Keys to the Kingdom I

The Lord Jesus have us given keys to the Kingdom even as He announced this to the apostle Peter in Matt 16:19.
The first key is the authority we are given to bind and loose on earth. What we bind or loose on earth will be bound or loose in heaven.
This spiritual law will not be violated by our Lord so we need to be careful how we bind or loose. If we bind the work of the Holy Spirit by quenching it and loose our tongues to speak negatively in the natural realm then it will also be in the spiritual realm where the manifestations of the evil one is at work.
Let us bind the works of the evil one and loose the saving work of the Holy Spirit. Bind the spirits of destruction, despair and decadence and loose the spirit of restoration, revival and renewal in our lives and our areas of influence.
This is the time to rise up and stand in the gap for this generation to speak forth God's Word of blessing and life.

The Blessings of the Cross

In Luke 9:23, Jesus said to take up our cross daily meaning to claim the blessings that come from the finished work of Christ on the Cross.
1. We have the blessing of liberty (freedom) - our curses are removed (cancelled, released) : Gal 3:13, 1 Pet 2:24, John 8:36
2. We have the blessing of love - our conflicts are resolved (reconciliation) : Col 1:20, Eph 2:14-16, 1 John 3:16, Rom 5:8, John 15:13, 2 Cor 5:14-15, Luke 7:47
3. We have the blessing of life - creation is restored (our old nature replaced with the new nature) : John 6:54, Gal 2:20, 1 Cor 15:45-49

REAL WISDOM

Real Wisdom is looking life from God's perspective
(James 3:13-18)
We need to
1) Zoom Out - to see from God's view what really matters in life (i.e. life is about relationships; with God, with others and with ourselves)
2) Scan - to look at the relationships we have with others especially our loved ones (are these relationships what God desires them to be?)
3) Zoom In - to work in and work out these relationships till they are what God has designed them to be. (We need God to help us live well with others and ourselves)

The Lord our Banner

Jehovah Nissi - God our victory Ex 17:8ff
In Christ we have victory daily as we

1) Know our position
A banner means a pole, a sign, a standard, coat of arms
It is a symbol of God's deliverance
Moses represented the position of the believer in Christ (Isa 11:10)

2) Persevere in prayer
Hands up win, Hands down lose. (Heb 12:12)
Speak to your mountains be gone!
Victory means we do not quit praying until and unless God says so.

3) Enlist our partners
(we need Aarons and Hurs)
Note: the banana that leaves the bunch gets eaten first!

Intimacy, Interdependence and Integration

(Click on image below to see animation)Intimacy with the Lord together with interdependence with one another will result in integration in our lives and ministries (all these will happen at and in the Cross of Jesus Christ)

Worry Not!

Instead of worrying, do the following:

1) praise -singing in the Spirit (of our spirits)

2) pray - hope of our hearts

3) ponder - mastery of our minds

4) practice - working of our wills

In doing these disciplines, we will be able to live as Jesus' disciples

Beware Drivenness!

7 signs of drivenness

1) hassled by hurriedness (ok to be busy, not ok to be hurried)

Jesus walked from place to place, he did not run!)

2) addicted to accomplishment

3) symptoms of stress (depleted spiritually and emotionally)

4) married to money

5) pursuit of power (over-conscious of titles and office)

6) caught in compromise

7) ruled by restlessness