprosy, is one of the great hero’s of the faith ever to be found in scripture.
He only desired to be clean of his leprosy, if Jesus also desired him to be clean.  He was willing to go on living with his disease if that was the will of Jesus.  Now we may say, ‘of course Jesus wants everyone to be healed’, and we all will be in the resurrection.  But in this life it is possible to be of greater service to God and give better glory to Him if we are afflicted in some way.  
When Jesus was asked about the man born blind, “”Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”  (John 9;2) Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be manifest in him.”  (v. 3)  Remember that the “works of God” are more than giving physical sight to a man born blind.  Spiritual sight is the better vision. 
Knowing by faith who Jesus is, and what he can do for us, that as God he has come to us in flesh, AND that his will is better than our own, this is the work of God in us.
The leper was trusting not in his own will but in Jesus’ will.  AND, he was willing to remain a leper if Christ willed it.  Jesus did not, he touched the man and his leprosy left him, he was made clean.
But, what faith, humility, and trust that unnamed leper had.  All our good heart’s desires will be fulfilled in the coming kingdom with the resurrection, but in this life a willingness to share in Christ’s sufferings through our own humility and patience with thanks giving to God in spite of our suffering, THAT is the work of God.
Prayer:  Merciful Father in heaven, grant us the faith of the leper.  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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