11/08/11

Peter was selected to lead

Luke 24:12 - Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.

How would it be if in the place of the head, the stomach is put right on the top? Such a thing is unimaginable for us but we do not realize in the Church we have made the body of Christ into worse than a Frankenstein.

The hierarchy of the labours of the Lord's Vineyard (not rulers) has been given in the Bible and was followed by the early Church of the Apostles. This system was given by the Lord even during the time of Moses (in the understanding of the dress of the High Priest - Aaron) but was never followed for the Word was never understood until Jesus came and revealed it.

It is very sad that the Nicolaitan system penetrated in the Church after the early Apostles' Church. One of the main points of misunderstanding which caused this was to do with Peter being selected to lead the fellowship. During the time of Peter, he did not set any system which has been followed today in his name but it was only after his death that this system came into existence in his name.

Peter being selected had nothing to do with his name and his name in Greek does not mean 'rock' as most are told but means 'pebble' or 'small stone'. But it was true that Peter was selected to lead the fellowship and the confirmation was in the scripture which we received today.

In today message the Lord is telling us how Peter was selected to lead the fellowship when he did something according to the book of Moses.

After the news of Jesus' resurrection reached the disciples, they went to the tomb to confirm in the book of John this same event is given more clearly where even though John reached the tomb earlier he did not enter the tomb nor touch the linen cloth laid on the floor. It was Peter who entered and bending down took hold of the cloth. Peter was fulfilling the instructions according to the book of Moses in which the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies and after offering the blood sacrifice on the Mercy Seat would drop his linen cloth on the floor and the one who was to take his position would enter and take hold of that cloth.

Peter leading the fellowship did not mean he was boss but meant he was the greater servant among them. One can see the coordination among the fellowship by reading the book of Acts. All that Paul did he updated the fellowship but did not wait for instructions from them to do everything. He and others were led by the Holy Spirit and did according to the Holy Spirit, but being part of a body they did coordinate between each other. Not that there was no misunderstanding between them but this misunderstanding did not come between their work nor did it last long.

The Bible is called the Book of Instructions. It gives us the Lord's instructions on how the Lord wants us to do things, for it is the only way which will succeed in achieving good. Any other way may seem good but will not achieve anything good; over the long run everything will be exposed by its fruits.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, You are all knowing and all seeing. You have seen the past, the present and the future and You know what is good and therefore gave is your Word to guide us to all goodness. Before You came as man, no one understood the Word, it was only when the Word was made flesh (a message) which could be received by man that the Word started being revealed to man. Lord, your Temple still needs to be bought back in glory and your labourers are been made confused by the Beast. Lord, open the minds of your people and reveal the Word unto your people...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
John 20:3-8
3 Peter therefore went forth, and the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb.
4 And they ran both together: and the other disciple outran Peter, and came first to the tomb;
5 and stooping and looking in, he seeth the linen cloths lying; yet entered he not in.
6 Simon Peter therefore also cometh, following him, and entered into the tomb; and he beholdeth the linen cloths lying,
7 and the napkin, that was upon his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself.
8 Then entered in therefore the other disciple also, who came first to the tomb, and he saw, and believed.

Revelation 1:1-7
1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Leviticus 16:15-33
15 Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:
16 And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.
17 And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.
18 And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.
19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
20 And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:
21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
23 And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there:
24 And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people.
25 And the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar.
26 And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp.
27 And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung.
28 And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.
29 And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:
30 For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.
31 It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.
32 And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments:
33 And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.

Matthew 16:15-18
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 [Truth] I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)