5 Spiritual Secrets Revealed By The Apostle Paul

The Apostle Paul, personally chosen by Jesus, became one of the greatest evangelists who ever lived. He was a gifted preacher and his writings comprise most of the books in the New Testament. 

Through Paul, we find many of God's previous secrets being revealed. Why were these mysteries kept secret for so long? Why were they concealed in the days of old? It's because the time was not yet right for them to be fulfilled. Everything had to line up. 

In the Old Testament, there were many clues, hints, and prophecies about these hidden truths that would be eventually made known through Jesus and the New Testament writers. Below are 5 examples of Paul uncovering some of these once-held secrets. 

#1--THE SECRET OF JESUS REVEALED IN HUMAN FORM

Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory. (1 Timothy 3:16 NLT)

#2--THE SECRET OF ETERNAL LIFE

But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! (1 Corinthians 15:51 NLT)

#3--THE SECRET THAT THE GENTILES WILL BE SAVED AS WELL

Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning. (Ephesians 3:8-9 NLT)

#4--THE SECRET OF BEING CONTENT

Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:11-13 NLT)

#5--THE SECRET THAT CHRIST LIVES IN YOU

God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. (Colossians 1:25-27 NLT)

The Divine Weaver

Did you ever wonder how cloth is made? It's done by weaving. Weaving is a method of taking two separate sets of threads and interlacing them together at right angles to form fabric. Weaving cloth is done by using a loom, which is a device that holds one set of threads in place, while lacing the other set of threads over and under the opposing set of threads, perpendicular to each other. Continuing this process over and over again produces cloth.

The first step on a loom is to load the threads in one direction, side by side. This can be hundreds, even thousands, of threads all traveling in the same direction. For our sake, we'll call this direction North. All people are traveling through time, headed in the same direction, side by side on their journey through life (heading from South to North).

Those that accept the Gospel and become baptized believers in Jesus are woven together by a perpendicular thread (traveling East to West) creating the fabric of the church of Jesus. This perpendicular thread is the blood of Christ. This is what weaves us together as brothers and sisters in Christ. It's our common bond.

God is the Devine Weaver. His spiritual loom, which is His salvation plan through Grace, was designed before the world began, but not assembled and ready to use until He sent his Son to earth to die on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, resurrecting from the dead to give us the promise of eternal life.  When the Apostles started the first church, God hit the start button and the loom began to work, making spiritual cloth, the church. This spiritual cloth lasts for eternity, and is constantly being weaved, and has been for 2000 years, and will continue to be woven together until Jesus returns. 

One thing about a loom. It can be set up to make exquisite colors and patterns. This is done by feeding different color threads through the loom. God's loom is constantly doing that. The church is made up of all types of people, nations, cultures, races, and talents. This is true of the world wide church as well as the local congregation, people woven together by God through Jesus.

Over the centuries a beautiful tapestry is being created. When Jesus returns on that final day and calls us all home to Heaven, this tapestry will be finished. And I can just picture God wrapping this beautiful quilt of many colors, His church, His children, around Him, as His worshipers around His Throne, as a loving Father forever surrounded by His loving children. What a beautiful sight that will be.

The Goodness Of Our God

THE GOODNESS OF OUR GOD

by Chip Vickio 2024

He gives Hope to the Hopeless
Strength to the Weak
Help to the Helpless
Rewards all those who Seek

He gives Light to those in Darkness
Sight to those who cannot see
He's Father to the Fatherless
Provides for those in need 

He'll walk with you in good times
He'll walk with you in bad
He never will abandon you
but protect you with His Strong Right Hand

He's the Rock for you to cling to
He's the Peace that gives you rest
His joy cannot be stolen from you
In Him your life is blessed

His Son’s the Great Redeemer
His Cross our sins to bear
In Him we live forever
Eternal in his care 

He’s the Way and the Truth
And the Life EverlastIng
Hears every prayer that
we’ve ever been asking

And His Word its never failing
His Promises He’ll keep
He's the Counselor to the Hurting
The Good Shepherd to His sheep

You see He’s worthy of all our Praise
and Honor to receive
For His Goodness, Grace and Mercy
falls on all those who believe

But if yet you do not know Him
He's waiting at the door
Inviting you to follow
And be Transformed forevermore

The Case Of The Buried Treasure

My grandfather was a farmer. He had this fantasy of one day plowing one of his fields and inadvertently unearthing a buried treasure chest filled with money, gold, diamonds, and gems. He always kept an eye out for it, but of course, it never happened. That is, until his children set up a prank.

As a little boy, I remember my mom and my aunts and uncles had purposely filled a small treasure chest with money and buried it in his garden. They somehow led him to find it, and I can still remember watching as he dug it up with his hands, and jumped up, dancing round and round with it in his arms, celebrating his great find.

Jesus tells a story about a man who finds a very valuable buried treasure in a field. It's one of the shortest parables that He ever taught. It's only one verse! 

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. (Matthew 13:44)

In this parable, Jesus is emphasizing the enormous value of the treasure that the man found. With great joy the man sold all his possessions to obtain it. Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to such a valuable treasure.

Once we discover the kingdom of heaven, nothing in this worldly life compares to it. The treasures of the kingdom of heaven are peace, joy, and love in a father-child relationship with God through Jesus that lasts forever. We enter into this spiritual domain through our belief in Jesus, receiving forgiveness of sins, and the promise of eternal life in Heaven.

I think humans, by nature, are treasure hunters. I think having the treasure hunting trait is a good thing because it drives us into seeking peace, seeking joy, seeking true happiness, and then ultimately realizing that the only place to find it is in God.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

I hope you have found the treasure!

Good friend, take to heart what I’m telling you; collect my counsels and guard them with your life. Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom; set your heart on a life of Understanding. That’s right—if you make Insight your priority, and won’t take no for an answer, searching for it like a prospector panning for gold, like an adventurer on a treasure hunt, believe me, before you know it the fear of God will be yours; you’ll have come upon the Knowledge of God. (Proverbs 2:1-5, The Message)

3 Ways To Make The Lord's Supper More Meaningful For You

Has taking the Lord's Supper (Communion) just become a ritual for you? Are you just going through the motions when taking it? Do you understand why you take it? 

To better understand the Lord's Supper, you first need to know some things about the "Last Supper". The Last Supper was actually the Passover supper for Jews held once a year to commemorate their release from Egyptian slavery by God's hand through the last plague when the angel of death killed all the first born of Egypt but "passed over" the first born of the Israelites who were spared by spreading the blood of the lamb on their doorposts. Moses then led them out of Egyptian bondage. 

The Passover supper or Seder had different components that symbolized different parts of the story of the Jews escaping slavery. The night before he died, Jesus and his disciples observed the Passover supper, but at the end of the meal, Jesus did something paramount: He instituted his own memorial! 

After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. (Luke 22:17-20)

At that Passover supper, Jesus declared a New Covenant sealed once and for all by His blood on the cross, making the Old Covenant obsolete. The day after that Passover supper, Jesus, the true Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, offered His life on the cross.

Now we as Christians continue to this day observing His memorial: the Lord's Supper. The bread we eat is a reminder of the physical sacrifice of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins, while the cup we drink symbolizes the blood of Jesus shed to forgive our sins. 

So how should you approach taking the Lord's Supper as a Christian today? How can you make it more meaningful? From now on, when taking the Lord's Supper, here's 3 things you should try to incorporate:

1 -- A Personal Attitude

Get yourself into the right attitude. Remember that the Lord supper is a memorial. Have you ever visited a memorial such as the World War II memorial in Washington DC? How would you approach this memorial -- with what emotion? -- reverence, awe, humbleness, thankfulness, honor, and a sense of gratitude? That's the same emotion you should have as you prepare to take the Lord's Supper. 

2 -- A Personal Reflection

We shouldn't just take the Lord's Supper without examining our motive and our sincerity. The Apostle Paul scolded the Corinthian church for making the Lord's Supper an irreverent feast. He said not to take the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner -- with pride, or arrogance, or without acknowledging the sacrifice of Jesus for your redemption. Consider using your personal reflection time to include personal repentance, asking the Lord for forgiveness of your shortcomings.

So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. (1 Corinthians 11:27-29)

3 --  A Personal Connection  

I love the term "communion". It literally means the sharing of intimate thoughts and feelings, both mentally and spiritually. Communion is the participation of the Lord's memorial with fellow believers, united in hearts and minds. But ever more than that, the Lord's Supper is a personal, intimate spiritual communion or connection with Jesus as well. In this sense, the Lord's Supper is relational!

Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf. (1 Corinthians 10:16-17)

The next time you have the opportunity to take the Lord's Supper, try to make it a habit to practice the 3 ways to make the Lord's Supper more meaningful: 

Attitude, Reflection, Connection.

One more thing.....

The Lord's Supper, Communion, is not just a silent, invisible, mental exercise. Because of the nature of taking the bread and the juice, it becomes a visible, physical demonstration of our belief in Jesus. In other words, by participating, you are personally, outwardly proclaiming and confessing Jesus as Lord!

For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 10:26)

How The Eclipse Glorifies God

A total solar eclipse is an amazing, unique event in the sky. It's a rare occurrence and causes us to view the heavens with a sense of awe. But such a phenomenon should mean more to us than simply an astronomical wonder. 

And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. (Deuteronomy 4:19)

The eclipse should be a reminder that there's a Creator.

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)

When we as believers look at the sky, the stars, the sun, the moon, and the heavens above, it should always prompt us to be in an attitude of praise and worship of our God. Whether it be an amazing sunrise, a beautiful sunset, a star filled night time sky, a full moon rising, or a solar eclipse, we should be in awe of God. It should remind us that we have a Creator.

The eclipse declares the glory of God! It glorifies Him because it proclaims the work of His hands. 

It's all summed up in the following verse:

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. (Psalm 19:1)

Psalm 19 continues to explain that the evidence of a Creator is evident to everyone, everywhere:  

Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words;  no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. (Psalm 19:2-4)

I urge you to memorize Psalm 19:1. And I encourage you to say it out loud each time you look at the sky with amazement. Don't just look at the beauty of the sky and leave God out, not acknowledging and praising Him. Here is Psalm 19:1 once more:

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. (Psalm 19:1)

Make it your memory verse today.

 

Jesus And The Miracle Of The Speeding Boat

Let's take a glimpse in the life of Jesus just prior to the miracle of Jesus walking on water. At the time, He was on a roll, doing a string of incredible miracles. He was healing countless people who were sick.

And a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. (John 6:2 NIV)

He was drawing huge crowds. The Bible calls them multitudes which can mean thousands of people. On one evening, the disciples asked Jesus to send the people away so they could go buy food for themselves since it was getting late. 

As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. (Matthew 14:15-17 NIV)

This is when Jesus performed the famous miracle of feeding the 5000. He took the five loaves and two fish and miraculously kept multiplying them until everyone was fed, leaving 12 baskets of leftovers! What's astonishing is that there were actually more than 5000 people.

The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children. (Matthew 14:21 NIV)

We can assume that were an equal amount of women there, and many children. So an estimate of 12,000 people being miraculously fed (men, women, and children) wouldn't be unreasonable. 

What about the speeding boat? 

That scene develops right after feeding the multitudes. And what a scene! It involves 4 incredible miracles. Jesus makes the disciples get in a boat and head toward the other side of the lake while He withdraws to the mountain alone to pray. The disciples, however, got stuck in the midst of the lake in the middle of the night, battered by wind and waves. Then Jesus comes walking on water! That's the first of the miracles, and no doubt the most dramatic. 

When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” (Matthew 14:26-27 NIV)

What's crazy to me is that it seems Jesus was initially just making a shortcut to get to the other side of the lake and not necessarily planning to meet up with the disciples. Why walk around the lake, when you can just walk on top of the lake? And in Mark's version Jesus intended to pass by them. I guess Jesus was in a hurry to reach the other side!

Seeing them straining at the oars—for the wind was against them—at about the fourth watch of the night, He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. (Mark 6:48 NASV) 

The second miracle occurs when Peter actually walks on water as well! Even if it's for just a brief time. 

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:28-31 NIV)

The third miracle occurs when Jesus calms the sea. 

And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:32-33 NIV)

Next is a very interesting part of the story is overlooked by many. In John's version, a fourth miracle occurs besides Jesus walking on water, Peter walking on water, and Jesus calming the sea. That is, the boat immediately reaching the other side of the lake in a split second! 

Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading. (John 6:21)

Some scholars say this is not a miracle but just a description of them making a bee line to the other side of the lake. Other scholars say this is absolutely a miracle. They "immediately" reach the shore where they were heading. And why not? Nothing is impossible for Jesus, especially in this dramatic scene loaded with supernatural events. He was intent on getting across the lake!

Thus the miracle of the speeding boat! Or the time warp boat. Or the Mach 3 (2310 mph) boat. 

One thing is for sure. Jesus was doing incredible things at that time, displaying powers only God can do, and it's still early on in His ministry. No wonder the disciples said, "Truly you are the Son of God." That's our Lord! Wow!