Guarding the Gates: Perilous Times, #3

By Riaan Engelbrecht

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 to destroy 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. We need to guard the gates of our spirit, soul and body to abide in the Lord, in His truth and will. Only then shall we overcome the lies, the onslaughts, and the forces that seek to destroy us.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Riaan Engelbrecht
• Release date: Jan 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393788164

Riaan Engelbrecht

Ps Riaan Engelbrecht is the founder of Avishua Ministries, the vice-president of Lighthouse Ministries International and the station manager of Lighthouse Radio. His ministry deals primarily with the prophetic, but he also has a passion to teach the Truth of the Lord Jesus and His Kingdom for only the Truth of the Lord sets us free (John 8:32).  He is also a qualified and seasoned journalist.

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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)

Let us always remember we are God's children, His sons and daughters of faith, and that we serve a Father who gives what His children ask. Let us remember that we are filled with the resurrection power of Jesus, working through and in the Holy Spirit, that we are able to do all that God has called us to do, that we are victorious, alive, free, brought into the light, bought by the precious Blood, cleansed, consecrated, sanctified, adopted, anointed, called and blessed!

Let us remember that Satan's power has been crushed and he has no more hold over God's children. Satan's lies and deceit deserve to be torn down, crushed, broken, bound, and made useless. Let a cry arise in the hearts of the children of God that we are powerful, loosed, walking with authority, walking with faith, dancing, singing, rejoicing, for the hand of the Lord is upon us.

His Spirit moves us to greater heights and destinies. We are magnificent, not yet perfect, not yet pure, but broken in humility, filled with praise, filled with a new song for the Lord, filled with great wisdom and knowledge, all to the glory of the Lord! We shall not be condemned, we shall not be ridiculed, we shall not be pushed back and we shall not be made to feel weak in error!

Ephesians 1: 3 May blessing (praise, laudation, and eulogy) be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual (given by the Holy Spirit) blessing in the heavenly realm! 4 Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love. 5 For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent] -  6 [So that we might be] to the praise and the commendation of His glorious grace (favor and mercy), which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor, 8 Which He lavished upon us in every kind of wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence), 9 Making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will (of His plan, of His purpose). [And it is this:] In accordance with His good pleasure (His merciful intention) which He had previously purposed and set forth in Him, 10 [He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth. 11 In Him we also were made [God’s] heritage (portion) and we obtained an inheritance; for we had been foreordained (chosen and appointed beforehand) in accordance with His purpose, Who works out everything in agreement with the counsel and design of His [own] will, 12 So that we who first hoped in Christ [who first put our confidence in Him have been destined and appointed to] live for the praise of His glory!

Ephesians 1 makes it clear that the ministry of Jesus is one of reconciliation. It was indeed more than just a work of reconciliation; reconciliation was and is who HE is as the Truth, as the Way, and the Life.

For those who enter through the gate of Jesus enter into the reconciliatory work of our Lord. Jesus is the TRUTH of reconciliation. He is the LIFE of reconciliation. He is the WAY of reconciliation. When Jesus hung on that cross, and His life was finally spent, the skies darkened and the earth shook and the veil before the Holy of Holies was torn in two. By the Blood and by the sacrifice of Jesus reconciliation was completed and reconciliation was brought into fruition.

Romans 5: 9 Therefore, since we are now justified (acquitted, made righteous, and brought into right relationship with God) by Christ’s blood, how much more [certain is it that] we shall be saved by Him from the indignation and wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more [certain], now that we are reconciled, that we shall be saved (daily delivered from sin’s dominion) through His [resurrection] life. 11 Not only so, but we also rejoice and exultingly glory in God [in His love and perfection] through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have now received and enjoy [our] reconciliation.

Jesus came to the earth to reconcile mankind unto Him. The problem is that such reconciliation cannot take place unless we reconcile ourselves unto Him. Can we see the difference? Jesus came to earth and laid down His life so that we may have life. He is after all the LIFE. Jesus came and by His Blood ushered in a New Covenant by which all mankind can now be saved. 

The work of reconciliation stretches out to all of mankind. This is the incredible news of Jesus. It doesn’t matter if we are black, white or coloured; the Blood of Jesus has made a way of reconciliation. It doesn’t matter if we are European, Asian, African, Western or from whatever tribe or language or nation, Jesus died so that we can be reconciled with Him.

Jesus took the first step, opened up the way to the Throne of Grace and tore the veil in two. But with God, everything is a two-way street. Jesus did the work, but how are we going to respond? Our response should be to enter through the GATE of our Lord, by accepting Him as our Lord and Saviour.

We cannot work for our salvation; it has been done on the cross. But we can respond to such work by responding to Jesus by making Him our Lord and Saviour and Master.

Reconciliation then works both ways. Let us understand the following fundamental point ... Jesus did indeed reconcile all of mankind unto Him; this however means reconciliation is within Jesus.

Are we grasping this? It is the same with the process of sanctification and being holy. When we are saved and redeemed by the Blood of Jesus, we are sanctified and we have been made holy. Our sanctification and glorification and holiness come not from us, but from Jesus. The Son of God is the complete fullness of Sanctification, Glorification and Holiness. It is however up to us to manifest the maturity of such holiness and to walk in sanctification by walking in the presence of Jesus. This requires that the Self dies and the Lord lives inside and through us.

Consider, therefore, that we are talking here about our spiritual position in Jesus.  The more we abide in Jesus, the more we abide in His Sanctification and Holiness. The power in the fruits of our holiness dims when we move away from Jesus, but the closer we draw to Him, the greater the manifestation of His work within us.

We cannot love as we should, but Jesus does. So if we want to love like God loves, then let God love through us. But this can only happen when we are in the position of abiding within Christ so that we can manifest the fruits of the Spirit. This is the same with reconciliation. Within Jesus, the reconciliation has already been completed.  It is perfect and pure. It is now up to mankind to move into a position where they abide in Jesus.  Reconciliation thus rests with Jesus. He IS reconciliation.

Colossians 1: 19 For it has pleased [the Father] that all the divine fullness (the sum total of the divine perfection, powers, and attributes) should dwell in Him permanently. 20 And God purposed that through (by the service, the intervention of) Him [the Son] all things