Information
verses Revelation.
“Blessed, fortunate and greatly to be envied, are you
Simon BarJona for flesh and blood has not revealed this unto thee
but my Father who is in Heaven”Matt 16v17 “no
man knows the Son except the Father reveal Him”Luke
10v22
Let me explain the importance of revelation as opposed to
information.. You, like myself, usually received information
about who Jesus was, usually twice a year. Christmas and Easter.
Unfortunately this information had little impact on our lives.
Why is this? Simple. The knowledge of who Jesus is, is not given
by flesh and blood .. (people) It comes by revelation of Jesus
Christ.. Paul says “the gospel I received was not of
man… but by the revelation of Jesus Christ”
The importance of revelation in the life of a Christian cannot
be underestimated! The more revelation about Jesus you receive,
the more success and victory you will have in life..Selah
Let’s look at the entire events surrounding the Lords
statement to Peter. Jesus turned to them and said “Who do
men (flesh and blood) say that I am?” (Matt 16v13) The
apostles answered.. some (men) say your are Elijah, some say John
the Baptist or one of the prophets” Jesus said to them
“But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered
“Thou art the Christ, the Son of God” (Now note; Two
chapters before they said virtually the same thing.. (Matt 14v
32) Jesus had come to them walking on the water, Peter got out of
the boat and started to come to him but he doubted and began to
sink. Jesus caught him and walked back over the water into the
boat.. Brief outline.. “They worshipped Him and said, thou
art the Son of God” (verse 33).. Jesus said nothing to them
here, yet when Peter said the same thing two chapters later, the
Lord had a lot to say about this statement. The reason the Lord
did not say anything before, was because they had made the
statement based on what their physical eyes saw.. Two people
walking on the water.. the storm ceasing, the waves stilled..
Pretty impressive... Yes! but not revelation knowledge..
Jesus said “Blessed are you Simon Bar-Jona for flesh and
blood has not revealed this unto you but my Father Who is in
Heaven.. Peter got a revelation from the Father about Who this
person really was.. The Christ, the Son of living God.. this time
he saw with his spiritual eyes. He got a revelation..
It gets better.. Jesus now went on to outline the effects this
revealed knowledge would have upon his (and everybody else's
lives) Verse 18. “and I say also unto you, that thou art
Peter and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of
hell will not prevail against it”
Peter wasn’t the rock. It was the revealed knowledge he
received that made him a rock!
Now notice that in verse 17 Jesus now called Peter, Simon (which
literally means ‘a reed tossed about in the wind’)
Peter was a bit like that.. but based upon what he had just
received from the Father, Jesus now called him Peter (a rock) His
character was about to change from a reed tossed in the wind to a
rock.. based on revelation knowledge. Jesus now went on to say
“upon this rock (or revealed knowledge about Jesus) I will
build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against
it”
The gates (authority) of hell will not prevail against the
revealed knowledge of the Christ of God! The first piece of
revealed knowledge about Jesus you received was the same as
Peter’s. “He is the Christ, the Son of the Living
God!”
The Holy Spirit makes Jesus real to you.. Acting on this revealed
knowledge and receiving Him as Lord and saviour saves you from
your sin. Acting on knowledge revealed by men produces religion
and tradition!
The amount of revealed knowledge you have of the Lord, will
dictate how much success and victory you have in life. The gates
of hell will not prevail against you, the church of the living
God... Let me ask you this question. Could I (flesh and blood)
talk you out of the fact that Jesus is your Lord and saviour?
Definitely not! you would correctly say. Why? Because flesh and
blood did not reveal this to you and flesh and blood can’t
take it away from you either! - Whoopee!
God has many redemptive names throughout the bible. Jesus
fulfilled everyone of them (for you) in his earthly walk. Jehovah
Rapha – the Lord that heals you.. “by Whose (Jesus)
stripes you were healed.. Jehovah Shalom – the Lord my
peace.. “my peace I give to thee” and so on... i.e:
when the devil tries to put sickness on you, if you have revealed
knowledge of Jehovah Rapha, the Lord that heals thee.. and
“by Jesus stripes you were healed” 1 Peter 2:24, you
will resist it and it will flee from you. The revealed knowledge
that “Jesus carried your sickness and bore your pain’
Isaiah 53v4/5.. will bring health to your body and the gates of
hell will not prevail against you.. “be subject to God,
resist (oppose and get in the way of) the devil and he will flee
(as in terror) from you” James 4v7..
The same with the other names of God. Jehovah Jirah – the
Lord will provide. You won’t worry about money any more..
Be subject to God (i.e. cheerfully pay your tithes and offerings,
resist poverty and it will flee from you) Please don’t tell
me poverty is a blessing! Have a look at the 28 chapter of
Deuteronomy and you will find it's a curse!
Ok, so how do I get this revealed knowledge? Glad you asked!
The bible provides a clear answer to this:
The answer lies in the third member of the Blessed Trinity, The
Holy Spirit. As our Lords earthly life was about to come to and
end, He began to introduce His disciples to Someone else Who
would come after Him. (read John 14 through 16) It is here Jesus
begins to expound on the work of the Holy Spirit. John 14v16
“I will pray the Father and He will send you another (of
the same kind) comforter, that he may abide with you forever, the
Spirit of truth… Who shall be in you” Verse 21 Jesus
says He will make manifest (make real) to those who follow Him..
Verse 26 .. the Holy Ghost Who the Father will send in my name,
He will teach you all things… Chapter 16 v 13-15. Howbeit
when He, the Spirit of truth is come.. He will show you things to
come.. Verse 14: He shall receive of mine and show it you…
Verse 15: He shall take of mine and show it to you.. Verse 25: I
shall no more speak to you in proverbs but I shall show you
plainly of the Father. Whilst the word show is used many times in
the bible, this particular word show is only used these four
times. It means to reveal. or to announce in detail.. to
declare..
It comes from two Greek words meaning to bring tidings in detail.
He is the author of the revealed knowledge of God. So how do we
receive this knowledge? In Isaiah 28 verses 9-12, we find one of
the first references to the work of God. ‘To whom shall He
teach knowledge? to whom shall He make to understand doctrine? To
them that are weaned from the breast (not babies any more).. for
with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this
people.. to Whom He said, this is the rest, this is the
refreshing..”
Struggling with the things of God? Do you need a rest? Do you
need refreshing?
1 Cor 2 verses 6-13: I suggest reading the entire chapter. Paul
states that “we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery.. v6
How do you speak something in a mystery? 1Cor 14v2 “He that
speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not to men but to God for
howbeit in the spirit he speaks mysteries” 1Cor14v18
Paul states: “I thank my God that I speak with tongues more
than you all”
Being filled with the Spirit is the greatest blessing a Christian
can receive. Jesus commanded them! Don’t go anywhere until
you receive the Holy Ghost. Acts 1v4-8. In Acts 2v1-4 they were
all (not some) filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with
tongues…
The promise is to us.. (verses 38-39) In Acts 8v12 –17. The
very first thing the disciples at Jerusalem did was to send Peter
and John to the new converts is Samaria. Why? “so that they
may be filled with the Holy Ghost” verse 17.. Acts 10
records Peter’s visit to the Cornelius household. Peter was
preaching Christ to them.. (verses 34 –43) when suddenly,
down came the blessing.. the gentiles received “the gift of
the Holy Ghost for they heard them speak with tongues and magnify
God”
In chapter 19, we read of Paul’s visit to the brethren at
Ephesus. Note his very first words to them. “Have you
received the Holy Ghost since you believed?” (verse 2) and
“Paul laid his hands upon them and the Holy Ghost came upon
them and they began to speak with tongues..” (verse 6)
Notice the urgency of both Paul and the apostles at Jerusalem.
Their first desire for the new brethren was to get them to
receive the Holy Ghost and speak with tongues. “they sent
Peter and John to them that they might receive the Holy
Ghost” - Paul said, “have you received the Holy Ghost
since you believed?”
How do you get Him.. You simply do as they did. They received Him
and began to speak… “ask and you shall
receive” Jesus said. In Luke 11 verses 9-13. Jesus is
teaching here that you need not be fearful about receiving the
wrong thing (verse 11) and concludes by saying, “How much
more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who
ask Him?
Simply ask, believe and you shall receive Him.. Amen
Prologue
Now the devil, your flesh, or what you have been brought up to
believe, will probably tell you (if it already hasn’t) that
these things are not for you and given you a number of reasons
why! Jesus said “the devil is a liar, the father of lies
and no truth is in him” so don’t let doubt rob you of
God’s best for your life. The word of God says “Let
God be true and every man a liar” - The apostle Paul said
“What says the scriptures?”- The Lord is ‘no
respecter of persons” - His blessings are for all “As
many as received Him, them He gave power to become…
I count myself less than the least of all the saints, yet the
Lord gave these to me, so I could give them to you. The apostle
Paul said “it is pointless for me to glory for I will go on
to visions and revelations of the Lord” Not that I’m
comparing myself with Paul but I am what I am by the grace of
God.
Always read and study the Scriptures each discourse pertains to,
for that is how faith comes to you.. “So then faith comes
by hearing and hearing by the Word of God”
God bless you and keep you in His love and grace.
Your brother in Christ
John
God Bless
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