I have been
pondering open doors lately…
Open doors
that are spilling forth their warm inviting glow to the world outside. Their beautiful light
beckoning you to come one, come all. Doors that are open to new possibilities... Open to new
friendships.
Open doors…
There are
moments when our churches doors were open and they came.
Seeking
help. Seeking comfort. Seeking a ride, an ear to hear their story, heat from the cold, hope from despair, life from
death…
All because
of open doors.
Am I an open
door? Am I approachable no matter the person?
I remember
those nights when they have wandered in.
The wife
whose husband left her with no money, and no home.
The teen
with his scars bared for all to see and who had nowhere to go.
The young
woman pregnant, stranded, and exhausted from walking.
They were
each met with open doors.
They were
each plunged into the warmth and love of Christ.
Are our
doors open?
When Love came down.
He chose to come as a helpless babe. He came poor and with nowhere to stay, and sadly the doors were all closed, but He was the HOPE for us all.
He chose to come as a helpless babe. He came poor and with nowhere to stay, and sadly the doors were all closed, but He was the HOPE for us all.
He is the Open Door
for each and every one of us to reach the Lord of Lords. He was God’s very own
hand outstretched to each of us.
The greatest
gift resided in an unwanted package.
Poor and humble, yet he was a threat to kingdoms on high and to the religious authorities of the day.
They sought to extinguish His flame here on earth.
Poor and humble, yet he was a threat to kingdoms on high and to the religious authorities of the day.
They sought to extinguish His flame here on earth.
Our Jesus,
our Open Door,
calls us to be open doors as well…
our Open Door,
calls us to be open doors as well…
To the least of these…
Matthew
25:34-40
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Let
us be open doors without prejudice and without hindrance; with open arms letting
the warm light of love spill forth welcoming them in.
This will require our time; our schedules to bend. Our
wallets will open, and our hearts may break, but there is great hope and beauty
that can be found in relinquishing the “me” of our life’s focus and becoming the
open door that Christ called us to be.
Hope is found there.
You may even meet Jesus in the eyes of those you
minister too…
Will you join me each day in this prayer?
Lord you are amazing. You the creator of the Heavens and the earth; the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who came down to dwell with us here.
You did not come in your riches and power, but as a poor and helpless baby.
You experienced the hurts and the needs of our world despite the fact that you would receive no thanks or great accolades while here,
only horrific abuse and a brutal death sentence.
You willingly died and sacrificed yourself for me. You loved me even though I would willfully turn away from you.
You are my open door to a life abundant and free. A Life ever-lasting with you. Help me to remember each day that you have given me your ministry.
Help me to have your eyes to see those needing your open doors.
Give me the love and compassion to be your hands and feet.
To speak your words of love and grace with my actions as well as with my words.
Help me Lord to be an open door for you.
2 Corinthians 5:18-21
Lord you are amazing. You the creator of the Heavens and the earth; the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who came down to dwell with us here.
You did not come in your riches and power, but as a poor and helpless baby.
You experienced the hurts and the needs of our world despite the fact that you would receive no thanks or great accolades while here,
only horrific abuse and a brutal death sentence.
You willingly died and sacrificed yourself for me. You loved me even though I would willfully turn away from you.
You are my open door to a life abundant and free. A Life ever-lasting with you. Help me to remember each day that you have given me your ministry.
Help me to have your eyes to see those needing your open doors.
Give me the love and compassion to be your hands and feet.
To speak your words of love and grace with my actions as well as with my words.
Help me Lord to be an open door for you.
2 Corinthians 5:18-21
All this is from God, who
reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation:
that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the
message of reconciliation.
We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as
though God were making his appeal through us.
We implore you on Christ’s
behalf: Be reconciled to God.
God made him who had no sin to be sin for
us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
