LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, O YE GATES

MEMORY VERSE: lift up your heads, o ye gates; and be lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in, Psalm 24:7 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Sam 16, Rom 14, Lam 1, Luke 21 

The main purpose of a door or a gate is to restrict access. Doors are used to keep those who are in – in and those who are out – out. Doors are also used to minimize movements in and out of a property. There are visible doors like the one we have at home, and there are invisible doors like the door of our hearts. In Revelation 3:20 , Jesus said I stand and knock at the door and knock , if anyone hears my voice and opens the door ,I will come in and sup with him and he with Me. The door referred to in this verse is not a visible door but an invisible door. 

The best way to define some words is by their opposites for example what is light? Light is the opposite of darkness. What is life? Life is the opposite of death. What is glory? Glory is the opposite of shame. Bible scholars said David wrote Psalm 24 when he was at the lowest point of his life most likely when Saul was chasing. He had just been anointed king over Israel (1 Samuel 16:1-13), instead of taking the throne he became a servant in the palace (1 Samuel 16:14-23). Later he ended up in wilderness. The man who was supposed to be living in the palace began to reside in caves. The anointed king who was supposed to rule over the princes of Israel began to rule over the vagabonds and debtors in Israel (1 Samuel 22:1-2). Brother David, who was meant to be feeding people, began to beg for food (1 Samuel 25:1-44). At this point he decided to invite the king of Glory into his situation. 

This man understood that once the King of glory comes in, everything to do with shame in his life will disappear. Before he invited the King of glory, he did something very intelligent – he addressed the things that had been restricting the King of glory in his life. Psalm 24:7 says lift up your heads, o ye gates; and be lift up, ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in. One of the doors that had restricted the King of glory in the life of David was the love of women. He loved women to the extent that he killed a man and took his wife. When you study this verse, you will notice that David did not say lift up your head o ye gate, he said lift up your heads o ye gates which meant that they were more than one. Until the gates are lifted, the King of glory will stand by the door. The gates in some of our lives are unforgiveness. Oh that brother promised to marry me, he even proposed to me, I took him to my parents and at the last minute he jilted me so I will never forgive him. Oh I trained that sister in the university; I was there for her financially, immediately she graduated she married another brother so I will never forgive her. Brethren forgive. The gate restricting the King of glory in some lives is stubbornness – no matter what anyone tells me, I will do what is in my heart; the man of God has preached his own, I will do my own. The gate in some lives is malice and anger. 

PRAYER POINT: Every gate restricting the access of the King of glory in my life be lifted in the mighty name of Jesus.

Brother Samuel - Reaching the world for Jesus

MY GLORY AND THE LIFTER UP OF MINE HEAD

Psalm 3:3 -But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

One of the names of our Lord is King of glory, Psalm 24:7-8. To truly understand the meaning of the word glory, one needs to consider its opposite which is shame. Shame is a very terrible thing. A man that knew shame like the back of his hands was Naaman, 2 Kings 5:1-17. He was a decorated general. He had all the badges a Syrian army could have. He had respect of the king and everyone in Syria. He had everything an average Syrian could dream of. He had the brains, name, connection, fame, and everything you could think of but he was a leper. This leprosy cancelled all his life achievements. Because he was a leper, he had to live in Leper’s colony in the thick forest. He could not come near his family or else he would infect them. He could not stand before the king or anyone. Although he had everything money can buy, he was very lonely .I do not need to tell you that Naaman walked with his heads bowed. One day he came across the agent of the King of glory –Elisha, and his story changed. He was cured of his leprosy and the head which was down was lifted. The man whose residence was leper’s colony in the thick forest began to live in the best part of town. Naaman who was not allowed anywhere in the city began to ride on chariots in the city. Naaman who had not smiled in years suddenly began beam with smiles because his shame had been replaced with glory.

Colossians 1:27 says Christ in you the hope of glory. Jesus Christ is the king of glory. Once He enters any life, shame vanishes. One He takes residence in a man, His glory will begin to radiate in the man’s endeavors. One thing common with people who have failed at something or suffered defeat is that they walk with their heads bowed. To be defeated means to lose a battle to someone or something more powerful and stronger. No one looses a battle and walks with his head high. Sorrow causes him to walk his head bowed. If someone fails an examination and begins to jump for joy, you know something is wrong somewhere. Shame and sorrow causes a man who has just failed an examination to walk with his heads bowed. The man at the pool of Bethesda was now used to defeat having suffered defeat on thirty –eight occasions, John 5:1-16. Every time the angel of the Lord came to trouble the water, someone faster, stronger, and quicker got to the pool before him. One day the King of glory paid him a visit and without trying he received his healing. To fail simply means to work very hard and have nothing to show for it. Peter tried all night but had nothing to show for it, Luke 5:1-10. While he was washing his nets with his heads bowed, the king of glory visited him and the same river he had cast his net all night , he cast his net once and caught so much that two boats began to sink. It is shame that keeps a man’s head down but once the shame is taken away;God’s glory begins to radiate and the head that is bowed down will automatically go up.This is why you need to give your life to Christ so that the glory of God will radiate in your life.

PRAYER POINT: King of glory let your presence be felt in my life.

 

Glory and Sacrifice

Wednesday 5 September                      Bible in one year : Daniel 4-6

Memorise: Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God,than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.Hebrew 11:25

Read:Hebrew 11:24-27

The one who has not fully made up his mind about his relationship with God,might be tempted to compromise the Gospel message or the specific errand he or she is asked to deliver to the affluent in society when given the opportunity to stand before them.When compromise sets in , the glory departs.Compromise is a great deflector of God’s glory.When you stand before kings to tell them the truth,even when they do not like to hear the truth,God increases His glory upon your life.There are several children of God who stood before kings in bible days and never compromised:Young David, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Daniel and Paul, all stood before kings without compromising.In fact ,Daniel was very outstanding. He remained in the corridors of power for a very long time.Successive kings found him so invaluable that they retained him so as to give credibility and add value to their kingdoms. There is a user of this devotional who will soon stand before kings.God is giving you the opportunity to stand before kings.But when the time comes to pass, do not be intimidated , and do not change your message . Speak the truth and God will uphold you.

Can God send you to a palace of pleasure or a dangerous zone without you compromising?if money or self gratification is uppermost in you heart , you will sure forget your main reason for going. It was dangerous for Moses to accept God’s call to go and meet Pharaoh. That errand could have cost him his life,yet he went.He made a choice that could hurt him.What were gains to him,he counted as loss just like Paul. It was a great honor to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter- a prince,yet he told the people to stop calling him that. In other words, he despised the title that would have opened doors to him everywhere he went in Egypt,but rather chose to suffer with endangered species (the Israelite). He preferred the reproaches of Christ greater treasures compared to the sinful pleasures of Egypt.No wonder he carried God’s glory to the extent that people could not look at his shining face. What sacrifice have you made to earn the glory of God you are asking for?Paul gave up his academic achievements just to be a carrier of higher levels of glory. Without sacrifice, you can never climb high on the glory ladder.

ACTION POINT: It is faithfulness that keeps you uncompromising in the midst of pressures. Ask for grace to remain faithful wherever you are.

Excerpts from Open Heavens by Pastor E.A Adeboye.

Maximise your glory

Wednesday 29 August                                    Bible in one year: Hosea 5-7

Memorize: There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon,and another glory of the stars : for one star differeth from another star in glory.1 Corinthians 15:41

Read: 1 Corinthians 15:40-41

God’s call is not for fun or frivolity. God has a definite purpose for calling you. It is important you acknowledge why He saved and called you because God does not just pour down His glory on people,He does so to assist you in fulfulling His call upon your life.As you respond and totally submit to that call, He will move you from one level of glory to another.According to 1 Corinthians 15:40-41, God has different glory moulds for the different things He created.The bodies of angels are different from  human bodies and both have different glories.Even among lights,there are different level of glory.Among believers in Christ,the story is not different.Believers radiate varying levels of glory due a number of reasons such as: the type of calling on that believer,the price paid to maximise that calling,the level of holiness or obedience the believer operates,prayerlife,Bible study life,worship,praise and thanksgiving life, the degree of pleasing God, etc. You can be a carrier of God’s higher levels of glory if only you are ready to pay the price.

God does not expect you to deviate from your calling as this will not only lead to failure but also make you unable to maximise God’s glory in your life.Moses was called primarily to lead the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage into their promised land.In doing this, the Lord sent him to Pharaoh to ask him to release God God’s people. This assignment was  both dangerous and tempting. It is possible for somebody like Moses who was brought from the bush and made to stand before the king to compromise because of the affluence associated with the palace.Many church leaders and Christian workers today who were given the opportunity to minister to the top brass of the society, have compromised the message or errand they were sent. They found it difficult to tell the truth because they wanted to remain in favour with those in authority. No wonder they cannot optimise God’s glory. If God sends you to the creme de la creme in the society ,you owe them the truth of God’s word. In wisdom deliver to them the Gospel message and where possible make an altar call. God wants you as His witness before panels  ,committees ,kings and the leaders of the society. Be a true witness!Don’t change your message!

KEY POINT: Jesus died for all classes of people ,if you have opportunity to reach any of these classes ,you are privileged; do it with all your might!

Excerpts from Open Heavens by Pastor E.A Adeboye