Category: Church

Time for Great & Mighty Things

Those who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits – Daniel 11:32

A tongue & interpretation given at our fellowship on Sunday 20th October 2019.    The Lord said it is a time to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.   Those who know their God will do great and mighty things.     A great shaking is taking place and we must know our God.    We must know the Father, Jesus the Son & the Holy Spirit.  Not just about them but to know them.   We must know God’s character so that we are not deceived by the spirit of deception which is at work in this age.   God is a good, good God.  He is a God of love, grace & mercy.   We must know His Son Jesus – the authority which is His and His righteous judgment.    There is a time for His righteous judgement.    We are to know the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us and to discern between good and evil, truth & lies.    We are to come to the table of the Lord for He is our daily bread and our provision.   God asks us a question – who do you serve?  who do you serve?

The Wind of God’s spirit

Yesterday as we were gathered together for a day of prayer, worship and prophecy, I saw a picture of a large field of golden wheat which was blowing in the wind.   I believe that God was saying that the wind of His Spirit is blowing across this nation and just as the wheat moves in the wind so we are to move with His spirit and not be rigid and unbending.  

As I watched this picture it reminded me of a dance as the wheat moved in perfect harmony and unity in the wind and waved back and forth.    It was rooted but flexible.

I also then felt God say that there would soon be a whirlwind of His Spirit blowing across this nation which will be a mighty wind and it will bring down structures (man-made) and remove those things which need to be brought down so they can be rebuilt by God.    We are to watch and prepare for such a time and discern God’s Spirit at work.

 

closeup photography of rice grains
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The Inspection Gate

The Miphkad Gate or The inspection Gate

The bible teach us that Jesus is coming back and we should live today with that in mind.     Whatever we are doing -let us do it with an eye to the future and make it count.

 

This gate reminds me of the judgement seat of Christ.  The bible teaches us that one day we, as Christians, will give an account of ourselves to Christ. We will appear before His throne and Christ will judge our works.   Our sins are paid for by His blood but we will give an account for our works or in other words how have we have lived out our lives for him.

Paul teaches on this in 2 Corinthians Ch 5 – v 9  “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad”.

What is Christ looking for?  I believe it is His character and how it has manifested in our lives through the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 7 – v 17 – “Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit”.

This takes us right back to the Sheep Gate where we started our journey around the gates – We have to be rooted in Christ to bear good fruit.

John 15 talks of the true vine and Jesus says:

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, and you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you will be My disciples.”

The fruit of the Holy Spirit working in our lives is:  Galatians 5: 22 – ” love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, – Against such there is no law: And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires”.

If we are rooted in Him then the good fruit will be produced naturally by the Holy Spirit working in our lives and what we do will be good and pleasing to Jesus.

 

The Valley Gate

Nehemiah re-built The Valley Gate.       This is a difficult gate and one that we don’t generally want to go through- the valley experiences which no-one likes.    We would all (myself included) much rather stay on the mountain top and enjoy those experiences with God but I don’t believe that we can stay there forever if we are to grow, mature and move on.

The valley gate can be a necessary part of following our path to achieve what God is preparing us for.   It develops our faith and trust in God and we learn from the experience that God is faithful.    I believe that Jesus had to go through the valley gate when he went from Mt Olives through the Kidron Gate into Garden of Gethsemane and then to the Cross.   He was in agony in the garden but He yielded to God’s will to be done.   Generally, in life we will all go through valley experiences but the encouragement is that we are never alone at those times and we can get through them.   Jesus promised that He will never leave us or forsake us. He will lead us through the valley – even the valley of death.   The words of Psalm 23 encourages that God is with us and will not forsake us and will comfort us in time of difficulty and pain. 

If you are in a valley situation right now – keep going, don’t give up and ask for God’s help.  Sometimes the valley situations teach us far more than the mountain top experiences and our faith in God grows. God will show you the way through to the other side.  Humility and the valley gate in my experience can sometimes go together hand in hand.   I have had to humble myself under God’s mighty hand before I realise that I can’t handle situations on my own or with my own wisdom or little understanding.    If I submit and surrender to God and acknowledge my dependence on Him then I have felt His peace even in the most difficult of situations.

 

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The Rubbish Gate

Just as the name suggests this gate which Nehemiah rebuilt was the one used to get rid of the rubbish and dung.      I don’t know about you but even after being a Christian for over 40 years, I am still a work in progress and I still sin (even when I don’t want to or intend to) and get things wrong.       However, I don’t write myself off.   Even though I still sin, I know that the power of sin over me has been broken because of the work of Christ at the Cross.    I repent when I know I have done wrong and the Holy Spirit convicts me and I am cleansed by the power of the blood of Christ.    The rubbish is swept out of the door.   When the accuser comes to me I just point to the blood of Jesus and he has nothing on me.   The slate is wiped clean.    I don’t use the grace of Christ as a licence to sin but I rely on the grace of God in my life to convict me of sin.

If there is still rubbish in your life or you are carrying it around then I encourage you to get rid of it.   It is only choking the word of God and the fruit of the Spirit maturing in you.   If we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives then He will convict us of sin. Keeping our hearts soft and not hardened by disobedience.   What rubbish needs to be out of our lives today?  Let’s be ruthless with it and get rid of it – once and for all.  

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The Fish Gate

The fish Gate was another gate which Nehemiah rebuilt.  As followers of Christ we are called like the disciples of Jesus to be fishers of men.   We have been given the great commission to go out and make disciples. It is the mandate from Christ to His church.     If however we just put all of our efforts into catching the fish and seeing converts, but don’t disciple them properly afterwards, then we shouldn’t be surprised if we don’t see any growth or maturity.

Discipleship requires service, commitment, love and sacrifice.    In order to walk alongside people,  especially people who are hurting, we can need grace, patience and love in great abundance.   The Holy Spirit can help us to develop the fruit of the Spirit in discipleship and teach us how to disciple others.     We need to know the truth of the gospel ourselves in order that we can help others to mature in Christ and follow Him.    The Christian life can be one of suffering, hardship and persecution because of our faith in Jesus and preparing people for that is a key part of discipleship. 

Are the nets ready for the catch?    If there is to be a great harvest of souls then we need to get ready to disciple them.    If you are a follower of Christ then I encourage you to share your testimony and life with others who are new to the faith and disciple them.   Help them and strengthen them to grow and mature in Christ and share your experiences with them.    We all have something to offer in service to Jesus.   Is there someone that you can take under your wing today or give a supporting hand?

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Friendliness for Lent

The message bible translation of Zechariah 3 v 10 is “At that time, everyone will get along with one another, with friendly visits across the fence; friendly visits on one another’s porches.”   What a lovely picture of peacefulness.

We all long, I am sure, for a day when peace reigns in our neighbourhoods and cities. When people can rub along together despite “fences ” -the differences that separate them.   The Bible talks here of just such a day when this can happen.    I want that in my neighbourhood and I am sure you do too.

A day when knife crime and violence is not the words we see and read about in our newspapers and TV but instead there is genuine friendship and love for one another.   Love your neighbour as yourself is one of the commandments in the bible and Jesus emphasised it in His teaching.  As we come into this season of Lent what is it that we can do for our neighbours as a friendly gesture that will show God’s love for them through us.   

What could it be?  A friendly greeting, a smile, a bunch of flowers, a catch up with a cup of tea, an invitation for a meal?   Showing friendship to those who are alone and lonely.  I am sure that God will show us and open up the door of opportunity to us in this season of Lent.