Exploits

L i f t u p y o u r h e a d s , O g a t e s ! B e l i f t e d u p , a n c i e n t d o o r s !L i f t u p y o u r h e a d s , O g a t e s ! B e l i f t e d u p , a n c i e n t d o o r s !

Tha t t h e King o f Glory may c ome in !

By Christine DargAt this time of

year, we commemoratethe atoning sufferings ofour Lord and how Heentered Jerusalem’s Eastern Gate to fulfill Zechariah 9: 9, “Shout,Daughter of Jerusalem!See, your king comes toyou, righteous and having salvation, gentleand riding on a donkey.”As our cover art illustrates, this same gate, alsoknown as the Golden Gate, is associated with theLord’s first and second comings!

“e Lord loves the gates of Zion more thanall the dwelling places of Jacob!” (Psalm 87:2) I alsolove Jerusalem’s gates and believe they’re parablesof heavenly realities. e Bible has much to sayabout gates. e gates of Hell are barricaded by theCross so that people must bypass the Cross to enterHell. e Book of Revelation mentions 12 gloriousgates in the New Jerusalem. But Nehemiah Chapter3 concerns the repair of Jerusalem’s ancient gateswhose names are recorded to represent a parable ofthe various “stations of the cross” in a believer’s life.For that reason they are object lessons to study.

Jerusalem pilgrims are privileged to walkthe so-called “14 stations of the cross.” Also calledthe Via Doloroso, or the Way of Sorrows, this meditative walk through the busy streets ofJerusalem’s sacred Old City categorizes the lasthours of our Lord’s Passion. e tradition as a devotional walk actually began with St. Francis ofAssisi and was extended throughout the RomanCatholic Church in the medieval period, especiallyon Good Friday, to remember the death, burial andresurrection of our Lord. Walking the stations ofthe Cross is observed less oen in Anglican,Lutheran and Protestant churches. Out of the 14traditional “Stations of the Cross,” eight have clearscriptural references. To provide a devotional walkmore closely aligned with the Gospels, Pope JohnPaul II introduced a revised list that is called the “Scriptural Way of the Cross.” In 2007, Pope Benedict approved this newer set of stations formeditation and public celebration:

1. Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane,makes his final decision to accept the suffering ofcrucifixion in order to atone for the sins of theworld. He prayed that this cup of suffering wouldpass, but nevertheless, He resigned to his Father’swill, saying, “Not my will, but thy will be done.”

2. Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested.3. Jesus is condemned before the Jewish

tribunal, the Sanhedrin.4. Jesus is denied by three times by Peter. 5. Jesus is judged by Pilate.6. Jesus is scourged, crowned with thorns.7. Jesus takes up his Cross.8. Jesus is helped by Simon of Cyrene to

carry the Cross.9. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem.10. Jesus is crucified.11. Jesus promises a place in his kingdom

to the repentant thief.12. Jesus entrusts his mother to John.13. Jesus dies on the cross.14. Jesus is laid in the tomb.As I’ve meditated, I’ve seen a correlation

between theses Stations of the Cross and Jerusalem’sancient gates: Jesus told his disciples that we wouldalso carry our individualized, custom-made crossesthroughout our lifetime. Our walk is to be one ofself-sacrifice, continually following in His footsteps.As the Apostle Paul testified in Galatians 2: 20, “Ihave been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live,but Christ lives in me. e life I live in the body, I liveby faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gavehimself for me.” So we must live the crucified life,progressing, as it were, from one station to the nextin order to bear much fruit for the Lord!

Nehemiah, as an exile in Persia, was

Ancient Gates of Jerusalem:A Parable of Our Walk with God

Lion’s Gate

deeply burdened for the welfare of hispeople and for Jerusalem. When heheard a report of Jerusalem’s deplorablestate, Nehemiah was greatly disturbed.e capital city was in “great troubleand disgrace. e walls were brokendown, and Jerusalem’s gates were burnedwith fire.” Nehemiah wept, fasted andrepented, and he received permissionfrom the King of Persia to return toJerusalem to rebuild its walls and gates.

Let’s consider some of the spiritual lessons along our life’s journey at each of these gate “stations:”

e Sheep Gate was the first gate to be repaired (Nehemiah 3: 1). e Sheep Gate speaks ofthe primary and foundational sacrifice of Messiah onthe cross as the Lamb of God. Messiah dying as a sacrifice for sins is the beginning of our spiritualjourney. Interestingly, because the Sheep Gate wasthe first gate to be repaired, this represents the bloodsacrifice of the Lamb of God, without which there isno salvation. Jesus, the Lamb of God, is the start ofsalvation and the ultimate gateway of truth. eGood Shepherd said, “I am the door.” Jesus also said,“No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

I discovered in Nehemiah 3 that the SheepGate had no bolts, locks or bars, although bolts andbars are mentioned concerning the other gates. isspeaks of the fact that the door of salvation is alwaysopen to all sinners! e Sheep Gate is the only gatethat was dedicated, thus setting it apart as a specialgate. e Good Shepherd of our souls teaches us toenter by this narrow gate. He said in Matthew 7:13,“Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate iswide and the road is spacious that leads to destruction,and many people are entering by it.”

e Fish Gate was the second gate that wasrepaired (Nehemiah 3:3). e name of this gate reminds us of the fact that we are called not just tosalvation but to “fish souls” for the Lord. us theFish Gate speaks of the necessity of soul winning andfulfilling the Great Commission to preach the Gospelto every creature. Jesus said in Mark 1:17, “Follow meand I will make you fishers of men.” We may havebegun at the Sheep gate of salvation, but we cannotlinger there. We must move on to the Fish Gate andlearn to be fishers of men. Every vocation, no matterwhat we do in life, should be related to catching menfor Jesus, whether it is the work of direct evangelism,prayer, parenting, the ministry of helps or the ministry of giving our financial support.

e Old Gate is the third gate listed in Nehemiah 3:6. is gate symbolizes the ancient

paths and the eternal truths of the Word of God thatbring peace, protection and safety when we walk inthe Lord’s precepts and ways. e world is always extolling the latest ideas, but time-honored truthssuch as the Ten Commandments bring health andorder to society, protecting us from lawlessness andchaos. Jeremiah 6: 16 contains an exhortation to“Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancientpaths. Ask where the good way is, and walk in it, andyou will find rest for your souls.” So along our path oflife, we must purpose to enter the Old Gate. As wewalk in time-tested principles of righteousness expounded in the Word of God, we experiencepeace, safety and protection. Psalm 119: 9 asks,“How can a young man keep his way pure?” And theanswer is by living according to the Word of God!

e Valley Gate in Nehemiah 3:13 is thefourth gate, an important picture of the believer’s inevitable descent into humility. Messiah, of course,is our example because He descended the furtherestfrom heavenly Glory into the valley of humiliations,stooping to fulfill the despicable death on the Crossas a vile criminal. Of course, we prefer mountaintopexperiences to depressing valleys. We don’t easilyembrace the “dark night of the soul,” but sometimesour Good Shepherd leads us to descend into the valley to learn valuable lessons. If we willingly humble ourselves in the sight of God, he will exalt usin due season. Nobody can become great in theKingdom of God without going through the ValleyGate. Every person of worth spends much time atthe Station of the Cross called the Valley Gate!

e Dung Gate was the fih gate to be repaired (Nehemiah 3: 13-14), sometimes called theRefuge Gate. is was the portal where the city’s rubbish was dumped. is gate speaks very clearly ofpurging our lives from sin, filth, disobedience andevery unprofitable habit. We must shed every weightthat so easily besets us and consider all things asdung compared to Messiah’s riches. (Philippians 3:8)

Damascus Gate

Gate six was the Fountain Gate (Nehemiah3:15). e Fountain Gate speaks of sanctification andthe ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Indeed,the order of these gates is notable: the initial SheepGate speaks of salvation, but there is a further step ofsanctification and the filling of the Spirit representedby the Fountain Gate. As an act of obedience to theGospel, we must be baptized in water, and then whenwe are baptized in the Holy Spirit, Jesus promises thatout of our spiritual beings will flow living waterwelling up to eternal life! (See also Zechariah 13:1.)

e Water Gate was the seventh gate in Nehemiah 3:26. Seven is the Bible number for perfection, symbolic of God’s Word. e Water Gatespeaks not only of the ordinance of baptism but italso speaks of our daily cleansing by the Word ofGod. Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:25-26, “Christ lovedthe church and gave himself up for her that he mightsanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by theword.” One day my ministry partner at Gethsemane,Miss Florence of blessed memory, asked the Lord,“Why must I clean these same dishes over and over,day aer day?” And He answered, “For the same reason that you must read the Word daily: to stayclean, you need the continual washing of the Word.”

Gate Eight, the Horse Gate, is recorded inNehemiah 3: 28 perhaps to represent the truth ofspiritual warfare in our lives. Paul exhorts us to fightthe good fight of faith. We must be trained like goodsoldiers and faithful war horses to endure battles.Certainly there are many hardships in the Christianlife to overcome, and we must be ready to persevere.A soldier never learns to fight in a dress parade butmust enter the real fray. erefore, at the Horse Gatewe remind ourselves to be clothed in the full armor ofGod to fight the good fight of faith. As the ApostlePaul exhorted, using military language, “ereforetake up the whole armor of God, that you may be ableto withstand in the evil day.”

e Ninth Gate, the Eastern Gate, recordedin Nehemiah 3: 29 survives to this day. e EasternGate faces the direction of the Second Coming, andfor this blessed event we must always be watchingand waiting. Whoever cherishes this hope of the Second Coming of the Lord purifies himself and livesa life worthy of the Lord, occupying this world untilHe comes. e Eastern Gate, also called the GoldenGate, is sealed until Messiah returns to rule. Sadlytoday many professing believers do not love His appearing and are not living with a joyful expectationof His return to rule.

Gate 10 was called the Miphkad Gate, or the Inspection Gate (Nehemiah 3:31), symbolic ofGod’s coming judgment. e Hebrew word for this

gate means “appointment, account, mustering, census.” It carries the idea of troops showing up forreview, or an appointed place for a meeting. Everysoul has an appointment to die and aerward comesthe judgment . . . unless our sins are covered andatoned for by the Blood of the Lamb! Praise God, according to the New Testament, souls who are safely by faith sequestered in the ark of Messiah,(those whose sins have been washed by the atoningblood of the Messiah and are “in” Him), will neverface judgment because of our sins. John 5:24 is abeautiful Gospel promise: “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent mehas eternal life and will not be judged but has crossedover from death to life.” Furthermore, Romans 8: 1-2promises, “erefore, there is no condemnation forthose who are in Christ Jesus, because through ChristJesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” Yeshua’s bloodcleanses us and qualifies us with a righteous status in the presence of a holy God. Oh, what a great salvation! Hallelu-Yah to the Lamb!

As we have reviewed these gates in theirorder around Jerusalem, we have seen the major stations and appointments of the life of a believerfrom the Sheep Gate (salvation) to the InspectionGate (final judgment). But my analogy of the tengates in the Book of Nehemiah doesn't followthrough to the 14 stations of the Cross numerically,unless we mention four of the later gates inJerusalem’s history that are “modern,” relativelyspeaking. e New Gate could also represent thenew birth, Herod’s Gate the place of overcoming theenemies of God--every evil Herod, Haman andHitler of our lives or threatening the nation Israel.

e Jaffa Gate in Arabic is called the “Gate of

The Eastern Gate

the Friend,” referring to Abraham, because it faces the direction of Hebron, where the biblical patriarchs areburied. We must all become the friends of God.

Zion Gate would represent our ultimatedwelling in the heavenly New Jerusalem. Hebrews 12:22 declares, “But you have come to Mount Zion and tothe city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and tomyriads of angels.”

Presently there are eight main gates inJerusalem. When you consider Jerusalem is at least3,000 years old, it’s relative to call these gates “modern.”Jerusalem’s Old City walls were rebuilt in the early 16thcentury by Suleiman the Magnificent, the Turkish Sultan, when the Ottoman Empire ruled the region.e New Gate is the only Old City entryway that is notpart of the original design of the 16th Century walls. Itwas breached in 1889 in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire to allow pilgrims quicker access to theholy sites. e New Gate was built at the highest pointof the present wall, at 790 meters above sea level.

Psalm 48:12-13 admonishes us to “walk aboutZion, go around her, count her towers, consider well herramparts.” So let’s review the gates in Jerusalem’s OldCity walls today, beginning with the western Jaffa Gate.Since the gates were sometimes named for their directions, the Jaffa Gate was the destination of pilgrimsdisembarking at the Jaffa port. Sometimes called the“front door” of Jerusalem, Jaffa Gate leads into theChristian Quarter and the market on David’s Street.

As we stroll around the walls or walk atop theramparts of the walls, the next gate is Zion Gate. Bearing Jerusalem’s earliest biblical name, this gate iscalled Zion Gate in both Hebrew and English, but itsArabic name is the “Gate of the Prophet David.” is isbecause the traditional tomb of King David on MountZion is only a few steps away. Zion Gate leads directly

to the Armenian and also to the Jewish quarters.Next on our tour of Jerusalem’s modern

gates is the Dung Gate. is gate’s unusual namederives from the refuse dumped here in antiquity,where the prevailing winds would carry odorsaway. is was also one of the Biblical gates. Men-tioned previously, Nehemiah 2:13 cited a DungGate that was near the present gate. Today this gateleads directly to the Jewish Quarter’s Western Wall,the central place of worship of the Jewish people.

As we circle around the city walls, the nextgate (photographed at le) is the Golden Gate, alsocalled the Eastern Gate, or more formally, the Gateof Mercy. Mentioned also by Nehemiah, this gate,in the eastern Temple Mount wall, is the best-known of all of the holy city’s gates. It has beensealed for centuries, and awaits a miraculous open-ing when Messiah returns and the dead are raised.

Next is the Lion’s Gate, also called St.Stephen’s Gate aer the first Christian martyr, whowas stoned to death nearby. is gate is decoratedwith carved lions. It leads to the Temple Mountand the pool of Bethesda. Since ancient times, invalids were brought here for healing. Jesus confronted and healed a paralyzed man who hadwaited at the pool every day for 38 years.

Next is Herod’s Gate. Despite its name, thenotorious Judean king had nothing to do with thisentrance into the Muslim Quarter. In Arabic andHebrew this north-facing gate is called the FlowersGate. e name may derive from a rosette carvingatop the gate. However, a similar word in Arabicmeans “awakened,” and this may refer to a nearbycemetery and the hope of resurrection.

Damascus Gate is the most decorated ofJerusalem’s gateways. It faces north and is namedfor the Syrian city from which Jerusalem’s rulersonce came. It’s always busy, thanks to bustling markets. Archaeologists have uncovered earlier entranceways below. Some say this was the portalthrough which Jesus exited on the Way of Sorrowsto Calvary. And most likely this was the same areawhere Paul exited on his eventful journey to Damascus when he met the Risen Lord.

Finally, we have come full circle to the aforementioned New Gate. Dear ministry partners,please prayerfully commit to attend one of ourJerusalem prayer convocations. Many of you arelonging to visit the Holy Land. It is a truly a joy tomake the journey and to fulfill Psalm 122: 2, 6, 7,

“Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; may they prosper who love you. . . may there be peacewithin your walls and security within your citadels!”

Winning Souls in Pakistan

We give GLORY to our Lord for testimoniesfrom our recent mission in Lahore, Pakistan.

A man’s foot was going to be amputated dueto diabetes. But he watched us praying on TV on the“Winning Souls” program with Pastor Anwar Fazal,and aer prayer, the man’s foot was healed! Nowthere’s no need for amputation. Hallelu-Yah!

Other testimonies from the tent meeting pictured above include:

--Healing of a 14-year-old child from diabetes. --A woman’s leg was fractured in three places

due to an accident. Aer prayer, her broken bonescame to their positions, and she was healed without

need of an operation. We carefully give glory to theLord our Healer for these outstanding testimonies!

--Furthermore, a woman named Saimabrought her child with a fever for prayer and the childgot up. e fever was gone!

--Infected tonsils of an adult were healed.-- A person suffering from the torment of a

skin allergy was healed aer prayer.--Many Pakistanis turned their lives over to

the Lord, and some who were unemployed said they received jobs the following week because of the prayerof faith.

Deacons in Lahore

are excellent bodyguards!

The Eyes in This Photo Tell Stories of Both Desperation and Hope

When you partner with Exploits Ministry, you help

to spread the Gospel on Pakistan’s only 24/7 Christian satellite channel

and to educate underprivileged Christian children. Many work in abrick factory because their families

cannot afford to send them to school.

Imagine my joy to partner with a church inPakistan where salvation and healing are

preached and where the pastor (photo above)displays ‘Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem’!

The Daring TV Set of Pastor Anwar and His Wife Nida in Lahore

Christine welcomed at a mission school

supported by Exploits

By Christine & Peter DargA followup to our

previous Exploits newsletter concerning our guardianship ofa tree at Jerusalem’s HolocaustMemorial is this letter fromBuckingham Palace to our ministry partner, Barbara Dingle. Please continue to praythat Prince Philip and the Queenwill visit Israel, and perhaps thistree in honour of his mother,Princess Alice, will be a key totheir visit!

*****An Orthodox Jew wrote

to me on Facebook, quoting theGreat Commission in Mark 16:17, “ese signs will follow those who believe. In myName they will cast out devils; they shall lay hands onthe sick and the sick will recover.” Why, then, heasked, are so many Christians sick? e fault is notwith Jesus. Many “unbelieving believers” are not ableor willing to demonstrate the Gospel’s power!

A true Bible evangelist preaches not onlysalvation for our souls through faith in the Atone-ment of Jesus, but also the fact that the Atonementincludes healing of our bodies and deliverance fromtorments. e example of a New Testament evangelistis Philip in Acts 8. He didn’t preach “psychology;” hesimply “preached Messiah.” And what was the result?Demons departed with loud shrieks, the lame werehealed and great joy erupted in the city. We will notsettle for anything less than evangelism as described

in the New Testament.In our Gospel Festivals,that’s what happens--cripples walk and evilspirits vacate people.Glory to God! At le, aresponse card shows atestimony of healingfrom AIDS during one

of our recent Gospel Festivals in India. Hallelu-Yah!What is the Lord’s attitude to sickness? It is

righteous anger as well as compassion. He is a willingHealer! What is Jesus’ attitude to demonic activity?He rebukes it! What is Jesus’ attitude to sin? While

the Lord does not condone sin,He forgives those who repent!

Our times demand total dedication and determination todevelop emotional strength to endure tribulations and hardships.Let’s be courageous and brave toaccomplish exploits, separating, asit were, the “men from the boys!”Please pray for greater doors, newfinances and New Testament results in our open air meetings!

*****Much contention over

Jerusalem orbits around the argument that the city should bedivided. Many politicians claimthat making eastern Jerusalem the

capital of a Palestinian state would help to create a“peaceful settlement” in the region. e demands atthe UN and at the various “peace” conferences alwaysrepeat the mantra to divide the holy city.

What short memories the world has! Prior to the June 1967 War, the Old City of

Jerusalem and the “West Bank” were under Arab

control, illustrated by this Jordanian postage stamp.King Hussein was the former caretaker of the holysites. During his rule he did not seize the opportunityto change his capital from Amman to Jerusalem.

And why was there no peace? e PLO wasfounded two years before the 1967 war and had already launched 113 terror raids into Israel, all ofthem against civilians.

Postage stamps, it seems, are a faithful witnessto failed visions and ventures of men. Let’s continueto pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem & Exploits Ministry