Standing in the Gate of Heaven

[Genesis 28:17 KJV] “And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven”.

As we journey through life, there are times when we stumble upon certain special places, where God dwells – the house of God. For most of us, the HighCity Church is such a place. I found the Lord here, and I can attest that God is still in this place. Let us remember that we met God here, and our lives began to change. This is where it all began for most of us, our real spiritual journey to success and a life of godliness began here.

Today, we are studying about standing in the Gate of Heaven. Every city has a gate, and we know that heaven also has gates. The Bible tells us in Genesis 28:17, that the house of the Lord is the gates of Heaven. Hebrews 12:22-24 teaches the same thing.

[Hebrews 12:22-24 KJV] “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, [23] To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, [24] And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel”.

The Bible tells us that Jacob saw a ladder from Heaven with angels ascending and descending, and God standing above it, and he said, “this is the house of God and the gate of heaven”. We can therefore understand that the house of God is the Gate of Heaven. (See Genesis 28:10-22¹)

So as I said, for us, the HighCity is where it all began. This is the house of the Lord to us, this is the place where many of us found God in a way that changed and affected our lives. If you sit back and analyze your life honestly, you will see how true this is.

Anyway, we know that a gate is;

1. An access, regulating entry and exit to a place.
2. An place where elders sit to discuss the city
3. An observatory of kings, and
4. A place where the wisdom of the city cries (See Proverbs 8:1-3²)

The gate of heaven, which is the house of God, is a place where you  gain access to deep mysteries of God, a place where the pastors meet to discuss issues pertaining to the church and the members of the church, a place where kings sit to observe the atmosphere, and a place the wisdom and understanding of God cries out.

Gates may shut or open, depending on how you approach it. We, therefore, want to learn about the protocols of standing in the Gate of Heaven. The simple protocols that govern standing in the gates of heaven are:

1. Command the gates to open: Join the people who are called by the name of the Lord to humble yourself and pray.

[2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV] “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land”.

2. Worship: Come before the Lord with singing, worship and praises (See Paslm 100).

3. Set up a memorial: Set a pillar for a memorial or reminder in the Gate of Heaven.

4. Redeem your vows: Redeem your vows and strengthen your covenants at the gates

5. Rename the house: Rename the house based on your experience and testimony. The people called the place, Luz, but Jacob renamed it, Bethel, based on his experience.

6. Heed the cry of wisdom: Heed the cry of wisdom and understanding. (Proverbs 8:1-3, 34)

7. Love those who rebuke  you: Love them that rebuke at the gate, and speak up rightly (See Amos 5:10³)

8. Walk by the truth: The gates open to the righteous nation, to the people that walk by the truth. (See Psalm 118:2⁴; Isaiah 24:12⁵; Isaiah 26:2⁶)

[Psalm 24:1-10⁷ KJV] “The earth is the Lord’s , and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. [2] For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. [3] Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord ? or who shall stand in his holy place? [4] He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. [5] He shall receive the blessing from the Lord , and righteousness from the God of his salvation. [6] This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. [7] Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye 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 ye gates; even lift them up, ye 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. Selah”.

Stay blessed;  I love you!

Noah Simpe Bediako

Referenced Scriptures

1. Genesis 28:10-22 (KJV): And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee. ↩︎
2. Proverbs 8:1-3 (KJV): Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. ↩︎
3. Amos 5:10 (KJV): They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly. ↩︎
4. Psalm 118:2 (KJV): Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever. ↩︎
5. Isaiah 24:12 (KJV): In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction. ↩︎
6. Isaiah 26:2 (KJV): Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. ↩︎
7. Psalm 24:1-10 (KJV): The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah. ↩︎