The East Gate

This gate is possible the most spoken of gate in Jerusalem, and it has been walled shut for the last 400 years. Different maps place this gate in different places, however I have placed it in the outer temple walls for good reason, based on scripture as we shall see.

Nehemiah 3:29

29. After them repaired Zadok the son of Immer over against his house. After him repaired also Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the east gate.

The keeper of the East Gate repaired this next section of the walls, and we assume that this part was therefore close enough to the East Gate for him to do his job as well. What is clear from this passage is that the gate itself was not in the wall repaired in Nehemiah’s time.
This Gate, as we shall see is a picture of the second coming of Christ, and is the first of a series of gates that focus on God rather than on us. No surprise therefore that these gates are part of the temple walls rather than the walls of Jerusalem.

There are many pointers to the East Gate in references to the second coming of Christ, beginning with the fact that in Acts 1 the disciples were on the Mount of Olives, to the East of Jerusalem when they were told Jesus would return in the same manner, and one assumes, in the same place. The clearest reference is in Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 43:1-2, 4

Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east:
1. And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.
2. And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.

This was the gate that Jesus rode in through on a donkey, two thousand years ago, and at the end of this age he will re-open the gate, which was closed by a Muslim specifically to stop Christ coming back that way, and he shall ride in in victory to begin his reign.
Why does this make a difference to our lives?
Firstly our attitude toward life and death is turned upside down by the knowledge that Christ is coming back.
Secondly, knowledge of the return of Christ revolutionises the way we live our lives.
Finally, knowledge of the imminent return of Christ galvanises us into action reaching the lost.

On that day it will be too late to change your mind. Every knee will bow, but not all willingly. Are there people you do not want to leave behind? Tell them of Christ now before it is to late.

Matthew 24:37-41

37. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39. And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

The time is coming fast.

True repentance leads to Worship

Repentance is only real when it results in change.

The horse gate

Following on the heels of the Fountain Gate and the Water Gate we get a sudden jolt of reality, the Horse Gate. It is very easy to fall into the trap of super-spirituality. That is, people full of the Holy Spirit, reading the Word of God, the first to share what God has revealed to them and so on, but strangely absent when the chairs need stacking, or the washing up needs doing. Here at the horse gate the priests got practical.

Nehemiah 3:28

28. From above the horse gate repaired the priests, every one over against his house.

Let us take first the builders working on this section of the wall, around the Horse Gate. It was the priests, and it was all of them doing a bit by their own house.

Peter 2:9-10

9. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
10. Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

So when it comes to us, none are excluded from the work of the priests. Not only must we all do the work of the priest, but the priest’s work is to get practical. Note that they built the bit by their houses. Spiritually, our first responsibility is to our families. If we cannot lead them in following the Lord, then how can we lead anyone else to him? Practically we are shown the principal of keeping our eyes open and doing whatever needs doing. They fixed the part next to their houses as coming out of the front door they saw it needed fixing.

What of the gates themselves? What was their purpose? It was these gates that led to, or from the palace. It was this road that Athaliah tried to use to escape when Joash became king of Israel in 2 Kings 11:13-16
There are only two kinds of people who would use this gate, soldiers and messengers. This gives us two specific tasks that we are all called to do, as priests of God.

Paul famously called us soldiers in Ephesians 6, and in order for the soldiers to know the commands of the King, the messengers get running. This is the New Testament evangelist; the front line runner taking the gospel to the nations. Again, this is not the work of a few, but the work of us all. As Paul told Timothy:

2 Timothy 4:5

5. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

The Horse Gate represents that place in our lives where we must take up the banner and fight. All of us are called to the task, and that task begins with the practical, and ends with the spiritual. Be on guard then go out with the sword of the Spirit, which is the gospel and fight.

Father's Day Special

It is easy to be a son, but hard to be a father. Who are you teaching?

Team Valladolid - Baker News - June

Our team is complete! Justin, Amy and Evy have finally arrived on Spanish soil and have physically joined with the family! It’s been a long wait but it has been worth it. Even though we have team skyped every week for the past two years it does not compare to being in the same room. Justin and Amy bring a new excitement and energy to the team dynamic.

Every team will go through four stages of development. Forming, storming, norming and performing. We are still in the forming stage. Each stage brings us a little closer to a high performance team of church planters! As the team leaders, we are getting more and more excited about each member as we see them grow in their walk and work here in Spain. While we learn to trust each other we are also developing a high trust in what the Holy Spirit is doing through us to reach Spaniards.

As a team we have already been very active in sharing the gospel, building relationships, discovering social networks, language learning and just living life, but now the reality has hit. Everyone is anxious to see fruit and the process of discipleship begin. Most of us on the team have developed relationships with Spaniards. We love the fact that we are not looking for contacts, but rather real lasting friendships. And God has put us in the right places at the right time to see these relationships flourish.

Continue to pray with us for Alberto, Miguel, Ana, Anabel, Valle, Isabel, Carlos and John. These are all real people with their souls hanging in the balance. Our days are flooded with prayers and brokenness to see God work in their lives.

We would ask that you pray for us as we seek God’s wisdom to lead this team and continue to learn Spanish. Language learning is by far the most challenging thing we have ever attempted.

Thank you for your faithfulness.
“Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.” Php 4:17

The future is bright for the Kingdom of God in Spain!

Steve & Ally

No way back

It is impossible to rebuild when you keep returning to old sin. The feast of tents reminded Israel of this.

The Water Gate

We have seen how the water that springs up at the fountain gate entered the city up by the water gate, and it is a true picture of how the Holy Spirit wells up in our lives when we let Christ enter in.

Nehemiah 3:26-27

26. Moreover the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that lieth out.
27. After them the Tekoites repaired another piece, over against the great tower that lieth out, even unto the wall of Ophel.

Water and the Word of God are interlinked throughout scripture. for example, Jesus declared us already clean by the washing of the Word.

John 15:3

3. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

Two other pointers are seen in Nehemiah.
Firstly this gate did not need repairing. The Nethinims, that is the temple workers, repaired the walls around that area, but the gates needed no work. The Word of God never needs repair. It is pure and endures forever.
Secondly, this is where Nehemiah got together with Ezra to teach the people the Words of God in Nehemiah 8, sparking a revival.

The revival at the water gate is where we need to be, but sadly our experience is more akin to that of the churches addressed in Hebrews.

Hebrews 5:10-13

10. Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
11. Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
12. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

God wants us to be those eating strong meat, not milk!
When God commissioned Joshua to lead the people of Israel into the promised land he gave him the formula for a successful life. We can follow the same formula by going through the Water Gate daily.

Joshua 1:8

8. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Justin & Amy join team Valldolid

We are in Valladolid Spain!!! We arrived June 2nd with a warm welcome from our team. It is great to finally have our feet on Spanish soil, even though there is a reason to celebrate we have to focus on what we are here to do. Even after walking around the city for 2 days you can see the desperate need for the gospel to be preached here. We have now begun the war, the war for people's souls. Keep praying for us.

In His Labor,

Justin, Amy, Evy and soon to be Silas

Rebuilding the Temple

The foundations of our lives should be to share shape and send, while focused on Worship.

The Fountain Gate

As the first of the east facing gates the Fountain Gate displays a key turning point in our lives, and in any rebuilding work. This was where Nehemiah got stuck on his expedition to check the damage to the walls. Before the trials of the dung gate and the valley gate are faced we cannot go beyond this point.

Nehemiah 2:14

14. Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king's pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.

Coming down the west side there was a focus on dealing with the problems in our lives, now with our faces towards the house of God the gates have more of a focus on what God is doing. This mirrors how our lives are either in a downward spiral focused on our own problems, or in an upward flight looking to Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.

Philippians 3:13-14

13. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

The king’s pool mentioned in Nehemiah is also known as the pool of Siloam where Jesus healed a blind man.

John 9:6-7

6. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
7. And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

The pool of Siloam is of great significance to our lives. It is fed by the fountain of the fountain gate, and is where God would have us wash. How many times do we have spiritual mud in our eyes? How many times do we have need of washing that away in or to see the amazing things God has done for us?

Moving on to the fountain itself we see that this fountain also is representative of the Holy Spirit. Jesus used this analogy himself:

John 7:37-39

37. In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39. But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

For us today we don’t have to wait for the Spirit to be sent to us. He will be sent the moment we come to salvation. We have no need therefore to be refilled, or anointed anew by the Holy Spirit as he is already in us and will never leave us. However if we grieve the Spirit, which we do by sinning then we block his ability to control our lives.

Ephesians 5:18-19

18. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
19. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

The Fountain Gate of Jerusalem was sourced by water flowing in to the city via the Water Gate, which we shall come to next. If the water stopped flowing from the Water Gate then the Fountain Gate would also dry up. For us also, if we stop going to the source of the water of life, that is Jesus, the Word of God, then that fountain of living water in us will dry up. It will still be there, but we will have turned off the tap! This is truly quenching the spirit.

Galatians 5:16

16. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

This should be our prayer for ourselves, and each other. Come to the Fountain Gate and leave the tap running.