mystery

 

As the pressures of his public career mounted Stuart Hamblen began gambling and became increasingly addicted to alcohol. His drinking binges occasionally landed him in jail for brawling and shooting out streetlights. He later confessed that he was the "original juvenile delinquent."

Hamblen's wild, boozing lifestyle might have gone indefinitely had his wife not introduced him to the young evangelist Billy Graham. She persuaded him to attend Graham's path-breaking tent revival campaign, which was being held at Washington and Hill streets in Los Angeles. The next day Hamblen gave his testimony over the radio and declared that he was "hitting the sawdust trail."

True to his word, Hamblen swore off alcohol and tobacco, sold his racehorses, and dedicated his life to Christ. Many of his later songs, such as "It Is No Secret (What God Can Do)," "His Hands," "Until Then," "This Ship of Mine," and "Open Up Your Heart (And Let the Sunshine In)," reflected his new-found faith.

In 1954, while on a hunting trip in the Sierras, Hamblen and his party came upon the body of an old, dead prospector in his remote tumbledown shack. That experience resulted in Hamblen's most famous gospel music tune, "This Ole House," which was subsequently popularized by Rosemary Clooney and named the 1954 Song of the Year.

A secret only remains a secret until it is told. Stuart Hamblin knew the secret, (he went to the crusade and was told & believed)

DO YOU KNOW THE SECRET?

It might surprise you but the New Testament is sprinkled with Secrets and Mysteries. Jesus talked about things hidden.

Have you ever planned a surprise party. It's really difficult to keep it a surprise. My granddaughter turned 20 years old and I make it a habit to call instead of text and so I did. We had a great conversation and she mentioned that she and the family were going out for dinner to celebrate. Connie and I live 2 hours away so I mentioned to Connie that I wanted to drive up and surprise her. We called our daughter Becky and had her add 2 extra to the reservations. Our Granddaughter was very surprised, and very happy. 

The mystery and secrets the Lord was referencing are the mysteries and secrets, when known, will make those who experience them eternally surprised and eternally ecstatic.

Colossians 1:25–27 (ESV)

25 of which I became a minister (Paul talking about himself) according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery (secret) hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

What's the secret, what's the mystery?  

CHRIST IN YOU. 

Emmanuel (God is with us).

HOW DID GOD DEAL WITH MAN IN THE OLD VRS THE NEW TESTAMENT?

OLD TESTAMENT                                       NEW TESTAMENT                                    

JEWS – GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE              JEWS & GENTILES WHO RECEIVE THE SPIRIT

TEMPLE                                                          GOD DWELLS WITHIN US

ANIMAL SACRIFICES                                    JESUS CHRIST THE ONE & FOREVER SACRIFICE

TEN COMMANDMENTS (THE LAW)              SAVED BY GRACE (FAITH)

PROPHETS                                                      HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN REVEALS GOD

Colossians 2:2–3 (ESV)

2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

THE MESSIAH, JESUS CHRIST CHANGED EVERYTHING.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

OUR NATURE IS TO WANT TO DO SOMETHING TO EARN ANYTHING. 

THAT IS ALSO TRUE ABOUT SALVATION & THAT’S THE GREAT MYSTERY, THAT’S WHAT STUART HAMLIN WAS TELLING US IN HIS SONG, "IT IS NO SECRET", THAT’S WHAT MADE STUART HAMLIN A NEW MAN, 

A COMPLETELY CHANGED MAN. IT’S WHAT 2 COR 5:17 CALLS A NEW CREATURE (A NEW CREATION).

2 Corinthians 5:17    Amplified Bible

Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].

1 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)

Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:

• He was manifested in the flesh,
• vindicated by the Spirit,
• seen by angels,
• proclaimed among the nations,
• believed on in the world,
• taken up in glory.

Ephesians 3:5 (ESV)

5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.

Ephesians 1:9–10 (ESV)

9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

1 Corinthians 2:7 (ESV)

7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.

THIS VERSE TELLS US THAT THIS WAS ALWAYS GOD’S PLAN. GOD HASN’T CHANGED. HE IS IMMUTABLE (UNCHANGING). HE WAS LOVE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, HE IS LOVE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. HE DESIRED THAT WE FOLLOW HIM IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, HE DESIRES THAT WE FOLLOW HIM IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.

READ HEBREWS CHAPTER 11, IT WAS ALWAYS BY FAITH.

ROMANS 6:29 English Standard Version

Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”