Thursday, 25 July 2013

Lift Up Your Heads Oh Ye Gates



LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, OH YE GATES


As children of God, God expects us to move forward. This He made clear in the book of Exodus. 
‘Exodus 14:15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:’ 
Many are times however, we cannot move forward either because we enjoy our current state, or simply do not know the appropriate direction towards which we should gravitate.  Whatever the reason for lack of forward movement, what we need is a word from God that will show us our current state as well as the way out of it.  Like the Israelites in Deut 1:6-7, who had moved round the same mountain for several years, most of us remain stagnated or we keep moving in a circle.  It is a pathetic situation. Until God shows up and speaks a word in season to us, we may remain therein.  

‘The LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount: Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.(Deut 1:6-7)’. 

Although God has instructed us to move forward and advance, there are times when we simply cannot because the next level is guarded by doors and ancient gates.  The hindrances to our advancement may be big or small, but either ways, they have been there for a long time probably before we were born.  Just like the perpetual hills and everlasting mountains in Habakkuk 3:6.  The good news however is that we and command these ancient doors to be opened so that we may go through.  

‘For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. (Mar 11:23)’.  

These mountains, hills or doors are positioned on our path is to hinder the revelation of the glory of God in our lives, hence we ought to deal with the doors to go through.  In Isaiah 40: 1-5, we see that the doors before Cyrus the King was shattered by reason of the anointing and this led to the revelation of the glory of God in his life. 

‘Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. (Isa 40:1-5)’. 
When the glory of the Lord is revealed in our lives, then we will arise and shine and glorify God (Isa 60: 1).  

WHICH DOOR DO I HAVE TO OPEN?



HOW DO I OPEN THE DOORS?

  1. Be born again.  John 1:12, John 3:3-8.  
  2.  Live an upright life Ps24:3-5, Isaiah 26:2. 
  3. Know that God is you Redeemer (Jeremiah 50:33-34). 
  4. Command the doors to be opened.  Mark 11:23. 
  5.  Engage the power of praise. Joshua 6:20, Ps 149:5-9.