Sun.’s Devo - The Keys to the Kingdom

Read: Genesis 50:1-Exodus 2:10; Matthew 16:13-17:9; Psalm 21:1-13; Proverbs 5:1-6 Jacob died and Joseph mourned him for seventy days. He had his body embalmed and got permission from the Pharaoh to bury his father in the cave at Machpelah, their family burying plot. *** All of Joseph’s brothers and their wives traveled to bury Jacob. After he was buried, Joseph’s brothers were afraid Joseph might now take revenge on them for what they did to him in his youth. Joseph assured them that what they had meant for evil back then, God meant for good so that he could preserve their future. He promised to provide for them and their families and spoke words of comfort to them. *** They remained in Egypt and Joseph lived to see the third generation of Ephraim’s children. When Joseph was about to die, he made his family swear to carry his bones with them when they left Egypt and went back to Canaan. *** Israel’s family multiplied in Goshen to be a host of people. A new king came to power in Egypt who didn’t honor who Joseph was or what he had done for them. He saw how numerous the Israelites had become and was afraid that they might turn on them in battle. So he made the Isrealites slaves and worked them mercilessly. *** The new Pharaoh told the midwives to kill all the Hebrew baby boys when they were being born, but the midwives feared God over the evil law of the land. They allowed the boy babies to live and when they were called in and asked about it, they lied and told the Pharaoh that the Hebrew wives had their babies before they could get there. God blessed the midwives for doing this. It is never right to obey man’s laws over God’s. Period. God rewarded them with families themselves. *** Next, the Pharaoh commanded his army to go and get every Hebrew boy baby and throw them into the Nile. One of the Levite’s wife had a son at that time and she was able to hide him for 3 months. It became obvious, she couldn’t keep it a secret any longer so she made a little boat for him out of straw and coated it with tar. She put the baby in it and covered it with a lid. She sent her daughter with the baby to to set it in the Nile and see what God would do. *** The Pharaoh’s daughter came to the Nile to bathe and saw the basket. When she opened it, the baby began to cry and she was smitten. The baby’s sister asked her if she needed someone to nurse the child and brought her mother. Pharaoh’s daughter named him Moses which means “to draw” because she drew him out of the Nile. Moses’ mother got to nurse and love her own son and know that he would live. When he was weaned, she took him to the palace where he would grow up. *** In Matthew, Jesus took his disciples to Caesarea Philippi to the very place they called “The Gates of Hell.” It was a place where they worshiped many gods and mainly Pan. Jesus asked them who people said that he was. People thought he was a prophet. Then he asked them who they said that he was. Peter spoke up and told him that he was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus told him he was blessed for knowing this and upon those words he would build his church and the gates of hell could not prevail against it. He gave them the keys to the kingdom of heaven and told them that whatever they bound on earth would be bound in heaven and whatever they allowed on earth would be allowed in heaven. He told them not to tell anyone he was the Christ. *** He showed his disciples that he had to go to Jerusalem and suffer under the religious leaders. He would be killed and rise on the third day. Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked him for saying these things. Jesus rebuked Peter and told Satan to get behind him. He told Peter that he was not setting his mind on the things of God but on the things of man. Jesus had just modeled binding and loosing. Peter wanted to bind the will of God in Jesus life and allow what he wanted. Jesus bound what Peter said, and loosed the will of God. *** Then Jesus told them that everyone who follows him must take up his cross and follow him. There will be rewards for those who are willing to suffer for the truth now. *** Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James and John with him to a high mountain. He transfigured before them into his glorious body. They saw Moses and Elijah talking with him. Peter wanted to make a tent for each of them but while he was saying this, a bright cloud overshadowed them and they heard a voice from heaven say, “this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” The disciples fell on their faces in fear. Jesus came and touched them and told them to rise and not be afraid. When they looked up everything was back to normal and just Jesus was standing there. Jesus told them not to share this encounter with anyone until he was raised from the dead. *** Lord, may we watch what we say and not allow what we don’t want released. May we learn how to use the keys of the kingdom to bind Satan’s will and bring God’s will on earth.