Introduction
Last week we talked about deception works at the gates. The gates themselves appear to be gold but
up close we see they are made of inferior metals that comprise brass/bronze. Iron but not steel...
There are two things that lay at these gates.:
1. Deception 2. Righteousness.
Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matthew 7:13, 14 NKJV)
We decide which key we will use by the choices we make at the gates. These gates represent victory or defeat in our lives. Let's look at some scriptures that will set this up for us.
Isaiah 45:2-3 Thus says the Lord to His anointed, Thus says the Lord to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut: I will go before you And make the CROOKED places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron. (Isaiah 45:1, 2 NKJV)
Isaiah 27:1 In that day the Lord with His severe sword, great and strong, Will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan that TWISTED serpent; And He will slay the reptile that is in the sea. (Isaiah 27:1 NKJV)
Revelation 12:9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:9 NKJV)
2 Peter 3:14 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people TWIST to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. (2 Peter 3:16 NKJV)
Deception always crouches at the gates!
Have you ever met someone who takes your words and twist them around to mean something that you did not intend? Ever sent an email, text, letter or made a Facebook comment that was taken out of context or the wrong way? Many times the enemy will use our words to ensnare us.
Revelation 12:10 tells us that Satan is the relentless accuser, accusing us day and night.
Matthew 22:15 says, “The Pharisees met together to think of a way to trap Jesus into saying something for which they could accuse him” (NLT).
The Greek word “trap” means to ensnare or to fasten a noose. Words do matter and this Leviathan spirit will use words to trap you in.
I have personally seen this spirit at work within the church. This person tells me of a problem with that person but not to tell any other persons about the problem with that person. Then the person who told me in sworn secrecy tells their best friend who would never hurt this person but because they have another best friend, they tell them and somehow everyone in the church knows about it. And then the first person who told me in confidence wonders why I would go around telling everyone in the church something so personal about them. Then they leave the church and go across town to tell the pastor how hurt they were... Then they start telling people in that church about the terrible gossip in the church that they used to go to. Their new pastor is just so glad to have that poor violated saint in his church that he doesn't dare say anything to the offended one for fear of loosing the wonderful new momentum in their church. Then this offended saint proceed to tell everyone in their new church about the problem in their old church. As time goes by they wonder why their new pastor in this wonderful new church would tell all the new people in their life? Why would my pastor share all this gossipy information that he was sworn to secrecy on! And the cycle continues...
Many a time the devil has tied my hands on situations that I could have helped people through but the well meaning saint swore me to secrecy and I couldn't really address it in the light. We pastors understand the word liability, but unfortunately may people in our congregation do not.
Proverbs 6:2 says, “You are taken as in a net by the words of your mouth; the sayings of your lips have overcome you” (BBE).
The Pharisees of Jesus day tried to entrap Jesus with his own words. The devil will use your words, other peoples words and even Gods word to trip you up!
Righteousness gives us a legal right to enter the gates!
Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord, Through which the righteous shall enter. (Psalm 118:19, 20 NKJV)
Open the gates, That the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in. (Isaiah 26:2 NKJV)
The 12 Gates of Israel...
All the way around shall be eighteen thousand cubits; and the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE. (Ezekiel 48:35 NKJV)
This is 2012 and is the year of the gates! A year for Israel and a year for the Church! Anybody that blesses Israel and the church shall be blessed! There are only two choices to make in this year; choose deception or righteousness! Choose bronze or Gold! Choose pure iron or inferior metal gates! The Lord is there at the gates of opportunity. We determine and he decides.
There are two things that open the gates of heaven to us:
1. Praise
2. Worship
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. (Psalm 100:4, 5 NKJV)
Praise will draw God to you; worship is when we draw near to God. God inhabits the praise of His people! When you start praising God, His ears perk up and he comes to investigate!
Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. (Psalm 95:6 NKJV)
Praise is lifting up, worship is bowing down. Praise applauds God for who He is, what He has done, what He is doing and what He’s gonna do. Worship is humbling before His presence in awe of His holiness and sovereignty.
Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; But you shall call your walls Salvation, And your gates Praise. (Isaiah 60:18 NKJV)
The two keys that will unlock the two leafed gate are ; Praise and Worship!
Conclusion- Make the right choice and choose righteousness. Open those gates of righteousness with the keys of praise and worship!
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