The Three Keys to Power Part 1 Introduction to “The Three Keys to Power”

The Three Keys to Power Part 1

Introduction to “The Three Keys to Power”

            In the first message, Magic vs. Witchcraft, we discussed how magic is actually the use of words to influence the natural.  In other words, simply by speaking certain words nature is changed.  Magic, therefore, if this is your definition of magic, is not evil.  God uses magic all the time because by His Word He speaks and the world is formed and life springs into being, etc.  Mankind was also blessed by God with the authority to command and have it done.  However, because mankind rebelled against God, mankind lost all of their authority to command and have things just happen.

            And so, Satan enticed humanity through his own system of magic.  This is witchcraft; also known as the occult, sorcery, etc.  Satan developed a system where humans could use words and demons would obey the words of humans and give them what they wanted.  In other words, Satan took God’s system and created his own magic system that would be apart from God.  By creating witchcraft, Satan made it so humans could still command things and God wouldn’t be involved.  In this way, mankind could have what they originally had without needing God. 

            This is why rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft.  Witchcraft is the ultimate form of rebellion.  It says to God, “I don’t even need you to gain better crops, health, wealth, love, etc.  I can get all these things through witchcraft.”  In other words, if mankind will use Satan and his demons instead of trusting in God and his angels, Satan and his demons will reward them with many supernatural things.

            This is why witchcraft is an abomination to God.  It is a slap in the face, and a human who practices it tells God that they would rather serve Satan, prince of lies and murder and evil.  Instead of trusting God that He has everything planned for the best interest of the person and He will make sure that everything works out all right in the end, the person takes God out of the equation and puts their trust in Satan’s system.  It is like saying to a king that they would rather go live with a bandit king than to remain under the laws of the king.  Just as a bandit king often abuses those who serve him, so Satan will abuse those who serve him.  Just as a king, a good king anyway, will protect and care for his servants, helping them through tough times, so God will protect and care for His servants, helping them out when times get tough.

            We then discussed how there are two kinds of power and authority.  There is inherited power and earned power.  Inherited power comes from simply being related to a person in authority.  Earned power is achieved by doing good and living responsibly in the eyes of the person in authority.  Earned power is far more powerful than inherited power, for inherited power only goes so far.  Earned power, however, can take a person to the very top of God’s Kingdom.

            So how can you gain power and authority and how do you exercise inherited power?  The best method is to pamper the King.  Do things that God loves.  Spend time with God.  Worship and praise Him just showing Him that you love Him without asking for anything in return.  This is what a child will do to effectively influence their parents.  Therefore, this is what a Child of God should do to effectively influence God.

            Now it’s time to discuss the Three Keys to Power.  These Three Keys, as mentioned at the end of the last message, have GREAT influence over God.  When He sees someone using these Three Keys, He is moved, and He will WANT to answer that person’s prayer all the more.  He will also WANT to give that person more power and authority in His Kingdom; even the power to do supernatural things.

            So what are these Three Keys to Power? 

            Let’s start by looking at 1 Kings 17.  Now this chapter is the beginning of the story of Elijah the Tishbite, one of the greatest prophets of all Israel.  Please read the passage first and then continue reading.  

1 Kings 17:1 says this, “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.”

            Now what’s the first thing we should notice?  Elijah was an Israelite.  He was of the inhabitants of Gilead.  This means that he was an inheritor of God’s Kingdom.  He was a child of God.  Anyone who was of the seed of Abraham was an inheritor of the Kingdom of God.  So we know that right away Elijah inherited power from God.  He was a prince of God’s Kingdom.  Therefore, just like we talked about previously, Elijah had the ability to influence God because He was God’s son; a prince of God’s Kingdom.  He could go to God about anything, and God would hear him.  

            This is the inheritance we all receive when we are born again as Christians as well.  When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior we become joint heirs of God’s Kingdom, meaning we are all royalty after we are saved from our sins.  Before Christ came, God’s people were the Israelites, and so all Israelites were considered royalty because they were God’s chosen people.

            But now notice what Elijah did in this one verse. He said to Ahab that it would not rain until he said it would.  In other words, Elijah was commanding the sky not to rain on Israel until he (Elijah) commanded it to rain.  Thus, we find right from the start that Elijah had authority in God’s Kingdom.  He had earned, somehow, the right to stand up and command the sky not to rain and it would not rain.  It doesn’t say, “And Elijah prayed and asked God to make it not rain until he prayed again to have it rain.”  No, it says that he told Ahab like it was.  He had authority in his words.  There was no question.  There was no doubt.  He told Ahab, the king of Israel, that he was standing before God with authority to do this.

            So now the question is, “How did he earn this authority?  What did he do right that God gave him such power?”  The answer can be found in events that took place in Elijah’s life.  You see, during the other events in his life Elijah displayed the three keys to power that we’re going to talk about.  Each time something miraculous or powerful happened, it was because Elijah had put these three keys into play.  Let’s start with the first and most basic key.