Strength

Matthew 16

16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”

23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”


From the above verse, we get to know that Peter firstly was used to be called
Simon. The unstable rock.
Simon Peter the unstable rock.
Then again, Jesus called his Peter the solid rock.
Then again, Jesus called him Satan, its just a few verse down only.

What is the feeling that Peter had, when a moment Jesus called him the solid rock and after a few verse called him satan?

Peter got spiritually charge up and down...used to go up and then down, up again and then down. Especially at that night, he deny Jesus 3 times.

End up, he is the one once Jesus left, he preach the word. Yet Hundreds of people give their hearts to God.

Peter is someone who does not look at his past and live at his past. He will get back every time he was being knocked down.

Strength is the ability to bounce back when you are knocked down.

Just like Martin Luther King, that he have a dream, that the people will not judge by the colours of the skin. But by their hearts.

At that period of times, racist ism occurred out of hand. People being ill-treated and looked down.
Martin Luther King did not lose heart and believe one day it will happen.

Joshua1:6 "Be strong and of good courage..."

2Sam 10:12 " Let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God...."

1Cor 16:13 " Watch, stand fast in the faith , be brave, be strong."

Eph 6:10 " Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might."