May 2021

• Activities, besides the normal, during the month of May: We had our Mexican friends and their families over for dinner; completed our science project growing corn and beans (Aolani especially loved it); Aolani has her first local friend spend the night; my friend Teresa comes up from Florida to visit for several days; Ricky takes the older kids to a JAARS Day and on a small plane ride; my parents come visit for a few days and celebrate Morgan’s birthday party; we go get to go to a Mexican birthday party (with four piñatas!); neighbors come over for dinner twice; and, we get to go to a park in Charlotte to pray for people. 
• We meet and become friends with a neighbor family (the parents are a decade younger but with four little kids already!) The mom said that God has opened her ears to understand me when I talk… what an answer to prayer! Praise God for the A family!

• School verses: Aolani and Micaiah — I let the kids take a break from memorization for May and June (after memorizing Paul Revere’s Ride ;)
• Verses I memorized: Ephesians 1:11-14

God’s Will is Known

I am memorizing the first chapter of Ephesians right now. For the past year, I have been reading (and memorizing) out of the Wuest New Testament, a translation based on the Greek language. 

In the NIV, Ephesians 1:9-10 reads,

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

According to the Wuest translation, Ephesians 1:9-10 reads,

having made known to us the mystery of His will according to that which seemed good to Him, which good thing He purposed in himself, with respect to an administration of the completion of the epochs of time to bring back again to their original state all things in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in Him,

While there are so many things to point out, I only wanted to address one (or two).

The NIV makes it sound like God’s will is still a mystery to us, but more and more of it is revealed to us as we approach the end of time and that’s part of His plan. It seems so passive!

BUT... that’s not what Paul wrote or meant! 

The Wuest verifies that God’s will has been made known to us and is no longer a mystery to us (other Scriptures buttress this truth). He made it known to us because He is considering that the end of time is approaching (when people are revealed to be found in Christ or not). Since He wants for none to perish, He has revealed His will, so that we can actively evangelize and make disciples. 

I have no idea if I clarified that well. Basically, it’s about enlarging the Kingdom, which Satan hates. And God has empowered and equipped us to do it, now. We have the Spirit and fullness NOW. Pentecost has already happened! There is no more waiting!