“And he set the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the Lord, so that no one who was in any way unclean should enter.”

2 Chronicles 23:19

The word “gatekeeper”, translated from the Hebrew word “show’er”, speaks of a porter or doorkeeper, one who guards the opening to the temple. The gatekeeper, a title spoken of here in 2 Chronicles, was a position installed by King David. They were Men from the tribe of Levi, set apart by God to maintain holiness throughout the temple. Armed with swords and passionately focused these men were the last line of defense from the outside world to the holy place where the Lord dwelt among man. Their role was to keep out anything unclean from the holy temple of the Lord, from ill intentions of plunderers to unclean animals; these guys guarded the temple night and day with a steadfast rigor.

(more…)

“Then Peter began to say unto Him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed Thee…” Mark 10:28

While reading Mark 10, I was impressed by the dialogue held between Jesus and His disciples. After the Lord inquires of the disciples intentions to stick around, Peter and the disciples reveal how they had already radically abandoned everything of themselves to follow Jesus. Over the years I’ve sensed this same dialogue penetrating my heart, and I’m exposed by His pointed question, “Have I entirely abandoned myself and followed Jesus?” The answer that surfaced through this question can be pretty humbling.

(more…)