Pastor Ralph Diehl » mystery http://www.ralphdiehl.com Thoughts on Life Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:00:54 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 THE OUTHOUSE http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2011/03/14/the-outhouse/ http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2011/03/14/the-outhouse/#comments Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:00:03 +0000 pastordiehl http://www.ralphdiehl.com/?p=3007 Years ago I was the youth director of the Waterloo Church of Christ. Anita and I lived in an old farmhouse just out of town. One fall evening we had a youth event with a wiener roast and hayride and invited young people from other churches, as well. At one point a male leader from another church came to me and asked, “Do you have a restroom?” What a ridiculous question, but  thought I’d work that a little bit.

There was an old outhouse still sitting in the backyard that was no longer in use. The farmer sometimes used this while he was working the fields. He had an old worn out pair of bib overalls thrown in there in case he might need them.

So, I replied to the young man, “Sure,” and pointed to the outhouse. His head kind of dropped and he headed off for the outhouse. I said, “Knock on the door first because I think someone might be in there.”

Then I watched as he walked to the outhouse and knocked on the door. With no answer, he opened the door and stepped inside. He looked at the bib overalls laying on the floor and tried to figure out what had just happened. When he turned around to look at me, he found me doubled over in laughter. What do you think might have been going through his head?

]]> http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2011/03/14/the-outhouse/feed/ 1 MADE KNOWN http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2009/04/13/the-mystery-of-his-will/ http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2009/04/13/the-mystery-of-his-will/#comments Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:00:13 +0000 pastordiehl http://www.ralphdiehl.com/?p=687 Ephesians 1:9-10 says, “And He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment – to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.”

It is the action of the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) to reveal God’s truth to us who believe. And this spiritual blessing is that he has revealed this truth to us: “the mystery of His will…which He purposed in Christ”. In other words, the mystery of God’s will was that we be redeemed and have life in Christ. When Jesus prayed in the Garden “Father, if there’s any other way, let this cup pass from me”, there was no “other way” but God’s purpose. Yet Christ was resolved to submit to that purpose.

Note, also, that it was God’s “good pleasure” to see His Son go to the cross so that you and I could be redeemed. That’s how much He loves us. The revealing of that love comes day by day.

How has God revealed His love for you lately?

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