<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Mark 8;31–33<div><br></div><div><b>31. &nbsp;And he began to teach them that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three says rise again.</b></div><div><b>32. &nbsp;And he said this plainly. &nbsp;And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.</b></div><div><b>33. &nbsp;But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind me, Satan! &nbsp;For you are not on the side of God, but of men.”</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>There are only two sides in the ongoing war between heaven and hell, light and darkness, life and death, God and Satan. &nbsp;There are no bystanders, no Switzerlands who are non-aligned, non affiliated, non-committed. &nbsp;Everyone is serving someone.</div><div><br></div><div>Sadly, even those who have been called to be on the side of God, like the disciples (and us),&nbsp; are still stupidly able to inadvertently serve Satan. &nbsp;We do it the same way Peter did, by trusting in ourselves, our emotions, and our imperfect&nbsp;powers of reasoning. &nbsp;Human judgement is deeply flawed.</div><div><br></div><div><i>“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. &nbsp;In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” &nbsp;</i>(Proverbs 3;5&amp;6)</div><div><br></div><div>Jesus had just commended&nbsp;Peter (Matthew 16;17)&nbsp;for his answer to the question, <i>“Who do you say I am?” &nbsp;</i>Based on faith, Peter had answered, <i>“You are the Christ.” &nbsp; </i>The other disciples heard Jesus speak that blessing to Peter. &nbsp;Peter was most probably feeling puffed up with himself after being commended, so much so he took it upon himself to <i>“rebuke” </i>Jesus. &nbsp;How stupid can he, (and we) be, when we put ourselves in the place of God and think we know better than God what is right and wrong.</div><div><br></div><div>When things do not make sense to us from God’s Word, or, in what God has allowed into our own lives,&nbsp;be wise, be humble. &nbsp;Do not reject it because it ‘seems’ wrong. &nbsp;<i>“</i><i>We know that in everything, God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to his purpose.” &nbsp;</i><span>(Romans 8;28)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Having Christ in us, does not mean that we are free from our&nbsp;stupid sinful nature, it is most assuredly&nbsp;still there. &nbsp;We must, <i>“take every thought captive to Christ.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</i>(2 Corinthians 10;5).&nbsp;This means, consider carefully, in light of the Word of God, and the will of God, <u>before</u>&nbsp;we reject&nbsp;what God has allowed into our lives,&nbsp;what He is doing with us for His own glory, the blessing of others, <u>and</u>&nbsp;ultimately conforming us to the image of Jesus.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>One very good&nbsp;general principle to follow in being wise and humble: &nbsp;<i>“Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all&nbsp;circumstances; for this <u>is</u>&nbsp;the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.” &nbsp;</i>(1 Thessalonians 5;16-19)</span></div><div><br></div><div>In other words, have faith. &nbsp;Do not yield to fear.</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><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 8;31–33
31.  And he began to teach them that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three says rise again.32.  And he said this plainly.  And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.33.  But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind me, Satan!  For you are not on the side of God, but of men.”

There are only two sides in the ongoing war between heaven and hell, light and darkness, life and death, God and Satan.  There are no bystanders, no Switzerlands who are non-aligned, non affiliated, non-committed.  Everyone is serving someone.
Sadly, even those who have been called to be on the side of God, like the disciples (and us),  are still stupidly able to inadvertently serve Satan.  We do it the same way Peter did, by trusting in ourselves, our emotions, and our imperfect powers of reasoning.  Human judgement is deeply flawed.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”  (Proverbs 3;5&6)
Jesus had just commended Peter (Matthew 16;17) for his answer to the question, “Who do you say I am?”  Based on faith, Peter had answered, “You are the Christ.”   The other disciples heard Jesus speak that blessing to Peter.  Peter was most probably feeling puffed up with himself after being commended, so much so he took it upon himself to “rebuke” Jesus.  How stupid can he, (and we) be, when we put ourselves in the place of God and think we know better than God what is right and wrong.
When things do not make sense to us from God’s Word, or, in what God has allowed into our own lives, be wise, be humble.  Do not reject it because it ‘seems’ wrong.  “We know that in everything, God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to his purpose.”  (Romans 8;28)
Having Christ in us, does not mean that we are free from our stupid sinful nature, it is most assuredly still there.  We must, “take every thought captive to Christ.”  (2 Corinthians 10;5). This means, consider carefully, in light of the Word of God, and the will of God, before we reject what God has allowed into our lives, what He is doing with us for His own glory, the blessing of others, and ultimately conforming us to the image of Jesus.
One very good general principle to follow in being wise and humble:  “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.”  (1 Thessalonians 5;16-19)
In other words, have faith.  Do not yield to fear.
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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