The Daniel Fast

The Rainbow Pen!

 

Keeping Christ's Word

 

 

This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open:  “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me. Look, I will force those who belong to Satan’s synagogue - those liars who say they are Jews but are not - to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love. (Revelation 3:7-11 NLT). I will dress him in your royal robes and will give him your title and your authority. And he will be a father to the people of Jerusalem and Judah. I will give him the key to the house of David - the highest position in the royal court. When he opens doors, no one will be able to close them; when he closes doors, no one will be able to open them. He will bring honor to his family name, for I will drive him firmly in place like a nail in the wall. They will give him great responsibility, and he will bring honor to even the lowliest members of his family.” (Isaiah 22:21-24 NLT).

What did Jesus the Christ mean when He said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." True Christians take the matter of obedience to God very seriously. True goodness must keep God's commandments perfectly. But Christians also admit that no person keeps God's commandments perfectly. No person was ever declared righteous by keeping the commandments. The only way to be declared righteous is to truly believe in God and all that God has revealed, that He is everything He claims to be. So when Jesus told us to keep His commandments, He was not saying that keeping the commandments is the way to be made righteous. Instead, He was speaking to those who already believed in the Lord and thus were already declared righteous. So, we want to keep God's commandments because we love Him. If we truly believe in Him, then we acknowledge that He is King and Lord, and we know in our hearts that whatever He tells us to do is for the best, and so we want to obey Him. There are universal moral standards that God requires for all men everywhere. For example, it is always wrong to have other gods, to murder, commit adultery, steal, lie, or covet. Those who truly believe in God and love Jesus the Christ always want to keep the commandments against these things.

The true Believer in Jesus the Christ obediently keeps the words of Christ and does not deny His name. Jesus says His words are life and life-giving. The Scriptures declare that His name is above every other name. But the spirit of the anti-Christ is discouraging some Believers from keeping Christ's Word and encouraging people to deny His name. Realize that you could increase God's power flowing through your life by reducing your resistance to God's will. Pray daily that the Holy Spirit strengthen you so you can turn from your selfish desires. And that God would shape you to be that which He would make of you. Then as you make yourself available and keep your focus on the Lord Jesus the Christ, grace-filled moments will multiply and God will use you to touch people with His grace. Everywhere you go, you will carry the power and dominion, authority and influence of Heaven as a child of the Most High God. You will be the expression of Heaven on Earth. God will use you to bless people and nations of the Earth. For two - God and you - cannot work together unless they agree!

The key of David represents authority to open and shut doors in the Kingdom. The Lord God Almighty had an eternal covenant with king David in which He promised to give to His servant an eternal seed, throne, and kingdom. Jesus the Christ is the son of David, the Son of Man! The key of David is also thanksgiving, praise and worship. David always praised and worshiped God Almighty. He who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying. Many have eyes but do not see, even when they are looking! They do not perceive when they see! Many have ears but they do not hear, even when they are listening. They do not understand when they hear! They who have ears, let them hear Christ's Words. Openness to the truths of God's Word is a necessity for understanding the special destiny of the overcoming Christian. The religious and the arrogant have their ears made heavy when they hear God's Word. Only the humble will understand the message of the Lord Jesus the Christ. The more you proclaim Christ's Word to the religious and arrogant, the less response you'll get from the people. Know that God's call is for faithfulness to Him, to His Word, and to the call itself. The response should not discourage you nor inflate your ego!

Jesus asked His Disciples, “Who do people say I am?” And He followed up with the question, “But what about you?” He asked, “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” Simon Peter was guided by the Holy Spirit to declare this truth about the Lord Jesus the Christ. The Disciples did not understand the implications of being the Messiah. So when Jesus the Christ began to teach them that the "Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders... and that he must be killed... Peter was guided by Satan to reject that truth. Jesus the Christ spoke plainly about this, and Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But when Jesus turned and looked at His Disciples, He rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” Jesus the Christ said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” When we have God's concerns in mind, we seek God's Kingdom, we make Him our priority, and we seek His righteousness. And Jesus the Christ will lead us in paths of righteousness,  to bring His Kingdom and to do His will on Earth as it is in Heaven!

Those who belong to Satan, though they claim to be Christians outwardly, they will ultimately be forced to worship before the Church and to acknowledge that Jesus the Christ has loved His own. The person who overcomes by faith amidst terrible circumstances will receive supernatural sustenance and rewards. The Believer who is faithful to death is promised the crown of life, a wonderful experience of life in the hereafter. Understand that after your mind is transformed, you can know what God’s will is. Before transformation, everything is cloudy. After transformation, you can test and approve what God’s will is. So, part of transformation is that we can receive eyes to see and ears to hear God’s perfect will. What an incredible blessing. Those with callous hearts and closed eyes and ears, refuse to listen or see. So they shudder at the thought of transformation and the call to discipleship. They do not therefore grow spiritually! May you pray for wisdom, and receive it. May you have eyes to see and ears to hear, so you might be transformed by the renewing of your mind, be able to see God’s faint path unfolding, and hear the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit calling you forward into God’s perfect will.