Seasons of Life

                                                                                                                                                                             

Aloha Dearest Family,

                I recently read this quote from Cathy Lawton;

                One season or time of day does not tell the whole truth of the garden. Just as one visit in one setting doesn’t tell you all about a person or group of people.

 This quote brought several images to my mind. First, a snap-shot of a garden, months before it blooms. I can clearly see the barren looking ground, the brown hard dirt, perhaps some weeds had sprung up in this empty space. Next, I see this same scene months later. With beautiful, manicured flowers, all of the vibrant colors making this entire garden look alive and flourishing. You could have never guessed what this piece of ground would look like months before. But this is what the seasons of life look like.

                The seasons of life are seen in every part of God’s creation. Not just in the ways of the earth, but of man also. We will all go through different seasons throughout our lives. It is the way God designed it. These following words of Solomon still ring true even today:

                 “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace…He has made everything beautiful in its time…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 11a)

                 Most of us who are older, can easily look back on our lives and recognize these “season of life”. But what I have learned through it all, is that in every season we go through, this can also be a season for rejoicing in God Almighty, for it is God who is the designer of life.

                 In Philippians the Apostle Paul mentions that he also had gone through many seasons in his life.

                 “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” (Philippians 4:11 and 12 NIV)

  Paul says that through his life, there were times when he was in need and there were times when he had plenty. There were times when he was well-fed and times when he was hungry. But Paul says that no matter what circumstance he found himself in, he had learned the secret of being CONTENT. When he wrote these words he was in chains in a Roman prison. How could he have possibly been content with his situation?

                 He writes, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Verse 13)

A better translation of this verse is:

     “I can face any situation or condition for my union with Christ continually infuses me with strength.”

             Like Paul, we can also find strength to endure all of life’s trials because we are united with the one who overcame death. Since we are in union with Jesus Christ, we will be infused with inner strength so that we can overcome ANY situation because it’s not our strength we are relying on – it’s his.

          Every man or woman will go through many seasons through his or her life; and not every season is fun. But every season also brings with it an opportunity for us to grow in our trust in God. He instructs us to rejoice during seasons of suffering and why is that? It is during these times that we can learn and grow with Him and in Him. How? Read His Word. Think His Word. Obey His Word no matter the circumstances surrounding you. Each man or woman makes a choice whether to walk with God during trials or to walk on his own. Only one choice guarantees victory.

     “Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3)

 It is sad when people go through these seasons of life and don’t learn anything. We should learn to rejoice no matter what we are going through (see I Thessalonians 5:16).

     Through every season of life God can always cause us to triumph and grow. Just like a garden, we can never underestimate the ability of God to prosper a man or woman when they trust Him. Because we’ve asked God to be our gardener, our lives can blossom and bloom and produce magnificent, abundant fruit. He is constantly at work cultivating and pruning our lives so that we will show His goodness to the world. So, keep growing. Remember the mighty oak tree was once a little sapling.

                    Love Always, Ray

Influencers

                                               

Aloha Dearest Family,

                Lately, I’m seeing more and more people who refer to themselves as “influencers”. By definition, this is a person who is regarded as an expert in their particular field, who also has a following. People trust their opinions and the products they endorse carry considerable weight. In the social media world, anyone that has a blog or a podcast can be considered an influencer and their followers trust whatever they say. BUT you must be confidant that what they say is CORRECT. If it is not, this could have disastrous results on their followers.

                Good parents are always on the lookout for bad influences that affect their children. Whether it be what TV programs they watch, what they are taught in school, the type of language they hear and even what friends they hang around with. From an early age, these parents have spent years instructing them what they should do and what they should not do. Every parent wants their child to follow their instructions, even when they are not around. This is why good parents are always on the lookout for what or who will be an influence on their child. As a parent myself, I know how easily children can be swayed to listen to someone else and forget about all of the proper instruction that they have received.

                The Bible says tons about raising children. The book of Proverbs, for example, gives us instruction on this very topic. 

                “My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them. If they say, “Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for innocent blood, let’s ambush some harmless soul; let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit (the grave); we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; cast lots with us (choose to hang with us); we will all share the loot”—  (Proverbs 1:10-14 NIV)

Any father will give the same words of instruction to their sons. Do not associate with those who want to cause mischief.

                “My son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; for their feet rush into evil, they are swift to shed blood…. (For in reality) These men lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush only themselves! Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the life of those who get it.” (Verses 15-19) 

In the ancient East, every boy was required to know these sections from Proverbs. They were not only required to follow their father’s instructions but also God’s commandments. We should do the same. This is why parents are constantly on the lookout for ANY influences that may be questionable. This is necessary if we want to raise children to be successful adults who will be a blessing to others and not a curse.

                Fortunately, God has given to us plenty of examples of what TO do and also what NOT to do.  

 Israel

                When the children of Israel conquered the Promised Land, God instructed them to cast out the inhabitants of the land that lived there. God knew that if they did not, Israel would be influenced to follow the ungodly practices of these people. These people that were allowed to stay, would be to Israel, like thorns in their sides.

                 “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live.” (Numbers 33:55) 

If you study the history of Israel, you will find that this is exactly what they did. The inhabitants were allowed to stay and Israel started worshipping the god’s of the people of the land. In time they started to sacrifice their own children on the altar of these god’s.

 Solomon

                King Solomon is another example of what NOT to do. Because of God’s wonderful grace on the house of David, his son Solomon became the wisest and richest man who ever lived. But Solomon married many wives who worshipped other god’s and, in turn, he himself started worshipping these god’s.

                 “King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.” (I Kings 11:1-4)

Because of this, Solomon’s son would reign over a divided kingdom.

 Joshua

                When God commanded Joshua to cross over the Jordan river and conquer the Promised Land, He instructed him…

                 “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:5-7)         

God told Joshua that He would cause him to be successful IF he obeyed the Law of Moses, meditated in it and did not turn from it from the right or to the left. This is a figure of speech that means to keep your eyes ONLY of God’s words and not be distracted by any other influences. This is the same type of promise God made later to Israel and to Solomon. But Joshua DID obey all of God’s law and God caused him to be very successful. Joshua was the one who famously stated, “..Choose you this day whom ye will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15) Joshua didn’t care who the people chose to serve (their decision would not affect him). BUT he and his household would serve the Lord God of Israel. God was his biggest influence. 

                This is a great lesson for all of us. First, for parents who are endeavoring to raise children to love God; basically, a child’s ONLY job is to OBEY. We teach them to obey US so that one day they will know how to obey God (If a child will not obey us, he will not obey God) and we constantly watch for bad influences and steer them clear of them.

“Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character” (I Corinthians 15:33 NIV).

                Second, we each need to be aware of influences that are not Godly. Our measurement is God’s Word. If it does not line up with The Word, IT IS WRONG. Let’s let God’s Word be our greater influencer. When we meditate in His Word, God promises us great success in all that we do.

                 “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law, day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.” (Psalm 1:1-3) 

                       Love Always, Ray 

What I Have Learned

                                                                                                       

 

Aloha Dearest Family,

            I have been studying the Bible for over 40 years now, and it’s amazing what I have learned. Throughout the years I can say without a doubt, that if you want to know God, you’ve got to come to His Word. The Bible doesn’t just say that there IS a God, but shows you His heart and soul and His great love He has for mankind. He had His Word written so that we may know Him and His ways.

            In my years of study, here is what I have found:

 A God of Order.

            God’s brilliance and planning when He created the earth is nothing short of breathtaking. He created all life with incredible precision. He created plants, animals and man to reproduce “after its own kind” so that life could be perpetuated throughout the ages. Even after man’s disobedience to God, He still showed His perfect plan for man to be redeemed by promising to send a redeemer. His only begotten Son.

 God is Faithful. 

            God always stays true to His promises, for He is not a man that He should lie.

            "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" (Number 23:19)

Since God had made a promise that He would someday send a redeemer, He made a way for the line of Adam to continue – through Noah. God saved Noah and his family and preserved mankind and through Noah, the world would once again be repopulated.

            To ensure that God remained true to His promise, He chose a man out of all tribes of the earth to bless. Abraham and his descendants would be a people that would be the example to all other nations, that God was mighty with abundant blessings to those who follow and obey Him. God also gave the children of Israel laws and precepts that would keep them alive and prospering for generations. This law would also point the way to the coming Messiah.

 A God of Mercy.

            The Old Testament shows us constant examples of the failures of His people, Israel. And even though they were worthy of punishment, time and time again, God showed His mercy toward His people by sending deliverers and prophets to try and bring them back. God saved them from utter destruction many, many times even though Israel continually turned their backs on their own God.

 God is Love.

            Nothing can demonstrate the amazing love God has for mankind more than sending His own son to be the payment for man’s sins.

            “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

 Jesus Christ would be the greatest gift mankind had ever received. But God was about to unveil His greatest secret of all – showing His great love for all men by making salvation available for EVERYONE. Jesus Christ became the sacrifice so Christians could triumph in life.

 God the Father

            Because of the finished work of His son, God was able to bring many more sons and daughters into His family. The born-again ones are true children of God Almighty and we can call Him Daddy. As God’s children, we are brought into the family business of bringing more sons and daughters into the household. It is not hard to do when we tell people how good our Heavenly Father is.

 God the Victor over evil.

            In the age to come, God will demonstrate His justice by punishing the ungodly and destroying all evil. The final day of reckoning has come. God has foretold of this day for 6,000 years and there will be no excuses for anyone who chooses NOT to believe.

After the ungodly are destroyed, God will once again establish paradise on earth where there is no more death, tears or sorrow.

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

This little sharing cannot fully capture the full essence and magnificence of God, but what He has revealed to us is wonderful. The story of our wonderful God as written in the pages of the Bible, shows us a God of order, faithfulness and mercy. But most of all Love. The Father’s love cannot be fathomed and His wisdom and knowledge are beyond comprehension.

            Love Always, Ray

 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” (Romans 11:33)

3 Words

                                                                                            

Aloha Dearest Family,

               Words are used to communicate something to the hearer. However, many of the words we hear during our day sound an awful lot like just noise; sounding a lot like Charlie Brown’s teacher. But some words are full of meaning and sentiment. Just three words can convey so much. Just hearing the words, “I love you”, for example,  immediately gives us a sense of happiness and warmth.

                When it comes to the Bible, so much is conveyed in just a few words. In the Gospels for example, we might think about when Philip told Nathaniel, “Come and see” (John 1:46). Or maybe when Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” (John 11:43). These words have tons of meaning, especially when we know the context of when they were spoken. But I think the three words that mean the most to me is when Jesus said from the cross, “It Is Finished”.

 

                “When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:30)

 

After many hours of anguish, torture and pain, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the savior of the world, spoke these last three words before giving up his life. In truth, our vocabulary cannot fully convey the full depth and meaning of what his sacrifice truly meant, but the words, “It is finished”, came close. But what do these words mean?

                In one sense, it could mean that the cruel suffering that he had to endure was finally over. Or it could be referring to the work that His Father gave him to do on earth; he successfully completed it. But I think the meaning is even bigger than even this.

                At the time when the New Testament was written, the Roman Empire spoke mostly Greek. And many of the phrases used by the common people of the time, are also used in the Bible. One of these Greek phrases that was commonly used was, “it is finished”. Whenever a contract was transacted and completed, it was stamped “finished” or “paid in full”. This means that the parties listed in the contract had fulfilled their part of the contract and now it was completed or fulfilled.

So what was the contract that Jesus said was finished?

               

        The covenant of the law can be considered, more or less, like a contract. When God gave the law to Israel, He explained all the abundant blessings that He would shower upon them - IF they obeyed the law. God also listed the curses that they would experience if they DID NOT obey God’s Law. After explaining the terms of the covenant, the people said:

               

“…We will do everything the LORD has said…” (Exodus 19:8a)

 

They willingly entered into this “contract” with God. God would fulfill His part, but Israel had to fulfill their part as well. The law of Moses consisted of more than 613 laws covering every aspect of life. These included laws about, diet, clothing, servants, sex, as well as the required feasts and sacrifices. The laws involving the animal sacrifices were very important for they would cover the sins of the people, year after year. But these animal sacrifices could never really take away sin; it only covered them. In truth all of Israel’s sacrifices were just a “shadow” of the ultimate sacrifice that was coming - Jesus Christ.

               

“For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect….For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (Hebrews 10:1 and 4)

               

The importance of the three words “it is finished” cannot be overstated. No other sacrifices were needed for his FINAL sacrifice took away all sin. His death COMPLETED and FINISHED the Covenant of the Law, rendering it “Paid in Full.” Christ was the end of the law administration.

               

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:4)

 

Jesus Christ completed the entire Law Covenant and opened up the way for a New Covenant; the Covenant of the Spirit. This is the covenant that we are a part of right now. We have been set free from sin and the penalty of sin and our righteousness is not based upon following rules and regulations, but is based upon the finished work of Jesus Christ. Yes, Jesus paid it all.

 

             “…He takes away the first (the Old Covenant) that He may establish the second (the New Covenant). By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:9b and 10)

 

                        Love Always, Ray

Perfect Peace

                                                                                                             

Aloha Dearest Family,

            I would like to examine a verse that is one  of the greatest keys to peace, health, joy and safety. (Yes, please show me this verse!)

            “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusts in Thee.” (Isaiah 26:3)

            If we “stay our mind” on God, we will have “perfect peace”. The word “perfect” in this verse means peace. So, the person that stays their mind upon God can have peace, peace. But what does this mean? (No really – it’s peace, peace. That’s a lot of peace).

            The Hebrew word for peace, shalom, has many different meanings. Shalom could also mean harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquility. In this context, we are told that those who stay their mind on God, will have “complete well-being” in all aspects of life. This is available because we TRUST God. The very next verse says:

            “Trust ye in the LORD forever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:”

This is an amazing, amazing verse so, since there is everlasting strength in the Lord, we can surely trust in Him – and Him alone.

            In addition to these wonderful truths, we also need to include Psalm 103:2.

            “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:” (Psalm 103:2)

His benefits (which are endless) are available to the believer when they stay their mind on God and trust Him at all times.    

In life, we are constantly bombarded by the influences of the world. These come to us by the media via TV, internet and radio. These influences bring nothing but discouragement and fear into people’s lives. Fear can steal our peace. Fear always defeats the believer and keeps us from experiencing God’s best in every category of life.

            But I have found that we can CHOOSE what we look at and what will influence us. The negative thoughts that we harbor are like overgrown vines and bramble bushes that stand in the way of God and His goodness.

            Years ago, when we moved into military housing, we found that the school where my young son would be attending was not very far away. But we discovered that to get to the school we had to walk back to the entrance of the housing complex and then travel back along a busy road to get there. Not ideal.

Trying to find an easier way to get to this school, we discovered an old walking path that had been used in the past, but now was overgrown with vines, bushes and small trees. This path would be a safer and quicker way to get to the sidewalk where the school was located.

So, one Saturday, my neighbor’s family and mine, took axes and hacksaws and started to clear out the path. It took some time but we finally got through to the other side. We used this path from then on and also many other families in this large complex used it as well.

Our way to God can be just like these vines and briars. Our minds may have let negative thoughts creep in and start taking root. These obstructions get in the way and block us from getting to know God and His ways and keep us from receiving the blessings that He has for us. But we don’t have to live this way. We could instead choose to start hacking away at the useless vegetation that has grown up around our minds and replace these negative, defeating thoughts with God’s perfect words and victorious thoughts. It may take time but it is necessary if you want to experience the “perfect peace” that God promised us if we stay our minds on Him and trust in Him. When we renew our minds (put God’s thoughts where negative thoughts were) to God and His Word, our lives will surely be transformed.

 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.“  (Romans 12:2) 

                                   Love Always, Ray

 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8 NIV)

The Cornerstone

                                                                                                      

Aloha Dearest Family,

               In the book of Acts chapter 4, we read that Pater and John are standing before the Sanhedrin, the 70 rulers of Israel. Peter and John had just healed a crippled man at the temple gate Beautiful and because of this, they were arrested and questioned. Peter’s answer to them was quite bold.

                “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.” (Acts 4:10 and 11)

This last reference may not be clear to many but Peter was quoting a scripture from the Psalms. This scripture would have been very familiar to the counsel.

                “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.” (Psalms 118:22)

Peter referred to these leaders of Israel as ”builders” of God’s temple. Not a physical building, but referring to the people of Israel as being the “temple of God”. But these “builders” rejected Jesus and killed him. When a builder builds a house of brick or stone, he will first examine the bricks to see if they are “good enough” to use in his building. The bad bricks he will reject and cast aside and only use the worthy bricks (or stones). These religious leaders rejected Jesus as being worthless and not worthy to being a part of God’s temple. But GOD prophesied that Jesus would not only be worthy enough, but he would become the head stone of the corner.  

                In ancient construction, no stone was more important than the cornerstone because the integrity of the entire structure depended upon the cornerstone containing the exact right lines. The builders would search diligently for this stone in the quarry and it would be the first stone laid in the foundation of the building. (In Latin, this stone is called the foundation stone). If the cornerstone was not exactly right, the whole building would be out of alignment. The full weight of the building would rest on the cornerstone and every angle in the building would be measured by it. God made Jesus Christ this Cornerstone of His building.

But what has ancient building construction have to do with us today?

                Ephesians states that before we were born-again, we were without Christ, without God and had no hope in this world. (Yuckk!) (Ephesians 2:12) But after we were saved everything changed.

                “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;” (Ephesians 2:19)

We, who were without hope and without God, are NOW fellow-citizens with the saints. We are now members of God’s household and are a part of God’s holy temple – His building.     

          “And (we) are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together grows unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are built together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” (Verses 20-22)

We are now a habitation of God because of the spirit that now dwells within us. This concept is almost beyond belief; that God Almighty, the Creator of the universe, has chosen to dwell within us. This is made possible because of the finished work of His son who gave his life for us.

        Jesus Christ is STILL the Chief Cornerstone in our lives. He is our foundation, being the first and most important stone. Our entire identity is made stable by his life, death and resurrection. If we measure ourselves by one another, our “building” will be unstable and off center. But Jesus is the one we align ourselves with to keep us centered. As the Chief Cornerstone, Jesus ensures the stability of the whole system of our salvation.  

                “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken.” (Isaiah 28:16)

                                     Love always, Ray

                “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. (I Corinthians 3:11)                 

Living in the Age of the Mystery

                                                                                                             

Aloha Dearest Family,

                 Most Christians understand and acknowledge that Jesus Christ died, was resurrected and ascended to God’s right hand more than 2,000 years ago. And most also know that sometime in the future, there will be a final judgement for all men and women. The righteous will live in paradise forever and the ungodly will be destroyed.

                 But what about the gap between these two monumental events? What does the Bible say about THIS time period that you and I are now living? The answer is wrapped up in a Mystery.

 What Mystery?

                In the Bible, God mentions a mystery, a sacred secret, that NO ONE knew but God alone. The Old Testament does not mention it and the prophets of old never wrote about it. This is because it was a secret that was “hid in God” from before the world began.

                 “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,” (Romans 16;25)

                  “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:” (Ephesians 3:9)

                “The mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations…” (Colossians 1:26a)

 This mystery God kept to Himself. A secret so precious that, had the devil know about it, he never would have crucified Jesus Christ.

                 “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: which none of the rulers of this age knew (the devil spirt realm); for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (I Corinthians 2;7 and 8) (WOW!)

 This mystery that was hidden by God since before the world began, was finally revealed to the Apostle Paul.

                “Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ. Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; (here it is) That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:” (Ephesians 3:4-6)

  This is the mystery that had been hidden in God alone for eons of time. This may not seem like a big deal to us today, but to the first century church, it was earth shattering. We must remember that Israel had been God’s chosen people for thousands of years. Gentiles (anyone who was not of the house of Israel) were excluded from the promises of God. Gentiles were considered by Israel as filthy dogs. They were common and uncircumcised, the scum of the earth. This is how Judeans viewed anyone not of the seed of Abraham – unclean dogs. But now, because of the work of Jesus Christ, anyone that confesses Jesus as their Lord, is now a fellow-heir and in the same body (the body of Christ) and partakers of God’s promises. The new birth changed everything. Salvation was now open to EVERYONE. Now whether you were a Jew or a Gentile, you could now have “Christ within”.

                 This is why, if the devil would have known this secret, he never would have crucified Jesus Christ. Jesus could only be in one place, at one time. But now everyone who is born again has CHRIST IN YOU. (Colossians 1:27) So whenever a believer walks in, Christ walks in. Satan would rather have had Jesus himself to deal with than to have tens of thousands with the spirit of Christ within.

                 The NEW BIRTH was the mystery that God had kept hidden for so long.

 Living in the Age of the Mystery.

                The new birth was the secret of all secrets and it has been available since the Day of Pentecost, over two thousand years ago. Remember that this period in time that you and I are living was known to God alone, therefore He did not have it recorded in any of the ancient scriptures. However, many Old Testament prophets did try to find out about this time period but could not find it. By studying the scriptures, they knew there a time gap between Christ’s suffering and Christ’s glory. But all they knew was that there would be a period of grace when the spirit would be within people; but they knew nothing about it or how long it would last.

                 “Concerning this salvation (the Mystery of the New Birth), the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow…. even angels long to look into these things.” (I Peter 1:10, 11 and 12b)

 Even the angels of God longed to look into and discover what the mystery of this period of time was but even they could not find it out – because only God knew it.

                It wasn’t until after the day of Pentecost that God could reveal His most closely guarded secret to the Apostle Paul. The greatness and magnitude of this mystery is written about in Paul’s seven church epistles -  Romans through Thessalonians.

 WE are living in this time period that was kept hidden since before the world began. We are living in the Age of Grace where salvation is open to all, where forgiveness is available to everyone and eternal life is given to all who have confessed Jesus as their Lord. This is the time where the spirit has been poured out freely to all of God’s children, guaranteeing their future in paradise to come.

                                     Love Always Ray