Series 3 : What's on the menu?

Similar to any good meal there are many courses, and we suggest if you have just accepted the invitation to the table, you will more fully enjoy the feast if you start at the beginning. ‘The Journey’ is the first dream, the ‘Steps to the Kingdom’ the second and third. This latest series is focused on ‘You’ the main character who is learning to live a life in relationship with our three-in-one God and discovering the ‘Keys to the Kingdom’. For some readers this will be new concept, for others, an encouragement to keep pressing forward.

The first two blog series were written daily over forty days, but this assignment has been four months and a very real labour of love to bring it to birth. When we began looking into the keys to the Kingdom we had no idea we would find eighty-eight, we have used forty, and I’m sure there are many more. Lel has spent hours researching songs and scriptures as have I in seeking the Lord for an ongoing story in which to portray them. We still haven’t finished editing, but I have a strong sense from the Father God, the potentate of time, to start publishing it now.

From my understanding, only God, the three in one, holds the master key to the world and universe. When, through belief in Jesus His Son, He adopts us as His children, He provided us with keys to enter into His Kingdom and obtain a greater knowledge of Him. We identified those major keys as: faith, worship, prayer, and His Word, along with the love, revelation and power of the Holy Spirit. Time spent in unlocking these areas in our lives will provide us with further keys to expand our minds about the Kingdom of heaven coming on earth.

When Jesus talked to His disciples about the keys to His Kingdom, His church/ekklesia (ekklesia = all those’ called out’ ones) didn’t yet include God’s adopted children, the Gentiles. The Jewish mindset of keys to God’s Kingdom in heaven would have been doctrine and discipline. And, for the majority of Jews today who love God, they are still the only two keys they know to connect with Him. As for His adopted children we read in the New Testament Jesus came so we didn’t need to live by law, or religious ceremonies. Therefore, by His death and resurrection Jesus invested His Spirit into our hearts and minds to bring us into relationship with Him.

Matthew Chapter 16:19 Jesus talks to Peter about the keys to Kingdom and building His church. I also found Matthew 18:18 says, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven’ and also Rev.3:7-8 of an ‘open a door in heaven no-one can shut’. Paul in Ephesians 1 clearly states our position as adopted children of God, and all He has bestowed upon us. 1 Peter 2 confirms in his letter we are God’s people, a royal nation and holy priesthood.

In writing this I have been convicted of areas of my life that need attention, but out of that too have felt blessed and encouraged by the Lord in the way He has broken through that thin veil that separates us from heaven. I believe He is giving us time to grow closer to Him and get our spiritual houses in order. Even a mustard seed of faith will open the way if we allow Him to make that divine exchange from our ways to His.

For me, the writer, this has exercised my faith of nearly five decades of loving and seeking the Lord. Each person is created in God’s image and unique. Your life may have led you on a different road and perspective of God to mine, but the Bible clearly shows us God’s desire to communicate with us and extend our love and understanding of who He is and we are in Him. In that we can rest assured for according to Hebrews 11 it is in having faith in Him, not what you achieve, that brings His commendation!