As you read over what I have written to you, you’ll be able to see for yourselves into the mystery  (secret)  of Christ.   None of our ancestors understood this. Only in our time has it been made clear by God’s Spirit through his holy apostles and prophets of this new order. The mystery  (secret) is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives (what I’ve been calling outsiders and insiders) stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board.

 This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message…When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God’s way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. 

And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ. My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along. Through followers of Jesus like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels!

All this is proceeding along lines planned all along by God and then executed in Christ Jesus.   Selected portions of Ephesians 3:4-13 The Message  (Author:  Paul the apostle)

         Go tell everyone you know, dear reader:  the same promises in Christ Jesus and the same help is there for the taking by everyone, and it is God’s plan that ultimately everyone WILL take it!  The irresistable love of Jesus (which was given to Him by Father as a part of Father’s own nature) will conquer everyone, everywhere–this is now and has always been Father’s secret plan since before the creation of the world.  His secret weapon to accomplish this:  your wonderful Lord Jesus, being revealed in spirit and truth in the overcomers.

          What once was a secret that has been concealed from humanity by Father for “eons” or ages, is now out in the open:  in spirit, the nations (meaning, all people everywhere–and we mean ALL PEOPLE–are going to be joint enjoyers and joint partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.  What “spirit”?  The spirit of the law of life (zoe) in Christ Jesus, of which we wrote earlier.  What “promise”?  That Jesus will, by the power of an indestructible, unending, holy, righteous, and perfect life (zoe) MAKE you, dear reader, just like Him!

          It doesn’t matter one iota whether you are a religious “insider”–meaning your particular religion or sect is (you think) “chosen” to be God’s holy ones or people–or whether you believe the church building will fall down the day you enter it as a religious “outsider”–meaning you think others might be saved, but because of x, y and/or z, (you can fill in the blanks here with the worst sins you have committed) there is just NO WAY you can be right with Father.  If you are in the latter group, do you want to know a “secret”?

***WE INTERRUPT THIS POST WITH AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM OUR SPONSOR:  THIS ENTIRE WEBSITE IS DEDICATED TO THOSE OF YOU WHO FEEL YOU ARE RELIGIOUS “OUTSIDERS”.  THANK YOU.***

           The hints have been there, laying out in the open, for literally thousands of years.  But because it was a secret, awaiting the time of Father’s revealing through the appointed messengers sent out by Jesus, no one “got” it, simply stated.  Let’s take a look at some of them (all from the New American Standard Bible):

(YHWH speaking)…but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD (YHWH).  Numbers 14:21

All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, And all the families of the nations will worship before You.  Psalm 22:27

 All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your name.  Psalm 86:9

 (A)nd He Himself  (Jesus) is the propitiation (or satisfaction) for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.  1 John 2:2

Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For all the nations will come and worship before you, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.  Revelation 15:4

           Even now, today, some prefer to try to maintain the secret.  Usually, but not always, they are religious “insiders.”  The reasons for this are no longer important.  What is important, dear reader, is that you have found out that it is no longer secret.  See for yourselves, just as the beginning passage says–“turn” to the Lord, cease your running FROM Him and try running TO Him. 

          We did.  And you can, too.  Jesus is welcoming EVERYONE!  Why wait?  Join the “new order” today.

Blessed are You, O Lord our wonderful God.  You are the King of Forever!  You are so wise, Father–who can be placed beside You, to be compared to You?  You are AWESOME in praise, O Lord, doing wonders everywhere.  Your laughter and joy over everyone who turns to You will one day be completed when all have seen Your righteous acts.  Baruch ata!

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