Romans 8;7&amp;8
Corrections: &nbsp;I wrongly dated yesterday’s VotD as 9/31 instead of 8/31.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I misquoted Philippians 5;18, it&nbsp;should read&nbsp;“give thanks&nbsp;in all circumstances”
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; not ‘things’.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; In the prayer, it should read, “which&nbsp;is for us…”&nbsp;not ‘with’ us for us.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Please forgive my errors.
 
 
 
7. &nbsp;For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God‘s law, indeed it cannot;
8. &nbsp;And those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
 
Christians who think that being obedience to the will of the Father is burdensome, do not understand that we have been given the Mind of Christ. &nbsp;They are remaining&nbsp;carnally minded. &nbsp;Therefore, living the Life into which we are called,&nbsp;is resented and considered&nbsp;impossible.
 
For the born anew mind, giving first-fruits to God and our neighbor&nbsp;is a cause of joy, not&nbsp;something to be&nbsp;fearfully resisted or resented. &nbsp;Prioritizing daily reading of God’s Word&nbsp;and daily prayer, is likewise anticipated with joy and peace. &nbsp;Catechizing our children becomes our highest calling and privilege. &nbsp;&nbsp;
Faithful attendance in Divine Service is the high point of our&nbsp;week. &nbsp;Patience in well-doing, be it our vocation, service to others, or mercy to those who&nbsp;repeatedly offend us, is a participation in the Divine Nature.
Courage in the face of threats, faith and thanksgiving&nbsp;in the face of loss, joy&nbsp;peace and sacrificial love&nbsp;in the presence of our enemies, are all a participation,&nbsp;(by faith) in the Mind of Christ, the mind set on the things of theSpirit.
It is what I like to refer to as, ‘living in our Baptismal death.’
 
Too many Believers do not understand this. &nbsp;Living the Christian life is very hard for them,&nbsp;even seemingly impossible, because they are ‘plowing the field alone.’ &nbsp;Their (their old self, their flesh)&nbsp;like a spiritual zombi, is telling them that life and joy are supposed to&nbsp;come from the temporal, this world around us our earthly circumstances. &nbsp;The “old self” is constantly telling us, ‘This is not how my life should be, I am exhausted.’ &nbsp; He is full of discontent.
 
Listen to the Word of our Lord Jesus, “Come to Me, all who labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am gentle and lowly in the heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”&nbsp; (Matthew 11;28-30) 
 
Christ our Lord is present in us and with us, we are not ‘plowing’&nbsp;alone. &nbsp;Absolutely everything, every burden,&nbsp;even the fearful and the painful things,&nbsp;are all working for good with Jesus. &nbsp;We eagerly, confidently&nbsp;embrace our daily&nbsp;labor,&nbsp;all temptations, and tribulations&nbsp;with Christ. &nbsp;In Christ, with Christ indwelling us by the Spirit, we embrace the labor and burdens with peaceful, joyful, confident, light hearts!
 
If we persist in our old carnal minds, and abide in being&nbsp;fearful, resentful, discontent, or angry, we may be sure, we are in the flesh, our mind is “set on the flesh.” &nbsp;Even worse, we are failing in our desire to please the Father.
 
We know that we are in the Mind of Christ, a mind set on the Spirit, when we experience the “peace” of Christ, (faith, submission, and self-dental, with and in Christ Jesus, we ‘live&nbsp;in our Baptismal death’), raised with and in Jesus to&nbsp;face&nbsp;all temptations and&nbsp;all circumstances with calm&nbsp;rested minds. &nbsp; &nbsp;This is why our worship services conclude with these words, “The peace&nbsp;of God, which passes all understanding, shall&nbsp;keep your hearts and minds,&nbsp;steadfast in Christ Jesus, Amen.”&nbsp; (Philippians 4;7) That peace of God, is Jesus calling us into His rest, into Himself, no longer “hostile” to the will of the Father.&nbsp;
 
Prayer: &nbsp;Dear Father, we praise you that You are our Mighty Fortress. &nbsp;In You, in Christ by the Spirit, no enemy can trouble us. &nbsp;We are more than conquerers through Him who loved us. &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, lead and guide us by the peace and rest of Christ. &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.
 
Love,
Dad/Baba/Eric/Grandpa Pickle Pastor
“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we, broken-hearted, contrite, forgiven, believing children, are His.”&nbsp;

Romans 8;7&8
Corrections:  I wrongly dated yesterday’s VotD as 9/31 instead of 8/31.
                      I misquoted Philippians 5;18, it should read “give thanks in all circumstances”
                      not ‘things’.
                      In the prayer, it should read, “which is for us…” not ‘with’ us for us.
                      Please forgive my errors.



7.  For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God‘s law, indeed it cannot;
8.  And those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Christians who think that being obedience to the will of the Father is burdensome, do not understand that we have been given the Mind of Christ.  They are remaining carnally minded.  Therefore, living the Life into which we are called, is resented and considered impossible.

For the born anew mind, giving first-fruits to God and our neighbor is a cause of joy, not something to be fearfully resisted or resented.  Prioritizing daily reading of God’s Word and daily prayer, is likewise anticipated with joy and peace.  Catechizing our children becomes our highest calling and privilege.   
Faithful attendance in Divine Service is the high point of our week.  Patience in well-doing, be it our vocation, service to others, or mercy to those who repeatedly offend us, is a participation in the Divine Nature.
Courage in the face of threats, faith and thanksgiving in the face of loss, joy peace and sacrificial love in the presence of our enemies, are all a participation, (by faith) in the Mind of Christ, the mind set on the things of theSpirit.
It is what I like to refer to as, ‘living in our Baptismal death.’

Too many Believers do not understand this.  Living the Christian life is very hard for them, even seemingly impossible, because they are ‘plowing the field alone.’  Their (their old self, their flesh) like a spiritual zombi, is telling them that life and joy are supposed to come from the temporal, this world around us our earthly circumstances.  The “old self” is constantly telling us, ‘This is not how my life should be, I am exhausted.’   He is full of discontent.

Listen to the Word of our Lord Jesus, “Come to Me, all who labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am gentle and lowly in the heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”  (Matthew 11;28-30)

Christ our Lord is present in us and with us, we are not ‘plowing’ alone.  Absolutely everything, every burden, even the fearful and the painful things, are all working for good with Jesus.  We eagerly, confidently embrace our daily labor, all temptations, and tribulations with Christ.  In Christ, with Christ indwelling us by the Spirit, we embrace the labor and burdens with peaceful, joyful, confident, light hearts!

If we persist in our old carnal minds, and abide in being fearful, resentful, discontent, or angry, we may be sure, we are in the flesh, our mind is “set on the flesh.”  Even worse, we are failing in our desire to please the Father.

We know that we are in the Mind of Christ, a mind set on the Spirit, when we experience the “peace” of Christ, (faith, submission, and self-dental, with and in Christ Jesus, we ‘live in our Baptismal death’), raised with and in Jesus to face all temptations and all circumstances with calm rested minds.    This is why our worship services conclude with these words, “The peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds, steadfast in Christ Jesus, Amen.”  (Philippians 4;7) That peace of God, is Jesus calling us into His rest, into Himself, no longer “hostile” to the will of the Father. 

Prayer:  Dear Father, we praise you that You are our Mighty Fortress.  In You, in Christ by the Spirit, no enemy can trouble us.  We are more than conquerers through Him who loved us.  In Jesus we pray, lead and guide us by the peace and rest of Christ.  In Jesus we pray, Amen.

Love,
Dad/Baba/Eric/Grandpa Pickle Pastor
“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we, broken-hearted, contrite, forgiven, believing children, are His.” 

