Gates are significant in the Bible:

1. Ancient gates – Psalms 24:6
2. Gates of bronze – Psalm 107:16
3. Gates of iron – Acts 12:10
4. Gates of destruction – Matthew 7:13
5. Prophets proclaimed God’s Word at the gates – Jeremiah 17:19-20
6. Elders sat at the gate to make decisions – Proverbs 31:23
7. Miracles took place at the gates – 1 Kings 17:10; John 5:2-9; Acts 3:2-10
8. We experience God at the gate as we open up to Him – Revelation 3:20
9. Heaven has gates – Psalm 100:4
10. Hell has gates – Matthew 16:18

God is asking you to leave your comfort zone and you may be feeling inadequate, but as you begin to obey God, you will see miracles happen and things will change.

Our gates should always be open so that we can encounter God for gates are access points to God’s blessings and favour.

(Luke 7:11-17) The widow at Nain had lost all her family members and she had intense grief. Though you are experiencing pain, the Lord is instructing us to wipe our tears away. Sometimes we may be experiencing a lot of pain and there is no faith at all, but Jesus always has compassion on us. Thank God that even when we don’t have faith, we have a God who is faithful.

QUESTION: Have you reached a place that you feel that everything is finished? That you want to give up and bury all? Have you given up on God, your dreams, marriage, health, ministry, ideas, future, etc? Have you reached a place that you no longer believe that God can bring back to life and restore what is dead? Has the delay or waiting season make you put everything in a coffin and are ready to bury it.

TAKE HEART, YOU HAVE COME TO THE GATE WHERE THE GLORY OF GOD IS AND EVERYTHING THAT IS DEAD, MUST COME ALIVE!!!

(Luke 7:1-10) Jesus was amazed at the faith of the centurion. The crowd following Jesus encountered this great testimony of a centurion’s servant who was healed even without Jesus laying His hands on him, he was far yet he was healed. This increased the faith, expectation and joy of the crowd. One testimony of what God is doing in your life will change the testimony of someone else and lift up their faith. When you are depressed or down, always surround yourself with the right people.

These people full of hope/joy/faith were entering Nain and met another group full of discouragement/sorrow/pain coming out of Nain. Sorrow and joy, discouragement and hope, were about to collide at the gate of Nain. When faith collides with pain, there is power over faith to overtake that pain. When hope and sorrow collide, joy is birthed (vs.16). When we encounter the Lord Jesus.

There were 2 points of hopelessness: A man who was about to die (vs.2) and another who was already dead (vs.12). But this one thing stands – GOD NEVER RUNS OUT OF TIME; HE IS ALWAYS ON TIME! Time means nothing to God (Joshua 10:12). The day you encounter your breakthrough, you will know the truth of this.

Never give up on God. You may give up on anyone or anything else for they may fail us, but never on God. He will never disappoint us. God’s word never fails us and it stands forever (Matthew 24:35). Build your life on God’s word for it is the Rock (Matthew 7:24-27). God’s word is the Shield and the Sword that we can use to fight against the enemy’s attacks.

Never give up and be ready to bury what seems dead. Keep believing and praying! Wipe your tears for you are about to encounter your miracle. When God is touching you, don’t keep moving or else you won’t encounter your miracle. Be still (vs.14). If there were Pharisees there, they would have said Jesus was unclean for He touched a coffin, but God is not moved by the law; He is moved with love. Jesus not only touched the coffin, he spoke to the dead man.

God is touching us, but we are not still to receive from Him; we are too busy, yet we want an encounter from Him. Quiet time, time in the word, time of intimacy with the Lord and being in His presence are all zero! See the difference between Mary and Martha – Luke 10:38-42. Jesus is interested in the one who sits at His feet.

QUESTION: Where are you today? Are you like Martha, busy doing good, but not beneficial things that won’t help you in your spiritual growth? Or are you like Mary, who just wants to sit at Jesus feet?

We are in a season where God has opened the heavens and wants to pour Himself on us, but only those who are still will receive. Those who stand still are the ones who will encounter Him.

We are in a season where God wants us to speak into our situation. God has not only created us to cope, but has made us more than conquerors.

God is using every dark pit to work things out for good. All our hardships are for a purpose. Don’t miss out on what God is doing; BE STILL! To go to a higher level with God, purpose to encounter Him!

For the widow at Nain, all her hope, her only hope seemed dead, but we see the restoring power of Jesus (vs.15). He is able to restore ANYTHING that is dead or is about to die.

Be honest in God’s presence. Our honesty is our gateway to our breakthrough.

DECLARATION: With God all things are possible; there is nothing too hard for Him. God is coming against anything hard. The season of toil and struggle is over in Jesus name! Everything that is dead in us is coming alive. Any gate that is holding us back is forced open, the dark cloud is lifted away. We are experiencing the grace of God like never before. THANK YOU JESUS!