Good morning friends!
We pray you are encouraged by all that God is doing this week. As we seek Him, we believe, IT IS TIME for new things to be revealed to us. It is only at the end of ourselves that we will experience the wholeness of who God is. And it all comes down to this: it’s between us and Him, alone.
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:13-19 NKJV
But how did Peter know this?
vs17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”
This word “revealed” is important.
Revealed: apokalyptō - to uncover, lay open what has been veiled or covered up
So, our paraphrase of what Jesus said is: “Peter, you are blessed because it was not flesh and blood which removed the veil that was hindering this knowledge. No! The Father has torn away the veil and revealed it to you!”
The veil was pulled away and truth was released.
To recognize Jesus for who He really is, and to be used for His glory, we need something more than flesh and blood. Neither our humanity nor anyone else’s can open the eyes of our heart to recognize the truth and beauty of Christ. While we fast this week and seek Him, we must remember this: it is nothing we can do to truly have His nature revealed to us and in us.
1 Corinthians 2:13-14 says this:
These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (NKJV)
The "natural man" in 1 Corinthians 2:14 is basically the same as "flesh and blood" in Matthew 6:17.
Something more than flesh and blood and our natural mind is required in order to recognize Christ for who He really is.
When Jesus ascended to the Father, He left us a gift. This gift is the Holy Spirit— the Truth, the Helper, the Healer. It is the Spirit who reveals to us things we cannot see in the natural.
Are you ready to see and do things you haven’t before? Are you hungry for more of His Spirit? Only He can reveal, renew, restore, empower, and transform us!
We love this quote: “Will God ever ask you to do something you are not able to do? The answer is yes--all the time! It must be that way, for God's glory and kingdom. If we function according to our ability alone, we get the glory; if we function according to the power of the Spirit within us, God gets the glory. He wants to reveal Himself to a watching world.” -Henry Blackaby
This song has been ministering to us as we cry out for more! The Dove (click to listen).
Holy Spirit wants to reveal new things to YOU today. Cry out for more!
We encourage you to listen/watch (again or for the first time), Sunday’s message, Reveal: It’s Time.
We’ve loved seeing so many of you at the church this week. Remember, the auditorium is open from 7am-7pm every day if you want to come pray, take communion, or spend time at the cross. We are stirred up and ready for God to move. Make sure you’re there for Worship Night this Friday at 7pm!
Pastors Josh + Tori
We pray you are encouraged by all that God is doing this week. As we seek Him, we believe, IT IS TIME for new things to be revealed to us. It is only at the end of ourselves that we will experience the wholeness of who God is. And it all comes down to this: it’s between us and Him, alone.
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:13-19 NKJV
But how did Peter know this?
vs17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”
This word “revealed” is important.
Revealed: apokalyptō - to uncover, lay open what has been veiled or covered up
So, our paraphrase of what Jesus said is: “Peter, you are blessed because it was not flesh and blood which removed the veil that was hindering this knowledge. No! The Father has torn away the veil and revealed it to you!”
The veil was pulled away and truth was released.
To recognize Jesus for who He really is, and to be used for His glory, we need something more than flesh and blood. Neither our humanity nor anyone else’s can open the eyes of our heart to recognize the truth and beauty of Christ. While we fast this week and seek Him, we must remember this: it is nothing we can do to truly have His nature revealed to us and in us.
1 Corinthians 2:13-14 says this:
These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (NKJV)
The "natural man" in 1 Corinthians 2:14 is basically the same as "flesh and blood" in Matthew 6:17.
Something more than flesh and blood and our natural mind is required in order to recognize Christ for who He really is.
When Jesus ascended to the Father, He left us a gift. This gift is the Holy Spirit— the Truth, the Helper, the Healer. It is the Spirit who reveals to us things we cannot see in the natural.
Are you ready to see and do things you haven’t before? Are you hungry for more of His Spirit? Only He can reveal, renew, restore, empower, and transform us!
We love this quote: “Will God ever ask you to do something you are not able to do? The answer is yes--all the time! It must be that way, for God's glory and kingdom. If we function according to our ability alone, we get the glory; if we function according to the power of the Spirit within us, God gets the glory. He wants to reveal Himself to a watching world.” -Henry Blackaby
This song has been ministering to us as we cry out for more! The Dove (click to listen).
Holy Spirit wants to reveal new things to YOU today. Cry out for more!
We encourage you to listen/watch (again or for the first time), Sunday’s message, Reveal: It’s Time.
We’ve loved seeing so many of you at the church this week. Remember, the auditorium is open from 7am-7pm every day if you want to come pray, take communion, or spend time at the cross. We are stirred up and ready for God to move. Make sure you’re there for Worship Night this Friday at 7pm!
Pastors Josh + Tori
No Comments