Day 7 - Change Your Life!

Day 7 - Change Your Life!

How many of you love mysteries? I do, I love to figure out the ending before anyone else does and I get a secret joy when we are all wrong and the ending has a "twist". When the movie, "Crash" came out a few years ago--I just didn't get it. My husband and guys tried again and again to explain the 'mystery' to me. It would not sink in so I decided I didn't like the movie!! I recently watched a little bit of the movie again and think I am "catching on". Now, I don't think I would have been able to follow it at all if my husband and kids hadn't primed the information for me. Well, that is how we must treat unbelievers.

The mystery of Christ is none sense to the unbeliever but we still must water and plant and water and plant...the Holy Spirit reveals the mystery in His time. Don't be weary in well doing, let your light shine at all times and lift up the name of Jesus. This applies to our brothers and sisters by adoption, the Jewish people. Do not neglect to witness and bless God's chosen tribe. He will do the work but we must tend the fields! Look at Paul as a great example to model your behavior and speech when witnessing to Jewish unbelievers.

We all know the greatest mystery is the mystery in the Gospel. Can you imagine being Paul, a highly educated and prominent Jewish scholar who persecuted Christians to the death...riding down the rode to Damascus and being struck blind by the great I AM! The Holy One of Israel knocking you to your knees to reveal the greatest mystery of all?

That is precisely what happened to Paul, called Saul at the time. Has God ever struck you like this? Maybe not in body but in your spirit? Do you wonder how you were able to receive His Truth, His Mystery, His Gift? Out of all the choices in our lives--isn't it a great mystery that Christ chose us, captured our hearts, tugged at our souls? I marvel at the magnificence of His perfection, His love and His plan for the world. He came not to save the world but to save them who are lost--we are not to fear because He overcame this world.

1. Pray


2. Read Ephesians


3. Give Praise

Study Verses:

The Mystery of the Gospel Revealed
3 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—

2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you,

3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly.

4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ,

5 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.

6 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.
7 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.

8 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,

9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things,

10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,

12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

13 So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WOW! We could spend an entire week just examining these verses. How awesome God is, what a wonderful Father..my, I can feel His Holy Presence in these words.

Study Questions:

1. How did Paul know that salvation was for all, Jews and Gentiles? Who revealed this?

2. Why did Paul consider himself "least" among the saints? Check out Paul's story in the book of Acts for insight.

3. Paul was given power by God to preach this message, it was a message of hope to both Jews and Gentiles. Why else did God reveal the mystery of Christ?

4. Can we go directly to Christ with our prayers, our confession, our hopes, our fears? Why or why not?

5. When you hear of Christian missionaries or church workers being killed or persecuted in today's world, how does that make you feel? What does Paul say about Christian suffering in these verses?

6. What would have happened if Paul had ignored God's voice? Has this happened to you? It has happened that I shrunk in fear at times over God's voice. I do repent, I do ask God to use me, give me courage and His power and strength to make known the gospel. Do you?

7. How do you feel about being joint heirs with the Jewish people and with Christ? How does that make you view the turmoil in Israel?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We have a wonderful future of hope, unity and peace. Let's share the mystery and thank God for His wonderful and magnificent omniscient plan. He can do exceeding abundantly above all we could ask or think but it is according to the power that works in us. What power is working in you? Have an awesome, blessed and fruitful day brothers and sisters. Sister Lisa

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~