“And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven..” (Matthew 16:19). 

The keys unlock the doors to the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. With one key, the largest and the most difficult door can swing open on the hinges of faith. Peter was given the keys to unlock every door existing there. Possessing the keys is essential, but their proper use is still required. Peter received from the Father the revelation of the Person of Jesus Christ accompanied by the relationship that exists between them. The revelation that He is the Christ provides the keys given to man in order for him to correspond and commune with God. Now it takes spiritual growth and experience to know what things we should ask for thus aligning ourselves with the will of the Father. When earth reflects the will of heaven, then earth will have upon it an instrument that will use the keys as a means of having God’s  kingdom to come, and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. It is Christ working His work through humanity. His prayer will be upon our lips and whatever Jesus prays for, the Father will hear and answer. 

“A man is not established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous cannot be moved” (Proverbs 12:3). 

There are many courses available to every man. Some seem attractive while others have little appeal. Time will usually sort them out, but we do not have the gift of foresight and each must choose his course at the beginning of the journey. This is difficult when we only have our meager experiences as guides for our actions. Then only pain and pleasure are the guides when integrity is not the rule. Many shipwrecked lives are casualties of failed hopes and dreams of those who made decisions based on misleading experience. Their attempts to succeed at all cost were more costly than they had bargained for. But the righteous reject the path of immediate gratification. The delay in waiting on the Lord’s guidance positioned them to hear His voice leading them around the treacherous ditches and pitfalls of the enemy. They withstood the misguided trends and fads of popular opinion. They remained faithful when all else around them failed in order to receive the singular applause of the Father’s affirmation of “Well done!” 

“And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes” (Ezekiel 47:9). 

The waters of life will flow from the Temple thus producing life wherever it flows. The dry and brittle soil will receive the refreshing of revival when the Temple has enough water to flow from it to places beyond its doors. God has given us what the world so desperately needs. In a culture of death and spiritual stagnation, many are in pursuit of a truth that is able to reach the soul. The cosmetic treatments of fatal illnesses have not sufficed. There remains a wound deep within the soul that nothing external is able to satisfy. It requires the living water so that one would not have to continue coming to the well. God has given authority to the Church to be salt and light to the world. But His anointing will flow from His people touching the whole of His creation that now groans for redemption. God will pour out His Spirit upon all flesh. It will awaken a people who will align themselves with the Lord, thus allowing His glory to be reflected throughout the whole earth. They will not try to usurp the glory and honor that is God’s alone, but rather reflect it, thus bringing glory to His Name. Every place the river goes will be healed. 

“Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him” (Daniel 7:27). 

The rising of kings that will attempt to change times and laws will appear to have prevailed against God. The saints will be persecuted and the enemy will prevail against the saints. It will be a day when God’s Word will be among the minority who are willing to give their lives for what does not appear to be working. As it is today, persecutions are growing and Christians are being persecuted in various parts of the world. Their story is not being told and their experiences are often isolated from the whole experience of the Body of Christ in the eyes of many who profess to be believers. Leaders are rising who lack any knowledge or experience and thus are not challenging the evil powers. They coexist with the enemy; therefore, they do not pose any threat. Times and seasons are being altered by the opposing forces. Ultimately, God will arise to judge the kings of the earth. Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. It will be at a time when defeat will be apparent that God will raise up the lowly and they will reign with Him serving and obeying Him. 

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26). 

Our flesh is limited and strains to give expression of our gratitude towards God for what we have come to know of Him. The reality of the necessity of the death of Jesus Christ on our behalf can only gain in significance when we are enlightened to the sinfulness of our behaviour. The depravity of mind and conscience and the eternal damnation of the soul and spirit were real. We were doomed to forever be separated from God who is both life and love. Now that we are forgiven, our hearts are filled with more gratitude than our words are able to articulate. What frustration we would experience if our world feels such love but had no outlet to express it? The Holy Spirit Himself makes intercession for us, both in gratitude and in passion to further connect with God in deeper and more profound ways. Our sounds may be groans or babble, but there is a spiritual heart to heart union whereas our spirits are interacting with the Holy Spirit. An ecstatic feeling is generated within us as a result of complete communication with God. In time, He allows our minds to have a small glimpse of words that are over our heads. Thank God for His Holy Spirit who completely knows the things of God. 

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). 

The Lord extends to each individual the opportunity to be saved. It is the road that leads to life. The destination may not be clearly defined or easily understood, but the path to the destination is introduced to everyone. It may be a subtle approach from a stranger, or a dramatic experience. Each situation, when viewed from eternity’s perspective, was the extended hand of God releasing mercy. The objective is to provide an abundance of opportunities for the wayward to be drawn to Him. His desire is that none should perish. Those who perish are usually stubbornly justifying their rebellious ways and never seeing the need for a Savior. Oh, the wonders of His grace! When we understand the need for both mercy and grace, we will view our self-righteousness as sin, our abilities to love as hatred, and every effort on our part to boast as shame. What preserves us from destruction is the awareness of our absolute need for Him in all things. This is repentance when we turn away from our own ways and wholly turn towards Jesus Christ. Those who perish are those who neglect so great a salvation. It is not His passion that any perish. It is His will that all be saved. 

“Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You” (Jeremiah 32:17). 

To understand by faith that the worlds were framed by the Word of God is the basis for the settled confidence necessary to trust Him for all things. Faith progresses from the observable to the invisible. We are able to observe creation with the mysteries contained within all things created. The complexity of nature may be explored but the knowledge contained within each creature is enormous. The delicate balance synergized into a whole unit reflects the genius of a Creator whose thoughts gave consideration to every detail. What amazing wisdom and power must be present to both think so explicitly and yet to hold all things together. Since God is able to create both the heavens which expand beyond human comprehension and the very small which is also far beyond our comprehension, then nothing is too hard for Him. We can believe Him for what would otherwise be impossibilities. No longer are they impossible, but merely require a faith that goes deeper than the surface. Nothing is impossible for the one who gives God credit for what He has already done. 

“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2Timothy 2:1-3). 

There is a need to maintain the consistency of effort in fulfilling a shared vision. The instructions of Paul were received because he both trained and taught his disciples in the ways of Jesus Christ. If his life contradicted his message, it would have been hypocritical for him to expect more from others than he was willing to do. Not only did they observe his manner of life, his reputation was widespread among many witnesses. It is good to be able to say that your life is a life committed to Christ, but it is far more significant for others to bear witness of your commitment. Therefore he was able to exhort his disciples to commit to others what they collectively were committed to. This is a day where true commitment is needed desperately. The world needs to see examples of committed saints of God modeling before them faithfulness to the Lord and His Word. At that place of commitment, we are given a voice and have earned the right to speak on His behalf. Anything less than this, we become a disservice to the cause of evangelism and discipleship. We duplicate who we are and not just what we say. We must want our lives to speak louder than our words. 

“We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1John 5:16). 

The contrast between light and darkness is becoming more apparent and on different fronts. There are those who stand outside of what now is now considered to be the norm because they continue to uphold a standard that appears archaic. The tried and proven truths are constantly being challenged and tested. Yet they are able to withstand all the shifting currents of modernity. If we did not know that we were of God, even those who may be in places where worship is accepted would be in doubt. Those who know that they are of God have His Spirit as their guarantee and confirmation. He makes it known to them to whom they belong. We are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. He shakes all things that can be shaken in order for only the truth and children of wisdom to remain. Doctrines that appeal to the vanity of the mind have become widespread and are flourishing. When all who could be deceived would have gone their own way, the Son of God will be revealed affirming those who have God’s seal of approval. We know that we are of God, but God also know those who are His.

“Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys” (Exodus 40:36). 

The glory cloud would settle the potential disputes among the children of Israel as to whether or not it was time to proceed on their journey. Otherwise there would have been unsettled arguments in interpreting the right season to advance, and even who had the authority to give the orders to move on. Moses alone was able to approach Mt. Sinai where the smoke ascended from the fire with the lightning, thunder, and earthquakes because the Lord had descended upon it. He had ascended into the very cloud that covered them and guided them along the way. Now the instructions given to them by Moses were received as instructions from Almighty God. The power of God has not diminished over time. Rather it was wrapped in human flesh. The unapproachable became approachable in Christ Jesus. Now it is His Word that must guide and govern our lives. When His Word is spoken, the glory cloud is lifted that we may go onward in all our journeys. Without His grace, we are exposed to the enemy of our faith and in danger of going astray. But if the Word of God settles our disputes and we are committed to reach the journey’s end, He will be there to protect us from all things that would otherwise impede our progress.