Radical Christian Video

A must see!
http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=da4b95295f176f6550b4&sp=2

Keys to the Kingdom ~ Conclusion

Remember, however, that it is imperative that we do not stop reading here! As we continue to read the words of our Lord Jesus as He says, “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, (in order) that your Father in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Mark 11:25-26). Do you grasp the magnitude, the incredible importance of what Jesus did for us when He spoke these words? Jesus just connected the blessing of receiving our heavenly Father’s forgiveness for our trespasses (all of our sins, both intentional and unintentional) with the quality of our faith, our walk with Him and the ability to have our prayers answered!

What is the “link,” the “bridge” that unites these two incredible promises? It is simply, but very significantly our willingness to forgive others for the wrongs done to us (both intentional and unintentional)! The fact that Jesus has included this mandate for us to forgive in three different teaching situations with His disciples – as a part of The Lord’s Prayer, in response to Peter’s question about how many times we must forgive our brother when he has sinned against us (70 x 7!), and now in conjunction with our faith and our need to overcome the problems and the obstacles in our lives – indicates that this is truly a “Master Key” of success in the living out of our Christian faith, the development of a lifestyle, our daily walk with the Master!

Whenever I find something in the gospel accounts wherein Jesus repeats an instruction for, or a commandment to, His disciples multiple times, I ask my students, “If Jesus commands us to do something, do you think it is important that we obey Him?” Their response is, of course, “Yes.” (What else can they say? They know that is the response that is expected of them, but it is interesting to note that their reply, “Yes,” is often given in soft tones and at a rather unconvincingly low volume. :)

However, I then become a little more intense, more focused and aggressive as I scan the room and hold up two fingers and ask them, “What if Jesus commands us to do something two times? When I do so, the students’ response is usually a little louder and a little bit more confident.
Then I pause for a moment and intentionally stare at them yet more intently, getting real one-on-one eye contact as I scan the room slowly, and as I hold up three fingers and ask slowly, firmly, with more volume and intensity in my voice, “What . . . if . . . Jesus . . . commands us . . . to do something . . . THREE TIMES? . . . Do you think that we . . . should OBEY HIM ? Now I get a resounding, positive response from the entire classroom, with one voice “YES!!!”

Now, we have the response that our Lord wants from us in the living out of our daily Christian walk! Remember, please, that Jesus does not command us to forgive others because he is being sadistic and trying to force us to do something against our own will. No! Jesus is giving us the Master Key to the Kingdom! He is giving us the Master Key to unlock that door of Satanic bondage, the lie by which the Deceiver has used to keep us from the true Joy of living in the Freedom and the Victory of the Kingdom of God!

When we use this Master Key of Forgiveness to unlock this Door of Destruction – withholding forgiveness – we fling open this “mountain” and cast it into the sea of God’s Love, and we walk into the fullness of the Son-Light of God, and we are FREE! The Father washes us clean; He cleanses us; He restores us! We are restored to proper and intimate fellowship both with Him and with our Brothers and Sisters in Christ ~ Hallelujah!!

May the Lord richly bless you and yours!