Who are the Gatekeepers, and why do they Matter? In Chapter 7 of our Book God’s Answer for America, you will see how the course of a nation is greatly impacted by the actions and inaction of its Spiritual and Civic leaders. The biblical record shows us multiple examples of this. These leaders, by their actions, either opened the gates to God’s goodness, favor, blessing, and protection, or they opened the gates to darkness, confusion, failure, war, destruction, and poverty and the judgments of God.

Following is Chapter 7 from our book “God’s Answer for America.” In it, you will come to understand how God deals with nations and why it’s critical we pray for our Spiritual and Civic Leaders. For most, it’s easy to complain, but as God’s people, we must turn every breath into prayer and also engage in the Public Square, speaking up and voting for those who will open the Gates to the goodness, favor, blessing, and protection of God upon our land! I Timothy 2:2 instructs us to pray for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

The Gatekeepers – Chapter 7 

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice;
But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. —Proverbs 29:2

The Gatekeepers: America’s National and Spiritual Leaders
The “gatekeepers” of our land start at the top—America’s civil and spiritual leaders. They are entrusted with power and authority to lead our churches and nation. And what they allow or disallow affects the nation. They do this through their words and actions that either honor or dishonor God and His ways. Both honoring and dishonoring God have consequences. Those who honor Me I will honor, but those who despise Me will be disdained. —1 Samuel 2:30, NIV

Those who honor Me I will honor, but those who despise Me will be disdained. —1 Samuel 2:30, NIV

The Biblical Perspective
There was an obvious pattern throughout biblical history. When the leaders or kings honored God and His ways, rooted out evil, and acted righteously, then God gave them favor, caused them to prosper, delivered them from trouble, and gave them peace. The whole nation was positively affected because righteousness exalts a nation (Prov. 14:34). However, when a nation’s kings or leaders dishonored God, were wrong or wicked, the whole nation was negatively affected (Prov. 29:2).

National Leaders Note:
It’s interesting to see in biblical history how God would even judge Israel by putting weak or poor leadership over them (Isa. 3:4). God rules over the kingdoms of men and puts them in place as He wills (Dan. 4:17). God often gives a nation the leaders they deserve. Next, we share biblical examples of how national and spiritual leaders’ sins in words, actions, and what they permit not only negatively affect a nation but can also open the door to judgment and destruction.

Example 1: The King
A clear example of how leadership’s sin affects a family, and a nation was during King David’s reign when he sinned with Bathsheba. Yes, God forgave him, but the consequences were severe and rippled throughout his family and once-great dynasty.

Example 2: The Priests
Aaron, a key leader and a priest for God’s people, affected the whole nation by compromising and giving in to the pressure of the people, what they wanted— to make their version of God a golden calf. His weak leadership allowed an open door for great sin as he watched on. The result was great judgment and even the death of thousands (Exod. 32).

Example 3: The Leaders and Priests
In Ezekiel 8 and 9, God gives the prophet a vision that reveals the great sin and abominations being done in secret by the leaders and the priests.God showed Ezekiel that leaders of the nation were meeting in secret chambers with idols they worshipped and practicing occult ceremonies (see Ezekiel 8:6–12). Some even believe this also goes on today in relation to demonic plans
regarding America and a “New World Order.”

Then God showed Ezekiel many leaders and priests turning their backs on the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east to worship the sun god (v. 16). And He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence; then they have returned to provoke Me to anger.” —Ezekiel 8:17, emphasis added

Then Ezekiel 9:9, God says, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see!’”(emphasis added).

These leaders assumed that they were getting away with it because God did not respond quickly to judge their actions and sin. Many seem to think the same way today. But what they didn’t know is their great sin was setting up their nation for judgment and destruction. (See the rest of Ezekiel 9.)

As we highlighted previously, there are also many of God’s leaders (fivefold ministry) in hidden sin today. They may think God is OK with their sin because their anointing or gift is still working. This is a great deception. At the same time, they are leading America down the same path and result as Israel and Judah—opening the door to national judgment and destruction!

Opening the Door to Destruction
In 2010 during prayer, God began speaking to us about what He was seeing in our nation and regarding America’s gatekeepers, especially in the church. As you read this, please remember that there are godly pastors and leaders in our nation who are faithfully devoted to God and His ways. But, as God says in this word, there are “many” in His church “in gross sin.” Note, He is saying “many,” not “most.” Keep in mind God sees it all; we do not.

This is part of a prophecy from June 07, 2010,
through Cindy deVille.
The sin in your land is great; it is great.
The sin in My church is great.
Even many of those that lead, those that feed My sheep,
Many are in gross sin.
They’ve opened the door; they’ve let it in.
Just as you see, as the political leaders of your land,
Much adultery, much sin, much perversion, much greed.
So these are in the lives of those who lead My sheep.
Many are trying to cover them up. But I will come by My Spirit and expose . . .

We must remember that God still opposes and takes sin very seriously, even more so for those who lead because they have tremendous influence and can impact multitudes, even a whole nation, either positively or negatively (James 3:1). Indeed, the pulpits of America have played a key role in what we are seeing in our nation. The following prophetic word provides more insight regarding this.

The Pulpits: Allowing Great Sin and Destruction
On June 8, 2008, God gave Cindy a word called “Judgment is Coming to the Pulpits of America”, He warned of how great sin in the pulpits of America was severely affecting both His people and our nation. Following is an excerpt from that word.

YOU SAY MERCY, MERCY, GRACE, GRACE and you think that will erase the hidden sin you continue to live and
revel in!
Your words are nothing to Me, It is your actions that I see! You have trampled on My grace,
And made a mockery of My mercy, And you have taught My people the same, And now My name is shamed!
Now My people think that I am OK with sin. You have opened the door and let it into My sanctuary, Into My Holy place,
You have made My house one of disgrace. You have defiled My house and defiled My people! The sin is destroying My people, destroying My church, And destroying your nation!

(You can access the full word “Judgment is Coming to the Pulpits of
America” in appendix F.)

Pastors, you are the gatekeeper of your church. What you allow or disallow in as a shepherd and steward over God’s house and people, you will stand accountable for before the Lord. This is very serious! The biblical examples we shared earlier of how spiritual leaders affect a
nation was also clearly addressed by a prominent leader of America’s Second Great Awakening. The pulpits are held accountable for the nation

The Decay of Conscience
It is said that Charles G. Finney’s life and writings influenced more people toward revival and reformation than any other preacher of the 1800s. He recognized the vital role the church plays in shaping our culture and nation, especially the pulpits—the five-fold ministry.

A portion of his classic sermon “Decay of Conscience” says it very well.

Our preaching will bear its legitimate fruits. If immorality prevails in
the land, the fault is ours [the pulpits] to a great degree.2
Note: This goes back to the compromise of God’s Word and the unbalanced doctrine
we previously covered. Note that Finney says to “a great degree” because
when the truth is spoken, the people must then respond and live it out. But it all
starts with the pulpits. Finney continues:
If there is a decay of conscience,
the pulpit is responsible for it. . . .
If the church is degenerate and worldly,
the pulpit is responsible for it.
If the world loses its interest in [God],
the pulpit is responsible for it.
If Satan rules in our halls of legislation,
the pulpit is responsible for it.
If our politics become so corrupt that the very foundations of our
government are ready to fall away,
the pulpit is responsible for it.

We believe the case could be made that biblically speaking, the highest place of ultimate authority for our nation lies not in Washington, DC, but rather in the pulpits of America; for the spiritual affects everything in the natural (Eph. 6:12). God’s leaders hold the greatest spiritual authority as ambassadors representing the kingdom of God and Christ, the King of kings (Matt. 28:18–20; Rev. 19:16). What the church allows or stops can affect the whole nation (Matt. 18:18).

In relation to all this, Martin Luther King Jr. prophetically wrote in 1963:
The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant
of the state but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide
and the critic of the state and never its tool. If the church does not
recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club
without moral or spiritual authority.

The pulpits of America (five-fold ministry) have played a significant role in the condition of our churches and nation. They will also play a significant role in turning it all around with God’s Answer (in the second half of this book). While the pulpits of America are the spiritual gatekeepers, our nation’s governmental leaders are also very accountable for their crucial role.

To America’s Leaders
America’s president, Congress, judges, governors, and mayors, biblically you, are considered public servants of God (see Romans 13:3–7). The foundation of God’s throne is righteousness and justice (Ps. 89:14). Therefore, you, as leaders are accountable before Him to govern and judge righteously according to His standards and not according to your own. The unbiblical legislation and judicial
decisions we see in America are opening the door to severe judgment upon our land.

King Belshazzar’s example
King Belshazzar, in his pride, led the people in defiling and taking lightly the things of God (see Daniel 5). The king and the people also worshipped the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone gods. This brought judgment on the whole nation in the form of an enemy invasion and overthrow of the kingdom. In essence, many of America’s leaders have done the same thing. Many have taken God Himself and the things of God lightly. Then driven by great greed, the desire to stay in power, and an ungodly agenda, many have become
corrupt and have opened the door to destruction and judgment upon our land. A coming shift.

Thankfully, there are some great and godly leaders in America standing up to fight for what is right, to honor God, and to restore the godly foundations; but there seem to be so few. However, as God’s people rise up and run with God’s Answer in this book, a shift will take place, a great house cleaning to help change the course of our nation; and God will put righteous leaders and judges in place to help restore and reform the nation. You can read more about this in the second half of this book.

Will America End Up in the Pig Pen?
When we look at the godly foundations America was established upon and how far our nation has fallen, this seems parallel to the parable of the Prodigal Son. He grew up blessed in his father’s house, but his own ways led him far, far away from home and finally to a pig pen, until one day he came to his senses. God wants to get America’s attention, bring her to her senses, and turn her back to Him before she ends up in the pig pen! The question is—how does God get a nation’s attention?

Darrel & Cindy deVille
Latest posts by Darrel & Cindy deVille (see all)