Stop the Stealing. Open the Gates of Glory

I had a dream.

A man stepped outside his home. As he came out, he saw a woman on the ground, covering and protecting a mound of salt.

The man continued walking until he reached an open area. There, he stopped and began to shout:

“Stop the stealing! Stop the stealing! Stop the stealing!”

Then I became aware of a man above the sky. He seemed to be speaking without actually speaking. I’m not sure how to explain it, but I understood that he was saying something about the gates.

Suddenly, enormous iron gates in the sky began to open.

Stepping Outside the Home

The dream began at home, but it did not end there.

It starts within us and within our homes, but the influence God has placed upon our lives is not meant to stop there. The circles of influence assigned to us may differ in size according to His plans and purposes, but His goodness was never meant to remain contained within us.

As we overflow with God’s lovingkindness, His goodness, and His love, that influence cannot be confined to the four walls of our homes.

We are being called to step outside.

We are being called into the marketplace, the mountain, society, or industry God has assigned to us. We are being invited to carry His presence into the open places—to become salt and light wherever He sends us.

Protecting the Salt

As I reflected on the woman protecting the mound of salt, I was reminded of Jesus speaking about gathering His children as a hen gathers her chicks beneath her wings.

The woman appeared like a mother protecting her young. She also reminded me of someone shielding a fire so that it would not go out.

I believe the Heavenly Father is protecting the salt. He is preserving our saltiness—our ability to influence the world around us.

Saltiness for longevity.

Saltiness for purity.

Saltiness that preserves our love—the love we carried when we first fell in love with God.

He is protecting the fire and preserving what He has placed within us. But He will not override our will. We still have a choice. We must allow Him to purify us, preserve us, and keep the fire burning.

Stop the Thief

As I reflected on the man shouting, “Stop the stealing,” I was led to 1 Thessalonians 5.

Paul reminds us that we are children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to darkness. Therefore, we must not remain asleep, allowing the thief to sneak up on us. We are called to remain awake, alert, and clearheaded.

We protect our hearts with faith and love. We protect our thoughts with the hope of salvation. We make our lives a prayer. We continually give thanks. And we do not restrain or put out the fire of the Holy Spirit.

These verses speak about the second coming of Jesus, but I also believe they apply to this dream.

We must not allow the thief to approach unnoticed.

It is time to speak to the mountain.

It is time to confront what has been stealing from us.

It is time to say, “Stop the stealing.”

But this is not accomplished through human striving alone. It happens as we make our lives a prayer and live from the resurrection life Jesus has already purchased for us.

The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But Jesus came so that we may have life—and have it abundantly.

Open the Gates

When I saw the gates opening in the sky, what else could come to mind but Psalm 24:7–10?

Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in.

Who is the King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in.

Who is He, this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory.

It is not that God’s glory has left or that He is unwilling to release it.

But as we preserve our holiness, live lives of prayer, protect the fire, and stop the thief from stealing our inheritance, the gates are opened wide for His glory to enter every area of our lives.

And this is the Heart of the Heavenly Father:

Stop the thief from stealing what Jesus has purchased for you.

Do not allow him to steal your fire.

Do not allow him to steal your saltiness.

Do not allow him to steal your purity, your influence, your first love, or your inheritance.

You have a part to play. Remain awake. Remain alert. Make your life a prayer. Guard what has been entrusted to you, and step outside the places where you have been hiding.

The Heavenly Father is not withholding His goodness from you. He has already given you His Son, and with Him, He withholds nothing.

The gates are not closed because He is unwilling to open them.

So lift up your head. Stand in the open place. Raise your voice against the thief.

“Stop the stealing!”

And let the gates of glory open wide over your life.

Let the King of Glory come in.

Let your life become the resurrection life He promised—the life Jesus bought for you.

And here's the Heart of the Heavenly Father (Watch and Read along)

1 Thessalonians 5:1-21 TPT

Now, beloved brothers and sisters, concerning the question of God’s precise times and specific seasons, you don’t need me to write anything to you. For you already know quite well that the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly and as a complete surprise. For while some are saying, “Finally we have peace and security,” sudden destruction will arrive at their doorstep, like labor pains seizing a pregnant woman—and with no chance of escape! But you, beloved brothers and sisters, are not living in the dark, allowing that day to creep up on you like a thief coming to steal. For you are all children of the light and children of the day. We don’t belong to the night nor to darkness. This is why we must not fall asleep, as the rest do, but keep wide awake and clearheaded. For those who are asleep sleep the night away, and drunkards get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, we must stay alert and clearheaded by placing the breastplate of faith and love over our hearts, and a helmet of the hope of salvation over our thoughts. For God has not destined us for wrath but to possess salvation through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. He gave his life for us so that we may share in resurrection life in union with him—whether we’re awake or asleep. Because of this, encourage the hearts of your fellow believers and support one another, just as you have already been doing. Dear brothers and sisters, make sure that you show your deep appreciation for those who cherish you and diligently work as ministers among you. For they are your leaders who care for you, teach you, and stand before the Lord on your behalf. They value you with great love. Because of their service to you, let peace reign among yourselves. We appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, to instruct those who are not in their place of battle. Be skilled at gently encouraging those who feel themselves inadequate. Be faithful to stand your ground. Help the weak to stand again. Be quick to demonstrate patience with everyone. Resist revenge, and make sure that no one pays back evil in place of evil but always pursue doing what is beautiful to one another and to all the unbelievers. Let joy be your continual feast. Make your life a prayer. And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus. Never restrain or put out the fire of the Holy Spirit. And don’t be one who scorns prophecies, but be faithful to examine them by putting them to the test, and afterward hold tightly to what has proven to be right.