And the key of the house of David will I lay upon His shoulder;
so He shall open, and none shall shut; and He shall shut, and none shall open. Isaiah 22:22

Have you ever had a door slam in your face, then afterward, you realized it was God?
Or have you ever had a door open and you realized it was God and God alone who opened that door?
Or, if you’re trying to leave somewhere, then you feel like you are stuck and the door just isn’t opening?

We really do not run our own lives. Once we have placed our lives in the hands of Him who doeth all tings well,
we are along for the ride. It’s a submission and a trusting of God whose will we honor.

Remember when Pilate was angry at Jesus for not speaking to him and he said,
I have power to release you and power to crucify you? Pilate was afraid of what was happening.

And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art Thou?
But Jesus gave him no answer. 
Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest Thou not unto me?
knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? 
Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against Me, except it were given thee from above:
therefore he that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin. John 19:9-11

When God opens the door, no man can shut it. This was happening because God designed it to happen.
The door could not be closed there. Jesus had submitted His will to the Father.
Peter did not like the idea and wanted to stop it. Jesus rebuked him.

Then Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him, saying,
Be it far from Thee, Lord: this shall not be unto Thee. 
But He turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind Me, Satan: thou art an offence unto Me:
for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Matthew 16:23

So when the doors are open, go through them and when they are closed, submit yourself to His will.
He has His ways and His ways are higher than our ways.
Always pray for wisdom. Jesus will guide you and help you to do His will.

So then, faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17

Jesus sounded disappointed with the disciples when He said, Oh ye of little faith.
Was He really? Or was He encouraging? Or maybe both?

And He saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He arose,
and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. Matthew 8:26

Exercising your faith and not having faith are very different.

Jesus always extends His hand to us. He did so to Peter when he began to doubt,
when he was walking on the water to meet the Lord. Jesus didn’t let him sink. He reached out His hand.

But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying,
Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said unto him, 
O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Matthew 14:30-31

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers,
and had sent them out another way? James 2:24-25
Rahab believed. She was also courageous in that belief. That was her work in God’s sight.

What if God is looking for courage in the faith we already have?
Or what if He gives more faith when we need it most?
(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 2 Corinthians 5:7

Go forth in what you know He is asking of you.
You can ask for more. like the man who asked Jesus to help his unbelief, like when Peter began to sink.

Jesus is there for us. He has all the faith we need. He also has all the courage we need.
Jesus is walking beside us in what He is asking of us.

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears,
Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. Mark 9:23-24

Let us also be courageous in our faith and be willing to walk by faith and not by sight.
Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief.

Some followers of Christ might think they know Him. They might know Him to an extent.
Jesus the Christ has to know you.
There is no other way. He is the way, the truth and the life.
There is no way to earn your merits and get a passage into Heaven.

Jesus is the prize. He is the ultimate. Not His miracles, not His signs and wonders, not the dreams, not the healings. not the visions, not the prophetic words. Jesus is the treasure.

Those who treasure Jesus’ miracles more than Him do not know Him, and, He does not know them.
They have missed the mark, missed the point.

I’ve seen Revivalists or Evangelists who toot their own horn. Taking God’s glory is not pleasing to God.
He is the One who answers prayers and the one who heals, the one who predicts the future, the one who performs all sorts of miracles. Just using the name of Jesus is not going to cut it.
We must honor Him and lift Him us for all to see.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: 
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11

Thou God seest me; thou hast been pleased to take notice and care of me,
and graciously to manifest thyself unto me.
from Matthew Poole’s commentary.

And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness,
by the fountain in the way to Shur. And He said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou?
and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.
 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. 
And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly,
that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son,
and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction.
And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him;
and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her,
Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? Genesis 16:7-13

The Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament is always Jesus.
He knew why she was there. He was asking for her to say out loud what was the crux of the matter.
He told Hagar several things:
Go back and submit yourself to Sarah
I will multiply thy seed exceedingly
You are with child
You shall bear a son
His name is Ishmael
He will be a wild man
He will tango with everyone
He will still live among his brethren

Then, Hagar called God, the God that sees me.

Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off?
Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord.
Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord. Jeremiah 23:22-23

Hagar’s realization that the Lord was there with her is a beautiful thing.
God sees me.
He knows who I am.
The next step is having Him know you.
That comes with effort on our part and God will respond to our seeking Him.

We have seen so many false Christs and false prophets. Far too many.
There are some biblical teachers that fit into that category, lifting up another god rather than Jesus Christ.
The spirit of the Antichrist can be big or small, be one person who remains steadfast in his or her
dedication to an entity or idol or thought pattern that is against Christ.
These ideas can be filled with deception which always has an element of truth in it.

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Matthew 7:16

The simplest way to recognize them is they do not magnify Christ and exalt Him.
Instead, they exalt themselves or some other idol or god.

Always look for who the focus is. If it is not Christ, if He is not the center, if He is not being exalted,
then it is a false prophecy or teacher or idea.
The deception is so strong on the Earth right now. Keeping our minds meditating on His word is vital.
There are few true prophets.
Even they can be wrong or things might not turn out exactly the way they said they would.
Sometimes God has mercy and gives us more time for a devastation that is coming.
That’s why the focus must stay on Jesus.

As you read through His word, you will notice the times when eyes were not on God, the people failed.
Sometimes that failure led to devastating circumstances, for all eternity.
Solomon was an example of that. With all that wisdom, he still chose to focus on his foreign wives who did not serve the Lord and his heart turned away from the Lord near the end of his life.
Don’t be that guy.

Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 
For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers:
all things were created by Him, and for Him: 
And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. 
And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead;
that in all things He might have the preeminence. 
For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell; 
And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself;
by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. Colossians 1:15-20

And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, v 67
This song was given in praise right after Zacharias wrote on the tablet that John the Baptist,
his son, should be named John.
John was not a family name as was tradition. Elizabeth, John the Baptist’s mother,
and now his father had both confirmed that their miracle baby’s name would be John.

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people, v 68
Zacharias knew God to be the God of all the Earth, the people of Israel worshiped Him as God
whereas others were drawn to idols.
Redemption in Christ is for all the people of the Earth who will receive Him.

And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David; v 69
Zacharias knew that his son, John the Baptist, would play a part in the coming of the Messiah, Yeshua,
Jesus the Christ.

As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, which have been since the world began: v 70
God spoke of Jesus from the very beginning through many prophets of old.

That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; v 71
Mainly spiritual enemies, which sometimes include fleshly enemies.

To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant; v 72
The redemption sent to all people in the form of Jesus Christ His son
and to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as a merciful and loving God fulfilling His covenant.

The oath which He sware to our father Abraham, v 73

That He would grant unto us,
that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve Him without fear, v 74
Zacharias seemed to understand that this experience was much bigger than he could even fathom,
that Jesus the Messiah was to be born and John the Baptist would prepare the way.
The angel had made him mute so he could speak no doubt.
This must have also allowed a greater faith and understanding to grow inside of him
without the fear of man.

In holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life. v 75

And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest:
for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways; v 76
And thou, my child, John the Baptist, shall be called a prophet of the Highest,
and prepare the way of the Lord.

To give knowledge of salvation unto His people by the remission of their sins, v 77
John the Baptist’s dad, Zacharias, knew that Jesus was sent for the remission of sins.

Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, v 78
The ultimate of Grace and Mercy from God for everlasting life and eternal purity.

To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace. v 79
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 
The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 
He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. John 1:6-8

And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit,
and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel. v 80
He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. John 1:23

A little deception can be like a canker worm that destroys
or like a cancer cell that grows and multiplies and takes over.

Some teachers of the word of God are not in the truth.
Remember, Deception is Truth mixed with Error.
In every false religion, there are elements of truth mixed in.
Even teachers who teach the Bible can lead people away from the truth.
There are very few teachers whose teachings are purely from God and reflect His word perfectly.
This is why it is vitally important to remain in His word, with the Holy Spirit teaching you.

And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes,
and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them. Ezekiel 36:27

If your heart is dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ, He will keep you and lead you into truth.
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32

Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth:
for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak:
and He will shew you things to come. John 16:13

Paul reminds us to remain pure and unspotted from the world.

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this,
To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, 
and to keep himself unspotted from the world. James 1:27

Thank you, sweet Jesus for teaching us through Your Holy Spirit,
whose ability to keep us from deception or rescue us, as the case may be,
is fervent and clean, keeping us pure in Your word. In Your name, Jesus, Amen.

People get confused about God sometimes.
They believe what they think instead of believing the Word of God.
There is no other God beside the One, True, Living God, Jesus Christ.

Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it?
ye are even My witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any. Isaiah 44:8

Humbling ourselves before the word of God, the Bible takes effort. It also takes faith.
It can be easy to dismiss the things you do not like in the Bible
because they do not jive with what you think or believe.

I heard a new Christian who said the Bible was written by men.
That thought seemed to give him the right to dismiss all things that he did not like or agree with.

God has protected His word.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 2 Timothy 3:16

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man:
but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Peter 1:20-21

If we choose not to believe the truth,
God Himself will send a strong delusion so we will believe what is false.
Who wants that?

Here is the scripture that declares that truth:
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish;
because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

Now I understand why Paul said this:
My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, Galatians 4:19

God bless and protect all the new believers who are coming into the fold in these last days.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 2:4-5

We are living stones. Our works will stand if they are unto the Lord, otherwise, they will fly away as dust.

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 
If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy;
for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Our workmanship honors the Lord Jesus Christ as He dwells in each of us.

Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture,
Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious:
and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded. 2 Peter 2:6

Jesus Himself is the Cornerstone.

According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder,
I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon.
But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 
Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 
Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it,
because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 
If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 
If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
1 Corinthians 3:10-15

Unto you therefore which believe He is precious: but unto them which be disobedient,
the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word,
being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 2 Peter 2:7-8

Jesus has been offending people since people were created and likely the fallen angels before.
Though the gospel is preached, not all will accept it, though He is the King of all Kings and the Lord of all Lords, not every one will acknowledge this truth for it is not acceptable to many.

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness;
but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people;
that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness
into His marvellous light: 1 Peter 2:9

Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. 1 Peter 2:10

Obtained mercy. Accepted mercy. Have been given mercy by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts,
which war against the soul; 
Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. 1 Peter 2:11-12

Remembering that we are foreigners here. We will not fit in.
When others see our good works, that glorify God when He opens their eyes.

We are not supposed to fit in. We are likely feeling less and less a part of things.
If you talk to those who are not following Christ, you encounter much sin in conversation and anger, hatred, unforgiveness, pride, adoration for certain types of sin and the list goes on.
You can try to stand up for Christ, but there is no way to fix all the things that come up
and if you are listening to the Holy Spirit, you must wait for His wisdom.
Sometimes, there is nothing that He wants you to say. Praying helps open ears and hearts.
Those prayers can be before, during and after such encounters. Like Paul said, pray without ceasing.

God does not grow weary.
He allowed much affliction on His saints and then came through for them.
Are we to be angry at God when He allows affliction or suffering?
Job’s wife, who spoke foolishly said,
Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. Job 2:9
While it is easy to judge her for that, many of us have thought such foolish things toward God,
not understanding His ways, feeling forsaken and left out in the cold.
God does delay for many reasons.
Sometimes it can be our own faults.
Our prayers can be hindered.
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. James 4:3

Sometimes we miss it.
Sometimes we have done nothing wrong, like Daniel.

And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved,
understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent.
And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.
Then said he unto me, Fear not,
Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand,
and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. Daniel 10:11-12

So, whether something you are doing is blocking your prayers
or whether there are other conditions that delay the answer, God is working.
Seek Him always and seek Him for wisdom and strength and He will surely give it to you,
even if it seems to be delayed. He will come through. Keep knocking, keep asking.
His promises are yes and amen.

For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 2 Corinthians 1:20