RESUME FOR GATEKEEPERS
Part 2

“Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.”
(Isaiah 52:11).

Today we continue looking at the criteria required for gatekeepers of the home.

2. We must be clean

King Jehoiada of Judah “stationed the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the LORD so that no one should enter who was in any way unclean” (2 Chronicles 23:19 ESV). Gatekeepers were responsible to guard the temple from any unclean person entering in. They had to make sure that nothing unholy or impure got past the gates as they guarded the holy temple. They were meticulous gatekeepers. They could not allow a little bit of uncleanness into the house of the Lord, not even one tiny bit. A little bit grows into more. “Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” asks Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:6.

As you guard your house of the Lord you must allow no uncleanness to enter your home. Satan tries his best to smuggle it in, but you are the gatekeeper. Uncleanness doesn’t get past you! This morning I read a post on Facebook from a friend: “Just confiscated five phones, four laptops, and two tablets. I will bore these children into shape.”

Sometimes uncleanness creeps in unnoticed, but when we notice it, we have to get rid of it. In King Josiah’s time he ordered the priests and the gatekeepers to bring out of the temple all the vessels that were made for other gods and they burned them to ashes (2 Kings 23:4). Our first task as gatekeepers is to guard uncleanness from coming in, but if it comes in, we take action to cast it out.

When Nehemiah was restoring the gates of Jerusalem he said: “I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves and that they should come and keep the gates” (Nehemiah 13:22). Gatekeepers had to be cleansed before they took on their job.

Cleansed mothers are more able to keep cleansed gates!

3. We must be alert

1 Chronicles 9:19, 20 (HCSB) tells us how the gatekeepers were “assigned to guard the threshholds.” A guard cannot go to sleep on duty. He must keep alert with his or her eyes open. Verse 20 reminds us of Phinehas who was leader of the gatekeepers in earlier times. At one time the Israelites began worshipping Baal with the Midianites. The LORD’s anger blazed and He commanded the ringleaders to be executed. As this judgment was being issued one of the Israelite men brazenly brought a Midianite woman into his tent!

But Phinehas was on the job. He didn’t just observe the treachery; he took action. He immediately jumped up, took a spear, and rushed after the man into his tent, thrusting them both through with the spear. He was an alert gatekeeper.

Because Phinehas not only looked, but took action against the evil, God said: “Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel” (Numbers 25:10-15 and Psalm 106:28-31). It was as a gatekeeper that Phinehas rose up against the evil and stopped the judgment of God upon his people. He later became a high priest in Israel.

As gatekeepers of our homes, we also have to be alert, not only watching with our physical eyes but with the eyes of our spirit. It’s no use being a gatekeeper if we don’t see what is coming in through our gates.

Jesus told the story of the man going on a journey who told his “doorkeeper to be alert” (Mark 13:34 (HCSB). The NASB says he “commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert.”

4. We must have God with us

1 Chronicles 9:20 (HCSB): “In earlier times Phinehas son of Eleazar had been their leader, and the LORD was with him.” We can’t fulfill our great task of gatekeeping our home without the enabling of God. We need His presence, power, wisdom and anointing moment by moment for this great task. We cannot effectively watch our gates without the power and presence of God with us.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

PRAYER:
“Oh God, please help me to be a faithful gatekeeper, always alert and watching. Help me to have courage to take action again uncleanness coming into my home or casting it out of my home. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:
I want to be an ABC gatekeeper--Anointed, Bold, and Clean through the power of the blood of Jesus.

RESUME FOR GATEKEEPERS
Part 1

“I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness”
(Psalm 84:10).

Dear wife and mother, God has graciously given you a home to make into a place where God loves to dwell. You are also the doorkeeper of your house of God. Can you reiterate the words of this psalmist? Are you happier to be a doorkeeper in your home than to go to a career each day, leaving your home unguarded?

Gatekeeping is not insignificant work. It reveals the likeness of God. 2 Kings 12:9 talks about the priests who guarded the doorway. The word “kept” in the KJV or “guarded” in other versions is the Hebrew word shamar which means “to keep safe, to preserve, guard, protect, watch, and hedge about.”

The very first time this word is used is about the home. Genesis 15:2 says: “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it (abad, to work in it) and to keep it (shamar)". What is God’s plan? We are to work in our homes and guard them. Not very difficult to understand, but this great work is a fulltime lifestyle.

The Hebrew word, shamar is the same word used of God who is our Keeper and the Keeper of Israel.

God reveals Himself as our Keeper six times in Psalm 121:2-8:
v. 3: He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth (shamar) thee will not slumber.
v. 4: Behold, he that keepeth (shamar) Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
v. 5: The Lord is thy keeper (shamar): the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
v. 6: The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
v. 7: The LORD shall preserve (shamar) thee from all evil: he shall preserve (shamar) thy soul.”
v. 8: The LORD shall preserve (shamar) thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.

What blessedness to know that God watches over us night and day. He never slumbers or sleeps. He watches our coming in and our going out. He doesn’t miss one thing we are doing. We are continually in His watchful care. God guards us individually, but He also guards our homes, especially if we fear Him. Psalm 34:7 says: “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them” And He has specifically promised to guard Israel. The land of Israel would not be standing today without God watching over her.

Just as God faithfully watches over us, in the same way we must faithfully watch and guard the rooms, walls, doors, and gates of our home. In Revelation 21:12 we read that God has twelve angels guarding the twelve gates of the heavenly Jerusalem. If God deems it necessary to the guard the gates of His city, surely we should seriously guard the gates of our homes.

During the time of David’s tabernacle he appointed 4,000 gatekeepers (each doing their duty in their courses) to guard the entrances and treasures of the temple. As we read through the Scriptures we see that gatekeepers had to be of a certain caliber. They could not be wimps. They didn’t casually become gatekeepers. 1 Chronicles 9:22-29 tells us they were “chosen,” “ordained,” “given oversight,” “given charge,” and “appointed.” The word “chosen” is barar and means “examined, cleansed, polished, purified, purged, and made clean.” They were examined and cleansed before they could fulfill their task of gatekeeping.

It’s amazing to read the different character qualities that are required for gatekeepers. These qualities should also be part of our resume as the gatekeepers of our homes. Let’s look at the resume needed:

1. We must be trustworthy

1 Chronicles 9:22 (HCSB) tells us that David and Samuel appointed the gatekeepers to their “trusted positions.” The word in the Hebrew is emuwnah and means “moral fidelity, faithfulness, stability, truth.” A number of translations use the word “dependable.”

1 Chronicles 9:26 (NLT) says: “The four chief gatekeepers, all Levites, were trusted officials.” It takes dependability to be a gatekeeper. We cannot give up on the job. We cannot guard our gates effectively if we leave them.

We’ll continue the resume next week.

PRAYER:

“Dear Father, thank you for showing me the importance of my role of gatekeeping. Thank you for choosing me for this position. Please help me to be faithful and dependable as I guard my marriage and the children in my home. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

I am a trustworthy gatekeeper of my home.

To learn more about gatekeeping, you can purchase the book, Gatekeepers of the Home. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/GatekeepersOfTheHome

DEW FROM THE LORD

“And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people
as a dew from the LORD, as showers upon the grass”
(Micah 5:7).

God sent His people Israel among the nations of the world to be like a dew from Him. He also wants us to be in this world as a dew from the Lord. However, there are prerequisites for our receiving the dew. For dew to come upon the grass there must be:

1. Clear Skies

The dew only comes with clear skies. We also have to keep clear skies in our relationship with the Lord and with others. In the name of Jesus we must blow away the dark clouds of doubt and fear, the black clouds of self-pity and depression, the clouds of sinful attitudes and words we speak that grieve the Holy Spirit who lives within us, the clouds of moods or “silent treatment” toward our husband, and the clouds of bitterness and unforgiveness to other believers. The dew of the Holy Spirit cannot fall upon us when we allow these clouds to hang around.

2. Light Wind

The dew does not come with storms. Each one of us face storms in our lives, but we must learn to not get caught up in the storm. The One who said, “Peace, be still” to the storm lives in our hearts and He wants to fill us with His peace in the midst of the storm. When we trust in the Lord and keep our hearts at rest and filled with His peace, we are in the right place for the dew to come.

3. Moist Soil

The dew does not fall on hard, dry ground. Soil moisture is extremely critical to producing heavy dew. We must also keep our hearts soft and tender before the Lord. And also soft and humble toward one another. The moister the soil, the heavier the that dew falls on the ground; the softer the heart, the heavier the anointing of the Holy Spirit falls upon us.

4. Ground Level

The dew comes at ground level. God does not keep the anointing of the Holy Spirit to the heavenly realm. The anointing flows down to ground level. Down to our circumstances. Down to where we are crying out to Him. Down to where we are mothering in our kitchen. Down to the nitty-gritty. Down to the menial day to day tasks of life. It’s for you to take hold of right now.

5. The Morning

The dew always comes in the morning. This is when God waters and refreshes the earth and this is when He wants to revive and refresh us. If we don’t experience it in the morning, we lose our opportunity (Hosea 6:4 and 13:3).

The manna came to the Israelites in the morning, because it came with the dew. If they weren’t up to collect the manna before the sun was up, the manna melted and they would go hungry for the day (Exodus 16:14-16, 21). It is important to start the morning with God. I’m sure you wake up talking to Him and seeking His guidance for the day.

It is important to do this as a family too. We love to keep to the Morning and Evening principle God established in His Word and meet together as a family every morning--to collect our manna from the Word and seek the refreshing anointing of the Holy Spirit.

We read more in the Bible about the dew:

1. The dew comes from God

Hosea 14:5: “I will be as the dew unto Israel.” We cannot cultivate the dew ourselves; it comes from God. Only He can refresh, heal, invigorate, and renew us each new day.

2. The dew is always considered a blessing

The refreshing dew upon the grass is considered one of “the precious things of heaven” (Deuteronomy 33:13). Read these Scriptures where the dew is a blessing from God: Genesis 27:27, 39; Deuteronomy 33:28; Proverbs 19:12; and Zechariah 8:12).

3. The dew waters and refreshes the ground

Psalm 110:;3: “From the womb of the morning, thou hast the dew of thy youth.” This is actually a Messianic prophecy relating to Christ. Although He is “The Everlasting Father,” He also has the dew of youth. The dew waters, invigorates, refreshes, rejuvenates, and revives. The dew keeps us refreshed and young in spirit.

4. God wants us to be dew in this world

Micah 5:7: “And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass.” This is a prophetic word concerning the people of Israel who have been chosen by God to be a light to the world and like dew amongst the nations. God’s purpose for us who are now “fellow heirs” is that we will also be dew in the sphere of the world where we live.

This world is filled with evil, heartache, and suffering. But we have “the Dew” dwelling in us to water and refresh the dry and broken hearts, to soak the hard hearts with God’s love, to cheer and revive the drooping spirits of God’s people, and to bring God’s life-giving anointing to everyone we meet, in our home and out of our home.

It’s a cycle. As we keep our hearts soft and tender to receive the refreshing dew, we can then refresh others. As we water others we’ll be watered more ourselves. Proverbs 11:25: “He that waters shall be watered also himself.”

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

PRAYER:

Dear Father, thank you so much that You are the dew in my life, the One who refreshes me each new morning. Please help me to keep my heart soft so you can pour your anointing upon my life. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

As I am refreshed, I will refresh others.

WHICH GOD DO YOU WORSHIP?
Part 5

"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people"
(Luke 1:68).

Our great God has many names. Every name reveals another aspect of His character, or the manner in which He wants to reveal Himself to us. Sometimes we forget that God is called “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6). God called Himself this name to Abraham at the burning bush, before He revealed Himself as “I AM THAT I AM.” Immediately following this revelation He once again stated in verse 15: “Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.” And He repeats it again in Exodus 4:5.

Not only did He tell Abram three times that this was His name, but affirmed that it is His name FOREVER. Did you get that? There are some Christians who say that God has finished with Israel and the church has taken her place. That does not line up with what the God of the Bible says.

Did you know that God is called the “God of Israel” 201 times in the Bible? I think that is enough to establish His identity, don’t you?

If we truly worship the God of the Bible we have to embrace Him as the God of Israel. We have to know Him as the God of Israel. Because He is the God of Israel, we have to embrace the people of Israel. We have to embrace the land of Israel (and that is a lot more land that the Jews have today). In Genesis chapter 15:18-21 it tells us: “In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt (the Nile river in Egypt and Sudan) unto the great river, the river Euphrates (which is in modern-day Iraq).”

To understand more fully the actual boundaries God promises Abram in verses 19-21 that his descendants will inhabit all the land of the following people: “The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and Jebusites.” These people lived in what is known today as Egypt, Sudan, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, part of Asian Turkey, and of course ALL of Israel, including Gaza and the West Bank. God gave the promise of this land over and over again. He didn’t say it was only for Abraham, or even Isaac, and Jacob, but for their descendants.

We don’t know when, nor can we even fathom how Israel will get all this land, but we know it will belong to them someday. These Scriptures don’t say they have to fight for it, for God has given it to them. It will become theirs in God’s divine way. All we have to do is believe and stand fast to God’s Word and promises.

That’s the next thing. If we worship the God of the Bible, who is the God of Israel, we must believe and embrace all God’s promises to Israel, those which are happening right now and many more that are still to happen in the future. The land of Israel is a living proof that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God and that God is alive today. We are living in times of the fulfillment of biblical prophecy, and we will see much more to come.

It is an awesome experience to go the mountains of Samaria (the West Bank) and seer prolific vineyards growing out of stones! How can they grow in such arid ground? There is only one reason. By the prophetic word of the Lord. God speaks not only to people, but to the lands. Ezekiel 36:4, 8 says: “Therefore ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen . . . O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come.”

God promised that when He would gather His people back from the four corners of the earth that they would settle again on these mountains and the land will bring forth fruit. It is totally miraculous. Everything in Israel is miraculous. Read the whole chapter of Ezekiel 36 to be encouraged.

Why do the nations of the world hate Israel? Why does USA and the nations of the world want to take the West Bank from Israel? Why would they like to throw Israel into the sea if they could? Because it is satanically inspired. Satan hates Israel, and hates God’s land. Or I should say, he fears it. He know they are the proof that God is alive today and His Word comes to pass.

If Israel and the land can be wiped out, the Bible is no longer valid, because it fills God’s Word from beginning to end.

But what does the God of the Bible say? “Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; the LORD of hosts is his name: if those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me forever” (Jeremiah 31:35-37).

God cannot forget Israel, therefore if He is our God, we will not forget Israel either.

Blessings from NANCY CAMPBELL
www.aboverubies.org

PRAYER:

“Dear God of Israel, please teach me to know who You are. Please help me to know you as the God of Israel. Please fill my heart with your revelation so I can understand your ultimate purposes for Israel and for the world. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

Because I am on God’s side, I am on Israel’s side.

FURTHER RESEARCH:
To know what the God of the Bible says about Israel now, and in the future, look up these promises: http://tinyurl.com/IsraelEverlastingPossession

Further Scriptures regarding the boundaries promised to Israel:
Exodus 23:31; Numbers 34:3-12; Deuteronomy 1:7, 8; 11:24; Joshua 1:4; and Nehemiah 9:7, 8.

Further Scriptures calling God the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob:
Genesis 28:13; Matthew 22:32; Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37; and Acts 7:31, 32.