Jesus The Open Door

Some of you may realise that when God wants to get a message to you, He will keeping showing you a phrase or a certain verse. It can appear anywhere, from your daily devotionals or book reading or through another person or through the newspapers or even TV dramas! God has a thousand ways to get that message across. Since middle of March, I have been seeing this phrase 'Open Door' almost everyday. It came from three verses:

1) 'I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it.' (Rev 3:8)
2) 'Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me.'  (Rev 3:20)
3) 'I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.' (John 10:9)

Last week, I was in a Christian bookstore and this book caught my eye. The book is 'Jesus: The Open Door' by Rev. Kenneth E. Hagin. I bought the book and finished reading it because I wanted to find out more about the open door. Actually I was very excited when I saw this message 'Open Door' because I had been waiting for some things to come to pass last Sep but it seemed like nothing was moving. I prayed for God to open doors to my pregnancy, my book to be published and my ministry. Although nothing seemed to be happening on the surface, I knew God was working behind the scenes. Somewhere in Oct, I came to a point where I was happy to just fellowship with Jesus in this world of love where nothing else mattered. I was contented whether things moved or not.

Yet towards the end of last year, I received a Word from the Lord. He told me to 'arise and go'. I sensed that it was a call for action and this meant that things were going to change from waiting mode to action mode. In Feb this year, God showed me that He is indeed doing new things in my life and these will manifest soon. Immediately after that, I saw many things which I had been waiting moved very quickly, without my intervention. I knew it had to be God.  After He showed me open doors in Mar, there were really many doors opened to me in that month. I was excited because after most of my dreams came to pass, God still kept showing me 'open doors' which meant that there are more blessings ahead!

I realised that the favour of God opens doors for me but the wisdom of God leads me to the right door to enter. I saw how two doors opened around the same time but the wisdom and the peace of God led me to the right one to step into. In John 10:7, Jesus says that He is the door. He closes the door on bad things and troubles; He opens the door to green pastures and blessings for us. In the book 'Jesus: The Open Door', I learnt that there is a Godward side and a manward side to every open door. God showed me that through the finished work of Christ, every door of blessing has been opened by Jesus. These doors could be salvation, healing, opportunities for service, prosperity etc. And what Christ has opened, no man can shut (Rev 3:8).

Yet there is a manward side to that door. This does not mean that we need to work for the blessings or strive to open doors by our human efforts. We can only work out what God has first worked in us (Phil 2:13). This meant that we need to be sensitive to hear God's voice for any instructions He has told us. In the new covenant of grace, that is how God writes down the 'laws' - in our hearts (Heb 8:10). Whatever He wants us to do, He will first write on our hearts, which becomes like a prompting for us to act on His Word. God has already opened the door but we need to make the decision to step through. Sometimes it takes a huge step of faith to enter that door. Not that it is difficult but many a times, what God told us to do is against the human reasoning.

That's why Jesus said in Rev 3:20, that He stands outside the door of our hearts and knock. If we hear His voice and opens the door (which would be doing what He prompts us to), Jesus will enter into our lives and work the miracles that had been promised. By speaking and walking in faith, we are effectively opening a door for Christ to enter and work powerfully in a certain area of our lives. In John 2:3, the account of the first miracle Jesus performed, turning water into wine, Mary, the mother of Jesus told the servants 'Whatever He says to you, do it.' The result was that the best wine was produced in abundance.

My brethren, what is on your heart today? What has God consistently said in His Word and told you to do? It is time to be bold and step on on His Word. You will not sink but you will walk on water like Peter. Peter would not have stepped out if Jesus did not say 'Come.' You know that God has spoken clearly for you are His sheep and His sheep listen to His voice. Like what Mary said 'Whatever He says to you, do it.' Then after you stepped out in faith, just rest and watch what Jesus would do next. And be awed...be greatly amazed!