OUR OPEN GATES

If you ever visit the Old City of Jerusalem and you want to enter inside the city you will have to enter through one of eight gates. It may be through the Dung Gate (you can guess why it was called the Dung Gate) one not so popular today, but was very busy in the days of Jesus or it may be through; the Lion Gate, the Jaffa Gate, the Kings Gate or one of four other gates. Now there is a ninth, but it is purposely closed. It has been closed since the Ottoman Turks walled it up in 1530 AD. The ninth gate, the Eastern Gate, is blocked up and shut up waiting for the arrival of the Messiah, but at the time of Jesus the Eastern Gate was wide open and often was the busiest gate for commerce and transportation. You see not only were the gates of Jerusalem places of entrances and exits in and out of the Old City, but they were also places of authoritative decisions. The "elders" sat in the gates and made decisions that affected the city. We can see this in Proverbs when Solomon is talking of the virtuous woman, "Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land." (Proverbs 31:23). Important agreements and commercial transactions were also made in the gates, but did you know our bodies also have gates through which truth and error, good and evil, enter into and exit our lives. We too are "elders" at our own gates and must make wise and responsible decisions for our lives. We have the ear gate, an eye gate, a mind gate, a feelings gate, a memory gate, a relationship gate, and a spirit gate. The enemy (used as a general term and not always the devil) of our soul is to be kept out and only that which has been carefully screened and deemed safe or good is permitted to enter. We must guard these gates lest an enemy try to penetrate our defenses. We must monitor our gates diligently to allow only that which is edifying into our lives. Gates all throughout the Bible have been a place of decision more than they have been a portal to enter into a city. We can go in and out of a city, but it is the decisions that we make will foretell our success or failure in life and in God. These narrow, limited, and restrictive decisions of life we make that leads us to purpose and completion in life and in God. Most church denominations teach we are to be free, no chains, great liberty in God, but my friend that is not what Jesus taught. Did you know you cannot come to purpose in life if you have not found your purpose in God? Oh you may make a bunch of money, have a trophy wife, have a big house and fancy car, a good job, but all of this will never bring you to purpose in God. Some of the most successful people in God like Mother Theresa have lost their lives so that others might find theirs. Did you know Mother Theresa was known as the "Saint of the Gutters?" Now many people today want to identify with the word "Saint" millions, but not too many people want to identify with the word "Gutters." I believe Mother Theresa was one of the richest persons in the world even though she had no money to call her own. Did you know you must die to be called a "Saint." It is when we lose our life for the sake of Christ we shall find it. My friend purpose is only found in losing our lives for Christ's sake so other may find theirs. Jesus taught the disciples, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal." (John 12:24-25) Please notice "losing it" comes first and "keeping it" comes second. The condition to be fruitful in God is to die and abide alone not liberty and freedom to do what we want to do. I wonder why we have missed this critical truth today? Well that is easy no one want to die to their selfish, self-seeking ways it is easier to go and do things for God than become something in God. They say we cannot save our self and others too, one must die. This is what Jesus was teaching the disciples and make no mistake my friend they all died (some a horrible death) spreading the Gospel message so that others like us may live. Now Jesus was not talking about going to heaven, but He was talking about entering into the life that God has for us now here on earth. In Matthew we read, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:13-14) The word "strait" here has nothing to do with direction, but with confinement. The word "strait," Strong's #4728, means narrow from obstacles standing close about. Jesus was saying we enter into the life of God through the hard, narrow, restrictive decisions in our lives. Truth as a mirror reveals our heart and we choose a path to walk either towards God or away from God. We decide to be limited and restricted in areas of our lives that will bring us to completion and purpose. Jesus continues, "For wide (the unrestrictive, unlimited, and open way) (notice not the narrow or "strait" way, but the broad way) is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction." In God you cannot do what you want to do and say what you want to say and come to purpose and completion. This is the broad way, the wide gate (or wide decision ) that leads to destruction and Jesus said, "and many there be which go in thereat." Now they are not going into the life of God as some misguided teachers teach, but they are going into destruction. And also notice Jesus did not say they were going to hell, destruction is not hell, but we can end up in hell (and we can have hell on earth in our relationships and our lives) if we do not enter into the narrow way of walking with the LORD in the way He wants us to go. This gate topic is a huge deal in our lives. As we look closer at this topic we learn the open gate is really our heart. In Proverbs we read an important verse and if applied correctly would change our lives forever. Solomon writes, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee." (Proverbs 23:7) In the Greek text this verse is translated as, "For as a gate open wide so is he." Our heart is the gate in which life's decisions pass through and whatsoever we open our gate (our heart) to we will become that. If we open our heart to hatred, strife, and division we will become that and we will know it because out of our mouth speaks our heart. But if we open our heart as it swings wide open to love, joy, peace, and etc. then we will become that. We become what we open our heart to. In Matthew that is what Jesus was saying, " Enter ye in at the strait gate:" Another name for the "Eastern Gate" (the ninth gate of the Old City that is closed awaiting the triumphant return of the Messiah in victory, but was open in Jesus' time) often is called the Strait Gate. Jesus knew of this gate because it was the gate in 30 AD where He entered Jerusalem before His crucifixion and He knew it was straight from the gate to the temple in the shortest amount of time. Jesus knew of the Old Testament passage and also knew death comes before glorification, "And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.5 So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house." (Ezekiel 43:4-5) The Word of God is full of examples of the critical importance to our gate. In Psalms David said, "Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door (Strong's #1802, leaf, lid, gate) of my lips" (Psalms 141:3). This is one verse we drilled into the lives of our children. In the Book of Revelation Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door (Strong's #2374, portal or gate) and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelations 3:20) Here Jesus is knocking on our heart (gate) trying to get our attention so we will open wide our heart to Him. Again whatsoever we open wide our gate (our heart) to we will become that and make no mistake there we will find our treasures. Let us take heed to what we open wide our gate if not our lives will be filled with sorrow, despair, and destruction is behind the door. Written by David Stahl

A MEDITATION ON EASTER

Around Christmas time last year I shared some thoughts on Christ not being a baby and now as we draw closer to what many call the Easter season I would like to share some thoughts on this topic. First, the word we use to express the great victory of Christ, “Easter” is found once in the KJV of the Bible and has nothing to do with the Gospel; the death, the burial, and (our blessed hope of glory) the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The word “Easter” is found in Acts and is talking about Peter not Jesus, “And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.” (Acts 12:4) and is translated from the Greek as Passover, again it has nothing to do with the Gospel message. I am not going to go into all of the pagan rituals and religious traditional practices that surround the historical myth of Easter my intent is to lift up the name of Jesus. But, my friend we have “truly” (taking something from the physical realm and projecting it into the spiritual realm) drifted so far from the true meaning of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and the great price He paid for my sin and your sin. We have insulted God’s supreme act of giving His only begotten Son and the truth for an emotional swell during the holiday season, to increase church attendance, and to spread ones denominational message under the guise of sharing the Gospel. We do so much in church that displeases God and cover it up by saying we are sharing the Gospel. God please forgive us. God does not need special services that effect our emotions and feelings to share the Gospel message. God needs dedicated and consistent children to follow Him and His basic plan. A few years ago I heard a statement from a pastor (of a church we once attended) that just shook me to my knees. He said after Jesus was arrested and crucified the light of the world went out. How my spirit quivered within me. How my stomach churned and ached for this fellow’s words were not true, but was in keeping with the emotional Easter tradition. At no point in time has Jesus not been the light of the world. My friend even when Jesus obediently and willfully laid His life down, He was still in control; of all Heaven, earth, hell, and will always be the light of the world. His light will never go out. Death could not hold Him, the grave could not hold Him, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57) Because this is true about Jesus we too can say, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” Let us not be led by our emotions and plans to practice an Easter season, but be led by the Holy Spirit to know and understand the true message of the Gospel. This my friend is the message that will change your life forever. At the Passover Supper (before He went out into the garden) Jesus knew the garden experience was there and He knew that the cross, death, the grave, and hell was waiting Him. Yet Jesus went out with a song in His heart, “And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.” (Matthew 26:29) How could He do that? He could sing because He had the victory already in His heart. The victory and trust He had in His Father to carry Him through the garden, onto the cross, and into and out of the grave. He knew His Father would never leave Him nor forsake Him. The victory was first won as the Father pressed out the life and will of Jesus at Gethsemane (which means where oil is pressed), “Then saith he unto them, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:38-39) Knowing what was before Him Jesus could still break bread with His disciples, “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.” (Matthew 26:26) Knowing what was ahead for Him Jesus could still give thanks, “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:27-28) He could only do this because it was the most sublime manifestation of faith ever expressed. We think He had faith when He restored sight to the blind, strengthened limbs, and raised the dead. Yes that was wonderful, but we must see the spiritual side of things. We must see the necessity of faith in the realm of the Spirit, not in the flesh (like the Easter myth), but the realm of the Spirit where we have the faith to dare to believe like Jesus. It is Jesus’ victorious life which leads up to His victorious death and that is what presents Him as the Lamb without spot and blemish. When seen on the Mount of Transfiguration, He is a Lamb without spot or blemish, but it is a Lamb that has been slain! We are not saved by His life we are saved by His death. His life is exemplary it is beautiful, but He did not come to display great character and to do miracles, He came to die for us. The way of life is through a region of death and unless we partake of His death we shall never reign with Him. “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:” (Romans 6:3-5) The truth of the season is a bitter sweet message of death so that we may live. It is not about new clothing, many church activities, special foods, and musical programs to get people to come to church, but it is about us loving God enough to be willing (like Jesus) to fall into the ground and die, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” (John 12:24)And, to love God’s word enough in simplicity to share it without fanfare and emotional ceremony knowing the Holy Spirit will do His work in lives. Then too we will be able to say we have before the throne (our heart) of God today a victorious risen Lord. Let us keep the love feast of Jesus’ sacrifice. Let us honor Him and His work in us and for those who we are to lead to the cross for His glory. Let not this season be a myth or holiday, but an invitation to life, the life of God.

OUR DIRECTION

When God formed man and breathed life into him He placed within man an objective, a direction you can say for his life. This direction is like a prize (we all like to win a prize) that is placed before us as a goal to be reached. Paul gives us a clue to the direction we must take if we desire to walk with the LORD, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth to those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14) Now some Christians make heaven their direction, while others will make ministry their directional focus, or their prayers and efforts on their work. Whatever we may do or accomplish in life all this is never to be our direction to which we are to attain, if so then we have lost the prize. Rather it is the means by which the LORD develops in us to come through to the goal that He has placed before us. As a present reality this prize for our lives is calling out from deep within us to stir us to attain to it. This is why Paul prayed, “…but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12) All of the "things" that we do for Jesus are splendid, but we are not to become so involved in them that we lose our perspective and sight of the prize. To win the prize we must maintain proper direction and focus as we press toward the mark. These "things" will eventually pass away therefore, we must only become involved enough to get from them that which the LORD intends. We are to grow spiritually in the grace and knowledge of our LORD Jesus Christ and yes this happens as we endure God's dealings and judgments in our lives, but we must never allow our direction or objective ever to be the dealings and judgments (suffer for the sake of suffering) or what we want (a mansion, a harp, a crown, etc) to have in God. I hear many denominations sing songs about going to heaven and getting a mansion just over the hill top, but what are they going to do when heaven goes away? Jesus told us, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." (Matthew 24:35) In Revelation John tells us, "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." (Revelation 21:1) Heaven is not my final home, but for those who are not expecting anything else after heaven they will not be ready nor will they able to move correctly in what God has for us then. The Bible I read says God is going to create a new heaven and a new earth and yes we are going back to the earth and going work, "And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it." (Revelation 21:24) And in Isaiah, "For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. 20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. 21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. 24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." (Isaiah 65:17-24) For those who are not ready for this new life they will not be able to function and move with God in what He is doing. Our direction need not be into heaven and all of His rewards, but Him and Him alone. I am not into heaven (now I am going and I hope I see you there), but I am into Him my eternal abode back to His heart where I came from. You know in a schoolroom there are many books to study, but these are not the education we seek they are merely the means that helps to produce it. We receive our education by becoming a reacting agent and allowing all these factors to play upon us. It is like our ministry, for through it, the LORD is doing something creative within us. You know God will never ask us how much work we have done for Him, but He will ask what has that work done within us and all of this will be registered upon our immortal spirit and will do something within us that we will not be the same as we were when He first saved us. There is to be within us a progression, our spiritual development and growth toward spiritual maturity. I am saved, but how far have I come into this process of becoming like God's precious Son Jesus Christ, which is God's goal in our lives. Well if heaven or ministry is not to be our prize then we are to press forward or plod on in what is to be held up before us toward which we can focus our daily living? It is not a "thing," but a what -- God's glory. Paul tells us, “Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31) and Peter helps us here, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God gives: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever.” (1 Peter 4:11) The LORD has placed before us the “glory of God” as the direction that will require all that we are and have, to be submitted to Him. To glorify the LORD fully was the first vocation which was placed upon man when God created him. We are to “glorify God” in all we are and do. God made man and placed him in a garden, set apart to bring glory to Him, not to help Him do something. Man was made to glorify God. But we are born sinners and come short of this. Sin comes from a Greek word which means, “to miss the mark” the failure to do that for which it was made. Man was made and pointed to hit the bull’s eye (the glory of God), but he has missed the objective for which it was designed. This is sin. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Why are we sinners? Because we have come short of the glory of God the thing for which we were made. Whenever God does not receive the glory that should come to Him we sin. Man was made for a “mark” called the “glory of God.” How then are we to glorify God? If we are willing to abandon ourselves in the very root of our being to Him, God will take us into His possession. After God formed Adam He placed the benediction of His approval upon him, because He was well pleased with the arrangement which He had made our being limited and dependent on Him for life and Him alone. The instrument (Adam) was there, but it had not yet moved out where it could glorify God. The LORD says, I will now push you out into an arrangement here on earth and make a new law in the realm of spiritual living (Genesis 2:16-17), the law of testing and proving. This is the only way to develop and bring us to a place where God's glory may be released. You know our nature is a gift. We become a partaker of His divine nature purely on the basis of a gift He gave us. God gives us salvation, but He cannot give us a Christian character. We have to develop it. We are to grow and learn to subject our emotions and feelings continually to all the arrangements which God has placed in our life activities and as we do the will of God He is automatically glorified, for He is glorified whenever His will is done. Whenever God acts in a creative mood it is to His glory. He made the heavens, the seas, and man all that declares His glory. What is our objective in living? It is to glorify God. How can we do it? By accepting the will of God in our life directions. Therefore God knowing who and what we are places within our direction of life all the material that is necessary to reshape, recast, and make over that which He desires us to be. God can take the most disturbing things in our lives and make them become the means of us giving God glory. God’s objective is that through all the things that He subjects us to He is conforming us into the image of His dear precious Son Jesus Christ. He is approaching us because of His Son and what He sees in Him. He is tracing upon our spirit that we may be conformed to His image. For one day He will take us not just to heaven, but to be His (Ephesians 2:22) eternal habitation. When we see this we will be able to accept the trials, the discipline, the testings, and provings; for we see that this is the will of God and through it He will trace upon our immortal spirit the image and likeness of dear His Son. Only then will we find the satisfaction and fulfillment for which we were created and only then can we render the glory that is due Him. Written by David Stahl