KEYS TO OPEN HEAVEN ... KEY NUMBER 1 : THE KEY OF HUMILITY

THURSDAY 02.11.2017

BASIC TEXT: MATTHEW 3:14 

THEME: KEY  NUMBER 1 : THE KEY OF HUMILITY

INTRODUCTION

The open heaven experience of Jesus Christ shows us how humble he was when he went to be baptized by John the Baptist. We see it by the way John reacted when he saw the Lord Jesus coming to him.

In Matthew 3:14 we read the following:

"But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?"

From this example from the Lord, he is teaching us today that humility is a major key to experiencing the open heaven. This means in other words that if humility opens the heaven, then, pride closes it.

WHAT IS PRIDE ?

Pride is defined as an exaggerated sense of personal worth that is accompanied by feelings of arrogance, height, sufficiency or vanity.

WHAT ARE THE DANGERS OF PRIDE ?

God humiliates, cut off, severely punishes and resists the proud 

" And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down." (2 Samuel 22:28)

" He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth." (Psalms 76:12)

" The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth." (Isaiah 23: 9)

"O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer." (Psalms 31:23).

"But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." (James 4: 6)

HOW TO OVERCOME PRIDE AND DEVELOP HUMILITY?

Pride is an evil spirit. As a spirit, it can only be overcome by allowing the Spirit of God to produce in you the following virtues, attitudes and inner dispositions:

1) Gratitude is a disposition and an attitude which makes a born again christian recognize that what he has and who he is does not come from his efforts, but from the hand of God. It helps to know to say thank you and appreciate everything in life as a gift from heaven.

"Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all." (1 Chronicles 29:12)

" For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?" (1 Corinthians 4: 7)

" But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.". (1 Corinthians 15:10)

2. Total dependence on God is an attitude of the born again christian who recognizes himself as being incapable, incompetent by himself to do anything without referring to God in prayer. 

" 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." (John 5:30)

3. The crucifixion of the flesh is the spiritual authority that the born-again christian exercises over his flesh by silencing it, depriving it of its desires and dominating its dispositions in order to make prevail the desires and dispositions of the Holy Spirit. 

"And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." (Galatians 5:24).

= PRAYER = PRAYER = PRAYER =

Prayer 1 | You are not the best. There is always someone somewhere better than you. BE HUMBLE !

Father, keep me always conscious of the fact that I am not better than anyone and that there is always someone better than myself.

Read and pray with 1 Samuel 15:28 And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, [that is] better than thou.

Read and pray with Romans 3:9 "What then? are we better [than they]? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin"

Read and pray with Philippians 2:3 [Let] nothing [be done] through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Prayer 2 | You have nothing that you have not received from someone. BE HUMBLE 

My Father, I pray for humility in my heart. Keep me away from any conscious or unconscious pride in the name of Jesus Christ !

Read and pray with 1 Corinthians 4:7 For who maketh thee to differ [from another]? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive [it], why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received [it]?

Prayer 3 | You are not indispensable and you are not irreplaceable. If you refuse to be available, you will be immediately replaced. BE HUMBLE AND AVAIL YOURSELF TO BE USED BY GOD TO SERVE OTHERS.

My Father, baptize me with the spirit of humility and godly respect. I pray that you keep my heart always humble under your mighty hands. Keep me Father from magnifying myself.  

Read and pray with Esther 1:19 If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.

Prayer 4 | Humility is not to run myself down. It is not despising myself. True humility is to value myself at my true worth and look myself through God's glasses.

Read and pray with 1 Timothy 4:12 "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

SO SHALL IT BE. 

🔃🔃🔃🔃🔃🔃🔃🔃🔃

JESUS IS LORD !

Pastor T.D. KASUKU K.K.

The Word Of Life Church International

Nairobi/Kenya