Don’t you love mysteries? The Bible is full of them and each time one is revealed, we jump for joy because every one of them is a gift of wonder on our journey into wholeness. The etymology of “mystery” in a theological sense is a “religious truth via divine revelation, hidden spiritual significance, mystical truth.” The Greek word was used in the Septuagint for “secret counsel of God.” Nice, huh?

The Spirit of the Lord often brings mysteries in the middle of the night when our carnal minds are sleeping, dropping words in the secret place of the stairs for us to discover. “Follow me on the right path!” He beckons, not audibly, but through the inner man’s “Knower.” Sometimes He gives several “eye” drop-words at once and when He does, I know they will lead to an exciting surprise. I’m like a little child when they come, with my mind whirling with imagination in anticipation.

I have to admit when some of the words come, I think: “Say what?? Can anything good come out of these?” like the ones that came last night: I ask: “How can “senders”,“singing Happy Birthday,” and “brillo pads” possibly fit together?” I don’t know yet, but my answers usually come when I write, so here we go: You, our Daddy and I will be on a treasure hunt today, beginning with the first word “senders.” I never thought of it this way before, but THAT’S exactly what we are-… senders of God’s Word, His love, miracles, signs, wonders, healings and yikes! of all things: “brillo pads.”… Yep, we’re going to get things shining… even sparkling bright, especially those black cooking vessels that need a good polishing.

I smile when I think of my Noni’s pots and pans: Her house was neat and orderly, but those pots of hers looked like they had been through a coal mine’s explosion. She sure needed some miracle brillo pads, but in her case it was okay that her cooking pots didn’t look so hot, because what was in them was not only hot, it was heavenly. I am certain that angels gave her mystery recipes in HER sleep all the time. 

However, while it’s alright to have a black vessel or two to cook food in, it’s not alright to BE a black vessel. You and I are preparing the best of the best spiritual food for people and God wants us not only to be bright and shining inside, He wants us to be an example of perfection outside, too, as we shine up others. Oh yes, He’s sending us polished vessels to shine, shine, shine to polish many and they wouldn’t receive us if we were charcoal black, now would they? I love it that one of the etymology meanings of “brillo” is “silver” which leads us to the “Happy Birthday” song that’s about to be sung over us and that we’re going to sing to others.

“Silver” is a code word for “redemption” and points to the redemption of the body. Now I want to make plain something I have written before that you already know, but perhaps like me, you might sometimes forget: Revelation is NOT manifestation! The manifestation comes after believing the revelation and I surmise that not understanding this has caused many problems in the body of Christ.

So what is going to open up for us now through these words I’ve been given to share? The first eye opener is that we are “senders” of the Word through preaching it accompanied by signs, wonders, miracles, healings and other demonstrations of God’s power. I find it interesting that the birthday song came BEFORE our being sent out as brillo pads which tells me that our transformation comes before we are sent out to polish others.

Remember this: We sing “Happy Birthday” in commemoration of an event already past, not at the time a baby is born. Our redemption just like everything else, comes about BY FAITh calling forth the things that are not as they are. So that which pertains to full redemption, spirit, soul and body can be no different, eh?

But faith without works is dead, so here’s the rub: Brillo pads don’t work unless they are rubbed up against something and guess what?: That something figuratively is us. Many have been in the habit of running away from difficult situations and people, but don’t you know?: They are just what’s needed to polish us up. It’s the knowledge of the truth that sets us free and that person we don’t like may just have the piece of truth we need and vice versa. How many of us realize that we are only as strong as the weakest member of Christ’s body… that when one hurts, all hurt? Do we love that weak one enough to suffer with and for him? Will we obey our Lord’s command to love one another and fulfill His desire that we be one?

If so, come on all you “Shiner-uppers”: Let’s rub on!