Set The Gatekeeper

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2 Chronicles 23:19
“And he set the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the Lord, so that no one who was in any way unclean should enter.”

IMG_1074.jpgThere are many fascinating ministry roles found throughout the Bible. There were those who served as priests and entered the presence of the Lord on behalf of the people, others who served as kings or governors and were responsible to lead the people and those who served as prophets with the responsibility of teaching the people. Each of these roles must be a part of our walk with God. We need to serve as a priest who prays for others, a king who leads others and prophet who shares the word of the Lord with others. That said, we find a lesser known ministry role tucked away in this text. We read of the gatekeepers who protected the house of the Lord from anything that would defile it. Their responsibility was to forbid anyone from entering the temple who was not allowed or from bringing anything forbidden into the Temple. This is another necessary ministry that each of us must model daily.

The bible explains that the believer is the temple of God and that there are things that we need to guard against if we are going to remain pure and effective. Like the gatekeeper of old we need to set a watch over our eyes and ears to protect ourselves from anything that would defile us or lead us astray. Big sins always start with little compromises. A person who falls from the Lord did not set out to do so, instead they failed to act as a gatekeeper and allowed ungodly thoughts to lead to ungodly actions. The failure to guard what comes in has led to broken marriages, church splits, returning to old habits and in some cases hardened hearts that remain unwilling to turn back to God.

Set a watch over your life and guard yourself against anything that will weaken your witness or put out your burning passion for Christ.

Jim

 

 

A Mother’s Influence

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TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Chronicles 21-22 & Psalms 147-148

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 22- A Mother’s Influence

2 Chronicles 22:3
“He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother advised him to do wickedly.”

These were dark days in Judah. The once glorious land was filled with idols, immorality and unrighteousness. This had so weakened the nation, they were being attacked and defeated on all sides. Desperate times like these always provide a backdrop for men and women of God to rise to the occasion, and have a tremendous… Read More

Psalm 147- Great Is The Lord 

Psalm 147:5
“Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.”

Bible writers use a variety of adjectives to help us better understand God. The Psalmist chooses the word great. Great is a word with vast meaning. It can indicate size; one dictionary defines it as “very… Read More

Psalm 148- The Earth’s Language

Psalms 148:1-4
“Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
Praise Him in the heights!
Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all… Read More

 

Made To Praise

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TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Chronicles 19-20 & Psalms 145-146

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 20- Confused

2 Chronicles 20:12
“O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”
… Read More

Psalm 145- Memorial Stone

Psalm 145:4
“One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.”

When God divided the Jordan River, enabling… Read More

Psalm 146- Made To Praise

Psalms 146:1-2
“Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.”

Praise is pretty common. If you have ever watched a sporting event you will hear it. One team goes ahead in the final seconds and the arena bursts forth in praise. Sometimes however the opposing team… Read More

What Matters Most

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TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Chronicles 17-18 & Psalms 143-144

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 17- What Matters Most

2 Chronicles 17:1
“Then Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place, and strengthened himself against Israel.”

Sometimes, when reading our way through the Bible, we come across phrases that don’t seem to make sense. This is one of those times. In this text we find the king… Read More

2 Chronicles 18- Achilles Hill

2 Chronicles 18:31
“So it was, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, ‘It is the king of Israel!’ Therefore they surrounded him to attack; but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him, and God diverted them from him.”

Greek mythology tells the story of the great warrior, Achilles, who survived many battles. As a baby, the legend foretold… Read More

Psalm 143- Seeking First

Psalm 143:1
“Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications!”


In Matthew 6:33 Jesus told us, in the difficulties of life, we should seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

In Verse 1 of this Psalm, David cries out to the Lord and we see a very clear example of what seeking the Lord… Read More 

Recipe For Success

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TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Chronicles 15-16 & Psalms 141-142

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 15- It’s That Simple

2 Chronicles 15:2
“And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: ‘Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.’”

Sometimes we come across passages of Scripture that are difficult to interpret. The imagery is something… Read More

2 Chronicles 16- Warning Label

2 Chronicles 16:9
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.”

There are some truths that are so powerful it seems … Read More

Psalm 141- Recipe for Success

Psalm 141:1 “Lord, I cry out to You; make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.”

Psalm 141:2 “Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.”

Psalm 141:8 “But my eyes are upon You, O God the Lord; in You I take refuge; do not leave my soul destitute.”… Read More 

Psalm 142- Complaint Department

Psalms 142:2
“I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare before Him my trouble.”

Complaining is often the result of looking at the one thing that is going wrong instead of the many things that are going well. We might have a day off work, be gathering with our family at a park or at the beach, and instead of enjoying the day we begin to complain that it is too windy, too hot… Read More

It’s That Simple

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TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Chronicles 15-16 & Psalms 141-142

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 15- It’s That Simple

2 Chronicles 15:2
“And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: ‘Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.’”

Sometimes we come across passages of Scripture that are difficult to interpret. The imagery is something we do not quite understand, or we feel as though… Read More

2 Chronicles 16- Warning Label

2 Chronicles 16:9
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.”

There are some truths that are so powerful it seems… Read More

Psalm 141- Recipe For Success

Psalm 141:1 “Lord, I cry out to You; make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.”

Psalm 141:2 “Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.”

Psalm 141:8 “But my eyes are upon You, O God the Lord; in You I take refuge; do not leave my soul destitute.” … Read More 

Psalm 142- Complaint Department

Psalms 142:2
“I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare before Him my trouble.”

Complaining is often the result of looking at the one thing that is going wrong instead of the many things that are going well. We might have a day off work, be gathering with our family at a park or at the beach, and instead of enjoying the day we begin to complain that it is too windy, too hot or there are too… Read More

Storms Of Life

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TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Chronicles 13-14 & Psalms 139-140

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 13- Storms Of Life

2 Chronicles 13:18
“Thus the children of Israel were subdued at that time; and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the Lord God of their fathers.”

I spent much of my life in California before moving to Florida. The people I first met in Florida… Read More

2 Chronicles 14- Facing Giants

2 Chronicles 14:11
“And Asa cried out to the Lord his God, and said, ‘ Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!’”

King Asa, and the nation of Judah, were facing an obstacle much too great for them… Read More

Psalm 139- Searchlight

Psalm 139:23-24
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”

In this portion of the Psalm, David prays three things: search me, try me… Read More

Psalm 140- Cover My Head

Psalms 140:7
“O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.”

David was familiar with warfare. He had faced Giants and well as giant armies. He knew the dangers of hand to hand combat and there is little doubt… Read More

When God Speaks

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TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Chronicles 11-12 & Psalms 137-138

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 11- When God Speaks

2 Chronicles 11:4
“Thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not go up or fight against your brethren! Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.’  Therefore they obeyed the words of the Lord, and turned back from… Read More
2 Chronicles 12- You Have Forsaken Me

2 Chronicles 12:5
“Thus says the Lord:‘You have forsaken Me, and therefore I also have left you in the hand of Shishak. ’”

A few years ago I was… Read More
Psalm 137- Weeping

Psalms 137:1
“By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion.”

The story of Israel is a familiar one. They were saved by the marvelous grace and mighty hand of God who provided for their needs and gave them victory over their enemies. Soon they began to… Read More

Psalm 138- Praise Him

Psalm 138:1|
“I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You.”

David paints a picture that is familiar to all of us. He is surrounded by those who are not following Jehovah, and are feverishly pursuing other things. The false gods of the heathen… Read More

 

Independence

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TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Chronicles 9-10 & Psalms 135-136

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 9- Unraveling

2 Chronicles 9:6
“However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You exceed the fame of which I heard.”

A person, standing at a distance and looking in at Solomon’s… Read More

2 Chronicles 10- Independence

2 Chronicles 10:4
“Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”

Solomon’s expansive building projects did not come cheaply, and had a devastating effect upon the nation of Israel. The people sat under a heavy … Read More

Psalm 136- Never Ending Mercy

Psalm 136:1
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”

It has been suggested by many, this psalm was sung by the worship leaders of Israel, with the congregation serving as the choir. The Levites would sing a verse and the people would respond, “For His mercy endures forever.” Imagine thousands of travelers finally arriving in Jerusalem, for one of the great feasts, and the skilled musicians begin… Read More

Our Nation

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TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Chronicles 7-8 & Psalms 133-134

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 7- Our Nation

2 Chronicles 7:14
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

The bible clearly teaches God is just, and will one day judge each nation for its… Read More

Psalm 133- How Sweet It Is

Psalm 133:1
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”

The psalmist is calling us to action. He desperately wants our attention, and calls us to look at the brethren dwelling together in unity. The unity he was speaking of was a united desire to seek after Jehovah. This Psalm was one of the many songs… Read More
Psalm 134- Bless The Lord

Psalms 134:1-2
“Behold, bless the Lord, All you servants of the Lord, Who by night stand in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, And bless the Lord.”

The psalmist exhorts us to enter with the congregation of God into the presence of the Lord. He tells us that we should lift our hands as we bless the Lord. I find it interesting that it is possible to bless God. I understand how… Read More