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Guarding the Gates
Nehemiah 13:22 'Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this also, O my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love.' (NIV)
 Do you remember what you were like before you gave your life to Christ? Some people would say, 'No, I became a Christian when I was just a child. It's hard to remember much before that time.' Others, though, will remember exactly what they were like before Jesus entered their lives. And they'll quickly tell you how they've changed for the better. Once we meet the Lord, we change radically in so many ways. In a sense, the Holy Spirit does in our lives what Nehemiah did in the city of Jerusalem. Nehemiah came back to his homeland to find its beloved capital downtrodden and broken, its walls demolished and its gates burned and thrown aside. The city was vulnerable to attack from every side. In ancient times, the gates to a city represented the people's control over what went in and out of their city and their lives. If they didn't like what someone stood for, or what they carried with them, they could lock the gates and keep them out. Bad influences were kept at bay. The Holy Spirit builds gates within our hearts and minds, using the word of God. He helps us to keep out harmful influences and ideas. Nehemiah recognised though that gates once built have to be guarded. We should be vigilant to control the flow of ideas and information into our minds and the outflow of our mouths. This is a constant discipline, not a one-off event. From time to time, we need to take special inventory of how the gates are working. If we're letting in – or sending out – the wrong kinds of information, we need to mend the gates again, and place them under the guard of the word of God.
Prayer: 'Father, please help me to keep the "gates" of my heart and mind open only to helpful and positive things. Help me to constantly evaluate what I'm thinking – and what I'm saying – based on the measure of your word. I know that you will help me to do this.'
© 2003-2004 Mal Fletcher
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The EDGES programs just get better & better. I'm proud to be able to recommend them to 'not yet Christians' as they are relevant, innovative & challenging.
Ann Johnstone, Australia
Mal, I saw you do a soundbyte on God.tv & loved what you said, 'The kingdom does not have a hierarchy, but a sense of order.'
Cristy, USA
Mal, I just wanted to thank you for visiting Abundant Life and RN06. I am a psychiatrist in the NHS and agree very much with what you were saying about the secular services coming to us in 20 years for advice on how to do things. A group of us are starting a ministry to be ready to be asked!
Rob, United Kingdom
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