MANAGERS OF THE MYSTERIES OF GOD

“A person should think of us in this way: as servants of Christ and managers of the mysteries of God.” I Corinthians 4:1

     Christians are sometimes thought of as legalistic tyrants—or killjoys—or dull people. One politician stated not too long ago about working-class Midwesterners in the face of adversity: He said, “They cling to their guns and religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them. . .” In other words, he was saying that Christians are very staid and unbending, and they very much dislike or even hate people who aren't exactly like them.

     From the Bible recently I’ve been getting a very different picture of Christians and Christianity. I’m not naïve enough to think there aren’t problems in Christianity and within some Christian people. But it would be like casting all police officers as evil for the evil of a very, very few.

     When I read the verse in I Corinthians 4:1 it was reaffirmed to me that we as Christians are on wonderful adventures—full of great mystery. Paul in the verse was referring to himself, Peter, who Jesus named Cephas--or rock, and Apollos as the managers of the many mysteries of God.

     Their job was to “ be found faithful” (vs. 2) under God’s command to lovingly inspire the people under them to take part in the great adventures and mysteries of God that lie ahead of them. They do this with the guidance and care of Jesus, of His Holy Spirit that lives in each of us, and of His Holy Scriptures.

     Shepherds, or pastors today are also engaged as managers to be like Paul and his cohorts, inspiring the people in their flocks to engage in the exciting adventures and mysteries that God has set before them. They are today’s “managers of mysteries of God”.

'ALL-IN' WITH JESUS!

       Are you and I “all-in” with Jesus?

      I post a lot of religious content on social media. I post it on my website, Facebook, YouTube, and Rumble. I joke with Dee, my wife, almost every time I make a video. I say, “I’m going downstairs to make another unviral video.” She just smiles.

     I get very little feedback or “likes” on my posts, but I can see the number of “views”, and it usually goes up toward, or over one hundred views. The video I posted about my Amish Grandpa got over four hundred views. So I know people are at least looking at my posts. But, I think overall people are reluctant to get involved to the point of commenting or acknowledging posts that have religious content.

   Sometimes I think perhaps I am too one-minded—that people possibly think that I am too “religiously preoccupied”, a term I learned working in the mental health field to describe a person who has a mental illness, and his or her dialogue with other people is usually about religious topics. What do you think? Do you think I’m too religiously preoccupied?

     One of the blessings of living in today’s internet age is the possibility of listening to the Bible in addition to reading it. In the last week, I was listening to Jon Mohr’s reading of the epistles in the Christian Standard Bible. One thing that struck me while listening was the passion for Jesus that each of the apostles shared in their epistles.

     I don’t think it was just Mr. Mohr’s interpretation of the text, but hearing it for me made it come more alive, and it was evident more than ever before how much each apostle was “all-in” with Jesus.

     So I’m in very good company—in also being ‘all-in’ with Jesus.

WHAT ABOUT VISIONS AND DREAMS?

Acts 2:17 states the following: “And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all people; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.”

     I thought about that verse in the last few weeks, especially after reading Ezekiel, who had very, very detailed visions. Ezekiel 40, for example, especially grabbed my attention. In it, God gave Ezekiel a vision in which “a man” sent from God, gave specific instructions on exactly how to build the temple. We’re not talking generalized instructions—the man gave Ezekiel detailed instructions, down to the dimensions in feet and even fractions of feet.

     I counted at least 42 exact measurements that the man gave Ezekiel about the dimensions of the temple, not to mention the exact description of each outer wall, outer gate, outer court, inner wall, inner gate, inner court, and each inner room. My mind went a little dizzy trying to comprehend how Ezekiel remembered it all to write it down.

     I had two visions in my lifetime, both within a three-year period of time. One was before my Amish Grandpa’s funeral in 1977. The other was right before my Dad died in 1980. I won’t give details of the visions, as they are personal to me, and I don’t want it to sound like I’m bragging.

     To put it into perspective, however, I had two visions in my entire almost 71-year life on earth. That means that in almost 26,000 days of my life, I had two visions. So, in the other 25,998 days of my life, I had no visions—or dreams for that matter, since I am now considered old.

     What was the purpose of the two visions I had so long ago, especially when I crave God speaking directly to me once again after nearly fifty years? I think they were to give me hope of specific promised outcomes.

     I believe God knows every detail of my mind—of the way I think—and what I needed, and what I need now, to get me through the long drought of promises not fulfilled.

     I was a new Christian back in the late 70's and early 80's, I didn’t have any good mentors in my life, and I didn’t know scripture like I do today. Perhaps God knew I would need anchors to keep me going on the path He had for me.

    In conclusion, I’m very thankful for those two visions so many years ago, but I don’t hang my hat on only them. Instead, I hang my hat on God’s unfailing, unending love and mercy for me that is described in the Bible. The Bible and what God tells me in the Bible is now my main anchor.

     I’m open, however, to a dream or two, now that I’m what many consider an old man. I’m not going to pray for God to give me a dream—but I’ll surely accept one if He gives it to me.