I think of Elijah and Elisha. Elisha wanted a double portion and asked for it. Elijah tells him that what he asks for is a “hard thing”. But, Elisha gets it. Then, he proceeds to blow up the boys who call him a bald head in his first venture with super power. God doesnt want us blowing each other up.
So, He matures us.
Matthew 16
Caesarea Phillipi
Near Mt. Hermon
Where transfiguration happened.
Baal worship/high places on Hermon.
Northernmost area for Jesus’ ministry.
Jesus shows us His prophetic. When they get in the district, He asks them who people say that He is. And then, He asks who they say that He is.
Simon Peter answers, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus says, “Simon Barjona” you are blessed because flesh and blood didnt reveal it to you but His Father who is in heaven. He calls Peter by his formal name – Simon, son of John. You are son of flesh, but it is the Father who showed you this – not flesh.
Some revelations cannot be passed down from one generation to the next.
Then Jesus prophesy’s. He only spoke what He heard Father say. God must have been speaking to Jesus as or before they entered the area talking about pulling out Peter’s destiny and purpose. He speaks to Peter’s identity and what he will accomplish.
You are Peter (little rock) and upon this rock ( big rock/revelation), I will build My church.
Then Jesus speaks Isaiah 22:22 into him about the keys of the kingdom. The LORD will equip you to do the work.
The next event we see is that Jesus shares with the disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer. Peter immediately speaks up and rebukes the LORD. Jesus says, “get behind me Satan.”
I believe that pride was in Peter. When Jesus spoke into his destiny and identity, He prophesied who Peter is and will be and what he will do. But, it exposed a level of pride in Peter that manifested when Jesus talked about His own purpose. So, it would initiate a process whereby Peter would be made capable of fulfilling the prophetic call that was placed on his life by the LORD.
This was the foreshadowing of the denial episode and the discussions that Jesus was having with Satan to sift Peter as wheat.
Peter was not capable of walking his own destiny out yet. But, it would soon come.
So, I then look to Matthew 10. Jesus summons the 12 DISCIPLES and gives them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Yea, come on!
Verse 2 says, “Now the names of the twelve APOSTLES are these:”. They just crossed over from disciple to apostle. Destiny for the group was called out.
But, now look at Matthew 17, starting with verse 14.
The Demoniac
14When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying,
15“Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.
16“I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.”
17And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.”
18And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once.
19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not drive it out?”
20And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.
21[“But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”]
In verse 16, they are called DISCIPLES again. But, I dont want to be a disciple. I want to be an apostle. Yes, you do. But, you are not there yet. Jesus called them out and prophesied their destinies to them. Then started the walk to becoming who He said that they were. When it came time for the heavy lifting, they couldnt do it.
This was exactly what I had gone through with Jordan’s sickness. God told me to fast, and I argued about it. I finally did, and the massive headaches stopped. He was teaching me about vows to the LORD. I thought that I could use my authority and just cast that thing out. It wouldnt happen. I had to appeal to Him to do it. Hence the prayer and fasting. He kept putting that verse in my head. There is an earlier post on the matter.
So, fast forward to Acts 3:
Healing the Lame Beggar
1Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer.
2And a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple.
3When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms.
4But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, “Look at us!”
5And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.
6But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene–walk!”
7And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened.
8With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.
9And all the people saw him walking and praising God;
10and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Great grace had been released. These boys were now filled with the Holy Spirit and were doing crazy miracles.
I believe that the LORD gets us ready. He is the author and finisher of our faith. When He speaks destiny over you, He will complete it.
Those guys were doing crazy miracles after the Acts 2 outpouring.
Yes, we have the Holy Spirit as believers. But, I believe that a big part of this is how He rests upon you. There is a measure that is poured out that correlates to your character. The prize is His presence.
Make yourself able, and He will rest upon you in such a way that you will do those greater works.
And, all it takes to make yourself “able” is to say yes. He will do the rest.
But, hold on.