The Mystery

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let Him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.' " (Matthew 16:24-27)

"When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, 'Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will SAVE it.' "(Mark 8:34,35) "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this sinful and adulterous generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."(Mark 8:38)

"Then He said to them all, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will SAVE it.' "(Luke 9:23,24)

“But Jesus answered them, saying, 'The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.' " (John 12:23-26)

"To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, ACCORDING TO THE ETERNAL PURPOSE WHICH HE ACCOMPLISHED IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.” (Ephesians 3:8-12)

Paul writes that "God, by revelation, made known to me (him) the mystery, by which, when you read, you may understand my (his) knowledge in the mystery of Christ." (Ephesians 3:3,4)

Paul understands the mystery because he was good ground for the seed of His words: a hearer and a doer! It is a mystery how one loses his life, for Christ's sake, to save it. But the Father will show you if you are willing to ask. 

“Master, Master, We Are Perishing!“

(Luke 8:22-25)

"Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, 'Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.' And they launched out. But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!"

"Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But He said to them, 'Where is your faith?' "

"And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, 'Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!' "

The centurion gave example, Jesus confirming, that great faith understands that Jesus Christ speaks by the authority (Luke 7:8-10) of God, the Father. He knew, if Jesus Christ speaks a word, it will be done. Jesus asking His disciples about their faith qualifies their doublemindedness. In jeopardy they did not perish, physically. What Jesus did, rebuking the winds and water, gave them the opportunity to relinquish the confidence of their experiences so confidence in Him, His words, could become complete. He does the same for us today. With "no variation or shadow of turning He brings us forth by His own will, by the word of truth". Jesus Christ speaks just the same today!

"Master, Master, we are perishing!" Yes, YOU are!

Bear Them Witness

"Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I BEAR THEM WITNESS that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."

(Romans 10:1-3)

Paul was "concerning the law, a Pharisee", "concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless" (Philippians 3:5,6). He understood what he was saying! Those of us who were born into the Gentile nations were never under the law for righteousness. The Gentile "law" is the wisdom of the world. Yet Paul was "made the righteousness of God in Him (Christ)" (2 Corinthians 5:21). He had been "crucified with Christ" (Galatians 2:20) and "preached Christ crucified" (1 Corinthians 1:23). He bore them witness, having been made (becoming) the righteousness of God in Him.

Are you called to a different gospel than Paul? So, bear them witness around you. Refine your search for wisdom, either Jew or Gentile, and bring the mountain of your pride down, and out into the plain!

This Mountain Shall Become a Plain

“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts. 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel YOU SHALL BECOME A PLAIN! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" ' "(Zechariah 4:6,7)

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted and EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL BROUGHT LOW; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.' The voice said, 'Cry out!' " (Isaiah 40:3-6)

"Then the hand of the Lord was upon me there, and He said to me, 'Arise, GO OUT INTO THE PLAIN and there I shall talk with you.' So I arose and WENT OUT INTO THE PLAIN, and behold, the glory of the Lord stood there,.." (Ezekiel 3:22,23)

"Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree (see v.14) dried up from the roots. And Peter, remembering, said to Him, 'Rabbi, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered away.' So Jesus answered and said to them, 'Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to THIS MOUNTAIN, '''Be removed and be cast into the sea,''' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be DONE (THIS MOUNTAIN BECOMES A PLAIN), he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.' "(Mark 11:20-24)

This "mountain" is your confidence in your might and power to accomplish what the Lord commands rather than confidently trusting in Him with shouts, from deep within, of  ‘Grace, grace to it!' Say to your confidence, that exalts itself above the knowledge of God; that trusts in your might and power:  'Be removed (in the name of Jesus Christ) and be cast into the sea!', and keep saying it. This mountain shall become a plain!

An Acceptable Offering, Sanctified by the Holy Spirit

“Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able to admonish one another. Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God, that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the OFFERING of the Gentiles might be ACCEPTABLE, SANCTIFIED by the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:14-16)

"We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore LET US GO FORTH TO HIM, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. Therefore BY HIM let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, THE FRUIT OF OUR LIPS giving thanks to His name." (Hebrews 13:12-15)

"But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:8-10)

If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus (His death on the cross) and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead  (He did not raise himself), you will be saved. If Jesus had not taught His disciples that those who come after Him must "deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Matthew 16:24), then His charge to them/us could mean less than that. But, with His words to them, our service becomes clear!

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable (or rational) service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1,2)

The Word of Wisdom

"There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works ALL in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the WORD OF WISDOM through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills." (1 Corinthians 12:4-11)

"James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks WISDOM, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." (James 1:1-8)

I would say that we should consider that the word of wisdom through the Spirit shows the believer how to proceed in that which the word of knowledge has revealed; the obedient action of faith. James reports that God does not give wisdom to those who doubt after having had the opportunity to receive this knowledge. Here, repentance is required to again consider the word of knowledge.

"For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, AND BEARS HERBS USEFUL for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned."(Hebrews 6:7,8)  So, the word of wisdom shows the believer how to proceed so that we may bear useful fruit, receiving blessing from God!