Obedient Is The Keys Of The Kingdom

                                                     When  The Door Slams

"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 of the kingdom represent the access you have to the Father through your obedient relationship to Jesus Christ. With this relationship you have access to everything that is accessible to Christ. However, this access is not given indiscriminately; Jesus gave the keys to His disciples only after they recognized that He was the Christ. 

        Once the disciples were convinced that Jesus was the Savior, they entered into a unique and personal relationship with Him. Their relationship to Jesus gave them direct access to their heavenly Father. Likewise, your obedient relationship with Christ opens the door of heaven for you and gives you direct access to the Father. 

        Peter discovered that once he had keys to the kingdom, he could go to the Father in every situation. When he stood to preach before thousands on the day of Pentecost, this simple fisherman opened the door to the kingdom for three thousand people in one day (Acts 2:41). When he encountered a lame man, he used his access to God and His healing power, and the man was healed (Acts 3:6). When he was imprisoned, Peter discovered that the keys of the kingdom could open even the most secure prion door (Acts 12:6-10).

        Think about this: If you are a Christian you, too, have keys to the kingdom of heaven. You do not need an intermediary, for you have an unobstructed access to God. With obedient to the Father come all the resources you need to face any circumstance. When you are afraid, you have access to God's peace that surpasses all comprehension (Phil. 4:6) When you have a broken relationship, you have access to the God of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-21) When you meet someone in need, you have access to God's provision for that person. What an incredible privilege to be obedient, entrusted with keys to the kingdom of heaven. No obedient, No kingdom of heaven.

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                                Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.  

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But If Not, I will Still Trust The Lord

                                                      When The Door Slams

"A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except                 the sign of the prophet Jonah." And He left them and departed.           Matthew 16:4   

        Asking God for a miracle may indicate a lack of faith. Some feel they demonstrate great faith by continually asking God for miracles. They assume that in every situation God wants to do the spectacular. They presume, for example, that God wants to heal anyone who is sick or provide a miraculous escape from every difficulty they face. 

        Jesus condemned those who insisted that He perform miracles, because He knew their hearts. He recognized that they could not believe Him without constantly undergirding their faith with signs. Their faith was not strong enough to survive without a regular supply of the miraculous. Jesus condemned this lack of faith and left them.

         There are times when we prefer the miracle over the miracle worker. God calls this idolatry, and He discouraged it by refusing to provide miracles on demand (Jer. 2:11-13). Sometimes the greatest act of faith is not to ask for a miracle. One of the most amazing statements of faith in the Old Testament came from Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as they faced the fiery furnace because of their obedience to God. 

        They expressed true faith when they assured king Nebuchadnezzar: "If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up" (Dan. 3:17-18). They were confident in God's ability to deliver them, but they trust Him so completely that they did not ask to be spared. 

        Think about this: Does your faith need miracles to sustain it? Or do you trust God so totally that you can say, "But if not, I will still trust the Lord".  

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                             Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.

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The Word Of God Judges Your Heart And Mind

                                                       When The Door Slams

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.                                                                        Hebrew 4:12 

        Does God's Word ever cause you discomfort? When you read the Bible, does what you read make you uneasy? Do you find, when you listen to sermons, that the Scripture seems aimed directly at you? You are experiencing the reality that the Word of God is alive and can read your thoughts and judge your intentions. 

        When God's Word speaks to you it is always for a purpose. God knows your heart and knows what you need to do to bring your life into conformity to Christ. If you have a problem with sinful talk, the Word that comes to you will address the tongue. If you are struggling to forgive, God's Word will confront you with His standard for forgiveness. If pride has a stronghold in your life, God's Word will speak to you about humility. 

        God Word speaks clearly of the evil, the wickedness of falsely accusing another person, of giving untrue testimony on the stand in court, or just lying or twisting or exaggerating so-called "facts" into misrepresenting the truth.... those who break the ninth commandment in this way are every bit as committed to a life of crime with other varieties of professional crooks and liars. Whatever sin needs addressing, you will find you are confronted by God's Word on the matter.

        Think about this: One way you can escape the discomfort of conviction is to avoid hearing God speak to you. You may neglect reading your Bible and stay away from places where it is taught. You may avoid those whom you know will uphold the truths of Scripture. The best response, however, is to pray as the psalmist did: "Search me, God, and know my heart" (Ps. 139:23). Regularly allow the Word of God to wash over you and find any sin or impurity (Eph. 5:26). Always make the connection between your life and what God is saying to you through His Word. Make a habit of taking every word from God seriously, knowing that it is able to judge your heart and mind. 

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                                Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Tim for His forgiveness.      

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Before You became A Christian

                                                        When The Door Slams 

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat fall into the ground and dies, it remains alone;        but if it dies, it produces much grain.                                                        John 12:24 

        Some things must die in order to be productive. Certain seeds will not germinate into a plant unless they freeze during the winter. Jesus knew that His death would bring salvation to the world. 

        The moment you became a Christian, your sinful nature died (Rom.6:6), but there remained sinful aspects of your character that had not gone to their graves willingly. Before you became a Christian, were you self-centered liar? You may discover selfishness and lying lingering in your life when you ought to be freely sharing what you have in the name of Christ (Matt. 10:8).

        Did you have a volatile temper? Now as a believer, you experience moments when anger wells up within you. Were you driven by ambition? You may still find yourself with the same motivation as you strive for recognition and position in the kingdom of God.

        If these sinful attitudes are allowed to remain alive, they will stifle the fruits of the Spirit. Your temper may prevent some from coming to Jesus. Your selfishness and lying will hinder you from being a blessing to those around you. Your ambition could cause you to use others to meet your goals. Your family may be suffering because of some areas of your life that you have never allowed Jesus to put to death. It is futile to say, "But that's just the way I am!"  

        Think about this: That is the way you were. But that person died with Christ; you are a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). Allow God to complete His work in you and see what fruit your life produces. 

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                          Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.

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Pursuit Of Righteousness And Trust

                                                        When The Door Slams 

The wicked man does deceptive work,                                                                                                     But to him who sows righteousness will be a sure reward.                                                                                                                                          Proverbs 11:18

        There are many ways to invest our lives, but none offers greater reward than devoting ourselves to the pursuit of righteousness and trust. Every area of our lives should reflect the holiness of God that is ours by salvation: our thoughts, so that nothing we think about would be inappropriate for a child of God; our actions, so that our lives demonstrate that we serve a holy God; our integrity, so that we are above reproach in all our relationships. 

        Think about this: Are you taking God's righteousness in your life for granted? Righteousness and truth is something you must allow the Holy Spirit to work in your life. Instead of sowing holy thoughts, are you allowing evil and sinful thoughts to grow in your mind? Are you allowing lust to grow unchecked within you? Does enmity, bitterness, jealousy, or just lying and unforgiveness remain in your life? Jesus said if we seek first God and His righteousness, everything else will follow (Matt. 6:33). 

        There is great reward in sowing righteousness and truth. What are you presently doing to plant trust and holiness in your life? (1 Pet. 1:15). How are you putting righteousness in your mind so that your thoughts are holy? How are you cultivating righteousness and trust in your relationships so that you maintain your integrity? Are you instilling righteousness and truth in your activities so that your life is above reproach? If you want to harvest righteousness and trust in your life tomorrow, you must plant seeds of righteousness and truth today.  

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                          Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His Forgiveness.   

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Sin Is Attractive, Sin Entrap Us

                                                     When The Door Slams 

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.                                                                                                                                 Hebrews 12:1-2 

        Sin is our most persistent, determined, and pernicious enemy. Sin seeks to rob us of every good thing God has designed for us. Paul tells us that sin brings death (Rom. 7:11). Yet it is very subtle. Sin creeps into our lives when and where we least expect it. It packages itself so attractively that we are lulled into thinking that it cannot really harm us (2 Cor. 11:14-15). 

        Think about this: Sin stealthily and relentlessly entangles our lives. We will never be able to run the race marked out for us as long as we are entrapped in sin. We can free ourselves from sin's bondage only if we recognize it for what it is. If we call sin a "mistake," a "bad habit," or a "weakness," we will never escape its grasp. We must not blame our sins on others.

        We must not allow pride to convince us it is too humiliating to admit the sin in our lives. Sin will blind us to its presence. It dose not always command our attention but rather, it deceptive and convincing robs us of the spiritual power and victory that could be ours. The good news is that there is no extent to which sin can entangle us that God's grace does not abound still more to free us          (Rom. 5:20).               

        Has sin robbed you of your joy? Has it prevented you from being the best husband, wife, mother, son, daughter, or friend you could be? Is it keeping you from spiritual maturity? If you have become entrapped with sin, God can release you immediately, no matter how desperately entangled you may have become!   

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                                     Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.   

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Here I Am. Send Me!

                                                        When The Door Slams

Your people will join You on Your day of battle. You have been dressed in holiness from birth;                You have the freshness of a child.                                                         Psalm 110:3 

        One mark of revival, during which God comes to His people in power, is that God's people are compelled to offer their lives for His service. Many churches lack people who are willing to get involved in carrying our God's redemptive work. The mission fields are crying out for Christians to go and share the gospel with those who have never heard it. What we need is not more pleas for volunteers, but an outpouring of the power of God. When God comes among His people in power, there is never a shortage of volunteers or resources for His work!

        Think about this: When Christians today are asked what aspects of the Christian life are most important to them, missions is not usually ranked as a priority. This is because we have lost track of why God called us in the first place. We were not saved from our sin simply so that we would qualify for heaven. God delivered us so we would have a relationship with Him through which He could carry out His mission to redeem a lost world. 

        Only the power of God can free us from our natural self-centeredness and reorient us toward the mission of God. there is no need to pray that God would come in power. That is the only way He ever comes. We need hearts that are so responsive to Him that He will choose to demonstrate His power through us. Is your heart so filled with love for God that you are watching for the first opportunity to say with Isaiah, "Here I am. Send me!"        

May I not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, but join with others in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God. (2 Timothy 1:8)

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                              Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.  

                                                                                                        Never Rest Ministries