A few days ago Karen and I were driving to the Marine Corps Base at Camp Lejeune when we passed a church that had a big banner hanging from their building that read, come see (this man) who was twice dead. Come hear his testimony and revelation. Now we have been to this church before. One Sunday night we did not have service at our church so Karen and I dropped in just to check things out. I drive by the church every time I work at the school and have noticed their dedication to early morning prayer. Well we entered the church and took our seats. We tried getting into the flow of the Spirit, but were interrupted time and time again by the members who kept trying to lead us to Christ. Not once or twice, but three or four times different people came up asking if we are Christians. I was aghast to their great lack of spiritual discernment and just basic common sense not to mention their rudeness until Karen said look around. We (at age 50) were the oldest people in the crowd. Wisdom, spiritual discernment, and knowledge of God come by way of age and handling the real things of God. Zealousness, novelty, and excitement are okay when you are a babe. Fear not, if we have a heart for God and we allow, He will work all of this immaturity out of us. Now with this experience behind me I read this banner. As I looked at the banner the Holy Spirit spoke (in my spirit) and said, “it matters what revelation holds you.” It is one thing to say, we have this truth or that enlightenment or revelation, but it is a far better thought and truth to say the revelation holds us. Sadly, many churches will host famous sports athletes, famous singers and musicians, or people with an unbelievable story (not sure if I can call it a testimony if you are getting paid) like the fellow who was twice dead under the guise of sharing the gospel message and hoping this strange new story will produce a desire for repentance. Could it be the church has lost the real power of God and now must count on holidays and special events to invite people to parties with the world’s trappings, hoping God shows up. Well my friend this is NOT how the Holy Spirit works. No special meeting or party, emotional story, or famous singer can bring us to the saving knowledge and understanding of our need for Jesus Christ. It must be by us allowing God to bring this revelation to our heart and mind. John shares this critical (and oh so forgotten) truth with us, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44) Make no mistake God is good at softening our hearts, often with pain and sufferings, through His dealings and judgments so that we will be able to receive this enlightenment of who God is as compared to who we are. Jesus Himself shared this critical point with many that followed Him, “But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. 65And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. 66From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.” (John 6:64-66) This truth was too hard for some and many walked away, so too today this truth is too hard for many in the church and instead of walking away they try to help God by manipulating His word. I always find it amazing these people were daily following Jesus and Jesus knew they did not believe Him and His words. When we come to the edge of truth, it will always divide us from what we thought as compared to the reality of God’s words. Jesus set the standard and is THE way when He said, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) The truth is, Jesus is truth personified and is the only way or is the only revelation one MUST have to come “unto the Father.” Please note Jesus did not say He was going to take us all to heaven, but said He was the way, the truth, and the life of the Father. My friend we MUST allow this revelation to hold us. Any other revelation such as a man who died twice is not enough to get us to the Father. Oh it may fill seats and offering plates and get many momentary fearful and tearful confessions, but they do not last nor will it get them to the Father. I ask many people to read my books and articles after they read the Bible. Christian books and the such are written from the perspective of a man’s experience and revelation of who God is to them. Do not settle for reading another’s experience and revelation of God when you can have your own experiences and revelation of God. God so wants this to happen in our lives. I see people come to church bringing books from famous Christian authors and leave their Bible home, why? The Bible is the revelation of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1). Never forget revelation is God’s measuring stick of our authority. How much revelation we possess of Him will be the amount of authority God can trust us with.
This truth is played out extremely well in the life of Peter as he walked with Jesus. One day Jesus asked the apostles and the disciples, “He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?” (John 16:15) You know my friend Jesus too asks us this question every day to us? Our answer to this question will speak of the amount of revelation (and authority) we have of God. Peter’s reply was, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:16-18) Now Jesus was not saying He was going to build His church on Peter as some denominations teach, but was saying He was going to build His church on the revelation that Peter possessed of Jesus, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Any other revelation, have it be in spoken word, in print, or in song is incorrect and will lead to spiritual immaturity and the destruction of the work of God in our lives. Here in these verse we see a side of Jesus rarely seen. Jesus refers to Peter as “Simon Barjona” (Strong’s #3124) or son of Jonah, a dove. Jesus was making reference to Peter’s nature and character being like the wild golden doves of the Island of Barjona that are impossible to tame. These golden doves are valuable, gold in color like money, beautiful, but no one can tame them. Her see a glimpse of the love Jesus has for Peter and the work that is set before Jesus before He can trust Peter with the keys of the kingdom. “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 6:19) What an awesome responsibility, what authority, what revelation Peter must have before God to could trust him so.
There are two revelations of Jesus we MUST have: the first and most important is, our salvation and all we are in God is built on the revelation of who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for us. And the second revelation is, our unending needs can only be met by Jesus Christ. We MUST come to this understand (our choice not God’s) as we allow God to work in our lives. This Christian way is a way of God revealing the intents and plans of our heart. We MUST allow God free reign and course in our lives. This is the place of true enlightenment and at the center of our being, when quiet and still before Him, we can come to a place of true revelation of who God is. This was the prayer of Paul for the Brethren at the Church of Ephesus and is my prayer for you and myself, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:” (Ephesians 1:17) Any other revelation is incorrect. Written by David Stahl
This truth is played out extremely well in the life of Peter as he walked with Jesus. One day Jesus asked the apostles and the disciples, “He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?” (John 16:15) You know my friend Jesus too asks us this question every day to us? Our answer to this question will speak of the amount of revelation (and authority) we have of God. Peter’s reply was, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:16-18) Now Jesus was not saying He was going to build His church on Peter as some denominations teach, but was saying He was going to build His church on the revelation that Peter possessed of Jesus, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Any other revelation, have it be in spoken word, in print, or in song is incorrect and will lead to spiritual immaturity and the destruction of the work of God in our lives. Here in these verse we see a side of Jesus rarely seen. Jesus refers to Peter as “Simon Barjona” (Strong’s #3124) or son of Jonah, a dove. Jesus was making reference to Peter’s nature and character being like the wild golden doves of the Island of Barjona that are impossible to tame. These golden doves are valuable, gold in color like money, beautiful, but no one can tame them. Her see a glimpse of the love Jesus has for Peter and the work that is set before Jesus before He can trust Peter with the keys of the kingdom. “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 6:19) What an awesome responsibility, what authority, what revelation Peter must have before God to could trust him so.
There are two revelations of Jesus we MUST have: the first and most important is, our salvation and all we are in God is built on the revelation of who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for us. And the second revelation is, our unending needs can only be met by Jesus Christ. We MUST come to this understand (our choice not God’s) as we allow God to work in our lives. This Christian way is a way of God revealing the intents and plans of our heart. We MUST allow God free reign and course in our lives. This is the place of true enlightenment and at the center of our being, when quiet and still before Him, we can come to a place of true revelation of who God is. This was the prayer of Paul for the Brethren at the Church of Ephesus and is my prayer for you and myself, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:” (Ephesians 1:17) Any other revelation is incorrect. Written by David Stahl
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