Gate Keepers (the gate swings both ways)

This is the thing...if I don't get to blogging early when the idea is fresh, it is really hard to get back to. It's kind of like praying and reading the word. If I don't "hide out" pretty much immediately in the first morning hour on my living room corner of the couch where my Bible, books, notebooks and pens are right next to me on the end table with great lighting, that time is pretty well swept away in the flurry of the day. Hard to find and get back ahold of.

 I did get a bit of my Bible time in before the rest of the day took hold and some thoughts worth jotting down and thinking about (aka meditating on) stood out to me. That dear reader is what this days writing will be about. It is a new brick to add to something I had been building on previously but not written about. Its about DOORS.
As in Who is knocking and should I open or not?

 Even before we get to the doors though there is a gate

From 1 Chronicles 16 (what I was reading this morning) there is the telling of bringing the Ark of God (different than Noah's ark) back to Israel but this time correctly since it had been attempted before without consulting God just doing things the way it seemed to mans mind would be good and honoring except it had disastrous results.

Don't we get ourselves into some fine fixes when we go about things our own way sometimes. Like this (whatever I think this is) makes me good enough for Heaven when God Himself already told us how to go about being good enough by receiving what HE says is the only way good enough to get us there... accepting that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (meaning I am a sinner), believing that Jesus died for my sins and confessing that as true before others. Its the A,B,C's of Salvation..

There I am rabbit trailing again..someone may have needed that though.
So yes, DOORS and GATES

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Verse 18 talks about who the GATE KEEPERS were and verse 24 the DOOR KEEPERS. This reminded me of a situation where someone doing work for us here wanted to have an acquaintance come over to help.  After a bit of background on the person, I said no. This made me appear mean and uncaring in his eyes and I simply told him "I am a gate keeper here and have say over who or what is allowed to come in" Sounds a little archaic as far as terminology goes and it was the first time I had ever said it. It turned out later we were to learn how wrong it would have been to let that acquaintance join him here as we became aware of newer events in his life. Super unhealthy in fact.

Sometimes we think because we are Christians we are to have an open door policy to show Gods love to others but I don't believe that is true. Life without limits is chaotic. Water has borders and look what happens if it doesn't stay put there...Tsunamis...and light breezes are ok but heavy winds need to be still or stay high above the earth...don't invade my happy space with the things and people important to me. No hurricanes or tornadoes wanted here. Earthquakes where the earth is moving out of its proper place. Not good. Undisciplined kids, lawless community structure which is not structure at all bring ruin. Get where I am coming from now in a general sort of way? Soooo bringing it home....

We give permission to things that enter our lives. (Not to be mistaken with sometimes wrong and horrible things do happen in our lives uninvited.) Just as we have gates and doors to yards, homes or at least our own rooms, we have spiritual gates and doors. What we allow in either way can affect us spiritually and in many other ways. And sometimes to paraphrase an old saying we need to tell those wrong things "don't let the gate door hit you where the good Lord split you" as we send them on their way out of our lives for good.

Something allowed to get through the front gate it has easier access to my door.It is why parents get frantic even belligerent seemingly about things their kids want to do sometimes.  It is also harder to remove something once it has been already allowed into our lives. A simple example would be smoking. How many people wish they had never gotten started with that? A miserable relationship. Messing around with occult stuff. 1 Chronicles talks about Gate Keepers and Door Keepers as separate things.    

How do I gate keep aside from naturally assessing things and saying yes or no? Prayer. We have great authority given into our hands by God to use for good in this world. He says
"Behold I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Luke 10:19-20 
"In my name you shall cast out demons"Mark 16:17
Look not every crummy thing happening is a demon, but the devil does masquerade as an angel of light to deceive and we are not supposed to live ignorant of his devices and think that he will leave us alone if we pretend he isn't around or don't make trouble for him by standing up to him and setting captives free and keeping ourselves and family free. So when he comes slinking around the gate say "NO in JESUS name NO! Leave now!" He has to bow to the name of Jesus but he may try again just to see if you meant it. Just like trespassers who take my no trespassing signs down around our property. Have to rehang the signs because we mean it really!

Four points just to wrap it up today:
*Some people or things are allowed past my gate
*Some people or things are not even allowed in
*Some may be in the yard but not allowed in the house
*Some may get permission to come in the house but not access every room

I will be continuing in this  gate and door line for a few more future blog posts...have a blessed week and take some time to check your gates...