Yesterday, I had some time to watch TV and choose one of my favorites- "Sherlock".
Not the old one with Basil Rathbone, but the new one with Benedict Cumberbatch.
I recommend this series highly!!! Look for it on the BBC channel on cable. Anyway, I am always amazed at the way he solves mysteries. I can just imagine the two girls in the top picture sitting on my sofa during an episode of "Sherlock" and telling one another the "Secret" of the mystery. I wonder, are there secrets in Christianity? Then, there is this passage...
Matthew, Chapter 13 (WEB)
10 The disciples came, and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
11 He answered them, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them. 12 For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he has. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they don’t see, and hearing, they don’t hear, neither do they understand. 14 In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says,
‘By hearing you will hear,
and will in no way understand;
Seeing you will see,
and will in no way perceive:
15 for this people’s heart has grown callous,
their ears are dull of hearing,
they have closed their eyes;
or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their heart,
and should turn again;
and I would heal them.’
11 He answered them, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them. 12 For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he has. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they don’t see, and hearing, they don’t hear, neither do they understand. 14 In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says,
‘By hearing you will hear,
and will in no way understand;
Seeing you will see,
and will in no way perceive:
15 for this people’s heart has grown callous,
their ears are dull of hearing,
they have closed their eyes;
or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their heart,
and should turn again;
and I would heal them.’
Jesus did everything he could to teach them, but sometimes the disciples "just didn't get it". They had a lot to learn (hence the term, disciple) and for that matter, so do we. But, how do we do that, anyway? And what is the path to our success as Christians? In a word- Discipline!!! Frankly, there is no substitute for consistent effort in learning the things of God, whether it be daily prayer, bible reading or practicing one of the disciplines found in Mark Copeland's "Exceutable Outlines" listed below.
NOW, you know the secret- practice and learn!!!
http://executableoutlines.com/disc.htm