KINGDOM CONCEPT (6 )
UNDERSTANDING THE KINGDOM
CONCEPT OF KEYS
Every nation and social civil society functions on law sand customs that make that society work. These func-tions depend on the constitution and a body law that cre-ate a context and reference for social behavior and relating to the government and other members of the society. The result is a cul-ture of laws and principles that serve as regulations, values, morals,and standards that govern the citizen’s relationship with the authority structure and its disposition as it relates to expectations withinthe constitutional framework. In essence, all nations and kingdoms contain inherent
principles and laws that must be adhered to byeach citizen in order for
the citizen to benefit from his citizenship privileges and rights.
These laws and principles are called by Jesus,“Keys of the Kingdom.”
Have you ever found some old keys lying around your house and couldn’t remember what they were for? Possessing a key you cannot identify or match to a particular lock is as bad as not having a key atall. What good
are keys you can’t use? They are as useless as locksyou can’t open.
This is exactly the problem with many believers today. We havea big
bunch of “keys” called “Scriptures” that most of us don’t knowhow to use.
We have the keys, but we don’t know which key unlockswhich lock.
It’s like having all of this information but not knowinghow to use it,
having all of this power available to us but not know-ing how to apply it.Knowledge of the Word of God is important, but in sufficient
by itself for effective living as a believer.
This is because most believerslack a proper Kingdom mind-set. Life in the Kingdom is really aboutreturning to the governing authority of God in the earth and learn-ing how to live and function in that authority.
Part of understandingthe Kingdom is learning how to use the keys of
the Kingdom. The Kingdom of Heaven is God’s desire and purpose
for us.Jesus said:Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has beenpleased to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:32).
Our Father, the King of heaven, has given us the Kingdom. It is ours.
In fact, Jesus Himself brought the Kingdom to us. It was His main
purpose in coming to earth in human flesh. We receive the
Kingdom through His death. The moment we turn from our rebel-lion
against God and place our trust in Christ to salvage us from the consequences of that rebellion, we become naturalized
citizens ofthe Kingdom of heaven, with all the rights, benefits,
and privilegesthat come with it. But how do we appropriate our rights?
How do we enter into the full enjoyment of our benefits and privileges?
What are the keys to effective living in the Kingdom?
KEYS OF THE KINGDOM
One day Jesus asked His disciples, His inner circle of 12 mostintimate followers, the most important question He would ever askthem.
When Jesus came to the region of Caes are a Philippi, He asked
His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Manis?” They replied,
“Some say John the Baptist; others sayElijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” He asked. “Who do you say
I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of
theliving God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son ofJonah,
for this was not revealed to you by man, but by MyFather in heaven.
And I tell you that you are Peter, and ont his rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hadeswill not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the king-dom of heaven; what ever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth will be loosedin heaven”(Matt; 16:13-19).
In the Jewish faith of that day, the titles “Christ” and “Son of the living God” were reserved exclusively for the Messiah, the deliverer of Israel and hope of the world who had been prophesied for cen-turies. So Simon Peter here was confessing his belief that Jesus wasthe Messiah. Jesus tells Peter that he did not arrive at this knowledgethrough his own understanding; it was given to him through super-natural revelation.Then Jesus says that upon the “rock” of Peter’s confession offaith, He will build His “church.” The Greek word for “church” isecclesia, a word that is widely misunderstood. Because it is translat-ed here as “church,” most people believe that ecclesiais a religiousword. It is not. Ecclesiais a governmental term.
It literally means“called-out ones” and was used by the Greeks to refer to the senateor other political groups that were chosen by the “democrat,”
or gov-ernment. The Greeks invented the concept of democracy
but neverreally applied it.
But when the Romans overran the Greek empire,they adopted much of Greek thought and philosophy, includingdemocracy, and developed them. This is how Caesar developed sucha powerful government. In the Roman Empire, the senate the ecclesia was like the cabinet in a modern democracy. The senate was the powerhouse.These individuals were handpicked by the emperor to receive histhoughts, his desires, his passion, and his intent.
Their job was totake the mind of the king and turn it into legislation that could beimplemented in the kingdom. In other words, they were to know hismind and see that everything he wished was carried out. This meant that they had to stay in close contact with him. They had to talk tohim, and he had to give them information about what he wanted inthe kingdom.
The fact that Jesus used ecclesiato describe the body of follow-ers that He was establishing tells us two things. First, the wordchurchitself is a political rather than a religious term. And second,this entire discussion about keys and about binding and loosing isnot a religious but a political discussion.
In effect, Jesus was saying, “In the same way that Caesar is lordof his government, and has created his senate, his ecclesia, his cabi-net, I also will build My cabinet on the fact that I am the Christ, the“anointed king,” the Lord of lords and Son of the living God.” He saidto Peter, “Upon the ‘rock’ of your confession of who I am, I will buildMy government. I will build My senate, My cabinet, My administra-tors who will carry out My wishes and My will.”
So Jesus established not a religion but a political force. The ecclesia, therefore, is a secret group entrusted with secret information critical for the operation of the Kingdom. This group will be so powerful that even the “gates of hades will not overcome it.” Another way to translate that phrase is, “the gates of hades will not prove stronger thanit.” Even hell itself will not be as strong as theecclesia that Jesus is establishing.What is this “secret information” that Jesus gives His cabinet? Hesays, “I will give you
the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whateveryou bind on earth
will be bound in heaven, and whatever you looseon earth
will be loosed in heaven.” He gives them gives us the keys
ofthe Kingdom, not the keys to the Kingdom. As Kingdom cit-izens,
we are already in the Kingdom; we don’t need the keys to it.
What we need and what Jesus has given us are the keys of the Kingdom
the keys that will unlock the power of the Kingdom and make it work in our lives. Kingdom citizens and only Kingdom citi-zens have these keys. Citizenship in the Kingdom is a prerequisitefor getting them.
What this means is that we who are Kingdom citizens are
supposed to be operating on a level that blows other people’s minds.
We should have access to a power that mystifies those who are not yet
in the Kingdom. We are supposed to be living life at a certain level
where we are tapping into resources that others cannot explain.
KNOWLEDGE OF THE SECRETS
The key to keys is not havingkeys. The key to keys is knowledge,
knowing what the keys are for and how to use them. On anotheroccasion Jesus told His “cabinet”:The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom
of God has been given to you (Luke 8:10a).The Kingdom of heaven
is not a secret society, but its keys haveto be learned. A secret is
anything you don’t know, especially ifsomebody else does. Miracles
fall into this category. A miracle issomething that humans cannot explain,
an event or occurrence that seems to defy the laws of nature.
These men had seen Jesus walk onwater, heal the sick,
raise the dead, shrivel a tree by speaking to it,calm a storm,
multiply bread, and many other “miraculous”
things that were beyond the ken of human experience.
But to Jesus, none of these were miracles.
He said, “These are no miracles; I’m just using keys.
I know how to put them in the locks, and they are
unlocking prosperity, unlocking healing, unlockingpeace,
unlocking authority.
Watch Me and you will see the Kingdom at work, and also how
it should work for you. My Father has givenyou the knowledge
of the secrets of the Kingdom. I will teach youhow to use the keys.”
Jesus left no doubt that the Kingdom was supposed to work for
His ecclesia just as it worked for Him, for on the night before His death
He told them:I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what
I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because
I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in My name,
so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.
You may ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it (John 14:12-14). Jesus’ ecclesia (which includes us) was going to do the samethings
He was doing and more because the Holy Spirit who would come
after He was gone would teach them the keys of theKingdom and
how to use them. One significant key is embedded inthis passage:
the key to opening the “ware house” of Heaven.
The key that opens that lock is prayer asking in Jesus’
nameand what ever and anything we ask will be done.
That is a wide-open promise, butit is not a way to gratify our
own selfish wants and desires. We mustuse the right key.
We must ask in Jesus’ name according to His willand in line with His purpose. That is what will open Heaven’s flood-gates.
The twelve disciples of Jesus had already seen this key activated in
unforget table fashion the day Jesus fed five thousand people with fives loaves of bread and two fish. The crowd had been with Jesus allday
listening to His teaching. Now it was late in the day, and they were hungry. Jesus’ disciples suggested He send them away into thevillages to get food, but Jesus has another idea. He was preparing toteach them
how to use a key:Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away.
You give them something to eat.” “We have here only five loaves of
bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to Me,” Hesaid.
And He directed the people to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up toheaven,
He gave thanksand broke the loaves. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disci-ples picked up twelve basket fuls of broken pieces that
were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children (Matthew14:16-21 emphasis added).
Jesus used this situation to test His disciples to see if they pickedup
on the secrets. He said, “You feed them.” That was the test.
They should have asked, “Which key do we use?” Instead, they said,
“Allwe have is....” They were limited by what they could see.
But in the Kingdom of Heaven we walk not by sight but by faith.
The lesson Jesus wanted them (and us) to learn is that when
you know the keysto the Kingdom secrets, you will never again say,
“All I have is....”Look at the progression: Jesus looked up toward
heaven andgave thanks. He put in the key of prayer and
unlocked the ware-house. Then He broke the bread, gave it to
His disciples, and theydistributed it among the people.
It should work for us the same way.Through prayer in Jesus’
name(the key), we unlock Heaven’s ware-house.
The King Himself draws forth from its abundance and givesit to us,
and we then give it to others.But we have to know the key that
opens the warehouse. Thatknowledge is Christ’s promise to us:
“The knowledge of the secrets ofthe kingdom of
God has been given to you.”
SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF KEYS
Knowledge leads to understanding. Once we know the princi-ples behind keys, we can understand how they work in the Kingdom.There are
several principles that define the properties of keys.
Kingdom Concept (6)
1. Keys represent authority.If you possess a key to a place,it means you have authority in that place. Suppose yourboss entrusts you with a key to the store or the office. Bydoing so, he shows not only that he trusts you but alsothat he has delegated a certain amount of authority toyou. The key to your house means you have authoritythere. The key to your car gives you authority to drivewhenever you want to. Christ says, “I am giving you thekeys of the Kingdom of Heaven. I am giving you author-ity in heaven, the same authority I have.” What an awe-some gift! Few of us have done more than just scratch thesurface in learning what this means.
2. Keys represent access.A key gives you instant access to everything
that key opens. The secret is in knowing whatthe key opens.
The keys of the Kingdom of Heaven giveus immediate access to all the resources of heaven. Butwe have to know how to use them. So often we limit our-selves by trusting or believing only in what we can seewith our eyes or reason out with our minds. A Kingdommind-set completely changes our perspective.When a pagan king sent his army to capture the Hebrew prophetElisha, the prophet’s servant was terrified one morning to find thearmy surrounding the city.“Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked.“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who arewith us are more than those who are with them.” AndElisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.”Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he lookedand saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire allaround Elisha.
As the enemy came down toward him,Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike these people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elishahad asked (2 Kings 6:15b-18). Elisha’s servant was frightened by what he saw around him, buthe didn’t have a key. Elisha had a key, unlocked heaven, and brought down an angelic host to protect them. The prophet tapped into aprinciple that took him to a system that made that pagan army look like toy soldiers by comparison. When you have the keys of theKingdom, you have no lack and no crisis because the King is greaterthan them all. Jesus said
He would teach us to walk in that kind ofauthority, access, and confidence.
3. Keys represent ownership.Possession of a key gives youde facto ownership of whatever that key opens.Therefore, when you possess the keys of the Kingdom ofheaven, you have ownership of heaven on earth. Jesussaid, “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heav-en, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed inheaven.” In other words, you own on earth whatever isgoing on in Heaven. This means that you should neverjudge how your life is going simply by your circum-stances.Suppose you get laid off from your job. It would be easy to getscared and stressed out because you have a family and bills to payand no money.
That’s your circumstances. As a Kingdom citizenwith the keys of the Kingdom, however, you have ownership of heav-en on earth. You can be confident and even rejoice in the prospectof a bright future because you have a source of supply and provision that those outside the Kingdom cannot even conceive. So go have aprosperity party! The King is preparing
to bless and prosper youfrom a completely unexpected direction.
When you “own” theresources of the King, you are never destitute.
4. Keys represent control.If you possess the key to some-thing, you control it. You control when it opens, when itcloses, and who gets access to it.A key helps you controltime. In other words, you decide whether to open it up at8:00 or 10:00 or 6:00 or whenever. This gives you control over when something comes. If you need somethingnow, you operate a key.
One day the Hebrew prophet Elijah met a poor widow gathering sticks
at the town gate. This was during a severe drought. He askedher for
a drink of water and a piece of bread.“As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’thave any bread only a handful of flour in a jar and
alittle oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take homeand make
a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.”
Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said.
But first make a small cake ofbread for me from what you have and bring
it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘The jar of flourwill not be used up
and the jug of oil will not run dryuntil the day the Lord gives rain on the land.’” She wentaway and did as Elijah had told her. So there was
food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family.
For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil didnot run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spokenby Elijah (1 Kings 17:12-16).
The truth of the widow’s circumstances was that she and her son were
about to starve. Elijah approaches and makes a bold, somemight even say selfish, request: “I know you don’t have much, butfeed me first and then yourself and your son. Trust in the Lord; Hewill take care of you.”
This was not selfishness. Elijah was offeringthe woman a key.
Once she took it, she had control. By faith and obedience she unlocked heaven’s larder and brought down for her-self and her family supernatural provision that sustained them until the drought ended. Her entire life and mind-set shifted from the cir-cumstances of want and privation to a
Kingdom perspective ofunlimited abundance.
5. Keys represent authorization. This is similar to number 1. Authorization means to be given the authority to actin the name or in the stead of whoever gave you theauthority. “The boss authorized me to do this....”Possession of keys means that you are authorized to actin the name and authority of the one who owns the keys.By giving us the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesusgives us the authority to influence Heaven. He hasauthorized us to act in His name and on His authority torequest whatever we wish that is in accordance with Hiswill and purpose.
6. Keys represent power. Whoever gives you keys gives youpower at the same time. This is similar to control. Youhave control power over whatever you possess thekeys for. If you know how to use the keys, whatever they unlock is at your disposal. The keys to your house give you the power to come and go and to allow or dis allowothers to enter. When Jesus gave us the keys to the king-dom, He gave us power in Heaven. Whatever
we bind on earth affects Heaven; whatever we loose on earth affects
Heaven; whatever we close on earth, Heaven closes.
Do we really have that much power as Kingdom citizens? Yes.The King does not want us to live as victims of the earth’s system, soHe has given us the ability to tap into a realm that is invisible but absolutely real and can literally affect the physical earth. This is whyChrist was able to live an abundant life in times of crisis. He had power from Heaven. And He has given that power to us.7. Keys represent freedom.When you have keys, you arefree to go in and out. You are free to lock and unlock,to open and close.
The keys of the Kingdom give us freedom from fear and all the other limiting emotions of an earthly system. I used to wonder why Jesus was so carefree, so calm, and so in control no matter what was happening around Him.
It was because He had the key of freedom.One day Jesus was asleep
in the back of a boat while His cabinet(some of whom were fishermen)
sailed it across the Sea of Galilee.As happens frequently on that body of water, a severe storm blew up suddenly. The storm was so fierce that
even the experienced sail or saboard feared that the boat was going to sink.
How could Jesus sleep through such a crisis? Their lives were in danger,
and He was snooz-ing in the stern! The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us!We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the windsand the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked,
“What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!” (Matthew 8:25-27).Jesus said, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”
In essenceHe was saying, “What’s the matter? Where are your keys?”
Then He took out a key, locked up the storm, and it stopped.
In amazement,the disciples asked, “What kind of man is this?”
Just a man with keys.The keys of the Kingdom are the keys to ultimate truth, the knowledge of which brings true liberty. Jesus said:If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth,
and the truth will set you free (John 8:31b-32).By “teaching,” Jesus is not referring so much to Scripture versesas much as the principles, laws, and precepts contained in those verses. Freedom comes in knowing the truth. Truth alone is notwhat sets you free. What sets you free is the truth youknow. Thekeys of the Kingdom can bring you into the knowledge of the truth.
SEVEN CHARACTERISTICS OF KEYS
1. Keys are laws.They are fixed, reliable standards thatnever change.
When used correctly, they always work.
2. Keys are principles.When Jesus spoke of “the keys of theKingdom,” He wasn’t talking about literal physical keys toopen physical locks. The keys of the Kingdom are princi-ples, systems that operate under fixed laws.
When Hegives us the keys, He gives us the principles by which
the Kingdom of Heaven operates. We gain access to the sys-tems
that make the Kingdom of Heaven work. And oncewe learn the laws, the system, and the principles, all ofheaven will be available to us.
3. Keys are systems.Every government runs on systems: thesocial system, the economic system, the political system,the educational system, the telecommunications system,etc. Knowledge of the systems and how they work is akey to power and influence. Control the systems and youcontrol the government. Disrupt the systems and youdisrupt the government.
Destroy the systems and youdestroy the nation. That’s how powerful systems are.Even more, that’s how powerful knowledge can be.The systems of the Kingdom of Heaven are beyond the reach ofthose outside the kingdom and are in no danger of being disruptedor destroyed. Kingdom citizens, on the other hand, have access tothose systems and can bring the influence of Kingdom systems tobear in earthly situations. That is why Kingdom citizens can restconfident in victory and success no matter what circumstances maysuggest. So the most important thing any of us could do is to makesure that we are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.
4. Keys activate function.A car operates on gasoline. The“key” of gasoline activates the function of the car.Without gasoline, the car will not run no matter how many other keys you have. Likewise, a radio with noreceiver cannot fulfill its function of converting radiowaves into audible sound waves for you to hear. The“key” of a receiver is missing, and without it, the radio isonly an empty, silent box. The box may be pretty, theglass clean and shiny, but it cannot fulfill its purposebecause the key to activate its function is not there. Tome, religion is like that attractive radio or that stylish but gas-less car that does not work. Like them, religion may look beautiful and impressive on the outside with all its regalia and traditions, but it has no keys and
there-fore lacks the ability and the power to activate Kingdom function.
The keys of the Kingdom activate Heaven so that we can fully enjoy our rights and privileges as Kingdom citizens. This is far more sure and
secure than depending on the systems of the world for our enjoyment.
On this point, Kingdom ambassador Paul counsels:
Command those who are rich in this present world notto be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, whichis so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who rich-ly provides us with everything for our enjoyment (1 Timothy 6:17).The keys of the Kingdom allow us to enjoy all the rich and
goodthings of God without measure.
5. Keys initiate action.Just as the key to a car initiatesaction by starting the engine, the keys of the Kingdom,when we know how to use them, initiate action inHeaven.
6. Keys are the principles by which the Kingdom of Godoperates.Not only are keys principles, but specifically,keys to the operation of the Kingdom. They give usaccess to the blueprints, the schematic, the flowcharts soKingdom Principles 170 that we can understand and appropriate the inner work-ings of the Kingdom of Heaven.
7. Keys cannot be substituted by feelings, emotions, wishfulthinking, or manipulation.If you are locked out of yourhouse without a key, no amount of begging or pleadingor wishing will make that door open. If your car is out ofgas, you can sit behind the wheel and dream and will allyou want for it to move, but it will stay right where it is.Religion is built on feelings, emotions, wishful thinking,and manipulation. It is different with the Kingdom.
The Kingdom of Heaven operates on keys. You can wish andfeel and beg and plead all you want, but without theright keys, you will still be locked out of all the thingsGod promised you because feelings don’t open doors.Keys do. In the world’s system, you get ahead by killing, robbing, hurting, manipulating, climbing up on people, using people, stealing, gam-bling any way you can. But in the Kingdom of Heaven, everythingis reversed.
To get ahead, you must do the opposite of what you doin the world. Instead of getting, you give; instead of hoarding, yourelease; instead of grabbing, you give up; instead of hating, you love;instead of every-man-for-himself, you show first regard to others.Yes, this is counterintuitive, but that is the way God’s Kingdom works.
THE COUNTERINTUITIVE NATURE OF KEYS
It is this very counterintuitive quality of the Kingdom of heaventhat makes it so hard for the world to understand. The Kingdom ofHeaven and the kingdoms of this world operate by completely oppo-site principles. People raised in the world’s system cannot compre-hend on their own the truly otherworldly nature of God’s Kingdom. This is why Simon Peter could not recognize Jesus as the Messiahexcept by divine revelation.This clash of systems is vividly illustrated by an encounter Jesushad one day with a rich young man who was interested in gettinginto the Kingdom.As Jesus started on His way, a man ran up to Him and fellon his knees before Him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “whatmust I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call Megood?” Jesus answered. “No one is good except Godalone.
You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, donot commit adultery,
do not steal, do not give false testi-mony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was aboy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing youlack,” He said.
“Go, sell everything you have and give to thepoor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come,follow Me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad,because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around andsaid to His disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enterthe kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:17-23).Once we get into the Kingdom and start functioning properly,
we inevitably become prosperous. Prosperity is a natural product of
Kingdom living. But we must live by the standards of the Kingdomin
order to prosper in the Kingdom. This rich young man had problems with Jesus’ conditionsbecause they ran counter to everything he had ever
heard andbelieved about success and prosperity.
He simply was not preparedfor the counterintuitive command of Jesus
to part with everythingthat he thought made him “somebody.”
This is why Jesus said that itis hard for a rich person to enter the
Kingdom of God. The keys, theprinciples, the systems of the
Kingdom are opposite to those of theworld, from where they acquired
their wealth. In other words, the opposite nature of Kingdom keys
makes it dif-ficult for many people to understand the Kingdom.
This young manhad grown up in a world where you get by taking.
He could notunderstand the principle of a Kingdom where you get by giving.Additionally, it is the power of ignorance of Kingdom keys that can destroy us. Scripture says:“My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge” (Hosea4:6a).Because of ignorance of Kingdom keys, this rich young man didnot know how to become richer, so he chose to hold onto wealththat literally was killing him rather than enter into wealth that couldgive him life.
Coming into the Kingdom of God neither makes you poor nor requires you to become poor. But you have to know the keys.This rich man thought he was rich, but was really poor becausehe did not understand the nature of true wealth. So he went awaysad. A key principle of the Kingdom of Heaven, on the other hand,is this:The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and He adds not rouble to it (Proverbs 10:22).Once you get the keys of the Kingdom
and learn how they work,the blessing of God will bring you wealth
without sorrow. And Hecan do it in an instant if He is so inclined.
Another factor in the difficulty people have in understanding the
Kingdom is the danger of the fallen nature of human reasoning.
Man’s rebellion against God resulted in a corrupted mind and con-science. The way most of us in this world pursue success and wealth and try to get ahead is completely contrary to the principlesand laws that
God designed into creation. But we are too blindedby our corrupt
minds to see it. Like the rich young man, we assume
UNDERSTANDING THE KINGDOM
CONCEPT OF KEYS
Every nation and social civil society functions on law sand customs that make that society work. These func-tions depend on the constitution and a body law that cre-ate a context and reference for social behavior and relating to the government and other members of the society. The result is a cul-ture of laws and principles that serve as regulations, values, morals,and standards that govern the citizen’s relationship with the authority structure and its disposition as it relates to expectations withinthe constitutional framework. In essence, all nations and kingdoms contain inherent
principles and laws that must be adhered to byeach citizen in order for
the citizen to benefit from his citizenship privileges and rights.
These laws and principles are called by Jesus,“Keys of the Kingdom.”
Have you ever found some old keys lying around your house and couldn’t remember what they were for? Possessing a key you cannot identify or match to a particular lock is as bad as not having a key atall. What good
are keys you can’t use? They are as useless as locksyou can’t open.
This is exactly the problem with many believers today. We havea big
bunch of “keys” called “Scriptures” that most of us don’t knowhow to use.
We have the keys, but we don’t know which key unlockswhich lock.
It’s like having all of this information but not knowinghow to use it,
having all of this power available to us but not know-ing how to apply it.Knowledge of the Word of God is important, but in sufficient
by itself for effective living as a believer.
This is because most believerslack a proper Kingdom mind-set. Life in the Kingdom is really aboutreturning to the governing authority of God in the earth and learn-ing how to live and function in that authority.
Part of understandingthe Kingdom is learning how to use the keys of
the Kingdom. The Kingdom of Heaven is God’s desire and purpose
for us.Jesus said:Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has beenpleased to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:32).
Our Father, the King of heaven, has given us the Kingdom. It is ours.
In fact, Jesus Himself brought the Kingdom to us. It was His main
purpose in coming to earth in human flesh. We receive the
Kingdom through His death. The moment we turn from our rebel-lion
against God and place our trust in Christ to salvage us from the consequences of that rebellion, we become naturalized
citizens ofthe Kingdom of heaven, with all the rights, benefits,
and privilegesthat come with it. But how do we appropriate our rights?
How do we enter into the full enjoyment of our benefits and privileges?
What are the keys to effective living in the Kingdom?
KEYS OF THE KINGDOM
One day Jesus asked His disciples, His inner circle of 12 mostintimate followers, the most important question He would ever askthem.
When Jesus came to the region of Caes are a Philippi, He asked
His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Manis?” They replied,
“Some say John the Baptist; others sayElijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” He asked. “Who do you say
I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of
theliving God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son ofJonah,
for this was not revealed to you by man, but by MyFather in heaven.
And I tell you that you are Peter, and ont his rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hadeswill not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the king-dom of heaven; what ever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth will be loosedin heaven”(Matt; 16:13-19).
In the Jewish faith of that day, the titles “Christ” and “Son of the living God” were reserved exclusively for the Messiah, the deliverer of Israel and hope of the world who had been prophesied for cen-turies. So Simon Peter here was confessing his belief that Jesus wasthe Messiah. Jesus tells Peter that he did not arrive at this knowledgethrough his own understanding; it was given to him through super-natural revelation.Then Jesus says that upon the “rock” of Peter’s confession offaith, He will build His “church.” The Greek word for “church” isecclesia, a word that is widely misunderstood. Because it is translat-ed here as “church,” most people believe that ecclesiais a religiousword. It is not. Ecclesiais a governmental term.
It literally means“called-out ones” and was used by the Greeks to refer to the senateor other political groups that were chosen by the “democrat,”
or gov-ernment. The Greeks invented the concept of democracy
but neverreally applied it.
But when the Romans overran the Greek empire,they adopted much of Greek thought and philosophy, includingdemocracy, and developed them. This is how Caesar developed sucha powerful government. In the Roman Empire, the senate the ecclesia was like the cabinet in a modern democracy. The senate was the powerhouse.These individuals were handpicked by the emperor to receive histhoughts, his desires, his passion, and his intent.
Their job was totake the mind of the king and turn it into legislation that could beimplemented in the kingdom. In other words, they were to know hismind and see that everything he wished was carried out. This meant that they had to stay in close contact with him. They had to talk tohim, and he had to give them information about what he wanted inthe kingdom.
The fact that Jesus used ecclesiato describe the body of follow-ers that He was establishing tells us two things. First, the wordchurchitself is a political rather than a religious term. And second,this entire discussion about keys and about binding and loosing isnot a religious but a political discussion.
In effect, Jesus was saying, “In the same way that Caesar is lordof his government, and has created his senate, his ecclesia, his cabi-net, I also will build My cabinet on the fact that I am the Christ, the“anointed king,” the Lord of lords and Son of the living God.” He saidto Peter, “Upon the ‘rock’ of your confession of who I am, I will buildMy government. I will build My senate, My cabinet, My administra-tors who will carry out My wishes and My will.”
So Jesus established not a religion but a political force. The ecclesia, therefore, is a secret group entrusted with secret information critical for the operation of the Kingdom. This group will be so powerful that even the “gates of hades will not overcome it.” Another way to translate that phrase is, “the gates of hades will not prove stronger thanit.” Even hell itself will not be as strong as theecclesia that Jesus is establishing.What is this “secret information” that Jesus gives His cabinet? Hesays, “I will give you
the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whateveryou bind on earth
will be bound in heaven, and whatever you looseon earth
will be loosed in heaven.” He gives them gives us the keys
ofthe Kingdom, not the keys to the Kingdom. As Kingdom cit-izens,
we are already in the Kingdom; we don’t need the keys to it.
What we need and what Jesus has given us are the keys of the Kingdom
the keys that will unlock the power of the Kingdom and make it work in our lives. Kingdom citizens and only Kingdom citi-zens have these keys. Citizenship in the Kingdom is a prerequisitefor getting them.
What this means is that we who are Kingdom citizens are
supposed to be operating on a level that blows other people’s minds.
We should have access to a power that mystifies those who are not yet
in the Kingdom. We are supposed to be living life at a certain level
where we are tapping into resources that others cannot explain.
KNOWLEDGE OF THE SECRETS
The key to keys is not havingkeys. The key to keys is knowledge,
knowing what the keys are for and how to use them. On anotheroccasion Jesus told His “cabinet”:The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom
of God has been given to you (Luke 8:10a).The Kingdom of heaven
is not a secret society, but its keys haveto be learned. A secret is
anything you don’t know, especially ifsomebody else does. Miracles
fall into this category. A miracle issomething that humans cannot explain,
an event or occurrence that seems to defy the laws of nature.
These men had seen Jesus walk onwater, heal the sick,
raise the dead, shrivel a tree by speaking to it,calm a storm,
multiply bread, and many other “miraculous”
things that were beyond the ken of human experience.
But to Jesus, none of these were miracles.
He said, “These are no miracles; I’m just using keys.
I know how to put them in the locks, and they are
unlocking prosperity, unlocking healing, unlockingpeace,
unlocking authority.
Watch Me and you will see the Kingdom at work, and also how
it should work for you. My Father has givenyou the knowledge
of the secrets of the Kingdom. I will teach youhow to use the keys.”
Jesus left no doubt that the Kingdom was supposed to work for
His ecclesia just as it worked for Him, for on the night before His death
He told them:I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what
I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because
I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in My name,
so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.
You may ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it (John 14:12-14). Jesus’ ecclesia (which includes us) was going to do the samethings
He was doing and more because the Holy Spirit who would come
after He was gone would teach them the keys of theKingdom and
how to use them. One significant key is embedded inthis passage:
the key to opening the “ware house” of Heaven.
The key that opens that lock is prayer asking in Jesus’
nameand what ever and anything we ask will be done.
That is a wide-open promise, butit is not a way to gratify our
own selfish wants and desires. We mustuse the right key.
We must ask in Jesus’ name according to His willand in line with His purpose. That is what will open Heaven’s flood-gates.
The twelve disciples of Jesus had already seen this key activated in
unforget table fashion the day Jesus fed five thousand people with fives loaves of bread and two fish. The crowd had been with Jesus allday
listening to His teaching. Now it was late in the day, and they were hungry. Jesus’ disciples suggested He send them away into thevillages to get food, but Jesus has another idea. He was preparing toteach them
how to use a key:Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away.
You give them something to eat.” “We have here only five loaves of
bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to Me,” Hesaid.
And He directed the people to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up toheaven,
He gave thanksand broke the loaves. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disci-ples picked up twelve basket fuls of broken pieces that
were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children (Matthew14:16-21 emphasis added).
Jesus used this situation to test His disciples to see if they pickedup
on the secrets. He said, “You feed them.” That was the test.
They should have asked, “Which key do we use?” Instead, they said,
“Allwe have is....” They were limited by what they could see.
But in the Kingdom of Heaven we walk not by sight but by faith.
The lesson Jesus wanted them (and us) to learn is that when
you know the keysto the Kingdom secrets, you will never again say,
“All I have is....”Look at the progression: Jesus looked up toward
heaven andgave thanks. He put in the key of prayer and
unlocked the ware-house. Then He broke the bread, gave it to
His disciples, and theydistributed it among the people.
It should work for us the same way.Through prayer in Jesus’
name(the key), we unlock Heaven’s ware-house.
The King Himself draws forth from its abundance and givesit to us,
and we then give it to others.But we have to know the key that
opens the warehouse. Thatknowledge is Christ’s promise to us:
“The knowledge of the secrets ofthe kingdom of
God has been given to you.”
SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF KEYS
Knowledge leads to understanding. Once we know the princi-ples behind keys, we can understand how they work in the Kingdom.There are
several principles that define the properties of keys.
Kingdom Concept (6)
1. Keys represent authority.If you possess a key to a place,it means you have authority in that place. Suppose yourboss entrusts you with a key to the store or the office. Bydoing so, he shows not only that he trusts you but alsothat he has delegated a certain amount of authority toyou. The key to your house means you have authoritythere. The key to your car gives you authority to drivewhenever you want to. Christ says, “I am giving you thekeys of the Kingdom of Heaven. I am giving you author-ity in heaven, the same authority I have.” What an awe-some gift! Few of us have done more than just scratch thesurface in learning what this means.
2. Keys represent access.A key gives you instant access to everything
that key opens. The secret is in knowing whatthe key opens.
The keys of the Kingdom of Heaven giveus immediate access to all the resources of heaven. Butwe have to know how to use them. So often we limit our-selves by trusting or believing only in what we can seewith our eyes or reason out with our minds. A Kingdommind-set completely changes our perspective.When a pagan king sent his army to capture the Hebrew prophetElisha, the prophet’s servant was terrified one morning to find thearmy surrounding the city.“Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked.“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who arewith us are more than those who are with them.” AndElisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.”Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he lookedand saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire allaround Elisha.
As the enemy came down toward him,Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike these people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elishahad asked (2 Kings 6:15b-18). Elisha’s servant was frightened by what he saw around him, buthe didn’t have a key. Elisha had a key, unlocked heaven, and brought down an angelic host to protect them. The prophet tapped into aprinciple that took him to a system that made that pagan army look like toy soldiers by comparison. When you have the keys of theKingdom, you have no lack and no crisis because the King is greaterthan them all. Jesus said
He would teach us to walk in that kind ofauthority, access, and confidence.
3. Keys represent ownership.Possession of a key gives youde facto ownership of whatever that key opens.Therefore, when you possess the keys of the Kingdom ofheaven, you have ownership of heaven on earth. Jesussaid, “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heav-en, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed inheaven.” In other words, you own on earth whatever isgoing on in Heaven. This means that you should neverjudge how your life is going simply by your circum-stances.Suppose you get laid off from your job. It would be easy to getscared and stressed out because you have a family and bills to payand no money.
That’s your circumstances. As a Kingdom citizenwith the keys of the Kingdom, however, you have ownership of heav-en on earth. You can be confident and even rejoice in the prospectof a bright future because you have a source of supply and provision that those outside the Kingdom cannot even conceive. So go have aprosperity party! The King is preparing
to bless and prosper youfrom a completely unexpected direction.
When you “own” theresources of the King, you are never destitute.
4. Keys represent control.If you possess the key to some-thing, you control it. You control when it opens, when itcloses, and who gets access to it.A key helps you controltime. In other words, you decide whether to open it up at8:00 or 10:00 or 6:00 or whenever. This gives you control over when something comes. If you need somethingnow, you operate a key.
One day the Hebrew prophet Elijah met a poor widow gathering sticks
at the town gate. This was during a severe drought. He askedher for
a drink of water and a piece of bread.“As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’thave any bread only a handful of flour in a jar and
alittle oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take homeand make
a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.”
Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said.
But first make a small cake ofbread for me from what you have and bring
it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘The jar of flourwill not be used up
and the jug of oil will not run dryuntil the day the Lord gives rain on the land.’” She wentaway and did as Elijah had told her. So there was
food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family.
For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil didnot run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spokenby Elijah (1 Kings 17:12-16).
The truth of the widow’s circumstances was that she and her son were
about to starve. Elijah approaches and makes a bold, somemight even say selfish, request: “I know you don’t have much, butfeed me first and then yourself and your son. Trust in the Lord; Hewill take care of you.”
This was not selfishness. Elijah was offeringthe woman a key.
Once she took it, she had control. By faith and obedience she unlocked heaven’s larder and brought down for her-self and her family supernatural provision that sustained them until the drought ended. Her entire life and mind-set shifted from the cir-cumstances of want and privation to a
Kingdom perspective ofunlimited abundance.
5. Keys represent authorization. This is similar to number 1. Authorization means to be given the authority to actin the name or in the stead of whoever gave you theauthority. “The boss authorized me to do this....”Possession of keys means that you are authorized to actin the name and authority of the one who owns the keys.By giving us the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesusgives us the authority to influence Heaven. He hasauthorized us to act in His name and on His authority torequest whatever we wish that is in accordance with Hiswill and purpose.
6. Keys represent power. Whoever gives you keys gives youpower at the same time. This is similar to control. Youhave control power over whatever you possess thekeys for. If you know how to use the keys, whatever they unlock is at your disposal. The keys to your house give you the power to come and go and to allow or dis allowothers to enter. When Jesus gave us the keys to the king-dom, He gave us power in Heaven. Whatever
we bind on earth affects Heaven; whatever we loose on earth affects
Heaven; whatever we close on earth, Heaven closes.
Do we really have that much power as Kingdom citizens? Yes.The King does not want us to live as victims of the earth’s system, soHe has given us the ability to tap into a realm that is invisible but absolutely real and can literally affect the physical earth. This is whyChrist was able to live an abundant life in times of crisis. He had power from Heaven. And He has given that power to us.7. Keys represent freedom.When you have keys, you arefree to go in and out. You are free to lock and unlock,to open and close.
The keys of the Kingdom give us freedom from fear and all the other limiting emotions of an earthly system. I used to wonder why Jesus was so carefree, so calm, and so in control no matter what was happening around Him.
It was because He had the key of freedom.One day Jesus was asleep
in the back of a boat while His cabinet(some of whom were fishermen)
sailed it across the Sea of Galilee.As happens frequently on that body of water, a severe storm blew up suddenly. The storm was so fierce that
even the experienced sail or saboard feared that the boat was going to sink.
How could Jesus sleep through such a crisis? Their lives were in danger,
and He was snooz-ing in the stern! The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us!We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the windsand the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked,
“What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!” (Matthew 8:25-27).Jesus said, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”
In essenceHe was saying, “What’s the matter? Where are your keys?”
Then He took out a key, locked up the storm, and it stopped.
In amazement,the disciples asked, “What kind of man is this?”
Just a man with keys.The keys of the Kingdom are the keys to ultimate truth, the knowledge of which brings true liberty. Jesus said:If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth,
and the truth will set you free (John 8:31b-32).By “teaching,” Jesus is not referring so much to Scripture versesas much as the principles, laws, and precepts contained in those verses. Freedom comes in knowing the truth. Truth alone is notwhat sets you free. What sets you free is the truth youknow. Thekeys of the Kingdom can bring you into the knowledge of the truth.
SEVEN CHARACTERISTICS OF KEYS
1. Keys are laws.They are fixed, reliable standards thatnever change.
When used correctly, they always work.
2. Keys are principles.When Jesus spoke of “the keys of theKingdom,” He wasn’t talking about literal physical keys toopen physical locks. The keys of the Kingdom are princi-ples, systems that operate under fixed laws.
When Hegives us the keys, He gives us the principles by which
the Kingdom of Heaven operates. We gain access to the sys-tems
that make the Kingdom of Heaven work. And oncewe learn the laws, the system, and the principles, all ofheaven will be available to us.
3. Keys are systems.Every government runs on systems: thesocial system, the economic system, the political system,the educational system, the telecommunications system,etc. Knowledge of the systems and how they work is akey to power and influence. Control the systems and youcontrol the government. Disrupt the systems and youdisrupt the government.
Destroy the systems and youdestroy the nation. That’s how powerful systems are.Even more, that’s how powerful knowledge can be.The systems of the Kingdom of Heaven are beyond the reach ofthose outside the kingdom and are in no danger of being disruptedor destroyed. Kingdom citizens, on the other hand, have access tothose systems and can bring the influence of Kingdom systems tobear in earthly situations. That is why Kingdom citizens can restconfident in victory and success no matter what circumstances maysuggest. So the most important thing any of us could do is to makesure that we are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.
4. Keys activate function.A car operates on gasoline. The“key” of gasoline activates the function of the car.Without gasoline, the car will not run no matter how many other keys you have. Likewise, a radio with noreceiver cannot fulfill its function of converting radiowaves into audible sound waves for you to hear. The“key” of a receiver is missing, and without it, the radio isonly an empty, silent box. The box may be pretty, theglass clean and shiny, but it cannot fulfill its purposebecause the key to activate its function is not there. Tome, religion is like that attractive radio or that stylish but gas-less car that does not work. Like them, religion may look beautiful and impressive on the outside with all its regalia and traditions, but it has no keys and
there-fore lacks the ability and the power to activate Kingdom function.
The keys of the Kingdom activate Heaven so that we can fully enjoy our rights and privileges as Kingdom citizens. This is far more sure and
secure than depending on the systems of the world for our enjoyment.
On this point, Kingdom ambassador Paul counsels:
Command those who are rich in this present world notto be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, whichis so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who rich-ly provides us with everything for our enjoyment (1 Timothy 6:17).The keys of the Kingdom allow us to enjoy all the rich and
goodthings of God without measure.
5. Keys initiate action.Just as the key to a car initiatesaction by starting the engine, the keys of the Kingdom,when we know how to use them, initiate action inHeaven.
6. Keys are the principles by which the Kingdom of Godoperates.Not only are keys principles, but specifically,keys to the operation of the Kingdom. They give usaccess to the blueprints, the schematic, the flowcharts soKingdom Principles 170 that we can understand and appropriate the inner work-ings of the Kingdom of Heaven.
7. Keys cannot be substituted by feelings, emotions, wishfulthinking, or manipulation.If you are locked out of yourhouse without a key, no amount of begging or pleadingor wishing will make that door open. If your car is out ofgas, you can sit behind the wheel and dream and will allyou want for it to move, but it will stay right where it is.Religion is built on feelings, emotions, wishful thinking,and manipulation. It is different with the Kingdom.
The Kingdom of Heaven operates on keys. You can wish andfeel and beg and plead all you want, but without theright keys, you will still be locked out of all the thingsGod promised you because feelings don’t open doors.Keys do. In the world’s system, you get ahead by killing, robbing, hurting, manipulating, climbing up on people, using people, stealing, gam-bling any way you can. But in the Kingdom of Heaven, everythingis reversed.
To get ahead, you must do the opposite of what you doin the world. Instead of getting, you give; instead of hoarding, yourelease; instead of grabbing, you give up; instead of hating, you love;instead of every-man-for-himself, you show first regard to others.Yes, this is counterintuitive, but that is the way God’s Kingdom works.
THE COUNTERINTUITIVE NATURE OF KEYS
It is this very counterintuitive quality of the Kingdom of heaventhat makes it so hard for the world to understand. The Kingdom ofHeaven and the kingdoms of this world operate by completely oppo-site principles. People raised in the world’s system cannot compre-hend on their own the truly otherworldly nature of God’s Kingdom. This is why Simon Peter could not recognize Jesus as the Messiahexcept by divine revelation.This clash of systems is vividly illustrated by an encounter Jesushad one day with a rich young man who was interested in gettinginto the Kingdom.As Jesus started on His way, a man ran up to Him and fellon his knees before Him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “whatmust I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call Megood?” Jesus answered. “No one is good except Godalone.
You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, donot commit adultery,
do not steal, do not give false testi-mony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was aboy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing youlack,” He said.
“Go, sell everything you have and give to thepoor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come,follow Me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad,because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around andsaid to His disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enterthe kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:17-23).Once we get into the Kingdom and start functioning properly,
we inevitably become prosperous. Prosperity is a natural product of
Kingdom living. But we must live by the standards of the Kingdomin
order to prosper in the Kingdom. This rich young man had problems with Jesus’ conditionsbecause they ran counter to everything he had ever
heard andbelieved about success and prosperity.
He simply was not preparedfor the counterintuitive command of Jesus
to part with everythingthat he thought made him “somebody.”
This is why Jesus said that itis hard for a rich person to enter the
Kingdom of God. The keys, theprinciples, the systems of the
Kingdom are opposite to those of theworld, from where they acquired
their wealth. In other words, the opposite nature of Kingdom keys
makes it dif-ficult for many people to understand the Kingdom.
This young manhad grown up in a world where you get by taking.
He could notunderstand the principle of a Kingdom where you get by giving.Additionally, it is the power of ignorance of Kingdom keys that can destroy us. Scripture says:“My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge” (Hosea4:6a).Because of ignorance of Kingdom keys, this rich young man didnot know how to become richer, so he chose to hold onto wealththat literally was killing him rather than enter into wealth that couldgive him life.
Coming into the Kingdom of God neither makes you poor nor requires you to become poor. But you have to know the keys.This rich man thought he was rich, but was really poor becausehe did not understand the nature of true wealth. So he went awaysad. A key principle of the Kingdom of Heaven, on the other hand,is this:The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and He adds not rouble to it (Proverbs 10:22).Once you get the keys of the Kingdom
and learn how they work,the blessing of God will bring you wealth
without sorrow. And Hecan do it in an instant if He is so inclined.
Another factor in the difficulty people have in understanding the
Kingdom is the danger of the fallen nature of human reasoning.
Man’s rebellion against God resulted in a corrupted mind and con-science. The way most of us in this world pursue success and wealth and try to get ahead is completely contrary to the principlesand laws that
God designed into creation. But we are too blindedby our corrupt
minds to see it. Like the rich young man, we assume
PRINCIPLES
1. Life in the Kingdom is really about returning to the gov-erning
authority of God in the earth and learning how tolive and
function in that authority.
2. The Kingdom of Heaven is not a secret society, but itskeys
have to be learned.
3. When you know the keys to the Kingdom secrets, youwill never
again say, “All I have is....”
4. Keys represent authority.
5. Keys represent access.
6. Keys represent ownership.
7. Keys represent control.
8. Keys represent authorization.
9. Keys represent power.
10. Keys represent freedom.
11. The keys of the Kingdom are the keys to ultimate truth,
the knowledge of which brings true liberty.
No comments:
Post a Comment