Volume 12 - Issue 1 - January 2008
 

IN 2008 HIS CHURCH IS HEAVEN'S GATE
By Bishop Gary S. Brooks

Gen 28:2 Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother.

Gen 28:7 And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padanaram;

Gen 28:11 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.

Gen 28:12 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.

Gen 28:16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.

Gen 28:17 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.

Jacob had lighted upon a “certain place” by obeying the voice of his father. Many dear saints of God, who having been in bondage to the religious systems of this world, are now hearing the voice of their Father calling to their hearts, "Come out from among her my people". These saints are making the choice to obey their Father’s voice and go, like Jacob did, to their Padanaram (an elevated place – a highland – castle, citadel, tower) and in their obedience they will light upon their certain place. Likewise there are those who are now in transition who, having come out of that "mystery Babylon", are now searching for their certain place also.

We must all come to the understanding that our Father has a certain place for every one of his children. Yet it is not given to us to choose our place but rather light upon it by our intercession and through our importunity in obedience to His voice and then allow the Lord reveal the certain place that He has chosen personally for each one of us.

1 Cor 12:18  But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

God sets the members in the body of Christ, every one of us, as it has pleased Him. It is not our choice but it is as it has pleased Him. Our certain place in the body of Christ is also 3-fold.

1.      Our certain place in Christ (Christ in us and we in Him)

2.      Our certain place in His church (assembled together with the called out ones)

3.      Our certain place in His ministry (according to the gift and grace of Christ)

When Jacob had lighted upon the certain place he tarried there all night, because the sun was set. When we come to our certain place we must tarry through the night season of not understanding the truth of the word until the day dawns and the daystar arises in our hearts. We must also take the stones of that place for our pillow and rest our heads there in that place upon those foundation stones of the 12 Apostles of the Lamb and of the scriptures of the Old Testament Prophets with Jesus Christ Himself as our chief corner stone.

In the certain place we will lay down to sleep, entering into His rest, and there we will dream His dream for our lives in Christ. It is in the certain place that we will behold the Ladder Christ among us (and in us) with His angels (the angels of His church; the Pastors) ascending the Ladder into an open heaven and receiving the gospel of Christ and then descending to deliver the words that the Spirit says to His Church.

John 1:51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

It is in the certain place that Jacob awoke to the revelation that the Lord is in certain place, that this is none other but the house of God and this is the gate of heaven. To those of us in the New Covenant we understand that the house of God is His church.

1 Tim 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

We must conclude then that His church (and none other) is heaven’s gate.

The word “church” as defined from the original Greek language means “the assembly of the called out ones”. His church is His house, which is His family, all having one surname of which the whole family in heaven and earth is named and that is the Name Christ. The church is not the building where people attend mass or even Sunday services, but His church are His people who are the assembly of the saints of God who were called out of darkness and into his marvellous light. It is the assemblies of those who have come out of the religious lies and confusion of mystery Babylon and have entered through heaven’s gate into the truth of the gospel of Christ.

Mat 16:15  He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
Mat 16:16  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Mat 16:17  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

We will then agree that Christ is building His church upon the rock of the revelation of Christ as the son of the living God and that the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. If His church is now heaven’s gate, then what are the gates of Hell?

The gates of Hell are mystery Babylon with her assemblies that are founded upon the religious lies of the Devil, that old serpent that was a liar from the beginning and who had preached his deceptive gospel to Eve with Adam also standing by her and afterward consenting to it.

Please understand that just because a building, or a religious organization, or even a TV ministry that has the word "church" on its sign or say that they believe in Jesus, or even if they quote scriptures doesn't necessarily make it the church that Christ is building. The scriptures tell us that the devils believe and they tremble. Satan also knows what is written and uses what is written in an attempt to deceive the saints. Satan also inspires his false apostles and ministers to preach his deceptive lies through the religious disguise of mystery Babylon. Many of these ministers, being deceived themselves, do not yet realize that they are being used to speak lies and not the truth of the gospel. Mystery Babylon is a harlot and is not the married wife. She is a false assembly masquerading herself as the church. She is not the Lamb's wife, the bride of Christ, for His church is the assembly of the called out ones.

James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

Luke 4:7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

Luke 4:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Luke 4:9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:

Luke 4:10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:

Luke 4:11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Luke 4:12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

2 Cor 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

2 Cor 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

2 Cor 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Rev 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

Rev 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

Rev 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Rev 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

Rev 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

Rev 18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

(It grieves to me to know that many of God’s people are ignorant of the truth. Yet the saints are not to be blamed but the ministers are at fault. Ministers are accountable and are supposed to be to preaching the truth, not the religious doctrines of men or the doctrines of devils)

Many of God’s saints are unaware that there are two gospels being preached: the gospel of Christ and another gospel. The gospel of Christ are His words and is The Truth. The other gospel is the deceptive word from Satan and is The Lie.

2 Cor 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
2 Cor 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Perhaps you do not yet know that Satan has his assembly also. It is called the synagogue of Satan.

Rev 3:9  Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

That is obviously not the assembly of the called out ones, but yet God is still delivering those whom He has called. Although they are being deceived by the lie yet still He lovingly bids them to come out and come in through the gate of heaven unto His church, among the saints in light.

2 Cor 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

2 Cor 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

The god of this world's system is Satan, but he is not the God of the believer's world in Christ. We are in the world but we are not of this world's system or belief. Mystery Babylon is the world that was pulled over our eyes that had blinded us from the truth in Christ. And yet, even the eyes of the "believers" who refuse to believe the glorious gospel of Christ are blinded in part unto this day. For did not the Lord rebuke the church at Laodicea in their lukewarm Pentecostal condition saying that they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked? The church then needed to understand (and so does the church today) that there are 3 feasts of the Lord, Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. They were mired in the 2nd feast and were being called to come up into the 3rd wherein Christ and His church (the Head with His body, the Lamb with the Lamb's wife) are one, having the glory of God, and is the tabernacle of God on earth and with men.

Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

Rev 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

Rev 21:11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

Eph 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Look at the following scriptures, but especially verse 18. We see here the purpose to which Apostle Paul was sent and what he had received directly from our Lord Jesus Himself. It is to open the eyes of them that are blinded in the the darkness of the lie (to turn them from the power of Satan and to turn them to the power of God) that they may see the light of the truth, which is the light of the glorious gospel of Christ!

Acts 26:15  And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
Acts 26:16  But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
Acts 26:17  Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
Acts 26:18  To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

That was Apostle Paul's commission, who is the 12th and last Apostle of the Lamb and the 1st Apostle of Christ by the Spirit, and it also is the mission of the Apostles of Christ today. We are to preach and to teach what has already been established by the Apostles of the Lamb, omitting nothing from it and adding nothing to it.

We see then that Lord Himself has purposed that everyone of His saints be among them, that is of His church, the assembly of the called out ones, which are sanctified by the faith that is in Christ.

In the following scriptures I have inserted (words in parentheses) to give a New Testament / Apostolic understanding of the words of the Prophet Micah that are now declaring the present truth that the Spirit is speaking to His church.

Micah 4:1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain (the Apostolic and High Priestly ministry of Christ Jesus) of the house (the church) of the LORD shall be established in the top (as the head, first in place and rank) of the mountains (of every ministry), and it shall be exalted above the hills (of all religions); and people (flocks of men, congregated units) shall flow unto it.

Micah 4:2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain (ministry) of the LORD, and to the house (the church) of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion (His people, His resting place, the guiding pillar and way mark of the truth), and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem (New Jerusalem, His bride, His church).

His church is beautiful and glorious!

Isa 4:1 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

Isa 4:2 In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.

#7 is the number assigned to define Christ. The number 7 scripturally reveals rest, maturity and fullness.

We must now be aware of the day and who these seven women are: they are the souls of those called of God who now long to come unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that they would henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But they are now desiring to hear the speaking of the truth in love that they may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.

These are days when these seven women will take hold of one new man which is the oneness of Christ the Head with His body (His church), who is the fullness of Him.

In this day the branch of the Lord (His church) shall be beautiful and glorious.

In this day the fruit of His church shall be excellent and comely unto those who are escaped, to them being delivered from mystery Babylon and its lies.

In 2008 His Church is heaven's gate!