There are times when we can’t understand why we cannot do what we want to do. When our Heavenly Father brings us into a time of waiting and it seems like He is not answering us, we must resist the temptation to fill this time with extra busyness and finding solutions, but instead just wait. This time of waiting may come to teach us the meaning of sanctification, that is, to be set apart from sin and made holy; or it may come after the process of sanctification has begun in order to teach us what service really means. We are never to move, before He gives us His direction and if we have the slightest doubt, then He is not guiding us. Whenever there is doubt – wait.
At first we may see clearly what the Father’s will is, it could be for example, the breaking off of a business relationship, the severance of a friendship or something else we feel is distinctly His will for us to do. We should never act on the impulse of that feeling, or the pressure to make a decision right now; if we do we’ll cause difficult situations to arise which will take years to untangle. Wait for our Heavenly Father’s timing and He will do it without any heartache or disappointment, always when it’s a question of His providential will, wait for Him to move.
Peter didn’t wait for the Lord, He predicted in his own mind when the test would come and it came where he did not expect it. I will lay down my life for your sake. Peter’s statement was honest but lacking in wisdom. Messiah answered him pinpointing the timing of the test, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied me three times. 13:38
Messiah’s words were said with a deeper knowledge of Peter than Peter had of himself. Two verses prior Yeshua/Jesus had answered him, Where I am going you cannot follow Me now but you shall follow Me afterwards. John 13:36.
This is why he couldn’t follow Yeshua/Jesus at that time, because he did not know himself or his own capabilities well enough.
Natural devotion may be enough to attract us and draw us to Him, it may cause us to feel His irresistible charm but it will never make us talmidim/disciples, true followers of Messiah. As Peter discovered, simple natural devotion will deny Jesus/Yeshua because it always falls short of what it means to truly follow Him.
And when He had spoken this He said to him, ‘Follow me’. John 21:19
Three years earlier Messiah had said ‘Follow me’, Matthew 4:19,and Peter followed with no hesitation. The irresistible attraction of Jesus/Yeshua was upon him and he didn’t need the Holy Spirit/Ruach haKodesh, to help him do it. Later he came to the place where he denied Jesus/Yeshua and he was heartbroken. After he repented, he received the Fathers’ Holy Spirit and Messiah said to him again, ‘Follow me’. John 21:19. Now there was no one in front of Peter except the Lord. The first follow me was nothing mysterious, it was simply an external following but now He was asking for an internal sacrifice and yielding.
Between these two times, Peter denied Messiah with oaths and curses. Matthew 26:69-75. But then he came completely to the end of himself and all his self sufficiency, pride and arrogance and there wasn’t any part of himself that Peter would ever rely on again. In this state of brokenness, he was finally ready to receive all that the risen Messiah had for him. He breathed on them and said to them ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’. John 20:22.
No matter what changes the Lord has performed in us we should never rely on them or on people, we must build only on one person, the Lord Jesus Christ/Yeshua haMashiach and on the Holy Spirit/Ruach haKodesh He gives. Most all of our promises and resolutions end in denial because we eventually realize that in ourselves we have no power to accomplish them. When we come to the end of ourselves, not just mentally but completely, we are able to receive His Holy Spirit/Ruach haKodesh. The picture of receiving His Holy Spirit/Ruach haKodesh has the idea of being invaded, filled up by infusion, and when that occurs there is only One Who directs the course of our lives, the Lord Jesus Christ/Yeshua haMashiach.
Acts 26:17-18. I now send you to open their eyes that they may receive forgiveness of sins. Summed up in the words of this verse is the Fathers first sovereign work of grace/chen, and in all of the Brit Chadashah/New Testament, these words are the greatest example of the true essence of the message carried by a follower, a true disciple of Yeshua haMashiach. When an individual fails in his or her personal ‘Christian life’, it’s usually because they have never received anything. The only sign that a person is saved is that they have received something from Messiah.
Our mission as His true followers and ministers of His gospel, is to open peoples eyes so that they may turn themselves from darkness to His light. However, that is not salvation, it is conversion, being only the effort of an awakened human being. Today it may be a true statement to say that the majority of those who call themselves ‘christians’ are this way; their eyes are open, but they have not received anything and conversion is not regeneration, sadly this is often a neglected fact in many who preach. When a person is born again from above by the Holy spirit of the living God, they know it beyond a shadow of a doubt because they have received something from our Heavenly Father, and not just because of their own decision. People make promises and vows and may be determined to follow through, but none of this is salvation; because salvation means that we are brought to the place where we are able to receive something from the Father on the authority of Jesus Christ/ Yeshua haMashiach which is.. forgiveness of sins. This is followed by the Fathers second wonderful work of grace/chen…’an inheritance among those who are sanctified…Acts 20:32 ‘ In sanctification the one who has been born again deliberately gives up his/her right to him/herself to Messiah and identifies themselves entirely with the Fathers’ ministry to serving others.
Most of our new years resolutions are external things we want to give up, Messiah Yeshua/ Jesus is now asking for an internal sacrifice and yielding. John21:18. Are we ready to come to the end of ourselves and be true followers of the One Who gave up the right to Himself. When we are true followers then He can send us.
Shalom shalom
‘Mishpachah’
‘Family/Tribe’
משפחה
Mish-pa-KHa,
friends, visitors and every reader…
Please don’t leave this page before making certain you are His
and are truly born again from above.
Know of a certainty that Jesus/Yeshua is
your Redeemer, Savior, Lord
and soon returning King
and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, not Religion.
NOT SURE? YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry.
I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’ name. Amen.
In John. 13:37 Peter said to him 
