My Father’s Help Came In The Form Of A Key. Whenever I Brought A Difficulty To Him, He Would Hand Me A Key.
In Part 2 of this study from Jesus is Enough, we looked at the true standard of discipleship and the importance of not stopping short at the point of comfort. Jesus showed us that the Words of David are meant to be more than words we read; we must learn to listen to the Spirit speaking through them, put them into practice, and allow them to transform our lives. The battle is at the portal mouth, where the enemy tries to prevent us from entering deeper into the spirit.
But how do we keep going when obedience becomes difficult, when the way forward isn’t clear, or when following the Word means giving up something we dearly want to hold on to? In Part 3, Jesus takes us deeper into this lesson by sharing how He, too, had to yield His will to His Father’s. Through the story of Lazarus, we see how He learned to wait, trust, and use the Keys His Father gave Him—even when His natural desire was to act immediately. His example brings us to the heart of the matter: Jesus is enough, even when the way forward is not what we would have chosen.
- Thus it is usually only when these things are completely taken away from you against your will, with or without your consent, that you truly let go and abandon yourself fully to Me. This is why I sometimes let those windstorms strike, so that you will have no other choice but to wrap yourself around Me for dear life. (Jesus is Enough (PDF))
Jesus speaking in prophecy… I gave up My life out of My own free will. It was not taken from Me; I gave it freely. My Father asked it of Me, but I gave it freely. I didn’t have to do as My Father asked, but I did, and you are the fruit of that decision. You gave up your life to be a disciple of Mine.
I have come to you a number of times asking you to give up big things in your life. I have also come to you almost daily to give up little things in your life for Me. You should be very thankful to Me for doing this for you because My requests have kept you on the discipleship path.
My Father’s requests helped Me to fulfill My destiny. I yielded to His will (Audio) because I knew He knew best, and I knew that because of the relationship we’d built during My time on earth. There was never a time that I did not yield to My Father’s will; My life was without sin. There were plenty of times that I didn’t want to do His will, but I always took that unwillingness to Him, and He always helped Me to see that His will was best.
My Father’s help came in the form of a Key. Whenever I brought a difficulty to Him, He would hand Me a Key. “This Key is the way forward,” He would say. Perhaps I had come to a difficult part of My journey—let’s say, a locked door, and He would hand Me a Key. And yes, just like you do at times, I would look at the Key and think within Myself, “This tiny, insignificant-looking Key—will it open this enormous door before Me?”
I didn’t always obey immediately. Sometimes My carnal mind (PDF) would tussle with the idea for a day or two. I remember one time in particular when I had quite a struggle to obey My Father’s will. Allow Me to relate the story straight from the Book of John, Chapter 11—
“Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) Therefore his sisters sent unto Him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
When Jesus heard that, He said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. Then after that saith He to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.
His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.” John 11:1-14
Prophecy continues:Lazarus was a dear friend, so of course My natural man wanted to immediately drop what I was doing and go to his side. Healing was My ministry. I’d healed dozens of people by this time, so that is what I thought I needed to do.
The story of Lazarus in John 11 gives the impression that I was in total control of the situation. And I was, but only because I was in continual communication with My Father. Upon first hearing the news of Lazarus’ sickness, My mind raced to his bedside. I called on My Father for advice, and He handed Me a Key. “Trust in this Key,” He said. “I am with your friend. You need not fear. I have a plan, and if you follow My instructions carefully, people will come to know that we are One.”
My mind had to be brought into subjection to My Father’s will. I took the Key My Father gave Me, and the strong desire and impulse to run off to Bethany began to subside. As I waited for My Father’s next instruction, I had to fight those usual battles of frustration and exercise complete trust and patience.
What do you do when you don’t know what to do—stop everything!—Get quiet & wait for God to do something! The worst thing in the world you can do is to keep on going when you don’t know what to do. That was Saul’s mistake. It absolutely lost him the kingdom!-Because he kept right on moving even after he didn’t know what to do. He figured he had to just keep busy & keep going no matter what! (Stop, Look and Listen) (PDF)
Once I applied the Key My Father had given Me to this “closed door,” it unlocked the door, and help arrived. The human tendencies I spoke of began to weaken as faith in My Father’s Word strengthened. Instead of Me expressing fear, doubt, or worry, My first words to My disciples were words of faith and trust. I said: “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.” For brevity’s sake, the story does not bring this all-important point out, but I was simply telling My boys what My Father told Me to tell them.
I wasn’t immediately given the endgame. Remember, just as you must, I too had to learn obedience, and this situation really tested My faith. I fought the enemy during those two days. The miracle was just beyond the portal mouth, and the enemy was there to stop Me from entering in. I know how difficult it is to just trust in the Keys. I know how easy it is to just leave the Key on the foyer sideboard and head out through another door so as not to have to face all those icky “Be still and know that I am God” battles. I know how hard the enemy tugs on your mind’s (Audio) sleeve—that almost physical feeling of wanting to rush out and solve the problem your way. Fight those thoughts: “I’ve done this sort of thing before. I can do it again. Why should I wait here when it is obvious this situation needs immediate attention?”
Sometimes you don’t even deliberate within yourself; you just want to get on with the job, to push forward and steer your own boat. It’s hard enough listening to another person telling you what you should do, and stopping and taking time to listen to the still small voice can be almost impossible with the pressure. To stop before placing your hand on that door handle, to still the blood rushing through your brain, to look at the situation, and listen for the answer from across the veil takes a supernatural spark.
Picking up the Key should come naturally, but for many, it still isn’t that first spark of inspiration. Are you obedient to My call to push those Key promises into your very being? Are they flowing through your spiritual veins, lodged and locked in your spiritual brain? If they aren’t, then that first spark coming from the spiritual man will not reach the plugs.
It’s important to bring this down to earth—this and other situations that I faced when I was in the flesh. (PDF) I had to learn what it was like to walk the dusty road as a human. Would I walk past the Key on the sideboard and head out the door? Would I grab the Key and slip it into My pocket, in case I needed it later? Or would I fight the enemy at the portal door and pass through the mind battles, the condemnation of not being there for My friend? You know how people talk; they give their opinion, what they think I should or shouldn’t have done. Peer pressure in those close-knit communities was pretty intense.
My disciples were bungling babes learning to trust My Word. I was constantly praying for them, as I knew that the enemy was hot on them also. He was continually trying to sift them as wheat, trying to get them to doubt and lose faith. This was no run-of-the-mill mission we were on. They were in the company of the Son of God, and He was on His way to the cross and there to seal Satan’s fate forever, so hell was ready to break loose upon anyone who stepped out of line.
Our High Priest
I had a lot on My plate. I had to learn My lessons and pass the exams. I had to learn what I went to earth to learn. There was no one I could pass this responsibility to; it was Mine and Mine alone. I passed the exams, and that is why it says in Hebrews that you have a High Priest who has been touched with the feelings of your infirmities, because I was in all points tempted like as you are, yet without sin. Therefore, My loves, come boldly to My Throne of Grace, that you may obtain mercy, and find grace and help in time of need.
My full focus was on the road ahead, no turning, no variance. And that is the way you have to be. You must keep your eyes on the Heavenly vision; that is all there is to it. I have given you the tools to do the job; it is up to you to use them. You must not allow the enemy to sway you. Tell yourself there is no one else who can do what you are doing. Maybe there is someone out there who can do your job, but you are not going to entertain that thought. You are going to be the one who scales this mountain. You were called; My Word says so, the Words of David say so. You just have to determine in your mind that you are going to hold to that calling.
These victories weren’t a one-time win. I had to continually remind Myself and others that I was simply a follower of the teaching. By consistently confessing and testifying to Myself and others, I cemented My convictions that I was on a path that was chosen for Me by My Father and that He was walking the path with Me. And although it’s not brought out in the story of Lazarus, I made sure everyone around Me heard Me testify to the fact that I was a doer of His Word, that it was My Father’s Word that I was following. Just as you must testify that it is Me, My Word, and the Keys you are following. The Words of David, both old and new, are Me walking beside you, directing you, and the more you listen, the straighter your trajectory to the goal.
“The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do: for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” Here He emphasizes total dependence — His works are not self-originated but flow from the Father. John 5:19“I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me.” This is the “I am nothing in Myself” tone you’re recalling — His authority is entirely derived from the Father. John 5:30
“My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.” Even His words are not self-generated, but given by the Father. John 7:16
“For I have not spoken of Myself; but the Father which sent Me, He gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.” Again, His speech is framed as obedience. John 12:49–50
The words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwells in Me, He does the works. John 14:10
And also, even though, in the story of Lazarus and other stories, I have not placed the Keys on the sideboard for all to see, they were pivotal to My success. For Me to even have the willpower to obey My Father’s directives, I had to pick up the Key and set it in the lock of that closed door and, by faith, turn it. Then, more often than not, I had to push on the door before it opened.
The Keys of the Kingdom – A Key to the Inner Chamber
Why didn’t I choose to place the Keys on display for all to see and use? Although I have said many times that the Keys do not work for selfish users, which is true, there are, however, physical and spiritual laws in place that do work to some extent, even if they’re not used the way they were intended to be used. My Father maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Although the Keys of the Kingdom (PDF) are not mentioned in the story of Lazarus or elsewhere, I assure you I was using them constantly. I became a Master Key wielder. They became a weapon against the enemy, and they were present at every healing and at every miracle of supply. They were the lifeblood of My ministry, and they are the lifeblood of your ministry, or should be. If you are not using them regularly and instantly, then you are not reaching your full potential.
I placed the Keys in open sight in Matthew 16—to be used by those who discovered their importance. And as you have learned, the Keys are also in other, less conspicuous places throughout the Old and New Testaments. So they have never been hidden, just not emphasized until the days of your rising, My loves. They have been hidden in plain sight; being spiritual, they have their own power of concealment.
So, with Keys in hand, I followed My Father’s whispers, and His way always bore good fruit in My life. Because of My choices to follow Him, good fruit was born in the lives of My disciples also. You are where you are today because you have consistently given up your will (Audio) for My will. I know it hasn’t been easy, but you have fought on, and here you are, still by My side. If you had gone your own way, I may have had to take away something against your will, and yes, at times I have had to do that. Nevertheless, you held on and have learned that going My way always turns out to be the best way.
You are like the Palestinians, and others that you pray for, in that you are losing something that is dear to you. If you look at your family, for example, you have lost almost half of your brothers and sisters. They are lost to the world, in a way dead. It is traumatic for you when you see them leave the discipleship path to go into the world. You are soldiers and are at war, so it is as if you have lost a loved one in an accident or war.
Of course, your loss isn’t as graphic nor as brutal as those in a physical conflict, but nevertheless, they are gone…and you won’t see them again in this life. That is something that I took from you without your consent, yes, but with good intent. There is a Romans 8:28 in their lives and your life. If you can come to Me, I will show you the path to yieldedness and make these departures and times of trouble much easier. If you were to give your consent and truly let go and abandon them to Me, then the storm would calm, and you would see sunny skies again.
These are those locked doors I spoke of earlier, and as I said, there is a Key to every one of them. So I say to you, “Here, take this Key.” It will open this door that seems so overwhelming to you right now.
What I Take I Always Give Back
I know the loss hurts. In your eyes, your loved ones are gone…and you won’t see them again in this life. If you can come to Me, I will show you the path to yieldedness and help you truly let go and abandon them to Me. Then the storm will subside, and you will see sunny skies again. These prunings are those locked doors I spoke of earlier, and as I said, there is a Key to every one of them.
Both you and the Palestinians will see your loved ones again; I can assure you of that. They are never lost for eternity. Learn to give freely, of your own free will, even if it seems I’ve taken something from you against your will. Don’t you know by now that I do all things well in your life? Can’t you trust Me that I am doing all things well in your loved ones’ lives? Call on the Keys of yieldedness and submission, and the storm will subside.
The Tunnel of Light
When you take the Key I offer, you immediately step onto the path that I took way back when I faced the Lazarus dilemma. Always take the Key, My dearest loves. Never walk past the sideboard thinking you can tackle the big, bad world without them. I’m not asking you to tackle the big, bad world; I’m offering you a Key that will open a door to a portal through the big, bad world.
I know the tunnel isn’t going to completely protect you from danger or trouble, but it will protect you from being consumed by them. That is what your loved ones who left your side have discovered. Without using the Keys to open the way into the tunnel of My protection, you walk straight into sinking sand. On Christ the solid Rock I stand; all other paths are sinking sand.
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