The meeting of the believers is to be holy to the Lord. We are to offer up the holy worship, praise, and adoration that please God. The Word of God is to be preached in holiness. The Lord's Table is to be observed in holiness. The music is to be holy, filled with the Spirit of God.

The supreme goal of our worship services and ministry is not to please people or to meet their needs. The supreme goal of our worship services and ministry is to please God and to meet His needs. The difference here is the difference between the False Prophet and Christ. We can be certain if God's needs are met the needs of the people also will be met.

The household of God is no place to bring disinterested, worldly, carefree people unless we intend to present to them Christ crucified. We saints are gatekeepers in the house of God. We are to admit nothing into our own personality that is not entirely pleasing to Christ. As elders of the church we are to insure that the service of the Lord is holy—acceptable to the Father.

The saints will be gatekeepers in the Temple of God forever. These are the twelve pearls that are in the wall that surrounds the new Jerusalem, the holy city, the Bride of the Lamb.

It is the author's point of view that there is an actual city, a spiritual Jerusalem. It is in Heaven now and is destined to descend to the new earth (Hebrews 12:22). However, we believe the wall, the street of gold, and the precious stones and pearls are meant to convey spiritual truths concerning the virtues of the Wife of the Lamb, the glorified Church.

The gates of Jerusalem were "consumed with fire." Fire, in the Scriptures, portrays the Presence of God in judgment. God Is a consuming Fire. The gates of the Kingdom of God have been consumed with fire because we have admitted every kind of sin and lawlessness into the churches. As a result, we have lost the Glory of God, the power-filled witness of the Kingdom of God. Our ability to admit people to the Presence of the Holy One of Israel has been consumed by the fire of God's judgment. The lampstand of our testimony has been removed.

We cannot admit other people into the Glory of God because we do not possess the Glory of God ourselves. This loss is the result of sin.

The living waters.

Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king's pool: . . . .(Nehemiah 2:14)

When we commence the work of restoration, meeting the Lord's standards of holiness and consecration, we soon find that the living waters of the Holy Spirit begin to flow from us in ever-increasing supply.

Our Father in Heaven is desirous that His people learn to live righteously in the earth. It is His great delight and pleasure to give of His Holy Spirit to every soul who will turn away from the uncleanness of the world and begin to restore the worship of God and obedience to God in the earth. God will pour out the latter rain on us and also will cause rivers of living water to flow from within us.

We desire the refreshing waters of the Holy Spirit. God desires worship and obedience from His children. If we will do what God desires, God will give to us that which we desire. First comes the rebuilding of the wall and the gates of righteousness. Then the inexhaustible riches of God's Glory will begin to flow from our lives. God gives His Holy Spirit to all who obey Him. The "King's Pool" becomes a reality in our life.

To be continued.