Generation Builders Magazine 2016

The Key Of David
By Andrew Murray
“I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever
and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”
(Revelation 1v8)
In Revelation chapter 5, the apostle John has a
vision of a scroll that is sealed with seven seals. As
heaven asks who is worthy to break open the seals,
John is devastated to learn that there is no one in
heaven, earth or under the earth worthy enough to
break open the seals. Suddenly, a triumphant cry
comes from one of the elders “‘Do not weep! See,
the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David,
has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and
its seven seals.” (Revelation 5v5) The elder was of
course referring to Jesus Christ, the One who was
worthy and able to break open the seals.
Many believers today are desperate for a breakthrough. Many
times it seems breakthrough is an impossibility. However, there
is no need to weep and despair. Jesus Christ is still worthy and
He is still able to bring breakthrough into the most hopeless of
situations.
A few years ago I was ministering in
a prison in Kenya. It was a slightly
daunting place with guards who had
machine guns and prisoners wearing
black and white stripped uniforms. I
shared a few words before my pastor
preached the gospel and several of the
men gave their lives to Jesus. At the
end of the message the Kenyan pastor,
who had arranged the visit, announced that we were to go and lay
hands on the men who had responded. A little reluctantly I moved
among these criminals and started to pray for each one. When I
got to one man, I paused.
The Holy Spirit had given me a word for him. “Sir”, I said, “God has
brought you to this prison because He wanted to meet with you
here but very soon you will be released from this prison and when
you are on the outside you will serve God”. As I gave the word a
few people around me began to laugh.
Afterwards they told me what was so funny. The man was in
prison for murder. He was under a life sentence. “In our country
life means life. This man will never be released. He will die in this
prison”
A few weeks later I received an email from the pastor in Kenya.
It seemed that there had been a problem in that prison with
over-crowding. The government had never done this before in
history but they had written a list of prisoners who were in that
jail for minor offences. They had pardoned them to make room for
more serious felons. For some reason, that no one could explain, that
man’s name had got on the list! His sentence had been cancelled and
he walked through the doors a free man! He contacted the pastor to let
him know what had happened and dedicated his life to serve God!
Friend we truly serve a God of breakthrough! A God who makes a way
where there seems to be no way! A God who still holds the keys of
victory to every battle that we face and a God who holds the keys to
any and every situation!
The Keys of the Kingdom
Not only does Jesus
have the keys - He has
given the keys to His
Church!
As encouraging as this is to know, it is also important to understand
that Jesus is not the only one who has the keys. In Matthew 16v19,
Jesus speaks directly to Peter, however He is also speaking prophetically
to all who would become members of the Church, that was built on
the rock. Jesus promises us “I will give you the keys of the kingdom
of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and
whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Not only does Jesus have the keys – He has
given the keys to His Church! When I married
my wife, she moved into the apartment that
I owned. The first thing that I did after we got
married was to give her a copy of the keys. What
kind of husband would I be if I said I was the
only one who could have keys? As the Bride of
Christ, Jesus has given us a copy of the keys to
His Kingdom! He has said of His Church “we (me
and the Father) will come to them and make our
home with them. (John 14v23). As He makes His home in us, He gives
us a copy of the keys to His Kingdom.
The Kingdom of God is God’s realm. It contains His presence and
His “stuff”. The Kingdom is a place of joy, abundance, peace, grace,
forgiveness, mercy, healing, strength, righteousness, wisdom and so
much more. Whoever has the keys has the access and the right to
obtain all that God is and all that God has.
Prayer and the Church
Jesus has said that His Church should be a place of prayer: ‘It is written,’
he said to them, ‘“My house will be called a house of prayer,” (Matthew
21v13)
As the army of God, we must use the weapon of prayer in order to see
God’s Kingdom advance. It is only through prayer that we will see the
victory. You cannot win a spiritual battle with carnal weapons.
When we pray however, we must see that the Church has already been
given the keys to the Kingdom. Perhaps, you have found yourself in the