Hey Clawson Family!

Song: 

Scripture:

Matthew 16:18-19 New Living Translation

18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’),[a] and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell[b] will not conquer it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid[c]on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit[d] on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

Devotional:

The NKJV says whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven. As we are getting started, I would like to define those two words to help you understand what Jesus is saying to us.

Bind means to tie, secure, or fasten. Lock up… 

Loose means to set free or release. Free… 

Jesus says: I have given you keys to the Kingdom of heaven, and with these keys, whatever you fasten, secure, bind up, will be bound in heaven, and whatever you set free here on this earth will be set free in heaven. 

Let’s talk about keys. Clawson Church has tons of keys. There is a different key that opens the outside doors, a different key to the nursery hallway doors, a different key to the upstairs kids' rooms, a different key to the offices, and a different key to the giving box in the back. A few people have keys to open every door in this place, but other people only have keys to access what they need. 

We have a group of men that cook breakfast on Sunday morning. I realized one of those men arrived before me almost every Sunday. So, I told him it was time you got a key to that door. So, I gave him one key. That key will get him inside the building from the outside. It won't get him access to the nursery, the worship center, upstairs, or offices, but it will get him exactly what he needs: the building and Kitchen. 

Why did I give him that key? First of all, I trusted him with it, so I granted him the access, responsibility, and authority that comes with having it. A key gives you authority and access; getting a key is a huge responsibility.

What about the keys that Jesus gives us, and what does that even mean? I would like to share with you something really cool that happened last year. I pulled this out of my journal that I have been keeping. 

In my journal, on Nov 2, 2023, I met up with a few pastors for prayer on a Thursday afternoon. In the middle of the prayer meeting, Pastor Brett stopped the prayer meeting and said. Josh, I just had a vision that I wanted to share with you. He said I had a vision of Jesus handing you keys, and Jesus said Josh, because you have been faithful in what I have given, and because you walk in Humility, I am entrusting you with these keys. There are doors for you to unlock in the supernatural realm and doors that you must ensure stay locked. I believe that Jesus trusts me and will lead me.

 Then another pastor came and said, " Josh, the Lord told me to tell you that he is giving you supernatural provision. Keys to the storehouses in heaven. Steward this well.

After they shared this with me, I went and sat and wrote it down. I thought it was awesome, but I didn’t know for sure how to use those keys that Jesus had given me.

Then, the next Sunday morning, at our prayer meeting, the term keys got brought up, and I felt like the Holy Spirit said to share your journal with the prayer team. So I did. Then Mrs Brenda walked up to the front and said,  “Josh, I didn’t know why, but this morning the Lord told me to bring this key with me to church. It is a super cool-looking skeleton key, and she said I was bringing this key to you.

I believe God trusts me with the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. He is giving me keys based on my humility and stewardship. 

Journal: 

In your journal, write down some things in your life that you need to bind up and things that you need to be loose.

Training:

We have been given the keys to the resources of heaven. And what great responsibility! How will you use them today?

Lord, thank you for the keys of the kingdom. May we be generous stewards of your resources so that the barriers of evil will literally fall before our ongoing acts of kindness, love, forgiveness, patience, and goodness—by the power of your name. Amen.