Psalm 24:7

I used to be really confused by the above scripture. I’d heard it in worship songs and it really didn’t make sense. Gates with heads? Doors that float? Sounds like stuff out of Narnia. But, I’ve come to understand that WE are the gates! Great. But what’s significant about that?

Well, like I talked about earlier, we house the person of the Holy Spirit. We host the very Kingdom of God inside of us. BUT, we decide what we do with it. That’s why Jesus said that thing about “freely you have received, freely give.” We were meant to give away what we have been given (and by the way, the exciting thing about God is that He continues to fill us with more as we give away!).

So, we house The Kingdom, but we must OPEN the gates of our hearts in order to let The Kingdom affect the world around us. When Jesus ministered to someone here on earth, He would often say, “The Kingdom of God has come near you”  (Luke 10:9). We need to realize that we literally take His Kingdom with us wherever we go. And, with it is the power to heal the sick, bring deliverance to the captive and peace to the troubled. So, open the gates of your heart and introduce the circumstances you encounter to the “King of Glory!”

²¹Nor will people say, Look! Here [it is]! or, See, [it is] there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you].” Luke 17:21-20 Amplified

“The Kingdom is within you”…Wow! In me is access to an open Heaven and all the provision it holds! In me dwells God himself in the person of the Holy Spirit! People often tend to minimize the importance, or the person, of the Holy Spirit, but He is God as much as Jesus is!

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own” 1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV

Remember that the temple in the Old Testament was specifically the place where The Presence of God dwelt. So, the above scripture implies something so incredible: we host The Presence of the God of the Universe IN US! He chose our hearts in which to dwell! Amazing!

Now that’s good news, not just for us, but for the world around us…for everyone we ever come in contact with.  Because, where His Presence is, there the answers are. Where His Presence is, there provision is. So, if I come in contact with someone who is hurting or sick or oppressed, I can simply open the gates of my heart and let The Kingdom and The Presence flow! I can expect their need to be met through me, because they’ve just encountered Almighty God in me. That’s just really cool!

So, today, acknowledge what’s inside of you and purpose in your heart to be open your gates!

Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

Psalm 24:7

Our service also included a time of honoring our graduating seniors. Sixteen TLC seniors graduated this Spring from Denison, Sherman, Texoma Christian School, Bells, and Atoka.

Our service ended with a powerful time of ministry as our student ministry team gave many specific prophetic words to members of congregation–words of encouragement, healing and restoration! The testimonies continue to come in from that incredible altar time!

Special thanks to our incredible Senior Pastors, Raymond and Brenda England, who so graciously allow us share the service each Spring! We couldn’t ask for more supportive pastors! Also, our generous congregation helped us raise much needed funds for youth camp. With their help, many young people will be attending camp that could not have otherwise afforded it.