Greetings again my Brethren. This month we will start a new section within the LORD’s Call and that is some principles contained within some verses that pertain to the call of God in Revelation 3:20-21. John writes, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.21To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” (Revelation 3:20-21) Here John gives us some direction not by way of movement to location, but by way of attention to awareness. The word “Behold”all throughout the Bible always means to look and pay attention. John’s arrest our attention to make known God’s desires and to obtain a response. Did you know every time God does something He expects the correct response from us. God speaks to us and tells us to do something and He expects not His intention, but His command that we would do that which God tells us to do. And sadly if we do not do what God tells us to do then it is sin. My friend sin is not the evil act of taking a life lying, cheating, and etc. but the act of doing that which God says not to do. James tells us, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth itnot, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17)It is the “mark”and the “prize”Paul talks about in Ephesians, “I press toward the markfor the prizeof the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 3:14)To know and to do or not do what God tells us. If we know and do not then it is a sin against God’s word which is a sin against God Himself. God says do not lie and we lie. Do not cheat, steal, covet, etc. and if we do these things we sin. But when Jesus came He raised the standard higher; to even if we think about committing sin we have already done it in our heart. Jesus tell us in Matthew, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: (see Exodus 20:14 and Deuteronomy 5:18)28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27-28) Now many Christians say we do not need to keep the Ten Commandants of the Old Testament Jesus fulfilled the law, but that is not totally true. Yes Jesus came and fulfilled the law in His death and gives us two new commandants, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment.39 And the second islike unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)Yet for us all on the earth today the Ten commandants are still in the Scriptures and still in effect today just as the commandants of the New Testament are. And why? That is easy, because God said them both. We cannot pick and choose what we believe when it comes to the Scriptures, either we believe ALL of the Scriptures or none of the Scriptures. So here in Revelation 3:20, God says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock.” Attention please I am knocking on your heart to see if you love Me in some way. Attention please I am knocking on your heart to see what desire you have for Me. Attention please I am knocking on your heart to see what and how you will respond to Me. The “heart” all throughout the Bible is our place of decision. And whatsoever we allow behind the door of our heart we will become that. In Proverbs we read, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so ishe: . . .” (Proverbs 23:7)This is translated in the Greek, “whatsoever we open (or think) the gate of our heart to we shall become that.” Or “as the gate of our heart swings open wide we shall become that.” Our heart is a gate that keeps bad things out of our lives and good things in our lives, but make no mistake my friend whatsoever we allow behind the gate of our heart we shall become that. Jesus was saying this very point. Attention please I am checking to see what you have allowed behind the gate of your heart and to see if there is anything in your heart that has a desire for me. And if so what will be your response to my knocking? I find it amazing the LORD (who knows all things so he must know what is in our heart) is knocking for opportunity to come in and supp with us. Next month we will pick up on this word “opportunity.” God knows our heart He knows all things yet He gives us great opportunity again and again to come to know Him and His call in our lives. Here I believe the LORD is knocking to see if the person has a desire to fulfill the call of God in their life. And the correct response is “yes LORD.” This is always what the LORD wants to hear from us.
Next month we will continue on with more spiritual principles contained in verses found in the Book of Revelation as we look at our response. Do you hear Him calling? Please know God is calling. Walter Beuttler said if you build God a temple He will inhabit it. Have you built God a temple? If you do He will abide and wait for you.
Written by David Stahl
