“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven…”

Matthew 16:19

This promise given to the Apostle Peter was fulfilled after he had admitted by divine inspiration that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. He realized that Jesus would be the one who would take his place and would die for him on the Cross of Calvary. Due to this revelation, the Lord decided to change his name from Simon to Peter; then He states that upon the foundation of what the Apostle had confessed, that Jesus was the Christ, the church would be built and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Once this revelation had taken place, the Lord said that He would give him the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. What keys was Jesus referring to? Jesus was referring to the keys that He used while He was in this world, and they are the same ones that you and I must use. The most important one among them is the key of preaching of the Word.

Peter was the first to open the Kingdom of Heaven with this key by preaching on the day of Pentecost when 3,000 people were converted. He used the same key when he later preached in the house of Cornelius, thus giving birth to the Gentile church. God wants us to learn how to use the power of preaching the Word. The Apostle Paul said, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power” (1 Corinthians 4:20). Every time we declare His pure and faithful Word, God performs extraordinary things. “So is my Word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).

If the Word of God is preached under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, it will be supported by signs and wonders. It is then that people sense the conviction of their sin, and they humble their hearts in the presence of the love and the compassion of Jesus. While sending His Apostles to preach, the Lord said, “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy…” (Matthew 10:8). There is no other way to transform families and cities than by the preaching of the Word, because it creates the environment for the glory of God. For this reason, when a place becomes saturated in the Word, a moving of the heavens takes place. The preacher is like a watchman who has the ability to see danger in advance and warn people so that they can avoid being caught by it.

We have the best medicine to heal wounds in the soul and the body. We have the most effective insurance policy with the complete plan for protecting our families. In addition to this, we have the anointing of restoration to make the heart of the father turn to the son, and the heart of the son turn to the father. We also have the anointing to make married couples give up their offenses and decide to forgive; and therefore they can finally live under God’s peace and blessing. If the Word of God abides in our hearts, it will be easily communicated because a fire that cannot be stopped is ignited within us. The only way to bring satisfaction to our hearts is by devoting ourselves to the strategic and efficient preaching of the Gospel.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
“When I was eighteen years old it was not clear to me yet what God had for me. I decided to seek His presence in prayer to let Him guide me and reveal His purpose for my life. One day, while I was in my room, an angel of the Lord came in during my usual time of prayer. He had a sword of fire in his hand and put it on my forehead. He then told me what my ministry would be like and how God would use me in the United States. At that time I was living in Brazil. After getting married we decided to move to California. Even though several years went by with no fruit in the ministry, every day I could feel the same impression of the sword of fire on my forehead. I remembered the calling of the Lord on my life.

When the opportunity to travel to Colombia came and I met Pastor Cesar and Claudia Castellanos, I realized that the Vision that the Lord had given them was the key to opening the Heavens. Therefore, I decided to immerse myself in it. I desired to drink from what the Lord had given them. God began to bless my ministry, the church began to grow. We grew from only a few to more than 1,500 people that we have today. In addition to that, my whole family is committed to the Lord and to the ministry. I know that God gave me a key to open people’s hearts and to reach them with the message of hope.” (Pastor Henry Lein)

TODAY’S DECLARATION
“I will use the key of preaching to see many receive their salvation.”

Today’s post is an excerpt from Pastor Cesar Castellanos’ book, Declarations of Power for 365 Days of the Year: Volume Four.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING

• Old Testament: Jeremiah 30-31; Ecclesiastes 9
• New Testament: John 4:15-26; James 5:13-20