<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Exodus 3;1-3<div><br></div><div><b>1. &nbsp;Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian; and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.</b><br><b>2. &nbsp;And an angel of the LORD&nbsp;appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; And he looked, and low, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.</b></div><div><b>3. &nbsp;And Moses said, “I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.”</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>The burning bush is a ‘Theophany’, (an appearance of God). &nbsp;Often, as we read the Old Testament, God is called <i>“the angel of the LORD”</i>&nbsp;(v.2)&nbsp;when He appears. &nbsp;This&nbsp;means&nbsp;not a created angel, but God revealing Himself.</div><div><br></div><div>What is significant about a burning&nbsp;bush which remains living while yet on fire? &nbsp;This startling theophany is a revealing of the two natures of Christ, both divine and human, and also a foreshadowing&nbsp;of the work of God in us His Bride, the Church.</div><div><br></div><div>John the Baptist spoke of this saying, <i>“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” </i>(Matthew 3;11)</div><div><br></div><div>On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit comes upon the disciples with the sound of a&nbsp;rushing mighty&nbsp;wind, (although nothing was&nbsp;physically disturbed), and <i>“there appeared to them&nbsp;tongues&nbsp;as of fire,&nbsp;distributed&nbsp;&nbsp;and rested&nbsp;on each one of them.” </i>(Acts 2;2&amp;3)&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Jesus said, <i>“I came&nbsp;to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled!” &nbsp;</i>(Luke 12;49)</div><div><br></div><div>Fire n<span>ormally destroys, but the Holy Spirit’s&nbsp;fire purifies and empowers us with his very own passion and divine&nbsp;energy&nbsp;to do the will of the Father. &nbsp;This fire of the Holy Spirit compels us to love recklessly, sacrificially, even unto death,&nbsp;but not be destroyed. <i>“I am the resurrection and the life;</i></span><i>&nbsp;he who believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. &nbsp;Do you believe this?”&nbsp;</i></div><div><i>&nbsp;</i><span>(John 11;25&amp;26)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>This fire of God enlightens us. &nbsp;He dwells within us, inspiring us to live&nbsp;lives of love and good works, power,&nbsp;faithfulness, and courage.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Christ Jesus is, <i>“the True Light that enlightens every man.” </i>(John 1;9) He teaches us saying, <i>“You are the light of the world, a city set on a hill cannot be hid.&nbsp;Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all</i></span><i>&nbsp;in the house. &nbsp;Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” &nbsp;</i><span>(Matthew 5;14-16)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>This burning fire was kindled in our souls as we received the Holy Spirit in holy baptism, (Acts 2;38)&nbsp;</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div>Our old self is the <i>“bushel” </i>which constantly seek to hid the Light of Life within us. &nbsp;The faith God has given us&nbsp;is <i>“the stand” </i>which elevates Christ’s indwelling presence by the Holy Spirit&nbsp;within us. &nbsp;Our good works are the fruit of this faith. &nbsp;They reveal Christ’s presence&nbsp;and the sacrificial&nbsp;love of God a work&nbsp;within us&nbsp;to those who are still in darkness.</div><div><br></div><div>Even our flesh will be made glorified and perfected in the resurrection, the fire of God will not destroy Believers, it purifies us, it reveals the glory of God. &nbsp;As Jesus prayed, <i>“The glory which thou hast given me, I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and thou is me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me.” &nbsp;</i>(John 17:22&amp;23)</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, grant us courage to believe that Christ by the gift of the Holy Spirit now indwells us,&nbsp;Your Church. &nbsp;Deliver us from temptation to conceal&nbsp;your Light with our fearfulness and fleshly carnality. &nbsp;The spirit of sonship burns within us, bless us to believe&nbsp;we are the City Set on an Hill,&nbsp;and bravely, sacrificially by faith,&nbsp;reveal Your own indwelling presence. &nbsp;&nbsp;<span>In Jesus we pray, Amen.</span><span>&nbsp;</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Love,</span></div><div><span>Dad/Baba/Eric/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.”</span></div><div><b><br></b><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>


Exodus 3;1-3
1.  Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian; and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
2.  And an angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; And he looked, and low, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.3.  And Moses said, “I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.”
The burning bush is a ‘Theophany’, (an appearance of God).  Often, as we read the Old Testament, God is called “the angel of the LORD” (v.2) when He appears.  This means not a created angel, but God revealing Himself.
What is significant about a burning bush which remains living while yet on fire?  This startling theophany is a revealing of the two natures of Christ, both divine and human, and also a foreshadowing of the work of God in us His Bride, the Church.
John the Baptist spoke of this saying, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Matthew 3;11)
On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit comes upon the disciples with the sound of a rushing mighty wind, (although nothing was physically disturbed), and “there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed  and rested on each one of them.” (Acts 2;2&3) 
Jesus said, “I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled!”  (Luke 12;49)
Fire normally destroys, but the Holy Spirit’s fire purifies and empowers us with his very own passion and divine energy to do the will of the Father.  This fire of the Holy Spirit compels us to love recklessly, sacrificially, even unto death, but not be destroyed. “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?”  (John 11;25&26)
This fire of God enlightens us.  He dwells within us, inspiring us to live lives of love and good works, power, faithfulness, and courage.
Christ Jesus is, “the True Light that enlightens every man.” (John 1;9) He teaches us saying, “You are the light of the world, a city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”  (Matthew 5;14-16)
This burning fire was kindled in our souls as we received the Holy Spirit in holy baptism, (Acts 2;38) 
Our old self is the “bushel” which constantly seek to hid the Light of Life within us.  The faith God has given us is “the stand” which elevates Christ’s indwelling presence by the Holy Spirit within us.  Our good works are the fruit of this faith.  They reveal Christ’s presence and the sacrificial love of God a work within us to those who are still in darkness.
Even our flesh will be made glorified and perfected in the resurrection, the fire of God will not destroy Believers, it purifies us, it reveals the glory of God.  As Jesus prayed, “The glory which thou hast given me, I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and thou is me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me.”  (John 17:22&23)
Prayer:  Merciful Father, grant us courage to believe that Christ by the gift of the Holy Spirit now indwells us, Your Church.  Deliver us from temptation to conceal your Light with our fearfulness and fleshly carnality.  The spirit of sonship burns within us, bless us to believe we are the City Set on an Hill, and bravely, sacrificially by faith, reveal Your own indwelling presence.   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 are His.”

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