Guarding the Gates E-Book

Riaan Engelbrecht

• Herausgeber: Riaan Engelbrecht
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

There is a clear and intentional onslaught against the spiritual ‘gates’. This has been revealed by the Lord. This is not an attack for the ‘now’ but an attack that has always existed. This is an attack that is escalating, intensifying and becoming more vicious than ever before. It is an attack to lead people away from God, thus an attack of the destruction of the person. And we are talking here about the ‘gate’ – entry point – of nations, of cities, of homes, of families, and our very lives. A gate is a strategic point. It is a point of legally ‘controlling’ what goes in and goes out of the ‘city’. The enemy is laying siege to gain entry, for once he has entered through the ‘gate’, he comes to steal, to destroy and to kill. For the Lord has shown the enemy has come like an assassin, like a thief and as a destroyer.

Leseprobe

Series of work by the same author:

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Perilous Times

In Pursuit of God

The Holy Spirit

The Disciple of God

Deliverance

Crossroads to Freedom

The Kingdom of God

The Prophetic

Apologetics

End-Time Remnant

Guarding the Gates

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This is a distributed edition from Avishua Ministries.

The author’s intellectual property rights are protected by international Copyright law. You are licensed to use this digital copy strictly for your personal enjoyment only: it must not be redistributed or offered for sale in any form.

Scriptures quotes from the New Kings James Bible, Amplified, and the New International Version.

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Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

The attack against the gates

An intense season is upon us so stand guard

The enemy is laying siege

Enter through the gate of Jesus

Beyond the gate - the spiritual journey

The gates of hell shall not prevail

Why does the enemy want to come in?

Taking back the threshold

Jesus stands as a firmament to protect the ‘gates’

Seek the narrow gate

The strongman as gatekeeper

The gates of Nehemiah

Understanding the importance of our senses

Changing your reality through your senses

The subconscious and conscious mind

Strongholds of the mind

The continuing evil as imagined by mankind

Let our hearts be pure before the Lord

Taming the tongue

Dominion over the tongue

Keeping guard over the gate of the ear

Listening and heeding with a “circumcised” ear

Seeing the Kingdom of God

Guarding our spiritual sight

What are we beholding?

A disciple sees, perceives and understands

Transference, influences and impartations

Guard the gate of despair

Guard the gate of fear

Guard the gate of pride

Guard the gate of deception

Guard the gate of disorder

Guard the gate of rebellion

Intimate fellowship with God

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About the Author

The attack against the gates

THERE IS A CLEAR AND intentional onslaught against the spiritual ‘gates’. This has been revealed by the Lord. This is not an attack for the ‘now’ but an attack that has always existed. This is an attack that is escalating, intensifying and becoming more vicious than ever before. It is an attack to lead people away from God, thus an attack on the destruction of the person.

And we are talking here about the ‘gate’ – entry point – of nations, of cities, of homes, of families, and our very lives. A gate is a strategic point. It is a point of legally ‘controlling’ what goes in and goes out of the ‘city’. The enemy is laying siege to gain entry, for once he has entered through the ‘gate’, he comes to steal, to destroy and to kill. For the Lord has shown the enemy has come like an assassin, like a thief and as a destroyer.

Let us first understand the importance of a gate in the Scriptures. Besides being part of a city’s protection against invaders, city gates were places of central activity in biblical times. It was at the city gates that important business transactions were made, the court was convened, and public announcements were heralded. Accordingly, it is natural that the Bible frequently speaks of “sitting in the gate” or of the activities that took place at the gate. In Proverbs 1, wisdom is personified: “At the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech” (verse 21). To spread her words to the maximum number of people, Wisdom took to the gates.

The first mention of a city gate is found in Genesis 19:1. It was at the gate of Sodom that Abraham’s nephew, Lot, greeted the angelic visitors to his city. Lot was there with other leading men of the city, either discussing the day’s issues or engaging in important civic business. In the Law of Moses, the parents of a rebellious son were told to bring him to the city gate, where the elders would examine the evidence and pass judgment (Deuteronomy 21:18-21). This affirms that the city gate was central to community action. Another important example is found in the book of Ruth. In Ruth 4:1-11, Boaz officially claimed the position of kinsman-redeemer by meeting with the city elders at the gate of Bethlehem. There, the legal matters related to his marriage to Ruth were settled.

As Israel combatted the Philistines, the priest Eli waited at the city gate for news regarding the ark and to hear how his sons fared in the battle (1 Samuel 4:18). When King David ruled Israel, he stood before his troops to give instructions from the city gate (2 Samuel 18:1-5). After his son Absalom died, David mourned but eventually returned to the city gate along with his people (2 Samuel 19:1-8).

Therefore, in essence, to CONTROL THE GATES OF ONE’S ENEMIES WAS TO CONQUER THEIR CITY. Why? Because it was the place of trade and commerce, and where the judgement was passed. Part of Abraham’s blessing from the Lord was the promise that “your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies” (Genesis 22:17).

When Jesus promised to build His Church, He said, “The gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18). An understanding of the biblical implications of “gates” helps us interpret Jesus’ words. Since a gate was a place where rulers met and counsel was given, Jesus was saying that all the evil plans and schemes of Satan himself would never defeat the Church. Thus, for those who are the Blood, the devil cannot rule, and he cannot control or take up a place of dominion (manifested in the old days as taking control of trade and commerce).

So let us understand, that a gate is of great significance. Again, to control the gate means you control the “space” behind the gate. To control the gate(s) of a nation means you can control the nation, for it means you can control governance, and business, and even launch an attack against the spiritual strongholds within the nation.

We see the importance of gates as a strategic point of entrance, and the importance of protecting such gates, in the design of the New Jerusalem of “Revelation 21: 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass. 22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.”

In this case, it says the gates will never be shut, simply because the city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.  And because God is Lord of the New Jerusalem, it says in verse. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Unfortunately, while the spiritual battle still wages on earth, we are in a position where the ‘gates’ of the nation, city, town, family, marriage and our very lives will be under constant attack. So we are going to need knowledge, discernment and wisdom to guard against these attacks, to identify them, to counter them and to negate the devil’s strategy. Glory to God, for indeed those who abide in the Lord they shall remain standing strong for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church (the true believer who is in Jesus)!

Revelation 21 holds a key truth. It speaks of the New Jerusalem that does not need watchmen of the walls to guard against the gates because the Lord Himself dwells amid the city. If a nation is truly revived, and if our homes and our lives are completely sold out to God and God dwells within our nation and within our lives and homes in such a manner as what we read in Revelation, then indeed nothing impure will ever enter it.

Let us remember the truth that the devil roams like a lion, seeking to devour and to destroy (1 Peter 5:8). This Scripture also speaks about being alert, because the devil is always looking for ways to attack our gates, to attack our homes, our lives and our families. He is constantly roaming like a roaring lion, trying to impart fear, trying to confuse and to deceive.

The very tactic of the devil is to lure us away from the Lord, from His Truth and from His Kingdom so that our ‘gates’ of our nations, the churches, our homes and our lives are exposed to the infiltration, infestation and corruption of the devil. He wants us to move away from the Light of the Lord, from the Blood and the Covering of the Lord by moving into the carnality and depravity of the world. For then the devil can attack and devour and destroy.

We also see the importance of gates and walls in the story of Nehemiah, and we read in "chapter 1:3 Some Jews who visited Jerusalem returned to Persia and reported to Nehemiah, the king’s cupbearer. The men said, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”

Remember, after the Babylonian captivity, a remnant of the Jewish people had returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Ezra. These returned exiles had rebuilt the temple, but they were now in need of protection. The lack of fortified walls around the city left the people defenceless against enemies. Weather, wild animals, opposing people, and other opponents could easily enter and cause “great trouble” to the people.

The rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls would show God’s blessing upon His people again. Nehemiah quoted God’s words to Moses in his prayer, saying, “If you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name” (Nehemiah 1:9). And rebuilding the walls showed that God was with His people. Upon the completion of the walls, Nehemiah wrote, “When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God” (Nehemiah 6:16).

Similarly, we must be careful that we are not left exposed to destruction when our ‘gates’ and ‘walls’ are falling apart and when we fail to keep watch over the gates.  Just so, the devil is looking to gain entry into churches, to disrupt, to overthrow and he is seeking to gain entry through the ‘gate” of our soul and spirit.

Let us be mindful that the dangers and threats many times are not beyond the “wall” in terms of external attacks by the enemy – which is always at work – but we need to remain mindful and aware of internal disruptions, strive and disorder. We need to be aware not only of the false wisdom of the world, but we need to be aware of false teachings, philosophies, words, actions and behaviours within the church. We need to be aware of false prophets false religions and impostors within the ranks who seek to destroy – directly or indirectly – the stability of the Bride. We have too often and too easily missed the importance of being a watchman – keeping watch over our own hearts, keeping watch over others, over the Bride and over the world. This is why we are called to test all things and why the Spirit has given us the gifts of wisdom, discerning, knowledge and prophecy.

Now, let us understand the enemy can either lay siege to a gate or take it by force or the gate can be so seductive that he is ALLOWED LEGALLY through the gate. The enemy the devil is a sly fox, and the reason why there are so many false doctrines and teachings in churches today is that the devil has been allowed through the gate. And once the enemy gains LEGAL entry, he can operate legally to destroy, kill and steal.

This is of course what happens in countries throughout the world, where the church has not been a watchman and so has allowed the enemy into the nation, into the government and commerce. The result is a corrupt nation, that suffers violence that suffers lawlessness and anarchy. Why? Because the enemy has been allowed to enter through the gate. Let us understand, the enemy wants to enter through the gate. He wants to control us. He wants to come into our homes and into our families.  As Christians, we must be careful and not allow him in, but so great are the onslaught and so intense the attack this is what is happening. If we give way, if we compromise then we give the devil a foothold.

Just so, our hearts, our minds, and our senses are all gateways into our soul and spirit. All believers in one sense or another are watchmen –firstly as a watchman over our own lives for it says in Proverbs 4:23: Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. We are called to firstly keep guard over our own hearts, but also to stand guard for our brothers and sisters regarding dangers, threats and any other disabling forces and lastly to keep a watch over the lost who are still held captive by the darkness.

We need to be so aware of our spiritual walk and we need to keep guard over our own “gates” and beware and be alert to every danger and threat that works to steal God’s presence. We need to be wary and alert to such pitfalls, temptations and tests that rise against our brothers and sisters in Christ and we need to be discerning regarding those who are still lost and who are looking to find their way.

2 Timothy 1: 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.  13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

In the days of Jerusalem, we find the Lord called for watchmen to stand guard on the walls, at the city gates, on the ramparts and in the countryside – these watchmen were tasked to discern danger, to discern any form of external or internal threat and they were tasked to provide an additional sense of security and peace. The Old City walls contained 43 surveillance towers to guard the 11 gates, illustrating the importance of standing guard over the gates. The concept of watchmen is, however, not only pertinent to Israel’s history – during all the wars and conflicts, armies have used sentries and watchmen to keep guard and to stand at the post regarding any dangers.

We read of such watchmen in “Song of Solomon 3: 3 The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city”, and also in “2 Samuel 18: 24 While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked out, he saw a man running alone. 25 The watchman called out to the king and reported it.”

A prophetic action of a watchman is found in “Isaiah 21: 11 A prophecy against Dumah: Someone calls to me from Seir, “Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?” 12 The watchman replies, “Morning is coming, but also the night. If you would ask, then ask; and come back yet again.” And also in Hosea 9:7-9: 7 The days of punishment are coming, the days of reckoning are at hand. Let Israel know this. Because your sins are so many and your hostility so great, the prophet is considered a fool, the inspired person a maniac. 8 The prophet, along with my God, is the watchman over Ephraim, yet snares await him on all his paths, and hostility in the house of his God. 9 They have sunk deep into corruption, as in the days of Gibeah. God will remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins.”

We find in the Bible that Ezekiel was charged as a prophetic watchman, meaning one who watches for any internal or external spiritual threats, and he was tasked to keep watch over God’s pending judgment as Israel slipped deeper into idolatry and spiritual rebellion.

Ezekiel 33: 1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, 3 and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, 4 then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. 5 Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’ 7 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 9 But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.”

We perceive therefore that Ezekiel was tasked to warn the people against the “sword”, against wickedness and idolatry. Ezekiel, therefore, understood that he was called to keep guard against wickedness in the sense that the wicked ways of the people invited judgment in the form of the sword. And the words of the Lord are quite harsh, for He warns Ezekiel that if he fails to react to what he sees and he fails to sound a warning then the blood of those who perished are on his hands.

Today, in a spiritual sense, the Lord is also calling for watchmen, and in truth, every believer is a watchman. We have all in varying ways been tasked to keep guard, to watch, to be alert and to be aware of any dangers or threats against the Bride of God, against our families, our nation, our marriage and our very own lives. We need to stand guard against what is false, what is deception, counterfeit, unholy, profane, carnal and rebellious in nature.

We find watchmen of all kinds of nature, and of calling and of importance and of ability. Just as in the days of Israel, we too find in the church-appointed watchmen who keep watch over the local congregation from an external point of view similar to one standing on a rooftop gazing over the fields, and we also find those watchmen who are more internally involved in the flow of spiritual matters, making sure that no idolatry, rebellion or lawlessness takes hold internally.

We also find watchmen who keep watch and guard corporately over the Bride, and we also find watchmen who are stationed in the “countryside”, meaning the marketplaces of this world, where a lot of the saints are in operation.

What does it mean to watch and pray? Jesus used the phrase “watch and pray” on a couple of different occasions. Once was the night before the crucifixion. Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him to the Garden of Gethsemane, where He prayed that “this cup be taken from me” (Matthew 26:39). After the prayer, He found His disciples sleeping. He was grieved that they could not even pray with Him for an hour and warned them to “watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).

Another occurrence of the phrase “watch and pray” is found earlier in Jesus’ ministry when He prophesied about the end times. Luke chapter 21 details many of those events, and Jesus warns that they would happen suddenly: “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap” (Luke 21:34). He then says, “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man” (verse 36).

“Watch and pray.” The word translated “watch” means “to have the alertness of a guard at night.” A night watchman must be even more vigilant than a daytime guard. In the daytime, danger can often be spotted from a distance. But at night everything is different. A night watchman must use senses other than sight to detect danger. He is often alone in the darkness and without the defences he would otherwise employ. There may be no indications of an enemy attack until it happens, so he must be hyper-vigilant, suspecting it at any moment. That is the type of watching Jesus spoke about.

Jesus warned us that we are too easily distracted by the physical and will be caught unaware if we do not continually discipline ourselves. In the Garden of Gethsemane, sleepiness overcame the disciples. Their physical need overpowered their desire to obey Him. He was grieved when He saw this, knowing what was ahead for them. If they did not remain spiritually vigilant, in tune with Him (John 15:5) and ready to deny the flesh, they would be overcome by the evil one (1 Peter 5:8).

Jesus’ disciples today must also watch and pray. We are easily distracted by this world, our fleshly needs and desires, and the schemes of the enemy (2 Corinthians 2:11). When we take our eyes from Jesus and His soon return, our values begin to shift, our attention wanders, and soon we are living like the world and bearing little fruit for God’s kingdom (1 Timothy 6:18–19). He warned us that we must be ready at any moment to stand before Him and give an account of our lives (Romans 14:12; 1 Peter 4:5; Matthew 12:36).

“Watch and pray.” We can only remain faithful when we are devoted to prayer. In prayer, we continually allow God to forgive us, cleanse us, teach us, and strengthen us to obey Him (John 14:14). To keep watch, we must pray for endurance and freedom from distractions (Hebrews 12:2; Luke 18:1; Ephesians 6:18). We must pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). When we live with the eager expectation of the Lord’s return and expect persecution until then (2 Timothy 3:12; Matthew 24:9; 1 Peter 4:12), we are more likely to keep our lives pure and our hearts ready to meet Him.

We after all need the discernment of times and seasons and so we need to know what is also happening in the world and how it affects the church – especially when it comes to the economy, philosophy, religions and politics. Such watchmen were of critical importance during the hundreds of years of religious conflict and in the turbulent ages when the world saw many social, political and economic upheavals that threatened to destabilize the church.

So yes, the onslaught is real. We live in a world of great depravity, where the truth of God has been abandoned for New Age teachings, secularism, and the exaltation of the Self. We live in a world of "2 Timothy 3: But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was."

We need to be alert, we need to be sober, and take guard against the ways of the enemy who seeks to infiltrate, manipulate and cause destruction, and death. It says in “Revelation 22 of the Perfect Life, thus the end of all (the New Jerusalem) and God’s final establishment of rule: 3 There will no longer exist anything that is cursed [because sin and illness and death are gone]; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve and worship Him [with great awe and joy and loving devotion]; 4 they will [be privileged to] see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will no longer be night; they have no need for lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign [as kings] forever and ever.”

Only then will there be no more need to stand guard over the gates, but until then when darkness is no more we must remain vigilant and on guard.

An intense season is upon us so stand guard

THE LORD CONFIRMED at the start of 2017 when He spoke about a very intense season ahead for all disciples of the Lord. Regarding the season of intensity, the Lord emphasizes “for the disciples”, for the disciple walks in God’s Truth and Kingdom, for there is a difference between a Spirit-filled disciple and a mere believer. An intense season speaks of an intense onslaught against the gate.

The Lord said this would be a season of intense battles for all disciples, a season of intense struggles, intense conflicts, and intense warfare. This will be a season of intense spiritual encounters with God, but also intense encounters in conflict with the demonic. It will be the intensity of Elijah when he encountered the false prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel and his struggles with Ahab and Jezebel.

This will be a season of intense demonic manifestations, and this will be a season of intense inner struggles within the disciples. For those who persevere, and for those who seek the Lord, this will be a season of intense encounters with God as Moses had at the burning bush.  This will be a season of intense prophetic revelations regarding God’s move in the Kingdom, declarations and prophetic utterances and manifestations.

Yes, we need to know how intense will be the dreams and visions of God, for there is intensity in the spiritual realm we are about to witness. Even deliverance and healing will be intense, as intense as God delivering Israel from the hands of Egypt. Even signs and wonders and miracles will be intense.

Take note says the Lord, demonic manifestations will be incredibly intense and in the open, yet many churches will not know how to deal with this. Intense will be the levels of authority God’s children will walk in, and intense will be the call for holiness and purity. For I see an increasing intensity within the churches between those who seek after the Lord and those who seek after religion and self-gain. This is the intensity felt between Saul and David.

Yes, intense will be the rebellion against God, the iniquity, the apostasy and the deception. For the darkness is intensifying, yet God calls for His children to walk in the intensity of His Glory. Yes, an intensity of His Glory! For this intense season is a work of the Lord of purging, purifying, refining and cleansing.

The intense encounters and battles and inner struggles will shake, and it will clearly display and expose the chasm between the false and the real, the godly and ungodly, the holy and the unholy, the truth and the lies, the Kingdom and the counterfeit movement, the true prophetic and the occult, the supernatural and mysticism.

Such a season is upon us and it will be very intense ... it will not be easy for many will fall and many ministries will be shaken, yet great will be the power of the Lord for now is the time to abandon all for the intense walk with God.

Do not fear said the Lord. We must not fear. We must not relent in our boldness or in the strength of the Lord for the battle belongs to Him! We need to understand the Lord shall not relent and the Lord shall repel for we need to stand upon the Word that no weapon forged against us shall prosper! We must stand upon Psalm 91 and Psalm 23.

Yes, we shall not go quietly into the day, neither shall we surrender or submit or bow the knee to the world! We must pray more TOGETHER says the Lord, not just one day of corporate prayer, but there must be more prayer in homes and among believers. Pray, pray and pray! Plead, petition, and seek the Lord!

Yes, let us raise our arms as Moses did for the battle belongs to God! We must keep on fighting, keep on persisting in our faith for this land and Africa shall not be destroyed by the works of darkness. And yes, demonic manifestations will occur more often, and the attacks against the families will be more intense, but we need to remain standing on the Rock and put our eyes upon Jesus!

Be courageous, be bold, do not fear, for the Lord is with us! For there is also a Tsunami coming of the move of the Spirit! We must endure, and stay the course, for those whose hope is in the Lord shall overcome.

We do not have to fear because while the darkness may arise, so does the power and the glory of the Lord become more manifested to counter such darkness.

The enemy is laying siege

THE LORD HAS SHOWN this is a relentless attack – an attack upon attack. And we need to take note of what the enemy is doing lest we are going to be swept away by the demonic onslaught. This onslaught comes in the form of anything unnatural, unholy, immoral, false, counterfeit, and deceptive. It is an onslaught of great darkness and spiritual destruction. We need to realise modern-day warfare is very similar to spiritual warfare. Where else did man learn about warfare other than from the spiritual realm?

So what is a siege? It is a ‘military’ operation in which enemy forces surround a town or building, cutting off essential supplies, to compel those inside to surrender. It is the act or process of surrounding and attacking a fortified place in such a way as to isolate it from help and supplies, to lessen the resistance of the defenders and thereby make capture possible.

It can also be defined as a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. This derives from 'sedere', Latin for "to sit". Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static defensive position.

A siege often occurs when an attacker encounters a city or fortress that cannot be easily taken by direct assault and refuses to surrender. Sieges involve surrounding the target and blocking the reinforcement or escape of troops or provision of supplies, typically coupled with attempts to reduce the fortifications using siege engines, artillery bombardment, mining (also known as sapping), or the use of deception or treachery to bypass defences. Failing a military outcome, sieges can often be decided by starvation, thirst, or disease, which can afflict either the attacker or defender. We may wonder what on earth does this have to do with spiritual warfare.

Let us understand, that we as a believer of God are covered by the Blood of Jesus, and from the outset not easily penetrable.  Augustine described the church as a City, and just every believer is the Church and so we are like a city on its own. And this domain – our spirit, soul, and body – wants to be conquered by the enemy. So the enemy will struggle to take the believer by direct assault, especially if we refuse to surrender. So the enemy lays siege against the believer. Such a method of siege involves harassment, oppression, manipulation, and demonic attacks for one purpose – to break down the defences to gain entry.  Harassment and oppression come in many forms, such as discouragement, seduction, division, deception, anger, anxiety, fear, lawlessness and so on. In all cases, there must be a LEGAL concession for the enemy to enter, but this can happen in many different ways.  We can simply begin to submit more to the world by sinning sin, or we can even simply choose no longer to serve the Lord diligently or we can because of all the oppression just quit and surrender trying to keep the devil out.

The consequences? A fall into 2 Timothy 3 or the fruits of the flesh (Galatians 5). Now, we need to understand our families also function as a city and our home functions as a city. So the enemy will keep on attempting to break down the walls and gates of our homes, of our families for he wishes to enter and to steal, destroy and kill. Now, this is a process of ‘surrounding’ and this is a process of cutting off essential supplies, to compel those inside to surrender. This means spiritually the enemy will constantly come against us, bombard us with lies, fear and with deception, trying to alter reality. The enemy comes to intimate, to discourage and to sow confusion. He will try and infiltrate and infest himself in families and homes, for he seeks to destroy God’s order. He wants to enter beyond the gate of our minds and heart to plant in destructive ways.

The enemy will constantly try to cut us off from the reality of God, from the reality of His Truth, His Spirit and His Love. He will try to assault our senses, attack the gates of our ears and eyes, so that we will become despondent, or carnal, creating a false reality, and keeping us so preoccupied with situations and circumstances. He will try to cut us off from the will of God by presenting our will as the ultimate road to follow.

As mentioned, laying siege is a very old method of warfare, especially in the medieval days of castles with huge walls. The City of Jerusalem had also for centuries been besieged by numerous enemies. We think of all the periods of foreign rule over Jerusalem since the birth of Christ: Roman (70 AD-324), Byzantine (324-614), Persian (614-640), Arab (640-1099), Crusader (1099-1291), Mamluk (1291-1516) and Ottoman Turk (1516-1918).

Think of the captivity at the hands of Babylon. At the time under Zedekiah, the national leadership in Jerusalem continued to follow their wicked ways. Zedekiah was ordered by the Lord to submit and endure the rulership as a vassal of Babylon. He did not listen. He disobeyed, and so sought the help of the Egyptians, and so the people fell into deeper idolatry, serving the queen of heaven. When Babylon came for the third time to the gates of Jerusalem in 586, they laid siege to the city, and for two years Zedekiah had to watch as his people suffered famine, plague and eventually the sword.

Zedekiah attempted to escape but was captured and taken to Babylon in chains. The Babylonians killed his sons in his sight and then blinded him. The walls of Jerusalem were destroyed and the temple burned to the ground. All of the city’s treasures were taken to Babylon. The remaining leaders of Judah were killed and the rest of the people were carried into captivity in Babylon. It has been estimated by scholars that about 50 000 people were marched into captivity in Babylon.

The Chronicler tells us in vivid terms the reason for the exile (2 Chronicles 36:14-16). “They mocked the messengers of God, and despised His words, and misused His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people until there was no remedy.”

Also consider how after the Holocaust of World War II, Jerusalem endured a 19-year occupation of eastern Jerusalem - the only time that the city was divided. On May 14, 1948, upon the termination of the British mandate, Israel proclaimed its independence. Immediately following Israel’s proclamation, the surrounding Arab countries attacked the fledgling state. The Arab Legion besieged the Jewish quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City. On June 5, 1967, an Arab attack was launched on the Jewish-populated western neighbourhoods of Jerusalem. Israeli Defence Forces repelled the invasion, and on June 7 they retook the Old City, reuniting Jerusalem.

Throughout history, the Jews have been persecuted, massacred and subject to exile. Despite this, the Jewish presence in Jerusalem remains constant and enduring.  Just as the Lord has always kept His hand upon Jerusalem and His people, for there is a Covenant in place, the Lord again reminds us that His hand will always remain on the Eternal City of God on Earth – called the Church/Bride of God. This spiritual City comprises all believers who abide in the Truth of Jesus Christ.

We must keep in mind this Eternal City – so-called by church father Augustine of Hippo – has for 2000 years been under constant attack and threat from the world and the spiritual forces of darkness (Ephesians 6).  We must never make the mistake that God’s Truth remains under heavy attack, and sadly, many have gone astray because of onslaughts of deception and lies and trickery throughout the ages. The devil is always at work to steal, destroy and kill, and he has been doing so very successfully for a long time.

Yet, for those believers who abide in Him, and for those who walk in the Truth, Way and Life of Jesus without compromise or without being deceived, therefore who walk in Spirit and Truth, they shall indeed overcome. It is all about overcoming – and this is the ultimate prize at stake - our crown of eternal life. And so all believers as individuals and who comprise the holy priesthood of living stones remain under constant attack. The devil wants us to choose the wide gate and thus choose a path of destruction, submitting to his seductive whispers and promises. The devil tried to seduce Jesus in the wilderness and thus tried to enter through the gates of the Lord’s soul, by promising riches, fame and provision. Yet Jesus withstood him, and so kept guard over His heart and mind.

We must always remember one thing – the City of God cannot be destroyed, nor can’t His Truth or His Way or His Light or Life. It remains rooted in heaven.

The devil comes with a counterfeit truth, a counterfeit way of life and a counterfeit way to become immortalised, and this will deceive and cause many to go astray, but those who hold onto God and hold onto His Truth shall never go astray, but this calls for great humility and always pursuing His truth and not ours.

Just as Jerusalem survived countless terrifying onslaughts, so we shall survive and overcome. We need to realize there is a time when the world will be under great siege, and we have been experiencing this to a certain degree for the last 2000 years in terms of deception, persecution and lawlessness. Indeed, Satan is at work, but so is God. Our Lord calls for His Bride to be that battle-axe and to take up their authority and to fulfil the Great Commission. But we need to do this by destroying Satan’s strongholds and countering his lies and deceptions to see people free from bondage. And we set people free by speaking the Truth of the Lord for the Truth sets us free (John 8:32).

We can no longer stand by idly and wait for things to merely happen. God is preparing and equipping an army for a very specific time. We need to be alert to it and be walking in discernment. We live in great days of disillusionment, deception and falseness. Satan’s influence is seen everywhere. Are we going to be slumbering or are we going to take note that we need to let God’s light shine when it is the darkest, for we are God’s battle axe against strongholds and we are the carriers of His presence, life, love and light?

God will indeed thunder against our enemies, but now is the time to save us many from the clutches of Satan’s grip, and now is the time to act so that people may be set free and may be delivered so that they walk in their God-given destiny. The harvest waits. Let us then not slumber but let us arise. Indeed, the army of the Lord is on the move – a vast network of soldiers, watchmen and skilled labourers seeking to bring an end to the barbaric tyranny of the devil’s kingdom.

The Lord wants a mighty army– full of God’s fire and holiness, full of His Glory and Power. But we need to walk in spirit and truth, and we need to seek Him above all. We can overcome and we can be mighty in battle, but only when we bow the knee to our Supreme Commander and give Him the Glory.  How the Lord is looking for an army to march through the lands, fighting in Spirit and Truth, with the high praises in their mouths, and by that praise cause confusion in the camp of the enemy and restoring the Lord’s ways in the broken lands and homes.

Let us arise, until sheep become lions until children become men, and until warriors take their place on the Lord’s battlefield. Let us arise with the song of Psalm 24 in our hearts: "7 Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory."

Indeed, let us fulfil the Great Commission and preach the truth. Let us trust in the Lord of Harvest and as the King of kings to enter through the gates of the lost, of the broken and the rejected. For the battle belongs to Him, so give Him all the praise!

Enter through the gate of Jesus

JOHN 10: 1 “VERY TRULY I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

If we want to walk in victory, in blessings, in life, in love, in light, in hope and restoration and redemption, then we need to abide in the Lord. Jesus is still the only way to the Father, thus to the Kingdom, and thus to a way of life and hope. John 10 makes it clear Jesus us the GATE through which we must enter. There is no other way and there is no other option or path.

In Matthew 16:18 we read: "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."

Peter became a pillar of faith, immovable, because he was grounded upon the Rock of Jesus, and for those who are grounded upon the Lord, thus abiding in Him, shall be victorious and the gates of hell shall not prevail. For the devil wants the manifestation of the gates of hell in our lives, thus he wants us to live in a state of spiritual destruction, but when we abide in the Lord then truly the King of Glory enters our gates and we shall be victorious!

Jesus is not just an option, but HE IS the way and HE IS the Gate. For those who enter beyond the GATE of the Lord shall know life, they shall know the truth, and they shall know liberty! Oh, blessed be the Lord, oh praise Him my soul, for we shall worship the God who has made this world.  He is the creator, the author and the glory. It is time to return to the Ancient of Ways. It is time to return to the Lord, for He is the Gate of our everlasting life, of our hope for He is the Hope of Glory (Colossians 1:27).

As the gatekeeper, our Lord is also protector, for it is written in "Psalm 144: 1 Praise be to the Lord my Rock,

who trains my hands for war,

my fingers for battle.

2 He is my loving God and my fortress,

my stronghold and my deliverer,

my shield, in whom I take refuge,

who subdues peoples under me.

Of the Lord Jesus, Paul writes in "Ephesians 2: 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. 19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."

Jesus is the Way, Truth and Life; those who know Him will know His voice; He is the only Shepherd and He is the only way to the Father.  Oh glorious Jesus, you are all and everything, for all has been made for you, unto you, through you, in you and all is upheld by thee!

For millenniums the world has been led away from Jesus by following many different other voices, so many different paths, so many false ways and so many false shepherds. O, Jesus is the only Voice that we must listen to, He is the only way, He is the only Shepherd, and He is the only answer and the only way to the throne room of God the Father. For centuries the voice of man has tried to replace the voice of the Lord in providing truth, but there is only one true voice and vision.

Jesus is Wisdom, yet all the false wisdom presented through thousand ages has drawn us away from the Lord. Oh, it is all about Jesus, yet all that is false has now for so long drawn our eyes from the truth and the answer, the salvation and the glory!

Let your eyes return to the Lord, for surely His eyes are on the righteous. I cried unto the Lord, for His Truth has been distorted into lies, yet the Lord says the answer is not to show the world or the church the error of her ways, but to show the world Jesus! For Jesus is the truth. Those who come unto Him with humility and a broken spirit will be changed by Him, will be healed, will be delivered, and will be free.

God does not call us to build on any other foundation but on the only foundation of Jesus. When the people are led back to the throne room of the Lord, there will be praise, there will be worship, there will be a humble heart and a contrite spirit, there will be truth and there will be victory!

For God is faithful and true, yet the world and His people have for too long not adhered to His Voice and His Wisdom. For too long our eyes have not been turned upon Jesus and for too long we have failed to build on the only foundation which is Jesus. We have preached and taught so many doctrines, built on so many other foundations, yet the only true and everlasting foundation of Jesus has been discarded.

Oh people of the Lord, turn your eyes upon the Lord, your heart upon His ways, and let us lay down our wisdom and pride, for our law and our way is surely not a pleasing offering unto the Lord. Oh, people listen to this simple truth: Anything that draws our fully devoted love from the Lord is idolatry. The Lord cries that our eyes are not on Jesus. Our love has run cold and we have worshipped not Him alone but golden calves and ideas of who He is. We have worshipped other gods, have become kings and not shown the world Jesus. We have failed to listen to His voice and adhere to His Wisdom. Instead, we have exalted our voices, exalted shepherds and created a new law that we call wisdom and truth.

Oh, all that the Lord desires is for us to return to Him, to remember Him, to honour Him, worship Him and give Him all the glory.

When we look at ourselves, there is either condemnation or commendation. When we look at ourselves and not God, our failures and weaknesses either overcome us or our pride and hunger to be gods overcome us. When we look at ourselves, there is the world and imperfection, there is the reminder of the flesh and our past, and there is the control of the emotion, the gratification of the senses and the sharp realization we are but human.

Yet, when we look not at ourselves, casting away self-absorption and self-centeredness, but looking upon Jesus, beholding Him in all His holiness and splendour, we see the author and finisher of our faith. We then behold the majesty and the glory, we see the resurrection and the life, and we bow before the Rose of Sharon, the Lilly of the Valley, the Lion of Judah and the Lamb who is worthy to open the seals. We behold the truth and the power, and we know, yes we know, He is God and He is Lord!

With our eyes upon Jesus, this world fades, our past and future fade, for only the here and now is where we long to live and breathe. With our eyes upon Jesus, we see His plans, His ways, His perfection and His beauty. With our eyes upon Jesus, we know in our hearts that His grace and mercy is new every morning. Truly, his grace is sufficient for us. His grace makes us strong when we are weak and by His love, we are forgiven and strengthened to reign with Him.

With our eyes upon Jesus, there is peace, there is hope, there is comfort, there is joy and there is the cry of the heart just to worship and serve. All the shackles and burdens shatter. All that remains is His perfect and pleasing will. Oh, let us lay down our ways and follow completely His will! Oh, with our eyes upon Jesus, there is only one desire and only longing: to worship Him and to glorify Him. There is the only desire to live and please Him! Oh, by the power of His love, by the power of His grace, by the power of His touch, we bow the knee, our hearts melt, and we know that He is God and we are but man!

With our eyes upon Jesus, everything in this world pales in comparison and fades away. At His feet, we lay down our crowns, we lay down our plans, our ways, our deeds and our pride and we surrender. At the feet of God, our longing is stilled, our thirst and hunger quenched and we can be at peace.

Let us be still, our eyes upon Jesus, our hearts upon Him, beholding Him, crying out for Him, seeking His touch and love, for then we will be satisfied and then we will be free.

Let every race look upon Jesus. Let us behold Him, love Him and cherish Him. He seeks our heart and He seeks our love. Who shall listen to His voice, who shall heed His wisdom and who shall run after Him and sit at His feet? With our eyes upon Jesus, there is settled faith, there is a certainty, there is assurance and there is comfort. With our eyes upon Jesus, there is trust, there is calmness, for we know no matter what storm, no matter the trials and tribulations, no matter the days of splendid joy or the days of fire and ice, our Lord Jesus is faithful and true, always walking with us.

Oh, to look into His eyes, for there is fire, there is holiness, there is so much love, there is so tenderness and there is so much peace. Oh to hear His voice, for there is so much authority, there is so much kindness, yet both are like the thunder and a peaceful river. Oh the Lord is beautiful and gracious, kind and true, yet we have not looked upon Him for all of our days. He is the host of the army, the prince of peace, the great high priest and the great high judge. He is the power and He is the might and glory!

Yes, He is the answer and the truth. He is the Life and the Way. There is no other foundation and there is nothing else. He desires our comfort, our love, our worship and praise. He desires our heart and spirit, all of it, so He calls for obedience and submission. With our eyes upon Him, with our eyes beholding the cross and the empty tomb, how else but to abandon all to walk in His love?

People of the Lord, let us not look at the failures of this world, but let us look at Jesus. He is the answer and He is coming back to rule for all time. This world is already covered by His glory, yet we fail to see His Spirit. This world is already covered by His love, yet we fail to surrender to Him. This world is already covered by His peace, yet we fail in our unrest for our eyes are not on Him.

Jesus: You are the Son of David, the Righteous King and the only one to be praised and worshipped. Let us again hear Your Voice, follow your Wisdom and bow the knee to you as our only Shepherd. The wisdom of man is but feeble and not the way. Let us then shout it from the rooftops and the mountains, let us speak the word in the valleys and the forests, let us worship in the towns and cities, for God is King and Jesus is the only way, truth and life!

Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams] - To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. (Ephesians 3:20-21)