The PF Women Team at our Annual Team Retreat ~ 2018 Today on Seth Godin's blog, he said: It's tempting to decide to make a profit first, then invest in training, people, facilities, promotion, customer service and most of all, doing important work. In general, though, it goes the other way. Yes, it does. If you are waiting to make a profit before you do these things, in my experience you're not going to make a profit. So many organizations, ministries and churches are struggling with financial issues. I know your pain. As anyone who follows our story knows, our ministry was in a ton of debt four years ago when I came on as director. Since that time, we've gotten out of debt and turned a profit every year. God has done amazing things through out team, for which we give Him the glory! I find that what Seth is saying here is absolutely true, with one disclaimer. For Christian leaders, spiritual disciplines must always be first. Before we started i...
"Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in." Psalm 24:8
WOW! WHAT A MORNING!
This morning I presented a teaching in my adult Sunday School class on worshipping in spirit and in truth. We were primarily in John 4, but I referenced Psalm 24:8 and shared that I believe the "ancient doors" and gates spoken of here are meant by the Psalmist (David) to symbolize our hearts. There are things in our lives that become like gates and doors to hold us back from fully welcoming the King of Glory and His presence in our lives. I talked to the class about the walls we have built up within ourselves that keep us from His presence and glory...and about releasing those old bondages, letting go and allowing Jesus to take His place.
I have to be honest with you that I didn't do a deep study of Psalm 24 in prep for this class - I was primarily speaking from John 4 and just referenced Psalm 24 briefly but then... as He is so awesome at doing, God tied the whole thing together...just shortly after my class we go into morning worship. There was a lady there who was not present in my SS class, yet she gave a prophetic word during worship and basically declared Psalm 24...spoke of the "walls" we had built in ourselves, and holding back from God's presence. It was like she basically re-said everything I said in SS plus some more. Amazing. This came right after we sang, "Spirit of the Living God" and I could really feel God's presence as the people were singing and we cut out all the instruments and just raised our voices.
Well, I came home today and decided to study Psalm 24 in it's entirety, versus pulling out the verse I did for this morning's SS lesson - which was one among many. WOW.
WHAT IS TODAY? Palm Sunday!
That's exactly what Psalm 24 is all about!!!!!! The triumphal entry Duh!!!
It didn't even hit me til' I got home! Okay, I am blonde, but it is out of a bottle...
David realized that he didn’t have the hands or the heart to enter God’s presence. He needed someone with more wisdom and strength to climb the hill and enter God’s presence. And so in this Psalm he said:
Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty— he is the King of glory.
Here is something I found in my research this afternoon when I got home. Jerusalem is set on a hill. When you enter Jerusalem from the east there is a steep hill leading up to it. The hill has two huge gates on one side called the Golden Gate. This is the gate that many bible scholars believe Jesus entered through on the day that we now celebrate today as Palm Sunday. If these gates were not opened, the "traffic" of that day (people, animals) could not enter through.
The doors were open on that particular day, but even if they weren't, Jesus would have found a way to enter. Nothing would have kept Him from His mission. Many people had entered Jerusalem through this way. But none of them had clean hands and a pure heart.
When Jesus entered through these gates, the prayer of David was partially answered. The huge crowd spread their stuff (palm branches, coats) on the road.
Basically this would be "the gates" lifting up their heads and welcoming Jesus. Why did they do this? Because He had shown Himself in power. They had seen him casting out demons and healing people and that kind of stuff. But Jesus was not done climbing. His mission had just begun. He had to climb the hill of Golgotha, so that our sins could be forgiven and we could "ascend the hill of the Lord" with clean hands and a pure heart.
In order to have the King of Glory come in, we must be ready...but how?
We have to look a few verses earlier in Psalm 24, to read the lyrics of another popular song that we sing at Northside:
"Who may ascend the hill of the LORD ? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. Psalm 24:3-6
The Lord never promised us a pain free life. Many times it seems we are at the bottom of the mountain looking up. Sometimes it seems an insurmountable mountain. Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? He or she who has clean hands and a pure heart, who makes sure the "gate" of our heart is open and clear for the King of Glory to come in. We must make sure any walls we have contructed in our lives (ancient doors) are not barricading His presence from doing all He came to do in our lives...all He wants to do.
The Holy Ghost spoke to us through His Word and through prophecy in a "palm Sunday message" we may not have realized the full context of (I know I didn't) at the time!
What He was saying is still unfolding to me spiritually right now.
Think about this my friends...is the gate of your heart fully open wide for what God wants to do? Have you lifted any ancient doors off of your life so that the King of Glory might enter with all His glory and have His way?
Yes, it was a good Sunday morning at Northside. But I missed my boys. :-) They just got home from Orlando a little bit ago and they are sitting at the table eating the homemade spaghetti and meatball dinner I made. (Casey came home with us...she couldn't wait to see Dustin and wanted to be here when he arrived.) I made her favorite Ceasar salad with the spaghetti, garlic bread and brownies. It is so good to have everyone safe in the house again. Larry says, "honey, you act like the boys went off to war! They only went to Orlando!" Alright, I'm a mother. Give me a break!
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