"And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem....For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory....And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain." (Luke 9:30, 31 & 2 Peter 1:16-18)
There are those, mostly of the last 150 years, who think that many passages of Scripture were not written by the men who the Bible says wrote them. You have a decision today: Either believe what we have as recorded in the Bible, or believe people who are making judgments from a distant 2000 year perspective. That goes for "water cooler" theologians also. I chose a long time ago to believe the Bible. The record here is of Peter's eyewitness account of the appearance of Moses and Elijah to Jesus, "on the holy mountain." I believe you, Peter.
According to our text, we have Peter here, "the big fisherman," the man who could swear with the best of them, denied Jesus, walked on water, drew a sword to defend His Master, later, as legend has it, was crucified upside down, telling us his "personal testimony." He is telling us that he and his companions, "were eyewitnesses...." That is really, in many ways, what the Bible is. Yes, the Words of the Bible are, "God-Breathed." And, "God-Breathed" the Words through "ordinary" men, fishermen, a tax collector, a very reluctant prophet, a king who committed adultery then attempted to cover it up with murder. This is too much for a religious person to handle. Most religious people are like Job's "friends." They had it all figured out. They knew God, His ways, and that if you are good, then good things will always happen to you.
"We were with Him on the holy mountain." They heard the discussion among Jesus, Moses, and Elijah concerning Jesus' death in Jerusalem. Perhaps Moses was "encouraging" Jesus with, "the prophetic word," and Elijah, a great Old Testament miracle worker, was saying how he and the others of the Old Covenant dispensation were foreshadows, types of Jesus, His Words and Work; don't let, "this cup," pass. Whatever, all that you and I believe concerning, "the faith of Jesus," is from, "eyewitnesses of His majesty." Our faith, our lives are, "on Christ the Solid Rock I stand." The message of the Kingdom of God/Heaven, the Laws of the Kingdom, the life style of the Kingdom are all based upon the words of eyewitnesses, "....for prophecy never came by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (1 Peter 1:21). Let us go now, and keep the, "eyewitnesses," account before the world. I have not problem with saying, "I believe what I am told to believe."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You that by the Holy Spirit I am a child of, "eyewitnesses of His Majesty." Amen.
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There are those, mostly of the last 150 years, who think that many passages of Scripture were not written by the men who the Bible says wrote them. You have a decision today: Either believe what we have as recorded in the Bible, or believe people who are making judgments from a distant 2000 year perspective. That goes for "water cooler" theologians also. I chose a long time ago to believe the Bible. The record here is of Peter's eyewitness account of the appearance of Moses and Elijah to Jesus, "on the holy mountain." I believe you, Peter.
According to our text, we have Peter here, "the big fisherman," the man who could swear with the best of them, denied Jesus, walked on water, drew a sword to defend His Master, later, as legend has it, was crucified upside down, telling us his "personal testimony." He is telling us that he and his companions, "were eyewitnesses...." That is really, in many ways, what the Bible is. Yes, the Words of the Bible are, "God-Breathed." And, "God-Breathed" the Words through "ordinary" men, fishermen, a tax collector, a very reluctant prophet, a king who committed adultery then attempted to cover it up with murder. This is too much for a religious person to handle. Most religious people are like Job's "friends." They had it all figured out. They knew God, His ways, and that if you are good, then good things will always happen to you.
"We were with Him on the holy mountain." They heard the discussion among Jesus, Moses, and Elijah concerning Jesus' death in Jerusalem. Perhaps Moses was "encouraging" Jesus with, "the prophetic word," and Elijah, a great Old Testament miracle worker, was saying how he and the others of the Old Covenant dispensation were foreshadows, types of Jesus, His Words and Work; don't let, "this cup," pass. Whatever, all that you and I believe concerning, "the faith of Jesus," is from, "eyewitnesses of His majesty." Our faith, our lives are, "on Christ the Solid Rock I stand." The message of the Kingdom of God/Heaven, the Laws of the Kingdom, the life style of the Kingdom are all based upon the words of eyewitnesses, "....for prophecy never came by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (1 Peter 1:21). Let us go now, and keep the, "eyewitnesses," account before the world. I have not problem with saying, "I believe what I am told to believe."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You that by the Holy Spirit I am a child of, "eyewitnesses of His Majesty." Amen.
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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
