Mat 17:4 nkjv; Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

As we look at how Peter responded that day on the mount of transfiguration we can get a little insight into how we also respond to life’s experiences and what we do about them. The natural heart of man is to either gravitate to or stay with what we know, or are very comfortable with. We love to build our lives around safe ground or past experiences.
I wonder if we were to ask ourselves this question today, that is where are we in the economy of god, would our answer reveal that much is built on past experiences both good and not so good? Growth comes from both areas but are we moving forward from that last experience.

It is good, Peter said so let us build three dwelling places; one for Moses and Elijah and also you Lord!

With all that God the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives, what are we seeing? Or should the question be, are we seeing anything? For our answer will determine what we are building on wether they are past or present experiences. Are we just repeating the same things over and over or are we moving forward to a new life that determines our every decision?

Here in this passage it seems as if Peter does not quite know what to do with this unveiling of Jesus before his eyes and this to me seems strange considering the revelation he had in Mat 16:16 nkjv "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Jesus is transfigured before him he reveals some thing of the glory of the Kingdom, and Peter seemingly not quit knowing what to do reverts back to what worked in the past he wants to build to a past experience which was about building monument or pillars and altars to what had happened so future generations could be reminded about the event. Abraham built an altar his grandson built a pillar to an event he had with God and then later on in life built an altar to what God had done. Yes there he did want to include Jesus.

It was not until Father spoke from heaven that Peter was brought back to the reality that the past was not the issue. How much I wonder of what we give your life, our time, or resources and our emotional and spiritual energies too is based on past experiences rather than going forward and reaping eternal value.

We have constantly challenge our selves to build on what God is doing now not just on what he did in the past.
Isa 43:19-21 nkjv it says this; Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field will honour Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I give waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My people, My chosen. This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise.

So it begs the question, what is God doing today in our life, in our work, in our marriage and in our family. Not what was he doing or what has been done as great as these things are there has to be a now God revelation or experience other wise we will build on what was.
There is nothing wrong in speaking about what has happened for they are great testimonies, but beloved to change what is around we need to declare what God is doing, for that is the power in being a great witness Acts 1:8 nkjv "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

We are to witness to, not about. You see Jesus is the great I am as well as the great he who was and He who is to come. Where do we want to live in God?
We can live in the I was, or the I will be. But life and faith is found in the great I am.
God wants to build into our lives today as well as to morrow.

But life is only found in the to days. As we look down though Bible history we will find that every time God revealed Himself a fresh to man some thing dramatic happened to that generation but because man does not stay fresh with God he does stay with the I am the now of God he then rationalises what God has done and then will set about controlling the spiritual life he wants to have. You will notice that the conversation changes from what is to what was. And I remember.

What did Peter see? Yes he did see Jesus glorified but the main focus was on what was, the moment he wanted to build to the past the Father steps in to again refocus him on what was or what is. (Mat 17:5 NKJV) While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!"

Moses and the Law, as great as he was and the Law was, they were for a season. Peter’s focus was on the one that delivered the law that is Moses; he had drifted away from the one that had come to fulfil the law the word himself. As good as the Law was its purpose was to expose sin, it showed by condemnation how far man had drifted from God.
Gal 3: 24-25 therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
As great as it was it was not Christ. One of the major problems that we face is placing most of our focus on what was, not what is now.

Then Peter also saw Elijah. And again as great as He was as a Prophet who brought the burden of God to the people. He was for a season. God had been in both of these situations the Law and the Prophets. God was doing a new thing, he was coming in a new way, for the word had become flesh and now he was being glorified before the eyes of peter and he did not now the visitation he was having.

Both of these had passed, and their miniseries were now fulfilled in the one that stood before Peter with a face that shone like the sun. Moses and Elijah who represents the rule of the law and the ministry of relationship.

Elijah was the prophet of relationship. Mal 4:5-6 nkjv Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse."

Again there was one before Peter who was the embodiedment of all relationship. He had already said to Peter in John 14:6 nkjv "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Both total rule and fulfilled relationship could be found in Him. Father was getting peter to refocus his attention to what the real issue of this visitation was all about and that is, this is my beloved son, hear Him. It is not about the law or the prophets it is about my son for these two who are represented by Moses and Elijah point to him. In Amos chapter 5 it says to seek the lord and live. I love this for it helps us to get back our focus, which should be about Him not what he can do, but Him.

Amos 5:4-6b nkjv; For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: "Seek Me and live; But do not seek Bethel, Nor enter Gilgal, Nor pass over to Beersheba; For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, And Bethel shall come to nothing. Seek the LORD and live.

Bethel was the place where Jacob had a visitation from God the place of revelation and he named the place the house of God. It was the starting place of his realization of God and that he had lived for what he wanted rather than what God wanted for his life.

I am not at Bethel. So often we can stay with the revelation that we once had of God and don’t move on. As great as what we have had it will not sustain us for we are being taken from glory to glory and so then must continue to yield to what Father wants. It is not about the revelation it is about Him and His desire to control our religious experience.

Then God says do not enter Gilgal. This was the place where Joshua brought Israel to and re-established the sign of covenant as they were circumcised. It was a reminder to the nation that they were and are a covenant to God.

This was the place of remembering the victories, the deliverance from Egypt and the smashing of Jericho. Again Past victories fade in present defeats. Paul understood this so well and he records this for us about his life.
Phil 3:13-14 nkjv says; Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead I press towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Paul was saying yesterday is gone. God was saying in Amos, don’t enter back into the past victories, for I am not there. They are great testimonies but I am looking for a witness.

Thirdly he said, don’t go down to Beersheba. This was the place of many well. This is the place of great blessing. Again we can get so caught up with the blessing that we miss what God is doing. Jesus said seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.

God instructs Amos with these important words. Seek the Lord and live.

When Moses died in Josh 1:2 nkjv "Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise. In God’s economy it is Forget what was and focus on what is, focus on what I am doing.

While Peter spoke a voice from the cloud spoke. This is my beloved son here him.
Father intervened and brought Peter back to the main game.
Now notice what God said to Elijah in 1 Kings 19:11-13 nasb; So He said, "Go forth, and stand on the mountain before the Lord." And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. And it came about when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

God calls him into his presence. Notice he instructs Elijah as to where he is not. God was the cause of all these manifestation but he says I am not in the midst of them. After the gentle blowing he wraps himself up. Closing of to all things but the voice of the Lord. What are you doing here Elijah? That is another message.

Now not when Peter lifted up his eyes after the Father had spoken who was there, Jesus. The rule of law, the relationship would all be found in the king of kings and the Lord of Lord.
Peter it is not the vision, it is not the great feeling as great as these things are, it is faith in Jesus, I am the way. It is not in building a tabernacle, it is not religious works.

It is in accepting Jesus. In Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost when a crowd gathered because of what they heard, Peter stands to explain. When you listen to him, you just know that he learnt a great lesson that day on the mount when Jesus was transfigured.
For when he spoke his focus was not on the wind it was on the word, it was not on the sound that drew the crowd but on the saviour, it was not even on the fire but on the fresh start you can have in Christ.

Although we need revelation, it is not that either! It is Jesus. 2 Corinthian 12:2-10 nasv I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago‑‑ whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows such a man was caught up to the third heaven. And I know how such a man whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows he was caught up into Paradise, and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. On behalf of such a man will I boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses. For if I do wish to boast I shall not be foolish, for I shall be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one may credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me. And because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me‑‑ to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake for when I am weak, then I am strong.

It is not the revelation it is Christ. What is our focus to day? Is it the past or is it present.

I wonder if Eve was more prone to be deceived because her focus was more cantered on what God had said rather than what God was saying after all he would fellowship with them in the cool of the evening. By the way that was the start of the new day, I wonder if there is more to starting the day of with God rather than when we feel like it.

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was not the tree of life. The past as good as it may seem is not the present. We must live now not yesterday.
A testimony is about what happened a witness is to some thing.
While Peter was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!"