The Mystery Altered

Anne Bradshaw • September 7, 2023

The Mystery Altered

Dear Reader,

A question was asked recently in a group setting, "What is to be done about the evils we see in society today?"

The following is my answer to that question.

Ephesians 3:8-12, Paul says,

To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to enlighten all people as to what the plan of the mystery is which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; so that the multifaceted wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places, This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.

God chooses to work through His Church. He doesn’t work through joe’s church or jane’s church. He works through His Church, His body which is not a building or an organization with employees and committee chair members. His Church that He is building is formed from living stones upon one foundation, that is Christ. The living stones are the saints, believers in Jesus, the family of God who are called as one Holy Nation to proclaim the truth that Jesus is Lord. With this proclamation is revealed the wisdom of God to the nations that Jesus taught regarding the Kingdom of God. It is through the administration of this Gospel among the nations that all who would believe are received and the ills of this world are healed. Creation itself groans for the people of God to take their place and administrate the Kingdom as Jesus taught and as was mandated to humanity in Genesis.

This Gospel revealed is not for a ticket to heaven, though it is true that eternal life is a part of this message. Neither is the Gospel a message of salvation only, though that message is foundational. But we cannot stop at salvation or heaven and assume that there is nothing more needed. It is the rest of the Gospel that is missing from the messages typically shared. Why? To put it simply, Nickles and noses. The unaltered Word of God for humanity to successfully live the abundant life of the Kingdom with Jesus as Lord may not line up with the agenda or sensibilities of the one communicating the message. Goodwill is promoted over good Truth. Why? Because (and I generalize here) offending the attendees on Sunday morning does not promote the generous giving (tithes and offerings) needed to keep the organization (church built by men/women rather than God) running or pay the electric bill and salaries.

Salvation is needed because sin is real. And only through proper initiation (repentance, baptism and infilling of Holy Spirit) can alignment with the Truth and sensitivity to What God is Saying NOW happen. Only through the one Door, Jesus, can one can successfully overcome the adversities and walk successfully in Destiny fulfilling the purpose of God upon the earth. The Gospel revealed is not for someday, somewhere out “there.” The Gospel is for NOW. It is for the living and the believing people of faith to be successful WORKING parts of the plan of God upon the earth for the good of ALL humanity and creation.

What was the mystery revealed? The church. His Church through whom He fulfills His work for the GOOD of all addressing evil and bringing an end to the influence of evil among us.

But as long as the church lacks identity as HIS and is divided regarding what is “truth” according to Scripture, His voice upon the earth can be distorted or silenced because of division and compromise affecting His body, the Church He is building. And this happens because we lack the understanding of the ENTIRE MESSAGE Jesus and the apostles preached. The church man has built has settled for Sunday morning group therapy sessions on the hardships of life instead of receiving the downloads of King Jesus and the marching orders of His Faith that has lasting effects on entire communities and nations.

Ern Baxter, in his message regarding Covenant said this: God’s word is final and non-negotiable. He has decreed what He will do in and through His Word. You can accept it, or you may reject it, but it cannot be altered. The ills of today, [the corruption and misalignment of truth and faith] have all derived from humanity altering [tampering/ adjusting] the Word of God to satisfy personal agendas and a personal sense of right and “wrong.” [my summary]

The world does not have the answers to Spiritual problems. They have to alter the word of God to convince the people of God that they know what they are doing. They don’t. And the church man builds, in its divided and distorted mess, is of course silent because they don’t know what to do either. Only the Living Stones among the rubble of man-made doctrines can see and hear the truth and they must be willing to rise up upon the firm foundation upon which THEY STAND and shake off the dust of tradition and codependent compromise declaring TRUTH unashamedly and confidently as David did when he faced Goliath. Only then, will the world see and line up with TRUTH and the answers will be provided to heal our land. This only happens through the mandate to the church Jesus is Building (of which the first Apostles were the beginning) in

Matthew 28: 19-20.

¹⁹Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

May the church Jesus is Building stand boldly before the throne and receive the marching orders for their assignment. May the stand for truth as Jesus and the First Apostles lived and taught, go forth to heal every nation, discipling each toward a whole and healthy place.

As individuals among the Body, living Stones upon the firm Foundation, may we have eyes to see our identity purpose and placement within the Body of Christ, the Family of God and from there fulfill our destiny as revealed through His Spirit within.

May we have ears to hear and heed the instructions sent forth from the Throne of Grace without altering the instructions to satisfy the level at which or natural self is willing to operate.

May we truly "Surrender All" for the Sake of Him Who Loves us most.

Blessings,

Anne

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Flower Garden Grace

By Anne Bradshaw • April 9, 2026

“I feel as bright as a flower garden!” This phrase is included in a book I am currently working on. It has to do with an unexpected gift of colorful clothing. The idea came from an account regarding my grandfather's visit to a neighbor. The story began something like this: "One day "Pat" (my Grandfather) came to the door in to bring some vegetables from the garden." The neighbor went on to relate how embarrassed she was to open the door because she had just gotten out of the shower and had to hurriedly put on whatever clothes were handy before answering the door. The clothes did not match and she did not really pay attention until she was nearly to the door. In fact the colors wildly clashed, and she still had a towel (also colorful) around her wet hair. Today, we would probably just not answer the door, but this was a small town and people did not do that when it was someone they knew. She went on to tell how embarrassed and silly she felt but she decided to open the door anyway expecting my grandfather to make a depreciating comment about how silly she looked (because that was how she felt). She was pleasantly surprised by what my grandfather said, “Why, you look as purty as a garden full of flowers!” That was how I remember my grandparents teasing. They allowed the one being teased to participate without losing face. As far as I can remember, no one left feeling “less than,” but rather “a part of” when jokes were told. Some are so quick to criticize and joke in ways that put others down. Why highlight and tear apart the flaws in the name of humor or“truth in love” or simply to feel superior? Have you noticed the world has become quick to see what is not right. We do want injustice exposed, yes. But not just exposed! As believers, our desire is for justice and to be right with God, to stand for Truth because it is good for us, not just good to us. We were made to be the representatives of Christ upon the earth, so it is difficult to stand silent when injustice is happening. But a balance is needed. To complain and only report what the devil is up to and neglect the report of what God is doing and what He has said in His Word about similar matters in the past, works counter to our desire for righteousness. Likewise, concentrating on the flaws, condemning and highlighting the areas of weakness in others or even ourselves, denies the value of who God says we are and all He has placed within us to accomplish His good purposes. The option is always before us when we hear reports that are negative or discern what is unjust. We must wisely, with the help of the Holy Spirit, know how to respond to these moments. In small and large matters, we can choose to support life or death, literally and figuratively. That power is in our tongue, what we say aloud and think in our hearts. It is in our conversation: blessing or curses, grace or gossip. The power is in our prayers, the Scriptures we remember and those we call on in prayer. God says He watches over His Word to perform it. What Word are we speaking, praying, believing? When my Grandfather's neighbor opened the door to him in her crazy outfit, in that moment, he chose to support life. How? His joking comment cut off erased any opportunity for embarrassment to take hold. The joking comment about the flower garden, found a positive place to land in her heart that did not wound. He made light of the moment, canceling any need for shame, and brought laughter to a memory. Any other response could have caused that woman to cringe for the rest of the day. Instead, she remembered the moment at his memorial service with gratitude and laughter, remembering his kindness. Be a blessing, choose life. Listen to those who recognize the opportunity to apply Truth to negativity. Grace and Peace, Anne Jeremiah 1:12 “You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.” Romans 8: 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death , but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, Proverbs 18:21: Death and life are in the power of the tongue : and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. see also