Keys to the Kingdom

[eaglesway]

Throughout my life as a believer, I have periodically run across things in the scriptures that no matter how I tried and prayed and studied, I just didnt feel I had a full balanced understanding. I would finlly commit it to God and leave it. Sometimes it was years, decades even before I received what I felt was the "real deal". I remember wondering and agonizing over the beautiful things I read in Ephesians and being beside myself because I could feel the glory just beyond the veil....I just could nt quite reach it. Many years later, I began to see the fabric within the words and the beautiful themes in that letter, included among them the restoration of all things, the workings of the body of Christ, the beauty of the Lamb and His love for His bride.

Two verses I never felt quite "there" with are  these....

Matthew 16:19 (with some context)
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

17Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades c will not overcome it. 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be d bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be e loosed in heaven."

I have heard a lot of theories on exactly what the keys to the kingdom and binding and loosing are. I have never felt comfortable, or "rested" in those things Ive read and seen practised.

The other verse is Matthew 11:12

12"From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force. 13"For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14"And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come. 15"He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

I believe the Holy Spirit gave me something on these the other night so I want to share.....not as if I got "the" revelation on it, but just as something I received that the fellowship can discern for themselves. If it adds something to someone's understanding- wonderful.

A couple of nights ago I was at home after work. That day I had received keys from two new customers...I do building maintenance for a living.

The words came into my mind, "When does someone give you their keys".

I thought for only a minute and answered, "When they trust me".

Immediateltly the verse from Matthew 16" ame to mind. I realized as I sat that no amount of knowledge or fervor can gain one the "keys to the kingdom." Coming out of a charismatic/pentecostal I have seen people(and joined in) pray and fast for the keys to the kingdom. Study, praise, "step out in faith" etc..... but very rarely did I see results that appearred to me to really be just that.

Jesus gives the keys to the kingdom to people He trusts.

Then these verses in John 15 came to mind.

12"This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14"You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15"No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16"You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17"This I command you, that you love one another."

Jesus trusts His friends. His servants become His friends when they love one another. He will not give the keys to anyone else.

This leads into the second verse in Matthew 11.

I always wondered what "the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and violent men take it by force" means. I never felt rested in the explanations I had received. SOme thought this is good. Pray, fast, "wrestle with God". Take the kingdom by force", but I am seeing something different.

As I thought on these things, I got up and went across the street to the deli. When I got back, I realized I had grabbed the wrong set of keys. I was locked out of my apartment building.  :dunno2: But, theres a little trick. If I pull up on the door knob and give the door a stiff jolt, it will open- without breaking the door. So I did it. I entered through the door without the key. I took my entrance by force.

I have seen many such tricks in my life, spiritually, among men and women of God- myself included. Always I have smelled the "strange fire" and felt something amiss, but I couldnt put my finger on it, because I wasnt clear within my own spirit of the reason for it- a mixture of motivations that defile the offering.

Love is the only "acceptable offering". Ambition, lust for power and glory, the desire to be "somebody"- all these things grieve the Spirit and make the "servant" unable to be a "friend" to all.

Abraham was God's friend and He received the promise, and the promise was a "word" that did not "fall to the ground"- that all the nations of the earth would be blessed by his "seed"- Jesus.

To be the friend of God, to be a servant who becomes his/her master's friend- that is the way to the keys- but it can never be to "get the keys", to do some "great thing". Only Jesus will say, "you serve me well, I trust you, you have become my friend, I am giving you the keys to my Father's house. You will speak with the authority of love within these walls, and whatever you say will be done, because it will be of love."

Where Jesus walked, the miracles He did and the lives He touched and healed and set free were the result of Him freely giving what He had freely received of His Father. His motives were pure. It was all of love. He demanded no pay or personal return, and to told those who received the blessing to be quiet about it.

He cast out demons "with a word." He didnt "cut himself" or pray long drawn out prayer in glorious words. He had the keys because He was a son over His Father's house. Father of love, son of love disciples of love. No one can successfully "demand" some elses trust or "command" their love. It is a fruit of relationship, and it produces the fruit of eternal life.

:2c:

[Ross]

Many years later, I began to see the fabric within the words and the beautiful themes in that letter, included among them the restoration of all things, the workings of the body of Christ, the beauty of the Lamb and His love for His bride.

Awesome how that truth, which seems to take a long time to sink into our mind, becomes so deeply embedded that we find ourselves asking things like,
              Why didn't I see this before?

I always wondered what "the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and violent men take it by force" means. I never felt rested in the explanations I had received. SOme thought this is good. Pray, fast, "wrestle with God". Take the kingdom by force", but I am seeing something different.

The very problem where many are trying to undertake "spiritual warfare". I used to attempt that but have come to be shown that is like trying to win a war which Christ has already won.
Jesus demonstration of dying on the cross is totally opposite to wiping out the enemy by force. The Jews were under that line of though about the Messiah wiping out the Romans- didn't happen quite how they though it would.

Love is the only "acceptable offering". Ambition, lust for power and glory, the desire to be "somebody"- all these things grieve the Spirit and make the "servant" unable to be a "friend" to all.

We are in that process of learning the correct definition of what "TRUE" love actually means.
After all,
           Perfect love casts out ALL fear.

No one can successfully "demand" some else's trust or "command" their love.
It is a fruit of relationship, and it produces the fruit of eternal life.

Having the key seems to be indeed understanding the significance of the kingdom.
The growing scheme of our Father is specific and at His rate, not ours.
Blessings brother.

[rosered]

amen
     It really is   the bond of perfection / completion in knowing and  mostly experiencing the unconditional love of GOD in your heart  .  building on the trust  of  His truth  and truth of trusting GOD completely.

Col 3 13 Bear with each other and forgive any complaint you may have against one another.

Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

14And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity.


15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful....


I can see forgiveness and love as  accepting the  the will and desire of God as your own  desire  also  as the  POWER of a forgiving   and loving   SAVIOR  in our  Lord Jesus Christ  graciously demonstrated on HIS  cross , for us to  understand  fully this Day ,

and  is  always  open   to any one  that will bow  the knee  and tongue  confess  to Him  sincerely from the heart   ,

they need His love and mercy and grace also ,  as we all  begin to take up our cross ,

as to die  from that rebellion of the law ,  by  seeking  the revenge  of being wronged by   evil and wrath  of this world ,   and follow  Him  to eternal  life in where ever He goes ,  we Lift Him up as  HE draws all to Himself .

Obedience  to His Word and by His own Spirit is that  ability  to act  in  His forgiving  and unconditional love and  is better than all the sacrifices made without the love of God  moving our hearts   to   please HIM  , Unless we do everything as unto the Lord Himself   it becomes pointless .

  to me , that is placing Him first in our lives  and the greatest command /give an authoritative order.  as the rest becomes easier to follow by loving others as our selves  , Because it is the  Lord   Jesus Christ  heart ruling ours now .

  We Love Him  and want to please Him because He alway loved us first and  come   to us   and died as the only sacrifice acceptable  to give  the power and the  glory   to the FATHER   and make everything  right with GOD .

  :HeartThrob:  I do not think you can really love  correctly without forgiving and you cannot  forgive correctly  with out really  loving  GOD and consider His desire  that none should perish , but be reconciled to God by the  holy sacrifice of His own bloodshed  as the covering for sin  as we all begin to do  in  the same manner  and that is to forgive  everyone of everything   by the same love of God working though the Holy Spirit  in us all .

  reconcile =restore friendly relations between.
"she wanted to be reconciled with her father"
cause to coexist in harmony; make or show to be compatible.
"a landscape in which inner and outer vision were reconciled"
synonyms:   make compatible, harmonize, square, make harmonious, synthesize, make congruent, cause to be in agreement, cause to sit happily/easily with; More
make (one account) consistent with another, especially by allowing for transactions begun but not yet completed.
  .

  Thank you  for posting  John  , it makes me think  of God in  more  deeper  and intimately  ,   in ways I never even thought of yesterday .  I want nothing but , for all  to be in the Holy Spirit  always .  the salvation of all   in  total   reconciliation , rest / refresh oneself, or recover strength and restoration by the action of returning something to a former owner, place, or condition.

synonyms:   repair, repairing, fixing, mending, refurbishment, reconditioning, rehabilitation, rebuilding, reconstruction, remodelling, redecoration, revamping, revamp, makeover, overhaul; More
2.
the return of a hereditary monarch to a throne, a head of state to government, or a regime to power.  :dsunny:

[marie glen]

Amen EW and Ross.. some REALLY good things said, so I had to reply before reading further!

While reading I thought of a post someone made in a facebook discussion.. I intended to go back and copy/paste it here.. but I forgot to do it :doh:

Found it!

The post is from "Hope For All Connection" group on FB.. but I forgot the poster's name already.. It's kind of indirectly relates to EW's post, which was SO good btw.. It relates more to that not resting in the perception of something.. it doesn't yet click into place feeling..  :Chinscratch: ..On second thought, I think I'll post it as a different thread..

[marie glen]

amen
     It really is   the bond of perfection / completion in knowing and  mostly experiencing the unconditional love of GOD in your heart  .  building on the trust  of  His truth  and truth of trusting GOD completely.

Col 3 13 Bear with each other and forgive any complaint you may have against one another.

Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

14And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity.


15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful....


I can see forgiveness and love as  accepting the  the will and desire of God as your own  desire  also  as the  POWER of a forgiving   and loving   SAVIOR  in our  Lord Jesus Christ  graciously demonstrated on HIS  cross , for us to  understand  fully this Day ,

and  is  always  open   to any one  that will bow  the knee  and tongue  confess  to Him  sincerely from the heart   ,

they need His love and mercy and grace also ,  as we all  begin to take up our cross ,

as to die  from that rebellion of the law ,  by  seeking  the revenge  of being wronged by   evil and wrath  of this world ,   and follow  Him  to eternal  life in where ever He goes ,  we Lift Him up as  HE draws all to Himself .

Obedience  to His Word and by His own Spirit is that  ability  to act  in  His forgiving  and unconditional love and  is better than all the sacrifices made without the love of God  moving our hearts   to   please HIM  , Unless we do everything as unto the Lord Himself   it becomes pointless .

  to me , that is placing Him first in our lives  and the greatest command /give an authoritative order.  as the rest becomes easier to follow by loving others as our selves  , Because it is the  Lord   Jesus Christ  heart ruling ours now .

  We Love Him  and want to please Him because He alway loved us first and  come   to us   and died as the only sacrifice acceptable  to give  the power and the  glory   to the FATHER   and make everything  right with GOD .

  :HeartThrob:  I do not think you can really love  correctly without forgiving and you cannot  forgive correctly  with out really  loving  GOD and consider His desire  that none should perish , but be reconciled to God by the  holy sacrifice of His own bloodshed  as the covering for sin  as we all begin to do  in  the same manner  and that is to forgive  everyone of everything   by the same love of God working though the Holy Spirit  in us all .

  reconcile =restore friendly relations between.
"she wanted to be reconciled with her father"
cause to coexist in harmony; make or show to be compatible.
"a landscape in which inner and outer vision were reconciled"
synonyms:   make compatible, harmonize, square, make harmonious, synthesize, make congruent, cause to be in agreement, cause to sit happily/easily with; More
make (one account) consistent with another, especially by allowing for transactions begun but not yet completed.
  .

  Thank you  for posting  John  , it makes me think  of God in  more  deeper  and intimately  ,   in ways I never even thought of yesterday .  I want nothing but , for all  to be in the Holy Spirit  always .  the salvation of all   in  total   reconciliation , rest / refresh oneself, or recover strength and restoration by the action of returning something to a former owner, place, or condition.

synonyms:   repair, repairing, fixing, mending, refurbishment, reconditioning, rehabilitation, rebuilding, reconstruction, remodelling, redecoration, revamping, revamp, makeover, overhaul; More
2.
the return of a hereditary monarch to a throne, a head of state to government, or a regime to power.  :dsunny:

Amen!  :cloud9: He is creating a world of all being completely ruled and motivated by - Love, by Him/Love. :cloud9:
..all will be like Him, for, finally.. all shall see Him as He is..

[rosered]

 
Amen !

TO GOD BE THE GLORY for the great things he has done and is being made known by revealing  our Lord Jesus CHRIST  !!  the Greatest Light of the  darkest  WORLD :HeartThrob:

[Dandelion]

A beautiful post....so simple, and yet so profound.

Love always is the answer.....ultimately.

I have pondered those verses, myself.....this explaination is the shoe that fits, I believe.

Thank you, all, for your insightful thoughts.

D.