A Great Mystery Made Known to US!

It has been said that everyone loves a great mystery. My Bible study today was about a “mystery” which Christ let us in on. The mystery given to us to know (Matt 13.11; Luke 8.10), that we’re cautioned NOT to be ignorant of (Rom 11.25), and that we are STEWARDS of! (1 Cor 4.1). This mystery was hidden before Christ, but now is made known to us (Col 1.26). This mystery gives our lives eternal purpose and value.

Mystery: something difficult or impossible to understand or explain.

Subject Sentence: the mystery is CHRIST IN YOU THE HOPE OF GLORY (Col 1.26)

Aim of this passage: To realize the mystery of Christ and live out the reason for it.

I. CAUSE of the mystery:

Dispensaion of the grace of God given me towards others (Eph 3.2)

Application ?: Am I giving out the grace of God to others???

II. DEFINITION of the mystery

That others should be fellow heirs and of same body and partakers of God’s promise in Christ by the gospel. (Eph 3.6)

Application ?: Am I a bridge of reconciliation to others, demonstrating the purpose of God?

III. FELLOWSHIP of the mystery

It is a GIFT of the grace of God, given to me by the working of His power, to give to others to make all see the fellowship of the mystery and the unsearchable riches of Christ (Eph 3.7-9)

Application ?: Am I ministering grace to others according to the effectual working of Christ’s power in me??

IV. INTENT of the mystery

Unto principalities and powers might be known the manifold wisdom of God through the Church (Eph 3.10)

Application ?: Does my life declare the wisdom of God which is for the express purpose of reaching others?

“For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 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; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 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: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.”
(Eph 3:1-13 KJVS)

There is a Time to Give and a Time to Receive

1st verse-
"And if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday." Isaiah 58: 10

There are so many of us that share the Word together each day that are struggling financially, some fall into the category of "being hungry", some "are opressed", weighed down and some are both! This is a very tough, intense time in many lives! A time when we are brought closer to our Lord! A time when we are to TRUST HIM to take care of us when it seems impossible. As I glance over our list I am amazed by the ones I do know that are battling this mountain!

The above verse also applies to the rest of you, who have given from your hearts and have overwhlemed those in need. "YOU ARE a LIGHT in the darkness!!" You are the HOPE in the middle of despair!! As one recipient cried out, "But I want to do something! I want to give back to them! I want to show my appreciation! I want to help other people like I am being helped!"

To those receiving the Blessings,
IT IS YOUR TIME TO BE BLESSED BY OUR LORD
through those He has placed in your life!!
IT IS YOUR TIME TO RECEIVE HIS GOODNESS!
IT IS YOUR TIME TO BE HUMBLED and RECOGNIZE HIS GRACE!!!

BUT, the TIME IS COMING TO GIVE BACK!!!!! Look at what the Lord says....

2nd verse- "Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be EQUALITY. At the present time your PLENTY will SUPPLY what they NEED, so that IN TURN their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be EQUALITY!!!!!!!!." 2 Corinthians 8: 13-14

There is a TIME for everything under the sun!!!! There is a TIME to GIVE and there is a TIME to RECEIVE!! God has encouraged us to help each other in their time of need so that we can all be EQUAL!! He is SO WISE!!!!

Abba Father, we THANK YOU for Your Wise Words this day, for the encouragement You give us to help those who are weighed down by the circumstances of this world!! We all need help at one time or another and You encourage us to BE THERE for each other.
Sometimes we are the GIVER- the provider ....
and sometimes we are the RECEIVER of many Blessings!!
You place us in each others lives at JUST THE RIGHT TIME!
Help us to RECOGNIZE the times You want us to help certain people!!
Help us to be a LIGHT in a very dark world!!!!

We Thank You for the LIGHTS You have sent into the lives of so many Lord!!! Thank You for Your Unconditional LOVE and the way You Love us so COMPLETELY!!!! We REST in Your Arms!!!

Who We Are Under Pressure Reveals Who We REALLY Are!

-"Who we are under pressure reveals who we really are!"-

These days are filled (or shall I say jammed packed) with activities, to-do items, and just plain business! when the lists mount... so does the stress. stress is too often our re-ACTION to the external environment. Does that mean that we are not supposed to have times in our lives when responsibility and action items need to take place? no... in this life we will have "floods" and "trials." How are we re-ACTING to them!

This verse really hit me. (if you want to see the entire study I got them from check it out here: http://www.bible.com/bibleanswers_result.php?id=127

Luke 6:48"I will show you who he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them in to practice. He is like a man building a house who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came the torrents struck that house but could not shake it because it was well built." Luke 6:48.

"Jesus didn't say that once we built our house on the rock that everything would be perfect. No, He said that a flood came in torrents smashing against the house. The key is that the house was built on the rock of Jesus, and the rock of putting His words into practice.

Is your house built on Jesus?

Did you dig your foundation deep into Him, or was the house hastily erected?

Is your salvation based on a prayer you prayed once or is it growing out of a committed relationship to Him?

Do you come to Him every day, every hour?

Are you putting His words into practice in your life?

The JUST shall LIVE by FAITH

Reading Habukkuk- this is a book about a conversation with a prophet with God. Habukkuk is crying out to God because he doesn't understand how the wicked are overthrowning the righteous!!! He is confused that the wicked prevail, they are spitting in God's face... how can God even tolerate it!! In Chapter 2 Habukkuk says... I WILL WAIT FOR THE LORD TO ANSWER MY PRAYER.. in Vs. 2 and GOD ANSWERED HIM AND SAID "Write the vision, and make it plain about tables, that he may RUN that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an APPOINTED time, but at the END it shall SPEAK, and not lie, THOUGH it TARRY, WAIT for it, because it will surely come, it WILL NOT tarry!!! vs. 4 and the JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH...

God was telling me.. Hannah even when the world seems to be winning, when you are beaten down and you feel like you are the only one overwhelmed with research, school, wedding planning, moving... and everyone else that is not Christian or serving God seems to be stress free, getting great job offers and into specialist postions..... WAIT FOR YOUR VISION!!!! WRITE IT DOWN... AND WAIT FOR IT!!!! I have a plan and a purpose for you... and when you get it... RUN WITH IT!!!!! you have to LIVE BY FAITH that it will come... it may take TIME... but it will come... LIVE BY FAITH... knowing that you serve a God that all his promises are YES AND AMEN.. that when you are concerned with things of this world... that stuff DOESN'T MATTER TO ME!!!!! Only the advancement of MY kingdom and YOUR HEART matters to me... so trust in me... live by FAITH TODAY... knowing that I have a perfect plan for you!

AWESOME

Quit Stressin'!

Great reminder from Jesse --

2 Chronicles 1:10-12

10 Give me the wisdom and knowledge to lead them properly, for who could possibly govern this great people of yours?”

11 God said to Solomon, “Because your greatest desire is to help your people, and you did not ask for wealth, riches, fame, or even the death of your enemies or a long life, but rather you asked for wisdom and knowledge to properly govern my people—12 I will certainly give you the wisdom and knowledge you requested. But I will also give you wealth, riches, and fame such as no other king has had before you or will ever have in the future!”

Luke 10:41-42

41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

2 Samuel 22:31-32

31 “God’s way is perfect.
All the Lord’s promises prove true.
He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
32 For who is God except the Lord?
Who but our God is a solid rock?



Just had these verses come to me yesterday morning as I was stressing and becoming anxious sometimes I realize that I am PURSUING the wrong thing and not staying focused on what God CALLED us to focus on. So as I was feeling that all of my effort was not equalling success God gave me these scriputers to say JESSE stay focused on the things I have told you to focus on everything else will be added and I will gift you as no other man/women has ever been gifted.



GOD is our ROCK and a STRONG shield for those to look to him for protection.

The Fulness of Him that Fills ALL in ALL

I. The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, Father of glory, gives me His Spirit of wisdom and revelation in KNOWING Him.

*Do I KNOW Him (in the fellowship in His suffering; in the POWER of His
resurrection – Phil. 3.10 – being conformable unto His death)?
*Do I have His Spirit of wisdom and revelation as a result?

HOW DO I KNOW HIM –
*the word “know” is from the Greek word “eido” – “TO SEE” or
Greek word “ginesko” – “TO BE AWARE OF, CONSCIOUS OF,
COME TO REALIZE/UNDERSTAND, PERCEIVE”
*THE PROBLEM: Acts 28.26-27 - Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
The Message puts it this way: “You’re going to listen with your ears,
but you won’t hear a word;
You’re going to stare with your eyes,
but you won’t see a thing.
These people are blockheads!
They stick their fingers in their ears
so they won’t have to listen;
They screw their eyes shut
so they won’t have to look,
so they won’t have to deal with me face-to-face
and let me heal them.”
Luke 8.10 tells us that …unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in para-
bles; that seeing they might not see and hearing they
might not understand.

*God is WORKING – whether you are aware of it or not; you
NEED to be “tuned in” to what He is doing, like in 2 Kings 6.14
when the Syrian king sent horses, chariots and a great army
surrounded the city. Elisha’s servant asked ‘what will we do?”
And Elijah answered “fear not, but those that are with US are
more than those with them.” Elisha prayed “Lord open his eyes
that he may see,” and the Lord opened his eyes and he saw the
mountain was FULL of horses, chariots and fire of God all around
Elisha.
Do YOU SEE what God is doing around you? Do you SEE His
hand working in your life? Are your eyes OPEN to the workings
of the supernatural Lord in your life, or do you “explain away” all
of His power?

*Do you KNOW Him? Dan. 11.32 …the people that do KNOW
their God shall be STRONG and do EXPLOITS… Ps 9.10 …they
that KNOW Thy Name will put their trust in Thee…

*If you eyes are distracted, you will not recognize Him, as
the disciples on the road to Emmaus… but then when they
walked with Him awhile and talked with Him and saw Him
THEN (Luke 24.31) …their eyes were open and they KNEW
Him.
WALK with Him, TALK with Him, pursue Him, and
(Jer 9.24) …let him that glorieth glory in this, that he under-
stands and KNOWS Me, that I am the Lord which exercise
lovingkindness, judgment & righteousness in the earth: for in
these things I delight, saith the Lord…


II. Being enlightened I may know the hope of His calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance, and the greatness of His power according to His power working in me.

*Do I know the hope of His calling?
*Do I know the riches of the glory of His inheritance? -- WHAT have I inherited
from Him?
*Do I personally know the greatness of His power according to the working of
HIS power?!

III. The power which God showed in Christ by raising Him from the dead and setting
Him at His right hand above all and putting Him to be head over all things is OURS: the Church is to be the fullness of Him who fills ALL and is IN all.

*Do I show forth His power
~raised from death
~over all things – above all principality, power, might, dominion
~all things under my feet

Summary/subject sentence: The greatness and working of His mighty power is to fill all in all.

The AIM of this passage of Scripture is that I KNOW Him and ALLOW Him to fill me with all He died to give me… and that the overflow of KNOWING Him works EXPLOITS in the earth!