TRANSFIGURATION FOR CONFIGURATION (Mt 17:1-5)

These days, when you want to access offices, gyms, etc. you need to either have a finger print scanner or access cards through which you can enter. Even our mobile phones have this technology now and some even have an eye scanner. Technology is so advanced and has made things secure and easily accessible. The way we need to configure our finger print on our device so that the device can respond and function properly, we also need to configure ourselves according to God’s intended purpose, especially for the end times.

Jesus our Lord takes His close confidants, Peter, James and John to a high mountain and was transfigured there in front of them. Moses and Elijah were seen talking with Jesus and the disciples saw this magnificent scene. Let’s see what God is saying for our times now from this episode.

1. Leading of God depends on what level one stands with God (v1)

Why did Jesus take only three of His disciples and not the other nine?

A) Levels of Fellowship with God.
Not everyone shares the same level of fellowship with Jesus our Lord (He is the Lord for all those who accepted Him but not all share the same level of fellowship with Him)

A father for example, shares a different relationship with his son at home but the same father shares a different relationship with his office staff who work under him.

And even among the staff, there could be a core team of managers or colleagues who share a different level of working relationship with him. So when it comes to confidential discussions about the organization, the leader doesn’t have to discuss it with all the people who are not chosen for that level.

That’s what is happening in this episode with the Lord and His core team.The Lord Jesus ministered to all kinds of people.

1. Crowd level – He ministered to multitudes of people who belonged to different walks of life with many different needs.

2. Believers – those who believed in Jesus and became His followers during His time on earth as well as those who believe in him today.

3. Disciples – Jesus had many disciples and on one occasion sent 72 of them to a nearby village for ministry

4. Called Disciples – among the many disciples he had, he chose 12 of them to be with Him and to go for Him

5. Chosen – Among the 12 disciples, he chose only 3 to be His inner circle, His close confidants to share secrets of His kingdom.

So, the other nine disciples cannot complain, desire or divide others by saying ‘Oh why didn’t He take me to the mountain top?, He is partial’ – This kind of talk is immaturity.

Today, in many circles this is what happens. ‘Oh! the pastor or leader is partial and discusses only with others but not with me. I also know, I am also in the ministry, I am also part of the team’.

People feel rejected as they already have gone through rejection in their lives. Then they start complaining, murmuring, start doing their own things to compete with others.

This is exactly how politics starts in the body of Christ. This is how divisions starts.
 This is how churches are ruined.
 This is exactly the problem in many places of worship. Do you know for what level you are chosen by God?
 Do you know what level you are standing in the Spirit realm?
 Do you know what level you stand with the leader?
 Do you know what you are called for?
 Do you know what you are chosen for?
Do you know who has chosen you? 
Do you compete with your leader but you are just a new believer? 
It’s not that you are not capable, talented, experienced, prayerful etc… but are not the one chosen by God for this level of operation
. Or You are not qualified yet for this level with God.
 Desiring to be to that level is different but are you chosen by God for it?
 Can you go close to Him to that level of Revelation with Him? You can, if God wants you to be. But you can desire, pray, spend time with Him and who knows, He can take notice of you to be included in that level to share His secrets with you.

Also, We might ask, why did Jesus choose only three of them?

1. It’s His prerogative to choose

2. It depended on the qualification. And One of the qualification is trustworthiness. Jesus told them not to tell anyone about the incident until a certain period of time while they came down the mountain and they kept the secret. But some of us will immediately announce it to anyone and everyone. It will become the breaking news that we feel proud about and that’s why many of us are not chosen for that position or level yet.

The question one must ask: Can God trust me with His secrets?

Speaking in tongues fro example:- Why do we not receive the interpretation for tongues when we speak? Probably because if God lets us know what we are speaking with Him in tongues, then Dei to our immaturity, we would spoil many things or lives or secrets about His kingdom etc…

Many of us destroy healthy relationships even within the family because we opened up to others the secrets or issue pertaining to family, even to our maid at home who went and told the entire town about the family. That’s why some of us are not included in the inner circle with God.

That’s why when you pass by, others stop talking or changed the topic because they are afraid that you will spill their secrets.
It’s not that you are not loved or cared or rejected but you are not called for it by God. Because you are not qualified for that level yet as you lack maturity.

B) Culture of leadership with others.
Jesus took only His close confidants and the leadership within the body of Christ must take into account of His way of dealings.

Leaders must have circles around them – circle of levels of authorization.
Many leaders or pastors don’t know who they should be close with. If a pastor allow some people who are not called to be in that level of closeness then the pastor will also suffer because of their immaturity.

Don’t let anyone and everyone know what you are about to do. (I am not talking about the leader who doesn’t let others know anything till the last minute in the name of keeping a secret or never communicates to others at all – this also is not the right thing to do -that would be unfair for a good leader – delegating a job in advance is a must to get things done.)Leadership must not include everyone for everything but certain things has to be told to certain people at certain times.

2. Revelation of God depends on where God takes one to (v2
)

That is a high mountain which God takes this team to.

• 
Are you ready to go to the top of the mountain with God?
• Will you be able to fast for 40 or 80 days if he leads or 360 days when He leads you even if it doesn’t make sense -(I am not talking about you yourself doing it)
• God knows your capacity whether you will be able to do it and accordingly He chooses to tell you or reveal it to you.

Revelation is about Himself of what He is and what His future would be on earth or exodus from the earth.

Peter was not mature enough to handle what Jesus was talking about six days ago, that is His departure from Earth which included suffering, death, resurrection and ascension to heaven and got a sharp chiding from Jesus. This is why even though Jesus took them to the mountain top, He never let them hear His conversation with Moses and Elijah. The disciples saw Jesus talking with them, but heard only a little (2 Pet 1:17)

The reason why God had to choose Moses and Elijah to talk about His departure was that the earthly people were not mature enough to keep secrets, just like Peter if He would have chosen any of the prophets of today. The very thing Jesus began to talk about (his death & resurrection) to the disciples, Peter tried to control Jesus through his silly mind. (Luke 9:31)

The reason why Peter and his companions were sleepy (I am glad they slept) is because they needed know only little – the revelation about His glory but could not hear the secret of his departure – otherwise they probably would have spread the news to the others, or they couldn’t have handle such a revelation.
That’s why God does not trust most of us and possibly even those in His inner circle to know many of His secrets which he would like to reveal.

This calls for maturity in the Spirit to know exactly what to do when Revelation comes or when things of God has been revealed to us. Because, very soon the Lord is about to pour out His Spirit on all flesh.The sons (Notice it’s sons not babies) are going to prophesy and daughters are going to see visions etc.If we don’t mature now and when God reveals, it would be chaos and confusion within us.

A. So one must be in that level with God for God to take you.

B. One must not only be at that level but even to be matured enough to hear certain secrets about God -so even at a particular level there are different levels of hearing (Peter was proving his immaturity even at that level by telling Jesus that he will put up three shelters if He wishes) Peter should have just followed protocol and should not have simply jumped to his own conclusions or desires and tried to do his own things as usual.

3. Trust Requires Trustworthiness (v5)

The inner circle disciples require a testimony about their leader from God the Father – which is not a requirement at all in first place – but it was for them to listen and trust Jesus.

Why many people don’t trust their leadership is because the leadership is untrustworthy(It looks like).The disciples, especially the inner circle of the leadership, has to first trust the leader and only then others would trust.
 God the Father needed to testify about God the Son to the disciples. If you think about it, God doesn’t need to prove His trustworthiness to anybody, but He still chose to.

Leader are you trustworthy?
 Can the inner circle at least trust you?
 Do you have a testimony?
 Can someone say that you are doing exactly what God tells you to do (God the Father said ‘with Him I am well pleased’) How is your testimony? 

If our testimony before God is intact or right then God will make others listen to us.
 God himself will tell others to listen to you and your messages.

Trusting requires Testing

For Example Joseph in the Old Testament – It took many years before God could trust him though God had spoken about him well before Joseph could occupy the chair through dreams.
 Joseph underwent many tests before He was given the position/level. God cannot take anyone to great heights without trusting them. Trusting requires TESTING and testing will result in testimonies.

Our Prayer should be “Lord make me trustworthy for you to trust me with your secret things”. God is ready to reveal His hidden secrets about the end times as He revealed to His Son Jesus about His departure or end time on earth. God would look for you if only you qualify and are mature enough to handle His secrets appropriately. May God give us His heavenly appointments to experience His glory soon.

Get Ready.

Blessings!