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THIS MONTH'S TOPIC:

"Loosing Heaven" Matthew 16:15-19

I am acutely aware of the fact that the believer has a responsibitly from Heaven's perspective in regards to Earth. That responsibilty is what I describe as "loosing Heaven". In Matthew 16:15-19 Jesus reveals some very interesting details about His plans for His Church. He says in verse 18 of this sixteenth chapter of Matthew that "upon this rock[revelation] I will build my church". Of course that revelation was the fact that Jesus is the Christ. If you look at Ephesians 2:17-22 you see that Jesus came and preached peace to those who were afar off[Gentiles] and to those who were nigh[Jews]. Both Jew and Gentile are now, through thecross of Christ, no more strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God(Ephesians 2:19). The two groups are now one and are built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone(Ephesians 2:20).

Jesus accomplished His mission. He told Peter in Matthew 16:15-19 that He would build His church upon the revelation that He is the Christ and in the book of Ephesians(also Colossians and Philippians) you find the accomplished work.

The believer is the church. We have been built upon the revelation that Jesus is the Christ. We now according to Matthew 16:19 have the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. What do we do with these keys? We must first realize the purpose of these keys. Immediately we can see that keys of any sort open things that are locked. They allow one access to something that would otherwise be closed. If I have the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven then I know that I have access to the Kingdom of Heaven with these Keys.

In other words, nothing related to heaven should be closed to me as a believer. Jesus says in Matthew 13:11 that it is given to the believer to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Word says in Ephesians 2:18 that through Christ we have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Ephesians 3:12 says that "we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him[Jesus Christ]". Hebrews 10:19, 22 reminds us of the same truth with these verses: "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, ...let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,and our bodies washed with pure water.". The book of Hebrews offers further encouragement with this verse in Hebrews 4:16: "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need". Furthermore, Luke 12:32 says"Fear not, little flock; for it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom".

I can see from the previously mentioned verses of scripture that I have unlimited and uninhibited access to the Kingdom of Heaven. The keys have given me access. Now many have debated as to the exact nature of the keys. I will discuss this later in this message. For now, I want only to show you that the keys of the Kingdom gives the believer two things: access to the Kingdom and authority in the Kingdom and on Earth.

If we look back at Matthew 16:19 Jesus says that "whatsoever thou shalt bind upon Earth shall be bound in Heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven". In other words, as the believer is binding on earth, it is being bound in Heaven. And as the believer is loosing on Earth, it is being loosed in Heaven.

Once a person has become a believer, that person is now Heaven's representative on Earth. Second Corinthians 5:20 calls us "ambassadors for Christ". I like to say that we are Heaven's loading dock. Any goods from Heaven to earth comes through the believer or the body of Christ. James 1:17 says that "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights,...". The believer is Heaven's distribution point for Earth. Whenever the Father does anything in the Earth, He does it through the believer.

Another way of looking at it is by using the analogy of a bank. We know that banks have a headquarters and they have branches that are authorized to do business in the name of that particular bank. We also know that Heaven is God's headquarters and we, the believers, are the branch offices of Heaven. We have been authorized to do business in the name of Heaven. Jesus even says in John 15:1-7 that He is the vine we are the branches .

With these thoughts in mind, I can see that I have been given the responsibility by the Father to "loose Heaven" upon the Earth. Let us look together at the following scriptural perspectives. In Matthew 6:10 Jesus commands the disciples to pray "...thy will be done in Earth, as it is done in Heaven". This is a great revelation to me. The disciples were commanded to manifest or loose whatever the will of the Father is in Heaven into the Earth. I know there is no sickness in Heaven. Therefore they were to loose Heaven's healing into the Earth(Acts 9:32-43, Acts 10:38, Matthew 8:17, James 5:14-16, Luke 13:11-16, II Chronicles 7:14). I know that there is no poverty in Heaven, therefore they were to loose Heaven's wealth into the Earth(Third John 1:2, Luke 6:38, Matthew 6:19-21, II Corinth. 9:1-15, Philippians 4:17-19, Deuteronomy 8:18, Malachi 3:10-12). I know that there is no fear in Heaven so they were to loose Heaven's faith into the Earth(Romans 10:17, First Corinth. 1:17-31, II Timothy 1:7). I could go on and on about the resources of Heaven that are to be loosed into the Earth through the believer but I believe that you see my point.

Qualified by the Father to loose Heaven
Now you may have thought to yourself that you are not qualified to loose anything of a heavenly sort into the Earth. I beg to differ. The Father has made us eminently qualified to do or to manifest all of His will into the Earth.

Colossians 1:12 says "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light". It is the Father Who has qualified us not only to partake of His Will but to manifest His will into the Earth.

James 1:22 tells me to be "doers of the Word and not hearers only". Who am I to do the Word of God? What am I to do the Word of God. II Corinthians 5:17 says that I am a "new creature". First John 3:1 says that I am a son of God. II Corinthians 4:7 says I am a vessel containing heavenly treasure. Romans 8:11 says my body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. II Corinthians 6:14-18 that I am a believer, righteous, light, Christ, the temple of God and a son. First Timothy 1:12 says that God has enabled us and hath put us into the ministry. II Corinthians 1:21 says that He which establishes us and anoints us is God. First Corinthians 6:11 says that we are washed, sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus. Philippians 2:13 says that it is God that worketh in me both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Ephesians 2:10 says that we are the workmanship of God who were created in Christ Jesus unto good works. And the fourth chapter in the book of Ephesians says that this new creature is created after the Father in righteousness and true holiness.

There are many more scriptures that remind us again and again of what the Father has done for us and unto us revealing how qualified we are to loose Heaven. But at this point I would like for you to see more poignantly the believer's role in the Earth regarding Heaven. Also, when I say "loosing Heaven" what I basically mean is loosing all of Heaven's resources upon the earth. These resources being Angels(Psalm 103:20), the gifts of the Spirit(I Corinth.12:7-10), the Love of God(Romans 5:5), the Peace of God(John 14:27, Philippians 4:6-7), the Strength of God(Colossians 1:11, Ephesians 3:16, Psalm 71:16, Psalm 84:5-7), the Joy of the Lord(Nehemiah 8:10, John 15:11), the Wisdom of God (I Corinth. 1:30, James 1:5, James 3:13-17) and many more Heavenly(John 3:12, Colossians 3:1-4) things that are ours to loose in the Earth as believers.

If you look at many of the scriptures regarding the believer's involvement with the Bible you will begin to notice that everything that the believer does becomes a door of involvement for the Father and His resources. The Father passionately desires to be involved with the Earth but He has to work through His people(Philippians 2:13, Psalm 115:16).

In the Garden of Eden where Man fell, unbelief entered the earth. As a result, a two-fold tragedy occurred. The first tragedy was that the unbelief unleashed into the earth through satan's deception denies man access to the Father and all of Heaven's resources. The second tragedy was that this same unbelief denies the Father access to Earth. Man's unbelief denies him access to the Father, the Father is denied access to Man.

The Keys of Heaven being given to the believer resolves this problem. Through these keys the believer has been given access and authority into the Kingdom and the Kingdom has been given access and authority into the Earth. The bridge has been restored. The way is made. The two have become one(John 17:10,20-23).

The Activation of these Keys
We have at this point established several things about loosing Heaven.

We know that we have been given the Keys of the Kingdom to bind and loose in the Earth which binds and looses in Heaven.
We also know that these keys give us access and authority into Heaven and they give Heaven access and authority into Earth.
We know that the believer has been eminently qualified by the Father to activate these keys.
We also know that if the believer does not use them, they will not be used by the Father. The Father has given the believer authority in the Earth to do what He would do if He were here. We are His ambassadors. We are His temple. We are His body and His spiritual loading dock. We are the spiritual distribution point for all that is Heaven in the Earth.

Now let us look at how and when these keys are activated. There has been some discussuion as to the exact and precise use of these keys. For example one can say that the Name of Jesus is a key because it has been given to the believer to be used authoritatively in the earth(Acts 4:12,Philippians 2:5-12). To this I whole-heartedly agree. There is no name above the name of Jesus. We have been given this great andmighty name which literally gives the devil fits and allows us to move offensively and with dominion throughout the Earth. But there is more to the Keys of the Kingdom than the name of Jesus. There is such range and latitude expressed and exhibited in the activation of the keys of the Kingdom that the uninformed believer is crippled without more revelation about the matter.

Everything that the believer does representing Heaven becomes a key. I will give you some examples.

The Word tells me to ask and I shall receive. Receive from Whom? Heaven of course.
The Word tells me to seek and I shall find. Who reveals what I seek? Heaven.
The Word tells me to knock and it shall be opened. Who does the opening? Again, Heaven(Acts 14:27, Revelation 3:7-8).
2 Chronicles 7:14 tells me to turn from my wicked ways, humble myself and pray and God will hear from where? Heaven.
I am told to tithe in Malachi 3:10-12 and verse 10 says that God will open the windows of Heaven and pour me out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Luke 6:38 tells me to give and it shall be given unto me good measure,...shall men give into my bosom. Now men do it but Heaven is behind it.
Mark 9:23 tells me if I can believe all things are possible to him that believes. Heaven's involvement makes all things possible.
2 Corinthians 9:6-8 that my sowing causes God(Heaven) to make all grace abound toward me(the believer) that I always having all sufficiency in all things I abound unto every good work.
Jesus tells me in Matthew 6:19-21 to lay up for myself treasures in Heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through and steal. Paul in Philippians 4:17 calls this laying up fruit that abounds to my [heavenly] account.

Paul also says in First Timothy 6:17-19 that being rich in good works, distributing and willing to communicate lays up[in heaven] for myself a good foundation.

My point in mentioning the previous examples is that every time the believers obeys the Word of God believing in what he is doing he is opening Earth to Heaven and Heaven to Earth. The Holy Spirit is involved with our acts of faith and believing. So whether I am using the name of Jesus, whether I am giving, sowing, tithing, praying, confessing, binding or loosing I am invoking Heaven's involvement in the Earth. I am loosing Heaven as I call it.

Before I became a believer, everything I did was devoid of God's[Heaven's] involvement. Now, because I am built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone, Heaven's involvement inundates my activities.

Jesus told Peter in Matthew 16:15-19 that upon the revelation that He is the Christ He would build His church. Ephesians 2:12-22(also the 1st and 2nd chapter of Colossians) reveals that we are in Christ seated in heavenly places. From this position of power, the believer binds and looses by his obedience to the Word of God. Heaven is being loosed and being bound because we are on the Earth. First John 4:17 says that "as He[Jesus] is so are we in this world.

We have been given the keys of the Kingdom. We have become Heaven's loading dock. Let us operate from this position of faith and believing to distribute heavenly goods to the millions who are waiting to experience Heaven being loosed upon the Earth in their lives.

It is my prayer that this particular topic will help you in your endeavors with GOD. Any comments can be directed to me via e-mail, phone or conventional mail. Thank-you.

Min. Andre Gorham
pastor@anointed.org
Anointed Word Ministries,Inc.
PO BOX 25166
Raleigh, NC 27611-5166
919-598-1879