One of the awesome moments in my life was at 16 when I received my driver’s license. It was my key to freedom! But the problem was that I had the key to freedom but no car to drive... So, I saved every dime and dollar I could, so I could get my own car. Finally, I had saved enough to get the car of my dreams. My mom, my brother in law and I, went down to the used car lot, and there it sat... a 1960 Jaguar, cream colored, with a tan top and leather interior.... It was so hot!! I had the money, but my brother in law said, you don’t want one of those foreign cars. They’re too expensive to fix, if something breaks down, it will cost a fortune... I almost cried, but my mom was on his side, so we continued to look. So. he took me over to a 1956 Ford Fairlane convertible with a T-Bird engine... Black with red interior and A black top. And I got my joy back. I gave them the money, signed the papers, and he handed me the keys. I drove that baby home. It was the most liberating moment of my life at that point. I know that my parents most likely did not feel that same sense of joy that I felt that day. From my own experience I have learned that they likely had more of a sense of dread and apprehension at what may lie ahead. I had a license, I had the keys, and I had something to put the keys in and drive!....
I’m so glad that Winnie and I could give that same moment to each one of our kids, that liberating moment of handing them the keys to their own car.... (I’m reliving it even as I say it to you)!
The Lord feels the same way, when we come to the place that we are ready to receive the keys of our freedom and walk in the liberty which He has purchased for us!
Matthew 16:18-19, "And I say also unto you, That you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Jesus was speaking to Peter, but his words were not only directed to Peter, but to every disciple of Christ that would ever live. Jesus has given each one of us access to the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and now it is up to us what we will do with those keys. So, let’s talk about those keys this morning....
Jesus said that these keys can be used to either lock, or bind up; or they can be used to open and set free, and Jesus said that whatever we do with them, He will honor our action and He will allow us to make certain decisions that will stand in the courts of Heaven...
We have been given the key of salvation. How will that key work and what power comes with its usage?
The key of Salvation is operated through the preaching, teaching and witnessing of the message of the Gospel to those who don’t know Jesus as their Savior. Every time we tell someone about the Gospel, we are using that key to unlock the door of the kingdom of Heaven for that soul. At that moment, wehave unlocked and opened the door which gives them access, to either accept Christ or to turn and walk away. When we tell someone about Jesus, and we open the door with that key, I can envision the door of the kingdom of Heaven swinging open wide and the choirs of Heaven standing and waiting to hear that sinner pray and ask Jesus into their life.And then, Oh, what celebration takes place as praise bursts forth with singing and worship as they walk through the open door of salvation. What we have opened with the keys and loosed in the earth has now been loosed in Heaven and the portals of Glory ring with celebration.
Colossians 1:13&14 “He has conveyed (translated) us into the kingdom of His dear son In whom we have redemption”... The keys are to enable us to operate in a redemptive manner in this earth dimension. Wherever we are, the kingdom is carried forth that we may lock doors and unlock doors. We can refuse access to the works of the enemy and we can allow access to the things that are redemptive. That’s important in our homes and families. We are assigned to speak and declare redemptive words in our home, our family, in our workplace and throughout our community....
Luke 19:13 tells us to conduct (transact) kingdom business until He returns. I am authorized to carry out heaven’s business in the earth. To transact means to exchange one thing for another. I buy groceries, and I exchange them for currency. I get a salary which I have exchanged for agreed upon services. If you apply that to the kingdom, then we transact human needs with kingdom resources. We trade fear for love and grace. We trade sickness for healing and wholeness. We trade weakness for strength and power. We trade bondage for freedom. That’s how you conduct kingdom business....
Most of us feel the tension within us between having the keys to the kingdom and effectively applying them in our lives and circumstances. Just like driving a powerful car... the key gives us access to all it is capable of, but learning to drive on a busy highway and learning all the rules that apply is an ongoing process.
A senior citizen called her elderly husband during his drive home. "Herman, she said, I just heard on the news that there's a car going the wrong way on Interstate 90, Please be careful!"There was a long pause and Herman said, "It's not just one car. There's hundreds of them!"
How can everyone else be wrong and only you are right. There are many twists and turns on the highway of life and we all must choose which turns to make if we are to arrive at the destination which is best for us. God has given us a GPS through the Scripture and the inner guidance of the Holy Spirit, to navigate our way....
I was thinking about the fact that Judas and Peter and John all lived under the daily teachings and demonstrations of Jesus’ power and authority. They all had the best pastor on the planet, the best leader, the best advisor, the best counselor, the greatest opportunity... yet Judas failed, while the others successfully operated the keys to the kingdom. Judas refused to make Jesus Lord, even though he had all the advantages that the other 11 had.
I can give you paint, I can give you the best brushes, then give you canvas and all you need to be a great painter. I can even get someone to give you lessons, but these will not be enough without the passion, self-sacrifice and dedication necessary to be a good painter and artist. Without delayed gratification and the right priorities you will remain at the entrance to painting and never move all the way in to become an accomplished painter and artist. The opportunity is always there, but you must use the keys you are given effectively...
1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober-minded; be alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking the unsuspecting, to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith.....”. Our enemy is not the IRS, or DMV, or the DHS or the GOV. And our enemy is not drugs, alcohol, nicotine, and it is not homosexuality or lesbianism, or fornication or adultery. Your enemy is not sickness and disease, and poverty and lack, (Yes all these things may be manifest against us but they are just masks the devil wears. Our real enemy is the (D-e-v-i-l).
Stop taking it personally, Satan is attacking Jesus in you. He’s attacking righteousness, Godliness, Holiness, and your hunger and thirst for the Holy Spirit! Thank God, the Holy Spirit (our new coach), now dwelling within us, and He is here to help us fundamentally change how we respond. Our training begins to feel more and more normal, instead of some weird thing that is happening to us. .The good news is: We Have been well equipped to fight this battle.
2 Corinthians 10: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”
We must be like the little girl whose pastor asked her, “what would you do if Satan came to your house and knocked on your door. She said, “I would send Jesus to answer it”….GOOD ANSWER!!!
While our salvation is not based on works, nor is it conditional upon our performance... Still, we will be judged according to our faithfulness in how we used what we were given by God, by our obedience to His Word, and if we had love and compassion for one another.
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘Depart from me, I never knew you!”
Oh my, there are going to be some surprises in heaven! Some folks are going to be shocked that we are there, and we’re going to be shocked when we see the folks we had written off, walking with Jesus.
J Taylor Ludwig wrote the following poem....
“I was shocked, confused, and bewildered as I entered Heaven’s door,
Not by the beauty of it all, nor the lights or the decor.
But it was the folks in Heaven who made me sputter and gasp–
The thieves, the liars, the sinners, alcoholics and trash.
There stood the kid from seventh grade who swiped my lunch money twice. Next to him was my old neighbor who never said anything nice.
Herb, who I always thought was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine, looking incredibly well.
I nudged Jesus, ‘What’s the deal? I would love to hear your take.
How’d all these sinners get up here? There must be somemistake.
‘And why’s everyone so quiet, and amazed – could you give me a clue.’
‘Child,’ He said, ‘they’re all in shock. They never thought of seeing you!’ One little boy asked his mother who was her favorite child...She thought for a second and said, "Do I have to pick one of my own?"
Then there’s little Johnny who asked his Mom, "Mommy, who is your favorite child?" His mom thought about it and said "Johnny, you know I can't answer this. I don't have a favorite child." "But mommy," Johnny says, "I am your only child."
Jesus tells us who his favorites are.... Matthew 12:46 “While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers 47 stood outside, asking to speak to him. (Some religions say that Mary had no other children) 48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” You are His favorite if you are striving to do His willand obey the pattern
May our greatest concern and goal in life, be, to hear the master say His, “Well done, my good and faithful servant” as we stand before Him on that day. “Well done” in witnessing to others by your example, not just with your opinion. “Well done” in showing compassion instead of impatience and intolerance. “Well done” in loving who I love, and serving one another in my name. “Well done” in faithfully using the Keys to the Kingdom that I gave you.
Exodus 25:40 tells us “Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I showed you.” We live in a time that believers, for some reason, feel that everything and anything will do. I’ll do it my way, and it will all be O.K. ....REALLY!! God’s glory came to rest on the tabernacle and the temple because they did it according to the pattern given to them. They did it God’s way, carefully and fully according to the instructions He gave them. If we want His glory and we want to see His power displayed, it is no different now, today. We must do it according to the pattern He has given us. Any old way won’t do.
Oh, friend, hear the lord speaking this, we need our passion renewed for God’s pattern, God’s way, God’s time!
Isaiah 22:22 “And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder so he shall open and none shall shut and he shall shut and none shall open.”
The Keys to the Kingdom is about power and authority and without it, access to all the places and things that have been closed and shut up to you, will not happen.
I want you to picture Jesus who is of the house of David, with a huge key ring, and it has thousands of keys on it. A key for every situation and place in life we need access to....
A key to the spouse He has for you... A key to the right job, the right home, the right neighborhood, the right friends and family. The key to your past and your future. The key to your health and your peace. How about the key to your finances and your career.The key to every addiction, to depression and low self esteem.... On we could go, let the Holy Spirit show you your area.... Amen!
But understand, He gives us the keys. Without Him, we do not have access to the key ring. Isaiah sees the Lord with the keys. Without Him, the keys don’t operate. Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life, anyone who enters by another way is a thief and a robber”....
But look at this.... Romans 8:19 “The whole creation eagerly awaits the manifestation (the coming forth) of the children of God.” Wow, do you get it....this tells us that the whole creation is eager to cooperate with us when we get thisthing right! The right job, the right spouse, the finances and career, freedom and success, are all eager to help you and cooperate in the right outcome...
1 Corinthians 15:48 “As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthly and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.”
We were born earthy, but we are reborn in the heavenly image and likeness. We now operate in two dimensions. Jesus said that we are in the world but not of the world. Because of this, we have access to operate supernatural keys that supersede the natural order in Christ. Wherever I am, I take the keys of heaven with me.
If we will only learn to use the keys that Jesus has given us, what greater blessings, what great revivals, what great works could be loosed in earth, that will be loosed also from Heaven. If we will only learn to use the keys that we have been given, what great sins of darkness, and what powers of Hell could be bound in the earth and in Heaven with those keys.
I want to propose a scientific experiment today, and I need your help. Will everyone who has keys on them please take them out and hold them? Here’s my experiment: For the next few seconds, I want you to go through each of your keys and see if you know what each of your keys are used for. If you come upon one or more keys that are on your keychain but you have no idea what it unlocks OR if it unlocks something you no longer have, please raise your hand.
I noticed a few months back that I had a couple of keys that I never used. I couldn’t remember what they were used for. I didn’t really know. But I was afraid to throw them away, because, ya’know, what if I needed them some day? You have the keys to the kingdom, but do you know what they are for? And if you don’t know what they are for, how do you know what they open or shut, or bind or loose?
Have you ever locked your keys in the car, or misplaced them so you spend all your time retrieving them instead of using them....well you have keys but you can’t use them... Satan wants to lock you out, or cause you to misplace your keys, by distracting you, or getting you to focus on something else... You’re blinded by emotions, or anger, or unforgiveness... so you’re locked out....
Let’s all quote together, Matthew 6:9 “This is how I pray (and believe): ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come, Your will be done, in earth as it is in heaven”. Jesus said that when He came the kingdom came to earth.
Oh, church, say not the kingdom is here or there, for He has given you the keys, it is within you!!! When He gave you the keys, you officially became appointed to bring heaven into the earth. Didn’t Jesus say that it was to be in earth as it is in heaven. He told us to pray, believe and receive that very thing in our daily affairs of life. Know your keys, and use them according to the instruction manual we have been given....
Let’s pray together....
Father, in Jesus name, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I pray that out of Your glorious riches you would strengthen me with power in my inner being so that I might fully offer myself to You. I pray that I would be rooted and established in love, that I might grasp how wide and long and high and deep Your love is. I believe that you are able to do far more than I can imagine by Your power that is now working in me. Lord, I ask you to transform my mind and my spirit daily, that I might receive the blessings and opportunities you have planned for me. I choose to step out in faith knowing that You hold the future and You have plans for my life for good and not for evil. When the world sends out hate, help me to love. When the past won’t let go, help me to remember Your grace. When the enemy taunts with lies and surrounds me with darkness, help me to stay in your light. Lord, when a relationship feels broken or I’m betrayed or rejected, help me to forgive by the power of Your Spirit. By faith, I move through the new doors which you are opening before me, that no one will be able to shut. The power of Your presence in me, prepares my path before me and strengthens me so that I can succeed and prosper, even when it seems impossible, even when it doesn’t make sense, I know that You are the same yesterday, today and forever, and you will do exceedingly above and beyond what I think or ask, In Jesus name, Amen!
Now let’s close by just taking time to pray for one another as the Lord tells us, if two or three shall agree as touching anything, it shall be done....
That word means you have said “yes”.... to something and you have become pro-active in that area.
Being engaged can mean many things...
You may be engaged in Education, Good health, Building a business, Politics, This meeting, Self improvement and many more things....
OK, how many thought of a man and a woman getting engaged when I announced the title of this message? Most of you.... Since that’s the case, here’s a few statements I came across about that....
“Don’t just say you love me, Put a ring on it”! Put some commitment on it.
Whoever called it an engagement ring... should have called it the “Yes Dear” Diamond?
Before an army officer can get married, they need to know the rules of engagement.
This one guy asked his girlfriend what sort of engagement ring she'd like.
She said, “Don’t get me one that's like you.".... “But I’m full of sparkle, he said. “No, you’re Cheap and round" she answered.
My dog swallowed my engagement ring last night, I couldn’t give it to her until he coughed it out when he barked. I told her it was a lot like me, It was a diamond in the RUFF.
One guys engagement fell through, because when he told her that his dad was very rich and divorced, she became his mom.
We say a couple is “Engaged” but In Croatian, it’s zauzet... in Czech, it’s Zapojeno.... In Dutch, it’s bezet.... In Irish, it’s gabháil.... In Italian, it’s impegnato.... In Portuguese, it’s acionado.... In Swahili, it’s kushiriki....
Well, my opening scripture is about engagement.... Matthew 1:18,19 “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused (engaged or committed) to Joseph, and before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost”…You may notice here, that The angel didn’t appear with the miracle message, until there was a commitment.
Many folks want God to do something, and if He does, then they will make a commitment. But throughout scripture we find the opposite is true. God waits for our commitment of faith and trust, before He moves and reveals. You don’t just give God a road test, or try it before you buy it.... Man looks at the outward appearance, but God sees the heart...At some point you move beyond kicking the tires and looking under the hood....to get in and drive this thing!!!
The woman with the issue of blood, pushed through the crowd and made a commitment to get to Jesus... The blind man kept yelling louder and louder until he stopped Jesus, even though the disciples tried to shut him up....Zacchaeus climbed a tree, so he would be able to see and hear Jesus. He made a commitment... The friends of the paralyzed man tore the roof off to lower their friend down to where Jesus was ministering... that commitment resulted in wholeness and healing... You don’t have to be great to start, but you do have to start to be great... We are committed in the ups and the downs, the little things and the big things of life...There are no unimportant decisions, they all have significance and impact.
An engaged man asked his father for advice for a long and happy marriage... He said, “Dad, you and Mom have been happily married for 50 years now. How do you do it? "Oh, That's easy son, when your Mom and I first got married, we made a deal. She would make all the little decisions, and I would make all the big decisions. "
Hey, that sounds like a good arrangement. But how do you decide what's a big decision, and what's a little decision?
"Well son, she told me that we haven't had any big decisions yet." The biggest decision anyone can make is the decision to make Jesus their Lord and master. And give Him permission to call the shots in their lives. In the same way, when a couple becomes engaged, It’s official that there is no more place for anyone else in that way in their lives. They are stating that they are no longer in the market but they are off limits.....
A young woman entered a bible preaching Church out of curiosity. While there, she heard the gospel for the first time and was converted. As she continued to attend, she heard God’s call on her life to go to China as a missionary. She was the only daughter of a multi-millionaire. She was socially prominent and wealthy. But her parents were not Christians. When she told them of her decision to go to the mission field, they sneered at the very thought. They were sure that they could quickly put a stop to what they called, “a passing whim”. This girl was engaged to a successful, prominent businessman—but he was not a Christian either. When she talked with him about giving his life to Christ, he took a stand just as her parents had. Later on the parents gave a social event and invited their wealthy friends. They told these friends about their daughter’s intentions and enlisted their help to change her mind. During the evening the daughter listened to all their arguments against going to the mission field. Finally, she walked over to the piano and began to play and sing: the words of the song were “Jesus, I my cross have taken, All to leave and follow Thee, destitute, despised, forsaken, and now to You my all shall be.” Her fiancé was so touched by her action. He walked over to her and said, “I did not know Jesus could mean so much to any person. If He means that much to you, please pray for me that I might know Him as well.” They both made their commitment to one another and to the Lord. They were married and BOTH went to China. Where they labored among the people for many years together and saw many come into the kingdom.
The Jewish engagement ceremony, and the wedding are meant to be very prophetic events, pointing to Christ and His church.... Paul said this in 2 Corinthians 11:2 “F or I am jealous over you with a holy jealousy that comes from God. I promised to give you to Christ, as your only husband. I desire that you be committed (engaged) to Him as His pure bride”.
Engagement is a state of being considered married before you actually are married. When Paul calls us the Lord’s pure bride, it means we enter marriage as virgins. For we have saved ourselves for Him alone. In the custom of the Jewish Hebrews, the woman and man who were promised to one another, but were not intimate until after the wedding ceremony. Until that time, she would aways wear a veil in his presence, representing her purity.
Likewise we are reserved for Christ alone. There is no place for any but Him in our lives. Like the Bridegroom of the bible, the time will come when He will take us unto Himself and we will be glorified for we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is.
Look at Revelation 19:6-9 “Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure” for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
In the Hebrew wedding customs during the time of Christ, typical weddings were divided into 3 ceremonial sections; the betrothal (ketubah),
the wedding (Chuppah),
and the feast. Seudat Nissuin)
During the betrothal, the father of the bridegroom would present a bridal contract (ketubah). Once both sides agreed on the ketubah, the bride would be showered with gifts and the bridegroom would offer his covenant bride a cup of wine (mohar).. If she drank the cup before everyone, she thereby expressed her will to marry him by her own consent. The glasses are then broken. The bridegroom would usually leave a special gift (the mattan) to help her remember their covenant. The “mattan” (a type of the Holy Spirit) helped the bride remember and grow in love with the bridegroom day by day when they were apart.
Then the bridegroom’s party would depart. The bridegroom would spend at least nine months to one year working to build a house for their future family. (Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us) The bride would prepare herself and her bridal garments, usually made up of fine linen. She had to keep herself chaste and undistracted by other would-be lovers while her bridegroom was laboring to build a house for them, (she was reserved for him alone) She never knew when he would come to receive her when he had everything ready. When the bridegroom had finished all preparations, he would usually seek permission from her father to go and receive his bride. The timing of the coming of the bridegroom to receive his bride, whom he had redeemed and paid for with a precious bridal price, was in herfather’s authority. Before the bridegroom left to receive his bride to himself, he would usually send his friends ahead to blow the trumpet (shofar) and shout a warning, “The bridegroom is coming” would be the shout, as they moved through the streets!
When the bride heard this trumpet and shout, she would go out, dressed in her bridal garment together with her friends. These friends would accompany the bride in a procession to the bridegroom’s home. They would prepare lamps to light the way, because it would usually be dark, but a typical lamp had an oil compartment that only contained sufficient oil to light the lamp for a couple of hours. If the bridegroom delayed his coming deep into the night, their lamps would run out of oil. Those who were wise would bring along larger containers with extra oil to last through the long, dark night. We need to check the oil of the spirit in our lives. The fruit of the Spirit, the operations of the Spirit, and the character of the Spirit that are all about the oil.
The bridegroom would usually come between sunset and sunrise. He would come like a thief in the night to snatch away his bride, which was part of the fun and ritual
When the bridegroom saw her, he lifted her up and carried her back to the home he had built for them. In that home, under the chuppah, they would receive the wedding blessings and consummate their marriage covenant. The feast then began in the house of the bridegroom and would often last for seven days or longer. We will be 7 years in heaven with the bridegroom, before we return to earth.
So, all believers are grouped together, from every continent, every race, every denomination, and every language. We are all called the bride of Christ. Jesus prayed that we become one, even as He and the Father are one. If this is true, shouldn’t we try harder to get along. We are the bride.
Can you imagine a person fighting themselves. Giving themselves a black eye, or a smashed nose.... hitting themselves in the head with a hammer....I mean just really beating up on themselves. Or refusing to like themselves, mistreating themselves, constantly saying terrible things about themselves, and not taking care of themselves? Eventually that would have disastrous results.
That’s what the Lord sees when we don’t take care of each other, in the body of Christ, and we don’t like each other, we talk against each other, and don’t treat each other in love as the bride of Christ. When I set myself against someone in the body of Christ, I am opposing the bride whom He loves and died to have as His own.... In Jesus’ time a young girl would be engaged, or committed to an older man when she was 5 to 12 years old or younger. He might be 40 and possibly a successful business man. So he and the girl’s father would come to an agreement and seal the deal. He would then instruct the father and mother how hewanted the girl to be raised, to his liking.... She was not her own, but she belonged to another. From the time of engagement, her life was shaped and guided so that she would be pleasing to the man she would marry. She was all about pleasing him. And he would check in often to see how that process was being carried out till she was 13 and could marry. That is what it meant for the future bride to be espoused to someone.
When things try to intrude upon your commitment to Christ. When there are conflicts which distract you from serving Him, and pull you away from His first place in your life, and He gets put 2nd, 3rdor last on your priority list....after fishing and football, You need to declare... I AM ENGAGED! I BELONG TO ANOTHER, I AM RESERVED FOR THE ONE I LOVE. My life Is now lived to please Him! That relationship should shut down our critical spirit, cause us to be quick to apologize and repent, examine our heart and be willing to change our habits and patterns....
Listen to the prayer of Jesus for His bride..... John 17:13 “Father, I am coming to You now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of My joy within them. 14 I have given them Your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I have sent them into the world.
19 For them I sanctify Myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. 20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. 22 I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are One—
23 I in them and You in Me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me. 24 “Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, and to see My glory, the glory You have given Me because You loved Me before the creation of the world”.
If you are a believer in Christ, you have given Him the right to order your life, and determine your priorities. You have given Him the right to order your daily schedule and speak into your plans. And He has done that... It’s called His written plan... The word of God.
How can I call Him my Lord and never check to see what He wants for my life, and what He wants me to do each day? He is Lord of the New Year… He’s the true Victor of the Super Bowl of life…. He’s the great lover of Valentine's Day… He’s the King of Kings on Presidents' Day… He’s the King of Saints on St. Patrick's Day… He’s the humble servant of Palm Sunday…. He’s the resurrected, risen Lord of Easter… He’s the Holy Spirit sender of Pentecost…. His banner over me is love on Flag Day…. Independence Day, He is my source of freedom…. Labor Day, He is my rest…. Halloween, He destroys the works of the evil one…Daylight Saving Time, He is my Redeemer….. Election Day, He is the undefeated one…. Veterans Day, He is the lord of armies…. And Thanksgiving, He is my reason to Praise….
The appearing of Christ at the rapture, will consummate in two amazing events... The marriage supper, where Jesus fulfills His promise and receives His bride to Himself, to be with Him for all eternity. Revelation 19:7 “Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
Then, Following this, will come the judgment seat of Christ. This is where believers are rewarded based on how faithfully they served Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad”. The bad referred to here, is about not repenting, not forgiving, not getting rid of some secret sin in your life. Some of the things we might be judged on are how well we obeyed the Great Commission (witnessing to others), how victorious we were over sin, did we overcome? And were we faithful with what we were given?.
Luke 18:8, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith (pistinon...or faithfulness) in the earth?” There are five heavenly crowns mentioned in the New Testament that will be awarded to believers.
They are the imperishable crown (immortality), the crown of rejoicing (for maintaining our joy in every situation), the crown of righteousness (overcoming sin), the crown of glory (we glorified God with our lives), and the crown of life (Those who valued the Lord more than their own life, and put Him first in this life).
Romans 5:17 says, "Those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ." This is describing this time and beyond, when we will be given rulership so that we may reign in whatever position we are given as we come back to earth in our glorified bodies to rule in the millennium and on into the new heaven and earth.
Friend, whatever it takes to overcome in your life here, believe me, it will be worth it when we get there. He wants us to have heaven to go to heaven in.....
“Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven...”
Be encouraged in the testing and trials. In the ups and downs and good times and bad.... When we the bride, stand before Jesus our espoused.... it will be like no celebration you’ve ever experienced. Nothing on this earth can compare to that time. Get your joy back, get your peace back, get your confession back, get your shout and your praise back... It won’t be long now... till the heaven’s open, the trumpet sounds, and we rise together to meet Him in the air and so shall we forever be with the Lord!
If there are things which need repentance, if there is forgiveness needed, if there is obedience to something God has put on your heart but you have not done it.... do it now....
Let’s take a moment and give our first love, first place.... Mark 12:30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ And you shall love your neighbor as yourself”.
If you would feel led to support this ministry, send your donation to "Eagle's Rest, P.O box 2820, Key West, Florida 33040. I want to thank you in advance and may God richly bless you for your faithfulness.... See less
These are 3 things I want to unwrap today, although possibly not in that order, because we may believe for a breakthrough, but there are steps we can use to get there and into the light of day, whatever that may look like.....
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 For God has anointed us in Christ, and He hasalready given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
Let’s say this in a way that we might speak in modern English.... “If Christ is in you, you already have received in advance, all you need to accomplish His will and purpose for your life”...
In other words, The Breakthrough you’re looking for, is already in you, if Christ, the anointed one is in you.
God will never send you a message that says the content is no longer available. Your Breakthrough is in you now, earnestly waiting to be released! It has not expired, the shelf life is still good. You can still be the person God says you can be.
If anyone had their head stuck in the sand, it was the Apostle Peter. How did the guy who denied Jesus as he was being beaten by the Roman soldiers, the guy who was hiding in a locked room for fear following the crucifixion and this same guy was hidingwhen John and Mary were the only ones standing at the cross.How did this man became fearless in the face of persecution, opposition, imprisonment, and punishment? How did he become so empowered to perform amazing signs and wonders so that people would even bring out their sick and his shadow falling on them would heal them? So what happened in this guy to transform him into the man who stood up on the day of Pentecost and boldly preached to thousands?
Peter’s breakthrough is really a breaking out.....He decided to get off the merry go round of self limitations that was taking him nowhere. What was already in him needed a breakout... His gifting, his higher purpose, his calling and mission, were all in there but lacked the power to get beyond his fears, his doubts, his intimidations and his old patterns....This is made so clear in the following scripture.
Matthew 16:18 “And I say also unto you, that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. v19 And I give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”.
We don’t have to be like the monkey at the typewriter, hoping if we just pound on the keys long enough and we’re patient enough, something will eventually make sense....the unction of the Spirit makes a difference
It was in Peter, but he couldn’t get it out!
He needed something outside of himself, to get all that was in him, OUT OF HIM!
Friends, it is no different with us today. That thing is called unction... It is the force which allows what’s in us to break out,so that we can break through. We pray for breakthrough, but what we need is the “Break out”!!! Sometimes, when everything says it’s time, but the baby won’t come, the doctor has to induce labor....so, the life that’s inside can get outside!
Let me say here that it is important for us to see that the word “anointing”, also means unction or a “compelling force”....
1 John 2:20 But you have an UNCTION from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. v21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because it is in you. 1 John 2:27 “As for you, the unction you received from Him is in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you (if you just use what is in you) For His unction is in you, and continues to reveal to you all things and that unction is real. So, just as it has continued to reveal to you, remain in Him”. (allow that unction to continue to bring your break out from within you)
Jesus told the disciples the difference between having something within them, and getting it out where it can make a difference... It’s the principle of receiving it, so that you can have it! If I believe it enough, then I will do what is necessary to receive it so I can operate in it.
Mark 11:24 “That is why I tell you, that whatever you pray and make request for, if you believe that you have received it, it shall be yours”.
This is why it is so important to store up God’s word in our spirit, so we know what He wants us to ask for, believe for, and receive.
Well, if it’s yours when you believe for it, why isn’t it manifest.... because you must stir up the Holy Spirit in you to bring the unction to push it out!!!
Paul tells his disciple Timothy, 2 Timothy 1:6 “Therefore I remind you to stir up (receive the unction of) the gift of God which is in you...” The word gift here, is also translated, “favor, endowments, extraordinary operations of the Spirit, virtues and fruit of the Spirit) Another version says.... For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you....”
Now follow that up with Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power, (unction) after that the Holy Ghost is come upon (ep-er'-khom-ahee.. “ tocome into, to have influence, to compel”) you: and you shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (everywhere you go, in everything you do).”
I have often had Holy Spirit remind me that these gifts, endowments, favor, operations of the Spirit and fruit of the Spirit, are not for me alone, but for the building up of the church, the edifying of the body of Christ, and the convincing ofnon-believers as well.
We are the channel through which God wishes to deliver the gifts to others. If we could just get out of the way and be the best channels we can be, God could really do some amazing things. Too often, we’re like a person trying to pour gas through a foam rubber spout.... (this guy is using a foam rubber glove) very little gets in the tank because the sponge either soaks it up or spills it on the ground......That’s what we do when we think it’s all about us, and our needs and wants instead of understanding we are the channel that God is allowing the gifts to flow through to be given to others....
Peter and Paul experienced transformation, when they realized that the gifts in them, were not all about them, and just to bless them, but to bless the body of Christ and bring non-believers to righteousness....
So, I guess the big question is, How do I stir up the gifts that are in me, so that I can have a break out that will result in break through?
First, we stir up the gifts by remembering.....How quickly we remember all the bad stuff that has happened, betrayals, injustices, losses, disappointments, and heartaches, we have gone through.... But all that those things do is bring us down, and keep us where we don’t want to be... Often, we have the right equipment, but we don’t know how to use it..... Like the folks who bought a brand new, expensive boat, with all the latest gadgets. They were new to boating and after launching their new toy at the boat ramp, it was sluggish, and were having problems. No matter how hard they tried they couldn't get their mini -yacht up to speed. It was very sluggish and hard to steer, no matter how much power they applied. After about a half hour, another boat pulled up next to them and told them that the trailer was still attached.... If you’re going to go somewhere in your spiritual life, at some point you have to take the training wheels off and step out by faith.... If you want to really make progress, you have to let go of your baggage....which is just another word for limitations. How about dwelling instead on how He saved you by putting His Spirit in you; gave you eternal life, hope and assurance; deposited all His promises in you; and the fact that you have heaven to gain, with your family and friends forever and ever (if they are saved); and you have blessed peace that it is well between you and God (and if not, make it so today). If you feel a distance between you and God, it is not God that has moved away, it is you.... Remember that Holy Spirit isspeaking every day, all day if we will listen. You can feel the nearness of His presence in everything you do. You can know that whatever you need is waiting to flow out of you, by the unction of the Spirit....
Second, stay around those who will stir up the things of God within you. Hang out with God chasers, and lovers of Jesus, who will lift you up and keep you on the high road. Satan wants to isolate you, that’s one of his most effective weapons. There will always be plenty of people and things to bring you down and dump on you.... Stick with folks who are quoting the word and reminding one another of God’s promises. How uplifting it is, to join with the body of Christ to lift the anthems of praise and worship, and sit under those who will bring forth the revealed word of the moment. How sweet the fellowship of those in Christ. Didn’t scripture tell us to “forsake not the assembling together with those of like precious faith”, for these very reasons.
Next, continue daily to discover the treasures that are in God’s word. Scripture describes this as precious pearls buried in a field, which a man found and he bought the whole field, in order to have them. Go for the whole word of God, not just picking and choosing. Be like Ralph, who said “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing”!!! We need more Ralphs!.. Too many bibles are sitting on too many shelves or end tables, gathering dust. The treasures within, are still buried, waiting for the hungry, the needy, the disappointed, to discover them and never be the same again!
And last, once you have received, then guard it as though your happiness, your peace, your very life depends on it, because it does. How easily the pressures of the moment, or the cares of life can cause us to forget who we are in Christ.... Know who you are in Christ, and guard that reality with the importance that it deserves.... I was reading of a man who wasvery sure who he was.... as he spoke frantically into the telephone and said, "My wife is pregnant and her contractions are only two minutes apart!" The doctor on the other end said, "Is this her first child?" The man SHOUTED, "NO, YOU IDIOT, THIS IS HER HUSBAND SPEAKING!".....Well, this guy knew who he was!
Proverbs 4:23 “Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flows the springs of life”. Another version says “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it”. Still another version says “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life”.
In 2 Kings 6:1-7, the bible tells the story of Elisha’s school of prophets, where Elisha was stirring up and training the prophetic gift in young students that he had taken under his tutelage . The school had become so crowded that the young men got the master’s permission to expand the facility, and they were chopping down trees for that purpose. Suddenly, one young man cried out that he had lost the axe head, which had come off and gone into the water of the lake. He lost his “cutting edge”. He lost his power element. He lost the thing that made him effective. Believe me, it can happen to any one of us. It has surely happened to me at times. There have been seasons when I been so spiritual dry that I could spit dust.
I can bet you. that the axe head didn’t just fly off the handle all at once. It had been loosening over time. But he was so busy swinging that he didn’t notice. That’s how life is. A flat is rarely the result of a sudden blowout. There has been a nail in the tire for some time. It’s much Like Samson, who was so busy fighting Philistines, he took for granted that the cutting edge would be his automatically, and he rose one day and discovered the power had departed and he knew it not. It has well been said that God’s word will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from God’s word. Wouldn’t it have been stupid if the young man who lost the axe head had kept on banging away at the trees with the axe handle after the axe head fell off. He would not have accomplished very much. But we do the same thing. We mistake the handle which is the instrument God uses, for the axe head, which is the real force which is getting the job done....
When we go without reading the word, and without spending time in His presence, we’re trying to cut down trees with the axehandle. We need to constantly stir up, fan into flames, give unction to the gift of God that is in us, by the Holy Spirit!
David could not fight in Saul’s armor, he had to go in God’s power that was in and on, what he already had. Hear this warrior for God as he speaks to the giant that stands in his way.... 1Samuel 17:45 “Then said David to the Philistine, you come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you havedefied. This day will the LORD deliver you into my hand; and I will smite you, and take your head (your authority) from you, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and He will give you into our hands”. David received it before he had it! He stirred it up with his words. He fanned the flame, He set the extraordinary operations of the Spirit in motion, He let it break out, and then he had a break through!
Pat O'Brien was a gold medalist in the Olympics back in the 1940's for throwing the shot put. The shot put is a heavy piece of metal, or lead, weighing 16 pounds, that the athlete will throw. And they would, up to this point, come up to the line and throw it. Whoever could throw it the furthest, of course, was the winner. Well, Pat threw it 16 feet, which is remarkable. It set a new record. But he wasn't satisfied with his own record. He felt with the right unction, and greater release of power, he could do more.... so, instead of just coming up to the line. He found thatwhen he did a double spin, he could build up more momentum. With this new style, the distance is currently 23.37 feet. This is far beyond the old record of 16 feet! In other words, when the limits that regulated the power were removed, greater results were achieved. The Break out resulted in a huge break through. Wherever you are, in your spiritual walk, there’s more power available for your Break Out. My Bible says that He goes from glory unto more glory. From faith unto more faith. From strength unto more strength. That looks like Break out to me. Break out is always there compelling and declaring that there’s more! .....MORE!
Are we vision driven or memory driven? A researcher took fleas and put them in a jar, and put the lid on top of the jar. And for weeks, the fleas jumped up, trying to get out, and they would bump into the lid that was on the jar. But after a few weeks, they took the lid off. And what they discovered was the fleas would jump only as high as the lid had been. Even though the lid had been taken away, the lid in their minds was as real as the lid that was on the jar and they were being dictated to by their past experiences. Their past experience told them that this is as high as they had gone in so long that now they accepted it as their new limit, it’s as good as we can ever do. They were now convinced it couldn't be done. But I have come to declare: it can be done. The lid is off. The lid is off! Somebody say, Because of Jesus, the lid is off. Notice Hosea 10:12 in our opening scripture, tells us that when they broke up the hard, dry ground, there was a break out of righteousness.... So, let me add one more ingredient to this.... If we are to have break through, then we start with the Break Up, then move to a Break Out and that’s when we will see Break Through....It’s the same shot put, but there’s more we can do with it through the unction of the Holy Spirit!!! While some folks are standing around asking “can God do it”... We’ve Got to have folks standing tall and saying “ Yes, God can!) Which one are you?
A CAN GODDER OR A GOD CANNER?
There’s a whole lot of distance between God will, and God can!It’s the difference in a spectator and a participant... Refuse to let your past limits describe your greater future ahead! You’re not there anymore, you’re not that person anymore... Old things are passed away, behold all things are now become new! Church, let me put it another way.... We need a Break Up, a Break Out, and a Break through.... You and sin need to have a break up.... it needs to get a “dear John” letter from you with “Urgent” written all over it!!
Anything less is just banging into the wall.....You and compromise need to have a break up.... You and spiritual laziness, where you’re depending on the T.V preacher, or getting all your spiritual input from a Sunday service, need to have a break up....and you need to start personally seeking the Lord until he rains righteousness on you.... all those other things can be included, but you need to get off of the spiritual couch potato status....and BREAK UP WITH THAT SPIRITUAL COUCHPOTATO and tell it you don’t need it anymore!! Paul told Timothy to study that he might show himself to be a workman that would never be ashamed, who understood God’s word in it’sapplications of life....
The Bible says that the Ark of the Covenant was stolen from the Israelites. And a woman was having a baby. And when she heard the news that the Ark of the Covenant, which was the presence of God, was stolen, she named her baby a terrible name. She named him Ichabod, Please don’t even name your dog, Ichabod, which means the glory has departed. If she had heard this sermon today, she would have named him “an-at-el'-lo”, which means “I will rise up” in Hebrew. But, she named her future, by her present circumstances and her past experiences. Never name your future by your present trouble or your past experiences. She should have named him “I will rise up’, because God is with us. There was a Break Out, and a Break Through because David retrieved the Ark and brought it back. And whatever you've lost, I've come to decree you're about to get a break up with the past and a break out from the limits that have kept you back before, So, I declare that you're going to have a breakthrough in the face of the enemy, and take back what the enemy has stolen.
Our Lord wants someone to know that He has broken through the enemy's front line. And what He broke through, you can GO THROUGH...
Because He overcame, you can overcome also in His name....
The Holy Spirit is breaking up some hard ground, some dry resistant ground, some patterns that are resisting His stirring.... There is a young man who is resisting and struggling against the pull of God. But I see him dropping to his knees, as he comes to the place of surrender....The unction to Break Out, is here today.... To get what’s already in us out of us, where it can make a difference.... The Break Through we have hoped and believed for is now possible, and is even now upon us!....This is your morning.....God has been speaking, the Holy Spirit is bringing His compelling force, There is an unction here today.... And you’re going to stop banging into that wall and break through it and out of it and into God’s “LET THERE BE” for this time in your life!!!
Shiloh is a prophetic parable about God’s plan for man through the ages.
The first mention of Shiloh is found in Genesis 49:10 as Jacob is giving blessings to each of his sons. When he blesses Judah on his death bed he releases a historical prophecy into the earth.....
“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.”
Here, Jacob is referring to a person—who would bring peace and tranquility to the earth. As it is used here, the name Shiloh would have derived from shālâ, which means “the Messiah of righteousness”. Jesus descended from the tribe of Judahwhose name means “Praise”. We also get Shalom, the Hebrewword for Peace from this root word. Let’s begin with a quick geographical history of the place called Shiloh.
When the Jewish people entered Canaan, the tabernacle was set up at Shiloh, around 1400 BC, with the ark of the covenantresiding there for 300 years. It was at Shiloh that Joshua divided the land among the 12 tribes. Shiloh is the place of rest, (Jesus is our rest)
It was here at the temple in Shiloh, that Hannah cried out for a child in her bareness and God heard her and gave her Samuel, one of the greatest prophets of the bible. She gave Samuel to the temple to be raised by Eli the priest after he had been weaned.
Later on, the ark was captured by the Philistines and taken to Philistia and God allowed the city of Shiloh to be destroyed because of the wickedness of the people. They had begun to take the ark out of the Holy place and bring it into battle, as a weapon, and lost the reverence and respect which God had commanded it was to have. They thought they could use God’s glory for their own ends. But, God will not be used....
1 Samuel 4:10 “So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11 The ark of God was captured”.
It was then that the temple was moved to Jerusalem where itremained for 410 years, until it was destroyed by the Babylonians and *.......the people taken into captivity. In 540 BC, Jews, led by Zerubbabel returned and rebuilt the city and temple. It remained until Titus led the Roman army to destroy it once again in 70 AD.
From the first mention in Genesis till the coming of Messiah, there were many twists and turns as the mystery of iniquity collided with the mystery of righteousness. On many occasions all seemed lost, and it looked like God had missed it as he spoke through the prophets. The chosen people were dispersed throughout the world. Jerusalem lay in a pile of rubble for over 1878 years and in 1948 the Jews were allowed to return. But with the rise and fall of kings and kingdoms, everything was moving steadily toward the fulfillment of “When Shiloh comes”.....
As I looked at Jacob’s prophecy, in my spirit, I saw it unfolding in 6 phases of it’s fulfillment or unveilings....I saw these as 6 interlocking circles. It took me a couple of weeks to unwrap and unpack all that I was seeing, So, I will take the majority of my time, looking at this with you, because it says a lot about the way God always works as He moves in the earth and in our lives...In His times He brings about the fullness of time for everything He has planned and will do by covenant and promise.
First, there is the Establishing of all things according to the will of God.. I call this “The Plan”
We must understand that there are variables and non-variables. When God says that a thing will take place, we can rest assured that it will occur. The variables are about who will choose to be a part of the fulfillment of it. God says “Let there be”....and we must choose to be a part of it, or to allow doubt, unbelief, fear, intimidation, our own choices and so many other things, to keep us from receiving it.
1 Corinthians 2:7 “For we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden, which God destined for our glory before time began. 8 For if the rulers of this age understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" -- 10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
This secret wisdom, deals with the fact that God foreknew the sequence of events which would unfold in the earth, from creation, until the new heaven and earth and beyond, and knew all the options and choices which were available and the outcomes of all of those choices and options. We can’t conceive of such omniscience and omnipotence!
Look at 1 Peter 1:18 “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake”.
God chose the means of our redemption, and salvation, before the world began. He spoke His “Let there be” concerning the plan which would be put in place for our salvation, long before sin found it’s way into the garden and into the lives of mankind. God had the answer before Satan created the problem!
So, we can see here in 1 Peter, “The coming of Shiloh” was before the creation of the world.
As Jacob speaks over his son Judah, he taps into an event which took place before creation. As we have stated in previous sermons, Prophecy doesn’t only speak from the past into the future, it speaks from the future back into the present, where it already exists in the plan of God! If God says it will be, then it already is in His will and His plan.....
Romans 8:29 “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified”.
This does not eliminate our choice, or our right to choose. But it incorporates our choices which determine our outcomes. God sees all the options and choices and sees how those work themselves out and through our lives. When Jesus sat at the Lord’s supper table with the disciples, He already knew that Judas’ choices would take him to choosing 30 pieces of silver, instead of the kingdom of God. Predestination doesn’t eliminate our choices but it includes those choices in the outcome....
The second phase of “The coming of Shiloh” I want us to see, is “The Revelation”... Prophets foretold, so that all the players in this great drama could begin to understand and move into place. Prepare the way of the Lord... Those were the words of John the Baptist. John was 2nd cousin to Jesus and 6 months older, and he was the final voice revealing who Jesus actually was, the Messiah!
Moses lived about 1445 years before Christ, and wrote the book of Genesis, as well as Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. He lived 2500 years after Adam. Yet God revealed incredible details about the creation and beyond to this Godly man. One of the earliest revelations of messianic prophesy found in Genesis 3:15 came through Moses “And the seed of woman shall crush your (Satan’s) head, and you shallbruise his (man’s) heel” Don’t emphasize the bruise, emphasize that Satan shall be crushed. Don’t elevate your sickness, your delay, your problem more than God’s promise that You will crush the source of all of it, (the Devil)
The next step we will see is “The Manifestation” ....
1 John 3:8 For this purpose is the Son of God revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.
John 10:10, Jesus said, "I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly (Exceedingly above, more in quality and quantity, beyond measure, in greater capacity, at a higher level, to abound in every circumstance)."
A woman went to church and heard the pastor preach on the verse, in 1 John 4:17 “As He is, so are we in this world”. The same week that she heard this verse preached, her doctordiscovered cancer in her breast. She wrote on her medical report, “Jesus, does not have lumps in His breast! Then she wrote, “As you are, so am I, in this world.” She continued to declare that, until her next appointment, and when she went back to the doctor, they couldn't find any lump!
As He is, so are we in this world!!! That’s manifestation!
That brings me to the 4th phase of “When Shiloh is Come”.... or The Impartation” ..... We’re called to participate in this prophetic event, until the end of the age.
Matthew 28:6 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Too many folks are just visiting, chasing the blessing....but we’re called to be part of this plan to the end of the age... In it to win it.... in it for the long run... No turning back...
Matthew 10:7 “As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have incurable diseases, cast out demons. Freely you have received; freely give”.
This is what Jacob describes as the passing of the scepter. “The scepter shall not depart” He said.....Most of us have been so busy swinging the sword in battle against the devil and his demons, that we have not picked up the scepter!!! When you pick up the scepter, you put the devil where he belongs.... UNDER YOUR FEET! You start living in the authority Christ has given you, instead of compromise and victimization.
Romans 16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Luke 10:19 Behold, I have given you authority (the scepter) to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.
Shiloh, is about walking by faith and not by sight, not by feelings, and not by the collective consensus.... It’s walking by what you know in your spirit, because God said it, I believe it and that settles it!
Shiloh, is about examining the prophetic record and knowing that every prophesy that has come true, which is all of them... guarantees that every one that has yet to be fulfilled, shall come to pass, right on time.
The next level of “The Coming of Shiloh” Is referred to as the Glorification when we shall reign with the scepter of His power,in our glorified bodies as we prepare for the “beyond what we can ask or think level”.....You might say “infinity and beyond”....here.
Satan will be bound, no sickness, no death, for 1000 years!
Revelation 20:4 “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them [the saints of God]. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years”
And finally, there is the last Phase, which I will call, “The Completion” At the end of the thousand years, Satan and hell will be cast into the lake of fire, to bother mankind or creation no more. The very elements of earth will be purified by fire so that every remanent of the curse is removed, and there will be a new heaven and earth wherein dwells only righteousness.
2 Peter 3:10-12, “The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. The heavens will pass away with a great noise, the elements will melt with fervent heat, the Earth and all that is in it shall be burned up”.
All who die in the Lord, will return for the final battle. I believe the real issue is, that if we can’t rule and rise over sin here, how could we ever rise above it there. We can overcome sin through his sacrifice now, and accept our salvation. If we could do it in ourselves, He would never have had to die on the cross. Jesus said believe on Him, repent, make Him the lord of your life, and you will share in His eternal life. This has nothing to do with how I feel, but what God requires.
If sin didn’t feel good, no one would want to sin! Sin has pleasure to the physical man, but that doesn’t mean it is pleasing to God. My life as a Christian is lived with the question, “what is pleasing to God”.... What does the Lord expect of me?
Step into His glory.....II Corinthians 3:18 “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord”.
It’s one thing to observe and acknowledge God’s glory, but quite another to stand in and move in the glory. We are not saved to go to heaven, but to bring heaven into the earth.... In our homes, our work place, and our community. To be changed from the power of sin, to the presence of His glory. Miracles, healings, signs and wonders, are in His glory!
Song says.... It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus, life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ. One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrow will erase. So bravely run the race, till we see Christ!
The emphasis here is not just getting to heaven, but to make the journey here and now, worth the trip and count for eternity.
So what does the “coming of Shiloh” mean to us in this New Year? It means I can still believe and hope when it feels like there’s no reason. It means that anyone can beat the odds and all things are possible. It means that light is still greater than the darkness, that truth is still greater than the lie, and that there is a mystery of righteousness that will continue to win over the mystery of unrighteousness and evil.
Shiloh brings the scepter of power and authority into our life and our life situations.... So be ready to be Inconvenienced, because some of your patterns and methods and ways of thinking are about to be challenged. Things may turn out much different than you expected. God is about to do things His way and in His time.
The scepter, means that you can expect Divine Settlement and resolution to take place. Expect a way where there is no way, and an answer to the what, where, when and why that has puzzled you. What doesn’t make sense will make sense and become clear.
Expect Victory over your adversaries. Before your blessings cancome, someone and something must be removed and taken out of the picture. Two opposing things cannot occupy the same space any longer.
Expect unusual favor in High places. Favor that you didn’t deserve and you didn’t have to earn.
Expect deliverance from what is trying to hold you captive and expect the restoration of your dignity, your rightful inheritance, and the return of what was yours all along.
Shiloh is the place of divine visitation for you and your family
Shiloh is the alter of sacrifice which releases empowerment.
Shiloh is the mountain top of answered prayers.
Shiloh is the Divine decree that releases impossible things and supernatural breakthroughs.
Shiloh is not having to fear death, but having peace in the face of death. It is knowing that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord forever. It is knowing that this physical life is only the beginning of the eternal life that is ahead.
1 John 5:11 says: "And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have eternal life."
We are training here to reign there.... ...And training begins NOW!
Prayer..... Lord Jesus, I pray that I might more and more, operate in the authority that I have been given by You. Teach me Holy Spirit, to pray with power and authority. I want to work together with Your Spirit to determine my future and the future of my nation. I want to pray with the authority of Your finished work, for my city. I desire to pray powerful breakthrough prayers that bring heaven into the earth. Lord, I am learning to pray faith-filled prayers for my needs and the need of those around me.
I can’t reach my workplace or neighborhood without Your power. I thank You that You remember all of my prayers and that they influence Your heart. Continue to give me revelation of the authority I have been given in Christ. Lord, We are in a critical time in history and we need breakthrough in prayer. Help us to press through in intercession in order to see Your plans fulfilled. Teach us to stand strong in faith and hope. We will not fear the future but choose to take our awesome responsibility in prayer and declaration.
I thank You that there is hope for the future because You have already defeated Satan at the cross and we fight a defeated foe. Impower and anoint us to enforce Your authority and Your will on earth through Your name. Thank you that collectively, we have breakthrough authority to change nations. Teach us as we take hold of prayer and pray down blessings on our world. Thank You for the power that is available to us now and in the days ahead. In Jesus’ name, amen.
