12/22/22
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| In loving memory of my father Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023 |
This is Part 1 of four messages about "when God suspends the rules." There are many examples in scripture which illustrate times when God suspended the rules on behalf of mankind. We will limit our messages to the lives of twelve people, namely Enoch, Abraham, Moses, Ruth, David, Elijah, Elisha, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, Mary Magdalene, and Paul. Then we will look at a few times when God suspended the rules for Jesus when He walked the face of the earth as a man. What are the common threads as to why God suspends the rules? More importantly, what does all of this mean for you and me? We know that God is no respecter of persons, so if He did it for one, He will do the same for you and me, provided we move into the same spiritual realm as that of our scriptural examples.
However, you and I have also already experienced many examples when God suspended the rules in our walk with Him or in the life of a family member. The most significant time when God suspended the rules for us as believers was when we were born again of the Spirit of God because all of us were born a sinner and deserve to die. But Jesus paid our debt at Calvary such that we might have eternal life. As we recall our personal examples, may we fall at the feet of the cross with a humble, poured out, and grateful heart. Lord, how can we ever express our gratitude!!! Praise be to His wonderful name!
The Bible speaks of a number of different mysteries. There is the mystery of Christ (Ephesians 3:4); the fellowship of the mystery (Ephesians 3:9); the mystery of God (Colossians 2:2); the mysteries of the kingdom (Mark 4:11); the mystery of iniquity (2 Thessalonians 2:7); the mystery of godliness (1 Timothy 3:16); the mystery of the seven stars (Revelation 1:20); the mystery of the faith (1 Timothy 3:16); mystery Babylon (Revelation 17:5); the mystery of His will (Ephesians 1:9); and others. We believe there is also a mystery of the oneness of husband and wife, which is seldom expressed or understood.
Perhaps another mystery is why, in some cases, God suspends the rules, whether they are rules concerning the natural universe or rules affecting the way God deals with man. By "rules" we are NOT talking about the law as given through Moses. We mean the suspension of natural laws of the universe or supernatural interventions in the lives of mankind through sovereign miracles, healings, deliverances, etc.
Our God, the one true God, is an awesome God! He is sovereign in that He can do anything He wants to do whenever He wants to do it. He is not bound by our minds or by nature or by any man or group of men or by our interpretation of the Bible. He is God! He created the universe; he created man; He is the ruler of all nature. He can suspend the rules, even His own rules, any time He desires. God said, in Jeremiah 32:27, "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?"
God suspends the rules from time to time, as He sees fit, in order to show forth His power and His glory so that all men might have an opportunity to come to know Him. Scripture is given to us, among other reasons, so that we might learn from the examples of our forefathers.
In both of those two verses, it is clear that the Lord Jesus Christ is the One who has the key of the house of David and the key of David.
We must not think about the word "lawyers" in the sense of our current application to "attorneys at law" or those who practice natural law. A lawyer in Biblical terminology was one who was a teacher of the law as given through Moses; he interpreted and taught the Mosaic law. The lawyers took away the key of knowledge by using their own natural, logical, reasoning, carnal minds to interpret the Mosaic law and thus came up with the Talmud ... man's interpretation of God's law. Jesus told the Pharisees, in John 8:17, "It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true."
Therefore the "key of knowledge" refers to spiritual understanding; it refers to revelation knowledge; or it refers to the "spirit of prophecy." By "spirit of prophecy" we do NOT mean the utterance of prophecy or the gift of prophecy. We know that, "the testimony [or witness] of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Revelation 19:10
The word "testimony" in that verse is the Greek word "marturia," which signifies "a bearing witness," not merely to be a witness. It is the same Greek word translated as "witness" in John 1:6-7, "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light. That all men through him might believe."
Without the key of knowledge (which is the testimony of Jesus or the spirit of prophecy), none of us can understand scripture except at a natural, superficial level. The Lord Jesus has that key of knowledge and He will give that key to whomsoever He will.
Note that "keys" is plural, indicating more than one, so there are many keys of the kingdom.
They are listed in Matthew, chapter 5, in what we call the Beatitudes. An analogy is a motel, which has many rooms with many different keys. But the owner has the Master Key and there is only ONE Master Key!
The apostle Paul also sought after one thing.
What is that one thing? Certainly, it is NOT something where the focus is on me. Let us look for the Master Key, the one thing and the only thing that will satisfy our longing soul!
What is the Master Key? The Master Key is the Master Himself! But let us try to be more specific than that. We will describe, in our four messages, a few of the many times that God suspended the rules in the lives of certain people. Why did He choose those specific people and not others? God is certainly no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). Therefore, unless you believe in total predestination, wherein we have no choice, our response to God must enter the picture. Certainly, unless God moves, man cannot move. But we must react to God's actions. We must respond in some manner. We could choose to ignore God. We could choose to try to live with one foot in the world and one foot in the kingdom of God. Or we could respond to God's love, grace, mercy, and kindness with a fervent longing for Him and a desire to please Him in all things.
We can read scripture every day; we can go to church every Sunday, we can never "do" anything significantly "wrong"; we can never "say" anything significantly wrong; we can tithe; we can do many "good" works; we can pray ... and still miss out, like Cornelius, on the richness of the Master Key. The key for us is our heart.
The key is also given in Matthew 6:33.
The key is also given in Luke 15, which sometimes is called the parable of the prodigal son, but perhaps more accurately should be called the parable of the loving Father. We all know the parable of the prodigal son. We all know that the younger son first asked his father, "give me." The father gave him what he asked for. After things became unbearable in his life, he came to his senses, repented, and went back to his father. Then the younger son said "make me." So in order to find the Master Key we must get out of the "give me" stage and instead ask the Father to break me and then to make me. In other words, we must want the Holy Spirit to break us of all traces of self and then to make us into the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now we certainly are not opposed to the things that God freely gives us to richly enjoy ... salvation for ME, the baptism in the Holy Ghost for ME, healing for ME, deliverance for ME, prosperity for ME, a nice ministry for ME, etc. We greatly appreciate every good gift that God gives to us and we praise Him and thank Him for all of those things. But sooner or later, we need to move beyond that stage. We need to identify with Christ and to ask, Lord, what do YOU want? How can I please You? Jesus said, in
No man has ever lost anything of real value by giving up something for God. By that, I do not mean giving up something temporarily for "Lent." I used to be a very good golf player. I almost became a professional golfer. On one round of golf, I was 6 under par for nine holes on a course that was fairly difficult. I was never a happy camper if my score for any round was over par. Then the Lord sovereignly apprehended me when I was 36 years old and my golfing days slowly dwindled down to none because my major interest centered on the Word of God and His ways.
Few of us can comprehend the depth of "delight thyself also in the LORD." The word "delight" means that our heart and spirit are open, soft, and pliable in His hands. It speaks of an intense passion, dedication, and commitment to the Lord Himself. If we allow the Lord to work that within us then He shall give us the desires of our heart. Not our desires for earthly things, but the desires to trust, obey, and worship the Lord.
The Lord comes to those who put their trust in Him and provides for all their need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). When we look above the blessing to the One who blesses, we have learned God's arithmetic that the Whole is greater than the sum of the parts. In the natural realm, one plus one equals two. In the spiritual realm for all Christians, one plus one equals one. We are one in Christ.
David expressed this heart attitude very well. That is why God called David "a man after My own heart, who shall fulfill all My will." David expressed this good heart in Psalm 132:1-5
Now some may say, "But I am not in the same category with Abraham, Moses, David, and Paul. They were spiritual giants! Why me?" Let us turn that question around. Why NOT you? We know that God is no respecter of persons, so why not you? Do you have an intense longing for the Lord Jesus? If so, then you are well on the way for God to suspend the rules for you! We know that the Lord will spew the lukewarm out of His mouth (Revelation 3:16). But what about those who are intense for Jesus?
Do we groan and weep that the plans and purposes of God might be fulfilled, not only in our own life, but in the life of all believers? Paul said, in
Verse 26b may also be translated as: "With the contender (or perverse) Thou wilt wrestle." That is exactly what God did with Jacob, as recorded in Genesis 32. In other words, God will show Himself to you in the same manner that you show yourself to Him. A number of years ago, as I was reading those verses, the Lord brought to my mind an important principle to those verses, as follows: "With the intense Thou will show thyself intensely." Paul was a very intense man. After the Lord apprehended Paul, he showed himself intensely for the Lord Jesus. He will do the same for us if we are intense for Him! What if we sense that we are not as intense for Him as we should be? How do we obtain that intensity? Very simple! Just ask Him to fan the flame of desire within us!
Let us recall the time that the resurrected Jesus showed Himself to the two disciples who were on the road to Emmaus. At first, the two disciples could not recognize Jesus. Then, in Luke 24,
In verse 15, they "communed together and reasoned." The downfall of Cain, in Genesis 4, began when he rejected Divine revelation and walked in human reasoning. When Paul went to Corinth, from Acts 18:4-6, he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks, but nothing happened. When Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ, and something happened. It was not the result that Paul had hoped for because the Corinthians rejected the gospel and blasphemed. Then Paul left and went to the Gentiles.
One of the greatest examples of the grace of God is found in Genesis 4 in God's dealing with Cain. The same is true in verse 15. Even though the two disciples were communing together and reasoning, Jesus nevertheless drew near and went with them! What grace! Verse 15 also reminds us of
Luke 24:27 is an amazing verse, which speaks of the Lord Jesus pouring out an abundance of revelation knowledge concerning Himself. How is it possible to expound unto anyone in all the scriptures concerning Jesus? It must have taken a long time! But the Lord is doing the same thing today! He is pouring out a great abundance of revelation knowledge on those who have ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart to understand.
As a result of Luke 24:15 and 27, Jesus opened their eyes that they might know Him. That should be our heart cry, just as Paul said, "That I might know Him" (Philippians 3:10). When we know Him, then our hearts will burn within us. We will be baptized with fire ... the fire of God. The complete cycle begins with an intense longing for Him! Does our heart burn to know Him? If so, God will suspend the rules for us, in His time, in His way. If our heart does not burn to know Him better, He will give us that burning desire, if we will only ask Him.
I will never forget an event that occurred in the first meeting we ever had in our home, which was in the very early 1970's. The Lord told us to open up our house to a "neighborhood meeting" and to invite all of our neighbors. Only six or seven people came, but the Lord did marvelous things with those people! During one of the weekly meetings, one woman spoke up and said that she had a confession to make to the entire group. Immediately the Spirit of God quickened to me John chapter 8 about the woman caught in adultery. Sure enough, the woman proceeded to tell us that she had committed adultery with her next-door neighbor. Being a new believer, she also thought that she had committed the "unpardonable sin." She said that even though she was eternally cut off from the Lord forever, she was still going to serve Him as long as she was on this earth! That is what I call dedication; that is commitment! Of course, we quickly told the woman that she had not committed the unpardonable sin. She still serves the Lord to this day!
What if, however, after we have been born again of the Spirit of God, and after we have been baptized in the Holy Ghost, and after we walk in all of the light that we have received, perhaps for many long years ... what if God never again suspends the rules for us? What if we find ourself in some desperate situation and God chooses not to suspend the rules for us? If we, at that point, can still praise, thank, and trust the Lord in all things, then we understand and walk in all of the truth that these messages hope to convey. We then have found and understand the Master Key. And great is our reward in heaven! One day we will hear the Master say to us,
In the final analysis, God does not exist for our pleasure ... just the opposite. We exist for His pleasure.
We believe that all of the ten men and the two women we will describe found the secret of the Master Key. In years past we have seen a number of believers who seem to be looking for a magic formula, or something that will unlock all of the mysteries, and bring complete happiness and fulfillment into their life. We, as believers, however, need to look for the Master Key, which opens the windows of heaven and unlocks the fullness of the blessings of God. We understand and possess the Master Key when we realize and know in our innermost being that the ONLY thing that matters is that God might be glorified within and through our lives. At that point, we no longer are looking for any reward because we have the ultimate reward, Christ in us, the hope of glory! Glory be to His wonderful name!
For our first scriptural example when God suspended the rules, consider Abraham, who was in the descendant line of Shem, through which the promised Seed came. But so were many, many others. What made Abraham special in the eyes of God? Why was he favored as compared, say, to his two brothers, Nahor and Haran? Only God knows for sure, but prompt obedience grounded in faith characterized this patriarch throughout all of his life. We know, from Genesis 11:30, concerning Abram's wife, "But Sarai was barren; she had no child." The barrenness of Sarai emphasized the fact that God's people would not come by natural generation from the post-Babel peoples. God was bringing a new humanity into being, of whom Abram was father (Genesis 17:5), just as Adam and Noah were fathers of the fallen human race.
Every day and every hour can be a new beginning for us with God. After failure we can begin afresh with Him.
Also, from Genesis 15:1 the Lord said to Abram, "I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward." The Lord wanted to remind Abram that his battle conquest was not because of his great warlike skills. Dozens of scriptures remind us that the Lord Himself is our shield. Perhaps the Lord also wanted to comfort Abraham, who would take no spoil from his conquests. Our God owns the cattle on a thousand hills.
Genesis 15:6 is the first time that belief is mentioned in the Bible. We know that there was faith before Abram because Hebrews 11 tells us of the faith of Abel, Enoch, and Noah. But now God records it in scripture. The faith of Abraham was the faith that comprehended Christ and His day. There was more than a mere belief in God's power; there was faith that went through to the Messiah and was based on Him. Jesus said, in
Genesis 15:6 is also the first mention in the Bible of both justification and righteousness. Because Abraham believed in the Lord, He counted (or reckoned) it to him for righteousness. The Bible is the only true story of the One who is righteous; of how God judged the world in righteousness; how He planned for man and the manifestation of righteousness in Christ; how He bought righteousness through the shedding of the blood of Jesus; how Christ was made righteousness unto all who believe; and of the ultimate triumph of righteousness in all the creation.
Everyone knows the story about how Abram and Sarai became rather restless when they continued to have no son. This lack of patience produced an Ishmael and all of the problems that resulted down through the centuries. Sarai did not comprehend that sterility and barrenness in the Christian life are used by God to put us on our faces before Him that we may bring forth fruit, more fruit, much fruit, and fruit that remains (John 15:1-8). The first temptation that comes with the knowledge of barrenness is always that we must do something about it in our own human strength. This hope, too, must be destroyed if we are to be truly fruitful. Those who are truly zealous for God frequently reach for fruit without first dying. Unfortunately, much Christian "work" is done in this way, and even if there is conception, the child that is born in such a manner can never be the heir. Abram was 86 when Hagar, the handmaid of Sarai, bare Ishmael to Abram. But Ishmael could never be the heir.
Thirteen years later, when Abram was 99, the Lord appeared to Abram again. What a sigh of relief that must have been for Abram! Surely Abram must have sensed that he had done something that had displeased God because he had not seen nor heard from the Lord for thirteen years! Sarai was the first to see what her carnal ways had produced. But the grace and mercy of God appeared again. The Lord changed Abram's name to Abraham, which means "father of many," and changed Sarai's name to Sarah, which means "princess."
Certainly, God suspended the rules when He allowed Abraham, at age 100, and Sarah, at age 90, to bear a son. Their natural bodies were long past the stage when they could conceive a child. But it is never too late for God! Although Abraham was chronologically 100, spiritually he was thirty! It had been that many years since he had seen the God of glory in Ur of the Chaldees. There is no such thing as age for the One who is Himself the Eternal One, the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. It is easy to trace Abraham's life through the scriptures and to see how he matured spiritually. The good work that He has begun in us will be performed, not merely until we are old and feeble, not merely until we physically die, but until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). God is concerned with the inward man, that he may be renewed day by day (1 Corinthians 4:16).
Let us re-visit Genesis 21, which records the birth of Isaac, the promise of God to Abraham. Verses 1-3 of Genesis 21 describe the birth of Isaac and his naming. It almost reads like a history book, with no particular fanfare. Then in Genesis 21:4, Isaac was circumcised on the eighth day, again with no particular fanfare. Verses 5-7 read somewhat like a history book. BUT, from
Please note that the Scripture says NOTHING about a feast on the day Isaac was born. Scripture likewise says NOTHING about a feast on the day that Isaac was circumcised. But the same day that Isaac was weaned, Abraham made a great feast! Think about what that means for us today.
We can compare the day that Isaac was born to the day that we are born again. We can compare the day that Isaac was circumcised to the day we are baptized in the Holy Ghost, have our heart circumcised, and are prepared to run the race toward maturity. But the day we are weaned can be compared to the day that we understand and walk in the reality of the Master Key! On that day we are weaned from milk and then require the meat of the word. That is the day we see and agree with, both in word and deed, what God is really after in our lives. Scripture seems to indicate that the greatest feast is reserved for the day when we are weaned!
The conversion of souls is indeed a miracle work of the Holy Ghost. But Jesus is not returning for a bunch of baby Christians. He is looking for "a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 5:27). That requires, perhaps, an even greater work of the Holy Ghost! It also requires our co-laboring with Him. We must "deny our self, take up our cross, and follow Him."
God did not choose Abraham because of some innate goodness within him. In grace God chose him alone (Isaiah 51:2) when he was nothing more than the son of an idolater. But God had love and mercy toward Abraham. Lifting Abraham so high made it possible for God to commune with him like a friend talks with a friend. Abraham had become great but his greatness was only of God. Abraham was God's friend. We can understand how a man should need a friend, but that God desires a friend is an awesome revelation of His love. God is love and He wants to be loved in return. That is the one thing that we alone can give Him, voluntarily.
A major characteristic of Abraham was his prompt obedience grounded in faith. He was also a real intercessor. The mark of real maturity in any believer is when they come to the place, in their heart and in deed, that they are ready and willing to offer back to God anything and everything they have ever received. Abraham attained to that mark in Genesis 22, when he was fully prepared, at the direction of the Lord, to offer up his only son, Isaac, the very promise of God to him.
The "third day" in Scripture always illustrates resurrection truth. The emphasis in his story is not on sacrifice or offering, but on receiving the most abundant grace of God. Abraham must have reckoned that God would perform a miracle of resurrection. Abraham had learned to trust and obey, but at the most critical time, God did prepare Himself a lamb. God suspended the rules and provided the Lamb ... His Son! Glory be to His wonderful name! Amen and amen.
However, you and I have also already experienced many examples when God suspended the rules in our walk with Him or in the life of a family member. The most significant time when God suspended the rules for us as believers was when we were born again of the Spirit of God because all of us were born a sinner and deserve to die. But Jesus paid our debt at Calvary such that we might have eternal life. As we recall our personal examples, may we fall at the feet of the cross with a humble, poured out, and grateful heart. Lord, how can we ever express our gratitude!!! Praise be to His wonderful name!
The Bible speaks of a number of different mysteries. There is the mystery of Christ (Ephesians 3:4); the fellowship of the mystery (Ephesians 3:9); the mystery of God (Colossians 2:2); the mysteries of the kingdom (Mark 4:11); the mystery of iniquity (2 Thessalonians 2:7); the mystery of godliness (1 Timothy 3:16); the mystery of the seven stars (Revelation 1:20); the mystery of the faith (1 Timothy 3:16); mystery Babylon (Revelation 17:5); the mystery of His will (Ephesians 1:9); and others. We believe there is also a mystery of the oneness of husband and wife, which is seldom expressed or understood.
Perhaps another mystery is why, in some cases, God suspends the rules, whether they are rules concerning the natural universe or rules affecting the way God deals with man. By "rules" we are NOT talking about the law as given through Moses. We mean the suspension of natural laws of the universe or supernatural interventions in the lives of mankind through sovereign miracles, healings, deliverances, etc.
Our God, the one true God, is an awesome God! He is sovereign in that He can do anything He wants to do whenever He wants to do it. He is not bound by our minds or by nature or by any man or group of men or by our interpretation of the Bible. He is God! He created the universe; he created man; He is the ruler of all nature. He can suspend the rules, even His own rules, any time He desires. God said, in Jeremiah 32:27, "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?"
God suspends the rules from time to time, as He sees fit, in order to show forth His power and His glory so that all men might have an opportunity to come to know Him. Scripture is given to us, among other reasons, so that we might learn from the examples of our forefathers.
Psalm 109:26-27, "Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy: That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it."
Isaiah 45:5-7, "I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things."
The book of Ezekiel contains more than 60 repetitions that the Lord did something so that the people might know that He is the Lord.
Why did God not let one word fall to the ground from the mouth of Samuel? Why did God catch up Paul to the third heaven and give him so many revelations that he had to have a thorn in his flesh? Why did God honor Joshua's request that the sun stand still for almost a whole day? Why did God allow the shadow to go backwards ten degrees at the word of Isaiah to Hezekiah? Further, why the specific people involved? What was special in the lives of those chosen when God suspends the rules? We would never pretend to have all of the answers to those questions. But by examining a number of scriptural examples, perhaps we can see some common threads that will give us a clue. A major, common thread is the Master Key.
Webster's dictionary defines a key as a means of gaining or preventing entrance, possession, or control. A key also may be something that gives an explanation or identification or provides a solution. The word "key" or "keys" occurs only eight times in Scripture. Four of the occurrences are not relative to this word: the "key of the bottomless pit" (Revelation 9:1 and 20:1); a natural key (Judges 3:25); and "the keys of hell and death" (Revelation 1:18). Let us look at the remaining four occurrences of the word "key."
Why did God not let one word fall to the ground from the mouth of Samuel? Why did God catch up Paul to the third heaven and give him so many revelations that he had to have a thorn in his flesh? Why did God honor Joshua's request that the sun stand still for almost a whole day? Why did God allow the shadow to go backwards ten degrees at the word of Isaiah to Hezekiah? Further, why the specific people involved? What was special in the lives of those chosen when God suspends the rules? We would never pretend to have all of the answers to those questions. But by examining a number of scriptural examples, perhaps we can see some common threads that will give us a clue. A major, common thread is the Master Key.
Webster's dictionary defines a key as a means of gaining or preventing entrance, possession, or control. A key also may be something that gives an explanation or identification or provides a solution. The word "key" or "keys" occurs only eight times in Scripture. Four of the occurrences are not relative to this word: the "key of the bottomless pit" (Revelation 9:1 and 20:1); a natural key (Judges 3:25); and "the keys of hell and death" (Revelation 1:18). Let us look at the remaining four occurrences of the word "key."
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 22:22And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth. Revelation 3:7
In both of those two verses, it is clear that the Lord Jesus Christ is the One who has the key of the house of David and the key of David.
Woe unto you, lawyers! For ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered. Luke 11:52
We must not think about the word "lawyers" in the sense of our current application to "attorneys at law" or those who practice natural law. A lawyer in Biblical terminology was one who was a teacher of the law as given through Moses; he interpreted and taught the Mosaic law. The lawyers took away the key of knowledge by using their own natural, logical, reasoning, carnal minds to interpret the Mosaic law and thus came up with the Talmud ... man's interpretation of God's law. Jesus told the Pharisees, in John 8:17, "It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true."
Therefore the "key of knowledge" refers to spiritual understanding; it refers to revelation knowledge; or it refers to the "spirit of prophecy." By "spirit of prophecy" we do NOT mean the utterance of prophecy or the gift of prophecy. We know that, "the testimony [or witness] of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Revelation 19:10
The word "testimony" in that verse is the Greek word "marturia," which signifies "a bearing witness," not merely to be a witness. It is the same Greek word translated as "witness" in John 1:6-7, "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light. That all men through him might believe."
Without the key of knowledge (which is the testimony of Jesus or the spirit of prophecy), none of us can understand scripture except at a natural, superficial level. The Lord Jesus has that key of knowledge and He will give that key to whomsoever He will.
Matthew 16:17-19, "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. 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. 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."
Note that "keys" is plural, indicating more than one, so there are many keys of the kingdom.
They are listed in Matthew, chapter 5, in what we call the Beatitudes. An analogy is a motel, which has many rooms with many different keys. But the owner has the Master Key and there is only ONE Master Key!
Jesus told Martha, in Luke 10:41-42, "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."
The apostle Paul also sought after one thing.
Philippians 3:13-15, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you."
What is that one thing? Certainly, it is NOT something where the focus is on me. Let us look for the Master Key, the one thing and the only thing that will satisfy our longing soul!
What is the Master Key? The Master Key is the Master Himself! But let us try to be more specific than that. We will describe, in our four messages, a few of the many times that God suspended the rules in the lives of certain people. Why did He choose those specific people and not others? God is certainly no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). Therefore, unless you believe in total predestination, wherein we have no choice, our response to God must enter the picture. Certainly, unless God moves, man cannot move. But we must react to God's actions. We must respond in some manner. We could choose to ignore God. We could choose to try to live with one foot in the world and one foot in the kingdom of God. Or we could respond to God's love, grace, mercy, and kindness with a fervent longing for Him and a desire to please Him in all things.
We can read scripture every day; we can go to church every Sunday, we can never "do" anything significantly "wrong"; we can never "say" anything significantly wrong; we can tithe; we can do many "good" works; we can pray ... and still miss out, like Cornelius, on the richness of the Master Key. The key for us is our heart.
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; And what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:8
The key is also given in Matthew 6:33.
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
The key is also given in Luke 15, which sometimes is called the parable of the prodigal son, but perhaps more accurately should be called the parable of the loving Father. We all know the parable of the prodigal son. We all know that the younger son first asked his father, "give me." The father gave him what he asked for. After things became unbearable in his life, he came to his senses, repented, and went back to his father. Then the younger son said "make me." So in order to find the Master Key we must get out of the "give me" stage and instead ask the Father to break me and then to make me. In other words, we must want the Holy Spirit to break us of all traces of self and then to make us into the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now we certainly are not opposed to the things that God freely gives us to richly enjoy ... salvation for ME, the baptism in the Holy Ghost for ME, healing for ME, deliverance for ME, prosperity for ME, a nice ministry for ME, etc. We greatly appreciate every good gift that God gives to us and we praise Him and thank Him for all of those things. But sooner or later, we need to move beyond that stage. We need to identify with Christ and to ask, Lord, what do YOU want? How can I please You? Jesus said, in
Matthew 16:24, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."
No man has ever lost anything of real value by giving up something for God. By that, I do not mean giving up something temporarily for "Lent." I used to be a very good golf player. I almost became a professional golfer. On one round of golf, I was 6 under par for nine holes on a course that was fairly difficult. I was never a happy camper if my score for any round was over par. Then the Lord sovereignly apprehended me when I was 36 years old and my golfing days slowly dwindled down to none because my major interest centered on the Word of God and His ways.
Psalm 37:4, "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart."
Few of us can comprehend the depth of "delight thyself also in the LORD." The word "delight" means that our heart and spirit are open, soft, and pliable in His hands. It speaks of an intense passion, dedication, and commitment to the Lord Himself. If we allow the Lord to work that within us then He shall give us the desires of our heart. Not our desires for earthly things, but the desires to trust, obey, and worship the Lord.
The Lord comes to those who put their trust in Him and provides for all their need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). When we look above the blessing to the One who blesses, we have learned God's arithmetic that the Whole is greater than the sum of the parts. In the natural realm, one plus one equals two. In the spiritual realm for all Christians, one plus one equals one. We are one in Christ.
David expressed this heart attitude very well. That is why God called David "a man after My own heart, who shall fulfill all My will." David expressed this good heart in Psalm 132:1-5
"Lord, remember David, and all his afflictions: How he sware unto the Lord, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob; Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, Until I find out a place for the Lord, a habitation for the mighty God of Jacob."
Now some may say, "But I am not in the same category with Abraham, Moses, David, and Paul. They were spiritual giants! Why me?" Let us turn that question around. Why NOT you? We know that God is no respecter of persons, so why not you? Do you have an intense longing for the Lord Jesus? If so, then you are well on the way for God to suspend the rules for you! We know that the Lord will spew the lukewarm out of His mouth (Revelation 3:16). But what about those who are intense for Jesus?
Do we groan and weep that the plans and purposes of God might be fulfilled, not only in our own life, but in the life of all believers? Paul said, in
2 Corinthians 5:1-3, "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked."
Romans 8:22-23, "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."
David, the sweet psalmist, said, in
Psalm 18:25-26, "With the merciful Thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man Thou wilt shew thyself upright; with the pure Thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward Thou wilt shew thyself froward."
Verse 26b may also be translated as: "With the contender (or perverse) Thou wilt wrestle." That is exactly what God did with Jacob, as recorded in Genesis 32. In other words, God will show Himself to you in the same manner that you show yourself to Him. A number of years ago, as I was reading those verses, the Lord brought to my mind an important principle to those verses, as follows: "With the intense Thou will show thyself intensely." Paul was a very intense man. After the Lord apprehended Paul, he showed himself intensely for the Lord Jesus. He will do the same for us if we are intense for Him! What if we sense that we are not as intense for Him as we should be? How do we obtain that intensity? Very simple! Just ask Him to fan the flame of desire within us!
Let us recall the time that the resurrected Jesus showed Himself to the two disciples who were on the road to Emmaus. At first, the two disciples could not recognize Jesus. Then, in Luke 24,
15 And it came to pass, that while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus Himself drew near, and went with them.
In verse 15, they "communed together and reasoned." The downfall of Cain, in Genesis 4, began when he rejected Divine revelation and walked in human reasoning. When Paul went to Corinth, from Acts 18:4-6, he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks, but nothing happened. When Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ, and something happened. It was not the result that Paul had hoped for because the Corinthians rejected the gospel and blasphemed. Then Paul left and went to the Gentiles.
One of the greatest examples of the grace of God is found in Genesis 4 in God's dealing with Cain. The same is true in verse 15. Even though the two disciples were communing together and reasoning, Jesus nevertheless drew near and went with them! What grace! Verse 15 also reminds us of
Malachi 3:16, "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name."
Luke 24:27, And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself.
Luke 24:27 is an amazing verse, which speaks of the Lord Jesus pouring out an abundance of revelation knowledge concerning Himself. How is it possible to expound unto anyone in all the scriptures concerning Jesus? It must have taken a long time! But the Lord is doing the same thing today! He is pouring out a great abundance of revelation knowledge on those who have ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart to understand.
As a result of Luke 24:15 and 27, Jesus opened their eyes that they might know Him. That should be our heart cry, just as Paul said, "That I might know Him" (Philippians 3:10). When we know Him, then our hearts will burn within us. We will be baptized with fire ... the fire of God. The complete cycle begins with an intense longing for Him! Does our heart burn to know Him? If so, God will suspend the rules for us, in His time, in His way. If our heart does not burn to know Him better, He will give us that burning desire, if we will only ask Him.
I will never forget an event that occurred in the first meeting we ever had in our home, which was in the very early 1970's. The Lord told us to open up our house to a "neighborhood meeting" and to invite all of our neighbors. Only six or seven people came, but the Lord did marvelous things with those people! During one of the weekly meetings, one woman spoke up and said that she had a confession to make to the entire group. Immediately the Spirit of God quickened to me John chapter 8 about the woman caught in adultery. Sure enough, the woman proceeded to tell us that she had committed adultery with her next-door neighbor. Being a new believer, she also thought that she had committed the "unpardonable sin." She said that even though she was eternally cut off from the Lord forever, she was still going to serve Him as long as she was on this earth! That is what I call dedication; that is commitment! Of course, we quickly told the woman that she had not committed the unpardonable sin. She still serves the Lord to this day!
What if, however, after we have been born again of the Spirit of God, and after we have been baptized in the Holy Ghost, and after we walk in all of the light that we have received, perhaps for many long years ... what if God never again suspends the rules for us? What if we find ourself in some desperate situation and God chooses not to suspend the rules for us? If we, at that point, can still praise, thank, and trust the Lord in all things, then we understand and walk in all of the truth that these messages hope to convey. We then have found and understand the Master Key. And great is our reward in heaven! One day we will hear the Master say to us,
Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Matthew 25:21
In the final analysis, God does not exist for our pleasure ... just the opposite. We exist for His pleasure.
"For the Lord taketh pleasure in His people." Psalm 149:4a
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created. Revelation 4:11Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 1 Corinthians 9:24
We believe that all of the ten men and the two women we will describe found the secret of the Master Key. In years past we have seen a number of believers who seem to be looking for a magic formula, or something that will unlock all of the mysteries, and bring complete happiness and fulfillment into their life. We, as believers, however, need to look for the Master Key, which opens the windows of heaven and unlocks the fullness of the blessings of God. We understand and possess the Master Key when we realize and know in our innermost being that the ONLY thing that matters is that God might be glorified within and through our lives. At that point, we no longer are looking for any reward because we have the ultimate reward, Christ in us, the hope of glory! Glory be to His wonderful name!
For our first scriptural example when God suspended the rules, consider Abraham, who was in the descendant line of Shem, through which the promised Seed came. But so were many, many others. What made Abraham special in the eyes of God? Why was he favored as compared, say, to his two brothers, Nahor and Haran? Only God knows for sure, but prompt obedience grounded in faith characterized this patriarch throughout all of his life. We know, from Genesis 11:30, concerning Abram's wife, "But Sarai was barren; she had no child." The barrenness of Sarai emphasized the fact that God's people would not come by natural generation from the post-Babel peoples. God was bringing a new humanity into being, of whom Abram was father (Genesis 17:5), just as Adam and Noah were fathers of the fallen human race.
Genesis 15:1-6, "After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Abram: I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward. And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and lo, one born in my house is mine heir. And behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And He brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now towards heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness."
Every day and every hour can be a new beginning for us with God. After failure we can begin afresh with Him.
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
The greater danger lies after our successes. After success we also need to begin afresh with Him. It makes no difference whether the past has contained failure or success, the present and future are all with which we need to be concerned. God lives in the eternal now. The principle of "forgetting what lies behind" is a Divine principle. Let us read again,
Philippians 3:13-14, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
This is not to say that we do not learn from our past experiences. Of course, we do! Every new beginning with God will lead to higher ground in the realm of the Spirit. To illustrate, a God-fearing relative, while blessing the food during a sad family gathering, offered a mighty word picture as part of a prayer. He said in climbing a rugged mountain, the jagged and painful jut-outs that we encounter actually allow us to solidify our footing in order to climb higher!
Genesis 15:1 says after these things ... after WHAT things? In Genesis 14, Abraham had won a strategic spiritual and economic battle. He had five big successes. He had defeated the four "good" kings which had outnumbered him at least 100:1, probably 1000:1. He had rescued Lot. He had done what the Lord had told him to do in Genesis 13:17, which was to walk through the land in the length of it and the breadth of it. He had been blessed by Melchizedek. He had refused material wealth or gain from man, so after Abram's successes, he is in special need, and God is the one who supplies all our need in Christ Jesus. What is his special need?
Genesis 15:1 says after these things ... after WHAT things? In Genesis 14, Abraham had won a strategic spiritual and economic battle. He had five big successes. He had defeated the four "good" kings which had outnumbered him at least 100:1, probably 1000:1. He had rescued Lot. He had done what the Lord had told him to do in Genesis 13:17, which was to walk through the land in the length of it and the breadth of it. He had been blessed by Melchizedek. He had refused material wealth or gain from man, so after Abram's successes, he is in special need, and God is the one who supplies all our need in Christ Jesus. What is his special need?
(1) deliverance from fear of man: There was a danger that Abram would realize what he had done in defeating the four "good" kings and fear that they would come back after him with even more forces.(2) deliverance from pride: There was a danger that Abram would "pat himself on the back" for his great successes.(3) deliverance from seeking a reward for doing what was his duty to do.
Jesus said, in Luke 17:7-10, "But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do."
Also, from Genesis 15:1 the Lord said to Abram, "I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward." The Lord wanted to remind Abram that his battle conquest was not because of his great warlike skills. Dozens of scriptures remind us that the Lord Himself is our shield. Perhaps the Lord also wanted to comfort Abraham, who would take no spoil from his conquests. Our God owns the cattle on a thousand hills.
Philippians 4:19, "But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
Although I never made much money in working in secular jobs for 46 years, I could write a book about all of the amazing ways that God has provided all of our need. The choice is ours ... seek after natural riches to take care of our retirement years or seek after His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Psalm 84:11-12, "For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee."
Genesis 15:6 is the first time that belief is mentioned in the Bible. We know that there was faith before Abram because Hebrews 11 tells us of the faith of Abel, Enoch, and Noah. But now God records it in scripture. The faith of Abraham was the faith that comprehended Christ and His day. There was more than a mere belief in God's power; there was faith that went through to the Messiah and was based on Him. Jesus said, in
John 8:56, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it, and was glad."
Genesis 15:6 is also the first mention in the Bible of both justification and righteousness. Because Abraham believed in the Lord, He counted (or reckoned) it to him for righteousness. The Bible is the only true story of the One who is righteous; of how God judged the world in righteousness; how He planned for man and the manifestation of righteousness in Christ; how He bought righteousness through the shedding of the blood of Jesus; how Christ was made righteousness unto all who believe; and of the ultimate triumph of righteousness in all the creation.
Everyone knows the story about how Abram and Sarai became rather restless when they continued to have no son. This lack of patience produced an Ishmael and all of the problems that resulted down through the centuries. Sarai did not comprehend that sterility and barrenness in the Christian life are used by God to put us on our faces before Him that we may bring forth fruit, more fruit, much fruit, and fruit that remains (John 15:1-8). The first temptation that comes with the knowledge of barrenness is always that we must do something about it in our own human strength. This hope, too, must be destroyed if we are to be truly fruitful. Those who are truly zealous for God frequently reach for fruit without first dying. Unfortunately, much Christian "work" is done in this way, and even if there is conception, the child that is born in such a manner can never be the heir. Abram was 86 when Hagar, the handmaid of Sarai, bare Ishmael to Abram. But Ishmael could never be the heir.
Thirteen years later, when Abram was 99, the Lord appeared to Abram again. What a sigh of relief that must have been for Abram! Surely Abram must have sensed that he had done something that had displeased God because he had not seen nor heard from the Lord for thirteen years! Sarai was the first to see what her carnal ways had produced. But the grace and mercy of God appeared again. The Lord changed Abram's name to Abraham, which means "father of many," and changed Sarai's name to Sarah, which means "princess."
Genesis 17:16-19, "And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him."
Genesis 21:1-5, "And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken unto him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him."
Certainly, God suspended the rules when He allowed Abraham, at age 100, and Sarah, at age 90, to bear a son. Their natural bodies were long past the stage when they could conceive a child. But it is never too late for God! Although Abraham was chronologically 100, spiritually he was thirty! It had been that many years since he had seen the God of glory in Ur of the Chaldees. There is no such thing as age for the One who is Himself the Eternal One, the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. It is easy to trace Abraham's life through the scriptures and to see how he matured spiritually. The good work that He has begun in us will be performed, not merely until we are old and feeble, not merely until we physically die, but until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). God is concerned with the inward man, that he may be renewed day by day (1 Corinthians 4:16).
Let us re-visit Genesis 21, which records the birth of Isaac, the promise of God to Abraham. Verses 1-3 of Genesis 21 describe the birth of Isaac and his naming. It almost reads like a history book, with no particular fanfare. Then in Genesis 21:4, Isaac was circumcised on the eighth day, again with no particular fanfare. Verses 5-7 read somewhat like a history book. BUT, from
Genesis 21:8, "And the child [Isaac] grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned."
Please note that the Scripture says NOTHING about a feast on the day Isaac was born. Scripture likewise says NOTHING about a feast on the day that Isaac was circumcised. But the same day that Isaac was weaned, Abraham made a great feast! Think about what that means for us today.
We can compare the day that Isaac was born to the day that we are born again. We can compare the day that Isaac was circumcised to the day we are baptized in the Holy Ghost, have our heart circumcised, and are prepared to run the race toward maturity. But the day we are weaned can be compared to the day that we understand and walk in the reality of the Master Key! On that day we are weaned from milk and then require the meat of the word. That is the day we see and agree with, both in word and deed, what God is really after in our lives. Scripture seems to indicate that the greatest feast is reserved for the day when we are weaned!
The conversion of souls is indeed a miracle work of the Holy Ghost. But Jesus is not returning for a bunch of baby Christians. He is looking for "a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 5:27). That requires, perhaps, an even greater work of the Holy Ghost! It also requires our co-laboring with Him. We must "deny our self, take up our cross, and follow Him."
God did not choose Abraham because of some innate goodness within him. In grace God chose him alone (Isaiah 51:2) when he was nothing more than the son of an idolater. But God had love and mercy toward Abraham. Lifting Abraham so high made it possible for God to commune with him like a friend talks with a friend. Abraham had become great but his greatness was only of God. Abraham was God's friend. We can understand how a man should need a friend, but that God desires a friend is an awesome revelation of His love. God is love and He wants to be loved in return. That is the one thing that we alone can give Him, voluntarily.
To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 1 Samuel 15:22
Genesis 22:3-4, "And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lift up his eyes, and saw the place afar off."
A major characteristic of Abraham was his prompt obedience grounded in faith. He was also a real intercessor. The mark of real maturity in any believer is when they come to the place, in their heart and in deed, that they are ready and willing to offer back to God anything and everything they have ever received. Abraham attained to that mark in Genesis 22, when he was fully prepared, at the direction of the Lord, to offer up his only son, Isaac, the very promise of God to him.
The "third day" in Scripture always illustrates resurrection truth. The emphasis in his story is not on sacrifice or offering, but on receiving the most abundant grace of God. Abraham must have reckoned that God would perform a miracle of resurrection. Abraham had learned to trust and obey, but at the most critical time, God did prepare Himself a lamb. God suspended the rules and provided the Lamb ... His Son! Glory be to His wonderful name! Amen and amen.
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