Mystery

Luke 8:10
“ To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God…”

I love a good mystery; as a child I had a book titled “2 Minute Mysteries.” It was a book of short stories, in which a crime would be described and the reader was left to guess who the guilty party was. The trick was, the answer was hidden. There was always something tucked away that was hard to find, almost like a secret, that revealed the answer. I would try so hard to guess correctly, but most often, when I flipped to the back of the book for the answer I found my guess was wrong. When Jesus speaks of the “Mysteries of the Kingdom,” He is not speaking of a secret truth that only a few can understand by reading their Bibles with a special code. Jesus is telling His disciples that everything we need to know about the Kingdom of God can be found by those who are part of it.

Paul tells us, the truths of God cannot be understood until we are converted (1 Corinthians 1:18). To the unbelieving mind, the things of God rarely make sense, but upon receiving Christ, His words come to life. We find them to be our daily manna, and our source of strength and encouragement. Jesus promised, when the Holy Spirit came, He would guide us in the truth. We are given an example of this at Jesus’ baptism. After the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, He heard the Father speak. One of the benefits of the Spirit coming upon us is, the Word of God comes to life. We begin to hear God speak to our lives as we read His Word. John tells us, because of the work of the Spirit, we have an anointing from the Father and do not need anyone to teach us. Now John is not undermining the need for pastors who teach the Bible, but is declaring, the same God who speaks to Him, will speak to you. We do not need great intellect in order to hear from God, but simply time with Him in the pages of His Word.

The privilege of knowing God has been given to each of us. We can hear Him speak, daily, in the pages of His Word. I wonder, are you taking advantage of that? If you have received Christ, and been filled with the Spirit, allow me to encourage you to go into the Word expecting God to speak to you. He promises to reveal to you the mysteries of His Kingdom.

Pastor Jim

Questions for Luke 8

What kind of tidings did Jesus bring concerning the kingdom of God?
How many different types of ground are described in the parable of the sower?
What does the seed represent?
Which description of soil best describes you in vs 12-15?
Where did the demon possessed man live?
Who did the demon possessed man recognize Jesus as?
When the people of the city came to see Jesus how did they find the demon possessed man?
Read vs 39. In what ways can you better put into practice this verse in your life?
Jairus was a ruler of what?
Why did he want Jesus to come to his house?
What miracle took place on the way to Jairus’s house?
What happened to Jairus daughter?

Old Testament
Leviticus 14- Mission
Leviticus 15- New Nature