Thoughts for Life: #27 Your King Gives You His Keys

Dr. Wesley L. Duewel- Jesus Christ is the Sovereign of our universe. He is the Creator of everything visible and invisible—the physical world, mankind, and the world of angels (John 1:3; Col. 1:16).

Every heavenly being was created by Jesus. All spirit beings who fell into sin and followed Satan were once created by Jesus, and He is still their ultimate Sovereign. (Google image, Jesus Christ clip art)

They do not bow to Him, but one day they will—not by submission, for it will be too late for that—but in acknowledgment that He is alone is Lord. Satan and all his followers cannot exceed he bounds of the permission that Jesus gives (Job 1:10, 12; 2:6; 1 Kings 13:4). The day hastens on when Satan and all evil beings will be cast into the lake of fire and will no longer oppose God or man.

With all the newest technological tools at their disposal, men of science cannot discover the secret of the power that preserves the universe. What is the source of power that keeps the electrons in every single atom orbiting around the nucleus at the speed comparable to the speed of light?

What is the power that steers myriads of stars in their heavenly courses, century after century? The Bible gives the answer. His name is Jesus (Heb. 1:3).

Jesus Christ is sovereign today. In His own words, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" (Matt. 28:18).

Jesus Holds the Keys of History

Jehovah (Jesus in His preincarnate form) twice announced in the old Testament: "I am the first and I am the last" (Isa. 44:6; 48:12). Jesus restates this truth in Revelation 1:17; 22:13. He is the First because He is the Creator of all. He is the Last because He has the final word in all.

He is going to carry out His eternal plan in spite of all that men and demons may attempt to do to destroy it. Jesus is the Lord of history. He will never surrender this lordship to anyone. You can never make a mistake by placing your life in the hands of the Lord of history.

Jesus Holds the Keys of Death and Hades

Jesus is Sovereign over death and hades. He announces, "I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades" (Rev. 1:18).

No disease germ, criminal, or terrorist has power over you unless Jesus permits. No storm or flood, no wild animal, no force or power can harm you without his permission.

This does not guarantee that your life will be free from suffering or that you are goin to live to advanced old age. If you disregard God's laws of health and live carelessly, you will reap what you sow. You will be more prone to accidents; you will be more susceptible to disease. It does mean, however, that Jesus will not permit anything to harm the real "you."

John Wesley said, "I am immortal till my work is done." This means that as long as you are in the will of God, as long as you remain sensitive and obedient to the guidance of the Spirit, and as long as you seek to take care of your body, the ultimate control of your life and death is not in the hands of chance, natural events, other human beings, or Satan.

Jesus will permit nothing to touch you except that which He can work out for your eternal good. He plans to use you now and eternally. Praise God, Jesus holds the keys of death and hades. He will surrender them to no other.

(Chapter 10, pp. 69-70, italics added for emphasis)

Scripture Reading:
Deuteronomy 28:1, 12; 2 Chronicles 15:7; 1 Corinthians 15:58

Today's Bible verses-

John 14:12-14 (NIV) “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

Matt. 28:18-20 (NKJV) "Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying,'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (v.19) 'Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (v. 20) 'teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' " Amen.
(My italics and color added for emphasis)

Today's quotes-

~ Rich Carmicheal- In these days of trials and troubles, it is all the more important, therefore, that we draw near to the Lord in prayer and through His Word. As we do, He will be faithful to draw near to us (Jas. 4:8). He will reveal more of Himself to us and share more of His divine resources with us.
He promises to give power and strength to the weary (Isa. 40:29), peace beyond understanding (Phil. 4:6-7), provision in time of need (4:19), comfort in the dark valleys (Psa. 23:4), deliverance in the day of trouble (50:15), protection from evil (91:1ff.), and on and on." [My italics added for emphasis]

Herald of His Coming newspaper

[Vol. 79 No. 4 (940) April 2020, p. 2]

~ D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones- "Faith is holding on to the faithfulness of God and, as long as you do that, you cannot go wrong. Faith does not look at the difficulties . . . Faith does not look at itself or at the person who is exercising it. Faith looks at God.

Faith is interested in God only, and it talks about God and it praises God and it extols the virtues of God. The measure of the strength of a man's faith, always, is ultimately the measure of his knowledge of God . . . He knows God so well that he can rest on the knowledge. And it is the prayers of such a man that are answered."

Herald of His Coming newspaper

[Vol. 79 No. 4 (940) April 2020, p. 3]

Words of wisdom-

~ Allow Christ to refresh your soul today. Find a place of quietness, and request Him to help you be refreshed in His Presence. You'll accomplish so much more when you prepare a "guest room" for him to meet with you. Greet Him in an atmosphere of peace to refresh you today!