As school opens, there’s once again a great opportunity for ministry. Often in the New Testament, when it speaks of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, you’ll find the image of an open door. The apostle Paul was especially fond of that image: “…meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word” (Colossians 4:3Colossians 4:3
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3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:  

WP-Bible plugin). “For a great and effective door has opened to me” (1 Cor. 16:91 Cor. 16:9
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9 For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.  

WP-Bible plugin; 2 Cor. 2:122 Cor. 2:12
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12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord,  

WP-Bible plugin).



When a door appears, you have only to go through it.



That’s the kind of open door of opportunity that’s around each of us. The mature, observant Christian will walk through it. Some of you are artists, writers, musicians, mechanics, engineers, teachers, businessmen, housewives. All of us have open doors that God has placed just for us; we just have to look for them. God opens doors of service for us that no one can shut. The problem is we don’t always look for them. When we pray, “God, open a door,” we should expect to find one right where we are. All around us are open doors to share Christ with unbelievers — in our neighborhood, in our work, in our community, even in our own families.



Share Christ in our neighborhood… even in our own families…

The key is to have a vital, growing relationship with Jesus Christ. When you are on fire for Him you will attract others to Him, because that kind of faith is contagious. So number one, get close to Jesus Christ, and get enthusiastic about what He is doing in your life. Then, look for those opportunities, those open doors. And don’t be surprised when you find that God has already provided them for you!





When you are on fire for Him you will attract others to Him…

When my kids were small I told them they had my permission to come into my study room whenever they wanted, no matter what, no matter when. I wanted them to know that their concerns and questions were important to me, because they were important to me. And they took advantage of that right — sometimes to the surprise of my visitors or people I was counseling! (hahaha)

Did you know that we have the same access to God? It’s true. The God of heaven and earth, the Creator of all that exists, is available to you at all times, for any reason. Hebrews 4:16Hebrews 4:16
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16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.  

WP-Bible plugin says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” The reason we can come “boldly” is in verse 15. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” That High Priest is Jesus Christ. He understands it all, and He is never surprised at our struggles.

God doesn’t condemn us for our sin when we approach the Throne of Grace. After all, when we come to Him, we’ve already admitted we’re in the wrong, we have a problem, and we need His help. If we didn’t want to admit we were wrong, we would hide. That brings me to the scripture that I want you to read. Psalm 139 is full of wonderful truths about God and His knowledge and love for us. Read it over slowly several times and digest it.

Verse 7 in particular stands out. “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” The psalm goes on to explain how that very idea is nonsense. There’s nowhere to hide. But that’s the great part. Not only is there nowhere to hide, there’s no reason to even try. We can come to Him at any time, with any problem.

Are you struggling with a sin? Come to the Throne of Grace. Are you depressed or grieving? Come to the Throne of Grace. Are you angry, or confused, or full of doubt? You guessed it — come to the Throne of Grace. God is waiting there, eager to hear your problem, eager to give you His solution, His care, and His love. You can come anytime. Isn’t that what being a child of God is all about? He’s never too busy, and He’s never annoyed that you want to talk to Him. What a wonderful God we serve! What a wonderful Father we have!