Gatekeeper

"The gatekeepers were Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman,

and their kinsmen (Shallum was the chief). . .

And they lodged around the house of God,

for on them lay the duty of watching,

and they had charge of opening 

[the temple] every morning."

1 Chronicles 9:17 & 27 ESV

It was a rough time.  Bands of robbers would come, attempting to steal the precious metals found throughout the temple.  Those who knew nothing of the Lord and His holiness or righteousness made light of His house, using it for their gain.  As a result, it was necessary to post guards assigned to watch the gates, keeping out those who would harm such a sacred place.  This was an essential duty and one in which they took seriously.

Today, thanks to Jesus Christ and His incredible sacrifice in setting aside His divine nature and coming to earth as a mere human in order to take my sin and it's punishment upon Himself, I am a temple of the Holy Spirit (Philippians 2:5-11, John 3:16-17, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17).  As such, I would be wise to take on the duty of the gatekeepers, watching carefully the people, philosophies and pursuits that enter my heart and home.  

Living in such an open society as I do, it is easy to be tainted by the destructive ways of this world, letting anything and everything flow freely into my live and that of my family.  Therefore, it is necessary for me to take on the essential duty of the gatekeeper of my heart and home (Proverbs 4:23,Romans 12:2).

People.  Everywhere I go, I run into people.  Some I'm irresistibly drawn to.  Others repel me.  A few draw me closer to Christ, challenging me in my relationship with Him while most tempt me to fall away from my First Love.

Relationships are necessary in this world.  I was made to live in community with others. While I may not have complete control over which people with whom I come into contact, I do have the choice of who I allow into my close circle of influence.  Selecting godly friends and filtering out those with whom I may share interests and values but seem to work against my faith is vital to my walk with the Lord.  

If I'm more concerned with simply hanging out with people I like, then I will probably find myself spending a lot of time with those who either don't know the Lord or who live as if they don't.  If, however, I let the Lord choose my closest friends then I will find people whom are not only pleasant and a joy to be around, but are also good for my faith.  

As a temple of the Holy Spirit, it is important that I guard the gate of my heart and home from people who may lead me down the path of destruction (Matthew 7:13).

Philosophies.  Oprah has one.  Dr Phil uses his to counsel others in their lives.  My hairdresser is quick to reveal hers.  The President, while leader of all the people, is still swayed by his and leads the country according to it.

Each person to whom I listen has a worldview that shapes their beliefs.  Some think mankind if essentially good and can be trusted to do the right thing.  Others hold the view that enlightenment comes through effort and utilizing one's mind power.  Many think values are subjective, different for each individual according to their preferences while countless others think tolerance and freedom of expression are the common principles that tie us all together.

Whatever the belief a person holds, it shapes them and permeates every area of their life.  While most of us are not conscious of the influence our philosophies have on our choices and the fruit of our lives, it is nevertheless a major factor in deciding how we live.  

Therefore, it is vital for me to guard against those prevalent worldviews which are contrary to what God teaches in the Bible.  In order to do so, it is necessary for me to constantly filter through every belief that passes through my awareness, rejecting those that may sound good but fail the test of God's Word.  If it doesn't line up with what God has taught me, it has no business staying in my consciousness.

As a temple of the Holy Spirit, it is important that I reject those worldviews which run counter to the Truth of God's Word, even if it comes from someone I admire.

Pursuits.  There are many ways I can spend my time.  Mostly I choose what activities I will pursue based on my interests, it's popularity or for social reasons.  I don't usually even think about God when picking what to do with my free time let alone ask Him for guidance in utilizing this precious and limited resource.

The way I spend my time is a pretty good indicator of the health of my relationship with God.  If I fritter away the majority of my time in things meant to entertain, bring me pleasure or fulfill my desires, then it seems that I am lord of my own life.  If, however, I wisely invest my allotment of time in growing closer to Him, using His gifts to edify the church and in making Him known, chances are that Jesus is Lord.

No one is expected to spend every waking moment in selfless pursuits, but if my heart is bent toward pleasing myself instead of God, it is most likely that I treasure me more than Him.  If I find myself selfishly going after what I want instead of asking God what His plan is for me, it seems I'm my own god.  While there is nothing wrong with taking time out for myself, if I mostly think of myself as an independent being not reliant on God unless I'm desperate, then I have a problem.

As a temple of the Holy Spirit, it is important that I consider every minute of time as precious and an opportunity to grow closer in my relationship with a God who loves me.

While it is common to see security guards in our cities who watch for danger which threatens the safety of those who frequent a certain establishment, this modern-day gatekeeper's job is not as important as my duty to guard my heart and home from a different kind of threat.  I must watch for people who can lead me astray, philosophies which taint godly beliefs, and pursuits which waste my time.  In so doing, I will take my job as gatekeeper seriously and reap the benefits of such an effort.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can keep my eyes trained on the finish line, running only the race God as marked out for me.

When do I get distracted by what the world tends to run after?

How am I wasting my time with fleshly pursuits?  

The Watchman

"If the watchman sees the sword coming 

and does not blow the trumpet

to warn the people

and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them,

that man will be taken away because of his sin,

but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood."

Ezekiel 33:6

During Medieval times, a watchman kept post on the city wall or other high place, constantly on the lookout for any signs of danger.  If a threat was perceived, the watchman would sound an alarm to warn the people.

In the same way, Ezekiel was called to be a watchman for the house of Israel.  As a prophet, it was his job to relay messages from God to the people, warning them to turn from their wicked ways or face the consequences.

Today we have many messages from this watchman to help keep us on alert, but like the people of Ezekiel's time, we say, "'Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD.'" (Ezekiel 33:30b)  Then God revealed the truth when He told the prophet that, "My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice.  With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain." (verse 31)

How do we stay on-task during such evil times?  It is easy to get sucked into the way of thinking, living and speaking like the world around us.  Temptations are everywhere.  But I am not left without defense.  The Apostle Paul reminds me that, ". . . in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." (Romans 12:5)

We are placed in community to help each other keep from danger and we are each accountable to one another for our actions.  

Confession

We sat on the porch, enjoying the coolness of the evening.  Well, maybe my friend was enjoying it, but my insides were twisted into a knot.  God had put it on my heart to confess a certain area of sin to my sister in Christ.  Now, as the time came near to " 'fess up", I considered backing out.  What will she think of me?  

My gracious friend received the news with love and mercy.  And as I relieved myself from the burden, I found something else to be true: After I confessed, it was as if a burden had been lifted. No longer was this a deep, dark secret. . . it was out in the open.  

Incredibly, that confession was the end of that sin.  Once I revealed the dark secret and let the Light shine upon it, that sin no longer had power over me and the temptation to succumb had vanished.  


James addressed this area of acknowledgement of sin to one another in his letter to the believers scattered among the nations.  In reminding us of the importance of prayer he said, ". . .confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (James 5:16)


I had experienced this healing that James spoke about.  Exposing my sin to the Light gave my sister the opportunity to pray for me, putting into motion the power of God in my life.  In turn, she was also able to fulfill the law of Christ by carrying my burden. (Galatians 6:2)


If I am to be accountable to my brother or sister in Christ, I will need to be honest about my areas of sin.  Confession leads to a relief of my burden and healing in this area of sin.

Live out Loud

I have heard it said that hurting people are more likely to unload their burdens at the local bar than in church.  One reason is because they won't find any condemnation in the saloon, but another explanation is that people are more authentic when they're out having a good time than they would be when they're sitting in church.  For some reason, we seem to think we need to be on our best behavior in church, putting up a front that everything is okay and I'm actually a pretty decent human being.

This runs counter to the message of the gospel!  "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  (Romans 5:8)  We don't have to be clean and perfect in order to step foot in church.  Instead, God accepts us as we are, flaws and all.  He redeemed me from the clutches of death by no effort or sense of worth on my part.  It is not my worthiness that makes me able to come into the presence of God.  Rather, it is the blood of Jesus that makes me clean and able to come into His company.

Why, then, do I insist on pretending that I'm someone I'm not?  Why do I think I need to be perfect in order to be acceptable enough to worship God in a group setting?  The church is made up of a bunch of broken people!  Until I can be honest enough to live transparently, openly admitting to my sins, the church will never feel like a safe place to confess areas of struggle.

As the Apostle Paul told the group of believers at Colosse, "Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator."  (Colossians 3:9-10)

I am a work in progress, and as such will have many rough spots left to be smoothed by my Master Potter.  I am no longer condemned, therefore I am free from the fear of punishment from my sin.  There is no need for me to hide my struggles, except to save face.  My pride encourages me to pretend I'm better than I am, but that kind of effort can be exhausting.  The sobering thought is that the One whose opinion of me should matter most, is the One who already know my heart.  I'm not fooling Him.. . and I'm probably not pulling the wool over anyone else's eyes, either.

If my reputation is more important to me than living in the way God intended, then I will be robbed of the blessing and peace found in living transparently with my family.

Submission  

There is nothing more humiliating and embarrassing to a parent than their children fighting and bickering in public.  I remember one family who I met when we were decorating the tree in the Army chapel we had just started attending.  I actually hadn't even met them, but had already formed an opinion about the lack of cohesiveness and respect within their family by observing the way the teenage sisters interacted with each other.  

"You're so stupid.  Why are you even here?"

"Shut up!  Just leave me alone, you moron!"

Their bickering lowered a blanket of negativity over the otherwise festive gathering.

As dramatic as the above scenario seemed, it pales in comparison to the kind of fights that take place today within the body of Christ.  Arguments range from disputes over the color of carpeting to be installed in the foyer to the kind of study that should be used on Wednesday evening services.  The world outside shakes it's head in disgust, not surprised that those who act "holier than thou" are really just as bad as the rest of us.

James reveals the reasons for our bickering.  He said, "What causes fights and quarrels among you?  Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?  You want something but don't get it."  (James 1:1-2)  

The Apostle Paul reveals the antidote to fighting.  "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." (Ephesians 5:21)  If I let Brother Tom have his way with the choice of carpet color, I am showing respect for Jesus, who is the head of the Church.  If I insist on doing things the way I want and dig my heals in, I am saying through my actions that getting my way is more important that Christ. 

When I get along with the Body of Christ, God is lifted high to those who are watching. Therefore, I am instructed to, "become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which your shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life." (Philippians 2:15-16)

I should not give unbelievers something to talk about in the way I interact with my family.  If I insist on getting my way, I will cause a disagreement or argument, making Jesus look bad.

Submitting to my brothers and sisters in Christ is an influential testimony to the power of God found in the gospel.

I am accountable for my actions to the family of God.  Consequently, I can learn to openly confess my sins when appropriate, live my life transparently for all to see the grace of God, and to submit to others out of reverence for Christ.

I can either live for my own best interest, or I can live as God intended.   Only one way will glorify Him. 

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will live as God intended.

How do I put up a front of perfection instead of letting others see my faults?

When do I tend to take a stand for something that will not glorify God, but will simply serve to get me what I want?