The keys

“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” I quoted the bible verse into the microphone hanging from a swinging boom in the K-Praise studio.

 “That’s been one of my key verses through the years…I love it!” returned the familiar voice of Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa.

It was now late fall 2010 and I had spent many months working on getting an interview with Pastor Chuck Smith. Phone call after phone call along with long threads of emails to Laura Jackson, Pastor Chuck’s secretary, turned up no hope for an interview. However, I was determined to interview the iconic pastor God had used to light the fires of the “Jesus Movement” of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. 

“No, you will never get an interview with Chuck, I won’t let that happen” said another pastor and colleague and co-host of the call in talk show Pastor’s Perspective.

I was discouraged to say the least, bruised from running into so many roadblocks and walls and could hear the enemy of our souls laughing out-of-control at me. When the echoes stopped I knew in my heart I had to keep knocking on the door at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. I knew in my head that it would only be God who would eventually open the door.

Later, that same week, I was invited to a pastor’s conference at the Logos building on the campus of Costa Mesa. I climbed into my truck with Pastor David Riley and made the two and a half hour drive to Pastor Chuck’s office. When we arrived at the small gathering I was introduced to Pastor Chuck. I told him I was a candidate for senior pastor at a church in Santee, California, to which he replied “We need a good man there!”

After telling him that I was a teaching pastor at Calvary Chapel La Mesa, he recalled a story of how he almost took a pastor’s position at an Assembly of God in that same city but God had closed that door. Good thing for the Jesus Movement of the 1970’s or else we would not have the teaching that Jesus Christ is our friend, loves us and wants us to have a relationship with Him. Not to mention the hundreds of songs that were written, hundreds of churches that were planted and a large sheepfold full of pastors that were birthed from his being obedient to follow God.

On October 3^rd, 2013 Chuck Smith went home to be with the Lord. Now his personal, hands-on influence is gone and his teaching and leadership style has changed in some of the affiliates. Now some of the new generation leaders believe his system of verse by verse bible teaching has lost its appeal among young people as new ideologies and methods emerge.

There is nothing new about these emergent, seeker friendly churches who spurn bible prophecy and solid doctrine in order to invite the spirit of Jezebel into their sanctuaries. They are actually fulfilling prophecy as the ecumenical, apostate church begins to grow. We are nearing the time in bible prophecy called the 70^th week of Daniel. Are you ready?

In the letter to the church in Philadelphia the apostle John writes “These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens" Revelation 3:7

Jesus has three keys mentioned in Revelation; the key to Hades, the key to death and the key of David. We know that keys both lock and unlock doors. It is interesting that the Romans, at the time of John’s writing, had just developed the first working lock and key configuration. We know that Jesus has the key to death (power over) as He rose to life in the resurrection. We know he has the key to Hades (all authority) where the devil and his fallen angels will be cast and Jesus also has the key of David.

The key of David points to Jesus being of regal birth, royalty and the Everlasting King who alone can unlock the door to His everlasting kingdom. In John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”

“Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” John 10:7 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” John 10:27

Do you hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and do you follow him? Only Jesus Christ has the key that can open the door that leads to everlasting life!