BOLDNESS!

I so admire Saul. Here he was, deeply seeped and trained in the religion of the Jewish (Hebrew, Israelite) people- his people and God's chosen people.

Then Jesus.

Jesus came and broke down all the traditions and barriers through His birth, life, death, burial, resurrection AND ascension!

He created a new race of people. People that are united with Him. In union. One.

Then Saul (his name later changed to Paul) met this Jesus- and when you really meet this Jesus- you just can't be the same. Because you aren't the same. He does an inner work, in your inner man, that only He can do. A total transformation.

Paul met this Jesus- and he had a choice. He could sit nice and polite and listen to the mixture of the Old Covenant and the New Covenant- or

he could live in an intimate, moment by moment fellowship and oneness with this Jesus that has so radically exchanged him and lives within the core, the most real part, of Paul- his new, born-again spirit.

And in this intimacy Jesus spoke truth to Paul, the whole and complete gospel to Paul (Colossians 1:27, Galatians 2:20, Romans 5-8)- He revealed to Paul what none had been revealed before! Mysteries!

Paul chose Truth. Paul chose the whole and complete Gospel. Paul chose to live in intimacy with this Jesus. Because of this Paul wrote 13 letters (at least, but that's all we have) to the house churches that had gathered together. In these letters he reveals what Christ Jesus spoke and revealed to him through the Holy Spirit.

In the letter Paul wrote to the church (the body of believers, the body of Christ) in Ephesus he asked them to pray for him- this is what he said:

"and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, TO MAKE KNOWN WITH BOLDNESS THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL".

Let each of us, that God has chosen to reveal Himself Who He is and who we are because of Him- MAKE KNOW WITH BOLDNESS THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL, the whole and undiluted Gospel.

“May God raise up men and women who are humble enough to learn to live by the indwelling life of Christ with other believers. And who are courageous enough to proclaim the unsearchable riches of that life in this hour”. – Frank Viola