POSSESS THE GATES

Part 1

“As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate” (Psalm 127:4-5).

Why is it a blessing to have a quiver full of children? Why will parents not be ashamed who have many children? They are training their children to know how to fight enemies. They are preparing them for war. And what is more powerful than swords and spears? Words! Words of truth!

We don’t have children just for the sake of having children. We have a purpose to raise children who know how to combat the enemies of darkness and who know how to contend for their faith. We raise children who know the truth, who will stand for truth, and who will keep on standing for truth even when everyone is trying to knock them down! We teach them to not only know the truth, but to speak the truth knowledgably and articulately.

1. SPEAK IN THE GATES

Where will our children speak? Some will speak one to one and others will speak crowds, but all must be prepared to speak in the gates. What are the gates? In biblical times they were the most important part of the city where the elders sat to administer judicial matters and kings met with their subjects. The judges and officers judged the daily matters of the people and the prophets proclaimed warnings from God. Today, it relates to the city councils, the state capitals and the White House in Washington DC where decisions and laws are made. Are we preparing children who will know how to speak with legislators and governors?

The Bible has a lot more to say about the gates of our cities and nations. Not only are we to train children to speak in the gates, but to also…

2. POSSESS THE GATES

Who are to possess the gates? Not the enemies of righteousness, but God’s people! The word “possess” in the Hebrew means “to seize, take possession of, to occupy.” In the Bible, to “possess the gates” means to take authority over the entire city. Don’t you think it is time the righteous occupied the gates of our cities and nation? We can’t have righteous laws without righteous men in government. We can’t have peace in the land unless the godly rule.

Why do we languish in mediocrity when we are meant to be possessing? “Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 13:34). Also read Proverbs 11:10-11 and 29:2.

God promised Abraham that “thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies” (Genesis 22:17). Because we are the children of Abraham by faith, it should be our vision, and the vision for our children, to possess the gates of our enemies. Rebekah’s family had this vision when they gave the blessing to her as they sent her forth to be Isaac’s bride, “Be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them” (Genesis 24:60).

3. PROCLAIM WISDOM IN THE GATES

We are not to hide the wisdom of God’s truth behind closed doors, or even in the church. We must proclaim wisdom in the chief places of the city. Proverbs 1:20-21 says, “Wisdom cries in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she utters her words” (Proverbs 8:1-7 and 8:1-3). The wise will speak in the gates, the fool will be too afraid to speak in the gates (Proverbs 24:7).

4. ESTABLISH JUSTICE IN THE GATES

The prophet cried out in Amos 5:15, “Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish justice in the gate: it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.” It is because we have tolerance in the gates, that our nation is declining and the light of God is dimming more and more.

As God’s people we are to hate evil, not tolerate it. We are to abhor what is an abomination in God’s sight, not trifle with it. We must hate it enough that it will cause us to take action and establish justice in our courts and in our land. We must loathe it enough that we will pray and intercede. Ezekiel 9:4-6 states that God told Ezekiel to “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst.” They were the only people who escaped judgment. Are you one who sighs and cries for the evil in the land?

Love from Nancy Campbell
http://www.aboverubies.org

PRAYER:

“Oh God, please save me from assimilating into this world system and help me to intercede on the behalf of my nation. Strengthen me to raise children who are ingrained in your Word and who will be bold to speak your truth, even in the face of opposition. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

I am preparing children to speak in the gates!

What is an abomination to God?

Leviticus 18:22-30; 20:13; Deuteronomy 7:25-26; 18:9-13; 27:15; 1 Kings 14:24; 2 Kings 16:3; 21:2; 23:7, 24; Proverbs 3:32; 6:16-19; 11:1, 20; 12:22; 15: 9, 26; 16:5, 12; 17:15; 20:10, 23; 24:9; Jeremiah 4:1; 13:27; 44:22; Ezekiel 7:3-9; 11:21; Luke 16:15; Romans 1:25-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:9-11 and Revelation 21:8, 27.

Some Scriptures about the Gates of the City for you to study:

Genesis 19:1; Deuteronomy 16:18; 17:2-5; 21:19-21; 22:15; 25:7-8; 28:52; Joshua 20:4; Judges 16:1-3; Ruth 4:1, 11; II Samuel 15:2; 19:8; I kings 22:10; I Chronicles 9:19-23; 26:13; II Chronicles 8:5; 14:7; 32:6; 35:15; Nehemiah 3:1-32; 8:1-3; Esther 2:19-21; 3:2; Psalm 87:2; 147:13; Proverbs 1:21; 8:1-3; 31:31; Isaiah 29:21; Jeremiah 17:19-20; 38:7; Ezekiel 44:1-3; 48:31-34; Daniel 2:49; Amos 5:10-15; Acts 3:1-10; Revelation 21:12-21 and 22:14.

SECOND MILERS! 

“Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two” (Matthew 5:41).

As we prepared to update the address labels to send out the new issue of Above Rubies, we encountered a problem. We had to manually verify nearly a thousand addresses, right when we needed to print labels! It is a lengthy task to locate the address, go to the USPS webpage and verify it, and then change it on our data base.

Knowing the urgency of the task, my Above Rubies helper smilingly started to work. She didn’t only work from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm as we do each day in the office. She worked through her lunch hour. She shifted into a new gear—the “second mile” anointing! She kept on with the job in the evenings. She worked all through the weekend and continued the same pattern the following week. She didn’t stop until the last address was verified! I called her, “Second Mile Haley.”

EMMANUAL--GOD WITH US

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23).

The prophets revealed many different names as they foretold the birth of the Messiah who would come to deliver Israel and the world. Isaiah 9:6 reveals his name as Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father and The Prince of Peace. God revealed to both Joseph and Mary, at separate visitations, that his name would be called JESUS “for he shall save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:23 and Luke 1:31)

But it was also prophesied that He would be called Emmanuel—God with us. What love! What purpose God has for us in the gift of His son, Yeshua. He gave Him to be the Savior of the world—to save us from our sins, to deliver us from our selfishness and bondages so that we can live unto him. But He also gave Him to be with us. He wants to be close to us. He wants to fellowship with us. He wants to be present in every detail of our lives. There is no greater gift we could receive than Emmanuel.

Because Jesus died to take the punishment of our sin, we have cleansing and forgiveness—and the infilling of the Holy Spirit—God with us.

This gets to the very nitty-gritty of our lives. Dear mother, God is with you in every moment of your mothering. He is with you when you feel overwhelmed and even when you feel you can’t cope any longer. He is with you in all the frustrations. He is with you as you tackle another mound of dishes. He is with you as you scrub and clean. He is with you as you face all the extra activities you take on at this Christmas season. He is with you as you sort out squabbles and sibling rivalry. You are not doing all this on your own. Emmanuel is with you. Acknowledge that He is with you. Thank Him that He is with you. It makes all the difference (Revelation 21:3).

All these moments, the good and the difficult, are sacred moments because of Emmanuel. He is with you as you curl up on your sofa and nurse your baby. He is with you as you read stories to your children and in the daily disciplines of teaching and training your children. Your attitude, and the atmosphere of your home changes when you understand that God is powerfully with you in every mothering moment.

He is with you in the dark times. He is with you when you do not feel Him and think that He is far away. Your feelings have nothing to do with it. Your feelings do not change Emmanuel!

You may feel you are drowning in the waters, but in the midst of the deep waters, God says “I am with you…they shall not overflow you.” The waters of adversity may be swirling around you. They look fearful and you wonder how you will survive. But remember, you cannot drown when God is with you. It is impossible. Read Isaiah 43:2 again. Instead of talking about all that you are going through, thank God that He is with you in your trial. When you understand that God is with you, you can rejoice.

We can rejoice in Emmanuel. He is in control. I love the reference to Emmanuel in Isaiah 8:8 and 10 that He is in charge and He owns the land! Yes, Emmanuel owns the land of Israel!

The greatest gift we have in this earthly life is that God with us. We are not citizens of this world. We are only sojourners here, ambassadors for the King of kings on our way to eternity. He does not leave us here to grovel and exist on our own. He has sent Emmanuel to be with us, teaching us, guiding us and filling us with His wisdom and His glorious presence as we fulfill our destiny.

Make this be the glorious theme of your Christmas celebrations. Share this wonderful revelation with your family. As you thank God, encourage each one in the family to thank God that He is Emmanuel--God with us.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL
www.aboverubies.org

PRAYER:

“Oh God, I thank you that you are Emmanuel. I thank you that you have promised to never leave me or forsake me. I thank you that you are with me even when I do not feel your presence. I thank you that I do not need to fear any circumstance because you are with me.”

AFFIRMATION:

I can face every situation in life because of Emmanuel!

THE HUMILTY OF GOD

“Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedience unto death, even the death of the cross.”
(Philippians 2:6-8).

What is Christmas today? Christmas trees, decorations, lights, tinsel, parties, Santa Claus, and an over abundance of food. Total antipathy to the very first Christmas!

The first Christmas was celebrated in poverty. Today, if a couple were so poor that they had to have their baby in a dirty animal stable, the Social Services would take their baby away from them. But 2000 years down the line, it seems that the humility of Christmas has been forgotten.

I think it would be good to remind ourselves of the true reality of Christmas, don’t you?

1. The humility of Mary

Mary was a humble maiden with a humble lineage. She was not a royal princess. She was not a High Priest's daughter. She was not rich. Mary herself confesses in her song, "He hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden... He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree…”(Luke 1:48-49). But God chose this unknown virgin to bring forth His precious Son. He chose her because she was a willing vessel. Often those who have everything materially, are not willing vessels.

God is not looking for riches and material possessions. He is looking for women with obedient hearts--mothers who will welcome to their hearts the children whom God has planned to send them. He is looking for those who have the same spirit Mary had when she said, "Be it unto me according to thy Word" (Luke 1:38). She was totally surrendered to the will of the Lord. In the face of poverty, ridicule, rejection and estrangement, she embraced this child who would be the Savior of the world.

I will never forget going to the famous art gallery in London and seeing a painting of Mary. It was such an anointed picture. The artist captured the look of total submission and abandonment to the will of God upon her face. It was amazing. I looked and looked at it for hours. The caption was, "Be it unto me according to thy Word."

2. The humility of Joseph

Joseph was a humble carpenter from a humble village. Do you remember that Nathanael said of Jesus, "Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46). Jesus was spurned by his fellow residents of Nazareth who asked, “Is not this the carpenter's son?" (Matthew 13:55).

3. The humility of His birthplace

Jesus was born in a stable, most probably a cave, with the dirt, the smells and messes of the animals all around. He was then laid in a stone feeding trough, fit only for the animals. Jesus was born to be King, but God didn't provide a palace for His Son in which to be born. He didn't provide a doctor, nurses and hospital. There was no cradle, beautifully draped with lace and frills. Only straw! Was there even that? No Christmas card paints the true reality of the scene.

If this was the beginning of the Son of God, why do we, the sons and daughters of God, expect that we should have all the niceties of life? Of course, if God blesses us with them, we will receive them with joy, but should we expect them? Everything surrounding the birth of Jesus was humble. It is interesting that in the body of Christ we have the "Faith movement" and the "Discipleship movement" and so on. But has anyone ever heard of the "Humility movement"? We don't take to this so well, do we? And yet this is how God planned for His beloved Son to be born. And this is how he lived His life. Shouldn't humility also be the hallmark of our Christian experience?

I think that God revealed His heart in the place He chose for His son to be born—the lowliest and humblest place possible. God loves the poor. He promises to raise up the poor. He watches over them. Even in the birth of His son, He related to the poorest of the poor.

It is also amazing to think that God chose to bring forth His beloved Son through the process of birth. He could have sent him down from Heaven on a chariot of fire! He could have sent a legion of angels to escort Him from the majesty of heaven. But no! He chose for His Son to be conceived and nurtured in a womb, to be born of a woman, the way that God planned for all human life to come into this world.

Surely this raises birth to a high estate. What a privilege to give birth and give life to children, the very same way that Jesus came into the world? How blessed we are as women.

4. The humility of Jesus' dedication

After the days of a mother's purification, the parents took the baby to the temple to be dedicated. They had to bring a lamb to be sacrificed for the dedication. However, if they could not afford a lamb, they brought two turtle doves or young pigeons (Leviticus 12:6-8). The account in Luke 2:23-24 tells us that Joseph and Mary brought doves or pigeons. They belonged to the poor class. They couldn't afford to bring a lamb. And yet God chose from the poorer class to bring forth the King of kings and Lord of lords.

We don't have to own our own home and have all the modern conveniences before we are ready to have a baby. All we have to have is willing and welcome hearts. God will always provide for the children He sends. The poor who have children are richer than the wealthy who reject children.

May God pour out His Spirit upon you at this very special season as you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah together as a family. May God keep all our hearts focused on the humility of His birth, rather than tinsel and toys.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

www.aboverubies.org

PRAYER:

“Dear Lord Jesus, Thank you for leaving the glory of heaven to come to this earth. Thank you for humbling yourself to become a little baby. Thank you for being humiliated for me. Thank you that you came to die for my sin. How can I ever thank you adequately? With all my being I worship and love you. Amen.” 

QUOTE:

Zechariah 9:9 NAS, “Behold your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey”