I hve been intrigued a long time by God's Mystery Story.  The more I seek to understand it, the more I realize I don't.  That's why it's called "mystery."  God kept it totally hidden from the creation until after the death and resurrection of Jesus.  And then God revealed it through the apostles and prophets for all the saints.  But it is still God's Mystery.  And most still miss it.  And even those who are seeking to learn it and live it are constantly dependant upon the Spirit of God to reveal and unleash it in their lives. And no matter how much they learn, there is always more to learn. 

So I'm excited to be starting a sermon series this Sunday to force me again to bow before Jesus as Lord and to ask Him to help me to understand and live these amazing truths of God's NT Mystery Story.  The Lord has taught me so much over the years of my walk with Him, but in many ways I feel just like a child as I ponder the vastness and wonder of these mystery truths.  That's why I keep pressing on to discover and live everything that God has for me in the Person and work of His Son Jesus!!  And I'd love to see others joining me in that discovery!! And I believe God does too!! 

One of the most powerful truths of Easter is that God is the God of second chances - and third - and fourth - and fifth.  Think of Peter.  A natural leader, strong, macho, confident.  He was sure he would never desert and deny the Lord - even if all the other disciples would.  But when the test came, Peter failed miserably - three times he denied that he even knew the Lord.  And the rooster crowed and Peter remembered.  And he was sure his life was over. 

But after Jesus had conquered the power of sin, Satan, death and hell and rose triumphant, one of the first things He did is He went to Peter and met with him all alone.  We can only assume that they must have talked about forgiveness and how Jesus went to the cross to die for sinners like Peter. And then a couple weeks later Jesus had another talk with Peter along the shore of the Sea of Galilee.  That is when Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me more than these?"  And that is when Jesus kept telling Peter to get back to work. 

God's amazing grace can not only forgive us for the mess we have made out of our lives and the lives of others we have hurt but it also can put us back into ministry and even greater work for the Lord.  It was Peter who was filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost and preached a message with such power that 3,000 believed in Jesus.  And it was Peter that faced the very leaders he had been so afraid of a couple months earlier and told them that they had crucified the Messiah but God had raised HIm from the dead.  And it was Peter that the Lord continued to use to build and lead that early church to its greatness around the world of that time. 

God is the God of second chances.  That's the hope of Easter.  That's the hope of the resurrection.  That's the hope Peter discoverd.  And we can too!! 

According to Hebrews 2:14, Jesus came into our world so that He could destroy the devil, the one who has the power of death.  But obviously Satan is still very much alive and active in our world today.  So how does Jesus destroy the devil? 

He does it in our lives as we allow Him to set us free from Satan's lies and lusts and his control in our lives.  The reason is that when we listen to Satan, we give him control in our lives.  And since he has the power of death, that means he can unleash the pain and power of death in our lives, our emotions, our relationships, our fellowship with God, our world.  So when we give Jesus control of our lives and allow Him to set us free from Satan's control, that means Jesus can destroy the power of the devil in our lives by delivering us from Satan's kingdom of death and bringing us into Jesus' kingdom of life. 

Now Satan still has the power of death over our bodies - until the future resurrection (Romans 8:18-25).  But that's okay.  Our spirits can be free right now.  And the more we give Jesus control the more we find the life to the full that He came to bring us (John 10:10).

SO CHOOSE LIFE - AND LET JESUS DESTROY THE DEVIL IN US ! !

Nine years ago I wrestled with my emotions when my mother went through the valley of the shadow of death and went to be with the Lord.  Now I am in Florida with my father as he is approaching that same valley .  Two weeks ago the doctors told him he had cancer spreading all over inside of him - and he probably only has two months to live.  When he talked to me over the phone, he told me he had gotten the best news he had heard in years.  He is so excited about checking out of this world and going home to the Lord.  Best of all will be seeing Jesus.  But he is also looking forward to seeing his sweetheart next. 

What a blessed hope.  My dad is threatening us that he will be mad at us if we pray that he would get better.  This is what he has been looking forward to for years.  And he can hardly wait.  That's why Jesus came into our world - to destroy the one who has the power of death (Satan) and to set us free from the bondage he has in all of our lives through this fear of death.  Praise the Lord the fear is gone.  We may not like the process of the journey through the valley.  But we can hardly wait to get to the other side!! 

And this Sunday my dad is going to be the featured speaker at his "memorial service" at his beloved Sebring Grace Brethren Church here in Florida.  He has lived life to the full.  And he wants to go out with a bang!!  No singing the blues.  For him it's party time!!  He ready to go on the most exciting journey of his life.  And it's the one that never ends!! 

 So even though it's hard and it's going to get harder for us who are saying goodbye, we have this hope.  He's going home!!  And some day we can too!!