The Mysteries Of Life

David Collingsworth was celebrating a birthday as we gathered to worship Sunday at Mill Creek Baptist Church. Wayne Johnson opened our morning service with prayer, and special prayers were requested for Rachel, Stella and Roy Abercrombie. Linda Abercrombie read "Not Everything Happens for a Reason," a devotional about the questions we have about illness and death in our lives. We are not exempt from human experience, pain, heartache and loss. God's will is not the path we walk, but how we walk it. God's will is to walk with us through the heartache and draw closer to Him to use it for hope, grace, forgiveness and mercy. God is not responsible for our pain. He doesn't want us to hurt; He hurts with us.

Tyrel Lett asked God's blessing upon our tithes and offerings and he and Rick Lett served as ushers. Becky Johnson and Karen Gardner led the congregation in singing hymns of praise and we were blessed with special music from Joe, Angela and Sarah Bratton.

Brother Mark Hall began God's message for us in a sermon with two titles: "The Mysteries of Life" and "When We All Get To Heaven." Scripture was taken from I Corinthians 2:6-12 and 8:1-3. Brother Mark told us that no one knows our innermost thoughts and feelings but us. "When you love God, God knows you better than you. The Bible is full of mysteries. Knowledge is a good thing, but having a lot can sometimes puffs one up. It is better to be ignorant than arrogant."

Brother Mark also talked about the "love chapter" and love never fails in I Corinthians 13:1-13. "The virtues of faith, hope and love are needed on this earth. How we live by faith is an important virtue, but in heaven faith will give way to sight. Hope will turn into experience, but love is eternal." I John 4:8 says, "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love."

Brother Mark told us "We just know a little about what God has for us in heaven. It will be unbelievable," as he used the example of the old black and white TV and the new HD TVs. "We could never imagine back then when we watched black and white TV what TV would be like now or watching TV on our phone. Back then we could never imagine what we have now. If we just knew a little about Heaven, we wouldn't be able to wait to get there. We can't imagine what it will be like. We will know about the things of God and the things He has for us. We will have the perfect mind, the mind of Christ. Thanks to God, all of our questions will be answered." Brother Mark read I Corinthians 17:51-58.

I Corinthians 2:6-16 talks about the Wisdom of God. "However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages of our glory which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written; "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."

Brother Mark said there are two things we must have to know God's will. "We have to have a revelation from God by the Spirit and it takes a spiritual response by you. How do we know that our divine revelation is actually from God?" I Corinthians 2:13 answers that question. "If your divine revelation agrees with the Bible, it is from God. If it is contradictory to the word of God, it is not from God. Verse 16 tells us 'For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.' We can have some hard times on this earth and Psalm 30:5 tells us we will always have heartache and pay consequences for our own bad choices." Brother Mark said, "We can pay for our bad choices for a lifetime, but the Bible tells us joy comes in the morning. If you are down right now, hold on. God has more blessings for us than we can count. How many blessings do we miss just because we are not looking for them? You don't want to miss the things God has for you. Your eyes haven't seen it, your ears haven't heard it and you have not even imagined it. Ask God that whatever he has for you that you not miss it, but the only way you can see it is by having the mind of Christ, and that is the mystery of life. You will never get the mystery if you don't have the mind. Do you have the mind of Christ?"

Our hymn of invitation was "O How He Loves Me" and Rick Lett gave the benediction. We invite you to worship with us each Sunday morning at Mill Creek Baptist church. Sunday school begins at 10 a.m. and worship service at 11 a.m. Everyone is welcome.

Religion on 02/11/2016