Continuing 21-Day Focus to Receive Revelation for the Season Ahead! Day 4: What Rock Are You Standing On? In the three previous devotionals the main issue has been going beyond natural revelation into revelation by the Holy Spirit. Jesus demonstrated to His disciples how the Pharisees operated in only natural revelation in discerning the signs in the sky and how they the disciples themselves went only as far as natural revelation could take them in understanding what Jesus was saying about leaven. Finally, Peter broke through into the realm of spiritual revelation when he said that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus acknowledges this breakthrough and in Matthew 16:18-19 declares what will result from Peter receiving this revelation. The first thing that happened was that Peter was changed. He went from Simon, the reed, in verse 17 to Peter, the rock, in verse 18. Receiving revelation from God always changes us. It is not just accessing information from a higher source. It is a personal encounter with God that reveals the truth about us and how God sees us. God saw the reed as the rock and Simon became Peter. After establishing Peter in his new identity, Jesus then prophesies the destiny that goes with his new identity. Jesus declares, "On this Rock I will build My church." This was revelation of a concept unknown up until this time, the church. The disciples had no expectation that there would ever be a different system of worship than the Temple and the synagogue. Jesus did not expound on the concept of the church because it was something the disciples were already familiar with. In the Roman world when they wanted to establish a colony in a new area, they would send a group of men and their families to that area to create the culture and government of Rome. They were called the "ecclesia", the same word that Jesus used for "church". The disciples would have understood that Jesus was going to establish the culture and government of the kingdom of heaven through His "ecclesia". One of the things the ecclesia did was to rule on what was permitted to be done and what was denied access in the territory they had authority over. They could "bind" and they could "loose". Jesus was conferring this same authority to His ecclesia. His promise to them was that they would have the keys to unlock the kingdom of heaven on the earth and would operate is such power and authority that even hell would not be able to withstand them. All of this was the result of Peter looking beyond the natural and tapping into the realm of spiritual revelation. He was given a new identity and a new destiny. Revelation of a new manifestation of the kingdom of God was released along with the power and authority to administrate it. Today ask yourself what revelation God has released to you. How has it changed your identity? How has it defined your destiny? How has it given you new power and authority to release the Kingdom of Heaven into the earth? This is what revelation should do in your life. When you receive revelation then look for these things to take place on your life so that you gain the full blessing God has for you. for more info: gloryofzion.org/communications.php
Posted on: Thu, 08 Aug 2013 00:41:33 +0000
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