THE BEAUTIFUL GATE

  (More Excerpts from Chapter 1)

  By Doug Fortune

The SEASON has changed and the Church must go through the GATE, we must ENTER INTO what lies beyond to be in the RIGHT HOUR so that we may be flourishing! All of history has been building toward something and we must understand the RIGHT HOUR and SEASON we live in. Let us look at a poignant illustration, as I believe we are in much the same situation as we find in the book of Esther. "And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or do him reverence, he was very angry... Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus." (Esther 3:5-6 Amplified Bible) The outward circumstances were not looking too good, "Because Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, [to find a lucky day] to crush and consume and destroy them." (Esther 9:24) However, God had Esther in the RIGHT HOUR and SEASON; "...who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14) And so it is with us, it would seem that the world is out to destroy the people of God. However, God has an 'Esther Company' in the RIGHT HOUR and SEASON, and we are in the Kingdom for such a time as this!

I believe that Esther went through a 'gate' of sorts, to enter a new dimension in God's purposes; "...and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and IF I PERISH, I PERISH." (Esther 4:16) She went through the 'gate' of 'death to selfish concerns' in order to bring about the purpose of God. And so it is with us, we must go through the 'gate' of 'death to selfish concerns' in order to bring about the purpose of God! Our cry must be, IF I PERISH, I PERISH! We know what happened in our illustration, God brought about complete RESTORATION; "Then the king held out to Esther the golden scepter... Then the King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon the gallows because he laid his hand upon the Jews. Write also concerning the Jews as it PLEASES YOU in the king's name, and seal it with the king's [signet] ring--for writing which is in the king's name and sealed with the king's ring no man can reverse." (Esther 8:4, 7-8 Amplified Bible) What began with the outward circumstances looking very bad, ended up with complete restoration. Not only was Haman hung on the gallows, the king also declared, "Write also concerning the Jews as it PLEASES YOU in the king's name..."! That's like giving someone a blank check that has already been signed!

This is the same season WE are in now. The outward circumstances are currently looking very bad, but I know we are headed for complete restoration. "And He shall send Jesus Christ... Whom heaven must receive [and retain] until the time for the COMPLETE RESTORATION of all that God spoke by the mouth of all His holy prophets for ages past ..." (Acts 3:20-21 Amplified Bible) Paul says it this way, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the GLORY which shall be revealed IN US." (Romans 8:18) And as we look to the very next verse, we must understand that we are moving into the HOUR and SEASON that all creation has been awaiting, and all of history has been building toward; "For [even the whole] creation (all nature) waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God's sons to be made known [waits for the revealing, the disclosing of their sonship]." (Romans 8:19 Amplified Bible)

My question is, How does this complete restoration happen? I believe we may find a hint in our original illustration of the man that was lame from his mother's womb. We can read in Acts 3:3, "Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms." Remember that we are digging beneath the surface, going much deeper than a casual reading renders. I believe that Peter and John represent a spiritual principle. Now then, some may make fun of Peter and his idiosyncrasies, but who was the first to receive the REVELATION of the CHRIST? "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 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." (Matthew 16:16-17) And who was the one to BOLDLY DECLARE his revelation on the day of Pentecost? "But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words... But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;" (Acts 2:14, 16) I believe that Peter represents REVELATION and a BOLDNESS to DECLARE it.

There are many in the Body of Christ that have carried a deep inner spiritual revelation for years, but have been hesitant to share it for fear of rejection. Often times those deeper revelations do not necessarily line up with the traditional teachings of 'Churchianity'. Father is raising up a people who understand the HOUR and SEASON we are in, and they possess not only REVELATION, but a BOLDNESS to DECLARE it even when it may have a tendency to 'rock the boat' of religion.

John also represents a spiritual principle. "Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus LOVED following; which also LEANED ON HIS BREAST at supper..." (John 21:20) John was the disciple that Jesus loved, he leaned on Jesus chest, he could clearly hear the heartbeat of his Lord. John speaks of REVELATION through INTIMACY. Remember that John certainly received deep revelation, as we have recorded in the book of Revelation. Consider also WHERE John received his greatest revelation... We know that he was "IN THE SPIRIT on the Lord's day" (Revelation 1:10), that speaks of INTIMACY. He was also "in the isle that is called Patmos..." (Revelation 1:9) The Greek word Patmos means 'my killing'. Perhaps, like John, the place we will receive our greatest revelation is the place of 'our killing', the place we 'DIE to our selfish concerns'. Father is raising up a 'Peter and John Company' in the RIGHT HOUR and SEASON, a people who possess REVELATION and a BOLDNESS to DECLARE it, a people of REVELATION through INTIMACY who have 'DIED to our selfish concerns'.

"And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look ON us." (Acts 3:4) The word translated as ON, eis in Greek, is a primary preposition meaning 'to or INTO' (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or purpose. Peter and John speak of revelation. They said, Look INTO us! Revelation reveals our place, time, and purpose. Revelation is progressive. We don't have to live on yesterday's revelation. Today Father is releasing fresh revelation. The question is, Will we look INTO this fresh revelation, or will we simply pass it off as the latest fad?

Our response must be as the lame man, "And he gave HEED unto them, EXPECTING to receive something of them." (Acts 3:5) The word translated as heed, epecho in Greek, means to hold upon, to retain, to detain, to pay attention to. I don't know about you, but I am laying hold upon, retaining, detaining, and paying attention to the fresh revelation Father is releasing and EXPECTING to receive something!

"Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee:" (Acts 3:6) What Peter and John gave him radically changed the lame man's life. He was never the same again. His perception, his experience, his lifestyle changed. Chances are he had to get a job! No more begging at the gate! What I'm saying is that Father will not give us a REVELATION that will enable us to stay in our CURRENT condition! It will demand CHANGE! Our perception, our experience, our lifestyle will be changed.

"In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth RISE UP and WALK." (Acts 3:6) The word translated as 'rise up', egeiro in Greek, means to waken, that is, rouse literally from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death; or figuratively from obscurity, inactivity, ruins, nonexistence. Friends, it is the HOUR and SEASON for the Church to RISE UP from sleep, from sitting and lying, from disease, from death, from obscurity, inactivity, ruins, nonexistence! It is the HOUR and SEASON to rise up and WALK out the character and nature of Christ to bring COMPLETE RESTORATION. We cannot stay in our CURRENT condition! The HOUR we are in demands CHANGE. Our perception, our experience, our lifestyle must change! We are that CERTAIN man. Our ultimate destiny is NOT determined by our natural circumstances! Let us rise up and walk through that Beautiful Gate to bring forth the CHANGE that the world so desperately needs!