The Secret in You (Part 2)

Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:25-27

The Apostle Paul received a revelation, the truth about Jesus Christ, while traveling on the road to Damascus.  As we know, this revelation revolutionized his life.  True repentance was his response and a 180 degree turn from the persecution of Christians to becoming a witness to the gospel.

In this passage, Paul seems to be reflecting upon that very experience when God shared with him the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations and entrusted him to fully carry out the preaching of the word of God.  He, as we, received the revelation of Jesus Christ and it changed his life.  That which was revealed was Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Paul tells us that the mystery has been hidden from the past ages and generations.  God knows how to keep a secret.

The Duke of Wellington is best remembered as the general who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815. During his earlier service in India, Wellington was in charge of negotiations after the Battle of Assaye. The emissary of an Indian ruler, anxious to know what territories would be ceded to his master, tried in various ways to get the information. Finally, he offered Wellington a large sum of money. "Can you keep a secret?" asked Wellington. "Yes, indeed," the man said eagerly. "So can I," replied Wellington and refused his offer.

Like Wellington, God knows how to keep a secret. God kept that secret hidden from the ages.  You see, it was a secret that God foreknew before the foundation of the world, that his Son, Jesus, would be our pathway to salvation and oneness with God.  Even though God’s plan of salvation was secret, there were hints of it throughout the Old Testament from Genesis through Malachi.

There are things in life a child just cannot understand until life lessons mature them to a place where their mind has the reference points in place to comprehend certain truths.  So it was with the revelation of God.  The full meaning of Christ’s coming could not have been understood without the revelations of God concerning who He was and what He required for salvation and fellowship.

Throughout scripture this secret was referred to as the Star of Jacob (Num. 24:17), the Root of Jesse (Isa. 11:10), the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6), the Mighty God (Isa. 9:6), the Branch (Isa. 11:1), the Ancient of Days (Dan. 7:9), the Son of Man (Dan. 7:13) and many other metaphors.  Each one of these revelations pointed toward the one who would be the promised Messiah.

Are you aware that many today are not able to receive the secret of the gospel because they have not yet grown in their understanding of their need of salvation?  The gospel begins with man’s separation from God and his sure death.  Those who reject that revelation are certainly not able to receive the gospel message with repentance and assurance. 

The mature Christian has received many revelations from God through studying His Word and prayer that support and enhance his everyday life.  It is important for us to seek the treasures that are imbedded in the Word of God and receive the riches of the gospel.

Scripture to Claim:

For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)

The Secret in You

Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:25-27

A few years back, Prime Time Productions produced a self-help video that flooded the internet and became a sensation. The video’s a documentary that consists of a series of interviews that claims to reveal a secret that can provide you with happiness, fulfillment and success in life all for just $19.95. The video’s been endorsed by new age guru Ophrah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres and talk show host Larry King.  Now just what is this secret law that will fulfill all your dreams and give you the keys to happiness, success and fulfillment?  Well, let me save you $20.00. The secret can be described in four words, “The Law of Attraction.”

The law of attraction is simply this: You attract into your life whatever you think. Think negative thoughts and you’ll attract negative forces into your life. Think positive thoughts and you’ll attract positive forces. Millions of people have bought into this so called secret and swear by it.

It’s interesting that something similar was happening when Paul wrote his letter to the Colossians.  The Gnostic heresy was rampant in Colossae.  The Gnostics claimed to have a secret knowledge or gnosis which would open up the way for salvation.  They gained their name from the Greek word gnosis, meaning knowledge.  Having this knowledge would separate those who were “enlightened” from those who were not.  Many Christians were being duped by this heresy and joining these groups to be among the elite who knew the secret.

We find the same thing happening today. Some things never change.   There are any number of individuals who claim to have “discovered” a new spiritual truth or formula that can enhance and/or transform the lives of individuals who will subscribe to their website, purchase their book or pay for their seminar.  The sad fact is that people hungry for meaning in life are easy prey for these new age, self-appointed gurus.

What many of the people who follow these vain philosophies don’t understand is that they may have already been given what they need to live an abundant life but have failed to access what they have.  It’s not a secret word or formula that was dreamed up by some new guru but a mystery which has been revealed by God.  It’s not some process of thought founded on some philosophical law but upon the living person of Jesus Christ. It’s not a secret you can purchase for $19.95. Rather, if you’re a Christian, it’s a secret that’s already within you.

Is it not amazing that most of the answers to the perplexing issues of life are not found around us but within us.  Tapping the presence of Christ in our spirit is without question the greatest discovery a Christian will ever make.  We will look at what Paul says about this and see how a believer can realize the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Scripture to Claim:

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;  2 Corinthians 4:7

The Prayer of Jabez Part 4 | Keep Your Hand With Me!

1 Chronicles 4:9-10

When you start seeking the blessings of God, you have to remember that with them you have to seek God in the blessing.

I. The Hand of God in Scripture

A.    In Creation

1.    Of the Earth  Genesis 1:1

2.    Of Man  Genesis 2:7

3.    Of Everything  John 1:3

B.    In Salvation

1.    By Rescuing Us  Psalms 40:1-3

2.    By Securing Us  John 10:29. Isaiah 49:16  

C.   In Life

1.    By Empowering Us  Isaiah 41:13-14

2.    By Protecting Us and Providing for Us Psalms  23:1-3

3.    By His Providence  Isaiah 45:6-7

D.   In Eternity  Romans 8:38-39

II. The Hand of God in Service 

We like our “m&m” life.  When things are manageable and the fears and risks are minimal we think we have things in hand.

We turn to God more out of desperation than dependence.

Our vision of the difficulty of the task and our resource determines what we feel we need.

III. The Hand of God in Spirit

A. It Is Received Power.

B. It is Spiritual Power.

C. It is Inner Power.

The inner man determines the outer man.

D. It is Exalting Power.

IV. The Hand of God in Strength

All they could see was Jesus!

Prayer was the only power they had to turn to.

Do Not Give Me Riches

…That I not be full and deny You and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God. Proverbs 30:9

Agur's request here, to not be given riches, seems most unnatural.  Especially when for 40 cents we can "super-size" our meals!  So why not pray "give me"?  The American dream is built upon "rags" to "riches" stories.  We want to be rich!  Agur speaks of our never being satisfied.

We can add the American lifestyle ... as the more we have the more we want ... never having enough!  We want to live by the principle that money really does buy happiness and everything else.  Jesus in declaring how hard it is for a rich man to enter heaven … stunned the disciples.  They thought, If rich people can't ,who can?

For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world. 1 John 2:16 NLT  Agur was looking for more than just possessions … he was looking for purity in his relationship with his God.

..lest I be full and deny you and say “Who is the Lord?”
The Bible speaks to our times of want by warning us that possessions, money, houses, and even our food can cause us to forget God and quit serving God.  The truth is that when things are good, we don’t turn to God as often.  We don’t think we need Him. When we have a crisis, we cry out almost continually. 

We are people cursed with the belief that we can handle riches, where weaker men cannot. We think we can handle more money and not forget God. The plain truth is that we already have too much. If we're completely honest, we must admit that the riches we already have, however little they may be, cause us to drift away from the things of God. The time it takes to manage what we already have makes us act as if we don't know the Lord, even if we never consciously say, "Who is the Lord?"

When we have riches, we spend time pursuing more riches.  We sometimes have a hard time sharing our wealth with the poor and we come to trust our riches more than our God.  Money is the dominant value of a world that is passing away. Honoring Christ is the dominant value of the world that is coming.

…Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God
This may seem like a very strange prayer.  It goes against our human nature.  Most of us do not want poverty.  Most of us do want wealth.  We may say that we want just enough to get by but the more you have, usually the more you want.  

People often blame God for their poverty.  They may be having a terrible time getting out of a bad financial situation and don’t understand why the all-powerful God does not work a miracle in their lives and fix their problem.  God does not work that way.  Usually the financial problems we have are brought on by our poor choices, but not always.  Even then it is hard to understand why God allows some hardship in our lives.  We may blame God and we may curse Him as well.  Agur knew he was capable of doing this and that is why he prayed this very pure and humble prayer. 

We have much to learn from this simple man.  Agur was a humble man, whose implicit trust in God leads him to be content with whatever He provides.  His words reveal a heart that places material prosperity and success in their proper places, well below the highest task of honoring God.  May we all be so wise. 

Scripture to Claim:

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” Matthew 6:21

Do Not Give Me

…Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, That I not be full and deny You and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God. Proverbs 30:7b,8-9)

In the first part of his prayer Agur's (aw-goor) request was for falsehood and lies to be removed from him.  Perhaps one of the greatest falsehoods to be confronted with is the pursuit of money as a means of life's satisfaction. 

Americans today are obsessed with the desire to have more, bigger, better, newest model, latest fad.  The media crams it down our throats and fills our children’s head with all sorts of “things” they should have.  Materialism … the excessive desire for worldly things … is a strong persuasion.  Materialism eats at the very core of all of us … for there is not a one of us who doesn't long to have more rather than less.

Agur was smart to ask God for neither riches nor poverty.  He knew that if he had riches he might neglect God and his relationship with him. Likewise he knew if he were desperately poor, he might turn to sin for relief. 

Do Not Give Me
Agur's request of God to not give him poverty is common … no one really wants to be poor.  But his request for God to not give him riches is most unheard of … and truly "Un-American."   But there is more here than meets the eye and heart.

·      Do Not Give Me Poverty  Agur had a reason behind not wanting to be poor … and it wasn't the "Jones" next door.  Reason: lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of God…Now that is being honest!  Agur was admitting that there is a vainness about being poor.  Poverty can force a man into the sin of stealing … and ultimately profane the name of God … who is seen as the Giver.    Proverbs 13:18 says Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction, But he who regards a rebuke will be honored.  Therefore serve God in what you have.  Proverbs 11:28 NLT Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.

Proverbs 11:4 says Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death.   I believe Agur was asking to live a balanced life … not too little and not too much … with God at the center.  Can we pray in this day for God to give us neither poverty nor riches, but rather a middle of the road walk with God?  We need the sense to not have an affixation for what we do not have.  Do not live life by the thought, “I wish I had.”  Is God enough for you?  Enough that you can pray … do not give me poverty or riches so that my life is satisfied with what You give me for You know what is best for me?  It is hard to let go and trust God but that is where the true blessing lies.

Scripture to Claim:
Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.  Proverbs 11:28 NLT