FEAST 2004

By MariaMaria #664 CM/FM 3472 10/03

Dearest Family,

1. There's a lot of excitement in the air about the keys of the Kingdom and their use! We in our Home are experimenting with them with good results. Of course, there are still lots of questions and the keys remain quite a mystery. But we're claiming the key promises in our prayers and seeing miracles, as many of you are.

2. However, there have been and will continue to be some unexpected turns, and some of you have wondered, "Is this really working?" There have been times when things didn't turn out as you expected. Those puzzling experiences can raise some questions or doubts. In fact, the whole concept of "calling on the keys" can make you wonder if things are getting a little "extreme." I believe most of you have been willing to receive the truth of the keys‚ but even if you believe, you might have some questions, and that's understandable.

3. We have been given this amazing power, and it's through what the Lord calls "the keys." The keys are one with the Word and with Jesus and with His love, we have to live the lives of disciples in order to use them‚ and by calling on them we have access to all the power of Heaven. Not only are they all-powerful, but they are also an essential part of bringing about the miracles we need in these Last Days.

4. Then there is this "woman of the wind" character, Ellya. She's been with Jesus almost since the beginning. She reasoned with the angels to stay true to the truth when Lucifer rebelled. She pled with the people at the time of Noah. She's able to take on many forms. She obviously is a very powerful spirit being. And now she's teaching us—about the keys!

5. Of course it sounds far-fetched, but that doesn't make it false or weird. It's a remarkable revelation, and just serves as another reminder that the Lord is showing us new things. But new doesn't always mean easy. New can sometimes be complicated‚ and certainly mysterious and outside the realm of the expected.

6. To call on the power of the keys is changing our manner of praying somewhat. That's a pretty big deal. And to be constantly claiming these new key promises, which are fresh from Heaven, might seem to some of you to be rather unorthodox and even strange or unnecessary or taking things too far. Even if you want to have faith and you're trying to have faith, you might still be plagued with some questions that take away some of your desire to use the keys.

7. Several of you have written us with questions you have about the keys, and while I was working on these GNs for you, I asked everyone in our Home and the other WS units to write up any questions they could think of about the keys, or any they had heard from family or friends. I also had some questions I wanted to ask the Lord. We compiled all the questions and anything the Lord had given over the past months about the keys, and came up with quite a bit of material! In bringing these questions to the Lord‚ a great variety of channels helped to receive the answers, and it's beautiful to see how they all fit together.

8. Before we get into it all, though, I want to share with you an excerpt of a message the Lord gave as I was working on this GN for you‚ that I think will help you to know how to approach this wealth of answers from our Husband. You can't go into this series expecting everything to suddenly be transparent or make perfect, logical sense. The Lord is very sweet to answer all our questions, and I believe the answers will help and strengthen your faith a lot‚ if you're sincere in wanting the answers. But if you expect things to be totally clear and comprehensible in a physical, logical, "2 plus 2 equals 4, and that's all there is to it" type way, you're probably going to be disappointed.

9. We must remember that the keys are a mystery—in fact, the Lord has called them a spiritual phenomenon. He's told us many times that we're going to be learning about them and uncovering portions of their mysteries for as long as we use them on Earth. If we realize and remember that‚ it makes perfect sense that we can't expect to understand everything now.

10. I think the following excerpt from the Lord will be comforting and encouraging for you. He's reassuring us that we don't need to worry if we can't figure everything out to the point where we "understand" it! We're not to worry about that—none of us have a handle on it fully! And, from what the Lord says below, that's just the way it's going to be, because it will take us the rest of eternity to learn and comprehend and absorb all the mysteries of the spirit that exist. When you look at it that way, it becomes more challenging, exciting, and inspiring, rather than discouraging, disconcerting, or destabilizing. We don't have to understand everything—but we can take it by faith and access this wonderful power source the Lord has made available to us.

11. (Jesus: ) The keys are a mystery, and those who try to figure it all out in their minds will only wind up more confused or boggled. The carnal mind cannot perceive the things of the spirit. And because I go to such lengths to explain so much to you and put it in terms you can understand, some people have the tendency when they can't understand something to get sort of surprised or alarmed or bent out of shape about it—forgetting that they're so small and have so much to learn when it comes to matters of the spirit.

12. It's true that you're My children and My brides, and I spoil you with information and love and explanations and all that I can to make things easy for you and to bring you along. Compared with the children of the churches, you're far ahead and very mature and learned. But when it comes to the overall scheme of things and the greatness and majesty of My creation and the spirit world, you really have learned so little that it's almost comical when someone gets worried about something that isn't clear to them.

13. It all comes down to faith. If your faith is a little shaky, spend some time strengthening it in the Word. But don't just throw up your hands or start to doubt or analyze when you come across something that doesn't fit into your little box of logic. No matter how open-minded you think you are or how big you think your box is, it's really a teeny little speck in the realm of the universe when compared to all that there is to comprehend and learn—and that you will be enjoyably learning for all eternity! Don't get stuck now—you've only just begun! (End of message from Jesus.)

14. (Mama:) Okay, now that we've established that we can't try to figure this all out in our little teeny carnal minds, let's open ourselves up to receiving some more clues to the mysteries of the universe!

15. I'm not going to add much commentary on most of these messages, because the questions and the answers are self-explanatory. I will add here, however, that if you read an answer and still don't quite feel like you "get it," please don't get stuck on it or let it bother you. It's very natural that we would have questions about something so new and mysterious, and of course the Enemy will try to play up those questions and use them to keep you from benefiting from the tremendous power the Lord has given us in the keys. So cut the Enemy off at the pass by asking the Lord your questions yourself, if they're not answered in this GN. Let our Husband answer you personally with His reassuring words‚ and He'll either explain things to your satisfaction or else He'll give you the faith and peace to just trust Him about it. Either way, the Enemy's attacks on you will be defeated.

16. Having said that‚ some aspects of the various questions posed aren't answered in the message immediately following the question. A lot of the questions are similar or related, and the Lord didn't choose to answer every aspect of every single one. But I believe that if you read through the whole package of questions and answers, things will come into focus much more, and it will help greatly to give you a clearer perspective on what the keys are, why they're important for us today, why we heard so little about them before, where we're going with them, and why they sometimes don't seem to work—to name just a few of the questions we asked.

17. And in all of this, keep reminding yourself that the keys are a very big‚ intriguing mystery of the spirit world. It's exciting, and it's not a bad thing that we don't know everything about them now. As we keep experimenting and asking the Lord questions in our use of them‚ we're going to be discovering more about them all the time. Praise the Lord! We have a lot to learn, but we're going to have fun getting there! Amen?

Text box:

Mama on the Lord's puzzles (2001):

18. (Mama:) Understanding the future is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Some people derive great joy from doing puzzles, and the more pieces there are and the more challenging and difficult the puzzle, the more they seem to like it. Some puzzles have up to 5,000 or 10,000 pieces, and there are even three-dimensional ones and ones that are two-sided. Well‚ I'm not a puzzle person‚ since my eyes could never take the strain, but I sure love the Lord's puzzles. I'm fascinated by all the many little pieces and how they fit together.

19. Just as you might see a group of people huddled around a big table covered in thousands of tiny puzzle pieces‚ intently studying the various shapes, and cheering each time another piece is safely tucked into its place, so should we be with the Lord's spiritual puzzles. We can't expect to just toss the pieces around carelessly and hope they'll fall into place, thus completing the whole picture rather effortlessly. We need to study and think and pray about all the fine details, and look for clues, and then we'll find the picture becoming clearer all the time. If we look at it like that, it's a challenge. It's fun. It's not laborious study, but it's an adventure. (ML #3349:32-33, GN 942).

End of text box.

What's the scriptural foundation for using the keys in the way we do?

20. (Question:) I don't disbelieve the keys. I include them in my prayers. I know that because the Lord's way is so much higher than ours, there are probably billions of things that I don't understand in His Kingdom. Nevertheless, I still get stuck on the keys. Sometimes I do "choke" a bit. Please pray for me in this, as I guess it has to be the Lord to give me the faith.

21. You see, when Dad had a new revelation from the Lord—some of which were pretty wild, as he admitted himself—he was always very faithful to give us scripture after scripture after scripture to back up the doctrine. Sometimes he said, "Well, you can believe this if you want to," but he made sure he gave us the verses to give us faith.

22. In the case of the keys‚ there is only one verse in the Bible that specifically mentions the keys of the Kingdom, which doesn't give the impression that they're anything new or anything very big. I guess I don't understand why I should claim the key promises now instead of the Bible promises. Are the key promises better than the Bible promises? I don't think I've read that anywhere, yet I do hear people's prayers where they claim the key promises (not the Bible), and it is what we are encouraged to do. I don't understand why "If you ask anything in My Name I will do it" isn't good enough anymore.

23. My trials and questions about the keys are not going to stop me praying, and I won't leave the Family because of it, but for me it's an extra trial that I don't need right now. There have been testimonies of answers to prayers prayed using the keys; yet on the other hand, there have been countless testimonies of answers to prayer pubbed over the years—thrilling, miraculous answers to prayers prayed using the Bible. I'd hate to think we were somehow phasing out the Bible.

24. I certainly don't go around talking to everyone about this, but I would appreciate hearing from you, how you see it. Thanks!

25. (Dad:) Hi, Son! God bless you! I love you! You're an avid student of the Word and I'm glad you've taken the time to ask this question—which is a very good and valid question—and at the same time have had the faith to just take it by faith so far. There are a lot of things the Lord asks us to take purely by faith, and sometimes they simply can't be understood by the carnal mind because they're spiritually discerned.

26. It's like being saved. How in the world does that make sense? You accept Jesus' atonement for your sins by faith, right? But when you think about it in practical terms, when you first heard about salvation—was it logical? It's not logical to think that some man you not only don't know‚ but who lived 2‚000 years before you, died for you because He personally loved you. That out of all the billions of people who ever lived on Earth, He knew about little ol' you—and you weren't even going to be born for another 2,000 years! To think that just because this guy hung on a cross and died for you, you could be forgiven for all your sins and someday be taken to some far-out paradise where you'd finally meet the guy face to face and live happily ever after for all eternity—not to mention you were asked to believe that He not only died, but He actually rose from the dead three days later—all so that you could now have this man living in your heart—and how does someone else live in your heart anyhow—how much sense does all this make? It takes faith‚ right?

27. When Jesus tried to explain the concept of salvation to Nicodemus‚ He told him, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." But Nicodemus had a hard time understanding this whole concept. Why? Because it goes against carnal and logical thinking.

28. Nicodemus was raised in the jot and tittle of a very literal law dealing with every physical matter imaginable. Most of the Jews were. That's what Jesus came to set them—and us—free from. "The letter of the law killeth." "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."

29. There's another brainteaser that you've accepted all your life: How can spoken words be spirit and life? This is a truth and principle that your heart and mind have accepted even though it makes no logical sense when you really think of it. And that is why, from the very beginning, when Paul was preaching to the very analytical Jews, the philosophical Greeks, and the carnal Romans, the Lord showed him that the carnal mind was at enmity with God.

30. I'll get around to answering your question in a minute, because, as I said, it's a good and valid question. But first I wanted to make the point that the fact that you're "choking" on this one little issue is an attack of the Enemy—a little seed of doubt through which he is trying to enter in and throw off your service for the Lord.

31. You've accepted much bigger and more complex issues by faith, so the fact that this question that you can't quite understand has grown to such large proportions and so large an issue in your mind shows that it's really the Enemy who is behind it‚ trying to bog you down and hinder your faith and service for the Lord through it.

32. The Lord knows that this is a major tactic of the Enemy, which is why He's giving and instructing us in the gifts of full possession and heavenly thought power—of letting our minds become one with His mind so that we can not only think His thoughts, but also partake of His power and heavenly perspectives and truths, against the very reasonable temptations of carnal logic such as the Enemy tempted the Lord with during those 40 days in the wilderness.

33. Now, to answer your question, there were many things that the Lord told His disciples on Earth, and not all of them made it into the Bible. In fact‚ very few of them did—only those things that were most important and sufficient for the vast majority of sheep and heathen who would have to find salvation through it. The Lord had a good deal more to say about the keys and the power He had entrusted to His disciples that didn't make it into the Bible. There were many conversations He held one–on-one with His disciples that never made it into any Gospel, because those particular disciples didn't write it down, but only made it part of their personal stand and witness for the Lord. The Lord is now giving you and many others many of these same things through the gift of prophecy, much like He personally spoke to and instructed each of His disciples when they walked and talked with Him.

34. So just because the keys of the Kingdom are only mentioned in one verse of the Bible and don't seem to hold that much more significance than any of the other verses and promises of power and protection, this doesn't mean that they can't be as important as the Lord is telling us they are today. Nor does it mean that all the other verses and promises are suddenly not important anymore. In fact, you'll notice that many of the key promises are familiar scriptures that have been paraphrased to include the keys in them. And that little clue is a "key" to unraveling this particular mystery of the keys.

35. Now pull out your Bible, because you're going to have to follow along for this part. First I want you to go to Luke 10, starting at verse 17. This is after the Lord sent out His 70 disciples, and they went forth and did a lot of miracles and wonders in His Name. They preached the Kingdom of God and healed the sick, trusting the Lord to supply all their needs as they did so. Now they've returned with great joy, saying‚ "Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Your Name!" What does the Lord answer? Verse 18: "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from Heaven!"

36. Now this isn't when Satan is cast out of Heaven for good. It says he "falls" here, and there are two reasons for that. For one, his power and dominion on Earth in the hearts of men has fallen. The Lord came to set men free from his power, from the power of death and hell, and He not only did so personally, but now He's trained others to do so (Rev.1:18). That's one reason the Enemy fell, and in the spirit it was quick as lightning!

37. For another reason, when Satan saw the 70 off doing their miracles, the prince of the power of the air freaked out! He suddenly realized that he was not only having to keep an eye on that thorn in his side, the Son of God, Jesus, but that suddenly here were 70 more little "messiahs" walking around winning souls and casting out his devils! He shot to Earth like lightning when he realized, "Hey, this battle is starting for real! I need to get my act together! I need to get my devils together! I need to consolidate my power and principalities. My demons are getting put out of commission, being ejected left and right! I've got to do something! I've got to get down here and take action!"

38. Even though Satan had suffered some great defeats, the Lord knew he was going to try even stronger attacks and temptations to defeat the work and power of Heaven that was beginning to spread not only through Jesus, but now through these 70 disciples! And so what does Jesus say next?

39. Verse 19: "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over ALL the power of the Enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Are you starting to see my point? Can you see where I'm going with this? When the Enemy steps up his attacks, the Lord steps up the power that is available to fight against him. And that is the significance of the power of the keys of the Kingdom that He is now instructing you to make use of.

40. Now let's go to that verse about the keys of the Kingdom in Matthew 16:19. The Lord says, "I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven." Then He explains what these keys are for: "Whatsoever thou shalt bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven."

41. The bottom line was that, again, now that the Son of God was about to be manifested and revealed to the world in a greater way, through greater miracles and manifestations of power, the disciples were also going to need more power, even more direct access to the spiritual resources of Heaven, so the Lord had to give them the keys of the Kingdom for that purpose. But hadn't He already given them power before this? What did they need the keys for? Well, what does anybody need keys for?—To get into something that until then has been locked!

42. The Lord has given you the keys to the Kingdom. These keys have been around for a long time. But as the Lord told the Family during Feast 2001, He has augmented their power and He's giving the Family full access, because you're going to need it as His Endtime army. He's saying, "There's a lot of power behind that door that I want you to discover. I've augmented the keys of the Kingdom, and now I'm making the full power of Heaven available to you, but you've got to pick up these keys and put them to use. You've got to learn to use them. You've got to call on the keys of the Kingdom and command their power.

43. "I've given you many promises and much power, but there is even more behind this door that you haven't tapped into yet! Here, this is exactly how you can use them and access this power. You can claim, 'My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory' and I will supply for you. But if at the same time you call on the keys and say, 'My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory through the keys of the Kingdom‚’ it opens an entirely new door of power and priority for that request."

44. That's what all this "calling on the keys" business is about. It doesn't mean that past answers to prayer were any less miraculous‚ or that other promises and verses of supply and protection are no longer as powerful or even still valid. It just means that as the Lord's elite Endtime army facing the final showdown and greatest battle between Heaven and Hell of all history‚ He's telling you that without availing yourselves of the fullest and greatest manifestations of His power that He's making available to you, you're not going to make it. From that perspective, is it any wonder that He has increased and augmented the original power of Heaven that was available?

45. When the Lord first gave His disciples power "over all the works of the Enemy‚" the Enemy was only using so much power against them. Since then, the Enemy has continued to broaden his base and sphere of influence and power in and over this world. It is his right, because this is his domain. But it also means that what was once sufficient against "all the power of the Enemy" is not sufficient anymore! You could call it spiritual inflation. The disciples could do more with less power in their day because the resisting power of the Enemy wasn't as great. Today the resisting power of the Enemy and his doubts and carnality are stronger in the world, so the Lord needs to give us even greater faith and greater power to perform miracles today.

46. Because He is expecting even "greater works than these," the sources of power and spiritual energy and the openness and receptivity of each person's channel to that energy and power become almost astronomical compared to what was needed 2,000 years ago! But no matter what the Enemy tries to throw at you and how advanced his armies and legions and tactics become, they can never outdo the Lord‚ Who is still and always will be greater than "he that is in the world."

47. So call on the Lord, call on His promises, call on His power‚ call on the keys of His Kingdom! Expect miracles, and in Jesus' Name and the power of the keys you'll get them!

48. God bless you, Son. I love you! Thank you for being a faithful student of the Word and the Bible and for "searching the scriptures to see if these things be so." Just don't forget to seek the Lord as well, and realize that not everything He tells us today will have a precedent in what He told His disciples or prophets thousands of years ago. That's what the "more sure word of prophecy" is for, and why the Lord has been so insistent on us learning to use it, discern it, judge it, interpret it, and understand it.

49. "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established‚" and you can be sure that the messages and revelations that proceed from your queen's house and from the cup of your winetaster have been prayed about and confirmed by practiced and prayerful channels in countless messages, explanations, clarifications, and confirmations from the Lord. That is the responsibility of your queen and king, and one that they take very seriously, and that the Lord and I have entrusted them with. And they're doing a great job passing on the words and revelations the Lord gives them, and that the Lord knows are needed to prepare us all for the days and times of "Great Tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of this time" that are soon to come!

50. Will you be ready? Not without the power of the keys, you won't! (End of message from Dad.)

Why do we have to emphasize the keys?

51. (Question:) Why is it no longer enough just to pray in the Name of Jesus and claim and stand on Your Word? Why is it so important that we call on the keys and claim the key promises?

52. (Jesus:) There are many barriers between Heaven and Earth, between the realm of the spirit and the realm of the flesh, but the keys, which are a spiritual power, immediately part the veil and provide access to the full power of Heaven. If you find it hard to believe that there's such a great distance between the realm of the spirit and the realm of the flesh, and that there's so much happening in between, why do you think all of those who have had life-after–death experiences tell of the big tunnel they must travel through to reach Heaven?

53. The spiritual world is vast, and I have allowed the Enemy control of certain sectors of it for now. The keys were created to part the veil‚ to give you instant access to My power. The Enemy seeks to stop you from gaining access, and his efforts to block or hinder you will increase even more as you draw closer to the End. That is why you need the power of the keys to access My full power immediately‚ instantly, in the blink of an eye. The keys give you direct access to the power source of Heaven, the awesome and mighty power that could, if it were My will, destroy every last demon of Hell‚ including the Devil himself, in an instant.

54. I understand that it takes more faith to call on the keys, because it's a new concept. But calling on the keys doesn't replace Me. In calling on the keys you are calling on Me, because the keys are a part of Me. It's like accessing a secret code, a direct hotline where you can connect to My full power without having to go through a lot of motions. Yes, prayer is powerful, and when you pray, things happen. But in the process of prayer as you now know it‚ there are many factors that come into play. It's dialogue between you and Me, and you must state your request clearly and explicitly. There is also a prayer chain of command in the heavenlies, where prayers go through different channels and where My helpers in the spirit world are assigned to help bring about answers to prayer. It often takes time and effort for you and the spirits involved in bringing the answer to pass. But in the future, when the Family's faith in the keys has been honed and refined‚ there will be more instant miracles—and very powerful ones at that.

55. The power of the keys—and the other weapons of the spirit—empowers your prayers more than ever before. When you call on the power of the keys in prayer, you heighten and increase your prayer power. The keys create a slit or an opening in the veil between your world and Mine‚ and in an instant, in a split second, you can access full, tremendous power from Heaven. This is what you will need in the days to come when My power and the keys' manifestations will be clearly known and seen.

56. You will not always have time to prime the pump, speak in tongues, and desperately pray lengthy prayers as you do now. There will be situations where you'll need to simply utter the words, "The keys!" and lightning will fall, or prison doors will open, or eyes will be blinded‚ or wild beasts' mouths closed, or whatever miracle you need will come to pass. That's when you'll see and know clearly that there is a specific difference between praying without the keys and calling on the keys. You'll see and know the instant power available to you through them, such power that was not available to you before—not even through the powerful weapon of prayer without the enhancement of the new weapons. The keys will bring on-the-spot power, direct answers, and are created specifically for times when tremendous surges of heavenly intervention are needed in an instant, according to My will.

Text box:

57. (Jesus:) There will be times in the future when there will be such a deep understanding between Me and My brides that they will be able to utter (either with their mouth or in their thoughts) a single word, an access code for a new weapon, and they will know that I will answer them. They will have grown in their faith, and they will have seen My power manifested. That's why I say that in the future My children will be able to simply call out to the keys, and then miracles will happen instantly.

58. There will be a distinct difference in the future because of many things—not just the keys. There will be deeper and more instant understanding between us as a result of full possession and heavenly thought power. Now it is necessary for you to express your heart to Me, to pray in detail, and to claim promises for every situation, in order to be giving Me your all. It's a part of the strengthening of your faith, because as you use the weapon of praise, for example, and then see miracles, it gives you greater faith in it. The same is true with the keys.

59. But in the future there will be a need in many dire situations for you to be so closely linked to My mind, so believing regarding My keys, and so knowledgeable of My promises through reading and memorizing My Word‚ that you will be able to receive those instant miracles through saying or thinking one or two simple words. It seems odd to you now‚ and you wonder how it would be possible. It will be because you will be accessing many spiritual weapons at once. It will be possible for you to, in a split second, access every weapon in your arsenal. Because you will be linked to My mind, because you will have heavenly thought power‚ your abilities in the spiritual warfare will be supernatural.

60. In the time it would take to say, "I call on the keys," you would be: 1) Using the weapon of prayer, because you would be communicating with Me. 2) You would also be using the power of the keys. 3) You would be using the weapon of praise‚ because in your heart and spirit you'd be calling‚ proclaiming My greatness. 4) You'd be loving Me intimately, because you'd be linked to My Spirit intimately. 5) You'd be using heavenly thought power‚ because that would be the glue linking everything together. (End of message from Jesus.)

End of text box.

61. The keys are activated by faith‚ and without full faith, you won't be able to access their full power. The time when you can reach up with the keys through the veil directly into Heaven and in an instant pull down the power to blow up an Antichrist aircraft, for example, will come when you truly and completely believe in My power, and when in your mind there are absolutely no impossibilities. That is why you wouldn't be able to access that kind of power right now, today, because for the most part you don't yet have the kind of unwavering faith where you could yell out, "The keys!" and know that in that very same instant the miracle would occur.

62. Some of you have the idea that the keys, if they are as real and powerful as I say they are, should be able to do these kinds of breathtaking miracles right now, today. But there are reasons they don't. For one thing, it's not the time; for another thing, you don't have the faith, and for the most part the need isn't as great today as it will be in the days to come. I do many miracles when you call on the keys, but many of you are looking only for the more outstanding, fire–from-the-sky miracles, which I have for the most part reserved for the future. These days are for the purpose of strengthening your faith, the days when you're obeying and honing the gift, when you're learning to make calling on the keys a part of your nature, a natural reaction.

63. You're seeing the keys work miracles because you're using them, but because they're almost the same kind of miracles you've been used to seeing, you tend to start losing faith. Since you wouldn't consider the miracles you're seeing today as "greater" or "more powerful" than you're used to, you think, "What's the point of using the keys? Why not just keep calling on the Lord and praying normally, because I'm not getting better, quicker, or more powerful results?"

64. It's true that in many cases you probably can't see or notice the difference, but there is a difference, even though it may only be slight. If you were to go back to the way you used to do things, considering the conditions of the spirit world today, you would find yourself having to fight much more arduously and it would take much more effort without the keys. You would feel the difference and would notice that your power was lacking. It's because the world is getting darker, the spiritual realm is much more active than ever—both the good and the bad side—and the power of the keys is helping you not to be so overwhelmed, and is giving you the power to keep winning victories and seeing miracles.

65. You may feel that everything is the same in the natural, but it isn't the same in the spirit world. If you were to try and go back to the way you did things before, in praying without the new weapon of the keys in your arsenal, you'd notice the difference—because your prayers wouldn't be as powerful or effective. And if you really are struggling with the concept of using the keys, then maybe you should try it. If you used only the power of prayer—without the enhancements of the other spiritual weapons‚ like the keys—victories would be much more of a struggle to win‚ goals would be harder to attain, changes would be more difficult to implement, and everyday miracles would be fewer.

66. But, My children‚ even if you don't see many of what you would consider real "miraculous" answers to prayer, or the kind of things you think the keys should be capable of and that I have promised they will do in time, please trust Me. This is a time of testing, a time of proving your faith, a time of honing your skills‚ a time of building habits. It's a time of training in using the keys and learning how to wield them.

67. It's like you're a soldier in boot camp going through basic training, learning how to use your weapons and how to handle yourself in combat‚ so that when you're sent out on the battlefield you'll be a good soldier‚ you'll know how to use your weapons, and you won't be caught in the line of fire not knowing how to shoot your "gun."

68. Think about a soldier in training: If he didn't have his eyes on what all of his training was for or how powerful his weapons were‚ he could get pretty discouraged. Every day he'd be training with his gun, shooting at various targets, all the while being told what sort of accomplishment it will be when he shoots accurately at his enemy. It takes faith for him to believe that the weapon he's learning to use will actually be so powerful, but when the time comes for him to engage in combat, it will quickly become shockingly clear. His constant, never-ending training in the use and maintenance of his weapon was probably pretty boring at times, and he may have wondered why he had to keep practicing over and over and over again, but the training continued. On the battlefield he'll be glad he put faith in the gun, learned how to use it, and didn't fritter away his time or give up because he didn't immediately see the full results or the purpose of his training.

69. Think about doctors or surgeons. They go through years of education‚ training, and instruction before they ever get their hands on "the real thing." For many years their education is only in theory. It's a long time before they even get to be an assistant in the operating room, let alone perform an operation on their own. But all their years of training in using the medical instruments and understanding how the human body works are put to use when they finally get to practice what they've learned.

70. It's the same with many professions of this high caliber. There's a lot of training, practice, instruction and education before someone like a doctor is allowed to actually use the tools of his profession—in a sense, his weapons against disease. It's because it's a serious calling and job, and people can't be trusted with the full responsibility without first proving themselves proficient, faithful, and dedicated in their training.

71. It's much like it is now with the keys. You're going through a period of training—learning more about this weapon of calling on the keys, making it more of a habit and your first reaction, and learning to be masters of key power. The keys are a very heavy responsibility and a powerful weapon, and that's why I'm training you in their use. It takes time for you to learn to use the keys as you should, and the wisdom you gain through this time of training will prepare you to be a prayerful wielder of the awesome power when it's fully released to you at the time appointed. It will be released to you when the time is right, when you're a skilled key wielder, and in that time you will be so thankful you didn't give up, but kept up with your training even though you didn't always see visible results.

72. That's what the Devil hates and fears the most: when you will access the full power of the keys in the future. That's why he's fighting so hard now, in these days of relative peace, to get you to doubt the keys and their power or to slack off in your practice drills—not only because of their power to defeat him today, but also because he knows their power will be aimed at him and his ilk even more strongly in the days to come. He trembles in fear at what's to come as your faith grows and you become more practiced in your use of the keys.

73. It's your faith in the keys being strengthened and your preparation for the days ahead that he wants to stop today. So if he can get you to minimize their power to the point where you don't use them and they don't become a part of your nature and way of operating, then he's won a pretty big victory—a present victory because you won't be defeating him as much today if you're not using the keys, and a future victory as well. Even though you don't clearly see the full power of the keys now, in time you will, and you can be sure the Enemy sees and knows and is sorely afraid of it.

74. He's seen the full power of direct access to Heaven before, when I was on Earth, cutting through every barrier between Heaven and Earth in an instant, and he trembles in fear at the thought of that same power—only multiplied and enhanced—being wielded against him and his minions in the not too distant future. When I used the keys of the Kingdom‚ he trembled and feared‚ but as powerful as I was‚ I was only one key wielder. In the End, all of My children who choose to can wield that same power, and that awesome widespread accessing of the full power of Heaven is going to send shock waves throughout his kingdom—both his earthly kingdom and his spiritual kingdom! That's why he fights it so hard‚ because he knows that there is no such power available to him‚ nothing that even comes close to matching the immediate full power of Heaven released through the key codes of Heaven.

75. As I said before and I'll say to you again, My children of the End, applying it to today: "I have given unto you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. And whatsoever you shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven." The keys of the Kingdom are a gift, not a burden‚ and the wise will receive it, hone it, and trust Me for the full manifestations in the days to come. (End of message from Jesus.)

What's the difference between praying and calling on the keys?

76. (Jesus:) Prayer is talking to Me. It's our communication system. Prayer is powerful. It effects change because you are communicating with Me, the great God of the universe, and asking Me to do something for you—to help, to anoint, to heal, to deliver, to impart revelation, or whatever the case may be. Prayer is not a minor part of your spiritual lives—it's major and is a very integral part‚ as you can see by all that I have said in many, many Letters regarding it.

77. With increased insight into the keys and increased attention being given to the keys because of the fact that My children are getting into the habit of using them, it may seem like prayer is being downplayed, but this is certainly not the case. If a child of Mine were to say, "I call on the keys," that is praying. Praying is simply talking to Me, whether through long communication or through a brief thought sent My way. The keys do not minimize the power of prayer or the effects of prayer. They only enhance it.

78. If you think of prayer as communication with Me, then you will realize that many things fall under the umbrella of prayer and interlink with prayer. Prayer is a vehicle for the keys, a vehicle for praise, a vehicle for heavenly thought power, and many more things. Prayer is a necessary link to the power behind each of these gifts or weapons—Me. Though prayer and the keys are different, they're connected when you call on the keys, because you're communicating with Me as you do so, even if you were to just say, "I call on the keys," which is prayer.

79. Prayer—your avenue of communication with Me—is the basic ingredient that must be present, and then all of the other new weapons enhance it. Praise enhances the power of prayer. The keys enhance the power of prayer. Loving Me intimately enhances the power of prayer. Prophecy enhances the power of prayer, because you can receive direction on how to pray on the spot‚ as I speak to your heart and show you how to pray most effectively.

80. Prayer does work change—great change. It always has and it always will. But prayer, when other spiritual weapons are used in conjunction with it, becomes more powerful. A simple prayer without any spiritual weapons to support it is powerful, but a prayer supported with the spiritual weapon of praise is more powerful. And it grows from there, meaning that a prayer supported with the weapons of praise, loving Me intimately, and the keys, is even more powerful!

81. If these different spiritual weapons didn't enhance prayer and work greater change in the spirit world—through defeating the Enemy, speeding answers on their way, and much more—then what would be their purpose? If prayer were to only be as powerful as it always was, even if you were to use all of the new weapons in conjunction with it, then what would be the point of the new weapons? If they didn't make things easier for My children, if they didn't give greater power in the spirit to defeat the Enemy, and if they didn't make prayer more powerful and give you quicker and more powerful answers, then why would I be stressing their importance over and over in message after message? It's because they do hold power. It's because they are vital for My warriors of today. It's because they do enhance prayer and make it many, many times more effective.

82. That's not to say that before you had all of these new weapons you never received instant answers to prayer—you did when the situations warranted it, and when you were in need of an instant miracle. I wouldn't have left you destitute. You didn't have information about all of the new weapons, so in praying desperately you were doing the best you knew how in any given situation. So when instant miracles were needed, I performed them for you. I didn't just sit up in Heaven and say, "Oh, well, you haven't accessed all of the power of the spirit world, so I can't really change this situation immediately in answer to your prayer." At the time, through simple prayer, you were accessing the full power of Heaven as you knew it, as it had been revealed to you, so I answered—and many times you saw instant miracles. But even those miracles will not compare to the future miracles I will do!

83. Today, with the greater knowledge of the new weapons and all that I have revealed to My Family, if someone were to find themselves in need of an instant miracle, they would be accountable to use all of the new weapons as they petitioned Me for a miracle. It's because times and seasons have changed‚ and greater spiritual firepower is needed now. A simple prayer would no longer be enough because: 1) The Enemy is now more powerful than ever‚ the spiritual warfare has intensified, and greater power in the spirit world through the new weapons is required to defeat him and perform My miracles. 2) Each person in the Family is now more accountable‚ and to show their full desperation and desire for a miracle‚ they must use all of the weapons at their disposal. (End of message from Jesus)

What's the difference between saying "the keys" and the one–word or very short prayers we sometimes pray now?

84. (Jesus: ) There's a difference between praying, "Please heal Mama," and, "I claim the keys of healing for Mama." The latter is using the keys, which is accessing more power. It's not that if you only pray, "Please heal Mama," I'm not going to answer your prayer. I'll just be a little limited in the power you've sent My way through your prayer. I'd have much more to work with if you'd called on the keys at the same time.

85. In saying, "The keys" in the way I'm explaining it in terms of your future power, you will be so linked with My Spirit and so well-versed in using the new weapons‚ and will have such great faith in My ability to do miracles, that in the second you say, "The keys," you'll be able to access the greatest power of Heaven available to you. It will be many spiritual weapons interlinked and in play at the same time, but the keys will be the ones that will pierce the veil for the miracle to come through. As I have said before, all of the weapons must work together, and you must use them in conjunction with each other and in conjunction with My will. That's where heavenly thought power and being fully linked to My mind comes into play, because you'll just know it's My will in that very instant, and that builds unshakable faith.

86. It's a matter of building your faith, honing your skills, and getting to the point where you're so sure of Me and My power that you have total peace that I will answer. Right now, most people don't have that kind of faith where they could just say a word and be so fully linked to My mind that they know My will, be so versed in using the weapon of praise that it's a subconscious reaction, etc. So there are many differences between the short one-word prayers you pray today and what I am giving you a glimpse of for the future. But mainly it has to do with faith and being fully linked to Me. (End of message from Jesus.)

Why is it no longer enough to just pray in the Name of Jesus?

87. (Jesus:) Things have changed. Times have changed. As I've said many times, the ante has been upped on both sides in the spiritual war. While calling on My Name and standing on My promises from the Bible were enough for yesterday, they are not enough for today. This you will simply have to take by faith, realizing that I know best.

88. You see, I've got your very best interests at heart and I'm here at your side to help you win. So of course I'm going to give you the best weaponry, the most powerful I have available for you, and I've given it to you through the keys of the Kingdom. The keys of the Kingdom are what you need to unlock the spiritual realm. They are also a crucial part of the three–in–one power that I've given you to help you progress and win victories most effectively at this particular time in the spiritual warfare—and even more importantly in the days of the End to come. (See the excerpt from "What Is Jesus Worth to You" in paragraph 91.)

89. The keys are a very real entity—a part of the fusion of My power‚ which is the power that can cripple and defuse the Enemy's power most effectively. Of course‚ you can still bind the Enemy's power in My Name and through quoting scripture‚ but the weaponry of the keys far exceeds former armaments in effectively driving the Enemy back and performing miracles on My behalf! This is My weapon of choice for you today—one of those high-powered, high-tech weapons which you may not fully understand or comprehend‚ but one which I have promised works, and that's what counts. Use that power faithfully and you'll have no doubt as to its effectiveness in taking out the Enemy and performing miracles on your behalf! The proof of the pudding is in using the power‚ and once you've tasted of the results, you'll realize that you don't have to understand in order to believe.

90. The Enemy's strongholds in the world and in the hearts of men have multiplied, and his power has been greatly magnified as a result. What worked against him yesterday will not work as effectively today. So you, as My elite cadre of disciples and soldiers, have been given the very best in weaponry through the gift of the keys and the benefit of training and instruction in their use. (End of message from Jesus)

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Three-in-one Power! (From "What Is Jesus Worth to You?")

91. (Jesus:) There is a fearsome battle being fought in the heavenlies! It is a battle royal, for the Enemy knows that his end is nigh. He fights his three greatest spiritual foes—Me, the Word, and the keys of the Kingdom—for we are one and the most powerful force in the world, in the heavens, in the universe. Satan knows that his end is drawing nigh, and he fights like a madman, savoring his last days in power as king of the netherworld, grasping at any thread of hope that his reign might be prolonged.

92. He has always fought My Word, but his attacks today are even more vicious and relentless. Never before have the battles in the spiritual and the physical realms been so intense as they are today.

93. Never has My Word been as powerful as it is today for you, My children. For up until recently, you had only two parts of the puzzle, and now you have all three—Me, My Word, and My keys. Me and My Word you have had since the beginning, because these are the basics of your spiritual weaponry. And only recently, as we have entered the Last Days, did I find it necessary to reveal to you the full power of the keys of the Kingdom, this additional portion of My power and your anointing for these Last Days. You must have all three parts, My loves—Me‚ My Word‚ and the keys—for we are one.

94. Don't you see? The three pieces that fit together during these Last Days to defeat the Enemy, to give you power to rise to victory and to make it through till the End are Me, the Word, and the keys. Together, we are your salvation, your anointing‚ and without all three you won't make it.

95. I am powerful, My Word is powerful, and the keys are powerful‚ but combined we are your vital companions in these Last Days! You will be fighting evil forces such as you have never imagined, and will need power such as you have not yet experienced, but which can only be achieved when I, the Word‚ and the keys are one in you.

96. To neglect My Word is to neglect Me, for I am one with My Word. To neglect the keys and their power is to neglect Me, for I am one with My keys. Thus the Enemy attacks in these two arenas, to get you to doubt, procrastinate, or lose your sense of urgency in the spirit. You can't use the full power of the keys without the Word. You can't use the full power of the Word without the keys. The Enemy knows this‚ and so he seeks to distract, divide and conquer.

97. The Enemy delves into each person's heart to find out where their greatest weakness lies. The Enemy is the accuser of the saints, the tempter, and just as you are not ignorant of his devices, so he is not ignorant of your thoughts, desires and weaknesses. That is how he is able to use the mind as his battlefield in attacking you, for he can monitor it, to some extent. He does not know it as I do‚ nor does he have power over it as I do, but he can tempt and attack in these ways, and I allow this for the purpose of strengthening you, My loves. Your adversary is your friend in this respect, as I have said before, for he forces you to draw nigh to Me.

98. But if you are hesitant to use the keys, he enhances those feelings and fights to pull you back. If you are weak in the Word, he puts distractions in your life that make it even more difficult for you—busyness, things to do that you think are more important than time spent in the Word, doubts, familiarity, or perhaps just plain laziness.

99. Your adversary knows My power with My keys and My Word combined. He knows the plan I have for the End of Days. He knows that I am his demise, and that you will carry out My plan as My witnesses in these Last Days. But you cannot be My tools if you do not obey‚ if you do not know, live, breathe, and think My Word, and therefore this is where he attacks. You must let Me, My Word, and the keys become one with you, for unless all three are an integral part of your life, I will only be able to use you to a certain degree, but never fully.

100. The Word is not only something to keep you inspired, obeying, and on the right track, but it's a spiritual substance that needs to run through your being continuously. If not, you won't make it through the days ahead.

101. My Word must live within you, both now and in the days to come. My Word is a part of Me within you; it is part of your protection, part of your strength, part of what will separate you from the world, a part of your very being, and it works hand in hand with My keys so that you can access My full power.

102. There are chemical compounds on Earth, such as water, which is made up of the elements hydrogen and oxygen. Well, in the spirit it's like that too. I‚ plus My Word, plus the keys, combine to make the fuel‚ power, spiritual stamina, authority, and everything you will need in the days to come—and today‚ now, is when you must prepare. It's an Endtime phenomenon, a spiritual fact!

103. Be wise, My children‚ and heed My words‚ because tomorrow may be too late. (End of message from Jesus.) (ML #3433:67–69, 71-76, 79-81, 88‚ GN 1016).

End of text box.

How do the keys, prophecy, and the Bible all work together?

104. (Question:) Dear Peter and Mama, I would like to talk with you about the keys. When the Letters on the keys first came out‚ I studied them and researched them, really wanting to get behind this new move. I didn't really understand, but I followed. Then, as the keys became more and more prominent in our spiritual life, I started to have questions, and now that they are on the same level as Jesus and the Word, I get attacked with doubts. I read and study the key promises, but it is just a plain fight to believe the power of the keys sometimes. I have to rebuke a lot of attacks in my mind.

105. I do pray in the name of the keys, I claim them. I just battle with the fact that they became so important, as important as Jesus. I do not have any church background, but I get attacked with thoughts that we are straying from our foundation, from the Bible. I have a bad memory, and Lord help me, I haven't memorized much in the past few years, and having to memorize all the key promises when I have been neglecting my verses has been a battle. I am sorry. I want to believe. If the keys are the Word, so be it; Lord help my unbelief. I have had to take some of our new moves by faith at times, but the battles never lingered as this one is.

106. P.S. I couldn't send you this without asking the Lord about my battles regarding the keys, as I know that this is the first thing you would ask me to do. Lord help me to develop the habit of asking Him everything, especially these important things which touch at my faith. Here is my question and what my dear Lover told me:

107. (Prayer:) Sweet Jesus, why am I having all these battles about the keys? Is there anything You can tell me to help me through it?

108. (Jesus:) Trust, My love. Trust Me and trust your shepherds. Have I ever failed you, and have they? The keys are a new language to express some realities of the spirit world that are new to you. It is a means to communicate these realities. It is an expression, a bridge between the world of My Spirit and your world. Flow with it, embrace them, and as you do, you will experience their power more and more‚ and you will know firsthand that the keys work.

109. For now‚ do flow with the move‚ even though you do not understand it, even though the emphasis on the keys causes you to hesitate. Rebuke the hesitation and go in by faith. You do not understand. That is fine, you do not need to understand. You just need to do, to obey, to follow, and as you do‚ the understanding, or at least the faith, will come. Do not dwell on your doubts; step on them as you take your steps of faith; give them to Me as you turn to Me, just as you do now, to have My mind, and keep going by faith. (End of message from Jesus)

110. (Note from Mama:) I just have to say here, dear one‚ that I'm so proud of you for taking your questions to the Lord like that. The Lord can always give the answers that will give you peace and faith and set you on the road to victory once again‚ if you're willing to receive them. Peter and I love you dearly and are praying for you, and we pray this further answer from the Lord that follows helps to answer your questions as well.

111. (Jesus:) My sweet one, how I long to gently wipe away the doubts that the Enemy flings at you. You look at yourself and you see weakness; but I look at you and see the strength of weakness, which will stand through every test. My love, you are battling with this because you're seeing something in the wrong perspective. You separate the Word, Me, and the keys, but we are one.

112. Claiming the keys is not abandoning the Word or Me—just as My words of prophecy through My servant David enhanced the Bible and helped bring it to life for so many because it was My Word pouring through My mouthpiece. You didn't have to debase My Word in the Bible to accept the living current Word I was giving. Even so, the keys enhance both the Bible and My Word to you through My mouthpieces today. They further strengthen your connection with Me, for the keys are Me.

113. I came to Earth not to destroy the words of the old testament, but to fulfill them and to take the faithful to the next level in our relationship. My prophets throughout the ages have continued to do the same. Likewise, claiming the keys is merely the next level of empowering My Endtime prophets with the connection to Me that they will need in order to survive and flourish in the days ahead.

114. A good thing to remember is what I have said already, "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." Do the keys work? Do they empower My children? Do they help to bring the words to life as you use them? Of course, to find out, you have to step out by faith and try them out, claiming them with all your heart to see the fruits.

115. A key unlocks something more. It doesn't mean that you leave the things from before behind and don't use them. A key opens a new realm or a new room or treasure to you. You don't lose what you had before, nor does it take the place of what you had before. My Word—the Bible, the words I poured through David and continue to pour through Maria and Peter‚ and the words I am pouring each day through My channels, even through you each time you hear from Me—give you the power to keep going.

116. all these are one. When you began to receive My voice of prophecy, it didn't lessen the Bible hidden in your heart, but fulfilled and enhanced it. So it is with the keys. These are not to lessen your faith in the Bible or in Me, for they are from Me.

117. You have memorized My written Word in the Bible and have brought it to life through using it, and I love to see you standing on My Word. Now there is a need to learn to stand on and make good use of the keys as well, and to do so you must focus on building a foundation in their use so that you will become accustomed to using them.

118. My Word, both old and new, is critical to your functioning. I don't want you to abandon any one of these—the Bible, the Word for today, nor your connection to Me through the keys. All are important and you must keep all three in use, working together.

119. The difference is that whereas you didn't need the keys of the Kingdom before, you need them today. You don't need the Bible or the other promises I've given any less, but you do need the keys for the situations you'll be faced with both now and in the future. The keys don't lessen the power of the Bible, but fine-tune and enhance it by addressing the need even more precisely. You will never find a key promise that is contrary to the Bible, any more than you would find My Word of true prophecy contradicting the Bible. They are one.

120. And while the Bible is My foundation, built to keep you safe, I did not mean for you to leave it as a bare foundation. When you build a house, you begin with the foundation. But then the master carpenter must build the structure on that foundation. As long as you're sticking to that foundation and not building on the sand around it, as long as you're following My blueprint and always being faithful to check back and make sure you're sticking to it, then this doesn't detract from the foundation nor lessen its importance.

121. Your foundation is Me, My Word—and that includes the Bible, the revelations through David, Maria and Peter, My Word of the moment spoken to your heart in prophecy, and the key promises‚ which are a part of Me and My Word. Just as you claim a Bible verse or stand on a promise that I have given to you in prophecy, so should you stand on these key promises given by Me.

122. Each key promise I have either given directly in prophecy or have led My queen to collect from prophecies that I have previously given. In a few instances I have taken a promise from My written Word in the Bible and applied it to a situation in the name of the keys. But no matter what, they are given directly from Me to you, specifically for today‚ My loves. The keys are as limitless as the promises from My mouth, and as you grow to realize their full magnitude, you will come to understand that they are a further refinement and fulfillment of My love for you. (End of message from Jesus)

Text box:

Did you know…

That the Lord talked about the keys in 1998‚ before the "Keys of the Kingdom" revelation?

123. (Jesus to Mama:) Before you left Heaven, you were one of the keepers of My Words. You were one of the few that held the keys to the treasure vaults and treasure chests of Heaven. I sent that key with you—you have it to this day! You have the key to unlock the mysteries of the spirit world. You have the key to unlock the treasure chests of Heaven. This is an awesome privilege that I've given to you and to My children in these Last Days. I knew that there would be a famine in the land for My Words, so I sent you, My love, to be the keeper of the key and to unlock the treasures.

124. Never before in the history of the world has this key been endowed with such power! Never before have I unlocked the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven as I have in this day, because it was not yet My time. Never before have I given such authority to mankind. You are Maria of the End‚ the prophetess, the unlocker of the mysteries of Heaven, and the flow will never stop as long as you keep desiring Me‚ keep sucking My seeds and passing them on to My children.

125. …This world will never see another Maria. This world will never receive another such key to the vaults of Heaven. This world will never have another chance. You, My Family, are the last ones. You're the final set‚ you're the grand finale, and you hold the final keys! I have ordained this from the very beginning…

126. Many will flock to you in the days to come because you hold the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven! You hold the keys to My Words, and all of those who have tapped into this same power will have strength that they know not of. Each of My children has the power to connect to this key that unlocks the treasures of Heaven, the jewels from Beyond, My Words and the wonderful mysteries of the Spirit. All they have to do is ask. All they have to do is suck and desire it, just like you suck and desire and love Me so intimately and so passionately. (ML #3193:86-88, 91, GN 798).

End of text box.

Are the keys replacing the Word, love, prayer—the other spiritual powers that we've had to win victories with?

127. (Question:) Many of the key promises we claim every day are quite generalized, giving me the impression that the keys are the answer to absolutely everything. The impression I get is that the keys do everything that the Word, love, and prayer have already been doing since ... well ... forever. From reading up on the subject, I realize that the idea of the keys is that they add more power to everything we do, but when they are generalized so much to the point that they almost seem to replace these other important spiritual gifts and principles, it causes the key promises to lose their power and potency for me.

128. This also makes it difficult for me to memorize them‚ because I almost feel like I could take any verse or quote and add "by the power of the keys" to it and then not be sure if that is actually a key promise or something I just finished making up.

129. (Jesus:) The fact that the power of the keys represents power to do absolutely anything and overcome absolutely any impossibility should not be seen as a drag and a confusing fact, but as a great blessing! There are many aspects of the keys you haven't even begun to fathom, and as you start connecting the dots through the Word that I give you on the keys, your understanding of them will be fuller and more well rounded. But don't expect to understand everything about them now or be able to use their full power all at once, because that's just not going to happen!

130. The keys do not replace the power of prayer—they complement your prayers. When you claim the keys in your prayers, just like when you claim the Word in prayer, or use the new weapons in your prayers, your prayers become more powerful. The keys are a fulfillment of My promises to you to release greater power to you in the End of Days.

131. The keys represent the enhanced power that I've released to you. I could have chosen to call them something else, but I chose to call them the keys—and that name represents the enhanced and magnified power that I've released to you for this time in history when you desperately need it. It's a spiritual power, and that's what you must have faith in—not getting hung up on the name, or why I have dubbed a great spiritual power after an earthly object, or whatever other tricks the Enemy uses.

132. I have given you leeway to call Me many different names. There is Jesus, Jehovah‚ Lord‚ King‚ Savior, and many‚ many more. But the important thing is not what you call Me in every instance, but that you depend on My power‚ My being, the essence of My Spirit. So with the keys, I would not that My children get hung up on a name, or that the words "the keys" distract them. I could have chosen to call that spiritual power anything I wanted to, but this great, magnificent power of Heaven was dubbed by royal decree "the keys." They part the veil between you and the power sources of Heaven, and put you in direct contact with the Source.

133. It's not that what you had before wasn't good enough for those days—it was plenty good enough, more than a match for the Devil's power at the time. It was "all the power of Heaven" that you needed at that time. But now you need more power, greater and more instantaneous results‚ so I've given you the keys. It's just that simple. But keep reminding yourself that the keys and the Word are one. The keys and My love are one.

134. I know the sweeping and magnificent key promises, the ones that say "there are no impossibilities" or "all things are possible through the keys," are a little hard to fathom. But this is why I've presented them now‚ before you actually need them in active Endtime warfare, so you can become accustomed to them, and so the keys become an irreplaceable part of your lives. I want the keys to be the first thing on your lips when you hit a crisis or face a need.

135. The keys are Me! The keys are My power. The keys are My Word. The keys are My love. The keys represent all that is available to you in the form of spiritual power released for this day and age.

136. As a challenge and assignment for you, when you do come across a general key promise that doesn't hold much meaning for you because it's so general and sweeping, stop and ask Me how to apply that to your life, how to break it down for you, how to put it into specific terms. Ask Me, "Lord, exactly what do You mean‚ in specifics, when You promise that, 'Nothing on Earth or in Hell can withstand the power of the keys of the Kingdom, which you have access to at any time.'" Or, "Lord, please break it down for me so that I can better understand the following promise in real, everyday terms: 'When you wield the power of the keys, which are energetic, multidimensional, all-encompassing, penetrating, and nourishing, nothing is impossible to you.'"

137. Do you trust in My love? Do you believe that I'm the Answer Man? Do you think I would lead you astray or give you something that was merely ornamental, without any practical use, at a time when you so desperately need a new infilling of power? I'm married to you. I'm eager to answer your questions. I'm eager to help you to apply this keys revelation to your personal life. Just ask Me. Ask in faith, nothing wavering, and through the power of the keys, you will have what you desire. (End of message from Jesus.)

Text box:

138. (Jesus: ) Every time you use the keys, your faith grows and you learn a little bit more about them. Similarly, every time you pray about questions regarding the keys‚ your faith grows and you learn a little bit more about them. That's the beauty of the keys: There's no end to what you will discover about them‚ what you will learn in relation to them, and the bits of knowledge you will garner at every step of your walk to discover their secrets. Just as there is no end to what you will learn about Me‚ because I am full of mystery and will always show you new things—regarding life, regarding your service to Me, or regarding My Being—so it is with the keys.

End of text box.

If the keys are so important, why didn't we hear about them before?

139. (Question:) One thing I sometimes wonder about is why didn't we hear about the keys all these years? Not just now, but for centuries. I know they've been reserved for us, but I would like to have more information on this so that when it comes time for me to explain the keys to some outsider or church Christian‚ I'll have the info I need as to what they are‚ why we haven't heard about them before‚ was that really what Jesus was referring to when He told Peter He was giving him the keys, etc. I think Catholics will have trouble reconciling our use of the keys to that scripture, so I'd like to find out for sure that this is what Jesus was referring to.

140. (Jesus:) The keys have been in existence, as a part of My heavenly power source‚ used as an illustration and representation of My divinity, since before I came to Earth. When I walked on Earth with My disciples, I told them of this power. I gave this power to them—to Peter, yes, but to all of them as well. They accepted it, and they learned to use it in some measure.

141. The power of the keys is not an entirely new thing. The difference is that in these Last Days I have opened a fuller and deeper understanding of them to you, the children of David. There are many truths within the Bible that were understood on some level at the time they were given, and then later were understood on a deeper level, and which I then revealed to David and his children on a yet deeper level—and when you come to Heaven, you will marvel at the depths you have not yet seen.

142. That's one of the marvelous things about My Word and about the Bible—it provides treasures new and old. You can never say that you've discovered everything, for even if you have read it all and even understood it all on some level, there are deeper levels to many scriptures, and I choose when and how and to whom to reveal these truths.

143. There have been others of My children throughout history—powerful apostles, miracle workers, and saints—who have used the keys of the Kingdom to some degree, not really understanding or grasping the power that is available through them. They didn't fully understand it, for I had not revealed this measure of truth about the keys.

144. (Mama:) The Lord talks about this more in depth later, how Christians throughout the ages have had access to a measure of the keys' power, but He reserved the full power for us, because we would need it in these days of increased spiritual intensity.

145. (Jesus continues:) I have chosen to reveal a fuller knowledge, insight, and understanding of the power of the keys to you, the children of David‚ than to any others. Why?—Because you are worthy, and because desperate times require desperate measures.

146. You are the ones who will go through the Great Tribulation and endure the most difficult time the world has ever known. I have promised to care for My Own, and I have cared for My Own throughout the centuries. Does it not stand to reason that I would reserve the greatest power and the fullest understanding of My power for those who must go through the darkest days and the greatest persecutions and tribulations?

147. I have promised that I will never allow you to undergo what you are not able to bear, and the truth be told‚ the only way that you will be able to survive and endure and continue to fulfill My mission during the dark days ahead will be through the power of the keys. You need greater power, and a greater understanding of the use of that power‚ than the Christians of previous eras needed.

148. I know that this thought may bring fear to some of you, for you recall stories of the martyrs of the past, of the sacrifices and hardships endured by many for My Name's sake‚ and you wonder how the days ahead could possibly be worse than that. But if you feel that way, if fear and dread fall upon you, then you're missing the point—which is that because the power I am giving you is greater and stronger, these times will not in fact be more difficult for you than they were for those Christian heroes of times past. In fact‚ in some cases they will be even less difficult. Where there is greater darkness, there is greater light.

149. I provide the balance of power. If I allow the Enemy more power over the world, which will be the case when the Dragon is cast from Heaven and achieves full dominion over the world's kingdoms‚ then I must in turn give greater power to My children.

150. I chose not to wait until the days of great darkness to give you this power, but to give it to you in advance, so that you could become familiar with it and comfortable with it, and gain an understanding of it. I know it is a great and mighty truth and a deep mystery, and it takes faith‚ time, and hearing from Me and receiving My words and explanations to understand it and live it. Now you have time for such things as bringing your questions about the keys to Me and getting My insight, My understanding, My explanations. You have time to build and strengthen your faith. In days to come, it will not be as peaceful and things will not be as organized within your structure. You will not have the same ability to produce and receive publications and communicate with your brethren. You will not have the same time to reflect‚ meditate, and study My Word. You will not have the same access to My printed Word.

151. By then, you will need to be strong in the power already, with an unshakable confidence. You will be using it daily—and not just using it in your personal lives or for the healing of your afflictions or for the occasional serious situation, as you are doing now, which is practice, albeit serving a very needful purpose as well—but then you will be using it in life-or-death situations on a regular basis.

152. The power of the keys has always been available, but it was hidden behind a veil, a veil of understanding, that I have torn down only now in these Last Days, so that you might have the spiritual weapon you need to see you through the dark days ahead—the darkest days ever known to man, for which you will need the brightest and most pure and powerful light of Heaven—the light of the keys, to illuminate your path! (End of message from Jesus.)

If the keys are so important, why did Jesus only mention them once or twice in the New Testament?

153. (Jesus:) The keys were important then, but they are much more important now than they were in those days. The main principle of the keys was important—the concept of "all power" that was given to Me and then given to you. But the times were not as desperate nor as severe as they will be in times ahead, and those who were learning to use My power did not need as deep an understanding of it‚ much less of the keys and how they will be used in the days to come.

154. You‚ My children of David, have had a great deal of input and have a deep understanding of My Word. In comparison, My early disciples were spiritual babes. They were practically ignorant of all spiritual truth before I came along and brought them light. They were not able or prepared to receive the fuller, more complex explanations regarding the methods and mechanisms of the spiritual world. It was enough for them to understand that they could call on My power and I would work for them—and I did, in marvelous and dramatic ways. In some ways I made it easier on them, because they had less light, less truth‚ and yet they had to be the pioneers.

155. I had to take them where they were at and take them as far and as fast as I could, but they were carnal-minded‚ simple, human, and not learned in the ways of the world, neither learned in a deep understanding of the spirit world. I had three short years to pour a great deal of truth and knowledge into them. And while this training was more than enough to get them rolling, to start a spiritual revolution that would in time sweep the world and bring salvation to mankind, still, there was only limited time and so much to do in that time.

156. I gave them what they needed for then, and in so doing I also left enough information behind in My Words that they recorded in the Gospels, so that as time went on, more and greater and deeper truths could be discovered, as they were needed. (End of message from Jesus.)

Are we "reading into" the verses when we put so much emphasis on the keys?

157. (Question: ) Why has the Lord allowed us in the Family to discover the Law of Love‚ the keys, the loving Jesus revelation‚ and other such revelations, based on a few verses in the Bible, and have them eventually become cornerstones of our way of life? Are we "reading into" the verses, and how would you explain the keys to a dyed-in-the-wool Christian believer?

158. (Jesus: ) You are not "reading into" these verses. I have simply chosen, at this time, to reveal the deeper meaning of these truths to you. These things such as the Law of Love and the keys of the Kingdom stand out as being "new doctrines," and they are radical and fresh and Heaven-sent. But they're not really "new," because they are solidly based on scripture, as I have explained.

159. Those who recorded the Bible only had time and memory and ability to write down so much. As John said, if every word I spoke and everything I did were written down, the world itself could not have contained the books that would have been written. But I ensured that there was enough written down that it would open the doors of understanding to those who needed that understanding, in their time. The Bible is a guidebook, it is your foundation; it contains all the principles upon which all your doctrines must be based. And yet there are many things that are mentioned only briefly, or sometimes cryptically—but they are there just the same.

160. Just because everyone who reads the Bible doesn't come away with the same understanding or full interpretation of the deeper truths that I have given you doesn't make these truths far-fetched or false. The fact is that there is nothing in the Bible that disproves or disputes these doctrines and beliefs. There is no way to prove from the Bible that you cannot use the keys of the Kingdom in such a fashion as you do. By the same token, there is no way to prove from the Bible that your application of the Law of Love and the spiritual and physical freedom that it brings are not correct. Some people try pretty hard on that one, but those who are willing to balance scripture with scripture, to be honest and open to the right interpretation, will in the end admit that your beliefs are based on solid scripture.

161. Similarly with the revelations about loving Me intimately—the basics are all there in the Bible, about you being My bride, about us being married, about spiritual sex. This is something that My saints throughout the ages have understood and accepted to varying degrees. I took you just a little bit further and made things a little bit clearer, more black-and-white and graphic—but the essence of the truth itself didn't change any. It's the same with the keys.

162. The basic principles are there, and they are indisputable. I have, however, expanded and expounded upon what was written in the Bible, to give you greater understanding and insight into this power I have given you, because I know you have need of it.

163. When explaining the keys to others, you can begin by quoting the verse which mentions them. "And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven" (Mat.16:19). To put it simply, whatever you ask will be given to you, through the power of the keys.

164. How much power is this? It is the same power I have, as I told My first disciples: "All power is given unto Me in Heaven and in Earth" (Mat.28:18). That is the same power I have given you, "the power to become the sons of God" like Me (John 1:12). It is the power to cast out devils, to tread on serpents and scorpions, to ask what you will, to know that nothing is impossible unto you, all of which—and more—is described in My Word.

165. Ultimately it is a matter of faith whether someone decides to believe or not, just as it is when someone decides to receive Me. In the end, My sheep will hear My voice and will follow Me‚ so fret not. (End of message from Jesus)

Continued in Part 2, GN 1061

Copyright © 2003 by The Family

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