Our purpose is greater than pulling off a great Sunday.
You were born to be a gateway for the King!
Lift up your heads O ye gates!
Psalm 24:7 Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lifted up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in! (NAS)
Psalm 24:7 So wake up, you living gateways! Lift up your heads, you ageless doors of destiny! Welcome the King of Glory, for he is about to come through you. TPT
We say how we bring God’s presence to real life in every realm of society and on every level of community. But how do we do this?
We do this by purposing to walk in deep fellowship with God. This positions us in a spot for that moment where the presence of God is an open door to heaven making our world a delightful place.
Genesis 2:15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden... NIV
God’s originally designed atmosphere for man to flourish was Eden – The Garden of Eden.
Late Dr. Myles Munroe said, "Eden is a Hebrew word with five strokes: spot, moment, presence, open door and delightful place." "God took the man and put him in a spot, for a moment, where the presence of God was an open door to heaven."
Purposing to walk in deep fellowship with God positions us in this spot to experience a moment where the presence of God is an open door to heaven.
Angels in the presence of God are angels. Outside of the presence of God, angels malfunction and become demons. Kings, priests, and prophets in the presence of God are Kings, priests, and prophets. Outside of the presence of God they become enslaved by the desires of the flesh.
If the atmosphere of my life lacks communion with God, it grows sin. Stop treating the symptoms and start cultivating the atmosphere that will produce the change! When the atmosphere is right you simply do what you were designed to do. Fish don’t have to learn to swim. You just put the fish in water. Take a fish out of water and it has problems. Kings, priests and prophets in the presence of God are Kings, priests and prophets. Outside of the presence of God they have problems and become enslaved by the desires of the flesh.
Romans 8:13 “…by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body…” ESV
Galatians 5:16 “…walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” NAS
The swimming pool in our back yard has provided our family with countless hours of quality time free from electronic distractions that tend to consume us when we’re dry. The key is to keep the water clear, blue and appealing all year round to attract the members of our family into the water where gadgets dare not go.
A life lesson was in order for me one morning as I walked outside, cup of coffee in hand. The fierce enemy of algae had quietly started taking it’s place in our family haven. Immediately, I grabbed the pole with a brush-extension in one hand while skillfully balancing my coffee in the other launching my first attack against this enemy to our sacred family place.
After putting my back into it and providing a thorough scrub I felt satisfied as I appreciated the blue appearance more than I had the day before. The battle continued, however, as the algae would come back in just a matter of days again and again. It wasn’t until I got the atmosphere of the water right by adding chemicals that the algae would stop growing. When it comes to pools if the atmosphere is wrong the algae grows. If the atmosphere is right the algae stops growing.
We live in fallen world. This fallen world naturally produces a fallen atmosphere, which naturally grows things that God never wanted grown in our lives. Our fleshly desires are natural inclinations that will take over the pool if we don’t treat the atmosphere of our lives. Remember the key isn’t scrubbing the algae as much as it is treating the atmosphere.
We can learn to walk in God’s anointing as a way of life if we practice his presence on a daily basis. God took the man and put him in a spot, for a moment, where the presence of God was an open door to heaven."
Genesis 28:16-17 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” NIV
Psalm 84:5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. ESV // Other translations say hearts are set on pilgrimage. This Hebrew word literally means a thoroughfare or a staircase. Jesus doesn’t point to the stairway. He is the stairway.
John 1:51 He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
Jesus is our only access to Heaven.
We Bring GP2RL Action Point:
Be intentional about exploring this place where the presence of God is an open door to heaven.
OPEN THE GATES: THE GARDEN OF EDEN
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Click here for a downloadable pdf file of this guide.
Psalm 24:7-9 So wake up, you living gateways! Lift up your heads, you ageless doors of destiny! Welcome the King of Glory, for he is about to come through you…Here he comes; the King of Glory is ready to come in. (TPT)
We are the gates through which the King of glory enters into our world. During this season we are learning how we don’t wait for a move of God. We are the move of God to the world around us.
We bring God’s presence to real life in every realm of society and on every level of community.
As we move toward a more basic understanding of the message, mission, and ministry of Jesus we come to a clearer understanding that we were born to be a gateway for the King. This starts first in our own home!
God’s plan is for us to hear his voice together as a family. This is why we start each group with this first and
primary question for discussion.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Where are you reading in your Bible and what are you sensing from God?
2. How would you describe The Garden of Eden before the Fall of mankind.
Use your imagination and be descriptive.
Genesis 2:15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. NIV
God’s originally designed atmosphere for man to flourish was in this special place of God’s presence.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
3. Atmosphere matters. What are some situations you have observed personally where the atmosphere of a situation had a positive or negative effect?
An angel malfunctions and becomes a demon outside of the presence of God. A king malfunctions and becomes a slave outside the presence of God.
• We can learn to walk in God’s anointing as a way of life if we practice his presence on a daily basis.
The late Dr. Myles Munroe explains how Eden in the Hebrew language is a word with five strokes. Each stroke has a meaning: spot, moment, presence, open door and delightful place. The word literally gives the understanding that God took the man and put him in a spot, for a moment, where the presence of God was an open door to heaven.
Purposing to walk in the presence of God positions us in this spot to experience a moment where the presence of God is an open door to heaven.
This is what Jacob experienced in his famous “Jacob’s Ladder” experience.
Genesis 28:16-17 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” NIV
It’s only through knowing Jesus that we have access to this open doorway to heaven. Jesus doesn’t merely point to this stairway between heaven and earth. He is the stairway.
Our access to Heaven is in Christ. John 1:51 He then added, “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
4. How do you plan to implement this week’s action point? Explain when and where you plan to meet with God. Then explain how you will foster a purposeful atmosphere in that place.
We Bring GP2RL Action Point:
Be intentional about exploring this place where the presence of God is an open door to heaven.