Open Up Those Gates

Psalms 24:7 - "Lift up your heads, you gates;

be lifted up, you ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in."

City gates played an important role in the culture of that day. The cities were walled in for protection; therefore, they needed gates to close. Yet, it played a much greater role than this. It is at the gate the officials and men of importance would sit (Genesis 19:1-9; 1 Samuel 4:10-18). Legal matters were settled at the gate (Deuteronomy 21:18-21; Ruth 4:1-11). Kings and judges would sit at the gate to render decisions (I Samuel 18:1-5; 19:1-8; Esther 2:5-8).

In light of this, the Lord showed me that as leaders of the church, we are these gates. We are responsible for the gates. We are the ones who are to protect the church. At the same time, we are the ones responsible for letting the King (Jesus Christ) of glory come in. As leaders of the local church, we are the ones who set the tone of the church. We are the ones who determine the level of God's working in our church. We are the ones responsible of giving Christ access.

We can let Christ come in or we can hinder Him from coming in. Most of us do not intentionally hinder the working of the Holy Spirit. Yet, we are often unknowingly a hindrance to the move of God. We become a hindrance when we don't take care of ourselves spiritually or have not gone to greater heights in Christ. We become a hindrance when it is all about us and our agenda. We become a hindrance when we lose our sensitivity to the the voice of the Holy Spirit. We become a hindrance when we become so comfortable with the familiar that we are unwilling to step out into that which is uncomfortable or the unknown when prodded by the Holy Spirit. We become a hindrance when love, faith, and hope have been brought low in us.

We as church leaders must open up that gate wide that the King of glory may come in.

I thank the Lord that even despite our failings and short comings, sometimes God chooses to storm the gates of the church and come in anyway. Yet, he will come much sooner if we open those gates. It is much more pleasant when we open the gates instead of God crashing through gates.O