This week we'll look at the fish gate. This was the entrance for fishermen to bring in their catch. This gate symbolizes the place where we see the importance of our roles as fishermen. Jesus told His disciples, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”
Spiritual fishermen understand the importance of using lure and bait to catch fish.
They understand the timing of fishing. There are certain times of the day that fish are active. They even understand when some people are caught in the net of our influence; some are like the fish that have to be thrown back into the sea, until they are ready. The Bible says, “He that wins souls is wise.”
The fish gate symbolizes the importance of living a life that lures, baits, attracts and even catches people to come into the Kingdom of God. The fish gate expresses the priority of the Kingdom agenda for our lives. In a time when many people work and live only for themselves and personal survival, the fish gate symbolizes this new value of living for a purpose greater than our own. Today, we restore the fish gate. We follow Jesus so that He can make us fishers of men.
Next week, we’ll continue our journey around the wall and begin making repairs to other gates that surround our lives. Every gate that has been destroyed means that we have been allowing things that are the opposite of what God intended for us. We have been open to concepts and ideas that are against God and His ways. We have believed lies and followed philosophies that have led us to destruction. So let’s get these gates repaired as we gather in prayer each week.
We close this email with prayer for you and your family:
Father God, we thank you for giving us this opportunity to rebuild, restore and renew these vital gates to our hearts and homes. For some of us, this will be the first time the gates will ever be established. For others, it will be the first time, in many generations, that these gates will be set in place. No matter how long it has been, or if it has never been, we are just thankful that in our lifetime, these gates will be set in place in our hearts and homes.
Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night. *Nehemiah 4: 7-9
Even though there is opposition to the rebuilding of these walls and the closing of these gaps, we will do the same thing that Nehemiah did in their time. We will pray to our God and set a watch day and night.
In the authority and name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen!"
