THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM

2/7/19 (FROM ARIZONA)

IN HIS BOOK, “KINGDOM PRINCIPLES”, MYLES MUNROE TALKS A LOT ABOUT THE CONCEPTS OF THE KINGDOM AND HOW VITAL THEY ARE TO UNDERSTANDING WHERE WE ARE IN OUR LIVES IN TERMS OF OUR IDENTITY AND PURPOSE. WE ARE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE MOST HIGH GOD, AND IF WE ARE TO LIVE AND EXIST WITH HIM, HOW IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF HIM, AND THE LAWS WE MUST GRASP AND ADHERE TO IN ORDER TO BENEFIT AND THRIVE IN OUR LIVES. IT SEEMS AS IF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH TODAY TRULY STRUGGLES TO UNDERSTAND THIS. SO MANY DENOMINATIONS ARE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT GOD WANTS, AND HOW THEY SHOULD LOOK AT THE ISSUES THAT FACE US TODAY…..GENDER, HOMOSEXUALITY, MASCULINITY, ABORTION, I SHAKE MY HEAD IN AMAZEMENT….I AM TALKING HERE ABOUT “CHRISTIAN CHURCHES”!!! THEY HAVE THE MOST PROFOUND BOOK EVERY WRITTEN TO GIVE THEM TRUTH AND GUIDANCE. IT IS CALLED “THE BIBLE”, AND IT SITS IN THE PEW RACKS OF EVERY CHRISTIAN CHURCH I HAVE EVER BEEN INSIDE OF…..AND YET, IT SEEMS LIKE IT IS WRITTEN IN A LANGUAGE THEY CAN’T QUITE GRASP. IF ONLY WE HAD THE “KEY” TO UNDERSTAND IT. ACTUALLY, WE DO, AND WE GET THE KEYS FROM OUR SAVIOR AND LORD, JESUS.

THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD ARE THE WORDS THAT OUR GOD SPEAKS TO US IN SCRIPTURE. THESE KEYS GIVE US POWER AND AUTHORITY FROM HAVING JESUS ABIDE IN US.

THE THING ABOUT KEYS IS THAT UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT LOCKS THEY FIT AND HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO USE THEM, THEY CAN BE EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING AND END UP SITTING IN A DRAWER SOMEWHERE, LOST TO THEIR PURPOSE, HAVING OPENED NOTHING. KNOWLEDGE OF SCRIPTURE IS FINE, BUT UNLESS YOU STRIVE TO UNDERSTAND IT AND APPLY IT, HOW CAN IT REALLY IMPACT YOUR LIFE?

IN MATTHEW 16: 13-19, JESUS ASKS HIS DISCIPLES WHO THEY THOUGHT HE WAS. PETER IDENTIFIED HIM SAYING “YOU ARE THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD”….THE MESSIAH, THE HOPE OF THE WORLD WHO HAD BEEN PROPHESIED FOR CENTURIES. JESUS BLESSED HIM, AND TELLS HIM THAT HE DID NOT ARRIVE AT THAT UNDERSTANDING THROUGH HIMSELF, BUT THROUGH SUPERNATURAL REVELATION FROM THE FATHER. AND HE CALLS PETER BY NAME AND SAYS THAT HE WILL BUILD HIS CHURCH UPON THIS ROCK, AND THAT THE GATES OF HADES WILL NOT OVERCOME IT. “I WILL GIVE YOU THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN; WHATEVER YOU BIND ON THE EARTH WILL BE BOUND IN HEAVEN, AND WHATEVER YOU LOOSE ON EARTH WILL BE LOOSED IN HEAVEN”.

I BELIEVE THERE ARE TWO IMPORTANT TAKEAWAYS THAT RESONATE FOR ME IN THIS SCRIPTURE. NUMBER ONE IS THAT JESUS IS GIVING US THE KEYS “OF” HEAVEN, NOT THE KEYS “TO” HEAVEN. WE ARE ALREADY CITIZENS IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN ONCE WE HAVE ACCEPTED JESUS AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR. WE ARE KINGDOM CITIZENS….NOW WHAT? NUMBER TWO. JESUS IS GIVING US THE KEYS TO THE POWER OF HEAVEN THAT WILL UNLOCK IT AND MAKE IT WORK IN OUR LIVES. THE POWER THAT ALLOWS US TO SHARE HIM, AND USE THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT HE LEFT WITH US WHEN HE ASCENDED TO HEAVEN.

THIS POWER ONLY COMES IN A REAL AND TRUE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS AS YOUR LORD. IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME, FOCUS, AND DESIRE TO BE IN A DEEP RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM IN ALL AREAS OF YOUR LIFE. YOU HAVE TO WANT IT BADLY AND STRIVE FOR IT. YOU HAVE TO CHANGE A LOT OF AREAS IN YOUR LIFE, AND TRULY GET OFF THE THRONE OF YOUR LIFE. YOU HAVE TO TURN AREAS OF SELF CONTROL OVER TO HIM, NO MATTER HOW SMALL, HOW SECRET, OR HOW BAD. YOU SURRENDER YOU…

THE NIGHT BEFORE HIS DEATH, JESUS TOLD HIS DISCIPLES: “ I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, ANYONE WHO HAS FAITH IN ME WILL DO WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING. HE WILL DO EVEN GREATER THINGS THAN THESE, BECAUSE I AM GOING TO THE FATHER. I WILL DO WHATEVER YOU ASK IN MY NAME, SO THAT THE SON MAY BRING GLORY TO THE FATHER. YOU MAY ASK ME FOR ANYTHING IN MY NAME, AND I WILL DO IT. John 14:12-14.

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT? WHAT DOES IT MEAN? ANYTHING I ASK FOR? I LOOK AT IT THIS WAY. THESE MEN THAT WERE FOLLOWING JESUS HAD LEFT THEIR ENTIRE LIVES BEHIND TO FOLLOW HIM. THEY HAD LISTENED TO HIS VOICE, SHARED MEALS WITH HIM, WATCHED HIM PERFORM MIRACLES….HEAL THE SICK, CAST OUT DEMONS, RAISE LAZARUS FROM THE DEAD, FEED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WITH A MINIMAL AMOUNT OF FISH AND BREAD. THEY KNEW HIM INTIMATELY, AND HE KNEW THEM. AND THEY SPENT THE REST OF THEIR LIVES PROCLAIMING HIM BOLDLY EVEN UNTO THEIR DEATH…

I BELIEVE THAT OUR FIRST KEY TO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS PRAYER. WE USE THIS KEY IN JESUS NAME, AND WE ASK HIM ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, AND IN LINE FOR HIS PURPOSE IN OUR LIVES. AND WE DO IT IN OUR LOVE FOR HIM, AND OUR FAITH IN WHO HE IS….NOT FOR GETTING ALL OUR WORLDLY AND MATERIAL THINGS THAT WE THINK WILL MAKE US HAPPY AND FULFILLED.

FIND A QUIET TIME AND PLACE FOR YOURSELF, AND ASK HIM TO SHOW YOU WHO HE IS. HE IS WAITING, AND HE WANTS YOUR LIFE TO BE IN HIS KINGDOM. MAY YOU HEAR HIS VOICE …..JA