“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone  round about them: and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”(Luke 2:8-14).

The Day of Christ begins with the appearing (the epiphaneia) and kingdom (basileia) of Jesus Christ (2 Tim.4:1); and the blazing forth of the glory of the great God, even our Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). This is when the hope of the calling of the Mystery is realized. This is when our faith gives way to sight. This is the next event on God's prophetic clock. This is when Christ Jesus, in His role as the Head of the high calling, convenes [calls into session] His Ecclesia (Church) which is His Body. As the Great Convoker, He, alone, calls His Ecclesia into session. This marks His assumption of sovereignty over the nations. Individuals who have been “membered” into “the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” will either be raised out from among the dead, or will be changed from mortal to immortal, and will take their place, or station in His Government.

“Annotation - A remark, note or commentary on some passage of a book, intended to illustrate its meaning; generally used in the plural, as annotations of the Scriptures” (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary).
 
In the late 1970s, the Lord Jesus Christ “opened the eyes of my understanding” to the fact that the “Kingdom of God” (which is the Theme of the Bible) is a Pre-Millennial Truth. One of the factors the Lord used to begin His process of enlightenment was that it became apparent the Lord Jesus Christ establishes His Kingdom on earth while He remains in Heaven. I began to see what Charles Welch meant when he said something to the effect that, “The Millennium is where you place prophecies you don’t know what to do with. It becomes the ‘Dumping Grounds.’” However, to my knowledge Mr. Welch never endorsed the concept that the “Kingdom of God” was Pre-Millennial. (However, he did write a study in his later years in which he placed the “Kingdom of God” as being post Millennial. In fact I read it around 1976 give or take a few years. I learned later that the study was no longer available).

Little did I know at “this time of my defamation by Mr. Carmichael” that the Lord Jesus Christ moved me out of Stage III as being one of the many CALLED and on to Stage IV as having become one of the few to be CHOSEN─FOR MANY ARE CALLED, BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN.

This picture was taken in 1963. I had been presented with the 1962 Top Sales Increase Award by the TV Personality, Art Linkletter, who was also one of the Board of Directors of the R. C. Cola Corp. Mr. Carmichael rewarded me by means of giving me the title of Vice-President instead of an increase in pay. I had been his General Manager for three years, and I had not received an increase in pay, nor had I received one after being his GM for five years.

The years of 1962, 1963, 1964 were very special for me. It was during those years that my life was totally changed by the transforming power of believing that the Sacrificial Death of the Lord Jesus Christ paid the price for my sins.
 
Gloria and I were married on December 12, 1952. We had started dating in 1948 in High School. I was given a Baseball Scholarship to Southern Methodist University which was located in Dallas, Texas. 1949 to 1953 were the years I attended SMU.  I had what many would say was an outstanding baseball career at SMU—two years I was selected to the All Southwest Conference Team as the Centerfielder. Our team won the Southwest Conference Championship in 1953. I was chosen as a member of the Second Team All American in 1953. I signed a professional baseball contract to play in the Milwaukee Braves organization. I played two years (1953-54) in their Minor League organization. Then, in 1954 I was drafted into the United States Army.

Harken back to our references to the various Stages in the previous Three Parts of this manuscript:  Stage I – God’s Kinder-Garten, Stage II – God’s John 3:16ers, and Stage III – God’s Called. These three Stages, like all Five of God’s Stages during today’s Dispensation of the Revelation of The Mystery, are accomplished surreptitiously. In plainer words, ever since the closing the Acts Period, the Lord’s movements are done in secret.

Most of the Brethren, who endeavor to “rightly divide the Word of Truth” (2 Timothy 2:15), understand that Truth for Today had been a Mystery, which is to say, a Secret. The Present Dispensation was not the subject of Prophesy. The Mystery was not a prophetic truth. It “hath been hid in God” (Ephesians 3:9). None of the OT Prophets knew anything about “The Mystery.” Paul knew absolutely nothing about The Mystery until it was revealed to him when Jesus Christ, Personally and secretly, visited him in a Roman dungeon (Ephesians 4:9-10).  The time period was when the Apostle could declare that he was a “prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles” (Ephesians 3:1).  In fact, Present Truth was not made known to anyone except the Apostle Paul and to him only─AFTER GOD SET ASIDE ISRAEL (Acts 28:28). Present Truth was made known by the Apostle to the Gentiles. In Paul’s Epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians, he revealed the Truth which had been hidden from all the ages and generations. The Mystery makes known that Christ is NOW among the Gentiles and is their hope of Glory. It had been unknown to all of the Holy Prophets. Its revelation is NOW made manifest,  to wit, with the writing of Ephesians and Colossians.

I have tried to put together what might be God’s modus operandi  as He moves believers from “faith to faith.” Notice a revelation of Truth:
 
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein [in the Gospel] is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16-17).

This is an addendum to PLAINER W0RDS… “The Race That Is Set Before Us.”
 
The Lord Jesus followed this line of truth throughout His Earthly Ministry, as witnessed by the Four Gospels, The Acts of the Apostles, and the Acts Period Epistles. But, the astute student will recognize that being “Chosen” is a step above being “Called.” To illustrate this truth, we will look at an event in His early ministry. Luke records this event of our Lord Jesus Christ.