Matthew 16:13-21
13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.17 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.
18 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.19 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.20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. 21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
Just as I was finishing the series on grief the grim reaper showed his ugly presence again. Two beautiful souls, known to many, and loved by all who knew them were mercifully called Home to Glory and Rest. Their slugfests with cancer and dementia over. Cancer did NOT win. Alzheimer’s did NOT win. But the family and friends of these two beautiful women, my friends, are devastated.
Another friend’s children are in the throes of consequences from previous choices; they battle the lies of the enemy saying they can never overcome the past.
Enemy’s stranglehold
The enemy puts a stranglehold on those called by God to do great things.
For example, a toddler laying in the hospital and parents waiting and praying the doctors are wrong and God will come through with a miracle for them. However, their miracle was giving life to five other children.
Who Do You Say I Am?
I read these verses and I heard the Spirit speak saying: “Yvonne, who do YOU say I am?” His intention is crystal clear. Do I believe or am I just going through the motions. Who is Jesus to ME? I searched my heart. I examined my motives. Is my relationship with the God of the universe just to get my needs and wants satisfied? Or, like Simon Peter, has the Spirit of the Most High God revealed to me who Jesus the Christ really is? Savior. Redeemer. Friend. Healer. Provider. The Rock.
You Are The Christ
Thankfully, I am able to respond as Peter did. “Lord, You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God who has come to live outside of Eden and give Your all, Your life, for me. But then, the part I find most unfathomable is: Jesus says to me: “On this your declaration of faith in Me, I (Jesus) will continue to build my church and NOTHING or NOBODY will be able to tear it down. I will give YOU, Yvonne, the keys to the Kingdom and YOU can act on my behalf (in His name) to affect change for My Kingdom. You have been given my power of attorney.”
I know this in my head. But my heart doubts He will really trust me with this kind of authority. I believe He will do it for you, but I am unworthy. (This is the enemy’s favorite LIE!) Doubt. There it is again. Doubt equals lack of faith. James, the brother of Jesus tells us in James 1:8 this makes me pretty unstable, like a boat in a storm. I gotta “know, that I know, that I know,” to quote The Preacher.
Blessed are You
When I get to the point I stop being wishy washy, I will hear the Master say, “Blessed are YOU, Yvonne.” I will become more like Peter the Boulder, than Simon the stone who sinks like a rock every time a storm comes. My tribe will be so glad when I get this through my thick skull. They are surely weary of trying to get this stone off the bottom so I can breathe and at least tread water.
Walking on water?
Well, it remains the goal.
One last reminder, it is not an easy walk. Jesus said, “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer.” (I Corinthians 10:13, Revelation 2:10) For in the trials we come to KNOW the power of God. (Philippians 3:10, 21) I want the power but I cannot spurn the suffering. It is the suffering that molds me into the image of Christ for all the world to see. (Romans 8:29) Preaching to self!!! Preaching to self! Preaching to self.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh49C6vxB40
Walking on Water, by Need to Breathe
Additional reading:
https://www.treadingwatertiljesuscomes.com/2017/01/25/finding-the-keys/
