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Purpose! Newsletter - June 2024

9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

Ephesians 3

We concluded last month with Paul recognizing he is undeserving of the grace bestowed upon him to be the Apostle to the Gentiles, preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ.

8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

He was appointed to preach concerning the Christ he had once rejected and has come to learn the depths of the gospel plan as regards the Lord Jesus Christ. He calls it the unsearchable riches of Christ. Through his study, revelations, and visions he has discovered that Christ is indeed unsearchable, meaning, not lending itself to research or exploration; not to be understood by searching; hidden; unfathomable; mysterious. The Greek scholars define it as: that cannot be traced out, that cannot be comprehended. That is the riches of Christ.

Reminds me of Philippians 4:19:

19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

God has ways of meeting our needs that are beyond human comprehension. God has unknown methods and abundant supply to provide for his people. Trust him.

I will connect this thought with 1 Corinthians 2:9:

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

God has ways and means that no one has ever thought of. Hallelujah!

This is the Christ that Paul now has the honor of presenting as Savior to the Gentiles.

This month we see that the assignment extends beyond the small world he has been living in.

9 And to make all men see….No wonder he traveled so extensively and had the desire to go even farther than he had reached in his journeys. He wanted to go to Rome, and all the way to Spain. He had a burning in his heart to tell the whole world about Jesus. He was as the prophet Jeremiah who cried out,

But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones…. Jeremiah 20:9

And for that reason he endured the persecution that followed him.

Jeremiah explained it again in verse 11:

But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.

Paul had a mission to accomplish. He would not be deterred. He may not have reached all men then, but he is now by his written words. Mission accomplished.

9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

What had been hidden in God from the beginning of the world has been revealed to Paul. Selah.

And we can be in fellowship by that revelation, with Jesus Christ, by whom all things were created.

What a fellowship, what a joy divine, the songwriter said.

But wait, there is more. Let’s take it up a notch.

10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

The church is not just a meeting place, a place of fellowship, baptisms, and weddings. The church is to manifest the power of Jesus, its founder, to the world, and according to Paul it has an additional role. The way the demonic forces in the heavenlies come to an understanding of the multifaceted wisdom of God is by observing the church, the end result of the working of the mystery of the Gentiles’ inclusion in the gospel. As it turned out, the church, established by Jews, has ended up being a Gentile body. Without the Gentiles there would be no church today. Selah again.

Listen to Paul extolling the wisdom of God in another place:

33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! Romans 11:33.

And let us not undervalue the worth of the church. Its impact is twofold. The true church reveals the Divine on the earth and in the heavenlies. And this is all 11According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. God planned it that way.

12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

In whom speaks of Christ. Christ changed history, He changed the calendar. He has changed millions of lives. He died on a cross and he rose from the dead. He ascended into heaven from whence he’ll return to catch up the church. And he will eventually rule and reign forever on this new planet. And yet lowly me am in him by faith and that relationship affords me boldness and access to all that is his. The believer need not be reticent concerning accessing the throne and making our requests known unto him. Elsewhere it says: 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16. And again it says: 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Hebrews 13:6. Believe and don’t be afraid!

13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

So folks, do not be discouraged due to my confinement and suffering on your behalf, Paul advises. The fact you are in fellowship with me in this speaks well of you and is to your praise.

Today people find it an honor to belong to the famous preacher’s church. But being in relationship with the suffering apostle was the real honor. His suffering had eternally righteous consequences. Amen. -PJF-

And now a word from our Pastor…

Choose Peace

Genesis 13

3 And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;

4 Unto the place of the altar, which he had make there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.

5 And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.

6 And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.

7 And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.

8 And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.

9 Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.

After their trip to Egypt, Abram and Lot returned to the land between Bethel and Hai. The land was able to sustain them before the famine that sent them into Egypt. Now, with all their newly acquired livestock and servants, the land is no longer big enough for both Abram and Lot to remain together. Abram comes up with the idea to part ways. He allows Lot to choose where he wants to go first, and then Abram will go the other direction. He could have pulled rank and picked the best location and had Lot go the other way, but he didn’t. Why?

Peace is defined as freedom from disturbance; tranquility. I think Abram’s main reason for giving Lot first pick was peace. Peace among family members. Peace among neighbors. Peace with God. Abram had a reputation of being in good standing with those around him. He did not come in with force, trying to tell people what to do or where to go. He came and made friends, who would later become allies. He did not need a family feud going on in this new area. He did not want to give Lot a reason to rise up against him. He wanted peace.

Romans 12

17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

If there is a way to live in peace with people, do it. In the words of my husband, “life is too long.” What’s so good about living a long life if it’s full of strife? Find peace. Receive peace. Pursue peace. Be at peace, even if it means separating yourself from someone or something. -SAF-