Introduction

God is a God of revelation. A lot of people think that revelations are given after a little smack on the head, and ideas are given. It isn't. God gives revelations to people who seek it, who seek God. God wants this type of character. If God chooses you however, it is not because of your own work, but because of God's grace.

God is a God of revelation

In every generation, God gives revelations to his chosen vessels. God initially chose Peter to preach the gospel to the Gentiles and to his people, through visions and words. This was very miraculous.

At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” 4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.” 7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa. (Acts 10:1-8 NIV)

If there is no revelation, is it really God? Now, the church has lost God's revelations, which can only mean that they are not God's chosen people.

So they reached where Peter lived, in Joppa. They all knew Peter there, who was praying upstairs. He saw many unholy animals up there in the vision, and God told him to eat, but Peter refused. God told him that he should not refuse what God has made clean. As soon as his vision ended, Cornelius knocked on his door. The Spirit came upon Cornelius, and the whole situation was to reveal to Peter the way God chose people. Cornelius was praying in tongues.

If Peter did not have the Jewish tradition, if this situation was given to Paul, Paul wouldn't need the vision. If you can overcome the Jewish tradition, then God would not have to use these visions. For different people, God calls them in different ways. God reveals his will to people in different ways.

The filling of the Spirit is hard to explain. I have never read in the Bible the way the Spirit comes upon people. Nobody explains what praying in tongues is like, and nobody really teaches it either. If they are not filled with the Spirit, can you make God?

The first time I went to church, I was taken into a small room and had the Spirit "forced" upon me and they wanted me to speak in tongues. I just imitated them and then they let me go.

I was asking God, why would you tell me about the creation of the world? Am I supposed to go back and create things all over again? He told me that I was created in the image of God. In whatever way God created the world, we are supposed to create. If you speak light into the world, there will be light; if you have hope, there will be hope. We are supposed to imitate God.

Even though we criticize Peter sometimes, God chose him as one of his glorious vessels. Why would God choose somebody and not use them? That is not our God. People need to know that one some important points, God does reveal things. When he gave his revelation to Peter, did he not know that Peter would not succeed? Yes he did, but he still gave his revelation.

Many people will question why they have never heard God. But even if God speaks, do you hear him? God is a God that will definitely talk to you, whether through visions or dreams.

God works with his chosen vessels

If God is not working with a person, it will be very clear because there will be no miracles. God was with Peter, and God worked through him. Those who want to vessels need to be used by God.

Does God also create vessels of his wrath, or vessels of his glory? Yes he does, absolutely. The vessels that God works with and those that show his wrath are completely different. If you are wise, you should strive to be a glorious vessel even if God didn't choose you at first. Paul also strived to become used by God, and he was successful. He wasn't chosen at first.

Jacob had twelve children, and the first three failed. Judah was able to stand out. So it doesn't matter, God will find a job for you. In the kingdom of heaven, there is always a place for you. Just make sure you don't fall behind. Why do people fall behind? Because the people that God desires has some very special and unique characteristics.

Peter was supposed to be the apostle to both the Jews and the Gentiles, but he ended up only being the one for the Jews. Paul took this role, and God was pleased with how zealous Paul was. Paul didn't mind being a "spare tire" for God. He waited patiently, and God used him, writing so many books in the New Testament.

What kind of vessel does God want?

Since God is the boss, we have to follow him and listen to what he wants. Being a servant of God means that God's will is your will. If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

The first thing that his vessels must do is break free of tradition. If you can't, then you will be useless. When I believed, there were two types of churches: traditional ones, and Pentecostal ones. One who spoke in tongues, and one who didn't. But I saw that these traditional churches were not aligned with the truth in the Bible.

Peter was sent to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, which was God's plan all along. So how are we supposed to break these traditions? We need to change our mindset about what is holy and unholy, because those who believe in God are holy. Did Jesus ever preach about what was clean and unclean? Yes he did, but people forgot! Jesus himself broke tradition, but once we came to Peter, he took these traditions up again.

What is a church supposed to look like? A building? A room with many rows of pews? A stage with organs? A doxology sung after service? God is a God who does new things, so we cannot use tradition to inhibit the will of God!

I have never really liked these traditions, but I do like the will of God. God works with those who break tradition, like Paul. Paul set a good foundation for the church.

The second thing is that these vessels cannot spread their own name. Look at Babel, now it is gone. Our church has no name, you only know that we follow the Destiny theology. Once people start thinking about themselves, it is over. Truth cannot persist anymore. Then everything becomes useless, because without truth, everything is false and wrong. Peter himself was destroyed by this.

Cornelius wanted to bow in front of Peter, but Peter said that he was a human as well. So remember, we are all human! We can only bow to God. We are all ordinary people, with two eyes and one mouth. So don't come to me thinking I am some grand master.

God looks at the heart. Whether you are a generous person or a stingy one, you cannot hide that from God. Don't be afraid of being taken advantage of by people, because it doesn't really matter. I want to train you to be a generous person. God wants people that can bless others.

The Spirit will come on God's chosen vessels

I find that many times, when I pray for people, the Holy Spirit does not come down on them. Then I am worried if God has actually chosen these people! But I learned that praying in tongues is a good practice for a person's faith.

Peter believed that circumcision was the one tradition that could not be taken away, and God revealed to them that the Holy Spirit will come on anybody, not just those who are circumcised. Cornelius began to pray in tongues and showed them all wrong.

God's Spirit continues to fill all those who are chosen by God. If the gospel we preach is not Spirit filled, is it really a gospel?

Although God knows his chosen vessels will fall behind, God still works with them

God continued to use Peter, but he prepared Paul as a "spare tire". God makes sure that his will in every generation is fulfilled, no matter how he does it. A characteristic Paul and I have in common is that we do not try to please people.

Falling behind or not, that is a choice people make. If you want to please people, then you cannot be a servant of Christ. I only want to serve God.

Even Destiny theology cannot become a tradition because God is continuing to create new things. He is calling us to get rid of tradition and move forward, getting rid of everything that is unnecessary.