ARE YOU A GATEKEEPER?

When you hear the word gatekeeper what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Websters dictionary’s definition of a gatekeeper says it’s 1: an attendant at a gate who is employed to control who goes through it. 2: a person or thing that controls access to something. Now knowing the definition for what a gatekeeper is according to Websters dictionary. Do you believe you are a gatekeeper? If you answered no to that question, after reading this you may reconsider. So where and when did gatekeepers come into existence? The gatekeepers responsibilities started thousands of years ago in the Bible. This job was a huge responsibility that God put on some of the chosen Levite’s that required trust and accountability. If you were picked to handle this duty everyone knew that you had to be trust worthy person because your main job was to guard the gates of the house of the Lord on all four sides and to maintain the rooms and the treasuries within it. You also were responsible for articles used in the temple and the furnishings of the temple. In order to give you a better picture of where I’m going with this and how it relates to you. I’m going to share with you some scriptures from the Bible.

1 Chronicles 9:22-27 New International Version (NIV)

22 Altogether, those chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds numbered 212. They were registered by genealogy in their villages. The gatekeepers had been assigned to their positions of trust by David and Samuel the seer. 23 They and their descendants were in charge of guarding the gates of the house of the Lord—the house called the tent of meeting. 24 The gatekeepers were on the four sides: east, west, north and south. 25 Their fellow Levites in their villages had to come from time to time and share their duties for seven-day periods. 26 But the four principal gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted with the responsibility for the rooms and treasuries in the house of God. 27 They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they had to guard it; and they had charge of the key for opening it each morning.

After reading the scriptures do you believe you’re a gatekeeper? The magic answer to that question should be yes and here’s why. God has given us in our lives multiple responsibilities here on Earth. We are the gatekeepers of our homes, communities, place of employment, churches and every other area of our lives that we are responsible for. We are to monitor and be responsible for what we allow in and out of our homes, communities, churches and so on. God has entrusted these things into our care and it’s our responsibility to do good-by them. So are you a gatekeeper? Yes, so embrace it!!

I can’t miss this opportunity so if your reading this now and you don’t have a relationship with the Lord please don’t exit before doing so because Jesus wants to do something that you can’t do yourself and that is save you. If your willing to allow Jesus to become your personal savior say this prayer. Pray Lord I confess with my mouth that you are Lord and believe in my heart that you rose from the dead for my sins. I ask for forgiveness of my sins and ask that you come into my heart teaching me and guiding me in the way that I should live in Jesus name I pray Amen!!! If you said this prayer and you meant it from your heart you are now saved by the blood of Jesus!!

GOD HEARS!!

God truly hears us when we cry out to him. How do we know that to be true? Well here is the answer to that question!!!

Deuteronomy 26:7-8 New International Version (NIV)
7 Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression. 8 So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders.

JESUS POWER IS UNSTOPPABLE

John 12:10-11 NIV

So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews where going over to Jesus and believing in him.

There are people out there who want to condemn you are take you out because Jesus showed you favor and the reason why is because it proves he’s real. It’s not like Lazarus asked Jesus to raise him from the dead. He didn’t ask for that to happen instead Jesus allowed it to happen and because of that the Pharisee’s wanted him dead to eliminate the proof of Jesus power. Lazarus was an innocent bystander. To the Pharisee’s he was at the wrong place at the wrong time but to Jesus he was right were he was supposed to be.

John 12:17-19 NIV

Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

They tried to stop the power of Jesus from spreading thinking they had control failing to realize that you can’t stop something you don’t control and 2000 years later his power and name still remains and continue to draw new believers to his family!!!

(YOUR EXPECTATIONS AND THOUGHTS) OR GODS EXPECTATIONS AND THOUGHTS..CHOOSE ONE

I got two things from my late night walk and talk that I will share in two separate post so listen up it’s very important. Before I start, take a look at these definitions.

Expectation: a belief that someone will or should achieve something.

Expect: regard (something) as likely to happen.

Thought: an idea or opinion produced by thinking or occurring suddenly in the mind.

We spend so much time being concerned about what we expect, what our spouse expect, child expect, parents expect, friends expect, and what the world expects, and trying to meet their expectations. Instead forget about what you expect and what every body else expects, but live your life based off what God expects asks God what his expectations of you are and you’ll never go wrong, because if you do it any other way, things could go wrong. Let’s take a look at some verses.

Genesis 48:11
New International Version (NIV)
11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.” (Israel expected never to see his son again, but God knew different.)

Haggai 1:9
New International Version (NIV)
9 “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house.

Matthew 20:10
New International Version (NIV)
10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius.

Acts 28:6
New International Version (NIV)
6 The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god. (They expected the death Of Paul but God expected life.

Focus less on about what you think or thought, your spouse think or thought, your children, parents, family, friends, and the world thought, but instead focus on what God think and thought because Isaiah 55:8-9 New International Version (NIV)
Says 8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. People think a lot of things but what matters the most is what God thinks. Sarah thought she couldn’t have kids but God thought different.

Genesis 18:12
New International Version (NIV)
12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

Judges 16:20
New International Version (NIV)
20 Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.

Jeremiah 3:7
New International Version (NIV)
7 I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it.

1 Samuel 13:12
New International Version (NIV)
12 I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”

Acts 7:25
New International Version (NIV)
25 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not.

Acts 8:20
New International Version (NIV)
20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!

Acts 16:27
New International Version (NIV)
27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.

So my point to this whole thing is to encourage you to ask God what his expectations and thoughts of you are and if it doesn’t line up with what you expect and think or what others may expect or think then cast it to the side and keep pressing forward on Gods plan and forget the lies of Satan because John 8:44 New International Version (NIV) He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Focus on God’s truth because John 8:32 New International Version (NIV) 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

A CHANGED PERSPECTIVE

When we begin to look at things in our life from a different perspective: a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view, we can avoid becoming bitter with our life: angry, hurt, or resentful because of one’s bad experiences or a sense of unjust treatment, when we change or refocus our view from our lens.

Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, David, Hanah, Daniel, Mary, and all the disciples could have easily became bitter with life considering their life circumstances. Instead they all decide to change their lens and view their life from a different perspective and they all came out on top because of it.

You also can win just like they did….if your willing to adjust or change your perspective!!!!

UNLOCKING THE DISBELIEF DAY (5 OF 5)

Day 5 of Truth!!!

If you don’t have time to bible study today then you can consider this your bible study for the day by reading it!!!

Motto verse Hebrew 13-8: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

The spiritual gift of speaking in tongues was a gift given by God to those he chose. But even to this day, some believers reject that gift or have disbelief in it. The apostle Paul indicated that there is a time and place for it though which is Gods timing. He did say he would rather have a church as a (whole) that prophesied verse an entire church as a (whole) that spoke in tongues so that it wouldn’t cause a distraction to unbelievers.
1 Corinthians 14:22
22 Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers.

But the Apostle Paul also warned the church not to forbid that gift.
1 Corinthians 14:39
39 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.

Let’s take a look and see what Gods word says about speaking in tongues.

Gods Word
Old Testament

Psalm 37:30
30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just.

Isaiah 28:11
11 Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people.

Gods Word
New Testament

Mark 16:17
17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues.

After Jesus’ resurrection and accession the speaking of tongues still existed. The next verses prove that.

Acts 2:3-4
3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Acts 19:6
6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

1 Corinthians 14:5
5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.

1 Corinthians 14:18
(Paul) 18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.

1 Corinthians 14:21-22
“With other tongues and through the lips of foreigner I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me says the Lord.

I’ll finish with the verse that I started with. Hebrew 13-8: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. If this verse is true then so is Gods ability to give the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues. For those that are in the body of Christ that reject this gift, lets stop rejecting Gods gift so we as a whole can begin to experience God the way the first church in the book of Acts did, so that today’s church can receive the same power that God gave them.

UNLOCKING THE DISBELIEF DAY (2 OF 5)

Day 2
Hebrew 13-8: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Sometimes I wonder as true followers of Christ if some believers really believe his word for what it is. That thought alone has been pressing on my heart for several days. So I spent several hours searching Gods word to reassure you that God has never changed.

So if we truly believe that God never changed and is the same God now as he was then according to the bible, then you believe that God speaks through his people even today through dreams and visions. If you have a hard time believing that as a believer in Christ then you need to ask yourself why. As followers of Christ we will truly never receive all he has for us or really experience if for whom he truly is if we deny his power.

Habakkuk 1:5 “Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.

Gods Word.

Old Testament
Genesis 20:3
3 But God came to Abimelek in a dream one night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.”

Genesis 20:6
6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her.

Genesis 31:24
24 Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”

Numbers 12:6
6 he said, “Listen to my words: “When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams.

Judges 13-15
13 Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed. 14 His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.” 15 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.”

1 Kings 3:5
5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

Ezekiel 11:24
24 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia in the vision given by the Spirit of God. Then the vision I had seen went up from me.

Daniel 2:19
19 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven.

Daniel 4:13
13 “In the visions I saw while lying in bed, I looked, and there before me was a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven.

Daniel 8:15-19
15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai calling, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.” 17 As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. “Son of man, ”he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.” 18 While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet. 19 He said: “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end.

Zechariah 1:8
8 During the night I had a vision, and there before me was a man mounted on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.

Gods Word
New Testament

Matthew 1:20
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 2:12-13
12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. 13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

Matthew 2:19
19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt

Acts 2:17 “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

Acts 9:10-12
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. 11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

Acts 10:3,4/19
3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” 4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you.

Acts 16:9
9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

Acts 18:9
9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.

If you’re a believer and his word doesn’t convince you that he hasn’t changed and still speak to us in dreams and visions you need to pray that he reveal him self to you for who he truly is. This topic is more than real to me because I have experienced dreams that came true some being months later. God has given all of those who believe in him spiritual gifts, so let us stop denying his gifts.

1 Corinthians 12: 4-6
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

UNLOCKING THE DISBELIEF (DAY 1OF 5)

Sometimes I wonder as true followers of Christ if some believers really believe his word for what it is. That thought alone has been pressing on my heart for several days. So I spent several hours searching Gods word to reassure you that God has never changed.

The topics that we will discuss over the next several days are angels, dreams and visions from God, Healing with the laying of hands, prophets and prophecy, speaking of tongues, prayer, God revelations, his power of given to us, his spirit that dwells in us and his gifts he has given us all who believe. So I will challenge every one of you to dig deep the next couple of days to see if you’re all in or partially in when we discuss several of these deep topics.

The Bible says in Hebrew 13-8: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. So if we truly believe that God never changed according to the bible, then you believe angles walk with us today on Earth as they did in the past. If you have a hard time believing that as a believer in Christ then you need to ask yourself why.

Gods Word.

Psalm 91:11
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

Matthew 4:11
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Acts 5:18-19
18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out.

Acts 10:3-4
3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” 4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.

Acts 10:7
7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants.

Acts 10:22
22 The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.”

Acts 12:7-11
7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.
8 Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. 9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.
11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”

Acts 27:23-26
23 Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me. 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”

If your still not convinced that God angels walks upon Earth with us today providing for us what ever task God has assigned them. Then I pray that you ask God to truly reveal himself to you so that you can truly accept him for who he is and not who we want to make him out to be by limiting his power. As followers of Christ we can’t pick and choose what we want to believe in his word. It’s all or nothing or hot or cold no in between. Revelation 3:16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

Revelation 22:18-19
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

WHO WERE THE TWELVE? DAY 4 BARTHOLOMEW (AKA NATHANEL)

The Twelve!!!!!!

Day 4- Getting to know Bartholomew (aka. Nathanael)

Bartholomew (Nathanael) came to Christ after being introduced to him by Philip. He was from Cana of Galilee and had a great relationship with Philip. In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke he is referred to as Bartholomew. But in the book of John he was called Nathanael which might have been his personal name. He was present in the book of Acts assisting with the nomination of the new disciple who would take over Judas Iscariot spot after his betrayal of Jesus. When he was introduced to Jesus by Philip he wasn’t so sure if Jesus who came from Nazareth was the true Messiah, because Nazareth which was place up the road from where he was from Cana to him was a insignificant and uncouth little town. He was just like everyone else waiting on the Messiah and was looking forward to meeting him even sitting under his family fig-tee in quiet and prayer which was customary when he met Jesus. It was until after Jesus called out his name and knew exactly what he was doing before he was called that changed his thought process on Jesus being the Messiah. There isn’t many references about the works of Bartholomew when he walked with Jesus, but after the resurrection of Christ he went on missionary journeys as far as India processing the name of Christ and he would eventually die a martyr for his faith by being flayed (cut open) alive at Albanopolis in Armenia. Even after having doubts about the Messiah, he risked it all by spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Mark 3:13-19
13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve[a] that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

John 1:45-49
45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.“Come and see,” said Philip.47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

Act 1:13
When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.

LET IT GO

Letting go is not a sign of weakness, but a true sign of strength!!!

He just wants us to let it go!!!