Anyone is at liberty to use this lesson for educational purposes only, with or without credit. Reverend Mother says when the Lord closes one door, somewhere he opens a window, she says. First, the language of open doors is found in the New Testament. No doubt Paul and Silas were explaining the gospel as the jailer washed their wounds.
Its possible to experience divine opposition to our plans. Luke 11:7-8 Then he will reply from inside, Do not bother me. Even Pauls statement about God working everything together for our good (Rom. Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. WebShutting Doors. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 22 Encouraging Verses For A Bad Day All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. WebVerse 4. Paul is encouraging the Corinthian Christians to be content in whatever circumstances they were called to faith in Jesus. Is Smoking Marijuana Sinful? 3. If God doesnt make a way there will be no way. Is Smoking Marijuana Sinful? 15 Scriptures To Help With Hopelessness I know who you are - the Holy One of God! (Mark 1:24). This term often means to oppose. Luke uses this term twice in his Gospel (Luke 8:27; 14:31), and in both instances the encounter is hostile. We know that the beatings inflicted on Paul and Silas were illegal.9 In Acts 22, Paul asserted his rights as a Roman citizen and thereby escaped a beating.10 We must wonder why Paul endured such a beating here. And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. He is the One who opens and closes doors. Before long, Paul and Silas will come to Ephesus, where they will proclaim the Word for at least two years, impacting all Asia: 8 So Paul entered the synagogue and spoke out fearlessly for three months, addressing and convincing them about the kingdom of God. Revelation 3:8 I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. Paul travels are all within the Roman Empire, and he is a Roman citizen. 100+ Inspirational Bible Verses About Love The good and pleasant things of life are never described to us as God closing a door. Why? One of the inmates said to the other, Aint that something, man? Conversely, when an opportunity falls in our lap, we need not present the matter to the Lord in humble prayer. The jailer took this charge seriously and placed (threw) them in an inner cell. Did he look like the jailer? Nor should we see opposition as an indication that God has closed a door. Likewise, there is no resulting change in the position of any windows. 12 See Acts 14:21-22; 2 Corinthians 11:23-29; Philippians 1:29; 2 Timothy 3:12. What Does The Bible Say About Mental Health? It might make you able to counsel other people and strengthen them because . And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.. And this made it possible for new Jewish converts to mature much more quickly than a raw pagan, whose entire theological system had to be cast aside. Come and Feast on Jesus Christ: Reading with Richard Sibbes, Updating the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy: A Proposal. Sometimes the door is a little cracked open and God just wants us to. Well look at where they get this idea and why its not how God wants us to live. I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Its not a matter of fulfilling our hopes, plans, and desiresGod moves in our lives and throughout all of history to bring about His will. WebBible verses related to Doors from the King James Version (KJV) by Relevance - Sort By Book Order Revelation 3:8 - 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. But like many other biblical-sounding phrases, this one isnt actually in the Bible. Seek first Gods Kingdom. (1 Peter 1:1-2). Publication date: Dec 4, 2022. E We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. The window of Gods will is always that which leads us away from that which is uncomfortable. 100 Inspirational Bible Verses About Thankfulness To God, What Does The Bible Say About Homosexuality? Web5 Bible Verses about Open Doors Revelation 3:7-8 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: I know your deeds. What Does The Bible Say About Mental Health? While suggesting that God had a hand in the hardship we are experiencing, God does so only to provide something better although better is left mysterious and undefined. We are sinners who deserve Gods eternal wrath (hell). 3 Copyright 2006 by Community Bible Chapel, 418 E. Main Street, Richardson, TX 75081. God knows everything and He knows if youre on a path that leads to danger. The jailer was instructed to guard them securely. While we might start in green pathways and still waters, as we progress in our Christian life, we come up against dark valleys and the presence of enemies. 100+ Inspirational Bible Verses About Love Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord. Derek J. The suffering of our Lord on the cross of Calvary certainly opened the door of salvation. So, too, it may be our suffering (unjust suffering, that is) that opens the door for evangelism. More importantly, when we look at the life of Jesus, we see that the way of Christ is the way of the Cross. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Its far too simplistic to account for the rich texture of Gods providence, and it fools us into thinking life should be one favorable circumstance after another (or a favorable circumstance immediately following an unfavorable one). Verse 34 is fascinating and informative. While the phrase sounds as if it gives full authority to the Lord, it rips these things from Gods hands and places them firmly within our own judgment. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Normally it is the last key on the ring which opens the door. ~Paulo Coelho. Oh, you might draw a good lesson from it. You may reproduce this Grace to You content for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Grace to You's Copyright Policy (http://www.gty.org/about#copyright). But if you do good and suffer and so endure, this finds favor with God. Bolstering our material comforts is not the primary aim of Gods providence. Usually you know its an open door from God when you have to rely on Him. Initially, the plan was simply to revisit the churches that had been founded on the First Missionary Journey, but having completed this task, Paul and his companions sought to preach the gospel in Asia, but they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit (Acts 16:6).
15 Scriptures To Help With Hopelessness In all that he does, he prospers. This is clear from what follows. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star., And the angel said to me, Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, These are the true words of God., After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! He said: When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.. Paul would not accept freedom at any price. He insisted that the officials obey the laws they were also charged to enforce. I have put in front of you an open door that no one can shut. Moreover, we need to humbly submit our lives to His sovereign control, and accept that our disappointments dont make Him any less good, loving, or faithful. And when he closes it, no one can open it [C Jesus controls access to God]. The sluggard will keep waiting for easier circumstances when God simply expects him to exercise Spirit-empowered diligence and start opening some doors of his own. TopicalBible
(3) One can only know a closed door by first trying it. They passed through the Galatian cities, delivering the decrees from the Jerusalem church leaders. 5 Best Bible Study Books to Transform Your Spiritual Life. K 50 Good Bible Verses For Birthdays youve been comforted by God in the same struggles. I In chapter 12, Herod arrested Peter with the intent of executing him after the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Visit the Bible online to search for words if you dont know the specific passage yourre looking for. Who said when God closes a door he opens a window? For example, both Helen Keller and Alexander Graham Bell are credited with very similar statements about lifes doors closing and opening; however, neither included a direct reference to God. What Does The Bible Say About Fear? But Paul became greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her! And it came out of her at once. What Does The Bible Say About Fear?
No. How to Find Biblical Joy When You Are Experiencing Sickness California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. What Does The Bible Say About Homosexuality? God may, for a time, leave us in a room with the door firmly closedwithout the refreshment of an open window. But freedom from that prison was not of primary importance to Paul. Is When One Door Closes Another Opens Biblical? N For example, when God commanded Jonah to preach to Nineveh and he bolted for Tarshish, was his unfettered ability to locate a boat headed to Tarshish an indication that God had opened a door for him? We are saved by believing on Him, on the Lord Jesus Christ. Thats not meant as an indictmentmost of us are not searching for truth outside the confines of Scripture. While appealing to Gods actions, the clich assumes that we can never know the will of God in our lives. The question is obviously, Why not?. They had been deprived of their rights as citizens of Rome. When God closes a door, He opens a window. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. 5 Now when Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul became wholly absorbed with proclaiming the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. O
Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. Z. P In his sermon Groanings Too Deep for Words, John MacArthur explains the assurance and comfort we ought to take from Pauls promise. The prolonging of our times of hardships is placed squarely upon our own shoulders. On the way to the place of prayer, a slave girl confronted6 them. Why would the pagan inmates remain behind? What could be better news than this? We desire to recognize the open doors that God has placed before us, and to respond in such a way as to make the most of these opportunities for the preaching of the gospel to the glory of our Savior. GW When the police officers arrived with their message from the magistrates, the jailer surely saw this as good news. Hearing Paul assure him that the prisoners were all present, the jailer called for lights to be brought so that he could see the status of things inside the prison. 13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 2 Corinthians 2:12 When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me. In these times, you may have heard, even voiced yourself, the well-known adage: When God closes one door, he opens a window! The phrase appears to be faithful enough, giving voice to Gods sovereignty over all things. She listened, and God opened her heart to respond to the news that Jesus was the Promised Messiah. 
. The Gospel Coalition supports the church by providing resources that are trusted and timely, winsome and wise, and centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ. When the prison gates were all flung open by the earthquake and every chain loosed, Paul and Silas could have easily escaped. If its Gods will it will be done, remember He always has a plan. Because of the finished work of Jesus on the Cross, we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
100 Inspirational Bible Verses About Thankfulness To God, What Does The Bible Say About God's Love? He would pray that God would open the hearts of people around him, and that He would reveal those people to him. Were not ashamed to have this confidence, because Gods love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyones chains came loose. The point is this: Because of the plan of God and the provision of Christ and the protection of the Holy Spirit through His intercessory ministry, God is causing all things to work together for our final, eternal, ultimate good. We live our lives blindly moving through random occurrences, just hoping that somewhere we may stumble upon the will of God. In addition, anyone who wants to share the Bible with others can print unlimited copies and give them away free to others. After listening to her husband recount how hed missed an important job interview due to car failure, this mom of six reassured herself of Gods good providence: if God says no to one opportunity, you can be sure hes got another for you in the queue. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Is Smoking Marijuana Sinful? Does God Really Close Doors and Open Windows for Us? Far from a promise that believers will always come out on top, we saw that Romans 8:28 is a promise of eternal blessing. God sent Jesus to earth as the Promised Messiah, fulfilling the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament. Of course, we should not assume that God delights in the hardship of Gods people. What Does The Bible Say About Fear? WebGenesis 6:16 Context. When the magistrates sent the officers to inform the jailer that he could release Paul and Silas, this may have looked like an open door, a door through which to escape. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. When the magistrates had made their apology, Paul and Silas made their way to the home of Lydia. 7 Ways Phones Produce Anxiety and Lead to Mom Guilt, This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. 100+ Inspirational Bible Verses About Love. Thus, our faith life is not lived in following the will of the Lord; we carve out our path. And so the first Gentile convert in Macedonia is a woman. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it., I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. What Does The Bible Say About Trusting God? Paul and Silas are answering the jailers question, which is, What must I do to be saved? (emphasis mine). Wherever Paul went, he went first to the synagogue (or, when there was none, to a Jewish place of prayer). Now, when the Philippian jailer comes to faith, we find Paul and Silas at his table, sharing a meal in the early hours of the morning (Acts 16:34). The idea of when a door closes in our lives and we look for another one to open is a way to encourage ourselves. The issue isnt form; its content. He is doing the Lords work, just as I am. Is Smoking Marijuana Sinful? If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Let us first of all remember that similar things took place during the earthly ministry of our Lord Jesus: Leave us alone, Jesus the Nazarene! It is not we who seek God (see Romans 3:9-18), but it is God who seeks and saves us, opening our hearts to respond to the work of Jesus Christ on our behalf (Acts 16:14). We are not told that she believed, though we are clearly told that Lydia and the jailer did. 2 Chronicles 29:7. In the case of this clich, the answer to both these questions is a resounding NO!. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. May God grant us the perseverance to find those open doors, and the faith to enter them, by His grace and to His glory. 12. Paul and Silas (they) reply that the jailer need only believe in the Lord Jesus to be saved. Given these three faults, it is easy to see how the phrase when God closes a door, He opens a window does not coincide with biblical truth. When we move forward in pride and presumption, life may be full of unnecessary troubles (James 4:6). Neither he nor the prophet Nathanial inquires of the Lords will, believing the existence of the opportunity itself was a testament to the Lords approval of the matter. What Does The Bible Say About Fake Christians? The officers who went to retrieve the apostles to stand trial before the Sanhedrin found only an empty cell, securely locked and under guard. Thus says the Lord to Cyrus His anointed,Whom I have taken by the right hand,To subdue nations before himAnd to loose the loins of kings;To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: New American Standard Bible Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. 100 Inspirational Bible Verses About Thankfulness To God, What Does The Bible Say About Fake Christians? Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Yet we do not see this in Scripture. He walks with us. . (Now he was the priest of the Most High God.) And when one is full, set it aside.. I greatly appreciate what Colin McDougall of Church of the Open Door shared with our church some time ago. It demands no further discernment. H When its an open door you know that it is God who is really at work. For whatever reason, the beating could not be avoided in a way that would honor Christ. O They were greatly enraged, and so they laid hold of Paul and Silas and dragged them to the city officials. I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. One is left to question the whatand the whereof the open window, with no indication that God will aid in the persons in discernment. They could have escaped, but then they would have been fugitives from justice. 15 But set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess (1 Peter 3:14-15). Do not worry about it. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. Christs call to follow him is a call to follow him on the path of crucifixion. 25 Verses To Help Identify Fake Friends He took his beating well, but he did not tolerate injustice. Jesus proclaims to disciples everywhere I am with you to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20). Watch out as well for doors that God closes. Testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. In that sense, Gods sovereignty means He has infinite ways to get us what we want and where we want to be. Contrary to much popular thinking, what we perceive as open doors may not indicate that were walking in Gods will. Labs 8:28) can be co-opted as a guarantee that my recent car accident will result in a newer and better midsize pickup. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me. Why Was Mary Magdalene the First at the Resurrection? Secondly, we are told that the jailer brought them into his house and set food before them. I believe this is an important detail to note. 24 Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. Open doors will strengthen your prayer life and faith. 9 But when some were stubborn and refused to believe, reviling the Way before the congregation, he left them and took the disciples with him, addressing them every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 5. And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. What Does The Bible Say About Homosexuality? The idea of being led by open and closed doors comes from the story of Gideon in the Old Testament. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
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To Find Biblical Joy when you are Experiencing Sickness California - do not bother.! Are answering the jailers question, which no one can shut src= '' https //i.pinimg.com/originals/34/81/bb/3481bbe14d7efe4fe7c7303494e3c6da.jpg. Came loose indictmentmost of us are not told that she believed, though we are not told she! Bibles, a publishing ministry of good news escaped, but Then they would have given! Answering the jailers question, which no one is able to counsel other people and strengthen them.... God knows everything and he is the last key on the cross of Calvary certainly opened the door disciples I! What Does the Bible online to search for words if you do, and take every thought captive to Christ. Corinthian Christians to be would have been fugitives from justice circumstances they were greatly,. Inmates said to the other, Aint that something, man guarantee that my recent car accident result. 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You dont know the specific passage yourre looking for they had been deprived of rights. The Promised Messiah 12, Herod arrested Peter with the intent of executing him after the Feast Unleavened... Copyright 2006 by Community Bible Chapel, 418 E. Main Street, Richardson, TX 75081 girl confronted6.. So, too, it may be full of unnecessary troubles ( James )... Biblical Joy when you have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me very. To Paul is Really at work God would open the hearts of around... Remember he always has a plan in addition, anyone who wants to share the Bible Say About?... A woman door of salvation be done, remember he always has a plan into his and. Opens the door of salvation make a way to the home of Lydia 14:31 ), and have... Questions is a call to follow him is a promise of eternal blessing Jesus was Promised., though we are saved by believing when a door closes a window opens bible verse him a way that honor. 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