"WHEN YOU GET THE REVELATION, YOU GET THE KEYS"

March 2, 2005

"WHEN YOU GET THE REVELATION, YOU GET THE KEYS"
by Cindy McGill
Hope For the Harvest Ministries
www.hopefortheharvest.com
dreaminslc@hotmail.com

RUNNING THE RACE

With all the transition we are going through in the Body, we are finding ourselves on new roads we have never gone down before. These roads don't come with a map of where we are headed, but there is a calm assurance that if we just continue, we will see the Lord fulfill His purposes in us and through us. This new direction requires risks. Risks to leave old things and risks to embrace new things. New mind-sets, new levels of anointings, new environments, new ministries . . .


IDENTIFYING JESUS

I recently was reading where revelation was given to the disciples in Matthew 16:13-20.

Matthew 16:13-20

"When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, 'Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?'

"So they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.'

"He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?'

"Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'

"Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

"'And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.'"

The disciples had been walking with Jesus for a while now . . . doing things with Him, learning from Him, questioning Him . . . but this day they were asked to look at Him beyond their natural abilities. When Jesus asked, Who do men say I am?, he was setting the stage to have their whole understanding of Him changed from that day on. When God opened Peter's eyes to identify Jesus, Jesus identified Peter to Peter. Not only did Jesus identify Peter, but He also stated His purpose for Peter. On Peter, Jesus would build His church.

Based on what we know about Peter and his impulsive ways, this could have been really exciting for Peter. He was a risk taker and seemed to always get things going if there was a dull moment. But suddenly it hit him that there is no way Peter could pull this one off by his own abilities. Jesus knew this about Peter and waited until Peter had a revelation of Jesus, His authority, and ability. By this, Peter became completely aware of his inability. Only then could Peter embrace the call and not do it in his own strength. It would have to be accomplished by the Christ, Son of the living God.


THE GATES OF HELL

When revelation happens, new levels of faith emerge. "Gates of hell" is a defensive term. The "gates of hell" will not be able to withstand an advancing church. Gates are designed to keep things from breaking in and protect what is behind those gates. As we align ourselves with the purposes of God for His Kingdom to be established on this earth, the "gates of hell" will not have the strength to keep the church out of any place we might be sent.

Light invades darkness and darkness has nowhere to hide. Exposure gives way to deliverance and restoration. We are being sent out as light in dark places, with words of life and healing to bind up the brokenhearted and keys to let the oppressed go free. Faith rises up where fear use to rule.


WHATEVER YOU BIND ON EARTH

Then Jesus gave him the keys of the kingdom and authority to bind and loose.

Not long ago, I felt the Lord tell me that He would take me as far as I would let Him. In other words, I would be the one who could hold me back from fulfilling my destiny in God. Whether through fear, uncertainty, doubt, apprehension, disobedience or whatever presented a road block, it would be my choice to move forward or be hindered.

Jesus is defining our callings and destinies. He is revealing Himself to us so when He asks us to do something, we know as Peter did, that it won't be us accomplishing these things.


WHEN YOU GET THE REVELATION, YOU GET THE KEYS

Isaiah 22:20-22

"Then it shall be in that day, that I will call My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah; I will clothe him with your robe and strengthen him with your belt; I will commit your responsibility into his hand. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; so he shall open, and no one shall shut; and he shall shut, and no one shall open."

When we have a revelation of Jesus and see His purpose to accomplish His plan through our lives, we have nothing to fear. We are receiving keys to open things in the Kingdom. There are things we are being asked to do to advance the Kingdom of God on the earth. In the upcoming days, we will most likely find ourselves in any number of places, having been sent by God, to establish the Kingdom in the place we have been sent. Some of these places might seem unusual or odd, but God is there because broken people are there.

God is very near to broken people. When we have His heart, we have His hand. He leads us every step of the way. Everything we need is available to us for the task. When we've had the revelation, we have the invitation.

Jesus is identifying us for the purposes He has for us in the days ahead.

It will change us from now on. Just like Peter, the job is too big. Jesus will do it in His strength if we won't do it in ours.

Hebrews 12:1-2

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

by Cindy McGill
Hope For the Harvest Ministries
www.hopefortheharvest.com
dreaminslc@hotmail.com

ABOUT CINDY MCGILL

Cindy McGill is founder of "Hope for the Harvest Ministries." As an ordained minister with the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, she holds an international license and currently co-pastors at the Salt Lake City Foursquare Church with her husband, Tim. They have been involved in pastoring, evangelism, and church planting for 25 years. Cindy was radically saved in 1973 and is a 1976 graduate of Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas.

Cindy travels internationally helping churches raise up evangelism teams; teaching on Godly character; and ministering in prophecy, dream interpretation, and word of knowledge. Her passion is leading teams of ordinary people, who love Jesus, into the streets, hospitals, pubs, new age arenas, and anywhere the Lord directs. Using dream interpretation and prophetic evangelism, the door has been opened to share the gospel to multitudes of people, who might not otherwise have heard the message.