How are we: With Him (Christ) and in Him and He (Christ) in us?
2016 Sep 4th Streaming
Greetings Everyone!
Can you believe August is almost over and next Sunday is the 4th of September! And to top all that off the weather here in Dallas is much cooler than normal! Oh, the rain has been in good supply! Speaking of rain we had a thunder storm yesterday and my computer crashed. We also had a wonderful visit with our dear brother and sister Chris and Mylinda Serrioz. They stopped by for a visit while down from KC Missouri. It was great to fellowship with them and hug their necks again! Thanks guys for stopping by! Well, this week in fellowship we will be looking at the Apostle Paul’s unique and bold statements that no other writers in the Bible made. His first was the statement “My Gospel”. He went on to say “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” Rom 2:16. He would go on to use that statement a total of eight times in his epistles. And he didn’t just say “my gospel” but he included the words “according to”. That’s pretty specific and unique wouldn’t you say? But he also said something else which so many read right on by or just flat out ignore. His statement is this: “Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ” Eph 3:4. He said “My knowledge of the mystery of Christ”. That beloved, is a loaded statement. Far too many don’t like the word, “mystery”. It means that we don’t know something. And very few in the Church today will acknowledge that there is a mystery, much less the need for any revelation.
Many advocate because we now have the Bible, there is no further revelation needed. Why? Simple – you can read can’t you? God gave you five (common) sense/s didn’t He? So, all that’s needed is for everyone to read the Bible and use their God given senses and they can know and understand everything God wants them to know. Sadly the apostle Paul would be the first to disagree with that faulty logic. He would say “no, that’s not what God has revealed to me concerning your sense knowledge”. He would continue ” But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” Then he would conclude by saying “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned”. I can hear Paul saying just those same words. For all those who would say Paul got his knowledge about the things of God from being a pharisee. I can hear him say loudly, “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught [it], but by the revelation of Jesus Christ”. No wonder he said those bold and one of a kind statements; “my gospel” and my “knowledge of the mystery of Christ”! He couldn’t help it. But what does that have to do with you and me as new creation Sons and See-thru-ers? Everything! It started with Paul but it echos and continues today in everyone who has received that gospel and that mystery of Christ! Let’s talk about it!
Love in Christ,
David & Katherine