Lift Up You Gates!

Photo by Jeff Johnson

Is it true that when we close off God we close off “Life”?

We often get confused with the “fleshly” term life, what we see and perceive in our own understanding as being “life” when “LIFE” is really about living in the spiritual mindset of God which allows God to manifest and shape His perfect, pleasing and good will in our life.

Someone might say, “Look at the house and car that guy has, he must be living the life!” In fact the very opposite might true... He may be the most miserable guy on the planet.

Jesus said, “The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart.” Luke 6:45

Everyone agrees that the thoughts and contents of our heart shape our actions. But what is shaping your thoughts to stir your heart? Is it God or is it your own understanding? And WHO or who are you opening the gates for? Who was shaping the thoughts of that man who killed those police officers? Definitely not God. We know examples of people who opened the gate to all the wrong influences and others have paid dearly.

Jesus said, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63

I have found we can accept God’s words to different degrees in our life. Some just become head knowledge but not heart knowledge. And then there are those same words that actually “live” in the heart such as hope and joy and love and peace. They live in the heart because the Spirit of God is allowed to live in them. He brings them to life, points them out, highlights and uses them to empower His children.

So here’s the question, “Are we accepting the words of Life in the Spirit so we may have Life more abundantly? (Note John 10:10)

It all sounds good but are we allowing the Spirit of God to put them into practice in our day-to-day lives? I mean... there actually is a difference between “existing” and actually living what is truly LIFE isn’t there?

What would the benefit of being a Christian if you didn’t allow the Spirit of God to be living and active in your life? There would be NONE! That is religion not faith.

Psalm 24:7 says, “Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.”

Jesus is the King of glory. It’s by His Spirit being allowed to work in us that we are lifted up and encouraged and empowered.

Isaiah 58:11 says "And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.”

Notice the LORD is the source.

Jesus says, “But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.” John 4:14

God wants us to live and drink deeply from His water. He wants us to live in that understanding that is beyond us. That understanding that gives us peace, joy, hope, love, grace, etc…

This is why the Apostle Paul wrote: “That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,” Ephesians 3:17-20

For Jesus to dwell/live in our hearts we all must open up the gates of our thinking “daily” for a gated soul to the Lord is like a putrid, foul dark dungeon with no air flow and no so-called life but all the attributes of death such as hopeless, fear, dread, the mundane, and so on.

God says: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher then the earth, so are my ways higher then your ways and my thoughts then your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

God’s words are LIFE… BUT there is no LIFE in wisdom unless the Spirit is making that wisdom come alive. Solomon one of the wisest people who ever lived missed this point. He started living by his own understanding and living became meaningless because He started living without the counsel
of God. (Note: Ecclesiastes 1)  Alters were built to the so-call gods of his wives who followed the practices of human sacrifice and the sacrifice of babies to appease their gods.  How did this ever happen?  It happened because Solomon ignored God.  

Life is living in the Helper, Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor, Counselor, and Strengthener who is the Spirit of God. (Note: John 14:16)

And without opening the gates to Him we would not experience the things we now know or imagined.

It is just as the word of God says, “Things which eye has not seen or ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolish to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ?” 1 Corinthians 2:9-16

I was reminded of a vision I had sometime ago. Though I was physically sitting in a chair at the time, in the experience I was actually hunched over in this kneeling position on the floor when a figure walked before me wearing this long golden glimmering gown. Ever time the figure took a step this kind of smoke or fog came out from under the gown until it filled the entire floor. When I looked up at the figure, I saw a man with long shoulder length white hair and white hair on his chin. I looked into his eyes and when I did I was drawn into them. I was seeing the complexity and depths of the endless universe. I then looked at his face and in an involuntary way I uttered, “Father” and like a super beam of light His presence shot upward and disappeared into the depths of space above. And I was back sitting in my chair. (Now I think: Perhaps He didn’t shoot into space at all- but it was I coming back here.)

Experiences like these would not happen to us if we did lift up our gates. This should EXCITE YOU… for the bible says “For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His…” Note 2 Chronicles 16:9

God is actively looking for those who are fully committed to Him- that they have their gates lifted up and are seeking Him. I can’t even imagine or think what God can accomplish in us if we surrender, stay “grounded” and rooted to Him in faith, and allow Him to “live” in and build us up.

So lift up your gates and let the glory of the King come in. Amen!

Desires We know As LIFE

My thoughts…

I was thinking about us… humanity… God’s chosen creation… And how He created us in His own image (Genesis 1:27).  How that image is to reflect God… I then thought of what we all desire as humanity.

We all desire hope… joy… peace… grace… what is faithful… righteousness… morality… justice… love… acceptance… courage… humility… self-control… purpose… security… and eternal life in Heaven. 

And it is clear when we read God’s word… these desires have not only been put in us by God our Creator but can only be had, satisfied and answered and given by God our Creator.

But by denying God in our daily life, we deny and deprive ourselves of what we desire most (what we somehow know as “Life”).  And nowhere else to turn we turn to the substitutes of the world that fail, never satisfy and destroy our soul.

When we deny God we reflect the fallen and hungry world BUT when we take hold of God’s hand like a little child- LIFE comes…  For we were made by Jesus Christ.  

“He was with God in the beginning.  Through Him all things were made and without Him nothing was made that has been made.  In Him was life, and that life was the light of men…” John 1:3

(Take your hands and lock your fingers together.  One of your hands illustrates your soul and the other illustrates God who is Life.)  God created our soul to yoke “perfectly” with His Spirit just like our hands fit together perfectly. Note: Matthew 11:30

Several verses in the bible say, “Clothe yourself with Jesus Christ.” This would also illustrate how the Spirit of God perfectly fits our soul.   

Allowing our soul to be yoked, calibrated, receptive, obedient, abided in the Spirit of God manifests His good, perfect satisfying will in our life (Romans‬ ‭12:2‬)‬‬ and produce what is says below. 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no Law.”  Galatians 5:22-23

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” John 3:5

The Spirit alone gives eternal life.  Human effort accomplishes nothing.  And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” John 6:63   Note: Galatians 3:3

Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life... (John 14:6) It makes perfect sense then if He created us then He is the source of what we desire to fulfill and define as LIFE.  But in order to experience and have what our soul desires, we have to come to Jesus the source of LIFE.  We have to surrender our life to Him and make Him Lord and Savior over our soul. He is the only way we will ever experience LIFE and LIGHT for our soul on a daily basis. 

“For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, and the hungry soul He has filled it with what is good.” Psalm 107:9

Come and experience the way, the truth and the life in your soul!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus I know by the way I have been living I have not only failed to experience LIFE in you but have looked to other things to try to satisfy my soul and in doing so have sinned against you - for I have looked upon them as if they were gods.  Forgive me.

In my faulty human understanding I have also sinned against you and others as well.  In this I ask humbly for your forgiveness.  I have heard that you created me and my rightful place is with you.  You are the LIFE and LIGHT in which I have sought for so long.  Jesus I surrender my life to you.  Be my LORD and Savior and fill me with your glorious Spirit that I may not strive in the ways and understandings of men but in your perfect will for my life. 

Thank you Jesus for laying down your life for mine that I may have life and life more abundantly in you.   Help me to know you and grow in you according to your word.  Help me find a spirit filled bible believing church that I can grow and be part of.  Help me as I read your word to understand it and have it enrich my soul as you guide me in reading it.  Enrich the soil of my soul that the roots of my faith will grow deep in your love.  In the measure of faith you have given me- I pray this in your wonderful name- In Jesus name Amen.

*May the Spirit of God be poured out upon you according to your honest words of faith in Jesus Name, Amen.

God's Love Operating In Us

There is no doubt that God has been enriching and building within us lately.  He reminded us that JESUS is our LIFE Coach and the importance of holding onto Childlike Faith. 

Now He is continuing with this verse that encompasses those things.

 Jesus said: “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.   For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?  Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”

Take up your cross… do you know what that means? It is to live a “sacrificial” life.  Some may wonder what does “a sacrificial life” mean?  It means you no longer live or practice the former sinful and selfish passions and desires but giving your life to God to guide as it was intended and made for.

Who better to make the soul all it is to be then God!

And “For whoever saves his life will lose it,” means to resist and not give your life fully to God/Jesus Christ.   It is continuing down in that same old and returning to the same old understanding, never growing and maturing in God.   It is to never know God and be saved from our understanding, this world- that is based on the fallen understanding, and if that wasn’t enough- saved from the tortures of hell.

“But whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”  There again we see Jesus being our “LIFE Coach”. He is the one who helps us overcome and live this life successfully in God’s perfect will that is pleasing to the soul. 

Many men and women have tried to turn Christianity into a religion and tried to pass these religious ideals on to others but Christianity is a honest to goodness relationship with God.  It’s about Him doing the doing in us.

God is forever- this world… not so much, in fact the bible says this world is going to burn one day.  Jesus is saying you want to invest your life, your soul, in something that is going to disappear- and mean nothing?

God wants us to look at the big picture and get a glimpse into eternity.  See LIFE through His perfect “eyes” and perspective.  “You lose your life” to God -you let go of your grasp and let God take hold of it, you will find LIFE but if you try to keep it you will find only misery for first I find the human understanding is not kind and loves to be entangled and enslaved to thinking that is unsatisfying for the soul.  It is like a type of religion.  It is unsatisfying and a burden.  Second without God there isn’t anything to satisfy and encourage our soul for He is the rightful provider and sustainer of our soul in all instances and circumstances that come in this life. 

There in God we do find gratification and purpose when God’s love is operating “in” our life but again few consider “living in” and “finding it” because they choose to ignore, deny, and refuse to surrender to God who made the soul and knows what the soul needs… hence they lose their soul and the benefits of God in their life.  

Think… the world would be a totally different place if everyone had a relationship with Jesus Christ- the Creator of Life.  

God says, “Love me and find LIFE for your soul”. God says, “Love me and find what means to live in love”.

THE CHILDLIKE

At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike.  My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11

Is it you or is it God?

Are you actually ceasing from “your” labors and entering “his” rest? Are you allowing God to keep you in all things?

At different times in our life- heartache and heaviness can come… in those difficult times we need to be careful not to stay in that fishnet of despair but direct that heartache and heaviness to Jesus so that we may swim free.

A piece of Raku pottery

Jesus can take our brokenness and turns it into something hopeful and beautiful - where there is healing for our scared hearts.  (When I wrote this I saw a picture of a beautiful piece of Raku pottery.)

In our daily life we can bring heaviness to our life through just our thoughts.

We can intentionally or inadvertently add weight by holding on to life too tightly and forgetting to live in God where there is renewing health and vitality for our soul.

Instead of experiencing life in the moment we mentally live in the previous or racing ahead….

There are responsibilities in our daily lives that need to get done but at what cost to our health and faith are they being done in?  Thoughts can be powerful things and adverse affects happen when we only think  in regimented and self-sufficient premises or outlooks and attitudes.  We are not keepers of ourselves.  We are not a slave to “unleashed” feelings… we are children of God and what He said our life is suppose to be set upon.  Our sufficiency, capability, adequacy comes from God… We are to cast all your cares upon who?

You know what will absolutely mess up your day?  It is thinking only in your own understanding. 

When I start thinking in a regimented way, I am mentally putting on the blinders on and closing God off.   Life becomes mundane and joyless because I am not being built up on the prosperous things of God but reverting to my own faulty understandings.  I am not thankful and the world becomes my taskmaster. 
 

 Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3

In June, of last year, I had a dream about being at camp.  After camp we loaded an enormous bus.  For some reason, I ended up sitting on the top deck of bus that was open to the sky.   

The bus traveled up this steep, narrow swerving one-way road.  On one side of the road was a sharp slope of hillside and the other- a steep drop off.   

As the bus went up this road, it began to sway and tilt in the uncomfortable direction toward the steep drop off side of the road.  I felt as if the driver of the bus was taking the curves too fast.  It was even more bothersome because the top deck had no rails to keep people from accidentally falling off of the bus. I held a little boy sitting next to me tightly concerned he might slip off the top of the bus.  But as we came off the hillside without incident I saw all my concerns were unwarranted as we came to a white city that had these glimmering pools of water that rose ever so slight and then lowered again never over flowing their confinements.

When I had a chance to retell this dream to a friend recently, it dawned on me that the little boy I held on tightly to was a symbol.

As we travel on this narrow and difficult and perplexing road of life (Matthew 7:14) we need to hold tightly to our “childlike faith” that God will get us safely through the hazards of life. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
 

Childlike faith looks foolish to the world because it is not self-sufficient; all figured out, planned out but is a surrendered, reliant and entrusted in God. (1 Corinthians 1:27)

 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.  Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.  Instead, fear the LORD and turn your back on evil.  Then you will gain renewed health and vitality.” Proverbs 3:5-8

THE COACH

Who is the coach of your soul? Who inspires you? Who challenges you? Who disciplines your ways of understanding? 

 

I think we all have had moments in life where we get tested, tired… weary… fail… doubt, want to presume, want to become indifferent, want to not care or even want to throw a temper tantrum like that 3 year old in Walmart.

 

But who brings you out of those moments?

 

Jesus… says to His bride (His church), “Hey love, who do you love? You know who you want to be looking at? Let me take your burden. Let me erase your doldrums. I will answer your need. I will be your cheer squad. I will give you reason to smile and help you overcome the cares of this life. I will give you “living” purpose and reason. I am all you need.”

 

Sounds like some love song, but is it SO true when it comes to Jesus? Jesus is the lover of our soul.

 

But to go about life as “usual” and to “ignore” God is to lose… lose… lose.

 

Some may say, “I want to go to heaven but I don’t care to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.”

 

Let’s challenge that thinking for moment: You would never tell the coach of the team you want to be on, “I am going to be on the team coach but I don’t want you coaching me.” We know it doesn’t work that way… so why would we think that would work with God?

 

Jesus is our LIFE COACH. He is the Sustainer. He IS the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE. (John 14:6) No one gets into heaven without Him and no one succeeds in the things that truly matter in life without Him.

 

From His unlimited resources at His grasp Jesus is about us learning to live in Him… His reality from start to finish...

 

Hebrew 12:1-2 which says: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish…”

 

What is the reality of our day… how is our outlook? Is our perspective skewed by monotony, apprehension, dread, doubt, worry, fear, hopelessness, cares of tomorrow, cares of yesterday, or the cares of what the world says are important?

 

This is what Jesus said about this kind of thinking: “And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.” Mark 4:19

 

No wonder why the word of God ALSO says:

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

 

And

 

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2

 

There is NoTHING routine about the WAYS of God but how often have we gone about our day, taken the bait, and swallowed or surrendered to ROUTINE thinking instead of newest of God who lifts up our soul? How many times have we allowed “baited thinking” to put up it’s umbrella to divert that living water of God from pouring in our cup? If you find yourself there ask yourself: Where is the newest of this day? Where is the Spirit to stir up a fire in my soul?

 

Spiritual athletes just as athletes, to accomplish the feats in their path, must not yield to "baited thinking" but look beyond themselves.

 

* We most love God MORE then the things that add no COLOR to our day .

*To thrive… to endure… God’s breathed renewing Spirit must guide us in all things.

*God’s living word most be protected in our hearts and minds and not get choked out.

 

Jesus is our LIFE COACH. He must be given access, to teach, counsel, instruct, heal, inspire and to drive us to greater lasting and satisfying things.

 

That we may be spiritually equipped for what only God knows and awaits us.

 

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

 

Good way to start, is to lay down the oldness of yesterday. Look to what God has for today. Surrender your thoughts and seek living words that God is going to point out and drop into your heart and mind and let them manifest Him in us through love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in the course, court, trail, and field of life.

 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13

 

Just as a coach has plans for his players, God has a plan everyday for us but it’s our choice to listen to the LIFE coach of LIFE or not.

 

“From one man he (Jesus) made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’” Acts 17:26-28

 

Are you ready for the LIFE coach to move you? Are you ready to win with the one who has already experienced victory? Pretty awesome to think that God the Father sent His Son to make sure we would not only make it to heaven, for those who believe, but we would have life and have life to the fullest.

 

... Jesus is the answer.

 

Thanks for reading.