Have You Left the Gate Open?
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October 9, 2007"Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the armor of kings, to open before him the two-leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; Remember the picture. Babylon had impregnable walls 75 feet thick, 200 feet tall with 100 gates of solid brass which were surrounded by a wide ditch of flowing water from the Euphrates. But the Babylonians had been enjoying a night of feasting and some fool left the gate open affording Cyrus the opportunity to march right in take over with barely a fight. There is a powerful lesson here. You can have every outward sign of strength. You can go to church every time the door is open and do all manner of good works. But if you have left a gate open, you are vulnerable to attack. Consider for a moment the eye gate... What do you allow your eyes to look upon? Job made a covenant with his eyes so that his thoughts would not be upon a maiden. (Job 31:1) Do you set your eyes upon riches which certainly take flight like the eagle? (Pro 23:5) There are many things clamoring for the focus of our eye gate but to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple (Psa 27:4) surpasses them all. Your life may be a fortress of good works and good intentions, but if you leave your gate open... if you feast upon the wrong things, you may find one day, your city, your life has been taken over by hostile forces and you were unable to put up any serious resistance. What have you been feasting on?
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Dear Sir or Madam
I am a resident of the United Kingdom and have been recieving these E-Mails for months now.
I am a bit confused how your articles can help me?
I was looking for a way to earn extra money or a new income by way of the internet.
As I am a Christian I need some more direct advice on how to do this.
Could you pray about this and give me some idea.
Thanks and God bless
keith
Keith Blackmore at 5:13am EDT - October 10, 2007
This is very timely. I know personally I vegetate in front of the TV attempting to wind down, but in the process flipping constantly to find something meaningful and acceptable. When you consider the attack of immorality in broadcast media, not to mention lost productivity under the intent of the un-winding. This is a welcomed walkup nugde by the Holy Spirit.
Thank you
CASHLEE at 7:30am EDT - October 10, 2007
Excellent message this morning. This application from this OT passage
is so congruous with the NT command Paul gave us to \"take every thought and make it obedient to Christ.\"
I've recently been aware that the enemy of my walk with Christ is constantly looking for a chink (character weakness, area of disobedience, etc.) in my spiritual armor by which he can thwart the flow of the Spirit in and through me. A more biblically based \"warfare worldview\" is helping me better appreciate the loving motives and reasons for the many OT and NT commands to walk in complete obedience to God. I'm realizing that less than full surrender to the Lord means partial surrender to the enemy of my soul - a murderer, deceiver, and the father of all lies. So why would any of us want to surrender even a sliver of our lives to a loser such as that!
Grateful in Christ,
jmb
jmikebeasley at 10:05am EDT - October 10, 2007
I agree wholeheartedly with CASHLEE - We are so bombarded and desensitized by the TV. The Lord has been tapping me on the shoulder about it for a long time. It's time that could be well spent with Him. Thanks for the message Michael - it's time to close my eye gates!
Lorisa at 10:38am EDT - October 10, 2007
This was a wake-up call for me as well. Especially with the TV or even Internet news and certain articles therein that make it difficult to think about what is true, right, holy, pure, of good report, etc. Net effect of viewing that stuff is to steal my (our) faith and joy!
I've been struggling in my new sales job, losing deals to the competition for some inane reasons. What I'm coming to realize is that I need to grow my skills. Michael, I've got your book about Selling Among Wolves, and read in it where you helped an equipment sales rep in Florida selling machines who was going to walk out after his customer purchased another companies equipment. You asked a series of questions to the business owner and eventually the nice guy sales rep got the order, to the betterment of the customer. I finance the type of equipment that rep sells in FL & it's a very competitive environment and usually a rate issue for many customers. I can drop my rates but make less and less as I do.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
Dennis at 10:08am EDT - October 11, 2007
P.S. As I read the book I realize I'll need a complete overhaul of how I do business which will take me some time to accomplish. At the same time, I charged with getting results today. It seems almost incongruous. Do I take the time to learn the skills, or do I just keep trying to get the results. There's got to be a middle ground of building skill while getting ever improving results.
Thanks for letting me vent a little on this!
Dennis at 10:10am EDT - October 11, 2007
W.O.W.,
Such an important topic, especially in this day and age. Many minimize this fact, and though we don't have to live a life of fear ... we certainly ought to be mindful of this very important truth. I am NOT preaching or lecturing .. simply stating a fact, as well as, a continual reminder to myself to guard my heart and my mind ... and that is certainly affected by what I choose to feast my eyes upon.
Tina at 4:12pm EDT - October 11, 2007
This is a topic I am battling with a long time, leaving the gates open, especially when everything goes wrong and you can't understand what seems to be the reason. But where can you find in depth teaching (and help)about this topic when you are busy with introspection in your heart and life,trying to sort out where you left the gates open?
Fienie at 2:21am EDT - October 12, 2007
Fienie,
If you ask the Lord to show you, He'll reveal where you left the gates open. I think sometimes we get so focused on finding ways to learn HOW - that we forget God is more than happy to show you if you ask. I know I'm guilty of it. I have a wonderful instructional book collection that can't hold a candle to hearing directly from the Father.
Lorisa at 8:56am EDT - October 12, 2007
Good comments all!
Now Keith in the United Kingdom...
It is good to have you in the forum. We focus less on specific business opportunities and more on principles and strategies that will help us with whatever business or enterprise we are involved in. For instance in this blog we spoke about leaving the gate open. Specifically allowing a flow of information into our lives that dulls our hearing or sensitivity to how the Lord may lead you in business. The lesson here had to do with the eye gate and what we allow in that may distract us from the prize, from focusing on what is truly important in life and business. Hope that helps clarify a bit.
Michael Pink at 1:53pm EDT - October 12, 2007
Thanks Lorisa. Sometimes we need to be reminded that we have to be still and let the Lord do His work.
Keith sometimes we are in a circumstance that we feel we need direct directions in certain areas (I have been there in my life) but I believe God wants us to trust Him more and put our faith in Him to direct our ways and that includes our financial wellbeing.As MAtt 6:33 say: Seek first of all of His Kingdom and His righteousness and then all these things taken together will be given you besides (amplied version) If you put all the info in the mails into practise you will see the miracles working in your business.Even if it means that we have to take a good look at our lives and seek the wisdom from God where we left the gates open.
Fienie at 6:15am EDT - October 13, 2007