{"id":1411,"date":"2011-01-16T01:11:00","date_gmt":"2011-01-16T01:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2011\/01\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-open-the-doors.html"},"modified":"2011-01-16T01:11:00","modified_gmt":"2011-01-16T01:11:00","slug":"sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-open-the-doors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/01\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-open-the-doors.html","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling: Open the Doors!"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Open the Doors!<\/h2>\n
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\n<\/div>\n
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\n
\n<\/div>\n

Psalm 24:1-10<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\nOpen up, ancient gates!
\n     Open up, ancient doors,
\n     and let the King of glory enter.
\nWho is the King of glory?
\n     The LORD of Heaven’s Armies–
\n     he is the King of glory.<\/p>\n

\n
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Psalm 24:9-10<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

\nPsalm 24 celebrates the greatness of God and prepares us to worship
\nhim. The first verses point to his superlative power in creation.
\nBecause the Lord made all things, they ultimately belong to him
\n(including us!). The next section of Psalm 24 focuses on what is
\nrequired of those who worship God. They must not bow down to idols or
\ntell lies, but must be people “whose hands and hearts are pure” (24:4).<\/p>\n

\tThe final section of Psalm 24 is a call to welcome God into our lives.<\/p>\n

\t     Open up, ancient gates!
\n          Open up, ancient doors,
\n          and let the King of glory enter.
\n     Who is the King of glory?
\n          The LORD of Heaven’s Armies–
\n          he is the King of glory.<\/p>\n

\tThese verses picture the Lord as a majestic, victorious king
\nentering one of his cities. The people are to throw open the gates to
\ngreet and honor him.<\/p>\n

\tPsalm 24 is often used in Christian worship on Palm Sunday, the day
\nwe remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. But even if it is not
\nPalm Sunday today, this psalm still encourages us to throw open the
\ngates of our lives for the Lord. How can we welcome him as our King of
\nglory? To be sure, we do this as we gather with the people of God for
\nworship, singing songs of praise that celebrate God’s greatness.<\/p>\n

\tBut if we are welcoming a king, we do so not only by our
\nacclamation, but also by our submission. In the ancient world, when
\npeople entered the presence of a sovereign, they got down on their knees
\nas a symbol of offering their lives in service. Similarly, when we
\nwelcome the King of glory into our lives, we acknowledge his right to
\nrule over us. We commit ourselves to honor the Lord, not just in our
\nsongs of praise, but in every facet of our lives.<\/p>\n

\tQUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION:<\/strong> When you picture
\nopening up the doors of your life to the Lord, how do you respond? What
\ndo you think and feel? What helps you to offer your whole self to God?
\nWhat keeps you from doing this?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\nPRAYER:<\/strong> Gracious God, King of glory, today I open the
\ndoors of my life to you. Come in, Lord, and be at home in me. Come in,
\nLord, and reign over me. Fill my mind and heart with your presence.
\nTeach me to think as you think, to feel as you feel.<\/p>\n

\tToday I offer my life to you, bowing before you. Use me for your
\nsovereign purposes. May you be glorified in all that I do and say.<\/p>\n

\tWelcome, King of glory! Amen<\/em>.<\/p>\n

_________________________________________________<\/p>\n

<\/a>Would you like to receive a Daily Reflection like this one in your email inbox each morning?  <\/p>\n

Here’s how . . . .<\/em><\/strong>
\nThis devotional comes from The High Calling: Everyday Conversations about Work, Life, and God <\/em>(www.thehighcalling.org<\/a>). You can read my Daily Reflections there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace. The High Calling<\/i> is associated with Laity Lodge, where I work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Open the Doors! Psalm 24:1-10 Open up, ancient gates!      Open up, ancient doors,      and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory?      The LORD of Heaven’s Armies–      he is the King of glory. Psalm 24:9-10 Psalm 24 celebrates the greatness of God and prepares us to worship…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\nSunday Inspiration from The High Calling: Open the Doors! - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1411"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1411\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}