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

His Banner Over Me Is Love

Song of Solomon 2:4
He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love.

The most common use of banners was for military campaigns. A large signal-flag usually was erected on a hill or other high place; it served as a signal for the war-trumpets to be blown (Is. 5:26; 18:3; Jer. 4:6). When the Israelites fought the Amalekites at Rephidim, Moses held up his hand, thus becoming a living banner symbolizing God's presence to help His people win the victory (Ex. 17:8-16). After the battle, Moses built an altar and called it "Jehovah-nissi" (Ex. 17:15), (KJV; The Lord Is My Banner). A living banner lifting up hands to declare God's presence and victory over the enemies of our soul. Jehovah-nissi - The Lord is my banner! Whom shall I fear? Of whom shall I be afraid?

A banner usually carries a message. His banner over me is love. God is loudly proclaiming and boldly declaring His love to me. "For God so loved the world....He gave..." He declared His love.
He is declaring His love to those who are poor, those who are broken-hearted, those who are captives, those who are blind and those who are bruised (Luke 4:18-19). His proclamation is loud and clear; it is also deep calling unto deep. Only the Spirit can overcome the layers of pains and hurts, and reach unto the hurting soul deep within. No friends, no relatives and no doctors can do a better job than Jesus, the Lover of our soul!

He is proudly demonstrating His love, and His message is in BOLD! The cross! The crown of thorns! The hammer! The whip! The bruises! The pain! The agony! The rejection! The scorn! The shame! The blood! The love! Jesus didn't come down from the cross! He never came down! He went all the way to prove His love to us! He never stopped loving us! He has never forsaken us! He guards us like a hen over her chicks; like a Watchman over Israel. "He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep" (Psalm 121:3-4).

God loves you too. You are also His beloved! He is also yours! He is also wanting to sing over you in joy and in love. He is calling you to come deeper! When we live on the surface, we are only aware of external circumstances. We respond to them as though they are all of reality. But God is more real than us! Before us, He is! After we were gone, He is still around! When we respond to the reality of our external forces, we become torn apart. Our personality, our view of life and our spirit become bruised and out of focus! When we respond to the reality of God within us, be still and know that He is God, love, joy and peace will be restored! Because Jesus lives within us, we live!

I am enjoying Christ this very moment - everything at the externals have not changed - but everything in the internals have changed! I know that my Redeemer lives and He shall stand victoriously at the latter day upon the earth (Job 19:25). I have read the end of the Book - He wins!

SPIRITUAL FOOD JUNKY

A thought for the day - Are you a spiritual fast food junky?

You are hearing and reading other people's teaching, but not taking the time in your personal devotions to eat the meat and potatoes in the Bible.

Are you running by goblin up the morsels of God's truth (maybe untruth on social media), not knowing the difference because you haven't taken time to study God's Word?

We all know fast food is junk food and not healthy for us.

It is all about the Body of Christ

I have been reflecting on the body of Christ, His church today. Apostle Paul put great importance on the body of Christ.

Romans 12:4-5 - "For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others."

I see that many people in the church have gone to individualism. It is all about them and their relationship with Christ with little or no connection with the body of believers, and often no genuine commitment to the whole body, Christ's church.

I love how Paul says it here, "each member belongs to all the others." I am not my own master".

It is not me and Christ. It is us and Christ. Yes, I am part of the us, but it is not about me. It is about Christ's body (church) and Christ's purposes for His church in the world. Yes, I am a member of the body, and I should care for the health of me the member. Yet, the member must be connected, and the purpose of being healthy spiritually is to be a strength to the rest of the body to fulfill the purposes of Christ who is the head.

The apostle Paul believed so much in the body of Christ (the church), that he made great personal sacrifices for the benefit of the whole.

Colossians 1:24 - "Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church."

Are you coming together on a regular basis with other believers to strengthen one another and work together for the furthering of God's purposes?

What sacrifices are you making for the betterment (well being) of the body of Christ?

Know the Seasons

I Chronicles 12:32 - from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do ....

- God does not change, but he brings change to everything.
- The God of old bring forth new things.
- Know the seasons.

- Question to be asked.
1) What must never change?
2) What is negotiable?
3) What must change?

Seeking No Reward

Luke 17:7-10 is an illustration that is totally foreign to us in our society where we believe our service or work is to be rewarded and we are to be honored for this. When we aren't, we feel that we are wronged and often hold a grudge.

Luke 17:10 - "So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty."

Yet, Christ says, the attitude we are to have is one of responsibility, humility and not doing it be honored or rewarded. We do it because this is what our master Christ asks us to do. We are not to serve or work with the attitude of receiving from man or God. Yet, we do it out of love, obedience and duty, not expecting anything in return.

This does not mean that we should not reward or honor those who serve, but the one who is serving should not expect it.

Colossians 3:23 - "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,"

Your motive for serving or working will be revealed when you are not rewarded. Are you offended? Are you hurt? Do you quit? Do you work less? Are you not as faithful? Do you hold a grudge?

If you say yes to any of these, this shows that we weren't fully serving or working for the Lord. This is a hard word because it goes against our sinful nature and all that we have been taught.

THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT #2

The last article that I wrote on the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I taught on the three main works of the Holy Spirit: re-birth, sanctification and endowment with power from on high.
I am now going to look into more detail on the endowment with power, “baptism of the Holy Spirit”. If you recall what I said last time was, when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, we do not receive more of the Holy Spirit, but we receive more of the Holy Spirit’s power.
Let us look at several examples in the Bible where people received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and see what we can learn from them.
The first reference to the coming of the Holy Spirit and the immediate following of the Holy Spirit is in Acts 2:3-4 – “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”
Take note that ALL who were waiting on the coming promise of the Holy Spirit received Him. It wasn’t only a few, but ALL. Not only did they all receive the Holy Spirit, but they ALL spoke in other tongues.
The second place we see people baptized in the Holy Spirit is Acts 8:12-19.
Here we see a group of Christians who have already been baptized in water and then the apostles send Peter and John to pray for them and lay hands on them that they might receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Now in the passage it does not say that they put their hands on them to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but to receive the Holy Spirit. Yet, we know the apostles did not lay their hands on them to receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit because they were already born again believers, and the Scripture clearly teaches that one cannot be born again without the Holy Spirit’s indwelling. Also, the Scripture does not teach that someone needs to lay hands on you receive the Holy Spirit in the conversion experience. Also, there is no teaching in the Word that says we are to ask the Holy Spirit to come live inside of us. Therefore, it is clear that the apostles did not leave Jerusalem and go to the Samariten believers that they might receive the indwelling of the Spirit, but that they might receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
It is important to note that Simon sees an immediate and visible evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Scripture does not tell us what evidence it was, but we can be sure that it was the evidence of speaking in tongues. We know this because it was an immediate sign and this is what took place on the day of Pentecost. The apostles would not have expected or accepted any other sign because this was the only sign they knew. This is what they had experienced. Take note again, there was a considerable lapse of time between the believers water baptism and being baptized in the Holy Spirit.
The third place we see people baptized in the Holy Spirit is in Acts 10:44-46.
Here we see that they receive Christ and the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the same moment, and that everyone in Cornelius’ household received it. In Acts 11:15-18, Peter testifies that it is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We see as evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit that they spoke in tongues even as they did on the day of Pentecost. Here we see that the baptism of the Holy Spirit can come on the same day as salvation. It was after they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit that they were baptized in water. This shows us that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not a progressive thing as sanctification, and that you don’t have to have a level of spiritual maturity or holiness to receive it.
The fourth place we see the baptism of the Holy Spirit is in Acts 19:1-6.
We see here that Paul laid his hands on the Christians that they might receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We see speaking in tongues and prophecy as evidence of their baptism experience. There are some who might question if they were even believers before Paul arrived. Yes, without a doubt, because the Bible says, Paul found disciples, and understood they already believed in the Messiah, Christ. The Bible would not have used the term disciples or believers in this context if they were not genuinely saved. Despite being saved, they had received no teaching on the Holy Spirit because they were saved under Apollos teaching. (Acts 18:18-25) Yet, though Apollos was a zealous evangelist at the time and was preaching the Gospel in Ephesus, he did not have a full understanding of the work of the Gospel; therefore, he was taken aside by Aquila and Priscilla to be taught more thoroughly on the way of Christ.
What is most important to see is that in three out of four stories of the saints being baptized in the Holy Spirit, they spoke in tongues and in one case prophesied. The one case where it is not stated, we can be assured that this happened. Therefore, it is clear in God’s Word that the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues which normally takes place at the moment of the Spirit’s baptism. The evidence that is seen over the long term is one of the 9 spiritual gifts found in I Corinthians 12:7-10, and the working power of God in the person’s life to bring spiritual change in others.
Finally, why are some not baptized in the Holy Spirit if this is the plan of God for all to be baptized in His Spirit, which I believe the Bible teaches?
There are five basic reasons. First, the person does not believe in a third work of the Holy Spirit which the Bible calls the baptism of the Holy Spirit or baptism of power. Secondly, they don’t believe God intends to baptize all in the Spirit. Thirdly, the person may lack faith that it is for them. Fourthly, the person may not see its great importance or have a great desire to receive it. Fifthly, the person may fear it and be afraid to give the Spirit control of their body.
My prayer for you is that God stirs up a desire and belief in you for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Don’t be discouraged if you have sought it and have not yet received it. You must continue to seek it and believe it is for you.