On the testimony that Jesus is the Christ, l-Iben ta’ Alla l-ħaj, Jesus builds His Church. As long as the Church of Christ stays in Him, the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church. F'Mattew 16:19, Jesus promised to give the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Għalhekk, the Church possesses the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. But what do the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven mean and represent according to the Bible? What are the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven?
What do keys represent?
Keys represent access and authority. When you buy a house and receive the keys, you become the owner of the house. The keys give you access to your house and show that you are the owner. Madankollu, the keys also bring a responsibility.
If you are not careful with your keys and lose your keys or if you don’t use the keys the right way, you cannot enter your house or something bad can happen to your house.
The keys give access to the Kingdom of Heaven
And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven (Mattew 16:19)
The same principle applies to the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Permezz Riġenerazzjoni, inti ssir bin Alla (Dan japplika kemm għall-irġiel kif ukoll għan-nisa) and belong to the Body of Christ. You’ve been transferred from the kingdom of darkness (id-dinja) fis-Saltna ta’ Alla. Għalkemm inti tgħix f'din id-dinja, you don’t belong to this world and the ruler of this world anymore. You belong to Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven. Through the new birth, you decided to follow, jobdu, and serve Jesus Christ.
Bħala bin Alla, you have been made righteous by the blood of Jesus and received the Holy Spirit, and have been given access to the Kingdom of Heaven, li hi s-Saltna ta’ Alla.
Ġesù wieġeb, Tassew, Tassew, Jien ngħidlek, Ħlief bniedem imwieled mill-ilma u mill-Ispirtu, ma jistax jidħol fis-saltna ta’ Alla (John 3:5)
The Kingdom of God is a spiritual Kingdom and not a visible Kingdom, that you can perceive with your natural eyes.
When you are born again in the spirit and have gained access to the Kingdom of Heaven, this Kingdom becomes visible to you.
Ġesù wieġeb u qallu, Tassew, Tassew, Jien ngħidlek, Ħlief raġel jitwieled mill-ġdid, ma jistax jara s-saltna ta’ Alla (John 3:3)
F’Ġesù Kristu, you have been given the keys; access to the Kingdom of Heaven, li hi s-Saltna ta’ Alla. But you’ve not only gained access to the Kingdom, but you have also been given power over the kingdom of darkness.
The keys represent the authority in Jesus Christ
Now that you have been given access to the Kingdom of Heaven, you’ve also been given a new position. You became a new creation, who is seated in Jesus Christ in the heavenly places.
Bħala ħolqien ġdid, seated in Jesus Christ in the heavenly places, you no longer war against flesh and blood, like you did before you became born again when your spirit was dead and your sinful flesh reigned as king in your life. But now you war against principalities, powers and the rulers of darkness. You will no longer be led by what your senses perceive and what your feelings, emozzjonijiet, xewqat, and desires tell you and dictate you to do, but you will be led by the Word and the Spirit.
Jesus has the keys! This means that Jesus has all authority in the heavens and on earth.
Every enemy of Jesus, every power, prinċipat, ruler of the kingdom of darkness is under Jesus His feet. Issa, għax inti bilqiegħda fih, every power, prinċipat, and ruler of the kingdom of darkness is also under your feet.
Int għamiltu ħakma fuq l-għemejjel ta’ idejk; Int poġġejt kollox taħt saqajh: (Salmi 8:6)
U poġġa kollox taħt saqajh, u tah biex ikun il-Kap fuq kollox lill-knisja, Li hu ġismu, il-milja ta’ Dak li jimla kollox b’kollox (Efesin 1:22-23)
Fi Kristu, you have been given the keys, which means that you have been given all power, to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Luqa 10:19). Ukoll, sakemm tibqa’ fiH, jobduh, U imxi wara l-Ispirtu. Because as soon as you leave the Word and trust and rely upon your own abilities, qawwa, u intellett, then you won’t have any spiritual authority and power, and it won’t be long before you will be overwhelmed by the powers of darkness.
Imbierek Alla u Missier Sidna Ġesù Kristu, li berikna bil-barkiet spiritwali kollha fil-postijiet tas-sema fi Kristu (Efesin 1:3)
Sakemm tibqa’ fi Kristu u timxi wara l-Ispirtu, you have all authority in the heavens and on earth. You have been appointed to reign with Him and establish His Kingdom on earth.
God didn’t give you this power for your own glory, benefiċċju, and kingdom, but for His honor, glorja, and Kingdom.
When you have been given access to the Kingdom of Heaven and have been given all power and authority in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit lives inside of you, you have also a responsibility.
What is the responsibility of the church?
The responsibility of the Church is to represent, jippridka, and bring the Kingdom of God to the people on earth and use the keys of the Kingdom of heaven wisely through jorbtu u jitlef.
We often hear that church leaders (pastors, worship leaders, profeti, appostli, eċċ.) fall into sin. Minħabba f'hekk, they not only deny the power of God over sin and death, but they also defile the Name of Jesus and damage God’s Kingdom.
Meta jkollok msallab ġisem tiegħek fi Kristu, then your flesh isn’t alive anymore but dead. Għalhekk, you shall not be led by your flesh, your carnal emotions, sentimenti, xewqat, xewqat, and what your senses perceive.
Madankollu, since many Christians refuse to lay down their flesh, they have adjusted the gospel. They have adjusted the gospel and twisted and changed the words in the Bible in such a way, that they can keep walking after the flesh in sin.
There are hardly any sermons about spiritual discipline, Chastisement, moral responsibility, and dying to self. Għaliex? Because the flesh doesn’t like these sermons (Aqra wkoll: Il-messaġġ li ħadd ma jrid jisma’)
The sermons have changed in such a way that the enrichment and prosperity of people have become the center. Because of these carnal sermons, the flesh is continuously fed.
If you sow in the flesh, għandek taħsad il-korruzzjoni. And that’s what is happening.
Many church leaders stay carnal and walk after the flesh. Bħala riżultat, church leaders fall into sin, u dan huwa eżattament dak li jrid ix-xitan!
Ix-xitan jaf, the bigger and the more famous a church leader, who falls into sin, the greater the damage to the church, l-Isem ta’ Ġesù, u s-Saltna ta’ Alla.
Sfortunatament, the devil is still able to seduce many Christians. The devil uses many lives to damage the Kingdom of God, because many Christians are stubborn and want to keep living after the flesh.
A spiritually disciplined and righteous life is therefore essential as born-again Christians. Because you are a representative of the Kingdom of God and represent Him.
Sons of God represent the Kingdom of Heaven
Bħala bin Alla (Dan japplika kemm għall-irġiel kif ukoll għan-nisa), you represent the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Għalhekk, you should have knowledge about the Kingdom of Heaven. You should know what the Kingdom of Heaven is about and Who you represent.
You should know the King of the Kingdom of Heaven and His will because otherwise, you will not be able to represent Him and execute His will. His law and His commandments represent His will. Therefore if you know these, then you know His will. If you know His will, you know exactly what you should and shouldn’t do. You know what pleases Him and what does not.
Għalhekk, you’ve got to know God’s Word to find out His will, liġi, u kmandamenti. Because only in the Word of God, will you get to know His will.
Jesus is the King of the Kingdom of Heaven. That’s why we should know and keep His will, liġi (Liġi tal-Ispirtu), u kmandamenti.
Huwa importanti li renew your old way of thinking, that thinks like the kingdom of this world, Bil-Kelma ta ’Alla, so that your mind will be renewed and will line up with God’s Word and His will. Minbarra dan, it is essential to għasses moħħok, so that your mind won’t be polluted and defiled by the things of this world.
The will of Jesus corresponds to the will of God. Because God has given His rulership (temporanjament) to His Son and Jesus represents the will of His Father (Aqra wkoll: ‘Il-kmandamenti ta’ Alla u l-kmandamenti ta’ Ġesù‘)
I can of mine own self do nothing: kif nisma’, Jien niġġudika: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me (John 5:30)
All things are delivered unto Me of My Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him (Mattew 11:27)
Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, anke l-Missier; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. Għax Hu għandu jsaltan, sakemm poġġa lill-għedewwa kollha taħt saqajh. L-aħħar għadu li għandu jinqered huwa l-mewt. Għax hu poġġa kollox taħt saqajh. Imma meta jgħid li kollox jitqiegħed taħtu, huwa manifest li Hu huwa eskluż, li poġġa kollox taħtu. U meta l-affarijiet kollha jkunu sottomessi lilu, allura l-Iben innifsu wkoll ikun suġġett għal Dak li jpoġġi kollox taħtu, biex Alla jkun kollox f’kollox (1 Korintin 15 24-28)
Through the knowledge of God’s Word and by living according to His Word, you shall not only get to know Him and His will, and be able to represent Him, but you shall also be able to expose the hidden lies of the devil. You shall be able to refute them. Because the devil also uses the word of God. He only twists and changes the word for people’s pleasures so that they can keep walking after their flesh.
Ħafna drabi, Christians say they believe. But when someone asks them a question about the Kingdom of God, they are not able to answer the question. Dak imdejjaq ħafna! Because a representative of a kingdom should have knowledge about the kingdom. Because how else will (s)he be able to represent the kingdom correctly?
Jesus commissioned His church to bring God’s Kingdom on earth.
How to bring the Kingdom of Heaven on earth?
You bring the Kindom of heaven on earth through obedience to the Word and doing the will of Jesus and go into the world, jippriedka l-Evanġelju, keċċi d-demonji, fejjaq lill-morda, and make disciples of all the nations. (Mattew 28:19, Mark 16:15-18).
Where darkness is present, there is chaos. If hemm kaos, you have a responsibility as Christians (who are together the church) to create spiritual peace and order. How do you know where chaos is? Look at the lives of people. Look at what takes place in their lives and in the areas people live.
There can be areas where many people are seriously ill. The world thinks that it has to do with the pollution of the environment. But the spiritual new man knows that in those areas the death reigns through sin (diżubbidjenza lejn Alla) U (deadly) powers of darkness are operating.
The more the areas are possessed by demonic forces, the higher the rates of (sesswali) abbuż, vjolenza, faqar, mard, epidemiji, indafa sesswali, Divorzji, eċċ.
Why are these areas dominated by demonic forces? Because of the lives of people.
The people deviated from God and His Word. They have gone their own way; the way of the darkness, which eventually leads to eternal death. Because of the fact that people have rejected Jesus and His Kingdom, they have automatically chosen to live in the darkness.
They have given access to these evil forces of darkness to enter their lives. Since these evil powers of darkness rule in the lives of the people, they rule and have dominion in (the spiritual) żoni.
Issa, only someone with a higher authority can cause a change, and that is Jesus Christ and His church.
The church of Jesus Christ has a responsibility to preach, represent and bring the Kingdom of God to these areas. Through the lives of man, the evil powers of darkness access. Għalhekk, a change in the spiritual atmosphere begins in the lives of the people. The more people repent to Jesus, the stronger the light will become and the darkness shall flee.
When the seventy went out to preach the gospel, heal the sick and cast out demons and returned to Jesus, they were enthusiastic about the fact that the demons obeyed them. Jesus said to them that He saw satan as lightning falling from heaven.
And the seventy returned again with joy, tgħid, Mulej, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven (Luqa 10:17-18)
The people were delivered, and the devil lost his rulership over those areas
Sons of God pray and have a prayerlife
Every son of God prays. Prayer is a responsibility in the lives of the born-again Christians, min huma l-knisja. Everything revolves around prayer. Because a praying church is a militant and victorious church. Permezz tat-talb, you have communion with the Father and make intercession for people and areas, to claim them for the Kingdom of God.
Jesus spent many nights in prayer with the Father, and during the day, Ġesù ġab is-Saltna t’Alla lill-poplu t’Alla.
Quddiem Ġesù’ crucifixion, before Jesus was taken captive, Jesus spent hours in prayer to prepare Himself and to overcome the spiritual battle against His flesh. When Jesus won the spiritual battle, Jesus was ready to fulfill L-opra ta’ fidwa t’Alla.
Everything revolves around prayer. That’s why prayer and prayer meetings are being attacked by the devil.
Many Christians don’t see the importance of prayer, or they pray a short prayer for their own prosperity and wealth. Instead of praying that His Kingdom shall come and that God’s will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven, that’s what Jesus has commanded us to pray.
The purpose of every believer is to establish the Kingdom of God on this earth. Għal dan il-għan, Jesus has given the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to His church.
‘Kun il-melħ tal-art’
