Friday, June 20, 2014

Open Door Ministry


OPEN DOOR MINISTRY

2 Corinthians 2:12-13, 4:1-6

2 Corinthians 4:1:  “Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.”

 

            2 Corinthians 5:20 says, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us.”  So, every Christian is an ambassador [am-BASS-a-dor] for Christ.  An ambassador is a representative.  Countries like the United States have ambassadors for other countries.  That person visits that country and makes friends with them on behalf of the United States, (or the country they’re representing).

            Apostle Paul uses “Open Doors” as a figure of speech about wonderful opportunities.  In 2 Corinthians 2:12-13, Paul says, “Now when I went to Troas to preach  the gospel of Christ and fund that the Lord had opened a door for me, I still had no peace of mind, because I did  not find my brother Titus there.  So I said good-bye to them and went on to Macedonia.”

            I also consider open doors and peace of mind signs from God.  They point to the path He wants me to take.  Especially when life is troublesome, I pray for and run through open doors.  I seize the opportunity—happy to have found rest from my current difficulty.  When doors repeatedly slam in one’s face, an open door and peace of mind is oh, so welcome!

             Evidently, Apostle Paul used open and closed doors to guide him on his ministry journey around the known world around A.D. 55.  This “open door ministry” is a safe, daring, but scary way to live.  Just consider many of Paul’s closed doors.  He encountered physical and geographical problems that limited his progress around the world.

            Today, we have no such barriers.  God has opened the whole world’s doors for His ministry through technology.  We’re living in the perfect time to represent Christ to everyone in the whole world.  With the Internet and satellites positioned in outer space that probe everywhere in the world, the time to be Christ’s ambassador is NOW!

            If you have chosen to believe in Jesus as Lord, you are empowered by His Spirit right now.  Eternal life is yours.  Do you have any excuse not to represent Him?

Take Home Nugget   

            Being Christ’s ambassador is not as scary as you think.  If anyone were to ask, could you talk about Jesus’ birth?  If anyone were to ask, could you talk about His miracles?  If anyone were to ask, could you talk about His death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven?

            Even if you don’t talk about Christ, you are still His ambassador through your words and actions.  Your open door ministry is on stage for the whole world to see. 

            Congratulations, ambassador!   

Don’t shut down, be an open door ministry for Christ.

J.D. Griffith

 
 
 

 


 



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