'Enjoy Choice food and sweet drinks . . .
 . . .do not mourn or weep . . .
 . . .and do NOT grieve.'

The Water Gate

"...all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.

So on the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.

Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, 'Amen! Amen!' Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground." Nehemiah 8:1-6

The body of Christ is in a time of transition into a new posture in a new day. As we go through this time, God is giving us insight through chapter eight of Nehemiah, regarding what He is doing. The Holy Spirit has continually drawn me back to this chapter for instruction during this time. Let's look at the first verse (Nehemiah 8:1) once again,

"...all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel."

"All the people assembled as one man..."In this hour, there is a remnant of God's people throughout the earth who are allowing the Holy Spirit to take them through the entire process of transitioning into this new time and posture. It is very important for all of us to allow the Lord to bring us through the entire process. Even though in the natural realm we are not all together in one location, I do believe that in the spirit realm we are being postured as one man before this place called the "Water Gate" (one of the ten gates within the wall around the Old City of Jerusalem). This new posture has a corporate unity that transcends physical location and takes us into being postured "spirit to spirit."

The Cleansing of the Word and Changing of Old Garments

In Scripture, the Water Gate represents the cleansing work of the Word of God (John 15:3; Ephesians 5:26), the place where justice was administered, and also where oaths were taken. The Word of God and its cleansing power are taking center stage before us--with new hunger and longing in the heart of God's people. God's desire is to cleanse us from the past season with the washing of His Word and to give us new garments for this new season.

"Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The LORD said to satan, 'The LORD rebuke you, satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?'

Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, 'Take off his filthy clothes.'

Then he said to Joshua, 'See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you.'

Then I said, 'Put a clean turban on his head.' So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the LORD stood by.

The angel of the LORD gave this charge to Joshua: 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: "If you will walk in My ways and keep My requirements, then you will govern My house and have charge of My courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here."'"Zechariah 3:1-7

How do we know how to walk in His ways or keep His commandments without the Word of God? God is asking us to enter through this Water Gate and allow His Word to come forth in our gatherings, in our families, and in our individual lives in order to teach us and to cleanse us. He is about to release great authority within His house, but we must first be restored to "His ways" and "His requirements." Though this is a work of grace, not works, we must posture ourselves to allow this work of the Holy Spirit to be done in us.

In Nehemiah 8:9-12, when Ezra read the Law to all the people gathered in the square at the Water Gate, the people fell on their faces and began to weep because they were given a spirit of understanding. They began to remember God's ways and repent from how far they had fallen from the truth. But God had ordained this day to end in rejoicing, not grieving, because His people had come to their senses.

"Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, 'This day is sacred to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.' For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

Nehemiah said, 'Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.'

The Levites calmed all the people, saying, 'Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve.'

Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them." Nehemiah 8:9-12

This Is A Day of Celebration!

Although we are living in a similar time when God is in the process of bringing a great alignment and even repentance to His people, we need to rejoice in this and not get stuck in self-condemnation, guilt, shame or unending grieving, because God has brought forth light in order to release us from all the darkness that has kept us stuck in old, destructive cycles. It is very important not to let your emotions rule you or any lies of old dictate "who you are." Go back to TRUTH. What has the Lord said about you? What are His promises in your life? What has He said about your city and nation? This is the Truth that will set us free from the dark lies that have caused our feet to be like cinder blocks when we try to run.

God is crushing these weights that have kept His people held down from marching in His emerging army. These weights have exhausted His faithful ones, but with the power of His word these cinder blocks are being broken off our feet.

Celebrate! Now is a time to celebrate His mercy and grace. Remember, He disciplines those whom He loves. In the light of His Word, lies we have believed and things done in darkness are being exposed, but this is unto freedom and restoration. This is a time to quickly see, understand and repent. We too are being given a spirit of understanding that is renewing our mind and aligning our lives. This is cause to celebrate His goodness and mercy. God is once again making His Word known to us and this will usher in great joy. Not only is He bringing forth His written Word, but also His rhema word.

I keep sensing that the Lord is saying, "Dream again, dance again, and rejoice again." The boundaries of the old season and the restraints that have held God's people in small boundaries (and small realms of authority) are breaking open. His people are about to run with a new strength and vision, but not ahead or behind Him; instead, alongside of Him.

The Year of the Horses and The Horse Gate

Last month I heard a prophetic voice say that 2008 is the "year of the horses," and he connected it to the fifth verse of Jeremiah 12. I, too, had been hearing the Lord speak to me regarding horses, so my ears perked up when He spoke these words. I soon found out that the Horse Gate is located very near to the Water Gate, and I began to seek the Lord regarding its connection with the Water Gate. Here is what I sense the Holy Spirit is saying regarding this subject:

"If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?"Jeremiah 12:5

We are in a preparation time that is equipping us to run and not become weary as we did in the past season. Many of us ran in our own strength and initiated many things in our own understanding, which left us worn out. We were worn out in what I would describe as "safe country" (spiritually speaking). But God's army is in what I would describe as a type of spiritual boot camp to prepare us to "compete with the horses" (greater spiritual adversaries than we have known).

In Matthew 24 we read about how in the last days wickedness will increase and the love of many will grow cold. God is doing a deep work in our hearts and a pure cleansing so that, as wickedness increases, our hearts will not fail and our love will not grow cold. What we have contended with in the past will pale in comparison to what is to be faced in the days to come. This is not to discourage us or to cause fear, but it is to sober us and to bring us back into the fear of the Lord so that we might not lose heart in the days to come. I believe that the alignment God is bringing us into through the washing of His Word is our preparation to "compete with horses" without being defeated.

Remember, most of us walked in a way that was very independent of the rest of the Body of Christ in the past season. In this posture we were wearied quite quickly. But as we see in Nehemiah 8, they gathered as "one man." In this time, we are being taught what corporate unity and oneness looks like. We will not be able to face the days ahead independent of this corporate unity, but as we come together as one man and one army we will face the strength of "horses" (powerful adversaries) and not grow weary. We will see victory after victory as we move as one body and with one heart.

God's Horses Prepared for Release

When I initially heard this word, "This is the year of the horses..." I was stunned because this was very confirming of a vision that the Lord had given me recently. I personally believe that though we will contend with adversaries who have the strength of horses, we are also about to see God's horses released to run together in these days.

Last month, while a team was ministering over my husband, one of the women began to prophesy over him that he is like a racehorse such as Sea Biscuit or Phar Lap (two famous racehorses that were not expected to be great, but ended up champions). The details of this prophecy were very accurate. The day after this was prophesied, I was praying into the word and I began to see a vision that is for my husband but also for many that have been restrained for many years.

Here is the vision of THE HORSE TRACK

WITH HORSES RUNNING:

I saw a horse racetrack and the horses running round and round on this looped track. They were in amazing condition; sleek and strong. These horses had been raised for track racing. All they knew was the life of circling the track and getting ahead of the other horses. The life of these horses consisted of stalls, gates, bits, bridles, riders and running in circles.

Then I saw someone come and take these horses off the racetrack and into individual stalls. In each stall, the horses were stripped of all their racing gear (saddles, bits, bridles, blinders, etc.). Then the shoes were removed from the horse's feet and they were left to rest for a time. After some time had passed, each horse was ushered to a new gate, but they entered this gate in their stripped condition, without racing gear or shoes for running the track. There were no jockeys on their backs. As these horses entered the gate, they were very agitated because they felt naked and unequipped for the race ahead. The horses were restless and kept looking down at their bare hooves and were uncomfortably aware of their empty backs.

Then I was taken above the gates and saw that these did not open to the racetrack, but instead to open land. Because the horses were looking down and back, they hadn't noticed that they were about to be set free to run together in the open land. At this point I heard a voice say to the horses, "Stop looking at what you've lost and look ahead...dream again! Remember the dreams of your youth, of running free, and prepare to run like the wind. Though you were raised in captivity you were destined to run free."

Though I never heard the gun go off and never saw the gates open to release these horses, I felt that this year was a year for these "horses" to awaken to the dreams of their youth and the true identity they were created for. The life of the racetrack had given them very "looped thinking" and they were often stuck in mindsets that couldn't take them beyond the track. They were familiar with being together and yet running alone for individual victory. I knew that these horses would run together as wild stallions or mustangs, but fully under the leadership of their Creator.

I believe that this year, many men and women (especially men) who have been living in an unnatural setting of circling the same track are being stripped of all the restraints and manmade tools needed to live this kind of life. They will be prepared to run free in what they were originally created to do. They will no longer run alone for the gain of their "owners," but they will run together with their Creator for the gain of all.

The Water Gate and The Horse Gate

While researching the significance of these gates, I came across an article on the website "Prophecy in the News" by J. R. Church entitled, "The Gates of Jerusalem." In this article, he ties in the significance of the Water Gate and the Horse Gate in the following quote:

"The horse was one of the principal means of transportation--a worker in the service of mankind. Likewise, the spiritual significance in this gate teaches that we are to serve mankind. At the Water Gate we worship God and at the Horse Gate we serve humanity."

In my spirit, I feel that there are two gates in the spirit that are being opened at this time. One is the Water Gate where we will gather together in unity and oneness to worship and to be taught of the Lord; then celebrate in intimate relationship and fellowship. The second gate is the Horse Gate, where the faith that we regain at the Water Gate is put into action as many begin to serve humanity in humility and love.

"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." James 2:25-26

May we gather together at the Water Gate for both the cleansing of His Word and the celebration of the family of God, and then allow the Lord to gather us at the Horse Gate in order to add His works of service to our faith. Together we will be worshipers of God in both truth and oneness as well as lovers of both God and mankind.

Kathi Pelton
Light Streams Ministries
Email: jkpelton@sbcglobal.net