Love a mystery

I’ve always loved reading mysteries, watching movies that are mysteries, and now writing mysteries. But have you ever considered your life part of the greatest mystery, the mystery of Christ? A mystery that was kept unsolved for generations, but is now revealed to us.

Part of that mystery is the church. Let’s make that church with a capital C. The universal Church – fellow believers and followers of Christ. The family of believers who not only believe but act on what they have been taught. Those who live life as part of the family of God, are obedient to God because of love, and trust, and knowledge that is sometimes shaky. But that’s where we study and pray and trust that truth will be and is being, revealed to us.

Part of that is being a part of a physical church. Not all people can get to a building, but modern technology offers ways to see services and interact with other believers. You don’t get the benefit of sitting beside a brother or sister in Christ in church, but you are still connected. And, if possible, you can invite others to your home for studies, or watch services with you, bringing the church experience, the gathering together for support as well as teaching, into your home.

Unfortunately, Covid made it too easy to stay away from church when the reported threat was over. And some people don’t have the church as a high priority in their lives. Reconsider, please. The days are becoming more and more as the Bible predicted, and we can so easily find ourselves overwhelmed by the attacks of the enemy if we don’t have some kind of connection to God’s people, our Family in God.

As I am working through Ephesians, I am rediscovering the level of joy and love found in God. It’s yours as well as mine. Take hold of it, embrace it, and live it!

There won’t be questions on the following verses this week. Next week, as we here in America are celebrating Thanksgiving, we’ll look at those things we are thankful for, and I hope you will share some of your reasons for thankfulness on the Facebook group page

God bless you, my friends!

Ephesians 3

The Mystery of the Gospel Revealed
​ For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
Prayer for Spiritual Strength
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.