CUSTODIANS OF THE MASTER KEY: OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL 18TH SEPTEMBER 2018

MEMORISE:

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. Isaiah 22:22

READ: Matthew 16:13-19

13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

MESSAGE:

Today’s memory verse is a prophetic message from God the Father to God the Son, speaking of how Jesus would possess the key of the house of David so that he could easily open and shut without any resistance. No wonder doors obeyed Him while He was here on earth. For example, He shut the door of the issue of blood in the life of the woman who had suffered for 12 years (Mark 5:25-34). He also opened the door of sight to a blind man at the gate of Jericho (Luke 18:35-43).

In today’s Bible reading, after Peter made a profound confession of faith received by revelation from the Father, our Lord Jesus Christ promised to give him the master key of the kingdom. The Lord could make this promise because He is the possessor of this key (Revelation 3:7). 

However, this promise is not only to Peter, but also to everyone who believes and confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord (John 17:20, Mark 13:37). It is amazing therefore to see children of God running helter-skelter in search of the master key, whereas they have access to this key already. Speaking about this key, the Lord said in Matthew 16:19:

“And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

The meaning of this scripture is that God the Father gave Jesus Christ the son the master key to open and shut and Jesus in turn handed this key over to those who believed in Him. So, we now are the custodian of the master key. How effectively we use this key is another question altogether. 

I pray in the mighty Name of Jesus that we will not be wasters of this great grace that can shut the doors of calamity and open the gates of blessings, not only for ourselves but also for those who God has put within the sphere of our influence. Years ago, a young man came to us for prayers because of premature death that had been ravaging his family over the years. 

We prayed a simple prayer to the Almighty Father, who through His Son handed the master key over to us and opened the door of abundant life in Christ to this young man, and this putted an end to the calamity of premature death in his family. In like manner, I shut the door of all forms of calamity against you and I open the door of celebration that has been shut against you from today in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point:

Using the Master key given to you by the Lord, shut the door of sorrow the enemy had opened against you and open the door of safety and celebration that has been shut against you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 29-31, Mark 9:38-10:12

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Hymn 18 ONWARD, CHRISTIAN SOLDIER.

Verse 1:
Onward, Christian soldiers,
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master,
Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle
See his banners go!

Chorus:
Onward, Christian soldiers!
Marching as to war,
Looking unto Jesus,
Who is gone before.

Verse 2:

At the sign of triumph
Satan’s host doth flee;
On then, Christian soldiers,
On to victory!
Hell’s foundations quiver
At the shout of praise;
Brothers, lift your voices,
Loud your anthems raise.
Chorus:

Verse 3:

Like a mighty army
Moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading
Where the saints have trod;
We are not divided;
All one body we,
One in hope and doctrine,
One in charity.
Chorus:

Verse 4:

Crowns and thrones may perish
Kingdoms rise and wane,
But the church of Jesus
Constant will remain.
Gates of hell can never
‘Gainst that church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise,
And that cannot fail.
Chorus:

Verse 5:

Onward, then, ye people,
join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices
in the triumph song;
Glory, laud, and honor,
unto Christ the King;
This thro’ countless ages
men and angels sing.
Chorus: