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The
Open Door
July
21,
2012
Maybe you have seen a running back get through a hole in the defensive line and run dozens of yards for a touchdown, or maybe you have seen a goal scored in soccer when a goal looked impossible. What makes sports exciting is the strategy and the opportunities that arise from strategy. Ultimately, what causes one team to win is its strategy provides greater opportunities than the strategy of the other team, and the winning team always takes greater advantage of its opportunities. Aside from the world of sports you might have heard the phrase that when opportunity is knocking, you should open the door. What this means is that when a really good opportunity comes along, take advantage of it. While this may sound worldly, this is a principle that is presented in the Bible, using the other side of the door. So let's look at the open door, and principles of how to take advantage of opportunities that are in line with what the Bible teaches. The open door is used to show the opportunities given to the church in Philadelphia in the Book of Revelation, and we will begin there.
Revelation
3:7-13
And to the
angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things
saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David,
he that
openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know
thy
works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut
it: for
thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied
my
name. Behold, I will make them of the
synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie;
behold, I
will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I
have
loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will
keep
thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world,
to try
them that dwell upon the earth. Behold,
I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy
crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in
the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write
upon him
the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new
Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will
write
upon him my new
name. He that hath
an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
To take advantage of the opportunity of the open door, the church in Philadelphia kept Jesus' word and did not deny the name of Jesus. They lived and affirmed their lives as Christians. To continue to take advantage of the opportunity presented by the open door, the church also needs to hold fast, to keep, to value as precious, what they have been given. They will use these to overcome the evil of the world. While these are Biblical principles that Christians can use to live by, anyone can use the concept presented by this verse of the open door because an open door is only good if you have the ability to enter through the open door. It doesn't matter if you get through the open door on your own power or if somebody else helps you through the open door, provided you get through the open door. Family and friends are useful for the opportunities, and sometimes it is best to rely on family, and sometimes it is best to rely on friends.
Proverbs
27:10
Thine
own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy
brother's
house in the day of thy calamity: forbetter is a
neighbour that
is
near than a brother far off.
Family is
a great support, unless they are too far away. When family
lives too far away, your friends that live close by are the ones to
count on, and you are more likely to be able to count on your friends
when they can count on your support. Sometimes support is
needed in bad times, and support can also be used in good times, or
when an opportunity presents itself. The interesting things
about opportunities is you never know when they will arise, so you
always have to be prepared. Always being prepared is
sometimes referred to as situational awareness. The more you
are aware of your current situation and how it changes, you will have
more chances to take advantage of the opportunities given to you.
I think this concept is an extension of the
following verse from the Book of Proverbs.
Proverbs
27:1
Boast
not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring
forth.
Because we have no way of knowing what will happen in the future, the best course of action is to be prepared. We cannot know for sure what is going to happen, but we can be prepared to take advantage of whatever opportunity may come our way. When an opportunity comes your way, when that door opens ahead of you, you will be able to walk through that door and take advantage of that opportunity to the extent you are prepared.
All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
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