03/01/2025
Name: Benson Nyang’or
Date: January 4th 2025
Theme: The Ecclesia Arising
Prophetic Exhortation:
“Jesus said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Matthew16:15
1. The church has come to a defining moment in her pilgrimage and is being called to arise to her legislative and judicial authority as the Lord’s Ecclesia. The Ecclesia was a judicial and legislative assembly that adjudicated what was permitted or forbidden in a city or state.
2. This season is going to witness a shifting of paradigms when we, individually and corporately (as a ministry) must clarify how we know Jesus. We must answer the question Jesus posed to His disciples: “Who do you say that I am? “
3. The Lord is inviting us to re-define how we see Him. Our attitude (thought-life, beliefs) will determine how far we can go with Him. It will also affirm our readiness to trust Him to reveal to us “what no eye has seen, no ear has heard nor what the mind has ever imagined yet are prepared for those who love God” (1 Cor. 2:9). He longs to lead us to deeper depths and higher heights, beyond man’s capacity to measure (unfathomable, immeasurable) and to open to us realms where we may hear what is not lawful to mention to others (2 Cor. 12:4).
4. To operate in such levels of revelation demands deep consecration and utmost humility and meekness. Moses received great revelations because he was the meekest man in his generation (Num. 12:3). Paul, likewise, was privileged to receive kingdom mysteries not revealed to previous generations- but had to accept a thorn in his flesh to keep him humble (2 Cor. 12: 5). However, the humblest man of all time was Christ, Him who was very God, yet condescended to take on humanity and became a nobody, a bond servant (slave), further humbling Himself to death! Consequently, God highly exalted Him above all and given Him the highest name deserving worship (Phil. 2:5-11). Should we not acknowledge Him as the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the Living God? Should we not acknowledge His special kingdom assignment on earth and arise to join Him in establishing a governmental and judicial Ecclesia with kingdom authority that will ensure that His will is done on earth as it is in heaven?
5. In Matthew 16: 13 Jesus sought to understand how the multitude perceived Him. You see, one can only receive from Jesus according to the extent of the revelation they have of His real identity. Who is Jesus to you? We must review how we have previously known Him so that we may access the gifts and benefits embodied in the revelation of His identity.
“Who do you say I am?” The multitudes unfortunately only saw him as a teacher, as Elijah reincarnated or one of the Old Testament prophets raised back to life (v14). The people of Nazareth also limited His ability to perform miracles because they only saw him as the Carpenter, the son of Mary (Mark 6:5!)
6. Christ promises to release keys that open the kingdom of heaven to those who will progress to know and receive Him as “Lord and Messiah” (Acts 2:36; Mt 16:16) What is our understanding of ‘the Messiah’? The Messiah is the Seed that God promised would be born of the woman to redeem mankind from the Fall (Gen 3:15). He is the Seed of Abraham who would possess the gates of the enemy (Gen 24:60). Knowing Him as the Messiah positions us to receive keys of deep revelation that open heavenly portals.
7. Do you believe Jesus to be the Promised Messiah (Christ)? Forgetting what the crowd believed, Christ turned to His disciples to personally consider his question. But who do you say I am? (Mathew 16:15).
Peter answered “You are the Messiah (the Christ), the Son of the Living God (Matthew 16:16)
The Lord responded that this revelation was the key to building His indomitable and victorious Ekklesia that hell would never defeat.
“And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock,I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”” Matthew 16:17-19
To receive accurate revelation of Jesus’ identity as the Messiah (the Christ), the Son of the Living God is to acknowledge Him as the Rock-solid foundation stone cut from God Himself (Daniel 2:45). It acknowledges Him as the bedrock upon which our Faith is built. All other ground is sinking sand!
8. Upon receiving the correct revelation of His true identity, Christ promised keys that would give access to the heavenly realms. He would appoint ministers into offices that He Himself has set in the Church to represent Him. 1 Cor. 12:28 says God has set apostles first in the church, followed by prophets, teachers, miracles, gifts of healing, helping, guidance, and different kinds of tongues to restore proper functioning of His Ecclesia on the earth.
9. In this season, many will emerge from oblivion and receive their calling and anointing to function as true carriers of Christ’s mantle. Office keys in the natural are never given to those who have not accepted their appointment. Neither can governmental kingship authority be delegated to those who are yet to take up their jobs!
Christ is offering keys of the kingdom of heaven to mature sons who will steward authority and function as God’s authorized legislators and judicial officers, called to exercise legitimate power to bind (forbid) what is unlawful and to lose (permit) what ought to be, as heaven backs them.
*PRAYER POINTS *
1. Ask the Father to deepen your revelation of Jesus beyond a teacher, a prophet or a son of Mary, and release unto you the Spirit of revelation of Himself. Pray to encounter the Lord as the Messiah, the Son of the Living God (Matthew 16:16) and the giver of spiritual keys to the kingdom of heaven.
2. God promises grace to those who are humble and broken-hearted (Isaiah 57:15). Operating in deep revelation demands that we learn true meekness. Ask God to give you the grace to die daily to pride and vain glory, the pursuit of recognition and exaltation which have brought down many spiritual giants.
3. Ask the Lord to immerse you into the ocean of His immeasurably great love and power which surpasses (exceeds and goes beyond) the realms of human understanding and to fill you with the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19). Ask Christ to clarify to you the precise office He calls you to and grant you all the instruments necessary to fulfil your call. AMEN