Matthew 16:17 “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”
Have you ever heard yourself on the lips of a six-year-old? If you want to know what I am really like, or to find everything you would like to know about me, just talk to my kids. When my son, Wilson, was three years old, I heard him saying the phrase “that’s weird” quite often. I finally tried to figure out where-or from whom-he was picking this up. Finally while trying to pin-point the source, I caught myself saying, “That’s weird!” I’ve learned that my kids often speak for me whether I know it or not.
Who are you speaking for today? The truth is, you are speaking for someone other than yourself. Peter was speaking for God Almighty. His declaration came from God Himself. That is something truly amazing. But is being filled with the Spirit a general event, or is it moment-by-moment?
Compare Matthew 16:17 (“My Father which is in heaven [hath revealed it unto thee]”) to Matthew 16:23 (“Get thee behind me, Satan“). Wouldn’t you know it-Peter was speaking again. But was it Peter or Satan speaking? The answer is “yes.” He was not thinking right; the Bible word is “savorest” in verse 23. Peter went from speaking for God to speaking for Satan in a matter of moments.
Just like in Matthew, today there are two opposite sources. You can speak for the Lord or for Satan. God will not take tritely our speaking for and of the Savior. It should be obvious that the source is not you; it is your Father in Heaven.
May God help us to make sure the words we say come from our Father above and not from the Enemy.
Prayer Requests: – Recruiting of college summer staff today
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